Major playtime over the weekend

I've been a member of Paper Artists Online for about 3 years or so but I haven't been very active with this very talented group.  This past weekend was a Cyber Crop of Challenges.  Wow, did it get my creative mojo moving!  There were a dozen or more challenges and I chose 5, three of which I got around to doing.  I still hope to do the other two.

Without too much explanation I am going to show what I was inspired to make because of the challenges presented to us.

First up is the monthly Card Sketch Challenge where my buddy Jen challenges us to a use one of her fabulous cards sketches to follow.  I chose to use a recently acquired stamp and die set from Stamps of Life.  Love this Penguin.

This challenge was "Stencils and Masks".  I made 3 bold stencil panels using Dylusions Spray Inks, then cut small panels out of that and stamped a pen line drawing of a flower on top of stenciled areas.

Another challenge I enjoyed was "Ways with Washi".  We could use washi in any manner on any type of project we wish.  First I cut a card stock panel about 5x7 and then layered side-by-side rows of washi tape.

Then using a dress and hanger die and cloud dies,  I cut out the shapes from the washi panel to make these two cards.


Cloud dies are from My Favorite Things.

Dress and hanger die are from Memory Box.

Lastly for the weekend I chose to do the "Lost Treasures" challenge.  This merely involves using something you haven't touched in a very long time if ever.  Last Fall I went all out over the Inkadinkadoo Stamp Gear.  After playing with it initially it was put away and forgotten.   As I've been still moving stuff back into my improved craft room I "refound" the stamp gear.  I must say I did enjoy using it and maybe I'll give it another try.  For this one I just sprayed with Dylusions plus a little Perfect Pearls mist in a gold then stamped with the smallest gear to make this pattern.   I will probably cut it up to use for panels for a card.

One more item...earlier in the week I made this card just to play with the new stamps I got at a recent stamp show I attended.  The tag stamps are from Invoke the Spirit of Art.  The die cut window behind the tags is from Cheery Lynn Designs.

Die Cut Cards

My good friend Jen's birthday is coming up and yesterday we got together for a...ahem...spending spree at our local "Original Rubber Stamp Show" convention.  We had one awesome-all-day-long-good-time yakking, laughing and buying.

Since I probably would not be able to see her on her actual birthday, I gave her her birthday gift and card ahead of time.  I am now SOLD on Sizzix dies.  I acquired the Album Accordion Flip 3-D die and the Frame & Label, Bracket.  Initially it looks so complicated but after watching a video on how to do it, it really is a piece of cake and rather addicting.

Below is Jen's birthday card.  The base was made from Club Scrap's Raku Metallic Teal.  It is a nice heavy weight card stock and was perfect for this application.  Prints are all from "pinkpaislee's" Prairie Hill collection.  In spite of the 50's Americana name and look, it also has an Asian flair to me which I banked on.   The Asian doll and cat are from Hero Arts.  The food carton and fortune cookie are Lawn Fawn.  Finally the title greeting is from My Favorite Things.  As you can see I really mixed the styles up in this card and I feel like it worked.

Functional Stamping

I am in full reorganization mode.  Tonight I spent some time making some changes in my stamp storage...a never ending process in an attempt to find the perfect solution.  But I enjoyed making it an art project as well in labeling these binders.  Just used Distress Stains, ink pads and stamps to represent what is inside each binder.  I am pleased with the results.

April SSS card

I finally got a moment last night to not only finally play in my new craft area but to explore the April Simon Says Stamp kit.  Love the colors of this month's kit.  Fresh and sophisticated.

Craft Room Make-over!

My sweet husband, Bob, has learned a lot!  He decided last summer he wanted to do some work around the house, taking care of some ignored maintenance.  Like the common dry-rotted fence between us and our half-plex neighbors.  He had some hired help but he did easily half the work.  This snow balled into wanting to make some shelving for the garage to store some of his newly acquired tools.  This avalanched into his wanting to make me some shelving for my over-stuffed, hard-to-walk-into craft room.  I'm a lucky girl.  Just look at the transformation the four shelving boxes has made to my room!  Now I can have all my art supplies right in front of me.  The wood is maple and Bob's wonderful edge-banding gives them a fine furniture finish.

This may not be the final configuration of shelf positions but that is what is so cool about these.  I can change them any way I need to.   Did I say I am a lucky girl?  I am thrilled with these and so proud of Bob's new found skills in woodcrafting.

THE BEFORE...I had already done some clearing out of junk, but you can get the idea.

Bob began cutting the wood at the beginning of March.

Twelve clamps to hold down the backing of the shelf box while the glue set!  I helped with the gluing parts.  All the cases are dowelled with wood pegs rather than screwed with nails.  It was very time consuming and exacting for Bob but makes for a very strong case.

THE AFTER!  Isn't it lovely?

I am one lucky girl:)

Charley's Birthday Card

My son turned 19 today!  How did that happen?  I can recall his birth like it was yesterday.  And what a special day it was, changing our lives and for the better.  Charley is a tuxedo-wearing-trumpet musician and a rather fine one...says his mom, LOL.  For his birthday he asked to go see Wynton Marsalis and his band play at the Mondavi Center in Davis.  Music is an important part of his life so with the concert still fresh in our minds this card just came to mind.  I had the tuxedo/sheet music paper in my stash.  I added the sentiment stamps appropriately from Club Scrap's "All That Jazz" collection.  The results:


I wanted the "all that jazz" sentiment to pop out somehow so I folded the ends back on themselves and creased the center so it could fold flat but come out when opened.  It worked fairly well.

The sentiment can also pop outwards.

Simon Says Stamp! March Cards

Knowing that the SSS April kit will be here by tomorrow, if not today, I jumped into card making last night to get at least a few cards made with these fresh Springy colors to celebrate the first day of Spring.