Guest Designing for City Crafter Challenge Blog

Hi, everyone!  If you're new to my blog, then welcome.  This week I am honored to be the guest designer at City Crafter Challenge blog.  The theme this week is a fun one: "Creatures of the Night."  There are so many directions that you could go with this challenge.  You could make something creepy, with a vampire image, or you could make something cute, with a nocturnal animal image.  I chose to go for the cute option and made a card with a goggle-eyed stamped bat.
 

Supplies: orange paper & orange/cream striped paper from Authentique; gingham paper from Bella Blvd; purple dotted paper from Pebbles; dark blue dotted paper from American Crafts; light blue dotted paper, green swirl paper, & star stamp from My Mind's Eye; bokeh vellum from Webster's Pages; chipboard frame & enamel dots from October Afternoon; black gesso from Ranger; metallic green paint from DecoArt; ink from Hero Arts; bat stamp from Unity; laser-cut sentiment from ScrapMatt's; upcycled bubble wrap.

On my blog I have a tradition of sharing a stash-busting idea each month.  This month, I'll be talking about the technique of layering.  It's fun to do, it's a popular trend at the moment, and it helps you use up your stash of scrap papers.  I used layering on this card in order to draw attention to my bat image, which is rather small.  The layers behind it help it stand out and look important and interesting.  I built up this layered mat using just scraps.  This was a great way to use up lots of leftover bits of paper.

I added a heavy coat of black ink to the edges of each of my paper layers.  Not only does this play up the nighttime/darkness aspect of the challenge, but it also make the rich colors of the papers really pop.

To add darkness to my card base, I randomly swiped on black gesso to make an interesting background.  I also painted a scalloped chipboard frame with the same black gesso.

My paper layers had a lot of green in them, so I felt like the chipboard frame and the background needed a touch of green, for the sake of unity.  I added this green by stamping with bubble wrap and green metallic paint.  After the paint was dry, I put my card together, first placing the layered papers on the card base, then adhering the chipboard frame, which I had dressed up with bokeh vellum and enamel dots.  I topped it all off with the cute stamped bat, and I added a sentiment and a couple of stamped stars as well.

I'll leave you with one last look at the card.  If you feel inspired, then go ahead and play along with the "Creatures of the Night" challenge at City Crafter Challenge Blog.  The challenge runs for a week.  Happy crafting!

Guest Designing @ FSFS / Приглашенный дизайнер в блоге FSFS

Hi, everyone!  The last few days have been very busy for me, with the state teachers' convention.  (I'm a teacher by profession.)  It's so nice to relax now and get back to blogging!

Всем привет!  Я была очень занята эти последные дни, посещала учительские семинары.  (Я по професси учительница.)  Очень удобно теперь отдыхать и писать вот этот пост.
 

Supplies / материалы: doily paper & orange lattice paper / бумага со салфетками и бумага с оранжевой решёткой (Crate); flower die cuts /бумажные цветок и листья (Doodlebug); all other paper / все другие бумаги (October Afternoon); large alphabet stickers / большие алфавитные наклейки (Bella Blvd); small alphabet stickers  / маленькие алфавитные наклейки (October Afternoon); ribbons / ленты (Scrapbook Fantasies); thread / ниточки (Singer); pen / ручка (Zig).

This month I have the great opportunity to be the guest designer at From Scrappers~For Scrappers.  The challenge there is to create a project inspired by the Norah Jones song "Everybody Needs a Best Friend."  I made the layout above.  

В этот месяц я имею отличную вожможность стать приглашенным дизайнером в блоге От скапперов-для скрапперов.  Их задание--создать проект с вдохновением из песеньки "Каждому нужен лучший друг" от певицей Нора Джонс.  Моя страничка вверх.

My page is called "Animal Best Friends."  The photos are from the Minnesota Zoo.

Моя страничка называется "Животные лучшие друзья".  Фотки из нашего большого зоопарка.

This challenge runs for two months.  December 13 is the deadline.

Челлендж идёт два месяца.  Последный день 13 декабря.
 

Thank you, October Afternoon, for this lovely poem!  Благодарю фирму October Afternoon за эти красивые стихи!  :)

This challenge is open to anyone, anywhere in the world.  I hope you'll get the chance to participate!

Люди из любой страны могут участвовать в этот челлендж/задание.  Надеюсь, что увижу проект от вас!

Guest Designer @ Child's Play Challenges

Hello, all!  I often describe my scrapbook style as "playful," so I'm pleased as punch to be guest designing for Child's Play Challenges this month.  I designed a page for their "Uno" challenge.  Since the game cards in Uno are red, blue, green, and gold, those are the colors I chose for my page.  I converted my photos to sepia, so that they would not compete with the "Uno colors."

Supplies: background paper from My Mind's Eye; starry paper from Bo Bunny; flashcards, rub-ons, large alphabet stickers, & round alphabet stickers from October Afternoon; black alphabet stickers from Doodlebug Design; ribbons from Scrapbook Fantasies; pens from Zig.

Our family does not have "classic" Uno, but we do have a Star Trek Uno set.  Therefore, I used a lot of outer space imagery in my layout.  I also used a lot of snowflake imagery, since our family mostly plays card games in the winter, when it's cold outside.

I had fun making my own Uno embellishments for this page.  I placed a selection of six cards on my table, photographed them all together (see below), and had the photo printed. 

I then cut out the cards from the photo and layered in them in a row below my the photo cluster on my layout.  They turned out very realistic-looking...so much so that my son, when he saw them, tried to get me to play an actual Uno game with him, using these miniature cards.  The game doesn't last very long when you only have six cards, though, as he soon discovered.  :)

Have I inspired you to play along with the Uno challenge?  You have until the end of the month to link up at Child's Play Challenges.

Guest Designer at Scrap Melody / Приглашенный дизайнер Мелодий скрапа (bilingual)

Not long ago, I discovered a unique Russian blog called Scrap Melody.  Scrap Melody is running a marathon of music-related challenges, and I was thrilled when I was invited to be a guest designer for the fourth leg of the marathon.  The theme is folk music!

Несколько времени назад я нашла уникальный блог по названию Мелодии скрапа.  Там идёт музыкальный марафон, и я была так рада, когда меня пригласили стать приглашенным дизайнером для четвёртого этапа марафона.  Тема этого этапа--народная песня!

When I think about traditional American folk songs, Laura Ingalls Wilder immediately springs to mind.  While it's true that she is a writer, not a musician, Laura included in her books the words to many songs that her father used to sing.  For my layout, I chose to focus on the song "Golden Years."

Когда думаю о традиционой, народной музыке США, сразу приходит в ум работы Лауры Инголлс Уайлдер.  Правильно, она не музыкант, а писательница.  Но Лаура в своих книгах часто писала слова к песням, которые её папа пел, когда она была девочкой.  Я выбрала темой своей странички песню "Золотые годы". 

Supplies / материалы: dark patterned paper / тёмная бумага (Bo Bunny), notebook-style paper / блокнотная бумага (7 Gypsies), music paper / музыкальная бумага (October Afternoon), other papers / другие бумаги (Lily Bee Design), paper ruler / бумажная линейка (October Afternoon), die-cuts / бумажные формы (My Mind's Eye), label sticker / этикетка (October Afternoon), mini alphabet stickers / мини буквы (Crate Paper), large alphabet stickers / большие буквы (October Afternoon), circular stickers / круглые наклейки (Bo Bunny Press), thread / ниточки (DMC), ink / чернила (Tsukineko), glitter glue / блеск (Stickles by Ranger), pen / ручка (Zig).

My journaling reads: "Just as the old folk songs says, 'Golden years are passing by, these happy golden years.'  I'm so glad that we've spent these years together."

Я на страничке написала: "Как говорится в старой народной песне, "Золотые годы проходят, ах эти счастливые золотые годы!"  Я так рада, что проводим эти годы вместе с тобой".

This is a romantic page, with a photo of my husband and myself on our fourteenth wedding anniversary.

Эта страничка романтичная.  На снимке--мы с мужем, когда мы отметили 14ую годовщину.

Of course, I had to include a "golden" accent on my layout.

Конечно, есть на моей страничке золотое украшение.

I made my own pattern for the treble clef.

Я сама сделала узор скрипичного ключа.

I also did a bit of old-fashioned cross-stitching.

И я вышивала крестом, в старомодном стиле.

And now, I invite you to play along with this challenge.  Use a folk song (in any language) to create any type of project--a layout, a card, or an off-the-page project.  Best of luck to you!  And, as they say at Scrap Melody, may your soul always sing!

Теперь, я вас приглашаю участвовать в челлендже.  Выберите народную песню (на любом языке) и создайте любой скрап-проект--страничку, открытку или скрап-объект.  Желаю удачи!  И, как всегда говорят на сайте Мелодий скрапа, пусть у вас душа поёт всегда!