Layers and Textures and A Challenge (#7) - Oh My! Cardabilities #49 /My Challenge #7

Pin It
Hey y'all. Happy Thursday. We're on the downswing towards the long holiday weekend and I couldn't be happier. I'm still amazed at how little energy I have just trying to get over this pneumonia! I've been on antibiotics for almost 3 weeks and was sick before that. At least I'm stamping again! I plan on sleeping in all 3 days! How about you?

Well, it's week 7 of the new year and I'm hanging in with my challenge/resolve to myself to do at least one challenge a week. I was catching up on my reader feeds and found one I liked over at Cardabilities. Have you seen their site? You should totally check it out, but after you're finished here. They do a new sketch every two weeks and at the end of the two weeks the  five most viewed links get posted at the top of their site with links to that person's blog. Pretty neat concept!

So, if you've been following me at all, you know I'm usually a pretty literal interpreter of sketches. I often find it hard to stray at all from the sketch. I've documented my frustrations with that aspect of myself here frequently. It's also rare that I just look at a sketch and know exactly what I want to do with it. That happened to me twice yesterday! I couldn't believe it. I usually try to figure out a sketch before I look at the design teams cards so I feel like the card is really mine and not just a CASE of them. The first sketch I saw I knew exactly what I wanted to do, down to the DSP and wouldn't you know after I had it all planned out, I scrolled down and the first card, I kid you not the very first one, was my idea even including some of the same DSP! They had even rotated the sketch, which is something I don't often do , because it strays from that whole literal interpretation thing I was talking about. Well, that sketch was out! I know I should be happy, great minds and all that, but I was not about to submit that card. *Boo-Hiss*

Then I came upon the sketch for Cardabilities #49 and I couldn't believe it. I knew exactly what I wanted to do...what were the chances? I sketched out my idea including colors and a slight interpretive change and scrolled down, surely no-one had done this...... Score! My idea was no-where to be found. Don't you just love it when you look around and no-one is near your idea? Yeah, me too.

I went home and got busy and here's what I came up with-

Here's their sketch-

What do you think? I just want to rub my hands all over it...all the texture. I added the Whisper White layer (It's my first time playing with this design team so I hope they don't mind), and I used my Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder to add the texture. The base is Concord Crush, love this color! It's only around for a little while longer so if it's one of your favorites too, better get it while you can. I also extended the strip of Concord Crush that I used with my Scalloped Border Punch so that it framed the Wisteria Wonder layer. I used my new Adorning Accents Embossing Folder to create the embossed hearts across that layer. I love that you get 3 different embossing folders  and they're just the right size for borders. So cool. Next I used my Fashionable Hearts Embosslet to create the little puzzle frame and the five different textured hearts that are in it. I used Pool Party, Island Indigo (my all-time fav color), Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade and I think it's Pink Pirouette (it was in my combo pack, sorry about that). All the layers on the front are Tombowed except the little heart layer. The individual hearts are Tombowed in so they'll stay and then I popped that whole piece up on dimensionals to make that layer stand out just a little more. It's missing my normal shimmer and the only thing I'm not sure about is whether or not I should have let Tink have her way, maybe with the row of embossed hearts. What do you think?

Here's the inside-

 Ohhhh! Sorry about the blur. It didn't look like that last night on my BB. ): I didn't add a sentiment because I wasn't sure who it would be going to and I wanted to leave my options open. I did however feel the need to try and make the inside pretty too, and added one of the left-over embossed hearts.

Well, that's all I have for today and this weeks challenge. It's off to the accountant tonight to get my taxes done and then home to work on my team swap cards for this weekend. There's been multiple revisions on that one let me just tell you. I'll have it here for you next week. I hope I've inspired you to play along with me  for this week's challenge on this sketch or one of the many others out there. Step out of your comfort zone with me and Just Try.

As always, I would love to hear what you think about today's card. If you liked today's card, I would love it if you left me a comment. It's great when I get to hear from you! Also, if you liked today's card, please feel free to +1 or Pin it. I've added the buttons to my side-bar for your convenience. Friends and Followers are also welcome. :)

Today's Card Recipe-
Cardstock- Concord Crush, Wisteria Wonder, Whisper White, Island Indigo, Lucky Limeade, Calypso Coral, Pool Party
Big Shot- Perfect Polka Dots EF. Adorning Accents Hearts EF, Fashionable Hearts Embosslet
Scalloped Border Punch
Tombow

If you need supplies to help create your own card, you can shop in my Online Store 24/7. Don't forget Sale-A-Bration is still going. With every $50.00 in purchases you get one FREE item from our Sale-A-Bration catalog.

Till next time-

Remember- Life is not about Waiting for the storm to pass, It's about learning to Dance in the rain.

Be Safe,
Shan Pin It

End of the Week Technique # 20 - Memo Pads

Pin It
Hey y'all. Happy Humpday! I hope you're having a great week so far and are looking forward to a fabulous long weekend. My daughter's moving back home from Nashville, so my weekend is sure to be full of getting her settled in, plus we're going to take just a little time out to go see The Vow. How about you? Well, before you get too busy, here's a quick little project for you.

Are you a "List Maker"? I am so a list maker, in fact I like to think it's one of my charming habits that drives my daughter Batty. She's going to love this *snicker* (not!). As a nurse for nearly 23 years (kinda funny since I'm only 29, lol) these lists and notes, more often than not, would end up on my hands.

Funny story- when my daughter was not quite 3, and I worked nights in the ICU, my then husband would send her in to wake me in the evenings for dinner and family time. Often was the time when the notes had not been completely scrubbed off of my hands in that mornings pre-sleep shower. I would wake to my sweet baby shaking me and saying "Mommy we don't write on the walls, or the furniture or on our hands. We use the paper! Mommy!!!!!!" True story... she was soooo cute back then. I have no idea where she gets her sass from!

Now that I have a BlackBerry it keeps my hands clean...well most of the time at least. It currently has 12 ongoing lists that I keep updated. I told you, I'm a list maker. However, not everyone in my household has access to my BlackBerry or my hands as the case may be, so Memo-Pads are a great way to go. They're also  nice for "Honey-Do" lists. But they're not always the nicest looking things to have around. Why don't we make some that we don't mind looking at?

I'm helping my new friend Ashton from Something Swanky (Check her out. Great recipes and weekly link parties.) while she takes over her friends blog so she can enjoy her new baby. How nice is that? What a friend. Anyways, Ashton was looking for some crafty ideas and I thought this one would be Quick and Easy and something you can even involve the kids in.

Now, I don't normally believe in buying stuff just because it's on sale (seriously, who's got the money?) but over the holidays I got a bunch of those magnetic Memo-Pads at Target because they were in the $1 aisle and I knew I could use them for stampcamps or co-worker gifts that sort of thing or if for no other reason than I make a ton of lists and always need something to write on.

Here's my Memo-Pad-

No way Target's selling that for $1! Isn't it cute? It didn't start out that way.

Here's how it started out-

While certainly not bad for $1, not inspiring either. If you were to get a "Honey-Do" list which would you rather get it on? Me? I'm wanting the one with Love You at the bottom. Not to mention mine's definitely cuter.

Want to know what's even nicer? I used scraps of card-stock to give it it's little make-over. Scraps and about 15 minutes and I have something I don't mind putting on my refrigerator. One of things I always ask myself when I make a card or project is "Would I be happy if someone gave this to me?" I have to say if someone gave me the bottom one, not so much. If, however, someone gave me the completed top one I'd be tickled. Add a matching pen and you have a nice little set for a new office worker too.

Here's the Quick and Easy How-To. It's so easy, I didn't even take pictures for you.
1- Take a piece of scrap paper and fold it over the top of the memo-pad, from the front where the sheets tear off to the back where the magnet is (if yours has a magnet). Crease it at the top edges where the spine is (you want to make sure you give yourself enough paper to account for this).

2- Cut a piece of cardstock (construction paper- whatever you have on hand) the same width as your memo-pad and the length that you need to go cover your pad from front to back.

3- Score/crease your cardstock on the lines so you have crisp edges to border the spine of your memo-pad.  If you need to put holes in your new memo-pad cover for ribbon, now would be the time. I simply removed the ribbon and then used a pencil to push the holes through. If you have any old take-out chopsticks these would work great, plus they'll help you push the ribbon back through later.

4- Decorate your new memo-pad cover however you'd like. I actually chose to decorate mine after adhering it so, I could decorate around the ribbon, but it's your project, decorate it however you'd like. I used some embossed and cut out hearts from my Fashionable Hearts Embosslet, but mainly because I was still in a Valentine's kinda mood. I also used my Scalloped Ribbon Border Punch to make a little decorative edge.

5- Apply glue to the spine of your memo-pad and adhere this portion of your cardstock first holding it until it dries. It should only be  minute or so. I used Tombow Multi-Purpose Glue. It's great because you can use it as permanent or temporary glue depending on how you use it. Once that's secure, a little more glue to the underside of both the front and back flaps and you're pretty much set.

6- I took the Love You stamp from my P.S. I Love You set and stamped each page to give my notes a little something extra- also nice in case I forget to write it at the bottom of my memo. You could take any stamp you have and put a little sentiment or image on your pads as well to make them your own.

I hope you liked today's project ( I hope Ashton likes it too!) I hope it inspires you to try something new even if it's as simple as making over a $1 Memo-Pad. Remember the goal of this blog is to Just Try.
As always, if you're inspired to try something, I would love to see what you create.

If you liked today's card, I would love it if you left me a comment. It's great when I get to hear from you! Also, if you liked today's card, please feel free to +1 or Pin it. I've added the buttons to my side-bar for your convenience. Friends and Followers are also welcome. :)

If you need supplies to recreate today's project or to make your own special projects you can visit my Online Store 24-7

Today's Supplies-
Cardstock-Whisper White, Real Red, Pretty in Pink
Ink- Real Red Classic Ink
Stamps- P.S. I Love You
Big Shot, Fashionable Hearts Embosslet, Tombow

I hope to see you back here soon.

Till next time-

Remember- Life is not about Waiting for the storm to pass, It's about learning to Dance in the Rain

Be Safe,
Shan

Pin It