Shiver Me Timbers!!!

***Swirlydoos August Kit***

AARRGGH ye ole chum bucket!  This was a fun page to do.  The photo was taken at our most recent camping trip.  It was pirate weekend at the campground we went to and it was a lot of fun.  I uploaded the photo to www.photofunia.com and placed my photo on the wanted poster.  The site is so easy to use and best of all it is FREE!    I downloaded a lot of clipart and used a masking tape technique for the circle behind my large chipboard flourish.

The paper is from 7 Gypsies and Creative Imaginations Beloved line.  I covered the large chipboard flourish in the paper from Beloved.  I inked around the edges and then painted a few places with Distress Crackle in Rock Candy.  Once the crackle, well...crackled, I then went back over it with some distress ink and rubbed it into the cracks with my fingers and then lightly wiped it down with a damp cloth so as only to remove the ink on the top and not down in the cracks.

 Next, I created the circle behind the flourish using a masking tape technique.  It is sooooooo easy!  I provided a tutorial and it is right below this post.  Just scroll down a scooch and you'll see it.  I decided to add some rub ons as well.  I was looking to give it a bit more of a rich, pirate-y feel.     I downloaded the pirate coins, map and the Jolly Roger. I cut out thin card board and used that to paste my coins to.  This way they have some substance to them and the paper won't curl.  I then added a little bit of glue in small random places on top of the coins.  This is so that when I used my distress ink on them it would end up going on heavier where the glue is and give the coins a dirty (as in dirt! I know what you were thinking LOL) look to them.  After I used the ink, I added some rock candy stickles to the sails on the ships and little black pearls to the eyes on the skulls.  For the Jolly Roger I decided to glue this to a piece of manila card stock.  I distressed the heck out of and then inked it.  Finally I used a wet distress technique to make it look more like aged linen.  I used a similar technique on the treasure map, only I didn't wet distress it as much.

Those gorgeous blue flowers, and the cute little white ones came in my kit and the black vine was from a past kit.  I threw in some pearls and jewels on the flourish chip board to represent the pirate's booty!  ARRGH!  I also threw in a key and a lock for good measure!  Now, it wouldn't really be a girly pirate if there wasn't any pink......so I added two pink butterflies.

I hope you enjoyed this and that you try the masking tape technique!!!  TFL~

Masking Tape Tutorial

Here is the tutorial for the masking tape technique that I used on my Shiver Me Timbers page.  It ends up looking like old, worn papery-leather. It is soooooooo simple.  Here is what you need:

•  White card stock, or any color really.  I prefer white or manila.
• Masking Tape
• Vintage Photo Distress Ink
• Ink Blending Tool
• Mini Mister (aka My Little Man...get it LOL)
• Smooch Spray (I used Log Cabin)
• Paper Towel

 
The first thing that you do is tear off pieces of masking tape and begin to overlap them in any old random fashion.  Cover as much of the card stock as you think you are going to use, or cover the whole thing so you can make up extra for your stash.

Next, begin using your blending tool and the Vintage Photo Distress Ink to cover the tape.  I apply the ink directly to the tape and then mist a little bit after, and blot.  I know this is backwards from the way we all learned to use our Mini Mister and Distress Inks, but the reason I do it this way is so that I can get the color just right the first time rather than continually repeating the process.  Once I have the tape looking pretty much the way I want it, I mist it in a few places with water and let it sit along the edges of the tape and the grooves so that the color gets darker and sets in.

Finally, I took some Log Cabin Smooch Spray and misted the tape in spots.  I let it go on pretty heavy and while I had the spray in one hand, I had a paper towel in the other and after I sprayed, I used my towel to blot the color and move it around the page.  This gives me the effect of "pitted" spots of color.  Guess what...your done!  Now you can cut it into any shape, distress the edges further if you would like and use it on your page, a card, acrylic, or what ever!  Feel free to experiment with different colors of inks and sprays, paint, or whatever you like.  The possibilities are only limited by your imagination~

The 4th of July

If I had to make a list of my all-time, top favorite photos, this would rank near the top.  This photo was taken on July 3, 2007.  We had my DHs family reunion here at our house.  My DD (on the far left) and her 3 cousins.  They are all 1 year apart, and unfortunately 2 of them live in Florida.  My SIL made matching dresses for the girls and while everyone was trying to get them to all look forward and smile, I was busy clicking away and this is one of those shots.  What makes this all the more special is that my niece, Kasey (3rd from the left) was 3 yrs old in the picture and my BIL and SIL had just found out shortly before making the drive north that Kasey's cancer was gone.  She had been battling cancer since just before she turned 1. Needless to say, this was a very special family reunion, and she is still cancer free!!!!! 

I used Creative Imaginations paper.  I always buy 2 of every paper.  So I took the other sheet and used a die cut I have in my stash as a template.  I flipped it over to use the solid burgundy side of the paper.  Then I took a stamp from my TH Urban Chic collection and used an Adirondack Paint Dabber, in white, in place of ink.  Once I had "painted" my stamp, I then stamped it in random places around my die cut.  I stamped off the page so that only some of the stamp was on, and the rest was on my scrap paper.  When it dried I distressed the edges and then went over the edges with the Paint Dabber.  I then took some scrap blue card stock and using a Nestie SVG, cut a small die cut.  I wanted something that matched my bigger die cut.  I then cut that in half and used the Paint Dapper on those edges as well.  Making sure to carry some of the paint up onto the card stock.  I then used Prima lace to provide another layer of contrast and added a few pearls.  Here is a close up.

I cut leaves using an SVG file on white paper.  I used Bundled Sage and Peeled Paint Distress Ink to color then and then I used a water distress technique to age them a bit more. I used Petaloo flowers and a red ribbon. The little flowers I cut using an SVG and my Cricut.  I used Stormy Sky Distress Ink and Liquid Pearls to give them their centers and streaks down the petal.  For the Dusty Attic branch I used Smooch to give it color and then added my little blue flowers and a few leaves.  I have a few of Lisa Gregory's butterflies on there as well as a small pin.

I hope you enjoy this page as much as I do.  TFL!!!

Busy Camping Summer!

This is the sunrise view I was graced with from our campsite. I loved how the mist was coming up from the lake and the clouds were outlined behind the sun.  Gonna be a hot one! We've gone camping here for 2 years in a row, same site and pre-booked again for next year.  Trail's End at Hinckley Reservoir (which is a decent sized lake).  Our site is way off from other sites and we are on the lake.  If you camp with a 5th wheel (which we have) or a pull behind camper, you know it is rare to find full hook-up sites on the water.  It is so remote and rustic.  We don't even get cell reception!  The weekend we went it was pirate weekend.  Arrgg ye ole chum bucket!  So much fun.  I don't think the pictures do it justice, but it is breathtaking.  So I thought I would share some pics.

These are the views from our site.  Awful...right?  LOL  It was torture to have to endure this for 4 days.  LOL!  We had a set of stairs on our site that took us down to the water.  Oh, so nice.  Last year we had to climb down by holding onto tree roots that were exposed.

This is a pic of one of the smaller sand dunes from the beach.  DD and I went down in the morning before anyone was there so we could have it ALL to ourselves!!!!

I don't think she was having any fun at the beach, do you?  This kid is just so full of life.  She had a blast at the beach, especially with her goggles.  She loved looking around under water.

AARRGGG,,,shiver me timbers!  As I mentioned it was pirate weekend and we got to hear a pirate story told by the camp owners and then were sent off to find gold coins that were scattered on the beach by the pirates that beached there the night before. Did you notice the gold coin in her bandanna? She kept giggling at the thought that her booty was under her hat!  Kids....I'll admit it was kind of silly.  Once we found a coin we had to bring it back to trade it for a treasure map!  We had to solve the riddle and dig on the beach for the booty!!!  What fun.  All of the kids who were at the campground decided that their chances would be better if they worked together and split up the booty.  They found it and they all shared.  It was fun to watch.  Then we were treated with Captain Jack Sparrow (no, not the real Johnny Depp...don't I wish) but someone dressed as him windsurfing with the Jolly Roger attached at the very tippy top of his board.  Can't wait to go back again next year.

Tiny Dancer

Pages in Time Shabby Chic July Style Challenge

Lacee hosts a group called You've Got Style Baby and as a part of that group she hosts a monthly challenge showcasing a different "style" of scrapbooking.  This month it is Shabby Chic.  This is my first attempt at actually trying to do a style, let alone shabby chic.  I'm sure some of my past pages may resemble shabby chic, but it wasn't on purpose LOL!  I hope I'm not insulting someone somewhere who really rocks at making shabby chic pages LOL!  BTW, I don't think I have ever used so much pink before......ever!

There is soooooo much going on with this page, in case you couldn't tell.  I put a lot of time into this one.  First, the photo.  This is my DD about 4 years ago.  She was taking dance lessons and she was having her end of the year recital, her first one.  I made a big deal out of it.  I took her to the hair salon in the village that we go to.  We live in a small town so our hair stylist is like our best friend.  Anyway, we did it up big time.  All of the ladies in the salon were so sweet.  Sherri did her hair in this really sweet up-do and put little baby's breath in it.  So much fun.  I took this photo after her dance recital.  Her Daddy gave her those flowers, hence the little "shy" smile.  Boy am I in trouble!!!

All of the paper used is BG Capella.  LOVE this paper!!!!! I distressed all of the edges and used Vintage Photo Distress Ink on the edges.  I also added this great little music page from a pack of loveliness from Glitz.  I used Vintage Photo Distress Ink on it and then used a wet distressing technique to give it that wrinkled look.  The big butterfly is from the much coveted stash of one gorgeous Lisa Gregory.  I printed it out and then used a light coating of Glossy Accents and then dipped in some glitter flakes.  They look like small acetate flakes.  Then I added some pearls for the body. The smaller butterfly I cut out using my Cricut.  I inked up the bottom a little with Worn Lipstick and then covered it with Diamond Stickles and added some pearls.

  

Along the bottom is a piece of Dusty Attic. I wanted to finish it up so that it looked like wrought iron with peeling paint.  First thing I did was spray it with Log Cabin Smooch spray, then I painted over it with Picket Fence Distress Crackle paint.  When that dried I went over it lightly with Vintage Photo Distress ink and worked it in to the cracks with my hands.  I used a damp paper towel to wipe off the excess ink.  I then added some pink jewels and some really sweet lace along the top.

 

I added some vintage ephemera to the bottom of the photo.  The clock is a cardboard sticker that I didn't peel off.  Instead I cut it out.  I added the pink jewels and then covered the top of it in Glossy Accents.  You can't see it really well here, but in person, it looks like an antique clock face.  The Glossy Accents gives it this really soft glow.  I also added a heart locket.

Now to the vines and the flowers.  The vines and small tear-drop leaves were cut out using an svg file and my Cricut.  I used Bundled Sage Distress Ink on them.  The little white flowers are, of course...Prima.  The pink flowers I made.  I really, super loosely followed a tutorial I found by a super talented lady who goes by the name of Vicky (Simply Paper).  My flowers look NOTHING like hers.  I need some time to practice, but I think they came out just right for this page.  What I did was use an svg file to cut out a 5 petal flower.  There needs to be some separation in the leaves.  I lightly sprayed them with Vintage Pink GM.  I off-set layered 4-5 flowers and curled the leaves.  Then I took some really small pink roses I made using Kaiser Craft paper flowers.  I simply took the paper flowers and glued and smooshed and glued and smooshed until I got the effect that I wanted.  I then took these little flowers and glued them to the center.  

I hope you found something that inspires you and I would encourage you to pop on over to Pages in Time and check out Lacee's group and her challenge.  TFL!!!!!

Sketches of you - July Kit

***Pages In Time July kit****  There was so much great stuff in this month's kit.  My DD wanted to go through everything with me.  So, I let her help me decide what would be used on this page.  I did "do you like this or that" and that is how this page came to be.  Robin Shakoor provided a sketch and as usual I'm really close, but ended up a little off the beaten path.

First, the two photos.  I uploaded them to www.photofunia.com.  This website is soooooo easy to use.  I picked the effect that I wanted, uploaded the photo, saved it to my desktop and then printed it out.  Easy peasy lemon squeezie!!!  The effect I used on these two photos is called pencil sketch; hence the name "Sketches of you".  To me this photo has a bit of a girly, Old West look to it, minus all of the cowboy stuff.  Something about the colors.......hmmmm.

I'm sure that you all recognize the Prima flowers.  In case you don't, they are the little greenish colored roses and that great big, gorgeous gray flower. These flowers came in my kit along with a lot of other gorgeous Prima.

The butterfly is from a file that I have.  I printed out one large and one small, covered it in Rock Candy Stickles and while it was still wet I lightly dusted it in fine white glitter.  I used pewter colored pearls on one and teal on the other. The pewter pearls came with my kit.  All of the flourishes I cut using svg files.  I inked them up and added pearls.   Also in my kit was this gorgeous rub on.  It went so well with the paper that my DD insisted we find a way to use it.  So, I rubbed it on along the right side.  I also used a water distressing technique to give the paper that folded-wrinkled look.

The sketch called for the use of buttons and a ribbon.  My DH's Grandmother had a collection of buttons that was given to me.  All of the buttons on this page are from her collection, even the button in the center of the ribbon.  The wood looking buttons are actually wood! How cool is that?!

Well, I hope you enjoyed this page as much as I did making it with my DD.  I think she has great style and will soon be turning out some gorgeous work of her own!  TFL!!