Getting Conceptual Again / FMS #54

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Hey y'all. No, you don't need to check your eyes...I'm doing a Saturday post. I wanted to make sure I was able to get today's card entered in time. The challenge doesn't close till Monday at noon but Flu Clinic starts Monday morning and the next few weeks are going to be crazy busy. Hope you're having a great weekend so far, and hope you don't mind me intruding on your weekend. :)

I created today's card for a very special friend. I met Tracey just over a year ago when I switched job sites. She was my new Area Nurse Manager and what a blessing she has been to me this past year. She recently stepped down from that position and although her replacement is very nice, no-one else is Tracey. Today a group of us had lunch at a nice seafood restaurant near her house in Annapolis. It was so nice to see her and meet her husband too.

Of course, I wanted to make a special card for her so I sat down last night to figure out what I was going to make and have to say I got pretty excited. Excited by the idea I had and how it turned out. I got a little conceptual and we know that doesn't always turn out just like I want. :) Let's see if you can figure out where I was going...

Card featuring
Perfectly Preserved Stamp Set

I used this sketch from Freshly Made Sketches as my starting point-

It's another fabulous sketch from those great ladies! I switched it up and made it a regular sized card instead of a square card, but other than that I stuck with the sketch.

Here's a closer look at my focal point-

You know what I used for my little jar? Our clear envelopes. How cool is that!?! I wasn't sure if it would work out but it did. I left the envelope closed (2 layers) and stamped my jar image on it with VersaMark. Heat and Stick Powder was applied and set with my heat tool. I was careful to not concentrate the heat on any one spot for too long. Next came some Dazzling Diamonds and another blast of hot air. For some reason there was no warping with the H&S Powder but both times I heated it up to set the D.D. the paper tried to buckle a little. The second time I applied a little tension to the paper and it stayed flat. Next I used my Cannery Framelets Set to cut it out. While I was at the Big Shot I cut hearts from Primrose Petals and Lucky Limeade with my hearts embosslet. 4 of the L.L. hearts were adhered to a punched circle with Tombow. A freeform stem and some love from Tink and I had a 4-leaf clover. The hearts and clover were adhered to the inside of the bottom jar with small amounts of Tombow. Are you wondering how I sealed my jar, especially since it's clear? I cut Mini-Glue Dots into small pieces, rolled them into small balls and used those to adhere the two cutout pieces together. They were carefully placed so they were hidden behind the glitter. Every once in a while the neurons in my brain fire and jump the correct synapses and things make sense and they work. And Yes, I did do the *HappyDance* To raise the jar up and add some dimension to the front, I cut small pieces of Dimensionals and adhered them to the back of the jar under the hearts and clover. :) A little piece of Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine was wrapped around the neck of the jar and tied in a bow. My jar topper was adhered to a small strip of Orchard Harvest DSP with a Dimensional and the card front was done.

Here's the inside-

So, as much as I was happy with the outside of the card, not so much with the inside. My sentiment is stamped in Raspberry Ripple on a Very Vanilla piece of c/s and is from a retired sentiment set. I had already applied the strip of DSP across the bottom when I decided I needed a little something more on the inside. :( So thinking about the theme I had in mind I used my Boho Blossoms Punch and cut out some flowers. The colors used were Island Indigo, Calypso Coral, Raspberry Ripple and Primrose Petals. Each flower was sponged and curved slightly with my fingers for a little extra dimension. They were all adhered with Tombow.

So did you figure out yet where I was going with my design? I'm sure I'm the only one who got it. Tracey got it...after I told her. The good news is she really liked the card even before she knew what it was supposed to mean. The jar is full of Love and Good Wishes (Luck) and there's a "bunch of flowers" on the inside. All things I wanted to give her as she embarked upon this new part of her life.

Somebody...Anybody...Please tell me you get it!?!

Well, that's all I have for you tonight. Hope you "got it" and that you liked it. I hope the rest of your weekend is as Amazing as you are! I love hearing from you, so if you liked today's card or have questions about it I hope you'll leave me a message below. I read all of your comments and they really do make my day. If you'd like to +1 or Pin today's card, I've put those buttons on my blog for your convenience. Friends and Followers are always welcome too! :)

Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy day to stop by my little corner of the world. You are very appreciated! I hope to see you back here real soon. Here's wishing you a weekend full of Family, Friends and of course Creativity. Till next time-

Remember- Life is often more about the storms than the peace they seek to overwhelm. It's not about Waiting for the storms to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain.

Be Safe,
Shan

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Spin-ny Gingie

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Hey y'all. Happy Friday! Just a quick post today as I'm actually a little busy. I hope you've had a great week and are looking forward to an Amazing weekend. I'm going to Annapolis tomorrow for lunch with a bunch of friends but other than that, not sure what the weekend holds yet.

I did today's card a few weeks back. It's one of my favorite types of cards and it just makes me happy. I hope it makes you happy too....

Holiday Spinner Card featuring
Scentsational Season & Snowflake Soiree Stamp Sets

Isn't he cute? This is one of the cards I showed my friend Brenda last week to show her the versatility of this set. She was tickled when she saw him spinning his way across the card. This was a very quick and easy card but it sure makes an impact. I started with a base of Very Vanilla c/s and added DSP  from the Be of Good Cheer collection. I cut two pieces, one for the front and another to layer underneath. A lot of times the mat or card base shows behind the slide and while there's nothing wrong with that look (I've used it before) I wanted it to look like my sweet little Gingie was just spinning his way across the DSP. For my border I used a scrap of Cherry Cobbler c/s that I punched with my Dotted Scalloped Ribbon Border Punch and cut in half. It was adhered to the bottom of the DSP with Tombow. This panel was adhered with Dimensionals so Gingie could spin.  The slide is cut using the Word Window Punch. I know you've heard me say it a million times before, o.k. maybe not a million but it's a lot, but this is a must have punch. In fact, if you're only getting one punch to start with, this is the one. Just so you know, the other two must haves would be the Decorative Label and Large Scalloped Circle. Just line up your punch on one side of the paper an punch your way across to the other. I actually punched too close to the sides. :( You know I tell it like it is. But there was no way I was going to cut another piece of DSP that size. I just needed to make it work. So, in order to keep the DSP from tearing when Gingie spun to fast towards the ends, I added Dimensional "stops" under the DSP to keep him from spinning to close to the edge.  

My sweet little cookie was inked with Soft Suede and then stamped off once to give a softer color. He was cut out with the coordinating Holiday Framelet. The bow-tie is punched from the Owl Builder Punch. A few little pearls for his buttons and he was finished.    :) The sentiment is from Snowflake Soiree an was stamped in Soft Suede onto a scrap of V.V. c/s and punched out with the Decorative Label Punch. It was sponged lightly around the edges with Cherry Cobbler Classic Ink and adhered with more Dimensionals and the front was done.

Here's the inside-

This sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes. I really don't know what I did before I purchased this set. My tasty little friend is stamped again and then a little visit from Tink made him even yummier, hard to believe that's possible. :)

That's all I have for you today. What did you think? I wish you could see it in person. He's just so darn cute spinning head over heels across this card. In addition to the diagonal strip being unexpected, it also gives him more room to spin and therefore gives more opportunities for smiles. I hope he inspires you to make a fun card soon. As soon as I saw this little guy, I knew he would be perfect for this type of card and I was right. I hope you think so too! If you liked today's card or have questions about it I hope you'll take a moment to leave me a message below. I love hearing from you and read all of your comments. They really do make my day. If you'd like to +1 or Pin it, I've put those buttons on my blog for your convenience. Friends and Followers are always welcome too! :)

Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy day to stop by my little corner of the world. You are very appreciated! I hope you have an Amazing weekend filled with lots of time for Family, Friends, and of course Creativity. Till Next Time-

Remember- Life is often more about the storms than the peace they seek to overwhelm. It's not about Waiting for the storms to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain.

Be Safe,

Shan

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Keep Calm & Don't Let the Tears Get On The Cupcakes - Salt Is Better On Margaritas /NAC#13 / My Challenge #40

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Hey y'all. Happy Thursday to you! Just one more day until the weekend. Yea! :)

I don't know about you but it's seems like lately I've had more downs than ups and I'm ready for some good news. I hope you've had more ups than downs. I found out on Monday that my sweetie's being transferred. It could be for 1 year then back here or 3 years and then back here. Needless to say, I've been a Big, Stinkin', Hot Mess ever since. Ok, so I haven't really stunk, but I sure feel like road-kill and those stink, but anyways I'm sure you get the picture. We'll find out later today just how long the transfer will be. We're really hoping for just 1 year.


Yesterday, when I was trying to come up with a card for this week's challenge over at NAC, I started out with one idea, even cut the pieces for it, but it just wasn't coming together like I wanted. Dontcha just hate when that happens? I got up and went over to my stamp sets and found this new one and then I knew exactly what needed to be made.

Here's what I came up with-

My darlin's favorite color is blue and it just so happens that was the color combo I was looking at for the other card idea so it worked out just fine. I started with a base of Midnight Muse cut at 4 1/4 x 11 and scored at 5 1/2. My DSP layer is from the Patio Party collection. Aren't those hearts just the sweetest!?! I used one of my new edgelets to give a decorative edge to both sides. To me, it felt like the little points in the edging mirrored the  points on the hearts. Or at least that's where my silly mind led me. The tag is made from Whisper White c/s and I trimmed it without a pattern, that's just how it turned out. It's adhered with Dimensionals. My stamp was inked with Midnight Muse and Baja Breeze Stampin Write markers and believe it or not was stamped without the aid of my Stamp-A-Ma-Jig. Can you believe it? A little M.M. sponging and some M.M. In-Color ribbon finished the front. By the way if you like this ribbon, there's just a few more days to get it for free. Love, love, love free! Know what else I love? The versatility this set gives with the sentiments and I was so glad when it was available again for purchase I think this week's sketch was perfect for it.

Here's the sketch I was using-

It's another great, C&S layout from the fine ladies over at Nacho Average Challenge. Make sure you check them out. They have a new challenge each week and they are my go-to every week.

Here's the inside-

Someone, please see the humor in this.

If you know me, in real-life, you know I love to cook. What I really love to do is bake. I make some pretty fabulous desserts and now that it's fall, it's the perfect time for my Pumpkin Cupcakes with fresh Cream Cheese Icing. J loves these (I do to, in fact it seems to be a favorite of most of my friends and family) but even those wouldn't help right now. The tears would thin the icing out too much. :'(  The sweet little cupcake I put on the inside of the card  doesn't taste good, but it sure does look yummy and smells good too. I mixed Vanilla Embossing Powder in with Dazzling Diamonds and heat embossed it after a layer of Heat and Stick Powder.

Here's a tip for you- When I decided to use this set I knew I would need to use the "and" from the Keep Calm stamp on the inside as well as the out. I don't know about you, but I often think just about the front when I'm designing and then the inside seems to fall into place. With this one I had to think about the inside too. A lot of time when I go to use a single element from the front on the inside, I've already cleaned my stamp. Depending on how long it's been, since I stamped it, I often get a "ghosting" of the image or word even though when I stamp off on scraps it looks ok. To avoid that happening on this card I inked up the "and" with Baja Breeze and stamped it on the inside first while the rest of the stamp was still clean and dry. That way I got a crisp, clean image with no ghosting and when I went to stamp the front I simply inked the entire stamp and stamped . Both images turned out perfect. Hope this helps, if you find yourself with the same problem. Of course it could just me, but I always hope I'm not the only one doing things like that.

Here's a closer look at my yummy little cupcake (not Pumpkin yummy, but still tasty)-

I punched it out with one of my Circle Punches (the 1/2" one I think), and sponged it with a little Baja Breeze. It seemed like I needed just a little something extra, besides the cupcake, on the inside so there's an extra little strip of the DSP from the front. It gives a little color and I think makes it not quite so serious. My cupcake was attached with Tombow and the card was finished.

What do you think? I hope you like it and I hope those great ladies over at NAC like it too! Sure do hope I haven't brought you down with my tale of woe. Hopefully we will get some good news today. If you liked today's card or have questions about it, feel free to leave me a message below. I love hearing from you and read everything you leave. The comments really make my day. If you'd like to +1 or Pin today's card, The buttons are here on my blog for your convenience. Friends and Followers are always welcome too! :)

Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy day and stopping by my little corner of the world. You are very appreciated! Till Next Time-

Remember- life is often more about the storms than the peace they seek to overwhelm. it's not about Waiting for the storms to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain.

Be Safe,
Shan


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Hanging With My Ghouls - End of the Week Technique #49 Using Chipboard

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Hey y'all. Happy Humpday! Woo-Hoo, just 2 more days until the weeked. *HappyDance* You know what else is great about Wednesdays? (at least for a few more weeks) It's time for The Great Pumpkin Blog Hop! YEA!!!!! I don't know about you, but I'm sooo enjoying making a new card each week for this fun hop and really enjoying seeing everyone's fun and creative cards and projects. Don't forget to scroll all the way to the bottom of my page to see everyone's entry in this week's hop.

I had a lot of fun making today's card. I did a technique that I haven't shown here before. Always fun. :)  Here's today's card-

Halloween Card featuring
Googly Ghouls Stamp Set and
Howlstooth and Scaringbone DSP

Isn't it fun? My little friends are just "hanging out"and "dropping by" to say Boo, which of course just means Hi! in Ghoul-Speak. You did know that, right? Oh, of course you did!

I started with a base of Tangerine Tango cut at 4 1/4 x 8 1/2 and scored at 4 1/4 to make a square card. I then took a 4 x 4 piece of Basic Black c/s and ran it through my Big Shot with my Chevron E.F. for a little texture. I used chipboard for the first time on a card and since it was so elevated off the card, that's where I got my inspiration for my little friends. I ran the chipboard through my Big Shot with my new alphabet die. I finally had an excuse to use it and can't wait to use it even more. Even though it's a little expensive, I know I'm going to get plenty of use out of it. How about getting it for half-price? If you have a $450 stampcamp, home party or personal order you can choose this as your half-priced item. That's what I did. Love, Love, L.O.V.E. half-price. If you're interested in getting free and half-priced merchandise, let me know. I'd love to help you get everything on your wishlist.

Once I had my chipboard cut out, I used Tombow to adhere my DSP from the Howlstooth and Scaringbone collection.My sanding block was used to smooth the edges and make sure everything was attached well. You can see the white along the outside of the letters where I sanded them. They were then attached with more Tombow to my embossed B.B. layer.

Here's a closer look-

How sweet are my ghoulish little friends, just hanging out waiting to say Hi to you? Sooo cute. I tell you, I just want to put them all in my pocket and carry them around! I stamped them all in Black Staz-On, colored them and then cut them out. My little Mummy's bandages are colored in with Sahara Sand Classic Ink and a blender pen. He's attached with a combination of Dimensionals and Tombow to make it look like he's swinging from the bottom of the "B" and waving Hi!. Such a friendly little fella. Frankie was given a Wild Wasabi shirt and Certainly Celery face & hands. I stamped him twice, adhered one behind the "O" with Tombow, and then cut his face out of the second one and adhered it with Dimensionals so it looks like his face is leaning out in front of the "O". My little dangly dude is hanging from a piece of Calypso Coral Baker's Twine that I simply knotted in a loop around the top of the letter. A few Dimensional pieces not only secures the Baker's Twine, but makes it look like he's just hanging around. A few googly eyes complete the front. Don't you just want to go and "hang out" with them? You know you want to and, even better, you know you're going to have fun!

Here's the inside-

Inside of Halloween Card featuring
Googly Ghouls Stamp Set

My sentiment is stamped in Black Staz-On as is my sweet little witchy girl. Look at that smile. She just wants to play and she even brought another friend along with her. I used Wild Wasabi, Tangerine Tango and Perfect Plum to add a little color to her outfit. Tink dropped by to play a little and to make her party outfit a little more festive.

What do you think? Isn't it cute? I really love the effect adding the chipboard made. Of course, you would expect to pay a little more postage if you made a card like this. Or you could just hand deliver it and see the smile you get. Instant Gratification. Yea!!!

Here's what you'll need for today's technique- Chipboard (You can use regular chipboard or if you're looking for a "lighter" alternative, try using the backer board that comes in your DSP packs. It works great and won't add as much weight.), Die (I used the new Sizzix Alphabet die in the big catalog), Die Cutting Machine (I used my Big Shot), DSP to cover your cut-outs and Tombow to adhere it with.

Here's what you do- This is soooo stinkin' easy you're not going to believe it!
1- Choose your design, letters, image (whatever you choose) that you want to cut out and run it through your die-cutting machine. I cut out a "B" & 2 "O's"
2- Choose your DSP. Cut the same items with your die and machine, this time using your DSP instead of chipboard. Save yourself some time and do this instead of attaching DSP to your cutouts and then trimming the excess away. I just realized, as I was writing today's post, that I could have used my die to cut the letters out of my DSP. Geesh! The time that would have saved me. Like I said, this was my first time to make something like this. Ok, it was the first time I did it at home. I did 1 letter in my techniques class about two months ago along with other pre-cut chipboard pieces and all I remembered was applying the DSP to pre-cut pieces and trimming and sanding. *SMH* Sometimes 29 is a looooot older than it seems. :)
3- If you're using a pre-cut piece of chip board, attach your DSP with Tombow and then trim the excess away.
4- Using your sanding block, stroke in a downward motion to get off any excess paper and to make sure the paper is molded well to the chipboard. Don't sand "back & forth". This will lift the edges of your paper off your chipboard.
5- Adhere your finished pieces to your card/project. I used more Tombow, but depending on the piece and whether or not you were looking for elevation, you could also use Dimensionals.
6- Complete your project and smile when you see what you've created. Smile even bigger when you think of the joy it will bring it's recipient. Man, that part just never gets old!!!

Well, that's all I have for you today. I hope you liked my card and this week's technique. Hopefully it inspires you to try something new. While you're being so inspired, why not create something and add it to this week's hop. Terry at Going' Over the Edge is hosting this fun hop and she's even offering a $50 SU gift certificate to one lucky participant. Thanks, Terry! You can check out everyone's entries at the bottom of my page. Just click on their name and you'll go straight to their page. You can even enter your fabulous creation directly from the link here on my page. Pretty cool, huh?

Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy day to stop by my little corner of the world. you are very appreciated! If you liked today's card or have questions about it, I hope you'll take a moment to leave me a message below. I read them all and they really do make my day. If you'd like to +1 or Pin today's card, I've put the buttons on my blog for your convenience. Friends and Followers are always welcome too! :) Till next time-

Remember- Life is often more about the storms than the peace they seek to overwhelm. It's not about Waiting for the storms to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain.

Be Safe,
Shan

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Scentsational Triple Layer Stamping

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Hey y'all. Happy Tuesday! I hope you're having a great day wherever you may be. It's a beautiful day in the DMV. The sun is shining and even though it was cool this morning waiting for a ride to work, it's supposed to end up being warm this afternoon.

I want to just take a moment real quick to say Thanks! Thanks to everyone who takes time out of their busy days to stop by here. Thanks to those of you that actually read my posts, verbose as they often are. And Many Thanks to those of you that take the time to not only stop by and read about what's going on in my life but leave comments about my cards/projects and even kinder, to ask about what's going on in my life and let me know you care. My first goal of this blog was to make myself step out of my small little OCD box and try to do more and be more. Over time, that desire has really evolved to hoping I can inspire others to do the same. Although I, of course, hoped for visitors and yes even followers, I never really expected that it would happen. To have blog-pals, that I communicate with on a fairly regular basis, and friends I have never me, leave me messages that not only show me that they actually read what I have put out in the universe, but that they care too....well that just means the world to me. When I say at the end of my posts that your comments make my day, I really mean it. Big Glittery Hugs (that way the love stays a little longer, you know that stuff hangs around "for-ever") and much love to you all!!!! Now if only today's card was a Thank-You card it would be just right! :)

I don't have a Thank-You card for you today, but I do have one for you that I hope will make you smile. My very good friend Brenda, (you know the one that's not going away any more *HappyDance*) really liked the new set Scentsational Season when she first saw it in the Holiday Catalog. She thought it would be fun to use. I have to say she's right and it's one of my favorite Holiday sets so far this year. I've made 4 different cards with this set and they are all totally different from each other. Love the versatility!!! Any-who, I decided to make this card last week to show her when we had dinner, so she would have lots of different ideas on how to use it. I also wanted to show her a technique that really makes a statement, but is Super Easy, especially for a beginner. She loved it and I hope you will too.

Here's today's card-

Hoiday Card withTriple Layer Stamping featuring
Scentsational Season and Holiday Framelets

This is a fun card and would be great for a holiday stamp-camp or stamp-a-stack type event. I used 4 of the 6 stamps in this set (not the cocoa mug or steam), stamped a few times added a little glitter and ribbon and I was done. I did use my Holiday Framelets to cut out the tree and the star. They make it soooo easy. Of course, I recommend getting both together and saving 15%. That's extra money to spend on more supplies, duh! Colors used are Raspberry Ripple, Soft Suede, Daffodil Delight and Gumball Green. Love that new In-Color Stitched Ribbon. :) I really reined Tink in on this card and there's just a little sparkle on the white parts of the tree and a little more on the star. These two elements were elevated with Dimensionals.

Here's the inside-

Inside of Holiday Card featuring
Scentsational Season and Snowflake Soiree

Love, Love, Love this font from Snowflake Soiree. It's so pretty, It does make me a little nutz-o because you have to angle it a little to get it to not stamp at an angle, but it's so pretty it's worth it. A little shimmer on my yummy little candy cane and the inside was finished. I told you this was super easy. Want to know what else makes me a little nutz-o? Those STOOOPID lines on my pictures from my ott-light. I thought it was just with my B.B. but nope, my I-Pad does it too. Usually just with white c/s but still. AUGH! I guess I need to see if it does with my camera too, but it's just such a pain to then upload the pictures in the computer. So much easier to just e-mail them to myself. That way I have them saved in another spot in case, Heaven Forbid, I have another computer malfunction. Don't ask. *SMH*

Well, that's all I have for you today. I hope you liked it and I hope it inspires you to get creative and play around with your stamps today. Why not see, how many different looks you can get out of a set. I know there's lots more to be had with this set. If you liked today's card or have questions about it, I hope you have a moment to leave me message below. I read them all and like I said, they really do make my day and they mean more to me than many of you will ever know. If you'd like to +1 or Pin today's card, I've put the buttons on here for your convenience. Friends and Followers are always welcome too! :)

Don't forget to stop back by tomorrow. It's time for another round of The Great Pumpkin Blog Hop and I have a card where I did something for the first time. Can't wait to show it to you!!! : D

Thanks sooooo much for taking time out of your busy day to stop by my little corner of the world. I know there are lots of blogs to visit out there in blog-landia. You are very appreciated!!! Till next time-

Remember- Life is often more about the storms than the peace they seek to overwhelm. It's not about Waiting for the storms to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain.

Be Safe,

Shan

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MDS Monday- Wedding Invitations Part Two

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Hey y'all. Happy Monday! I hope you had a great weekend and are having a fabulous start to your week. My weekend was very busy and, thanks to my feet and lack of improvement on oral steroids, very painful as well. As many of you know my daughter got married on Saturday. Needless to say there will be lots of MDS'ing going on because of that wonderful event. Today, I want to show you the finished invites. I showed you the front not too long ago, I didn't have the inside finished then but I can show them to you now. This was my just my second time doing a Hybrid project and my first time ever doing a wedding invite. I asked the kids what colors they wanted and was told "Purple and Teal" We went down to the studio and I pulled out Perfect Plum and Island Indigo and we went from there. In less than 30 minutes I had a mock-up done. I have to say I was a little nervous to do this for them, especially since I had never done any invitations before, but since they had faith in my abilities I figured I should too.

Here's a look-

So many invites

Here's what I did with the inside-

Inside of wedding invites. Hybrid MDS & Traditional Stamping

Oh! How glad was I to be done with these!?! Very, would be the correct answer. I'm very happy with how they turned out and so were the kids, but I just couldn't get the flower painted in MDS like I wanted. I originally had a different flower and I fought and fought with getting it just right. You know my OCD was in full-blown overdrive on that right? Right! And then of course I couldn't figure out how to get these to print 4 to a sheet so I had to go back and make 4 spaces on a sheet and then fill them in with the card components. Let's just say I learned a lot of what to do and what not to do with MDS2 on this project. :) I actually took them to Kinko's since I had to have them printed in such a hurry and luckily they had a big tabletop cutter, because my regular papercutter at home, almost always cuts a little off. Yep, frustrates the mess out of me when my paper is not even. So I spent about 2 hours at Kinko's cutting 32 interior pieces for the invites. (It was a small ceremony.) I brought them home and then hand-stamped the flowers and watercolored them all in. Here's a closer look-

Sooooo excited by how this turned out. Even though it wasn't my first choice of how to add the flower,  it was definitely the best. I used Perfect Plum for the petals and So Saffron for the stamens. It doesn't show up in the picture but in person you can see the So Saffron beneath the Dazzling Diamonds. The sparkle was so delicate, but added so much to the overall impression.

For the envelopes I embossed the flap with the same E.F. I used on the front panel-

I also added a stamped flower to the front of each envelope that matched the one on the inside-

Wedding Invitation and Matching Envelope

What do you think? I'm so glad I offered to do these for the kids. Not only did they turn out beautifully, they were each a one of a kind memento of this special day.

However, I couldn't complete this post without showing a picture of Duecey, my studio assistant. He was trying to be so helpful during the creation of these cards. What a good boy!

I swear that's not a staged photo! He just always wants to be right in the middle of everything, usually by sitting on my work. LOL! This time however he was content with just having his paw on it. Love that tiny boy! HAHAHAHA, all 16 pounds of his big Maine Coon self. :)

Well, that's all I have for you today. I hope you liked today's MDS Project and I hope it inspires you to try your hand at something new. If you have questions or comments about today's card, I hope you'll take a moment to leave me a message below. I read all of them and they really do make my day! If you'd like to +1 or Pin today's project, I've added the buttons to my blog for your convenience. Friends and Followers are always welcome too! :)

Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy day to stop by my little corner of the world. You are very appreciated! Till next time-

Remember- Life is often more about the storms than the peace they seek to overwhelm. It's not about Waiting for the storms to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain.

Be Safe,
Shan

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Postage Due / End of the Week Technique #48 / Telescoping Card

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Hey y'all. Happy Friday! I know I'm posting a little late today and I'm sorry about that. You know how you take a day off and you think you're going to do a few things and get some rest and then you're so busy you're more tired and more behind than if you'd been at work. Yeah, it was that kind of day. But it was still a good day so it's hard to complain. For those of you that follow me regularly (of course I wish that was all of you) I went to see the orthopedist about my painful arches yesterday. It's severe Plantar Fascitis. There was some question about whether or not there might even be some tears. However since my insurance deductible is so high I wasn't willing to do any imaging at the present time. We're trying one more round of oral steroids and I'm in a walking boot for the next 3-4 weeks. Yes I said boot, and it's not even a cute riding boot or over-the-knee kind. Augh! The worst part is I need them for both feet. I've got to see if I can find the old one from when I fractured my ankle and then I can really look cool! Until then, I'm using it mostly on the one that hurts the most and can alternate feet as tolerated. :(

I made today's card earlier this week for a friend of mine. (Hey Bren!) She's a reservist in the Army and had was going to go remote to Washington state for 6 months. Booooooo! So we were having dinner on Tuesday night, so we could spend a little time together before that happened. She is just getting started with stamping and I love seeing her joy when she tries a new technique or when she sees something she likes and gets excited about maybe making something like that. So, I made her this card as a going away card. Wanna know something Amazing. She's not getting called up for 6 months it's being extended to 9 months! I know you're probably thinking I'm a little weirder than usual for thinking that's Amazing. The Amazing part is that she's not going to Washington, she's been reassigned here. That's right! She's not leaving. Woo-Hoo!!!! *HappyDance* Know what that means? We get to spend more time together stamping! :) My going away card turned into a staying here card. Dinner, Good News & she Loved her card...it was a really good evening!

Here's today's card-

Card featuring
Telescoping Technique & Postage Due Stamp Set

I was so excited to finally get to use this stamp set. It's just so pretty and was one of my favorites right from the start. I love the look of collaged cards but have no faith in my ability to produce them. Sad, but true. This set already has the collage done for me so I knew I couldn't go wrong. I used my Stampin Write Markers to color directly on the stamp to get all the pretty colors. So Saffron was used as a base because yellow is my friend's favorite color. I decided to try the Telescoping Technique because it gives such a cool effect. Here's a closer look at the focal point-

This is actually a fairly easy technique and it's one I will try again. I do think though, that when I do it next I will choose a background that isn't so specific like a smaller all-over background, maybe a floral. Here's why I say that. You know I'm just a little OCD right? Right, who doesn't by now. :) Well, because it's difficult to make sure that your framelets are in the "exact"same position on both images it's hard to ensure that multiple separate images will line up precisely even. I know most people would never notice this but the framelets aren't even spaced all around. The top one is situated a little to the top and the one beneath that is situated a little to the bottom. I had to do that to try and get all of the images to line up and still the postage stamp is not lined up just right with the bottom one. Did you notice any of that? Most likely not, but I did and it 's something I'm going to have to work on to see if I can figure out a way to make it a little more precise. I know I shouldn't be so picky, trust me it's not fun sometimes. The good news is my friend liked it and didn't notice and to be honest, if someone had given me this card, it wouldn't bother me at all, it only bothers me with my own. *SMH*

I sponged the edges of the card base and all the layers with a little Crumb Cake Classic Ink to soften it up and because it just felt like it needed to look a little older and loved, maybe like something someone found in an old trunk. The sentiment is from Petite Pairs one of my favorite sentiment sets. It's stamped in Soft Suede.

Here's a look at the inside-

I kept it pretty simple here. Ok, except for the flower. :) I carried the theme through from the front and stamped the rest of the sentiment in Soft Suede and then sponged the edges in Crumb Cake. But you know how I love my pretty insides. In order to make sure that no "ghosting" occurred when I stamped my flower I masked the heck out of the rest of the stamp prior to stamping it. It's colored in with my So Saffron Stampin Write Marker and stamped full strength. I let Tink have a little fun and it's just so striking when you see it in person.

Sometimes I hate that glitter doesn't always show up in pictures. I just outlined the flower and then skimmed my Two-Way Pen over different sections of it to get this effect.

Because I was giving this card away I went ahead and stamped the outside of the envelope too. I would really like to start doing this more often. I guess I need to just suck it up and buy more envelopes, huh?

Card and Matching Envelope featuring
Postage Due Stamp Set

For this week's Technique, here's what you'll need-

Card stock and Stamp set of your choice, Inks, a cutting system (I used the Labels Framelets and my Big Shot), Dimensional Foam (I used Stampin Dimensionals).

Here's what you do- I've embedded a video for you below. You can search for others as well.

1- Choose your image and stamp it twice. You can ink it by using one color and a pad or by inking it up with markers like I did to get all the different colors. In case you're wondering, the bike is Early Espresso, the postage mark Not Quite Navy, the #3 Wild Wasabi, the flower So Saffron and the Script is Crumb Cake.

2- Once you have your image stamped twice decide which framelet you're going to use. I used the Labels Framelets. You will also need to decide how many layers you want. I have seen it with 4 like mine and also with 3. It's absolutely up to you. Don't you love having the creative freedom to change one small thing and make something totally yours? Think of all the different design possibilities just by changing the framelets you use and/or the number of layers. WOW!!!!

3- Place your framelets where you would like them on your design. I found it easier to go ahead and place all 4 framelets. This allowed me to make sure my spacing on each image was equal and then I could take out the two I wouldn't be using. I used the 2nd to the largest framelet and the 3 next smaller ones.

4- Take out alternating framelets. Use a sticky note to hold your framelets in place and then run it through your Embossing/Cutting Machine. I used my Big Shot. This will give you a larger cut surface to work with-

5- Repeat this with your second stamped image. Now you have 4 different layers. Apply Dimensional Foam to the back of each piece and layer them onto each other until you have all of the layers adhered to one another.
6- Attach this to your card base or layer, whichever you may be using. Embellish as desired. If I were to make this particular card again, I think I would add a ribbon layer, maybe a soft seam binding under the focal point. It's really up to you how simple or elaborate you choose to make your card.

7- Smile when you look at your finished creation and smile even bigger when you think of the joy it will bring it's recipient. Love that Part!!!

Here's a video from SplitCoast Stampers that's pretty good about showing the steps for this technique-

So what do you think about this technique? I'm looking forward to trying it again maybe with a different set too. I hope you liked today's card and technique and that it inspires you to try something new today. If you make something using this technique, I'd love to see what you come up with! If you liked today's card/technique or have questions about it, I hope you'll take just a moment to leave me a message below. I read them all and they really do make my day! If you'd like to +1 or Pin today's card, I've put the buttons on my blog for your convenience. Friends and Followers are always welcome too! :)

That's all I have for you this week. My daughter's wedding is tomorrow so it's sure to be another busy day. Unfortunately, I don't thing my new boot will go well with my dress so I will likely not be wearing it for most of the day, but will be sure to come home and put my feet up as soon as possible. I'll be back on Monday with more to show you. I hope you have an Amazing weekend full of lots of time for Family, Friends, and of course Creativity!

Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy day to stop by my little corner of the world. You are very appreciated! Till next time-

Remember- Life is often more about the storms than the peace they seek to overwhelm. It's not about Waiting for the storms to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain.

Be Safe,
Shan

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Believe You Are Wonderful Card and Tag / 2 Challenges in 1 / My Challenge #39

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Hey y'all. Happy Thursday! I hope you're having a great week so far. I have the day off but it'll be busy none-the-less. I'm going to see some of my most favorite people ever. True Heroes. Then I have to go see the orthopedist to see if we can get my feet feeling better. For those of you that don't know I started running almost 4 months ago and was doing really good, running 2 hours/day, 5 days/week (in non-running shoes) & doing pretty good. Then I switched to expensive "running" shoes and messed my arches up. Yep, arches, as in both of them. They have been painful for a month now and just walking is uncomfortable. Even a round of oral steroids has not fixed it. I'm expecting steroid shots in both arches and right now they hurt so bad the thought of the shots is the lesser evil of the two. :(

Know what makes me smile? When a card comes together like you visualized (or at least pretty close). Know what else? Getting my card for the Nacho Average Challenge done early, even though it's a dreaded "color challenge". Top that off with being able to combine it with another challenge makes it even better. Here's what I came up with-

Encouragement Card featuring
Snowflake Soiree Stamp Set, Northern Flurries Embossing Folder,
Delicate Designs Embossing Folder &
Large Scallop Edgelet

I was able to use this for Nacho Average Challenge's Color Challenge #12-

I was actually pretty excited about this color combo. It didn't totally terrify me, always a good thing! I don't usually look at the DT's cards before I do my own, because I don't want to be influenced by them. For some reason I did this time and I'm really glad I did, because Tammy loves her some snowflakes and had posted a card very similar to what I had in mind. I wonder if she would be offended if I were to say "Great minds & all that?" Have you seen her cards? Fab-u-lous! I would love to have someone think my cards were on her level. :) So anyways, I knew I had to change my game-plan just a little and went in search for a new sketch to use.

Lucky for me I have Try Stamping on Tuesday on my RSS feed and this was just waiting for me. It's been a while since I was able to play with them so it's nice to get to join up with them again. :) Here's their great sketch-

I'm pretty excited with what I came up with, how bout you? The only thing I'm missing is the 3 brads at the bottom of the tag. I do however have 3 pearls on my card. Do you think the fine D.T. over at TST will think that's sufficient? I sure hope so. :)

I decided to make the tag a functional part of the card and I think it still looks pretty good even once the tag's been removed-

I started with a base of Crumb Cake cardstock. Such a nice color, I'm not sure why I don't use it more. I ran my Island Indigo layer through the Big Shot with my Northern Flurries Embossing folder and then lightly sponged the raised embossed areas with my Whisper White Craft Classic Ink and a sponge dauber. Initially I tried coloring a Whisper White piece of c/s by inking up the E.F. with the Island Indigo ink and then embossing it. It came out ok, but it just wasn't even coverage everywhere and well, you know how I am so I had to formulate a new plan. I'm really happy with how Plan B turned out. My Lucky Limeade layer was run through the Big Shot with my Delicate Designs Embossing Folder and then used my Large Scallop Edgelet to cut it out. A little L.L. sponging helped define the embossed areas a little more. This layer was adhered with Dimensionals so the tag could be removed a little easier. I needed something to keep the tag from falling off the card so I added a pearl to my bottom snowflake as a stop. Since I didn't want it to be lonely I added a few more, cuz I'm just nice like that. :)

Here's a picture of the tag with the card-

I used my Two-Tags Die and cut the bookmark out of some scrap Very Vanilla c/s. The smallest snowflake in the Snowflake Soiree set was stamped in Crumb Cake and Lucky Limeade. The sentiment was stamped in Island Indigo. Don't you just love that font? So pretty! A little sponging in L.L. and I.I. and some I.I. Bakers twine finishes the tag. I did  stamp the snowflakes on both sides so it's pretty either way.

Here's the inside-

The sentiment is from Fabulous Phrases and I thought it went really well with the sentiment I used on the front. I went a little crazy with the snowflakes on the inside, but I couldn't help myself. There's still plenty of room for a hand-written note so I wasn't too worried. You know what I didn't add? Not a bit of glitter. I know you're reading that twice to see if you read that right. You did. Not a bit of glitz or glimmer on this card. And guess what, I still think it's pretty. :) I don't have enough cards that I could give to a guy, so I left it off this one. However, I think this is one I'll make multiples of for an upcoming craft show and some of those will have a little shimmer.

Well, that's all I have for you today. What do you think? I hope you like it and I hope those fabulous ladies over at NAC and TST like it too. I love hearing what you think, so if you liked today's card or have questions about it I hope you'll take a moment to leave me a message below. I read them all and they really do make my day! If you'd like to +1 or Pin today's card, I've put the buttons on here for your convenience. Friends and Followers are always welcome too! :)

Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy day to stop by my little corner of the world. You are very appreciated! I hope you'll stop back by tomorrow for this week's End of the Week Technique. I think you're going to like it. Till next time-

Remember- Life is often more about the storms than the peace they seek to overwhelm. It's not about Waiting for the storms to pass, but Learning to Dance in the Rain.

Be Safe,

Shan

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Halloween Double Pocket Treat Holder and The Great Pumpkin Blog Hop Week #8

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Hey y'all. Happy Humpday! I hope you're having a great week so far. It's a beautiful day in the DMV. The storms have gone, leaving us a beautiful (if a little chilly) sunny day. Even better, I got some Great news last night. My friend Brenda was going to have to go to Washington State, all the way across country for 6 months next month. That trip has been cancelled and she'll now be able to stay here. How Amazing is that!?! *Happy Dance* I found out last night at dinner. I even made her a fabulous going away card, that I'm showing you tomorrow. How happy were we both that it turned into a staying here card? :) Ahhh, the answer to that question would be "So Very!"

Here's today's project-

Double Pocket Treat Holder featuring
Howlstooth and Scaringbone DSP and Spooky Bingo Bits

I made this quick and easy project for Week 8 of The Great Pumpkin Blog Hop. Make sure you scroll all the way to the end of this post. I'll have all the entries showing at the bottom and you can access them all from there. Super Easy.

I love when you can take something quick and easy and use it for any occasion. This is just the right size, as you can see for a little pack of chocolaty love, but it will hold any small relatively flat packs of treats as well.

I've seen lots of these out there in bloglandia, most of them being made with 8x8 piece of DSP. While there's nothing wrong with that size, especially if you want to give something a little larger, like single Reese's cups, that means you can only get one per sheet of DSP. Not so bad if you only want to make one, but if you're looking to make multiples for yourself, a class or say a craft fair, that can get to be a little much. I made mine 6x6 which means that you can get 4 per sheet, making it much more economical. I did see one tutorial for the 6x6 size but it required a diagonal plate for your Simply Scored Tool. I designed mine so you can use your regular SST or if you just can't wait for yours to arrive you could do it with a paper-cutter and score blade or bone folder and ruler. However, I'll be more than happy to order you a SST to make your life a little easier. :) I made a template for mine, but it really wasn't blog worthy so look back here next week for a tutorial on how to make this in a jiffy.

I used my super cute Howlstooth and Scaringbone paper to make this little treat holder. I stamped a couple of images from my Spooky Bingo Bits Stamp Set on a scrap of Very Vanilla cardstock and used my Decorative Label punch to cut it out. This is adhered with 2 Dimensionals. I let Tink have a little fun, because....well why not?

One of the best things about this, besides being economical and having candy is the second pocket in the back. Sure you could use it for more noms, but I decided to do something else-

Look, just the right size for a little note. I added a scrap of ribbon to mine, but it would be just as cute without.

Here's everything your lucky recipient would get. What a "Sweet" (hahahaha) little gift. How cute is the Orange M&M sneaking around in the background and the Red one looking for him. What fun!

Here's a side view to show you how the whole thing stands up on it's own-

Don'tcha just want to make a whole bunch of these for friends and co-workers. How nice would it be to find one of these on your desk or tucked into a jacket, briefcase or even a lunchbox? So nice. :)

Well, that's all I have for you today. I hope you like it and I hope it inspires you to make a little something for someone special, or maybe even someone not so special...scrooges aren't just around at the holidays. I hope you'll come back tomorrow for this week's End of the Week Technique and next week for the Tutorial on how to make this fun-size treat holder. If you liked today's project or have questions, I hope you'll take just a moment to leave me a comment below. I read them all and they really do make my day. If you'd like to +1 or Pin today's project, I've put those buttons on my blog for your convenience. Friends and Followers are always welcome too! :)

Don't forget to check out all the Amazing Cards & Projects on The Great Pumpkin Blog Hop just below my name. You just click on the pictures and you'll be taken directly to their blog. Better yet, why not make something and play along with us. Need even more incentive, Terry over at Goin' Over The Edge is hosting this little blog hop and at the end of week 13 is giving away a Free $50 SU gift certificate. WOW! Thanks Terry!

Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy day to stop by my little corner of the world. You are very appreciated! Till next time-

Remember- Life is often more about the storms than the peace they seek to overwhelm. It's not about Waiting for the storms to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain.

Be Safe,
Shan

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"Pear-fectly Preserved"

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Hey y'all. Happy Tuesday. It's a rainy, gloomy day here in the DMV. We are expecting strong winds and rain throughout the day including "Tornado Watches". Oh joy!

*Tangent Alert* Do you have a home security system? I know you're thinking "Where are you going with this Shan?" They really are a nice addition to your home and not that expensive any more. Well, when I built my house I had it wired for a security system and had an extra control pad put in my Master Suite. It seemed the smart thing to do, dontcha think? (Oh, and don't forget about the wireless connectivity just in case your burglars are tech-y and cut your phone lines. Yep, got that too!) Why do most homes only have one control pad near the entry way? If something happens "in the night" I want to be able to disable it or send notifications to the company without having to go downstairs to meet my intruder/s in the entry way in my unmentionables. :) HA! No, seriously, unmentionables. Ugh! I should do it just to show them that's what they get. Me, like that with a 45 Sig in my hand. Double Ha! But I digress...the panel in my room has weather updates (yeah, I'm a total techie) and my control panel not only has the weekly weather on a separate screen, but the daily forecast on the main screen. Know what it said this morning? Rain 100%. Great! And I straightened my hair last night because I'm having dinner with a friend. AUGH!!! It is so an Eeyore kind of day. Why, Yes, I did just throw in a Pooh Bear reference. :) Oh Bother....All this to say, I hope it's warm and sunny wherever you may be and that no one gets to see any really bad weather today. Ok, back on track now. :)

Do you can any of your own food? No, this is not another tangent. My grandmother used to do a little canning but I can't really say that I've done any since I was a little girl. I just use my handy dandy Food-Saver and stock up that way. So when SU came out with the new Perfectly Preserved Stamp Set and Cannery Framelets, I thought that was one set I would be able to resist getting. And then I saw all the really cute ideas with it and thought to myself, "I'm a strong, independent woman. I have will-power. I don't need everything in the catalog. I'm only getting those things that I really love."

Because, you know, if you say these things often enough you can make yourself believe them, right? 

So, I kept seeing all the cute things made with this set and I kept up my Mantra and I was weakening but hanging in there until my friend April made her mummy in a jar. (He's soooo Stinking Cute!!!) That was the tipping point. I had to have this set, and broke down and got it. It really is a cute set though and these are all the rage in the paper-crafting world, so who knows...maybe it will get carried over to the main catalog and not end in January. Until then though I'll have fun with it.

I actually made this card about 2 weeks ago, but am just now getting to post it. I hope you like it as much as I do.

Any Occasion Card featuring
Perfectly Preserved Stamp Set, Cannery Framelets and
Orchard Harvest DSP

Isn't it cute? Look at me mixing and matching DSP's! :) I wasn't too sure about this DSP when I saw it in the catalog but it's one of those that when you get it in your hands it really pops. I took my color scheme from the cross-stitched piece of DSP and made a base of Raspberry Ripple. I added a neutral layer of Very Vanilla that I ran through my Big Shot with the Fancy Fan E.F. and then lightly sponged all over to really show the embossing and to "age" the paper a bit. My DSP is matted with Raspberry Ripple and Lucky Limeade.

I stamped my pears, stems, jar and jar topper and then used my cannery Framelets to cut them out. Love, love, love those framelets and matching stamp sets. They just make creating so much easier. Even better is getting them at a 15% discount when you get them as a bundle. I used Dimensionals to raise up a few of the pears and the jar topper and my card front was done. :)

Here's the inside-

Inside of Card featuring
Perfectly Preserved Stamp Set, Cannery Framelets and Orchard Harvest DSP

I kept it pretty simple here...of course that doesn't mean lacking in cuteness. The sentiment is from the Perfectly Preserved Stamp set. I inked it up with my Soft Suede Stampin Write Marker so it wouldn't have the banner outline. A strip of DSP and a tasty little sugared pear complete my card. And because my little sugared pear is just so yummy, I took a closer pic for you-

Don't cha just want to sink your teeth into it? Darn, now I'm hungry for pears!

That's all I have for you today. I hope you liked it and I hope it inspires you to play around with a set or paper you don't often use or even try a new one, maybe one you thought you wouldn't like. I look at this now and think "Why didn't I want it?" Lol! Thankfully, there are a few sets from the new catalog I didn't get but, boy is it a small number. Watcha gonna do? :D

I love hearing from you so if you liked today's card or have questions about it I hope you'll take a moment to leave me a comment in the space below. I read all of them and they really do make my day! If you'd like to +1 or Pin today's card, I've put those buttons on my blog for your convenience. Friends and Followers are always welcome too! :)

Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy day to stop by my little corner of the world. You are very appreciated! Till next time-

Remember- Life is often more about the storms than the peace they seek to overwhelm. It's not about Waiting for the storms to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain.

Be Safe,
Shan

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MDS Monday- DMB & Hershey Park, One Sweet Night / A Two Page Layout For You

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Hey y'all. Happy Monday! I hope you had a great weekend. Mine was very busy. Saturday was pretty much consumed with finishing up my daughter's wedding invites, which they both loved. Yesterday I got to spend a couple of hours with my best guy friend Jason and one of his classmates watching football. The place we went to had a wall of t.v.'s 2 high in the bar where we sat, so we got to see just about all the games that were playing. Only one of the teams I like won yesterday. O.K. two if you count the team that defeated the Redskins. :) I was able to get some extra creating done last night though, while I caught up on my DVR and did laundry. I finished up the 2-page scrapbook layout for my DMB trip to Hershey 2 years ago that I got started on Friday. Yeah, I'm behind but now that I'm getting used to MDS2 I'm so excited about all the things I get to document digitally. You may be thinking "2 days on one layout?" Well, I didn't get to just sit down and do it, I did it in-between other stuff and wait till you see all the extras on it.

I know I've mentioned before that I don't know why I can't just be a little more simple with my cards as well as my MDS projects. Well, this project is definitely not in the simple category. I finished the pages, but I'm just putting the layout with all the extras here. My sis says I should keep our exploits adventures for just us. Lol!!! I think you're still going to enjoy the pages though. Here they are-

I'm not sure how to get these to look like a 2-page layout on here, sorry. :( Just imagine they're right next to each other, kay? Kay! :)

Here's a bigger picture so you can see all the details I know you're already seeing in the smaller one.

Hershey's Scrapbook page 

Why yes, that is a "Hershey Bar" used as the title. I used a square punch that I made into a rectangle and filled with Basic Grey color. I then layered another rectangle of Early Espresso on top of that and used Basic Grey for the lettering. I used a free font called Hurshey's for the words. How cute is that!?! And how about the little Reese's Pieces and M&M's I made and scattered all over the page? See what I mean about not being simple, and always having to do more? However, I have to say the extra time involved in making all the chocolate was soooo worth it and I think they make the pages. The two white squares are mats for pictures.

Here's page two-

This started out as one of the photo layouts included in MDS/MDS2. I added the layer of color on the bottom to coordinate with the one on the first page. It's Poppy Parade at 90% opacity. The colored squares go with the M&M's and are mats for more photos. I added more candy pieces to this page. It helps carry the theme from the first page, but it also makes it able to stand on it's own and still convey the Hershey feeling. I really like that these pages are great together but can stand alone equally well.

*Tip*- Adding page layers like, the Poppy Parade ones at the bottom of each page and the large square on page one, are a great way to change up photo templates or just add more character to ones you create. However, if you're like me and like to lighten the color up a little with the opacity slide, you might get discouraged by the underlying base color/pattern showing through, thereby limiting your color options. To keep this from happening I simply copy and paste an additional layer (usually a punched layer) when I first decide on the shape and size I want my layer to be. Once you have the additional layer, color it white. Once you have this white layer in-between your base color and your layer color you can adjust the opacity to whatever degree you would like without the base showing through.

Also, play around with your layer function. I love how just by changing the layers I was able to make the candies look like they were on top of, or underneath other pieces. The drop shadow feature is another favorite and it makes all the layers look so dimensional. These pages simply wouldn't be the same without those 2 features.

Well, that's all I have for you today. I hope you liked them and I hope they inspire you to play around with digital scrapbooking, have some fun and get caught up preserving your memories. I love hearing from you so if you liked today's project or have comments or questions about it, I hope you'll take just a moment to leave me a message in the comments section below. I read all of them and they really do make my day! If you'd like to +1 or Pin today's project, I've put those buttons on my blog for your convenience. Friends and Followers are always welcome too! :)

Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy day to stop by my little corner of the world. You are very appreciated! I hope you'll come back soon to see all the new things I have for you. Till next time-

Remember- Life is often more about the storms than the peace they seek to overwhelm. It's not about Waiting for the storms to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain.

Be Safe,
Shan

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