January 31, 2013

Crafters of Faith - January

It is a brand new year.  The year 2012 just seemed to whirl by to me.  I like how we choose a day to create new goals, adjust current goals, or just plain scrap the past goals and start anew!

A plus from this whirling by past year, is that I was invited to be a part of the Crafters of Faith group on SCS.   Just like goals, I have enjoyed meeting new friends, am getting to know current friends better and hopefully we won't have to scrap anyone and start anew!  LOL 

I had a goal last year to read through the Bible in a daily format, which I was able to do.  For this year, I have a goal to read through the Bible chronologically in a daily format. 

::  Psalm 119:105 NIV  ::  Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.  ::

We had a crafting challenge from Sharon this month.   We needed to create a card with old and new stash and with a new technique that we have never used.    Oh where to start, I have so much I have not done before!

I went right to the Tutorial portion of SCS.  The first technique listed is something I have never done - yep, I'll do that one!  Triple Stamping.   Okay, old and new stash.  The old part is easy.  The new, not so much!   I am in my 'use what'cha got phase' so not a whole lotta new around here.   The newest thing I had available to use is a stamp set from My Mind's Eye.  That posed it's own issues!   I was envisioning a large stamp to use on the Triple Stamping technique.   I ended up old school stamping with the set in different Memento ink colors.  I used some scrap papers to pull the colors together.  I used a piece of one of my favorite fatty ribbons.  Then finished with some fatty rhinestones I received as a gift.  That would make it a double fatty! 

This time when I was finished the card just said listen to this!   I am still singing it. 


While this project took a turn and turned out totally different than I had envisioned, I do hope that I met the challenge for, Sharon.   Please be sure and stop by to see what the other Crafters of Faith have created.  Their blogs are listed on the right sidebar.

Have a great day!

Card entered in the following challenge:  Make it Monday

January 28, 2013

Calendar Girls - January


I love, a love, a love, my Calendar Girls from SCS!  Here we are in ANOTHER year.  Wow!  I am so happy to be be a part of this awesome group of girls.  They are creative, fun and well ... pretty awesome!

Jeanette, is our hostess for the January round.  Her challenge to us was to use a photo for inspiration for our card creation.   Sssshhh don't tell anyone, but I have never done that!   Off I went to search...

While I love photography, I cannot claim rights to this great picture.  I liked how the colors were so bold, yet subtle with the soft yellow and purple turning to blue.  It made me think of some grandma DP that I have.  You know I love me some grandma paper!!!  This particular grandma paper has raised embossing....♥♥♥





I dug around and rooted up the DP I was thinking of and some coordinating card stock. I then knew I had to use the layout that I wanted to CASE from, Barb. It is the best layout!!! Here is Barb's original card. Thinking of Barb, reminded me of some cute little green borders that she had gifted me in the past, so I had to dig them out, cut them up and use on this card as well. So, my card is a wee bit different than her original card.




I hope that I did Barb's layout some justice and did my first photo inspiration correctly!  You know that I had to listen to some tunes while crafting this one.  Having nothing to do with grandma paper I had to listen to Blue Orchid by The White Stripes.  Before you know it, your foot is tappin'!  Obviously the video is not that great, but I am fascinated in how she walks in those shoes and I like the song!

Please be sure and stop by to see the other Calendar Girl creations.  Their blog links are on the right sidebar.   Thanks, for taking a peek today!
 
Card entered in the following challenge(s):  Make it Monday

January 18, 2013

Mystery Image Swap - January

Guess who!   Yep, it is time for the Mystery Image Swap for January from SCS.  

Jeanette, was our lovely hostess for this round.  We received a fun image to work with.   It is from Toomuchfun Rubber Stamps.  I have never worked with one of their images prior.   I had fun with this one, thanks Jeanette!

The theme of Pizza made me think of Italy.  I decided to create the card with their country's colors green, white and red.  Personally, I think we should all go on a field trip to Italy!  LOL

I am looking forward to seeing our next mystery image in my swap return.  Until then.....

 
Card entered in the following challenge:  Make it Monday

January 17, 2013

Valentine Cards

Hello!  I hope that you are all having a good day.  You know a little love is just around the corner....yep, Valentine's Day!  

There are a group of friends of mine that get together for a weekend to make our Christmas cards each year.  We decided to go ahead and get together every few months during the year as well and work on themed projects. 

The hostess will provide all of the card kits for the themed holiday and a general purpose card.  The visiting girls are in charge of wine, appetizers and dessert.  How fun!

I was first up with my themed holiday of Valentine's Day.   You know that I would have normally had the kits done like last November, but I seem to have been chasing my tail these past few months.   I had to get to cutting....yep, the night before the get together.   Oh my.  I did a rough estimate and I think I made about 1200 cut layers, punches and ribbon cuts.   It was a busy night!   LOL

I am not usually a fan of the dollar clear stamps.   They just do not stamp well enough for me.   I do find that they stamp better using Memento ink though.  I also have found that images stamp better than words.  I saw a little dollar set that gave me an idea.  I bought it to try and it worked!  The words not so much as usual, so I used a Stampin' UP! stamp for the S.W.A.K.

We created Valentine postcards.  I chose a thick 110# paper to make the postcard out of.   We decorated up the front of the card and made the back to look like a postcard that you will write your message on.  We are not sending them as postcards, but they will fit in an A2 envie.

The girls seemed to like their project, thankfully.  The good news is that my Valentine's cards are ready to go.....that was the idea of the group in the first place!  

 
 
 
Card entered in the following challenge:  Make it Monday 

January 15, 2013

Dueling Darlings - January

The Dazzlers and the Divas are ready to duel for another year!  I am so glad, as I love this group of girls from SCS.

The Divas received a kit this month from, LJ.  I so loved it!   Thank you, LJ.  It was full of great DP's, ribbons, embellishments and adorable images that themed to reading. 

I love to read.  I really try to make time to read every day.  You can learn so much, or be carried away into a story in a minute of time.   Of course I have to give a shout out to one of my FAVORITE things, my Kindle.   eReaders have revolutionized reading today.  Now when we travel I do not have to figure and stuff multiple books to my bag(s).  Yay me!  Shoot, I have my 82 year old neighbor reading on a Kindle!

For the challenge portion of the duel this month we were asked to share our favorite author or book and why.   Oh my.  You mean I have to choose?!   That is a really hard one.  I tend to read mostly fiction.  I am trying to fit in some classic literature - you know the books I should have read in school!  LOL  I have read a few fitness based books.  I read from a study Bible.  Oh to choose....who....

Well, I would have to say that a favorite author is Ann Rule.   Ann, is a true crime writer that lives in the Seattle area, that was once in law enforcement herself.  She has helped many victims and their families find a voice and tell their side of a story.  I probably should have gone to work for the FBI.  I kinda dig on the whole 'to catch a serial killer' kinda thing!  Give me a bulletproof vest and I will run around with the Criminal Minds crew any day!   "Stop, FBI!".....how did I do?!   LOL

Here is the card from our great kit!      Please be sure and visit the other Dueling Darlings to see their creations with this kit and the Dazzlers with their kit.  Their blog URL's are on the right sidebar under Dueling Darlings.

Thanks, for stopping by!

Card entered in the following challenge:  Make it Monday

January 8, 2013

Twisted Tuesday Challenge - 1/8/13

Hello and welcome to the Twisted Tuesday Challenge post!  

I entered a card in the Twisted Tuesday Challenge a few weeks ago.  Melina, the owner of the challenge blog asked little ol' me to be a guest design member for this weeks challenge!  Thank you, Melina. 

I then received the e-mail with the details of the challenge.   The challenge is to use the 'color block' method of stamping and the twist is to use three colors while doing it.  Color who? 

Oh my.  I had some research to do!  So, off to YouTube I went.   Well, mostly I found some shockingly bright clothing outfits and some ugly painted finger nails!    I dug deeper and found that they were referring to using your acrylic stamp block, or smooth stamp, to gather ink and stamp with it.  OH!  Is that what you call that technique?!  LOL

So, off to color block I went.   I broke out my old school Stampin' UP! pads....really, they are the originals!   I used More Mustard, Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa and Old Olive.   I color blocked with Creamy Caramel, More Mustard and Close to Cocoa.

I have the acrylic blocks from Inkadinkado.  Since I have color blocked with stamps prior without knowing that is what it was called, I thought I would try the acrylic block method.  These blocks worked fine, you could choose the smooth side of the block or the gridded side for extra texture.  The only caveat is that the edges are not straight and stamp as such.  Was not totally what I was looking for this time.  I have seen the little square blocks that are with the dollar stamps in stores that would work just fine for this method.  Since I did not have the square acrylic blocks, I just used the stamp pad itself.  This did not allow for tapping off to make the colors lighter, but worked.

I have always admired the worded background stamps, but have never purchased them as they were generally more expensive and I always wondered how many times I would use the same words.  I then thought why could I not make my own worded backgrounds with sentiment stamps?  I could then say and space as I would like.  I used the sentiment from the Stampin' UP! Watercolor Garden set on this background.    The foliage and flowers are from the Stampin' UP! Best Blossoms set.  Yep, both are older than dirt sets!

I ran the color blocked background through an embossing folder and used some scrap papers that I had on hand.  If memory serves me correctly, the twine is from the label of some salad dressing....ssshhh don't tell!  Added some eyelets and here we go!

Thanks again Melina, for making me think outside the box.  It was a fun challenge!