Flash Back Friday…a Day Late

What a crazy week this has been!! Snow days, doctors' appointments for both Charlotte and I, minor surgery on Charlotte's ear and a girls night out hosted at my house last night. No wonder I am late with this post!!

I am actually disappointed in myself because I issued the challenge over at Scrapjazz.com. It was to create a card using any OLD supply that you had. It could have been paper, stamps, stickers, etc. To say I am a bit of a "collector" is an understatement. I have a store in my room. So for me, this challenge was quite easy.

I modeled my card over an old Nichole Heady card that I saw on Pinterest. However, I had to make it my own. First, for my OLDEST supply, I used one of the first stamps I ever bought from Stampin Up! (Script-retired) with Kraft ink stamped onto vanilla card stock. I then cut the piece of stamped paper into a 2" by 4 1/4" strip and adhered it onto an Aqua Mist card base. I then cut a few scraps from my drawer into small strips, inked them and adhered them to the card.

Next I cut a 3" by 3" of Kraft card stock and stamped a Mehndi Medallion using Kraft ink. Next I layered images and a sentiment using Aqua Mist, Pure Poppy and Smokey Shadow ink. Using foam adhesive, I then adhered the square to the background card. My last step was to use Diamond Stickles o add a little more zing to the inside of the flowers.

This card is for a dear woman who lost her husband this week to leukemia. It was very unexpected and I have been heart sick over her loss all week. How I detest cancer and cannot believe with all our science we have not figured out a way to prevent it. I know that each case is unique but I can still wish!

Thank you for stopping by today. I will be posting another project momentarily to join in for Paper Trey Ink's seventh anniversary.

Nora

Supplies:

Script Stamp and Vanilla Card Stock-Stampin Up!

Striped Paper-My Minds Eye

InLinkz.com

National Scrapbook Day Pages

This past Saturday was National Scrapbook Day. I hosted the challenges at Scrapjazz.com and it was so much fun!! I was not able to create scrapbook pages for each challenge but I was able to finish two. I am such a slow scrapbooker so two pages was good for me.

The first challenge was to pick an article from Scrapjazz.com and create a layout or card that was inspired by that particular article. I had a really hard time choosing but finally settled on a sketch article that featured travel layouts from Prague by Amy Sotolongo. Here was my take on the sketch:

I had extra fun creating this page because I dug through all my drawers and used so many products on this page. Chipboard, die cuts, felt flowers-it is all there. I plan to use this layout design again on a canvas I want to make for my entryway.

The second challenge I finished was another sketch challenge. I created the sketch below in Photoshop pretty much copied it exactly.

I had a lot of fun creating the layers and using conversation balloons for my journaling. Again, I pulled a lot of things out from my stash to layer on here.

I know NSD is over but if you need some inspiration, come on over to the Scrapjazz SJ Challenge Central board every month to complete new challenges and win some prizes. The next challenges will be posted on the first of June.

I hope you enjoyed your time here today. Happy Thursday!!

Nora

Mojo lost and found

I have not been enjoying my craft room as of late. I thought it might be that I needed new supplies. I went shopping and bought some, but that didn't seem to help. I thought that maybe I needed to take more photos but that did not inspire me either. I then pondered that I might just not be "into" crafting anymore. I did not seem to have the time I once had and if I "wanted" to add exercise into my life, something was going to have to give. (I hate exercising so it is more of a "need" for me.) Of course I didn't say anything to my husband because he would have flipped. Do you know how much I have invested in my hobbies? (Yes-I have more then one unfortunately!!)

I think the event that put me back into the "swing of things" as they say was having a friend over this week and teaching her how to make a few cards. It was invigorating to me. I didn't realize I missed the social aspect that I sometimes get from being a crafter. In fact, I plan out cards and scrapbook pages before I go to a crop because I cannot "think" when I am with people. I enjoy talking too much!! My creative juices don't flow. I used to teach others but it has been a long time and I never felt confident in my ability. I am not a huge fan of getting up in front of people.

So I want to thank my friend, Kristin, for helping me get back into my groove. She made two beautiful cards and I sent her away with a few stamp sets and pads to play with. I am hoping she will want to come over another time to do it again. In fact, I need to get more people hooked so we could make cards as a group.

I guess the whole point of this post is that I got my Mojo back this week and had a BLAST finishing two scrapbook pages and making some fun cards. I am also presently experimenting with dying sequins this afternoon but that is a whole different post!!

Today I wanted to share a step by step process of one of the cards I made this weekend. I had so much fun playing with my new "It's All Good" Hero Arts stamp set and dies. I even made two versions of the card and think I will make a few more to put away as gifts.

The first version was for a challenge over at Scrapjazz.com. It was to create a card using the color orange. This wasn't very hard for me as orange is one of my favorite colors.

Don't you love how it turned out? A close up of the details is below. I love the added touch of the sequins and gems on this!!

I decided that I wanted my next card to be a different color. The first thing I did was to drop some pink mist spray on a 4" by 5 1/2" piece of white card stock. I could have used the actual sprayer but I wanted a less-is-more effect.

 My next step was to die cut a word balloon from white paper and stamp the sentiment on it in blue ink.

On step 3, I played around with some of the other balloon shapes on the card to see how I wanted to use them. This is why I LOVE clear stamps. I like to play with placement and it is difficult to do with rubber stamps.

I stamped the word balloons  in green and pink ink on step 4 and in the next step, I played around with sentiments from some Paper Trey Ink sets that I have that would fit inside the empty balloons. I then stamped them in the same color as the unfilled balloons. 

For step 6, I folded a piece of 4 1/4" by 8 1/2" of white card stock in half. I cut a small strip of patterned paper from my new Basic Grey "Knee Highs and Bow Ties" 6" by 6" paper pad and adhered it to the edge. I LOVE this paper!! I wish I could have some bedding made in this pattern. It would be loud but no louder then the orange comforter I have in my bedroom now. (I told you I liked orange!)

For the next step, I adhered the misted and stamped piece of paper to the front of the card. I was going to use a pop dot and give this piece dimension like my first card, but I made a boo boo and had to cover it up. I didn't cut the patterned strip big enough and I didn't feel like ripping it off to start over,  so I went with plan b-covering the mistake up!!

What was my magic trick? To layer a piece of glitter tape over both the patterned paper strip and the white cardstock to mask the mistake. Layering is a wonderful thing!!

My last step was to adhere the blue word balloon onto the card with pop dots and add a few pieces of bling. I think I might like this card even more then my orange one!!

Now all I have to do is make a few more!! Thank you for joining me today. I hope you have a good week!!

Nora

Winter Layouts and Cards from a Sketch

I write articles for Scrapjazz.com occasionally and this month I created a sketch. I cannot post the sketch but I wanted to post what I created using it as a guide.

The first page I created was of my daughter in the snow.  I pretty much used the sketch as is. I inked the heck out of my embellishments and used some of my plethora of punches for the snowflakes. I also used glitter glue to make the snowflakes shine. We haven't had snow like this in two years and I hope I don't see that type of winter ever again!!

Don't these photos look so peaceful? This is part of the complex where my father and step mother bought their condo. I flipped the sketch to the right to create this page. The brown spatters are on purpose. I used a mist spray to get the look I wanted. I am looking forward for a return to that weather!!

The next two projects I created were cards. One was a birthday card for my niece, Sydney and the second a holiday card. Syd is a little fashionista and the circle embellishment was perfect for a card!! I used a lace stamp from "Cutie Pie" from My Mind's Eye. This is one of my all time favorite sets. I cannot tell you how much I have used it. It works for layouts and any card theme you can think of.

I created a ribbon poinsettia for my second card-not a technique I would try again!! I think it came out all right but unless I was sitting down and making them like an assembly line, this flower was too labor intensive. Perhaps it was the satin ribbon but it took too long for me to make it to want to give this card away.

Thank you for looking. I hope you come over to Scrapjazz and browse the many articles they have over there. If you do, introduce yourself on the message board. We would love to have you!!

Nora

Thank You Card and Other Stuff!!

Once again I have dropped the ball on my blog. It is such a shame because I have been making a ton of projects but the photographing and putting blogging about them is extremely time consuming. I will get there, though.

For my first card, I created a thank you for my Aunt who LOVES smiley faces. I used my Silhouette to cut out the smiley and had fun with the colors. I think I will make a few more of these using some scraps and tuck them away for later.

I created my second card for my nephew's birthday this weekend. I really didn't know what I wanted to keep the top of the cupcake simple so I just used some number stickers.

I used my Silhouette machine to cut out the ticket and a Paper Trey Ink stamp for the cup cake. I wish I photographed the card a little better, though. The 13 is NOT crooked in real life!!

This third card I created for a friend that just had a baby. Isn't it sweet? I had stamped the bear and colored it in ages ago. I just cut it out using a Paper Trey Ink tag die to make it complete. I actually created multiple baby cards on this day, all using a similar design but die cut. I will post those on a future date, though!!

My last post today was done for Scrapjazz.com in March. The challenge was to pick a photo and create a layout on what you don't see in the photo. The journaling was about the horrific day we had with my dog Zach whom I nicknamed Stinky. I created the banners behind the photo with some Queen and Company tape and some pretty patterned paper.

I hope you enjoyed my post. See you soon!!

Nora

Did you miss me?

Hello everyone!! I haven't posted in exactly two months and I feel bad. I was doing so well!!

Things have been crazy around here and I wasn't doing too many projects. I lost my mojo somewhere along the line. I am back though and wanted to share a few of the things I have been doing.

I had a few birthdays last month so I created a few cards. The first was for my friend, Donna.

This card is a combination of old and new supplies. I used Aqua Mist card stock and patterned paper from Paper Trey Ink, as well as their houndstooth background. LOVE the pink on pink!! I then stamped the sentiment on a Making Memories die cut and finished the card off with a Prima butterfly.

Here is a close put of the detail. It is such a simple card but love how it came out!!

I liked the design of the first card so much that I created a second card that was based off it using similar supplies. Instead of the label, I used punch and added a button.

The next two cards I created were for my cousin and a request of my friend to make a card to give to someone. I basically CASED the cards off this card design by Dawn McVey-the card maker I want to be when I grow up. I LOVE her stuff!!! If you haven't ever been to her blog, set aside some time because her creations are fantastic!!

Both of these cards I created were for males. I used Paper Trey Ink stamps and my Silhouette machine to created the die cuts.

Here is the card with the matching envelope. I love this color scheme so much that I used it again on the card below.

I chose to only layer two stars for this card and stamp a cupcake on the second one. I hate making the same exact card twice so this is how I mixed it up.

This last card I created I made for another friend. I used almost all scraps to complete it too!!

This was for a challenge over at Scrapjazz.com. It was to create a card with a window. I die cut a scalloped circle into the green card stock, stamped some Paper Trey Ink birthday sentiments from various sets onto it and layered it over the "It's your day" image. The only thing I would change about this card is the ribbon. I only had a small piece in this shade of pink and I can see the cutting on the edge of the bow isn't so hot. Oh well, it is home made!!!

Thank you for browsing today. Have a great weekend!!

Nora

It is February and snowing once again...

     Since I am home yet again today due to snow, I thought I would post the layout and the cards I did for two challenges over at Scrapjazz.com. I am actually having a good day but am not looking forward to the weather they say is coming tonight. I do not want a "wintery mix." I like my power on, thank you very much!!
     The first challenge was to create a layout using the primary colors (red, yellow, and blue), a border and the page must contain some kind of shape. I used photos of Charlotte from this summer and dug into my stash to create this layout. It is a much needed burst of cheer on a gray day!!

    Supplies: Paper-Ruby Rocket (Topiary, Cameo and Splendor), October Afternoon (Party Line), Jillibean Soup (Toasted Cumin and Fresh Thyme), Basic Grey and Bazzill Red, Punches-2"Circle Punch, Donut Chain by EK Success, Bracket Edge by EK Success, Distrezz it All, Dymo Label Maker, Alphabet Stickers-Jenni Bowlin Studio Large Black Dot, Jenni Bowlin Studio Red Ledger and Cosmo Cricket Red Tiny Type, Buttons.


   The next challenge was to create a card using this sketch I created. I chose to make three Birthday cards using stamps, die cuts, punches and scraps.
    The first card I made is for my friend's son's third birthday. I used the paper scraps from the layout above on this card because I thought they were perfect for a little boy. I also used a new Hero Arts clear stamp to make the dictionary paper. I added the glittered number 3 as the last touch.

Supplies: Paper-Ruby Rocket, October Afternoon, Jillibean Soup, White Bazzill, Die cut-cup cake is a Sizzlet by Sizzix and the 3 is a Quickutz, Spellbinders Circles (small) and Scallop Circles (small), stickles, Doodlebug Design Paper Frill, Hero Arts Dictionary Greetings, Bliss Blue Ink by Stampin Up!, 

     The next two cards I used a House Mouse stamp. Out of all the stamps I own, I think this is my favorite! I colored the image in with Copic Markers and layered it on scrap paper.

Supplies: Paper-Ki Memories and October Afternoon, White Smooth Bazzill, Donut Chain by EK Success Edger Punch, Copic Markers, Spellbinders Nestabilities Small Circles and Scallop Circles, Vintage Photo Ink, Ranger Ink Stickles (Diamond), House Mouse Party Mouse

Supplies: Paper-Doodlebug Design, Basic Grey Bittersweet Collection (pink), Bazzill Pink and White Smooth Paper, Copic Markers, Ranger Ink Stickles (Diamond and Cotton Candy), Stamps- House Mouse Party Mouse Stamp and Hero Arts Dictionary Greeting, Die Cuts-Spellbinders Nestabilities Small Circles and Small Scalloped Circles, Quickutz Swirl, Punches: Daisy Chain Edger by EK Success, Ink-Tim Holtz for Ranger Ink Distress Ink (Vintage Photo) and Memento by Tsukinko (Tuxedo Black and Rosebud) 


     I hope these creations inspire you to come on over to Scrapjazz.com and join in on the fun!! Have a great Tuesday!!

Nora