Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Sassy

This is for Anyone for Anya's sketch challenge.  I originally started the idea for a TGF Farm Fresh Friday button challenge, but didn't get it done.  Oh well.
 
The base is Pretty in Pink with layers of Wild Wasabi and retired Pawsitively Prints designer paper.  The paper is double-sided, so I used a bit from each side.  The image is TGF's Stella colored in copic markers.  The sentiment is printed on cardstock and punched with the rounded tab punch, attached with the tiny attacher.  The buttons are handmade paper buttons.  Check out the tutorial at Stampin with Heather.  They were really easy to make!  Thanks for looking!  April

tilted to show dimension of buttons

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Sparkle & Shine

This is for TGF's Farm Fresh Friday Digital Getdown and Deconstructed Sketch #16.
 
The base is Basic Black with layers of Old Olive and Cast a Spell retired designer papers.  The banner is made by taking a strip of paper and using a square punch at an angle to notch the ends.  Next, I scored the strip twice on each end 1/2" apart to create the furl, then tacked the ends of the banner, leaving the middle to puff out.  The paper flower is made using a tutorial at Stampin' with Heather.  It is the same designer paper as the card base, but looks darker with  the folds.  The image is TGF's witch digi and is colored in copic markers.  I added little pearl earrings and button on her boots.  The sentiment is from Michael's dollar bin and stamped on Old Olive in Jet Black Staz-On.  I used the Sukura Stardust gel pen to add some bling to "shine", notched like the big banner, attaching with dimensionals.  I chose not to embellish it too much because of the large flower and banner add a lot already.  Sorry the photo shows a bit of shine along her hat.  Thanks for looking!  April
tilted to show dimension

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Have a Magical Day!

This is for Pixie Dust Studio's Tag Your It! challenge.
 
The card is designed to fit a business size envelope and is approximately 4x9.  The base is Pumpkin Pie with layers of Old Olive and retired Cast a Spell paper.  The Old Olive layer is punched using Martha Stewart's Drippy Goo punch.  Images are the PDS's Harry Potter pets colored in copic markers.  They are sized to roughly 2.25" each.  I wraped a scrap of plum ribbon around the edges of card and then made the tags with Cricut's Tags, Bags, Boxes and more at 1".  Next, I wrote the names of each pet with and ultra fine journalling pen, threaded with a bit of floss, then attached to the card with a tiny safety pin.  Last a silver brad on each corner, finishes the card.  Inside, the sentiment is "Have a Magical Day!" in Lumos font from dafont.com, punched using the decorative label punch and mounted on dimensionals.  Thanks for looking!  April
close up of tags

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Show Your Boy Colors

This is for TGF's WOW Boy Colors challenge.
The base is Not Quite Navy with layers of Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, and Bo Bunny's Shabby Princess/Pep Rally paper.  The border punch is from EK Success.  The image and sentiment are TGF's Oliver from the Just for You set colored in copic markers on Southworth coverstock and mounted with dimensionals.  The strips in the center measure 1 1/2" and 1/2" scraps, then wrapped with Early Espresso baker's twine.  The clip on the sentiment is Tim Holtz's mini paper clip with a scrap piece of grosgrain ribbon that I ripped the edges of.  Thanks for looking!  April

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Heart Journal - week 5

This week's theme is "Pieces of Me."  We needed to layer or paper piece somewhere along the LO.  I wanted to focus on one specific part of me.  You all see my creative side all over my blog, so I decided to go with something you may not know...my love of reading.  Even now, I love to read children's books.  Some that didn't make it on the LO include: Pigs Might Fly, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Players in Pigtails, The Bone Collector, and many, many more. 
The base of the LO is ripped up pages from the Twilight Saga books.  No, I did not kill my prized copies...I bought second-hand ones that were already falling apart for $2 each.  I ripped out different pages, picked some cool passages, inked with CTMH's Brown Bag ink, crumpled and distressed.  I glued it down with Mod Podge, then set with a heat gun.  Next, I trimmed around the edges of the LO and chalked with Chestnut Roan cat's eye chalk.  I tracked down several pics of some of my favorite books then printed on cardstock, then ran them through the Xyron stickermaker to evenly distribute adhesive.  The truck is from SU's Loads of Love and is stamped in Whisper White craft ink on Basic Black cardstock and Jet Black Staz-On on Really Rust, mounted on dimensionals.  The title is made with rub-ons, using a white gel pen to add the subtitle.  Thanks for looking and leave me a comment with a favorite childhood book or book recommendation!  April
left side
right side


Monday, August 22, 2011

Tween-age Dream

This is for Pixie Dust Studios Tween-Teen Dream challenge. 

The base is Basic Black with layers of Whisper White and patterned paper by Provo Craft's Easter scrap pad.  The border is Martha Stewart.  The image is Sugar Plum Fairy from PDS and is colored in copic markers on Southworth coverstock, then mounted with dimensionals.  Finishing the card is some ribbon tied with a black button and twine.  Inside, I used scraps and the sentiment was typed in cardstock in Comic Sans font, punched with the decorative label punch, and mounted with dimensionals.  Quick and simple.  Thanks for looking!  April
inside of card

Vintage Witch

This is for TGF's Mystery Monday with Tracy P and Anyone for Anya's Vintage Vibe challenges.
 
The base is Pumpkin Pie with layers of Bo Bunny Shabby Princess Pep Rally and Back to Basic polka dot cardstock.  I distressed the edges of the stripped paper and cut the center circle with the nestabilities classic circle.  The blue layer is cut and embossed with the next smaller circle in the same group.  The image is TGF's witch, colored in warm gray copic markers, then coated with versamark and clear embossing powder.  After multiple layers, it is cooled in a freezer for a few minutes, then cracked.  It is layered from the image up.  Add in some Heidi Swapp felt stars, a left over spider piece (Inkadinkado's Halloween wine label set), Early Espresso twine and a coordinating button to finish the look.  I still think it needs something more, but I opted to leave a sentiment off for later use.  Thanks for looking!  April
tilted to show crackles

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Cupcake Anya

This is for TGF's WOW Photo #3, Deconstructed Sketch, and Paper Sundae's Sundae Bar challenges.  The WOW photo is a white bedroom with accents of turquoise, pinks, orange, yellow, lime, big flowers, etc.  The Sundae Bar challenge requires you to include two of the following:  green, buttons, banners, and twine. 
Base is Tempting Turquoise with layers of Whisper White and Only Orange.  The border is the EK Success Pinking Hearts.  The Whisper White layer is embossed with the polka dot 5x7 folder from Cuttlebug, then inked with Tempting Turquoise ink.  Image is TGF's Cupcake Anya digi and is colored with copic markers.  The tag is Recollections journalling tags from Michael's.  The ribbon is polka dot grosgrain from Michael's and the flowers are from Hobby Lobby's Spare Parts.  The button is tied with some white twine and attached with mini zots glue dots.  I chose to leave off a sentiment for a later time.  Thanks for looking!  April

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

2 cool 4 school

This is for TGF's Farm Fresh Friday 2 cool 4 school, Stamptacular Sundays Diva, Anyone for Anya's Back to School challenges.
The base is Whisper White with layers of Bo Bunny Back to Basic's cardstock and left over printed paper from the purse album I did last year.  Isn't it cheeky?  I used the notebook border punch then wrapped it with pink satin ribbon before adding the round layers.  Those are cut from nestabilities dies, assembled, then mounted to the base with dimensionals.  The image is TGF's Wild Sprout Audrey and is colored with copic markers.  She is my favorite image because she is just such a cheeky tomboy.  Audrey is also mounted in dimensionals.  The sentiment is stamped with stamps from Michael's dollar bin in Jet Black Staz-On, and SU colors Pool Party and Green Galore using scribble alphabet.  The oval and the decorative label punch are also mounted with dimensionals.  Overall, it would still be pretty flat for mailing, even with the dimensionals.  Thanks for looking!  April

Tooth Fairy Boxes

 

These are tooth fairy boxes I made for my kids.  If you haven't already guessed, their Altoid tins that I altered.  First, I sanded the finished top to remove as much of the paint as possible.  It is embossed, so it made it a bit difficult.  I wiped away any residue, then painted the lid with cream acrylic paint.  I used a heat gun to spead things along and crack the finish a bit.  The paper is cut 2 1/4" x 3 5/8" and is stamped using the stars from retired Way to Go in coordinating colors.  The image is the SU retired Tooth Fairy stamp and is colored with copic markers with glittered wings.  It is mounted on scalloped circle and placed on a decorative label with dimensionals.  I used a big bite crop-a-dile to punch a hole off to the side, then made an organza bow to put behind a star brad that is fed through the hole.  Inside is a little poem for the tooth fairy.  Thanks for looking!  April
close-up of box top


Monday, August 15, 2011

Matt's Many Hats

Yea, still majorly behind on the scrapbooking.  I know I should take a break from the challenges or find more hours of the day to hide in my scrap nook.  This is my youngest and his recent obsession with hats...everyone's hats. 
The base is SU's Chocolate Chip textured cardstock with Bo Bunny's Shabby Princess Pep Rally papers.  I just love it and have used it several times.  The border near the top is Martha Stewart.  The embellishments are printed copies of Dr. Seuss's 500 Hats of Bartholmew Cubbins and TGF's Just for You Oliver colored in copic markers and mounted with dimensionals.  I took a couple of the photos and matted and mounted them on dimensionals to add interest.  The title is Cricut's Doodletype and coordinating Bo Bunny stickers.  I wanted the LO to looked like a ecclectic collage so it seems a bit random and cluttered.  Sorry for the glare, but it was the best one I got.  Thanks for looking!  April

Hi...

This is for Anyone for Anya's photo, Paper Sundae's "Just Say Hi!", and Stamptacular Sunday's "Fancy Folds" challenges.  The Anya photo is a tropical beach, sand, clear blue sky and water, palm trees, etc.  This is for the sand and the mermaid to go with the ocean/tropical theme.
 
This is an easel card with a base of Very Vanilla.  It has layers of Chocolate Chip and the DSP is from Me and My Big Ideas.  I used the scallop border punch from SU to create the scallop square.  Directions for how to go all the way around is on Splitcoast Stampers.  The ribbon is my new Early Espresso 1/4" grosgrain I won as blog candy from Sarah Wills at Sarah's Ink Spot.  Thanks, Sarah!  The image is Mer Ian digi from TGF and is colored in copic warm grays.  Once I cut him out with a nestabilities deckled rectangle, I inked the entire piece with versamark, then coated with clear embossing powder and used a heat gun to set.  I had to do this several times to make it thick and I had to work fast to dump more powder on the hot melted stuff before it could cool.  I actually burnt a layer, but it worked to my advantage as I forgot to distress the image before I started embossing.  Once it was thick enough, I put it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes, pulled it out, then cracked it.  What is great is, if you don't like how it cracks, reheat it with another layer of embossing  powder and repeat until you are happy.  (I didn't notice at the time, but some teeny specks of blue glitter have made it into my embossing powder...what I get for not checking my emboss buddy tray...but I ended up liking it.)  Next, I rubbed Close to Cocoa craft ink into the cracks, then wiped it off with tissue, again, adding to the aged look.  Finishing the card is some Tim Holtz tissue tape, a faux vintage button with the shank cut off, and a decorative label punch, folded in half with the sentiment written with a white chalk pen.  Thanks for looking!  April
flat for delivery

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Magical Birthday

This is for Pixie Dust Studio's Boys will be Boys challenge. 
The base is Whisper White with layers of Basic Black and scraps of light blue and discontinued flocked griffin paper from Michaels.  I used the spiral notebook border punch on a scrap of blue, then sewed all the layers.  The middle piece is sewn, wrapped with Early Espresso baker's twine and mounted with dimensionals.  The image is PDS Dumbledore and is colored with copic markers and mounted with dimensionals.  The sentiment was printed on cardstock, cut and embossed with nestabilities deckled rectangle.  Finally, I used mini glue dots to mount the star jewels I found on clearance at Michael's.  Thanks for looking!  April

close-up showing dimension

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Mermaid Ian

This is for Anyone for Anya's Summertime, TGF's WOW favorite color, Deconstructed Sketch #14,  and Stamp Something's Dog Days of Summer challenges. 
The base is Whisper White cardstock with layers of Recollections designer papers.  The image is Mermaid Ian and is colored in copic markers, then cut and embossed with the nestabilities classic retangle die.  The entire card is mounted to the base on dimensionals.  I used jute twine to make the stitches to give it a more rustic feel, like worn rope you'd fine near the ocean.  I chose to leave a sentiment off until a later time.  Thanks for looking!  April

Friday, August 12, 2011

Heart Journal - week 4

This week's heart journal assignment is "The Girl in Me..."  We are supposed to sketch some kind of girl and I will be the first to say, I stink at free hand.  With that said, I did some looking around the internet and then started digging through book covers in our library and I found....Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan.  So I pulled the pic and blew it up a bit and then traced the rough sketch onto my page.  Once that was done, I went over it in a multiliner, erasing the pencil marks.  Next, I sponged the background and tried to leave a bit of a halo around the image.  The sponged colors are Soft Sky, Green Galore, Pool Party, and Wisteria Wonder.  The image is filled in with watercolor pencils, then I used a water-filled brush to blend.  Once that was done, I took part of the chorus to Jessica Andrew's Who I Am to weave through her hair.  The title is Inkadinkado's Curly Alphabet in Jet Black Staz-On.  Thanks for looking!  April

the "write" stuff


So I wanted to give my daughter some stationery to take to camp.  I doubt she will have much time, but any line of communication is good.  This is a base of Very Vanilla cardstock layered with Chocolate Chip.  The top layer is inked with the faded script stamp from Stampabilities in CTMH's Brown Bag.  The ribbon is from a SU grab bag, so I can't swear on the name but it is the 1 1/4" striped grosgrain.  I think it is too dark to be Real Red, but maybe Cherry Cobbler or Riding Hood Red?  The image is TGF's Flutter Anya and is colored in copic with accents of Sakura Stardust gel pen.  The sentiment is handwritten on the decorative label punch.  Inside are cards stamped in Grunge Rock in the new In Colors: Pool Party, Island Indigo, Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade and Wisteria Wonder using the Grunge Rock stamp set.  Thanks for looking!  April

inside of folder

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Space Camp!

My daughter has applied for a scholarship for NASA's Space Camp program for three years and each time has been denied.  Well, we got a surprise email earlier this week, inviting her to come to Space Academy for age 12-14 year olds.  She is beyond thrilled and as a bonus, she is missing the first week of school!  She wanted to give a card to the people who have written her recommendations over the years and here is what I came up with...
The base is retired SU Brilliant Blue and stamped with the stars from retired Way to Go in versamark.  The Real Red layer is punched using the spiral notebook border punch.  Next is a scalloped circle from nestabilities in Whisper White and a layer of Real Red that has been embossed with the dots cuttlebug folder and mounted with dimensionals.  The final layer is a NASA patch we had left over from a Girl Scout activity.  The sentiment is stamped from the retired set Rivited in Jet Black Staz On with a circle of Azure Blue, then punched with a 1 1/4" circle punch, and mounted with a dimensional.  Inside is Whisper White with coordinating spiral punch and Thank You stamped in Azure.  Thanks for looking!  April

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Heart Journal - week 3

This for week 3 of Heart Journal and the theme is "gratitude".  I decided to go with "count your blessings."  I started out with wetting the base with water and then using a small brush to streak colors.  Once dried, I stamped the title with Azure Blue Staz-On for the "count your" in Inkadinkadoo lower case font and the "blessings" is stamped with CTMH's giggle lower case in Whisper White craft ink then turquiose glitter embossing powder.  Next, I wrote in things I am greatful for.  Last, I spritzed it with Vanilla Shimmer and Electric Blue Smooch.  Okay, gotta say, it's not my favorite page, but it was something different.  Thanks for looking!  April

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Argh! Pirate Monkey

This is for Deconstructed Sketch #13 and Pixie Dust Studio's Anything Goes challenges.
The base is Bravo Burgundy with layers of Basic Black, Basic Grey, and pirate papers from Karen Foster.  The image is PDS Pirate Monkey and is colored with copic markers.  The flourish is wound jute twine that I thought would look like rope or netting from the ship.  The sticker is from Karen Foster and mounted on layered scrap circles, then a gemstone in the center of the compass.  The last piece with a few clear skittles attached at the corners with glue dots.  Thanks for looking!  April

Saturday, August 6, 2011

TGF WOW Sketch #9

This is for this week's TGF Wednesday sketch challenge
The base is Very Vanilla cardstock with layers of paper from Paper Studio at Hobby Lobby and Basic Black.  I distressed the edges of the Basic Black layer with the Tim Holtz distresser.  The image is TGF's Wild Sprout Joseph digi and is colored with copic markers.  The washi tape is from Tim Holtz and then photo hinges finish the card.  Super quick and easy.  Thanks for looking!  April

Friday, August 5, 2011

Live

This is for TGF's Farm Fresh Fridays Throwback #3 and Stamp Something's August digi challenges. 
 
The base is SU Old Olive with layers of retired Pawsitively Prints DSP and accents of Pumpkin Pie.  The card case is from Dawn's Stampin Studio's multi-panel card.  She has an awesome tutorial.  The image is TGF's Wild Sprout Jeremy digi and is colored in copic markers and mounted with dimensionals.  The ribbon is grosgrain from Michael's and is secured with a retired SU star brad.  The skittles have little 3/16" circles under them with liquid glass and mounted with glue dots.  The sentiment ticket is from Tim Holtz and is distressed, then inked with black that was mostly dried on the sponge.  Thanks for looking!  April
showing panels

Thinking of You

This is for TGF's Mystery Monday CASE with Craftypigtails and Anyone for Anya's no printed paper challenges. 

The base is light blue with layers of black and bright blue.  Since I could not use printed paper, I decided to punch out circles from scraps of the base paper, then adhered the circles in random patterns, and ran the piece through the polka dots embossing folder.  I then punched the scalloped border to go along the side, then added the sentiment from SU's retired So Happy for You inked in Island Indigo.  The image is TGF's Wild Sprout Stella and is colored in copic markers.  I cut her out, then mounted her on the background cut from nestabilities, inked with Soft Sky and the grass is inked with Lucky Limeade and then markers were used to make the grass.  I used copics to color the flower gems.  Last, I added the felt hearts to compliment the hearts on Stella.  Thanks for looking!  April
angled to show dimension

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Thanks pizza box

This is for TGF's Farm Fresh Friday's Gratuity challenge and The Pink Elephant's butterfly challenge.

The base is a mini pizza box, perfect for a few little 3x3 notes.  It is made of Island Indigo with Wisteria Wonder and Whisper White.  The Wisteria Wonder is stamped with a faded script background stamp from Hobby Lobby, then inked in the ink.  The scallop is cut with nestabilities with a matching circle that is cut and embossed after I inked the clouds with Soft Sky ink.  The image is TGF's Flutter Anya and is colored in copic markers on coverstock.  She has accents of spica shimmer pen in her hair.  The circle and Anya are mounted with dimensionals.  I added skittles to the corners of the Wisteria square.  The sentiment is stamped with So Happy for You (retired), then punched with the word window punch.  I found these darling little flower gems at Michael's for .99 and colored with copic markers that matched Anya's dress, then stacked on a coordinating button.  The pearls are colored matching a marker from her wings.  Thanks for looking!  April
angled to show dimension