Use It Tuesday Challenge # 38: Use That Ribbon!

Time to use up some ribbon stash over at Use It Tuesday!

I've bought a few rolls of ribbon here and there in case I ever needed it to finish off a card. I realized I rarely use it. So this is my attempt to really use up some of the ribbon I have had since last year.

Everything on the card is hoarded: Washi tape, ribbon, embossing folder, circle die, distress ink, as well as card stock and black pen (in my stash but I always use these). I'm very happy to be finally using the circle die (won it back in this post). The only reason I didn't use it was because I had to order a thin die adapter for the Vagabond machine which finally arrived in my first Simon Says order a week ago.

The middle of the flower was made by die cutting a circle, embossing it, distressing it, and finding the ink too strong, I ended up taping washi tape over it. The ribbon was then adhered to the back with glue in a flower pattern. I'd like to enter my card into the Moxie Fab Asymmetry Challenge as well.

Can't wait to see what you create with your ribbon stash! Come join in at Use It Tuesday and don't forget to list your hoarded items. Challenge ends Sept 7th.

A Droplet of Upcycling: Envelopes

There is a fantastic challenge over at LESSology where we're supposed to incorporate envelopes into our creations. Knowing me and my saving random papers habit, I do have lots of envelopes lying around. Security envelopes are fantastic as patterned paper so think about saving up those envelopes!

This is what I created. :)

 I finally tried this technique: Colour the heart with Copic marker, go over with Versamarker, then clear emboss it. You end up with a nice little gloss over what you want to emphasize.

 I'm really happy about finally using the circle die that I won a couple months ago too (it took me this long to get an adapter for the Vagabond). Looks like I'll be making a lot of circles for my future cards :)

I'd also like to enter in the retrosketches challenge and Moxie Fab's Asymmetry Challenge.

A Droplet of Child's Play: Pollocky Painting Experience II

I had to break up the previous post to enter this painting into the Simon Says Children's Summer Holidays Challenge. 

My daughter decided to pour the rest of the paint onto the canvas and away went the feet painting!

 I love it. Looks like a flower to me, but could be an ocean or a beautiful movement of colour. 

It's really left up to your imagination to enjoy. :)

A Droplet of Child's Play: A Pollocky Painting Experience

I planned on doing string painting art lesson for my future art class and I thought I'd try it out with my 2.5 year old toddler first. However, string painting turned into a splatter-body-painting extravaganza!

Instead of using the string as intended, my daughter put her hands in the diluted paint and started flinging it every which way. My initial thought was, "Oh no! What a mess!" but I realized it was too late anyway, so I let her fling away. After all, the magic of creativity can't happen without some messes. :)

What a cool splatter effect (even if it was all over the floor, radio, and some toys)!

I love the vibrant tempera paint we used. Previously, we've only used finger painting and acrylic (from this post). The tempera paint we bought was children's grade from an art store so it was non toxic and for the most part, washable. I'd like to enter her art into the Simon Says Children Summer Holidays Challenge. 

All in all, it was really fun watching my little girl paint and she reminded me that art is really all about the process.

Splish Splash Fun

I haven't participated in a card challenge in awhile. Here's a little card to join in the splish splash fun over at Cas-ual Fridays.

I finally received my first order from Simon Says Stamps and while it did take awhile to get here (since I'm in Canada), I'm very happy with shopping online there. I tried out their Circle Border die and it unintentionally caused an impression of dots onto the white paper I had under the blue cardstock. This is the result! :)

A Droplet of Child's Play: Sensory Boxes

I found this super creative mommy blog called Pink and Green Mama that is full of art ideas and kids activities. I loved her idea of making sensory boxes to help "hand eye coordination, fine motor development, and serves as a great sensory processing integration experience." She makes various themed sensory boxes throughout the year. 

I started my daughter with rice and we ended up adding in tissue paper. She says this is the beach and the buttons are seashells. We also pretended the buttons were treasure so she had fun digging them out ;)

She loves the feeling of rice and she even put her feet in it to feel it. It's amazing how on the first day she played with it for 45 minutes just like what the Pink and Green Mama blog said. My husband also seems to love playing with it as much my daughter and I do too :D I guess we're both big children. We've also tried popcorn kernels and I can't wait to try out more variety of materials.

Eggplant Sandwich Proposal

It seems like everyone I know is either getting engaged or married this year. I made a card to match my friend's cute engagement story.

(Sorry blurred out our names)

The story has to do with her boyfriend taking her to the market for the famous eggplant sandwich and then having a picnic except the market was actually closed that day so he had to improvise a different proposal. They went to a nice park instead. Good improvisation on his part as she accepted the ring! (He slipped it on her finger when she was too shocked to say anything so he had to propose again for her to take in the moment lol).

Use It Tuesday #37: All About School

The challenge over at Use It Tuesday is All About School!

It took me awhile to think about this one as I never gave or received any back to school cards before...but I got thinking and I'm sure there were teachers who have given cards to me.

Wouldn't this be a sweet card to get on the first day of kindergarten? I think I'll be saving this one for another 2 years and give it to my daughter :)

A few weeks ago, I finally got the quilling tool but I haven't used it till now. For the past year, I've been quilling with a toothpick and boy, what a difference this tool makes! If you're interested in getting into quilling, check out this wonderful tutorial from the talented quiller, Sandy Diaz. Other hoarded items include: black cardstock, coloured paper I bought for cutting into strips and quilling, Copic marker, even the lined paper (had it since I was a kid!)

Then I thought my best memory about going back to school is always the 

back to school 

SHOPPING!

Just a fun way to slip in some $ for a little shopping :)

Everything on this card is hoarded. One hoarded item is the Copic markers that I got a few months ago but never use enough of. Since I don't have too many stamps and certainly not a backpack stamp, away I went with drawing out the backpack and still learning how to use these markers.

To help keep the money inside the backpack, I made a little pocket out of an old envelope.

From the corner of the envelope, I cut it into a rounded shape to fit behind the backpack and taped together the open end of the envelope (would be left side of envelope in the picture).

 Then I glued the envelope behind the backpack and then to the card (sorry forgot to photograph last step!) Hope that makes sense. I would also like to enter the backpack card into the Fun with Envelopes Challenge over at Lessology.

Whew, and that ends my lengthy post. Come play along with us at Use It Tuesday and dig up some of those crafty stash! Don't forget to mention the hoarded items in your creation. I can't wait to see what you create! Challenge ends August 24th. 

Warm wishes

A get well card...

 The card base is from a premade card template from Studio G which I seem to still have since last year and have only used it once before this.  

 Inside the card...

 I found the sweet little rhyme from this site.

Christmas in July...err, August!

I've been meaning to participate in Isha's Challenge over at Do More for Less where we're making a project based on packaging as well as using a masking/distressing technique. I have so much packaging saved for this challenge but it looks like I only have time for the one card for now.

This was packaging from way back in Christmas but I guess we just never finished these crackers -_-

And this is what I created!

 Inside the card...

 The trees are made from DIY washi tape and the tree stumps are actual washi tape. I'm also happy to say that I used my only winter sentiment stamp hoarded from 2 years ago (came free with my only copy of the Paper Crafts magazine).

I'm also finally participating in the challenge over at Friday Mashup (Christmas in July). I've been following this blog for awhile now and I really like it. There's two topics or techniques but also an option to mash it up the two topics together-brilliant!

Happy August Everyone! :)