Creative Crew: Snorkeling Love!

We went snorkeling for the first time on our first cruise. That was in March 2015, and we were instantly in love! Both of us could snorkel all day long, and at least a couple times a week :) Now, every chance we get, we snorkel.

The Scrapbooking and More Creative Crew challenge for this month was to use circles on your layout, and that made our snorkeling pictures jump to my mind! I like to hang these pages in lovely frames in our house, so they are home decor too :) Usually they are of my grandson though, lol.

We took turns with the camera and got lots of great shots of the fish and coral. And a couple shots of each other :) SOOO much fun!!

1. I cut a piece of watercolor paper to 8"x10". Then I watercolored patches of Crushed Curry, Emerald Envy, and Dapper Denim, layering the colors and drying with the heat tool between colors. Then I splashed clean water on the panel, let it sit for 30 seconds or so, then dabbed it off with a sort of clean clothe. This removes some of the ink colors in splash patterns. 
2. Then I pulled out my Circles dies and cut out a variety of pictures with 3-4 sizes of circles.
3. I played around with the circle placement until I liked it, then I lightly adhered the circles with tape runner. Then I decided to stitch them in place with my sewing machine to help highlight the pictures more. 
4. I took sentiments from Sunshine Sayings and stamped them on the watercolor paper. 
5. Then I placed the page in an 8"x10" photo frame. All done!

 Here it is in the frame. I was not sure I liked how this was turning out until I added the stitching. Without the stitching, the pictures all seemed to blend together and confuse the eye.

Have you been snorkeling? Did you like it? And what was your favorite part?

If you have seen something you need for your crafting life, just click the image in the supply list below and it will take you to my store! If you order less than $150, please use this month's Host Code, which can be found at the top of the sidebar on the right.

And be sure to check the box allowing me to contact you when you check out. I can't send you a thank you card if I don't know your address! And I promise to only send you happy mail, no junk mail :)


Product List

Sunshine Sayings Clear-Mount Stamp Set

[141594]

$23.00

Sunshine Sayings Wood-Mount Stamp Set

[141591]

$31.00

Sunshine Wishes Thinlits Dies

[141489]

$27.00

Sunshine Sayings Clear-Mount Bundle

[142339]

$45.00

Sunshine Sayings Wood-Mount Bundle

[142338]

$52.00

Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Pad

[140931]

$7.00

Emerald Envy Classic Stampin' Pad

[141396]

$6.50

Dapper Denim Classic Stampin' Pad

[141394]

$6.50

Crushed Curry Classic Stampin' Pad

[131173]

$6.50

Aqua Painters

[103954]

$17.00

Big Shot

[143263]

$110.00

Layering Circle Framelits Dies

[141705]

$35.00

Watercolor Paper

[122959]

$5.00

Stamp Review Crew: Flower Patch Edition

We are back with the other half of the projects we made for our display board at convention, plus a few that just did not fit on the board :) We don't usually feature any brand new stamp sets, so this is a special occasion.
And remember, you can always find the blog roll on the StampReviewCrew blog and that the links always take you directly to the posts you are looking for. If you have missed any of our hops, you can go back and hop through them at any time!
 If you are following the blog in order, then you just arrived from Kerry Willard Bray's blog, love her stuff! Or maybe you came from Wendy Weixler's blog? She is a late addition to the hop and there may be a slight glitch in the blog roll this morning :) And I have a few projects to share myself!

This is page one of a two page layout. I wanted a layout with the "headshots" of all of our members on the board. You will notice there are a few "not pictured" names. I had to have a signed photography release form for each of the people pictured in order to use it on the display board.

And this is page two! I love seeing all of those wonderful faces together, don't you?! Now I just can't wait for the opportunity to meet them all in person :) I already know several of them personally, but not all.

• Stamps: Flower Patch, Back to Basics Alphabet, Epic Alphabet, Skinny Mini Alphabet
• Ink: Pear Pizzazz, Mossy Meadow, Blackberry Bliss, Lost Lagoon, Hello Honey, Tangelo Twist, Silver Encore
• Paper: Sahara Sand, Naturals White, Mossy Meadow, Blackberry Bliss, Lost Lagoon, Hello Honey, Tangelo Twist
• Other: MDS Word Bubble punch and e-cutter, Big Shot with Flower Fair framelits, Burlap and Natural Chevron ribbons, Signo white gel pen,Silver Dazzle and Chalk Stampin' marker, dimensionals

How about a quick and easy card. This is another of those cards that popped into my head and into a card in 10 minutes! I really love it when that happens :) This one made it on the display board too.

• Stamps: Flower Patch
• Ink: Hello Honey,  Lost Lagoon, Early Espresso
• Paper: Hello Honey, Lost Lagoon, Whisper White
• Other: Signo white gel pen, Rhinestones Basic Jewels, dimensionals, sewing machine and thread

The next bunch of projects did not get done in time for the display board, but I was on a roll with this set! I know that I have made these little treat/gift bags before, but they bear repeating. This is a lunch sack folded with the edges adhered to create a front pocket with a bag. First I stamped the sentiment with the borders. Then I masked it off and stamped a variety of flowers, then I added a few Crushed Curry embossed flower centers. I am so excited about this embossing powder, by the way! I have wanted a vibrant yellow embossing powder for a long time :) Actually, this is the second one I made. The first one I made, I dropped an inked up stamp on and ruined it.... oops!

Here is a side view, so you can see the bag part filled, and the fact that an A4 card will fit in the front pocket. This is the third bag I made, and I added a couple other details to this one.

I added some retired Ruffled ribbon and Sweater trim as a handle, and a white strip for the sentiment. This one has a different combo of flowers, which I think I like better.

• Stamps: Flower Patch, Borderettes
• Ink: Pool Party, Island Indigo, Crushed Curry, Calypso Coral, Pear Pizzazz, Mossy Meadow, Versamark
• Paper: Whisper White, brown lunch sack
• Other: Embossing Buddy, Heat Tool, Crushed Curry embossing powder, Pistachio Pudding Ruffled Stretch ribbon and White Sweater Trim

I know, this post is getting really long. Hang in there, this is the last project. I love the fun feel of this card! Chevrons are still very popular, and a little ombre effect to go with it.

• Stamps: Flower Patch, Work of Art
• Ink: Wild Wasabi, Pistachio Pudding, Crisp Cantaloupe, Calypso Coral, Early Espresso
• Paper: Crisp Cantaloupe, Naturals White, Whisper White
• Other: Big Shot with Flower Flair framelits, Dazzling Details, dimensionals, Signo white gel pen, Wild Wasabi stitched ribbon (retired), sewing machine and thread

 Inside, I added more leaves and a diecut flower to cover up a goofed stamped flower. Sometimes I can fix up a goof :)

I should explain all of the retired ribbon usage. I recently found an amazing buffet at Goodwill that I am now using in my craft room. One of the great things about this buffet is all of the fabulous storage it has. This thing is huge! I will have to show it to you all sometime. I put all of my ribbon in one of the drawers. It is a big drawer, about 3' long and 1½" deep, and it is plump full. In fact, there were 4 rolls and 2 cards of ribbon I just could not get to fit into that drawer. And I now realize that I don't need any more ribbon, at least until I use a bunch of it up! No more hoarding! And then there are the embellishments, and retired stamp sets that I no longer use... anybody want to come do a craft room purge with me?   ;)

Ok, now it is time to head over to the next stop, Nancy Smith!

or maybe

Stampin Addicts Occasions Mini Blog Hop: Baby, We've Grown

It's so exciting, a new catalog! We all just love new stuff :) And we at Stampin' Addicts are no different than the rest of stampers. New toys make us giddy! We are sharing our new toys and our ideas with you from the newest Occasions Mini today!

There is a master list of the hop on the official hop thread at Stampin' Addicts. If you are hopping through in order, then you just arrived from Kim's blog where she used Perfect Pennants so perfectly!

I am featuring Baby, We've Grown. I have some ulterior motives choosing this set, as I will be a grandmother for the first time in April!!! Let's get started :)

This is an 8x8 scrapbook page that can be used for a picture of a pregnant belly, or a new family, or the new baby! This owl family image is pretty versatile :)

And how about that adorable little bunny?! I can just see a kiddo hugging him or dragging him around by his ears! The main image is stamped on watercolor paper and colored in with an Aqua-Painter.  Check out some of the other new goodies from the Occasions Mini- Starburst framelits, Natural Chevron ribbon, and the Arrows embossing folder!

 Inside, I used a phrase from Cuddles & Kisses and added the bunny again.

And how about a little box to hold a package of adorable little baby socks!! This box is made in the same way as the K Cup box that I designed last month, but the dimensions and score lines are different.

Base is 8"x11"
With 8" side up, score at 1", 3", 5", 7"
With 11" side up, score at 1", 3", 8", 10"

Cover is 8½"x5"
With 8½" side up, score at 2-1/16", 4-1/8", 6-3/16, 8-1/4"

The ends of the box are watercolored in the colors of the project: Calypso Coral, Coastal Cabana, and Daffodil Delight.

That's all I have for you, so now on to Mary's blog to see the wonderful projects she made with Pomp & Circumstance!

Winter Holiday Blog Hop: Season of Style DSP and Washi Tape

Here it is, the big Holiday Hop that you have all been waiting for :) This is stop #1 of 16 wonderful stops on this whirlwind of Holiday inspiration. I hope you all enjoy it as much as we enjoyed creating for it. We each chose something from the Stampin' Up! Holiday Mini to feature for you, with a theme of Winter Holiday products. Please stop by the Blog Hop thread and let us know what you thought! You will also find a master list of all the stops on the thread.

If you are going in order, I am the first stop, but you may have arrived here from Mary's blog where she has done some perfectly scrumptious things with Perfectly You! Or if you are going backwards, you may have come from Twila's blog where she is creating amazing things with A Banner Christmas! I am featuring the Season of Style DSP pack and coordinating Washi Tape.

My first project is actually two versions of the same card, one with just the DSP and the other with DSP and a strip of Washi Tape. Notice the embossing and distressing on each end of the card? I love the extra depth it gives this card. I envision a cute family photo on the back of the circle :) I am just loving these flip-flop cards, so fun and easy to do, and they have such a big impact!

How about another flip-flop card? Now that we have the dies for these, they are super easy to make. For this one, I die cut the flip-flop card base, folded and creased it well. Then I stuck the whole folded card in the embossing folder! Slickety-do-da! Then I just sanded the card to distress the stripes! The Season of Style DSP is so fun to work with, this was just opposite sides of the same sheet. I think the DSP really jazzed this card up.

Here is the open view of this flip-flop card.No Washi on this one.

I have to get a masculine card in, you just know I do! This one just uses the Saeson of Style Washi Tape. I had to use the new File Folder card technique, and I can just see personalizing this card by adding the recipients name on the back tab! Can you see the light woodgrain on the embossed deer? That was a happy accident as I was just adding a Versamark woodgrain to the whole white panel after embossing and the Versamark showed on the embossing too :)

OK, I am exceeding my limit of 4 photos for the blog hop post, but really, I had to! I hope you all forgive me :) This is an 8x8 scrapbook page, and I can't wait to find the perfect photo for it! The mat is a full 4½"x6½" piece of the Season of Style DSP, and I just slapped some of the Season of Style Washi Tape in the corner. I used a sheet of Whisper White Core'dinations paper, embossed a scrap with the Stylish Stripes folder, then sponged in Crumb Cake. This panel was then placed behind the DSP mat. I could not resist doing some stitching on this page. It just needed that extra texture. I will try to take a better photo during daylight as this was as bright as I could get it without wrecking the photo :)

Now, it is time to go check out the rest of the hop! Next up is Twila where she will wow you with A Banner Christmas!

Supplies:
Snowman Flip-Flop Card

InLinkz.com

All I Want For Christmas Card

InLinkz.com

Woody Deer Card

InLinkz.com

Oh What Fun 8x8 Page

InLinkz.com