Another Fun Stamping Class



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My classes at Michaels are always such fun, and last night was no exception! My friend Becca and I met at the six o'clock start time and got right to work, excising our creative muscles with a trendy Mason Jar stamp. Not being an experienced stamper wasn't at all a problem for her, and hopefully the little tid bits of stamping lore I supplied her with will inspire her at home as well.

Aren't these two cards she created so cute? I love the mason jar stamp she chose, it is so versatile and could be filled with any idea. We chose a few little birdies helping a friend, and some hearts and flowers to fill our stamped jar images. Can you see the subtle hand painted accents added to the jars? It makes them look sooo realistic! Especially the brown swatch painted on the yellow card's jar- it looks like the kraft border is showing through the glass...The baker's twine and ribbon definitely added some textural pizazz to the card fronts, and then we trimmed the bottom edges to show some peekaboo pattern showing from the inside.

The custom, color coordinating envelopes were made with the WeRMemoryKeepers envelope punch board. A unique tool and defiantly a cool addition to your go -to tool supply, once you get the directions down that is! We laughed as we attempted envelope after envelope with mixed results. I have the same kind of fun with my Martha Stewart score-board, so I guess it's just all part of the process, lol. Another bit of patterned paper inside the envelope adds just the right amount of summer time fun and fabulousness to an otherwise plain yellow card cover.

WELL, this is the last day to comment to win in my July contest... go ahead and subscribe to my blog and or YouTube channel, and comment away for an opportunity to win either a custom die cut or scrapbook page made especially for you, by me:-)  

Thanks for reading and good luck!

Way to Washi No. 727

Putting an emphasis on the photo is always my goal, but with all the hot products available today, my pages can sometimes get inundated with embellishment.
Today, I put the emphasis on white space! A few stickers and a single photo placed in a grid, a simple embellie of brads wound with crochet thread, and a die cut mat at an angle all pull the eye right to the middle of my layout where my photo takes off-center stage.
I felt the page lacked a little cohesive color, so I pulled a roll of coordinating My Minds Eye Washi out and selected the orange crosshatch pattern for the top and bottom. Once I laid it down I could see that a skinnier would be better, so I just placed the paper edge down the middle of the tape and cut off the excess for the bottom piece.
I love this "clean" and simple page which took probably all of ten minutes to create. Thanks for stopping by, and remember,  there are atill a few more days to enter my Scrapbook Expo giveaway by leaving a comment below, on any of my YouTube videos, or by becoming a subscriber to either there or here- or do all of this for multiple chances at winning.
Good luck, and go get your washi-ng done!

Scent On the Go-www.PartyLite.Biz/AnnasCandlesTheres still time for me give you 10 dozen candles free in July!

Way to washi no.722

Take a lot of coordinating colors of washi and use them to create a really cute card!
First I covered half of a blank card base with the light blue stars washi tape. Then I covered another piece of scrap cardstock, cut it into separate strips, punched each strip with the scallop border punch, and then layered them together over the ends of the first washi application. Finished with a lovely K & Company die cut and Jillibean soup label sticker. I felt it needed still something else, a query that is almost always solved by the addition of either bling or twine. Or both!
Thanks for stopping by! You can see this card in person by visiting the downtown Gig Harbor Copy It...Mail It! and I'm terrifically excited to announce that as of this afternoon, a few of my cards are available online through Etsy! I'll have more details about this coming out in the next few days. For now you can click on this link: www.etsy.com/shop/craftwithanna  and see what I've got up. Hooray for card sales!

Same-Month Scrapping

Working on a layout featuring photos taken within the same month...is that an even thinkable task with scrapbooking?! With the blossoming of Project Life style scrapping, i.e. daily, weekly, or monthly recapping of life's happenings, this idea is becoming more realistic. Add to this equation tiny printers that you can wirelessly send your photos to for instant printing, and you've got a recipe for some same month scrappin.

Well, I don't have a Project Life album per se, and I don't have a cool new Selphy printer, but I do have pictures, an album and I do have a printer! So even though the ink is running out in said printer, I did print off my fourth of July pictures and scrapped them within the same month. I'm pretty proud of this accomplishment.

I started with a series of photos of my family taken down at the beach as we waited for dusk to turn to night. My hunny is known for his dislike of the traditional family portrait taking session, but my mom's got an iPhone, so within the 30 or so pictures she snapped I found three that I really liked and wanted to have all on the one page. You can tell when looking at the photos that I was trained to hold my picture smile! 'Cause I am like the wax statue that my family is posing around lol.

This year I've been working really hard towards reaching for my not-favorite items. Not that I don't love all my products, but there are definitely some with dust accumulating on their edges. Instead of patterned cardstock, I got into my patterned paper (probably purchased over a decade ago) and chose an unlikely sheet of a snow covered treescape. It reminded me of that grey light that our eyes see as the sun sets. Next I pulled that striped sheet from a gifted paper pack which includes the die cut letters you see in my title.

When I have trouble getting my die cuts to pull cleanly from their background, I simply cut around the letter for a fun and funky new look, and then pull up the edges on the letters for a bit of dimension. This saves me a lot of frustration (and wasted letters)! Plus, on this layout especially, it can lend my alpha a bit of visual weight it may be lacking.

Under my title I added some scraps as banners. Some banners got their edges inked for more depth, and I even cut the lighthouse from Graphic 45's By the Sea collection and turned it to create a nautical flag as well. There are so many different reds in the picture itself that I didn't worry about matching, and tried to use bright, dull, and everything in between shades without fear. The same idea was in mind for the many blues, and it seems to have translated well. Rub on stitching and Queen & Co.'s star shaped rhinestones helped to emphasize our Fourth of July fun.
It doesn't show much in the photo above, but I got really creative with some washi tape fireworks as well. I'll be sure to post an additional entry with my completed left page and a close up of what I think are some of the coolest fireworks amongst my album to date. Thanks for reading today, and don't forget to comment for a chance to win either a die cut or a scrapbook page designed just for you in my Scrapbook Expo contest going through the end of the month.  

ATC Ready to Win!

Artist Trading Cards- or Prize Winning tickets?

If you got one of these paper gems from myself or from The Paper Wizard's booth at the Puyallup Scrapbook Expo, or saw my post through facebook, instagram, or Twitter, and wound up here, you're in luck! Simply leave a comment below before July's end, and you could be a winner! Drawn at random from a hat, the recipient may choose from either a card or scrapbook layout made by me, and I will mail it out pronto. As promised in my last post, your envelope will be beautifully decorated as well.
Your prize inside will feature a multi-layer die cut. Don't know what a die cut is? or perhaps looking for some inspiration on how to use them? Take a look at the latest edition of DieCutCrazy, a digital magazine full of terrific tutorials, product reviews, and tons of photos of projects from around the world. All for just 0.99! Search for it in your Apple store or just click here.
    The last giveaway I had was for a YouTube milestone, so if you want a bonus entry, subscribe there to my CraftWithAnna channel. Click on the Process Videos tab above for more of my 'tube-ular If you'd like to follow my blog I'd appreciate that as well.
I'm honored you dropped my blog today, and look forward to our drawings end!
-Anna

Need Retail Therapy?

This weekend, the annual Scrapbook Expo is rolling into Puyallup, and I'll be working in the Paper Wizard booth with owner, Eric. He was kind enough to offer me a pass to the vendor fair as well! I've already got my budget of $20 used up with Queen & Co.'s offer of their latest trunk, free with a $15 purchase. I can't wait to treat myself to a fancy multi dimensional die from the Paper Wizard too. Of course, I'll show it off here!
I've been working on getting some Artist's Trading Cards prepared to hand out to new friends I meet. I've done this in the past and it's awesome, because you're meeting all these crafty people, and it's like I just want to make something for everyone of them. But that's somewhat realistic, I mean unrealistic, so instead I hand them a card with artsy stuff all over it and my blog address. It's funny to because sometimes, I go to give them the first card I pull and it's like, oooh not that one for you :-) How about this not so fancy keepsake? lol of course I don't say that outloud!
Speaking of show off, have you caught my latest Card Share video on YouTube?

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All of the cards in this video are available (as mentioned) in the Gig Harbor Copy It Mail It.  It's been a great experience, so far, working with the owners and getting my cards into customer hands. I love hearing- or let's face it, just imagining- stories of someone finding Just the Wright Card. Or Write Card! It's always been the best part of creating cards to me. Picturing the recipient's reaction and hoping it makes their day special.

So at the beginning of the year I told myself that I really need to be in better contact with my friends. So far I haven't done as well as I'd like, but there is always room for improvement, right? Last week I sent two cards out to old school mates, one whose mom I now work with, and one whose mom I see shopping at Michaels frequently. I'm good with the moms I guess (right DF). Embellishing the outside of the envelope is going to be what I call my embellishment of the month for my product challenge I issued (myself) at the beginning of the year as well. Whether it's with stamping, or just doodling on the outside, anything that can snazz it up some will be attempted.

The fabric in the background here and in the movie is actually a placemat that my Aunt Trisha made. One of her quirks was that she only ever made three placemats... since it was only herself, husband, and only son. And since I inherited a few of her sets, I think of this often and laugh. We all have our eccentricities. Like for instance, I aspire to be a YouTube-star-craft-diva-extraordinare go figure!

If you want to send a card you've made yourself, consider attending my next Mason Jar Card class at Michael's July 27th from 2-4 pm. The stamp we're using is so versatile and will go perfectly with whatever paper you bring (or don't bring) to class. Trust me, you'll love what you make.

So when's the last time you had a "happy mail day" and received something other than the usual? How are you doing on your quota of Retail Therapy? Head up to the Scrapbook Expo this weekend and stop by the Paper Wizard booth- I promise I'll have something free for ya!

: Embellish It Again!

Shelby Dredge is one of my favorite teachers, and last week I had the good fortune to enjoy a lovely chat with her on the phone. I was actually calling her company office to get her address, so imagine the surprise got, speaking with the object of my inquiry herself!

Shelby was one of my earliest sources of inspiration that has led to my style of scrapbooking today. The first time I took her class during a Creating Keepsakes Convention, my mind was blown! Now I sort of laugh at my reaction, but that's only because I've incorporated so many of her tips and tricks into my everyday creativities.

The EmbellishIt! scrapbook layout of the month kit club is fabulous, and I definitely recommend it to anyone in the market for such a treat delivered to their door. Beautifully coordinated papers from top shelf designers, and plenty of stickers, alphas, and even fibers to go along with her designs. In fact, there is so much included in each kit, you'll reach for it long after the double page spread you get instructions for has been completed. Even though this kit was a Valentine intended kit, I've used it for Winter/sledding, and here for some bright, sunshining outdoorsy fun too.

Now, since I love to use all my resources, I even included some of the Basic Grey packaging on my card front (fussy cut flower) and Yes, that is the manufacture's strip you see at the bottom of the card too :-) My bestie and I are cruising with Shelby next February to the Caribbean, so the little paper line title/phrase reading "Paradise Beach" had to be included! You'll be looking at your packaging differently now- see how I even used what was left for my photo mat --->

Even after I've made two double page layouts, this single layout, and a card with matching envelope liner, there are still lots of goodies to play with. Perhaps I should have titled this post, Embellish It again and again and again, cause that's what I'll be doing!

You can find more information about the cruise by clicking on the green, Cruise With Me! blinking badge on the right hand side of this blog, and see lot's of ready-to-make, shopping cart delights at www.EmbellishKits.com There is a card kit of the month club as well, so be sure to check that out too.

Thanks for stopping by today~

Anna

Add a Fourth of Fun

Today I'm sprinkling a dash of creativity, adding a Fourth of Fun, and mixing up a big scrap bucket of card fronts!
Occasionally, there are nights I successfully bring myself back downstairs after tucking the kids into bed. Earlier this summer I discovered a way to make a table I can work off while sitting on the couch and it's opened up a few more hours of crafting for me! As hunny and I watch our fill of the Orange is the New Black, I sort through my scraps and find interesting color combinations to play with. Sometime I'm really happy with the results, and sometimes I just love the idea of what I've made, but not really the card itself.

That's the case with this card to the left; I actually like it a lot more photographed and here on the blog than I do in real life. It was fun to create though, and that's what matters most to me. The cute little paper flower was made by folding strips of paper and then topping it with a fussy cut flower and a pearl. A peek-a-boo sticker from the kids and an assortment of additional blings bring the focus onto the flower. Thank goodness I have every color bling under the sun to compliment all the shades shown here, thanks to Queen & Co and their value priced booth at CKC each year!

Speaking of bling, I need to go make some Fourth of July cards for the peeps I'll see. I've got some blue and red star blings that are just dying to get on something.
Have a safe and fun, festive Fourth- and make it crafty!