Laura's Refold Paper Bag Album in 2 sizes

I was looking for a quick and easy album to introduce a friend to album making. So I looked through Laura Denison's mini-albums and came across this one, Re-folded Paper Bag Album Pattern using paper lunch bags as a base for each page. One of the things I appreciate is that Laura has videos of how to make her projects available on her website such as these for the Re-folded Paper Bag Album.

I ended up making two versions of the album. The first album was made just as written using Graphic 45's Artisan Style collection. The second album was re-sized to enlarge the tag size to 5 x 7 using Prima Marketing's Garden Fable collection.

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My objective in making this first album was to show a basic album. I used fussy cutting to add dimension to the cover. Since I fussy cut the same image as the background I did not need to cut fine details like the vines on the roof or peacock frills. Still I keep things simple and did not ink any edges.

Graphic 45 Artisan Style Refold Paper Bag Album

Supplies:

• 8x8 Graphic 45 Artisan Style pad 
• 6x6 Graphic 45 Artisan Style pad 
• Graphic 45 Artisan Style journaling cards
• Twill Ribbon
• Martha Stewart Edge Punch Geometric Frames
• EK Success Large Edge Punch Palm
• We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper Angle/Photo Corner and Rounded
• Teal and Black Paper Bags
• Cardstock in black, blue, and white
• Chipboard
• Scor-Tape adhesive and glue 
• Colored brads
• Heartfelt Creations Delicate Asters Die

Front Cover and Front Page 1

 Back Page 1 and Front Page 2

 Back Page 2 and Front Page 3

 Back Page 3 and Front Page 4

 Back Page 4 and Front Page 5

 Back Page 5 and Front Page 6

 Back Page 5 and Inside Back Cover

Mats and Tags from One Paper Bag Page

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My second album was made by re-sizing the basic album. I deviated from the instructions for cardstock bags to allow for 5x7 tags and to used the patterned cardstock for pages.

Re-sized Paper Bag Album

I added a lot of detail on the cover.  The blue birds in the upper left and several chipboard shapes were colored with Lindy's Stamp Gang Magicals. I inked the edges of the Prima chipboard shapes, Prima embellishments (flowers and butterfly) as well as the punch leaves. The small flowers and branch from Heartfelt Creations were stamped, colored with Pan Pastels, and die cut before shaping. 

Front Cover Detail

Supplies:

• A4 Prima Marketing Garden Fable pad 
• 4x6 Prima Marketing Garden Fable journaling cards
• Prima Marketing Garden Fable chipboard stickers and more
• Prima Marketing Garden Fable Flowers Embellishments
• Prima Marketing Garden Fable Cling Mount Stamps
• Martha Stewart Edge Punch Lace Flowers
• Martha Stewart Edge Punch Crochet Loop
• We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper Angle/Photo Corner and Rounded
• We R Memory Keepers Power Punch Euro Hook
• Tim Holtz Sizzix Paper Punch Medium Leaf
• Cardstock in white, cream, kraft, parchment, and pastel in yellow, blue, green, and pink
• Chipboard
• Distress ink vintage photo
• Scor-Tape adhesive and glue 
• Adhesive Pearls
• Twine and teal tulle
• Lindy Stamp Gang Magicals
• Club Scrap Random Doorways Stamp
• Pan Pastels
• Heartfelt Creations Leafy Branch Die, and Birds and Blooms Die
• Heartfelt Creations Birds and Blooms Cling Stamp

Inside Front Cover and Front Page 1

 Back Page 1 and Front Page 2

 Back Page 2 and Front Page 3

 Back Page 3 and Front Page 4

 Back Page 4 and Front Page 5

 Back Page 5 and Front Page 6

 Back Page 6 and Inside Back Cover

Mat and Tags from One Re-sized Paper Bag Page

This shows just how many spots for pictures and journaling are contained in one 'page'.  I hope you will check out Laura Denison's many beautiful and detail packed creations at her website Laura Denison Designs.

Thanks for stopping by and if you enjoyed this post please leave a comment,

Happy Crafting,
 Debby H

National Parks Touring Canvas

Welcome to the National Parks Blog Hop! Return to the start of the hop HERE.  Using the National Parks Deluxe Kit and stuff from my stash I made a layered style 12 x 12 canvas centered around a favorite photo.  

I haven't been to any national parks in a while, so I was at a loss as to what to make this month. Then I happened to actually look at my dresser and this picture of my great aunt that has been sitting there for years. I just loved the retro and outdoorsy style of this picture with this kit. As a child she was my substitute grandmother since my own lived so far away. In this picture she is touring Mount Rainier park sometime in the late 1940's. (And just to make sure there is no confusion, this was way before I was born.) 

I started by photographing the original picture and printing it along with the National Parks digital kit camera and wilderness country elements for embellishments. 

Next I created a the base color on the canvas. First, I used a diecut to make a disposable stencil.  The harlequin pattern was applied with embossing paste. Second, I covered over the canvas with Lindy's Stamp Gang (LSG) sprays with lots of water for a soft washed look. You can't really see it in the picture, but it has lots of shine. 

Next I used a text stamp (from CS Trees collection) with some Club Scrap Hybrid ink in burgundy to add some texture to the background. You can see where I flubbed some of the stamping, but it just adds to overall feel of the canvas in the end. Next I started mounting the die cuts. The treeline was cut from a piece of mixed media paper and colored with LSG sprays (again the shine is great in person). The globe is cut from a bronze paper, but all other papers are from the National Parks Deluxe kit. 

Next came the layering of paper. I think I drove my friends crazy at my scrapbooking weekend asking for input on the layering. After I was happy with the layout I used my phone to photograph the positions and started building up the layers. This is my first layer where I used the maize print in two ways. I tore the slopping tree line out of the paper and used LSG sprays on it (of course).  Then I used a lighter piece for a layer on top of it.  I added a bit of creme lace behind the edge punched in brown.

The second layer of die cuts includes more pieces from the kit along with a gold paper. Each part is either distressed or stamped (all CS stamps) to add texture. 

Finally we get to the picture and accents all added. I really like the way the large gem embellishments look with this earthy kit.  Here is a close-up showing the dimension. 

So did you notice that some was missing from the canvas two pictures above?  This canvas has a secret. The picture hides a small 1/4 inch deep shelf that houses a mini-scrapbook that can be removed.

The mini-album is a simple fold over card cut with a die cut. Inside is another picture of my great aunt, re-sized on the computer with the details documented. 

  
The supplies used are listed below:

• Club Scrap 'National Parks' Deluxe kit including printed and solid papers, cut aparts, stickers, ribbon, stamps, and gems.
• Club Scrap 'National Parks' digital kit
• Club Scrap Hybrid Ink - Earth, Burgundy 
• Distressing Ink - Vintage Photo
• Ranger embossing paste
• Mixed Media paper
• Metallic paper in bronze and gold
• White pigment ink
• Lindy's Stamp Gang Starburst Sprays 
• Cape Cod Coral
• Clam Bake Beige
• Cowabunga Copper
• Creme Brulee Cream
• Glory of the Seas Gold
• Maidenhair Fern Green
• My Mojito Green
• Shabby Turbine Teal
• Wild Honeysuckle Coral
• Vagabond die cut machine and dies: 
• Stampin' Up top note die
• Sizzix Alternations vintage cabinet card die
• Sizzix Alternations framework trellis die
• Sizzix Alternations brackets on the edge die
• Sizzix Alternations Globe thinlits die
• Sizzix Alternations mixed media thinlits die
• Stampin' Up apothecary accents thinlits die
• Punches: 
• Stampin' Up mosaic punch
• Stampin' Up decorative label punch
• Martha Stewart eyelet lace edge punch
• Creme lace and burgundy Twine from my stash

Thank you for reading and I appreciate getting comments. Your next stop is with the artistic Wendy at Life, Paper & Soul and the beginning of the hop is at the Club Scrap Blog here.


Happy Crafting,
 Debby H

National Parks Forest Card

I'm really enjoying the Club Scrap National Parks Collection. The saying on this card "May the forest be with you" is one my friend's DH really liked. So, while spending the weekend scrapping together we made cards. Here are two cards I made and one my friend made. It was fun how we both used the same elements, but each card turned out differently.  

The papers, ribbon, gems, and stamps were from the National Parks Deluxe kit. I used a combination of Club Stamp Hybrid ink and Distress ink. In addition I used a Stampin' Up mosaic punch and Sizzix Alternations framework trellis die.

On the inside another friend suggested adding a U to the "Make today so awesome yesterday gets jealous" stamp image. It is a perfect fit.  I hope this gives you some idea for father's day cards. 

Thanks of stopping by.

Happy Crafting,

Debby 

Dragonfly in Blue AnyHero Card

Welcome to my card for the Operation Write Home Finishing Strong Blog Hop. Operation Write Home, a charity that has supported heroes with hand made cards since 2007, will be closing later his year.  All cards need to be sent in by August 1st, so I'm helping to get the word out! The theme is Red, White and Blue and I've use OWH Sketch B-26 to make my AnyHero Card.  

The supplies used are listed below:

• Club Scrap 'Bugs' Stamp and 'London Calling' Stamps
• Club Scrap Hybrid Ink - Red and Sapphire
• Club Scrap solid papers 
• Distressing Ink - Brick Red
• Distress Paint - Picket Fence
• Sizzix Tim Holtz Dragonfly Die and embossing folder
• Sizzix Tim Holtz Cameo Frame Die
• Stampin' Up punch
• Glossy Accents
• Gesso
• Lindy's Stamp Gang Two Tone embossing powders - Hydrangea Blue Mauve, Midnight Sapphire, Hyacinth Blue Jade 

Thank you for stopping by to see my card and check out all the cards at the OWH site today. 

Happy Creating,

Debby

The Blues Mixed Card

Every month Club Scrap has several challenges on their forum.  This month's technique challenge is to use a mixed media technique for a project.  The Club Scrap blog post has several techniques to choose from listed.  Above is my entry where I used a gesso over the embossed sentiment as described here and another gesso technique to create texture. 

Next, I used the gesso technique here to make the textured panel and the bird.  Instead of inking the gesso texture as listed in that post, I sprinkled an assortment of embossing powered on the wet gesso and heat set.  Then any empty spots on my paper were colored with a spray. My finished panels are shown bellow along with a close up of the texture created shown above.  

The supplies used are listed below:

• Club Scrap 'The Blues' paper solids and prints (for flowers)
• Club Scrap 'The Blues' sentiment stamp
• Flower punch
• Mini Pearls
• Sizzix Tim Holtz Bird Branch Die
• Distress Ink - Iced Spruce
• Gesso
• Lindy Stamp Gang Starburst Spray - Time Travel Teal
• Lindy Stamp Gang Two Tone embossing powders - Panel
• Sliver Moon Turquoise
• Sliver Moon Sapphire
• Angel Wings Peacock
• Golden Angel Wings
• Lindy Stamp Gang Two Tone embossing powders - Bird 
• Hydrangea Blue Mauve
• Midnight Sapphire
• Hyacinth Blue Jade

Thank you for stopping by to see my card and check out all examples and entries at the challenge blog post.

Happy Creating,

Debby

Botanicals Mixed Media Panel

Welcome to the Botanicals Blog Hop! To return to the start of the hop here.  This month I was inspired by the Club Scrap Artist Team Challenge to make a mixed media panel.  

Botanicals Mixed Media Panel

It took a while to decide what to make after looking at all the great ideas from the Artist Team and Pinterest.  In the end I kept in small scale starting with a 6 inch x 6 inch mixed media album page.

Stamped Panel

I started by stamping flowers from the Botanicals UMs using Club Scrap Hybrid ink in amethyst, moss, leaf, carnation, and ruby.  Then I heat set the images to keep them from running in later steps.

Masking Panel to Spray Sky

Next, I added sprays to make the sky and ground.  A torn scrap paper was used for a mask before spraying the sky in Distress Spray Stain in Broken China and Lindy's Stamp Gang Spray in Azure Sea Asters. 

Added Sky and Ground with Sprays

Then using the other half of the mask I sprayed the ground in Lindy's Stamp Gang Sprays Ponderosa Pines Olive and My Mojito Green. Afterwards I added leaves from the Botanicals UMs. 

Added Swirl in Sky

To add some interest to the sky I added swirls with Club Scrap stencil (Serenity Collection) using with Distress Spray Stain in Brushed Pewter.  The swirls seemed to fade so I added highlights in white with a Signo Gel Pen, low lights in Faded Jeans Distress Marker, and mini pearls. To frame the whole panel I added distress ink in Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain to the outer edge. 

Vellum coated with clear gesso and sprays

I wanted to capture the translucent look of the delicate pink poppys that grow wild where I live. So I wanted to use vellum, but vellum is notorious for inks and sprays not sticking. To solve that problem I painted a sheet of vellum with clear gesso. Once dry I used Lindy's Stamp Gang Sprays in Cape Cod Coral, Poinsettia Red Gold, My Mojito Green, and Lucky Shamrock Green, One color I did not have was a coral. So I used my new Marion Smith Color Lab to make the color spray I needed.

Outlining Technique for Diecuts

I cut several different types of flowers and leaves out of the colored vellum using thin dies. As I mounted the leaves I noticed they seemed to fade into the background like on the far left above. I outline the leaves with the fine tipped Distress Marker in Forest Moss as shown in the center.  After outlining I used a water brush to blend the marker lines as shown in the far right. I did the same with the flowers using a Distress Marker in Fired Brick. 

Panel with flowers finished

I added the colored vellum flowers with adhesive. Some are attached with the Botanical colored brads. Others are covered with glossy accents to help them stand out. Botanical's Brown Ribbon was used with the three holes to create at hanging strap. The sentiment was stamped in Club Scrap Hybrid ink in amethyst and antiqued in distress ink in Vintage Photo and black soot. 

Finished Panel

Thank you for reading. Your next stop is with the very creative Kay at Kay's Keepsakes and the beginning of the hop is at Club Scrap Blog here.


Happy Crafting,
 Debby H