Keep Calm and Hop On

Today I went out of my comfort zone to create a mini canvas. The 5 challenges I entered today required and Easter theme (Stampin Dragon Designz) with a humorous twist, clean, simple design that was NOT a card (CAS-ual Fridays), pastel colors and ribbon (3 Girl JAM) and buttons (Craftin' Desert Diva's). The challenge is freestyle at Hiding in My Craft Room - HIMCR. Hopefully you will play along. Here are the links:

• CAS-ual Fridays - CFC96 Funny Bunny
• 3 Girl JAM Challenge #15 Pastel with Ribbon
• HIMCR #91
• Stampin Dragon Designz - Easter challenge
• Craftin Desert Diva's Craft it up; link it up party #3

Because this project was out of my wheel house it caused my creativity to soar! I used all new materials and techniques. First of all, this is way too small. I usually create A2 cards or 12x12 layouts. Smaller = stress for me. However, I challenged myself to make this without becoming stressed. Pre-planning and then letting my imagination run wild as I was creating were key.

The first step to creating this project was stamping the bunny. I wanted him to be blurry a little to show motion. He is hopping into a cartwheel. Then I stamped the same image on cardstock, cut it out and adhered it to the stamped image on my canvas (masking). Then I used a stippling brush to layer color on the canvas to make the background.

Once the background was the way I desired, I used a small portion of a flower stem stamp to create the grass at the bottom of the canvas. I inked the stem and lightly (yet randomly) stamped it several times before re-inking. The light and dark parts help to create depth. Adding the clouds (one half on the right and the other half of the stamp on the left) in the same ink as the sky worked well. The sentiment was supposed to say keep calm and shop on. However, I removed the ink from the "S" with a Q-tip. I was feeling very cleaver.... All that was left to do was remove the mask, add the button, ribbon, twine and chipboard button. In strategic places I added double-sided tape to hold the ribbon still.

Supplies:

1. Artist's Loft primed wooden cradle board 1" (4 x 4")
2. stamps - bunny and grass: Sandylion girl clear stamps, clouds: Recollections Fun Borders, Sentiment: Stampin' Up! Carry On
3. Ink - Technique Tuesday green chalk ink, TPC Studio Clearly Better Green Ink pad, Clear and Simple Stamps Hybrid ink perfect black dress, paint the town pink, Simply Blue-tiful
4. Ribbon/Twine: Stampin' Up! Marina Mist striped grosgrain ribbon 1 1/4", Mon Ami Gabby Couture Accents twine
5. Buttons: Chipboard patterned button and mini blue button - stash
6. Stippling brush
7. Adhesives: Zots glue dots, Scotch ATG, Scotch double-sided tape

La-Vie

Zora's Password Journal LO

 

I am enjoying participating in challenges! It's taking me out of my style, comfort zone and allowing me to get things done I would've pushed to the back burner! Won't you join me? Although the deadline is fast approaching there is still time to jump in!

 

This layout of my daughter Zora is my entry into the sketch challenge at Scrap Africa and the color challenge at Color Me Scrappy challenge blogs. Zora is my muse - the reason I started scrapbooking -  but I do not often scrap about her because her younger brother is who I'm scrapping these days. And, my first attempts at scrapbooking were horrible but so sentimental that I cannot move forward or go back. Have you ever felt like that? Well, today I am breaking the cycle and scrapping about my dear daughter. Now that's she old enough to ask for specific gifts, she asked for the Password Journal. Her aunt and uncle surprised her with it for Christmas last year. Here's her precious face after discovering the surprise.

 

 

 Supplies

• Bazzill white, brown, green cardstock
• Sandylion, Kelly Panacci Pink Mini Dots patterned paper
• Top note: Cricut Cartridge - Storybook  cut at 2.75"
• picture printed at 5x7 size and cut with Creative Memories circle cutter with the 5" circle and the red blade
• Photo mat - cut with Creative Memories circle cutter with the 5" circle and the green blade
• Flowers - Jolee's dimensional stickers
• leaves, hand drawn and hand cut
• pen - zig millennium black
• eBosser to emboss the 12x12 white cardstock with the delicate dots folder

Crafty tips - if you don't have time to wait for the picture to dry, use your heat gun to speed the drying process. To emboss a 12x12 sheet in the eBosser fold the cardstock at the 8 1/2" mark. Feed through one way and then turn it around and run it through the other way. It will not pass completely through the machine due to the thickness. half your page will be embossed and half will be debossed. It's a neat look that most people will not even notice.

Color Me Scrappy color palate

Scrap Africa Sketch for Challenge #32

Wish me luck!!!!!!!

La-Vie