We all have those special musical icons in our life whose music becomes the soundtrack our memories playback on. A song for every time and place, decade or direction we've taken; there are lyrics galore that we can identify with. Being a child of the eighties with the graduation year of 1999, it's no wonder I was instilled with a deep purple passion from the very start~ my first crush and favorite artist has always been the legendary Prince.
When the news broke last week of his death, I mourned the loss of a man who contributed countless hits to generations of listeners. Whether he was rocking a pop song or soulfully infusing a ballad with his sensuality, he clearly exhibited a genius approach to capturing the feelings of anyone, be they in love, following a loved one, or getting into the mood for some lovemaking. Or just dressing up in diamonds and pearls for a night of dancing! Prince also produced some of the most popular songs of my generation, including hits by Sinead O'Connor, Chaka Khan, and "Appolonia" of course!
It wasn't just the music that kept Prince at the top of my World's Best... list. He seems like such a delicate little man, and his high heeled boots were killer (and probably my size). Prince is the only man I knew of to boast a G-string... thanks to my mom's best friend who had a life sized poster of him in little else hanging in her bathroom hahaha. Men were not advised to use her private pooper! And he inspired many a pixie cut to be sure. But I think what is really inspiring in this day and age is that he seemed to just be a genuinely niceish person. Is it any wonder how much I love the color purple?
It was only a few years ago that my mom was able to fulfill her countlessly uttered promise to take me to see this beautiful man live on stage... it was completely surreal! Did I scream running to the stage when he sang Purple Rain to dance in the confetti falling from the ceiling? You know I did! AND I'm pretty sure he looked at me! Probably because I was crying and laughing with my hands stretched out towards him while hysterically crooning (I swear, I wasn't the only one doing this) lol.
Did I love the white caftan hat he wore the entire concert? No, but I did adore the idea of his 'do beneath being nice and straight- turns out he was playing a later "cooler" concert in Seattle that night after his purple and gold confetti exit from the Tacoma Dome. And did I want that magical evening of bass, pop, an rockin' out to end? No, because, that guitar was absolutely incredible to hear wailing away a mere 100 yards away. However, I was VERY glad when the lights turned on and we were able to locate my missing phone within the hour :-) translation: no pictures
I am ecstatic to have those memories to share with my mom now that he is gone... and, with my heart too sad to do more than post pics of me posing with my 4th birthday's custom Prince cake on facebook and plan a night of Prince karaoke, I have only been admiring the creative endeavors of other mourners. I only wish I could say I had made one of these gorgeous layouts...
You know, I think it was only fitting that the announcement of the release of the next postal stamps being issued, made this same sorrow filled day, will include another beloved fixture in my life, Mount Rainier. And when I saw that the proposed image just happens to include a heavenly purple hue and majestic swirls of what I'll think of and call diamonds, I knew that a few of these stamps will need to be included when I finally do commit my loss to paper.
Scrapbooking our loved one's can be such a loving way to remember them, as well as one of the most difficult undertakings in the world of scrap. One of the reasons I've found not to complete (or agonize over such incompleteness) my scrapbook albums has been that, when the album is done, the event/year/trip is really over. And so, I will not rush into this memorial page honoring an influential individual, and instead I will "play in the sunshine," have some "starfish and coffee", and yes, "party like it's 1999."
Wow, the I love Sunshine collection pieces included in this month's scrapbooking kit from EmbellishKits.com were so packed full of fun and the warm colors of Summer, I could hardly stop making from it! In fact, after I completed the double page layout featured in our July EmbellishKits.com Scrapbooking kit preview video earlier this month, I went on to create two more scrapbook pages, ten cards, and two beautiful home décor pieces. And I STILL have goodies to play with! Check out this month's scrapbooking kit share video to see just how many stickers, chipboard elements and paper scraps I still have, and don't forget, many of these items should still be available through our favorite online source for papercrafts, EmbellishOnline.com
This month Shelby sent us a cool cut-apart sheet from Echo Park's I Love Sunshine collection. The 2x12 inch paper strips can be cut however you like, and in our tutorial video, we did some fussy cutting to create awesome embellishment clusters. For this half of the other double page layout designed for this month, we took the days of the week, and cut around the tabs, stacked them, and wow! Now we have layers that lead us through the week in filo-fax fashion.
Christmas in July~ Sliding Into Summer at St. Nicholas'
I love to dig into my own stash of stickers, but there were so many pieces to choose from this kit, I could go really go crazy! See how I split a rainbow polka dot chipboard frame to house two different stickers sets? I also added sunglasses, the rest of the rainbow dot border, a chipboard butterfly on top of a few squares from that ultra summery sheet that looks like postage stamps. The reverse pattern is stretched across the page and gives the photos a cohesive background. Another darker blue mat behind the focal photo pops it off the page- and don't those smiles bring a grin your way too?
I mixed my own alphas and combined them with that large chipboard SUMMER to create a fun title which reads, Sliding Into Summer. If you're ever stuck for a title, hit up Google and search for ___________scrapbook title. I typed in "Summer fun kids scrapbook title" and found one that fit my theme and style.
Relax- Days Like This Make Life Sweet
For the opposite side, I cut a tiny bit off of two sides of my background so there is a bit of white peeking out . I love that offset look. There was a reason for it though- you may have read or heard me say how much I hoard paper, so the background here is actually about five different paper strips, assembled on top of a plain white piece of cardstock. Using paper economically really makes these kits stretch, but even if you follow the clear cutting guide and placement directions included, you'll have lot's of left over paper and embellishments when you're done. Stacking pennant shaped pieces of paper is a terrific way to use up some or all of those scrap papers! Vary the widths and lengths for added interest and dimension. You could even use pop dots or foam adhesive under some of the tips so they appear to wave in the breeze.
A little birdie told me, Be Brave
Instead of one large photo, I chose four smaller photos of my daughter experiencing the glory of the outdoors on that same camping trip you saw photos from in June's scrapbooking tutorial and kit preview video. She loves paper (of course; she IS my teaching assistant), so I included some of my scraps in a little bouquet for that adorable chipboard bird to hold proudly. The wood veneer flag is the only piece on this layout that was pulled from my stash.
I love this photo of her with her dad; when I was a little girl my dad would coax me closer to the edge so I could see those amazing views that my fear of heights would have prohibited. Having my dad there when this picture was taken, well, it just made story come full circle and that is one of the best parts of scrapbooking memories to me. Oh, and yes I did venture close enough to the edge to look over this rock into the pristine blue-green waters of the river flowing behind us- and even snapped a photo (carefully). Now for the card collection!
Cats are people, too
An associate of mine recently gifted me a large assortment of greeting card fronts, and I put a few of them to use this month. For this cute cat card, I just layered a recycled card front with some washi tape on the bottom. Saved some glue that way, too! For the embellishment at the bottom, I layered a sticker that I didn't think I'd use under the chipboard flower cluster. On a large sticker sheet, it's okay to not like every single icon included. Take a glance a the sticker's shapes; think of how those shapes can be layered behind other pieces, and build up from there. A little bow made from the included baker's twine completes the front, and then I cut a small amount from the side and adhered a border sticker to peek from the inside. A little fun and it pulls all the colors together, too.
No really, it can't get any easier than this!
The next card was made in the same "batch"- I usually create between two and four cards at a go when I'm in the groove. You know, every day lol. Now, printed card bases are another really great option for creating quickly. Here, I've used one with a printed pattern on it- even easier than cutting a piece myself! Then, another card front cut down to size, a butterfly cut from another card, and finally, a foam adhesive backed sticker from our kit which reads, "It can't get any better than This."
Have you ever had a cool glass of lemonade on a hot summer's day? Well, if you haven't, you should, and if you have, I think you'll agree that there is little else that could be so refreshing this time of year (unless you are 21+ haha). I tried to channel some of that feeling into this Summer Fun card, and grabbed another pre printed card with a tiny black chevron on cream.
Customize your stickers!
Using some alcohol markers and a few big brush pens, I colored in a few of the stripes with cream and two different aquas on the top, and a green line at the bottom to mimic the sky and ground. Then the lemonade stand sticker, and a postage square of color, split in two and layered behind the Summer Fun chipboard piece to create a custom banner for my card front's booth! Tiny knots of the bakers twine at each end of the banner, a stamped pennant waving in the breeze, and a pinwheel sun. How Fun!
Splashing Optional
Here is that same preprinted background you saw earlier, this time I just layered a bunch of the scraps- I got the idea from that rainbow, "Paint Sample" patterned paper from this collection.
A few stickers, including the Cool in the Pool which I layered over a scrap of the blue swirl/postage icons paper. Add three or four different colors and sizes of blue bling, and you'll be ready for a dip! Hey, if you bring this card along, you can write to a friend about how much fun you're having. Even if they are sitting right next to you.
Here's another card that's "cool." The icons featured in the background all come on one sheet of paper- hmmm, that was hard! Actually, I did find some thinking required, for me anyway, in regards to which icons I wanted to cut solo, and how to keep a block big enough to include on other projects. I dressed up the front by adding blue bling from Queen & Co on top of that small piece of blue. Another little scrap was stretched to appear top to bottom- you can just barely see that peek of aqua, but it really adds a lot and helps to ground the entire card front. I also added tiny blings to the flip flops, the sun, to the pink square at bottom right, and to the O in HOT.
Can you see the shadows created by two different layers of foam adhesive? Bringing dimension to your project may cost more to mail, but the effect is well worth it. The elements seem to jump off the page now! If it's really hot where you are, like it is here this week, I apologize for making that popsicle look so delectable :-)
Now, where is the best place to enjoy the sun besides the pool (or for some, from inside an air conditioned haven)? At the beach, of course! My aunt and uncle were down there playing last weekend and inspired me to use eight more stickers from that large 12x12 sheet in this month's scrapbooking kit. Building a scene like this does take some imaginative planning- or not! Have fun, or if fun is fearful, cut your stickers from their sheets so you can move the elements around freely.
The sun up top is cut from a paper scrap, and the other journaling square, pulled from my stash for it's colorful border, is turned on it's side as a layering base. Speaking of having fun and using your imagination, take a look at my "waves," they are really just the pieces left behind from where I peeled off the border stickers!
Inspired by love <3
My aunt and uncle spent a lot of time downstate at the beach, and since we loved to spend time with them, my family was often camped nearby. I have so many fond memories of doing so, and many of them were stirred up when I saw their family photo up on facebook after their return. My beautiful aunt has set such a strong example for our family as she underwent multiple treatments in her fight against cancer these last few years, and I was happy not just for her returning hair, which looks uber-chic, but for her being in a place she loves, surrounded by the family that remains by her side through thick and thin. You just gotta love LOVE!
It's getting hot in here, so wear a cute swimsuit!
Another friend who just moved into an apartment with a pool inspired this next card- Hot Summer Days should come with some all natural sunscreen, huh? Or an umbrella with comfortable seating, and some rainbows! LOL, I found a place for one of the hundred or so paper clips I've brought home from the corporate world. It just goes to show, with a little pattern and bakers twine, even the simplest of household or office items can be transformed into a cute embellishment cluster.
Sequins + Fair Fun = End of Summer Fun
Sequins have made a resurgence amongst crafter's supplies, and it's no wonder! They are sparkly, simple to add, and you get A LOT for a little $. I built a little Fair scene on this card front and added gold sequins to the pre-printed background. For this custom stand, I used the chipboard lemonade stand and cut off the top where the lemonade sign sat. Then I used foam adhesive to pop up the Summer Fun banner sticker, and behind that I used some old Echo Park tile letters to allude to the fall fun that's just around the corner. Hmm, I'll have to take a look for my leaf-themed products and start to change my mood to sweater weather... But not quite yet! Another friend just took her family for a long needed vacation to Hawaii. As I remembered her expressions of "Why don't moments like that- amazingly good times- last forever!?" my eyes fell on the manufacturer's strips and the little paper collection titles that come on them. If you scroll back up to that camping layout I made for Rainier, you'll see I've used a few there as well. Layered over that pink chevron chipboard banner piece with a little splash of green behind that cluster, this tiny scrap of paper brings a simple sentiment to the front of my card. Truthfully, there is an "I" on that pennant, but I didn't want to use it that way! So remember, when you can't think of a way to use an embellishment, take a look at the colors and it's shape, and you may be surprised to find it on your next project after all!
Now, with all this colorful summer fun going on in my craft room (and sometimes in front of our picture window at the dining room table), I thought it would be great to pair a pop or two of color with some black and white and cream for a striking ensemble. Adding a bit of sparkle wouldn't hurt, either, huh? I used some of Heidi Swapp's gold & silver foiled calendar inserts for this card- just a few squares of your paper stash would work just as well, though, don't you think? This card was so easy to make, I thought the chipboard sentiment, Lazy Day was more than appropriate. Have you ever stopped to think about how many crafters you've had the pleasure of sharing creative space or ideas with, be it online or in person~ sometimes those people you watch on YouTube are almost like family! I tend to think of designers that same way, and my heart really went out to the Swapp family last week as they mourned the sudden loss of Heidi's son.
All because two people fell in love...
Unfortunate happenings like that can be a reminder to cherish loudly the ones we love ourselves. With a lot of realizations and positive changes in our relationships the last few months, I felt our family would benefit from an affirmation list of sorts. It just so happened that the last free class I taught at Michael's was going to be a Tim Holz inspired mixed media piece of home décor- perfect!
Taking an old frame picked up garage sale whose glass had broken, I layered more Heidi Swapp papers under and to the backs of a few acrylic tags. Another of her calendar cards made a place for my statements, and then I used one of her wood veneer pieces at the bottom. So why is this project included in this list of things made from our July EmbellishKits.com scrapbooking kit? Because if you look closely, you'll see another tiny bow made from the baker's twine from this month!
Love This!
And what did I bring to class to use in my in-class demo? More of that kit lol- I was able to use up the rest of those rhinestones, more stickers, and even some of the postage paper icons and some chipboard. Now that's what I call a sunshine filled piece of art!
Thanks for joining me in a review of the many projects I've created so far from the July Scrapbooking kit from EmbellishKits.com. There is plenty more Echo Park to shop from at EmbellishOnline.com, so if you'd like to recreate your own focal point for the home, your album, or to send to a friend, click on those links and send some happy to your home.
Next month I'll be scrapbooking and more with one of the Alternative kits... hint, hint, it's a heritage theme! So start looking through your stash (or just apply a few aging app filters) for your favorite family photos, and be prepared for an onslaught of memory preserving momentum coming your way :-)
Happy Scrapping!
My little girl Rainie has embraced all things ultra feminine in her fourth year, and I guess she want's to spread the joy- I caught a glimpse of something shiny and dimensional adhered to one of her favorite puzzles. Yes, she gave the picture girls earrings in the form of bling.
Oh, so creative, and oh, so much like me lol
Bling Bling, Baby!
I've been spinning a few plates more than usual. Sometimes as a parent working from home it can be harder to remember to make time not dedicated to housework and catching up on all the tasks one could do during downtime at the office (if they had one to go to. Or time to waste there). To really focus on engaging my kids in an activity not pertaining to their food consumption or the rituals of bathing. To turn off my mental task checker and turn my attention on the loves of my life-and well, I can't help it that they choose papercrafts for fun can I?
Yesterday we followed directions housed within the Disney-riffic pages of one of the library's borrowed magazines. I guided both girls through the process but tried really hard not to tell them just where to apply adhesive, stickers or the bling that transformed their discarded cardboard forms into stunning treasure keepers!
I love that Rainier is building scenes with her embellishments now. She explained as she added crowns to each character that the lion is the king, the ladybug is the queen, and the snowflake is the judge...of the pageant! Hmm is it time for another of those productions already?
Rainier's meticulous placement is so different from Sunday, who I believe delights in the textural pleasures that come from stacking stickers oh, 15-20 deep in about a one inch square area! Although, sometimes she decontructs a completed project and disperses the sticker stack amongst other creations... she may have seen a few of my finer repurposed constructions, hmm?
Whatever our day brings, being able to spend a few peaceful, MOSTLY non-squabbling moments together doing what we all love is bliss in itself; it is the art of living well that we are practicing.
Since practice makes perfect, I've now got a lifetime of fallback excuses er, reasons to put off all those other obligations!
You can read all about and see all the details for the cards featured in the video link above in this post. I've been making away; aside from this collection and the bonus projects, I created about 20 more cards last week. Between store sales, custom orders, fundraising cards, preparing for the retreats I'm teaching at, and these videos, I barely had time to squeeze in this beautiful layout... but that's just the type of challenge I enjoy!
Be sure to subscribe to my CraftWithAnna YouTube channel. You'll see all my videos show up on your watch list as they are published. Can I get a whoop whoop!
I'll post more pictures of this layout and some close ups of those gorgeous clusters tomorrow. Sign up to follow my blog and I will send you an email when I post. As always, I thank you for stopping by and watching!
P.S. Leave a comment below regarding your favorite card... there's no prize, I just love the feedback lol.
I was asked to create three retirement cards for one of my associates on our Preschool board, and thank goodness I remembered to make them before getting carried away to vacation land at the end of the month! Working in a large card format is new for me, and I didn't realize that the ones they sell in the store are usually a bit smaller than the 8 1/2x 11 size paper folded in half sized cards that I made. Good news is, I got to practice making my own envelopes using my Martha Stewart Score Board! I still seem to be lacking a basic awareness of math when it comes to using that haha.
My Heidi Swapp die cut book and other bits and pieces of punched shapes, flowers, bling, and sentiment stickers give these cards a lot of dimension. I even repurposed the cover of the book to include a repeated image of my larger die cut within that wood grain frame. Oh, and that frame was made from a wood flooring advertisement! I hope there is plenty of room to write inside, and that the recipients enjoy their retirement wishes enclosed, each card is unique and hopefully the purchaser will be able to match them up to the personalities. I gave her a terrific price because I was so flattered that she ordered through me. Now, hopefully someone will deliver them at our next meeting, which I won't be attending due to my CRUISE (cue wicked laugh).
Don't forget, I plan to review each day in detail, as well as give tips and pointers about preparing for a cropping cruise, so be sure to click subscribe and my posts will arrive in your email as they appear. Thanks for stopping by- challenge yourself to use some garbage to make something pretty today!
Dad's don't always get the credit they deserve for doing something wonderful for their daughters, so I want to be sure to highlight something sweet Ray did last week.
Rainier celebrated her 4th birthday with a weekend of slumber party fun with me over at my mom's house, including a trip to the Symphony, lunch out with friends, and a big party after worship at church.
As much as I enjoyed spoiling her with mother daughter time, I couldn't help but feel that our better halves were home missing out. True, we would be hosting a Tea Party for her friends on her actual birthday of Monday the 19th, but I was relieved nonetheless when dad mentioned his plan for a Friday date night for he and his oldest gem.
After a short morning's work under a few horses, he drove home, showered, and packed up their organic popcorn treats, and with Rainie decked out in date night finery they headed to the Harbor for their evenings activities. Shopping, movies, and dinner, just what any lady likes!
While they were gone I had so much love in my heart at the thought of their good time that I had to fashion up a card to show how much I appreciated his thoughtfulness. The perfect sentiment popped out of my stash, but I wanted the background to reflect my heartstrings' song.
Anchors are such a strong symbol. Not only do they reflect his maritime joy but are a true reflection of his importance in our lives...although it may be my love of Washington that has anchored us here for now, he is the foundation of our family upon which most of our philosophies and habits are set.
Often times while I am preparing to make a card, I will glance around my desk to see what leftovers I can use, and my eyes fell upon this Basic Grey sticker sheet. The stickers have long since been used up, a recent trend I've pounced upon btw, and it seems a waste to toss the left over "frames," so there on my desk this sheet sat. I love grid designs, and when I layered the sticker backing over my anchor printed background, I loved the look so just went with it. I did end up turning the backing a couple of times to get the placement right.
An enamel swirl, some blingy bling and I was almost done. After adding some distress ink to the sentiment strip it felt like this card was ready to be hidden in plain sight for hunny to chance upon.
Thanks for celebrating an inspiring dad with me today!
This Danielle Flanders inspired watercolor card was created with just a few stamps and my gelatos. I've been really trying to use those magical marking crayons for more than just looking at! So simply scribbling a bit on my craft mat, adding a misting of water and then dunking my paper in swirling motions over that colorful mess has been a fun way to experiment.
I started with plain white paper, and colored the entire piece as explained above. Then I stamped with a (recently purchased -gasp) stamp in a newsprint design by KaiserKraft. I didn't try to be perfect with the stamping but I did use Momento black in hope that it wouldn't bleed. I've used this background for about 4 cards so it was effort that paid in multiples!
Using one of the cut pieces for my background, I reached for one of my only flower stamps, a Close To My Heart rose. Stamped that a bit off the page and then used a red and pink gelato/water mix to paint the petals. For the leaves, I simply stamped in green ink and used a watercolor blender pen to pull some of that color into towards the center. It ended up very subtle but that was fine.
Now, I had intended to put a block of patterned paper on the left side of my navy blue card base, but I happened to try putting a remnant from the piece I used over there, and the effect was pretty fab! So I left the card base peeking through and then added a bow in baker's twine by the sentiment. For some extra touchy feelys I layered two fabric flowers with a tiny die cut and topped them with white sequins and a pink Queen & Co. Rock Candy gem.
Although this card had a lot of steps, the effect is gorgeous and simply beautiful. The gelato brings a different depth of color and with a little experimenting, can be just as easy, or even easier to use, than traditional watercolors.
Have you tried these pastel-like tubes of color and had pleasant results? Less than pleasant :0 ? I'd love to hear about it, so leave a comment below and come back again soon to see what's making in my house!
I absolutely love this card I made yesterday! It has layers of My Mind's Eye papers, a Jenni Bowlin argyle transparency, and Lawn Fawn stickers, a combination that pops with color and all the fun of the holiday season.
At the Creating Keepsakes Convention earlier this month, I learned a fabulous technique for creating Shaker Cards. Mike from Queen & Co. taught us to use washi tape to close our cards... WASHI! One of my all time favorites!
I brought home a lot of sequins from the convention, a product I sought out after I realized I have almost depleted my meager supply of 10 or so sequins I've been hoarding as they fall off our daughter's clothes and from Christmas decoration clean up in years gone by. Yes, I am too cheap to spend a dollar to get a bazillion sequins and prefer the distressed-by-my-concrete-floor versions... NOT.
Beloved washi, meet newly acquired mega-stash of sequins. Sequins, meet Transparency overlay that I never know what to do with. Washi, meet transparency... now that we're all acquainted, put it all together and look what happens!
Well, if you're me, what happens is that all that fun creates a bit of a mess and the inside of your card suffers. But, if you're me you go looking for a way to cover up you fingerprinting mishaps, and participate in a challenge at the same time~
Jen Schow is a somewhat new YouTube process video-er who has done what I haven't figured out yet; gained over 500 subscribers in the short time she's been 'Tubing! What an accomplishment. Jen and I sort of know each other online as members of the Nicole Jones 911 Facebook group, which a lot of fun. And to celebrate her gratefulness at all the subbie support she's getting, she is offering up an American Crafts prize pack for punched project share submitters!
Here is how I used my favorite Close To My Heart Scalloped circle punch: as a peek a boo to the back side of the background to my shaker card front. I fussy cut a snowflake and layered that inside with a pop dot, and ran another strip of washi tape down the side. If I were a forward thinker, I'd have ran the tape down the side before punching, but I just cut a fringe along the edge and folded the tape over the scallops and no one (okay, non card makers anyway) would know the difference anyway.
Thanks for stopping by and let me see what you're making!
Wow, this is my 200th Blog Post, and NO, I'm not throwing these figures out for no reason- they are a little proof that YOU REALLY LIKE ME! lol, for the last year I've been working on increasing the amount of posting that I've done, hoping to attract more interested viewers, and it looks like it has paid off :-)
My initial goals were to have 50 YouTubers, and 10 Blog followers... so hooray for all of you who surpassed my expectations. Granted, I set them relatively low, but you know I love challenges, so perhaps by this time next year I will have DOUBLED that goal. ..
I'm especially hoping to have my cards distributed in a few more places; combining my love of crafting with bi-monthly shop visiting always brings more smiles to my craft room.
Speaking of smiles in the craft room, this week I'm throwing sequins on EVERYTHING it seems, so that will be my November product challenge item. I got so many beautifully colored and shaped sequins at the Creating Keepsakes Convention last weekend, and they are fun and flashy so what's not to love? I'm also taking a harder look in my bling box and am determined to use up some of those barely there bling backers, so watch as I apply liberal doses of all manner of bling to get us through the end of 2014.
Ok, now to celebrate with me, this weekend I've got another Bling-tastic giveaway, so go ahead and comment below to enter and perhaps I'll draw your name on Monday. Let me know of some cute handmade goods or artsy little shop that could use a little CraftWithAnna carding!
Thanks as always for your support and ideas, enjoy your weekend, and Happy crafting!
Sunday applies washi tape to the edge of a plastic bag full of sequins,
and a foam adhesive keeps things sliding around in there.
Contest Results!
HUGE thanks to Queen & Co for providing those incredibly fun prizes, and to everyone who took the time to play the last couple of weeks. I have some exciting shares coming in my next post, so thank you again and come back!
Didn't get to make too much last week as I have been downsizing my collection of papers and momentos and have a ton of "junk" spread all over my workspace. Got so tired of that mess I shoved it all in a bag last night and was able to make two really cute cards you can see on my instagram feed today. (click the purple camera circle to the right to be taken there)
This card was made for a friend of a friend recently and was made with very little dimension, using stamps and lots of fun summery colors. I need a bit of something though, so I went over the heart with some Liquid Glass which turned it into a custom enamel shape. After this photo was taken I also added the glass effect to the Smile word too. Baker's twine and my favorite Queen & Co. bling twinkling dressed the card up further and then I drew on some stitching at the top left with my new alcohol pen freebie from the Scrapbook Expo last month.
So where does one house an incredible selection of acquired bling (brads are not included in this mix)? Why, in my Queen & Co. miniature suitcase, or trunk, of course! It's the perfect size for the tiny packages and I also recently organized it so I can show you how well all my rhinestones and pearls live together. There are also enamel dots in there. I have another trunk that I keep washi tape inside. A great reason to sign up for one of their classes at an event!
Speaking of, it's almost November! Well for most readers that will be insignificant and not worth mentioning, but for me it's the peak of my year as that month is when Seattle hosts the Creating Keepsakes Convention. You will see a lot more about this as it approaches so I won't spend too much time on it here, but it is on my mind of late and if you've never gone you ought to look into it. And start saving your money for the vendor fair lol (the paper is calling me DF)!
Anyway, having all my blings together in one place allows me to flip through them easily and also to reach for all my options with one lift of the arm. You can take a tour of my craft room here.
I'm considering a new shoot of my set up; some items have changed places since I uploaded that video, but for the most part my room is the same. More paperwork stuffed in out-of-sight places since last night, but otherwise... plenty of stash to shop from at home!
Thanks for stopping by today. I've got a new scrapbooking process video coming out this week, click on the purple YouTube link up at the top right and subscribe to my CraftWithAnna channel, do so and you won't miss any of my latest movies as they get online. Have a great week and make it crafty!
Those late nights can lead to some really fun mornings! Staying up late scrappin' the night away is one of my greatest pleasures. Well, to be honest, it doesn't matter what time of day it is, if I'm scrapping, I'm happy! When I can finally make myself go to bed the wheels on my creative mind are continuing to roll, and sometimes it seems like I've just kept on working til the dawn's early light :-0
Not a bad experience!
In my last post, I showed you the starts to three pages I worked on late Sunday night. Here are a few photo collages to show you a few of the additional finishing touches I've added before tucking them into bed (sheet protectors haha).
I did end up going with the title, "Annie get your Gun" on this single page layout to the left. I used a mix of different alphabets, including but not pictured, some old, patterned chipboard letters which happened to match the colors in the Glitz Design sticker banner perfectly. See how I added brads in between the "Love is a Gamble" banner, and then hung some Close To My Heart metal I-don't-know-what-they're-calleds embellished with tiny brown sparkles, and some knotted baker's twine for extra texture and a bit of whimsy.
My journaling is not hidden, but it's not meant for easy reading, either. Writing on a patterned paper background is a fabulous way to write what you want with less fear of judgement lol. The story I wanted to tell was how Ray came home with a new gun, which I promptly declared to have been bought for my own enjoyment. Or Zombie killing. Whatever comes my way. It's just an air rifle! The funny story that I'm internally implying through my sticker phrasing, is that a woman with a gun can be hard to leave... as in, don't even think about it, Mr.! That might explain the somewhat maniacal expression on my face?
I loved the simplistic but balanced appearance of the two pages I created using the Storytellers "Delightful" set of die cuts. Not much was added to either page, but it's all the little things that made me feel that they are complete. Little touches like the ribbon and ribbon slide behind the "Good" die cut, the sprinkle of tiny gems directly on a photo, the brad berries I created, as well as some journaling to tell the story of the photos. I added some hidden journaling behind the top title block, and dressed up a tab die with some hand drawn fancy numbers for the date.
See those brads under the numbers? I did not add them, they are printed on the tab! Pretty easy to use embellishments that are dressed up for you beforehand! Hmmm, now that I think of it, these die cuts are inspiring me to add some brads to my next project...
Thanks for taking a look at how my late night scrapping turned out the following day... Don't forget to come back throughout the month to see how I'm incorporating my large stash of die cuts into my creations.
The latest edition of DieCutCrazy is available today and includes loads of inspiration as well! On the 15th, my fellow contributors andI are having a Birthday inspired BlogHop! Sounds like a prize will be available too, hip hip hooray!
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!
Hi there stampers! My apologies if you stopped by here before and there was no text for this awesome new stamping technique, but let me tell you , it is super easy and the effect is awesome!
Simply lay a piece of washi or painter's tape across the paper you plan to stamp on. I used a couple sizes of flower stamps, but was thinking this could be really cute with some stars or firework-like shapes for the fourth of July coming up.
Randomly stamp around and over the top of the tape with an ink that dries fast, or thoroughly heat set your pigment ink. Carefully peel off the tape and you have a cool blank stripe going through your design!
The example I watched on YouTube was stamped with black ink on black paper. Hmm, you're right, it just barely shows. But, it shows enough that you could trace over the top with your colored pencils of choice for a really sketchy look. I decided to use dark red ink on purple paper for a more feminine look. I still filled in the flowers with watercolor pencils and I love the vibrancy of the color.
Embossing Powder shows off your Sentiment
A simple sentiment stamp down the center, embossed with either clear or otherwise colored embossing powder brings a bit more sparkle to the card. It would have been cute to add some tiny sparkles as well, either to the centers of the little flowers or even surrounding them in some of the emptier looking spaces.
For a little drama, and to help hide the fact that as usual, I miscut my paper and it doesn't line up perfectly with my card base, I added my rhinestones to the bottom right corner of the card, overlapping the focal piece and the background.
Now, go back with a ruler and run your colored pencil along the edge of the masked area to finish it off. Pretty, AND Awesome!
Welcome to the Charisma Cardz Meets Die Cut Crazy Special Challenge & Blog Hop. The incredible design team at UK's Charisma Cardz have this week teamed up with my peers at Die Cut Crazy to bring you some wonderful inspiration from the world of Die Cutting, as well as a fab packed April Edition which is available for download on all IOS Apple Devices via the Newstand & in PDF format from the website. We've been hard at work creating beautiful Easter and Spring projects to inspire your own crafting with your die cuts.
This week at Charisma they have an ‘ANYTHING GOES’ Challenge where you can join in by linking or emailing Charisma with your cards/designs- and of course as always there are some fabulous prizes to be won! The winners will be announced next week on the blog, AND featured in next months issue of Die Cut Crazy. Fame awaits you! As well as this we have a spring influenced blog hop, showcasing all the designers. You should have a look around! For each comment you leave at each stop we’ll be drawing some random winners for prizes. This could be YOU... If you just joined our hop, be sure and go back to the Charisma Cardz Challenge Blog to start from the beginning! But first, my little Spring Fling Mini-Album!
Ah, Spring...there's just nothing like the feeling of the earth stretching towards the sun all around you, is there? There's also nothing like the feeling in your legs and back after a full day of gardening, which, lets face it, usually is just weed pulling with a nicer name!
You may have guessed, I'd much rather be creating with paper die cuts next to a window than sowing seeds out in the sun! What's a crafty girl to do? In a few months I'll drag a used bassinet outside and soak up the sun. This table is just the right height and has a bit of wind protection around the top edge, making it perfect for outdoor crafting!
As the days get longer and the rain falls less often in our state, we approach the most beautiful weather of the year. You can see that trend reflected in many online mood boards and in our favorite YouTube crafters too.
In the spirit of following my own passions while honoring the traditions of another, I chose to create a custom seed collector for the master gardener in my life, my mom!
I found the idea for this fun mini-album on the Score-Pal blog. It was really easy to put together and even easier to customize. What really makes this mini ideal for seed collectors are the tabs that slide in and out of the pages- ideal places for envelopes holding a bounty of beauty waiting to burst from the ground!
The base of my pages is the "B" side -or maybe it's the "A" side, I can never figure out how that works- of a beautiful soft pink, DearLizzy's Neapolitan: Delightful Bouquet 12x12 sheet.
As the name suggests, a delightful bouquet is indeed on the reverse and helped me to pull and mix in colors for my project, like Heidi Swapp's Primrose Color Shine Mist.
Here's a fun idea I recently shared here on my blog: next time you have a few extra holes punched out, cover them with some Liquid Glass or another clear-drying hard glue. Let them dry overnight, and you'll wake up to your own custom enamel dots!Sprinkle amongst ink splatters and enjoy the bling!
Me & My Big Ideas die cut notecards, some generic small manilla envelopes, layered with Graphic 45's Secret Garden die cut tags and pockets made every page pop with a little bit of unique, and then I tied on an orange ombre ribbon to close it all up.
No, I may not have a green thumb; instead, I possess have a tombow mono-ink splattered thumb that can tie a mean bow tie! Let's see your next die cut covered mini; just tag it on instagram or Twitter with #DCCMini, and you may see your creation in next month's issue!
Thanks for stopping by the Charisma Cardz Meets Die Cut Crazy Magazine Blog Hop & Challenge! I hope seeing my project leads you to create your own Spring/Easter piece. Please leave a comment to let me know you stopped by, I love to read those comments! Next up in the hop is Eemeli. Enjoy!
In case you just joined the hop at my site, here are the other bloggers to hop about for inspiration:
You are Here -->--->Anna Bradshaw - craftwithanna.blogspot.com
Dianne Grayson's work will be featured on Die Cut Crazy's home site! Get your copy of April's issue on your IPad. You will see MANY ways to use your die cutting equipment to produce incredible works of art. I've been inspired again and again by my peers manipulation of die cuts. Some styles are whimsical, like fairies, cartoon like stamping and paper piecing, or animals. Lacy borders and doilies seem to be another beautifully textured inclusion. "Add feathers, and voila it's Fans-chy!" As my daughter Rainie would say :-*. I love making a few little deluxe paper animals with my cricut and a lent Pooh Bear cartridge- thanks DF! Don't forget, instagram #DCCmini to show off your die cut mini album!
We all have those special musical icons in our life whose music becomes the soundtrack our memories playback on. A song for every time and place, decade or direction we've taken; there are lyrics galore that we can identify with. Being a child of the eighties with the graduation year of 1999, it's no wonder I was instilled with a deep purple passion from the very start~ my first crush and favorite artist has always been the legendary Prince. 
It wasn't just the music that kept Prince at the top of my World's Best... list. He seems like such a delicate little man, and his high heeled boots were killer (and probably my size). Prince is the only man I knew of to boast a G-string... thanks to my mom's best friend who had a life sized poster of him in little else hanging in her bathroom hahaha. Men were not advised to use her private pooper! And he inspired many a pixie cut to be sure. But I think what is really inspiring in this day and age is that he seemed to just be a genuinely niceish person. Is it any wonder how much I love the color purple?
