WOYWW 143 - Ding Dong the Clock is Done, and the Layout too :D

This is my workdesk after the frenzy of finishing my projects for the Graphic 45 2012 Audition, they can be seen here in their entirety, including a better view of the clock :D. The stamps are Hampton Art Graphic 45 Magic of Oz 2 (which I used several times in my audition projects). The flowers are from the Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge cut about 1". The quilling tool saved my bacon rolling those. The little crown in the front was originally going on the clock, but I decided on another one, so the first one will be put on the end of a wand (I think).

And here is my entry for Sarah's My Monthly Mojo which is what all the triangle practice was for (also what inspired me to try out for Graphic 45).  Other than that it's been pretty quiet on the crafty front as I'm trying to catch up on some things that were ignored last week lol.

If you are wondering what's all this WOYWW, then head over to Julia's Stamping Ground and have a gander :D. Better yet, take a picture of your workspace and join in.

My Mojo Monthly - February 2012 - Heartstrings

February's theme on My Mojo Monthly is heartstrings. I am not a romantic, and until I was pregnant with my daughter, I really didn't care for heart shapes at all unless they were broken or anatomical. I still covet an anatomical heart stamp or two, but I am much more tolerant of hearts than I was before :D. While I was pregnant, I also became addicted to House Mouse and my feet grew a size and a half and I'll no-longer crawl over broken glass for Chinese take-out (I still like it a lot though). The baby books left me woefully unprepared for these side-effects of pregnancy lol.

While my page does have a heart on it, it was totally inspired by a picture of a dog named Boo who was not rescued despite some Herculean efforts by volunteers to find her a home. (BTW if you are looking for a pet, please consider rescues.)

I don't know if it's the worried look on her face or the fact she reminds me of my own rescue pup when she is doing her Stellaluna impression, but when I found out she had been killed, it just broke my heart. So I did what scrappy people do, I made a tribute page for her. I felt awareness is something. Working with all the gorgeous Graphic 45 paper made me want to audition for the Graphic 45 Design Team. My tribute to Boo was my first entry.

The winged heart is made with the Cricut Imagine and Love Struck 2010 cartridge covered with Glossy Accents). I spent a lot of time with my craft knife and steel-edged Tim Holtz ruler.

I started by cutting off the frame from Graphic 45 Fashionista "Fashionista". Then I cut off the outter row from Fashionista "Bon Marche". Then I made a large mat from the "Bon Marche" leftovers and made an "X" with a craft knife and painted the folded over bits with gold paint. Added another layer and painted those with a second shade of gold. The final mat is Graphic 45 Botanicabella "Summer Sonata". The background cardstock is an ochre color heavily inked with Wild Honey Distress Ink to add dimension. Finally Boo's picture is attached to heavy cardstock and attached to the mat with two layers of foam tape.

Graphic 45 Design Team 2012 Audition

Tribute to Boo Layout

Time Flies Home Decor

Head in the Clouds Gift Boxes (the Sky and the Ground are both functional boxes).

No Place Like Home Card

And Your Little Dog Too Pin

Birthday Fishes Card

All About Me Layout (an older project, but still a favorite). 

Tribute to Boo Layout:

Cut off frame from Fashionista "Fashionista". Cut off first set of triangles from Fashionista "Bon Marche" and glue to the back of the "Fashionista" frame. Gold colored cardstock sheet distressed with Wild Honey Distress Ink. Made a large mat with the left over "Bon Marche" paper leaving the points on one side. Cut a large X with a craft knife and gently peel back, paint the underside with gold paint (Aleene's Premium Coat Gold Paint). Cut a second mat to fit behind the first with an X cut across the middle (paint the underside with a different gold paint (Accent Crown Jewels Imperial Antique Gold). Botanicabella "Summer Sonata" final mat layer. Photograph of Boo attached to heavy cardstock and the edges painted with gold. Mounted on two layers of foam tape. Edge layout with gold paint. Embellishment made with Cricut Imagine and winged heart from Love Struck 2010 topped with Glossy Accents.

Time Flies Home Decor:

Clock sides covered with Communique "On the Dot". Front covered with Playtimes Past "Life's A Ball!" Wings are made with the Cricut Indie Art cartridge with the base cardstock thoroughly inked with Wild Honey, Barn Door and Spiced Marmalade Distress Inks. The wing layers are Botanicabella "Garden Suite". The legs are made with small party hats from Sesame Streets Elmo's Party wrapped tightly, covered with tissue paper and gesso, the points folded to make feet and painted. The crown is made with Tropical Travelogue "Garden Isle" glued into a tube, cut into spikes which are rolled down with a Darice Rhinestone sticker. The secret ingredient is Beacon's 3 in 1 Advanced Craft Glue. One foot is standing on a small flower made from the Close to My Heart Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge cut from Playtimes Past "Toy Soldier Parade".

Head in the Clouds Gift Boxes:
The body is a small Styrofoam cone with about 2 inches cut off the top. The dress is made with the Party Hat cut from Cricut's Sesame Street's Elmo's Party. The top is cut off and cut into a fringe to fold over the top of the cone. The legs are small pieces of doweling covered with Playtimes Past "Life's A Ball!". The shoes are made with pieces of foam core covered with tissue paper and gesso, painted black. The small box is from Club Scrap. The lid is inked with Peeled Paint Distress Ink and covered with Fashionista "Perfumeries". The head in the clouds box is 3" x 3" x 3" made by scoring a 9" x 9" piece of heavy cardstock at 3" and 6" covered with 5 3" x 3" blue cardstock and clouds distressed with Tea Dye Distress ink.

No Place Like Home Card:
Papertrey Ink Kraft cardstock cut into an A2 sized card. The house is hand cut from Tropical Travelogue "Hibiscus Heaven" inked with Tea Dye Distress Ink. The stamps are all from Hampton Art Graphic 45 Magic of Oz 2 cling. Except for the shoes, everything is stamped with Black Soot Distress Ink. The shoes are stamped with Barn Door Distress Ink and covered with Prisma Glitter.

And Your Little Dog Too Pin:
Stamp Toto from Hampton Art Graphic 45 Magic of Oz 2 cling with Stazon Jet Black ink on the back of a Darice Altered Art Jewelry 1" Crystal Drop. Paint the dog with acrylic paint (Plaid Folk Art Porcelain Blue). Let dry. Punch a 1" circle from Playtimes Past "Toy Soldier Parade". Apply a dollop of Gold Stickles and smear across back of Crystal Drop attached the punched paper and rub across the entire surface. Build a pin base of cardstock and cover with Ribbon Trends Light Blue Gingham 3/8" ribbon. Tie a bow over that. Attach pin back.

Birthday Fishes Card:
Stamp fish from Inkadinkado's Patterned Pets on tracing paper. Cut out three fish. Make a pattern for the fish body and trace onto Tropical Travelogue "Garden Isle", paint the edges with a wash made from Spiced Marmalade Distress Ink and a spritz of water. Attach to cutouts. Dot the eyes with Gelly Roll Glaze. Attach to mat made from Tropical Travelogue "Oceania" with foam dots. Hand cut party hats for the background fish out of scraps (I used Playtimes Past: "Toy Soldier Parade"). Add another mat of black cardstock and attach to an A2 card made with Papertrey Ink's Fine Linen cardstock.

All About Me Layout:
This was one of my projects for Club Ruby Designers' Design Team audition last year, but still one of my favorite projects. It was the first time I was able to finally cut a piece of Graphic 45 paper (Hallowe'en in Wonderland). Everything in the layout comes from the Club Ruby Designers Halloween Wonderland Kit from October 2010.

WOYWW 142

On my desk today.

I've started altering the clock. The cones are part of it :D. They are sitting on my holographic red project log (which makes it difficult to write in, but oh well lol).

I'm also working on a display pin. This is toto from Graphic 45's Oz stamps, stamped on a glass drop and painted in.

So Tuesday morning I was up in the wee hours and watching QVC UK's craft day (so much safer that way financially lol). Dyan Reaveley is on showing Configurations and discussing the popularity of Tim Holtz in the UK and then she mentions WOYWW and that many of the desks have TH photos on them. The host didn't even ask what WOYWW was, so I'm guessing everyone knows now? lol

Sarah was able to identify the Giggle stamp set from week 140 as Sandylion Kelly Panacci Clear Stamps - Giggle! Thank you again Sarah :D. BTW it's not too late to join in Sarah's February My Monthly Mojo. Quite inspiring and a good place to go to re-charge wanning mojo's :D.

And here is more progress on what the triangle practice last week was for:  a tribute page to a little dog who wasn't saved in the nick or time or otherwise. The main components are put together, but not yet attached. I'll show it to you the finished project . Lots of hand cutting and gold paint (two tones). The edges will be pinned down.

If you are wondering what's all this WOYWW, head over to Julia Dunnit's Stamping Ground and have a gander. Better yet, snap a pic of your crafty desk and join in the fun :D.

WOYWW 141

Happy WOYWW! The paper with the erupting triangles is an experiment (more on that next week I think). The clock is in line for alteration. The little yellow punch (a bee) is left over from my experiements on a faulty photograph. And in case you are interested, my favorite tool of the week is the Tim Holtz ruler with it's lovely steel side for using an xacto blade :D.

I've picked out my book at the dollar store to alter for Elizabeth & Bleubeard's Altered Book Course, only I had to buy two because it looked like it would be an interesting read lol.

And if you love interactive paper crafting, have you seen Papertrey Ink's new dies??? Sliders, pulls and zippers!!!! I still get light headed when I think of all the possibilities!

If you are wondering what's all this WOYWW, head over to Julia's Stamping Ground and have a gander! Better yet, snap a picture and share :D.

Papertrey Ink 5th Anniversary Day 7 Hearts Challenge

Today's PTI challenge is to incorporate hearts in a project. This card is made with an A2 card (Ocean Tides cardstock). The teapot and mat are die cut with the Tea for Two die and Mat Stack #3 die from Vintage Cream cardstock. Stamped with Tea for Two and Mat Stack 3 Collection stamp sets. The hearts are leftover from my I Get to Push the Pram A Lot card.

WOYWW 140

Edited 2/10/12 Thanks to Sarah, this has been identified as Sandylion Kelly Panacci Clear Stamps - Giggle! Thank you Sarah!! :D

First I need some help. I bought this stamp set a while ago (probably on clearance because that's how I roll lol). And I've lost all identification of it! Now you know why I lumber on in my quest to have all stamps in my book with identifcation :D. If you know who made this please let me know.

I didn't even know that Pantone was making acrylic paint till I found these beauties on sale. The folded strips are the beginnings for a Banner Papertrey Ink Make It Monday card I didn't actually make in time for the contest, but I'm still having fun with it anyway lol.

It's been a very productive week, chock full of things I can actually show lol. These were some of my favorite projects finished/posted during the last week. BTW if you are interested in seeing some of the projects I made for Club Ruby Designers click on the Club Ruby Designers button to the right.

 Olive Ewe

I made this card for a baby carriage challenge at Bitten By the Bug 2. I've been a huge Monty Python fan for years.

And I made seven in one day (as opposed to the tailor who killed seven in one blow) for Day 2 of the Papertrey Ink 5th Anniversary Celebration.

If you are wondering what all this WOYWW is all about, head over to Julia's Stamping Ground and have a gander!





Papertrey Ink's 5th Anniversary Celebration, Day 2

Today is Day 2 of Papertrey Ink's 5th Anniversary Celebration. The challenge was to utilize the Stamp Designers' images.

This element was designed by Lizzie Jones and attached to the card with foam dots. I stamped the Friendship Jar and the Tulips and string from the Friendship Jar Spring Fillers onto Papertrey Ink Kraft cardstock with Black Soot Distress Ink.

Erin Lincoln designed the cassette tape, which is all about road trips to me, so I used the Road Trip stamp set and used my Versamark marker to finish the edges with a little faux stitching.

For Melissa Bickford's image, I picked up the colors of the embellishment with co-ordinating cardstocks in stripes Hawaiian Shores, Simply Chartruese, Summer Sunset and Raspberry Fizz.

Beth Silaika designed this sweet little bee. The background is made with distressed Summer Sunset hexagons over a Harvest Gold cardbase. The hexagon punch is from Creative Memories (purchased a longggggg time ago) and the edges are distressed with Tim Holtz Tonic edge distresser.

Maile Belles' Hello tag is backed by a Pure Poppy 2" EK Success Scalloped Circle. The foliage is drawn on with a Fine Line Sharpie. The cardbase is Ocean Tides and the corners are rounded with the Corner Chomper.

Dawn McVey designed this Happy Birthday image. I traced "Happiest" and the white circle with a Zig pen and then made polka dots on the Hawaiian Shores mat and then let loose with the Prima Ultrafine Prisma Glitter. The white grosgrain ribbon is from the Club Ruby Designers February kit.

I made a top fold A2 with Simply Chartruese for Heather Nichols' bird with a background stamped with one of my first PTI stamp sets, Four of a Kind. The foliage is stamped with Versamark and the flowers with PTI Fresh Snow. The blue mat is Hawaiian Shores.

A Look Ma, A No Cricut Birthday card

That's right, not one single thing do to with the Cricut lol. All hand drawn and hand cut. It's a reference to the Monty Python Spam song in a birthday card. Inside it says "I hope your birthday is a blast".  The can of baked beans is lined on the edges with a silver gel pen. The top of the can was easy peasy. After I cut the base, I glued the top of the can paper on and then cut it to fit.

I Get to Push the Pram A Lot card

I finally made something for the Bitten By the Bug 2. The challenge was to use the pram on the Cricut New Arrival cartridge and the Camelot sketch from Monty Python sprang to mind. I think it would be a wonderful Father's Day Card for a dad who loves Monty Python, or a Just Because card for a Monty Python fan.

This was made using the Imagine and the Cricut Craft Room with the following cartridges: New Arrival, Going Places and Cricut Craft Room Basics (can only be used on CCR) for shapes. By using the Imagine and CCR I only had to use one sheet of plain white paper because I could flood each image with a different color or pattern from Lori's Garden and Mystical Garden. I had to make one file for each original cartridge because they are linked to my Gypsy and can not be linked to CCR at this time. There was no "Save As" feature, so I exported the original file with both cartridge cuts on it, and imported it with another name, deleted the cartridge cuts from Going Places without moving the images. That way I could use the same mat and paper for both files.

The knight is made with Going Places and then I used the shadow cut  twice with two different fills and hand cut the clothes for him. The helmet is made with an upside down heart with an unwelded square. He is glued directly on the cardstock.

The pram has a little dimension. One of my favorite ways to get some dimension on thin cuts is to use Tombow Multi Use Glue and let it dry (still sticky though). I added a few more dots in the middle of the pram.

The sentiment is attached with relatively thick foam squares, the shape and lettering come from Cricut Craft Room Basics.

Olive Ewe Card

A sheep from My World cartridge cut from Papertrey Ink's Ripe Avocado with the face cut from Pure Popppy. The edges are distress and then lined with a Sharpie. The grass is made from a torn Papertrey Ink label. The cardbase is Papertrey Ink Stamper's Select White cardstock.

Home Decor Ahoy!

I'm the Guest Designer at The BugBytes today, and I made a little home decor project.

I used Cricut Craft Room to weld Pennants from Art Philosophy  across the square frame from Art Philosophy.  Then I filled separate pennants with different patterns from Imagine cartridges. The cloud pattern comes from Hop Scotch. I layered 3 unwelded frames under it using foam tape to get a little dimension.

The pirate ship is from Buccaneer with a little foam tape under the front and the back being glued directly to the background. The pearls along the bottom are made with clear decorative accents with a drop of pearl alcohol ink over each one. The glitter letters are from Pink Paislee.

I cut the frame stand from the Fancy Frames cartridge using a pasta box. The blade depth was set at 5, the pressure at 5 and multicut set at 2. It's great for lighter projects, but not as sturdy as the Little Easel Sizzix die by Tim Holtz.