Party Paws: Bamboo Sneak Peek!

Good evening (or I guess night here on the East coast.) I am so excited for this next release from Crafter's Companion, I love it so very much! The panda named Bamboo, well...he is adorable. I love coloring him. Panda bears rock, and this panda is no exception. This is from the soon-to-be-released Party Paws range:

 Agreed? These adorable stamps are hitting the Crafter's Companion store on March 6th, I know you just can't wait to get your hands on this adorable little panda bear! I had so much fun with this card...I started with the paper piecing. I paper pieced with Glitz Cashmere Dame - Chevrons (obviously the opposite side, a lovely red damask print.) I colored the bow with Lemon Ice Stickles, and colored Bamboo with my Spectrum Noir pens (IG5, IG8 IG10, HB1, HB2, and HB3.)

 I used Freckled Fawn washi underneath, that was actually my inspiration for the project. The arrows and the heart (which helped tie in the red wonderfully) just matched perfectly with the Glitz paper so well. Add a Royal Lace doily underneath, Queen & Co. bling on the sentiment, and some white machine stitching and this card is done! Simple, but so sweet!

 I love stitching, especially machine stitching!

The washi has that wonderful red heart, bringing a bit more red to the project.

There you have it! I hope you hit up the Crafter's Companion store as soon as this range is available (March 6th, mark your calendar!!) I love this adorable panda, he is so fun to color!

xoxo
Khristen

XOXO Extra Love-y Challenge

Ok, there's really only one more day to play along. I blame the snow, keeping me shoveling/snowblowing for days! We threw in an extra challenge this month at XOXO, all about love! Pink, hearts, any way you want to interpret LOVE...here's what I came up with.

I order my prints online, and I'm a chronological scrapper. That means when a challenge like this comes up, I usually have to hunt for an older photo as our summer vacation pictures aren't really something I would associate with a love-y challenge. So....into the old, vintage pictures I go! I came across this picture of my great-grandparents, and knew it was "the one."

This is obviously a shot of my great-grandparents on their 50th wedding anniversary (I think the title gives that away, don't you?) The colors of the photo led to the use of Cosmo Cricket Upcycle, which match too perfectly.  

 There is a whole lot of randomness on here...some Elle's Studio pieces, some random stickers, a teeny paper clip, Maya Road Vintage Trim - Lustrous Button Jewels for all the bling-y parts. Random lace. Random word stickers/vellum "love always" from a card kit prize pack. Jillibean alpha. Studio Calico wood veneer people coated in turquoise Dylusions.

 October Afternoon file tab. Foil Thickers (which I've just been waiting for the perfect layout to come along to use them!)

So hurry over and play with us at XOXO! If *love* isn't up your alley, maybe the superbet or Audrey challenges will inspire you. Either way, link up your layout for a chance to be a guest designer!

Now I'm off to work on numerous crafty projects. It is supposed to snow all day, but right now it's only raining. As much as I hate winter rain, I'd rather it stayed rain so I don't have to shovel!

xoxo
Khristen

Sick boy = mommy crafty time!

Good morning! Little man returns to school tomorrow as he is feeling better. Yay! I can run all my errands today! Yesterday was a day full of crafty fun (as he wanted to make something too), and I was able to participate in the Splitcoast Stampers Lovefest Challenge A. They are having numerous challenges celebrating the month of love, and I was drawn to the first one immediately. They wanted you to use the word LOVE to create a project...you had to include elements beginning with L, O, V, and E. Tough at first, but I pulled it off. Here's what I came up with:

L: LABEL sticker from MME. O: orange cardstock. V: vellum quote (DCWV). E: embossing (Cuttlebug hexagons on silver pearlescent paper) I added white machine stitching, Crafter's Companion Sheena A Little Bit Floral - Magnolia stamps colored with my Spectrum Noir markers, and Frosted Lace Stickles for an added touch.

Simple, but amazing! I love this card!

Ok, off to get the kids to school and run the errands I was supposed to run yesterday. I hope to sit down again and do more of the SCS challenges, there are many more, and many prizes! Head over and play along :)

xoxo
Khristen

TrueXOXO Superbet! (I lost.)

Yup. The True XOXO design team placed a bet with a twist for the Super Bowl. Although I thought it was impossible, I lost. I mean, c'mon...these are my 49ers we're talking about here. I thought, "how can they lose?" Well, they did. And the second thought that passed through my head (after "how did that just happen?") was "crap, I have to make this impossible layout!" I will admit, though, I'm pleased with the final result!

Here's the challenge: create a layout using the following items, each item chosen by a different member of the design team who was crazy enough to participate.

The losers' list:
stencil
lace
purple
red & gold
purple washi tape
lobster (yes, lobster...long story)/embossed stamping (for those, like me, who have no        lobster...and yes, one of the DT had lobsters!! I couldn't believe it!)
mist
distressing
stitching
index cards

Crazy list...I mean, how do you combine red, gold, and purple? Is it possible? I am here to tell you YES you can! I actually love how this layout turned out. Something I'd never do turned into a favorite!

I thought this black and white photo would be a safe choice with all of the colors going into this bad boy. Basic Gray PB&J papers, Balzer Designs triangle stencil and Ditto purple mist (word to the wise...don't buy this stuff. Sorry, Ditto, but you are messy and make my hands purple days later...not to mention the way you spray a stencil...pfft. I mean, the stencil was misted ONCE and it was so saturated with ink it ran underneath the triangular holes, creating the lighter triangles you see on that square of paper. It's awful...I mean, I like how it looks, but what if I wanted white and purple triangles instead? This mist is cheap for a reason, and I learned the hard way.) The lace strip at the top was also misted to coordinate. The gold stamping, all heat embossed with gold embossing powder, is a Unity - Reverse Punchinella stamp I am in love with. I colored the washi myself, as I did not have purple washi, with my Spectrum Noir markers. I was able to match the color of the mist perfectly!

 This pic makes it more obviously gold :)

 That's a random index card die cut from my stash, with some added alpha stickers for an instant title.

 Random black stitches.

Red patterned paper was sanded for the distressing portion of the challenge.

So I hope you love it! Head over to the XOXO blog to see what my fellow DT members have done (well, the losers anyway...there were those that sided with the Ravens that didn't have to do the challenge. They got LUCKY!) Give this list of supplies a shot on your next layout...you might surprise yourself at how nice it comes out! Don't forget to comment with a link to your project. We would love to see it!!

xoxo

Khristen

Crafter's Companion Sneak Peek: Chrysalis

Good morning! I thought I would share my first sneaky peeky of the new stamps being released on Friday from Crafter's Companion, the Chrysalis collection. This is a collection of amazingly detailed images, so pretty, and wonderful borders and sentiments.

Here's the first thing I made when I got my stamps:

Isn't this such a pretty image? I used a piece of red cardstock, and ran it through my embossing machine using the 6X6 Embossalicious Folder - Swirl Corner. I colored her up with my Spectrum Noir markers, used my corner rounder on the image and mat, and raised up the sentiment with adhesive foam circles. I didn't want to go crazy with embellishments as I didn't want to take away from the image at all.

 I added some Liquid Pearls to the wine glass...you can kind of tell in this picture.I love how it brings out the highlights I added with my markers even more. and that embossing folder....LOVE!

I hope you like her, watch for more sneaks from me and the rest of the design team! These stamps hit the Crafter's Companion store on Friday!

xoxo

Khristen

XOXO #40: Audrey Inspiration

So here we are with another True XOXO challenge, and this time it is a fun one! We were asked to use the following quote as inspiration:

I believe in pink.

I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner.

I believe in kissing, kissing a lot.

I believe in strong when everything else seems to be going wrong.

I believe that happiest girls are the prettiest girls.

I believe that tomorrow is another day and

I believe in miracles.

--A. Hepburn

Such a wonderful quote, and I didn't want to be selective here. I wanted to use the whole quote. However, my first attempt (in my Smash book) ended up a disaster. It was like my alpha stickers threw up all over the page! Here it is:

See what I mean? I don't know if it's the mish-mash of elements or my own handwriting that makes me absolutely despise this, but it's in my Smash book now for eternity (or until I paint over it and try something new!!)

Take two turned out a whole lot better:

I went with one portion of the quote instead. I adore this picture of the girls on our summer vacation, it's rare to catch them anywhere near each other! I used Fancypants - Country Boutique - Whitewash for the background paper, which I LOVE. All of the die cuts/banners are from the same collection.

I misted a touch behind the picture with Vibrant Turquoise Dylusions. This is one of my new favorite mists...it's so easy to apply just a little bit rather than covering the whole page! The alphas used: Iguana and Frost Thickers, October Afternoon Mini Market, and AC Remarks. I embellished "prettiest" with Black Onyx Liquid Pearls, underscored the word "girls," and made arrows with it as well.

That fun jeweled piece is from a Maya Road Vintage Trim - Lustrous Button Jewels package. I love these!

So head over to True XOXO and share with us a layout inspired by the quote above. You could win the chance to play with us for a month as a guest designer, and hang with us in our super-secret Facebook group!

xoxo
Khristen

ZOOM

 A quick layout share in between volunteer times at the elementary school...

In keeping with my resolution of using up my stash, I pulled out my AC - City Park and started layering. I loved how the blues and greens coordinated with the picture so perfectly! This is Andraia and Foss riding in the go-karts at Six Gun City during our 2008 summer vacation. (I'm slowly catching up to 2013, right?!)

 There's a strip of AC orange ribbon behind the photo, and this fun Boxer Scrapbook Productions metal frame (they are now closed as of 8/12, I've had this frame since 1998!!!) I used Hay Ride Glimmer Glam to coat the area inside the frame, and didn't even think about how it would react with the Dylusions mist I used underneath...it turned a cool green color that thankfully worked with the layout! I then wrote "so fun" with my Marvy Uchida white paint pen, and wrote over that with black pen. AC pearl brads affix it to the layout. There's a strip of washi on there too :) The title is Thickers with the white paint pen outline to make it pop.

 Love that Dylusions drippiness :)

 At the top, I used one of my leftover Heidi Swapp Color Magic banners at the top with the same Dylusions mist, adding a piece of twine at the top. (Took this picture at sunset, so the shadows are little messed up! Sorry!)

Stay tuned for another couple of shares. It's been crazy around here with snowstorms and shoveling! After I work at the elementary school store at lunch time, I'll be back with another project.

xoxo
Khristen

Crafter's Companion International Challenge: Love Is In The Air!

Yes, it's February. Time for Hallmark to make their bazillion bucks, and for flowers and chocolate. I make the kids and my husband cards, and decided that this one is meant for the hubs for sure. (I've made more cards than I have loved ones to give them to, so it took a long time to make a choice!) This is the winner, and just happens to be the card that I used for this month's Crafter's Companion international challenge. The theme is "Love Is In The Air," and we want you to be inspired and create something to link up for your chance to win the prize this month, a gift certificate for the Crafter's Companion store. For all of the details and to participate, head to the Crafter's Companion Challenge Blog.

I pulled out Humphrey - Hugs for You, inked it with Memento ink in Tuxedo Black, and colored it up with my Spectrum Noir pens. Since this will accompany a box of chocolates, I thought it was perfect! I added a sentiment from the Angelica & Friends - Angelica stamp set. After adhering the background paper with an adhesive tape pen, I added a pretty crocheted doily and a piece of black polka dot ribbon from my stash (I save every ribbon scrap for cards like this. You can always find the perfect piece for any project!) I decided to adhere the image to the doily using Collall 3D glue. You can give your image dimension without worrying about adhesive squares that just won't stay put on fabric elements. Here, I used a light layer, letting it pop subtly off of the card.

I hope he loves it as much as I do, and I hope you are inspired to play along with us this month at the Crafter's Companion Challenge Blog! Don't forget to head over to the blog to see what the other members of the design team have done. Each week, we share new inspiration from our amazingly talented designers, I hope you have the chance to check in!

xoxo
Khristen

SCS Inspired Shaving Cream/Re-inker Technique

Good morning! So...yesterday, I received my Splitcoast Stampers Weekly Inkling email. I read it each and every week for inspiration, and although I enjoy the techniques described, I have done them many times. I just look through for design ideas, or color combos and things like that. This week, I saw a link to a Ghosting Tutorial, and as I read through the comments, I came across a link to a shaving cream tutorial. I was intrigued. How could you use shaving cream on a project?

Well, of course this new discovery excited me to the point I just *had* to try it out with my Crafter's Companion stamps and supplies. I decided to give it a go (after asking hubby how much shaving cream he had left. He said not much, so I ended up making a trip to the store later in the day to buy a fresh one!) It was super fun to create, and I loved playing around and experimenting. In the end, I think the project went a different direction because of the experimentation! I love when that happens :)

Ok. To start, you will need something to put the shaving cream in/on. I went with a plate, but you can use anything as long as you can lay a piece of paper down in it. A sandwich container will work if you are using a smaller piece of paper. You'll also need a re-inker (I used Black Soot as it is all I have until the order I just placed comes in. When you use multiple colors, they blend together and look fantastic...watch for another project once I get them!), a thin popsicle stick, a piece of cardstock, and a paper towel (I ran out of paper towels earlier in the morning, so I used napkins.)

Cover your plate/container with a layer of shaving cream. Hubby likes this aloe Barbasol, but I think next time I'll try the original as I think the aloe made it a little thicker and harder to pull the paper off. I'll let you know if there is a difference!

Smooth out the pile of shaving cream with your popsicle stick to make it as flat as you can.

 Start applying the re-inker to the shaving cream. Vary colors for a really cool marble effect, something I am going to show off in my next post using this technique :)

 Start swirling the the popsicle sticks through the drops. I found that you could make shapes in the shaving cream, or just randomly swirl it through. Play around and see all the different finished products you can get out of this!

 Press your piece of cardstock down on the shaving cream, assuring it is completely covered.

 Here's the paper when I pulled it out. As I said, I suspect the fact it is aloe Barbasol leads to it being to thick to pull out cleanly. It still made great background papers to use in future projects, but can't wait to see if the shaving cream without aloe will be better.

Take other pieces of paper and press them down on top of the piece you just pulled out of the shaving cream. Continue if you'd like. It's pretty cool to see The different effects you can get from the lesser amounts of shaving cream/ink.

 Use your paper towel to wipe the shaving cream from the paper. Blot to keep the ink in place, or rub to get the ink to blend and fade. Have fun with it! Did I mention it smells fantastic?!

 Now...here are the finished pieces. See the big sheet? That was my protective surface, and I saw the square shape the smaller pieces of cardstock made on it and instantly had an idea. This started as a card, but finished as a layout :)

 Look at all of the different effects you can create using this technique. I can't wait to do this with multiple colors :)

So here's the sheet of paper that inspired the project. Can't you see the photo fitting right in to the square shape left by the squares of papers placed on top of it?

 I took a small square, cutting the edges, and decided to use my Sheena A Little Bit Scenic - Silhouette Garden stamp set and create an embellishment (and what ended up being my title) for my layout. I took a white ink pad and stamped the branch all over the paper. I finished with the sentiment, covering the Rhubarb Stalk Memento ink in clear embossing powder. After setting it with my heat tool, I had this finished product, so pretty!

 Here's the background sheet I just knew would be perfect. See how the photo just sits in there like it was meant to be?

 The butterfly in the stamp set works perfectly to bring a bit more red into the project.

 I used Fancy Pants The Good Life papers and embellishments for this. I love the background pattern with the black and grey on the papers I created :) I sponged the ink used to stamp the sentiment and butterflies on the edge of a piece of white cardstock under the sentiment.

So I hope you try this out, and watch for another project featuring this technique once I get my package containing more re-inkers due in the next week. I can't wait, I love the marbleized look and think multiple colors would create some beautiful things!