My February Kit...

As part of my resoultion this year, I have been making kits with my stash.  I actually put this kit together in early January, but I am just getting around to posting it now!  So here it is!

I made my Valentine's Treats (a few posts ago) with this kit, and I also made this LO below for the Feb. Challenge Masters Sketch (which I also created!). 

Other than that, I haven't donw much with this kit...I think I made it too "theme" oriented...too much Valentine's stuff.  That is a good lesson for me to learned..I need to make these kits for myself so that they are functional, and not just theme-y.

I have some fun plans for myself for March that I will post March 1!

Challenges, sketches and more...oh my!

I have been working on a lot of design team assignments lately, but also participating in a few contests.

The Crop Suey challenge for the next two weeks is to do a LO about something you collect.  I started collecting butterflies while I was in college.  I first got intersted in them when my advisor suggested a summer project where I explored the biodiveristy of buttefly species in different environments.  Well to do that, I had to learn how to catch them and identify them.  So I started a collection!  It become a hobby over the years, and i still love to go out into the field and ID them.  I can ID many right away, some even by just the way they fly.  There are some that are elusive to me as well: I have had dreams about the Olive Hairstreak, one that I have never seen, but would love to have in my collection.
I never collect more than one of each species, unless they have dimorphisms in the species.



So here is my LO, with a few photos of my butterflies and a photo of the case they are in.  I wanted to make these photos look like little polaroids, and used some digital notebook paper and real masking tape and staples to complete the look. I also stamped the wings on the background paper and misted the page with green and brown Glimmer Mist.

Next up is the Throwdown challenge at Memorable Seasons.  The first challenge was to do something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue! 

Something old: photos
Something New: lace
Somwthing Borrowed: Journaling was a note that my aunt wrote to me and she gave me these photos on my wedding day. It is tucked behind the photos...I have close ups in the gallery.
Something Blue: Blue in the papers (BG and MME and Pink Paislee)

This next LO I did for a blog challenge at Blue Moon Scrapbooking.  You had to use a vintage photos and a doilie.  I used this photo of my grandma from the early 1980's (OK, not THAT vintage, I know!) and a Wilton Cake doilie. 

I wish that my grandma was still alive and could have met Charlotte.  The title really works both ways: I know that my grandma would have loved Charlotte, and that Charlotte would have loved her.  Inside the envelope I wrote a message to Charlotte about her grandma.

This last LO I did for the Week 3 challenge at Scrapdango. For week 3 we had to scrap a childhood memory, use journaling of more than 100 words, and use a certain color palette from a choice of palettes.  I used a brick red, teal, sand, and gold color combo.  The journaling is about my 5th (or 6th) surprise birthday party that I still remember like it was yesterday! 

Lastly, don't forget to join us at Ch{all}enge Masters for this month's challenges!  I am the sketch team leader, and here is the sketch for February.  Also submissions are due my midnight the 28th!

Project 12 January 2010 LO

Well I FINALLY finished my LO for Project 12 for January.  I think I am going to LOVE having an entire year of photos on 12, 2-page LO's!  I am glad that I decided to do this!

I used a lot of items from the December Cocoa Daisy kit. I followed the sketch pretty closely.  I loved the uneven stitched circles and the snowflakes.  I cut the snowflakes myself from some cream colored felt.  The hardest part about this LO was choosing the photos.  I took almost 600 photos that month, and it was so hard to narrow it down to 7!  Anyway, here it is!  TFL!

I won!

WOO HOOO!  I won the random draw at Sketchy Thursdays for the 2/11 sketch!!!!  I won an awesome kit from Magpie Club!  I'm so excited! 

In other news, here is what I have been up to:

I am doing the Scrapdango "Crowned" competition.  Each week there is a LO challenge that you earn points for.  The 2nd week just ended and I won the 2nd week round!  There are other games and things to do during the week to earn points as well.  Here are the LO's that I have done so far:

For week one, we had to use fabric, bling, popdots, and paint or mists.  I LOVe these pics of Charlotte riding in the shopping cart for the first time.  She loved it! 

I took the die cut paper and painted the edges pink and outlined it with a black pen.  I then pop dotted the die cut off of the blue and green background.  And it is hard to tell, but I painted the background paper with Stickles for my bling.  The black and cream strip, the journal spot, and the little bird and flower are all made from fabric.

For week 2, we had to do 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.  5 photos, 4 alphas in our title, 3 patterned papers, 2 "other" items, and 1 cardstock.  My two "other" items were stitching and Stickles.  The journaling spot was a freebie! I love the way this LO came out. 

There was a side challenge to make a card with the theme "Glitz and Glam".  What is more glitzy and glammy than HOLLYWOOD???

I cut out and embossed this star out of this QK metal sheet that I have.  I took a piece of red CS and covered it with red flocking paper for the "red carpet" and I used some stickles and white paper for the "lights" in the background.  I actually sent this card to my little brother for getting a 104 average on his report card (he is in 10th grade). 

OK, other things:
I had made this for the Crop Out Diabetes crop a few weeks ago.  The challenge was to use at least 2 punches.  I used my circle, by corner rounder, and my threading water.  This pictures were taken in October!

This one I made for a sketch at Sketch Inspirations, which was sponsored by Memorable Seasons.

And lastly, this one I made for the "Lift me Up" game at Cocoa Daisy.  These last two LO's were made with the Cocoa Daisy kit.  I love them.

Well I am working on a few more things that I hope to post soon!  TFL!

Candy Shoppe Designs Feb. 15th Challenge

The second challenge for the month is up at Candy Shoppe Designs.  Can I tell you how much I love this blog?  Theres no drama, no SQOTD, QOTD, LOOTD, gossip, etc. etc.  Just a challenge to get you away from yappin' and right to scrappin'.  I am so loving challenge blogs right now.

OK, so this challenge you have to incorporate a few things:
-picture(s) of your loved one
-any type of doily - even the paper kind
-flowers *to taste
-hearts*to taste
-lace
-the colors pink & red *even a pinch will do!

So believe it or not, I actually had a hard time finding a pic of Keith and I that was recent.  I went through a lot of photos, and I found this on from Oct. 12, 2007....the night before our wedding.  Look at how HAPPY we are!!  Plus I felt great then cause I had been working out!  Anyways, it really got me thinking about how much our lives have changed over the past 2 1/2 years and got me real emotional.  Looking at this photo made me remember all over again why I married Keith to begin with.

I knew I wanted to use yellow with the pink and red.  I have been on a yellow kick lately.  I took some doilies and scrunched them up to create the border on the bottom.  I used some old heidi grace rub ons and some Queen & Co. felt swirl lace.  That stuff is a P.I.T.A. to adhere to the page and take the backing off of.  I made the flowers by cutting out large circles and cutting them into spirals and then folding and spiraling them into a flower.  I added some clear dew drops to the inside.  The frame around the photo is from E.A.D. Designs.  I won their blog hop a few weeks ago and this one of of the things I ordered!

More LO's to come this week plus my Feb. kit I made with my stash.

Sketchy Thursdays 2/11 Sketch

When I saw this sketch this week I knew exactly the photos I wanted to use.  I hadn't taken them yet, but I had them in my mind!  I pictured Charlotte's little head coming around the corner of the bathroom when I am filling up her bathtub. 

It actually took me by surprise one day.  I set her down on her bedroom floor, and walked into the bathroom to turn on the water to start filling the tub.  I heard this strange "thud-woosh" sound, and then I see this little head shadow on the tile.  She was dragging herself in to see what was going on.  Miss nosey!

I went real simple with this design.  I painted the circle on the background and stitched around it.  I used some cosmo cricket paper for the background and under the photos, and a thin strip of some making memories (?) colored lines.  I played with how thick I wanted to make that colored strip for about 20 mins.  Ridiculous.  Anyways, I love this design and happy with the way it came out!  TFL!

Some Valentine's Goodies

OK, hopefully none of my family reads my blog!  I have been working on some Valentine's treat for Charlotte's grandparents and aunts and uncles. 

First I made these cute little cards.  The journaling area is actually a font from scrapnfonts.  I printed a whole bunch on white CS and then colored in the hearts on the edge with Smooch and a Sajura Gelly Roll glitter pen.  I then used a tiny stamp for the 'Love you" on the bottom corner. 

I took a red ink pad and took Charlotte's tiny thumb and covered it with red ink.  Then I stamped it twice to make the heart shape with her thumbprint!  I outline her thumbprints with a black pen because some didn't look exactly like hearts!  Then I cut some scalloped squares with a QK die and glued it to the back.  I tied a bow with some ribbon and viola!  I'm done!

Next, I wanted to use some of the Gerber baby food plastic containers that I have saved from some of Charlottes food.  I knew they would have a use some day!  I don't have that many b/c I make most of her food myself, but 6 was enough,

I cut a strip of paper and used my threading water punch on one edge.  I used double sided tape to stick it to the bottom of the container.  Then I used some glue strips to glue a tiny piece of white ric rac to the top edge. 

For the top, I just traced the inside shape of the lid, cut a piece of paper, and then framed the paper with some white paper that I used my scalloped scissors on.

I cut out some heart tags with my Cricut, tied a ribbon on them, and glued them to the lid. 

Now what is inside these containers you ask????????

YuMMY GOODNESS!!!!  This is a shortbread cookie recipe courtesy of Ina Garten (Barefoot Contesa) on the Food Network.  This recipe is SOO easy and is now one of my most favorites.  These cookies are to DIE for! and I just might because I have eaten so many! 

Sketchy Thursday Feb. 4

Here is my LO for the Feb. 4th sketch!  I tried a new technique with this LO.  I wanted to do some paint on the background, but I wanted it subtle and I didn't want to use splatters.  So I tried something with rubber bands.  I took a watered down solution of pink and white paint, put the rubber bands in it, plopped them on the paper and then bounced them up and down on the paper.  I like the way it turned out, but it really warped my paper.  I think I will try it less watered down and with a darker color of paint.  I think it will look cool if I do the whole page like that! 

I am using up a lot of my stash!  Some of this stuff I have had for years but haven't used.  The flowers and the titles, for example, I think are over two years at least.  It feels good to finally use stuff!

This photo is from October, when Charlotte wasn't moving around as much!!  She LOVED sitting in the Bubmo chair.  She out grew it in about 2 months after she learned how to put her feet down and arch herself backwards!  I still loved this thing though!  It was sad when we had to retire it.  :(

Vintage Details

Well this class originally started out as a class on a mini album for a crop at Urban Anthology. However, I wanted to make my album "vintage", which seems to be all the rage right now. In my quest, I discovered a lot of neat tips and ideas for "vintage-y" looking items! So here is more about making those things, and I will show you some of the pages of my album at the end!


Antiques Frames


One of my favorite techniques for a vintage looking item is resist embossing. I went through my stash to look for some older looking frames. I stamped the these different frames on cream colored cardstock with VersaMark watermark ink and then applied the ZING! white embossing powder (which is aesome btw!) and heat embossed the frame.

I then took a very light brown stamp pad and stamped lightly around the edges of the frame to give it a distressed look. Then I took a baby wipe (or wet paper towel) and rubbed the ink off of the white embossed areas. The ink doesn't stick to the white, so the embossing shows through. I thne fussy cut out each frame!

My intention for these was to use them as journaling boxes in my mini album.

If you don't have heat embossing tools, try this: stamp with white ink, then use glossy accents or a quick drying clear glue with a pen tip and outline areas of your frame. When dried, the glossy accents or glue will resist the inking, too.


Pleated Flowers with Buttons

I happened to have this great stash of old buttons that I found in a clearance bin at Hobby Lobby. I think they make all the difference with these flowers.

Find yourself some vintage-y looking papers and cut them into strips 1, 1 1/2, or 2 inches wide (depending on the size of flower you want).

Use a border punch to punch one long edge of the paper, or just hand cut some small scallops. It doesn't matter if they are perfect, you won't notice!

Take your punched strip and begin folding back and forth to make pleats. Forget scoring!!! Just use your fingers. I made mine about 1/2 cm big. Pleat the whole strip.

On the un punched edge of the paper, run a needle and thread through the pleats. Tip: I ounched the holes for the needle and thread with a paper piercer first...it made it much easier to thread.

Secure the last pleat over the first pleat with glue and tie off and trim your string.

Add some pretty buttons for centers and you are good to go!

You can also do the same technique with ribbons. Just thread up one side of the ribbon and pull to scrunch. Sew the ends together and adorn with a button in the middle!

Another tip: you might want to cut our a circle our of scrap paper and glue it to the back. It makes it easier to glue onto your project at the end.

Doilies

This is very simple. Remember making cut out snowflakes?? Same idea!

Cut a circle about 3 inches in diameter and fold it into 8ths. I used cream colored cardstock, but it was a bit thick, so I also tried it with vellum and fabric.

Use your scissors to scallop the outside edge and then punch the heck out of it with a crop-a-dile! The more holes you have the better, I think... You might also want to clip the point (which will be the center of your doilie.

After I opened mine, I crumpled them and inked them in a light brown (not shown).

Fabric Flowers

I used some different remnants of fabric and some muslin for these different flowers. Make a mix of some fabric stiffener (which you can buy at a craft shop) and some water. Dip the fabric in the solution and spread out on waxed paper to dry. I use a brayer to smooth it out so there are no wrinkles in it.

When the fabric is dry, it is very easily cut with a die cut machine. You can even use it with your Cricut because it is so stiff…just stick it to your mat and cut away! I used some QuickKutz scalloped circle dies and cut different sizes out of the fabric. I layered the circles on top of each other and ran a needle and thread through them to secure.

You should experiment with cutting out scallops, punching holes in the edges, inking, etc. You can even rewet the material a bit and shape the petals how you want them. Then they will stiffen again when left to dry that way.

To make the center of this flower, I took a bunch of embroidery floss and wound it around my hand. I gathered it in the middle and tied a knot around it. I then threaded the loose ends of the knot string through the center of my flower and tied it off on the back of the flower. Cut the loops on you floss and you have a pretty center! I added some stickles to the floss for some sparkle.


Cameos

I searched the web for some cameo silhouettes and font a font at scrapnfonts.com called Cameo frames. It was $3, and I thought, “Hey, I have spent much more on much less”, so I bought it! I opened a word document, changed my font to my new cameo font (after downloading it from the site), and sent the font sixe to 125 to make some bigger cameos. I created some text boxes and typed in the cameos that I wanted. I change the text color to white because I wanted my cameos silhouettes to be white. Then I filled int the text box with the background color that I wanted. This is what it looked like when done.

I printed this on white cardstock. I then played around with some techniques for these. I embossed some of the faces, but they lost a lot of the detail. So then I just tried some Glossy Accents over the face and I like how that looked. I added some gold Distress Stickles to make the frames around the edge, and on others I tried a gold glitter gel pen from Sakura. I also mounted them on chipboard to give them more height. I was pretty please with the result!

Well, after all that, here are the pages of my finished album. My intention for this album was to be a album of photo of Charlotte’s great grandparents, but I don’t have all their photos yet, so I am waiting for some more of those.

Some January LO’s

Well I had a pretty crafty January! I am hooked on Sketchy Thursdays and Cocoa Daisy; I got my first kit from Scrapbook Kit Club and SO honored to be a part of their team; the challenges are just rollin' over at Ch{all}enge Masters, and the beautiful, beautiful work at Candy Shoppe Designs is just so inspiring!

So here's some stuff that I did:

Most of these were created with my January Kit from Cocoa Daisy. It is sadly my last kit from there b/c I decided to stop buying scrappy supplies for 2010. But I'll tell you what…I am signing up for the January 2011 kit for sure, and getting a lifetime membership! J Some of these things were done for scraplifts, or their scraplift game, or just because. Other's I also used for challenges at other sites.

Then there's Ch{all}enge Masters. I SOOO wanted to win the kit that was the prize this month, so all in all I think I did 14 of the challenges there.

I created this frame for the Altered Challenge with my 2010 word. I wanted to be able to see myself in the word, so that is why I used a mirror.


Here are some other LO's that I did, too, for CM.

I also did a lot of LO's for the Holiday Rewind Crop at My Sketch World. The ladies there are such a blast!!

And finally here is my LO for the Feb. 1^st challenge at Candy Shoppe Designs. The prizes there are so unique AND you don't necessarily have to do a LO to win…just leave a comment! We had to use an arrow, and with all things "valentine-y" right now, I was thinking about what was in my heart…things I love right now. I did a TON of stitching on this that took me forever! But I like the texture it gives the page.

Well, I think that is it! It was a great month….that might explain why I haven't had any mojo for the past couple of days! UGH!