School pics

Well, I am finally working my way back into scrapping. These are pretty basic pages, but I am looking for my mojo right now. The papers are random scrap paper, but the stickers are Creative Imaginations Back to School 101 collection. My son's is the preschool line and my daughter's is the elementary line. She also has the pencil from one of my swaps. Her LO is from the Cherish book pg. 68, left side. I will post others as I get them done. Thanks for looking! April

Watercolor pencils

So here is my first attempt at coloring in an image with watercolor pencils. I have been using a blender pen from Stampin' Up in place of a brush pen. Here is my Flirty Edward digi and the Dressy Edward digi. I used three different pencils - a dark brown, a reddish brown, and a red. I started with the dark closest to the root, then used the lighter reddish color up the tips, I used the red to add a little more red tone sporadically, and used the dark to deepen the tufts to create shadows. These are only my second and third tries, but I am happy with them so far. The top Edward has the hair already blended, the bottom one is not. I wanted to show you before and after. Also, blending straight from the printer tends to smear the printer ink, so I took my digis to the local print shop and had them copied onto acid free cardstock for .30/sheet.

I tried with Copics and they bled everywhere. My friend, Amy, is having better luck with them, so hopefully, I'll pick them up in time. For now, I am happy to have something to work with. The colors are not a vibrant as with markers, but I do like the effect. Thanks for looking! April

Altered Photo Frame & Scrap it with a Song

I had tons of left over Bo Bunny Glee paper that I used on the purse album, so I decided to make my daughter's friend a matching frame. It also doesn't hurt that I can work it into a new Design Challenge from a site a learned about from my friend, Christina...Scrap It With a Song! This weeks theme is True Colors by Cindi Lauper. Okay, I didn't work in the lyrics, but I think there are plenty of colors that are "beautiful like a rainbow."

The frame was an Autumn Leaves that was on clearance at Walmart. I cut the Bo Bunny Back to Basics yellow cardstock to fit the frame, then took some scrap to make the strips on the paper. I used the dark blue chalk ink to ink the edges, then to ink the stamp. I used Mod Podge to adhear to the frame, then put a coat over top. After the frame dried, I used some left over ribbon across the bottom, then attached a prima flower. A cute extra for under $2! So cute and simple to make. Thanks for looking! April

Sorry about the pic, it keeps flipping it when I download...ugh!

Flip Album

I finally got around to finishing this...I think I went to this class before Christmas...yikes! The papers are Bo Bunny and Bazzill. The basic album really doesn't take much time, it's all the panels that take up the time. You need three different solid cardstock colors for the base of the album. Then you need another solid color, white, and two double-sided pattern papers.

I have learned that if you embellish at all, you need to account for some extra room in the album. I would have gone an extra quarter inch because of the brads and thickness of the cardstock panels. I guess it wouldn't have been so bad if the patterned paper were regular thickness. Also, the instructor had us use embroidery thread for the catch of the album...it is fine, but you have to be careful not to leave too much give or too little. I would have used elastic string. Oh well, you live and learn, and I know better for my next one.

If you are interested in the directions, email me. Thanks for looking! April

Bo Bunny Purse album & Stamp Something Challenge

Here is a cute Bo Bunny kit I picked up from my local scrapbook store. It's the first time I have tried to finish a book like this and Mod Podge...I had a few bumps in the road, but it turned out cute. It uses Bo Bunny's Glee paper line and the spring ribbons and brads. It's quirky, cute and perfect for a 10 year old! I added some skittles on the cover and used stamps in place of the rub-ons that were not in the kit. I wouldn't have picked some of the papers and embellishments to go together, but I think it turned out really cute!

Also, a shout out to Stamp Something's 2nd Birthday! The challenge is to stamp a birthday project. I stamped some embellishments on a couple of the pages in white chalk ink. Happy Birthday, Stamp Something! Go check them out now! Thanks for looking. April

Movie Popcorn Teacher Gift

Well, the end of another school year is here and I have finally finished the teacher gifts. We got the popcorn holders cheap at Target. Then, I stuffed tissue paper and yellow shredded paper in it. Next, I added a packet of microwave popcorn and snack size M&M's along with a gift card for a movie rental.

I made sleeves for the gift cards our of black cardstock cut at 4.75x3.25 and run through the Cuttlebug with the Swiss Dots embossing folder. I then wrapped them around the gift card and sealed with adhesive. I wiggled the card out one side and used a 1 inch circle punch to make the notch on the wrapper then pushed the card back the other way to repeat on the other side. I used the Cricut and Mini Monograms and cut the scallops at 3.5 on red cardstock. For the label, I used Twilight font and the art function in my word processor to curve the words. I printed it on a sheet of white cardstock then punched with a 2 inch circle punch. I mounted the scalloped circles on foam dots and attached to the card.

I wrapped all the kits in celophane wrap that you can buy by the roll at Michael's. I was able to make 8 gifts and still have left over, so I am guessing you can get 10 out of a single roll. The labels I cut from Cricut's Tags, Bags, Boxes and More at 4.5 on yellow cardstock. I cut the black scalloped squares at 3.5 from Mini Monograms and the inside squares on white cardstock at 2.5 inches. I found the popcorn stamp at Hobby Lobby in their clearance...so cute and perfect for the theme! I stamped that is black Staz-On, then used watercolors to fill in the image with Stampin Up's blending pens. I used a fine tip marker for the popcorn lettering and sharpies to fill in the frame of the image. I mounted them on the black scallops, then used pop dots to add to tags, after I stamped my thank you in Blazing Red Staz-On on the base of the tag.

Simple teacher gifts for under $5 each! Thanks for looking! April