Keeping Cool

It's another Pink Saturday and nothing is better in this 100 degree heat than sharing with a friend some raspberry swirl vanilla ice cream and a trip to the ocean front.   (See my challenge entries below.)

I used lots of new product that arrived in my craft room.  
As a Stampin' Up Card Club member, I bought a set of frame stamps with the matching punch.  I added to them a sentiment from the Rogue Redhead Designs LLC Beach Babes stamp plate.  (The main image is from that plate as well--my choice for the Craft Room friends challenge and also the nature (ocean) challenge at Fashionable Stamp.  The sandy background stamp on the crumb cake paper mat also is from this RRD plate.) The card design is part of the Rogue Redhead sketch challenge.

I used for the first time my Stampin' Up edgelits--die and embossing set.  I used the die 3 times to layer the edge.  I thought this Basic Grey Kissing Booth paper was a perfect representation of the Baseball Nut ice cream flavor for this week's Summer of Color challenge.  I went a little heavy on the cashews (crumb cake paper and ink).

Materials Used:

Paper Studio ivory cardstock (the paper is a creamier color but it didn't photograph that way)
Stampin' Up Sissex Impressions and Edgelits Adorning Accents
Basic Grey Kissing Booth Lip Lock patterned paper
Stampin' Up Crumb Cake card stock
Stampin' Up Crumb Cake ink
Stampin' UpPunch Extra Large Decorative Label
Stampin' Up Four Frames (label stamp)
Rogue Redhead Designs Beach Babes stamp plate (image of two friends scooping shells, sentiment, and sand background stamp)

Challenges:

Rogue Redhead Designs challenge: Tilt It with this sketch:

Fashionable Stamp Challenge #24: Nature 

The Craft Room: Friendship

Colors of Summer Week #3:  Ice Cream Flavor: Baseball Nut

"A smooth, vanilla flavored ice cream swirled with a black raspberry ribbon and loaded with cashews" -Baskin Robbins

 I'm also linking this up to Beverly's Pink Saturday.

Baby Girl Card

If you are a follower of my blog, then you may remember my little dress card made with a template from Lindsay's Stamp Stuff.  When I purchase that one, I got a few others including this onesie template.    Link to onesie template site: http://www.mygrafico.com/svg-cutting-templates/sweet-baby-svg/prod_3592.html  
I think you know my blogging buddy Diane keeps me in the loop with these great templates which I see on her blog HERE.  

I reduced the size to fit on the card base. I don't have SVG files; instead I fussy cut the template.  I didn't make a folding card with the pattern so I pieced together the back of the onesie to show along the bottom edge, using coordinating paper. 

You may also remember that both of my daughters tried their hand at mom's hobby and decided to give it up.  In the process, I was the recipient of all their stash. So I broke out dd2's DCWV Nursery paper pad to make the onesie.  The pink card is from one of my fave stores, Prairie Art Stamps.  I used the Cuttlebug folder on the card front for the embossed word background. Making Memories flower brads also from dd2.  Ric rac is from an auction (got a whole box full).  And I can't believe I dug out my eyelets for the bottom of the onesie.  I saw eyelets on the template sample and just couldn't resist copying--too cute!

Entering these challenges:
All Sorts Challenge #159 Paper Piecing/Piercing 
I pieced the onsie.  I pierced for the brad flower buttons and the eyelet snaps. 

Vicki's Cheerful StampPad Challenge #45 In the Garden
because one of the highlights of the day is carrying around my granddaughter and looking at all the flowers and critters in the backyard--birds, squirrels, rabbits.  On a recent stroller ride, we even saw deer run through the McDonald's drive-thru--yes deer in town!!!!!

My frustrations continue.  Still having trouble with my Droid phone camera.  And I dropped an open jar of Claudine's matte medium on the carpet this morning.

Father's Day Project

My dh is a life long learner.  He reads, learns, and is amazing at anything he tries.  He golfs, gardens, builds things from a photo in a magazine--our two car two story garage, his Wright-like oak floor to ceiling bookcase across one wall in his library--,fixes up an old car for dd2, etc.  He tinkers and is the "go to" person for anything that needs fixed.  I made this card for him for Father's Day.


I started with two images from the June 2012 release Man o Man ephemera sheet from Gecko Galz.  I resized and fussy cut the man for the front of my card.  I resized another image from the set for a bookmark.


I cut cardstock 11"x5-1/2', scored at 4-1/2" and 2" to create a tri-fold card that would include a bookmark for my avid reader dh.  The first photo is the true color of the crumb cake Stampin' Up cardstock.  Have no idea why the other photos look more gray--all taken same time, same place.  Tim Holtz Alterations folder on Graphic 45 Steampunk Debutante paper, highlighted with Stampin' Up Crumb Cake ink.  Tim Holtz Ideaology numeral.

You will note that I attached the bookmark with two glue dots so that it can be removed from the card easily. Tim Holtz ideaology sprocket gear and Kaisercraft copper pearls.

Both outside and inside sentiments done on my computer.  I layered this sentiment onto a black ATC which I ran through the Cuttlebug with the Tim Holtz Alterations sprocket gear folder.

Overview of entire tri-fold card:

Entering these challenges:  


Gecko Galz Yahoo Papercrafting Group: Heavy Metal due July 1
Art With No Boundaries Bonus Round: Heavy Metal 
(in the top five--woo hoo!)






Still having blogger issues.  Spam broke through and got posted yesterday.  Boo.

Stampin' Up Card

Stampin' Up Club met again and here's one of the cards I made.  I love this color crumb cake and bought the paper, ink, and color writer.  Of course I haven't used any of it yet at home so I was happy to use it again at club.  Yesterday I dug out the paper and am in the process of making a card with it.  I'll post it later. 

Having blogger issues--nothing through Firefox--had to go through Safari to access my posts list.  There I have a message that my browser is no longer supported by Blogger and to try Google Chrome.  


If all else fails, reboot, right?

Summer Sherbet at Sunfish

We have some big news at Gecko Galz.  I'm very excited to help announce the extremely talented new members to our design team:  Kristin Rhodes, Sharon Rogers, Jules Eickmeier, Carol Salisbury, and Debi Ryan.  Check it out HERE.


Kristin at Twinkle Twinkle is hosting the  Summer of Color challenge again.  This time around the six-week long party is focusing on and creating art based upon the luscious color combos of our favorite ice cream flavors.  Can't beat that! Week One's prompt is Rainbow Sherbet.

I wanted to do something modern and fun.  I used my Spellbinders Nestabilities Curved Rectangles for layering my rainbow sherbet.  My image is from the Gecko Galz Girlfriends ephemera set, and all the yummy patterned papers are from the Gecko Galz June release, Lemonade paper collection.  The plaid ribbon is from an early Gecko Galz prize.  My three rainbow sherbet colored pearls are from my stash. 


I'm also entering this card in  TallyScrapper Try Something New card challenge hosted by one of our Gecko Galz design teammates, Barbara Bird.  And Gecko Galz is sponsoring the prize!  My something new is stacking (layering) nestabilities dies using several Gecko Galz papers.  (I normally use just one). 


I think this card works well for an ice cream challenge too, so this is my second entry at All Sorts Challenge Week 158.


We sisters-in-law have fun getting together.  This summer marks the tenth anniversary of my SIL's lake property, Sunfish.  So I made this card to give to her when we get together at the lake to celebrate the Fourth of July and the Sunfish anniversary.

How Sweet It Is

Finally!  A new art post.  Seems like ages since I've created something.  I thought I'd start small.  Good thing.  It took all day to get back into the groove.

I made a 4x4 inch coaster using a plain white chipboard coaster.  I selected from the Gecko Galz Rose Paper sheet a small square of patterned paper and resized it to 4x4.  Then I took a Gecko Galz Rose Girl freebie image, changed it to a ping file and placed it on top of the resized rose paper.  (Gecko Galz offers beautiful digital papers for crafting in addition to images and digital stamps.) 


Other materials:
the Paper Studio Spare Parts jeweled brads
shimmery ribbon from an early Gecko Galz win before I joined the design team.  
Stampin' Up rubber stamps for the label and sentiment
Sakura gelly roll glitter pen (on the roses)
cotton lace trim and satin rose bud from my stash


I made this coaster specifically for these challenges.  To me nothing is sweeter in the summer time than sitting on my deck in the backyard looking at our beautiful flowers in our garden.  It's all thanks to dh's green thumb.  This lovely rose girl epitomizes our flower garden.  I often pick a bouquet to put on my dining room table.  And, of course, I look just like her, too! 


1) Vicki's Cheerful Stamp Pad challenge: the Sweet Life

2) Starr's challenge at the Shabby Tea Room: Sweet Summertime using teal or aqua, pink and brown  (yes, there are some pink roses in the bouquet!)

3) All Sorts Challenge #158 Ice Cream Colors 
(I like hot fudge sundaes and butter pecan ice cream and chocolate dipped waffle cones--so those are my ice cream colors!)


And let's not forget Beverly's Pink Saturday, although it's almost the end of the day!  I took photos of the potter's bench and pink hydrangeas this morning.  But then it took the rest of the day to make my coaster!  So here are a couple of photos of those flowers in our yard that I've been talking about! You'll also spot a water pump, herb container garden and a table from a relative's auction being used as a potter's bench. 

Have a great weekend!  We've been enjoying the weather, sitting and eating on the deck.  I even sat out there this afternoon while putting together my coaster project. 

Random Thoughts for Today

I'm back home from my week of helping dd1 move. Busy at the office now but hoping to start creating soon. I have so many crafting ideas floating in my head right now and need to get them "on paper". 

While shopping with her for apartment stuff, I purchased a plastic organizer. I believe this idea came from my crafty friend Susan K. I've been looking for this for over a year. I finally found one with small enough pockets at Tuesday Mornings. It's a 66 pocket jewelry organizer. Each pocket perfectly holds a Ranger Distress Ink and its sponge applicator. Woo Hoo! Bonus news! When I opened it up, I discovered pockets were on both sides--more ink to hold and buy!!! heehee

Gecko Galz is having a fantastic sale on their collage sheets!  Check it out HERE.  I'm currently working with a set for a Father's Day project. 

A must listen. I love this choir and everything they sing.  Thanks to DD2 who shared this on her FB page.



Thought for today: SHAKE IT OUT!

Unruly Bouquet

The Unruly PaperArts June theme is Buds and Blossoms.  I'm looking forward to the articles posted throughout the month on this topic.  As always, there are two new Reader Art Quests, where you can post your related art work.  

As an unruly columnist for Unruly PaperArts blogozine, I also create art as an example for the Reader Art Quests--Unruly's monthly challenges.  Here is what I made for the month of June's Best Bouquet RAQ:

Be sure to enter your bouquet this month and then please remember to come back to Unruly PaperArts to vote.


In addition to featuring this bouquet as a RAQ sample for our Unruly PaperArts challenge, 

I'm entering it in the following:

Our Creative Corner Shabby Chic theme  I made my bouquet on the first day the challenge opened but couldn't show it until today which is the last day for the challenge.

Beverly's Pink Saturday http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/2012/06/pink-saturday-june-2-2012.html

Materials used:
Basic Grey Kissing Booth paper collection
papers edged with Ranger Distress Inks in Vintage Paper, Tattered Rose, and Spun Sugar
French seam binding from Ali Manning's Vintage Page Designs etsy shop (I won a collection from her shop.)
wood button from a flower spray
crochet trim from my stash
velvet leaf stickers


I appreciate the inspiration found in cyberspace and want to give credit where due.

My written flower tutorial:  
My flower is my own take on the grunge paper rose done by Tim Holtz and Wendy Vecchi.   I purchased a six sided flower punch so that I wouldn't have to always cut the flowers by hand.  The base of the flower is the entire six sided flower punched from double-sided patterned paper.  For the top layer, I cut off one of the petals, then glued the first petal to the fifth petal, creating a four petal flower. I cut the bottom cone shape off, creating a hole in the middle.  From another punched flower, I cut out a piece of two petals together and then rolled them so that the back (pink) side of the paper showed.  I pushed this bud into the hole of the four petal flower, cutting off the excess on the back side.  As I went along, I was gluing everything together with Claudine's Studio multi medium in matte.  The bottom petals are curled up and the second layer top petals are curled down. 

Here's where I found a flower pot template:  http://andreawalford.com/printable-template-for-the-flower-pot-card
I didn't use the entire template because I wasn't making a card.  I just traced one side of the flower pot.  I added a second "rim" by double cutting the rim section, folding it in half and placing it on top of the pot. 

This piece is 9 x 6 inches.  I didn't adjust the sizes for punched flowers or the flower pot template--they were a perfect match.

I'm busy helping dd1 move so will be back to active crafting and blogging next week.  I do appreciate and read the comments you're leaving for me this week!