Moroccan Spice Blog Hop

Welcome, hoppers! This month we are featuring Club Scrap's November 2015 collection Moroccan Spice, and what a great collection it is! When I received my shipment, I couldn't stop saying, "Wow, wow, wow!" as I discovered all the papers, stamps, fibers, and embellishments in my pizza box. The designers at CS really did a fabulous job when they put together this one!

If you are hopping along, you got here from Annette's blog. To get back to the beginning where you will find a list of all the bloggers participating this month, hop on over to the Club Scrap blog. 

 Time got away from me this month, as my husband and I took a 10-day trip to Australia and New Zealand to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. (Hoping to get pictures developed and onto scrapbook pages soon!) While we were gone, my husband lost a friend in a car accident, and his wife has been on my heart lately. She came to mind as I was looking through the kit elements for inspiration for this hop project, and I decided to make a sympathy card to send to her.

 I love ink sprays, and Tattered Angels' Glimmer Mists are a favorite in my art studio. For this project, I used butternut squash, moss, and bronze. (I have high aspirations to own every single color, but I digress.)

 I placed the Moroccan Spice filigree masking stencil on the front of an ivory card and sprayed with the three inks. 

 

  

While the card front was drying, I stamped the large background stamp from the Art Nouveau stamp sheet with Club Scrap's Earth, Moss, and Topaz hybrid inks, extending the stamp a bit so it was long enough for the width of the card. I decided that this stamped strip would wrap over the top of the card, so I scored the piece to make folding easier. 

 From the Borders & Backgrounds stamp sheet, I chose the medallion and stamped it once with Topaz ink and again with Moss. I cut out the center of the Moss image to create a layer.

 I just love the sequin and brads that were included in the Moroccan Spice embellishment pack. I layered a clear sequin onto three teardrop sequins and attached to the Moss medallion with a brad. The Topaz and Moss medallions were added to a square of Moroccan Spice Green with the foam adhesive circles that Club Scrap recently started carrying in their store. I love how these circles add just enough depth--so many brands of foam adhesive are too thick for my taste, especially for multiple layers.

And that is my project. I hope you enjoyed this stop on the hop. Our next hopper is Jill. Click HERE to check out what she has created with the Moroccan Spice collection.

Until next time, hoppers!

Big Top Blog Hop

Welcome to Club Scrap's October 2015 blog hop featuring their latest kit, Big Top! If you are hopping along, you should have gotten here from Annette's blog. To get back to the beginning where you'll find links to all the blogs in this month's hop, visit the Club Scrap blog.

I've been waiting and waiting (and waiting!) for a kit with a circus theme, and the designers at CS did not disappoint! The artwork, colors, and embellishments are fun and exciting--great for creating pages, cards, and projects with joyful themes. I can see this kit being used for birthday parties, county fairs, zoos, and of course, circuses.

A traveling circus comes to a park about 10 minutes from our home every September. We haven't gone in a couple years, but my youngest daughter and I were excited to go this year and invited my middle daughter and her fiance. Our cell phones were working hard taking pictures of tigers, elephants, and pooches (oh my!). As I have fallen behind in my scrapbooking big time, the theme of this kit got me moving to have the pictures printed and complete some pages! (Maybe I'll be motivated to get some more photos developed and onto some scrapbook pages.)

My project for this hop uses the instructions Club Scrap develops for creating scrapbook pages using elements of the kit. I hope you are familiar with this process called "Assembly Line Scrapbooking" (ALSB). Club Scrap has hundreds of such documents which you can access HERE--you'll be amazed at the variety of cutting instructions and layouts that are created--I know I am!

The first two pages of the ALSB instructions for the Big Top Deluxe kit.

I decided to do something a bit different with the instructions for the Big Top Deluxe kit. Rather than making six different pages to document our circus adventure, I chose the first two pages (labeled Layout 1 & 2) and repeated the layouts twice but with different papers. Take a look at the three two-page spreads below. They all follow the cutting instructions and placement of elements shown on the instructions above.

Papers and layout the same as the instructions.

Different papers, pages have been swapped, and the left page is a mirror image of the original.

Same as the original, just different papers.

I specifically chose layout 1 & 2 because of the three 3.5x3.5 squares on the right side of the original. I knew I had a lot of photos of the same subject, and I wanted to showcase those photos in groupings. My completed pages:

All elements used on these pages are from the Big Top Deluxe kit except the blue grosgrain ribbon (Peacock collection, October 2012). 

I hope you enjoyed this stop along the Big Top blog hop. The next stop is Marya's blog, A Notebook Novel. Let's hop on over and see how this collection inspired her creativity. 

Until next time,

Lisa

 

Woven Strands Blog Hop

Welcome to the final stop on Club Scrap's August 2015 blog hop! If hopping along, you got here from Anne Marie's blog. To start at the beginning and see the list of all the blogs in this month's hop, check out the Club Scrap blog.

This month we are featuring the Woven Strands collection. You can check it out here. 

I've been away from blogging for a few months (and papercrafting, too, for that matter), but I have rediscovered my mojo and hope that it sticks around for a while. I find I'm much happier when I'm productively creating, don't you? 

The next few months are going to be quite busy for me. We have our daughter's wedding in October (and all the busyness that surrounds such events) plus my wonderful husband and I will celebrate 30 years of marriage in November. We just might be taking a trip abroad! I'm determined to send out Christmas cards this year, so I'm trying to get a head start before things kind of get crazy. I decided to use Woven Strands to try out an idea to make some simple layered cards with a bit of texture.

The papers are from Woven Strands, and the Merry Christmas stamp is from the Silent Night collection (2010). Here are the elements I used to create this card and two others (see final pic to see all three cards).

Cuttlebug embossing folder called Christmas Wreath

Impression Obsession die (could also use a circle die and hand-cut an ornament top)

Woven Strands collection stamps

Spellbinders circle die

(Excuse the glare on the blue ornament!)

Materials
Woven Strands cardstock--white, dark green, burgundy, blue
adhesive, fiber

Supplies
Embossing folder
Circle dies (optional ornament die) 
Unmounted stamps: Silent Night, Woven Strands collection 
Club Scrap inks--sapphire, fuchsia, leaf, white

Hope you like my Christmas creations with Woven Strands. I plan to make some more and stock up for mailing in December. 

Well, that does it, hoppers! To revisit any of the blogs, go to the Club Scrap blog for the master list, and join us next month when we feature the September collection, Transformations.

Until next time!

Lisa Kay

For Sale: Silent Night stamps

Over-sized sheet of unmounted stamps in new condition

Use to make a variety of Christmas and winter paper crafts.

Example card made with Silent Night stamps

$12* + $5 shipping**

 U.S. shipping only. PayPal only.

*This is a large price reduction!

**Ask me about other unmounted stamps available--

all new, uncut, and at great prices! 

Up to five sheets shipped for $5.

Include your e-mail address in your comment below.

The Blues Blog Hop

Welcome, hoppers! This month we are featuring Club Scrap's May 2015 kit, The Blues. If you got here from Annette's blog, Digital Musings, you are at the final blog of the hop. To return to the beginning and see the list of all the bloggers this month, go to the Club Scrap Blog. 

This month, I have a simple home decor project made with a 6x6 canvas and items from The Blues collection.This project only took about an hour to make. I think the longest part was trying to find some music-related stickers in my sticker stash!

This has several layers of paper and some textural elements. My favorite layer is a trio of circle collage stamps from the Collection unmounted sheet. It's stamped three times on the beautiful smooth white paper--perfect for stamping!

The focal point of the piece is from a sheet of cutaparts in the Embellishment pack. Cutaparts are wonderful pieces of artwork--they really enhance the collection! I enjoy dressing them up a bit; this time I distressed the edges and added some music note stickers from my stash to add a couple more textures.

The collection contains several sets of silver charms--music notes, guitars, and treble clefs. Attached with a brad, the charm adds another tactile element.

I wrapped the edges of the canvas with the light blue ribbon from the Embellishment pack and added a bow of navy blue satin ribbon to the top. Additional textures. :-)

Thanks for stopping by my blog. I hope you enjoyed my project and found some inspiration from all the wonderful and creative projects shared this month. Again, to return to the beginning of the hop, click HERE for the Club Scrap blog.

Until next time,

Lisa Kay

50's Kitchen Blog Hop

Welcome to the March 2015 Club Scrap blog hop! This month I'm humbled to be associated with a very talented group of paper artists as we feature the collection called 50's Kitchen. 

If you arrived here from Hetty's blog, you are on the right track. If you want to get back to the beginning of this month's hop, go to Club Scrap--you'll find the complete list of blogs so you can hop right along!

This month's kit is a fun, colorful collection of papers and designs reminiscent of kitchen styles of the middle of the 20th century. The element that grabbed my attention is the cherry motif--I'm drawn to the natural red and green colors, and cherries are one of my favorite fruits! So, since I received my kit at the beginning of the month, I've been trying to think of a project I could make featuring the cherry stamps found on the Art Nouveau stamp sheet. 

50's Kitchen Art Nouveau stamp sheet and project ideas

And, this, blog readers, is the card I created. I believe I got the original idea from a Technique Junkies newsletter several years ago. Not sure if I created mine the same way, but below are the steps I followed to create the grid pattern. (For a list of supplies, see the end of this post.)

Start with a 3 5/8 x 4 7/8 piece of tan cardstock.

Stamp the cherries randomly on the cardstock.

Find the center of the panel; mark a 1" grid on the scrap paper.

Use a pencil to create a grid on the panel, 
skipping the stamped images.

The stamped panel with grid pattern in pencil. 
See how the stamped images look like they 
are on top of the grid?

To add another element, use Post-It notes to mask a square
and a sponge applicator to add a light layer of ink.

Only ink a few squares--just to add interest.

Finally, trace the pencil lines with a black fine-tip pen. 
(I also edged the panel with black ink to set off the design 
before layering onto the red panel and card base.)

Here again is the completed card. I hope you try this technique. I don't think I would have ever thought to put aqua with red and green, but I like the look!

The next stop on the hop is Ann at Crzymom's Tidbits. Her creative mind is sure to inspire you! 

One more thing:
The last time I participated in Club Scrap's blog hop (January 2015), I showed how I organize my collection of unmounted stamps. This time, I'd like to tell you how I use a common office organizing tool in my craft room. Without scrolling down, can you guess how I use this file organizer? Hint: I don't put paper in it!

   
Could you guess? 

I use the file organizer to hold cutting mats, scoring boards, and paper punch boards. For me, it's better than stacking them horizontally, and it can sit on my work table or even on the floor beside my chair (when the table is too cluttered--as it usually is!) where I can easily reach for the one I want. Hope you like this craft room organization idea!

Continue the hop by clicking HERE to go to Ann's blog. 

Until next time,

Lisa Kay

Supplies for the Cherry Grid Card

From the 50's Kitchen collection:
5 1/2 x 8 1/2 Aqua Cardstock (folded to 5 1/2 x 4 1/4)
3 7/8 x 5 1/8 Red Cardstock 
3 5/8 x 4 7/8 Tan Cardstock
Art Nouveau stamp sheet

Additional Club Scrap supplies:
Hybrid Ink Pads: Ruby, Moss, Lagoon
Ink Applicator

Other tools:
Paper Trimmer
Scoring Board (I used Scor-Pal) 
Acrylic Mounting Blocks 
Scrap Paper (to cover work surface)
6-inch Clear Ruler
Post-It Notes
Pencil
Black Fine-tipped Pen

Constellations Blog Hop

Prelude: Can you believe the first month of 2015 is nearly over?! I guess I've been having a LOT of fun, because time has really been flying lately!

I'm so happy to be part of Club Scrap's blog hop featuring the January 2015 collection, Constellations. To start from the beginning, click HERE for the Club Scrap blog. There you can find a list of all the bloggers showcasing their Constellations creations this month. If you are following the hopping order and you just came from Hetty's blog, Craft Chaos, you are in the right spot!

As it is the day before the hop, my Constellations creations are simple. I've been needing to make some birthday cards, and the "Make a wish" UM stamp from the Art Nouveau sheet really caught my eye. At first, I was going to look through my collection stash of stamps for one featuring candles, but then I got a song stuck in my head. Can you guess what it was? It's from Walt Disney's Pinocchio, and it's called "When You Wish Upon a Star." Are you familiar with it? If not, here's a LINK to the song sung by Jiminy Cricket. There! Now you've got the song stuck in your head, too! (You have to get something from reading this blog!) 

Anyway, I opted to use stars instead of candles for my cards. Here they are.

This card (we'll call it Card #1) uses a base and panels from the set of 3.5x5" cards in the Constellations Greetings to Go pack.

 

This card (let's go with Card #2 for this one) uses the same base card, but I cut a Burgundy panel from the Constellations half pound of paper pack. (If you can get one of those packs included with your kit, do it! Those smaller papers really enable you to reserve your 8.5x11 and 12x12 papers for pages and larger projects.)

For Card #1, I used Spellbinders A2 Curved Matting Basics A dies--the two smallest dies.

After lining up the panels, I placed the larger die on the top panel and taped it in place. (Tip: Instead of using tape right off the roll, stick a piece to your jeans or sweater to get some lint on it--really helps when removing it from your paper!) I ran the White panel through the diecut machine.

Once the window was cut in the top panel, I lined up the smaller die on the bottom panel. Placed a piece of linty tape again, and ran the Black panel through the machine.

My "Make a wish" greeting was stamped on the card base--I used the window in the Black panel to line it up. I sprinkled black glittery embossing powder on the greeting, heat set it, and added a star brad.

I didn't snap pics of this part, but on the White panel, I stamped a couple lines of stars in random areas, sprinkled with silver embossing powder, and heat set. Both the Collection UM Rubber and the Art Nouveau UM Rubber in the Constellations collection have the tiny star stamps (I opted not to cut mine apart, then I laid the long stamps side-by-side on the acrylic block.)

As I mentioned, I used the same type of base for Card #2, but with a Burgundy panel. Instead of die cutting a window, I used the White die cut from Card #1 for the greeting (same stamp with the black glittery embossing powder). The star stamp is from an OWH stamp set by Hero Arts. (Silver ribbon is included in the Greetings to Go pack.)

Here's Card #2 again. I love how the ribbon makes it look like a gift and how the metallic silver is repeated in the stars. Makes me smile!

This year, I'd like to add some information about my craft room and how I organize my large amount of supplies. I have to admit, it's really too big to call it a craft "room." In our last house, I crafted in a room that was about the size of a small walk-in closet. When we built this house (the first, and hopefully last house, we've ever built), I knew I wanted a large, expansive place to get creative. I call it a craft "studio," as it is quite large!

So, this month, I'll share how I organize my Club Scrap unmounted stamps. (I do have some other companies' stamps, but they haven't been organized quite yet--at least not photo and blog-worthy organization.)

My stamps are kept in binders on a counter. On the left, I have holidays and occasions, so I only have to pull out one binder if I'm working on baby or Valentine cards. I made tags out of metal tags inked with alcohol inks. I then made labels that tell me either the holiday/occasion included in the binder or the months/years inside.

The other supplies I use are Club Scrap's Mount-It adhesive, Tim Holtz scissors (mine have black duct tape on them because a puppy got hold of them a few years ago), basic sheet protectors, and white card stock.

After putting adhesive on them, I store my stamps on the outside of the page protector with the plain white card stock inside for a bit of stiffness (but not much bulk). I use the index sheets included with the stamps to print out TWO pages (at 100%). I use one under the stamps--really helps me to know if I've forgotten to put a stamp away--and another on the left side so I can read the text.

Since Club Scrap has reduced the number of sheets of stamps with each collection, I'm able to put the largest one by itself on one page, and then after that I have the Borders & Backgrounds sheet and the Art Nouveau and Greetings sheets below. Just two "pages" per collection in my binder. I'm now able to fit an entire year of stamps into a 4" binder.

(As a bonus pic, here's one collection's 4-sheet UM stamps with Mount-It on it (I use my finger to spread it out--I feel there is less waste than using a paint or foam brush). This set is ready to cut out and place on the page protectors with the copied index sheets inside. 

Hope you enjoyed my Constellations' "Make a wish" cards and the little tour of my UM collection. If you leave a comment below (and I read them all!), let me know what area of my studio you'd like me to feature next month. I promise to get it all cleaned up and organized before snapping photos!

The next stop on the Constellations blog hop is Ann's blog Crzymom's Tidbits. Can't wait to see what Ann has in store for us!

Until next time, hoppers!

Lisa Kay