SOS June Sketch Challenge #15

When I saw the sketch for the June Sketch Challenge (#15) at Scrap Our Stash, I was instantly ready to get started.  I love this sketch!  

I already knew exactly which pictures and story I wanted to tell and here it is:

The journaling says, "Chacala, Mex  -  Where 2 spirited minds joined forces".  There is a couple of great stories about our time(s) in Chacala where the girl in the picture (only 10 years old at the time) and I pulled a couple of pranks.  Our favorite is when we filled the boat head (bathroom) with balloons in honor of her Mom and Dad's anniversary.  After all, that's what they found in their apartment when they returned from their honeymoon over 20 years before.  The best part of the story is that her parents were watching us from shore the entire time and never asked why we were laying down on the side of the boat (so we could hide while we blew up the balloons and shoved them through the porthole to the head.  I have a second page planned to tell the stories with one more picture.

The requirements for this challenge includes using the sketch and also using enamel dots or sequins.  I don't have the dots or sequins so I used my Ranger liquid enamel to make my own dots.  Be sure to stop by Scap Our Stash and look at all the layouts for this sketch challenge and the monthly stash challenge.

SOS Stash Challenge #15

Scrap Our Stash hosts a fun challenge every month and for June, the challenge is Monochromatic.

Here are the rules:

Create a MONOCHROMATIC layout and include the following:

1. Your layout should be different shades of 1 color. 

2. You can add black, white or Kraft --- but 75% must be shades of 1 color. 

3. STASH ITEMS: You must also add 5 (or more) DIFFERENT premade/prepackaged embellishments of your choice on your layout. You can use as many of the items you want BUT you will need to list 5 different items. (example - 2 paperclips, 4 buttons, 1 washi tape, 1 twine, and bling)

I love monochromatic layouts and wanted to do a two page layout to tell my story.  The pictures are of our sailboat, Sirius.  This is a very dimensional layout using (premade/prepackaged) 1 chain (it really is blue with some green), 1 anchor die cut, 4 glass pebbles, 1 chipboard letter, 3 sets of star stickers, lots of thick blue pexiglass stars that my uncle cut for me, and 3 large brads.  The journaling is tucked in behind the blue picture.  The sub title, "It's all about the stars" leads into the story of how we used the star, "Sirius" to navigate when we were 70 miles off the coast of Oregon.  That's all I'm going to say in order to protect the innocent.

 

 

Be sure to stop by Scrap Our Stash to see all the inspiring layouts posted for both the monochromatic challenge and the sketch challenge.

 

2014 Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt Update

I'm off and running with the Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt.  We had the greatest welcome to our city sign that included a bronco with rider.  Apparently, work needed to be done underneath (gas, water?, I don't know), so they tore it down.  I've been patiently waiting for the construction of our new City Welcome Sign to be complete.  The sign is done, but not the landscaping around it so I could not get close but this cropped photo still tells the story.

 

Plus, I was at a crop Saturday and as I met new friends, I was watching for tattoos.  Not only did I find a fun tattoo on an ankle, the bearer give me a photograph of where she got it.  It was done by the guy who stars in the reality show, "Bad Ink".

  

I'm looking forward to the next challenge on the list.  Have you joined the fun yet?  It's not too late.  Here is the link:

2014 Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt

 

Quilted Triangles

Paper Crafters Corner has a weekly challenge, "Magazine Mondays" and it is always fun to see what the inspiration is.  For week 55, the inspiration photo included a lot of triangles (see below), and I immediately thought of the quilted cards we did back in the early 2000's. 

Here is the inspiration photo:

 

I used kids fun foam to "stuff" the quilted pieces, but you can use anything soft and dimensional.  If you've never tried this, it's fun and fairly easy.  Just start with a piece of foam to 1/2" smaller (width and height) than you want your final card.  Cut the foam into unusual shapes with four uneven sides, always putting each piece back in it's place.  You should keep your pieces large if this is the first try.  Now number your pieces on one side only.  Take a picture or draw a schematic.  Believe my, you will loose track of which piece goes where.  Now cover each piece with paper by wrapping it around the foam, leaving the number visible on the back.  Seeing the number on the back is the easiest way to ensure all your pieces are covered right side up.  Now put them back in order and mount them to an over-sized piece of cardstock.  I prefer to start with a center piece.  They will not line up perfectly, but keeping a straight edge will help, so use the paper or a ruler to keep the edge straight as you add pieces.  When you are done, cut the cardstock close to the edge and mount the entire piece to your card base.  As I was completing my card, I found the original instructions I prepared for my class and I can honestly say, now I know why I suggest never cutting triangles for this quilting technique.  Those points can be murder.  LOL!

 I hope you will give this a try and have fun.

It's Here! The 2014 Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt

This is it!  The day I have waited for.  The 2014 Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt starts today and what a great list Rinda has created.  What?  You don't know what I'm talking about?

  Check it out at Gallo Organico! 

I found out about this in January and have been waiting patiently since - NOT!  Every year, Rinda, of Gallo Organico, creates a list of 21 items to photograph before the end of summer (or winter if you are in the Southern Hemisphere).  Some will be difficult, depending on where you live.  Like #14 and #15 are a challenge for me.  We don't have summertime parades or juggler performances because of the heat, so I will need to either travel (not on my budget), get creative, or use one of the substitutions.  Even one of the substitutions is out this time of year.  Hot air balloons do not fly after April or early May because of the weather.  But what does that matter? It's time to think of another option.  Gee, I can juggle.  Maybe I'll teach my neighbor boy.

Please join the fun and be sure to leave me a comment so I can follow your postings too.

A Big Wave Hi

I enjoy the blog for Scor-Pal and they started a new monthly challenge recently called "More than One Scor" and the entries are so creative, they really inspire me.  I entered in March (see my post Christmas is On It's Way) and won a wonderful prize package that included a Scor-Buddy and cutting mats and two rolls of Scor Tape (my favorite).  It really did feel like Christmas!

There is an added theme each month and this month it is to include a stamped image.  I created this "wave" card just for fun and, of course, I made it into a nautical card with my sun as the stamped image. It's easier than it looks to cut the wave; the trick is in lining it up when gluing or taping it together.  I'm sure in most places, the freedom of working with a glue stick would be most helpful, but it is so dry here, we cannot use glue sticks.  I had to try again, learning from the first one.  Here is a video tutorial that I found with a link to the template.  I dry embossed the background paper using my stylus with an embossing folder, so I could control the cloud placement.  I added stickles to my sunshine; even my brightest orange ink did not pop enough.

A few tips:  There is a lot of cutting and scoring, so use your most comfortable knife (I prefer the Fiskars finger knife) and a scoring tool (like the Scor-Buddy) to make it easier.  Scor the dotted lines before you cut.  Scor the top and bottom lines where the tutorial shows a little cut.  It's too easy to overcut and ruin your hard work; scoring worked very well.  Mount the wave to your card before you decorate, just in case it goes wonky.  Use cardstock for the wave; printer paper just doesn't do it.  If you go off course while cutting, bring the cut back against the ruler gradually.  Most of all, have fun!

If you want to join the fun at Scor-Pal, 

visit their blog:  http://scor-pal.blogspot.com/  

They will post a new challenge June 1st or 2nd.

Card Organizer

Earth Day is almost here (April 22nd) and there is a challenge at Paper Crafter's Corner to create something, anything, with a paper based product that is languishing in my stash (the unloved paper used for the cover and back of book), or use something that will be thrown away because it cannot be recycled (the book itself).  There were other options, but I found this book in our trash right after my Mom cleaned out some left over items from my Father's passing.  It is a great size for a long desired project... a card organizer.  I am always missing birthdays and special occasions because time slips away.  I don't have a smart phone, so I like the idea of an old fashioned reminder when a card should be mailed. 

 

Although I didn't film the process, I will tell you how I covered this book so you will have a head start if you want to try something similar.  After I sanded the book, I used Mod Podge to adhere the patterned papers.  I applied two coats to the book itself, letting them dry in between, and one coat to the paper, letting it dry.  Then a final coat to both and adhering.  My experience is this will create a very strong hold, no matter how rough I get when handling the book.  I stamped a background stamp of brickwork for added dimension and the finished the binding edge with suede.  This I adhered with PVA glue (a strong book binding glue).  I finished the edges with a washi tape that is also glued with Mod Podge.

Inside front cover.  I want to finish the inside of the back cover is the same way but need to wait for a new Nat'l Geographic to find smiles that will work.

 

 There were 3 bonus entries for this challenge by using a country other than my own, using peace in some way, and including instructions.  I was not able to photograph my work in progress so I only have two additional entries for the smiles I found from India, Asia, and Japan, along with a map of Canada.  I used peace as part of my thoughts on why I wanted this book.

I hope everyone takes a few minutes to think of what you can commit to this year to create a better world in some little way (or a big way if you can) for Earth Day.

 

1. Create something, anything, with a previously-used or long-languishing paper-based item from your stash, or something that is begging to be repurposed - no buying anything new! - See more at: http://papercrafterscorner.com/blog/papercrafting-challenge-earth-day/#sthash.RXR3iQOD.dpuf

1. Create something, anything, with a previously-used or long-languishing paper-based item from your stash, or something that is begging to be repurposed - no buying anything new! - See more at: http://papercrafterscorner.com/blog/papercrafting-challenge-earth-day/#sthash.RXR3iQOD.dpuf

Dream Big!

In January, my friend Cheryl (former Lead Fiskateer) challenged crafters to "Dream Big"!  She suggested that we create some kind of journal or book that we can put our thoughts, ideas, pictures from magazines, or anything we wanted to include - to lead us to our big dream.  I loved the idea because I was just gearing up  to make something of our back yard.  It's a central space between our back porch and Mom's front porch, that is ugly, dusty, and down right disgusting.  Cheryl's challenge seemed the perfect way to get my ideas into one place so I could have a blue print of sorts to work with.  I've been saving "how to" articles, and pictures, etc. and thought I would share the beginning of my book with you.  

This may seem like a little dream to many, but I've waited so long to start, it really is a BIG DREAM.

The best part is I have already started.  We have a simple gazebo, I laid some pavers in front of the french doors to my studio and I've started a few plants and pots, including a lime tree.

 

As you can see, the pages are not finished, but are designed to keep my notes.  I started with a smash book that was partly done from a garage sale.

 What are your Big Dreams?

100% Country

This is one of those layouts where I think the picture says it all.  DH and I in our early years together (early 80's) and the boys are my nephews who are now adults.  Names are on the back, otherwise, no journaling - just a fun layout.

Brandy

One last layout for Scrap Our Stash Birthday Celebration.  This one is the first challenge, a layout with at least 3 layers.  When Mom and I went to our weekend scrapping retreat a few weeks ago, I took my tablet just so I could see the 3rd and 4th challenges when they posted.  I figured I could at least get that done.  After all, I had a whole weekend.  NOT!  I did get this one done but completely forgot to post it.

Brandy (Mom and Dad's Dog) was very special.  She had character and personality that kept us smiling or laughing all the time.

One Chance to Get It Right

 

Journaling:

Before digital cameras, we usually posed for pictures because the cost of film and developing was expensive and we only took one picture, often at a restaurant during a celebration of some sort.

I love this picture from the mid 80's and it shows what it was like to take one picture with film and hope you get it right.  Scrap Our Stash Birthday Celebration is coming to an end and I created this layout for one last challenge:  #5 - Banners

Thanks again SOS for a fun month of challenges.

 

Underwater Adventure

Needless to say, living on a sailboat in warm waters (Mexico) offered many 'Underwater Adventures', but one place stood out above all the rest.  It wasn't the warm water of Mexico, rather the cold and brilliant colors, and size on life, in the NW.  These pictures were taken at Tod Inlet, on a point between Angler's Anchorage Marina and Tod Inlet (an anchorage for visitors to the Buchart Gardens) on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada.  They don't depict the colors too well (due to the depth I was at where colors fade with the sunlight), but the splendor of the dive is still radiant!

  

The Memory Nest has a Sketch of the Month  

and the March sketch was perfect for my underwater pictures.

 

Circle Journal - Beginnings

I just added my pages to a Circle Journal that is all about our personal beginnings.  Who we are, where we were born, what was happening in our life early on, etc.  It was fun and I decided to base my pages on Portland Oregon, where I was born and raised.

There are two base pages with my memories of Portland and Oregon on the left page, and my memories of my childhood inside the little book on the right page.  The center pages graduate with Summer, the turn and see Fall on the left and Winter on the right, then the back is Spring, because Portland has four very different and definite seasons.  (That's a mini birth certificate from JoLee's on the 'Sandy' book.
For the Scrap Our Stash - Stash A Thon, Birthday Challenge #8 - Texture, I used Dimensional Paste to add texture to the snow.  Thanks for another fun challenge SOS.

Christmas is On It's Way!

OK, so I'm planning ahead a little.  I love doing a Christmas card or two every month and the Scor Pal Blog's March Challenge - "More Than One Score" Scor-Pal Challenge #2 - Christmas In March and Use Your Dies is helping me keep it going.  I had fun with my second Pop Up Box Card.

 

The challenge requires at least two scores, and I used my Scor Buddy to score all the fold lines.  The challenge also requires using a die cut and I had big ideas in my head that just would not transfer to the overall design, so I used my die cuts to cut the 2.5" green squares that decorate the inside flaps.  The papers, including the fussy cut words and flowers, are from Recollections Winter Wonderland Collection.

A Father's Love

A Father's Love
 
I'm still having fun with the challenges at SOS Birthday Bash.  This layout is all about using mist or spray of some kind.  I used Ranger Adirondack Color Wash Spray Ink that I still have from when I first started with mixed media (early 2000's). 

 

While I was growing up, our local weekly newspaper featured Business Men and Women.  I nominated Dad and they chose to publish his story for Father's Day.  It was quite an honor.  I used elements from a set of matching paper and embellishments called "A Father's Love".  I cut stars on my Cricut to use as stencils.  It was fun, fast, and a great walk down memory lane.

Layered Frame - So Much Fun!

 A friend had these two wonderful pictures spanning three generations at the same location.  In the top picture, my friend is the little girl and in the bottom picture, she is the Grandmother.  I was able to put some color back into the original picture and had fun using this 3 layer frame to bring it to life.  

If you look closely to the right side of the frame, you can see how the layers work.  I used pop dots to support the elements, but did not peel off the protective paper so the elements can be removed and put flat in a scrapbook.

Scrap Our Stash is having a Birthday Celebration and I am showing this in #3, Anything that Sparkles.  I used Stickles to add a touch of bling to the bunny, clouds, and flower in the upper right corner.

And The Winners Are...

I found this great 8 x 10 picture of the group of women cruisers in Mazatlan, who jokingly challenged the men of the Mazatlan Yacht Club to a race around the islands outside of our harbor.  They accepted and it was a scramble to get a real racing team together.  It didn't hurt that we had a world class 44' racing boat to use "Black Swan".  The MYC team boat was short on sails and they tried using one that was too big for their boat, slowing them down a lot.  We had so much fun we wrote a song to sing during our victory lap and the crowd at the harbor entrance joined us in the Macarena as we returned from the race.  

I scrapped the 8 x 10 a while back, but just added the second page that I will enter into the Scrap Our Stash Birthday Celebration challenge #4 - Presents and Bows.  I have newspaper clippings and the song words yet to add to this fun memory.

40 Words of Wisdom

 A fun card for a birthday next week, inspired by  
Paper Crafters Corner Magazine Mondays, week 40.
I love the colors and layers of the magazine cover.  
Thanks for the challenge Steph!

Merry Christmas!

I know my followers are few, but each and every one of you is special and I wanted to wish you a 

Very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Too!

Feliz Navidad y Propero Ano

Looking Through My Card Stash

The Fiskateer Orange Blog Hop is this weekend and it reminded me I still need one more Halloween card for DH...

So I dug through my card stash drawer and found these four, using two different techniques.  I think I'll wait until Tuesday to decide if he should get the spiders or the pumpkin.  Or... you can tell me which one you think DH should get.