Ugh...

I'm MIA.  I got super side tracked before CTMH Regionals - which was awesome by the way - and now I am so sick it's not even funny.  "Ugh" is all I can muster.  To top things off, my hubby is the best man in a wedding today so he's been out of the house with that and work for 2 days.  Double ugh.  I don't think Moms should be allowed to get sick.  I'll see ya'll on the flip side next week when I'm hopefully felling better.

Christmas Card, RCC24

Ben is not sick anymore (sick kiddo = less blogging) so I've been working on projects again.  I think this will be our Christmas card this year.

There are a few items on this that aren't CTMH.  I dry embossed the tree then went over it with some ink followed by my versamark pad.  I put the prisma glitter/clear detail powder combo on it to give it some shimmer.  Man is that hard to photograph!  Here's the best shot.  I promise it's way cooler in person.

I'm also entering this card into the challenge over at Ribbon Carousel this week.  It's all about the sparkle!

I'm heading to CTMH Regionals this weekend (so excited!) and will be posting my projects for that while I'm there and then after as well.  Can't wait to show you what I've been making!

Have a great week,


Paper: wonderland pattern paper, twilight cardstock, white daisy cardstock
Ink: chocolate, heavenly blue, versamark pad
Stamps: Christmas Love
Embellishments: twine - Divine Twine, mini jingle bells - SU, prisma glitter, clear detail embossing powder
Tools: sanding block, sponge, embossing machine, snow blossom embossing folder - Basic Grey/Sizzix, MS score board, foam, heat gun

Thanks Card

I missed yesterday!  Sorry about that.  Life happened to me.  :)  Here's my most recent card.  Lots of items on this one that aren't CTMH.

The sentiment is actually a rub-on this time.  I found a pack in the clearance section at HL and it called my name.  Love the clearance section!  Supplies are below.

Thanks for stopping!


Paper:  cardstock - desert sand, smoothie, white daisy, CTMH; pattern paper - summers end, Fancy Pants.
Ink: smoothie, chocolate, bamboo, CTMH.
Embellishements: rub-on, American Crafts; hat pin, pearls, ribbon, CTMH.
Tools: embossing folder, Cuttlebug; shape die cut, Spellbinders; edge punch, Martha Stewart; foam dots, Paper Studio.

Explore!

I got to work on a page for Ben's book this past weekend and here is the layout I made.

To get the effect of the title, you need to see it side by side.  However, that's a bit small for a blog, so here are the individual pages.  You can always click on photos to make them larger, but even knowing that I find that I never do that when I look at blogs and artwork.

These are pictures from B's first visit to the Children's Museum in our area.  We are so lucky to have a place like this near by and he loves it when we get to go.  My original idea for the layout was inspired by Tresa Black.  In her winning CTMH convention contest album she had a layout with a pop-up ship and it was about her wanting to be an explorer.  I'm no Tresa and am not about to tackle her amazing ship pop-up, but she got me thinking in a nautical direction.  Do you need to have boat or water pictures to create a nautical-esque page?  I think not!  I also learned from her how to turn my plain-o colonial white cardstock background into the sweet looking shaded piece it turned out to be.  Can you tell I visited Tresa's blog last week?  :)

Here's some close-ups of what I did to make it "scraptabulous" and the supply list.

I went "old school" and cut out my stamped images to pop off the page.  The title letters were swiped with ink in three increasingly darker colors to give them the shading.  I put all my letters on my largest acrylic block (easy clean up!) before I get started so I can ink until my hearts content w/o screwing up the surrounding letters on the carrier sheets.  I can tell you from previous experience that if I don't, I will ink something I don't want inked and that just causes me to need chocolate to ease my frustration.  I digress.  Back to the photos...

I did a fair amount of rock 'n' roll stamping on this layout as well to achieve the shading on stamped images.  You can also see the blended coloration in the corner area that turns the colonial white cardstock from "eh" to "ah" - big difference!  Tresa does a great job of explaining how to do this in her Ustream video.  Go see it.  It's much faster (and better) than me writing you a small novel on my blog.  You can also see in both of these close up photos that I was very brave and took the rough side of my sanding block directly to my photos.  Scary?  Yes - it was absolutely frightening!  Worth it?  110%!!  It totally takes things to another level and really incorporates the photos into the layout as a whole.  Don't be afraid, do it!  I went over all of the sanded parts with bamboo ink when I was done so the photos would look a tad aged and distressed as well.

Okedoke - that's it for today!  Thanks for reading my crazy long post.  If you made it, you deserve a medal...and a piece of chocolate.  Everyone deserves chocolate.  Hmmmm...I think I need a cookie.  :)  Supply list is below.  Questions?  Comment or email and I'll get back.

Have a wonderful day everyone!


Paper: colonial white & desert sand cardstocks, Majestic Blue pattern papers (an oldie but a goodie that's got to get used up!)
Stamps: You & Me stamp set from the You & Me special kit. (Love this one!!)
Ink: bamboo, desert sand, chocolate, outdoor denim (all CTMH)
Embellies: wide dark chocolate grosgrain ribbon, antique copper designer brads, wood buttons, bronze glitz glitter gel, oxford color ready alphabet
Tools: sponge, piercing tool, another sponge, sanding block, yet another sponge, foam tape and a few more sponges (seeing a pattern here?)

Fall Title

Remember Friday when I forgot the title to my layout?  LOL!  I didn't get to posting it this past weekend, but I did get it completed.  Here is page one of my layout again but with the title this time.  :)

It's a tad hard to see what I ended up doing, so here's a closer look...

I used the new AP coordinating dimensional elements alphabets for the word fall.  First I inked it in chocolate ink and after deciding it need something more, I spread bronze glitz gel over it with my finger to give it just a little shimmer.  It's really hard to get that on camera though.  For 2010, I used the cork alphabet sponged in chocolate ink.  The rest of the details are in last Friday's post.

Just a little something fun for a Monday.
Have a good one!

Fall Dreamin' Layout

Camera batteries charged!  Here's the layout I've been wanting to share.  I didn't get it done in time to enter into the contest as I had originally planned.  I also realized I sort of CASEd myself...is that possible?...and that I still don't have the title on.  Oh my stars, where is my mind?!  I guess I was just so excited that I forgot about that part.  Please imagine that it says Fall in large chocolate letters cut with the AP cartridge under B's photo on the left page and a small 2010 under that to the right side a bit.   Ha-ha!  I'll be needing a quick update post this weekend I guess.  Until then...

Left Page

Right Page

On the left page under the tree there are fallen leaf piles.  Want to see what's under them??

When you spin the leaves it reveals my journaling!  When this layout is in the page protector, the leaves are on the outside and secured through the protector with the brads.

Here is a close up of one of the right page leaf clusters.

I've popped most of the leaves with foam and the ribbon knot is on top.  I had to add a little bling to the layout with some sparkles on the peaks of the scallops.

I sort of CASEd my wall canvas on this layout without really realizing it.  I know I have a love of fall, but I guess I have a thing for trees too.

Ok, on to the creative part.  I used the Backstage pattern from the Magic book and just adjusted it a tad to fit my needs.  I believe there are 30 leaves on the two pages.  All but the brighter orange leaves started out as colonial white cardstock.  The bright orange ones were cut from the orange pattern paper that comes in the Dreamin' kit.  The cardstock ones are all sponged on layers of color.  I always started with the lightest color and went from there.  I used everything from Honey to Barn Red and tried to stick somewhat closely with the colors that are featured in the kit.  I did go red with some of them even though it's not a kit color because it seemed more natural to me.  All of the leaves are cut from the same image on the new Art Philosophy cartridge and range in size from 3/4" to 1 3/4" in 1/4" increments.  I don't remember the size of the "tree" but I can tell you it's made from two different branches.  They are a layer of one of the branches with leaves already on it.  I just played around with the sizes on scrap paper until I got ones the size that would fit where I wanted them to go.  The scallop border is also cut with the new cartridge.

Thanks for stopping by today & have a great weekend!

Post-It Note Holder

It's murphy's law.  The second I turned on the camera to take photos of the layout I was going to share, the battery died.  Arg.  So, while that dumb thing is taking it's sweet time charging, I'll share this month's club project.

As part of my club, all my girls get to create a free project every month.  I rotate through the paper packs so they get to play with as many as possible.  This month is the Dreamin' papers and the acting hostess challenged me not to distress with ink on the project.  That. Is. Not. Easy.  (at least for me)  Here's what I came up with.  A way cuter way to have post-its on your desk!

It's a 5x7 frame from Walmart that I spray painted a dark chocolate color because the original color wasn't workin' with the papers.  Everything is behind the glass besides the blue post-it notes that hang from the front and the flowers.  I only had blue notes on hand....oye.  The owl (also a favorite of the acting hostess) is from the current Petite Perks set with CTMH.  The words are Tiny Typewriter Alphabet stamp set.  The flowers are the new AP cart and the centers are Bronze Glitz Glitter Gel.

You can either stand this on the desk, hang it on the wall or attach magnets on the back and stick it to your file cabinet.  Whatever you decide, just add a pen and every visitor to your vacant desk will have an adorable way to leave you a note.

Please come back tomorrow for the layout.  :)  The dumb camera battery will be charged and I'll be able to get good photos.  See ya'll tomorrow,

Non-Winner #8

This is the last of my contest entries and surprisingly, my only Christmas card.  Last time I had 4 different Christmas cards with one paper pack alone!

I really like this card because it makes me think of our mantle at Christmas time.  We didn't have a mantle in our home growing up and when my husband and I were house shopping, a real wood fireplace with a mantle was on our list.  We got our wish, and I love decorating it year round!  This angle doesn't really show it well, but I put prisma glitter on the liquid applique before it dried so that it would shimmer after it puffed up.

Supplies: Believe L2, kraft cardstock, christmas love stamp set, holiday red ink, topiary ink, sky ink, desert sand ink, DE mixed shapes, antique copper brads, liquid applique, prisma glitter.

Thanks for sticking with me through all these cards!  Tomorrow I have a layout to show you that didn't get done in time to be entered into the contest.

Hope to see you tomorrow,

Non-Winner #7

This card was actually made for my card swap with my sidelines.  I decided to enter it in the contest too.  The more the merrier!

It really shows off the new Cricut cartridge and the coordinating stamps that aren't part of the bundle.  We had to pick a paper packet, stamp set and a new embellishment.  My choices were Elemental, Harvest Happiness & the Cork Alphabet.

Supplies: Elemental L2, colonial white cardstock, cocoa ink, desert sand ink, sunset ink, creme brulee ink, cranberry ink, harvest happiness stamp set, art philosophy cartridge, cork alphabets, foam tape.

See you tomorrow for the last contest card,

Blogtoberfest Time!

Did you notice the new button on the right?  Yep, it's Blogtoberfest time again!  Thanks to the amazing Tresa Black, who coordinates this time of massive blog posting and sharing.  She just the best, and so stinking inspirational.  If you have no idea who I'm talking about, please go see her over at Fabulously Artsy.  Then, feel free to join everyone in the fun.

In celebration of Blogtoberfest, I'm setting myself a goal just like I did last year.  This year my goal is to post a project every weekday in October.  Yep, I'm that ambitious.  :)  So be sure to check back with me often to see what I'm up to.  You can also become a follower (and make me feel less like I'm talking to myself - haha!) and have the updates show in your blogger dashboard reading list.  If you're not a blogger user, just sign up for the feed and get updates in your email inbox.  There's a space to sign up in the right hand column.

Now, head to the post below and you'll see my card project for today.

Thanks for stopping by,

Non-Winner #6

This is my other favorite from my entries.

The Sonoma paper packet has a beautiful color combination that really worked for this card.  It was a bit of work to hand place the pearls around the chipboard shape, but it was totally worth it!  I'm thinking that this will make a great anniversary card for my husband.  Our anniversary isn't until May, but I'm happy to keep it safe until then.

Supplies: Sonoma L2, colonial white cardstock, love life stamp set, cocoa ink, DE mixed shapes, cocoa designer ribbon, heirloom assortment, pearls, foam tape.

Have a happy Monday,

Home Decor Letter

Happy Weekend!  I've got a quick home project that I created.  I found the idea on Pintrest - more about why all of you need to check that out in a bit.

It's just a simple monogram letter that was a couple bucks at the craft store, but it looks so fab wrapped in yarn.  I picked a textured yarn in white so I can put it anywhere in my house.  I haven't hung it up yet, but will take a picture when it's in a permanent home.

Ok - now my much needed blurb about this Pintrest thing.  If you have no idea what it is, you need to check it out.  It's my latest obsession and for good reason!  Think of a gigantic bulletin board you can put anything on from anywhere, attach your own notes to, file in your own created category, share with others if you wish and have access to any time, any where.  BRILLIANT!  And better than bookmarks where you don't really remember why you bookmarked it, but there's something important on that page.  With Pintrest, you get to pick the picture you attach to it!  Go check it out and see what you think.  If you decided to sign up (free btw and I can send you an invite) feel free to look me up (Gloria Rogers) and follow one or all of my boards to get the hang of what people post.  I'd love to see some of you out there!

Have a great weekend!