Growing my Color Scheme Comfort zone.

Growing my Color Scheme comfort zone has long been a goal of mine. So what better way than to play along with a challenge? I'm also using this for the weekly Craft it Wed. Challenge. A 2:1!

This is the second time I've played along with Stacey's Curtain Call Color Challenge - I love her choices. You can visit her blog at http://www.stampinwithstacey.blogspot.com/

Aren't these colors great? I needed to make a sympathy card and decided to use Thinking of You vs the more traditional with sympathy verse.

I wasn't sure if this challenge is supposed to be SU! only so I made 2 cards.

This first card is all SU!. I used the flower vine from Vintage Vogue with versamark on Barely Banana to make my own subtle patterned paper. I put that on an almost artichoke card. The butterfly is a SU! bigz die cut with certainly celery. I cut 2 and pop dotted the second one for some depth. Again I used versamark to and the vine stamp. The swirly trail of the butterfly is the large (and small) swirl from Priceless (Yes Sharon - if you're here - I DID use that set). The inside of the card is layered with Barely Banana so I can write my letter.

This second card uses the same c/s colors. The stamp is Gina K Designs Spring Floral. I colored it with copics. This is my first Gina K set - and I really like how crisp it stamps. I'm soooo new to copics and don't have a lot of colors. But this was fun to experiment with. I colored the flower with a yellow and pink that I tried to layer so it made an almost orange color - cuz I don't have orange LOL.

I also tried a new to me but ancient technique or piercing the corner and the border strip for some more dimension.

I love these colors - I think I'm going to use a small rolodex holder that I have, the SU! rolodex die and one of my punches (not sure which yet) to make a rolodex file of color combos I like... if and when I start it - I'll post pix.

Thanks for looking!!

Andrea

So a Mini Album" to be" became a Birthday Card for a Friend

So it all started with some empty boxes of cereal. My Dad brings me his and I save ours. I was looking at them the other day - thinking how much I really missed making scrapbook pages or mini albums. If you've noticed I'm into cards (fast and easy) or crocheting lately.

So I took a bunch of the cereal boxes and the SU! scalloped Sizzix die. And made a bunch of mini pages - a bunch of stuff later from my massive stash - and I had a mini album - well sort a - I decided to make it into a Birthday Card for my friend Lori.

Course - those of you that know me IRL know that I often decide close to a "deadline" to make something - so in typical fashion I decided to make a coordinating box a half hour before I left the house - its "pretty" but a smidge too small LOL

Although the box has some "issues" since its the first I made of this type - I really really really like the way it looks - I love the thick ribbon (which when I first got it I felt was too thick to work with) and the clear sticker is great on the cover. I will be doing this again.

Da Cover


The first two pages - with my personal note in the pocket on the right page.

I like to hide "goodies" in the pockets - like this butterfly.

Isn't that little bird in the cage cute? Its from one of the SU! Saleabration sets - I forget the name and will check and hopefully add it later.

I had fun finding all my "friends" quotes etc in my stash.

Another - pocket - so I "hid" another saying

Ever have a "page" that comes out in a way that you just LOVE - and know you have to repeat again SOON? Well this is the one from this project. The bird is from the new SU! bird punch. Its hard to see but the navy background is dry embossed with a cuttlebug folder. The text is a stamp I've had forever that says Love Live Laugh..and ya gotta love the pearl "bling"!


The ending... I had fun heat embossing with the SU! Vintage Vogue set and some random stash friends stuff.

Have y'all heard of the Sounds Easy Voice Recorder? It allows you to make 30 separate 30 second voice recordings. Wouldn't this have been a perfect album - IF I'd thought about it in time - I could have asked a few of her friends to record a message for her and the recorder that also plays back the sounds would have made a great gift for her. Here is the link to their home page.

http://www.sounds-easy.com/

If you've been here for a while my 7/31/09 post Sounds of Summer shown here

www.mycreativesanity.blogspot.com/2009_07_01_archive.html

uses this product and I love it!!

Ok - I've sure turned this into a LONG LONG post - sorry but I was "excited" to share.

Hope ya'll enjoyed it - thanks for stopping by!

Birthday Card for a Challenge

So I decided to try some card making challenges. I've never really done them before but thought it would be a good way to step out of my comfort zone and try some new things.


Here is the challenge I tried. Its from www.stampinwithstacey.blogspot.com


What fun colors! I haven't used Kraft much at all so I was excited to try a new color combo. I wouldn't have put these together on my own and I love 'em and will use 'em again!


Jeeze - whats with the blurry photos??? I used the new SU! embossing dots folder and LOVE it!! The packages/gifts are from a saleabration set and are paper pieced. I ended up having to put the flower on the top note because the happy birthday sentiment left a little mark from the edge of the rubba - I ended up liking this little flower so much in real life that I put some on the inside of the card.

I always try and decorate the inside of my cards - not sure that the flowers fit the birthday theme but I loved them...so there they are! They are part of my USE IT UP personal challengs - I used a punch I've had for ages and little green brads that I've had for ages and never end up using ..turns out they almost perfectly match the old olive!

Thanks for stopping by -- hey I've been on a posting roll this week! Andrea

Is it an Afghan or a blanket? It grew!

My entry for this weeks Craft It Wednsday is a crochet "masterpiece" .

The title sure is appropriate! This started off as an afghan for my DD. I had just finished making a couple of afghans last year that all used one stitch throughout the entire afghan - different stitches for the different afghans but 1 for each individual one. When I started this one I wanted variety - I was kind a bored with using one for an entire project.

So I took a crochet afghan sampler book and made strips of different stitches.

I made a total of 7 stripes. Here are a few of the different stitches I used. It was fun to mix it up!

LESSON learned: I wasn't an experienced crocheter to realize that using different stitches used different amounts of yarn - so I would need way more yarn than in my prior 2 afghans. RESULT - I ran out of the varigated blue yarn before I was done....and of course - I had started the project last year and couldn't find any more this year!!

SOOO I bought some purple yarn that coordinated and made 2 purple stripes. Here is one of 'em.

I then used the purple yarn to make a border around each stripe and single crochet stitched the borders together...actually there is another LESSON here - I didn't measure all the stripes to be exactly the same - sooo RESULT/FIX - I had to add some purple "patches" to some of the blue stripes. Definately makes it look homemade :(

but hey - its still if I may say so myself gorgeous - its huge tho! I had to make some purple stripes to tie it all in together and it sure made it large - which is great for my DD cuz she loves to snuggle under blankets! Thanks for looking

Embossing fiend - First of my USE IT UP challenge

I finally sat down and made some cards today. My Dad needed a sympathy card and I offered to make him one.

I'm giving myself a challenge - anyone wanna join me? USE up WHAT YOU HAVE!!! Its stuff I obviously liked enough to buy - stop hoarding - use it - enjoy it - make some space for when you find new stuff you gotta have.

Lately I've really been enjoying heat embossing and decideed to start with that today. It can add such a nice touch to a card. Here is an example of the same stamp and clear embossing powder done on 3 different colors of cardstock. I'm thinking I may make a few of these up ahead for those times when I need a fast card - I'll be partly started.

I used the damask stamp from SU! Friends 24-7. If usage is any indicator this is my favorite stamp - it sure is my "go to" stamp! I used versamark ink and clear embossing powder.

This is on the retired SU! "in color" Soft Sky paper

This is on the retired SU! "in color" River Rock

Sorry this card is so blurry - I'm too lazy to go down and retake it LOL but you can see its on SU! night of navy cardstock.

You know what is so funny - I really am OPPOSED to the idea of the SU! In Colors - I despise the idea of "in colors" - the idea of retiring papers/colors - what if you fall in love with the color (Like I did with Pink Piroquette) and then you can't get it ANY MORE!!!!!! - so I refused - for the most part - to get the in colors - except for these 3 - soft sky, river rock and pink piroquette.

So in the spirit of USE IT UP - I used 2 of the retired incolors - but I couldn't , just couldn't touch the pink piroquette yet LOL
Here is a card using the river rock damask background - I also used some river rock patterned designer paper, brown satin ribbon, the new SU! bird punch, SU! tope note die and a nesties tag die. The sentiment is from the SU! Friends 24-7 set stamped with chocolate brown SU! craft ink and clear embossed.

LESSON LEARNED: when you practice on your scratch paper to see how the craft ink will look - move the scratch paper before you accidentally get it on the top note part of your card and you have to make sure to cover it when you put on the tag and ribbon

Finally - here is the sympathy card I made for my Dad. I really like this one!

(Disregard the date - somehow my camera reset itself )

jeez I sure talked alot today!!

Thanks for stopping by! Andrea

Whatcha Making?

Whatcha making is a good question for this project. It started out as a scarf - not one of those warm winter ones but a delicate one to wear with a solid (boring) shirt to jazz it up.

Those of you that know me IRL know I infrequentely (well - never) follow a pattern when making a project unless I absolutely HAVE to - somehow I just take off and make what comes out -

well in this case I started to make a stripe of pretty shell stitches and decided it was too wide for a pretty delicate scarf. Fine width for a warm winter scarf - but problem - it was in thin bamboo yarn and therefore not gonna be warm...so whats a gal to do? I made another stripe and decided to join them together for a purse... .

I played around with some stitches to make an edging that was lace like and used super large snaps (like the size of a quarter) to hold the purse closed.

Recently I reconnected with a dear friend (hi Jo if you're here) and told her I wanted to make a 3D wall art of various flowers - crochet, paper, felt etc. So I was playing with crochet roses....they ended up on the purse.

This started out as a project that I didn't like too much - I didn't like the scarf - so I re-invented it - I didn't like the two stripes together as a purse - so I added to it - it ended up as a project that I love! I used it yesterday as my purse and really enjoyed it .

Thanks for looking!

P.S. I promise - I will get back to paper soon - maybe even - dare I say it - scrapbooking?

Valentines Day Goodness

I'm back playing with another Craft It Wednesday!

Today I want to show you some of the Valentine's Candy Gifts I've been making.

First - I repurposed some packaging and turned this container -

Into THIS!!

I used a bunch of left over paper scraps from the MyTimeMade EAsy Butterfly pattern that used their (then) new digital paper. I filled it with Peanut M & M's to give DH for Valentines. The tags are cut with my sizzix Big Shot and an old old die - the brad is a clearance velvet brad from Hobby Lobby and the Love You stamp is an ancient SU! stamp.

Lesson learned/tip - I put all the scraps and "rejected" papers and embellies into a box/bin when I'm done with a project - especially if I think I'll make another project soon that will use the same color/theme. When I get around to cleaning up my space I often put those bins into zip lock bags - I find that way I can just grab and craft w/o having to refind all the goodies.

Here are some drawers I made from the red/black/white/valentine "bin" supplies. The drawer pulls are made from jumbo eyelets and black satin ribbon and little XOXO red ribbon scraps.

Many of y'all know my Dad comes for dinner every week - usually on Tuesdays. I decided last minute to give him some Valentines Goodness - I don't think he even realizes the holiday now that Mom isn't here - He loves pistachio nuts and I picked him up a bag and made a gift bag. I don't know about y'all but masculine projects are a challenge -

I used my scor-pal and scored the c/s every 1/2 inch on both the horizontal and vertical axis (don't I sound so smart LOL) - it actually made it easy to customize the size of the bag since it was scored so much! I cut 2 sheets of c/s about 10 x9. I cut the top border with the new SU! heart border punch and folded it over ata an inch (this picture stinks so you can't really see the details). I just scor-pal taped the 2 sides together and folded the bottom up (that was a bit of a struggle LOL). The handle is just attached w/ heart brads.

I had fun with the tag - I took scraps and made a couple of different sized tags with Happy V' Day (from the dollar bin at M's) and I love you bunches (an oldie SU! stamp) and a heart punch. I decided I wanted it to "swing" so I threaded ribbon through the holes and then put them on circular paper clips and then had all the clips on a clip that was put on the bag ----hard to capture in a picture but CUTE and I will definately do this again!



I was messing around with boxes cuz I'm gonna make a bunch for a friends DD's Bat Mitzvah so I made another candy gift for Dad. This is just 5 x 5 black c/s that I embossed with the houndstooth cuttlebug folder. Score all sides at 1 inch - snip the corners, scor-pal tape up the sides and you have a box top/bottom. Make two and the box is done...e.a. s. y p.e.a.s.y

Wow - I sure did go on and on --- thanks for stopping by and till next time - which better be some V'Day gifts for the dorm - cuz I haven't made those yet!! YIKES - candy bought - check ---ideas on what to make---nope not yet!