Finished up the Paper Issues Crop entries this weekend.  I didn't get to do all of them, but I did get most of them finished that weren't specific calls for scrapping or Project Life.  These are the entries from this weekend:

 

Keep Crafting Real!!

I haven't been blogging like I intended to.  Last weekend, I was very busy with an online crop for Paper Issues and it has been a blast!  I couldn't finish all the challenges and didn't have time to keep photos of progress going but I found that it really recharged my creative levels!  Some of my creations for the challenges:

I had such a great time creating and still have several challenges to go.  I've also been dabbling in sketching and watercoloring.  I will get back to regular posting this weekend.  I might choose some of these projects to give tutorials (and horror stories) on!

Keep crafting real!

The Three Amigos Happy Birthday Dude

Last night, I sat down to make a card with my new Three Amigos stamp and coordinating die set from Mama Elephant.  I have been in love with this stamp set since I saw it showcased and just had to make something with it!  My daughter's boyfriend has a birthday coming up this weekend, so I threw this little diddy together.

I started the other night by stamping 2 sets of these little cuties with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and then coloring them in with my second-hand Spectrum Noir markers. :)  Most everything I have watched recommends Memento ink when coloring with alcohol markers because it dries quickly and doesn't run.

Ignore the top right...I was trying to play around with Calico since one of my cats is a Calico - that's one of those "real people" mistakes.  :)

My supplies were:

Mama Elephant Three Amigos stamp and die (as mentioned before, The large stitched rectangular and straight line border dies from Simon Says Stamp's Bundle of Stitched Shapes.  The fence is by Pretty Pink Posh.

I lined up my Mama Elephant dies with their coordinating stamps and ran them through my Sizzix Big Shot machine.

A little tip, especially if you don't own a magnetic platform for the Sizzix (like me) is to use masking tape to hold your dies so they don't shift during the die-cutting process.  I like to stick the pieces of tape on my hand a couple of times to take some of the stickiness off so they don't tear the paper.

Once all my pieces were cut out, I started putting my background together with some paper from my stash.

It was time to stamp my sentiments on my little amigos.  Using my MISTI tool (this tool is AMAZING, I highly recommend it, search for it on YouTube for tons of videos and reviews - well worth the investment), I was able to line up my amigos, put the stamps where I wanted them to go, close the top cover of the MISTI to pick the stamps up and then ink them up with Studio Calico Color Theory Deja Blue ink (These inks are super affordable if you're looking to start an ink pad collection - I got mine second-hand).  I used two sentiments from the same Three Amigos stamp set and the "dude" stamp came from Freaking Sentiments by Snarky Stamps, designed by my daughter-in-law and available at Paper Issues.

Here's where things started going wrong..."Happy" was smudged and "dude" had some extra ink that blotted around it.  I tried to clean these up by lightly scratching the surface with my cutting tool and using an eraser.  Alas, this only works with watercolor cardstock.  :(

I figured what the hell, and just kept on going.  I lined up all my amigos and then added foam tape to their backs to make them stand up from the page.

In true dummy fashion, I then decided that I would add some Wink of Stella clear glitter to the signs HOPING to cover up the smudges.  DO NOT DO THIS.  LOL  Color Theory ink is not colorfast when it comes to the formula in the Wink of Stella Brush pens.  Shamefully, I figured it was just for my daughter's boyfriend who probably couldn't really care less, so I'm gonna go with it.  I added some sequins from Pretty Pink Posh to give some definition to that HUGE blank top of the card.  I cut out some cloud shapes from some light teal cardstock and my daughter said "EW", so there you go.  HUGE BLANK CARD TOP.  Finishing touch was to add some Glossy Accents to the eyes and noses of my amigos, give them some shine so they pop off the colors.

The finished product:

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Happy Crafting!

So...this is new.  I have been crafting for almost 2 years now, making cards, dabbling here and there in different techniques, tools, disasters.  I watch all of these great card makers, scrapbookers, watercolor painters and think WOW, she's really got it going on!  Their videos inspire me to make their projects. I faithfully buy the products they link to in their videos and I try my best to re-create their masterpieces and I stand back sometimes and go WOW...and other times, I stand back and go wow.  And then start cussing.  See, crafting is supposed to be a stress-reliever, and for the most part, it is.  But when you're first starting out, like me, it can be a royal pain.

So I thought I'd start this blog - for the rest of us.  The ones who don't yet have our craft crap together...and maybe we can learn something as we go along.

I can't promise I will post something every day.  I have a real job and a busy (read this as "lazy") life.  Some days I just want to rush home and pull out my crafts and start making stuff.  And then there are days when the only thing my craft desk sees is whatever I throw on it from the bed so I can lay down and lament.  :)  Don't tell me you don't go there too.

I'll start with a crafty post later tonight!  And no, I won't be starting with videos, first of all, I don't have a good camera, secondly, I don't have good lighting, and a fun fact : I talk like a 9 year old sailor.  So we'll stick to pics for the time being.  If I get some real following, I'll invest.  Then you can really laugh.