Scrapjazz January Card Challenge

I post challenges every month over at Scrapjazz.com. One of the challenges I posted this month was to create a card by drawing an image free hand or tracing one and using it as a focal point. I used to do this before I started stamping and I forgot how much I enjoyed it.

Here is the card I created for this challenge. I "doodled" the mums on this image free hand, as I did the "vase" (not my best work but ok.) I then colored in with Prismacolor pencils. I need to get more mineral oil to blend my images more but this will do for the challenge.

I had so much fun drawing this card that I bought a sketch book to doodle in. I haven't done anything like this in years and I forgot how much I enjoyed it.

Thank you so much for stopping by. Have a great Friday!!

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

A Couple Scrapbook Pages

I am back!! Wow!! This must be a record for me in the amount of posts I have written in one month!!

Today I am sharing a couple scrapbook pages I created. Last February we drove to Florida (crazy!) during February vacation to see my father. On this visit, we went to Kilwin's Ice Cream in Stuart, FL at LEAST three times. The ice cream was the BEST I have ever tasted in my life. As you can see, Charlotte enjoyed it too!!

I had fun creating the photo frames on this page. I die cut them with my Silhouette machine and then stamped them with "Cutie Pie" stamps from My Mind's Eye. I love how it came out!!

The second page I created is about the animal park we visited on the same trip. We didn't have high hopes for it but it wound up being pretty fun. The lions were behind a fenced in area, of course, but they had trees by the fences so they were up close and personal. I don't think I have ever been as close to this type of animal before. Most zoos I have been to the trees are in the distance and the big cats tend to be far away. It was a treat to have them this close to the public. A ton of other animals we were close enough to touch, though we followed the rules and kept the windows up. I need to find the time to scrap those photos though. There were a ton!!

I had fun using Washi tape on this page and another stamp from the "Cutie Pie" stamp set. I think my favorite part is the title. I like the effect of the different letters.

The last think I am posting is a card I created using My Mind's Eye papers and a phone die cut from Ellison. (The tag and circle die cuts are from Paper Trey Ink.) I really wish I had one of these "vintage"phones. I guess I shouldn't say that they are vintage because we had one of these when we were growing up. Does that make me old?

That is all for today!! Thanks for stopping by!!

Nora

A Little Sympathy

This weekend I had to make two sympathy cards. I never have these type of cards in my stash and one of the recipients is way over due. I hope there is not an etiquette requirement for the receiving a sympathy card because if so, I failed miserably.

Both of the cards I made have a similar design and color scheme. I cannot say the design is my own. It is CASE from I card I saw on Pinterest but apparently didn't pin. I thought I had a link but for the life of me, I cannot find it.

The first card I created for a friend that lost her father-in-law on Friday. I think it is a simple, yet beautiful card. I printed out a sentiment I found on the web for the inside but I didn't photograph it.

Here is a side view of the card. The heart is dimensional.

The second card I created for a friend at work. She lost her mother over Christmas. I have a hard time writing out cards for people that lose their mother because of my own experience. There is nothing I can say that will make anyone feel better about it. I did include a butterfly (something that symbolizes rebirth!) and on the inside I used an Emily Dickinson quote for the sentiment.

That is all for today. Thank you for stopping by!! I hope my subject did not depress you too much but will give you simple ideas for future cards of your own. Have a great day!!

Nora

Paper Trey Ink's Make It Monday 100th Video!!

Have you ever checked out Paper Trey Ink's Make It Monday Videos? Every Monday they feature a new technique that you can use on cards or other types of paper crafts. This week, one my FAVORITE  card designers, Dawn McVey, created a video on how she packages cards that have embellishments that go off the card. (Video 100) It was really interesting. She often sends these type of cards out in larger envelopes, just like I have always done!! With the video, there is also a weekly challenge. I decided to play and here is my card and the envelope I came up with:

Supplies: Everything is Paper Trey Ink with the exception of the black cardstock (Bazzill), the alphabet Stickers (Doodlebug Design Candy Shoppe) and the patterned paper (Crate Paper "Cupid"), Copic Markers

Here is the just the card:

This is the front and the back of the envelope. I like the back better then the front. I am always afraid to embellish the front too much if I am going to send the card through the mail.

I hand stamped paper strip with "Tag It's #11" from Paper Trey ink in black, Berry Sorbet and Kraft ink. I will be doing this technique more often! I will let you in on a little secret, though. The stamping isn't straight! Normally I would throw it away but because I wanted to get this done for tomorrow, I just went with it. SHHH SHHH!! Don't tell anyone!!

I used the Copic Markers below to color in the circle element on the tag. Cannot say these are my favorite colors but it came out OK.

I am posting the photo of the envelope box too so that you know what size envelopes to buy if you need them. I only had white on hand but usually have both white and cream. 

One suggestion that Dawn gave in the video is if you are sending a dimensional card like mine, if you place a piece cardstock over the front, it will protect the embellishment. I usually put the front of my cards facing toward the back and tape the back with packing tape so the card back will go through the machine. However, I am going to use the cardstock trick next time.

Nora