Scrapjazz Kit Club Goes Live!

Happy Hump Day!! I am posting today to say that my long awaited journey to be a member of a kit blog is over. I have been a member of Scrapjazz.com for years and six of us decided to try it. It was modeled after the Kits of Occasion Blog that I drool over every month.

We are not doing it a monthly but more of on a bi-monthly basis. Some of the girls are novice card makers, as well as photographers but each one did a fabulous job. So please visit the Scrapjazz Kit Club blog to see what everyone created!!!

I was in charge of the kit for this month and here is what I sent out in August.

I sent out a lot of images that needed to be colored and I think this was a challenge for most of the girls. However, that is what it is all about, right?

I actually had a rough time making projects for this reveal. First, I did not have enough of some things for me to use myself. Next time I will be better at including me in the count. Second, well, I don't use patterned papers that much on my cards. I will make them myself or use embossing rather then patterned papers. I decided I need to make a point of using this type of paper on my cards, though, because I have TOO MUCH IN MY STASH not to. Just FYI-this post is very heavy on the images.

My first two cards used the penguins from the My Favorite Things stamp set "Penguins in Paradise."

I colored the tree and the penguin in with Copic markers and then cut it out. I placed it inside an oval frame that contained a patterned paper background. I made sure a piece of the tree overlapped the frame, though.

I cut the "cheers" sentiment out and made it into a banner. Instead of leaving it white, I inked it up with blue ink to match the background.

The second penguin card I used a sketch from CAS(E) this Sketch blog. It was one from a couple weeks ago.

I had fun coloring the bathing suit on this penguin. I colored it with green Copic markers and then added some blue polka dots. I thought it need a bit more pop so I used a white gel pen to then draw around the polka dots.

I used an My Favorite Things "In and Out Stitched Square" die to cut the penguin out. I layered it over an A2 top folding card that I had covered in patterned paper, a banner and some blue circles. I then added some sequins that were in the kit.

For the third card that I utilized only patterned paper and card stock.

I die cut the bottom of two pieces of the patterned paper with the "A2 Card Curved Edge" die from Simon Says Stamp! I layered it over a piece of card stock that I had embossed. I then adhered a sentiment banner and a heart. Next I wrapped some thread around the front three times and added two pins. The pins were my "mystery" item that I put in the package. Only one other person wound up using them on a card!!

My next card was another simple card.

I layered one of the piece of patterned papers over a white top folding A2 card base. I then adhered the Paper Trey Ink "hugs" sentiment that was in the kit. I kind of cheated for the balloon because all the other girls, if they used it, had to fussy cut it. I had the die so I die cut it out. (It was from WPlus9's "Party Animal" set.) I then used Spun Sugar and Worn Lipstick Distress Ink, blended it onto the balloon and then adhered the balloon to the card front.

Next I used foam adhesive to adhere the Mama Elephant panda from "Pandamonium." I die cut a balloon string using Lawn Fawn "Party Balloon" dies. I cut it apart to make it work for the front and adhered it so it looked like the panda was holding onto it.

The last card was the one that I spent the most time putting together.

I colored in the elephant, bunny, and tooth brush with Copic markers. I set them aside and created the background scene using Distress ink and water color paper. (Mowed Lawn and Twisted Citron for the grass and Tumbled Glass for the sky.) I used the "smooshing" technique with a piece of acetate, the distress ink and a mister filled with water. I dried this with my heat gun and adhered it onto the front of a white, top folding A2 card base.

I then cut a circle slightly smaller then the background scene in my orange patterned paper and adhered that to the card front. I then adhered the critters onto the scene, adding some sequins to complete it.

I cheated here a bit too. I stamped the sentiment onto the card front instead of using one from the kit. Under it a I placed a piece of green card stock from the kit. I added some Wink of Stella over it and the handle of the tooth brush.

Have you made it to the end? I hope so!! I do not usually post this many cards in one post so please forgive me. I just got a kit in the mail to play with that will be posted in October. Please, please, check out the Scrapjazz Kit Club to see all the fun cards that everyone else made!!!

Have a great day!!

MUSE Card Challenge #129

Happy Sunday!! Two more days until I go back to work, three days before Char starts school. As the time nears, the more stressed I get and the more time I have actually been spending in my craft room. I did not realize how much crafting actually calms me down...that and shopping. Sometimes the two actually go hand in hand.

Speaking of shopping. I have a problem. I think I need a 12 Step Program for ink pads. Hi, my  name is Nora and I am an ink-o-haulic. These pads have all been purchased this summer (minus three that I am presently waiting on from Simon Says Stamp.) Oh wait, I forgot to add in the four distress pads I bought with the new colors. Okay, now I KNOW I have an issue.

Some are opened and some are not. None have been used at all. The horrible thing about this is that I have a cart full of the new Umbrella Inks at Scrapbook.com that I want. I really don't "need" them though.

Anyway, here is why I am really posting today. I had a chance to stamp a card for the MUSE card challenge (#129) this week. It was to use the card below as inspiration.

This card was made by Anita Bowden. If you haven't visited her blog, run over there and look. Her cards are fabulous!!

Here is my take on her card:

I originally wanted to make this only with a white background, no blue matting. HOWEVER, (surprise, surprise) I messed up on die cutting the panel and the stenciling was all done. I decided to just go with it.

I started off by using a stencil from Memory Box and blending Peacock and Cracked Pistachio Distress Ink on a piece of white card stock. I then die cut the panel and mounted it on a Hawaiian Shores A2 top folding card base.

I really wanted to add some gold on the front like the inspiration piece but was not sure how. I knew I really did not want to use sequins. I then remembered I had gold thread and so adhered that to the card.

Next I used a Paper Trey Ink die and die cut four sentiments from black card stock and adhered them together to give the word a bit of dimension. I then adhered the die cut over the thread.

My last step was to stamp the sentiment strip using a Mama Elephant stamp and adhere that to the front. Once I had the idea, this card came together so fast. I think I will be using it again.

That is all for today. I thank you for looking!!

Supplies:
Stencil-Memory Box

InLinkz.com

#Time Out Challenges and the Mess on my Desk

Happy Hump Day!! I cannot believe it is JULY already. My vacation is flying by and I don't want it to. I like the summer. I actually have the time to get things done!!

This week has been very busy. Yesterday I was a cleaning machine. I took everything off my counters and cleaned them, as well as washed most of the outside of the cupboards. Then I straightened out one of the closets. My goal for the summer is to go through all of the closets in this house. I also washed, folded and put away a ton of laundry.

Another goal is to kick it up at the gym. I went Sunday and Monday but pooped out yesterday. Part of it is because I have bruises all over my legs from a mishap I had at the gym on Sunday. I dropped my I pod shuffle when I was on the elliptical. As I was bending down to look for it under the machine, I fell forward over my elliptical onto another. My left ankle is now swollen as well as the bruise that covers the entire knee cap of my left knee, bruises on my shins and on my right thigh. If I was a person on the treadmill in back of me, I would have laughed my butt off. To make matters worse, I went to the front desk to have them help me because I thought the shuffle was inside the feet part but it was stuck UNDER it in a place I could not see at first. Yes, I am a dork. So today I took it easy.

My Zig Clean Color markers came today. Yeah!! I had to go to the post office to pick them up and of course I had to rip the package open to look at them.

Did I use them? No. My desk was covered in an unfinished scrap book page that had a ton of pieces. I did not want to mess the page up so I will use my markers tomorrow.

When I got home, this is what I found on my kitchen table.

My dog likes to get on the kitchen table while we are gone so he can look out the mudroom window. We have tried everything to get him to stop it minus taking the chairs out from the table completely. If there is any type of paper on it when he finds his way up, he will shred it with his paws and his teeth. This is the work that Charlotte did at Chinese Camp yesterday. So yes, sometimes dogs do eat kids homework!!! Little stinker.

Finally my card!! I used the inspiration photo from Time Out Challenges to get my creative juices going. Here is my card:

This is the inspiration photo that I had to use.

I primarily used the colors for my card. I originally tried to use pieced chevrons but wound up throwing everything out and starting over. I knew what ever shape I used, I was going to attempt to utilize some of the mess on my desk as card elements.

I started this card by die cutting the Horizontal Stripes Cover Plate die by Paper Trey Ink from five different pieces of card stock, as well as my sentiment.

I then sat down and placed different colored strips into one of the die cuts. Next I die cut two circle frames, one from a scrap piece of patterned paper and one from some white glitter paper.

I was not sure which frame I was going to use so I played around with the design a little bit to see which one I was going to use.

I decided for this card that the pattern paper looked the best. Besides, it was also the same color and had some of the shapes from the inspiration photo. The bear still looked kind of blah so I decided to go back to the Pandamonium set by Mama Elephant to see what decorative element I could use to spruce it up.

I decided to use the stick and the large lantern image. I stamped both of them and colored the large lantern in with Copic Markers.

I then used the matching dies to cut the images out with my Big Shot.

Now it was time to assemble the card. First I adhered the cover plate pieces to a white A-2 card base. Next I glued down the circle frame and then the sentiment.

I then covered the back of the Panda the stick and the lantern with foam adhesive. Since these images were the focal point, I thought it was important to give them some dimension.

My last step was to cover the lantern in clear Wink of Stella, glue on the tiny google eyes and adhere the pink enamel heart.

This card is a bit bright but I LOVE how it came out. I have enough to make a few more of these cards, which I will do at a later date. None of my "extras" can go to waste!!

That is all for today. I hope you all enjoy this first day of July. Thank you for stopping by!!

Supplies:

InLinkz.com