Travel Photos

 

It’s that time of year that everyone’s itching to take to the roads and the skies.  We love to travel, even if it’s just a road trip on a long weekend.  For my birthday this year, we drove to Memphis and spent a few days sightseeing and trying our luck in Tunica.  Of course, I have plenty of travel-themed papers and embellishments, but wanted to challenge myself on this layout to not use those.  And because this particular layout was about a tour of Graceland, I especially wanted to see if I could do it without the embellishments that you’d expect to see on a layout about Elvis – music notes, etc.  I kept it pretty simple, but added a few gems and stars as a nod to his showmanship. 

  
   

Graceland by Moanica Caston.  Patterned Paper, sticker, stars and gems: My Mind’s Eye; Cardstock: American Crafts; Striped tape: Bella Blvd;  Alphas; American Crafts Thickers.

I hope you have some travel plans coming up this summer.  But even if you just have a “stay-cation” right at home, think outside the box on how you scrap those photos.  Travel safely!

Moanica

Layering with your Stamped Images

Hello Everyone.. Wow another Month as come and gone. I wanted to share a couple of cards I made with some of my all time Favorite Images from "The Greeting Farm".. I have a fun technique to share you with  today " Layering and or Paper Piecing". (I had a hard time deciding what was the best word to use. 

 These are Two of there stamp set called "Sitting Cute and Sitting Casual". I made the two cards layering images on top of each other to create a fun "Inter active Scene and create a whole new image with your stamp.

Here is a picture of the cards I made,, Each images come separate so that you can have them sitting on there couch, or by them selves. I think that layering or paper piecing a stamped images gives it such a different look and pattern that you could NOT get with just coloring alone.

I chose my DP.......For this one I used "My Mind Eye- Paris & Co.  I stamped my couch on a piece of white card stock, then I stamped it on a piece of my DP too. I cut out the image on the DP. and Layer it on top of my card stock. I use my Two way Zig Glue Pen and just glue it right on top. Then I cut out my image on the white card stock.

 Here is what it looks like once I have finished it. If you look at my cards I stamped the couch on a separate DP and I cut out the two cushion to add even  more color palate to the couch.

 You also get a really cute "throw pillow" stamp too that I stamped in two different color DP and cut out.. I layered those on my cards.

 Here is  my first card. This is Sitting Casual Ian from the Greeting Farm. This a great stamp set for your Husband or son, to celebrate everything from their Birthday to their favorite Sport team. I used Kraft Card Stock and DP from  My Mind Eyes "Fiddlesticks".  The Strip paper is Wall Paper and the Wood grain Paper makes a great flooring.  I just love the plaid couch,, looks like it really belongs in a Man cave. I colored up Ian with my Prisma  and OMS. cut him out and used pop dots to set him on his favorite "chair".

 I love to add something to the inside of my card. So I used the same DP and just stamp the Chair.. As you can see it's perfect just by it self.

For my second card I used "Sitting Cute" Anya. don't' you just love her "pony tails" I created a little room scene for her. Again you see the couch. where I added more colors with with the cushions. as though she can almost lean against them. I layered the two flower pillows on top of each other and added a little Prima flower. To create my Picture fame I got a "stamped image (looks like a frame") cut it out.. I added a Brad, as though it was nailed in the wall and used some "bakers twine and glued to the back of my image to show as the Picture was hanging.

And here is the Inside of the card.. I stamped the Couch in Memento Tuxedo Black ink. as is and added the 

Sentiment. 

I really hope I have inspired you to try maybe some Layering or some Paper Piecing..with your stamp images and create some thing different.. If you do Please leave a link to your blog or Picture gallery as I would love to come by and visit. 

Happy Crafting

Sharette

Croptober Fest 2012

Join me for a weekend getaway(Hagerstown, MD) of uninterrupted craft time.  You'll meet new people, possibly learn new tricks and techniques, and just maybe get some projects completed.  There are 3 packages to choose from (hotel room not included):

Package A: 3pm Thu - 3pm Sun $75

Package B: 9am Fri - 3pm Sun $65

Package C: 8am Sat - 3pm Sun $55

Packages include:  24hr access to our 2000 sq. ft. room with your own 6 -8ft table, goody bags, door prizes, drinks and snacks, and make 'n takes throughout the weekend.

Email me for details:  cassiescraftcafe@gmail.com

Texas Scrapbooking Retreat - Jun 8-10, 2012!

Hi Ladies, Please come out and have a great time scrapbooking, cardmaking or just finishing up some projects you started. There will be giveaways also. Please contact me via email so that I can send you my address for payment. The price will be $144. So please lets make this a success. Payment will be due by May 1, 2012. We all need a break. Check in is at 10:00am on Friday and Check out is at 3:00pm on Sunday: Meals include dinner on Friday, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner on Saturday and Breakfast and Lunch on Sunday. Please feel free to bring snacks and drinks that you would like to enjoy. My email kwannajenkins@comcast.net The Work Area:

Portico for unloading Large well lighted work room Large 4 x 8 ft tables Leather backed adjustable chairs 2 cutting tables 2 over sized 2 x 5 ft ironing boards 2 matting tables 3 foam backed wall boards WiFi also available

Personal Accommodations:

Your own refrigerator, microwave and coffee pot Large dining room with TV and ceiling fans Smoking area under covered porch with sitting area Coffee and tea provided 24 hours a day 5 bedrooms with very comfortable twin beds 2 bedrooms down with their own bathrooms 3 bedrooms upstairs with two showers and two toilets Body wash, shampoo and conditioner provided Licensed Massage Therapist available. Bedding, towels, and pillows provided. Please email Kwanna Jenkins at kwannajenkins@comcast.net.

Frame it- Upcycle

My fascination with old discarded CDs is taking me down more creative paths lately.  Recently, I put together a bridal shower decoration using old CDs and one of my Cricut cartridges.  They came out so lovely.  So I'm following the same path but this time I created a photo frame with this upcycled material.  I took four CDs and adhered them together using my Crop-a-dile, large eyelets and some ribbon.  I centered my precious granddaughter's photo in the middle and used some beading to highlight it.  Then I went wild with fabric flowers and beads.  The center of the white daisies is a button.  I also used the Martha Stewart butterfly punch to add some additional accent.  Then the sparkling green floral is from a spray I have in my stash.  At the top and bottom corners I used rub-ons that spell "granddaughter" and

"memories"  Do you like to upcycle/recycle discarded items?  Show us your stuff.  Tell me what you think of my upcycled frame.

Do You Digi?

Digi-Scrapbook, that is! Hey Everybody, Barb here.  I’ve been getting a lot of questions about digital scrapbooking lately. If you follow my blog posts, you’ll notice that my scrap pages are created digitally. This simply means that I use photo editing software and my computer to put together scrapbook pages.  To some, that may sound real technical, but it really is easy and for some projects it is my preferred method of getting my pages done quickly.

I started digital scrapbooking about 6 years ago. I am mostly self-taught, because back then scrapbooking on one’s computer was not very popular. I fell in love with the art form because I could scrap anywhere; in my car waiting for my daughters to finish dance class, or piano lessons. I could scrap while we were on vacation, even on the airplane, in a fast food restaurant, the library, the park, poolside…literally anywhere since all of the supplies I needed ‘lived’ inside my computer. And I could scrap without clean up! When I was finished with a scrapping session, I simply clicked ‘SAVE’ and walked away from the computer.

 

My traditional scrapbook pages are full of embellishments and lots of detail. I found that I could still get that same effect, digitally, with just a few clicks and without all the bulk. When my friends and family view my digital scrapbook pages, I see them touching the page. They can’t believe there is so much dimension on a ‘flat’ page. Don’t get me wrong, I still LOVE to scrapbook the traditional way, with patterned paper and card stock, but for certain projects, like Our Year With Disney album, where I took over 1500 photos…creating pages digitally was really the only way to get the album completed quickly and beautifully.

click to enlarge

A real plus for me with digital scrapping is the multiple use of products. When I purchase a digital kit or an embellishment, I can use it over and over and over again, it never runs out. This is especially nice because I know I will never use the last sheet of my current favorite paper…so if I’m scrapping at 2am and I need another piece of paper to finish the last page for an album, I simply click it again and I have a brand new sheet, ready to go! And here’s a little secret…the digital papers can be printed out on your home computer and used for card making and traditional scrapbook pages! Yes, it’s true! Just make sure you use quality printer paper and your print out will look just like you bought it from the store. I have done this many times and the results are beautiful. Digital kits are available in just about any theme you can imagine...

This one by Shabby Princess is called Sprout...it's perfect for Easter photos. It would also be a good choice for Mother's Day pictures.

And this one, Black Pearl by Misty Cato, would really showcase those pirate birthday party pictures. And it would also be great for scrapping your Halloween pirate pics.

Another plus for digi-scrapping is the use of Templates. I love templates; I use them all the time. This simply means that I don’t have to use my time designing a page. I just select a template, pull together my photos and digital kit, drag and drop these elements into the appropriate spot and voila! Page is completed. When I use a template, I think of it as a starting point. I usually add things to it to make it my own...embellishments, journaling tags, glitter, stickers or rub-ons. Yes, these elements are available in digital scrapbooking too!

When it comes time to pull together the album or pages, I send my completed work over to Costco. They are well equipped to print out 12 x 12 pages and they do a fantastic job of it. There are some programs that can be purchased to create special bundles for printing. I have one that allows me to put one 12 x 12 layout and two 6 x 6 layouts on the same page, giving me a 12 x 18 sheet. This way, I have a large layout for the family album and two small layouts, one for each of my daughters to put into their albums. In addition to that, I can print off multiple sheets or layouts for family and friends. There is also an option to print an 8 x 8 size, which is my personal favorite.

click to enlarge

If you’ve never tried digital scrapbooking, I encourage you to check it out. Maybe a take an online class with Jessica Sprague or search the sites that are linked above. And don't forget to look thru back issues of E:spire magazine, there are articles and digital FREEBIES in there. If you are a digital scrapper, leave your blog address in the comments, so we can come take a peek at your pages. You will also want to share some of your creations on the Scraps of Color site, which is a GREAT place to be inspired by many talented crafters.  Don’t be shy…we all encourage one another and there are some wonderful projects to view. And we would love to see yours!

There are a lot of photo opps coming up; Mother's Day, weddings, graduations and the 4th of July to mention a few. And having the knowledge of how to digital scrapbook will help make completing beautiful albums a breeze. I hope you give it a try.

Thanks for visiting with me. Until next time...

Celebrate Fitness!

April is National African-American Women's Fitness Month.

"This national event, founded by Shelia Madison of Shelia Madison & Associates is designed to encourage health awareness through physical activity for African-American women. At your home and in your community find creative ways to make healthy activities a part of your daily schedule. The goal of the National African-American Women's Fitness Month is to increase awareness of the health risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle and promote the benefits of an active lifestyle."

So to help celebrate NAAWFM I'm sharing a layout with photos of me running the stairs at my favorite park. Being active is a big part of my daily and weekly routine, I alternate between group power classes at the gym and walking in the park. I love getting in my workout and being outside too.

Body in motion by Tena Ellison

Supplies - Patterned Paper: Simple Stories-Fabulous collection;

Alpha: American Craft;

Ink: Ranger-Tim Holtz.

There are lots of ways to celebrate National African-American Women's Fitness Month. If you live in the Landover, MD area you can participate in the 3k Fitness Fun Walk or you can check to see if there are similar events being held in your area. If not, it's a great time to maybe start your own active event with friends and family. But the BEST way to celebrate is simply by getting up and get moving...remember a body in motion, stays in motion!

How will you celebrate this month? Would love to hear all the ways you're staying active.

Quote excerpt taken from www.sheliamadiosn.com/naawfm

Can Pastels be Masculine?

OK, so when I think of Spring I think of flowers, bunnies and pastel scrapbook paper. The only problem is that I typically do not use pastels in my layouts. But, being the risk-taker that I am, I decided to challenge myself.

So, my goal was to use pastel colors while achieving a layout that is more masculine than feminine. Here is what I did...

• Used black paper to help ground the layout
  
  
• Inked the edges with black ink to add a grungy feel to the layout
  
  
• Avoided rounded corners and soft edges.

Tip: Geometric layouts with a focus on straight lines help to add a more masculine touch.

The Result: Well, I am not sure how masculine it turned out. But, I wouldn't exactly call it feminine either, more like unisex. I guess there is but so much to be done with pastel pink, lavender and baby blue paper.

How would you make a "boyish" layout with pastel paper?

Twice the FUN!

These frames were altered for my sweet five year old cousins for Easter.   Since little girls love pink I thought I would use the DCWC Garden Party Stack.  They were tickled pink to receive them.  It’s amazing how I took a $1 frame from Michaels and made it a treasured keepsake....Now that's priceless.  All I need is their photo.  What have you altered lately?

Supplies:

DCWV Garden Party paper stack

Martha Stewart fringe scissors

Martha Stewart lace edge punch

Robert Jackson digital stamp

Copic & Bic Markits

Prima flowers  

Easter is almost here…

Easter is just days away. Have you created your Easter baskets and treats? I am still working on the baskets for the girls and treats for the Easter party that the girls will be attending this week. In addition to creating for the little ones at school, I also create little special gifts for their teachers. So, I am sharing a few of the sweet Easter treats that I made for them this year. These are super easy to create and a lot of fun as well.



Easter Treats by Karen Jiles. Supplies.Cardstock: Close To My Heart; Acrylic Boxes: Clear Bags.com; Ribbon: May Arts; Butterfly Punch:Martha Stewart; Stickles: Ranger.

Tip 1: Add some glitz and dimension to your embellishments by adding stickles.
Tip 2: Use Clear Boxes as treat containers. They provide full flexibility with color options.

I enjoy creating these so much. There is nothing sweeter than feeling good about your gifts. What about you? What are you creating for Easter?

Have a Wonderful Easter!!

Karen