Wednesday, March 27, 2013

A Fish Tale ATC

After sitting on the sidelines for about a year, I finally entered a challenge at the Everything Wendy Vecchi Yahoo Group.  The Making Art Challenges use Wendy's stamps.  This entry is for the MAC 6 challenge to use leaves and something green.  

I planned to make this before I left town but didn't; then my return was delayed due to the huge snowstorm in central Illinois.  To complicate things, I posted an entry, then decided I didn't like it, so did another and got it posted just at the deadline.



My entry is an ATC because it also is for our 3 for 3 ATC Swap over at the EWV Yahoo Group.  We are to follow the same guidelines as for the challenge:  something green and leaves.  Since I had all my fish embossed and fussy cut and all the leaves stamped and cut, it wasn't too hard to quickly change my background to something I liked better.

Yes, tale is a play on words!  You are so clever to catch that!

Materials:

Stampers Anonymous stamps:
Studio 490 Art By the Number (leaves from flower)
Studio 490 Art For Men (fish)

DCWV Linen paper pack (blue paper for fish)
Versa Mark clear stamp pad
Ranger Fine Silver embossing powder
Turquoise embossing powder
foam pop dots

DCWV Summer Dream paper pack (turquoise green for ATC)
Cuttlebug embossing folder


Ranger Iced Spruce Distress Ink (leaves, word strips and embossed swirls)
Black ric rac trim from stash
Computer generated word strips

Friday, March 22, 2013

My Gecko Galz Spring Fling Project

This is my design team spring fling project for Gecko Galz

(In review from my March 1st post
Just like our Valentines, each design team member's project is featured on the Gecko Galz website complete with instructions and a special Gecko Galz product offer.  So be sure to visit Gecko Galz every two days this month.  Two days after the end of the viewings, you will be able to vote for your favorite.  Voting will be open for one week.)

You may think this is a summer scene. But it looks like spring to me. One spring we followed my son's college baseball team to Florida to watch him play in a tournament during spring break. What could be better than leaving a Midwest winter behind to head to a Florida beach?

Capturing in a Jar that Spring Break at a Florida Beach 

Using these collage sheets from Gecko Galz:
Inside jar: woman from Bathing Beauties Hanging from side of jar:  Florida Water label from Vintage Labels Circle label on top of jar: Ephemera Days collage sheet

Using shells I collected during my trips to Florida




Please visit Gecko Galz today to see details on how I created this beach in a jar and to take advantage of today's product special. 

Monday, March 18, 2013

In the Garden

I am so pleased to announce that I am the first Guest Designer at the Craft Room.  Thank you so much for this opportunity!

The challenge theme is In the Garden--Anything but a Card.  Won't you join me there with your own creation?

Something a little different from me this time around.  I usually do vintage in beige/brown, cream, pink or blue and with really old images.

But I was drawn to this Gecko Galz image of a mom and her daughter in the garden. I was born mid-century and this image reminded me of my childhood.  So I went with bolder colors.



I started with a jeans pocket that I cut from a discarded pair of blue jeans.  I glued it onto heavy cardboard in order to make a wall hanging.  It's so loaded down that you may not be able to find the blue jean pocket underneath, but at least this explains its shape. 

Even though I was working with denim, I didn't want a country or western theme.  I wanted to evoke the 1950's era of gingham checks, eyelet trim, chiffon scarves, cuffed denim jeans, bobby socks and sneakers. (I really think the white picket fence concept is from an earlier era--but here it is since it's in the background of the image.).  It was a time of transition from make do garden tools and WWII Victory gardens to a booming economy of tract home subdivisions with lots of new concrete sidewalks, black and white television, TV dinners on aluminum foil trays that you put in the oven (no  microwaves yet), a telephone line that wasn't a party line (what's a cell phone?) and S&H green stamps to redeem for something special.

Here is my paper crafted version of my memory:



Materials Used:

Gecko Galz How Does My Garden Grow collage sheet:  words, seed packet image (which I tore at the top); Gather Ye Rosebuds collage sheet: gardening image
Retro Cafe Art Lucky Day collage sheet: S&H stamps

Ribbon trims from my stash: white eyelet, red crochet, 3 bows on tools, red gingham gathered trim under fence, and green leaf vine on fence, Talon spring green rick rack along bottom of pocket

Make It Christmas plywood fence (Hobby Lobby)
Ranger Distress Stain and Crackle Paint in Picket Fence
Stampin' Up Gumball Green card stock

Flowers:
Flying Unicorn flowers (red and green roses)
Petaloo Mulberry Street Daisies- Royal Blue
Stampin' Up Dahlia In Color Assortment (yellow flower center)
etc. misc.


I'm also entering these challenges:

Really Reasonable Ribbon Challenge #68 Flowers and Ribbon 

The Shabby Tea Room Challenge #158 Anything Goes 

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Marchin' On

Happy St. Patrick's Day! 

Here's a card I made quite some time ago since I didn't make anything new for today:  This is little Tommy Boy on a chunky ATC.

I used a lot of Studio 490 stamps on this chunky because it was part of a EWV swap.  I'm gearing up for the current ATC swap over at the Everything Wendy Vecchi Yahoo Group.    Tommy sounds like a good Irish name for today so I just popped this photo up again on my blog.

Time is Marchin' On To Easter, the next holiday coming up:

This afternoon I went to Stampin' Up Club and came home with these cards.  I put the white on white one on some colored paper for contrast before I snapped the photo.  As usual, my watermark is not on them since they aren't my design.  



This is just a quick post as I'm working on some crafting projects that need my attention.  I hope you're also having a crafty weekend!

Friday, March 15, 2013

Getting Sentimental

Today for my design team post at Rogue Redhead Designs, LLC blog, I made a sample card for our current Rebel Challenge #21 Sentimental Focus..



Please see the challenge rules at RRD.  You do not need to use RRD stamps to enter.  But if you win, you'll be able to get some!

Please check my post at Rogue Redhead Designs for my supply list.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Girly Pink ATC

I chose some challenges to enter and then made this ATC:

Materials Used:
Belle Roses collage sheet from Retro Cafe Art
Distress tool for edges
Ranger Distress Inks to edge papers:  Antique Linen, Walnut Stain, Mowed Lawn
DCWV green card stock
Pink Paislee London Market brown music card stock
Maya Road Trinket Pin-Vintage Green Pearl
Really Reasonable Ribbon Brown Crochet trim
Red Lead Paperworks hand dyed pink ribbon
Stampin' Up flower
pink tulle/pearls--trim from stash
Sakura Gelly Roll clear star pen
Daydreamer word from Art Journey Willy Helene mini stamp plate
Archival Coffee Ink

I'm entering these challenges: 


It's All About the Vintage and Beauty Challenge #38 ATC With Child (ren)

Simon Says Stamp and Show:  Challenge:  Chic to be Shabby

The Shabby Tea Room Challenge #157 Oh So Pretty in Pink
be inspired by this photo using PINK, RIBBON/LACE/TULLE and a FLOWER!:




All Sorts: Challenge Week #197 Springtime

Saturday, March 9, 2013

A Chunky ATC

Today, my column, Musings of a 2amscrapper, is posted at Unruly Paper Arts blogozine.  The month's theme is ATCs.  I did a tutorial on chunky ATCs made from a block of wood.  My title is a play on words, Wood You Like to Make a Chunky ATC?  I hope you have time to stop by and read my article.

Here are some photos of my chunky ATC.  I used the Graphic 45 Bird Song paper pack.





I'm entering this in:

The  Craft Room:  From Me to You
I'm giving this to my oldest daughter who has framed the silk scarf I bought in Japan.  I hope she likes this little sit around which complements the colors in the scarf.

Friday, March 8, 2013

Shabby Chic Lady

I made this tag



to enter this challenge:
Our Creative Corner:  Shabby Chic Challenge :  use colors in photo and include fabric flowers and a crown

This is the photo they gave us for inspiration:


To recreate the look of the dress form:

Stampin' Up White Creped Filter paper (rectangle piece) which I crushed and then dry embossed along the creases with Ranger Distress Inks in:
tattered rose, weathered wood, spun sugar, and dusty concord.  I then glued the crepe paper onto a white tag and used a brayer to smooth it out.

The fabric flower is from one of my blogging buddies on a former design team.  Thanks Carla!

Simplicity trims

Image was cropped, resized, and re-colored from Garden Girls collage sheet, this month's Gecko Galz release.  Edges are blade distressed.

crown is Jolee's Boutique dimensional sticker

vintage earring from stash


Green Birthday Card

I'm entering three Stampin' Up challenges with this card.  I used the color prompt from one, the sketch and birthday theme from anther, and the clean and simple concept fits the third.  Only Stampin' Up products were used to make this card.



Stampin' Up products:
Paper:  Whisper White, Gumball Green
Stamp sets:  A Cherry on Top; Hearts a Flutter
Ribbon: Lucky Limeade Everyday Enchantment Organdy
Stampin' Write: Real Red, Crumb Cake
Ink Pads: Gumball Green, Crumb Cake

Stampin' Up Only Challenge:  Go Green

Paper Craft Crew Challenge: sketch and bonus entry for blog candy if it's a birthday card
Sketch

Stampin' Royalty Challenge #166 Clean and Simple

Friday, March 1, 2013

March at Gecko Galz

This is the first of my design team samples for Gecko Galz' March release.  For this card I used: 


Butterfly on ledger paper from Ephemera Days 2 sheet


Melancholy Baby digital paper from Bygone Days mini paper pack 



Entering this challenge:
Really Reasonable Ribbon Challenge #67 Show Me the Green and Some Ribbon  
The beige crochet ribbon across the bottom is from Really Reasonable Ribbon. I intertwined some ribbon recycled from a Christmas gift.

Other products used:
Two complementary greens, one for card and one for mat.  (Featured here is Colorbok Earthtone Warm Textured Cardstock Pack)
Spellbinders Nestabilities Fleur De Lis Rectangles die
Vintage Photo Ranger Distress Ink
buttons from stash
beige paper for mat from stash



The Gecko Galz design team is featuring Spring Fling projects. 

Just like our Valentines, each design team member has been assigned a special day this month when her project will be featured on the Gecko Galz website complete with instructions on how to replicate it--and a special Gecko Galz product offer for two days only.   I've posted this badge on my sidebar as a handy link for you.   So be sure to visit Gecko Galz every other day this month.


My special day is March 22.  On that day, I will also post my project here on my blog.  After all the design team projects have been featured, you will be able to vote for your favorite project.  Voting will be open for one week before the winner is announced.   

Vintage Hats Shaped Card

This shaped card features Rogue Redhead Designs, LLC stamps and you can see my design team post HERE.



I selected RRD Milliner Misses in order to enter these challenges:

Sugar Creek Hollow:  Challenge #50 Vintage Hats, Shoes and Purses

Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge: Use a Stamp You Love but don't use:  I love this trio of gals, Olive, Kitty and Belle, but never ink up their stamp.  I usually use the individual misses from the plate.

Now that this has been sent into cyberspace, I realize the title sounds like my card is hat shaped!  LOL!  It's a shaped card featuring vintage hats.  Not a hat-shaped card. 

Additional products used:
Copic markers
Stampin' Up and DCWV papers
Spellbinders Nestabilities Curved Rectangles dies
The Ribbon Boutique ivory organza
half pearls from stash
sanding tool for edges

I positioned the die on the card so that the left fold would stay intact.

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