PS Sparks Challenge - Typography

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The Challenge: Trend Watch: Typography

My Entry - Uses four Paper Smooches Stamps

In the morning light - which I love!

Here is my entry for this week's Paper Smooches challenge.  This time Typography.  I love love love subway art!  For this card I white embossed three different PS sentiment stamps to create one longer sentiment. 

Card Recipe:
Paper Smooches Stamps:   Word Up('for you' and 'just because'); Sentiment Sampler ('you're special); Falling for You (heart).
Card Stock: American Crafts
Patterned Paper - My Minds Eye
Chipboard Star - Pink Paisley
Versamark embossing ink
Ranger Sea Foam embossing Powder

Once again, thank-you for looking and visiting!!!

Read all About It! Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge and Blog Candy

Today, on this beautiful and action packed Labor Day, I was able to sneak in a card for this week's Simon Says Stamp And Show Challenge which is 'Read all About it'. And, in honor of Stamptember, their month long celebration, I used a couple of stamps from the Hero Arts/Studio Calico set 'I Love Books'.


But, before you look at my entry, you HAVE TO go to the challenge and read about the Blog Hop and GREAT giveaways to be had, as well as the GRAND PRIZE for entering the challenge!!!!   SWOON!  So many great things happening this month with Stamptember.  Lots of artists, new stamps, techniques.  I was sure regretting having to say goodbye to summer, but now?  Bliss!


OK, here is my card:

Card Recipe:
Layers:  Cardstock (Kraft card base from Archivers), altered text patterned paper (Simple Stories 'Summer Fresh' line),  Yellow dotted patterned paper (MME - Lost & Found Two), and.. a bookplate that I have been hoarding for many years (Antioch Publishing).
What I did to the text pp:  1. Stamped with the 'every book is an adventure stamp' in Ranger embossing ink, and embossed with clear embossing powder.  Applied Heat. 2. Applied Ranger Distress Vintage Photo ink with an applicator across the surface, then rubbed ink off embossed text with baby wipe.  Applied Distress Black Soot to the edges. 
What I added to the bookplate:  Stamped 'I Love Books' on the panel with Stazon Jet Black ink. 
Embellishments: Orange twine, black button, and yellow thread.  All from my stash of goods.

I love this theme!  I am an avid reader and snatched the Hero Arts/Studio Calico 'I Love Books' set the moment it came out.  The bookplates also tugged at my heart with the promise of adventure, the sweet boy escaping in a tree and the moon in the background (I have a thing for the full moon)! 

Speaking of which:  Would you like to have one of these bookplates sent to you for your own project?  Just leave me a comment on this post, and five lucky people will get one (along with some other goodies) in their mail!   I will do a drawing a week from today, on September 10th.

Thanks for visiting! 

Hooked on Hexagons - Moxie Fab Challenge

I know.. right?

Two cards posted in one day?  I love days like today:)

As most of you crafty peeps know, hexagons are a HUGE trend right now. And, there just so happens to be a challenge going on at The Moxie Fab World   - the Hooked on Hexagons Challenge.

Here is my card:

Never Give Up (shadows show dimension of popped up hexagons)

Never Give Up

I popped up some hexagons from the My Mind's Eye Patterned Paper that I used as my base up with foam dots to add more dimension to the tag and 'embed' it into the card, or anchor it - whichever is the right term, I like the result.  Hope you do, too!

The challenge ends tomorrow night, at midnight, EST (that would be 9:00 pm, for people in my time zone)!

So what are you waiting for?  There is still time to play! 

Supplies:
 Patterned Papers, chipboard elements, brad:  My Minds Eye
Card Stock:  Stampin' Up
Ink:  Ranger Distress Ink
Twine & Button:  Unknown (found in one of my Scraptastic Kits)

'Thanks' Card - (MME and Hero Arts)

My Minds Eye meets Hero Arts meets Paper Piercing!  - 'Funky Sun Shot' - I like the banner shadow!

Same Card - Different Light Source

Hello blog friends!

Before I share the card....

I have returned! 

The kids and I escaped for a week during their spring break.  I say 'Spring Break', but, as Mother Nature (one tough mama) would have it, it was more of a 'Winter Break'. 

We had a big adventure:  We drove 1,613.4 miles, and spent a total of 28.46 hours in the car (12 hours the first day, 9 hours another, etc.)  to make our trip - 3 of those hours were sitting in snow storms!  (True figures - my car was programmed to track these things!).  We drove through snowstorms and rainstorms to visit some of my closest friends - people I grew up with.  People I got into a whole bunch of trouble made life long pacts with - during my teen years!  Anyway, one of us turned 50 - so there was a HUGE party, and then we traveled some more to stay with my BFF for a few days. This all went down in CA.  The place I love and still call home.. sniff. 

Anyway, the card above, is for the hostess of the party.  She is the girlfriend of the birthday boy, and she generously offered her home when four of us started planning this adventure.  However, with the rain, 70 mph winds, and flooding conditions, we did a good job of going in and out of her lovely home, and some of the kids (older ones at that!) weren't very good at cleaning their shoes off!

I thought a card was the least I could do to thank her for putting up with all of us! And besides, I want to be  to be welcomed back again! 

Card Deets:

Patterned Papers:  My Minds Eye, Fine and Dandy Collection (LOVE it!)
Stamps:  Hero Arts (CL497 Find Joy (sentiment), CL484 Whimsical House (house, bird))
Ink:  Stazon Timber Brown, Jet Black
Fancy Gadgets/Tools:  EK Success Big Scallop Border Punch, Stampin' Up 3/4" circle punch

Thanks for visiting!

My Mind's Eye - Challenge #17 - Sketch & 'Lessons Learned' Theme

The challenge this month at the My Mind's Eye blog is to follow a sketch, and use the theme 'lessons learned'.

Sketch for Challenge 17 My Mind's Eye Blog

View One - Showing you some of the gorgeous MME elements I used

View 2:  More Elements and a peek at my hidden journaling

View 3 - My accordion style hidden journaling

My Interpretation of the Sketch

Products Used:  MME: Lost and Found Union Square designer papers, 'moments' buttons, 'favorite' brads, 'Beautiful Day' Trims - twine, and die cut accessories.  I also used Cosmo Cricket tiny type letters.  And, my journaling was written in word, printed out on regular paper, and distressed with Ranger Distress ink and adhered to one of the Union Square designer papers. 

 

To see the challenge and other entries, go here:  My Mind's Eye Blog . I just have to say, I really enjoy this blog!  Such great 'life' stories are being shared through scrapbooking.  And that is what it's all about!  

Here is my hidden journaling:

 

Dorothy had it right.  There’s no place like home.  I found that out when I ‘went home’ after 20 something years to help celebrate the life of one of our own. A bittersweet reunion, you might say.

This group of friends, ‘Our Gang’, as we call ourselves, has known each other for decades.  We tore up the town when we were in High School and in our early 20’s.  We caused a lot of mischief and ironically we would be appalled if our children ever walked in our footsteps!  Gradually we went our own ways – college, other towns, other States, other lives, and new families.  And here we are, 25 years later. Still the same.  Still caring for one another.  Still there for each other.  And still, family. 

What lessons have I learned?  I learned that my heart can still skip a beat when I am in the same room with some of ‘our boys’.  I found out that my BFF, will always be my BFF, and through all the curve balls we have been thrown, we will always love each other.  I found out, that I can be myself, in my own skin, and love it, and this group just accepts me for who I am.  And, I found out, that no matter what happens in my own personal life, no matter how far removed from ‘our home’, this group of special friends, will always be there to celebrate life, as we each choose to live it.    Andi.  November 18, 2010. 

*************************

 

Getting personal - more on the layout story... Last month one of our friends passed away from pancreatic cancer.  We all knew she was ill, and had planned a get-together to celebrate with her, the last weekend of October.  She wanted to celebrate in Half Moon Bay, CA, which is 'over the hill' from where we all grew up in San Carlos, CA.  We planned this for about a month, and that very week, on Wednesday, our good friend Judy passed away.  Those of us that could, still stuck with the plan to celebrate.  And, I am so glad we did.  It was a very emotional weekend - most of my friends are avid SF Giants Fans, and the world series was going on as well!   I flew down from Oregon, and another one of our friends flew in from Washington.  And, I landed in Sacramento and stayed with and carpooled with my BFF Erin whom I have known since I was my daughter's age!  12!!!!   We were maids of honor for each other's weddings. 

 

Anyway, this last month has been very emotional for me.  I got to catch up with great friends, see my BFF and say goodbye to one of our own.  You know, we miss so many opportunities to just be with the people we grew up with - the people that really know us - because of our own individual lives. And you know what?  Life is short.  Take those opportunities.  You will be so glad you did!

  

Thanks for visiting... 

Hybrid Layout - Cathy Z. Template meets My Minds Eye Lost & Found

Step 1:  I created a digi layout using Cathy Z's 'The Monthy' Album Set - Available at Designer Digitals

Step 2:  I printed the digi layout, then created a 12x12 with the MME Lost & Found "Boy" Collection

Oh friends....
I am in crafty heaven!!!!  Between three different tutorials, and some wee hour video watching (3:30am this morning!)  I think I have finally gotten this whole digi hybrid thing - well, at least using templates! 

Confession:  I have tried digiscrapping several times.  I have purchased three different online classes, all very good, and from very talented instructors, but the LIGHT BULB just wasn't turning on!  And, I have purchased some lovely kits, only to get frustrated when my computer would not do what I was telling it to do (actually, it was doing exactly what I told it to do, but I was of course, doing the wrong wrong wrong things over and over.. Mainly, when using the templates and trying to get my photos into different layers and CLIP them!)  

Here are the links that helped me, which are all free, and are all on blogs that I subscribe to, that finally master clipping, and get to the layout you see above:
1.  This  past week's featured theme on Write.Click.Scrapbook was hybrid scrapbooking.  Francine Clouden has several great tutorials on creating a hybrid page using layered templates! And, she had some links to two other great tutorials...
2.  Here is the one from Cathy Zielske, which also includes a free template. I watched her video over and over.  THEN, the light-bulb finally went on!  I got it!!!!! 
3.  And, the icing on the cake... Ali Edwards has an awesome 40 minute long tutorial that takes you step by step through all things layered in templates!!! LOVE that one!


And, here are the products that I used:
1.  8 1/2 x 11 Monthly Layered Templates kit by Cathy Zielske, via Designer Digitals
2.  My Mind's Eye Lost and Found Kit:  Portobello Road.  Patterned Papers, button, twine, bicycle stamp, and sticker embellishment.  LOVE LOVE LOVE this kit!  Thank you MME!!!!! (I won the entire Lost and Found collection one fine day, when stalking their blog!) 
3.  Ink:  Stampin' Up Going Gray.  See that little bicycle down near the September title?  The color matches this collection perfectly!!!!!!! 
4.  HP Premium Plus Photo Paper:  Soft Gloss.  11.5 mil.  The weight is very important!  I was upset when I first opened it because the paper is 'thin'. But for this type of work - layering onto other papers, I LOVE IT!!! 


Journaling Reads:  24! That is how many miles you rode your bike for the school bike-a-thon for the Newport Trip!  The route was 5 miles.  I thought '5' would be it!  YOU raised $200 dollars!  WAY TO GO JAKE!

 ***************

Background story about my layout:  My son was in a bike-a-thon for school one fine day in September.  I found out on a Monday, or Tuesday, that he was expected to ride his bike (on one of my market days), to raise money for his class trip to Newport, Oregon (in May of 2011) that Friday.  I was having a lovely conversation with his 6th grade teacher about him not being prepared, and that I had to drive 60 miles for work that day, etc.  First, I was a bit peeved about the lack of communication from the teacher.  And, that we had to get pledges (it's always a 'we' thing) for the ride, and this was just poor timing.  Anyway, we 'manned' up.  The course was 5 miles.  I got all the pledges within 24 hours (thank you family and friends!).  My son rode 24 miles!  This is a boy that does not ride his bike - hardly ever (on a ranch, nearest paved road is a highway and I do NOT allow the kids to ride w/o me).  I was so proud of him!!!  He did it, he was exhausted afterward, and he raised $200!!!!! 

Thank you for visiting!  And THANK YOU so much to the blogs that helped me finally 'get it'!