Doodle Pantry-Wild Rose Shabby Bookmark

I am a huge fan of Laurie's lovely realistic flowers! Isn't this wild rose gorgeous? I coloured it right after the last release but it sat on my desk because my house has been a zoo! More about that later...

I used a music background on this bookmark then added some Venetian lace I bought on Etsy and a paper tape I've had for eons. I couldn't believe that it sat on my shelf for years but still wasn't faded. YEAH! I had already chosen the sage mat for my image so I was thrilled how well the greens matched. The lace was very white so I shabbied it up with Distress ink. I also sponged all the edges with Distress ink.

The image itself was coloured with Copics of course! The background was airbrushed in before I started knowing that I would be going over those areas with a slightly peachy pink anyway, the colours are compatible and the yellow pale enough that it didn't show. You can remove light colours with your colourless blender if you wish before starting. Another option for airbrushed backgrounds is to use a mask. After printing the image on cardstock, simply print again on copy paper. You can get a removable glue stick by 3M or Scotch that you simply apply, then allow to dry for one minute and voila! (not walla) instant sticky note paper! Make sure you cut out every little area though as missed areas are very hard to fudge! Ask me how I know...!

As for the chaos in my house, we had a flood 2.5 weeks ago. My toilet was stuck with ... well, you don't really need or want to know that… and my little son flushed it anyway. It seemed like it was OK, the water rose but not over the edge. I watched it for a few seconds then left the bathroom. I went upstairs for about 5 minutes then came downstairs again to a noise that almost stopped my heart. The toilet was running! We had fixed it not long ago so I figured it was fine. Uh, uh, not fine. I opened the door to dirty water everywhere! I sent my 10 yo. down to get towels to clean it all up and he says, "Mommy, it's raining in the basement!" Oh, $%^&!

2 weeks, one disaster clean up company, one insurance company, 2 insurance adjusters,  2 duct cleaning guys, one furnace repairman, 2 HEPA filters, 5 drying fans, 3 torn up floors one way too touchy-feely carpet salesman and one completely gutted bathroom later, we are still waiting for final insurance evaluation. I have doors, a toilet (wrapped in plastic) and a pedestal sink in my front hall. Normally not having a main floor bathroom wouldn't be too big a deal as I have a huge bladder but I'm pregnant! I’m really tired of going upstairs all the time. Anyway, I'll live! So if the blog has been too quiet lately, I apologize. Been a bit busy and going to bed earlier than normal too because of being pregnant and because the kids are up early, raring to go because it is summer. I hope your summer is going much, much better!

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Image: Doodle Pantry
Stamps: music BG-SU!
Ink: Distress Antique Linen, Vintage Photo
Paper: Bookmark-Hero Arts, sage CS-SU!, white CS-Taylored Expressions
Accessories: grommet-WRMK, seam binding ribbon-Masterstroke, Tape-stash, lace-Etsy, oval Nesties, Copics R10, 20,22,24, Y30, E08, G21, 24, YG63, 67

Papertrey July Blog Hop Challenge–Polaroid Technique Butterflies

Thanks for visiting! I’ve had a hard time playing along with the PTI blog hop the last few months. I wish they would publish the theme a week or so in advance as a reminder! Anyway, this month, I managed to find time to play!

This month, the theme was an inspiration photo. I’ve used the colour combo somewhat substituting yellow sponged with apricot for the orange, kraft for the natural tone of the shades and I also used the butterfly motif from one of the pillows.

I tried out Nichole’s Polaroid technique from one of the Make it Monday posts from last month, modifying it a bit. I masked off the center of my card and sponged white ink all around. Then I overstamped with the leaf image from Life. I cut a CS panel to fit inside the masked area and stamped around the edges of it with a scroll image from Vintage Labels. Then I die cut and sponged butterflies and circles as accents. Last I added a label I cut using oval Nesties and attached using a technique from one of the Stamp-a-Faire challenges, notching my card for the twine.

One thing to notice is that I used negative space several times on this card. The negative space from the masking, also the negative hearts inside the dies and the negative space created when I die cut and removed the rickrack. I just thought it gave an interesting look without adding another layer or another colour.

Here’s a die-cutting TIP for you. I was having trouble getting my die cuts out of my dies. Then I put one of my dies up in the corner of the cutting mat. It fell right out! I guess the less used the mat the easier it falls out of the die. Maybe the paper isn’t pushed in so far? Not really sure but I am going to make note of this and keep doing it!

I hope you like my card! If you enjoyed this post, please feel free to leave a comment or subscribe to my blog. Both RSS and email options are on my sidebar.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: Life, Vintage Labels, Mega Mixed Messages-PTI
Ink: white-PTI, celery, apricot, olive, baja-SU!
Paper: soft sky, kraft-SU!, DP-PTI
Accessories: dies, twine-PTI, oval Nesties, thread, foam dots-Jody Morrow, rhinestones-Kaisercraft, notches cut with Crop-a-dile

Quirky Alligator Pop-Up Matchbox

I can’t believe my time as a Doodle Pantry Designer is almost over! 1 more month, August to go (and a bit of July still of course)! I’ve had so much fun and had the privilege to use so many wonderful images. One category of images I don’t use as often are the cutesy images Laurie draws so well. As I tend towards vintage and shabby, these are harder to use. However, I just had to print out and use Quirky Alligator from the July release.

This is a pop-up matchbox. I designed a swap on Swap-Bot for this type of matchbox and had fun making it. Most matchboxes have a sleeve that slides off of the drawer rather than this type of lid. I used JustRite stamps for the outside but the cute part is inside…

When you open the lid, there is the cutest little alligator ever! I love the patches on his eye, leg and arm (front leg??) I coloured him with Copic markers and I wasn’t thrilled with how the lighter yellow green turned out as I was surprised to see it was quite dull compared to the similarly numbered greens. The 00 series of all the colours should be quite bright with no grey or brownish undertones (with the obvious exceptions of the greys and browns). So I figured G00-09 and YG00-09 should be similar in tone. But to me, the YG’s were a bit dull but maybe it’s just my eyes… Shows more IRL than in the photo. I left those areas pretty much unshaded as the coordinating darker shade seemed even more brown/greyish and didn’t want to blend very smoothly. I guess I should check colour combos ahead of time even if I am pretty sure they will/should work.

The lid is two layers of embossed CS using a Cuttlebug embossing folder. It looked unfinished with the reverse/debossed side of the embossing showing on the inside and it made the lid stronger as we all know that embossing reduces the strength of CS by at least half and this box went through the mail in an unpadded envelope. (I have a cool way of protecting it from squashing though, ask if you are interested…)

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: JustRite
Images: Doodle Pantry
Ink: Memento black
Paper: yellow CS-SU!, white CS-Taylored Expressions
Accessories: Cuttlebug embossing folder, ticket corner punch-SU!. Copic markers, foam dots-Jody Morrow

(Contests mostly by Basic Grey. Typically matchboxes are filled with small goodies that complement the box…)

Taylored Expressions Blast from the Past Blog Hop-Beach Clothes Line

So glad you hopped on by to my project! The theme for the blog hop this month was Sending You Sunshine and boy, are we getting summer weather here in Southern Ontario! With the humidity, it is supposed to be 47 C later this week. YIKES!

(Click on photo for a larger view)

I used Hangin’ Out Beach and Hangin’ Out for my card today. I prefer to use the boxer shorts from the latter for guys swim trunks because they have no pattern making it easier to layer over patterned paper. Everything was stamped on patterned paper except the tree top and coconuts. I used plain cardstock for them. Then I used Copics for shading to make them look more 3-D.

The sand and shells are by Mudd Puddles and if you Google them, I’m sure you can find them online. They make the best sand and shells that come in little pots in glue so they are ready to use. One small note: I bought mine a year ago and they were starting to dry out! So I added some water and shook them (gently with the shells) to reactivate the glue. Definitely check yours out if you have some and add water if needed.

If you enjoyed my project, I hope you will subscribe. Both RSS and email options are on my sidebar! Thanks! I hope you have fun visiting the other blogs on the hop!

Enjoy, Rebecca

Stamps: TE, tab punch stamp-SU!
Ink: chocolate chip, Baja-SU!, Antique Linen Distress ink
Paper: It’s late, I can’t remember the manufacturers! Lime Rickey, Splash, kraft, olive CS-SU!
Accessories: Copic markers, Taylor’s Twinkles, Pink Divine Twine, foam dots- Jody Morrow, BBQ skewer, sand, shells-Mudd Puddles, tab punch-SU!

Doodle Pantry July Release–Harvest Bounty

I don’t use autumn colours a lot but I LOVED colouring the scene I used for this month’s release.

I used the Mojo Sketch from last week but darn it, I forgot to link it up in time! I know the main image panel looks crooked but I swear, it’s an optical illusion because I even measured it! I used so many Copic Markers I didn’t write down all the numbers but If you want to know, I can probably remember so just ask! I’m afraid my colouring looks washed out but IRL it sure doesn’t!

Be sure to visit Doodle Pantry to see all the new releases! Laurie always has a special bundle deal so check out her specials page for this month’s bundle at a big savings! You will also find links to all the other designer’s release projects so be sure to leave them some love!

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Image: Doodle Pantry
Stamp: CHF chicken wire
Ink: Versamark, Antique Linen, Vintage Photo Distress inks
Paper: kraft-SU!, DP-stash
Accessories: twine-PTI, buttons-vintage and Basic Grey, Nestabilities, Cropadile Corner Rounder, seam binding ribbon-Masterstroke, Copics, airbrush system, clear EP-SU!, foam dots-Jody Morrow