Easter Blessings!

Easter Blessings!

I used Stazon ink and pearlescent water colors to color this cute little bunny sitting in the pansies.  Visit Practical Scrappers to find more Easter inspiration.

No Rectangles Allowed!

Think "OUTSIDE" the Rectangle

 

 The Challenge: Shaped Cards

The Details

1. a hinged door that opens

2. embossed brick texture

3. black kitty in the window

4. washi tape bunting flags

5. flower brads in the grass

Mission Accomplished!

FYI- I didn't have a kitty small enough to sit in a window of my house so I stamped a cat on black shrink plastic. He shrunk to just the right size to sit on the ledge.

Visit Practical Scrappers today to see how others went beyond the safety of the rectangular card base.

Trendwatch: Ombre

If you are unfamiliar with the term Ombre, according to scrapbooking legend Shimelle,  "Ombre is essentially a fade – it’s often a monochromatic look with one colour starting as a saturated hue and fading out to pale or white." 

I selected numerous green patterned paper scraps in varying shades to create my subtle ombre effect.  I scattered hexagons diagonally across the page arranging them in order from lightest to darkest.  Take a peek over at Practical Scrappers to find more ways to create the subtle ombre effect on your next project.

Tip: If you don't mind getting a bit messy, use mist, ink, or paint 

to create the faded and blended effect on paper.

Baker's Twine

I used baker's twine to help guide the eye around this layout by simply draping it among the flowers and adding the occasional loop, knot, or bow. To bring attention to the central photo I placed vellum over the two side photos to mute the colors while still being able to see the image. This is a great trick to use if you have that less then perfect photo because the vellum can serve to camouflage any imperfections.

                                    For more inspiration, stop by Practical Scrappers.

Top Tip: Don't forget to tie simple knots at the end of the twine for the finishing touch.

Be Bold, Go Gold!

For me, gold is usually just an accent color that I use sparingly but for my card I challenged myself to use way more gold than I would usually be comfortable with. I started with a gold card base to give a massive impact. I continued the wow factor by using gold glitter covered mini leaves (ahhhh, I love those after xmas clearance bins) and a gold birthday message. I made the flower by stamping on organza fabric and stitching numerous layers together. The gold mini gems and fancy beaded gold stick pins were the perfect finishing touch. Remember, don't be afraid to be bold, go gold. Visit the girls over at Practical Scrappers and catch Gold Fever!

 Be Bold, Go GOLD!

Brads, Eyelets & More, Oh My!

After stamping & embossing the bird onto transparency, I then attached it to the card base with three brads cleverly disguised as flower centers. Most crafters have a surplus of brads and eyelets sitting unused in little plastic containers. Take a look over at Practical Scrappers to see the many clever uses for these little metal cuties.

Top Tip: 

If you don't have the right color brad for your project, color them with permanent pen or embossing powder.

Celebrate Love

As Valentine's Day is approaching, I thought this engagement photo was the perfect one to choose to celebrate the day of love. I used a brick background stamp, a bit of splattering, and added some washi tape folded into zig zag strips. I was thrilled with the rick rack frame encircling the focus photo. The final addition of a tiny photo inside a bottle cap frame finished off the layout beautifully. For me, this will probably be one of my all time favorite layouts. If you need more love inspired projects, stop by Practical Scrappers to see some Valentine's cuties and share the love.

Love & Crafting,

Karen XO

Chalkboards are Everywhere!

It seems as another trend has swept the land. The "Chalkboard look" is everywhere. I chose to mimic the chalkboard look by using Core'dinations paper. If you are unfamiliar with this paper, the core color is different from the top layer so when the paper is torn or sanded, the core color is revealed to make a striking contrast. My paper was black on one side and lilac inside. To achieve my chalkboard like stars, I placed a chipboard star under the page and carefully used a nail file to sand away the top black layer. The result is a soft outline of the star with a chalk-like effect. Finally, I added a few extra scratches and smudges to give the appearance of chalk dust haze.  Stop by Practical Scrappers today to see what the lovely ladies have been up to. You are sure to find some inspiration.