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!

...the two natures that contended in the field of my consciousness...

I’m sharing a card today made for a milestone birthday for a colleague at work.

To make up the “belly band” that holds this card contained when it’s not on display I’ve followed the current sketch at Techno Stamper’s.  I did make the circle element smaller but only because I didn’t have a clock in the appropriate size.  I wanted to go with a time theme as the milestone was 50 and the colours of the paper and design worked really well for the look and feel I was going for.

On the actual card itself I’ve taken in the recipient’s favourite pastime of running by featuring Track Alex from Simply B Stamps, which sadly is a retired image.  I’ve also added in my all-time favourite male image of 1920s Kody from Some Odd Girl, also sadly retired.  (You so gotta get those digis when you see them as they are here one day gone the next!)   I put these images on the card as I am always jokingly telling him he looks like a bum in his running attire but very distinguished in his suit for work.

Papertake Weekly’s current challenge is to use three or more shapes on your card; I have a circle (clock face), rectangles (the card base, the shape behind the images and on the belly band) and squares (the patterned paper top and bottom row of the card).  I’m also entering it in the current challenge over at Cardz 4 Guyz where it’s the easy peasy anything goes theme.

Ingredients:

Copics

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

Eyes E21, E27, 0

Lips R24, R29, R46

Hair C1, C3, C5

Outfit B91, B93, B95, B97, B99, N5, N7, N9, V09, V12, V15, V17, W4, W6, W8, W10, 100

Embellishments

Tim Holtz Idea-ology ~ Game Spinners & Word Bands

Prima Vintage Trinkets Sunrise Sunset ~ Vintage Clock Face

Inks & Paints etc

Tim Holtz Distress Ink ~ Walnut Stain & Weathered Wood

Papers

Bazzill Cardstock ~ Pansy
Maja Design Vintage Autumn Basics ~ No. XIV & No. XVI

Stamps

Simply B Stamps ~ Track Alex (retired)

Some Odd Girl ~ 1920s Kody (retired)

Challenges

Cardz 4 Guyz #54 ~ Anything Goes

Techno Stamper Monday Lunchtime ~ Sketch #350

Papertake Weekly ~ Get In Shape

Thanks for stopping by!

There comes a time in every rightly-constructed boy’s life...

I have a cute little card to share today featuring Jude’s Heart from Simply B Stamps.

As I’m giving this to my young nephew for his birthday I’ve covered the heart in Jude’s hand with a pirate treasure map.  I thought the look on Jude’s face worked very well for a little boy baffled by the directions on a map.

To make up my card I’ve followed the current sketch at RetroSketches, I just made the corner element out of my sentiment strips and some stars to match the star paper I used.  I also made the rectangular element a bit larger to accommodate Jude but mostly so I could use my new Doohickeys’ die.  My crafty resolution formulated this week (a bit late for New Year’s I know but hey, better late than never) is to use every new die I get as soon as I get it.  This is to hopefully get me from just ordering and hoarding dies to actually using them on my cards.

As I do have a die cut on my card I am entering this in the current challenge over at Stamping Sensations.  I’m also entering my card in Cardz 4 Guyz’s current challenge as it is for a guy (a young one but a guy nonetheless) and it is for a birthday.

Ingredients:

Copics

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

Eyes E11, E23, 0

Hair E21, E23, E25, E27, E29

Outfit B91, B93, B95, B97, B99, C00, N4, N6, N8, Y13, Y15, Y17, Y19, Y21, Y28, 100

Chalks & Powders etc

Pebbles Metallic Cream Chalk ~ Dark Blue

Dies, SVGs & Templates etc

Magnolia Doohickeys ~ Vintage Photo Frames

Embellishments

Border Strip Sticker from stash

Freckled Fawn ~ Star Stickers

Jesse James Dress It Up Button ~ Pirates

Stickabilities ~ 1¼” Hand Drawn

Inks & Paints etc

Tim Holtz Distress Ink ~ Faded Jeans & Scattered Straw

Papers

Bazzill Cardstock ~ Typhoon

Graphic 45 Mother Goose ~ Patterns & Solids

Stamps

Simply B Stamps ~ Jude’s Heart

Challenges

Cardz 4 Guyz #53 ~ Happy Birthday

RetroSketches ~ Sketch #149

Stamping Sensations ~ Dies and Punches

Thanks for stopping by!

Oh my ears and whiskers…

It’s challenge time over at PunkyouGirl and it’s an easy peasy one of ‘anything goes’ and I’ve used a great image from our sponsor, SLS Lines, called Goth Girl and Rabbit.

To make up my card I’ve followed the current sketch over at Retrosketches.  I just swapped out the butterfly element for my image and mounted my sentiment on a Tim Holtz Tattered Curvy Scroll.  I’ve kept the embellies and papers fairly toned down, one, as this is a ‘darker’ project in the PunkyouGirl style, and, two, I’m thinking this for a male card.

As I’ve got a die cut and the card would suit a male I am entering it in the current challenge at ScrapbookerPhD.  The inside of the card finishes the sentiment for a belated birthday card.  And yes, it’s supposed to be slightly cheeky with a nod toward the Playboy bunnies given her somewhat provocative pose and as it is for a male.

Now over at Open Minded Crafting they have a theme of ‘new year’s resolutions’ for their current challenge.  Mine is to be on time with my cards this year so how does a belated birthday card fit that theme?  Well, if past years are anything to go by where I’ve made similar resolutions to be on time with my crafting are anything to go by I am going to be raiding my stash for this card when I realise I’ve missed one of my male friend’s birthdays.  I’ll then be glad that I made this resolution and started off so well in having a card at the ready so I’m not quite so late!

Ingredients:

Copics

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

Eyes B000, B00, B06

Lips R24, R29, R46

Hair Y00, Y02, Y04, Y08

Outfit B00, B02, B04, B06, C00, C0, C1, C3, N5, N7, N9, 0, 100

Rabbit R0000, R000, R00, W00, W0, W1

Dies, SVGs & Templates etc

Tim Holtz Alterations ~ Tattered Curvy Banners

Embellishments

K&Company Transfers ~ Monogram

Inks & Paints etc

Spica ~ Black, Gold, Lavender & Pink

Tim Holtz Distress Ink ~ Faded Jeans, Fired Brick, Scattered Straw & Tea Dye

Papers

Bazzill Cardstock ~ Pansy & Spring Willow Med

Blue Fern Studio Sanctuary ~ Botanical Garden & Conservatory

Graphic 45 Mother Goose ~ Patterns & Solids

Ribbons & Trims etc

Fabric Tape from stash

Recollections ~ Bling on a Roll

Stamps

SLS Lines ~ Goth Girl with Rabbit

Challenges

Open Minded Crafting #27 ~ New Year’s Resolutions

Retrosketches ~ Sketch #148

ScrapbookerPhD #19 ~ Masculine Birthday + Die Cut

Thanks for stopping by!