Layered Turtle

Any of you who follow my writing blog (at www.lorirobinett.wordpress.com) know that I am a turtle lover. When I redid my bathroom last spring (who am I kidding . . . it's STILL a work in progress!), I allowed space for some artwork. Now that a year has passed, I decided it was time to make something for that room. Since I love turtles and I associates turtles with water, it seemed like a turtle on canvas was a good way to start. I spritzed a stretched canvas with Heidi Swapp ColorShine ink in green and blue, then I cut out a turtle in layers using my Gypsy and Expression. The top layers were run through my Cuttlebug to give it some texture. I adhered it down using my Scotch ATG (love, love, love that thing!) and painted the turtle with ModPodge (which I think I got at Soul Sentiments, my LSS). The effect turned out incredible. The legs of the turtle curled just a tiny bit. The whole thing has a textural, modern look. I love it. And this photo doesn't begin to do justice to it! I love the way he swims along my wall!


This was my third (?) project using canvas. Have you made anything with canvas - if so, please comment below and let me know what you did and how it turned out!

Scrapbook Layout: Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve Snow . . .

 

Karen at The (Paper) Trail Challenge Blog issued a challenge a couple of years ago that was perfect - we had seen more of the white stuff than I wanted all winter long! But our first really good snow that year was on Christmas Eve. We drove through the country to visit my parents that day and the snow was so beautiful, we stopped so I could snap a few pictures. The January kit from the Paper Trail had everything I needed - the Echo Park Wintertime papers formed the perfect base, and the Prima stud frame really sets the title off well. The snowflakes from the Echo Park stickers cascade down from the title, drawing the eye to the snow picture and the adorable snowman. These stickers are perfect for layering to add depth and texture. I used blue stickles on the paper to add a little bling, and the snowflake (center of the large snowflake) and the "buttons" on the snowman provided a little more bling, then the puffy ribbon layered over a border sticker form the base for the entire layout. Oh - and a tip to add a little visual interest to your photo - if you usually mat your photos, change it up every now and then by doing an asymmetrical frame, like I did here. I love the formal look of matting, but sometimes a more casual look is better!

I love looking back at pages that I did previously. With this one, I love the texture, and the layering.Do you ever look back at your past layouts? If so, what do you think of your old layouts?

Cricut Imagine

I went to a crop over the weekend and a topic of discussion was the "next big thing" from ProvoCraft. If you follow blogs at all, you probably know by now that it appears to be the Cricut Imagine, which appears to be something that prints and cuts. Supposedly there are tickets in cartridges - similar to the other PC promotions that we've seen in the past. We haven't even seen a demonstration of this new machine, but the buzz is there. The excitement is there. The anticipation is there.

But will it deliver? I don't tend to buy something as soon as it comes out, because I generally have to save up for an item and I am always cautious about getting something that may still have bugs. I fully expect the Imagine to have bugs (no pun intended), but the idea is intriguing. If this thing is for real, here is my wish list:

1. I want an all-in-one unit so that I can get rid of my printer and get rid of my Cricut (or at least leave it packed so that I can take it to crops). I want it to print, scan, copy, and cut.

2. I want the printer to be wide format. I'm dying to get into digital scrapbooking, but the need for a 12" printer has held me back.

3. I want the cartridges I have and the Gypsy I adore to be compatible with it.

4. I want it to be expandable. I am so tired of a disposable society where we buy new printers instead of an ink cartridge, where DVD players are tossed because BluRay is the next big thing. Think of this as a long term purchase and I'll be willing to spend more for it.

So, there's my wish list. Now, if I could just find someone to deliver one of these cool new machines to my stocking in time for Christmas . . .

(Paper) Trail Makers Design Team Announcement

I am so excited! The announcement was made today . . . I was selected to serve as a Design Team member for the (Paper) Trail Makers Challenge Blog! (also take the time to check out the Paper Trail store - great site!) Six members were selected for a six month term. As some of you know, I've been scrapbooking for over a decade, and enjoy cropping and scrapping in my spare time. Over the past few months, it occurred to me that I could - and should - combine my two passions (writing and scrapbooking), so I began to investigate ways to build my scrappy resume. Becoming a Design Team member became a goal. When I read the call for this particular team, I knew it was a perfect fit for me, for leaving a paper trail of my life (and my family) is exactly why I scrapbook. So, I worked to complete the challenges and submitted my layouts . . . and then wondered why I had tried. Then, I got the offer! Yea!!!

I am really looking forward to the opportunity to work with such talented individuals, and to exploring and developing my own talents. I hope you'll take the time to check out the blog - Karen does a great job, and all the Design Team members are extremely talented.

By the way, I celebrated last night - popped a bottle of wine and sat down to browse the most recent Creative Memories catalog. More on that in another post.

And another note: check out the card I put together tonight. The handwriting was a bit of a challenge to myself - I don't like my own writing, but I am attempting to use more of it in my creations.

Taking the plunge . . .

I went to the Altrusa crop about a week and a half ago, and discovered that I was better prepared for this one than I had ever been before. I'm going to a weekend crop in a couple of weeks, and that one will require even more preparation. Here are my tips for going to a crop, in no particular order:

• Pictures - browse your printed & digital pics, pick the ones that inspire you and sort them. I use a sorter from Creative Memories, but there are lots available. Don't get too carried away here, but do take about twice as many pictures as you anticipate being able to scrap. The idea is to have enough pics so you can pick and choose what inspires you once you get there. Bonus tip: do not do one particular album only - you'll need some variety!
• Basic Tools - I have doubles of my necessary tools and keep them in a tote that is always ready to go at a moment's notice. It should include: adhesives (different types: glue stick, glue runner, pop dots, etc.), scissors, a paper cutter, Crop-A-Dile, ruler, hole puncher.
• Big Tools - Cricut, Gypsy, Cuttlebug (don't forget the accessories that go with them!)
• Papers - choose an assortment of colors and types, a couple of each. You don't need to take every piece of paper you own.
• Embellishments - Again - don't take everything. Choose the basics that you are most comfortable with (ribbons, buttons, eyelets, brads) and a few that you've been meaning to try but haven't gotten around to yet.
• Idea Books - use a couple of old standbys, and grab that new magazine that you haven't had a chance to read yet.
• Small Notebook - this should be one of those little notebooks like you used to keep track of assignments when you were in school. These are great for jotting out journaling before you put it on your page, to write down the phone number or email address of a new friend that you meet, and to sketch out pages.
• Comfy Stuff - wear clothes you're comfortable in and layer so you can adjust to the temperature of the room. If you're going to be cropping all night, a pair of slippers comes in handy, too!