A Creative Touch

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Some Cards from the January ScrapJazz Card Kit Club

Hello everyone!! I hope you are all having a great day. We had an early dismissal due to snow and I could not have been happier. My new semester schedule is taking a little while to get used to so short days are acceptable right now.

Today I am sharing some cards I created using the kit Claudia sent us.

She sent us so much stuff that I could have made about 20 cards!! However, I only managed to find time to create five.

I used the flower as a mask to make the background and then layered the rose over the die cut bases that I inked with Distress ink in a couple colors.

Used a stamp from PTI to create the sentiment on this card. I die cut some of the paper Claudia sent and used the fun fiber to give the card a bit of oomph. I also used Stickles and some Glossy Accents on the present.

I used Distress Ink and Glossy Accents to jazz up the rose on this card. CASEd a design for this card from Pinterest.

I used the other side of the patterned paper from the card above. This time instead of the present, I added the die cut flowers, the scroll and a bit of ribbon from Claudia's kit.

This was the first card I created. I used a pre-made polka dot card for the base. I layered the orange paper strips, the border and the chipboard over it to make this easy card.

I like using supplies that others give us. Sometimes it is hard to figure how how to use them but eventually I get an idea.

I thank you for stopping by today. Have a fabulous night!!

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Snow Day and an entry for Tag You're It Challenge #63

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous day. I know I did. There was a snow day for us. Really it was ice but I will take the day off any way I can get it!! I was able to sleep in, do a bunch of laundry, work out a decent hour and have some time in my scrap room. I think it was a successful day all around.

Have not been here since the weekend either. Wanted to let you know our concert was fantastic. So different then when I was a kid. It was more then a concert but rather a SHOW. Computer Graphics, video, different stages-just so much fun.

Today I FINALLY finished my entry for the Tag You're It Challenge #63. I have had all the pieces on my desk since Sunday and just never put it all together.

My darling daughter came in to my room today and told me it looked like something you could buy in a store. That made me feel good!!

Here is the inspiration piece for the challenge:

My inspiration from the photo was the white tag and frame, the shaded background (though I did mine in pink) and using an animal like Karin did on her tag.

I started off by making a folded bag using a piece of 11" by 3" piece of pink card stock.

I then used Simon Says Stamp! A2 Card Curved Edge die to make a curve at the top of the card stock.

I then used my scoring tool and scored the card stock the long way at 4", 5 1/4" and then at 9 1/2".

I folded the bag up, inserted a little glassine bag of candy and adhered the bag together.

I then tied my tag on the bag which I created by using My Favorite Things Die-namics Blueprints #4
and their Die-namics Stitched Circle Frames. I shaded inside of the circle with Ranger Picked Raspberry Distress Ink and then used 3L Scrapbook 3D Adhesive Foam Squares to pop the circle frame over the tag.

I stamped and die cut my little panda with Memento “Tuxedo Black” using Mama Elephant's Incoming Mail stamp set and matching die. I colored the image in using Copic Markers and added some Spectrum Noir Clear Sparkle Marker over the top. To make the hearts stand out, I covered the red hearts in with Ranger Christmas Red Stickles and used Glossy Accents over the top of the. I also added some tiny google eyes.

When the bear was dry, I adhered it to the tag. It still needed something so I added two hearts that I die cut using Simon Says Stamp! Mini Hearts Craft Dies. I adhered them so they overlapped the box and covered them with Stickles and Glossy Accents to match the hearts in the box.

My last step was to tie the tag to the little bag and I was done!! The little bag took me about five minutes to make so I could see me doing a bunch to give away this year.

I am also entering this into Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge "Everything But a Card" and Darnell's "NBUS Challenge #9." I have had this stamp set for months and have never inked it up!!

I thank you for taking the time to stop by!! Have a FABULOUS Wednesday!!

Saturday, January 21, 2017

Merry Monday #231

Helllooo Friends!! I hope everyone is enjoying their day. I am preparing for my first Twenty One Pilots Concert tonight. It is a belated birthday gift for Charlotte's sixteenth birthday. I have not been to a concert in YEARS and this is probably not the band I would have chosen. However, I do like them and it will be fun to be with my husband and Charlotte.

Today I am popping in to showcase a card I created for the "Merry Monday Challenge #231."

The challenge was to create a card with a reindeer on it. I have many reindeer stamps but decided I would use one that I had from CC Designs. Isn't he cute? (it could be a girl but I think of this one as a he.)

The background was sent to me by Michele Ferguson in the Christmas Card she sent me. I had to use it on a card. I NEED to find this embossing folder because I adore it.

I layered a tag from My Minds Eye under the reindeer panel. I just received the "Merry" die by Sunny Studios and I HAD to use it on a card. I was eyeing a ton of fun cards with it over Christmas and bought it in one of my buying frenzies after the holiday. The "& bright" is an oldie but goodie from PaperTrey Ink's "Tremendous Treats" set.

It is hard to tell but the nose and the bell I layered with Spectrum Noir Clear Sparkle and then covered in Glossy Accents. I also added some sparkle to the antlers.

I am entering this into Darnell's NBUS Challenge #8. She had an optional use colored pencils on kraft but I have already done this technique many times.

I am also joining Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge-Anything Goes.

I thank you for stopping today. Have a FABULOUS Saturday!!

Supplies:
Stamps-CC Designs, PaperTrey Ink "Tremendous Treats"
Dies-Sunny Sudio's "Merry," Lil' Inkers Designs
Paper-PaperTrey Ink "Pure Poppy," Bazzill "Licorice," Neenah Solar White, We R Memory Keepers White Out Collection "Christmas-Party"
Ink-Memento "Tuxedo Black," Hero Arts "Unicorn White"
Pens/Markers-Spectrum Noir Clear Sparkle Marker, Copic Markers, White Gel Pen
Other-My Minds Eye Comfort and Joy Tags, Glossy Accents, Foam Adhesive, Big Shot, Wagner Heat Gun, Ranger Fine White Embossing Powder

Friday, January 20, 2017

MFT Happy Hedgehogs and a Sketch Challenge

Hi everyone!! I hope you all had a FABULOUS week. Mine went by fast. Having a day off and then mid term exams will do that to time.

I had a bit of time in my craft room, something that I am "scheduling" into my days so that I MAKE time to do what I love. I have to do this with working out, reading and crafting these days or I won't do it. I have the working out routine down pat and the reading before I go to bed BUT my crafting is always set aside for other things. Making cards and scrapbooking is what makes me happy so if I don't have time, I get cranky!! If I am not crafting, I am coloring in stamped images in when I watch television with my family.

It is so hard to fit in everything you want, isn't it? I plan to add a refresher class in Illustrator soon too. There needs to be more hours in the day or I need to learn to live with limited sleep!

Today I am posting a card I created using My Favorite Things "Happy Hedgehog" stamps/dies. They have been sitting in my box of my stuff to use so I decided to play. Who wouldn't want a cute hedgehog card?

My inspiration for this card is sketch #316 from the MFT Card Challenge Blog. It came together so easily too, which almost never happens!!

I started off by stamping and die cutting the hedgehog, stump and mushroom from the MFT "Happy Hedgehog" set. I then colored the images in with Copic markers.

I attempted to do lines in different colors for a fur effect, as well as make bark on the tree. I think it looks kind of neat. I used a colorless blender for the the effect on top of the acorn. I added some Glossy Accents over certain areas and then set the critter aside to dry.

In the meantime, I covered a white, A2 top folding card with patterned paper from the MFT "Painted Prints Citrus" pad that I had die cut using the "Blueprints # 25" die. I added a white, stitched circle in between the two pattern papers that I had die cut using the MFT "Stitched Circle Frame."

The images were dry by then and I layered the them over my circle, along with the sentiment banner. I then made a HUGE mistake, which just kills me. I should have known better!! I went to darken up the eyes and nose on the hedgehog with a black gel pen and made a large smudge. I didn't want to throw the image away as I had spent a lot of time coloring it in. I added some google eyes to cover it up. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do, right?

My last step was to add a few Pretty Pink Posh sequins around the stamped images.

I am also entering this into Darnell's NBUS Challenge #8. The "Happy Hedgehogs" were new to me AND I used the new technique of doing the bark and the fur.

I thank you for taking the time to stop by today. I hope you have a great day!!

Supplies:

Stamps-MFT "Happy Hedgehogs"

Dies-MFT "Blueprints #25," "Happy Hedgehogs," and "Stitched Circle Frames"

Paper-Neenah Solar White, MFT "Painted Prints Citrus," and Bazzill "Daisy"

Ink-Memento "Tuxedo Black" and PaperTrey Ink "Smokey Shadow"

Other-Copic Markers, Glossy Accents, Pretty Pink Posh Sequins, Foam Adhesive, Ranger Multi-Matte

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Calling All Sistahs!!!

It is January 17th and it is time for the Calling All Sistahs Blog Hop!!! You should have hopped here from Lori's blog.

Do not forget to comment along the way. Two random commenters will win gift certificates to the CAS-ual Fridays Stamp Store! Comments must be made by January 19, 2017, 12 a.m. EST to be eligible.

Okay, onto the card part. I made a simple card today. I used the CAS-ual Fridays Stamps "Hope Ribbon" and "Hope Fri-die" to create my card. There is a FABULOUS new sequin mix in the CAS-ual Fridays Stamp Store that goes with the "Calling All Sistahs" Collection that I was supposed to use but alas, the post office did not cooperate in getting the sequins to me on time. So I just used the fabulous stamps and dies in the collection instead.

I started off my card by embossing a pink piece of card stock and adhering it to a natural color, A2, top folding card base. I added a pink scallop scrap onto the right side of the card front.

I then stamped the flower ribbon from the "Hope Ribbon" stamp set and heat embossed it using pink embossing powder. I used a pink Zig Clean Color brush marker to color in the hearts and then went over the colored hearts with a Spectrum Noir Clear Sparkler marker.

After, I mounted the white panel over a piece of pink patterned paper and adhered it over the scalloped strip using foam adhesive to give it some pop.

I die cut the "hope" sentiment out of charcoal gray card stock using the "Hope Fri-die." I adhered it to the front of the card and gave it a coat of sparkle from the Spectrum Noir marker. My last step was to use glossy accents over the heart and the sentiment. Like I said, I created a simple card but I like how it came out.

The stamps I used are available at CAS-ual Fridays Stamps. Michele designed these stamps to promote breast cancer awareness and donates 50% of the proceeds from the "Calling All Sistahs" Collection to programs that promote breast cancer research and awareness. The new sequin mix by Pretty Pink Posh is available today. As with all the other products in the Sistahs Collection, 50% of the profits will go to ncbh.org as well. However, unlike the stamps and dies, when the sequins are sold out, they will no longer be available.

For a discount on the stamps, use my code nora2017 to get 15% off your total order at CAS-ual Fridays Stamps.

Next up is Melissa Miller.

Do not forget to comment to get a chance to be in the running for the gift certificates!! The full blog list that is included in the hop is below.

Cas-ual Fridays Stamps