Stuck on U Sketches Project Life Challenge Reveal: Embossing

Hello all! I hope you are ready for a fun week.  Stuck on U Sketches has a Project Life Challenge to help the fun get started for you.  We are to use embossing somewhere on the Project Life page. 

WET EMBOSSING:



I decided to use an old Tim Holtz Stamp and Navy Blue Embossing Powder by Zing to make the card on the lower left.  It looks great up close.  The Zing powder has a glossy look to it that really makes the design pop.  I used the die cut next to my green sick picture from a Studio Calico cut file.  For Roscoe's picture (my dog) I made corners to cover the distractions behind him in the photo.  He really should be showcased well.  He is small and can easily be missed in photos. The white camera die cut was also from a Studio Calico cut file. I bordered it with paper and added Tim Holtz Tissue Tape on top of the paper. I like the look for it is more transparent, but it is not as easy to work with as washi.  Tim finally has started using the tablet I gave him for Christmas, so I wanted to capture him chilling in his chair using it.  Since I haven't been feeling well, we have all stayed around the house this week and it has been great.  I made the Week 4 title page out of various bling and die cuts and placed it where this week's photo's started.  This was my wet embossing page.

DRY EMBOSSING:

To showcase another method, I made a stab at dry embossing to emphasize the type of brush my husband and I will ride through to help you understand better how a Kawasaki  "Mule" can be romantic.  When were were dating we road his John Deer Gator all over our property and my favorite spot was on top of his mountain.  We could see for counties.  The drive back to the cabin was always full of tall grass and grass hoppers.  I used the Cuttlebug Bird in the Grass embossing folder to relay the tall grass and placed it on my row showing our new Love Machine.   His Gator had issues and we have not ridden for years.  Now I can't wait until spring, even if I have to help him mend fences.  P.S.  I also got to use my sweater card early.  We had 7 degree weather one morning. It only went to 18 that day.  We didn't have snow, but that is definitely heavy sweater weather.  I grabbed a caption of the temperature on my car dashboard.

I used the Cuttlebug Bird in the Grass embossing folder to relay the tall grass and placed it on my row showing our new Love Machine.   His Gator had issues and we have not ridden for years.  Now I can't wait until spring, even if I have to help him mend fences. 

 

I also got to use my sweater card early.  We had 7 degree weather one morning. It only went to 18 that day.  We didn't have snow, but that is definitely heavy sweater weather.  I grabbed a caption of the temperature on my car dashboard.

 

My daughter sent me a tablet as a surprise after Christmas gift.  I was stunned.  I had to grab a photo of the package, because I mailed it right back to her. She spent enough on me for Christmas and my husband got me one for Christmas. She didn't know I took back the clothes he bought me, becasue they were too small, and traded it for a tablet.  She knew I wanted one, and wanted to be sure I got it. Is she wonderful or what?  I also took a picture of an online order for an e-book that I bought.  She gave me an Amazon gift certificate  in my stocking.  I appreciate her gifts so much.  She is probably the only person on earth that knows exactly what to get me for gifts. I love each one.

 

Check out what the other designers came up for the embossing challenge at the Stuck on U Sketches to see how you can use what you have to make amazing PL pages too.

Stuck on U Sketch Die Cut Reveal: Something to Wear



This week at Stuck on U Sketches, there is a die cut challenge where you are to make something to wear.  I opted to use skates to celebrate my Sister in Law's birthday happening this week.  I like to use my Christmas items all throughout the year if /I can and this die really can be used all the way until Spring.  The sentiment reads Warm Wishes.... the inside reads....for a happy B-r-r-rday.  We are having an unusual spell of cold weather here in NC.

 

I tried something new this week.  II used Pink Paisley's Blissful Blizzard digital paper line that I got at Jessica Sprague.  I cut four of the skates, cutting off two of them at the bottom of the boot, to give the skates dimension. I used Tim Holtz's Distress Makers in Pumice Stone for the blade and Black Soot for the heal and sole of the skate.  I misted seam binding in Haunted Shadows Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist to make the bow. and the brad is by October Afternoon.  I die cut the flowered paper with the shape in the center and placed the wood siding paper behind it.  The thread was from Bazzill that laces the Skate.  I die cut a snowflake to put behind the bow and brad, and inside the card from my Silhouette.  I printed the plaid paper on a whole sheet of 8.5 x 11 cardstock, folded it in half and cut off the bottom to make the card base.  To give the card some sturdiness I cut the bottom strip in half and took it to the inside on the top and bottom.  I used my old Wedding Printing Press Software to align the sentiment in my printer to adapt to the custom card.  I cut another strip from the cutout of circle and flake paper to add a little more umph to the inside sentiment.

and then...I made another.

If you have ever lived in the South, you would know how one is always hopeful for snow and cold weather.  We may get a week of it, and I thought I would be ready for that magic, for my project life album when the time comes. 

I used the Cricut Digital Holiday Card that has the sweater on it.  when done with the cut file, I was getting ready to add to it and decided I liked it better plain.  I think the sweater will stand out better when put between pictures.  I may change my mind when I actually do that week's page, but for now, I like it just as is.  I am glad I made this when I did.  I used the file as a daily freebie.  I went back to look for it, so I could buy it and did not find it on the site.

Head over to the Stuck on  U Sketches blog to see what is in the other designer's closets this week.

Project Life: Week 3

Colors.  I love to mix colors and get the pop that a bright mix can provide. I incorporated it into my PL project this week...

Is this bright or what?

I have recently discovered Studio Calico which has a plethora of creativity for Project Lifers.  This layout uses their Basic Grid Template that I used in photoshop to put tints into each of the family photos.  The majority of this is from their Cuppa PL Kit and their printouts.  I tried to select cards that matched each of the tints in the grid.  I also broke it up with white backgrounds to let the eye rest a little.  This is my favorite page so far this year.  Can't wait to see what I come up with next week!

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Stuck on U Sketches Project Life Challenge: Vellum

Hello all. I hope you all had a great holiday season.  Stuck on U Sketches has a Project Life Challenge this week where you are to use vellum.  Well, for a digital scrapper, I was completely puzzled on how I could do that.  But where there is will there is a way.  I found a tutorial on line where I could change the opacity of paper in Photoshop to make it look like vellum.  I have used these pictures in a previous PL project, but wanted to show you how you can create vellum using features in Photoshop.This will be my last digital project life project and I wanted to leave you with bits of knowledge I have gained along the way should you decide to go digital.



First, there is a lot more motivation to do Project Life if all you have to do is find files and edit in Photoshop.  It was very easy for me to keep up.  Second, there is an Effects feature that will allow you to make your pictures look like they are laying on the page. Third, there is a lot of files out there, some free, that allow you to do just about anything digitally that you can do on paper.  It is less expensive and probably less time consuming.

However, I have decided to take project life to paper.  Mainly because my whole purpose of scrapping is to leave a legacy of albums that tell our story.  I am not sure that many folks will find a CD or USB Storage Device 30 years from now. It will probably be written over by that time. So going forward, my PL projects will be different.   I will still do layouts of my favorite photos, but will mostly resolve to take more pictures and really tell the story behind them.

Stuck on U Sketches Die Cut Challenge: Snowman

Stuck on U Sketches has a Die Cut Challenge today.  The theme is to use a Snowman.  There are a plethora of snowmen out there, but I kind of warmed up to the Tim Holtz Sizzix die, Build a Snowman. I like how you can move him around a bit to show expression. I raised his hands up in the air to go with the theme "Joy".



I used Echo Park's Time and Season Digital Paper collection that I got at Jessica Sprague.com to make the background papers. I also added a yellow background to the lantern to give it a glow.  The snowflakes are from a Silhouette file.  I just typed the "Joy" sentiment on paper and glued it to the snowman, for the colors really matched.  (Maybe not so much as time goes by, but for a Christmas card, I thought it would do.  I used distress markers to color the parts in because, it was just easier to do so.  I also liked being able to make the white and red polka dot scarf.  I love these markers for when you go over the color again, it gets even darker, which allowed me to shadow and add dimension to the pieces.

This may be late for a card for Christmas 2013 but hey, I have a head start for 2014 now. ;)  Head over to the SOU Sketches blog to see what everuone else came up with. Maybe you will be inspired for a really early start too.