Thursday, February 28, 2013

Swap Round 2 Month 1

Back to the Card Kit Swap for another round! Arlyn started us off again with this awesome kit! (thanks for the picture Peggy!)


Some great papers from Basic Grey, A2Z, etc. Doilies, washii tape, tags, tickets, ribbon, brads, etc. 

The lighting seems off on this first card but the colors are a super dark brown, a mint green, and cream. I added the QK cut sentiment and the Prima flower. The rest was from the kit.


This was the one oddball paper in the kit, but I love this Basic Grey classic! It also went well with the star washii tape. I used the one blue brad in the package and added my own Prima star and Basic Grey alphabet stickers. This card is very loosely based on Sketch #159 from Operation Write Home.

This card went back to the mint, dark brown, and black and whites in the kit. All I added were the Thickers for "mom." I used the February 17th sketch from My Sketch World.




And, you have seen this last one before. I didn't tell you then, but it came from the kit! I added the Prima flower, grey brads, and the sentiment. 



Now take a moment and go see what great cards everyone else made with the kit!

Arlyn:
scrapperal.blogspot.com

Katie:
http://www.2craftykaties.blogspot.com/

Peggy:
http://myviewfromthebleachers.blogspot.com/

Wendy:
http://justwen.blogspot.com/

Laurie:
http://www.scrapsfromthebeach.com/

March is my month! I've got a fun little kit put together and can't wait to see what everyone makes with it!


USAGE: (other than items in the kit)
cardstock: 2
3D alphas: 3
brads: 2
flowers: 2
die cut alphas: 2
alphabet stickers: 3
misc embellishments: 1

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Challenges (pt 2)

I am hoping for a Challenges (pt 3) post after the crop next weekend. kinda feel like I should include those days in February since they ARE challenges from February......or is that cheating?

JELLY BELLY FACTORY

This uses the February 19 sketch from My Sketch World and meets the February 8th challenge at ScrapVillage to create a 2 page layout using 2 different sized photos and 2 different embellishments. I also got the "bonus" by using a total of 12 brads!

Products Used:

SEI (Smarty)
Doodlebug buttons
American Craft brads & Thickers

and with the scraps I made this card to send to Operation Write Home using  the February 6th sketch from My Sketch World.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DINGER

This uses the February 20th sketch from My Sketch World and meets the February 4th challenge at ScrapVillage to use the Superbowl as inspiration. Mine: a sports layout and using the River Cats reddish-maroon color. I really like this sketch and can see me using it a lot!

Products Used:

Prima papers
Sizzix die cuts
7 Gypsies tape
Marvy punch
Lasting Impressions brads

all on my own, (ie: without a sketch) I made a card with the scraps. I think this fits the need for teen boy birthday cards.

Additional products used:
American Craft photo corner

USAGE:
cardstock: 5
patterned paper: 7
3D alphas: 11
buttons: 4
brads: 20

die cut alphas: 1
punches: 6
misc embellishments: 1
ink: 3

Monday, February 18, 2013

Operation Write Home's Virtual Card Making Party!

what's more appropriate for President's weekend than a blog hop to make cards for Operation Write Home? two days with a total of 10 card challenges.....and for those not super speedy, they even give you until February 25th to get them posted!

Erika was the first stop and she asked you to use zig zags (ric rac, chevrons, whatever) on your card. I am not a huge fan of a lot of zig zags but found a way to tame them down enough for me. One Father's Day card down!

 
 Products used:

My Minds Eye
Martha Stewart punch
Sizzix die
Lasting Impressions button

Misty challenged us to use "creatures great and small" on our cards at the second stop. OWH had mentioned needing more boy birthday cards so I thought I might try making a "cool" birthday card......of course using a penguin! I was going for black & white & red but a few other colors made their way into the mix.

Products used:

SEI Holiday Hoopla
QK die
Jillibean Soup alphabets
Queen & Co brads

The third stop was originally an utter failure for me. Beth had this really amazing challenge to only emboss part of a card to leave room for stamping or something else. I had a really cool idea about leaving an oval in the middle unembossed and adding an oversized fleur de lis. It didn't work. I didn't have what she used so tried to mock it up on my own. After the second attempt I decided to just make a card and move on.
Products used:

My Minds Eye
Cuttlebug embossing template
QK Die

THEN.......while I slept my subconscious kicked in and figured it out for me! I had been going about it BACKWARDS!!! so this morning after donating blood and running a ridiculous amount of errands, I came home and DID IT!!!  The problem was I was trying to use the whole folder!!
Here is what I did:
I cut 2 pieces of chipboard approximately 4.25 x 5.5.
Then I took a big Sizzix heart die and cut hearts out of the same spots on both pieces of chipboard (did them separately).
I adhered the pieces together.
 I cut a piece of paper to emboss and lined it up against one side of the embossing template (the side the pushes out to emboss.
Then I layered (in this order) the A pad, B pad, my chipboard shim that I made, the paper, the embossing template, then the other B pad.
Ran that through the Cuttlebug and PRESTO!!!

Here is a close up since you can't see the LACK of embossing well in the whole card photo!

 

Products used:

SEI
Cuttlebug embossing template
American Crafts rub-ons and stickers
Doodlebug brads

I was happy to see one I knew I could easily complete from Yvonne at the 4th stop! She challenged us to make a card including something with wings. I'll be honest, it took a lot to not make a card with a bat on it! But instead I used a My Sketch World card sketch and made a nice Mother's Day card with butterflies on it. Not sure how many mothers would want a card with a bat on it anyway!
Products used:

SEI
Heidi Swapp ghost shape
Making Memories paint
embossing template
punches

The last challenge for Saturday came from Leslie. Her challenge was two-fold: first, use the OWH sketch she chose, and second, use an entire 12x12 piece of paper to make a total of 6 cards! Sweet! I can do that! I changed things up a little bit so I couldn't have 6 completely the same cards.

Products used:

Gin X
Sizzix
Queen & Co brads and plastic shapes
Doodlebug flowers
Prima flowers
American Craft felt

Sunday morning, Linda was our 6th challenge. She told us to use things with wheels. Somehow I thought this would be perfect with this week's OWH Sketch #160. I think I actually made the opposite of the sketch! But, if I hadn't started thinking about that sketch I am not sure what I would have done for this challenge since I don't have a lot of car things.
Products used:

Gin X
QK

The next challenge was from Jen and oh so timely! She asked us to caffeinate our card by using something caffeine related like a stamp or die. Luckily for me, during one of my recent purchasing binges I picked up a cute coffee cup QK die. I wish it were a bit bigger, but it worked nicely with OWH Sketch #159


Products used:

GCD Studios
Spellbinders
QK die
misc ribbon

Challenge 8 came from Jacque. She asked us to use washi tape on a card. Um, I don't own any washi tape! That came in to vogue post LM and I haven't really seen the allure! Luckily, though, Arlyn had sent me some. Other than liking that it adheres to things, I still don't see why anyone would go crazy over it......you know, like I did with ribbon! lol!

 

I am not sure this card is going to OWH. I tried really hard to get glitter to come off the card base but it didn't. I think it has been coated but am still debating. 

Products used:
 
DCWV card base
doily
washi tape
QK
Prima 
Bazzill brads

Of course after I do a wedding card, a challenge to use all white/cream comes up from Sharon! But I really had fun with it and used a whole lot of textures. Maybe I'll make another for an upcoming wedding?
 
 

Products used:

2 different Bazzill whites
2 embossing templates
Spellbinder die
Queen & Co mini brads
misc lace

The final blog hop challenge came from Kaylee. She challenged us to use glitz & glam without glitter (remember, no glitter on OWH cards as it endangers the Heros!). A My Sketch World card sketch and four rhinestones later, I was done with the weekend's challenges!

 

Products used:

unknown patterned papers
Doodlebug rhinestones
Spellbinder die
Prima flower

Thanks for checking out all my cards! There is still plenty of time to hop along and make cards!

and to keep me honest................

LAYOUTS: 2
CARDS:
OWH: 18

PURCHASING:
4 "other" dies
2 embossing templates
2 dimensional adhesives (pop dots, framing tape)

USAGE:
cardstock: 4
patterned paper: 11
buttons: 1
brads: 17
flowers: 5
ribbon: 2
alphabet stickers: 9
stickers: 2
rub-ons: 1
die cut alphas: 1
die cut shapes: 12
punches: 8
misc embellishments: 12
ink: 4
pens: 1

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Challenges (pt 1)

So.......there are a LOT of crops and challenges going on this month! Saturday morning I literally went to all the sites and copied over their challenges so I could start scrapping. these layouts/cards meet at least 2 challenges for various sites! I'll list them as I go........and as is becoming the custom, the cards from the leftovers are headed to Operation Write Home. you have until March 31st to get in those Mother's Day cards!


At the sneak preview for the movie Flipped we got to meet Madeline Carroll and Rob Reiner. Needless to say, it was quite memorable! This layout meets the Pink Challenge for Gimmie All Your Lovin Crop at Let's Capture Our Memories as well as a sketch challenge over at My Sketch World and the challenge to scrap how you met someone over at ScrapVillage. (and see, Arlyn......I used that bird QK die!)

Products used:
SEI Papers (you will see......apparently I am on a SEI kick!)
American Craft Thickers
QK die

This card took me twice as long as the layout I used the scraps from though I am not sure why! This card was very loosely based on a sketch from My Sketch World.

Products used:
SEI (Hippy Chick.....in case you were wondering)
Making Memories button
various punches

Hubby and I enjoying a nice dinner ALONE for our 15th anniversary. There is a bit of orange in the paper, but I love how it goes with my husband's polo shirt! This meets the Love layout challenge for the Gimmie All Your Lovin' crop as well as a foreign word challenge at ScrapVillage and a sketch challenge at My Sketch World.

again.....less than stellar photo courtesy of my cell phone.

Products used:
SEI paper
Prima flowers
American Craft brads and photo corner
unknown rhinestone brads
Making Memories ribbon
QK fonts (including Finale.......one I had really been wanting and finally got!)

I used leftovers from my 15 Years layout to make this card. I was inspired by Allison's sketch at the Gimmie All Your Lovin crop and her use of eyelet loops around a square. I incorporated that into the edging on the card as well as the edge of my sentiment.

Products used:
SEI (Dilly Weed)
Prima
unknown rhinestone brad
punches

LAYOUTS: 2
CARDS:
OWH: 2

PURCHASING:
4 QK alpha
10 QK dies
1 "other" die
2 stamp sets
1 set rub-ons
(I have a few more dies enroute that I'll add when I get them)

USAGE:
cardstock: 1
patterned paper: 6
3D alphas: 7
buttons: 1
brads: 14
flowers: 8
ribbon: 1
die cut alphas: 3
die cut shapes: 2
punches: 6
misc embellishments: 1
ink: 2
pens: 4

Friday, February 1, 2013

Scrap accountability - Month 1

the goal is a 2 to 4 ratio (ie: use twice as much stuff as I buy). not sure I was successful in January if only because I had to do things like restock my black cardstock and some storage purchasing......and no, I am not ignoring those impulse purchases either! but at least I was scrapbooking!

I think in future months instead of keeping a running total on each blog post I will just total up that post and then do a combination once a month. this whole thing got ridiculous!

MONTHLY TOTAL

LAYOUTS: 6

CARDS:
OWH: 9 (sent box of 68 cards today.....includes cards I received in swaps that met the guidelines or I could alter to meet the guidelines. not going to count those for my 2013 goal)
Brave Girl: 1
Other: 9

PURCHASING:
cardstock: 125 sheet package of 8 1/2 x 11 white for OWH cards (I'm not going to count this against my purchasing but also not count when I use it. I also bought 250 envelopes for the same purpose.)
cardstock: 27 sheets
1 set Thickers
1 QK alpha
4 dies
3 punches
1 embossing template
1 stamp set
4 storage
2 adhesive

USAGE:
cardstock: 5
patterned paper: 32
3D alphas: 58
buttons: 6
brads: 43
flowers: 14
ribbon: 8
alpha stickers: 41
stickers: 4
rub-ons: 2
die cut alphas: 9
die cut shapes: 10
punches: 12
misc embellishments: 9
stamps: 1
ink: 12
pens: 7