Retro Sketch #105

Happy Monday!! Today I am sharing a card I created for the Retro Sketch blog challenge. I was to use the sketch below to create my card.

I actually was going to combine this with a watercolor challenge but I got stuck. I kind of put myself in a corner with the patterned paper I used. I dug it out, cut it and adhered it to my white card before I thought about how it would look with a water colored element. Since the paper looks like it is water colored, I could not make it work. The card below is what it evolved to.

I did not use a button like on the sketch. After I gave up on the water coloring, this card came together rather easily. The main element is a die cut from My Mind's Eye. 

Here is a close up of the bottom. I promise that the banner is not crooked. Not sure why it looks like that in both these photos!!

The die cut was adhered to the card using adhesive foam to give it a little dimension. For all the trouble I had coming up with what I wanted to create, I am happy with how this came out.

Thank you for stopping by!! Have a great day!!

Nora

Supplies:

InLinkz.com

Craft Room Unedited

I hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend. I have the "day off" today. Chris and Char are spending the day together at a Robotic competition. I haven't had a day to myself in I don't know how long and I am in HEAVEN. I did a lot of my chores on Friday and Saturday so I could spend the day in my craft room.

I am always saying to people that I am going to post what my craft room looks like but I never do because when it is clean enough to "stage," it is usually late at night and I cannot take photos. I decided to take some snapshots today and am posting them unedited. Can you say chaos? I figured most crafters would understand and if you don't, oh well.

First, you have to forgive me for the color. This room used to be Char's bedroom when she was a baby. A few years ago we moved her upstairs and converted this room into a craft room for me. It was a purple and I had stamped a butterfly border around the room. I wanted a change up so I bought a few samples and painted squares of color on the walls. Being the dork I am, I painted over the purple and so this color was originally lighter. However, after Chris primed the walls white and put the first coat of this paint on, I thought I would die. This is NOT my favorite green. The only way it was going to be painted over was if I did it and I am the WORST painter there is so that was not going to happen so I am living with it. It does keep you awake at night when you are in here because it is so bright.

Ok, now for the tour. This first photo is of the wall to the right of the door when you walk into my room. 

The shelves are from Ikea and it literally covers the whole wall. I originally started with the orange boxes and then they discontinued them, as they did with this shelving unit. I wasn't happy because we were buying the doors a little at a time because they were the most expensive part. Now we cannot get them anymore. I really wanted everything covered up so it would look neater. 

You cannot see the left side and I didn't take a good photo of it but it holds all my patterned paper, my flowers, scrapbooks and underneath, more paper. In all the boxes are paper, chipboard, clear stamps, envelopes, embossing folders etc… When we design it, I wanted the middle open like this so I could have my die cutting machine out. It is my little "station." On the left of the bulletin board I have three magnetic knife holders that hold some of my dies and some are on the board itself. I am in the process of changing things around, though, and putting my dies into plastic CD envelopes to store in one of the orange boxes. 

This is not a great photo but my work space is to the right of the entrance. I have it set up so I don't have to get up for scissors, rulers, tape etc… A lot is in front of me and I have drawers to the right and left under the desk. I sit facing the closet door which has magnetic containers filled with sequins and other small embellishments. A tiny portion of my punches are stored to the right on towel bars. Under the punches stands two storage units that were in my upstairs room before I moved down here. They contain things I don't use that much and on top if it are my Stampin Up! markers and my set of Zig scrapbook markers.

To the right of my work space I have my Copic markers and right now, a huge mess of plastic stamps. The Copic storage I bought when the scrapbook store I used to work at closed. It was the display. I wish I had been able to buy the second one but it was not empty yet. To the right of the markers you can kind of see my Silhouette Digital Cutter, which is permanently set up.

Above my Copic markers I have most of my buttons sorted into colors. Some are from PTI, some from MFT but most are from my sewing days. It took me about three days to sort them all and I have a couple larger jars of red and green buttons that I cannot even fit on the shelves. Charlotte says I don't need any more buttons but I kind of have a fetish for them. 

To the right of the markers is my computer. My desk is set up in a U shape so I can fit all this stuff around.

As I am looking at these, I cannot even believe I am posting them because this is pretty messy!! 

Above my computer I have a little shelf I bought at a tag sale for a dollar and then I painted it white. I have some paints and a few of my sprays displayed up there for now.

To the right of my computer I have my most recent purchase-a light tent. 

I bought this because most of the time when I scrap or make cards, it is at night. Often, the cards need to be sent out to specific people the next day so I wanted to be able to photograph them right away rather then wait until morning. I bought two cheap lamps at Walmart and some daylight bulbs. I still have to edit my photos but a lot less then I used to. I need one more lamp on the top but just haven't had the energy to shop for it yet.

Under where the light tent is my scrap drawer.

I have separated by color for the most part. I could probably use another to even further separate into card stock versus patterned paper but this works for me.

Well, that is all for today. Maybe I will post again when I have fully cleaned it up but at the rate I am going, when I have the time, I would rather craft in here then clean!!!

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great night!!

Nora

Layout Tuesday

Today I thought I would share a couple of layouts I created. 

First is of Charlotte at Chinese Camp in summer of 2013. Charlotte was so mad that I put her in this camp last summer. She told me I just "wanted to ruin her summer." She takes Chinese at school and I thought this would be a great opportunity for her to have confidence in her ability to read, write and speak Chinese better. (In full disclosure, I also wanted a month off. The camp was from 9-3 everyday. Who wouldn't want that time to themselves?) "It is too much like school!" is what she accused me of the first day I dropped her off. 

However, after the first few days, she admitted to me that she was glad that I signed her up. She LOVED it. They had Chinese food for lunch every day, she learned about the Chinese culture and on the day the photo on the layout was taken, the Chinese Opera visited the camp. They performed an opera and then made up the campers faces, as well as let them try on the costumes. Isn't that a fabulous experience? I wish I could have gone to a camp like this!!

(Supplies)

I had a lot of fun using Simple Stories "Daily Grind" products on here. I also decided that I wanted to do the journaling in an unusual way. I used part of an arrow stamp to create the journaling lines. It is not meant to be perfect either, since the sides are tilted.

My second page is of Charlotte at her recital two years ago. We go to a studio that only has recitals every two years. Thank goodness!! The dance owner is a witch during these years and has really high expectations of the kids. I think that is good but I am afraid of her!! Charlotte tells me that I am as strict and so it doesn't bother her. I am not sure if I should take that as a compliment or not.

(Supplies)

I chose to use some masking with black ink and a Studio Calico template behind the photos. I also used some Project Life cards. These are the perfect size to embellish a page. I broke out the stickers too, something I don't usually use on pages. I should, though, because they make a layout come together so quick.

Thank you for stopping by. Have a great night!!

Nora

Hap Bee Birthday

Hello blog friends. I haven't posted in the last week or so. I have been making cards or scrapping but other things have gotten in the way and once again my blog gets neglected.

Last weekend we had a teen "crisis" with my daughter that kept me from blogging. (Isn't their always a crisis at age thirteen?) Without revealing any details, she opened up and everything came pouring out. I felt so bad. Nothing is worse then not being able to "fix" things for your child. Needless to say she needed some extra mom time.

This weekend I meant to blog and same daughter had to use my computer to edit a video for a project that was due TODAY. She neglected to do anything about it until yesterday and then took up the afternoon on the computer in my craft room. The very same afternoon I had carved out for myself to sit down and play at the desk in my craft room. I was quite disappointed and a little bit aggravated last night about it all.

Today is a new day and I thought I would share a card I created last week. 

My friend Alvin wanted me to make a birthday card for his cousin with a bee theme.  I totally stole the idea from someone else. I originally pinned the card on Pinterest so I could have the original link to the person's blog but I cannot seem to find it now. This happens to me all the time and it irks me immensely. I need to go through my thousand card pins and narrow them down into different card boards. 

Here is what I created:

I did not have a honeycomb circle die so I created one using my Silhouette digital craft cutter. I used Simon Says Stamp! "Circle of Friend's" stamp set for the bee and part of the sentiment. Instead of the sentiment saying Happy Bee day as the stamp was designed, I made it say Hap-Bee Birthday instead. 

I fussy cut the bee, which is not my favorite thing to do, and used black enamel paint on the black stripes and diamond Stickles on the wings.

I did not neglect the inside either.

I used a combination of stamps from Simon Says Stamp!, Lawn Fawn and Paper Trey Ink. I love that little bee!!

Since my friend was going to hand deliver this card, I decorated the envelope too.

Wouldn't you like to receive this? I wish I could send it through the mail like this.

Here is another angle of the card. As you can see, I popped the white panel off of the yellow card base with foam adhesive.

That is all I have time for tonight. Thank you for stopping by.

Nora

Supplies:

InLinkz.com

Paper Trey Ink's February 2014 Blog Hop

Happy Tuesday everyone. It is a happy day around here because I took a personal day off work today. It is to bring my daughter to the doctor's but I will take it any way I can. A day off is a day off!

I am playing along with Paper Trey Ink's February 2014 Blog Hop. It was to make a card inspired by the images below and to think "spring."

I chose to concentrate on the blue/green and the yellows from the image. I made a sympathy card for someone who lost their husband recently. It might not seem to be a "springy" subject but I thought the rose images and the touch of yellow made it spring enough in design so what is was for doesn't really matter.

I was able to play with some new stamps I bought last month. I used Paper Trey's "Four Square" stamp set for the frame. I stamped it in Hawaiian Shores ink onto Aqua Mist card stock. The stamped sentiment is from "Words of Comfort."

The stamped roses are from "The Sweet Life" and the "Rosie Posie" stamp sets. I stamped them first with Aqua Mist and then Hawaiian Shores ink. The leaves were done with Simply Chartreuse over Spring Moss.

I created the rose background paper by stamping with the medium rose from "The Sweet Life" set onto Aqua Mist card stock.

I really like how this card came out. Does it scream SPRING? Perhaps not but it makes me want my flowers to bloom outside.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you have a great day!!

Nora

Supplies:

InLinkz.com