Sweet Wishes

After the last month of making Christmas cards, I have a nice supply of Christmas paper scraps.  So it was super easy to put together this sweet card, especially since the little Candy Cane Bear is one of my favorite images from Di’s Digis, and Di’s current challenge is named “Use Your Scraps.” I used a sketch from one of Power Poppy's monthly challenges to guide my layout. It worked perfectly! (One thing that isn't perfect is the photo corner placement. I didn't realize the one on this upper left corner is so crooked until I saw the photo. That seems to happen a lot. Yet, I do love my photo corners!) 

 

Supplies: 

·   Digi- Di’s Digital Stamps (Candy Cane Bear)

·   Colored with Spectrum Noir alcohol markers and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen

·   Puffy Heart Sticker- Walmart

·   Front Sentiment- “Christmas Music…” from Beccy’s Place Digi Set (Here Comes Christmas)

·   Inside Sentiment- “Thinking of You at Christmas” from Beccy’s Place Digi Set (Christmas Cardinals)

·   Assorted cardstock, doily, photo corners and scraps of assorted Christmas papers from my stash

Entered into:  

Di’s Digi Stamps- Use Your Scraps                                                  

Power Poppy- Creative Confetti- Sketch It Out!  
Polkadoodles Challenge-Week 31 Anything Goes                         

Outlawz Challenge- Festive Fridays                                                

Since I have many nieces who love mermaids, I recently picked up a packet of mermaid papers and ephemera at Hobby Lobby… and this week I took some time to play with its beauty! Patterned papers, torn and layered to create ocean waves, plus a sparkly mermaid tail in the distance creates the main focus. A few sentiments and a sprinkling of sequins finish the card, which went together quick and easy and sure to make a little mermaid lover’s face light up!

 

Supplies: 

·   Mermaid Tail, scales paper and starfish sentiment on the inside- Hobby Lobby Scrapbook Packet

·   Front Sentiment “Swishing By to Say Hi”- Imagine That! Digi Set (Mermaid Swimming)

·   Inside Sentiment- “Wishing you Oceans of Joy…)- Bugaboo Digi Set (Under the Sea)

·   Assorted background papers and sequins from my stash

·   Con-Tact Clear Self-Adhesive Shelf Liner  (Or  Clear Self-Stick Laminating Sheets. There are several options on the web.)

Entered into: 

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge- Anything Goes                                      

Word Art Wednesday Challenge- #450-451 Anything Goes                   

Outlawz Challenge- Twisted Thursday- Anything Goes 

Outlawz Challenge- Crash Your Stash- Sequins

I’ve never been a journal writer, so haven’t gotten involved in the rage of creating journals. However, I do appreciate all the beautiful journals I see across the web. A while ago the daughter of a sweet friend turned 16, and I knew that she would enjoy a hand-crafted journal. So I dug through my stash and found some items that I could use to celebrate her young life! Abbie was borne in China but came to live in the US as a young child and calls it her home. Her parents feel it is very important that she knows is proud of her ancestory… so they celebrate not just Christian and US holidays, but also Chinese holidays and special events. They’ve also made several family trips back to Abbie’s birthplace, so I know that they’ll also appreciate this journal. The journal itself went together pretty quickly. I liked the simple B&W texture of a basic Composition book that I found in the school section at a local Walgreens. I layered black and red cardstock to the front section of the journal to cover the lettering and create a nice backdrop for the journal’s focal point- a lovely old scenic print that I found in a small frame at a local thrift shop. I added a square of floral Origami paper behind the scene. After a bit of experimenting, I liked the look of placing it diagonally across the journal. After adhering all of these layers, making sure all points and corners were securely attached (since I knew the journal might get a lot of use) I created the Chinese coin embellishment that would be wrapped across the front of the journal. This coin was in my dear Mom’s jewelry box, which I inherited. It fit perfectly with this journal. I threaded gold cording through the holes then using an Exacto blade, cut a small hole in the binding near the upper left corner of the scene. After carefully threading the cording through, I positioned the coin, then taped the ends down on the cover's inside with gold Washi tape. I stamped small Chinese symbols to add some text to the journal. For the finishing touch, I traced a large round Chinese symbol from a vintage wall hanging to create a template, which I used to draw the symbol onto metallic gold gift wrap. After fussy-cutting the symbol I attached it to the journal with adhesive then secured it in place by cutting a large circle of clear peel and stick adhesive that I carefully positioned over it and then pressed in place.

Supplies: 

·   Composition Book- School section of any store!

·   Sketched tree image- found at a local Goodwill

·   Chinese Symbols “love” and “longevity”- Hero Arts wood mount peg stamps (retired)

·   Floral Origami paper, gold gift wrap, and a Chinese coin from my stash

·   Large round Chinese symbol is copied from vintage wall hanging

Entered into:  

Simon Says Monday Challenge- Art Journal