Saturday, July 23, 2011

Stamp-A-Faire Challenge #2!

I am back again with my take on Paper Trey Ink's challenge #2. The challenge was to create a card using a hot pink, like PTI's Raspberry Fizz and pair it with a charcoal grey. For some reason, I only saw the "grey" part in the challenge and so I used the ONLY grey I have in my thousands of pieces of paper. It was a light grey, almost white. Guess what color cardstock I will be buying next? I used what I had and created a birthday card that I will send to my friend next month.


For this card, I used Paper Trey Ink's Cupcake Collection stamp set and die cut. I stamped it with Stampin Up! die ink in Melon Mambo and Pretty in Pink. I used Raspberry Fizz paper from PTI, Pretty in Pink from Stampin Up! and the gray is unknown. I had fun embossing various textures for this card and layering them over each other. All in all, I really like the way this card came out. I think I will be making a few more to go in my stash!!
Nora

Paper Trey Ink Stamp-A-Faire Challenge #1

I had a fun time playing along with Paper Trey Ink today and doing some of their Stamp-A-Faire challenges. I would have loved to go to their fun convention but alas, it was too far and not a great time to take off and go to Ohio. Instead, I played along for a while completing a few challenges.


The first challenge was  create a project featuring patterned strips that were created with some of of my favorite decorative elements. Since I am limited in the amount of PTI stamp sets that I own, I chose to stamp my background with PTI's Label Basics and sea spray chalk ink. I then distressed the edges with a tonic distress tool and inked with Vintage Photo Ink.


For the focal point of the card, I chose to use the PTI's stamp set Gracious Vases.  Again, I used chalk various colors of chalk ink. I punched the images into a circle and then inked with Vintage Photo Ink. 



I used my Big Shot to cut out some die cuts and layered the stamped images over them to make them pop. I wasn't sure how this was going to come out but am pretty pleased with the results. If you have time, go over to Nicole Heady's Blog and have some fun!!
Nora

Another Long Hot Day!!!

I cannot wait for this weather to break. As my husband will tell you, I am AWFUL in the heat. I get ugly and complain a lot. Don't hate me but I really prefer the cold. I very rarely complain about winter, unless we have TOO MUCH snow. It sure beats being hot in my book!

Today I am  uploading some layouts that I have created over the last few months. There is not particular rhyme or reason to them. I just create what photos strike me at the moment.

The first page is a rare 8 1/2" by 11" creation for my "Book of Me." My mother LOVED butterflies so every time I see one, I think of her. Charlotte and I scout butterflies out and she says "Grandma Mary Ann is watching out for us today" when we do see one. This photo was taken at Wickham Park in Manchester last year.


Supplies: Paper-Basic Grey Lauderdale-Rose Colored Glasses and Clam Bake, and Basic Grey Gypsy Collection (background Green), Bazzill Brown Cardstock Punches-Matha Stewart 3-in-1 Classic Butterfly and Fiskars Apron Lace Border, Stickers-Basic Grey LilyKate Alphabet Stickers, Font-Lucida Handwriting, Other-Jillibean Soup Journal Spots 


The next page I created is all about Charlotte's "rivalry" with our dog Zack. They literally fight over me. It can be funny but it usually winds up with the dog being yelled at and Charlotte running to her room crying. I guess I should have had another child and then maybe this wouldn't happen!!



Supplies: Paper-Bazzil Frosted Yellow Cardstock, Basic Grey Lauderdale Collection-Wavelength, SPF, Bikini Time, Coastline and Clear Water, Punches-Fiskars Scallop Sentiment Border,  Paper Shaper Medium Circle Punch, and EK Success Bracket Edger Punch, Stickers- Basic Grey Lauderdale Alphabet and My Little Shoebox Mini Alphabet-Indigo, Die Cuts-Jillibean Soup Dutch Mustard Soup Die Cut Pieces, Christmas Red Stickles, Stamp-Unity Stamp Bella Blvd Collection Family Tree, Zig Pen and various colored inks.


The next layout is Charlotte swinging at the park last summer. I had fun distressing the edges of all the papers on this page and then "messed it up" using Stickles like a paint to "splatter" in strategic areas on the layout. It was an experiment that I will be repeating because it was so fun.


Supplies: Paper-Bazzill White, Basic Grey Lauderdale-Bikini Time, Coastline and Cut OffsDie Cuts-Jillibean Soup Blossom Soup Die Cut Pieces, Stickers-Basic Grey Lauderdale Alphabet StickersMy Little Shoebox Mini Alphabet-Sky and Glitter Alphabet, Sassafras Lass Cherry Delicious Collection Alphabet Stickers, Fontwerks Label, Punches-Martha Stewart Heart Confetti and Large Monarch Butterfly, Stickles-True Blue and Orange Peel, Zutter Distress It All Machine, Stamps-Stampin Up! Chicken Wire Stamp and Paper Trey Ink's Basic Label Die and Stamp, Black Zig Writer and Memento Orange Ink.


The last page I created is going to be framed for my friend. I caught her son dancing on film when we went to the park one day last year. I used spray mists on this to get the effects I wanted. I had never used them before and had a lot of fun!!


Supplies: Paper-Bazzill Smooth White, Doodlebug Design and Bo Bunny Press, Mist Sprays-Tattered Angels Sweet Clover, Jazz Blue and Electric Blue, Punches-Paper Shaper Small Circle and 7/8" nesting punch, Silhouette Die Cut Machine.

I hope you enjoyed my pages and are keeping cool!!

Nora

Friday, July 22, 2011

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

Sunday, June 19, 2011

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 StickersMustard Soup Collection- Pea Pods-ShapesDutch Mustard Soup 6"X 6" paper padWholegrain patterned paper from Dutch Mustard Soup CollectionHearts 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