H2H Challenges: Water fun!

Welcome to this week's challenge at Heart2Heart Challenges! The theme this time is to create a project with a water fun or beach feel.  

All Close To My Heart consultants have been drooling over the new Autumn/Winter 2012 catalogue for the last week (contact me if you're in Canada and would like one).  A new focus is creating home decor with your paper-crafting supplies. So I decided to frame a photo.  I created a 12"x12" layout (essentially just embellishing a single photo) and mounted it in a shadow box frame which I purchased (50% off!) at Michael's.  It is one of my favorite photos from last year's summer vacation. I can switch up the layout and leave the frame hanging all year 'round. One warning when using a shadow box: you will lose about 1/4" all around the edges when you place the lay-out in the frame; it is taken up by the spacers which allow for the depth, so plan your design accordingly.

A lot of layering, tearing and inking was used to mimic the terrain in the photo. Because the shadow box allows for some depth, I used some bulkier materials like the pleated blue organdy ribbon, and the corrugated paper (a re-used coffee cup sleeve!) in the lower left corner.

For the title, letters were cut with the Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge and popped up with foam tape; natural hemp (Z280) was glued down with Liquid Glass (Z679). I used more hemp to stitch around the upper edge of the lay-out. Now I wish I had continued the stitching down the right side...oh well.

This embellishment cluster includes a corrugated chipboard shape, matted to form a starfish, a "Seaside Wooden Shapes" scallop shell, and a sand dollar made from five circles cut with the CTMH 1 1/4" circle punch. (I will include a tutorial on how to do that in August). I gathered some green tulle ribbon (not CTMH, but black tulle ribbon is a NEW item available in the catalogue) to reflect the seaweed in the photo.  I used more of the green tulle to hang the shadow box.

Now YOU have until the end of July to create a "Water FUN" project and upload it to the Heart2Heart Challenge blog. Remember to use SOME Close to My Heart products (doesn't have to be 100%). Post your creation on your blog or upload to an online gallery and use the keyword H2H.Waterfun. We look forward to seeing your work, and celebrating your summer fun!  

Happy crafting!

Caroline

Close to My Heart Products used: and not already mentioned

Cardstock and inks:  Olive, brown bag, chocolate, and kraft 

Patterned paper: Elemental (X7141B) available through the end of July

More "Pun" with Paper...SSS#162 and TSG164

"Scent-sational" stamp set from There She Goes

Thank you, Morag (dear sister), for dubbing my last TEXT posting... Perfect title for this one, too!

This past May I was a participant in, and lucky winner of, the "Mother of All Blog Hops" sponsored by There She Goes Clear Stamps. 

The grand prize was 6-months' worth of new release stamps. The first package just arrived yesterday, and included THIS SET designed by Melyssa Connelly.

It is full of stinkin' cute skunk images and perfectly punny sentiments. 

I decided there was still time to send one more entry to this months' Sweet Sunday Sketch #162. And to join in the weekly challenge (TSG164) at There She Goes, which is to use stitching on your project.

I used some machine sewing, but also "stitched" a scallop ribbon border with this tool, from 

We R Memory Keepers:

It was simple to use and there are other designs available. I bought mine at Archiver's.

The featured Trendsetter this week is the wonderfully artistic Wendy Ramlakhan. She posted a video tutorial on how to create a cloudy background for your stamped image (use link above to go to Wendy's blog). So I tried that out, too. Here's my attempt:

A little too subtle, perhaps, I may try another colour next time, but it gives a great effect!

So thanks for bearing with another post this week...

Enjoy the weekend! Outside, no crafting allowed!

"Text Me" CFC#60 and Retro Sketches#19

This week' challenge at CAS-ual Fridays:

 is to use text on a clean and simple project. I have a hard time with clean-and-simple. My cards always end up looking a little crowded, no matter how I hard I try. Combining this challenge with the sketch this week at RetroSketches helped to keep things relatively clean...

I liked the idea of creating a notebook page, and I found this stamp in my collection from {The Stamps of Life}: type4backgrounds. I stamped it, used a Fiskars punch for the border and mounted it on black card-stock. 

Text-speak inspired the sentiment:

 and the diagonal effect on the text block (kind of reminds me of "The Matrix!") is because I covered up all the "U's." Too corny?

I am submitting this project to both CFC60 and RetroSketches19. There's still time to play! The CAS-ual Fridays challenge ends Thursday at noon, but the Retro Sketches challenge is open through midnight this Thursday.

Text me a comment!

Materials used:

Type-face stamp, Type4background  by the Stamps of Life

Chevron stamp, Geometrics from Paper Smooches

Die-cut letters, Wingo-Zingo by Sizzix and Art Philosophy alphabet (U) by Cricut.

Black and GreyFlannel dye-based ink, CTMH

Miscellaneous cardstock

H2H Challenges--July 9th--Line, Line, Circle, Square!

I was drumming my fingers for a while, thinking about how to complete this week's tricky assignment at Heart2Heart Challenges:

Use TWO lines, ONE circle, and ONE square

Then I saw this stunning entry to last week's challenge, by Amy

You HAVE to see all the pictures of her Patriotic 4th of July wreath--its amazing.  She also includes a great tutorial on how to make the rosettes and dimensional paper stars. Well worth a visit.

Anyway.

That set me to thinking about all the things you can do with pleated paper. I also really like that red-white-and-blue (plus "sky") colour palette found in the "Superhero" paper pack. 

THAT combo made me think about summer nights, 

and that's how the PATIO LANTERN card was born.

• I started with a 12"x1.5" piece of striped paper with the stripe going length-wise. Depending on which orientation you cut the stripes, widthwise (see photo below) or lengthwise, you will get a starburst or circular pattern when you form your rosette. I scored the strip at 1/4" increments. Go see Amy's blog (link above) for instructions on how to make the rosette. That created my circle.

Example of a rosette with the stripes going width-wise

• Then I cut another strip of paper at 1.5"x 6" and pleated it, but glued it to a 1.5" square piece of cardstock, so it remained square--see photo:

• I used a Sizzix "Ribbons" die for the zig-zag hanger (Line #1) and a piece of twine for the second hanger (Line #2). I added a twine bow just for fun.
• The greeting was heat-embossed using Versamark Ink and White Daisy embossing powder. You can create any word ("summer") using clear acrylic alphabet stamps; lining them up, and placing them in just the right place on your project is fool-proof, because they are see-through.

Its really easy to pleat paper, even if you don't have a Score-Pal or Martha Stewart Scoring Board. You can use your Fiskars paper trimmer (Z338), and scoring stylus (Z608). Simply put your paper strip under the trimmer arm, but instead of using the blade, run the scoring stylus down the recessed central track, marking a line on your paper. Move the paper along 1/4" and repeat.

See Page 86 in the CTMH Spring/Summer Idea Book for more ideas, like pleated paper flowers.

Don't forget to visit the H2H blog to enter your project in this week's challenge. Your creation must include SOME (but not 100%) CTMH products.

Happy creating!

Caroline

CTMH Products Used:

SuperHero Paper Pack:  X7152B (available through the end of July)

Colours:  Moonstruck, Cranberry, White Daisy, Sky, Black

Stamps: Express Postage--D1262 (retired)

               Friendship Alphabet Small C1401 (available through the end of July)

Versamark Inkpad: Z891

White Daisy Embossing Powder: Z673

Other Products:

Sizzix "Ribbons" long Sizzlet die

Denim twine from The Twinery

Inspired by #31...CHAIRS & Color Dare #7

Challenges, challenges, always great for stoking the creative fires!

This is the inspirational image this week, over at Inspired By Challenge. I love the eclectic collection of objects, but was especially taken by the differently coloured chairs, and the striped rug.
The challenge at this week's Color My Heart Color Dare  is to use secondary colours: green, orange & purple--pick two or use all three.
I used this Close-to-My-Heart stamp set, "Chairs to You" (D1456--I think its retired, but you may be able to find it through your CTMH consultant), which had the perfect kitchen chair image:

I stamped it three times in Pear, Goldrush and Creme Brulee, then coloured in the images with coordinating coloured pencils, and a water-based blending pen.  I used a Copic marker (W1) to add shadow on the "floor."

Love the dimension you can create with just a little shading!

I used glued some assorted ribbons across a piece of Olive card-stock to mimic the carpet. I thought of adding a greeting like: "Friends Always Welcome," or "Pull up a Chair," but decided to leave it alone.

I can always add something appropriate when the time comes to personalize and send it.
I am submitting this card to Inspired By Challenges #31, and Color My Heart Color Dare #7.

Thanks for stopping by!

CFC59: Round & Round and SSSC#162

The challenges this week at CAS-ual Fridays and Sweet Sunday Sketches happily overlap a little:

Here's the sketch:

The sponsor at CAS-ual Fridays is The Twinery; the challenge is to use TWO circles on your project.

I saw the following image on The Twinery website, around Father's Day: isn't it AWESOME?!

 I love the whole bacon idea because my sons follow a blog called "Epic Meal-time" where they create monster meals that almost always involve bacon and thousands of calories.  Anyway, I digress. All that to say, that many things inspired this card:

If bacon, why not eggs?  

I managed to include two circles (the plate and the egg yolk) and stuck to the sketch fairly closely, if you allow the fork to replace the flowers.

I punched out a one-inch circle and covered it with "Lemon-drop" twine. I free-hand cut the egg-white, outlined with "Flax" twine, and filled in with a fuzzy white fibre. I think the Twinery ought to include white twine in their inventory... Some "Canteloupe" twine wraps the card.

The fork was cut using "A Cuppa" template from Paper Wishes, from silver paper with some silver Perfect Pearls for added dimension. The DP (plate) is from Paper Wishes' "Soft Nostalgia" paper pack.

"Boing" alphabet stamps from CTMH, stamped in Juniper ink.

Off to visit Mr. Linky...

Happy creating!

Caroline

Patriotism--Heart 2 Heart Challenge--July 2nd

So you're probably wondering what winter images are doing on a Canada Day July 1st/4th of July American Independence Day challenge...?

The assignment to the Heart 2 Heart Challenges DT was to show our pride in our countries, in whatever way we liked.  One of the things our family looked forward to in returning to Canada last year was EMBRACING winter, which is known for its winter sports and activities.  So my lay-out features a some truly Canadian images, including skating on the Rideau Canal, here in Ottawa, Ontario.  Here's both pages:

Layout: "Secret" found in Jeannette Lynton's Magic.

These scrapbook pages were a lot of fun to put together in 30 C heat!  I used heat-embossing to give the title letters some "snow," by stamping the letters with dye-based ink, then quickly sprinkling white embossing powder on the top half and clear embossing powder on the bottom half of each letter. There were some interesting effects where the two powders fused together! Then I mounted them on layers of torn velum to mimic a snowbank. The lower edge of each photo was painted with Create-a-Shade Pearl Paint--yet more snow!

The maple-leaf and tree images were cut with the Cricut's "Art Philosophy" cartridge. I dressed up the trees a bit with some inking and baker's twine to make them stand out against that busy argyle background paper.

For me, there is never enough space on a lay-out for all the photos I want to include. I love the interactive ideas found in the Magic book for hiding photos for the "reader" to find.  In the original layout, a pocket is created for a CD of more photos. Given my winter theme, I decided to turn my hidden pocket into a winter parka, complete with functional zipper and draw-string pulls (more baker's twine). Sewing that zipper onto paper was a lot easier than making a fabric garment... The whole pocket is attached to the base page with foam tape on three sides, to give some depth to accommodate the extra photos.

I used my computer for the journalling, because I had a lot to include there, too. I changed the font colour for the words I wanted to high-light, and printed it out on more velum, backed with white paper so it would be seen against the red.

I had some splatter fun with a Spray Pen, too (more snow?) mixing the Pearl paint with grey re-inker and water.

Hope you enjoy(ed) your 1st and 4th!

Why not join in the challenge this week HERE, at Heart2Heart and share your patriotic photos and creations? Just remember to include some Close-to-My Heart products to participate.

Happy creating,

Caroline

CTMH Materials Used:
Paper Packet: Cruisin' X7154B (available through the end of July)
Colours: cranberry, black, grey wool, twilight, juniper card-stock, inkpads and re-inker
Alphabet Stamps: Rustic E1002 (available through the end of July only)
Embossing Powders: clear detail Z821 and white daisy Z673
Art Philosophy cartridge
Ribbon Rounds rick-rack Z1052
Baker's Twine neutral assortment Z1701
Opaque Adhesive Gems in Licorice Z1335
Create-a-Shade Pearl Paint Z1039
Spray Pen  Z1380
Other Materials:
Velum
zipper and sewing machine

Happy Canada Day 2012

Happy Canada Day to all family, friends and Canuck-o-philes!

My sister sent me an e-card this morning, with a moose in Royal Canadian Mounted Police gear, singing the Canadian national anthem.  So I added a little stetson to the moose from "Chubby Chum Pals" from Paper Smooches, for this card.  

Close up view of the Royal Canadian Moose.

Hat is cut from kraft paper, details added with markers.

Inside of card.  All sentiment stamps from Close to My Heart.

Enjoy your celebrations and check back here tomorrow, for my first post with Heart2Heart Challenges blog.

C.