Daily Archives: August 27, 2007

Technique Challenge…a birthday card

Posted on August 27, 2007 | 12 comments

Well, I said I’d be back with a card design and I am! It is a LOT later in the day than I expected but I came through! LOL I was so mixed up what day today was. We were actually supposed to come home tomorrow and I think that is what was mixing me up! LOL You’ll have to excuse my photo..I’ll replace it with a better one tomorrow!

It has been quite a while since I’ve had time to try out a technique challenge and this is one I’ve done before…long ago! It is a double resist technique combining Clear Emboss Resist with Versamark Resist. I love the extra depth it gives. I needed a birthday card for my sweet little nephew and I decided to go with a Western theme for my design. Hope he likes it!

Western Birthday

jks-wanted-birthday.jpg

For the technique and main image panel, you first must stamp the images you want to be most prominent with Versamark onto glossy paper and then emboss them with clear embossing powder. After, you can fill in the background images by stamping with Versamark again. This time … Do NOT emboss. Simply brayer or sponge color over the top and your images will appear. Lightly wipe excess ink from surface with a tissue and your panel is ready to use. To get a distressed look to my panel, I used my Heidi Swapp edge distresser to fray the edge.

Quick Tip: distressing the edges of glossy cardstock is a little more difficult because of the extra thickness and the slick surface. I used my Basic Grey Precision file to sand the edges first ( you can also use sandpaper) before distressing to make it easier

For the main card base of my design, I used Creamy Caramel and stamped it with Linen and the Wanted Paisleys and then sponged the edges. The darling bandanna print is by Flair Designs. I stitched it to the card and then distressed the edges.

The main image panel was then matted with black cardstsock and then tied with some of my new May Arts ribbon. A tab at the top is a piece of Flair paper from the same line, punched, sponged and stapled to the top of the panel. I love my Crop-a-dile and I couldn’t resist adding a line of black Making Memories eyelets with it and then stamping the sentiment in front. The Happy Birthday is from the Lizzie Anne Designs Simply Sentiments set.

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Posted in Card Designs, Challenges

Back to Scrapbooking…a few ideas…

Posted on August 27, 2007 | 2 comments

I had a comment the other day about how to get inspired to get back into scrapbooking. Now its been a long time since I had been scrapbooking… a few years to be precise. I must say, I’m only dabbling in it a little again. What actually started me back at it was a few articles I needed to write for Craft Critique. The companies that I was reveiwing, both were mainly scrapbooking companies and so, to be fair … I needed to try out a few layouts. I had a fabulous time with it again but I must say, my designing is going to remain predominantly card design and altered items. If this is what you are coming to see, don’t worry!

The biggest drawback I have with scrapbooking is time. Layouts DO take more time that cards. That’s a fact. The other thing is the thought that each page has to be perfect. It doesn’t. Just like life is a journey so is scrapbooking and designing…it all changes so don’t get caught up in that frame of mind. So…what inspires me to get started again…here is a short list…

  • take photos or get out some great older ones
  • go with a smaller format if 12×12 intimidates you – just bought some adorable Cosmo Cricket 8×8 that is absolutely darling and my fingers are itching to get to it, 6×6 is another great size…pages go together quickly and you can use one photo on a layout
  • buy a scrapbooking kit … there are so many cool ones out there – they make it sooo easy to coordinate and take some of the stress off of you finding things to match
  • buy or borrow a scrapbooking magazine…they are FULL of cool ideas
  • take a scrapbooking challenge – they are always a great place to jump off from and there are lots of them on-line (I don’t have any links off-hand. Sorry! I do know that Splitcoaststampers has a scrapbook forum with challenges as well as Two Peas in a Bucket If you know of other linkes to challenges…be sure to share them in the comments and I’ll edit them in to this post.)
  • buy plastic layout keepers – put paper, embellishments and photos together for a layout and then create it when you have the time
  • journaling can be intimidating – hide it if you like behind an element or just keep it short and simple…whatever works best for you
  • just get started – procrastination isn’t helping! Once you get at it, you’ll keep going
  • just have some fun – every layout is NOT going to be perfect so just enjoy the process 🙂

I hope this helps! A lot of these tips work well for card designing and other papercraft projects also. I’m just home from the cottage last night so I’m anxious to get organized and get back to designing. Check back in later…I’ll be sure to have something to share with you. 🙂

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Posted in Card Designs