Paper Patch Crafts Challenge & The Beginning of PINK!

Happy Monday! This week will be for sure a fabulous week! Our weather is finally getting pretty and Fall is here! (After record breaking heat temps last week!) There are also going to be big changes in my scrapbook studio... (Pictures will come!)

But, today I would like to share a layout that I did for a contest that Paper Patch Crafts is having over on their Facebook page. It is a layout contest based on the sketch below, but with a twist! It has to be vintage.... At first glance I was stumped, but than I was so inspired!

I have a paper line from Cosmo Cricket that I just love, Halfway Cafe. Here is my take on the challenge:

 I started with my circle. Instead of cutting it in half I let it just go off the page. I love this sheet of paper that I used for the circle so I wanted it to be my primary pattern. I used a strip of the stripe paper to go across the layout and the mat for my photo was cut from the journaling cards sheet. I used a decorative Corner Chomper to chomp the corners! 

Now... for my flowers! I absolutely LOVE these flowers! I used the Tim Holtz Alteration Die, Paper Rosette to cut out my flowers, but you can easily make them yourself without the die. Here is how:

You want to cut a strip of paper 10 1/4" long and about 1" wide. The width can change according to how big you want your flower. Whatever width you cut your paper, multiply it by 2, and that is how wide your completed flower will be. So, my flower is going to be 2" wide. Using a scorer, you want to score every quarter inch all the way down your strip. Than using a circle punch, punch out a circle that is going to be smaller than your completed flower.

 Here is the Tim Holtz die. I cut a strip of paper about 2" wide and 12" long and ran it through my Big Shot. It cuts and scores the strip I need and scallops one side. If you are making the flower without the die you can cut one side of your strip scallop and than just score your lines in between the scallops.

The next step is to fold your strip accordion style and adhering the two ends together. You want to use a strong, quick drying adhesive. I used Wonder Tape. (Bella wanted to help with this step!)

You then squeeze one side together and push down and out to flatten the circle into the flower shape. Using a strong, quick drying adhesive, glue the circle to the center of the flower. (You want to glue a circle to both sides so that the flower is secure.) Below are the finished products! The one on the left was made without the die.

I hope you have enjoyed the layout and little flower tutorial and have been inspired to go create!

Early, I mentioned big changes in my studio... here is a sneak peak:

Layout with My Pictures... RARE!

Here is a layout that I just completed. I am pleased with it. I hardly ever do layouts with pictures of just me, but these were taken at my birthday celebration and I liked them, (another rare occasion!). I saw a sketch on a scrapbooking website that I just loved and I was instantly inspired. I used paper from Creative Imaginations. Here is where the sketch is located. It is June's Sketch.

One thing that I did with this layout was cut a big square out of my background paper, leaving just enough of a ledge to glue on my white flower paper. This way I am able to use all that paper and it not be wasted. In fact, I was able to make both mats that my pictures are on from that one piece of paper I saved! Whooohooo!

I recently bought the Martha Stewart Score Board. This is the best scorer I have seen! It is fabulous!!! All the lines are in line with just a basic ruler. No math or guess work. And there is a card chart that tells you all the different size cards and what size of paper to start with and where to score... Oh and there is an envelope maker! So, anyways, I used it to score the strip of pink paper so that I could easily pleat it. I than used the Tiny Attacher to attach it to my layout.

The yellow paper that you see was actually the white & pink polka-dot paper that I colored with Distress Inks. The word "birthday" was cut with my Cricut out of plain pink cardstock. I inked the edges a bit and than put Glimmer Glaze over the letters to make them shine. On the left side of the layout I stamped several layers of flowers and a big tree. The green flowers near the center I embossed and the others are just stamped using various inks.

I hope that you were inspired today and defiantly check out the sketch because it is fabulous. I would love for you to share your layout if you decide to use the sketch too!

Happy Creating!

Inking Away...

Happy Sunday! I hope everybody had a great weekend and was able to squeeze in some creative time too! I was able to! Here is a birthday card that I made my Dad. Today is his birthday.

Happy Birthday Dad!

I started this card with a blank tag. I inked it with Distress Inks, (Pumice Stone & Tumbled Glass). I stamped the tag with a flourish at the bottom in Walnut Stain, and the branched up top with Pine Needle, (both Distress Inks). "Happy Birthday" was stamped using Unity Stamps and Pumice Stone & Walnut Stain. I used my Sizzex Texture Boutique to add a little debossing to the bottom of the tag. My flowers are Grunge Paper cut with the Tattered Flowers Alteration Die and than I inked them up. I adhered my tag to my card with the Tiny Attacher Stapler. (AWESOME tool!). The card base is a piece of paper from Cosmo Cricket, Halfway Cafe Line - Winona. I stamped trees on one side and swirls on the other. (Tim Holtz Stamps). I inked the paper a little with Tumbled Glass and than inked the edges with Walnut Stain. I had a lot of fun making this card. Hope this has inspired you to go ink something up!

Good Night!

Happy Friday and Glimmer Mist Galore!

Happy Friday! I am so excited today to be featured over at Ideas for Scrapbookers! Pam has a great blog that is just full of inspiration for all paper-crafters! Thanks Pam! :) I am sharing a card today that I made using a bunch of fun products and techniques! See???

Let me start off by saying that I LOVE Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist! Love IT! They recently released their Chalkboard Glimmer Mist. It is similar to Glimmer Mist but way more opaque. I wanted to show how easy it is to use screens with misting products. First you want to lay the screen on your paper where you would like it to mask. Like this:

You want to lightly mist it in sweeping motions. If you spray too much it will pool and go under your mask. I then lift my mask using tweezers, (this is easier and less likely to smear). This is what it will look like:

Tattered Angels has several masks that have matching stamps. They are acrylic stamps so you can see perfectly when stamping on a masked area! I also wanted to show today what stamping with a Paint Dabber looks like! It is a Shabby Chic look that is great. Using the Adirondack Paint Dabbers by Ranger you have no clean up of brushes or trays! There is a foam dabber on top and the paint comes out when pressed down. When painting your stamp you just want to “dab” the paint on until it is covered. You do not want it gloppy or you will not get a clean stamped image. See how the stamp matches the screen?

This is the base of my card front. I then stamped my image using Memento Ink and colored it in using my Copic Markers. I used the new Tattered Angels Glimmer Glam on the umbrella and then put a rhinestone on using my I-Rock! (I love that tool!!!) I then inked the edges and adhered with a pop dot.

Ta-Da!

My sentiment on the inside says:

I hope that you have enjoyed this technique and have been inspired. Once again, thanks to Pam and Ideas for Scrapbookers!

I am back... with A Cherry on Top!

I am so excited to say.. I'm Back! The last several weeks have been crazy busy! My Birthday, we adopted a kitty, babysat a dear friend's puppy and their new kitty, and then two surprise birthday party's in one week! Not to mention, my "creative juices" stopped flowing too... Every time I tried to create it was just impossible. BUT NOT NOW! I have so many ideas going through my little head it is just fabulous! So stay tuned for all the fun to come....

Here are some pictures from the birthday celebrations and the Birthday Hat Tradition!

me! I turned 26.

Chris - He turned 30!

I have a picture of my mom too! I will post that tomorrow. My camera is at my parent's house. I left it by mistake. Oops! I hate not having my camera!

Now for my exciting news!!! Pam from Scrapbook Flair has given me the Cherry On Top Award!

Pam has a great blog so make sure you go check out all her fabulous work!

In receiving this award you agree to the following:

1-Thank the person who gave it to you.

2-Copy the award to your blog.

3-List 3 things you like about yourself.

4-Post a picture that you love.

5-Tag 5 people you would like to give the award to.

So to start off, I would love to thank Pam. She is very talented and her work is inspiring.

Three things that I like about myself are:

1. The woman that I am becoming in Christ and my child-like faith.

2. The talent that I have for all things arts & crafts.

3. Though at times it may be a fault, my sensitivity and soft heart.

Here is a picture that I just love because it just makes me happy. I still feel the same way about my husband, (except the feelings are stronger now!) as I did when this was taken on our honeymoon. It will be four years ago at the end of this month. We have been through so much together and still are going strong. He is my biggest supporter and best friend. I love him so very very much.

 The following people that I have chosen to pass the award on to are designers and artist's that have inspired me through their work and knowledge that they have shared on their blogs. 

1. Tim Holtz - Through his website & blog I have learned so much. His products & techniques are alway just fabulous and he is just inspiring.  (http://www.timholtz.com/ http://www.timholtz.typepad.com/)

2. Melinda Spinks over at The Scrap Farm. Her work is just beautiful.

3. Becky Fleck from Page Maps. I love her sketches. I print them out every month and when I am "stuck" they help "un-stick" me!

4. Claudine Hellmuth. She is friendly & encouraging. I am taking a class from her through Big Picture Scrapbooking. She is a wonderful teacher and her techniques are so much fun! I love her products too!!! (http://www.claudinehellmuth.com/ http://claudinehellmuth.blogspot.com/ ).

5. Jennifer McGuire - she does marvelous work. Lots of techniques and inspiration can be found at her blog: http://jennifermcguireink.typepad.com/ .

Now, as much as I wish I could say that I know all of these wonderful designers & artists... I do not. I am giving them the award for all the inspiration that they share for me and all the other scrapbookers, stampers, etc.. out there.  There are quite a few more out there that inspire me, but that would be a never ending blog entry! I hope that you visit all of the above websites to see their work, style, and to receive inspiration!