Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again...

A have special project to share today, the front cover of a Tim Holtz Collection Folio I am making up to capture the memories of the trip I took last year, featuring Travelling Betty from Simply B Stamps.

When I saw the awesome Travelling Betty I knew she would be perfect for this, especially as we got to meet and hang out with Betty herself on the trip.  My folio is inspired by the beautiful work of Paula Cheney whose example of one Tim showed in a video for the release of them is what got me wanting to get my hands on one in the first place.  I’ve borrowed some of Paula’s techniques and her use of a Word Band on the elastic closure, including altering the band.  In my case I rubbed some Rub’n’Buff on to make it a bit more grungy.

I wanted the cover to be somewhat grungy, I guess because that is really my style but pretty at the same time.  I raided my stash and came up trumps with the gorgeous paper from an old Creative Memories collection.  I just kept going on the stash items playing along with Craft Hoarders Anonymous’ current challenge.  I have, from left to right on the bingo board, markers (Copics on my image), fabric and lace (behind my embellishments), die cutting (oval shapes both manual and electronic), stamping (image) and mixed media (stencil and texture paste), chipboard (title), and metal (brads and faux metal look to the chipboard) and buttons and brads.

The theme of the album is travel and we certainly did a lot of flying on our trip so I had to add in the great resin plane embellie from Prima so I’m entering this in the current Fussy and Fancy challenge as planes have wings.

Our trip took in the beautiful Canada in the fall and even the USA too put on a lovely colour show of autumnal leaves so the leaf button seemed a fitting embellie to cover off both countries’ scenery.  With my button I’m entering this in Papertake Weekly’s current challenge picking the product theme.

To make the background a bit more special and fill the space rather than using more designer paper I opted for a lovely abstract flower stencil and some modelling paste.  I coloured the modelling paste using Distress Inks to make an olively green to match the designer paper I used.  I then added in some brads to give it some added texture that wouldn’t easily fall off as this is going to get handled, or at least I hope it will invite people to handle it and look inside.  Sweet Stamps has a challenge looking for stencils and paste so I am entering my project there.

To finish off my embellies I wanted something a bit bigger than the resin and button so decided to add a bit of interest and texture with some fabric and lace scraps ruched to form rosette style embellies.  I think they add just the right finishing touches and with them I am also entering my project in the current Try it on Tuesdays’ challenge.

Ingredients:

Copics

Skin E000, E00, E11, E21 (E02 cheeks)

Eyes E30, E35, 0

Lips R24, R29, R46

Hair E21, E23, E25, E27, E29

Outfit B91, B93, B95, B97, B99, N4, N6, N8, YG93, YG95, YG97, YG99, 100

Suitcases N4, N6, N8, Y21, Y23, Y26, Y28, YG01, YG03, YG05, YG07, 100

Chalks & Powders etc

Ranger Embossing Powder ~ Clear

Dies, SVGs & Templates etc

Joy! Crafts Blue Mould ~ Oval (6002/0258)

Spellbinders Nestabilities ~ Classic Scalloped Ovals & Opulent Ovals

Prima Stencil ~ Sunset Sunrise Flower

Embellishments

Creative Memories Alphabet Stickers ~ Blue & Crimson

Jesse James Dress It Up Buttons ~ Fall Collection Autumn Leaves

Metal Brads from stash

Prima Ingvild Bolme ~ Explore Resins

Stickabilities ~ ⁷/₁₆^” Hand Drawn

Tim Holtz Idea-ology ~ Word Band

Inks & Paints etc

Prima Ingvild Bolme Chalk Ink ~ Rusty Bucket

Rub’n’Buff ~ Spanish Copper 

Teresa Collins ~ Modelling Paste 

Tim Holtz Distress Ink ~ Evergreen Bough, Gathered Twigs, Mowed Lawn, Squeezed Lemon & Tea Dye

Papers

Bazzill Cardstock ~ Milkshake

BoBunny Double Dot ~ Maize Vintage

Creative Memories ~ Reminisce Travel

K&Company ~ Tim Coffey Travel

Tim Holtz Idea-ology ~ Collection Folio

Ribbons & Trims etc

Chiffon & Lace from stash

Stamps

Simply B Stamps ~ Travelling Betty

Challenges

Craft Hoarders Anonymous ~ Choose Your Challenge (markers, fabric or lace, die cutting, stamping & mixed media (stencil & texture paste), chipboard (title) & metal (brads & faux metal look to chipboard), buttons & brads)

Fussy and Fancy #131~ Things with Wings

Papertake Weekly ~ Take your pick (product theme: buttons)

Sweet Stamps #206 ~ Stencils and Paste

Try it on Tuesdays ~ Add Some Fabric

Thanks for stopping by!

Usted estará conmigo para siempre

I have another Day of the Dead card, this one featuring Lenore Forevermore from Simply B Stamps.

This one was more difficult as she didn’t have her face decorated so I had to add that in myself, which I did after I coloured her up so the pressure was really on.  I think it turned out OK but next time I think I will make a template for myself and definitely add that detail in first.

With such a beautiful image I wanted a fairly CAS card and the Week 3 sketch at Viva La Verve was just right although not sure I’ve altered it too much with the added element of the image.  I liked the scattered circle elements as they gave me the perfect placement for my sugar skull stickers, they sort of pick up the grey from the inspiration image.  I didn’t have any other in my stash so had to go with these.  I also used the pink from the photo on the image but teamed it with some lime green and a little yellow as the Day of the Dead images all seem to be multi-coloured.

Although my card is somewhat CAS it still has lots of layers, which I love.  I even layered lace on ribbon for the curved element.  With all my layers I am entering my card in the current challenge at Craft Hoarders’ Anonymous.

As You Like It is currently asking which style you prefer cute or elegant.  I have to say I think my preference is elegant although I do tend to try all styles and people have said my style is rather grungy.  I don’t think there’s anything grungy about this card, the image was beautifully elegant and I’ve followed that through with my CAS layout and embellies so for me, definitely, it is elegant.  Why elegant?  Because I love beautiful embellies, dies like this elegant frame, images of women with gorgeous hair like Lenore Forevermore and because my all time favourite movie star is the queen of elegance herself, Audrey Hepburn.

Ingredients:

Copics

Skin C00, N0, N1, 0

Eyes B00, B05

Lips R39, R43, R46

Hair N4, N6, N8, YG00, YG01, YG03, 110

Outfit RV02, RV04, RV06, RV09, YG05, YG23, YG25

Skull E40, E41, E42

Roses RV23, RV25, RV29, YG01, YG03, YG05

Dies, SVGs & Templates etc

Wild Rose Studio ~ Oval Frame

Embellishments

Jolee’s Stickers ~ Black & White Skulls & Skeletons

Inks & Paints etc

Spica ~ Lemon, Melon & Pink

Papers

Core’dinations Cardstock ~ Great White

Kaisercraft Cardstock ~ Candy

Ribbons & Trims etc

Webster’s Pages Trendsetter ~ Green Fashion Lace & Kiss Pink Ruffle Trim

Stamps

Simply B Stamps ~ Lenore Forevermore

Challenges

As You Like It ~ Favourite Style (Cute or Elegant & Why)

Craft Hoarders’ Anonymous #18 ~ Layer It!

Viva La Verve ~ October Week 3 Sketch & Inspiration Pic

Thanks for stopping by!

Je suis calme comme on l'est quand on a conscience reproche un rien

There’s a fun new sketch over at Outlawz and I’ve made a vintage inspired card featuring the beautiful Marie Antoinette image from this month’s fabulous sponsor, Aurora Wings.

I just had to go vintage with this gorgeous image, I love Marie Antoinette and Mitzi’s version is just stunning.  I’m entering my card in the current vintage challenge over at Just Inspirational.  Of course being vintage and featuring Marie Antoinette I just had to put some flowers on this.  Lots of them, including some paper ones and some metal ones so I’m also entering it in the current challenge at Craft Horders Anonymous. 

The metal ones have been in my stash for quite some time and were perfect for this especially when I added the pretty pink brads to the centre.  With my brads I am also entering this at Use Your Stuff.  I certainly don’t use my brads enough, these ones came off an unopened packet that has been in my drawer for so long I had forgotten I even had them!  As I also have three metal flowers, three paper flowers and three brands I’m also linking this up at The Crazy Challenge.

Now you can’t have a vintage and shabby card without a lot of layers and I do love layers.  For this one I have three layers of paper, all a bit grungey and shabby.  With those three layers I am entering this over at Stamps & Fun =Creativity.  As I also have an image coloured with markers, my trusty Copics of course, I’m also entering the current MarkerPop! challenge.

I love how this card turned out.  Hope I’ve inspired you to come play along with this week’s sketch, which will be my last for a little while as I take a lovely and long holiday overseas.

Ingredients:

Copics

Skin E000, E00, E11, E21 (cheeks E02)

Eyes BG000, BG02, 0

Lips R24, R29, R46

Hair E21, E23, E25, E27, E29

Outfit RV00, RV11, RV32, RV34, RV17, V000, V01, V09, V12, V15, V17

Cupcakes E30, E31, E33, Y21, Y23, Y26, Y28

Chalks & Powders etc

Fran-tage Embossing Enamel ~ Chunky White

Lindy’s Stamp Gang Embossing Powder ~ Magic Moon Pearls

Embellishments

Flourish with a Bling ~ Grace Swirl Pearl

Kaisercraft Pearl Brads ~ Pink Ice

Live and Love Crafts ~ Decoration Berries Lilac

Metal Flowers from stash

Petaloo Darjeeling ~ Mini Mix Teastained Pink

Prima Flowers ~ Pankita Rose Winter Mix

Inks & Paints etc

Spica ~ Blossom, Gold, Lavender, Lilac & Pink

Tim Holtz Distress Ink ~ Tattered Rose, Tea Dye & Walnut Stain

Papers

Bazzill Cardstock ~ Brandy Wine

FabScraps Industrial Chic ~ Concrete Chic 2

Marion Smith Garment District ~ Manhattan

Stamps

Aurora Wings ~ Marie Antoinette

Challenges

Craft Horders Anonymous #15 ~ All the Pretty Flowers

The Crazy Challenge #179 ~ Three of a kind

Just Inspirational ~ Vintage

MarkerPop! #51 ~ Anything Goes with a Marker

Stamps & Fun = Creativity #214 ~ 3 layers of paper

Use Your Stuff #151 ~ Brads

Thanks for stopping by!

Expecting in Style

There’s a new sketch at the Outlawz and I’ve used it along with Stamping Bella’s Uptown Girl Brynn has a Baby Shower to make a card for a colleague about to head off on maternity leave.

Here’s this week’s sketch.

I wanted to make this a really stylish card rather than a cutesy one as the mother-to-be is a very stylish woman.  So a bit of pink and soft purple on the prezzies (she’s having a girl) but a very stylish red and black colour scheme.  I thought a touch of cheese cloth would help soften the card so I used it for my larger vertical element.  As I have some material on my card I am entering it in the current challenge over at Top Tip Tuesday.

I’ve played along with the bingo challenge at Bunny Zoe’s Crafts, I love a bingo challenge for helping select the decorative elements on a card.  I’ve gone with the right-hand column, my embossing is a Cuttlebug die that I added interest to with some Perfect Pearls, the sentiment is stamped using the stamp that comes with the image (yes, real stamping that I actually got looking good the first time, amazing!) and the cute baby feet charms were just the right embellies.  With my charms I am also entering this in the current challenge at Card Mania and with my embossing I’m linking it at at Craft Hoarders Anonymous.

I resized the sketch to be a square and used some Nesties to cut the large square element.  I didn’t have a plain rectangle Nestie but I thought the label was far nicer.  As I have several die cuts I’m also entering my card at The Crazy Challenge.

I really don’t think this image was one you’re meant to fussy cut but as it is a rubber stamp I couldn’t resize it to fit within the square.  I only ever really do 6x6 square cards so I was kinda stuck with fussy cutting.  But hey, it wouldn’t be called a challenge if it wasn’t challenging and changing up the sketch a bit just made it a challenge for me!  And hopefully my efforts have inspired you to come join the fun with this week’s sketch over at the Outlawz.

Ingredients:

Copics

Skin E21, E30, E33

Hair T4, T6, T8, 100

Outfit R24, R29, R46, R59, R89, T4, T6, T8, 100

Presents RV10, RV11, RV32, RV34, RV66, V000, V01, V09, V12, V15

Chalks & Powders etc

Perfect Pearls ~ Forever Red

Dies, SVGs & Templates etc

Cuttlebug Embossing Folder ~ Baby Shower

Spellbinders Nestabilities ~ Classic Squares & Marvellous Squares

Embellishments

Metal Baby Feet Charms from stash

Pearls Brads from stash

Inks & Paints etc

Tim Holtz Distress Ink ~ Black Soot & Walnut Stain

Papers

Bazzill Dotted Swiss ~ Blissful

Kaisercraft Cardstock ~ Liquorice

Maja Design CreaDiem ~ Know Thy Self

Ribbons & Trims etc

Cheese Cloth from stash

Stamps

Stamping Bella ~ Uptown Girl Brynn has a Baby Shower

Challenges

Bunny Zoe’s Crafts ~ Bingo (sentiment, embossing, charms)

Card Mania #51 ~ How Charming (Add a charm)

Craft Hoarders Anonymous #12 ~ Who’s the Boss

The Crazy Challenge #176 ~ Die cuts and punches

Top Tip Tuesday ~ Material Girl

Thanks for stopping by!