You are Thoughtful

I love a good craft challenge. I love it even more when I can use my scraps!  This month's Card Sketch Challenge is a great inspiration for just that. I did several different versions of this sketch: paper (with scraps), paper (using quad prints) and digital.

 



Here I used scraps from other projects.

This card was created by totally cheating and using the quad prints from The Blues.  The paper already comes with four different prints on one page.  I just trimmed the center out to fit the panel.

 

 

 

I even created a digi version to the sketch.

 



 

If you ever lose your crafting mojo...challenges are an excellent way to get back on track!

Cannonball!

We had such a great weekend spending time with family celebrating birthdays  We celebrated Doug's birthday by hanging out by the pool with our nephew and watching him practice his cannonball jumps. We enjoyed celebrating our niece's first birthday and planning future vacations in the not-so-blazing California heat. I wish every weekend was like this!

 

Here's a quick digital layout using the Club Scrap Tilescapes Quick Drop Digital Layout. All I did was cover up the quote, did a water drop overlay from Castaway and added a title using The Blues alphabet. Did some blending and just like that...done!  Love it!

 

 

The Blues Blog Hop

Welcome to the Club Scrap The Blues Blog Hop! If you've arrived here from the amazingly talented Roni's Inkstains with Roni then you're in the right spot! If you don't want to miss a thing, head on over to Club Scrap to start from the top.

I love listening to music!  I vary from 80's hair bands to jazz and blues.  Just depends on my moods.   So The Blues kit speaks to me on various levels.



At home I'll spend hours playing Pandora on my cell phone which has different libraries to suit my moods. I came up with an idea for a phone stand after going through some older Club Scrap projects. It's a twist on the Photo Easel from Take Wings.

I measured my phone and cut two book board piece a little bit wider and taller. Wrapped the board leaving an 1/2" gutter to allow for more flexibility.



I then created a pocket to add to the front to hold the phone in place. Before adhering the pocket with bookbinding glue, I decorated it with the whimsical musical ribbon included in the Deluxe Kit, sunflowers from Oopsie Daisy and a heart paper clip. Next was to create the "easel" to join the front and back pieces using a series of folds.

Just like that! My new phone stand is ready to play some jazz!

Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to hop by. Please hop on over to Life Paper Soul to see what wonderful masterpiece Wendy has created!

The Blues Greetings to Go

Made a huge mess today and it was a blast!  May's technique challenge was to experiment with gesso.  I made a batch of my own gesso using my Concoction Cards.  I had The Blues Greetings To Go kit sitting nearby, scored and folded.  The first try using gesso with stencils was a disaster.  I like my images clean and crisp.  Not what you're going to get with the gesso.  I'll save the stencils to go with my spackle.

 

This one I embossed the background with an embossing folder, painted on the gesso and let it dry. I then applied 3 different color inks when it was dry.   Love the look with the embossing folders.

 

 

I did the same with this one but "pulled" off some gesso before it dried with crumpled tissue paper. I then added more subtle inks.

 

 

Here I painted on normal cardstock and "pulled" off gesso with tissue paper to give a sort of crackled look.

 

The little cool glasses charm didn't photograph well...it is super cute!

 

Painted gesso over the tags to mute the colors a bit.

 

 

I didn't purchase the stamps option with this kit so I had to improvise a bit.  I created a document in Photoshop Elements using the music image and printed on vellum.  I then crinkled up the vellum and painted that onto the gesso covered paper and then covered in gesso as well to mute it a bit.

 

 

 

May's Tool Challenge is to use your embossing folders.  I've already played with two so I'll show you a few more.  This wine glass one I bought (with enthusiasm) at the Scrapbook Expo in October.  I haven't even used it until I saw this cute little tag!  Yep, that describes my wineaux friends!

 

 

Love these little birdies sitting on wires embossing folder!

 

 

Very subtle on the background mat is another embossing folder to give some depth. I chalked over it using white Pan Pastels but it didn't photography well.

 

 

This next set of cards are very similar to the Greetings To Go instructions we get with the kits. I just added some stickles and jewels.

 

 

This card was designed for the May Card Sketch Challenge.

 

 

This card was designed for the NBUS Challenge. NBUS stands for Never Been Used Stuff. The challenge this month is to use a left over tag from a kit.  Well, I used a left over tag...never used ANY of them.  Double whammy!

 

 

Hope you enjoyed!  Now to go clean up :(