Thursday, October 31, 2013

Sentimental Sundays #178: Happy Birthday - Monochromatic

I can't believe today is Halloween...this year is flying by!

It seems as if I am slowly gaining some creative momentum. Definitely not as quickly as I would like, but getting back into the habit of making stuff is like anything else...you gotta get on the bike and put in some time & effort! So here I am...more often than not a little frustrated, but making magical messy mayhem a card at a time!

This week's challenge at the Sentimental Sundays Challenge Blog is Monochromatic Birthday. (Hurry! This challenge ends Saturday evening!) One of my favorite card challenges. Monochromatic can be CAS or lots of layers - whatever you like best.

I decided it would be Clean and Simple.

Lighting here is so different. Decided it was better to get an ok photo up rather than no photo!

The biggest issue I've had with moving is trying to figure out how to organize my stamps. Most of them are still in the packing boxes, so finding anything is a pain! Lucky for me, these stamps were on top...(of course, maybe because one of them was bought in the last few months! lol)

This photo does not do the card justice! The base is SU! Very Vanilla...so much prettier IRL.
The steps were pretty easy. I wanted to layer stamps instead of papers, so I went through my ink pads and found all my purples/lavenders/purple-ish colors. Apparently, I like these colors! I used a piece of printer paper to practice stamping the layers to make sure one color wouldn't overpower another. I ended up with three.

1. Inked up the 'woodgrain' first using SU! Perfect Plum, stamped off (to get a lighter image) and then stamped on my designer paper.
2. Inked up the flowers using Versamark Watermark ink, then immediately after inked up with SU! Elegant Eggplant and then stamped over the woodgrain. Cover with clear embossing powder and melt.
3. The sentiment is inked in Dusty Concord Distress Ink and clear embossed.
4. Lay out the paper pieces. Adhere the purple strip to the card base. Adhere the stamped designer paper panel using foam.

That's it.

I've already made plans to use this design for sympathy cards. Monochromatic, understated without being dreary, duplicatable in any color scheme. Perfect card for those times when it's hard to know what to say.

Here are a few challenges I'd like to enter this card into:

Inky hugs,
Angi

Supplies
Stamps: Stampin' Up! Serene Silhouettes, Truly Grateful, Afterthoughts (Hostess Set)
Paper: designer paper from my scraps; Stampin' Up! Very Vanilla cardstock, Elegant Eggplant cardstock
Ink: Stampin' Up! Perfect Plum, Elegant Eggplant; Tim Holtz Dusty Concord

Friday, October 25, 2013

Guess who I'm Guest Designing for???




I'm so thrilled to have been asked to guest design with Maria's adorable images! Here's another peek of Lollypie B-day...


I told you. She's adorable!



Visit Lollyrot Illustration to see more Lollyrot projects and, of course, to get your very own cutie-patootie Lollypie!

Have a great weekend!

Inky hugs,
Angi

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Sentimental Sundays #177 - Happy Birthday: Shaped or Easel Card

Hello, Friends!

Enamel Dots, Bling, DIY Pennant

It's the 3rd week of the Sentimental Sundays' Month Long Birthday Celebration!!! I'm happy to say, my studio is finally mostly organized! Still workingo on the stamps... (If you've ever had to move your studio/craft room, you know how difficult it can be to really work on a creative project when you don't know where your tools and bits and pieces are!)

Have you ever taken a creative break? Because of our summer move, settling into the new house & area, the broken pipes in the wall, these last few months have been a necessary hiatus from most things crafty, colorful and inky. Insert sad face...and clean fingers.


Distress Inks, Mists, White Embossed Script
(En Francias is one of my most used Stampin' Up stamps - sorry, I think it's retired...)
So glad that's over! I hope to be able to stay in this house for y.e.a.r.s!

Okay, back to the pretty stuff! Shaped or easel card...couldn't make up my mind, so why not both?! I used the Tim Holtz tag die and cut 3 tags. After some fiddling and scoring (what would I do without my Scor-Pal and ATG?) I had myself a tag-shaped easel card!

Still trying to figure out where the lightbox will go...
It did take longer than usual, more do-overs and a few more pieces of chocolate, but Boy, did it feel good to put ink on paper!

Love seam binding with jute twine!

Silver Frost Creative Inspirations Paint upcycled an old bronze chipboard star

There are great sponsors and you don't want to miss a chance to win crafty goodness just for linking up something you made! Be sure to stop by Sentimental Sundays...can't wait to see what you've created!

Joining these challenges:
Creative Inspirations - Anything Goes
          used Silver Frost on the star
Sparkle & Sprinkle - Anything Goes with Glitter, Embossing Powder or Flocking
          The background script is embossed in white.
Craft-Dee BowZ - Anything Goes include a handmade bow
          Bows made with seam binding and jute twine

See you again soon!

Inky hugs,
Angi

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

WOYWW #29 (227) - Making Progress

Happy Wednesday!

(Dare I say, "It's HUMP DAY!" out loud? Didn't know about the Geico commercial until after a trip through a McDonald's drive thru one morning...my children were happy to educate me with the remix. Lucky me. lol)

Another edition of WOYWW...check it out, so you can play along or just peek at everyone's creative places! There is so much eye candy to be had!

Here are a few pictures of the studio. I've stolen a few moments to do a card or two, but can't wait to get back to creating every day!

Thanks to my favorite guy I've got pegboard, rails and shelves up! Still a mess, but now it's more of an organized mess! Way easier to attempt a project when I have an idea of where the supply/tool is...


The rails + buckets are working great to sort tools & embellishments.


My friend, Donna, inspired the design for my twine 'board'. Thanks!


Command Hooks + *cheap* Dry Erase Board = Color Coordinated Storage | LOVE

Looking forward to being able to share details and more of what's working for me next week. Fingers crossed there might even be a project or two!

Inky hugs,
Angi

Monday, October 7, 2013

Happy Birthday, Calypso!




Calypso is having a birthday today!


We are so excited to share with you a Surprise Birthday Blog Hop!!!
Every stop along the hop has a surprise birthday card or project for Calypso created by members of two Design Teams... 


Calypso keeps all of us so organized. She is such an inspiration to all of us and is always right there with unfailing support, compassion and patience for any of the team members.  
Her talents abound and we adore her!

Please join us in this
(surprise!)
* Birthday Hop for Calypso * 
Be sure to stop by her blog at the end to wish her the Happiest of Birthdays!

Here's my card (making it's way across the country!):


Who doesn't love a birthday celebration...especially when it includes fun people, washi tape, stars, buttons, twine and embossing enamel?!
(not to mention a fabulous blog hop!)

I enjoyed making this card for Calypso and sent it on its way full of hugs, joy and laughter!

Don't want to keep you too long, so head on over to 
Doreen's blog for the next project!

Be sure to comment on the Birthday Hop post on one or both blogs 
One person will be randomly chosen (on October 8th) from all comments collected from both blogs to receive a prize in the mail.  
The prize will be sent to you and we welcome you from
* anywhere in the world! *   

And just in case you get lost, here's the lineup:

Angi of Sentimental Sundays....
Doreen of Sentimental Sundays...
Vicky  of Scribbles Designs...
Jennifer  of Scribbles Designs...
Archana of Sentimental Sundays & Scribbles Designs...
Deanne of Scribbles Designs...
Sharla  of Scribbles Designs...
Julie of Sentimental Sundays...
Karolina of Sentimental Sundays...
Lisa of Scribbles Designs...
Cely of Scribbles Designs...
Sam of Scribbles Designs...
Tracey of Sentimental Sundays...
Nick of Scribbles Designs...
Sandy of Sentimental Sundays & Scribbles Designs...
(Your last stop is CALYPSO, so you can wish her a Happy Birthday!)

Inky hugs,
Angi