Kitty Love

Hi all! I fall in love with a new (to me) stamp company about once a week and one of my newest obsessions is the Unity Stamp Company.  I adore their sentiments, beautiful flowers and, of course, their kitty stamp sets!  Plus, they really know how to throw a great sale. They have a few adorable cat sets, one of which I used to make this card.

What I Used to Make my Card:
White Card Base
Unity Stamp Set . . .Really Kitty, UK-1009A
Embossing Ink
Detail Black Embossing Powder
Watercolor Paper
Distress Markers in Mermaid Lagoon, Pumice Stone, Hickory Smoke, Festive Berries
DCWV Luxury Stack, 4.5" x 6.5" (available online)
Hero Arts Stamp & Cut, Love, DC175
Die-Namics (MFT) Stitched Oval Stax
Pop Dots

First thing I did was I stamped the kitty with embossing ink onto the watercolor paper and embossed the image with detail black embossing powder.  I water colored the kitty, and the hearts, using Distress Markers and then the image sat on my desk for weeks.  I really love how it came out and I just wasn't sure what I wanted to do with it yet.  Another thing that had been hanging out on my desk was the decorative paper from DCWV Luxury Stack.  I had picked the pink paper to go with another project and it languished on my desk, getting moved to one spot or another.  Finally, I HAD to do something with the kitty (I was getting nervous that I'd ruin it somehow; drop some ink on it, get some marker on it or drown it in coffee, so I cut out the cat using the Stitched Oval Dies and used a die two sizes larger to cut the patterned paper.  Using the small scrap left over from the oval cut, I die cut the word "love".  I attached the cat panel onto the decorative paper panel and positioned the "love" cut out so that, hopefully, it appeared that it was attached to the patterned paper.  Finally, the panel was pop dotted onto the card base and my card was born.  

As simple as this design is, I am really pleased with how the card came together.  I have only used a few pages of the DCWV Luxury Stack and I am trying to use it more - the paper is very thick and looks like the coating is pearlized.   Perhaps my post will inspire you to use a long neglected paper in your next creation.  Have a great day! Christi

I would like to enter my Kitty Love card in the following challenges:
Dream Valley Challenges - #153, Our Four Legged Friends
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Spring Inspiration Board (I used the kitty)

SUYP Challenge - M #17, Furrything Goes or Easter
2 Crafty Critter Crazies - M #1, Must Feature a Critter
Crafting When We Can - #141, Animals
Crafty Catz - #366, Anything Goes w/ Option of an Animal
The Sisterhood of Crafters - Stamp it!

Purple Petals are blooming at Altered Eclectics

Let me tell you how the first of the month sneaks up on me - it's pretty stealthy! I'm humming along day after day and then I happen to glance at the calendar and I'm stunned at how much of the month has already flown by.  If only I could grab some of that time I wished away as a child; when I couldn't WAIT to grow up! Alas, there is no capturing time, but I can capture a it of childhood back; and I did so for my Altered Eclectics project for this month. I'd love to hear what you think about my Purple Petals Ring! (PS: You can enlarge the pictures by clicking on them)

Say hello to my Purple Petals Ring!

What I Used to Make my Ring:
Inside "pop ring" from a juice or milk container
Gems - one large and 7 12mm "bubble" gems
Krylon Leafing Pen in Silver
Glue - instant glue

Where you will find the ring

First, let me try to explain what I mean by the inside "pop ring" - the best way I can describe it is to show you a picture.

The "ring" on it's top

You'll find this inside ring is there once you open the containers outer twist off cap - I have found them in quart cartons of both milk and juice.  When I opened my vanilla almond milk and popped it off, I immediately put it on my pinkie (the only finger of mine that it fits) and admired it - it needed to be made!

While the white of the ring may be fine for your project, I knew I needed to color it and the Krylon Leafing Pens are perfect. I have been using these pens for years, from everything to outlining a card or making the old fashioned polished stone with alcohol inks and they last a long time and are well worth the money, in my opinion.  Also, if you look closely at the picture of the ring, you can see that there were some edges that we sort of ragged with a bit of thin plastic - I colored my ring and then sanded the ragged bits off, and then touched the ring up. Not that you can see them but for my own piece of mind.  You will also notice the outer edge of the bubble (that is face down) isn't even all the away around - never fear, we have ways to work around this.

Once the ring was colored, I had to figure out a way to hold it so I could put on the petals.  Since there is a bump on the top side of the ring, the petals are needed to ensure the large gem doesn't wobble.  Low and behold I had a pill saver type thingie that I had gotten as a freebie from some company, but you can find them cheap at drugstores or your local Dollar Store. I ripped the top off of one of the individual pill compartments and put waxed paper on the sides in case my glue dripped - turns out I didn't need the waxed paper at all - but I didn't know that at the time. 

I carefully used a small amount of instant glue and placed the petals around the lip of the bubble. 

This part took the longest because it turns out my instant glue wasn't so instant, so off to the side for the night it went. If you look closely at the picture, you can see the numbers on the dome, another reason I felt the petals would help "hold" the bigger, middle gem. When I picked the ring up, I noticed that a few of the petals were still wobbly (I suspect due to the part of the ring where the lip was smaller than the other parts) but I went ahead and glued the middle gem on and set it aside again.    
 Once it was dry, I flipped the ring over and put a generous amount of glue all around the petals to help stabilize them and it worked like a charm!  The glue isn't really that visible, in the picture the light is reflecting (I wanted you to be able to see it), but when you look at the ring in regular light it doesn't look anywhere near that bad.  

So there you have it!  You could save these inside ring pop closures and make a bunch of rings, for you to either wear on your pinky, or to give some lucky child.  These would be perfect for that friend who loves funky, chunky jewelry also.  And as I was making this I thought of so many other options to use for toppings; sequins, buttons, little beads, basically anything you want!  I hope this little post has inspired you to use something out of the box for your next creation! Please consider popping over to the Altered Eclectics blog and seeing what my wonderfully talented teamies have made to also inspire you ~ Fondly, Christi

Here's Manny holding up the ring - he's been feeling left out!

I am entering my Purple Petals ring in the following challenges:
Crafty Creations - #286, Anything Goes
Creative Moments - #65, Anything But a Card
Everybody Art Challenge - #318,  Anything Goes
TTCRD - Always Anything Goes (end wk of 4/26)
Recycle, Re-Purpose & Re Invent - (m) April Challenge

People, let me tell you 'bout my best friend. . .

This project for Altered Eclectics is  very special to me.  I was lucky enough to live in a neighborhood growing up that was full of children.  But my very best friend lived right next door.  I made this little book to commemorate our long friendship, so grab a cuppa whatever and settle in - this is a bit photo heavy!

This is the album and it's case - it's only 5x5 and it is so cute!

What I Used to Make this Project:
Silhouette Cameo Cut File - Lori Whitlock 5x5 Mini Album (Item #'s 34172 & 34171)
Lori Whitlock's Tutorial (here on YouTube)
White Cardstock (try to use strong cardstock!)
Me and My Big Ideas - Specialty Card Stack, PXT-08, Black & White
Reprinted Pictures
Sayings, typed out in Word, using the Homework font
Tim Holtz Alterations Die, Labels, 660060
Brads - silver with gems (2)
Adhesive
Various Embellishments

we are in our late teen's, early 20's

I typically go through how I make my projects, but since the tutorial posted on YouTube is fabulous, why reinvent the wheel?  Instead, sit back and relax - as I said before, this post is going to be picture heavy, and I am going to show you what each page of the album looked like (don't worry, there is only 6 pages).  I did make some changes to how the album is put together; I used brads instead of string and as you see in this picture, I had originally cut out a white "spine", but I changed it to black.  I cut everything out and assembled the book and the box. I think cut out a bunch more of the cover sheets to use inside the book.

First, I want to and a disclaimer as I am not a scrapper. I have all the stuff to become one, but, I don't scrap.  Second, the photos I used are reprints of photos that at least 30 years old so they aren't the best. 

I chose black and white as my main colors because they are favorite colors of both Diane and I.  We have been friends for 48 years, literally from the day I was born.  I can't remember a time in my life when she wasn't there.  Here are the first layout pages.

Not such baby pics, but it was the best I could find. Pages 1 & 2

Dig those Halloween Costumes from Caldor or Bradlees - before Walmart! Pages 3 & 4

 We played together all the time. I don't think more than 2 days in a row passed without us seeing each other.  We had so much fun, I feel badly for the children

Diane is on the left; I remember that seal!

who weren't as lucky as we were - our imaginations were very active and we rarely played anything that we didn't make up.  We had elaborate story lines and plots with our games; using items we found or had at our disposal.  And we would play the same games each season, for example, fall was always Acorn Hospital. We each had a hospital at the base of her oak tree.  Our yards were fenced in, but there was a passage way between them so n one had to worry about us roaming away (I actually did roam away with a bunch of neighbor hood kids once, but that a different story. Diane wasn't there).  My mother would being home old business forms from her work and we were in our glory! We would use a piece of carbon paper until there was not a smidgen of carbon left on it - how we treasured that paper!

Ah, the yearly trip to Riverside! I think we are 10-12 in the bigger picture. Even our shoes (Dr. Scolls of course!) are the same, but different colors. Pages 5 & 6

The beginning of the Boys - there is a list hidden on the top of page 7, hidden between the page and the decorative page (hehehehe) - can't publish everything! Pages 7 & 8

We did have a few years where we weren't close friends, but we eventually repaired the friendship.  In fact, I think we have gotten even closer as time marches on.  I can count on her to listen, to give me advice and to just commiserate with me, whether it is a health issue, a relationship issue or the silly things the cats did.  Obviously, there was no way I could document a friendship as long as ours, but it was fun to document some of our childhood.  I had a blast digging out different embellishments, making secret compartments (the boys page) and typing up a document that sort of sums up how much fun we had. 

I was worried I wouldn't have enough room and I was right, so I wrote a document that tells more of the tales of the things we did, the mischief we got into and some more stuff that I can't print.  

The cover - I know, it's a bit backwards showing the cover at the end, but. . .

I had so much fun putting this together - I used paper and embellishments that I have had in my stash at least 10 years - the paper on the box is done in a fuzzy print (so fingerprints won't mess the box up - is what I was thinking!) and the black & white theme was super easy to work with. This has to me one of my favorite projects ever - if not my most favorite - since I had a blast putting it together and it showcases my friendship with Diane, something I treasure very much. I hope the album makes Diane happy - I can't send it to her yet - she made me promise to wait until the addition on her house is finished (at the rate it's going, I'll be holding on to this for a long time!).  Lastly, I want to thank her and her parents for making my childhood so happy, fun and exciting ~ xo

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you enjoyed my little trip down memory lane  fondly, Christi

I would like to enter my Best Friends Album in the following challenges:
Allsorts -#300, Brads (used to bind the album) 
As You Like it Challenge - #48, Your Favorite Project that is not a Card & Why (see above for the why - last paragraph)
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes (2nd entry)
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - No Rules (2nd entry)
Not Just Cards Challenges - #13, Always Anything Goes
Crafting from the Heart - #48, Always Anything Goes

Love Potion #9 at Altered Eclectics

Wow does time fly! My last project for Altered Eclectics was 2 months ago (a break supplied by the gracious Ellapu, our esteemed leader) but it seems like yesterday! I am not a huge fan of Valentine's Day as I think every day should be celebrated with chocolate, especially dark chocolate (let me know if you'd like to send me some).  So, instead of going the way of the romantic, I decorated this little bottle:

After

Before

What I Used to Make my Project:
Bottle (in my stash - I seem to collect them!)
Alcohol Inks (I used TRIA inks, colors: Rhodamine Red, Warm Red 2X and 1925)
Black Vinyl
Silhouette Cameo
Cork (for the bottle top)
Black Ribbon Bow

Colored with the cork in.  See the cool pink shadow?

Easy peasy I thought - I use alcohol inks a fair amount and I figured coloring this bottle would go without a hitch. I thought I'd try to color the bottle inside as opposed to coloring the outside - nope.  I colored the inside of the bottle 2 times, swirling the ink to cover the inside completely and then letting it dry overnight and each time the ink refused to stick to the inside of the bottle - it ran down the sides, leaving little teeny dots of color and pooling on the bottom.  I even tried to dry the inside of the bottle with my heat gun (which made these awesome howling sounds that the cats did NOT like but it was funny because they all puffed up and ran around like secret agents) but it still would not stick.  So, after wasting 2 days, I went back to the tried and true method of grabbing a small piece of felt and daubing the ink on the outside.  After each layer of ink I let the bottle dry for a good amount of

time, a few hours, and then I daubed the second layer and so on.  You can't really tell the different colors and that was what I wanted.  While waiting for the bottle to try I realized there was no top so I found a cork that fit and colored it with Sharpie markers to sort of match the bottle.

Then came time to cut the vinyl for the saying.  It took me 3 days to choose the font that I felt worked with the saying.  I am a font fanatic and have far too many - but it was fun and I found a few more that I want to try on paper. Using my Silhouette Cameo. I cut the saying out of black vinyl and stuck it to the bottle, after tearing the first "L" and cutting it again. I am still very new at cutting vinyl, and while it is much more forgiving than paper, I am still learning, as you can tell by my wonky placed LOVE.  I glued the black ribbon bow onto the neck and I was done.  I like it even with a little wonk!

Thank you so much for stopping by! I just wanted to mention that I am having trouble with replying to comments, for some reason there are some that have to reply option on Blogger so please know that if I don't comment it isn't because I didn't see or appreciate your taking the time to say hi.  Fondly, Christi

Another view

Thank you SO much for coming to visit and I hope you enjoyed my little tutorial! Please consider following me as I am on a mission to gain 100 followers ~ Til next time ~ Christi

I am entering my Love Potion #9 bottle in the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
DL. Art Thankful Thursday Challenge - #149, Valentine's Day 
Crafty Ribbons Challenge - Anything but a Card
Silhouette Challenges - January Challenge, Anything Goes
Not Just Cards Challenge - #11, Anything Goes

Button Christmas Tree for Altered Electrics Design Team

For my very first challenge at Altered Electrics I decided to make something that Pinterest inspired me to make.  First, here is my version:

My version

 As I browse through the hundreds of images - and waste lose so much time (hey, it’s for inspiration!) - I came across these beautiful trees made out of jewelry – like this:

Pinterest Inspiration

I do have some jewelry that could be used in this way, but I have many more buttons.  I recently got some of burlap panels by Tim Holtz and I think they are perfect for a project like this.  So, let’s get started!

Burlap Panel, 6 x 4, Tim Holtz TH93063

Holiday Words: Script die set from Tim Holtz Alterations 660058

Pale Gold Shimmery Paper

Remnant Word Band from Idea-ology (Tim Holtz) Observations Set TH93084

Buttons

Adhesive

Distress Paint in Picket Fence

Star (mine was from some table scatter that I had already colored gold)

Most of the components - I used a different gold paper for the die cut

I have my buttons sorted by color (sort of) and I knew I wanted a vintage look so I grabbed my white, cream and light brown buttons. I have been collecting buttons for ages and I have so many I had to stop! I literally just began placing them on the panel until I got the tree shape I wanted.  The hardest part was choosing which button to use as the trunk of the tree! And I remembered I had gotten some table scatter shapes, so I dug those out and the gold star fit perfectly on the tree! 

Once I settled on the tree shape and glued the buttons down I got started on deciding what else I wanted to put on the panel.  I suppose it would have been fine if I left it alone, or used some Christmas embellishments, but I wanted to

Awesome Die Cut Set!

be able to display it all year long.  I recently bought the Holiday Words die set (the same time I got the burlap panels – I got tons of other goodies as well, all from my favorite store, Alleystamp ) and I felt that peace is appropriate all year long, so I used that die and some pale gold shimmery paper that I got eons ago to cut the word out of.  Trying to get glue on the back of that word made me so happy I have toothpicks in my studio!

So I had one embellishment chosen, what should I put on top? I had the Tim Holtz Word Band already on my desk (part of my use up old stuff quest) and since the project sort of looked like a remnant, that word would be perfect!  I dabbed some Distress Ink in Picket Fence on the band to bring out the letters a tiny bit and wiped it off. I actually did this a few times to get the look I wanted.  Once the buttons were dry I attached the Word Band to the top of the panel and the peace die cut to the bottom and there you have it!  This project was super easy and SO much fun, I’m glad I have 3 more of the panels to play with. I hope you will join us at Altered Eclectics during our 2 month "Anything Goes" challenge and do come back and visit soon! Fondly, Christi

I would like to enter my Button Christmas Tree in the following challenges:
Completely Christmas - #40, Anything Goes
Craft Hoarders Anonymous - #21, Celebrate the Season (the buttons I used are OLD - I have had them for ages!!)
Crimbo Crackers - #70, Buttons
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge -Anything Goes

I am SO excited to begin designing for Altered Electrics

YIPPEE!!!

First, I have to apologize that I am not up on my comments - I have been fighting this awful cold - but please know I have been reading them & I will comment back - promise!
 

Secondly, and so exciting, I recently received an email from Elaine (aka Ellapu) who runs the Altered Eclectics Challenge Blog accepting my request to be on the Design Team!!! 

I invite all of you to take a look, subscribe to the Blog and perhaps, join us in our monthly challenges.  My first post will be for the December Challenge (all the challenges begin on the first of the month) so stay tuned to see what I have in store.

I hope you all had an amazing holiday! Blessings ~ Christi