More cards

Here are a few cards I created this month from various inspiration sites. Only the first one is being entered in a challenge. I missed the deadline for the last two by a week or two. 

This was was based on Sketch~N~Scrap card sketch.

 It was made just from three project Life cards, a doily and twine. 

Supplies: journaling cards (Project Life), doily (Doodlebug Designs), twine (Timeless Twine), stamp (Studio G) and embossing powder (Stampabilities) 

   This card was a just for fun project. I wanted to use the last scraps from Lillybee Designs papers I have been hoarding the last couple of years. I am sorry to say it is all gone because they are no longer in business. 

Pattern paper (Lillybee Designs), doily (SRM Stickers), sticker (My Mind's Eye) and die cut (My Mind's Eye)

The next two cards were created from sketches from CAS(E). I don't usually play with their sketches because the are not my style but this year I want to dabble in more cleaner cards. 

This was sketch #109

Supplies: cardstock (American Crafts), washi tape (Studio Calico and Doodlebug Designs), doily (SRM Stickers), stamp (Studio Calico), stickers (Basic Grey), ink (Memento) and sequins (Hazel & Ruby)

This is based on their sketch #107.

Supplies: (pattern paper (Pink Paislee), washi tape (Doodlebug Designs and Studio Calico), stamps (Studio Calico), embossing powder (Gel-a-tins), ink (Close to My Heart and Memento), sequins (Tree House Studio), punch (EK Success)

Birthday Celebration

   Last Saturday, my family and I celebrated a special birthday for our 14 year dog, Buster. I am shocked he is that old already. I remember the day we called the local newspaper ad to claim our pup. 

   His gifts were a this cute hedgehog I got at Petsmart after Valentine's for like a buck. That way when he ripped it in five minutes I didn't feel like it was a waste of money. I also made a heart toy for him. That toy I knew would last. 

    Here is his little table/party area. In his bowl was some doggy ice cream I made, aka frozen yogurt and peanut butter. He also had a little dog cookie on top of it. He loved it.

    Here he is enjoying his hedgehog.  After a ten minute shew, there was a ripped nose and arm. Even though he is 14 he still chews like a pup.

Farmhouse Color Challenge

   Every week Canvas Corp Brands highlights a color palette. This week's palette is inspired by Farmhouse. I played along this week and added my own tweaks to it. As in instead of a deep green I went with a brighter version. 

  

Supplies for Canvas Corp Brands

Pots & Pans ivory

Sangria- Glimmer Glaze 1 oz

Mantis- Chalkboard 2oz

Rich Brown- Plain Jane Simply Sheer 2oz

Santa's Journey 8x8 Paper Pad (48 sheets)

Take Our Breath Away Gypsy Moments

Chocolate & Ivory Dot Reverse

Recipe Card Farmhouse Kitchen Tags (10pc)

Printed Tags - Gourmet

 Other supplies:

kraft cardstock (The Paper Studio)

doily (Doodlebug Design) - not in photo

mask (Prima)

pom-pom trim (Simplicity)

I am going to share with you the steps on how to create this page. 

Step 1. Mist the background paper with the Plain Jane mist. Splatter the Mantis chalkboard mist. Highlight some of the baking terms and items with the glaze.

Step 2. Add your cardstock and pattern papers.

Step 3. Mist the doily mask with the Plain Jane and chalkboard mists.

Step 4. Adhere polka dot paper and burlap. Use a nice thick liquid glue to adhere the burlap.

Step 5. Use the same glue to adhere the tags onto the fabric area. You can use regular adhesive for the one that is touching the paper.

Step 6. Tie twine to the recipe card and slide behind the top layer of pattern paper. This will be where you can write your recipe out on or the journaling.

Step 7. Add my all time favorite embellishment, a doily.

Step 7. Adhere mat and photo.

  This page is about a new recipe I found on Pinterest for Quinoa Pudding, think rice pudding. I made it last year for my mom on Mother's Day. She loved it.
   I would love to hear from my readers on how you like the step-by step photos on how I created my projects. Is there too many pics or steps, should I combine steps, etc? Am input is greatly appreciated.

KC Images

  To give you a better understanding of keratoconus, searched the web for kc vision simulators. Because I only have it in only my left eye this is only half of the image my brain was receiving. Luckily. 

   The first one is an eye chart. My sight in that eye was actually a little worse than the 3D column. I couldn't see that chart at all at the eye doctor. Yes, I ended up freaking out a little bit when this first happen. But since the contacts it is better. I currently have 20/70 vision. With my new ones that I am picking up today I will have perfect 20/20 with both eyes. I will have a very slight ghosting image still but nothing that would be any bothersome. Also, with the contacts I will be able to leave more blog comments on blogs that have word verification. Yeah. I follow so many blogs but rarely leave comments do to the hard time seeing the codes.  

In this image my vision was in between the second and third image. 

   This is why I gave up reading. It was getting tiresome reading a book with just my good eye and the book up to my face. 

    I am not doing this to get any sympathy but to share my journey and give awareness to this eye disease that is hard to explain. 

Capturing Life

   Since becoming so involved in work with design teams I like to make a page after the year to document my favorite project for each team I was on for that year. Last year, I had the honor to work on three teams, Child's Play Challenges, Scrapbook Challenges and Simple Sketches. Because I am mostly a single page scrapper I knew I need three photo sketch and I came across one from
My Creative Scrapbook  I am also adding this in Scrapbook Circle's current technique challenge: rub-ons. Like most people I have a hate relationship with them but I do have a couple of brands that I have found that work, Studio Calico, My Mind's Eye and sadly the no longer in business Hambly Prints.

http://mycreativesketches.blogspot.com/2015/02/february-sketch.html

   Here is my take on it. I am entering this in Crafty Steals current monthly challenge - grid, Scrapbook Circle's technique challenge - rub-ons  and My Creative Scrapbook sketch challenge

Supplies: cardstock (The Paper Studio), pattern paper (Echo Park), washi tape (Hazel & Ruby, Studio Calico and Scotch Brand), journaling cards (Project Life), doily (Doodlebug Design), stamps (Deep Red Rubber and Studio Calico kit exclusive), stickers (The Robin's Nest), electronic die cutter and cartridge (Provo Craft), rub-ons (Hambly Screen Prints), ink (Memento), gelato (Faber-Castell), tags (Elle's Studio), wood veneer (?), sequins (Tree House Studio). sewing machine and white thread. 

   On this page, I went a little washi tape crazy. The background is a piece of kraft cardstock covered in washi tape. I ended up using four different rolls. I am addicted to that stuff and I don't see it leaving my stash any time soon.  This page documents last year's design team projects. I did projects for three different teams and I picked a favorite from each team used those photos.  

   I was inspired by the pattern paper collection I used on this page. It is by Echo Park and it is called Capture Life. 

   I normally, would avoid the rub-ons but I knew I had some doily ones that I wanted to use on this page. These things are super old and I was shocked they worked. On the wood veneer flowers I colored it with gelatos, stamped it and layered a rub-on on top of it.

Here is a close-up on the journaling. I love Project Life cards for my journaling on layouts. I am not a Project Lifer but I do have a little stash of these super pretty cards. Yes, I might also be addicted to those too.

Jumpsuit Divas- SBC #429

Today, is another great reveal day over at Scrapbook Challenges the current sketch #429.

   This page was a fun one to put together. I dug through my mom's old photos and found this trio that begged to be scrapped. I thought it was a perfect subject to scrap now because jumpsuits are such a hot trend again. 

Supplies: cardstock (The Paper Studio), pattern paper (Crate Paper, Echo Park and Webster's Pages) , flair (Studio Calico kit exclusive), washi tape (Doodlebug Design), doilies (Doodlebug Design and SRM Stickers), border punch (EK Success), stickers (American Crafts and electronic die cut machine and cartridge (Provo Craft).

   To create the "jumpsuit" title I welded the letters in the Design Studio software for the Cricut. I really need to start using my baby bug more because I love the welded letters.  

                           

Living with KC

   This post is going to be different than my usual craft project sharing ones. Today, I am going to go on a more personal note.
 
   Four years ago, I went to get new glasses because my frames were broke and my prescription was 10 years old. I went to the mall to a Len's Crafter's and the lady had a hard time finding the right lens to correct my vision in my left eye. She referred me to Lansing Ophthalmology because she thought I had keratoconus (coned cornea). I never went buy the end of that summer I was seeing double images with that eye. Now, you would think I would have went then and there but I didn't because after searching online I found there was no cure for it and that the only way to help correct it was to wear contact lenses and I didn't want to do that because my eyes were so dry already and I didn't think I could if my eyes were any drier.

   As the vision became worse, I learned how to work around my handicap. I closed my left eye when I did close-up work in my crafting hobbies (I was so happy when my sewing machine self-threader working again), I stopped reading books because I couldn't see the words without the book in my face, I never got my driver's license because my night vision is so bad and I am so sensitive to bright light and watching television also required a little trick. I use to lay on my left side so I could only see the screen with my right eye.

   In December 2014, I knew once the holidays were over I needed to go get my eyes checked out. I was starting to notice I was only using my right eye when I did anything. I went so long not using my left eye I was actually, training my brain to not use it. Also, my vision in distance and decreased considerably since four years ago. I was once standing 15 feet away reading a sign and now I was 2 feet away reading the exact same thing.

On January 10th, I got my diagnosis confirmed I had keratoconus (KC). My doctor ordered me RGP lenses and said I need to wear these instead of glasses. Ten days later I got my first set and I am going to be completely honest, I hated them. My eyelids were so tender from rubbing on the lenses and I was blinking every second. Since that first week I have grown to depend on my lenses and it is hard to go back to glasses.

   Since this started, I have had one one complete eye exam, four contact lens exams and went back two other times to pick up new contacts. After, each contact exam my doctor had made adjustments to the prescription and shape of the lenses. As of Thursday's exam, my right contact lens is perfect but adjustments are being made for my left eye. That one needs a little more curve and a stronger prescription. In other words, I have at two more visits in the next two weeks.

   I will do a follow-up post next week to share how my vision is now and living with contact lenses since I am use to wearing eyeglasses for 14 years.

A Fusion Card

   Last month, while looking at Amy Tsuruta's blog I came across a great card challenge site, Fusion Card Challenge, that she is a part of their team. I played last month but never posted it in time for the challenge but this month I am making sure that doesn't happen again. When I saw the challenge I thought this was totally me. I am in love with the colors of the room and the sketch was a little different than my usual design. 

   I ended up doing the fusion challenge, that means I used the room (color) and sketch. 

Supplies: pattern paper (Crate Paper and Close to my Heart), doily (Doodlebug), sequins (Hazel & Ruby), washi tape (We R Memory Keepers), punches (EK Success), stamp (EK Success), ink (Memento), sticker (Echo Park).

Cool Little Dude- SBC #428

Monday was another great reveal for Scrapbook Challenges sketch #428. 

   I am actually happy on how this page came out. I was having a hard time with the papers I wanted behind the photos. I first was going to use boy themed paper and they just didn't go well with the my background paper I chose. I know I could of changed that but I already tore it out of my paper pad and I don't like storing papers that are loose from their pad. I know it sounds weird but it is my pet peeve. I seem to always pull out my paper pads to create projects out of just the scraps. 

   Anyway, back on the topic of the sketch reveal. 

 Supplies: cardstock (The Paper Studio), pattern paper (Crate Paper), journaling cards (Project Life), chipboard (Crate Paper), stickers (My Mind's Eye and American Crafts), washi tape (Bella Blvd.), diamond grid (Studio Calico kit exclusive), flair (Studio Calico kit exclusive), mini clothes pins, black thread, sewing machine, border punch (Fiskars) and pen (Project Life)

   The cool little grid was a Studio Calico kit exclusive that I got during their Black Friday sale last year. To make the Project Life cards stand out I just outlined them with a #05 pen from Project Life. 

Thanks for taking a peek on my take and be sure to hop on over to Scrapbook Challenges blog for the full reveal. 

My Style - Canvas Corp Intro

   At the start of the creative crew welcoming we were given a fun challenge to create a canvas the best represent our style. The trick was to squeeze us into a 4 x 4 canvas. That is a small area for me to get my favorite things on but I did. I am going to share step-by-step photos and instructions on how I created my canvas. 

   This was actually my first project I created as a crew member but is the second one I posted. We got to share a little love first with cards. 

   I define me as someone who loves texture, color, get a little messy, layers and is addicted to doilies. 

I am providing links to all my Canvas Corp Brands supplies:

4 x 4 Stretched Natural Canvas

Saffron- Glimmer Glaze 1 oz

Aqua- Stained Glass 1.35oz

Lime- Stained Glass 1.35 oz

Collage Tissue Creme Frames

Canary Chalkboard Glimmer Mist 2oz

Jute Rope Light Natural Hank 14'

Paper Tape: Postale (3 rolls)

Black & Ivory French Script

Black & White Dot Reverse

Black & Ivory Big Dot Reverse

C-Flute Kraft Tiles

Tattered Tangles

Other:

Doily (Doodlebug)

mask (Studio Calico)

modeling paste

liquid glue

 Step 1:
Cover canvas with tissue paper.

Step 2:
Wrap edge with tissue tape.

 Step 3:
Lay mask on top of fluted tile, apply mask and mist with chalkboard mist.

 Step 4:
Adhere tile and doily.

 Step 5:
Adhere tattered tangle. Highlight the words "good" with aqua glass and paint the background with lime glass.

 Step 6:
Cut little banners from paper scraps and adhere them and rope to canvas,

Step 7:
Paint the exposed tissue with the glaze.

   Please head over to the Canvas Corp Brands blog and vote for your favorite canvas. There is a lot of talented ladies there and I am lucky to be sharing my creative journey with them. One lucky creative crew member with the most votes will be given a canvas corp brands gift card so be sure to hop over to the blog and cast you vote for your favorite.

   Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check back for more projects, life updates, and yes, my dog's 14th birthday pics for next Sat.