Model Baby

Another layout from 2011 during my time as a member of the Design Team for Club Ruby Designers. I don't do a lot of traditional Valentine's Day crafts, so I used the Valentine's Day kit for a Model Baby layout. I used the Formal Occasion cartridge for the frames, but I do not remember which font cartridge I used. Since we had two sheets of the paper with the hearts I fussy cut some of them and popped them up with foam dots. I think this was the first time I turned color photographs into black and white for scrapping purposes.

The Candy Aisle Was Haunted

Another layout from my Club Ruby Designers Design Team Days (2011). The letters are all cut with the Printing Press Cricut cartridge and then doodled with a black marker around the edges. I don't remember how I cut the bowl, but the Chocolate Bunny is from the Easter 2010 cart, the peeps are from the Spring Holiday cart and the Grabby Gotcha hand is from the October 31st cart.

WOYWW 321

I'm finally getting around to putting the journaling on some pages I made back in 2011. The picture was taken back in 1995... Time is rather fluid lol. Today I'm drawing lines with my t-square... sometimes I just wing it. Usually I write it out first in pencil, then write over it in pen and then use a really good eraser. But it's all rather pirate code-y in that it's more guidelines than actual rules.

And I finally re-worked and finished right down to all the shelter info on her and my journaling of the tribute page to the shelter dog I started in 2012. You can read about it here if you've an interest.

Head over to Julia's Stamping Ground for peeks at more crafty spaces.

Your Presence is the Best Gift!

I found some layouts I'd made when I was on the Club Ruby Designers Design Team in 2011. The website was taken down after it closed and the computers with all the data are in need of repair. This is for a picture of everyone who was at my child's surprise party... I have a feeling the picture might be on one of those computers too, but I'm still looking through all the backup disks.

Meet The Cousins

I look back on this and smile, and also wonder how did I manage a 5 hour trip with a 5 month old? (It was also the trip when I got a counterfeit bill from my bank's ATM). The companion page (Banner Day) took me a couple of years to finish, this one took me less than an hour, well plus the 20 years from the actual date it occurred.

I used a leftover scrap with banners at the top with a piece of paper polka dot paper from K&Company's Best of Brenda Walton. Since it was my child's first trip I used paper from Club Scrap's Destination kit, a pink mat from the Jubilee kit and the ribbons and not quite orange mat from Gimme a Ring and Patchwork Thickers.

Banner Day

Sometimes a layout will get put aside for a variety of reasons, but sometimes that works out to my advantage and I go in a different direction that I like even better. as in this case. I dropped the idea of  banner mats, used more pattern papers and some Papertrey Ink vellum (distressed with a scissor on the right side).  And fussy cut some arrows from Papertrey Ink's Get to the Point set. Glossy Accents dots over the letter stickers.

Until recently this was as far as I had gotten since I placed all the pieces together on August 25, 2012 to mull it over while I worked on something else.

i CAN HAZ ice cream!

A layout inspired by several weeks of information at May Flaum's Camp Scrap documenting my 11 year old dog's range of joy after eating her first dish of soft serve ice cream from an ice cream shop. Best 99 cents I ever spent : ). I had to clean the two dots of ice cream off her nose when I figured out she just wasn't going to lick them off.

That ermergerd face cracks me up. When she's really happy her ears are slicked back like she got into some vintage Brylcream.

The Echo Park Summer Days Alpha Sticker set didn't have an exclamation point, so I turned and "i" upside down. I love the low key "best day ever" rub on for the last picture.

Papertrey Ink Lemon Tart cardstock, Alpha Block stamps stamped with Peacock Feathers Distress Ink.
Echo Park Summer Days Alpha Stickers, "lick, lick, lick", the "i" and "ice cream!" in i CAN HAZ ice cream! and "perfect picnic".
Pink Paislee Sweetness glitter stickers "ermergerd"
Amy Tangerine Other Half Aqua Glitter Foam Thickers "CAN HAZ"
Maggie Holmes Open Book rub on "BEST DAY EVER".
K&Company Best of Brenda Walton patterned papers
We R Memory Keepers Foil/Glitter Pack (rub on) "Happy" "Sweet" and decorative elements.

Simon Says i scream for. Simon also Says Sparkle and Shine.

Papertrey Ink July 2015 Blog Hop

Papertrey Ink's July 2015 Blog Hop the inspiration is butterflies. I used the larger butterfly stamp from the Make It Market kit: You're A Masterpiece. The mat is Aqua Mist stamped with Aqua Mist. The colorful butterflies were stamped with Wendy Vecchi's Cornflower Blue Archival Ink, painted with Twinkling H2Os and fussy cut. ThWe frame is made with more stamps and dies from the kit stamped with Wendy Vecchi's Orange Blossom Archival Ink and painted with Gold Nugget Twinkling H2Os. The sentiment is stamped with Black Soot Distress Ink. The card base is Spring Rain.

Simon Says Sparkle and Shine because the Twinkling H2Os really do sparkle.

Less than 15 Days

I don't know what it was about this dog. The look in her eyes? The furrow in her brow? She had less than 15 days to adjust to life in one of the highest kill shelters in the country and then she was killed despite the fact that a lot of people were pulling for her. And it. just. broke. my. heart. So I scrapped it.

When I made the page back in 2012, I could barely get the foundation down. But I've been looking at it again for a few months, and even though it still makes me cry, I finally feel I've conveyed what I wanted to say.

I removed the heart embellishment from the top of the pocket and reattached it to the pull out card. I used gold paint on the top of the card. RIP Boo is written on Papertrey Ink White Shimmer cardstock edged with gold paint on the edges. I cut off the points on the side of the mat, and added a pair of gold foiled scissors and leafy boughs from Maggie Holmes. I used Dr. Ph. Martin No Bleed White for the lettering and details around the mat. Then used Gold Stickles to embellish the blue pattern paper.

 The front of the pull out has all of her shelter info on it. .

My journaling is on the back.

Simon Says Sparkle and Shine, there is a LOT of gold paint (two tones), Gold Stickles and White Shimmer cardstock.

If you are looking to add a pet to your family, please consider adopting from a shelter or rescue.

WOYWW 320

Putting the finishing touches on a layout started in 2011/2012. I swapped out the solid paper I was going to use for the patterned paper, ditched the test shapes for plain strips and suddenly I was back in motion on it. My little sausage child meeting the cousins "pose" "pose" "pandemonium" "She's cute, but she bites" lol.

The week was slower than last week, but that's okay. No dancing off into a train for me lol (Red Shoes reference). Tomorrow I'll be printing out a bunch of pictures for the next set of layouts.

Head over to our head desker Julia's Stamping Ground for more crafting spaces : ).

Loaded and Ready to Go

Simon Says Get In Shape (as in shaped cards). I used an image from Campin' Critters cartridge and welded the base level at the roof top to make a card. The front extends over the fold. All the layers are cut out of kraft cardstock and then colored with Distress Paint. The sentiment inside is from Club Scrap's Destination kit and says "Those who say you can't take it with you never saw a car packed for a vacation trip."

Van Go card

Simon Says Get in Shape as in shaped cards. This card is made by welding together two VW van images from the Bits and Pieces cartridge and changing the details layer to a drawn image rather than a cut image. I used Zig Clean Real Brush Markers to color in the red, yellow and black, and Dr. Ph. Martin's Bleed Proof White for all the white parts.

Camp Songs Card

The challenge at Simon Says Get in Shape as in make shaped cards, so I started out with a card from the Campin' Critters cartridge. I cut all the layers out of kraft cardstock then colored the base with White Picket Fence Distress Stain, and the next with Faded Jeans. The sentiment inside is from Club Scrap's Jubilee kit, "a day has never passed that wasn't worth at least some jubilation."

Hoping Your Day is Quite Nice

updated 7/23. There was something off about the original the more I looked at it, the more it disturbed me. I started to rework the card and tore off the top of the tissue tape. Suddenly I loved it. Less than 3/8's of an inch makes such a difference?

Papertrey Ink is having a new challenge Create Along with Us, where we create a card inspired by one of the Design Team's cards. That's the first challenge, how to pick one? I picked Melissa Phillips tea cup of flowers.

Instead of a teacup, I used the cupcake base from Make It Market kit: Party Pops stamped with Classic Kraft and then muted with white pigment ink. The flowers are from Rosie Posie made with the polka dot vellum and stamped with white pigment ink. The back ground is stamped with Background Basics: Gingham and Spring Rain ink and stamped again over a scrap of striped patterned paper. A piece of seam binding for a little more horizontal emphasis. Another piece of scrap is cut with Tim Holtz' On the Edge: Scallops die and a strip of Tim Holtz Tissue Tape. A little distressing with Fine Linen ink and Antique Linen Distress Ink. The sentiment is from Make It Market kit: Nostalgic Notions. A couple of sequins finish it off.

Simon Says Anything Goes. 

Simple Cupcake : )

The cupcake is from Papertrey Ink's Make It Market kit: Party Pops, the base is stamped with Ocean Tides, the icing with Hawaiian Shores and the cherry with Aqua Mist.  The card front is also Aqua Mist.

The stamp under the icing is also stamped with Hawaiian Shores.

CASology's Cue Card this week is Cupcake.

Old Faithful Card

For this card I made a custom ink pad in the manner Tim Holtz demonstrated on the Carol Duvall Show colored with a variety of Distress Ink reinkers.  The stamp is from Club Scrap's National Parks kit.

It makes it easy peasy to stamp multiples. Simon Says Anything Goes.

Krafty Cupcake

The cue card at CASology this week is Cupcake. I used Versamark for all the stamping with Papertrey Ink's Make It Market kit: Party Pops. The wrapper is heat embossed using Sparkle N' Sprinkle's Clear Fine Detail Embossing Poweder, and the icing is made with the White Fine Detail. They have a LOT of embossing powders and free shipping with orders over $25, no affliation, just sharing : D.

The icing lifts up to reveal another matching stamped image, this time stamped in ombre using Sweet Blush, Hibiscus Burst and Raspberry Fizz. To make the frame, I just held the pen in my hand and pushed the mat over the craft mat so the hand holding the pen doesn't move at all, just the paper. Simon Says Anything Goes.

A Little Frog

A little frog, some masking, some Twinkling H2O paints and a little bit of Stickles for stars. The frog is painted with Forest Moss Distress Ink, and the lily pad is stamped with Shabby Shutters. The water is painted with Egyptian Gold Twinkling H2O, the water with Blue Ice and the sky with Periwinkle. The stars are dots of Icicle Stickles.

Lawnscaping Challenge Sparkle and Shine. Simon Says Anything Goes.

WOYWW 319

This is my desk before I get ready for the next thing... I'm not sure what it will be, the mojo is running fiercely lol. I completed 14 cards, 1 layout, mixed media pieces and wrote 10 blog posts between week 318 and 319.  One of the mixed media pieces is at the back of the desk and it's so shiny. Stickles and the tiny but long lasting pots of Twinkling H2Os insure it is one very sparkly piece.  I cut the sentiment up by lines and stamped each in a different ink (Live in the sunshine. Swim in sea. Drink in the wild air. Ralph Waldo Emerson).

I'm really pleased with the way the layout turned out. BTW all the stickle drawing was free hand and I managed not to smudge it!  The photo lifts up for more journaling and there is a pocket for extras.

The Marie Kondo (a tidying up) book says when sorting, only keep things that give you a spark of joy... only it's also jump starting the mojo (which is good and also tiring). And I found two sets of Inkadinkado stamps to add to the garage sale.

It's early, but head over to Julia's Stamping Ground for more crafty goings on.

Under the Sparkling Sea

Today did not go as I had planned lol. I was sorting through stamps last night and became obsessed with the idea of using the Mergirl set by Santoro London so I went with the mojo and did a little mixed media piece. The challenge Work It Wednesday on the Simon Says Blog is Refreshment, and I thought how refreshing it would be to be a merperson under the sea. Used a LOT of Distress Markers and Twinkling H2Os and restrained myself with the use of Stickles. The frame is the base for a Christmas Ball set, painted white with drops of blue (and a big brush) and applied a doily in the paint. I also stamped some sea weed, a mermaid from a different set and some puffer fish but most of them were covered up. The base for the sentiment is Ocean Tides embossed with one of the We R Memory Keepers Geometric embossing folders and dry brushed with white paint. The sentiment is from Club Scrap's National Parks kit, stamped in a slew of inks.

There is a lot of sparkle between the Twinkling H2O paints and the Stickles.

Simon Says Anything Goes : )

What's New Pussycat?

I've had this stamp set since 2010, and I haven't used it in a project yet so today is the day. The card base is Limeade Ice by Papertrey Ink and I don't think I was able to capture it in this picture, but it is a lovely clear bright tropical lime green without going neon. The stamp set is Cleary Swanky's Cat's Pajamas stamped with Onyx Black Versafine ink.

Simon Says Furry Friends.

Soothe Away The Day

Using a couple of inspirations for May Flaum's Camp Scrap, I made this card for Simon Says Coffee or Tea? challenge.

All the stamps are from Waltzingmouse Stamps. The lace is from Faux Fun and is stamped with Papertrey Ink's Aqua Mist. The grid is from Off Beat Backgrounds stamp set and is stamped with Soft Stone. The medallion is from Faux Fun Circles and is stamped with Spring Rain and is  edged with Chamomile Tea. The teapot and sentiment are from Afternoon Tea and are stamped with Versafine Onyx Black. A few flattened dots of Crystal Stickles add a bit of sparkle.

The cardstock is from Papertrey Ink, the mat is Vintage Cream and the card base is Spring Rain.

Repeat

Another card made for the Simon Says Coffee or Tea? challenge and the CASology Repeat Challenge. This time I used a technique I've seen a few times, most recently on the Simon Says blog. Ink up the back of the stamp with a colored ink (I used VersaColor Peony) and then the image using black ink (Versafine Onyx Black). The cups and sentiment are from Papertrey Ink's Latte Love. The repeat is hand written with an Extra Fine Line Sharpie.

The card base is Papertrey Ink Classic Kraft and the mat is Vintage Cream.

Never Underestimate the Power

It's another great  Make It Monday #217: Making Your Own Custom Borders. The card base is Hawaiian Shores. The cup is from Everyday Treats stamp set, and the little monster is from Tiny Treats: Halloween. The sentiment is from Latte Love. Since I misplace the "power", it gave me the inspiration to use a dot of Tarnished Brass Distress Stickles to bring out the "o" in of.

Simon Says asks Coffee or Tea? The CASology cue card this week is Repeat.

He Built a Better Mousetrap

For the record, we don't have "resident" mice, but in colder weather we have passersby who try to find shelter from the cold. Archie's favorite season is winter for this reason. It's an older house (built in 1906).

The bear is holding a sign that says "He built a better mouse trap!" The buttons are from Papertrey Ink (Melon Berry) and so is the Outlines Alphabet stamp set used to stamp "sage advice" with Versamark and Hero Arts White Embossing Powder. I think I bought the polka dot washi tape on clearance (no evidence of a brand), the grid washi tape is from Stampin' Up!

The idea for the layout came when I was testing a mouse stamp I made from an eraser.  I've been thinking about it for a while. When I saw May Flaum's Camp Scrap is working on Monochrome this week, everything fell into place.

I used a pencil to sketch out all the hand writing and the food dish, and then wrote over it with a Fine Line Sharpie. Then I erase for Scotland. The thought bubble is drawn with Tropical Tangerine Stickles, and the speech bubble is drawn with Orange Peel Stickles.

There is more journaling under the photograph, and my customary pocket for more journaling under the "card" element by taping only the sides and the bottom.

As I was making this layout (in a day once I got the idea for the bigger picture and the photograph printed), I started thinking about how much easier using stamps on layouts has gotten for me (touch wood lest the mojo runs away). I think it started by participating in some challenges to use Papertrey Ink stamps by the truly talented Leigh Penner at her blog (chock full of crafty goodness) To The Full.

Simon Says Furry Friends.

Paper: Fancy Pants "Great Pumpkin"(base), Sassafras Bungle Jungle the dish was made from a piece of scrap.

Embellishments: Queen & Co. Embellishments (flower), Tropical Tangerine Stickles, Orange Peel Stickles, Making Memories Puffy Alphabet Stickers, Washi Tape, Papertrey Ink Melon Berry Buttons, Sequins.

Stamps: Papertrey Ink Outlines Alphabet (Versamark and Hero Arts White Embossing Powder), Stampin' Up! Cheerful Critters set (Papertrey Ink Terracotta Tile), hand-carved mouse (Papertrey Ink Orange Zest) and x stamps (Terracotta Tile).

Flipping and Popping Birthday Card

The Papertrey Ink glassine bag is decorated with a technique I learned at May Flaum's Camp Scrap.  The strip along the bottom is a little blue foiled cardstock, but I couldn't get that to photograph. The patterned paper is from K&Co Daydreamers, stamped die cuts from Papertrey Ink's Embellishments stamps and a variety of sequins. And the focal point is stamped with the cupcake from Papertrey Ink's Make It Market kit: Party Pops

And the cupcake opens to reveal a birthday message.

The card is 5.5 x 12 folded in half with two of the Tim Holtz Bird Crazy stamps (stamped with Black Onyx Versarfine and colored with Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers and a water brush) and two speech bubbles. The card opens on the right side.

The next layer gives a translation of what the birds were saying and opens at the bottom.

Which opens a pop up made with the Make It Market kit: Party Pops. I used a thinner cardstock than usual to keep the bulkiness down, but I would use Papertrey Ink's Linen cardstock for the cupcake next time.

Simon Says Furry Friends.