A Birthday Card

A friends Birthday was at the beginning of the month, so I made her this cute card. 
I'm having so much fun using my Copic markers.
I used another Rubbernecker stamp for the image and I think I did her justice.  I stamped her on the bottom... then colored her in on another image... cut her out and pop dotted her up off the paper.

Recipe:

Rubbernecker Stamp : Helika

DCWV Indian Summer stack

Ribbon from my stash

Big Bazzill Flower and Brad

EK Success punch

Christmas in July Swap

Whoa!  I just realized I'd not posted anything in almost a month.  I've been a bit busy and behind in things.

On the Scraps of Color website, I decided to do the Christmas in July card swap.  I switched what I was going to create many times over.  I finally pulled out some stamps I have by Rubbernecker and put two of them together for the image.  Took my time and colored them with my Copic Sketch markers.

So here's the final product:

Recipe:

Rubbernecker stamps: Trevon and Larhonda

Patterned paper: Little Yellow Bicycle

DCWV Shimmer stack for Red and Gold papers

Miscellaneous Ribbon

Red Adhesvie Rhinetones

Sentiment printed from computer

A Little bit behind in posting

Hey There!
Now, I have been creative, but I've been a bit lax these past 2 weeks in updating my blogspot.  I had some challenges and swaps to get done, packages to mail and just all around busy as all get out.

So here's some of the things I've worked on recently.
On the SOC group, one of the ladies had asked if we could make one of two cards for her sons troop that was just returning from Afghanistan.  So I did.

Then there was another challenge in which you were asked to make a card using those little Studio G or $1 stamps.... and to add some bling and stickles.  I did one and embossed it... used those skittle beads and realized I'd not played by the rules.  So I pulled out another one and did as I should have the 1st time.

And then , there was one last challenge that I entered.  You were supposed to create a card using 8 circles.  So this is what I came up with.

So as you can see, I have been busy being creative.

The Outfit that plagued me! LOL!

Thanks to all of you who have heard me moan and allowed me to vent over the past few days. You know who you are.


Today, I finished and sort of delivered an outfit for an elderly neighbor at my mom's apartment complex. About 5-6 wks ago, I guess my mom told her that I sew.... so she caught me one day while I was at the complex. She wanted an outfit made. I told her that I didn't have the time right then, but when I freed up some time, I would let her know. Mind you, I've not sewn anything in quite a while.



Mom was a seamstress and taught me most of everything that I know about textiles and sewing all sorts of things. Thank you mom! Up until about 10 yrs ago, I used to sew most of my clothing. Then I got into other crafts, and sewing got pushed to the back burner.

Well, last week, I get to moms apartment and the neighbor comes over and says "I need this outfit made and here is the material". Not trying to make money off of her, she tells me its a pair of pants and a top. How much will I charge her? So off the top of my head, I say $20. She says, I don't need it right away. I ask for the pattern and she leaves to go get what I thought was the pattern. She returns with a pair of pants and a top and says "I want it made like this". In the words of my Southern girlfriend "Bless her heart".


Being the person that I am, I say ok. I'll see what I can do. Well, the shirt, pants and material sit on the back of the chair for a week while I'm figuring... I got lots of time to do this since she said she didn't need it right away. On Sunday, she stops by and says... do you think you'll have it done soon. LOL! I'm going out of town on Friday and I'd like to have it for my trip. So I say yes, I'll get it done. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! So for 2 days, being it was a holiday weekend, I didn't touch it. So on Tuesday, I take it home and on Wednesday, I pull everything out and am thinking.... what did I get myself into. I cut things out and begin to sew it up. I go to my moms that evening and have it with me to do a fitting on her.


She tries it on and the pants are about 4 inches too long. I said... I made it exactly the same length as the pants you gave me to pattern this after. Are those pants too long on you? She smiles and says 'Yes'. So I just grin. Double Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! So I mark the adjustments and tell her I'd have it ready today for her. I wake up early today and have some other things to do and some runs out of the house. I return home to finish the garments to take to her. In the meantime, I'm still doing other stuff. I finally finish about 8ish this evening. By the time I get to the complex, its around 9pm. My mom says... she came by looking for you. I said I've been calling you. She says... the phone never rang. Triple Grrrrrrrrrrrrr! Thats another story.


I go to her apartment and can't get her to open her door, so I call another neighbor and ask her if she is going to be up early. She says yes, I usually take Nicky (her dog) out about 7:30am. I said can I bring you this outfit so that she can get it from you early. Mom will not be up. I'll put a note on her door to tell her to come to you unless you see her first. Not a problem.


So, I sort of delivered the outfit.
And I am so done.

I'm on a Card Kick!

Ok... I know I have other things I should be doing, but I'm still getting my card stash up to snuff so that I can have a card ready at my fingertips.

I found this great Guitar player image and had to give it a whirl.  I wanted to do a masculine card... which is hard to do.  I think the papers here work really well with the image.  I'm stuck on a sentiment for the card, but put this one on there as a place holder.

Recipe:

DCWV Patterned paper

Copic inks

Smooch Inks

Studio G Soloz Sentiment

A Lady Sings the Blues

I was looking for through my images for something else when I ran across this image of Billie Holiday.  I love it.  I'd forgotten that I had it and thought today was a good day to put it to good use.

So, once again, I'm practicing my copic coloring... need some more colors to blend evenly with, but eventually, I'll get them.

The patterned paper is from the DCWV Music Stack.  I thought it was perfect for this image.

Recipe:

Billie Holiday Image

DCWV Shimmer Stack

DCWV Music Stack

Copic Inks

Smooch inks

More Copic Coloring and such

I'm having a ball stamping with my new African American lady stamps from Rubbernecker.    Decided to be a bit more productive today and work on some more of my card stash.  I decided not to put any sentiments on the cards, so that I'll have a card blank when I need to ... and I can add the appropriate sentiment later.  So, what I've been doing is putting some matching cardstock with the card inside the envelope for use later on.

Here's the 2 cards I did today before going out:

Ayana

Shenice

(Those rhinestones are actually purple, but they are appearing blue.  I will probably change them out for a different color.)

Recipe:

Rubbernecker Stamps - Ayana, Shenice

Copic inks - for the skin tones, lips

Smooch inks - earrings and necklaces

DCWV Shimmer Stack

DCWV Indian Summer Stack

Rhinestones

Misc ribbon from my stash

Sketch Challenge with a Twist - Using Red, Black and White Cardstock

Over at the Scraps of Color website, one of the challenges this week was to use Tiare's sketch to create a card using the colors Red, Black and white.  Since I'd just recently gotten in some new African American stamps from Rubbernecker Stamps, I've been testing them out using different coloring and techniques.

I'm still learning to use my Copic inks... and I know I need to add some colors so that I can blend and shade properly... but til then, I'll use what I have.

So this is Breyona again decked out in Black Diamond stickles.  I used a DCWV glitter stack, Red and White Bazzill cardstock, the sentiment is one from SU that I've had for a while, Copic inks, smooch inks, flowers (bridal section from Michael's) and some rhinestones.

Here's a close up view.

Recipe:

Breyona Image (Rubbernecker Stamps)

Marvy Puffy paints

Smooch inks (lips and earrings)

Copic inks (Body, necklace)

Black Diamond Stickles

Rhinestones

White Flowers (Michaels Bridal section)

Bazzil Cardstock (Red and White)

DCWV Glitter Stack (Patterned Papers)

SU Bubble Queen Set (2005)

New African American stamps by Rubbernecker

 I'm so excited.  I got my new African American stamps by Rubbernecker.  They come unmounted, but on a cushioned backing that sticks to my acrylic blocks.  I love em.

I am currently making cards to fill up my stash so that I don't have to rush at the last minute to make one up.  Sometimes I don't add a sentiment so that I can do that when I actually need a card and not necessarily the sentiment that is on it.

Here is the first of four of the new stamps that I just acquired - Breyona.  She's beautiful.  I just love the curls in her hair.

I decided to color her skin tone with my copic pens.  I used Smooch inks for all of the other colors.  I used my Marvy puffy paints in black for her hair.

I backed the image with DCWV Shimmer Stack.  The patterned papers are from SEI Addison.  The border punch used is an EK Success punch - Scrolls and Dots.  Of course, one has to ink the edges and this was done with Tsukineko Memento Dew Drop Dye Ink.    Added a little dotted ribbon and you know, I have to add a little bit of Prima flowers. to offset things with a brad center.

Recipe:

Breyona rubber stamp

Marvy Puffy Paint

Copic Ink

Smooch Inks

Tsuineko Memento Dew Drop Dye Ink

SEI Addison Stack

DCWV Shimmer Stack

Prima flowers

EK Success Scrolls and Dots punch

Ribbon

Handmade Satin Flowers

While browsing one of my favorite blogs a while back...  Paper Phenomenon ... Kathy Orta had shown some satin flowers that she had made.  They are all over Youtube right now... creating flowers of all sorts .. using various different media.  So I looked through my fabric stash and pulled out some material that I had hidden away.  Decided to try my hand at making some flowers.  They call them "Lollipop" flowers... but I don't know why since they don't look like lollipops to me.  Maybe I'm missing something.  LOL!

This past weekend, I was at my local hangout.... Making Memories Unforgettable ... otherwise known as MMU to us locals.  I bought my little lighter and some material with me and began to show my scrapbook buddy about a new technique in making flowers.  She's pretty much a flower ho and I enable her habits.  I keep a look out for all things flowers for her while out browsing the stores.

There was a little girl there scrapbooking with her mom ... I believe she told me that she was 6 yrs old.  She was working on her own scrapbook page and had all of these flowers that she was putting together in different combinations.  So being me, I went over to see what she was doing and complimented her efforts.

When I was showing how to make the flowers, she came over to my table with her mom to look at what I was doing.  After I finished assembling one of the flowers, I gave it to her for her stash.  She thanked me for it.  Soon after, she was back at my table offering me one of her flowers.  I thought it was sooooo sweet... that I told her we'd just shared our first "swap" together.  She was such a joy.

Well, anyways, here are the flowers that I put together late tonite while watching tv.  I finally found the sixxiz circle die that I wanted since the ones I made over the weekend were free-hand cut.  I'd rather do things the easy way if all possible... and boy was it a breeze to cut them with the die.

Recipe:

Sizzix Circle die

Satin fabric

Fabric Tack Glue

Rhinestones

 

So, I needed to edit this posting to include a comparison of different ways of making these satin flowers.  The original version, I used a small grill torch (one of those candle torch's that you can use indoors.  Now, I thought there was another version and couldn't find it at the time.  Someone else had experimented and found that if they used a heat gun, they could shrink the satin this way also.  now it takes a little bit longer to do... but the effects are just the same... and the flowers come out a bit tighter.  Elizabeth  from the Cricut Messageboard did a video on how to do this...... go here to view it.

Here's the final product comparison.

On the left are the ones done with a heat gun and on the right are the ones made with fire.

A Bookmark Swap

I participated in a bookmark swap this month.  Can't wait to get the ones that I'll be receiving from the swap. I actually had a hard time trying to come up with something that was useful and not bulky.  Wouldn't make sense if you couldn't actually use it.

As I was looking thru my paper stash for just the right paper ..... I have so much that they nicknamed me a "paper ho" ... lol.... and I'd have to agree..... I finally found a nice soothing earthtone to go with the sentiment that I selected.

I chose a DCWV Rustic Stack.  I love the earthtones in this stack.  I coordinated it with some Martha Stewart cardstock.  I had gotten it for dirt cheap when it was clearanced to $4 for this huge stack.  The MS Cardstock was cut at 7.5 x 2.5 inches.  I cut the patterned paper .25" shorter than the cardstock for layering.

I stamped the sentiment on the lighter colored patterned paper with pigment ink and embossed it so that it would stand out.  The complimenting patterned paper that I used for the reverse side had scrolls and flowers on it.  So I got this brilliant idea to use my crystal glaze on it... but that was going to take too long.  So I pulled out my embossing pen and went over the areas that I wanted to emboss... and wow... everything just popped out.

A few years back, a friend became a CTMH consultant and one of the initial workshops she did was on creating a bookmark.  I called her up to see if she had any of the bookmark holders left since she's no longer selling CTMH products.  Lo and behold, she had some... so that saved me from having to use my zyron laminator.

I got everything assembled and thought it still looked too plain.  What can I do to make these bookmark pops, but not be too bulky?  Flowers.... Prisma flowers and Rhinestones.  Everything... ok... most things have to have a little bling.

I hope the recipients like the bookmarks that I lovingly created.

Here's all of them together:

Here's a view of just one of them:

Here's the backside of them.  Hope you can see the embossing that was done to the scrolls:

And here's a close up view of the sentiment and the embossing:

Recipe:

DCWV Rustic Stack

Martha Stewart Cardstock

Sentiment : Cloud 9 Design Baby Girl

Prima Flowers

Rhinestones

Tsuineiko Chalk Ink

CTMH Plastic Bookmark Sleeve

Utee Embossing Powder

Meet The F.R.E.D. giveaway

Ok... here's your chance to win a FRED.
Just go to my friends website and make a comment, twitter or suscribe to her blog .
I think this will be a neat thing to have in my scrapbooking room.

Meet-the-f-r-e-d-giveaway/

I won! I won! I won!

I finally won something.  LOL!  See how excited I am!
At the scrapbook group that I belong to, one of the scrapbookers has this awesome blog in which she tests out different things and gives them away if you tweet or blog about her post.  So, I keep going out to see what she's up to and what she has to give away each month.  This past month, she posted about this laser trimmer... so I tweeted and then life got hectic.  Didn't tweet as much as I had planned to , but nonetheless... I won!  On Friday nite, she brings it in for me.  She's given away a Gypsy handheld device and a Wacom notepad as some examples.

So, go take a look at her blog and support her efforts .

Here is my prize:

40-x-acto-giveaway

I can't wait to play with it this week.

Mesa, AZ CKC 2010

I'm finally getting the chance to do the layout of my scrapbook weekend for the Mesa, AZ CKC convention 2010.  This year, I took a card class with friends and we had a ball.  It was fast moving.... blink and you'll miss something.  LOL!

This year, I had been talking to another scrapbooker that I met from the Cricut Messageboard.  We'd been trying to connect... but there is about a 2+ hr (more like 3 hr) drive from our respective homes.  I told her that I was going to the convention and taking a class with some friends and got her to take the same class.  We'd been talking via phone, emailing and all about all sorts of things, so this was a good time to finally get together and do something fun.

So here we are just as the class ended.  Got one of the class assistants to take our picture while we were all together.  I'm going to a retreat at the end of the summer and hoping that she'll be able to come this way so we can really have a scrapping weekend.

Recipe:

Making Memories Fresh Anthology Collection Cardstock (2007)

Coredinations Gemstone Cardstock (white and blue)

Cricut Base Camp Cartridge

White Signo Pen

Blog Candy and a Fantastic Blog

I was browsing today and stumbled upon this blog.  You've got to go look at all of the inspiration.
Charmedcrafts

Graduation Gift

A very good friend's daughter asked me to do a special request and personalize some martini glasses for 2 friends of hers that will be graduating this weekend from the University of Arizona.  I tried finding the big ones, but had no luck in finding them.... so I settled for the regular martini glasses.  I hope they like them.

I used the SCAL program for the graphics and also for the name.  Since it was for a female, I wanted the writing to be on the feminine side and found a curly type font and italicized the names.  I think they came out quite well and everyone should be pleased.

National Scrapbook Day

May 1st was National Scrapbook Day.   A scrapbook group that I belong to has an annual scrapbook day Fiesta to coincide with this day devoted to all of us die-hard scrapbookers.  The event lasted 12 hrs.  It's a "Themed" scrapbook event and everyone really goes all out for it.  This was my first year attending since the last 2 years, something prevented me from going.  I begged, cried and stomped my feet to get into this years event ... and I'm glad that I did.  My groups table was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.  I played "Sleepy" and got to wear my scrapbook pajamas.    Someone made hats and slippers so that we could all be coordinated.  I can't wait to see all of the pictures and scrap the day.

There were lots of raffles and door prizes, prizes for best table, best costume.... the list just went on and on and on.  Unfortunately, I didn't win a personal prize.... but there is always next year.

I did more eating and talking, socializing with others and peeking to see what everyone else was working on, that I only got 1 layout done and 2 mini calendars.  But its ok.  I came home and worked on another online challenge - a Mother's Day Card.

So, here is the 2-page Layout that I completed minus the pictures.  I was having too much fun that I didn't dare leave and miss anything to travel 1 mile to pick up my pictures.  So, I'll have to add the pictures later on.
I did a Breast Cancer layout to go with the pictures that I took when I walked the local Susan G Komen Race for the Cure a few weeks ago.  I used my Cricut Pink Journey Solutions Cartridge .

Here are close up views of the words:

Then I attempted to do some hanging wall Calendars.  I gave one away to one of the ladies in my group.  I hope she likes it.  This wasn't my idea, but one that I found on the Cricut Messageboard .  One of the members on there by the name of Greenbean .  These boards are metal and made from "roofing shingles/flashing".  I get the strangest looks sometimes when I go to the hardware store and ask for certain items.

And last but not least, here is the Mother's Card that I did for a challenge on another messageboard that I'm a member of called Scraps of Color .  In this challenge, you were to use 2 stamps, lots of layering, at least 2 types of embellishments, and embossing.  I think I covered everything.

Do you like Desserts?

Tonite, I met with a group of friends from my scrapbook group to do a circle journal exchange.   This was our final exchange in which we get back our own personal journals and have a chance to look at everyone else's completed journals.  There were 7 of us in this group, so we met at a place that I'd not been to before for dessert called "Something Sweet".  Boy.... were the deserts humongous... but oh so good.  I am stuffed.  I had the Blueberry Cobbler with Vanilla Ice Cream.  I am definitely going to have to take a walk tomorrow to burn off some of these calories.

Doesn't this look so inviting?

Happy Birthday Card using Forever Young

It's been a busy week for me and I didn't get a chance to get much crafting done, although I have all sorts of ideas floating around in my head waiting to get done.  I'm hoping to get things done this week that I had to put off last week.

Today, was a friends daughter's birthday.... so I made her a card using the Cricut Forever Young Cartridge.  I found some pretty Basic Gray double-sided paper at the LSS and went to work.

I cut Model 14 out at 4.5" , shadow cut and layered with Coredinations paper. Used some ribbon, rhinstones and Prima flower for accents.  The sentiment was cut from the Cricut Beyond Birthdays Cartridge at 1 1/4"  and layered.
I inked the edges with Tsunieko chalk inks.

Recipe:

Cricut Beyond Birthdays Cartridge

Cricut Forever Young Cartridge

Prima Flowers

Rhinestones

Ribbon

Basic Gray Patterned paper

Coredinations Gemstone Cardstock

Tsunieko Chalk Ink

Give a Hoot

Provocraft is coming out with so many new cartridges, that I can't keep up with them.  A recent treat on a new cartridge brought me Give a Hoot .  The owl on it is too cute... along with the other shapes.  I'm a bit behind this past week in creating things and managed to find the time to put this one together.   I can't wait to make more from this cartridge.  It has lots of potential.

The card was cut at 7" x 5" and layered with brown, cream, rust and a pale orange of Bazzill Papers.  The pattern paper was American Crafts.   The ribbon was from my stash.  The Owl was layered and cut out at 3 inches.  I pop dotted the words and the owl off the card.  I used Cricut Makin' the Grade Cartridge for the words, which I welded the shadow layer of the words and cut at 1".

Recipe:

Cricut Give a Hoot Cartridge

Cricut Makin' the Grade Cartridge

American Crafts Patterned Paper

Bazzill cardstock

Ribbon

Pop Dots

Mother's Day is Coming Up Soon

I'm trying to keep ahead of the game by knowing what I need to get done for upcoming holidays and special events.  The next big event is Mother's Day.  Since I've not done any etching in a while, I decided to do a Mother's Day plate for my mom.  Although she's considered legally blind, she appreciates things like this that she can show to her friends when they come over.  You know how mom's need to do a bit of bragging.

Today, I pulled out the vinyl and the etching cream and went to work.  After playing around in design studio, I found a border that I liked well enough to etch.  I used the Cricut Joys of the Season Cartridge for the border, the Mother's Day Seasonal Cartridge  for the words and Cricut Calligraphy Collection Cartridge for the date.  I think it came out quite well.

So it started off with the vinyl looking like this:

To adding the etching cream and looking like this:

And turning it into this:

Recipe:

Vinyl

Etching Cream

Cricut Cartridge - Joys of the Season

Cricut Cartridge - Calligraphy Collection

Cricut Cartridge - Mother's Day Seasonal