Thursday, July 13, 2017

Let's Go On An Adventure

Let's Go On An Adventure Layout!
My oldest son in 2006, when he was 7 1/2, going exploring in my mom & dad's backyard with his brother, using the "Explorer Kit" that my youngest had received for his birthday in 2005!

This week's Monday Challenge over at Simon Says Stamp is "Distress It." While I may not have a traditional "distressed" look, I did use some wonderful Distress Oxides on here!

Over at scrapbook.com I am hostess to the "Ugly Paper Challenge." I first did the challenge back in August 2011 with the, I believe, original hostess. Then in 2012 (I think) the second hostess took over, and in March 2015 I took it over! So, as far as I know, I am the third hostess of the challenge. I haven't done the challenge every month since I first found it (with the previous hostesses), but I have always loved the challenge! In short, two "ugly" papers and one (or more!) "ugly" embellishment(s) are mailed to another player (I give out addresses!) at the beginning of the month, and players have until the end of the month to create their layouts! The papers have to still be recognizable, and the embellishment is optional (it counts as two extra votes at the end of the month!). Now, this isn't to say any particular papers or embellishments are "ugly," but the combination given is! Most of the time anyhow! The challenge is receiveing a combination that you may have never even considered putting together on your own, plus you are receiving papers that may not be your "style." Anyhow, I just wanted to make it be known that "ugly" is a subjective term, and I have received (on more than one occassion) papers that were wonderful, even though the sender didn't think so!

Now that that's out of the way, on to the details about the layout!

This is a picture of the papers & embellishments I received for the month of July:
The papers I received in the "Ugly Paper Challenge" over at scrapbook.com
Instantly I knew what was going to happen to that green paper! I already had a set of photos in mind I wanted to scrap when these arrived, and it was lucky for me that green paper just screamed "turn me into tropical leaves!". The floral paper, well that was going to have to be shaped to my will!

A cut file and some Shimmerz turned my flowers into clouds!
As you can see, that floral paper became the outlines for the clouds! I used some Shimmerz: AcriTonez: 3 Sheets To The Wind and some Shimmerz: Anchor's Away! It did a good job of hiding the flowers, which would have just look weird on this layout!

Some Peeled Paint Distress Oxide helped my green grass paper become tropical leaves!
With the green grass paper I cut out my leaves and put on a light coat of Peeled Paint Distress Oxide, and spritzed with water to "activate"!

Close-up of the embellishment cluster at the bottom.


Another shot showing more of the top of the photo embellishments!


Close-up of the title area! I love how the Distress Oxides came out on "Adventure!"



Cut Files List:
Product List:
  • Shimmerz: AcriTonez: 3 Sheets To The Wind
  • Shimmerz: Anchor's Away
  • Silhouette Cameo
  • Distress Oxides: Peeled Paint & Faded Jeans
  • American Crafts - Starshine Collection- Cardstock Stickers - Accent and Phrase
  • Becky Higgins - Project Life - High Five Edition Collection - Chipboard Stickers
  • Bella Blvd - Ciao Chip - Self Adhesive Chipboard - Words - Adventure
  • Pink Paislee - Fancy Free Collection - 12 x 12 Double Sided Paper - Paper 06
  • Hip Kit Club Exclusives:
    • Paper: Medowbrook "Touch The Sky" (inside clouds) and "Starlit Sprinkle" (blue/white dot under photo), and The Happy Life "Ombre Sky" (background). All designed by Kim Watson.
    • All the puffy stickers
    • The teal Alphas
  • In addition to the Hip Kit products already mentioned, everything else came from Hip Kit Club Kits. I don't know which ones, but I know they are from between March 2016 and July 2016. Not all products may be Hip Kit Club Exclusives, but I don't have the packaging for them anymore so I can't give specifics!



Tuesday, July 11, 2017

Summer Hello Cards!

Summer Hello Cards - Simon Says Stamp July Card Kit!
Just a couple of straight forward cards I made using the July Card Kit from Simon Says Stamp! The card on the right was inspired by Heather Hoffman's card shown on the inspiration/idea insert that comes in the kit! These cards also fit nicely into the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge this week, and MarciLB's "Tis the Season: SUMMER" challenge over at scrapbook.com!

Shaker Card! The splatters are Distress Oxides, and the pink for the sentiment is Lawn Fawn!
 
 
I used a circle thinlet to cut the circles in the top and underlying foam for the shakers!

This one was 100% inspired by the card done by Heather Hoffman shown on the inspiration/idea insert in the kit!
 Product List:
  • From the Simon Says Stamp July Card Kit: SSS "Sea You Soon" stamp set, SSS "Moonshine" Confetti, acetate, printed paper from Echo Park's "Summer Dreams" collection, and the "Doll Pink," "Sunshine," and 120# White cardstock.
  • a la mode clear embossing powder
  • Lawn Fawn "Plastic Flamingo" dye ink
  • Tim Holtz: "Retro Circles" Embossing Folder, Distress Oxide -  "Salty Ocean" and "Peacock Feathers," and Distress Embossing Ink Pad (Clear)
  • Ranger Glossy Accents and Super Fine, White Embossing Powder
  • a bit of hemp twine
  • the white, vellum looking bit for the banner isn't actually vellum, but I have no idea what it is or where it came from! I kept it a long time ago because it was rather pretty, but I don't remember how I aquired it!

Monday, July 10, 2017

be your own sunshine



I saw a piece of paper (I'll show that later) that inspired the coloring of this tag. Plus, Simon Says Scrap's current Wednesday challenge is "Summer Sunshine." Add to the mix a quote I saw that said, "Sometimes you have to be your own sunshine," and a tag was born.

The flowers didn't come out exactly how I had hoped, but sometimes that just happens!

I started out with a piece of cardboard cut to a size 12 tag (10 1/2" x 5 1/4 I think...I have a template so I don't always have to measure or remember!) and I coated it thickly with white acrylic paint.

My tag base
After that I started gathering supplies I thought I might use and picked out colors I thought could be used to try and recreate the color and design of this piece of Echo Park paper! (I received mine in the July Card Kit from Simon Says Stamp, now to make a card with it!)

The paper that inspired it all!
Smooshing paint into all the crevices!
The honeycomb and riveted metal are from using Amazing Casting Resin in Tim Holtz's embossing folders (Watch a technique video here!). The flourish's are from a flourish circle I had cut out a few years ago with my Cameo. It was multiple layers of cardstock that didn't get glued together quite right, and was painted a light pink. I finally decided it was time to either use it or toss it! And, all of the gears on this project came from the Silhouette store.

Lots of ink & paint & Metallique Wax & Perfect Pearls on here!
After I painted everything, added some "Old Silver" Prima Metallique Wax randomly then I went back over with matching/coordinating Distress Oxides. After all that was dried I used a Crafter's Workshop 12 x 12 Template ("Sunburst") for the rays, and a circle stencil I made a while back for the...umm, circles.

All the shine on the gears for the "sun" is from Perfect Pearls "Perfect Pearl." The sun rays are Delicata "White Shimmer" Pigment Ink.
More Perfect Pearls for the circles!

Lots of "mulberry" type flowers sprayed with a variety of colors! For the oranges I mixed "Carved Pumpkin" Distress Stain with some Perfect Pearls "Perfect Pearl" and "Pewter." The different shades of yellows and oranges is due to the original colors of the flowers. The pink flowers are from Shimmerz Coloringz "Pink Stilettos," and the mint is from Heidi Swapp's Color Shine "Sweet Mint."

Product List:
  • Silhouette Cameo
  • Amazing Cast Resin
  • Pink Paislee: Take Me Away Collection: Thickers with Foil Accents: Phrases: "Dream"
  • Hip Kit Club Exclusive Alpha (May 2017 Main Kit)
  • Shimmerz: AcriTonez - Pinkadelic; Coloringz - Pink Stilettos
  • Perfect Pearls: Perfect Pearl & Pewter
  • Tsukineko Delicata: White Shimmer
  • White acrylic paint
  • Heidi Swapp Color Shine: Sweet Mint
  • Tim Holtz Distress Paint - Carved Pumpkin & Cracked Pistachio; Distress Spray Stain - Carved Pumpkin; Distress Oxide - Wild Honey, Cracked Pistachio, & Picked Raspberry; Embossing Folders - Riveted Metal & Honeycomb
  • Ranger Mini Mister
  • Prima Art Alchemy Metallique Wax: Old Silver
  • "Mulberry" type flowers

Sunday, July 9, 2017

Winter Wonderland

Winter Wonderland
I was inspired by the "Sizzix Christmas In July" Challenge over at scrapbook.com to start some Christmas projects early! There was a lot of fussy cutting involved, but it was worth it in my opinion! Those birds and houses (Crate Paper "Snow and Cocoa" line) are just too darn cute!

I don't know if I should classify this as a card or as decoration, so I'm going to call it #Card_Deco! It put me in mind of my childhood. My parents had a string that hung across the beam in our living room, and every year they would hang the Christmas cards we received on it. Friends and family became part of our Christmas decor!

The very front of the card is rather straight forward! The "Wonderland" piece is from Crate Paper, the card stock is American Crafts, everything else are Hip Kit Club Exclusives!
Lots of fussy cutting found here (well not necessarily "lots," but for me it is!) And if I haven't said it before, I'll say it now, I am IN LOVE with the Distress Oxides! I've had all these papers since November/December (2016), but I hadn't figured out exactly how to use them. Apparently they were waiting for Tim Holtz's Distress Oxides!

That little fawn was cut from some scrap white card stock I had using the "Retro Deer" die from Simon Says Stamp. I just trimmed off the antlers and added some spots so he could match his Mama! (Hip Kit Club Exclusive Die Cuts - the doe & the mushrooms)
Winter Wonderland CarDeco closed and ready for an envelope!



Product List:
  • The card base/design I created myself in Silhouette Design Studio & used my Cameo to cut the pieces out.
  • American Crafts "Lollipop" card stock
  • Hip Kit Club Exclusive Papers & Die Cut Pack
  • Crate Paper "Snow and Cocoa" Collection ("Wonderland" and all the fussy cutting!)
  • Simon Says Stamp "Retro Deer" die for the fawn (I just trimmed off the antlers & added some spots!)
  • Tim Holtz Mini Snips, Mini "Woodland" Stencil (Mini Stencil Set #21), Distress Grit Paste, Distress Glitter "Clear Rock Candy," Distress Marker "Tumbled Glass," and Distress Oxides "Iced Spruce," "Worn Lipstick," "Fossilized Amber," and "Cracked Pistachio.
  • Ranger "Opaque Matte" Texture Paste, Water Pen (Nib), & Blending Tools.

Saturday, July 8, 2017

Christmas Cards Set!

Getting a head start with my Christmas Cards!
Just because it's 110 degrees outside doesn't mean I can't do Christmas! After all, in the Southern Hemisphere of this big blue marble we call home, Christmas is a summer holiday!

Used my Silhouette Curio to write & fill in the greeting!

That gold bow came in the Fuse (Gold? I think) Kit!

Cute little deer, glitter paper, and twine!

Love the retro Santa paper and "Swell Christmas" stamp set from Simon Says Stamp! (I fussy cut Santa out of watercolor paper after stamping & embossing!)


Product List:
  • All of the card stock, printed papers (except the paper for the red & white deer), and glitter paper came from the Simon Says Stamp Limited Edition 2016 Holiday Card Kit, as did the deer die ("Retro Deer") and the stamp set ("Swell Christmas").
  • The paper for the red & white deer is from Me & My Big Ideas, and it's so old I couldn't even find it using the UPC code!!
  • Ranger Enchanted Gold Embossing Powder
  • Tim Holtz Mini Snips, Distress Embossing Ink, Distress Ink: Festive Berries, Antique Linen, and Tattered Rose, Distress Oxide: Fired Brick, and Vintage Photo
  • We R Memory Keepers: Fuse Tool & Gold Kit (I think!)
  • Martha Stewart Twine
  • Green & Gold Ribbon: Unknown
  • Sizzix Big Shot (Blue & Teal Starter Kit - for the label dies)
  • My Minds Eye: Christmas on Market Street Puffy Stickers
  • Silhouette Curio