Something Sweet

Hello, everyone.  Would any of you be surprised to hear that we had a big snowstorm here again last Friday?  Or that we have windchill warnings again today?  No, I didn't think so.  This winter is getting repetitive!

I am joining in with T-Day today, but my beverage photo is not of tea.  Instead, I have a drink whose label proudly extols its sugar content.  This completely unhealthy (but oh-so-sweet) concoction is Jelly Belly soda pop.  :)

My husband came home from a business trip with these two bottles.  The Juicy Pear was for our son, and the Green Apple was for me, but we both ended up sampling a little of each flavor.  (That's why the bottles are partly empty in this photo.)  I am not really a pop fan, but I do love Jelly Belly jelly beans, so this beverage was a winner in my book.  I also can't wait to figure out a way to incorporate the cute bottle caps into my crafting.  :)

Supplies: patterned paper from Lawn Fawn; cardstock from Bazzill; alphabet stickers & flair badge from October Afternoon; thread from Singer; corner punch from Creative Memories; pen from Zig; photo collage service from walgreens.com.

Speaking of crafting, I also have a scrapbook page to share today.  This winter has been long and hard, both because of the weather and because of the loss of Archivers (thanks for all the nice comments on my last post, BTW)...but it has also had its sweet moments.  One such moment was the winter zoo class that I documented in this layout.  I mean, what's not to like about an afternoon that includes visiting the rainforest room (ahhh, warmth!), eating waffle fries, seeing interesting animals, being with friends, hopping like a frog, and making a "slime" craft?  Well, okay, you might have to be a child, or at least be in touch with your inner child, to appreciate that last item.  While slime doesn't really thrill me, fitting a baker's dozen photos onto one page (thanks to the photo collage service at Walgreens) does.  And looking at this page and remembering the fun day that it documents just makes me happy.  :)

I hope that today will bring something sweet and fun into your life.  Thanks for visiting my blog.  Happy Tuesday!

Blog Your Heart

For the first time ever, I'm joining in with Stephanie Howell for "Blog your Heart"...

I was so lucky, and for a long time I didn't even realize it.  Until I started participating in the online papercrafting community, I didn't realize that so many people have no local store at which to shop for supplies.
 

image source: here

See the store in this photo?  Until this year, we had half a dozen or so Archivers stores in the Twin Cities area.  No matter which part of the metro area--north, south, east, or west--I happened to be visiting, there was always an Archivers nearby.  But this week Archivers closed all its brick and mortar stores nationwide.  I am kind of in mourning.  I know that you guys, as papercrafters yourselves, will understand what I mean by that.  Shopping options still exist (big box stores, online stores, and the Twin Cities' one remaining independent LSS), but I'll miss the convenience of Archivers, not to mention its pleasant atmosphere, unparalleled selection of products, and friendly community.  An important part of my life has just changed in a big way.

But life goes on.  When I'm feeling sad, making something from paper always makes me feel better.  Does it work that way for you, too?  Anyway, when I started feeling sad this week, I found inspiration in this week's image at Cupcake Inspirations.

 

Supplies: paper from Crate; die cuts from October Afternoon; stamps from Lawn Fawn; stamping ink from Hero Arts; edging ink from Tsukineko; paint from Ranger; Candi dots from Craftwork; twine from Canvas Corp; corner punch from Creative Memories; pins from We Call Her Happydaks etsy; pink cardstock & elastic cord upcycled from a clothing tag.

Though the Cupcake Inspirations color scheme would be perfect for a Valentine card, I needed an Easter card, so that's what I made.  I think it turned out fresh and perky.  And creating it certainly helped cheer me up.

In this detail shot you see how I used a couple of straight pins that I won in a RAK.  Normally I avoid using straight pins in my projects, for fear that they will poke someone's fingers.  But the tips of these two pins are safely embedded in a foam adhesive square, which is hidden behind the bunny die cut.  So I finally got to use these cute pins.

Image source: here

I think I'll still be in mourning for Archivers for a long, long time.  But writing about it helped get the sadness off my chest a little bit.  And making something fun also helped cheer me up.  Hope that you will have a cheerful day!  Thanks for stopping by my blog today. 

ETA: My card made "Sweet Six" [top six] at Cupcake Inspirations.  Hooray!

С Днём Св. Валетина! Happy Valentine's Day! {СП--этап 3 Belle Fleur}

Привет, дорогие мои!  /  Hello, bloggy friends!

Задание для третьего этапа СП День Св. Валентина на блоге Belle Fleur--сделать баннер или другой тип декора для дома.  Мой муж программист, поэтому я ему сделала баннер для компьютерного экрана.  /  The task for the third phase of Belle Fleur's Valentine Joint Project is to create a banner or other piece of home décor.  My husband is a computer programmer, so I surprised him with a decorative banner for his computer screen.
 

Источник фотографии/image source: http://octoberafternoon.typepad.com/october_afternoon/2011/09/tutorial-tuesday-happy-birthday-monitor-banner.html

Почти три лет назад дизайнер Данни Рид показала вот этот баннер (вверх) на блоге October Afternoon.  Её милый баннер я всегда помню.  Денни сделала баннер к дню рождения мужа, а я решила сделать баннер к Дню Св. Валентина.  Спасибо за вдохновение, Данни!  /  Nearly three years ago designer Danni Reid shared this banner (above) on the October Afternoon blog.  I never forgot her sweet banner.  Danni's banner was for her husband's birthday, but I decided to make a Valentine banner.  Thanks for the inspiration, Danni!

Вот отдельные части баннера / Here are the individual parts of the banner...

центр / center

левая часть / left side

правая часть / right side

И ещё некоторые детали / And a few more details...

Мой любимый деталь--розовый бегемот!  Какой деталь вам больше всего нравится?  / My favorite bit is the pink hippo!  What part do you like best?

Материалы/Supplies: ниточка/twine (Canvas Corp.); клейкие животные/animal stickers (Hallmark); фатин/tulle (Wyla); красная лента/red ribbon (Berwick Offray); скотч/tape (We Call Her Happydaks); дотсы/candy dots (Craftwork); клейкий резиновй леденец/rubber lollipop sticker, бумажные формы/die cuts, наклейка "Just for you!"/sentiment sticker (October Afternoon);  наклейка "Lovely"/sentiment sticker (Echo Park); розовая бумага/pink paper, наклейка "Smile"/sentiment sticker (My Mind's Eye); дырокол/punch (All Night Media); блесток/rhinestone (Petaloo); накопившие вещи/stash items: скрепки/paper clips, почтовая марка/postage stamp, пайетки/sequins.

Спасибо, девчонки, за визит на мой блог.  С Днём Св. Валентина!  /  Thanks for visiting my blog today, ladies.  Happy Valentine's Day!  :)

10 on the 10th: February Amethyst (T-Tues)

Hello, everyone!  I have a long story to tell, so you might want to sit back with a cup of tea.  Today I've got red raspberry herbal tea--a perfect color for the upcoming Valentine's Day holiday.  Wish I could share my French macaron cookies with you--they are yummy!

Today is February tenth, so it's time for me to update you on my "Ten on the Tenth" destashing project.  When choosing a color scheme for this month, I thought of amethyst, which is the birthstone for February.  Since the art world is all abuzz about the Pantone Color of the Year being a shade of purple, I was feeling pretty enthusiastic about making some purple projects.

Inspired by the above image, I assembled supplies various shades of purple, plus a few neutrals.

Above are the ten supplies that I worked with:

1. woodgrain patterned paper from Kaisercraft (full sheet)
2. striped patterned paper from Doodlebug (scrap)
3. purple cardstock from Wausau Paper
4. maroon cardstock from Bazzill
5. embellishment: alphabet banner stickers from Doodlebug
6. embellishment: shamrock doilies from Royal
7. throwaway item: plastic purple netting from candy packaging
8. throwaway item: scrap of yarn from gift packaging
9. nonconsumable: stamp set from Lawn Fawn
10. nonconsumable: heart punch from All Night Media 

Below are the flipsides from the two patterned papers.

Like many people, I struggle to use purple in my artwork, so I thought this would be a good way to challenge myself.  I do like purple, so I'd enjoy seeing it more in my scrapbooks.  However, in retrospect, I think I should not have tried to combine so many different shades of purple at once.  I did manage to create a card, a layout, and a collage, but the process did NOT go smoothly.

I was partway through both the card and layout (pictured above), when I decided that they just were not working.  So I took them apart as best I could and started over.  I hardly ever do this, so it was strange for me.  I just felt like both projects were unbalanced, in terms of both color and scale, and I couldn't figure out a way to rescue them.

I took pieces from my discarded project, added in new alphabet stickers (Echo Park) and a new sheet of background paper (My Mind's Eye), and came up with the layout above, which I like much better.  Can you see bits of the old projects in this new one?

When confronted with a bunch of triangular letter stickers that didn't spell anything useful (except for the letters L-O-V-E, which I saved for my collage), I layered them and created my own "arrow" stamp.

I used this arrow stamp, along with Stickles glitter glue, to stamp on my layout.  

Below are photos of a few more details from the layout.

A scrap of the maroon cardstock and a piece of netting help a small photo to stand out.

I did a couple types of stenciling--I stenciled through the doily with a white pen, and I stenciled through heart punch negatives with Stickles.  I also sprinkled on some seed beads while the hearts were still wet.

I like the triangle stenciling from my original layout, but I think it works better in small doses.

I stamped with the string--again, using Stickles--to help my title stand out.

Okay, moving on now to the card that I created...  I ended up using the flowered side of the paper, with only a little bit of the purple striped paper as an accent.  I also added a happy tulle bow and a couple dots of Stickles.  I have been pretty into Stickles this month...perhaps you noticed?  :)

Here's a closeup of the sentiment block on the card (below).

Finally, it was time for me to take my leftover scraps and make a collage.  Actually, I didn't have many leftover scraps, since I'd had to start over with both my card and my scrapbook page.  However, I did have a lot of doily pieces, so I collaged them onto a big cardboard heart...

I added paint and a few splashes of mist.  I really liked this look, and I must try it again sometime, when I'll be able to leave more of it on display.  As it is, I ended up covering up much of my doily collage, to make the project you see below.

~previously blogged here~

Notice that there is hardly any purple on this heart wall hanging, which I made for my son's room?  I'm back to the bright reds, blues, and greens that I'm more comfortable using.  I plan to go easy on myself for next month's "10 on the 10th" and use the bright, happy colors that I so love...no more purple for awhile!

Still, I am grateful for the learning experiences that working with purple provided me.  I definitely tried new things and went outside my comfort zone, and I got some good ideas for things to try on future projects.

I hope that your adventures in art will go more smoothly than mine.  In the meantime, have a happy Valentine's Day on Friday!  :)

Joint Valentine Project Part 2 / СП День Св. Валентина 2й этап {Belle Fleur}

Hi, everyone!  As many of you know, I studied the Russian language when I was younger, and I like to read Russian blogs.  Today I'd like to acquaint you with a unique type of project, called a "Joint Project," that's popular in the Russian scrap community.  What is a "Joint Project?"  It's a multi-week project, divided into steps, led by either a single designer or a design team.  Anyone can participate.

Всем привет!  Многие из вас уже знают, что я в юности изучала русский язык.  Я люблю читать русские блоги.  Сегодня хотела бы познакомить вас с уникальным видом проекта, который очень популярен в сфере русского скрапа.  Он называется Совместный Проект.  Что такое СП?  Этот проект длится на многие недели.  Дизайнер (или ДК) ведёт проект, который разделен на этапы.  

Я уже давно хотела участвовать в СП.  Я решила, что в этом текущем моменте, когда весь мир смотрит на Россию (потому что идут Олимпийские игры), мне идеально подходит.  Участвую в 3-этапном СП "День Св. Валентина" в блоге Belle Fleur.  

I've long wanted to participate in a Russian Joint Project.  Right now, while all eyes are on Russia (because of the Olympics), seems like the perfect time.  I'm playing along with a 3-part Joint Valentine Project on the Belle Fleur blog (Russian, despite its French name).  

Here are the 3 parts / Вот этапы:

1♥ Валентинка по рецепту--Valentine according to "recipe"

2♥Декорируем сердечки--decorated heart

3♥Декор для дома, баннер или любой другой декор:)--home decor

Материалы Supplies:  бумага paper (KaiserCraft); картон cardstock (из коробки каши upcycled cereal box); наклейки stickers (Doodlebug); дырокол угла corner punch (Creative Memories); сердечный дырокол heart punch (All Night Media); штамп stamp (Lawn Fawn); чернила ink (Tsukineko); салфетки doilies (Royal); краски paint (Ranger); накопившие вещи items from my stash (кружево lace, пуговицы buttons, шнурочки twine).

You've already seen the Valentine card that I created, according to a "recipe," for the first step.  Now it's time for the second step: a decorated heart (pictured above).  

Вы уже видели Валентинку, которую я сделала на 1й этап.  Теперь пора показать декоративное сердечко, которое я сделала на 2й этап (на фотке вверх).

Сердечко я подарю своему сыну.  Оно в позитивном, ярком, детском стиле.  Интересные детали: милый ёжик, пуговицы, красное кружево и коллаж салфеток на фоне.  Надеюсь, что сердечко вам понравится.  Спасибо, что заглянули.  

I made this heart for my son, in a style that is happy, bright, and child-like.  Some of the interesting details include: the cute hedgie, the buttons, the red lace trim, and the collaged doilies in the background.  I hope you like my little heart!  TFL!

CPC February

Hello, everyone!  It's the first Wednesday of the month, so it's time for the reveal at Child's Play Challenges.  I did something a bit different this time and made a romantic, mixed media page.

Supplies: cardstock from Bazzill; alphabet stickers & herringbone paper from Lily Bee; floral paper from Graphic 45; word stickers from My Mind's Eye; border stickers from Basic Grey; washi tape, leaf masks, & resin heart from We Call Her Happydaks; roses from Marianne Design; spray ink from October Afternoon; stamping ink from Hero Arts; flower stamp from Darice; starburst stamp from Inkadinkado; purple paint from Clearsnap; white paint, pink paint, & glitter from Ranger; chalk from Stampin' Up; pens from Zig; upcycled used postage stamps.

Our inspiration at Child's Play this month is the TV special Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown.  There are lots of ways to be inspired by this show, from paper hearts to the chevron pattern on Charlie Brown's shirt.

In the TV show Charlie Brown keeps checking the mailbox, to see whether any Valentine cards have arrived for him.  This inspired me to use real postage stamps as embellishments on my romantic layout.  Here are a few detail shots of my upcycled postage stamps.

Here are a couple more shots, this time showing my mixed media work.

I used the negative pieces from a border sticker to stencil with Liquid Pears and Stickles.

One of the fun things about mixed media is that it allows for layering without adding much bulk.  Here, I've layered paint, mist, and stamping, then added my photos and embellishments on top.

I hope I've inspired you to embrace your inner child and play along with CPC.  You have until the end of the month to create and link up your Charlie Brown Valentine-inspired layout.  Be sure to stop by the CPC blog to see what the other DT members have cooked up, as well.  Have fun!