The Open Sea - Using the Distressing Essentials Kit

I actually made this last month for a colleague's 40th birthday. I finally sat down with my Distressing Essentials Kit and started to play. The Nautical Expedition Paper was sanded with the sanding blocks to create a worn look. Next, I applied the included distress inks to the stamped paper using the included applicator (basically a plain rubber stamp). I masked the boat image and spritzed the piece with water to blend the colours together. The ink spots in this kit is water based and meant to bleed together when spritzed with water, creating the look of old, worn paper. The kit also includes files in a variety of sizes, perfect for sanding those hard to reach corners of the chipboard numbers.

My Digital Sunday - New In Colors!

New In Colors are Coming!



Best of all last year's in-colors are staying for one more year, so beginning July 1st there will be even more colors to play with! The new line is bold and bright and, judging from my weekend shopping trip, very trendy. As I was hanging my new purchases in my closet, I discovered that I have purchased a shirt that contains every one of these five colours this spring (although thankfully not all on the same shirt).Here is a chart to show how these new colors compare to both the current colors available and some of the retired colors (keep in mind that your monitor may show the colors differently than they appear in real life).

 

The first thing I thought of when I saw these new colors was the colours we saw on our recent Caribbean Cruise. I couldn't wait to play with them in My Digital Studio, so I cheated a little! Did you know that you can match any color that you find on the internet or in a photo? I used the "match color" tool in MDS to match each of these colors and create a scrapbook page showcasing my daughter in St. Thomas. To create your own colored cardstock, punch out a square and drag it to cover your page. Insert the photo that you want to select the color from and select your punch. Click on the "match color" tool and select the color in the photo that you want to match. You can even save these new colors into your favorites to use later. Stampin' UP! will release the digital version of the new colors in an update after July first, but in the meantime, check out what I created!

Mojo Monday Sketch Thank-you Card

It's not often that I have a time to play around with sketches and challenges, but I had the week off and took the day to play in my stampin' studio. The best part is that this card qualifies for three challenges in one - Mojo Monday, The Color Challenge at Splitcoaststampers, and the Buckles & Buttons Challenge at A Charming Place.

Supplies:
Stamps: Full of Life
Ink & Cardstock: Baja Breeze, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue, Basic Black, Very Vanilla, Springtime Vintage DSP
Accessories: Basic Pearls, Scallop Edge Punch, Vanilla Rosettes, Little Leaves Die, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder, Satin Ribbon

Easter Blessings

 Happy Easter! Here are a couple of quick pages I created in MDS. The photos were taken at Memorial Hill close to our cabin. I took them several years ago, but haven't had a chance to do anything with them until now. The second page isn't quite finished - I'll add a layer of journalling later (when I decide what I want to do with the finished page - print in an album, or save it for later).

Pop-up Apple Card

Check out the new additions to the Clearance Rack!

I bought this pop-up ball die on the Clearance Rack months ago and only now took it out of the package after being inspired by a card I saw on Crafting With Class. Good news - the Pop Up Ball Die is still available!!! Items are selling out quickly, but there are some great deals to be found. Check out my online store to see all of them or contact me to place an order. There are also grab bags of discontinued merchandise available throughout April.

I began this card as a simple 6x6 card and added a belly band to keep everything closed. It think that for the first time ever, I might be ahead of the game for teacher year end gifts this year! There is space behind the "chalkboard ledge" to tuck a gift certificate and I will use my white gel pen to write a more personal note on the blackboard inside.

 Here's what it looks like without the belly band





Supplies:

Paper & Ink: Basic Black, Crumb Cake, Real Red, Old Olive, Pacific Point, Daffodil Delight, Peach Parfait, Whisper White, Newsprint DSP, Love Letter DSP

Stamps: Tart & Tangy, Full of Life

Dies & Punches: Pop Up Ball Die, Owl Punch, Window Punch, Texturz Plates #4

Accessories: Linen Thread, Black Grosgrain Ribbon, White Pen





Handmade Little Leaves Embossing Folder

I can't believe it's been so long since I sat down in my crafting room to make something for me - not for clubs or workshops, but just for fun! I started out with a challenge from A Charming Place to make my own embossing folder. It takes a little time, but it's really quite easy.

Begin with a piece of cardboard from a cereal box. Chipboard was a little too thick. Cut images from your Big Shot out of scrap cardboard. I found that the cereal box was perfect for cutting the Little Leaves, but I had to make two layers to make a deep enough impression. If you are using a regular die instead of an embosslit, one cut out of chipboard will be enough. Next, arrange the pieces on your cardboard piece and use Modge Podge to stick everything down. Coat the entire board with a layer of Modge Podge and let dry overnight. You will be left with an embossing plate that can be used over and over again.

Hydrangea Flower Pot Card

The challenge at A Charming Place this week was to make a flower using a technique that we had not yet tried. I've made a lot of flowers, so this challenge had me searching the internet. I settled on one that I had seen, but not yet tried. It's my MIL's birthday today and I needed a card that also had a pocket for her gift - tickets to the local theatre. The flower pot card was the perfect solution. The hydrangea's were inspired by this youtube video by Valita's Fresh Folds.

Stamps: Occasional Quotes (greeting)
Ink & Paper: Whisper White, Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery, Early Espresso
Accessories: Satin Ribbon, Pearls, Little Leaves Die, Heart Punch, Sponges