Homework for Card Class Day1-Sketch and Color Challenge

I am taking an online card class and yesterday was the first day. If you every see this class again, take it!! I have been stamping for YEARS and some of the techniques and the way they do them are even new to me. Really sparked my creativity.

The first homework assignment was to create a card using one of the techniques or using their weekly sketch or color challenge in a card. I chose to do all three, though I had to tweak the "technique" because I gave away all my vellum. Who knew it would come back in style!

I chose sketch number three but chose to flip the sketch so the card would be vertical rather then horizontal. I also thought the design would be cool as a shaker card.

I cut a rectangle out of the front of the card front using a rectangle nestabilities die and then made a shaker box. I filled it with different glitters, some die cut stars, and various color sequins. I like the effect but if I had to do it again I would not use fine glitter. It sticks to the transparency.

One of the techniques shown was the embossing of vellum. That wasn't the main technique but it was one shown. Since I didn't have vellum, I chose to emboss some transparency I had and used it as the front of the shaker box. You can see it in this view. Isn't it cool?

Here is a a close up view. The colors I had to use were orange, a yellow, an aqua blue, a white and a magenta. I could also use any other neutral colors I needed. I used all, though you cannot see the pink in these photos. I put some pink sequins in the mix!!

You can kind of see the pink at the bottom left of the box!!

I only stamped a simple design for the center of the card because I didn't want any of it to peek out the front. I am really happy with the way it came out, though it took me forever how to figure out what I wanted to do. I think I could repeat the process using a lot less time if I choose to create another one!!

I also am going to to include the card that I created for one of the pre-class challenges. My lap top was giving me problems so I wasn't able to upload it in time. I now have my husband's nice Mac and he is going to put more memory in my lap top so I won out on the deal!!

Anyway, this pre-class challenge was a color challenge. You had to use 4 out of 5 colors that they have you. Here is the card that I created for this:

I am so sad because I LOVE how this car came out and really wanted to enter this challenge! I will be repeating this design again because it was so fun to make and I can make more in a record amount of time.

Here is a close up of the details.



That is all for today!! I will hopefully have time to do the homework I have tonight for this class so I can post it tomorrow!!

Thank you for looking!!

Nora

New Challenges posted at ScrapJazz.com!!

Hey everyone!! I just wanted you to know that there are some new challenges that I posted today over at Scrapjazz.com. This is my home away from  home!! If you like to scrapbook or make cards, come on over and play with us!! You do have to sign up to be a member but it is free. A random prize is drawn for each challenge if you choose to enter. Here is the direct link: Scrapjazz.com July 2013 Challenges. I hope to see you there!!

Nora

It's a Bake Sale!!

I wanted to share how proud I am of my nephew, Kyle. This is the third year in a row he did a bake sale to raise money for Share Our Strength, an organization that uses funds end hunger in America through education, partnerships with schools and national business, as well as . According to the web site, 16.2 million children in the USA lack the means to get nutritious food on a regular basis. I guess the campaign a few years ago was to have kids raise money by having a bake sale so that is what he has been doing for the last three years. He raised over $1100 this year. This is only being open two days after masses at church!!

The thing that impresses me the most is that Kyle solicits donations himself. He went to local business to ask for donations of gift cards and even wrote letters to national chains, like Stop & Shop and Target.  All the baking was done by family and friends, including all natural pet snacks, and every year he has had a raffle of some sort. This year it was 5 sets of two tickets to RAVE cinemas. I think this kid will be owning his own business one day!!

I hope that you all have a wonderful day!!

Nora

Where is the sun?

It is another cloudy, humid day. The sun peeks out of the dark gray clouds here and there but for the most part, it has been like this all week. I keep wondering where the nice, summer weather is. My container garden is not liking all the rain we have been having. We got an inch just yesterday afternoon!!

On a more positive note, all this rain has given me time to hole up in my craft room and create. Guilty free crafting is the BEST!!!

The creations I am going to share today are a set I made for the birthday of one of Char's friends. I guess the girl is mad about pink so that was my theme. Sometimes just knowing someone's favorite color helps jumpstart creativity.

The first thing I created was a card.

I totally copied this card design from Maile Belles. I used the Paper Trey Ink set "Birthday Day Style," which was designed for PTI by Maile.  I changed it up the card design a bit to make it my own. I chose to use pinks and oranges, I matted the stamped, focal sheet in raspberry fizz and instead of using clouds and enamel dots, I chose to embellish the card with sequins and rhinestones. I LOVE how this came out!!!

It looks good with the gift, right? (Excuse the photo please. Not my best!!)

The next thing I had to do was create something to go inside the bucket to hold the money that I was giving along with the nail stuff. I used the same basic design again but on a square envelope.

I cut the envelope using my Silhouette die cut machine, which helped me to make this project in record time.

I used different styles of Washi Tape to seal the back and added a die cut balloon. You cannot have the front look good and not the back, right?

I originally wanted to wrap this all up in a cellophane bag but after going through my stash of bags, I realized that I did not have any of the right size in stock. I had to go to plan B. I had bought a pink gift bag at Target a couple weeks ago for something else and decided to use that instead. So I had to make a tag.

I used Paper Trey Ink's " 2012 Birthday Tags Stamp Set," 2 1/4" oval dies and tag sale # 5 die to create this.

I filled the bag, added pink tissue and tied the tag on with some different colors of curling ribbon.

I think the whole thing came out perfect and just right for a girl obsessed with pink.

That is all for now. I hope you are enjoying your Saturday and the sun is shining where you are!!

Have a great Day!!

Nora

A day late and a dollar short-this is my life!!

Happy Thursday!! School is OUT and I am finally getting back into the groove of being home for the summer. I have been on vacation for four days and after doing some much needed cleaning and laundry, I finally had time to do things I wanted to do. I have been scrapping and making cards like crazy and I cannot be more excited. I have a TON of projects I want to do around the house this summer but the weather is not cooperating with me. I know rain is good but can I say that I am sick of it? It just brings the yucky humidity. Me and humidity DO NOT get along.

Today I am posting a card that I meant to post yesterday for a challenge that ended Wednesday on the Simon Says Stamp! Challenge Blog.

The contest was to create a card with fruit on it and use some type of American Craft product. I used the strawberry from the Lawn Fawn "Summertime Charm" stamp set as the focus for this card.

The first thing I did was to stamp a bunch of strawberries on a piece of white card stock. I then colored them in with the Copic Marker colors below. I am not an expert at coloring and as you can see, some of the colors bled out of some of the strawberries. I tried all the tricks to fix it but I couldn't.

I topped the strawberries with Glossy Accents and set them aside to dry. My next step was to make the berry basket. I didn't have a die cut or a pattern for it so I kind of winged it. I started out with a 2 1/4" square. I angled the sides and then weaved 1/4," inked strips of kraft card stock over the square to create the basket. I think the inking really helped the basket to look more realistic. I completed the container by rounding the corners on the bottom of the basket with a corner rounder.

I then die cut the strawberries out of the card stock using the matching Lawn Fawn dies.

My card was now ready to be put together. For the background, I used a few layered sheets of Studio Calico patterned paper. I stamped a sentiment using a Paper Trey Ink stamp and then started playing around with the basket, strawberries and punched leaves until I liked how they were arranged. I added a doily over the top of the basket as well. The last step was to add the acrylic dots. Here are a few more detailed shots.

You can see in the photo above that I used pop dots on a couple of the strawberries to give them a bit of dimension. I like the overall design of the card but am not so sure about the background. I think I should have used a different color.

I want to thank you for visiting my blog today. Have a great Thursday!! Stay Cool!!

Nora