Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Boo-lated Birthday Card, but wait there's more :D

 Hello everyone, today is my day to be a guest designer at the Bug Bytes!

 Ok, so it's a scary tree card, nice but...

 
Inside there is writing with a Cricut Marker... nice but wait... there's more.
It's barely visible in the picture (it glows brighter in real life). The moon and tree face glow in the dark! :D I used the Art Deco Glow in the Dark paint on the base, I think four layers would be even better, this is with two.

Using the E2 is vastly improved for using with markers, but I haven't figured out if I can move the blade and what to do when writing inside a card? Gypsy to the rescue :D. Select the card you want and arrange it on the Gypsy. Then make another layer and copy the card to that and line it up exactly. Hide the score marks and add the sentiment where you want it placed.

Using the marker layer, put the marker in the machine and hit the cut button.

After the drawing is complete, return to design.

Take out the marker and put in the cutting blade (and please use scrap paper lol). Then go to the cut layer.  Do not hit the load/unload paper button. Easy Peasy :D

Happy 104 WOYWW


Though I've only been participating for a few months, it is the 104th WOYWW. Our fearless leader, Ms. Julia Dunnit of Stamping Ground, gave us lots of advance notice so we could, if we wished, participate in a Pay It Forward (or PIF).  That's mine ready to go (when I get a name and address) in the back. And I got my Tim Holtz goodies today. I've been pining for those ink pads, kraft glassine anything and the ring binders. The Glow in the Dark is my new obession, 3 projects in 3 days :D.
I also wanted to include somethings on the blog that every one could access if they want to do so.
Here is a jpeg I made from the instruction card included in my newest to me typewriter. You can save it to your computer and print it on cardstock for all sorts of fun things :D.

I'm also including some links to lovely free things.
http://www.interweave.com/Communities/ Interweave has a variety of communities where you can sign up for daily emails with tips and some free ebooks. Quilting Arts, Cloth Paper Scissors, Spinning, Weaving, Crochet, Artist, Knitting, Beading, Jewelry Making, and Sewing.

http://clothpaperscissors.com/media/p/5291/showcontent.aspx This link goes to a free ebook (once you've signed up for the Cloth Paper Scissors community) about 5 Art Journaling Techniques including ZenTangle. You do have to sign up, but it is free.

Here's hoping your Wednesday is wonderful :D.

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Club Ruby Designers Blue Yellow and Green Challenge

The current challenge at Club Ruby Designers is a Color Challenge, and make a project with the colors Blue, Yellow and Green.  I made an A2 sized card with Papertrey Ink Lemon Tart cardstock. I made a stamp with fun foam and the Papertrey Ink Friendship Jar Die (glued onto a piece of plastic packaging a la Tim Holtz's idea of making stamps with his dies and really thick fun foam) and inked with some blue Color Box pigment ink. After it dried I stamped the jar from the Friendship Jar Stamp set. The fire flies are from the Cricut Stretch Your Imagination cartridge lined with a fine line black pen. The letters are from Cosmo Cricket.

Because the fun foam is thin and the packaging is thin, the stamp needs to be rubbed onto the paper. The advantage of this is by not rubbing everywhere it's easy to get a distressed look. If you want even application just make sure to rub the whole thing, I'm thinking a nice roll or two with a brayer should do the trick (but I haven't tried it).

There's a bonus aspect to this card. I painted the back half of the fire flies with Art Deco Glow in the Dark paint. So it will give a little night light to the recipient (I'm thinking this will be fun for campers away from home).

By the way, the winner of the challenge will get a goodie bag from Megan, plus it's just fun :D.

Basic Maze Mini Book aka Meander Mini Book Tutorial

I've become addicted to maze or meander mini books, and there are several ways to make them, with pockets, without pockets, glued, stitched, unattached. Basically so many ways to use a 12 x 12 sheet of paper. I made a test book to wrap my head around it which took away the pressure of working with "good" paper lol.  I numbered the squares following the page orientation illustration below and still refer to it when I'm trying to work something out.

These can be scored before folding at the 3, 6, and 9 inch line. Rotate paper 90 degrees and score at the 3, 6 and 9 inch line.

Or they can be folded without scoring. It really helps to have a bone folder though.
Fold paper in half.

Then fold each half in half again so it looks like the picture above. It works best if each half is folded separately.

Rotate the paper 90 and fold it in half and then each half in half again. The end result will be 16 equal squares.

After the folding, it's time to cut the paper. The cutting can be done with a trimmer or scissors.  When you are done it will look like an "M".

 Fold as illustrated and you'll have a little book 3" x 3". I find it helps to line up the pages and use a bone folder to get a more even book.

The pages can be decorated before or after folding, cutting etc. The edges can also be glued or sewn together to make pockets. The pages could also be glued together for a more solid page as follows. Many people leave the book unbound except to put covers on the front and back.

Backs of pages 2 and 3.
Backs of pages 4 and 5
Backs of pages 6 and 7
Backs of pages 8 and 9
Backs of pages 10 and 11
Backs of pages 12 and 13
Backs of pages 14 and 15

So many possibilities for one sheet of paper :D. Look for more examples in the coming weeks.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Papertrey Ink May 2011 Blog Hop

This month's challenge was all about flowers. So I stamped a background of flowers using the flower from Paper Tray. Then I used the balloons and bicycle stamp from Every Day Button Bits and substituted flowers for the buttons.

For this card I used the flower set from Every Day Button Bits and substituted these fun little flowers for the buttons again. The mat is Vintage Cream and I believe the card base is Simply Chartreuse.

WOYWW 103 - Sew Much Fun



I've been busy, but can't show anything because it's all been PIF or Design Team projects. I can show you my new storage things though. They each hold 4 drawers which are the perfect amount of Ink Pads of a sort (I like to sort by Dye, Chalk and Pigment) to rummage through or Adhesives (Tape is all in it's own drawer now!). Amazing how much more I can do when I know where stuff is lol. I've also liberated the sewing machine from the closet.

I'm also very sore, I spent Monday raking up 2 inches of acorns out of the front yard I'm trying to turn into a shade garden (it's pretty small), and weed whacking the back yard and getting ready to plant. Tuesday my body complained bitterly. Today I'm hoping to set up the badminton net and, if I'm very very lucky, I'll find all the pieces for the tetherball too :D.

If you are wondering what's all this WOYWW, head over to Julia's Stamping Ground and have a gander, better yet, join in :D.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Happy Birthday Megan!! Birthday Card Challenge


There is an extra challenge going on at Club Ruby Designers this week. It's Megan Gravener's birthday today so everyone is invited to make a birthday card for her and enter for a random chance to win a goodie bag (there is a free membership level).

I made a card for her using the Imagine and the Imagine More Cards cartridge. The card base is made using the top note shape folded in half. And the Happy Birthday Chick is one of the embellishments on the cartridge.