Framed: Sketchabilities 115

Once again, Sketchabilities has provided a wonderful inspiration. This was my second outing using Close to My Heart products, this time the "Free to be Me" promotional pack on special limited offer last month. The photos are from a NewYear's Eve/New Year's party just past and as soon I saw the sketch, I knew they were the photos to use.

Here's the sketch.

And here's my take on it:

Some details

Supplies List

Papers: Bazzill white, selection of papers from CTMH "Free to be Me" promotional pack.

Stamps and Inks: CTMH True Life, Distressed Backgrounds and Balloon Talk, SU French Foliage (for the rain splatter effect), SU Pool Party and Tim Holtz Distress Ink Barn Door.

Dies and Punches: SU square framelits, Provocraft Olivia alphabet, office hole punch.

Other: Dimensionals, JAC paper.

A Clean and Simple Card

I am really pleased with this card and have made it in a couple of colours but I like the blue best and I've experimented with various ways of adding a sentiment. The cirlce and scallped circle combination has ended up being my favourite.

I embossed the flowers onto vellum and coloured them in from behind to give a soft colour. The circle embossing folder I got as a free gift from the SU special occasions catalogue and I've used it for lots of things already as it's such a versatile design. The leaf sizzlit was the very first thing I ever bought from Stampin' Up and it's more than paid for itself - I even begin to wonder if it is possible for such things to wear out.

What I like best about this card is the simple harmony and sense of balance.

This is for the Paper Players Challenge, 17 May 2014
http://thepaperplayers.blogspot.co.nz/

Grandma's Close to my Heart

I recently discovered that there was a Close to My Heart agent living in the area and this is the first thing I've used the items for. This is one of the few existing photos of both of my children's grandmothers in the same place. Not quite sure of the year, but it is most probably 1987. I like the vintage feel of these papers and because of the ornate nature of the base paper, I've kept the layout quite simple.

Supplies list

CTMH Skylark paper pack and Skylark assortment, True to Life stamp set, Distress background stamp, SU Scallop top tag punch, Tim Holtz distress ink Vintage photo, Provocraft Red Tag Sale dies, Martha Stewart lace edge punch, Lagoon Zip Edge ribbon.

Card Making

School holidays equals crafting time, so I've been doing quite a lot of scrapbooking and have made a pile of cards. I've been trying to come up with a great 21st birthday card for the daughter of a good friend. It's evolved:

The final version

Dr Who Symphonic Spectacular

Sci-fi geekiness is hereditary. My enjoyment of Dr Who has passed on to two of my children, including my son. It was with great pleasure that I went to Wellington earlier in the year to attend the opening event of the Wellington Arts Festival: the Dr Who Symphonic Spectacular. This concert toured the world for the 50th anniversary of the show and my son's choir was invited to sing in it. So, musician meets Dr Who meets proud mum. Centre photo: the artist's backstage pass and importantly - my ticket, which got me to within two metres of a cyberman, a Venetian vampire and the Silence.

New for this layout was the Spellbinders Sprightly Sprocket set, purchased with a Christmas gift voucher. Everything else was in the stash.

Equipment list
Papers: Bazzill black, Kaisercraft Timeless collection. The clock and concert motif were fussy cut from a page. The light coloured sprockets were cut from scraps. The background musical page is from the 12x12 pad. Bronze metallic paper, possibly Bazzill, for the sprockets.
Dies, Inks, Stamps: Tim Holtz distress black, various Rosie's alphabet stamps, Spellbinders Sprightly Sprockets
Other: gesso, Kaisercraft Art of Life collectible, peel-off mini-alphabets, Tattered Angels glimmer-mist Bronze, SU square lattice embossing folder.

Sketchablities 113

In this page, I was aiming for a whimsical, relaxed, summery feeling that went with the day the photos were taken and I think I have achieved this.

I'm also very pleased with the butterfly embellishments. I made them by embossing the butterfly stamp onto vellum, punching the shape out then colouring on the back side to the butterfly to give it a soft colour.

Here is the current sketch:

And here is my take on it.

Some details:

Supplies List
Paper: Bazzill white, scraps of Heidi Swapp Dreamy, paper doily, vellum scraps
Stamps, Punches, Inks and Dies: Nellies Doily die set, Martha Stewart lace edge, SU Petite banner punch, SU scallop top tag punch, SU Butterfly punch (large and small), SU Papillon Potpourri stamps, SU Banner Blast stamps, SU Pool Party ink, Heidi Swapp colour shine Teal and Pink, pink and blue marker pens
Other: white embossing powder, Heidi Swapp embellishment and teal alphabet stickers, Kaisercraft Miss Match polaroid frames, DMC embroidery floss.

Easter Egg Treasure Chests

These lovely little treasure chests are just the right size to hold two creme eggs and a mini-egg and were very easy to make, if you have an envelope punch board. 

They are adapted from the Stampin Up UK Double Easter Egg Envelope Punch Box Tutorial from Pootles Papercraft.  Click here for link to blog