Crafts 'n Things - Celebrate Dad!

For the ODBD Challenge post, please scroll down!

Last time, I shared a Mother's Day Card. This week, visit the Crafts 'n things Blog to see cards suitable for Father's Day! 

There is a tutorial for this card! Make sure you check it out, plus see more samples of Father's Day cards!

If you have not done so already, sign up for CnT Weekly, and check out the Online features and Aps!

Crafts 'n things is an amazing magazine, published six times a year. They publish ALL sorts of crafts, from card making to sewing, to beading, to everything in between! They have print AND digital access! Subscribe HERE.

Our Daily Bread Designs Challenge #155

It is time for the weekly Our Daily Bread Designs Challenge. I have been enjoying my guest DT spot the past two months! I am such a huge fan of this stamp company and so honored to be able to join the "Shining Light Crew"!

The Shining Light Challenge ODBDSLC155 is to make a project that incorporates sky or water.

I confess this challenge was super easy! I have several "ocean and boat" themed stamp sets from ODBD. The hard part was picking my paper!

I ended up rummaging through my stash of Graphic 45 papers and pulling out some On the Boardwalk. This was one of the first collections that I was given when I joined the G45 team in 2010. I still have some of it and thought it would work well with this stamp from the ODBD The Waves on the Sea set.

I stamped the boat image onto off-white cardstock. I then used several colors of chalk ink to smudge in some sky and water. This scene reminds me of the harbor near my home. We live 8 miles from the Pacific Ocean and there are fishing boats and pleasure boats tied up at our harbor all the time.

I "grunged"my paper a bit, just to give it that weathered feel.  I also found some ocean-themed die cuts templates in my stash. Happy day!

I stamped one of the sentiments from the stamp set on the inside of the card and give it a bit of pizazz with the wave paper and a lighthouse die cut.

I love reading this Scripture. I think there is nowhere else on earth where you feel God's awesome power more than by the sea! He is a mighty God and Creator. Amen.

For more inspiration for this challenge, please visit my DT sisters:

Jan Marie Ennenga
Audrey Hiltke 
Cathy McCauley 
Diana Nguyen 
Chris Olsen
Kathy Roney

To see all the creations in one place or join the challenge, click here.  You have until May 26th at 8pm EST to join us. You do not have to use an ODBD stamp to join in, but we would love to see them if you have them.  Plus, your card will only be featured in the top 3 if you use ODBD stamps.  Anyone, however, has a chance to win the $15 certificate toward ODBD stamps. We would love to see your creations. If you upload your creations to Splitcoast Stampers or any other online gallery, please use the keyword is ODBDSLC155.  When creating your posts on blogs please include a link to the challenge.

ODBD Stamps: The Waves on the Sea
Cardstock: WorldWin Paper ColorMates Heritage Black; Neenah Natural White
Designer paper: Graphic 45 On the Boardwalk: She Sells Seashells, By the Beautiful Sea, Coney Island
Ink: Clearsnap Colorbox Fluid Chalk Blue Lagoon, Deep Lagoon, Ocean; Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black
Die cuts: Spellbinders Labels Seventeen, Nautical
Twine: Really Reasonable Ribbon
Mini gear: Tim Holtz Idea-ology
Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L foam squares; Scotch 3M ATG tape; Aleene's Tacky Glue

Graphic 45 French Country Altered Box Mini

Some of my all-time favorite things to make are mini albums. I especially like to make them from "junk." (Or, is that "junque"?) 

A few months ago, I used a "drawer" from a Graphic 45 8x8 Altered Art Matchbook Box for a shadowbox, but I had kept the "box" portion. I did not want to toss it out. (Let's face it; I hoard!) I was wondering what to do with it and decided it would make a super cool cover for a mini album. Well, I got stuck on how to make the spine. (I had done this once before, but never wrote it down!). And then Sharon and Susan from the 2012 G45 team both helped me out! Sharon made a very nice altered book HERE and Susan shared how to create a spine HERE. And I was "unstuck" and ready to roll again!

I am so happy I kept the box. I turned the box portion into a mini album. I used 12x12 French Country papers and embellishments to make a cute 8x8 mini. (Please note that you may need 3-4 sheets of some of the prints to create this mini album. Feel free to substitute other papers.)

To create this album, follow the directions below.

1. Cut the box apart so that you have a front cover and a back cover, each measuring slightly larger than 8x8 inches.

2. Place strong adhesive on the two interior edges as shown.

3. Create a cardstock spine. Cut black cardstock to 8 1/4 x 12 inches. Score the long edge at: 1", 1 1/2" 2 1/4", 3", 3 1/2", 4 1/4", 5", 5 1/2", 6 1/4", 7", 7 1/2", 8 1/4", 9",9 1/2", 10 1/4", 11". Fold the cardstock in a fan-fold method. Glue the 3/4" sections together to form "tabs." Glue the spine to the covers as indicated.

4. Flip the book over and place strong adhesive on the spine.

5. Trim cardstock to 8 1/2 x 2 5/8 inches and attach to the cardstock spine. Make sure there is a gap between the covers and the spine to allow the album to close.

6. Trim Graphic 45 French Country Sunflower paper to 8 1/2 x 4 inches and cover the spine.

7. Cover the font of the album with Promenade paper, cut to 8 1/2 x 8 inches. Trim out the center. Decorate the cover as desired, using French Country Cardstock Banners, Chipboard Tags, Cardstock Flowers, and various image cut from the papers.

8. Cover the back with Promenade paper cut to 8 1/2 x 8 1/4 inches. Decorate the back and spine as desired.

9. To see a tutorial for creating the paper flower click HERE.

10. Using the spine "tabs," you may attach up to 5 pages to your album (10 sides).

11. Decorate the inside front cover with Promenade paper. Cut out the center. Add a ticket sticker to the top center. 

12. To make the pages studier, attach each right-hand page to a piece of kraft cardstock. For page one, cut Montage paper to 8x8 inches and attach to the spine tab. Add stamped images and other French Country embellishments. Place a black, 5x5 inch photo mat in the center of the page.

13. Attach 8x8 inch reverse Sunflower paper to the back of page one to form page two. Add a strip of Sunflower 8x1 inch Sunflower paper to the left edge. Glue the page to the spine tab. Attach the sunflower list image from the A La Carte paper and other embellishments to the page.

14. For pages 3 and 4 use one Regular and one Large Tag Album Staples. Spray both tags with a selection of glimmer mist. Used paper scraps to create a pocket on the large tag. Assembled one of the French Country Cardstock Tags and Pockets and attached it to the small tag. Tie ribbon through the holes in the tags. Adhere the tags to the spine tabs. Glue the large tag to the front of the tab and the smaller tag to the back, creating page 4.

15. Spray and decorated the back of the tags. Add a 3 1/2 x 5 inch photo mat to the larger tag.

16. Each tag has a place for journaling or a spot for a photograph.

17. For page 5, cut Sunflower paper to 8x8 inches and attach to the tab. Add a landscape 7 x 5 inch photo mat. To create dimension for the Cardstock Stickers, attach them to a scrap of chipboard, then glue them in place.

18. Use the reverse of the French Country paper, cut to 8x8 inches, for page 6. Add a 6x6 inch photo mat to the center. Decorate with chipboard elements.

19. Cut Bonjour paper to 8x8 inches and attach to the tab for page 7. Trim out the Good Luck image from A La Carte paper. Stamp images and add a ticket sticker to the center of the journaling block. (The rooster stamp is from My Favorite Things.)

20. Create a pocket for page 8. Attach Bon Appetit paper, cut to 8x8 inches to the back of page 7. Cut Sunflower paper (I used a sheet from an 8x8 pad as I ran out of the 12x12) to 3 x 8 inches. Attach on three edges to make a pocket.

21. Tuck images cut from the various papers into the pocket. You can also use tags from the Cardstock Tags and Pockets sheet. I also decorated another Regular Tag Album Staples tag.

22. For page 9, cut Rendezvous paper to 8x8 inches and attach to the spine tab. Add a 6 x 4 inch photo mat and decorate as desired.

23. To create page 10, trim the reverse of Sunflower paper to 4 x 8 and attach to the bottom of page 9. Trim Promenade paper to 3 x 8 inches and attach to the top of the page. Trim a strip of Sunflower paper 1 1/2 x 8 inches and attach to the center. Add a 7 x 5 inch photo mat. Decorate as desired.

24. Cut Sunflower paper to 8 1/2 x 8 1/4 inches and attach to the inside back cover. Add an image cut from A La Carte paper and attach to the center of the paper.

If you have any questions, please email me. For a printable version of this tutorial, please click HERE. Thanks for looking!

Graphic 45 paper (12x12 and 8x8):

French Country: French Country, Sunflower, Promenade, Rendezvous, Bon Appetit, Bonjour, A La Carte, Montage

Graphic 45 French Country Chipboard Tags, Stamps, Cardstock Stickers, Cardstock Banners, Cardstock Flowers, Cardstock Tags and Pockets

Graphic 45 A Ladies' Diary stamps

Graphic 45 Staples: Altered Art Matchbook Box Staples (8x8), Tag Album (Regular and Large)

Cardstock: WorldWin Papers ColorMates Heritage Black, Light Totally Tan, Kraft

Other Stamps: Stampin' Up! (library card); My Favorite Things Life's Direction (rooster)

Stencil: My Favorite Things Mix-ables Mini Chicken wire

Ink: Clearsnap Colorbox Fluid Chalk Chestnut Roan, Creamy Brown, Butterscotch, Bisque; Tsukineko Memento Rich Cocoa, Tuxedo Black

Mist: Ranger Dylusions Fresh Lime; Ranger Color Wash Sunset Orange

Brads: unknown

Silk flower: unknown

Trims: May Arts

Postage edge scissors: Provo Craft

Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L foam squares; Scotch 3M ATG tape; Aleene's Tacky Glue

Color Challenge

One of my Inspired by Stamping design team duties is to play in two challenges per month. I get to pick the challenges and the stamps that I want to use. 

This week I chose to play along in the Designed to Color Challenge #12. I am a big fan of color challenges and of coloring! For this challenge I had to color an image and follow the color scheme below.

Not an easy color scheme by any stretch of my creative mind! I see peach, pale green, aqua, blue-green, deep purple or black, and pale purple. 

I chose to color flowers from the Spring Blossoms collection as my colored image. The style of one of the flowers in the set matched the flower in the inspiration photo, so I stamped a bunch using a masking technique. 

The hardest part was finding paper to match the rest of the color scheme! I decided to root through my bin of 6x6 Basic Grey pads and found a few that seemed to work. I ended up using papers from three different pads.

I colored my image with Copic markers to match the inspiration photo. Once the ink had dried, I used a white pen to put some dots on each bloom. Then, I cut the image out with a label die and sponged on some ink that matched the lightest blue in the scheme.

I chose a sentiment from the Big Notes III set for the inside of the card. I don't like making sympathy cards, but I always need them, so I try to make a few when I can. It is hard to know what sort of imagery will comfort someone. I hope that whomever gets this card will feel blessed by it.

For more inspiration:

IBS Blog (Joanna's Blog)

IBS Website (for shopping!)

IBS Facebook Page

Stamps: Inspired by Stamping Spring Blossoms, Big Notes III
Die cuts: Spellbinders Labels Four; My Favorite Things Fishtail Flag Stax and Layers
Cardstock: WorldWin Papers ColorMates Heritage Black; Copic Xpress It White
Designer paper: Basic Grey Marrakech, Marjolaine, Kioshi
Ink: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black; Clearsnap Colorbox Fluid Chalk Blue Lagoon
Markers: Copic alcohol markers; Sakura Gelly Roll white pen
Ribbon: unknown
Adhesive: Scotch 3M ATG tape runner; Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L foam squares; Glue Dots adhesive dots

Little Darlings Altered Box

(If you are looking for the Really Reasonable Ribbon Challenge, please scroll down.)

I am in my last month as part of the Graphic 45 Design Team, and have a few more projects to turn in. I made this 12x12 altered box this past week as one of my May assignments. 

I used a Graphic 45 Altered Art Matchbook Box Staples (12 x 12 size) to create a dimensional scrapbook "page." I love making dimensional pages, and I am the first to admit that they really don't fit into my albums very well. I have started to create more pages that I can place into shadowboxes rather than into scrapbooks. I decided that the 12 x 12 matchbook box was perfect for altering into a scrapbook "page" suitable for hanging on the wall or placing on a table.

Before attaching my paper, I painted the edges of the box with white gesso. Any edges or corners that show will be white, to match the sweet Little Darlings and Secret Garden papers that I chose.

I painted all the Graphic 45 metal staples and most of the chipboard elements with white gesso also. 

Since my box is not designed to open, I only decorated the edges that show. I did cover all the surfaces on the inside of the box with gesso and paper. Anyone peeking inside the box will see a fully decorated box.

I added a photo mat to the inside of the box. Since I am not keeping this box for myself, I did not add a photo. I adore the chipboard phrase "A Mother's Love Lasts a Lifetime." 

I did not paint the chipboard sentiment with gesso before spraying with chalkboard glimmer mist. I got a rich, blue color on the chipboard with that technique. The chipboard clock was painted and then just lightly pressed onto some paper towel that I had sprayed with the chalkboard mist. I has just a bit of color, plus some pattern from the paper towel! 

Once I had all of my surfaces of the box covered with paper, I began to glue flowers and other embellishments to the front of the box. I broke my "no flowers for boy projects" rule this time! Since this is a baby project, I thought some sweet white and blue flowers would be perfect.

I tucked painted metal Staples, crystal pins, and postage images in with the flowers. 

The wood butterflies started out a tan color, but I painted them with gesso and sprayed them with the chalkboard mist.

The "new baby" chipboard sentiment was "raw chipboard" that I sprayed with the mist.  I also added a clear glass bottle and some wire "spirals" to the box. I pretty much  keep gluing stuff on until it looks "right."

I had such fun creating this box. Now I have to decide who to give it to! I know a few folks you would love to have it.... {wink}

Graphic 45 Paper:
Little Darlings: Bundle of Joy, New Arrival, Baby Borders, Lullaby
Secrete Garden: Posy Patch, April Showers

Graphic 45 Staples:
Altered Art Matchbook Box (12 x 12), Ornate Metal Keys, Ornate Metal Key Holes, Metal Brads, Ornate Metal Door Plate

Other supplies:
Lace: Really Reasonable Ribbon
Flowers: Wild Orchid Crafts
Butterflies: Prima
Pins: Maya Road
Chipboard: Imaginarium Designs
Die cut shapes: Sizzix Tim Holtz Alterations Weathered Clock, Elegant Flourishes
Wire: unknown
Chalkboard mist: Tattered Angels Peacock
Cardstock: WorldWin Papers ColorMates Heritage White; Bazzill Lakeshore
Gesso: Liquitex
Glass bottle: Tim Holtz Idea-ology
Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L foam squares; Scotch 3M ATG tape; Aleene's Tacky Glue; Beacon Fabri-tac, 3 in 1 Glue

Really Reasonable Ribbon Challenge #72

It is time again for a Really Reasonable Ribbon Challenge! The NEW Challenge is to make a project using the colors red, white, and blue, plus ribbon!

I love red, white, and blue! I also love the 4th of July and all things patriotic! I made a card, with a large, faux postage stamp. I love the stamped image of the children saluting the flag. I stamped them with white ink then embossed with white embossing powder. I trimmed the image with a postage stamp shaped die template. I stamped and embossed the "13 cents" image as well and added postage cancellation with watermark ink. 

I also dug into my stash and used a star embossing folder, and (it is a miracle) I used a new die template that I just purchased the other day: the starry circle! If that wasn't enough of a shock, did you notice that I used all SMOOTH cardstock?! I just got two huge boxes of lovely, smooth cardstock from WorldWin Papers. Oh boy!

I used some ribbon from the RRR May Ribbon Club, the Stitched Sheer Satin Ombre Red, to wrap around the card and tie a bow. I tied some Air Mail Baker's Twine through the holes in the button. I think I have every color of baker's twine that RRR sells. Love that stuff.

I had fun making this project. It makes my little ole patriotic heart go pitter pat! {grin}

Thanks for looking! Visit the RRR Blog to see the other entries...and to enter your own project!

Cardstock: WorldWin Papers ColorMates Smooth Light Berry Red, Deep Ocean Blue, Heritage White
Designer paper: Jillibean Soup Christmas Eve Chowder; Authentique Original
Stamps: Stampers Best My Country; Hampton Art/Jillibean Soup Irish Farm House Soup; Hampton Art/Graphic 45 A Ladies' Diary; Close to My Heart Vintage Post Card
Ink: Clearsnap Top Boss Watermark; Stampin' Up! Whisper White
Embossing powder: Hampton Art
Embossing folder: Cuttlebug Stars
Stickers: Authentique Glory Elements
Ribbon: Really Reasonable Ribbon
Die cuts: My Favorite Things Fishtail Flag Stax and Layers, Postage Stamp Stax; Memory Box Starry Wreath
Button: unknown
Adhesive: Scotch 3M ATG; Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L foam squares; Glue Dots adhesive dots