Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Festive and Fun BINGO: Autumn Mini Album


REMEMBER the people you bought so long ago.
    You saved us, and we belong to you.
And remember Mount Zion, the place where you lived.
God, come walk through these ancient ruins.
    Come back to the Holy Place that the enemy destroyed.
Psalm 74 : 2,3


 Hello and Welcome to the Terrific Tuesday Challenge in conjunction with Cooking with Cricut / Paper Crafting World!  There are lots of wonderfully creative ideas on that blog, great Cutting and Digital files and links to the other Design Team members’ blogs.  I’m really enjoying my time there on the Design Team and am happy to have you visit my blog!

This week we Designers were challenged to come up with a project that coordinated with the BINGO Card provided us.


It’s been a long time since I played that game – or any others – so although I am usually one to ‘obey the rules,’ I am also a bit of an ‘over-achiever’ at times and I inadvertently went a bit ‘over the top’ with this project…  In actuality, I had originally sketched and planned a totally different project to make.  (I’ll use that another week sometime -)  I then happened upon an instructional video online for a Mini Album that looked intriguing.  I decided to use the basic format taught there, but to use of some of my Autumn paper scraps that were left from the past several weeks of projects.  Thus, I’d have my own ‘template,’ which can be changed out for any season or situation!  It also gave me a chance to find some of the ‘flaws’ in the design, which I will certainly change for the next one I do.  The interesting thing was that even though I began with the elements of one row of the BINGO Game, by the time I completed the Mini Album, I realized that I’d used elements in all of the rows – 8 BINGOS!!   *big grin*

Here is the Mini Album I made.  It measures 8” x 3.5’ x 3/8’.  It will fit nicely in a regular business envelope for giving, if need be.   On the front, I made a little bouquet nestled in one of my favorite elements – Yes! vegetable bag ‘lace’!   ;-}



 I have never gone for the Scary aspect of Halloween, but I do enjoy the vibrant colors of Autumn.  (When my children were young, I made costumes depicting storybook characters for them and me – usually in ‘pairs’ for them – Alice and the White Rabbit, Snow White and a Dwarf, Sleeping Beauty and the Prince, Scarlett and Rhett…  I was Cinderella, in my wedding dress, or Mary Poppins…) The four main colors of Halloween have become these in recent years:  Orange, Black, Purple and Lime Green.  I used various pieces of cardstock and paper from previous projects in these colors for this album.  

I used pieces of inked paper doilies, various punches, stamps, inks for the edges of the pages and the elements – cut from papers in the Recollections ‘Haunted Estate’ pad.



 I used the ‘Doily 14pt. Scalloped Circles cffrom CWC/PCW - cut in half - on one of the pages.  



Some of the pages are single pages – some of them fold out to make 3 pages across.  I used an old book page (tea-dyed) for one of them. I made embossed corners to hold some little tags.



 I added various Recollections gems.  I added pockets and tags of various sizes to some of the pages – for journaling or small photos. There are numerous blank spaces for photos or other journaling. 
 



There’s a pocket on the back for journaling/photos – and also adheres the twine which ties the album closed.  I used brads on the front and back for ribbon to be woven through for tying, but decided to use twine as it was smaller and fit through the holes better – and it ‘finished’ the BINGO card!



Have you ever started to do one project – and ended up doing a totally different one?   If you have any questions, let me know!  :-]

Here is the file I used –


If you haven’t stopped over at CWC/PCW, pop over to see what the other Designers have come up with for this Challenge.  Melin also has a FREE file for you this week!





Now YOU make a project with this Theme, link it at CWC/PCW and share it with all of us!  Come again for our Digi Dessert Fridaze – on Fridays!   Also, we are looking for more Design Team Members for our '25 Days of Christmas' - Details on the CWC/PCW blog - so, if you or someone you know might be interested, checkit out!


Friday, October 26, 2012

You Are My Sunshine (...on my darkest days...)


Oh, how sweet the light of day,
And how wonderful to live in the sunshine!
Even if you live a long time, don’t take a single day for granted.
Take delight in each light-filled hour,
Remembering that there will also be many dark days
And that most of what comes your way is smoke.
Ecclesiastes 11 : 7-8




Welcome to Digi Desserts Fridaze in connection with Cooking with Cricut / Paper CraftingWorld !  We, on the Design Team, were to create a project using a Digital File from CWC/PCW for today. 

Here is my card for this week – with a little background information following –




 I recently learned of a FREE (my favorite 4-letter-word!) program to be obtained Online that allows one to be able to make some interesting ‘actions/effects’ on your photos.  (Perfect Effects Free at www.ononesoftware.com)  I have played around with it a bit and decided I’d like to use the program on some of the photos I’ve found here and there and use the ‘changed’ outcomes on some cards or scrapbook layouts.  This week was a ‘perfect’ time to experiment with my Perfect Effects Free.

I had already been thinking/designing what I planned to make for this week’s Digi-project – a card to thank a faithful, Special Friend for always ‘being there’ for me during some hard times.   I’d thought to use the ‘You are My Sunshine dsand a photo.  Then yesterday I read a blog post by Ann Voskamp (www.aholyexperience.com - 10/23/12 – How to Live, Blog, Write) and today I read one by Emily Jones (http://jonesdesigncompany.com/thoughts/beating-a-dead-horse).  Both of these discussed, in essence, our need and freedom to ‘be real’ when we feel we can be - with whom we feel we can and to give others the benefit of the doubt – in that, no one knows what really goes on in another’s life – and it may not be as ‘perfect behind closed doors’ as it may seem on the outside…  Many things can be ‘staged’ for an online presence or even for those we know casually in life.  

I truly appreciate uplifting, positive blog posts and I know there is definitely a place for that kind of thinking and believing!  I do also know that many of our lives are very hard at times – for a variety of reasons and for various time periods.  I often get to feeling worse about things when I look around, read, see, feel that ‘everyone else has it all figured out’ and they don’t have or understand the struggles I have – even as I know I am a Daughter of the King and that He holds my life and me in His mighty hands.  The reality is that sometimes it’s just hard to ‘keep up a good front’ when there is unbearable pain in one’s life.  It’s wonderful to find even one friend with whom one can be ‘real.’  

This all just confirmed my thoughts for this project.  I wanted to use this photo that reminded me of the dark path some of us may have at times, but not in the colors ‘as is.’ 


 I wanted to use this digi-file that represents those who ARE this for us, but not in the colors ‘as is.’


 I first put the digi-file into Perfect Effects Free to see what options it might provide and after several trials decided on this color scheme.


 I then put the photo in the program to see which selection would go with it.  I came up with this –


I then put that photo into my Photoshop Elements 10 program.  I lightened the Saturation to the degree I desired, because I wanted it to be dim and ethereal.  I then set it to Print – sizing it to fit on the front of my card.  I printed it on beige cardstock.  I inked the edges of it, the dark brown cardstock and the card front with Gold ink.  I mounted the photo on dark brown cardstock and then onto the card.


I put the digi-file into my PSE 10 program.  I set it to print and sized it fairly small and printed it on beige cardstock, also.  I cut it out and used Glossy Accents on the features, rays and hearts for a bit of ‘sparkle.’   I cut two sets of petals from beige cardstock, using the ‘Sunflower xl cf’ in my SCAL2 program, sizing it just a bit larger than the sun.  I cut a mat of Burgundy cardstock to match the hearts on the sun.  I inked the edges of all pieces with Gold.  I attached them to each other and then to the card with PopDots to raise them up.  I’d cut the sentiment out, inked and mounted it on Burgundy, attaching it with PopDots.  




I typed the inside sentiment in MS WORD, printed it and then added some stamped leaves in Gold, varying the amount of ink to replicate the scattered leaves in the photo.    




I hope this all was clear, but if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.   ;-}

Another aspect of the two blog posts I discussed above was the thought that we should blog, not for personal glory, but to be used of God for His purpose – whatever that is for each of us.  I truly don’t know if anyone cares for what I offer here several times weekly.  I explained early on in my blogging days that I began this blog merely as a way to document some of what I do and to ‘get out’ some of what is ‘in me.’  I still don’t know where I am going with all of this or its ‘actual worth’ in the scheme of life.  I know that having lived this long, I do know how to do many things – most of them ‘self-taught.’  I know that I have always loved to TEACH and I hope someone learns something from what I do and share here.  I know that my life currently is ‘staged,’ much like the photos that many of us share Online, as touched on in the posts by Ann and Emily.  I know that I love taking the ashes of life and making things beautiful – adding  ‘An Elegant Touch…’ to all that I do.   What I also do know for sure is that I have been tremendously blessed – more than I could ever have anticipated – by those whom I have encountered in various ways this past few years!   Thank You for visiting today!  I appreciate it. 

Here is the FREE digi-file for this week at CWC/PCW.  Be sure to stop over there, if you haven’t already, see all of the other creative projects, get the file, make a project of your own using a digi-file from CWC/PCW and then link it there so we can see it, too!


We are also looking for more Design Team Members for our 25 Days of Christmas coming up soon!  See the info over there and contact Melin if you would be interested in joining Us!  ;-}


Tuesday, October 23, 2012

A Candy Bouquet!


The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God endures forever.
Isaiah 40 : 8



Hello and Welcome to the Terrific Tuesday Challenge in conjunction with Cookingwith Cricut / Paper Crafting World!  There are lots of wonderfully creative ideas on that blog, great Cutting and Digital files and links to the other Design Team members’ blogs.  I’m really enjoying my time here on the Design Team and am happy to have you visit my blog!

Our assignment for this week was to design a 3D project with Candy/Treats as our theme.  I chose to use two of Melin’s cutting files – to ‘disguise’ some delicious Caramel (!!) Tootsie Roll Pops and Caramel Apple Suckers – a bit like ‘costumes for candies’!!  I made a Bouquet of ‘Candy Flowers,’ using the '16 pt. Flower cf’ and the ‘Sunflower xl cf.’

Here is the finished project –








Here are the Ingredients and Directions for this recipe –

Ingredients:

*  A clay pot or whatever container you’d like to use – a recycled jar covered in ModPodged paper would do also – (see my Candle Bowl of last Saturday)
*  Styrofoam to put the completed flowers in
*  Dried grass, moss or something to cover the Styrofoam – I used the black netting from vegetables to tuck in and make it look like ‘dirt’ at the top of the pot.
*  Cardstock of your choice, gems, brush or sponge and inks for inking the edges of the flowers (optional), embossing tool (or the rounded end of a paintbrush or chopstick)
*  A piece of foam (on which to emboss petals and leaves)
*  Tacky Glue and glue gun
*  Some ‘Autumn Berry’ garland sprigs for filler – or something of your choice
*  Ribbon – for bow to decorate front of pot

Directions:

*  Glue Styrofoam into pot with glue gun.  Add moss, grass or mesh to hide foam.
*  Cut the petals and leaves for the flowers.  Ink the edges of all.  I used Gold to catch a glimmer of Autumn sunshine on my flowers.  Originally I’d cut pieces for two ’16 pt. flowers’ – on each of burgundy and rust.  As I worked with the pieces, I decided to alternate the colors on both flowers, as you can see in the photo.
*  Using the rounded end of your embosser or brush, emboss the petals and leaves on the piece of foam – 16 pt. petals so they will ‘round up’ – Sunflower petals so they will ‘round down’ and then turn over and emboss the center so the petals will raise up –
*  Glue petals together in the center with Tacky Glue, alternating layers so they are offset. – Add gems to centers.
*  Attach flowers to suckers and pops with glue gun – attach leaves – put stems into Styrofoam in pot
*  Put berry sprigs – or whatever you choose – around the flowers.
*  Attach bow to pot (tuck into Styrofoam)









Thanks for stopping by!  Let me know if you have any questions –

Now YOU make a project with this Theme, link it at CWC/PCW and share it with all of us!  Come again for our Digi Dessert Fridaze – on Fridays!   Also, we are looking for more Design Team Members for our '25 Days of Christmas' - Details on the CWC/PCW blog - so, if you or someone you know might be interested, check it out!

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Flourished Baroque Candle Bowl


For You, O Lord, are my Lamp; the Lord lightens my darkness.
II Samuel 22 : 29


 Welcome to another Smorgasbord Saturday in connection with Cooking with Cricut / Paper Crafting World!  We on the Design Team are challenged to create something more unusual than the mere cards and layouts that we do so well – something out of the ordinary – ‘out of the box,’ as is currently an oft-used term.

This week I came across several ideas as I was working on other projects and actually changed my mind several times as to the ‘how to implement’ what I hoped for the final outcome.  I wanted something 'rustically elegant,' easy to do and inexpensive to make.  I ultimately decided that the ‘candle jar’ I had been mulling over would be THIS one!

Candle Bowl - unlit


Candle Bowl -lit

Ingredients:

*  a Dollar Store small ‘fish bowl’ (You can use an empty jar, also, as I LOVE to re-purpose those things, as you might know!)
*  remnants of the ‘packing paper’ that the ‘fish bowl’ was wrapped in at the Dollar Store  (!!)
*  my ‘homemade ModPodge’ – made from inexpensive White Glue and water, mixed about 50/50 –
*  the ‘FlourishedBaroque Elements 2 cf’ from CWC/PCW ( I used one of the several elements in the file – sized so that 3 fit around the middle of the bowl)
*  a Tea light candle

Candle bowl - side view

Directions:

*  Tip the bowl upside down on a bottle of some sort, making sure it’s steady.  Paint the bowl exterior with ‘Mod Podge.’  Wrap the light-weight brown Kraft paper – or whatever you have decided to use – tissue paper or a light weight paper of your choice - around the bowl, starting at the bottom of the bowl, smoothing it to conform to the shape of the bowl and meeting the edges at the back of the bowl, overlapping slightly. 

*  Push the excess paper toward the ‘top’ of the bowl inside until the paper is dry.  Either air-dry it for a while, or as I did, use a heat tool/hairdryer to dry it.  Once dry, trim the paper to ‘just over the edge and into the bowl,’ applying a tad of ‘MP’ to affix it to the rim of the bowl.

*  Apply the design of your choice using ‘ModPodge.’  Apply another coat of ‘ModPodge’ to the whole bowl exterior.  Dry it.

*  Cut a circle of paper or felt just smaller than the bottom of the bowl and adhere it with Tacky Glue.


*  Use either a Tea light or small (1 ½”) candle inside the bowl.

Using 1  1/2" candle
Using Tea light












Now it’s Your turn to create something unusual with any one of Melin’s files – then link it over there at CWC/PCW so we all can see!  Be sure to get the FREE files that Melin also offers this week:




There is also a SALE going on there:



Let me know if you have any questions for me – I look forward to seeing Your creativity!