Blogger's Challenge - Alter it!

I got these cute little shaped chipboard albums at Michael's in the $1 aisle a while back. They had lots of different fun shapes. Today, I altered the car shape in honor of my daughter that turned 16 years old last week! I had some fun pictures from her birthday that I thought would work perfect for this. Here's what it looked like before:

Here's a few pictures of different angles so you can see all the details. I did it all in black cause that's what color her car is. I covered it in black paper and used my Versamark pad all over it with clear embossing powder. I free-handed the window shapes with vellum and cut out shapes for the headlights and tail lights. I used my 2" circle puch for the wheels and embossed a background stamp to make the "treads". I used the 3/4" circle punch and silver paper for the inside of the wheels. That's an image from the Wanted set in the center! I just used black sparkly sticker letters to put her name on. I thought it turned out pretty cute!

I took so much time doing the cover that I didn't get any of the other pages done yet! Here are the pictures that I will add to it - I'll try to remember to post the pages as I get them done too!

This is her on the morning of her birthday sitting in the car waiting to go in and get her license! She is holding her certificate saying that she passed her driver's ed class and got her written and driving tests waived. She just had to go in and fill out the paperwork and do the eye test!

She absolutely forbid me to take my camera in to the DMV to take pics of her getting her license!! Teenagers!

The next few pictures were very emotional for me! She was laughing at me because I was crying! She is getting in her car and driving off all by herself for the very first time! It was both a very proud moment, but a very terrifying moment all at once!

This was a very fun challenge to do! I love altering things and if you're like me, you have things stashed that you've saved from the trash to "do something with"! My 16 year old (that still sounds weird!) told me one day that I needed to go on one of those talk shows about people that hoard things! LOL!! I laughed at her and she said, "No, seriously, mom.....you have a problem!"

Thanks for stopping by!

New Catalog Sneak Peeks!

As a demo, one of the perks is that we have a chance to pre-order some selected sets from the new catalog so we can have some fabulous samples ready to show our customers. The new catalog is really really great - I say that every time, but they outdo themselves with every catalog in my opinion! The set that I pre-ordered is a level 2 hostess set called Wings of Friendship. I just love the style of this set, it's a style that you'll see mimicked in several sets in the catalog. It's that great scrolly elegant look that lends itself to many different styles - elegant, whimsical, classical, and I've even see some great masculine cards with this style. Here are my cards -

I used a couple of different colors on my samples. Here's a closer look at the one using one of the new In Colors, Rich Razzleberry as the base of the card

Here's the one using Melon Mambo as the base

They both have the second layer of the new Razzleberry Lemonade Designer Series Paper. This paper has some really fun patterns on it. Using the DSP also gives you some really cool color combinations without any work at all! Often combos that you may not think to use on your own and any project will get pulled together nicely with a little of the DSP on it! I used to never buy the DSP because I don't do a lot of scrapbooking, but then I got a taste of how much using it simplifies making cards too!

Here are the directions:

The base of the card is 4x4.

The DSP layer is 3 3/4 x 3 3/4.

Adhere those layers together.

Wrap a ribbon around and tie either in a knot or bow. (I used the new Razzleberry Polka Dot)

The white layer is the glossy white, but just the whisper white would work also, it's 3 1/8 x 3 1/8. Of course stamped with your choice of image.

Punch out a scallop circle (I used the new Crushed Curry color).

Stamp your greeting and punch out using the wide oval punch. Attach it on the scallop circle.

Punch out a scallop square and cut it in half diagonally. Attach each half on each end of the oval.

It's that easy!! Very quick card.

Thanks for stopping by today!

It's been a great week!

My first project is a card featuring one of my favorite sets, Stitched Exotics. I love this technique using the Big Shot Top Note die. It's a faux quilting technique. I used the retiring "Candy Lane" designer series paper.



The base is Close to Cocoa cardstock and I used vanilla cardstock on some of the squares that I stamped partial images from the Stitched Exotics set on using Close to Cocoa ink and Riding Hood Red ink. On some of the flowers, I layered the Trio Flower punch to give it some dimension. I love those vintage brads!! I used my Chocolate marker to make the "stitch" marks on all the squares -- and you thought I could sew!! ha ha!!

My next project is another set that I'm sad to see go. Zoofari! The name of it even sounds fun! This set is great for lots and lots of different projects. For my project today, I'm doing a little treat bag that would be great for preschool classmates (or older!) or birthday treat bags or whatever your heart desires!



Again, I used the Big Shot Top Note die - love that thing!! I'm not sure I can do any projects without it anymore! The base is our lovely Basic Black cardstock - I cut two of them. On one of them I cut it in half. I used our Wide Oval punch on the Real Red cardstock and threaded the black gingham ribbon through. I stamped the cute little zebra image in Basic Black ink and then used my Gray marker to color in the stripes. TIP - use a shade slightly darker when coloring monochromatic images. That way you can still see the original lines of the image. It looks a lot cleaner. I used the Stampin' Dimensionals on the zebra to make him pop out! And of course, I filled the bag with Animal Crackers!
Well that's it for me! Please just post in the comment section or email me with any questions! Thanks for popping by, hope to "see" you again!

Blogger's Challenge - Summer!

I have a few projects to share that I've been working on the past week. It was the last week of school, so I was working on gifts for Hope's teachers and her classmates.

The first one is the gift that I made for her classmates. It's a little box (about 3 x 3) with a acetate window in the top so you can see the lemonade cup inside. I buy these tubes of powdered drink mixes, there are 6 containers in each tube and each container makes 2 quarts. Perfect for summer!

This is the top view

This is a better view of the lemonade cup.

The next project is the gift for the teachers. I bought these little "Grow Kits" in the Dollar Spot at Super Target - LOVE that store! I used the same box template as I did for the lemonade project. I just made the bottom of the box, but the grow kit in and made a sleeve for it out of a transparency sheet.

The top view

This is the Grow Kit as it looked when I first bought it.

This is the before and after shot! Aren't they adorable!

That's all for today! I hope everyone has a great start to their summer! Don't forget to check back on the 20th for the "Tour de Freaks" blog hop. Details in the post below!

Blogger's Challenge - FINALLY!

This is getting posted really late!! I actually had it done on time, but didn't get it photographed until today to post it. My mom and dad were here from Arkansas last week for a visit and time just gets away from you when you're visiting and having fun! My mom loves to stamp and craft, so we did some of these projects together, but I didn't take the time to photograph and post. My mom also fell and broke her knee cap while they were here! That added to the chaos! Since she couldn't go up and down stairs, they ended up staying at our house the whole time they were in town, instead of rotating to stay with all her kids like usual. So guess what? EVERYONE was at our house most of the days!! It was so fun and I love having everyone at our house, but that sure does add chaos when you have 10 adults and 13 kids - not to mention the neighbor kids that are always here too!! It was great!

Anyway, our challenge was to "CASE" yourself - which means "Copy" something that you've done before, but change 2 things about it. I made one of these for my father-in-law for his birthday last month and it was so fun and easy! As you can see, I had several little flowers and leaves cut out to embellish it, but haven't gotten that far yet! It's called an "Album in a Box". It looks like a box when the lid is on, but once you take the lid off, the sides fall down. You put pictures or journaling, or whatever you want on the flaps - both sides if you want! It's a great gift for grandparents, as I found out! My mother-in-law wants one now!

I will try to put together a little tutorial with directions on how to do this in a day or so. You will be so surprised at how easy and fast these are to put together. Mom and dad left yesterday, so the house is a lot quieter, but now I have tons of cleaning and laundry to catch up on! Hope you're having a great week so far!

Blogger's Challenge for Mom

This week, the challenge was to create something for Mom. I started out making these for Hope's teachers for Teacher Appreciation week, and then decided to make them for my friends and family members who are moms for Mother's Day, and liked them so well, that I'm giving one to my mom too! These are so easy to make and such great gifts! This first picture is with the ribbon and tag tied to the tile.


I get these tiles at Hope Depot in a package of 9 for $5.99. You can get them in all colors and also in a glossy finish. I prefer these that are called "tumbled tiles". They are kind of roughed up and a bit chipped here and there. I love the look of the imperfections in them. Here is a shot of the tile without the ribbon tied on.

To make these you need to use a pigment or craft ink, and then place them on a cookie sheet in the oven for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees to heat set the ink. You must let them fully cool before touching the ink! It will still smear and appear to not be "set" if it's still hot. Trust me, I learn the hard way -- I just can't keep my fingers off them while they are cooling! LOL! With these, I put the them in the oven 2 different times since I layered the colors and images. I first stamped the grass image from "Inspired By Nature", baked it, then stamped the flower image and the saying and then baked it again. For the tag, I used the Wide Oval punch and stamped the small flower image from the flower stamp using Navy Craft ink and clear embossing powder. I think they turned out very pretty and want to keep one for myself!

Thanks for looking! Have a great weekend!

Blogger's Challenge 97 - Sketch Challenge

I'm finally getting this posted!! I was suppose to have it posted on Friday, but had to let my camera battery charge overnight, and then the weekend just got away from me! They tend to do that these days!

Anyway....our challenge was to make a project using this sketch:

I turned my sketch a different direction and I even used the same colors - they looked very nice together, I thought, on the sketch diagram! I had a little bit of trouble with this one on knowing when to stop! Ha ha! I kept adding flowers, buttons, rhinestones, and before I know it, it may be a little too much!

I used my Big Shot Texturz plates on the bottom black base (the larger polka dots) and then on the gray vertical piece (the smaller polka dots). That may be a little hard to see in the picture. It actually started out being a small scrapbook page, but then kind of evolved into just a "picture" in itself. I will either tie some of the purple ribbon on the top corners and hang it, or put a little stand on the back to stand it up.

That's it for now! Maybe another post later today! Hope everyone is having a great start to your week!