More Dotty

I couldn't help it, there's more Dotty for You.  This paper is great.   You still have a few more days to get your own.  Then it will be gone after May 31st.   I did take a break from it this weekend.  But I finished one up before I started on my Stella stuff.  It was a weekend of firsts for me.  First long card, first altered item, first time using a stamp set I have had for a while, and now first time doing a layout without pictures in it.  I know it seems weird, but I have never been able to let go enough to do a layout without the pictures.  Just makes me think something's missing.  I was inspired by a layout from, forgive me if it's not correct, Scrapbook Generation, I do believe. I saw it a while back.  When I saw our big polka dot print in the Dotty pack, I knew what I wanted to do with it.

Everything is ink distressed with either Sweet Leaf, Lagoon, or Grey Wool inks.  I threw in a few buttons from my stash with some Baker's Twine and here we have it.   The title on right page is made from letters cut from the Cricut AP cartridge and then coated with liquid glass (I'm still in love with it).   They were cut from the big polka dot paper, coated and then mounted on lagoon cardstock which had been stamped in lagoon ink with the flourish from the Love Life stamp set. I used 3d foam tape and popped it off the page.  The one on the left page is from the stamp set Family Love. 

I used my trusty little daubers and graduated my ink colors from the Grey Wool on bottom through Lagoon and then to Sweet Leaf on top, then stamped my paper.   I love being able to do that.  I think it adds even more interest to a stamped image. 

There we have it.  My first layout without pictures.  And it didn't kill me or anything :)  

Off to work on my StudioJ project.  Thanks for looking.    Hope to see you again soon! 

Happy Scrapping!



H2H Weekly Challenge - Distressing

This week over at Heart 2 Heart Challenge Blogspot, the lovely ladies have concocted a challenge to include something distressed.  Since I have been introduced to Close to My Heart, I think I pretty much ink distress everything I do.  I remember in the beginning when I was a first time customer and I told my now upline  that I didn't want the stamp of the month, because, well I really wasn't a stamper and I didn't do ink.  She just looked at me and smiled and said, "uh huh..ok."  She kept smiling because she had that knowledge that I, too, would be hooked.  I must say, I am hooked.  I'm a stamping fool and I play in ink every chance I get.  Thanks Belinda!

This weekend I decided to pull out my Stella paper. I do love Stella.  This was my first attempt at an altered item.  I have a co-worker who said she would like to see a box in Stella if I did one.  Well...I did one. 

At first I wasn't sure how I was going to seal this.  I thought Mod Podge!  Apparently, it's been a while since I decoupaged anything.   Although it's hard to tell from these photographs, I ink distressed all the papers prior to putting them on the box.  The box itself is our My Creations Card Box, which is plain white.  I inked all the corners with cocoa ink.  It looked great, then when I started to decoupage over that, it starting changing colors.  It actually looks a bit verdi gris.  I was upset at first, then it kind of fit.  I thought it added a little age to the box.

All the shapes were cut from the Cricut AP cartridge.  What would I do without that thing? Everything thing else is straight out of the Stella Paper Pack.  I added a few sparkles and a pewter badge button.  Voila!  

When I got through with my box, I had a bunch of little pieces of paper left.  What better to do than make cards, right?  I did a layout, a box, a birthday card, and then all the cards I made today and still have some paper left from this one paper pack.   Here's what I have come up with so far.

I realized that I hadn't had a chance to use the Stella WOTG stamp set.  I definitely had to fix that :) All the papers were ink distressed.  I thought the Stella went well on the kraft paper.  It was my first long card as well. I had several firsts this weekend.   The little cards in front were so fun.  They have their own little holder to keep them in.  I had accidentally cut some paper too short, so it was time for some 3x3 cards.  I had seen on Vicki Wizniuk's page,  the Wizard's Hangout,  this great little set.  It's under her free templates section.  For those who haven't checked her page out, she has some beautiful cards.  This was my version of that card set with Stella papers.

Kind of hard to tell what's going on here, but they all fold up in one cute little package.  With a little band around them to keep the package together.

It holds four cards and their envelopes.  Super simple and fun.  And made with a happy mistake :)

I didn't mean for this post to run on forever, but I had new goodies to share.  I love days when I can actually get something done, creatively speaking.  Thanks for stopping by.   I hope to be working on more soon. 

Happy Scrapping!





Polka Dots and Stripes

This week's  Heart 2 Heart challenge is Polka Dots and Stripes.   With Close to My Heart's Dotty for You papers,  who could resist this one.   Just so happens,  I had been wanting to try out my round cards from CTMH. So I did.  This is what I came up with.  These little cards are so neat.  They are 4 1/2" Colonial White circle cards. 

All the papers used are from the  Dotty for You paper pack.  The flower and butterfly punches are Martha Stewart.  The layered grey and yellow flower is cut from the AP Cricut cartridge.   The "Thank You" stamp is also a part of the AP Cricut cartridge collection.  The ink is Sunset.  Very simple cards, but fun. 

Thanks for stopping by.  If you  haven't stopped by Heart 2 Heart Challenge Blogspot, you should check them out.  There is always some wonderful and inspiring artwork over there.

Happy Scrapping!

Dance Pictures and Birthday Cards

Each year before her recital they take their pictures in their dance costumes.  We only had pictures done in three out of the four this year.  I haven't gotten around to the group picture yet.  But so far I have tap and clog.  I was so excited to get to use my Roxie paper.  I had been saving it for her clog picture.

They clogged to Welcome to the Jungle by Guns n' Roses.  It was a really awesome routine.  Clog has turned out to be her most favorite of her dance classes.  Who'd a thunk it :)

I used my Cricut AP cartridge and cut the flourish, letters, label at the top, and the flower.  I just cut 2 border pieces,  scored, glued them together, fanfolded, and then ran a string through them to pull it together in a flower.  The instructions are in the 2012 Spring/Summer idea book.  Super simple and fanciful flower.  The ribbon is our inkable seam binding ribbon.  I used Tulip ink and daubed on the ink until I got the right color.  I just love that stuff.

The next is her tap picture.  They danced to Cuban Pete.  It was such a colorful costume. I really liked it. 

You guessed it, more Dotty for You.  I love that yellow.  The stripe is a scrap from the Paper Studio and I'm not sure where the pink came from.  But the green is Sweetleaf.  Again all the letters, flourishes and flowers were cut from the AP Cricut cartridge.  How did live without that thing for so long?  I'm still not sure yet :)  I stamped some faux stitching (Stella workshop stamp) in Sunny Yellow around the edge of the page, although you can hardly see it here. It turned out to be a bright and cheery page.  

I have been collecting random pictures from the recital from facebook.  I feel some Studio J work coming up for that.  I can't wait. If you haven't checked out StudioJ, you really should.  For anyone who loves scrapbooking, but doesn't have the time or place to do classic scrapbooking, Studio J is for you. 

This month has been a busy one...band concerts, recitals, birthdays, and the close of the school year.  Whew...I'm ready for summer.  Speaking of birthdays, I did finish a couple of birthday cards.

I got to use my You Are stamp set that was the stamp of the month for April.  It is a really cool, fun, and original stamp set.  Sorry, I couldn't resist ;)  The "12" card was for my daughter and the sentiment on the inside was " Hope you have a birthday that is as cool, fun, and original as you are."  Then other mushy stuff as we mom's tend to do.   I haven't completed the inside of the "16" card yet.  It's for my best friend's daughter's  upcoming birthday.  Shhhh..don't tell her :)   The paper was some from Paper Studio and then our White Daisy cardstock.  I love how the 16 turned out.  I cut it out from the AP cartridge,  inked the edges, and then coated the entire number with liquid glass.  It turned out to be a really nice effect. 

Ok,  I'm off to watch Dark Shadows with the girls.  Hope everyone has a wonderful Mother's Day weekend.   Remember to take lots of pictures....to scrap of course :)  Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Scrapping!

Heart 2 Heart weekly challenge - April showers bring May Flowers

This week's Heart 2 Heart challenge is ...April Showers Bring May Flowers. The challenge is to make something with flowers.  I love flowers! The hardest part for me is picking which one I want to enter in the challenge.    I'm still loving the  Dotty for You papers.   These cards were super simple.  I used some Recollections edge punches and a little Fiskars flower punch.  The cards are the colonial white 4.25 x 5.5 CTMH cards.

 

You punch out three little flowers and then glue them together with their petals offset.  Then bend the petals of your top flower inward, so it gives some dimension.  On the yellow I used the green for the bottom flower.  They kind of remind me of daffodils.  The stamps are CC1014  and the Pemberly WOTG stamp set.  And who could do without the color ready seam binding ribbon?  That is one of my most favorite products.  You never have to worry about finding ribbon that matches, again.  Just to top them off I put a sparkle in the center of each.  Quick and easy.

I'm still working on the dance pictures we just got back.  I have been saving my Roxie papers for her clogging picture.  The tap is going on the Dotty for You I do believe.   I hope to have them posted soon.  Thanks for stopping by.  Happy Scrapping!