Paper Crafting Challenges First Challenge: Spring!

Here in NH, we are chomping at the bit for spring. So when I saw this challenge for Paper Crafting Challenges, I knew I had to play along. I made this super fun card that shows exactly how spring comes here in New England. It peeks its head through the darkness and bitter cold for a day or two, and then retreats again, teasing us repeatedly until it hits us with its full glory.

So my card is the sunshine coming out of the darkness and dreariness:

 The background paper was rubbed with Distress Inks in Tattered Rose, Antique Linen, and Walnut Stain. I affixed a circle cut from my Cricut behind the My Mind's Eye die cut. Imaginisce fabric flowers that were white were sprayed with Mister Huey in Taxi Cab and Smooch black, all put together with a Making Memories square pewter brad with a Prima crystal on top. I added a Words or Whatever heart banner covered in Memento Tuxedo Black ink. The pink crocheted flower is Prima, the blue is My Mind's Eye Laundry Line, and the bling/pearls are American Crafts brads and Prima crystals.

Hope you like it! Head over to Paper Crafting Challenges and check them out, it's a new challenge blog that looks like it's going to be super fun!

xoxo
Khristen

What I've Been Up To

After a long time of just creating for the shop, I decided to go to town creating for fun...and here is some of what I made:

 Turned to WRMK's Twirl line, adding a random strip of yellow stripe-y paper that I'm not sure where I got it...all I know is it has been sitting on my desk for the past four months!! I added a Prima flourish, a strip of felt flower ribbon I picked up in the Target dollar bin ages ago (I even separated some flowers from the ribbon to use loosely with the flourish!) A strip of Mon Ami Gabby bling was affixed to the ribbon, and another strip was broken up to use among the flourish. The black dots in the flower centers and all over the page in random locations is Onyx Pearl Liquid Pearls. The alpha is a mix -- Authentique and Thickers.

 Then I Smashed! I find this is a great way to use up those little die cuts and stickers you just can't seem to get rid of. There is a whole bunch going on here...My Mind's Eye die cut, Echo Park stickers, EK stickers, washi, Elle's Studio die cuts, an "oopsie" circle die cut from my Cricut that was a tad too small for another project, Fancy Pants alpha, and Simple Stories burlap alpha.

This one uses Webster's Pages Spring Market bits I have leftover, including alpha, along with the bird washi. Easy, quick, and cute!

I can't wait to play more later! There are a few challenges I need to create for, and this weekend, I'll be working on some DT submissions. I have loved my two month break, choosing to read and do things for "me," but not creating is starting to become detrimental to my mood. I need to find a reason to create every day, and a design team does just that! It pushes me to create, even when I don't think I have time. The truth is, there's always time to create! You just have to remember how important it is to your soul. :)

xoxo
Khristen

Getting My Mojo Back With A Challenge!

Happy Friday-before-school-vacation! I am looking forward to slowing things down next week. While some parents are planning to travel and go neat and interesting places, I'm planning to do a whole lot of nothing next week. Sure, we'll probably take a day to go somewhere cool like we always do, but I'm not really feeling a week-long funfest! Fun for me will be sleeping past 7 (which I probably won't be able to do anyway), staying in my pajamas at least one day, getting some assistance with housekeeping, and getting my work done in one sitting instead of breaking it up into pieces for appointments, school pickups, and after school activities.

I haven't had the time to craft as much as I'd like to lately, just for me. I have completed quite a bit of work on items for the shop, but my poor albums have been neglected as of late. So I'm doing something about that, employing the handy "list of challenges." This is a nice reference I can use to get my mojo going (which I really needed!!), telling me what I need to do to meet the challenge guidelines and what products, if any, I am supposed to use. That way I am inspired to create something....like this adorable layout. It's for the Boys Rule Scrapbook Kit blog sketch challenge, and was just what I needed to get the creative juices flowing again :) Take a look at the sketch by clicking the link above, and here's what I came up with:

 I am being persistent in my goal to de-stash. Although I have parted with quite a bit of paper, I still have three cases full! So for this layout, I combined manufacturers -- both chevron patterns are from Basic Grey PB&J collection, while the tan patterned paper is Crate Paper - Pink Plum. Scenic route alpha, Cosmo Cricut Cogsmo "Oh Boy" strip, and Stuff2Scrap chipboard hearts in varying sizes.

 I started altering the hearts by covering them in gesso. When that was dry, I covered it with Tattered Angels Glimmer Glaze in All That Jazz (a great teal color!) and when that was dry, I spritzed it with October Afternoon Sprinklers in Night Sky. I love how the glaze peeks through the mist! The cardstock, chosen to compliment my son's shirt, was then spritzed with Imagine Crafts Sheer Shimmer in Frost. When that was dry, I added the journaling with an American Crafts white gel pen.

So there you have it! The second of Boys Rule's challenges. Expect the first later, I am loving sketch challenges right now! It's perfect if you suffer scrapper's block, like I am going through right now!

Watch for more challenges, I have completed quite a few!

xoxo
Khristen