Tracy's Creative Adventures

Saturday, 15 October 2016

The Hop to STOP 2016

It's time for the 3rd Hop To STOP with Becca Cruger.

Purple is the color of National Domestic Violence Awareness month.

1 in 3 women will experience domestic violence over the course of their lifetimes.

Let that sink in - 33% of all the women you meet.

From October 15-30, Becca Cruger be hosting the 3rd annual Hop to STOP Domestic Violence. The Hop is designed to raise awareness for victims and survivors of domestic violence.

How can you be involved?

1. Link up a card

that *features* the color purple during the hop October 15-30 and show your support!

2. Hop along!

The first year Becca did this, she wasn't expecting the tumult of what happened. Bloggers from all around the world were sharing their own stories and receiving encouragement from one of the most supportive communities out there (crafters of course!).

3. Send a card.

During the Hop, you can send Becca cards that will be delivered to the Community Violence Intervention Shelter in Grand Forks, ND - a nonprofit that provides emergency shelter, counseling, supportive services, and safe visitation.

More information can be found on Becca's Hop To STOP event FACEBOOK PAGE. Please join the event, share with friends, and feel free to grab that image above to put into your sidebar!

HERE

is the link to Becca's Blog post introducing The Hop To STOP,

it is also the place where you get to link your purple cards.

I look forward to making a purple card or two and to helping raise awareness for victims and survivors of domestic violence, I hope you will too.

Wednesday, 12 October 2016

Crafty Gals Corner - Challenge #93 CASE it

It's time for another challenge with us at the

Crafty Gals Corner

They say that imitation is the best form of flattery, so this week we are choosing a project we like and using it to inspire us to create a project of our own for

Challenge #93 - CASE it

Today I have used the cute Mermaid digital stamp from KennyK Stamps, one of the generous sponsors for our challenge this week.

*** NOTE: KennyK Stamps closed in 2017 ***

links to blog & store removed as they now take you to inappropriate sites

Now for the project that inspires me.
This Fin-tastic card by StampOwl can be found HERE.
at the StampOwl's Studio.

I'm inspired by her cute mermaid image, fancy folds and pretty layers,
such a fun design.

My card is a centre step fold that has a 6x8" base, 6x9" when flat for mailing, as some of the seaweed and coral hang over the sides. The mermaid is 3 1/4" high, 3 7/8" across.
I coloured the KennyK Stamps Mermaid digital stamp using Copic markers (details below).

I'm thrilled with how the colouring turned out on the mermaid, especially around her face and skin areas. I have been experiencing problems with the toner from the digital image blending with my markers leaving a horrid greyish zone that cannot be blended out, so I tried a different approach. Want to know my secret? As soon as the sheet came out of the printer, I zapped it with my heat gun then left it for a day before bringing any markers near it and it worked!

The ocean scene around her is a combination of dies, digital cut files and punches (details below).

Front view

Closed view

I hope you enjoyed seeing my little mermaid and
travelling with her to see the sights in the reef under the sea.

*** INGREDIENTS ***
KennyK Stamps - digital stamp - Mermaid

X-Press It Blending Card

Copic markers - skin - E50 E51 E53 R01

Copic markers - hair - E11 E13 E15 E18
Copic markers - eyes - B05 B06 100 (black)
Copic markers - lips - RV25 RV29
Copic markers - mouth - RV21E50
Copic markers - tail - BG10 BG11 BG13 BG15 G02
Copic markers - shells - RRV25 RV29

Sizzix Big Shot
Kaisercraft - decorative dies - Seagrass
Silhouette Cameo
Silhouette Design Store - cut file Design ID 84503 - Coral Collection by Sophie Gallo

Silhouette Design Store - cut file Design ID 89109 - Ocean Scenery by Lisa Norris
Silhouette Design Store - cut file Design ID 4113 - Sea Creatures Set by Jamie Koay
Silhouette Design Store - cut file Design ID 4081 - Sea Life Set by Jamie Koay
Fiskars - medium lever punch - Horsin' Around (seahorse)
Die Cuts With A View (DCWV) - 12x12 paper stack - Ocean Breeze

~~~*~~~*~~~
Sending a big Thank You to StampOwl from StampOwl's Studio for inspiring me today.

~~~*~~~*~~~

Sending a big Thank You to KennyK Stamps for supplying the digital stamp I used today and for being a sponsor for Challenge #93 with us at the Crafty Gals Corner.

~~~*~~~*~~~

I am going to enter my card in the following challenges (alphabetical order):

~~~*~~~*~~~
City Crafter Challenge Blog
Week #333 - Did I make you up?

~~~*~~~*~~~
Craft Your Passion Challenges
Challenge #333 - Always Anything Goes

~~~*~~~*~~~
Crafting By Designs
October Challenge - Anything Goes

~~~*~~~*~~~
Crafting From The Heart
Challenge #131 - as always is Anything Goes

~~~*~~~*~~~
Crafty Catz
Challenge #341 - Anything Goes with a Twist -add more than one fold
My centre step card has seven folds.

~~~*~~~*~~~
Hiding In My Craft Room
HIMCR #270 - Super Scraps Saturday

~~~*~~~*~~~
Lemon Shortbread Challenge Blog
Challenge #26 - Anything Goes

~~~*~~~*~~~
Robyn's Fetish Challenge Blog

Challenge #337 - Nature

~~~*~~~*~~~
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog
Simon Says: Explore the World

My little mermaid is exploring the wonders of

the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Australia

~~~*~~~*~~~
Through The Craft Room Door
TTCRD Anything Goes Challenge, Week of October 11, 2016

~~~*~~~*~~~

Monday, 10 October 2016

A tasty birthday shaker

... it wasn't so cute a while ago due to a shaker-cindent!
Don't ask me how it feels when your hand gets stuck on the super sticky foam just before you attach the backing ... all I will say is that hands, sequins and seed beads can be a real challenge to remove!

*** Ingredients ***

Winnie & Walter - stamp set - Sugar Rush

Memento Tuxedo Black Ink

Copic markers - Y13 YG45

Pretty Pink Posh - 4mm sequins - sparkling clear
The Ton - 4mm sequins - Lemon Chiffon
The Ton - 4mm sequins - Yellow Belly

seed beads - clear and white

foam tape

~~~*~~~*~~~

I am going to enter my card in the following challenges:

~~~*~~~*~~~

Winnie & Walter - WCMD - Pinspiration with Heather P.

I was inspired by the black-white-yellow colour combo and the layered cake.

~~~*~~~*~~~

Winnie & Walter - WCMD - CASE with Lydia

The challenge is to CASE a card from the W&W DT from any card found on the Winnie & Walter Blog. I was inspired by this card by Vanessa Menhorn found HERE.

~~~*~~~*~~~

Winnie & Walter - WCMD 2016 - CAS with Kate

The challenge is to create a Clean & Simple card.

~~~*~~~*~~~

Addicted To Stamps and More

Challenge #214 - Clean and Simple

~~~*~~~*~~~

Crafting By Designs

October Challenge - Anything Goes

~~~*~~~*~~~

Simply Create Too

Challenge #119 - Black + 1 other color

I have used white with black and yellow

~~~*~~~*~~~

A chalkboard Christmas

I really like the chalkboard style and it makes a great non-traditional Christmas card.

I used my MISTI to stamp the sentiment and it was lucky that I did, as the chalkboard cardstock didn't want to be stamped. I stamped it a couple of times, let the ink dry then stamped again to get a more solid image.

I die cut the wreath, lay it in place on the chalkboard panel for my card front, lightly marked where it covered then used an ink dauber to gently apply white ink. I quickly learned that a little ink goes a long way with this ink pad and technique. I inked the white wreath using the same moonlight white ink, it took the starkness away from the white and added a delicate shimmer. Once dry, I curled the leaves for dimentions then adhered the wreath and bow in place. I added some curves to the ribbons of the bow, adhering parts directly to the cardfront, popping other parts with foam dots. I used a white gel pen to draw in a "frame" around the panel, adding some more white "chalk" accents using the ink dauber.

*** Ingredients ***

Winnie & Walter - dies - In Bloom: Paulina's Greenery Cutaways

Winnie & Walter - stamp set - A Tree For All Seasons

Winnie & Walter - dies - Take A Bow Cutaways

Tsukineko - Brilliance - Moonlight white ink pad

DCWV Chalkboard Stack
American Crafts - glitter paper pad

~~~*~~~*~~~

I am going to enter my card in the following challenges:

~~~*~~~*~~~

Winnie & Walter - WCMD 2016 - CAS with Kate

The challenge is to create a Clean & Simple card.

~~~*~~~*~~~

Winnie & Walter - WCMD - CASE with Lydia

The challenge is to CASE a card from the W&W DT from any card found on the Winnie & Walter Blog. I was inspired by this card by Vanessa Menhorn found HERE.

~~~*~~~*~~~

The 12 Months of Christmas Link Up

Challenge #22 - Anything Goes

(must be Christmas or December Holiday Theme including New Year)

~~~*~~~*~~~

ABC Christmas Challenge

T is for Two

I have used two dies to make my card, one for the wreath, one for the bow

~~~*~~~*~~~

Addicted To Stamps and More

Challenge #214 - Clean and Simple

~~~*~~~*~~~

Christmas Card Challenges

Challenge #44 - Holiday or Christmas Card with optional word prompt: Decorations

My decoration is a wreath with the sparkling red bow.

~~~*~~~*~~~

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra

CHNC for October 2016 - Anything Goes, as long as it's Christmas

~~~*~~~*~~~

Simply Create Too

Challenge #119 - Black + 1 other color

I have used black & white with a pop of red

~~~*~~~*~~~

. . . a multifaceted hello

A cheery "hello" to bring a "snail mail" smile.

*** Ingredients ***

Winnie & Walter - True Multifaceted Border Cutaways

Winnie & Walter - In A Word: Hello Cutaway

Kaisercraft - weave cardstock - Sunshine
American Crafts - 100 sheet value pack - textured cardstock

~~~*~~~*~~~

I am going to enter my card in the following challenges:

~~~*~~~*~~~

Winnie & Walter - WCMD - Pinspiration with Heather P.

I was inspired by the black-white-yellow colour combo and the layers.

~~~*~~~*~~~

Winnie & Walter - WCMD - CASE with Lydia

The challenge is to CASE a card from the W&W DT from any card found on the Winnie & Walter Blog. I was inspired by this card by Heather Hoffman found HERE.

~~~*~~~*~~~

Winnie & Walter - WCMD 2016 - CAS with Kate

The challenge is to create a Clean & Simple card.

~~~*~~~*~~~
Simply Create Too
Challenge #119 - Black + 1 other color

I have used black & white with a pop of yellow

~~~*~~~*~~~

World Cardmaking Day with Winnie & Walter - a CRAFTIE

I've been having a DIE-lightful time

celebrating World Cardmaking Day

all week long with Winnie & Walter.

Here is a CRAFTIE showing the results of my

True Multifaceted Border Cutaways

and

In A Word: Hello Cutaway

having a workout.

I am entering this work-in-progress photo in the

Winnie & Walter WCMD CRAFTIE Challenge

#wwWCMD2016 #craftie

You should head on over and check out all the challenges, be inspired and get some cardmaking done for World Cardmaking Day with Winnie & Walter. Although they would love you to use their products, it is not a requirement, EVERYONE is welcome to join the creative fun.

There are TWELVE challenges, including this one and you can find them all HERE.

Friday, 7 October 2016

. . . even more Christmas wishes

No, you're not seeing things, I had to make another card like the one in the previous post HERE.

It's the Merry Christmas Script die from the Silent Night Collection by Ultimate Crafts. This time I layered the sparkling sentiment over a plain white one for extra dimension and pop. I confess that it was a challenge and my first attempt ended up in a tangled mess, the next time, with a sheet of release paper under the sentiment, I gently moved it into place and it worked a treat.
Note to self - release paper is for more than die cutting!

I combined it with the the Falling Bauble Screen die from the Be Merry Collection by Couture Creations. This time I used the Fuschia POW glitter paper because it matches the Pretty Pink Couture Creations Premium Adhesive Pearls perfectly.

Here are the two cards together, the "Rouge" version is on the left of screen, the "Fuschia" to the right, with the pearls.