Friday, January 20, 2017

Creative Inspiration January Mini Crop


Today I have a challenge up at Creative Inspiration for the January Mini Crop.  My challenge is simple ... create a project using a Christmas related photo.  You can create a layout, card, tag, altered project or ATC. 
Be sure to check out the forum for the details and
the rest of the Design Team's challenges.
 
"Have Yourself a Cozy Little Christmas"
 
 

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Book Art


Today I'm sharing a Design Team tutorial that I did for Off The Rails Scrapbooking.
I have always been fascinated and intrigued by any craft project using old books and/or book pages.  I am especially in awe of folded book art.  Unlike some diehard bookworms, I have no problem up cycling old books.  You can Google "Folded Book Art" and get hundreds of ideas and tutorials.  You can even purchase pre-marked books that tell you just where to make the folds ... and so I did.  After I complete my folded book art project I decided it needed a special cover.
 
 

 First I made a book cover to fit my book.  I used a heavy weight white wrapping paper.  I used the same concept as making a book cover from a brown paper bag.
 
 
 
1)  I applied a light layer of Mod Podge to the front side of the book cover.
 
 
 
2)  For this step you have to work quickly.  I  laid a piece of printed tissue paper over the adhesive and  pressed it flat with my hands, smoothing out any wrinkles.  Then I had to let it dry.  To speed up the drying process I used a heat gun.
 

3)  I trimmed the excess tissue paper from around the book

cover using a pair of scissors.

 
 
 
4) I then distressed  the edges of the book cover using a distressing tool.
 
 
 
5)  I  applied four colors of distress paint on the tissue paper using my fingers.
 
 
 
6)  While the paint was still wet I misted with water to blend the colors.

7)  I partially dried the painted tissue paper with a heat gun.

 
 
 
8) I then sprayed the painted background with two mists of distress spray stain.
 
 
 
9)  While the stain was still wet I misted with water to react the spray stain and blend the colors. I blotted off the excess color with a paper towel to achieve the look I wanted.
 
 
 
10)  I printed the quote on cardstock and cut the individual words out.  I then adhered the words to the front of the book cover.  I highlighted a few of the words using a distress marker along the edges and immediately smudged the ink with a  Q-tip dipped in water to create a shadow effect.
 
 
 
 
11)  I applied a thin layer of Mod Podge to seal the book cover.
12) Adding the key and some metal embellishments completed the project.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 
 

Sunday, January 15, 2017

Off The Rails Mid-Month Design Team Reveal


The Design Team Mid-Month Reveal is up on the Off The Rails Scrapbooking Blog. 
This month it's all about a monochromatic color scheme.
 
 
When creating a scrapbooking page with a monochromatic color scheme you will use variations in lightness and saturation of one color.  Neutrals can be combined with the monochromatic colors.  You'll find that when scrapping a page with a monochromatic color scheme it's easy to choose your products and know they'll go together when you narrow down your choices to one color and its various shades and levels of saturation.  To create this page "Tell Me A Story" for Vincent's album I mixed a variety of patterned papers keeping to my monochromatic color scheme.  I used 11 different patterns on this monochromatic grid based page.  Surprisingly (or maybe I shouldn't be) I  found embellishments in my stash to complete the page
and stay within my intended theme.
 
 
Be sure to check out the blog and see what the rest of the Design Team came up with.
 

Saturday, January 7, 2017

Snowflake Card


I have a design team card up on the Just Imagine Crafts/Kreaxions Punches Blog today.  "Snowflake" - to create this card I used the Star Stencil and the Kreaxions 4 in 1 punch #312 to create the snowflake doily.  I then used an embossing folder to emboss it.  I used the Kreaxions 4 in 1 punch #920 to punch the border strips and used both the positive and negative pieces.  Be sure to check out the blog and be inspired by what the rest of the design team posts this month.

 






 


 


 

Monday, January 2, 2017

Super Hero


It is January 2nd which means it's time for the Design Team at Creative Inspiration to reveal their layouts using the January sketch. 
Be sure to check out the forum and be inspired by their work.
 

This is the January Sketch:
 
 
 
 My take on the sketch:
 
 
 After drawing the chalk buildings on the driveway my daughter had the kids lay above them and drew the cape and then took photos.
... how cute is this photo of Elisha!?
 

Sunday, January 1, 2017

Let It Snow


There is a Design Team  Reveal up on the blog at Just Imagine Crafts/Kreaxions Punches.  The theme this month is: snowflakes, blue or winter.  I created this "Let It Snow" card  using the Kreaxions Circle Cutter and the Kreaxions 4 in 1 punch #312 with no insert.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Kreaxions Circle Cutter - I have to say this is one of my favorite scrappy tools.