Cards- Using Up Scraps

Hi all! Earlier this week I sat down to create some birthday cards for the month ahead. I decided to pull out my folder of scraps and work with those. For my first card, I started with this sketch from Sketch Saturday:

As I was going through my scraps, I found I had a lot of strips, so I decided to use some of those for the background. Then I used a couple rectangular scraps over the top. I punched the flower from a cardstock scrap and inked the edges for some dimension. I stamped and heat embossed the sentiment on a scrap of vellum and adhered that to my card. I finished things off with some black dimensional paint.

 

For my next card, I had the three pieces of floral paper. I needed something the fill in the center of the card, so I found a scrap of coordinating cardstock to trim down. I edged my background pieces with black ink and adhered them down. I cut the word "birthday" with my Cricut. I stamped "happy" on a scrap of white cardstock and added the cut word below it. "Happy" wasn's fully centered, so I added a small flower stamp to balance it. I edged this piece as well with black ink. I finished this card off with some sequins.

Next, I made a card for one of my nieces. I found this fun cut so I started there. Since that took up most of the card front, I just needed to come up with a background. I pulled out this dot circle stamp (this is definitely a favorite) and stamped and heat embossed it in white on white cardstock. I then inked the whole background with Salty Ocean Distress ink. I glued down the cut pieces. The cut just had holes for the eyes, so I pulled out some googly eyes to add to it. It still needed a little something, so I fussy cut the ladybugs from a border strip in my scrap folder.

For my last card, I started with a strip with the birds on the line. I searched up a cut that said "A little birdie told me...". I cut  the background panel from dot cardstock and layered the bird strips and a slim strip of red plaid over it. I then glued down my sentiment. I finished this card off in the inside with cut words that said "You're 3."

April Calendar Page- Stick It Down

Hi all! I have my April calendar page to share today! I used the March Double page sketch from Stick It Down:

I had lots more photos, so I made them all 3x3 squares and rounded the corners instead of cutting them as circles. I then fussy cut some flowers and used a circle cutter to cut some circles from coordinating patterned paper to layer under the photos. I cut a sheet of the butterfly patterned paper in half diagonally and arranged my photos along the edge. I used my Cricut to cut the title. I used a chunk of lined patterned paper for my journaling block. I wanted a little texture on my cardstock background, so I splattered some teal, pink, and purple inks on it before adhering my title and journaling. I embellished the page with some puffy stickers. I also added a fussy cut butterfly to the title to bring the butterflies to that part of the layout.

 

March Cards

I had a few cards to make this month. First up was two confirmation cards for my daughter and my nephew. I started with some scraps of watercolor paper. I painted waves on them in red, orange and yellow with shimmer watercolors. I then added some splatters of red before it was dry. Once it was dry, I stamped some texture onto the background in a yellow shade of Distress Oxide ink. I finished it off with some splatters of gold ink. for the card base, I stamped a script background stamp with gold ink. Once that was dry, I stamped and heat embossed the sentiment with embossing powder. I cut the dove and cross combo using my Cricut from cream shimmer cardstock. 

Next up is a birthday card. I started with a watercolor patterned paper in blue and green. I layered blue distress ink through a mask over the top. I cut the wheat branches using my Cricut and added some inking for depth. I stamped, heat embossed and fussy cut the banner. I added some gold splatters to the background for some interest and a double bow of embroidery floss to the wheat bundle.

 

Vive Le Swing- Dance Layout

Hi all! I have my last dance page (for a bit) to share! For this page, I started with this sketch from Sketches in Thyme:

I changed the layout of the photos a bit and placed them over the top of the papers. I also moved the title to an area that had more space. The larger pieces of paper on either side are watercolor papers with resist on them. I started by using some Distress Inks on them. The color wasn't vibrant enough, so I then sprayed them with red spray ink. I let that dry and then went to wipe the excess off the resist areas. That resulted in very vibrant red all over everything. I was bummed at first, but the vibrant red goes much better with with photos, so it worked out. For the title, I cut it with the Cricut from gold foil cardstock once and kraft cardstock two more times and stacked them up for dimension. I used a couple of premade embellishments and some gold gems to finish off the page.

 Now we just wait until she gets her dance photos from this year- then it will be crunch time before graduation!

Cross the Line- Dance Layout

Hello! I have another layout to share today! I only have one left to make before I am caught up on these, at least until she take photos for this year!

One of the challenges this month at Lasting Memories is to make a wreath on your layout using punched or die cut circles. This dance made me think of pom style dance, even though they didn't use poms, so I punched a bunch of scalloped circles to create the wreath of "poms" around my page. I then stamped the starbursts around that. I cut the title with my Cricut and wrote the journaling on a small journaling spot. I finished off the page with some clear iridescent sequins.

 

A New Layout and Cards

Hello, I have a few new project sto share today. First up is another dance layout for my daughter's album. I had been thinking about how to create this layout for a while. I wanted to try something with inkpads to make a modern, geometric background. I started by pressing a black inkpad onto the background paper. Then I took a pink inkpad and drug it across in different directions (This would be even more effective with an inkpad that has a little more ink in it, mine was a little dry.) I then matted the photos with black and pink cardstock. I then cut the title with my Cricut. I wanted to add some more silver to my layout (the shadow around the title it silver). I have some silver foil sheets and I tried running a strip of adhesive on some scrap paper and rubbing the foil over it and I loved the effect. So I added some strips of silver around the page. I love how the adhesive runner gives a ragged end to the strip. I then finished off the layout with a journaling tag and a die cut.

Next up, I made some thank you cards for some choreographers that helped with an outreach program our studio does. First up is a card for the director of the program who had a baby last month, so this card is a thank you/welcome baby card. This was a quick and easy card to make. I cut some patterned papers and an embellishment card. The card was the same color as the background I wanted to place it on, so I matted it in a coordinating color of cardstock. I added some gold Liquid Pearl to the crown and bowtie on the lions, the crown on the alligator and some dots around the animal patterned paper. I finished off this card with a fiber ribbon across the seam between the patterned papers.
 

For my next card, I used the "Marbled" Turnabout stamp on cream shimmer paper. This card is 5x7 and the stamp is 6x6, so I trimmed down the stamped panel to 4 3/4" wide and then cut it about 2/3 of the way down to create a gap which I filled with a plain strip of cardstock. I then stamped the dancer with Versamark cardstock and heat embossed it with navy embossing powder. I cut the sentiment and shaddow with my Cricut.  I adhered those together and to my card. I decided I wanted to add some of the turquoise glitter paper to the card, so I cut a couple of thin strips and added them to the card front.

I used a set of masks and blended directly on my card front for the next card. I had taped off the edges to creat the border. There was a gap between the mask and the tape on the bottom so I had ended up with a thin dark blue line across the bottom of the inking, so I used a pen and drew the blue border all the way around the design. I finished off this card with a cut dancer and sentiment.

For my final card, I used the Triangles Turnabout stamp. This is another stamp that creates a 6x6 panel, so I again trimmed down the sides. I then trimmed down the pieces I had trimmed off and added them on either end of the large panel. I then cut the dancer and sentiment using my Cricut.

Hey There, Pumpkin- Stick It Down

Hello! I have a new layout to share! I started with the single page sketch from Stick It Down:

I had four photos instead of three, so I just added it to the inside column. Instead of the triangle bursts, I used my Cricut to cut some large leaves from patterned paper. I used the same patterned papes to add photo mats. I used my Cricut again for the title. I used a journaling stamp to make the lines for my journaling. To embellish the page, I used some old chipboard buttons and some new puffy stickers. I finished the whole thing off with some gold ink splatter.

 

Beach Medley- Dance Layout

Hi all! I have a new dance layout to share. This one started with the current sketch from Rochelle Spears:

This sketch went on a bit of the journey. I started by extending the photos in both directions, then I rotated the paper strips because I wanted the illusion of waves, finally, I shifted the embellishments a bit to fit with the other changes I made. I chose blue and pink patterned papers for my background and found a few that had waves or looked like waves. I cut the title with my Cricut and adhered "Beach" with foam adhesive. For the tag and journaling spot, I stamped and heat embossed with white powder. To prevent smudging, I used a ultra fine tipped Sharpie for my journaling. The rest of the embellishments included washi tape, stickers, puffy stickers and some gold ink splatters.

I also did the Scrap With Stacy Tic Tac Toe challenge:

I used the top left to lower right diagonal- ink splatter, tag, and stamping.

 

A Couple New Layouts

Hello! I have a couple of new layouts to share! First up is one for my second youngest's book. He was such a busy baby and toddler- as you can see from the photos! I've had this star patterned paper for quite a while, waiting for the right photos. When I figured out I could surround the star with these photos, I went to work! . I didn't have to add a whole lot to this page since the background paper has quite a bit going on. I added some cut apart phrases and stickers. I cut my title with my Cricut. I wanted to add some more navy to the layout, so I pulled out some phrase stamps and stamped them in a few spots around my page. To finish things off, I added a few puffy stickers and some light green ink splatters. The background paper was the starting point for this layout, but I was also inspired by this color scheme from Paper Issues:

 Next is another layout for my daughter's dance album- I only have a few pages left to be caught up! I started with this sketch from Paper Issues:

I wanted a big sun in the place of the heart, so I created it. I started by making a large circle mask and ink blending it. I then took a water brush and a couple of the ink colors and made the rays. I finally added some splatters with some shimmer watercolors. I cut the title with my Cricut and used the black and gray papers for my photo mats. For the clusters, I dug into my stash and used some rub ons, felt pieces and journaling spots. I punched a couple of tags for an added layer.

Wild One

Hello, I'm sharing another layout from the Creative Memories virtual crop today! I started with this sketch:

I used some photos from my son at the zoo. I started by selecting my papers and then cut the zebra border with my Cricut. I had cut another border for the bottom, but it didn't cut well, so I used the leopard print ricrac instead. I cut and adhered the title. Then I went to work embellishing. I pulled out a couple of printed chipboard pieces that worked. I then searched Design Space for some animals to cut and add to my layout. I finished things off with some homemade green enamel dots. 

 I am also entering this in the Lasting Memories band design challenge.

March Calendar Page

Hello! I'm here today with my March calendar page. I used this sketch from the Creative Memories virtual crop:

I started by cutting the large patterned paper down to size for the background. I matted the photos on the outside with a coordinating color of cardstock. For the borders, I punched a bunch of flowers with two punches. I ran a line of adhesive down the edge of the patterned paper and stuck the flowers on it, alternating the colors. I used journaling strips and stamped lines to add the captions and journaling. I embellished the page with some washi tape, epoxy and canvas flair, and ink splatters. To finish things off, I added blue liquid pearls to the centers of the flowers in my borders.

 

Two More Dance Layouts

Hello! I've been creating again but not posting, so I need to catch up! Today I'm sharing a couple of dance layouts.

For the first, I was inspired by this sketch from Paper Issues' January daily sketches:

I started by using a 6x6 background stamp and stamping it 4 times on my background. I did my best to line it up to make the seams unnoticeable. It helps that my photos are big and cover most of it up. I splattered some silver and red ink in the corners. I then matted the group photo on glitter cardstock and adhered all my photos to the page. I cut the title and bow tie using my Cricut. I didn't do much for embellishments since the background is pretty busy. I added a journaling sticker and cut the "2" off of a 2007 sticker to add the little "007" detail under the bow tie.

 Two weeks ago I discovered there is a Creative Memories group on Facebook that hosts a virtual crop each month. They post 4 sketches and you get to create with them! I started with this sketch: 

I moved things around a bit on this one. I flipped the circle placement so the largest piece would be visible. My photos are larger. Instead of a full border across the top, I used my sewing machine to create flying trails for my bees. For the embellishment clusters, I stamped flowers with coordinating ink and then layered flowers that I cut with my Cricut over them. I used gems and buttons for my flower centers. The title was cut with the Cricut and I finished everything off with some puffy bee stickers.

Valentines With Non Traditional colors

Hello! I'm sharing my last two Valentines today. While these cards include some pinks and reds, they also have some less traditional colors. 

First up is this card. I had picked up a set of green Distress Oxide sprays a few weeks ago and wanted to use them. I started by taking two of the colors ( Peeled Paint and Mowed Lawn and sprayed them over a panel of watercolor paper. Once that was dry, I stamped the leave heart over the background with just water. I did this by misting the stamp with a spray bottle and then pressing the stamp onto the background. I ended up doing this a few times because it didn't show up as much as I had hoped. I then stamped with Versamark (those are the darker ones). Finally, I stamped with a script background stamp with white ink and some water. I also stamped the heart on watercolor paper with Versamark and heat embossed it with white embossing powder. I used some inks and a water brush to color them in. I fussy cut the flower and attached it with foam adhesive. To finish off the card, I cut and adhered the "i" and the "u".

 For my last card, I found this cute Cricut cut and decided to use it. For the background, I used a piece of blue cardstock. I tore an edge off a scrap piece of paper and then blended ink over the edge to create the ground. I then assembled the truck.

Valentines With Black Backgrounds

Hello! I'm back with a couple more Valentines to share (I make them for my husband and each of my kids, so I make a bunch). Today's cards started with black cardstock for the background. First up, I stamped this circle stamp with white pigment ink and then heat embossed with white embossing powder. I forgot to run an anti static tool over the cardstock before I stamped, so I ended up with quite a bit of stray embossing powder. I was able to brush some off, in the open areas, but was left with some. I then cut some hearts from a couple of different papers using my Cricut. I placed the hearts in circles, using foam adhesive for the glitter ones. I used my Cricut and a pen to create the sentiment strip.

For my second card, I used a mask and blended white pigment ink and Lumberjack Plaid Distress Oxide ink over the mask. I cut the heart and sentiment with my Cricut. I ran the heart through an embossing folder for some added dimension and interest. I finished off this card with some red Nuvo drops.

 

Two Cards With Similar Design

Hello again! I have more cards to share today. I used similar colors to the ones I shared yesterday. This time I used the triangle Turnabout stamp (it appears this one is no longer available). I stamped both of these at the same time, just alternating between the two pieces of paper with each ink color. I then cut stamped the little animals with balloons. I colored each one with watercolor pencils and blended the color with a water brush. I used cardstock for the first card and watercolor paper for the second. You can see the color blended better on the watercolor paper.

For the first card, I then cut some hearts using the Circut to go behind the balloon. I stamped the sentiment on the balloon and then adhered it over the top of the other hearts. 

I finished off both cards with a sprinkling of sequins.

 

Valentines- Sketch Saturday

Hi all! I've been busy making cards the last few days! First up is a pair of Valentines for my daughters, inspired by the current sketch at Sketch Saturday:

I started by inking the background with a new set of masks. This is such a fun set! I cut the strips of vellum and added them to my card. I then cut the "Love" sentiement from glitter cardstock using my Cricut. I also cut the little hearts with the Cricut. To transfer the "Love" sentiment from the mat to the card and keep the spacing, I used press and seal to lift it off the mat, put glut on the back of the pieces and then glued it onto the card front. To complete the sentiment, I stamped the word "you" on a strip of white cardstock and layered that over the heart.

 

Another Dance Layout

Hi all! I got another dance layout done for my oldest daughter's album. For this one I started with the current single page sketch from Stick It Down:

I stuck to the main idea of the banners coming out of the center, but didn't cut my photos into a circle. For the banners, I went through my stash and found blue and cream paper scraps and cut them into the banner shape. I drew a large circle on my background with a pencil to help line up the banners. To adhere them to the page, I started with the vertical and horizontal banners and then did the ones that fell between so I could get even spacing. I then adhered my photos. I cut the title with my Cricut. When I went to stick it on my layout, I realized the color of cardstock matched the dark blue on the floral banner behind it. To make the letters stand out more, I went in with a white gel pen to outline the letters and color in some of the blue on the patterned paper. I embellished the page with some punched flowers and clear gems.

 

More Dance Pages

I have a couple more layouts to share today that I made over the weekend. For my first layout, I used one of the sketches from Paper Issues:

I decided to use some ink pads to create stripes on my paper for this layout. I drug them each across a sheet of smooth mixed media paper. I set that aside to dry and went to work cutting the title. I cut it three times using my Cricut, twice from plain black cardstock and once from black shimmer cardstock. I layered up the cut and put the shimmer cardstock on top. I then went to work embellishing. I pulled out some rub ons that had colors that went with my inks. I cut a frame rub on in half to create the corners. I then layers buttons, brads and gems over them. To finish off the layout, I splattered some black ink for some interest next to my photos.

I saw this sketch yesterday shortly after it was posted by Sketches In Thyme and immediately went to work.

I knew this sketch would work perfectly for this headshot of my daughter. I pulled out the collection that I used for my Feburary calendar page and cut the strips and triangles. I used my Cricut to outline and cut the title. I got all of that adhered down and embellished the page with some paper flowers and sequins.

 

February Calendar Page

Hello! I have my February calendar page to share today! I started with this two page sketch from Stick It Down:

This is a great sketch for scraps. I found a collection that is getting low to create my layout and went to work cutting strips 1-2' wide and then cut the banner ends. I then worked on layering the strips over the background. I had lots of strips that weren't wide enough, so I hid that by cutting them somewhere in the middle and hiding the gap under my photos. This is a little more work, but it stretches my supplies. I matted my photos on yellow and cream cardstock and added them as I went so I could make sure I was covering the gaps in my papers. Once the strips and photos were all adhered, I cut my title with the Cricut and created journaling strips. I embellished the page with stickers from teh collection. I finished things off with some pink ink splatters.