LOST AND FOUND - MORE "unfinished stuff" from my old stash - freebie

I've been plugging away in my craft room, a little at a time and using more "stuff" discovered in my "unfinished projects" box. I love using my old stamps and papers from long ago. Do you?  Today, I am using previously cut out triangles of papers in the backgrounds of these cards.

I especially enjoy this Fred She Said stamp because it works for people from our past or present - still present in our lives, and/or having moved away until we next talk. I love hearing the stories about my friends' relatives and family stories. Those kinds of memories come alive when retold, and give us inspiration to live in a way that inspires others, too. On this occasion, the card was sent to a friend's husband who has been chronically ill, and fighting a terminal illness, for decades. His strength and influence have encouraged me. In the card, I shared that he and I are "aged to a perfection" only the two of us can appreciate (giggle).

Aged to Perfection - Fred She Said Old Trucks

Using the backgrounds from my unfinished box, with a little help from Fred She Said Old Trucks, I utilized an ancient (dare I say "vintage") technique. Some call it "Cracked Glass" and others call it "Cracked Ice". 

Using Sepia tones to further the vintage look, I die cut the images, inked them up, coated with several layers of clear EP, and put them in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Then the images were "cracked" before the EP could thaw:

I liberally smooshed Black Soot DI on top of the images, so the ink could get into the crevices. The rest comes off easily with paper towel. These cracked really well -- kinda like me! (giggle)

I tried to capture more detail in the photograph by removing the overhead light on my desk:

Products: Stamps: Fred She Said Old Trucks, Freebie Digital Sentiment below Dies: Surprise Creations Pierced Decorative Ovals, Sue Wilson Double Pierced Ovals, Sue Wilson Pierced Flags, Inks: Distress Oxides Vintage Photo & Brushed Corduroy, Distress inks Black Soot, Old Paper, VersaMark, Clear EP, other: Charcoal colored Vellum, FREEZER TECHNIQUE

FREEBIE SENTIMENT

My gift to you - Arrangements of the same sentiment for use on the inside or outside of your projects. Please do not sell these Sentiments. Use on any of your projects, including projects involving any design teams you might be on.

Click on the image to bring it to full size. Because of the changes Google Made with Blogger (June 2020), your image will appear to be solid black. Don’t panic. Right click and do a SAVE AS PNG. Once it is saved on your hard drive, you can open it and it will have a transparent background. I create PNGs instead of JPGs so they can be placed anywhere on a scene or project, and so backgrounds can be made using them. Please let me know if you have any problems. I hope they serve you well!

Enjoy!

Playing in the following challenges please:

1. Perfect Time to Craft (June 1) #6 AG 7/1
2. Classic Design Challenge #5 AG with masculine 6/15
3. Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #231 AG 6/16
4. The Alphabet Challenge (May 31) E is for Embossing 6/13 (one of the background triangles is dry embossed with dots - the main image has several coats of Clear Embossing Powder - wet embossing - was placed in the freezer, then cracked and distressed as mentioned above)
5. Aloha Friday #11 Masculine 7/3

Stamping Hugs,

Lace and Pearls from the Heart {Scrapy Land}

Happy Spring, everyone! And welcome to my humble little blog. 

Special welcome to new follower Becca Cruger.

Sadly, this will be my last post with the marvelous Scrapy Land design team - best team ever! Such kindness and encouragement in one place - I cannot thank my teamies enough for a very enriching and supportive experience!
Be watching soon for a Guest Design Team option at the SL Challenge blog!

This is Scrapy Land's 16th Challenge!

Challenge #16 is open from April 15 until May3. 

The theme is "PEARLS AND/OR LACE" using any die manufacturer which Scrapy Land sells".  Scrapy Land sells over 40 brands of dies, including overseas products, and many are discounted.
The prize is a $15 gift card - good for anything in the Scrapy Land store!

My cards feature the following Scrapy Land dies.
(for all the dies used, please see the product list at bottom of post)

Scrapy Land Memory Box - Riviera Corner MBD-98372

Scrapy Land Memory Box - Elegant Scrollwork MBD-98153
Scrapy Land Memory Box - Chloe Stem
Scrapy Land Memory Box - Leavenworth Butterfly Trio (filigree)
Scrapy Land Memory Box - Cascadia Butterfly Trio (solid)
Scrapy Land Spellbinders -  Bitty Blossoms S5-086
Scrapy Land Cheery Lynn - "Cherish" B415

TIP:

When using semi-transparent glitter or embossing powder on die cuts, be sure to distress or shade the edges of your die cuts.
(It brings more dimension to the die cuts after the glue dries, because the ink can be seen through the glitter as shown on the leaves in my project)

TIP:

How to create a frame when you do not have dies the size needed.
(if reading from my blog, please click on the photo below to enlarge the print)

Love the pretty script on Cheery Lynn's word dies, especially when they are shadowed with a darker color. The pearl dotting the "i" is colored with a Copic Marker. The Memory Box Elegant Scrollwork die cut is timeless, and customized with SNS Mulberry Star EP. Little pearls grace the body of the butterfly (links for die cuts shown below).

Memory Box's Chloe Stem is coated with Prills in the color called "mini pearls" as part of the Scrapy Land Challenge this fortnight.

The SL designers enjoy seeing your fabulous works of art! You are all an inspiration to us!

The Path of Positivity Challenge has a wonderful theme this month. It's all about GROWTH. I thrive in the process of Growth - even those periods of 

     extreme complications, 

          challenges, 

               unpleasantness. 

But surprisingly I have learned (for me) that my Greatest Growth takes place when 

• things are SEEMINGLY good, 
• or 
• when I cease to struggle (using up precious energy) in a particular hardship
• especially when I am "at rest" despite the circumstances.  

I call this "embracing the challenge", though I may not like what is happening, or respond OUTWARDLY in a manner that others think I should.

When Life is not its prettiest, we look for ways to make it pretty - we work hard to change whatever is troubling us; so Change is often a natural outcome from that. But Change and Growth are not always synonymous.

When things are soooo Good (typically when we do not recognize that "things are good"), we might not realize that the Status Quo needs a bit of shaking up, to help us deepen our commitments to certain people or causes - even commitments to ourselves. Sometimes, when everything is "going our way", we bask in the easiness of life, and forget the preciousness of

     every little aspect of life, 

          every tiny moment, 

               every soul who crosses our path - 

we might even tend to take the goodness for granted (though that is never our intention).  

Like my card, The Heart Shape had to morph, undergoing lots of cut ups, inking, dry embossing, gluing, shaping, before it began to come together in a format I had not previously imagined. It remained rather flexible in my hands during the arduous transformation. Our lives can be like that. I treasure every stumbling block, every moment of life, because it is THOSE ISSUES which cause the Real Me to come through - both my Flaws AND my Strengths become more visible.

Friday, a Stamping Buddy came over to play. I explained to her that it is the Process of Creation I most enjoy - 

     far more than the actual finished project. 

• I enjoy watching plants grow from seeds. 
• I enjoy having to prune plants to nubs on occasion, because it is good for them - then I get to watch how they re-emerge prettier than ever. 
• I allow the "dead blossoms" to sometimes seed, even though the plant's sickly appearance gives the viewer a desire to cut off the "dead blossoms" or to think it needs to be watered. 
• In my heart, (in faith), I know the plant is still growing, and producing the POTENTIAL FOR NEW LIFE. 

Though we may be 
     fragile, 
          vulnerable, 
               hurt, 
                    afraid, 
                         or lonely, 

it's entirely possible that we are in that "seed bearing" mode, where Growth is not apparent - YET - but where the potential of growth is just around the corner. Sometimes Growth requires patience, rest, faith and to continue "walking in mercy" regardless of what is happening around us and in us.

I'd love hearing what Growth means to you!

Products Used:

• Scrapy Land Memory Box - Riviera Corner MBD-98372
• Scrapy Land Memory Box - Elegant Scrollwork MBD-98153
• Scrapy Land Memory Box - Chloe Stem
• Scrapy Land Memory Box - Leavenworth Butterfly Trio (filigree)
• Scrapy Land Memory Box - Cascadia Butterfly Trio (solid)
• Scrapy Land Spellbinders -  Bitty Blossoms S5-086
• Scrapy Land Cheery Lynn - "Cherish" B415
• Life Style Scallop and Plain nesting heart dies
• EK Success corner punch, MS border punch, Couture Creations embossing folder
• INKS: Distress Inks dye base, VersaMarker

• 
  Sparkle N Sprinkle: Brushable Glue, Mulberry Star EP, Sunny Daze Glitter, Spirited Green Glitter

• Image: freebie digital heart colored with Copics (I'm sorry, the name of the pretty heart image is not in my records, but it might have been from Digital Tuesday.)

• Lace, fabric flower, mini flowers and Pearls from stash

• USArtquest Prills in "minnie pearls" color (on Chloe die cut)

Fun Challenges participating in:

• Craft for the Craic (fun) - April "Die-ing for Spring" must use die cut with Spring theme - this card is full of Spring Time colors, flowers and butterflies - dies listed above (5/1)

• The Shabby Tea Room - #249 "Rainbow of Colors" inspiration photo to left (4/20)

• Crafts 4 Eternity - #221 Texture - prills, lace, glitter, embossing powder, silk flowers, pearls, glitter, dry embossing (4/15)

• Jo's Scrap Shack - #83 Florals and Butterflfies - I hope using the die cuts for the theme is acceptable with the spring green, heart shaped fauna (4/17)

• The Pink Elephant - #294 photo inspiration at left (4/20)

• The Path of Positivity - #25 Growth - (5/3) (paragraph written in blog post) (end of May?)

• Ooh-La-La Challenges - #178 At Least 5 layers (5/1)

• Creative Colors Challenge - #33 Use 3 Colors from the Inspiration Photo shown at left [pale pink, bright pink, lime green, yellow (ceiling) deep plum-lavender (embossing powder)] (4/30)

• Outlawz Paper Ala Mode - (Apr 11-17) "Pretty In Pink" - grab your pink! PAM04112015 (1st week May)

• DiesRUs Challenge - #24 May Flowers - must use dies (please see grocery list above) 5/1

stamping hugs,

The Hibiscus Are Blooming!

Update: May 11 -- "At the Beach" blog hop winners are posted at the SNS blog HERE.

Note: My May Blog Candy is at the bottom of the Beach post.

I have a really fun card to share today. 

In fact, I am excited because it was made specifically with the following ten challenges in mind! All Right -- Confession Time -- Usually I create a card for a particular project or for ONE challenge, and then hope to submit it to several other challenges if the theme is suitable. 

(hanging head low in shame...)

With that in mind... 

Thank you, Challenge Hostesses, for fresh inspiration.

It was especially beneficial since I used lots of "old virginal stuff" in my stash (some which was decades old), and also brand new items which had not been used, too.

Oh yes! And even "normal" other stuff which is used all the time (smile).

I found some pretty green Rick Rack in my stash. It must be from the 1950s because it was from JC Penney and was 13¢. The wrapper said it is "color-fast and is suitable for boiling" hahaha. I don't even recall that my mom ever boiled clothing - do you?

Not sure if the Rick Rack was my Mom's or my Great Aunt Agnes'. Did you inherit "stash" from previous generations, too?

After adhering the rick rack, a little SNS Dimensional Glue was dotted helter-skelter above and below the green trim and Green Iris Glitter was applied. It's an icy transparent clear glitter which has tints of green in it.

The wrapper was FINALLY taken off many years' old Cranberry Crisp Grosgrain ribbon to trim the panel on the base.



This card was also the first use for the Spellbinders Adorning Squares and IO lace border dies.



Below are listed five of the challenge photos:

Sparkle N Sprinkle's May Color Challenge:

Each of those colors was utilized!

Have you tried USArtquest's Prills yet? Those are relatively new to my stash, and I used them as the stamen in the hibiscus blooms. Jack liked that particular adorno (that's what he calls embellishments).

At Beccy's Place - the May challenge is an "Anything Goes" as long as you use a Beccy Image. With over 40 fabulous freebies available, that was easy! I chose her gorgeous hibiscus flower branch. It has been printed whole, and then partially four more times to fussy cut flowers for the base of the easel card.

Beccy's hibiscus is available uncolored, and also in two beautifully shaded color motifs. To grab all 3 versions of this freebie click here: Beccy Muir digital image Hibiscus


For All Beautiful Cards 'tic tac toe', 

I played diagonally with:

Designer Paper
Flowers
Glitter

And a "grid" by Crafty Bloggers Network -

In more than one direction:

• Die Cut, Flowers, Ribbon; 
• AND Ribbon, Stamps, Gems-Bling; 
• AND Flowers, Stamps, Stitching

Cupcake Craft Challenges' interesting Sketcharific.

My card is 5.5" square, and is an easel card using their awesome sketch.

There are more fabulous, inspiring challenges I was inspired by grocery listed at the bottom of my blog post.

And now... 

A Fumble Fingers Moment brought to you fondly by...

Moi!

A fumble fingers moment: After dropping both the Antique Linen AND Willow ink pads (at different times, mind you) on the base sentiment, I decided to texturize to cover up the messes. Since this is a common occurrence, I am a pro at fixing these types of boo boos, by smooshing a little VersaMark on the affected area and then embossing with Sparkle embossing powder to cover the blunder. Can you see the booboo? The same EP is used around the edges of both images. 

It's a great way of "distressing" with bling 

(is that contradictory? to distress with bling?)

 Here is the closed card:

Close up using the Mango Prills and "Sparkle" Distressing:

Products Used:

• Sparkle N Sprinkle "Sparkle" embossing powder
• Sparkle N Sprinkle Green Iris Glitter G1068
• Sparkle N Sprinkle Rosy Red Glitter G1036
• Sparkle N Sprinkle Dimensional Glue
• Sparkle N Sprinkle 3/4" Double Sided Tear-ific Tape

Beccy Muir digital image Hibiscus

Dies:

• Spellbinders Adorning Squares S4-389
• Spellbinders Labels Thirteen
• Impression Obsession Lace Border DIE018V
• Memory Box Tender Leaves

Ribbon-Trim-Embellishments:

• Recollections Ivory trim on clearance 
• 1950s Green Rick Rack from JC Penneys for 13¢ (LOL from my mom or great aunt), 
• SU Cranberry Crisp Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon
• EK Tear Drop Jewel-Gem Brads
• USArtquest Prills Mango

Additional Adhesives: Aileen's Quick Dry Tacky Glue, Dimensionals, Xyron, USArtquest PPA
Cardstock: KandCompany Classic K Margo, Ivory, White, Cherry Cobbler
For Color Swatch "Seeds" Copics: R35, RV32, RV29 (flowers), E00, YG03, YG06 (leaves)
Ink: Salmon, Willow, Antique Linen Dye Base, VersaMark
Computer-generated sentiments

Fabulous Challenges this card is submitted to:

ABC - #27 Tic Tac Toe (DPs by K&Company, Flowers by Beccy Muir, Glitter by SNS)
Cupcake Craft Challenges - #241 Sketcharific
Sparkle N Sprinkle - May Color Challenge (used all the colors)
Lady Anne's Challenge - May - Easel Card Challenge (5.5" square)
Marker Pop Challenge - #22 May Flowers (all flowers were colored with Copic Markers)
Beccy's Place - May Challenge - Anything Goes (Beccy's Hibiscus flowers)
Created with Love Challenges - #40 Mothers Day (feminine card per Chris at CWLC)
Clear It Out Challenges - Use Two designer papers (3 were used)
Mema's Crafts - May Flowers
Crafty Bloggers Network - #11 Tic Tac Toe In more than one direction:

• Die Cut, Flowers, Ribbon; 
• AND Ribbon, Stamps, Gems-Bling; 
• AND Flowers, Stamps, Stitching

Thanks for stopping by today! Your visits and comments are always appreciated.
Hugs Always,