Why the Hell Not?

Dancing with Dad

Well, I didn't make the design team.  That sucks.  However, you still get to enjoy my page.  I'll also be remaking one for myself as I had to send in this page. 

As I posted last week, Spellbinders sent the finalists the Film Strip die and a set of the Inverted Scallop dies.  We were required to produce a 12"x12" scrapbook page using the Film Strip die and at least one of the Inverted Scallop dies.  I used four.  And I cut countless Film Strip die pieces from card stock and metal. And I used up some of the 80+ sheets of Bazzill Crimson card stock I have left over from my wedding!  Woo hoo!

Here's the page -

I love this picture of dad.  I get my spunkiness and fun side mostly from him, but thankfully I got my dancing ability from mom (sorry dad).  And mom, you are spunky and fun too, it's just in random spurts.  Dad's is more effusive.  This picture, though, is a classic example of how we dance with each other and it really reminds me of dancing with him when I was a kid.  We'd do silly things even back when I had to stand on his feet to be able to dance with him. 

I was amazed that the photographer caught this image.  And,I have to say, the pictures they took of the wedding were FANTASTIC.  I'm truly impressed with Ryan Green Photography.  If you're in need of a photographer in the Austin, Texas area, they are amazing to work with and produce quality, one of a kind pictures that truly capture the moment.  I can't say enough good things about them!  Plus, they were nice enough to allow me to use their photographs in published items, which just makes a crafter happy. 

You know, the really funny thing about this photo is that dad told me only a minute or so before that he couldn't dance to this song.  We'd meant to practice and it just never happened.  I'd told him which song I'd chosen, only never played it for him.  And, it's not like I picked a common song.  I'd picked an obscure Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong duet that has nothing to do with fathers and daughters.  But the song reminded me of him as it's spunky, silly, and well, sung by two of my favorite singers - singers he introduced me to.  When the music started, and everyone was looking at us, he looked at me and said, dead serious, "I can't dance to this."  I quickly wracked my brain trying think of how fast I could get over to Carlos the DJ and get him to change the music and just how many people would notice that I'd run the 20 feet over to Carlos and had him flip songs spur of the moment.  And I wondered if Carlos would have one in hand that he could change the music to, and realized he likely would not.  So, I said the first thing that came to mind, "Make it up!"  Dad smiled, nodded, and proceeded making it up.  And we had a blast! As you can see...

 

Some detail shots-

 

I love you dad!

Supplies:

Paper: Bazzill textured 12” x 12”- Crimson , Stampin’ Up! – Basic Black, Whisper White, Kaiser Craft patterned paper – To Have & To Hold   Ink - SEI Chalk Ink – Black, Ranger Distress Ink – Weathered Wood  

Accessories: Spellbinders™ Film Strip Die, Spellbinders™ Large Classic Inverted Scallop Circles, Spellbinders™ Premium Craft Foil – Red, Ranger Stickles  – Star Dust, Close to My Heart Designer Brads - Pewter, Tim Holtz Paper Distresser, Copic Markers – R46 Strong Red, 0 Colorless Blender, Ranger Acrylic Paint Dabber – Pitch Black,  Tsukineko Co., Ltd. All-Purpose Ink – Platinum, May Arts Burgundy Velvet Ribbon, Stampin’ Up! 5/8” Grosgrain Ribbon – Basic Black, Joann Scrap Essentials metal letters, Tim Holtz Idea-ology sanding tool and sandpaper , Stampin’ Up! Stampin’ Sponge, Fiskars scissors, Fiskars Paper Trimmer, paper towels  

Adhesive - Scotch ATG, Zip Dry Paper Glue, Stampin’ Up! Dimensionals, Scotch Tape

More Spellbinders Goodies...

Since I find out today if I make the Spellbinders' Design Team, I figured I'd share a another project I made using the dies they gave us.  Spellbinders sent me the Large Inverted Scallop Circle dies, as well as the Film Strip Die.  We had to make and submit a 12"x12" layout, which I'll share with you later this week.  

The flower is made using the Inverted Scallop Circles using Bazzill Crimson card stock and Spellbinders' red foil.  I used SEI black chalk ink and Tsukineko Platinum ink to distress the paper flowers (after crumpling) and a Ranger Dabber in black and the same Tsukineko ink to distress the metal (after sanding).  The sentiment stamp is from There She Goes stamps. The patterned paper is from Kaiser Craft.

The brad is from Close to My Heart and is colored with Copics.  I used Stong Red and the Colorless Blender.  The blender makes it easy to remove any stray ink.  I also added paint to the brad after coloring and then wiped off the excess paint. 

Can you find the Film Strip die cut pieces?

When I first cut the die, I tried to think of other ways to use the die.  Out of the box ways.  I couldn't help but see gemstones.  One of my girlfriends suggested a Hollywood theme for the page and I loved it.  I love the 1930's-1940's era of Hollywood, and really enjoyed working that theme.  However, I toned that down the glitz a bit for the card.  I did still use the borders of the die (which emboss beautifully) as borders for my sentiment panel.  They make a nice textured border.

And, it's simple to make a border with the Film Strip die.  Just use a sharp pair of scissors to snip the borders off of the die.  I attached them to my panel by affixing them to the back of the white panel.  Then, I inked the entire outside edge of the borders. 

I made a second card to give to one of my girlfriends who helped me with the pictures.  She's also the one that introduced me to (and hooked me on) Nesties.  Here's a close up of her card:

I found that the Inverted Scallop Circles also made a perfect interior spot for writing a quick note:

A detail shot of the interior:

 

Since Spellbinders has asked us to keep our finalist projects secret until after the announcement, you'll have to wait a bit more to see the actual page...

Wedding Card

I belong to a card swap.  This month, our theme was Wedding or Congratulations.  Since wedding season is coming, I'm thrilled to have plenty of wedding cards to get me through! 

Each month in card swap we have a theme for the cards, as well as a challenge.  You can choose to do the challenge or not.  This month's challenge was to crinkle your paper and to sew on your card.  The stamped heart is crinkled, though the pictures does not show it. 

This card is a simple gate fold card.  The card base is made of Bazzill Crimson card stock (left over from my wedding).  The ribbon (SU Basic Gray) is tied in a bow and holds the card closed.  The heart stamp is from Prima, and is difficult to get to stamp a good clean image.  i tried many, many times and got only a few good images.  So, I topped the image with some of Tim Holtz's clear crackle paint to help hide the badly stamped image.  

The flower came with the beads attached.  I bought a set of them at Michael's.  I also put a pin (from the Vintage line of Making Memories) into the flower.  It added just a touch of bling. 

 

Some of the girls in our card swap started a trend of decorating the envelopes.  Since they raised the bar, I figured I'd better pony up!

The envelopes are 6"x6" vanilla envelopes I had left over from my wedding invitations.  Hey, at least I'm using what I had!

Lastly, here is the inside of the card:

You say Mardi I say Gras!

I was tasked with making favors for my girlfriend's birthday lunch.  Since her birthday falls during Mardi Gras and we had lunch at Pappadaeux, I figured Mardi Gras themed favors were in order.

I made a version of a 2-4-6-8 box using my new Martha Stewart scoring board (love it!).  The box is made using Rich Razzleberry card stock and Scor-Tape.  I picked up the stamp at a store closing sale a few weeks ago for cheap.  I used a Gold Dabber to add paint to the stamp, and then stamped it onto Confetti White paper.  I originally intended to stamp and emboss the image, but decided paint would be faster.  Plus, I like the rougher texture you get with paint.  The green is Green Galore, I think.  I clearly never use this color as I had all four pieces of it that came in the variety pack I bought over two years ago. 

The feathers are from Hobby Lobby.  I made fifteen of these and used slightly more than half of one package.  The purple feather actually looks almost the same color as Rich Razzleberry in normal lighting; however I took this picture under my OTT light.  Apparently, this particular purple contains a lot of blue.  The sequins are also from Hobby Lobby.  The purple clear dot stickers were on clearance at Michael's.  I just happened to find some that were the perfect color only a a few days before I began this project. 

Here are some detail shots:

 
Even though I made these a few weeks ago, I still have feathers all over my craft room!  They are messy to work with! 

Funky Vintage Flower Necklace

Of the projects I made to enter the contest for the Spellbinders' Design Team, this is my favorite.  It also took me the longest.  Days, in fact.

When I saw their entry requirements, I knew I wanted to make a necklace for my 3-D project.  I began making my own jewelry in High School, but stopped in college.  I picked it back up with a vengeance about a year ago, partly fueled by the fact that I could actually afford more than just seed beads!  And, I new I wanted the necklace to be asymmetrical with a flower on one side.  I LOVED the jewelry in Lipstick Jungle (I miss that show!) and have been wanting a necklace with a big flower on the side for quite some time. 

So, I pulled out my gobs of shrink plastic that I've had forever and started cutting.  I cut 8-10 sheets of shrink plastic, colored the images in with Copics, and shrunk the plastic pieces in the oven.  I wasn't really sure what direction the necklace was going to take, so I cut tons of images.  I tried different colors.  And now I have plenty of left over pieces for another project! 

Once I was done shrinking, I sat down with my jewelry tools and started creating.  Many try ons and frustrating hours later, I was done.  And, I have to admit, I was impressed with myself.  I really love this necklace.  It's funky.  It's vintage.  It's one of a kind.  And it's mine!  And here it is -

 

Some detail shots:

And the supply list:

Accessories: Spellbinders™ Labels Nine, Spellbinders™ Labels Five, Spellbinders™  Daisy Heads, Spellbinders™ Flower Creations Three, JudiKins variety pack of shrink plastic (clear, translucent, white,  & black), Metal Gallery 16” Chain, Copics – R43 (Bougainvillaea), R46 (Strong Red), RV17 (Deep Magenta), Stampin’ Up! Ice Circle Rhinestone Brads, Crop-A-Dile, Zig Painty Silver Paint Marker, various beads from my stash, various findings from my stash, burgundy velvet ribbon from my stash, jewelry making tools, E6000 Adhesive 

Let me know what you think!

The Munchkins go to Korea House and look for Koi

During Thanksgiving Break, we took the Munchkins for Korean food.  We took them to the same place last year - Korea House in Austin - and they loved it.  In fact, after eating his bulgogi, Mr. Why said, "Kiki, the Koreans have good food."  Why yes, they do. 

We've been big fans of Korea House for many years.  It's a big hard to find, but is very well known for having good, authentic food.  And, the little treasure that is this beautiful Koi pond.  So, this time, we decided to have the Munchkins tour the pond and see if they could find any Koi.  Well, the Koi were truly in hiding that day, hence the title of this page:

 

Here are some detail shots:

I have to admit, I think this is the heaviest page I've ever done.  It has nearly two bottles of Stickles on it.  Not kidding!  It's also thick, so it's one for the frame, not one for the book. 

By the way, it's a workout sanding that much cardstock!  I sanded nearly every piece.  It really did provide a nice effect.

Here's the supply list:

Paper: Core’dinations- Whitewash Collection , Basic Grey - LilyKate & Mellow, Stampin’ Up! - Kraft, Bazzill (green base card stock)

Ink - ColorBox Fluid Chalk Ink - Chestnut Roan

Accessories: Spellbinders™ Flower Bouquet Miniabilities, Spellbinders™ Small Labels, Spellbinders™ Large Labels, K & Company Glitter Rub-Ons & Gems (Amy Butler line), Imaginisce Chiquita Charms, Stampin’ Up! Ice Circle Rhinestone Brads, Ranger Distress Stickles - Antique Linen & Vintage Photo, Stampin’ Up! Dimensionals, EK Success Border Punch, Prima flowers, Provo Craft Cricut Storybook Cartridge, Stampin’ Up! Ticket Corner Punch, Stampin’ Up! sanding blocks

Adhesive - Scotch ATG Gold, Tombo Mono-Multipurpose Adhesive

Exciting news....

Hello readers (all five of you)...  I have some exciting news!  I've just been named a Finalist for the Spellbinders' Design Team!  Exciting stuff!  So, I figured I'd share with you the projects that got me there.  I'll start with the card and then post the scrapbook page and my favorite project (it's a surprise) later this week.

We're also working on our very first try of Seville Orange Marmalade, so we'll be posting about our experiences with that soon.  My dad is a big marmalade fan, so I know he's looking forward to trying this tasty treat.  And it smelled SO GOOD cooking yesterday!  I just have to finish it up today and get it canned.  We blew their socks off with our strawberry preserves, so we have a bit to live up to...

Back to my card...  I'm going through a vintage phase, and have really been wanting to play with making a vintage/collage feel card, so that's what I tried.  I had a vintage album thingy you're supposed to use to make a collage, so I traced it and used it as a template for the card.  I tried to use as many dies as I could, and since I didn't have the smaller single ones for the borders, I hand cut them to the shape I wanted.

Without further ado, here's my card:

 

Inside:

Detail shots:

I cut a couple of extra labels out of Kraft and glued them to the back of the label to reinforce it.  The label (and elastic cord) keep the card closed.  You just slide them off to open it.

And, in case you're interested, here's my supply list:

Stamp: Borrowed from a friend, with no company label!

Paper: My Mind’s Eye - Love Nest glitter stack, Papertrey Ink - Kraft, Stampin’ Up! - Confetti White

Ink: Memento Black, ColorBox Fluid Chalk Ink - Chestnut Roan

Accessories: Spellbinders™ Labels Five, Fleur De Lis Borderabilities Petite, Spellbinders™ Fancy Tags, Stampin’ Up! Elastic Silver Cord

Adhesive: Scotch ATG, Tombo Mono-Multipurpose Adhesive

Check back later in the week for more entries!

Perfect Party Favors

One of my girlfriends turned 40 a few weeks ago, so I decided to make some quick and cute party favors for those that came to her birthday lunch.  Here they are:

I cut them out using my Big Shot and a bag die cut.  I learned that, unfortunately, Sizzix's dies do not like to do multiple layers of card stock at one time.  If you do use multiple layers, they tend to cut through (at least partially) places where a score should be.  So, if you are a bulk crafter like myself, prepare to be rolling a lot when you're making a lot of these!

These went together pretty quickly.  I used Wow Flowers as the set, Taken with Teal ink, Silver Liquid Pearls (for the flower center) and Papertrey's new distressing ink cubes for edge inking.  The ribbon is from Hobby Lobby.  The circles are in Shimmery White, Certainly Celery, and Pixie Pink.

I also used my ATG to adhere these, which I wouldn't normally do as it's often not strong enough for 3-D projects.  I usually use red line tape, but the ATG was handy, and it held up pretty well!

Here's a shot of the tops, after I filled them. 

Butterflies...

You know my niece, the little minx, right?  Well, she's told me many times, "You know Kiki, I love pink, purple, and butterflies."  Um yes little minx, I know.  You've only told me that almost constantly for nearly two years.  Which is why I made you these for your birthday -

There are actually two different sizes of butterflies - one big and two small.  They're designed to hang like a mobile.  I thought they'd go perfectly over her butterfly table.

The backsides of the butterflies are painted with Tim Holtz's dabbers in Cool Peri.  The flowers, leaves, and butterflies on top are from a punch out book by K & Company.  I slathered them, and the bigger butterflies with Stickles.  I used distress inks to "distress up" the edges.  And I can't remember who made the paper I used!

By the way, she's unfortunately recently begun saying purple correctly.  Unlike the way she used to say purple, - prrple - sigh.

You Go Girl!

Okay, so I made this card a while back for a magazine call and it did not get picked up.  And, I'd actually forgotten about it until I was looking for a picture of something to post while I wait on Mark to get with it on the Pimento Dram taste off!

If I remember correctly, the card stock is PTI and the patterned paper is from Piggy Tales.  The stamp is a $1 Michael's stamp (colored with SU markers).  The flower is actually a 3-D sticker from K & Company.  And, of course, I used a Cuttlebug embossing folder to emboss the piece of card stock behind the flower.  The rhinestone brad is also from SU.