Belle Papier {pretty paper}

Today I’m shaking it up a little with a fun holiday shaker card! If you’ve never made a shaker card, they are fun and easy. Yes…they do take a little more time than some designs but they are so worth it. For this design, I filled my shaker with a fun new product from Art Institute…Faux Snow. These soft iridescent flakes have so many uses and are the product spotlight at Cornish Heritage Farms this week. Now I don’t know about the weather were you live, but the snow flakes are pretty much ready to start flying here in Ontario. The weather has definitely taken a turn for the colder. I thought it would make a fun challenge for this week’s Challenge Chicks Challenge to use faux snow on the designs. Whether you use Faux Snow from Art Institute, create some snow with Liquid Applique, glitter, etc., let those flurries fly and show us how you like to create snow in your designs. Check out the challenge here!

As always…some of the other designers have played along with this challenge. Check out their super-cool designs too…. Kristine, Michele, Dawn, Julie, Jennifer & Lesley

Holiday Shaker Card

To create a shaker card, you’ll need a clear transparency for the window. I love using the Clear Card Sheets as they are so thick, crisp and professional.To create my window, I ran two Nestability dies through my die cut machine together with my white cardstock. They are so thin and the straight smaller square will nest perfectly in the larger scalloped square. To add my embossing, I simply removed the smaller square and then ran the scalloped die with my die cut cardstock through the machine with my embossing mat. To get enough dimension to the product so that my flakes with shake ;), I used foam adhesive strips between the layers.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful week!

Supply List:

Stamps:
-Heart Warmers (Kim Hughes line) by Cornish Heritage Farms

Ink:
-Black Stazon by Tsukineko

Paper:
-Spring Willow Light, Simply Smooth White by Prism
-Making Memories patterned paper

Other:
-Clear Card Sheet by Cornish Heritage Farms
-Nestabilities dies by Spellbinders
-buttons by Autumn Leaves
-sewing machine
-Faux Snow by Art Institute
-ribbon by Creative Impressions

So I’m done! Wow!Where did four weeks go? I am incredibly glad I took this digital course! So if you want a resounding recommendation…I want to sign up for each and every Jessica Sprague class that comes up! If you’re new to my ramblings…I’m just finishing up my second Jessica Sprague on-line digital class called Now You’re Rockin with Photoshop. Very aptly named…this class rocks! I’ve also completed Up and Running with Photoshop which is now a self-paced class you can take anytime. So….why do I think these classes are so fabulous?

• Very reasonable and affordable
• Each class has four lessons and layouts that teach you a myriad of things
• each class builds on your knowledge
• each class is taught in video and audio format…you can listen to Jessica teach while watching EXACTLY every step she makes on the computer to get the results
• Weekly extra assignments reinforce your knowledge and challenge you to design your own layouts
•  Each class builds knowledge at a great pace…enough to challenge you but not enough to overwhelm
• Daily e-mails from Jessica Sprague
• Great mini book tutorial links each week
• Forums and Gallery to share and ask questions…I’ve always gotten the support I need
• Free digital downloads come with each lesson that you can use again and again
• Jessica teaches lots of great hints and shortcuts
• Lots of photo editing tips
• You can see the class taught in either Photoshop Elements or in CS, CS2, C3s versions
• You always have access to the class tutorials so that if you forget, you can always come back and relearn your skills
• links to great digital scrapbooking sites and many times great coupons

Summer Evening

Lesson Four Layout - this is a double spread layout…to see the detail, click on the image

{love} week four Wed. assignment

WALL-E just a quick fun layout

Quick Tip: Digital elements can be used over and over again. Did you notice that layouts 1 & 3 and 2 & 4 use the same flourishes?

Just in case you think I sound a little TOO effusive…I am not affiliated with Jessica Sprague in any way…just a huge fan! I’d been dabbling in digital (self-taught) off and on for about a year. It took FOREVER for me to learn each little thing by trial and error. When I think of the time I’ve wasted…sigh. I’ve learned so much in a few short weeks that I know this is one hobby I’ll be enjoying for a long time to come. If you’re interested in “growing you skills”…this is a fabulous place to start!

While I’ll always be an ink and paper girl… maybe, just maybe, I’ll be a bit of a digi girl too.

Have a fabulous day!

I think by now you probably know how much I love clear product. I always adore that peekaboo look. Clear cards are among my favorites to create. Recently I was asked to create a tutorial for Scrapbooks and Cards Today. S&CT is a great Canadian magazine that is available at retailers in Canada. If you’re not from Canada, don’t worry! You can still see each issue as you can download the entire issue on-line here. S&CT also has a blog and if you’re looking for it…here’s the link to the tutorial I wrote for them.

Have a simply wonderful Saturday!

I adore lighthouses. They remind me of wonderful trips to the East Coast as a child and more recently as an adult. I’m so excited about this new stamp set from Cornish Heritage Farms called Beacon of Hope. You may have seen some of them before. It’s a compilation of images and now they are all scaled and designed to work together with each other and some incredible sentiments.  This new line is called Scene-it and you’ll want to watch each month for the release as they are stunning, bring you limitless ways to stamp scenes, and put together in a set, they are an incredible value.

Sorry I’m just getting back to you with the winners of the blog goodies. I’m announcing them at the end of the post so keep reading.

Never Give Up Hope

I’ve been having fun with my Copic Airbrush over the past few weeks and have gotten quite addicted to it. I know you’ll be seeing a lot of airbrushing in the weeks to come.This lighthouse background was created by stamping my image and then airbrushing over the design. No masking! I’m lazy! Because there wasn’t a large amount of white area..I simply took my Colorless Blender pen and removed the color from the lighthouse and seagulls. I used this same pen to color in clouds. To get the white glow around the light, I put my blender pen right into my airbrush and sprayed to remove the color softly.

To create my background I stamped the Cheesecloth Backgrounder onto my kraft cardstock card base. Seagulls from the Beacon of Hope set are stamped on my Clear Card Sheet layer before stitching it to my design.

This design is part of a new Craft Critique article that I’ve written on the Copic Airbrush System. If you’re interested in this product…check it out here.

Quick Tip: When airbrushing with Copic markers, make sure you use the same ink you would when coloring so that the image doesn’t bleed. I like to use Tuxedo Black Memento Ink by Tsukineko and Pitch Black Adirondack ink by Ranger is a good choice as well.

And now those winners! I used an on-line random number generator to choose two winners from the comments left. Thanks so much to everyone who stopped by!#16 Amy is the winner of the first package of goodies and #119 is Carrie…the winner of my second package of blog candy. Please e-mail me ladies with your addresses and I’ll get them out to you!

 Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you have a fabulous Friday!

Supply List:
Stamps:
-Beacon of Hope (Scene-it Collection) by Cornish Heritage Farms
-Cheesecloth Backgrounder by Cornish Heritage Farms

Ink:
-Black Memento Ink by Tsukineko
-Black Stazon ink by Tsukineko
-Brushed Corduroy Distress ink by Ranger

Paper:
-Simply Smooth White by Prism
-Kraft Cardstock by Prism
-Clear Card Sheet by Cornish Heritage Farms

Other:
-hemp cord
-sewing machine
-markers by Copic

Sometimes simplicity is the way to go. I love the design trend of using just one word to capture what you’re feeling. Actually…at the beginning of the year, inspired by Ali Edwards , Lisa Strahl encouraged me and some others to come up with one word to set the tone for 2008. I chose {embrace} and while most of the year has spun by with dizzying speed, I’ve enjoying embracing the moments the best I can. Today I’m asking you to use the same concept in your design project, whether you decide to create a card or a layout…to simply use one word. If you decide to do a layout…you’ll still want to journal a little so tuck it into a pocket to hide it. As part of the challenge…you need to incorporate the color pink. This week at SCS we’re having a challenge theme week. Because October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, these week all the challenges incorporate the color pink. I think that SCS will be having a pinkalicious gallery! Whether you create an inspirational card is up to you but if you do…you may want to consider donating your card. To play along...here’s the challenge. Sorry for the wordy post…you’d think that a challenge about just using one word would require a little less rambling! LOL

Believe

A very simple scrappy card design from me today. I have another in my head but we’ll have to see if I can find the time to get it out. Our renovation seems to finally be getting somewhere…we get carpet in the basement today! Yay! I can’t wait although I’m sure it will be a busy for the next week trying to get things set up and some bedrooms switched around. We started digging the addition September 2007 so this is huge for us!

I’ll be back with the winners of the blog candy as soon as I can catch my breath!

Have a fabulous day!

Supply LIst:

Stamps:
-The Art of Framing (Rummage Bin line) by Cornish Heritage Farms
-butterflies from Little Gal set (Kim Hughes line) by Cornish Heritage Farms

Ink:
Black palette ink by stewart Superior

Paper:
black prism cardstock
Noteworthy by Making memories
Pink Paisley