Another Scrappy Saturday - A Chocolate Colored Card - Photo Heavy

Let's face it. The last two months of 2014 had us faced with the temptation of calorie laden foods. Then January hit and we were (hopefully) able to get back into the swing of proper eating. And then bam! February hits and every store is laden with more tempting chocolates and candies for a holiday about Love. So when the first week of February ended up being themed chocolate, I had no clue I would be caving and doing a special Food edition of Make it Monday to break the cycle of normal calorie intake! So in an attempt to reign that crazy haired, crazy eyed, Chocolate maniac in, I am going to make a card for Scrappy Saturday.

A chocolate colored card. One without calories. In fact, it burns calories!

The inspiration is the wrapper of a chocolate bar. The sentiment and stamp was chosen to match a Dove chocolate piece that has an inspirational saying inside. (I so love Dove milk chocolate. Yum!)



Materials:
A paper cutter
Scissors
Roller Tape
Scott's Magic Tape (transparent or similar brand)
Acrylic block
Stamp set
Staz-on Brown Ink
Tim Holtz Distress ink in Walnut
A sponge (I use a makeup sponge - super cheap.)
Silver or gold thread
1 card base (white)- 5 1/2 x 4 1/4
Layer 1 (tan) - 5 1/4 x 4
Layer 2 (designer paper) - 5 x 3 3/4
Scrap piece of white paper
Scrap piece of tan paper for stamp mats


Remember: The stamps I use or the paper is relatively easy to change for what you have on hand. Use this as a guide.

Before starting - I cut all my papers and base to have them ready.

1. I started by stamping my sentiment and stamp on white card stock. I always stamp on a larger sheet and cut them out by hand.

2. Using Tim Holtz, Walnut Distress ink, I sponge around the outside edge of both stamped images to create a contrast on the tan background.

3. Adhere (roller tape) the stamped images to the tan background, and hand cut them out.

4. Here they are cut out.

5. Using a piece of Scott's tape, adhere the gold (or silver) thread onto the back of the designer paper.

6. Wrap it around how many ever times you wish. I chose five. Once you like the look, cut the thread and attach with another piece of tape on the back.

7. Using roller tape, attach Layer 2 to Layer 1. Then attach with roller tape to the card base.

8. Using pop dots or foam tape adhere your stamps to the front. I positioned my flower near the center of the card with the sentiment at the bottom. You could easily adhere the flower in the center and use the sentiment inside.

And that is my chocolate inspired card. Who couldn't use a push to enjoy life's moments? We all get lost in life sometimes. Having a push in the right direction is great!

Happy Saturday!

Sarah

Happy Birthday Card

I mentioned in my previous PB cup post today that it is my hubby's birthday. In my crafting last week, I managed to covertly make him a birthday card to go with his surprise peanut butter cups made by my roommate and myself. I don't know about you, but I have a hard time figuring out "manly" cards. It is not like my husband is picky, but the paper I usually buy is not the right color scheme for men. I do have some fishing paper and such, but I have YET to see my husband with a fishing pole. I would be more likely to pick one up than him. LOL!

Recently, I purchased two new paper packs. One of them was a 6x6 pack and the other was a 4x7 pack. In the 6x6 pack, I found a blue streaked paper that seemed like a good choice to use. It is on the darker side, which meant I could use black as a mat and a ribbon (yep...ribbon for a man). What I added as an afterthought seems weird in hindsight, but...I did make the card with love.

I am not going to provide any dimensions or instructions on this card. I am just sharing something I made. It may provide some inspiration for that man in your life.

Here it is:

What I love about this is I chose to put the ribbon at an angle. It creates a unique look. Whether he likes it or not, I made it with my heart and lots of love.

Sarah

Throwback Thursday - Pigment Ink Art

When I first got into card making, I bought a die cut machine and made shapes with a little bit of stamping. As time progressed, I began finding that I preferred stamping to the die-cut. What that led to was the use of pigment inks to create the "tie-dye" affect. I found it fun to create this type of background layer for cards. Here's some cards I have made using this technique:

If you are wondering how to do this, you need pigment ink and some type of dauber. I bought similar daubers and ink to those pictured below.

 I prefer to use card stock for my projects, but many others use photo paper to get a more blended effect. If you are interested, please look at youtube to see some of the wonderful artists who use these types of techniques. You would be amazed! I know that I was.

Throwback Thursday - My First Card Making Adventure.

My card crafting interest was peaked when I first ran across a card maker on Youtube. That card maker was Robin from MyPinkStamper. Her attitude toward card making was engaging for me. So I began watching all of her videos. One of the most paramount products she uses to make cards was the Cricut. When I began becoming serious about trying card making, I purchased a new Cricut on Ebay for a lower price. It was fun to mess with, but my first projects were.....Well, they left a lot to be desired. Here's a quick view of one of my first projects.

What I learned through the first weeks of my card making adventures was that I absolutely loved stamping and designing cards. The Cricut.....not so much. The mat would stop sticking. The machine wouldn't cut all the way through the card stock on 6. It was just horrible. So, my adventures left me with a love of stamping and of making cards.

Do you remember your first adventure in a new craft?

Sarah