Very hot outside and what to do?

We have had record highs outside the past few days. I have wanted to make cards and scrap but my scrap room does not have air conditioning and the room was too hot to even think. What is a girl to do? I decided to update my blog!! I promised in June to update regularly but as you can see, I have not done so. I plan to do a few entries ahead to get it back in gear, though.

For this entry, I want to concentrate on some cards I have created.

The first two cards I created I used a Martha Stewart Butterfly punch and paper from Basic Grey's Lauderdale collection. They are simple but I love how they came out!

Supplies: Paper-Basic Grey Lauderdale Collection-Bikini Time and Coastline, Card stock-Hero Arts- Kraft Punches-Martha Stewart Heart Confetti and Large Monarch Butterfly Stamps-Hero Arts Things Ink-Vintage Photo Ink .


The second card I added a couple Jillibean Soup products. I just love quick cards!!

Supplies: Paper-Hero Arts Kraft Cardstock, Basic Grey Lauderdale Collection-Wavelength, Jillibean Soup- 6" by 6" Dutch Mustard Soup Paper Pad and Dutch Mustard Soup Die Cuts, Punches-Martha Stewart Heart Confetti and Large Monarch Butterfly.

The next card I created for an article I wrote to review Martha Stewarts Punch Around the Page punches. You can view that here. The punch had holes around the heart that were prefect for stitching. I also raised the front of the card with pop dots to give it some dimension.  I think it is one of my favorite cards that I have created in a long time!!

Supplies: Paper-Echo Park-Gingham Gabby and Jody's Stripe, Bazzill White Cardstock, Punches-Martha Stewart Studded Heart Punch and Classic Butterfly, EK Success Large Corner Rounder, Stickers-Echo Park Little Girl Alphabet and Hero Arts Diamond Bling, Other-DMC Floss, Stampin Up! Cameo Coral Ink, Stamps from Stamps by Judith.


The last card was a quick card I created for my nephew's birthday. It is very simple as I always have a difficult time coming up with ideas for masculine birthday cards. Maybe if I had them in my stash, I wouldn't miss so many birthdays!!

Supplies: Paper-Jillibean Soup-Watermelon Gazpacho Collection, Bazzill Kraft Cardstock, Ink-Stampin Up! Navy, Tsuekineko Momento Tuxedo Black Ink, Stamps-Paper Trey Ink 2011 Birthday Tags, Birthday Bash Sentiments and Label Basics, Die Cuts-Paper Trey Ink Label Basics and Banner Die, Other-Red Ribbon from Michaels


That is all for now. Tune in tomorrow for some layouts!! Try to keep cool!!

Nora

Happy Father's Day and a few projects.

     Happy Father's Day everyone!! Chris, Charlotte and I started off the day with a nice breakfast to celebrate the day with my father and stepmother. Later on just the three of us will be going to J Gilberts for a late lunch to commemorate the day for Chris.

     I haven't updated this blog in a long time so I have a ton of projects waiting to be posted. I am going to try to post a few each day to try to get up to date. To start with, here are a few projects that I completed in April. Most of the photos I chose to scrap were from last summer. I didn't take a ton of pictures but it seems like I have a lot to scrap!

     The first layout is of Charlotte and her cousins on vacation in PA. There was a brook across the street from where my family was staying and the kids all had a blast playing in it. Brings me back to when I was a child playing in the "frog pond" across the street from one of the houses I grew up in. I used mostly Jillibean Soup products on this page. Jillibean Soup and Echo Park have been my go to companies for scrapbook products lately. I LOVE their lines and the fun embellishments that go with their papers.

Supplies: Jillibean Soup-Baked Brown Alphabet Stickers, Mustard Soup Collection- Pea Pods-Shapes, Dutch Mustard Soup 6"X 6" paper pad, Wholegrain patterned paper from Dutch Mustard Soup Collection, Hearts Corrugated Shapes Markers-Zig Writers Stickers-Doodlebug Design Simply Sweet Alphabet Stickers Punches-Paper Shaper Medium Circle and Small Circle punch Other-Big Shot Machine

     The next page is a beach page. Charlotte had fun in the sand at Watch Hill Beach in RI. I had fun using Sassafras Lass products, as well as some Jillibean Soup accents.

Supplies: Paper-Sasafrass Lass Sweetly Smitten Collection Heartly and Wee Bundle 6" X 6" paper pad, Bazzill Basics-Vanilla Cream Card stock Die Cut Shapes-Jillibean Soup-Blossom Soup Collection-Pea Pod Shapes Markers-Zig Writers Ink-Tim Holtz for Ranger Ink-Walnut Stain Stickers-Making Memories  Teal Ledger Alphabet Border-Doodlebug Design


     The last page I created was of some photos I took at one of our local farm stands. One think I LOVE about our town is you can drive a mile anywhere and find farm fresh fruits and vegetables. Again, I used some fun Jillibean Soup products to create this page.

Supplies: Paper-Bazzill Kraft Card stock, Jillibean Soup Spotted Owl Collection-6 Silly Owls, Jillibean Soup Dutch Mustard Soup Collection-6" by 6" Paper Pad and Pea Pod Shapes, Sassafras Lass-Sweetly Smitten 6" by 6" paper pad  Alphabet Stickers-Jenni Bowlin Studio Tiny Round Revers Alphabet-Reverse Brown and My Little Shoebox Glitter Alphabet-Ruby Ink-Tim Holtz for Ranger Industries-Walnut Stain Markers-Zig Writers Die Cut Shapes-Jillibean Soup Corrugate Shapes-Hearts Other-Martha Stewart Twine, Scotch Dot Roller Adhesive, ATG Adhesive

     That is all for today. I hope everyone has a fabulous Father's Day!!!
                                                             Nora

Practicing with Copic Markers

     I have to admit that I have quite a few Copic Markers. I don't use them that much, though, because I have not perfected my technique. I took a class a few months ago to make me feel more comfortable creating with these alcohol based markers but didn't pick them up again until a couple weeks ago in an attempt to practice. I cannot say that I love how both these cards came out but I did learn a few things.

     For the first card, I was happy with the way I colored in the nest and the bird but I definitely need practice with the background. You cannot tell by the picture but I die cut a circle in the patterned paper and pop dotted it over the bird image so that it "peeks" out at the viewer. I finished it off by die cutting a scalloped circle and placing it around the hole.

Supplies: Paper-Paper Trey Ink White Paper, Bazzill Kraft, My Little Shoebox Made with Love and Hand Made Die Cuts-Nestabilities Small Standard Circle and Scalloped Circles Die Cut Machine-Big Shot Stamps-My Little Shoebox Home Tweet Home Ink-Tsukineko Memento Rich Cocoa Stickles-Diamond Adhesive Foam-EK Success Markers-Copic G94, B91, B93, E25, E31, E34, E37, G40, G82, R22, R24, R27, YR07

     The second card I created came out better then the first. Instead of coloring in the background with the Copics, I chose to wipe the marker a few times on a sponge to pick up some color and then used blending solution on top of the marker. I then sponged the combination over the entire image. This technique looks better but I had to wipe the marker on the sponge a lot to get a deep color. I think if I had the refill of the blue I used to squirt on the sponge it would have been a little easier.

Supplies: Paper-Kraft Cardstock, My Little Shoebox Made with Love and Fields A Bloom, Die Cuts-Nestabilities Small Standard Circles and Scalloped Circle Die Cut Machine-Big Shot Stamps-My Little Shoebox Home Tweet Home Ink-Tsukineko Memento-Rich Cocoa Punches-Martha Stewart Markers-Copic BG10, BG11, BG13, BG18, E31, E34, E37, E44, RV10, RV13, RV14, Y11, Y15, Y17, YG17, YG21, YG23, YR68 Paper Frills-Bumblebee


     The last card I am posting today is another simple card. I needed simple after all the coloring I did on the last two cards!! I just embossed a piece of white cardstock for the background and attached three round stickers with pop dots to complete the card. Anyone can do something like this!!

Supplies: Paper-Bazzill White Smooth Cardstock Stickers-My Little Shoebox Garden Party Sticker Collection Embossing Folder-Cuttlebug Love Language Die Cut Machine-Big Shot Pop Dots


     Creating anything worth while takes a lot of hard work and practice. I know that I will keep plugging away at my Copic marker technique until I get it perfect. Have a great day everyone!!

Nora

Some new layouts!!

     I am taking a break from posting cards today to show you some of the layouts I have been creating. Lately I have been trying to stretch my creativity by buying supplies I wouldn't normally buy and using techniques that I haven't tried before. I have to admit that sometimes it can be a trial and error method of creating. I also do not love all the pages I have made by using some of the products I have chosen. However, it has put the fun back into scrapbooking again-something it has been sorely lacking.

     The first page I created by using mist sprays and layering paper. I started with the lightest color and sprayed in stages, letting it dry in between each mist. I really like how it came out and I think it enhanced this photo of Charlotte and her cousins.

Supplies: Paper-Bazzill-Red Devil, Aqua Fourz and Wedding Butterfly, Echo Park-Gingham Gabby, Sally Stitches, Cindy Circles Mist Sprays-Tattered Angels Marmalade, Jazz Blue and Lavender Fields Punches-Martha Stewart Himalayan Snowflake and Glacial Snowflake, Fiskars Apron Lace and EK Success Donut Chain Ink-Inkadinkadoo Red and Pink Chalk Ink Stickles-Lavender Stamps-Basic Grey Basic Notes, Letter Stickers-American Crafts


     My next layout I experimented with using a kit. I tend to buy papers and embellishments by the same company but I rarely buy kits because I don't tend to love all the papers that come with it. Echo Park's Little Girl Collection was an exception. I loved all the papers that came with it and so I decided to try using only products that came in the kit, with the exception of cardstock and some punches. I have to admit that this isn't my favorite page because of the bright colors but the colors went with the photos.

Supplies: Paper-Echo Park Cupcake Casey, Gingham Gabby, Cindy Circles. Journaling Cards, Bazzill Precious (Pink) and Wedding White Punches-Fiskars Scallop Sentiment and EK Success Small Corner Rounder, Scallop Circle Punch Stickers-Echo Park Little Girl Element Stickers and Little Girl Alphabet Markers-Zig Writers

     The last page in this post was also created with the Echo Park Little Girl Collection. The only thing I   added to the kit was cardstock, the use of a circle punch and ink, and journal strips. I cannot believe how young Charlotte looks in these photos!!

Supplies: Paper-Bazzill Iced Pink and White, Echo Park Betty Bird and Madison Plaid Stickers-Echo Park Element Stickers  Punches-Paper Shapers Photo Labels and Marvy Uchida 2" Circle Ink-Vintage Photo Ink by Ranger Ink

     I hope you enjoy my creations and they inspire you to challenge yourself to use techniques you never thought you would try.

Nora

A Long Hiatus!!

     I cannot believe I haven't posted here in so long. Life got a little busy and my ability to create was sacrificed. I am back on track and will be posting some new creations over the next few days. Some you might have seen over at Scrapjazz.com but I thought I would post it here too.

     The first couple cards I created with some stickers from Echo Park's Little Girl Line. I chose to do a "Birthday Theme" so that I would have a few cards on hand for some upcoming celebrations.

     I was in a "purple" mood when I created this card. The rich color makes the cupcakes POP!

Supplies: Paper-Echo Park Cindy Circles and Double Sided Journaling Cards, Bazzill White Dot, and Bazzill Purple Cardstock Stickers-from the Echo Park Little Girl Collection, Punches-Corner Rounder Stickles-Lime Green, Yellow, Orange Peel and Turquoise Ink-Vintage Photo by Ranger Ink Ribbon


     The next card was one of the easiest cards I have ever created. A sticker, two stamps, cardstock and simple embellishments was all it took.

Supplies: Paper-Bazzill Brown and Pink Cardstock,  Echo Park Gingham Gabby Stamps-Hero Arts Dictionary Greeting and Wish Stamp, Punches-Stampin Up! Slot Punch,  Marvy Uchida Scalloped Square and EK Success Large Corner Rounder Ink-Vintage Photo Ink by Ranger Ink and Tsukineko Memento Rich Cocoa Ink Floss-We R Memory Keepers, Brown Button

     This last card is my favorite of the three, though. Again, all I used was patterned paper, a stamp and a sticker.

Supplies: Paper-Echo Park Suzy Stripe, The Girls Paperie-Shabby Flower, My Little Shoebox-Made With Love Sticker-Echo Park Little Girl Element Stickers Ink-Vintage Photo by Ranger Ink and Tsukineko Memento-Tuxedo Black Punches-EK Success Large Corner Rounder, Stamps-Stampin Up! Stickles-Diamond Pink Ribbon

     I have to admit, I have never been a big fan of stickers. However, I will be taking a second look to use on my cards. Adding a little glitter glue kicks the stickers up a notch!!

     Have a great night!!

Nora