CPC Sketch Tuesday #37

I hope you enjoy my sketch today! This is Christian Paper Crafts Sketch #37. Make sure to load your projects up to the CPC Gallery and drop us a line at the CPC Message Board. You can also post here on the blog to let me know you've played along this week. If you load to another gallery, make sure to use keywords CPCST37.

Feel free to make a card, scrapbook layout, or other project with the sketch. I made a card again this week. And I did tweak the sketch a bit. Funny, now I do that even with my own sketches! It's so different designing on the computer vs creating something with paper and bits and bobs!

I used October Afternoon paper from a past Apron Strings Designs kit. The mulberry flowers are MOSD. The flower stamp is Inkadinkado and the sentiment is Hero Arts. I used Kaleidacolor creole spice ink for the flower. I always forget about those pads!

I have finally figured out how to do paper piercing! Someone told me to use my Coluzzle mat and a decorative pin. I tried it and it worked like a charm! So thanks whomever told me this tip!

Here is a catch-up card for you. This is for the Stamps and Smiles/Our Creative Corner sketch (SASSC45) and also for 365 Cards Day 300 (Let it Snow). Pam said to create a paper snowflake. So I used the Cricut Expression and the Joys of the Season cartridge to make a few snowflakes.

The paper is all bits of this and than leftover from Christmas card making. I also found the cream glitter paper in my stash. Working with die cuts has never been my strong suit, but it turned out ok.

I think I will send this card to my oldest brother, Don, who turns 61 on Friday (1/1). He gave me my very first hand-made card! When I was 2 or so, he was on-board ship during the Vietnam War and he drew me a birthday card and mailed it to me. He wrote "Happy Birthday from your Big Brother, who is so far away." I still have it! So, we can blame him for my card-making obsession! So happy birthday to YOU Big Brother, you are still so very far away!

You will want to stay tuned here for some sneak peeks of the January Apron Strings Designs Card Kit! I am one of the Card Sous Chefs for 2010. I will be designing with the kit every other month. I am also working with Lori to include some extra surprises in future kits! Make sure you drop by the ASD blog too, for extra inspiration!

365 Cards - Day 303

Here we are folks! My last 2009 365 Cards Monday Challenge! (Stop panicking...I'll be back in 2010 with more Monday Challenges! I'll be around for AT LEAST 9 or 10 more Mondays! Then we'll see if Pam boots me off the DT for being cheeky!) For Day 303 Pam has asked us to use at least 3 flourishes on our card. Well, I got a little crazy with the flourishes, and made a collage card!

I almost tossed this card and made a new one. It's not what I had envisioned when I started out. But, since I had to have this turned in before Christmas, I just let it go and sent it off to Pam! I used some flourish heart paper I found in my stash, but stamped all over it with several other stamps and ink colors. Making a bit of a mess, actually. I then stamped the main image (Autumn Leaves) onto the Pink Paislee notepaper, and the tickets onto kraft paper. (The ticket stamps are Lost Coast Designs and Inkadinkado.)

I jazzed it all up with some pins and some Prima flowers and pearls. At any rate, there are flourishes galore on this card!

I hope you come visit me tomorrow for my CPC sketch challenge and sample. And remember, the My Lifetime Story challenges at Faith Sisters will begin January 6th. I have my page finished for that and I must say, it turned out FANTASTIC! Even my dh was impressed!

365 Cards Sketchy Sunday 12/27

I hope everyone had a Happy and Joyous Christmas! We had a lovely day. We got a Wii for the whole family to enjoy - and boy are we having a blast with it! I am not one for "video games" but I am loving the Wii. We've been playing endless bowling, archery, and tennis! My arm is sore! The kids got me an i-top brad maker tool so I'll be showing you some stuff with that later in the week.

It's time now for the 365 Cards Sketchy Sunday Challenge. The last one of 2009! My, how time flies! Here is Pam's sketch:

I thought this one was fun to do. I've been doing a lot of cards with circles, and since I love my Nestie circle dies...I was happy to do another!

I stamped some vintage images (Stampin' Up and Tim Holtz) with brown ink. I edged everything with some distress ink. The paper is Pink Paislee (Mistletoe & Company) from the December Apron Strings Designs small kit. This paper is made in the USA and printed with soy inks. How cool is that?! It's also cool that this paper is not overly Christmas-themed, so I could use it for a card that was not for the holidays.

The greeting is Inkadinkado, cut with a Nestie label die.

Have fun with this last sketch of 2009. Come back tomorrow for my very last Monday Challenge of 2009! If you want to play along, make sure you go to the 365 Cards blog and use Mr. Linky!

MOSD Christmas Traditions Mini

Merry Christmas Everyone! I hope you all have the Peace of the Lord today. May you spend the day celebrating our Lord's birth and enjoying goodwill toward men!

I typed this on the 23rd, so don't think I've sneaked away from my family to blog! But I do want to show you what I made for my MOSD project for December. You'll notice there are no photos in my mini yet...but you know how I am about making stuff and then waiting dog's years to actually put photos in them!

I used pages from the MOSD Build-a-Book set. These are 6x6 shaped and square pages that you can mix and match to create your own custom book! I used 3 clear squares, 2 large scallop chipboard pages, 2 half circle chipboard pages, and 1 chipboard square. I used a mix of papers and products for this album. Plus, lots of glittery items and buttons and flowers. Take a peek!

Here is the cover. I painted the edges of all the clear pages with acrylic paint and Stickles. I attached a piece of double sided paper to the clear cover using Xyron adhesive.

Here is a view of the shaped pages.

And a top view.

Page 1: You can see the back of the cover paper through the clear acrylic. I added a rub-on directly onto the acrylic page.

Page 2:

Page 3:

Page 4:

Page 5:

Here is an overlay transparency that I added for some extra visual interest. I trimmed it to 6x6 and then punched holes with the Bind-it-All.

Page 6 is clear, so you can see Page 8 peeking through:

Here is the flip side, Page 7:

Page 8: I used neutral paper for my photo mats.

Page 9: My friend Jacquie cut this large music note from chipboard. It was a piece of clip art she printed off the computer. I attached the black dotted Swiss Bazzill to it to jazz it up.

Page 10:

Page 11:

Page 12:

Page 13:

Back cover:

I bound the album with the Bind-it-All and tied on lots of festive ribbons.

I hope you are inspired to create your own mini album this year. Blessed Christmas!

She Scraps!

I told you that I scrapbook! I've been taking a bit of a break from it this year, but I hope you will see more layouts and mini albums in the coming year.

I wanted to show you this is a 6x12 album that I made about a year ago, then never added photos, journaling, or the finishing touches to it! I am FAMOUS for making layouts and mini albums and then never adding photos! I have a plan for my scrapbook retreat in February: Take all the "empty" albums and layouts, a stack of photos, and some adhesive to the retreat and get those photos scrapped!

I finally finished this album to be a Christmas gift for my mother. It's in the mail heading for Pennsylvania as I type! Don't worry. Mom does not have Internet so her surprise won't be ruined!

I used papers and pre-printed images from a Story Tellers Club kit I received as part of a design team. I, naturally, added some lumpy bits and some stamping to "jazz it all up." Here is the cover. (For a larger view, click on each photo.)

It is a challenge sometimes to find photos in the right sizes when you make the album first. But, with Photoshop and an Epson printer...it's not so bad!

I tried to use photos from the past few years, so that my mom would have a current snap-shot of the kids. She only sees them about once every two years, so they grow fast!

I included a few photos of just dh and me!

And some of our last few vacations.

Check out all those yummy Prima and Petaloo flowers!

This shot is of my three older brothers, my oldest son, and my husband (from the left: brother Lawrence, son Nathan, husband Matt, brothers Richard and Don). By sheer accident they all put on red shirts one morning. They had planned to go to the Gun Club and I guess felt they needed to wear red...to look like targets? Who knows! This was the first time my son had a chance to hang out with his uncles since he was a little boy! They had a blast doing manly stuff.

This page shows Laura's Confirmation ceremony from June. She worked so hard and has such a heart for Christ and a servant attitude for our church! Below is a photo shoot from summer 2008.

And from the San Diego State Fair.

This next page was "fun" to try to do. Why did I think tiny photos would be a good idea?!

And the end. The photo of Nathan is his from his graduation photo shoot that I did when we were in Hawaii in May '09. He did not want to smile because of his braces!

I hope you enjoyed this scrappy day on my blog. If you have time to come back on the weekend, you will see ANOTHER scrappy project!

CPC Sketch Tuesday #36

I am enjoying creating the sketches for the Christian Paper Crafts Sketch Tuesday Challenge! I am a computer nerd under all my crafty ways! My son loves watching me figure out how to work Photoshop. (Ok, he loves to LAUGH at me!) So, here is the sketch for today. If you play along at CPC, make sure to use keyword ST36 so we can find your work. If you play at another gallery, use keyword CPCST36. Make sure to drop us a line at CPC message board to say you played along!

I made this sketch with a scrapbook page in mind. But when push came to shove, there was no way I had time to make a page layout for today! So I made a card. (And yes, you nay-sayers! I do scrapbook...sometimes! LOL) I made the card to go along with 365 Cards Day 297 - which says to make a card with a spring or summer theme!

I used this super cute Sassafras paper. I love the pinks and teals, with the brown and white. So yummy.

I cut three tags with a Sizzix die, then stamped three different messages on them. I edged each tag with pink chalk ink, and added a glittery brad. (I think I may be over my glitter-hating days!)

This brown gingham ribbon was part of a packaging for something, and I still had some left. I really wish I could find a roll of this stuff! It's nice and wide, and just a tad stiff, so it's easy to work with. I tied a big bow, then added a button and some string.

I hope you are enjoying these Tuesday sketches. Make sure you play along at CPC! I am sure everyone there would love to see your work! Click here for the forum! You can also see the older sketches, if you need more inspiration.

365 Cards Day 296

For the Monday Challenge at 365 Cards (Day 296) we are to make a wreath. I decided to make my wreath with punch art. I used to do a lot of this sort of thing a long time ago. It's clear to me why I stopped...fooling with all those little bits and all that glue...not so fun with my older eyes! But I did get to play with my brand new Martha Stewart branch punch. I have looked the world over for that punch and finally found one at Walmart. When I was supposed to be buying groceries! (sshhhhh)

Click on the photos for a larger view. It's hard to see all the tiny bits in these small photos.

I cut a circle with my Nesties, then built the wreath on top of it. I used the following punches: leaf, branch, snowflake, swirl, star, cross, ribbon. I stamped the Studio G sentiment in the center.

The red paper is Basic Grey. The green paper had no marking on it as to who made it. It's very pretty and if anyone knows the manufacturer...let me know. The pearls are Recollections. I think I got the red ric-rac at the LSS.

I'll be back tomorrow with the Christian Paper Crafts Sketch Tuesday challenge.

ETA: I also played in the Practical Scrappers challenge for this week - anything Christmas. And this is one card that sure uses SCRAPS!

365 Cards Sketchy Sunday 12/20

I am actually typing this up on Saturday night, because I plan to be in church this morning. I pray this stupid cold does not keep me home. Today is our special music service called the Cantata. I look forward to it every year. I had to miss my dh and ds perform "Silent Night" on Wednesday. I was really bummed. But they may get to do it again on Christmas Eve, so that makes me happy! My son composed the music and I am so proud of him. My husband brings you to tears with his amazing voice. And he's cute! (wink)

Ok, enough of that! Here is Pam's sketch for 365 Cards Sketchy Sunday.

I took some major liberties with this baby! But...sometimes you get an idea and have to run with it! I need all of you to sit down before you peek at this card, however...because...I used LOOSE GLITTER! GASP! You know I must have been under the influence of medication....or some of Pam's "special" coffee!

I started out with this glittery piece of Best Creation paper - they make all sorts of Christian-inspired paper. I love the glittery poinsettias on this paper. So I added glitter to the sentiment by dipping the edges of the paper in glue, then pouring on the loose glitter. I did the same for the flowers...brushed a thin coat of glue and poured on glitter. Oh yeah. I had glitter EVERYWHERE!

The brad is pre-glittery...Doodlebug I think. I've had bad luck getting glitter to stick to brads. I have better luck with the glittery embossing powder.

The cute image is Close to My Heart. I colored it with Stampin' Up markers. I edged the circle with brown and blue chalk in. I love my Nesties. I use them for almost every card. I'd "die" without them. Get it?! Snort giggle.

This card is also for the Play Date Cafe color challenge: blue, gold, cream.

Check back tomorrow for my Monday challenge. It was a hard one! I was pretty sticky when I finished....