I managed a little free time last night and this afternoon to complete the sketch and create a second page using most of the remaining pictures. This was a fun layout, and I may just use it again with a single large photo, but I'm pretty pleased with this composition. My scanner made the patterned paper look different, and I hadn't noticed before I posted in my gallery, so I opted for a photograph of the entire DPS here, click on it for a closer view. Hope you like it!
I have been called upon to host the sketch challenge this week on SplitCoastStampers. I did it last week as well, and will be hosting a few more over the next few months. You guys know how much I LOVE sketches, so I will be posting some of my own creations, but for this week I simply did not have the time. My girls have kept me craZy busy lately!
However, I would be lying if I told you I didn't even try, but I wasn't happy with where it was going and haven't had a chance to get back to it and prefect it. So here's a sketch that I had saved on my laptop for a rainy day. Unfortunately I can't give credit to the person that created this sketch, I have NO idea where I found it. It's not fancy schmancy, but it has interesting angles and the user should decide how to make it their own with all the little extra details that will make it truly FABULOUS! Check back soon, because I will be scrapping this one to post here over the weekend!!!
I wanted to share this with you for Technique Tuesday, but instead will call this the "technique of the week!" ;)
If you've never seen this before, it's one of my all time favorites and the effects can be downright breathtaking!!! I felt it was the prefect compliment for this stamp set, which happens to be on promotion this month for 30% off, contact me if you'd like to know more about the promo!
The technique is called POLISHED STONE
Supplies:
Glossy white cardstock
1 metallic reinker (or a metallic craft pad)
2 or 3 classic reinker colors
Stazon Black ink pad
Acrylic sealer
Rubbing alcohol
cotton ball
On your glossy cardstock drip the metallic ink in several places, or if you are using a pad "smudge" it onto your paper directly. Either method works fine, in my example I used a reinker.
Then soak a cotton ball with alcohol, not "dripping wet," but well saturated, and apply a dot of each additional color to the cotton ball - not the paper!
Now things get a little messy...
"Pounce" your cotton ball all over the paper until you are satisfied with the ink coverage, there is no right or wrong to this. Just keep pouncing until you like what you see, and be careful of any stray cotton fibers that may want to stay behind on the paper!
I generally allow the paper to sit a few minutes and then I seal it with an acrylic sealer. This is important because the craft ink will smudge if not sealed on the glossy paper. You may also elect to do this step outside or near an open window...peeee-eeeeww!!!
Give the sealant a few minutes to dry, and you can tell by the way it looks, and then stamp an image with Stazon right over your polished stone! I love the way these colors blended together!!! Then simply trim any excess, if desired, and finish into a card or scrapbooking masterpiece! :D
| STAMPIN' SUPPLIES: Stamps: Thoroughly Thankful |
| Paper: Chocolate Chip, Ruby Red, Glossy White |
| Ink: Stazon, Copper, Vintage Violet, Close to Cocoa, Cranberry Crisp |
| Accessories: Antique Brass Hodgepodge Hardware (brads & ribbon slider), brown grosgrain ribbon |
On Monday we were enjoying the holiday as a family at the park. As I watched my girls playing I realized my baby girl is going to be 3 next week, and we hadn't planned a thing! We were at the Frisco Commons, and it dawned on me...we should do it here!!! The girls LOVE to go to that park! It's HUGE, it has a nature trail and a great playground. They call it the castle park! So with this in mind I had to figure out the details, I was running out of time.
We decided since Natalie loves Dora the Explorer so much, that would be the theme. We're having the party on the 15th, so I started working out what to do for invites on Wednesday thinking I'd have time to do them and get them passed out today. My dear friend Donna suggested Backpack..."oh I LOVE that idea," I told her, and then what did she do? She linked me to an example of one and it was perfect. Thanks Kelly for posting this simple design!
I had a plan, and I stayed up until 12:30 last night making 17 of them! I didn't use my SU! card stock for them, and I had forgotten how flimsy other stuff can be...WOW! I had to use 2 different shades of purple, but they both work! ;) I used my sewing machine for the stitching, but without thread...it was faster. Then I just drew the "stitches" on with my white gel pen. I think I saved a ton of time doing that. For the inside I was going to just type the info and print on white card stock with a Dora image, but when I looked for one on Nick Jr's website I found a free printable invite and it gave me a GREAT idea! I personalized them and then ran them back through the printer putting a simple map to the park on the back. After cutting and rolling them up I added Map's face and voila! Not too shabby for a rush job!
I love 3x3 cards so much I cut down full pages to make them sometimes. I was playing around a few days ago and decided to share this for "Technique Tuesday!" (Sorry about the picture, not sure why I couldn't get my camera to focus right)
The card base is Very Vanilla card stock cut to 3x6 and scored/folded down to 3x3. Of course I smeared a little Creamy Caramel around the edges, and then I made the pinwheel.
Using double sided paper I punched six tags with the small tag punch, and simply folded them down one side using one of the "peaks" as my guide. I threaded a button with hemp and taped it all together. Too easy!!!
