Getting Messy, Summer and Scraplift

So this week, I decided to try to combine three challenges!!!  And I have to admit, it was a little daunting at first figuring out exactly how to do it.  I had many ideas floating around in my head, but they all seemed too complicated.  And of course, I waited til the last minute for one of the challenges to finish it. 

The Paper Girls challenge was to get messy - that was pretty easy to figure out, it was just what shape I was going to mask. 

The Crop Chocolate challenge was to celebrate summer, and it had to incorporate water - that was easy, I had pictures of my DS from swim lessons last year to scrap. 

The third was a challenge from two of the ladies at Crop Chocolate - to scraplift a LO they did on a retreat they went to.  The LO included a large heart made up of different size circles of different colors and patterns.  You can see the LO and the story behind the challenge here.  This was the hard part.  I didn't really want a heart on a swim page, so what shape could I use????  At first I was thinking wave, but I got scared off by the sharpness of the wave end (yes I'm a wuss sometimes).  Then since I picked pictures of my DS going down the water slide, I thought: what about a splash shape? 

So I went into my Silhouette library and found a perfect splash shape and cut two different sizes.  The large one I used as is, and added the word SPLASH on it.  The smaller one I used as a mask, and then added also to balance the LO.  Within the masked area, I added buttons, and punched circles to create the splash.  At first I didn't really like how it turned out, but then I decided that maybe adding some depth to some of the circles might help.  So I added some glossy accents to some of the smaller circles.  Here is a close up of the "splash".    I still not thrilled with it, and I'm wondering if it's because I tried mixing the buttons and the paper.

I also used the ink and sponge on the edges of the argyle paper to diffuse it a little bit against the rest of the patterns - it was standing out a little too much for my liking without it.

Here is the finished project.  I think overall, I like it.  I just need to practice more on using circles to make other shapes (and some shapes are harder than others to do). 

Products used:  Silhouette, EP Sweet Summertime 12x12, Bazzill blue cardstock, TH distress stain - chipped sapphire, BG buttons, SU brilliant blue ink, circle punches, AC thickers - patchwork, Glossy accents.

Paper Girls #13 - Birthdays

So after a tough challenge last time, Paper Girls decided to go easy on us (well at least me) this time.  They are at #13, and they went with a theme of Birthdays!!!  Now who doesn't need to create a birthday card or LO.  I know I have quite a few cards I need to make.

So I decided to make 2 cards.  However, these two are going to be another part of the raffle I mentioned last time to support my Pink United team.  So because of the cause, I had to incorporate pink in them.

The first card uses the following products:
Recollections white cs, EP Be Mine 6x6, velum, Deja View Wonderful Words rubons-birthday, Imaginisce to love and cherish flowers, Tattered Angels sunflower glimmer mist, BoBunny All stuck up brad, Bazzill paisley chips, TH iced spruce distressink, TH adirondack raspberry alcohol ink.

The second card (which I happen to like better) uses the following:
Recollections cream cs, Martha Stewart butterfly punch, MME OohLaLa for her 6x6, SU corner punch - ticket, MM celery ribbon, Deja View Wonderdul Words friends and birthday, vellum.

Well, I hope you enjoyed looking.  Come back soon for more items for the raffle.

Mesh for Paper Girls

So the Paper Girls Challenge this week (#12) was to create a project using mesh.  Well, this one stumped me a little bit.  I had never thought about doing something like this before, but I couldn't ruin my streak with their challenges now.  So, as I looked at their DT's examples, I got inspired by one of them - Amber - she used the mesh as a mask for misting.  So I tried this to.  I don't think mine turned out quite as well as hers did, partly because I think I was using a finer mesh than she did.

We had just finished a bag of clementines, so I snagged the mesh bag, cut it open and sprayed my glimmer mist over it onto my card stock.  You can see where the remainder of the glue from the label was, but I knew I would be covering that part, so I wasn't upset.

After I let that dry overnight, I started stamping different sentiments that lend themselves to the SGK 3-Day banners that are carried throughout the walks.  The intent of this project is to put it into a frame and use it as a raffle prize to raise money for my team's (Pink United) participation in the 60 mile walk through DC this year.

Then I cut out a couple sentiments using my Slice and adhered them using pop-dots.  Then I stamped the words "everyone deserves a lifetime" (one of SGK's phrases), fussy cut them, and mounted them on darker paper, and used pop-dots to adhere it to the cardstock.  Then I added some pink ribbon brads and some clear flowers to add some interest.  I still feel like something is missing, but I'm sure that will come about as I look at it and think about it.  I just needed to step away at this point.

Products used:  SU Naturals white cs, Slice, Think Pink design card, Expressions Family design card, FP Doodles and Things stamps, SU pink passion ink, SU regal rose ink, Tattered Angels sunflower glimmer mist, Clearly Wordsworth Happy stamps, MME Stella and Rose Hazel "memories" stamps, Recollections Doodle birthday stamps, brush markers, MM Fa La La stamps, OT BC stamps, OT BC brads, MM flowers bright glitter clears.