MERRY MONDAY #131 - Non-Traditional Colors

The Snowhaven Cardmaking Workshop on the Go stamp set has some really fun images – and this is one of my favorite sentiments.  I love paper piecing, and this sentiment worked very well with the technique.  

The layout of the card is the same as in the workshop, but that is where the similarities end.  I was inspired by the Merry Monday challenge to use “non-traditional colors” on a Christmas card.  Now I realize that I used the traditional red and green, but I started with the navy blue patterned paper, which actually came from the “Superhero” paper pack.  What could be further from Christmas?!  

I loved the mix of the navy with the red and green, so I am entering this card in the Merry Monday Challenge.

Here is a list of all the materials I used for this card.  All items are from CTMH.

Stamps:

Snowhaven Cardmaking WOTG stamp set G1085

Papers:

Colonial White and Outdoor Denim cardstock

Superhero Background paper (retired)

Inks:

Outdoor Denim, Cranberry and Topiary

Other:

Topiary Striped Washi Tape 2002

Ruby Chevron Washi Tape Z1933

Red Enamel Hearts Z2009

3-D Foam Tape Z1151

Be sure to check out Merry Monday’sChallenge Blog for more non-traditional colors on Christmas cards. 

Thanks for stopping by to take a look!

NOTE - I was told that this card would be featured on the 613 Avenue Creations facebook page - and I was chosen as the Color Designer of the Day for Monday, October 27!

FULL OF THANKS - Deconstructed Sketch #173

I’ve created a second card using the stamp set from the Pathfinding Cardmaking Workshop on the Go.  I love the phrases in this set – and while it has a fall theme, the cards can be made for any time of year when you need to thank someone.  I used the Deconstructed Sketch #173 for the inspiration.  The paper I chose is from the Scaredy Cat pack – which has a Halloween theme.  But there are so many colors in this particular sheet, it was easy to pull out the thistle (purple) and black to create a whole different feel.  And the purple from the retired Laughing Lola papers coordinated perfectly with it.  

So here’s all of the materials I used for this card.  All items are from CTMH unless indicated.

Stamps:

Pathfinding Cardmaking WOTG stamp set G1083

Papers:

Colonial White, Thistle and Black cardstock

Scaredy Cat Background paper X7185B

Laughing Lola Background paper (retired)

Inks:

Thistle

Other:

Purple Shimmer Trim Z1919

Black Shimmer Trim Z1809

3-D Foam Tape Z1151

Cuttlebug embossing folder

Black gemstones from my stash!

Be sure to check out DeconstructingJen’s blog for more cards made with her sketch. 

Thanks for taking time to visit today!

THANKFUL FOR YOU CARD

I’ve been back in my craft room creating after several weeks of cutting for classes and workshops.  Of course, my starting point is always to check the current challenge blogs, and I wasn’t disappointed in what I found.  I used three different challenges on this card – the first is the sketch from Mojo Monday.   I found that Heart2Heart had a color challenge posted a week ago, and luckily, they are active for the entire month, so I could still participate.  Finally, the Allsorts challenge for this week is to add embossing – so that works with the woodgrain background!

The color challenge was probably the one that stretched me the most – but it is the challenge that I think really made this card special.   I would not have put these colors together, but I LOVE how it turned out.  It’s fall-y, but not necessarily a fall card.  I really like the fact that the stamp set has this great phrase as 3 separate images, making it super easy to have the various colors. 

Since this will be a card we make in my November classes, I wanted to have a special technique used.  The flower is stamped in the goldrush ink first, and then edges are rolled in the cranberry ink.  I love this technique, and think it works best when using colors with a lot of contrast, like the goldrush and cranberry.  I tried it recently with two shades of pink, and it just didn’t work.

I always like to add a little image that relates on the inside of the card – and this stamp set has a smaller version of the large flower – perfect!

So here’s all of the materials I used for this card.  All are from CTMH.

Stamps:

Pathfinding Cardmaking WOTG stamp set G1083 (sentiment and arrow images)

Happy Autumn D1550 (flower and leaves)

Cardstock:

Colonial White, Desert Sand, Goldrush and Cranberry

Inks:

Lagoon, Goldrush, Cranberry and Desert Sand

Other:

Woodgrain Embossing Folder Z1996

3-D Foam Tape Z1151

Thanks for stopping by my blog.  Be sure to check out the blogs for each of these challenges.  You will really get inspired by not only the samples made by the design teams, but by the participants as well.

Mojo Monday Card Sketch Challenge #368

Heart2Heart Close to my HeartChallenge

Allsorts Challenge Blog Week #281

OCTOBER SCRAPBOOK WORKSHOP

We will be using the Pathfinding and Scaredy Cat papers for the layouts at our October scrapbook workshop.

Dates are:

Saturday, October 25

Tuesday, October 28

Cost is $20 and includes all of the supplies to create the basic layouts. 
If you wish to add the chipboard elements, metal assortment, or flip flaps, there will be an extra charge.
Check out more details - including options for changing and personalizing these layouts - on the Scrapbook Workshop page of this blog.

CREATIVE BLOGGER NOMINATION

I am quite honored that I was selected for this creative blogger nomination.  The nomination came from a fellow CTMH consultant that I met last summer as we were preparing for our annual convention.  I was able to meet Alyson Mayo a few weeks later at convention, and we really hit it off.  We continue to e-correspond and follow each other’s creative activities.  You can check out her great work at createwithalyson.blogspot.ca

This nomination has some specific questions that I had to answer.  It made me really think about some things critically.  So here goes!

What am I working on right now? 

I just finished two weeks where I taught 7 classes, so all I did was cut and assemble kits during that time.  Yesterday was my first day of being back in “create” mode, and it was so much fun :)  I finished the first draft of a scrapbook layout that will be a class in a couple of weeks, and I made several cards.  I am in the “thinking” stage of 3 more cards that will be used in classes next month.  Somewhere in the midst of that I want to just create some cards that are fun – for no particular event. 

How does my writing/creating process work?

Most of my creating is geared for my classes.  I have a theme for each month, so that’s the starting point.  Then I decide which techniques or stamps I want to feature, and then think about the materials that go with them.  I go through a list of challenge blogs to see if the sketches, colors, themes, or photos give me an idea – and try to combine as many challenges into one project.  It stretches me to use colors or materials that I normally wouldn’t consider.    I also have to be realistic knowing that I may have to cut enough to make 30 – 40 of the project!  (I wasn’t so realistic about the pop-up box project).  

How long does it take me to create a project? 

If it is a card, it usually takes me several hours once I start working with the paper.  But as I said above, there is a lot of time spent “researching” and “thinking about” what I’m going to do.  Also, that’s just the first rendition of it.  I always let it sit around and look at it, and I almost always find some way to change it.  So the next day I’ll take a second go at it, and sometimes a third.  The card probably takes a minimum of 5 - 6 hours over several days for me to be satisfied with it. 

What are my favorite things to create with at the moment? 

One of the projects I just finished involved cutting all the parts for 50 pop-up box cards on the Cricut.  Now, while I love my Cricut, I’m glad to have my machine sleep for a while.  So right now I’m enjoying playing with punches and dies to create clean and simple (CAS) cards. 

How do I become inspired and stay inspired? 

I have about 40 ladies who take stamping classes from me on a regular basis, and others who join me for scrapbooking and special project workshops.  Everyone shares what they have been doing at the start of each class.   Seeing what they are doing inspires me.  Blog-land is wonderful – there are several specific blogs of paper crafters that I regularly visit, and then pop around checking out the artwork from the various challenge blogs I like.  Of course, Pinterest is wonderful – but sometimes I pin so many ideas that I forget which board they are on when I’m ready to start a new project!  The final project I create is always fun to see – while I have an idea about what it will be when I start, it rarely turns out that way.  I surprise myself sometimes with the end result!  So that makes me want to keep going and start something else right away – but I usually need to make dinner instead.

What is my signature style?

I love to learn new techniques and share them, but dimensional cards – like the boxes or cascading cards or multi-cut folded cards - are what I feel are unique to me.  You can build scenes on these cards and they are more of a decoration than a greeting card – or so my mom says :)

Well – now that you know a little more about me and my way of doing things, it is my privilege to direct you to the blogs of several of those paper crafters who inspire me.    

Gina Brandstetter is a fellow CTMH consultant, and I first saw her work on the CTMH Consultant Bulletin Boards, which then led me to her blog.  Seeing what she was doing while working a full time job was amazing.  She is the starting point whenever I want to follow a blog-hop for our Stamp of the Month or special products.  You can find her at gmbscrapper.blogspot.com

Another CTMH Consultant is Katrina Brown.  I would see her incredible scrapbook layouts on the Heart2Heart Challenge Blog and wonder how she managed all those great layers.  Then I was asked to be a guest on the H2H design team one month, and Katrina and I “blog-chatted” a bit, and she shared some of her secrets with me.  I know you’ll enjoy seeing her work at scrappyhorses.blogspot.com

OCTOBER 2014 STAMP CLUB

October's Stamp Club dates are just around the corner, so thought I'd better get this posted!  We will be making fall and Christmas projects this month.  Everyone will be able to choose one of the pop-up boxes to make, as well as the 5 gift tags.  If you want to purchase the CTMH Holiday Happenings Assortment, you will receive the materials necessary to turn it into a Christmas mini-album.  If not, you can make a second pop-up box.  Cost of the class is $20 and includes the materials for the pop-up boxes and tags, plus the added items for the mini album. 

Dates for Stamp Club are:

Thursday, October 2

Tuesday, October 7

Saturday, October 11

Monday, October 13

Click here to see more details about these projects on the Stamp Club page.
Email me - scrappingailaz@gmail.com - if you are interested in joining the group this month!