Time for a new CHALLENGE at Playing in Paradise!

Hi everyone,

Pam is hosting today's challenge at Playing in Paradise.  She would like to know ... Spring or Easter - What does it mean to you?  Your entry can be a layout, a card, an altered project, anything you like ... so have fun with this challenge!

I have always loved Easter. It is SO welcome after our long, cold winters!  I think my most favorite part is all the baskets of beautiful flowers that start to appear and put a smile on your face.  Today as I was grocery shopping, the shelves were full of tulips and azaleas and hyacinths and violets and lilies and all sorts of greenery ... it was WONDERFUL!!

So when I found this basket tutorial on Pinterest, I just HAD to make it.  :)  I used G45's Botanical Tea patterned papers, stickers, flowers and chipboard tags to create this.

This is a good sized basket and could be filled with a LOT of treats.  Even a small pot of flowers could be tucked inside!  The handle can be switched for a lid.  Or you could leave the handle off and use it for a flower pot.  Lots of possibilities!

For those of us who STILL use Imperial measurements, (even though Canada's gone to the Metric systems for MANY years now LOL),  here is what I used:

12x12 inch piece of card stock to cut out body of basket. (Each section is 4" square.)

My lace strips for the side were 1-1/4" wide by 4-1/4" long (My advice for these strips is to make a sample with the punch that you are planning to use, and try it out first because your widths might be different from mine.)

The squares for the inside of the box are 3-3/4 inches.

The handle is the same width as the lace strips, 1-1/4", and is 12" long.  

I used Scor Tape while assembling the basket, because it is strong gripping and I know my basket won't fall apart now. 

The tutorial has a lot of photos and detailed instructions and I found this basket very easy to make. 

Be sure to check out the post at Playing in Paradise and see what my team mates have to say about Spring and Easter.  Their projects are sure to WOW you!!

And THEN... think about giving the challenge a try yourself!  It's very easy to do, all the directions are right there, and we would LOVE to see what Spring and/or Easter mean to you!!

Have a wonderful time preparing for SPRING!

Linda

Come join us for a new challenge at Playing in Paradise!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

We have a new challenge up at Playing in Paradise and I'm the lucky host this month!  

Since it's Valentine's Day, I just had to do a layout of the newest love in my life, my little grandson Greyson.  My heart fills with love every time I look at him, so he's a fitting subject!

The inspiration for this layout came from the Marion Smith Nirvana paper line.  When I saw all those sweet little hearts, I knew this was my starting point.  I also used a sketch from Flying Unicorn that I loved.  

After punching the edges, I used some glitter snow and a butterfly stencil up in the right corner.   I put it on quite thickly as you can see, and I love the chunky, translucent, sparkly effect I ended up with.  

The paper butterfly was cut with a Memory Box die called Vivienne Butterfly.  It is so pretty and delicate.  The thing I love most about that die is it also cuts a body with antennas - that's something I always have trouble with when I'm making butterflies.

For the title, I used a piece of Dusty Attic chipboard and painted it with Croco Crackling Color in white.  I LOVE that stuff.  It dried very quickly and has awesome deep cracks.  The alphabet letters are a product from Close to my Heart.

This little piece below the photo was die cut with another Memory Box die called Cherish Border.  So pretty.  Scrapbooker's Paradise has a lot of lovely Memory Box dies in the store right now.

Supplies used are:

Nirvana paper collection from Marion Smith

Bo Bunny doily

Prima white flowers

Kaisercraft chocolate pearl flourishes

Kaisercraft wood clock

Dusty Attic chipboard

Prima heart and angel

Prima wood flowers

Prima butterfly stencil

Tim Holtz crinkle ribbon

Cheery Lynn English Tea Party doily die

Memory Box die, Vivienne Butterfly

Memory Box die, Cherish Border

Martha Stewart Around the Page punch

Viva Decor Crackling Color

CTMH Tiny Type Epoxy Alphabet

CTMH Wooden Circles

CTMH Aqua Dots

Glistening Snow-Tex "Glittering Snow" by Deco Art

To learn what you need to do for my challenge, 

go here to 

Playing in Paradise.

Challenges at Playing in Paradise are open to everyone, using whatever supplies you choose.  You have three weeks from today to make a project and link it to our challenge 

(using the linky tool you will find there.)

My design team mates have also been busy preparing projects for this challenge, so be sure and check their blogs out (just click on their names):

Pam

Dawn

Lee-Anne

I'm really looking forward to seeing what you all create for the challenge.  

Thank you for stopping by. 

Linda 

A NEW style of Challenge at Playing in Paradise

Hi Everyone!

It's a NEW year and a NEW format for the challenges at Scrapbooker's Paradise.  The challenges this year are going to be created by each host and may or may not involve a sketch.  The format will be more open to interpretation by you and we hope you will enjoy this new series of challenges with us!

Our new design team member, Lee-Anne, is hosting the challenge this month and she wants us to create a layout or card whose theme revolves around the word "Frosty" or "Snow".

Well now how easy is that!  With record cold and snow all over the continent this winter, you should be able to take this challenge and run with it!!  Right???   :)

Be sure and check out Playing in Paradise to see what beautiful creations my team members came up with for this challenge.  I'm sure you'll see something that will inspire you!

When I heard what the challenge was, I slipped outside on a nice frosty day and took some pictures of the trees covered in hoar frost.  It was kind of a dull, gloomy day so I decided to mat them on a black background and try to brighten them up with lots of white.  I used a Crafter's Workshop "Branches" stencil and covered it with a layer of Aleene's Glitter Snow.  If you can't find any of this, you can make your own with texture paste and glitter mixed together.  In fact, if you'd like to also try making your own texture paste, Gabrielle Pollacco has a recipe for it here.

To get lots of sparkle, and mimic the trees when they're covered in ice, I covered the bare branches in lots of crystal gems.

Some pretty little gems dressed up the tiny snowflakes, and you can't beat Prima's pretty white flowers tipped in glitter, for their sparkle!

More Prima bling around the edges of the photo and then a beautiful Zva flourish finishes off the flower cluster. 

I really hope you'll come over to the Scrapbooker's Paradise blog and try out this challenge.  It's open to anyone and you can use whatever supplies you have on hand.  There is a wonderful prize package up for grabs and you are also invited to be the Guest Designer in the following month's challenge.  

I'd love to come visit your blog and see what winter's like in your part of the country, so link your entry up!!

In the meantime, stay warm everyone!

Linda

Supplies used:

Crafter's Workshop stencil "Branches" (I used a 12x12" size)

Aleene's Glitter Snow

Black cardstock

Bo Bunny doily

Scalloped chipboard circle frame

Snowflake die

Queen and Company gems

Prima white flowers 

Prima White Say it in Crystals gem sheet

Crystal stick pins from stash

Zva Crystal flourish (Want 2 Scrap makes beautiful flourishes as well.)

Want 2 Scrap Silver Rhinestones

New Sketch Challenge at Playing in Paradise!

Hi everyone!

We have a new Sketch Challenge up for you at Playing in Paradise! 

Just a refresher, our challenges run for 3 weeks and then a new one is posted on the 2nd Friday of every month, so entries for this challenge will need to be in by November 29th.  Everyone is invited to play.  The only rules are to have fun and play fair!!

I got out my Copics and had some fun coloring for this challenge.  (Don't you find coloring is very relaxing?)

 

 

I used the beautiful Christmas collection "Christmas Collection" by Kaisercraft, and picked the colors of my Copics from that.  Colours used were: E7,9,17,18,21,43,44,47,49    YG93,95,97,99     YR24,27    R27,29.

The stamp set I used was "Home for the Holidays" by Flourishes.  Once I was done colouring, I die cut it with "Majestic Labels #2 Framelits" by Sizzix. 

For the inside, I used the same Framelits set and one of the sentiments from "Home for the Holidays".  (I love the sentiments to this set!)  All paper edges were inked with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.  The green pointsettia - strange but pretty LOL - came from the Christmas Collection sticker sheet, and  the poinsettia chipboard on the front are Pink Paislee "Snow Village".

I hope this has inspired you to start some Christmas cards!  We would love to see them entered over at Playing in Paradise.  Show us what YOUR favorites in stamps or paper, is this year!

Take care,

 

Linda

Supplies used:

Kaisercraft - Christmas Collection
Copic markers
Flourishes - Home for the Holidays stamp set
Sizzix Framelits Majestic Labels #2
Pink Paislee - Snow Village chipboard

 

Playing in Paradise Sketch Challenge

Good Morning everyone!

Looks like we're in for a beautiful, sunny Thanksgiving weekend here in Alberta!  That puts a big smile on my face.  I hope everyone who is celebrating Thanksgiving this weekend, has a wonderful time with friends and family!

Over at Scrapbooker's Paradise, Pam is hosting a new sketch challenge.  Lots of cute little details to play with, made it a fussy cutting, fun time for me! 

I needed a birthday card for my mom, and since it is the beautiful season of Fall, what better line to choose than Bo Bunny's "Autumn Song".  Such pretty colours and beautiful elements in this collection.



 

 

To make some of the little embellishments on my card, I fussy cut a lot of the banners and used die cut ovals to frame some of the beautiful brads that coordinate with "Autumn Song".  Some Prima wood pieces were polished with "Old Silver" Inca Gold and tucked here and there.  The focal "Fall Time" piece is from the coordinating Chipboard set.  The punched butterfly is sitting on a lovely swirl from ZVA Creative.

 

 

 

So do come on over to Playing in Paradise this month, and give the sketch a try.  You can use it to make a card, a layout, or even an altered project.  We would love to see what you come up with and the lucky winner will receive a wonderful prize, as well as the opportunity to Guest Design with us next month!

 

 

 

 

 

Supplies used:

 

Bo Bunny Autumn Song

Autumn Song Brads

Autumn Song Jewels

Autumn Song Layered Chipboard

Spellbinders Floral Ovals Nestabilities

Prima Wood Flowers in a Box

Old Silver Inca Gold

ZVA Creative Crystal Flourish from stash.

"Happy Birthday" CTMH from stash.

 

 

 

 



 

Playing in Paradise Sketch Challenge

Good Morning everyone! 

There's a new challenge over at Scrapbooker's Paradise, and I hope you'll check it out!  I'm hosting this month and created a double page layout.  You can choose to do it as such, or just do one page, or turn it into a card.  The choice is up to you.

I hope you will give it a try and then share your creativity with us by entering.  The winner receives not only a wonderful prize package, but also, the opportunity of being a Guest Designer with us in October!

I did a layout of my nephew and his wife after they did the Mud Hero Run this summer!  Oh my!  It really was all about MUD!  Good for them for tackling such an arduous run and succeeding!

 

The layout took on a life of its own; but I did start with the title page, which I flipped and then added extra layers to.

 

 

 

A few details about the layout.  The title was painted with TA Glimmer Mist Coffee Shop and edged with Black Soot Distress Ink.  The edges of the photo were painted with Black Gesso. 

 

The canvas flower was inked with both the Coffee Shop Glimmer Mist and Black Soot ink.  I made the center from a piece of the Kaisercraft Base Coat paper, a Petaloo flower, a Prima bottle cap, and epoxy bubble.  The ribbon below was made using a piece of Tim Holtz Crinkle ribbon and mopping up excess Coffee Shop mist with it.

 

 

In the floral arrangement below, the heart is the top of a wedding favor that came as a wine bottle topper.  I took it off the cork and coloured the chrome heart with Oregano Alcohol Ink.  The bow was made from a cleaning rag that I bought at the hardware store.  The little nest of fibers to the left  were what I pulled from the canvas flower as I was distressing it.

 

 

This mat piece was made by covering a piece of cardstock with duct tape, embossing it, and then stamping it with Oregano, Bottle, Currant, and Slate Alcohol Inks.  You can see Tim Holtz's video for stamping with the inks here.

 

 

Thanks for stopping by today.  We are having wonderful, warm weather here in Alberta this month.  I hope you are enjoying lovely fall weather in your part of the world also!

 

Have a great week creating!

 

Linda

 

Supplies used:

Kaisercraft Base Coat Lace patterned paper

Kasiercraft Base Coat Linen

Glitz French Kiss Strip patterned paper from stash

Canvas flower from Canvas Corp

Prima Wood Border

Prima Bottle Cap

Prima Arrowhead Crystals

Prima Epoxy Stickers from stash

Tim Holtz Crinkle Ribbon

Black Gesso

Bo Bunny Stained Textures stamp - used on the background

Black Soot Distress Ink

TA Glimmer Mist - Coffee Shop

Tim Holt Foliage embellishment

Tim Holtz Time Piece embellishment

Petaloo flowers from stash

Sizzix Die Word Play



 

Playing in Paradise - A new Sketch Challenge this month!

Good morning everyone!  The sun is shining and my new little canary is peeping away in his cage (he's still learning to sing), and it's FRIDAY - so it is indeed a WONDERFUL morning!  Plus it is time for a new Sketch Challenge at Scrapbooker's Paradise - YAY!

Dawn is our host this month, and here is the wonderful layered sketch she has come up with for us.

Please note, you do not have to have a blog to enter this challenge.  If you don't have one, then put a comment under the challenge, and let us know that you are emailing your photo entry.  (Just please make sure it's a good quality photo.)  

Then go ahead and email it to 'Pam' at faeiryrocks@telus.net.  Put the name of the challenge under the "subject" of your email.  (This one is PPSC#3)  Attach your photo to the email, along with your first and last name, your email address or phone number so we can contact you, and finally, where you would be able to pick up the prize if you should be the lucky winner (YAY) - either the North or South Scrapbooker's Paradise store - or if you're from out of town - your mailing address.

So give the challenge a try!  Remember, the sketch is just a guide, you can interpret it however you like!

 Kaisercraft has come out with a beautiful new paper line called Miss Empire, and that is what I used to make this card. 

To start with, I wanted to put a piece in the back that had some texture, so I took one of the patterned papers and masked it using the "Cell Theory" template from Crafter's Workshop and Pearl modelling paste from Viva Decor. The paste was a little too white for this project, so after it dried, I spritzed it with some Walnut Ink from Tsukineko.  To get a little bit more texture on the project, I also embossed the dark piece of patterned paper with the "Woodgrain" embossing folder by Sizzix. 

The cute little bird cage, which is the focal point of my card, was also a little too white so after some experimenting with different mists, etc, I chose to go with Viva Decor "Copper" Inka Gold.  I put a tiny amount on my craft sheet, spritzed it with water, and painted it on the die cut.  It gives it a lovely translucent sheen that doesn't really show up in the photo.

I finished the inside with left-over scraps of paper and a stamp from Fiskars "Friends Forever" set.

Be sure to stop by Playing in Paradise today and check out Dawn's post.  She has made a BEAUTIFUL card and you will be "WOWED" by the rest of the design team's creations also!

Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for stopping by!

Linda

Supplies used:

Kaisercraft "Miss Empire" patterned paper

Kaisercraft "Miss Empire" Collectibles

Crafter's Workshop "Cell Theory" 6x6

Sizzix "Woodgrain" embossing folder

Viva Decor - Pearl Modelling Paste

Viva Decor "Copper" Inka Gold

Ranger Craft Sheet

Ranger Mister Bottle

Vintage Photo Distress Ink (distressed and inked all the edges)

Playing in Paradise Friday Sketch Challenge

Hi everyone!  

We are starting a new challenge format at Playing in Paradise this week.  On the 2nd Friday of each month we will be featuring a "Sketch" challenge.  This week's sketch has been designed by Pam and she has given you several options to choose from. You will be given until noon on Thursday, May 31st to complete this challenge.  Further rules can be found by "clicking" here.

  Single Layout

 

                                               Card
                              

Double Layout  

I am presently working on an "off the page" challenge and I chose to use the card sketch.  I used the sketch to make a cover for my project.

I added different kinds of texture by: using a Crafter's workshop template and painting a gesso pattern over this beautiful paper from the Prima "Art Journal Pad", making a burlap mat, distressing, and using twigs and lace as embellishments.  

I added a mat cut from an 8x8" package of Secret Garden paper, a little bit of sparkle, and I was done.

Do drop by Playing in Paradise and give this challenge a try!  As always, there will be a wonderful prize and an opportunity to guest design with us if you should be the lucky winner.  You can use whatever supplies you have on hand.  The main requirement is that you use a new project that has been designed for this particular challenge.  Previously published or posted projects will be looked at as inspiration, but will not be eligible for the prize package.

Hope you all enjoy the lovely weekend that is coming up!

Linda


Supplies used that are available at Scrapbooker's Paradise:
Prima Art Journal Pad
Crafter's Workshop "Layered Beads" template
Burlap
Ingvild Bohm Rasp Tool for distressing
Secret Garden 8x8" Paper Pad
"Cinnamon" Ranger Stickles Glitter
Gesso

Supplies from my stash:
The little charm is Prima Fairy Rhymes Vintage Trinkets
Lifetime Canvas Alphabet Stickers
Prima fabric flowers:  Merci collection
Bo Bunny C'Est La Vie dimensional stickers

PPC114 Playing in Paradise Challenge

Good morning everyone!  Yay!  It's Friday!!  As you read this, I am off basking in the sunshine of beautiful Victoria.  I hope your Friday is as wonderful as mine!

     I am hosting a new challenge at Playing in Paradise today.  The format for the challenge is going to be changing, so be sure and check out the blog today as Pam will be explaining everything!

     I planned this challenge quite awhile ago when I thought that by now we would be surrounded by green grass and budding trees.  As I have been complaining to you for awhile now, this is the "Spring that never was".  It's still snowing and cold, cold, cold.

     But you know what .... let's create our own Springtime Joy!  Show me what you love about Spring:  colours, flowers, birds, sunshine ... craft it and perhaps .... it will COME!

     I have long wanted to try a mixed media canvas, so that is what I did for you today.  It has soft colours, flowers - lace, stenciled, paper, rhinestones, flower chip board, birds, and garden lanterns.  I love gardening so this canvas is my garden of Hope.

I started with an 8x10 canvas board from the Dollar Store and began gluing down torn pieces from Bo Bunny's C'est la Vie paper collection.

It was pretty BRIGHT, so I took some gesso and painted over everything with a very light coat.  (A friend has told me that her "go to" product for doing this is Picket Fence Distress Stain, so next time I will try THAT and see how it looks.)

The next thing I did was add some texture with templates and molding paste.  Glued on a couple of pieces of lace and then sprayed with "Bamboo Leaf" and "Bed of Roses" Shimmer Spritz, as well as Sunkissed Peach TA Glimmer Mist.  I also embossed a pink butterfly towards the middle but it is very difficult to see.  To "frame" the canvas, I went around the edges with blue Gelatos, one from the 50's Diner set and one from the Blue set.  Just "crayoned" it on and blended with my finger and a small amount of water. 

To make my "sun" glow a little more, I rubbed "Old Silver" Inka Gold lightly over the stenciled area.

I picked out my embellies and started placing them, but couldn't decide on what colour of green to use for the leaves in the upper left corner, so I did up some samples on the chipboard packages, and then it was easy to choose!  I went with "Verdigris" Embossing Antiquities by Ranger.  I've had it in my stash for many years and don't know if they still make it, but it's very similar to Stampendous' "Aged Hunter"Embossing Enamel.

Here's a closeup.  The flowers were  painted with "Blackberry Cordial" TA Glimmer Mist.

I wanted my lanterns to be brown with a tiny amount of colour and Lindy's Stamp Gang Moonshadow Mists are perfect for this.  I used "Landlubber Green" and you just get the slightest hint of green when the light hits it the right way.  Lots of beautiful glimmer too!

Then the fun began, adding flowers, lace, pearls, a resin bird, and even an old broach from my jewelery box.  (I'm still recycling Dawn!)

I hope this challenge puts a smile on your face as it did mine! 

Head on over to Playing in Paradise, check out the rules and the up-coming changes, and join in.  I would love to visit your blog or photo site this week and see your Springtime Joy!  (Please note you don't have to have a blog to join the challenge - the rules explain this.)

Be sure and visit the rest of the design team's blogs (just "click" on their names) and see what they were inspired to create this week.  For some, it is their final week with Playing in Paradise and I know you will want to become a "follower" on their blogs to keep up with them.

Thank you for stopping by my blog today.  I love getting visitors!  Give the challenge a try and create some Springtime Joy for yourself!!

Watch for lots of up-coming posts about flowers, as my number one destination 

to go to in Victoria is Butchart Gardens!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Linda



Supplies used were:

Bo Bunny C'est la Vie patterned paper

Bo Bunny & Prima flowers

Prima resin

Want 2 Scrap Pink Pearls

Dyan Reaveley "Dotted Flowers" Stencil 

Crafter's Workshop "Flowers" Template

Dusty Attic Chipboard and lace from my stash

Bamboo Leaf and Bed of Roses Shimmer Spritz

Sunkissed Peach TA Glimmer Mist

Cosmic Pink Moon Glow embossing powder (Lindy's Stamp Gang)

Inka-Gold "Old Silver"

"Landlubber Green" Lindy's Moonshadow Mist

Embossing Antiquities "Verdigris" - Stampendous Embossing Enamel "Aged Hunter" would be a good alternative.

Teal coloured Gelato

Gesso

Molding Paste

Old Karen Foster title sticker

Piece of canvas board from the Dollar Store

The pink broach is an old one from home.

Supplies available from Scrapbooker's Paradise:

Gelatos	"Aged Hunter" Embossing Enamel	"Landlubber Green" Lindy′s Moonshadow Mist	Inka Gold "Old Silver"
Dyan Reaveley "Dotted Flowers" stencil	Want 2 Scrap Pink Pearls	Bo Bunny C′est la Vie	Gesso