Monthly Archives: May 2017
Hero Arts Kit Add on- Reef Die
When I got the June Hero Arts kit, I decided that I also needed the Add On product called the Reef Die. and the add on stencil from the April kit, although I don’t really know why…………..clever marketing by Hero Arts, probably. Anyway recently, I made a card using the kit itself along with the Reef die and the stencil. Even though the May kit came with an Ocean wave stencil that is amazing and perfect, I decided to use the graphic add on stencil that I got, which was designed to go with the Fashion Model April Kit. To add to the mystery, I also used yellow and green as the colours for the ocean. Somewhat surprisingly, I like the finished result. I used Nuvo blender brushes to put the colour through the stencil and was very happy with the light colour/ no hard edges that I find difficult to achieve with my usual sponge blending tool.
I am thinking it will be a birthday card, but I will only add a sentiment, which will be embossed on a vellum banner, when I have decided for sure.
Supplies: Hero Arts May kit, Reef die, and Diamond stencil. Papertrey Ink and Pretty Pink Posh clear drops, Wink of Stella, Hero Arts Dye Inks, Copic markers, Recollections embossing powder, Simon Says Stamp card base and Scor tape.
Papertrey ink Make it Monday #286
Today the challenge on Papertrey Ink is to use the same stamp and same colour scheme to create two different projects. I have dug out my embossing powders in the last few days so when I saw it being used in the challenge video, I thought I would incorporate that in my project too.
I have always liked the way dry embossing can dress up a card without taking over, so I picked out a very old Cuttlebug folder that I thought would go well with the butterflies of What the Doodle Butterflies.
It is actually hard to capture in a photo how different these cards do look, with the one being a one layer stamping only card, while the other is dimensional and quite intricate.
Dimensional Die Cut Card:
One layer card:
Lawn Fawn Summer Release
The Lawn Fawn Summer Release is now available and I definitely have “full set” syndrome about it. Virtually every product in this release is awesome, and I have been snapping up whatever, I have been able to grab.
I had a sneak peak of the stamp set and die that I am using today back at Creativation in January. I knew it was going to end up in my stash when it came out, as it was just SOOOOO cute.
You will note that just like in real life, it is virtually impossible to actually get the bear into the exit tube, but isn’t it fun to spend time, money and effort in trying to anyway!
Supplies: Lawn Fawn You’re Clawsome stamp set and die, Kaisercraft Teddy Bear’s Picnic patterned paper (a match made in heaven but no longer available), Scotch foam tape, Simon Says card base, Lawn Fawn Slider dies, Scor tape, Copic Markers and Recollections heart enamel dots.
Papertrey Ink May Bloghop
Today is bloghop day at Papertrey Ink. It is also the day that I decided to clean up and re-organize my craftroom for about the hundredth time. My current idea is to have the room look better while remaining organized and still having stuff “at the ready” should I wish to craft. It just so happens that changing the way I store my Papertrey Ink stuff was first on my list.
I can honestly say it looks much better now. The question is will I be able to actually find what I need, and will I be able to keep it neat. Time will tell.
The bottom shelf is all Papertrey Ink stamps and dies with the exception of the two book-like pink boxes. Subsequent to this photo, I added discreet labels to the boxes to tell me what type of stamps/dies are in each box.
During the re-org I came across the Doodlie Do stamp set, which I thought would work well with the Inspiration Photo. I like the look of the card……….the big question now is did I save a spot in one of the boxes to put away the stamp set.
Supplies: Papertrey Ink Doodlie Do stamp set, Copic markers, Nuvo drops. Stickles, Simon Says Stamp card base, Scor tape.
More Torture……..Make it Monday #285 Felt Flowers
Imagine my surprise, when I read the Make it Monday email yesterday. The challenge suggested that I use a hot glue gun to make some felt flowers for a project. If you read yesterday’s post you will know that I had my own shoot out at the Ok Corral with my hot glue gun and it was not me left standing when it was all over. I had been wanting to use some of the lovely felt that I recently got from Papertrey Ink though, so I was willing to risk using that vicious gun one more time. This time, I ended up with a burn upon a burn on one finger and another burn on the back of my hand. I definitely need more practice with this weapon of mass destruction.
When I got the flowers finished, I quite liked them but thought they were too large and too dimensional for a regular sized card. So then I decided to make a layout using them instead. I think it turned out quite well, but it definitely took longer than making a card.
Take a look!
Supplies: Papertrey Ink Friendly Flowers dies, Papertrey Ink What the Doodle Butterflies dies, Papertrey Ink 2016 die, Papertrey Ink Sprigs and Spruce dies, Papertrey Ink Felt, Taylored Expressions felt, My Minds Eye patterned paper, Dylusions white spray, Nuvo drops,
Heatfelt Creations
I’ll bet you thought I made a spelling error in the above title……………nope…………the title is heatfelt creations! Why you ask? Here is why:
I recently acquired the Classic Petunia Collection from Heartfelt Creations. So far so good. Emma Lou suggests that shaping the Petunia is made easier by the use of a hot glue gun. Her sound reasoning is that the deep dimension of the Petunia requires a glue that dries instantly so that you can glue the pieces of the Petunia together sometime in this lifetime, and move on to the rest of the card.
Here is where the trouble started. I realized very quickly that the Hot Glue Gun should be included in the registry of restricted weapons. It is truly out to hurt people. I should have realized that safety features were not front and center for a company designing a product to sell for two bucks at the Dollar Store, but come on people, this thing is truly vicious! It has these flimsy little feet on the bottom, with a regulation sized curled up electrical cord sticking out of the back. On what planet is that designed to sit up with out falling over and burning everything in sight. Even if you get the gun delicately balanced on its’ feet, the nozzle faces downward so liquid fire drips continuously out on to your desktop or project or fingers. So on to making the flowers. Unless I can quickly grow a third hand, this is a problem too. One hand, to hold the flower in the making. One hand to hold the fire leaking glue gun and oh oh, no hand to move one petal over to the other to actually glue them together. It is then that panic ensues and one finger instinctively moves over to force the two petals together. Yes Emma Lou is right, there is an instant bond…………..the petals…………..the molten glue……………..and your finger.
I calculated that I could make about four flowers before I ran out of fingers without Band-aids on them, so I carried on.
I realized then that it was a bit like childbirth……………….the result was worth the pain……………and you start thinking about your next project.
Hero Arts May Kit
Some weeks are just better than others, and this week was just the best! I was blessed enough to have another perfect grandson added to our family! Now I know I sound like Captain Obvious when I say this, but the birth of this amazing little child is truly a miracle! One can’t look at those perfectly formed little fingers and toes without tearing up at the wonder of it all. No fancy degree or lofty career or zeros in a bank balance can compare to the creation of this little life.
So you probably think I will post a baby card today………………….nope! I have been playing with my Hero Arts May kit and decided to post the card that resulted from the craft session.
Ocean backgrounds always seem to work. Whether I try for a realistic or cartoon like look, they seem to avoid the big round file. On this one I used the stencil included in the kit and Ombre Inks that I sponged on.
I see that I should not have been eating greasy Cheezies while photographing my card. Please do not adjust your screen, there really is smudgy fingerprints on the card frame, but this week nothing is going to bother me.
The Bird Cage Theatre
Sandra and I decided to visit The Bird Cage Theatre in Tombstone. Little did we know that “real ladies” would not go into this theatre with the tawdry history, They wouldn’t even be caught walking on that side of the street. Since our reputations were already sullied, we walked in.
We intended only to take a peek at the lobby area, but we were taken by how the place looked exactly as it was in 1889……………..dusty bullet hole filled theatre curtains and all. We had to see more.
Everything sits just as it was in 1889. Even the chairs used at the around the clock for years poker game, lay scattered on the floor as they were when the place was boarded up. The mortician’s table with its woven cane top sent shivers up my spine. So did the torturous looking dentist’s chairand the Black Moriah (hearse that took most of the dead to Boothill)
It was called the Bird Cage because of the suspended from the ceiling compartments that are visible on both sides of the theatre. It is from these compartments that the “ladies of the night” plied their trade. The tour guide said that “often the men were too otherwise occupied to remember to close the red velvet drapes on the compartment so the audience received two shows for the price of one.” Now, the guide looked old, but not 1889 old, so I am not so sure about the source of his information. No matter, it caused a visual in our heads which was worth the price of admission.
I could have made several pages just on this museum alone, but manged to pare it down to this two page layout.
I ended up in Boothill!
My Dad was a lover of western movies, so he was very aware of Tombstone, Arizona and the shootout at the OK Corral. He often said, “If I don’t watch out, I am going to end up in Boothill.” I always remembered that, so it was a special thrill for me to be able to actually see Boothill Graveyard.
Tombstone is a little over the top, but I enjoyed pretending to be living in 1881 for a few hours. My layout of Boothill was designed to be as fun and lighthearted as Tombstone itself.
I gave myself points for being able to use an old Tim Holtz gravestone die for the Journal card, tucked in the top of the first layout………………………double points actually………………because I used it on a non Halloween themed layout as well. These are the things I do to justify my rather large stash!
Richard Garay Stamps and Dies
I have already talked about how lucky I was to be able to attend Creativation in January when I was down in Phoenix. While there I was introduced to the products of Richard Garay for the first time. I was so happy to see the designs, as masculine looking products are fairly rare outside of Tim Holtz’ grunge themed stuff (which I also love). RG stuff is a more sophisticated “uptown” style.
Scrapendipity has been able to get some RG product in the store, and so I was able to make a couple of cards. While in Scrapendipity, the owner Selena, told me that a friend of ours was buying the “Socks” themed stamp and die because of a memory of her granddaughter. Apparently, when the granddaughter was learning to talk, she thought the stretchy things she put on her feet were called “sockson” because people were always telling her to put her “socks on”. I thought the story was cute, so set about fine tuning a card to make it feminine and to have it say “Get your socks on!” rather than “Knock your socks off!”.
I think both cards turned out well.
Supplies: Richard Garay RG Days stamp and die set, Authentique Rugged patterned paper, Lawn Fawn Rainbow plaid paper, Concord and Ninth Perfectly Penned Alphabet stamp set, Bo Bunny Autumn Song brads, American Crafts ribbon, Recollections cardstock, Dienamics Blueprint 27 die, various sequins, foam tape.
DebSelby
Maverick Muses 