Be Grateful

I'm still having fun with the vertical hinged cards included in the Trattoria Greetings to Go kit.  So much so that I made extras. I've been trying different techniques on the card panel so you might be seeing more of these through the month. 

 

This card was created with the Club Scrap November Tool & Stash challenge in mind.  This month we're challenged to use our distressing tools.  So break out those sanding blocks, emery boards, sandpaper or the Tonic Distresser.

Club Scrap papers, ribbon and fork charm. Sizzix embossing folder.

Olive You

Happy Saturday!

I am so thrilled that the weather is cooler.  I'm totally in the fall spirit now and making a few Thanksgiving cards.  I got a little side tracked when I spotted the Color Throwdown Challenge #468.  The new Trattoria collection is a perfect match for these colors.  I fell in love with the unique design of these cards in which the top and bottom flaps of the card are hinged together by a narrow vertical strip, creating a window that reveals the artwork inside.

Club Scrap papers, stamps and ribbon. Nuvo drops. Prismacolor pencils.

I'm totally in love with that olive oil stamp and greeting!

Past & Present Challenge

November Card Sketch was a little too abstract for me initially, but I'm glad I gave it a try. This turned out to be a fun way to use up paper strips and scraps from 50's Kitchen for the Past & Present challenge.

Club Scrap papers, tag and charm. Queen & Co. pearls. Impression Obsession background stamp.

Here's a few bonus cards with the scraps.

 

Valhalla Wedding

We were honored to witness and celebrate two good friends getting married. The ceremony was held at a breathtaking venue on Lake Tahoe. It was awesome to spend time with co-workers and their families.

 

This layout was created using the cutting instructions from October's sketch and using papers for the Past & Present challenge.

 All products by Club Scrap

Be Original

October's Idea Deck challenge was to use the 10 of diamonds from any Idea Deck.  I chose to use the Card Making Idea Deck Vol. II. (This happens to be the only Idea Deck left for sale of the five decks.) These decks sell out quickly! The Idea Decks provide you with sketches and cutting instructions for a multitude of layouts, cards and projects. They're great for when you lose your crafting mojo.

 

Usually I shy away from these little squares but the stamp images from the Scandinavia collection are perfect for decorating them.

Tag it!

Welcome to October's Artist Team Blog Hop brought to you by Club Scrap. Each month the team presents a themed challenge or technique and today we'll be picking techniques from the Club Scrap YouTube Channel and creating our own project.

If you just happened on the blog hop today because you're a regular reader of my blog, and you'd like to view the entire hop, you can start back at Club Scrap. If you're already hopping and linked to me from the fabulous Tina, you're in the right spot.

There are so many videos to choose from but lucky for me I had just cleaned out my tag drawer and came across these tags.  I didn't even know where they were from until I saw this Altered Aluminum Tags video from 2011. These tags have a foam mat in between the layers making them perfect for "impressing".

 Let's get started with creating some art work with these beauties.

1. Stamp image on tag using permanent ink.

 2. Using an embossing tool, trace image. We received this awesome kit at retreat one year which makes this job sooo much easier. You can even change the tips of the embossing tool for those tight images.

3. Remove ink using Alcohol ink blending solution.

4. Color metal tag using alcohol inks or Copic markers. 
5. Using blending solution gently wipe away some of the color. I wanted to highlight the color in the impressed images. 
6. Create cards with tags.

Club Scrap papers, small tag, ribbon, brad and washi tape. Loma Industries metal tag. Carta Bella embossing folder. 

Club Scrap papers, ribbon, border strip and tag.  Loma Industries metal tag. Sizzix embossing folder. Prima flowers. Queen & Co. pearls.

Club Scrap papers, ribbon and stamps  Industries metal tag. Queen & Co. pearls. Woodpile Fun owl.

Thanks for hoping with us today.  I hope you view some of the amazing videos and techniques on Club Scrap's YouTube Channel. Please continue on to see what fabulous creations Kelly has for you.

Secret Caverns

This is the last layout of memories from my East Coast trip this summer.  I  stayed with my college roomie where we spent hours catching up on the last 10 years of our lives. That was the last time I saw her but we did still keep in touch.We decided to do a day trip from Albany and came across this little known treasure.  The Secret Caverns.  A quirky attraction with super friendly and knowledgable owners.

 

I couldn't wait to use my National Parks Remix collection with my photos.  I've mentioned before that the original National Parks made the top of the list for my All Time Top 10 collections and I bought every collection Club Scrap designed.

 

Here's the original ALSB sketch.