Vampire Girl Color Challenge

As promised, here's a layout for Candy Shoppe Designs Team Edward vs Team Jacob Challenge. I chose to be the vampire girl so my layout had to be full red, black and BLING! Well, I can't pass up on an excuse to use glitter, rhinestones and anything else that sparkles...

The theme of my page is actually not related to Halloween, but is titled "Miss Personality" and is a page about me. This is a copy of an old photo of me as a baby and my mom. I really wanted to add some lace to soften the dramatic red and black background, but since I didn't have any I just used border punches to recreate the same effect. For the layered flower embellishment I colored one of the white flowers red and then stamped over it with black, once it dried I covered it with Stickles. I also added a decorative pin, sheer leaves that Laura sent me last month and swirl chipboard. The journaling is printed on vellum, distressed with red ink, stamped with silver swirl and topped with rhinestones. I also used a glittery letter for my title and shimmery ribbons. Maybe I went overboard with the bling, but I think the layout still has an elegant look and I had a lot of fun with this challenge.

Don't forget that you have until tomorrow to leave a comment on CAS card post, I'll choosing one comment at random to send a surprise.

Supplies:

• Stamps: Nightingale's Song Alphabet from Inkque Boutique, Heidi Grace swirl stamp
  
• Paper: Recognition from Basic Grey Scrlet's Letter collection, vellum, white
  
• Ink: Versamark and white diamonds EP, silver, real red from Stampin'Up! and black
• Accessories: Pretties Kit from Stampin'Up!, rhinestones, Primas, K&Company Twinkle Type Chipboard, Heidi Swapp Silhouette words, sheer leaves, ribbonFX, striped ribbon from Michael's, Stickles
  
• Tools:Martha Stewart border punch

~Olgy

Pencillines Sketch Layout

I'm so happy the weekend is finally here. I had a couple of more projects that I finished up during the week (it's amazing how much more I can get done when I stop watching TV), but just didn't have time to photograph and post earlier.

The first layout is based on the Pencillines sketch 160 and Kathie Link's fun and colorful page. This is actually the first layout about our new home since I was so preoccupied with the move the first few months that I didn't have time to scrap. The page is titled "Joys of Owning a House," but I have to admit that there's some sarcasm in that title too. Before we can start enjoying the place, there was and still is a LOT of work to be done. To symbolize that, I journaled on the leaves of the tree - the hanging leaves are the things we were looking forward to and the leaves on the ground are the irritating things we have to put up with in the process. The tree is drawn freehand and the leaves are stamped and cut out from various scraps. On this picture my husband is cutting tile for our kitchen and let me tell you, I'm so glad that project is long behind us.

Supplies:

• Stamps: Leaves from God's Beauty set by Stampin'Up!
  
• Paper: Bluebird light blue DP by My Mind's Eye, Repose from Basic Grey's Scarlet's Letter collection and Mellow collection, brown, SU scraps for leaves
  
• Ink:Brown
• Accessories: twine, K&Company Amy Butler chipboard alphabet, Maya Road chipboard flowers, buttons, dreams pin, SEI tag, sandpaper

~Olgy

Pupmpkin Patch

Halloween came and went, but it still doesn't feel like fall in Texas. Not that I terribly mind because I like warm weather, but November really sneaked up on me and is half way over. While I'm working on other projects, it feels like an appropriate time to post a fall page or in a blink of an eye it will be Christmas.

Supplies:

• Paper: Cranberry crisp by Stampin'Up!, Candy Corn and Orchard DP by American Crafts
• Accessories: Art Accentsz beads by Provo Craft, punch, ribbon from Hobby Lobby

I actually made this page last year for SCS VSBN, but there's nothing that says fall more than a pumpkin patch and falling leaves. The leaves on the layout are cut out from DP and have beads are sawn on top for extra dimension and interest. Smiling neice and nephews complete the page.


~Olgy

The Big Ego Challenge Layout

My creativity goes out of the window when I'm sick, so all my grand plans for Candy Shoppe Design's challenge didn't translate on paper in the same way I imagined. The requirement was to make a paper creation about myself using icons. You can find more info HERE. When i started cutting out pictures from magazines and printing icons, it took me back to my HS years when I kept all kinds of collage journals with random picture cutouts just because I liked how they looked. So for the old time's sake I tried to use as few "scrapbooking" supplies as possible. Instead of journaling, I made up a crossword puzzle about me and things I like to complement the random icons. The pen is part of the layout to create "in progress" feel.

Supplies (All supplies are Stampin'Up! unless otherwise noted) :

• Stamps:Big Deal Alphabet
  
• Paper: Basic black and Frances Meyer DP
  
• Ink: Basic grey, Acrylic paint from Jo-ann's in Grasshopper color
• Accessories: printed icons and magazine cutouts, traced Sticky Cuts Letters, Heidi Swapp punctuation sign, acrylic bubble
  
• Tools: Punches

~Olgy

Candy Shoppe Sweet 16 Blog Hop Challenge

Candy Shoppe blog is hosting a super fun blog hop challenge in honor of their birthday. There are 10 blogs with instructions on each one and in the end you end up with a unique layout. Plus, the participants have a chance to win a sweet kit from Studio Calico, more details on Candy Shoppe Blog. I had a blast playing!!! Thanks, gals, for setting this up.

Here's a summary of the steps:

1) Choose a unique background. I was walking around my room looking for what would work when I came across this 12x12 cork I had leftover from a self made bullatain board. It was just the right size too so I couldn't pass it up. The only downside is that it won't fit into a page protector, but it was definitely unique compared to my traditional backgrounds.
2) Add an paper with an edge.
3) Add patterned paper on top.
4) Choose a closeup photo. I didn't have many options here because I was running low on photos and this one was a few of the closeups.
5) Do something to the side of the photo. I punched mine.
6) Layer the photo over the DP.
7) Add ribbon. On my page I have a ribbon seperating the two DPs and twine wrapped aroudn the lower part of the page.
8) Put at least 3 flowers into a corner of the photo. Did that.
9) Add at least 3 other kinds of embelishments. I added a paper tag that said "Smile", a fabric tag that says "Live with passion", a chipboard bracket and cut out branches from the remainder of my DP to tie in the earthy feel.
10)Add a title. My title was "Outside the Box" because this whole layout was kind of unusual for me, the layout was about me and in some aspects my life is kind of unique and finally because the page was about nothing in particular and I needed a generic title (there, I gave it away). The word "outside" is put together using Heidi Swapp clear alphabet where I outlined the edges with chocolate ink to make it more visible. The word "box" was a self made embelishment of a sort. I took some pop caps, smashed them, added DP with alphabet stickers and then covered the whole thing with Crystal Effects. I had to let it dry overnight but now it's hard and shiny. 

Hmm, since this doesn't fit into my album now i need to find a place on the wall to put this up. It's finally Friday, I'm so happy the weekend is here. Hope yours is a good one.

Supplies :

• Paper: Cork board, SIE Tarragon from Dill Blossom collection, Colorbok DP form a chipboard set
  
• Ink: Chocolate chip, Sharpie
• Accessories: Ribbon, twine, Heidi Swapp chipboard, tag and clear alphabet, Prima flowers, Stampin'Up! pearls, fabric tag ( I think it's from Around the Block), pop caps, Around the Block alphabet , Crystal Effects
  
• Tools: Stampin'Up! punch

~Olga

Rain

After 2 months of 100+ degree weather and drought, it started raining in Austin last weekend. It's been raining for several days, which is great for my lawn, but I'm already missing the sunshine. It was a lazy, gloomy Saturday morning this weekend so I made pancakes, I think for the 2nd time in my life (I'm not kidding), but they turned out delicious. I just had to take a picture.

Then, somewhere between painting my fireplace wall and cleaning up the guest room I would sneak back to my craft room (ahhh, did I mention how much I love my new craft room?) to work on a few pages. This one is my latest favorites.

The picture is of my parents' dog, Alice. She loves the outdoors (especially in the winter) and always gives the same questioning head tilt asking "You want me to go back inside? Are you sure? I'd much rather sit here instead," when called to come back indoors. The layout is 12x12 based on this adorable Pencillines sketch . I used primarily Basic Grey papers, stitched the sides and under the title, layered, sponged the edges of the papr, added beads (icicles), ribbon and twill, layered some more, stamped in irodescent ice on the title and snowflakes and cut the smaller part of the title on my Wishblade. 

Supplies (All supplies are Stampin'Up! unless otherwise noted) :

• Stamps: Snow Flurries
  
• Paper: Figgy Pudding and Dasher collection by BasicGrey
  
• Ink: Chocolate chip, soft sky, Versamark, iridescent ice embossing powder
• Accessories:  Beads from Pretties Kit, plastic winter Holidayhouse and Metalgrams by American Crafts, Heidi Swapp alphabet, ribbon, twill
  
• Tools: Sewing machine, Cuttlebug

The second layout was from last week for a submission to Back Porch Memories. I was hanging a copy of the "Apparition of the Face of Aphrodite" painting by Dali in the library and the colors and papers I chose were loosely based on the painting with a somewhat modern, contemporary feel.

Supplies (All supplies are Stampin'Up! unless otherwise noted) :

• Stamps: Note It by Inque Boutique
  
• Paper: Pinot Noir, Merlot from Periphery collection and Recess from Basic Grey, yellow Bazzil
  
• Ink: Basic black, bordering blue, chocolate chip
• Accessories: making memories eyelets, chocolate chip ribbon, Prima flowers, swirl clip from Hodgepodge Hardware, stickers by Kelly Paracci

No cards for today because the pages took most of the time, but stay tuned later in the week.

~Olgy

Catching Up on Scrapbooking

Now that we're at least somewhat moved into the new house, I've had more time to scrapbook again. I've been on a roll since Sunday managing a layout a day! Now updating my blog with the pictures, that's another story...

The first picture is of my DH and I at a restaurant last year right after I finished my first tri (that's why my face is so sun-burned). For the title/main embellishment i was playing around with the cracked glass technique and it turned out pretty well. For this technique all you need to do is cover the image with Versamark, generously sprinkle on thick clear embossing powder, heat with the heat gun (just like for regular embossing) and when the powder melts and dries hard then bend the image to crack the top layer. I used the negative part of the cutout of DP as a frame around my journaling and added other embelishments such as vellum and metal tags. For the ribbon stitching at the bottom of the page, I first punched out the holes with small circle punch and finished it off with a bow and a brad from "make-a-brad" kit from Stampin'Up! where I used the same coordinating DP.

Supplies (All supplies are Stampin'Up! unless otherwise noted):

• Stamps: Pretty Amazing, Fabulous Flowers
  
• Paper: Blue bayou, vellum, Cherished Flowers by My Mind's Eye
  
• Ink:Basic black, blue bayou, old paper distress ink, Versamark and embossing powder
• Accessories: Heidi Swapp ribbon, Puzzle words by Karen Foster, tag by Making Memories, rub-on, make-a-brad
  
• Tools: Topz Notes die, punch

For the next page, I followed a Candy Shoppe blog first design challenge, striptease-101. The challenge was to create a layout with paper strip elements using cream, pink, yellow, blue and purple and as a bonus to use a sketch. I liked the sketch and followed all of the above. My strip of paper also had color stripes on it, so it served double duty.

Supplies (All supplies are Stampin'Up! unless otherwise noted):

• Stamps: Journaling stamp by Katie Pertier
  
• Paper: SEI beige from Dill Blossom collection, striped paper from American Crafts, Baja Breeze
• Ink: Basic black
• Accessories: Heidi Swapp flower, purple flower (can't recall manufacturer), Kology chipboard by K&Company, pearls, ribbon and rub-ons by Basic Grey

~Olgy

Show Me Some Bling

I'm not a pink and hearts type of girl, but when I saw SEI Chocolat collection last year I couldn't resist. I brought it home and made a few cards right away. They were so quick because the paper was beautiful all on it's own. I made a few variations with different embelishments around the ribbon as well as the sentiment.

Supplies (All supplies are Stampin'Up! unless otherwise noted) :

• Stamps: It's about time
  
• Paper: eclair and cherie by SEI
  
• Ink: Versamark and white embossing powder
• Accessories: Butterfly embellishment from SEI chocolat collection

Fast forward to now, I found the stack still almost full sitting in my DP stash. It was time to make some layouts. I've been digging through some really old photos lately, uploading a few of them on Facebook for my friends to see and the High School memories started flooding in. Well, what's a better occasion to use some glittery, pink paper than a HS dance?

I used the nougat DP for my base and cut out some flourishes and hearts from mon coeur. For the title, I only had "R" and "O" in the stash, luckily, these metal letters were easy to bend so I broke off a piece to make the "P" and "M" from two "N"s. The flourishes and the picture are poped up with foam squares for extra layers.

Supplies:

• Stamps: Doodle Script Alphabet by Inque boutique
  
• Paper: nougat and mon coeur by SEI, Tender love and care by EK Success
  
• Accessories: Prima flowers, rhinestones, Metalgrams by American crafts, glitter die cuts by SEI, metal accent (not arts related)
  

While at it, I also made a few quick cards for the CAS bling challenge. For these I used the eclair shimmery paper, matted it with black to contrast my background and embossed the sentiment in silver. Below are the two variations with Primas and pearls.

Supplies (All supplies are Stampin'Up! unless otherwise noted) :

• Stamps: Heidi Grace
  
• Paper: eclair by SIE, basic black, white Bazzil
  
• Ink: versamark and silver EP
• Accessories: Prima flowers, pearls, brads
  

~Olgy

Modern Vintage - Tips For Scrabooking Old Photos

For a long time I didn't know how to approach scrapping heirloom photos because they look more natural in a vintage type layout, but I have a more contemporary, ad-hoc style pages. It wasn't until last year when I was required to create a vintage layout for a few challenges that I actually gave it a try. I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't as difficult as I imagined. I was still using my "improv" style but with a few little shortcuts the layouts took on an old-fashioned feel.

Supplies:

• Paper:Antique Cream collection from Creative Imaginations, basic black 
• Ink: Basic Black 
• Accessories: Heidi Swapp chipboard clocks, pin, pearls and brads from StampinUp pretties kit, kraft taffeta ribbon

Shortcuts to a vintage look:
1) It's all about the paper!
Really. The paper is the main element on the page, so it has the biggest impact. Neutral tones are the easiest to work with, but rich, jewled tones such as navy, burgandy and dark purple work well too. Not to say that you can't use bright colors, but because of their vibrance it's harder to pull off an aged look.

Choose vintage or aged designer paper. I've seen some great examples in the travel section, with script writing or distressed florals. Can't find vintage paper? Read shortcut #2
Finally the photo itself. Print it in sepia or black and white. You can use photo editing software to "distress" the photo ahead of time or you can do it by hand.

2) Distressing
I could do several tutorials on this topic alone, so I'm just going to cover the ideas and if you have question on the details there are a ton of resources onilne or just post a comment and I'll be happy to answer.
What can be distressed? Well, just bout anything on your layout - the photos, paper, embelishments etc. Some of the popular techniques include: roughing up the edges (with a distressing tool or a pair of scissors), sponging, bending and crinkling the paper, using sandpaper to scrape the paper or photos.

The cracked glass technique is another great look for vintage layouts. Just emboss an image with thick, clear embossing powder and when it sets, bend the image to crack it in a few places. Use as is or finish it off by adding some ink to the cracks to emphasize them. Voila - the cracked glass technique.

Did you know that heavy duty cardstock like Stampin'Up can be distressed to look like worn leather if you're going for a western theme?! Crinkle and rub the paper (creamy caramel, close to cocoa or a similar color works well). For added emphasis sponge the edges and crinkles. You can leave it as is, or stamp an image on top.


3) Complement the era
Where you would normally use ribbon - tie a piece of lace. Add a jewel or a picture of one. Maybe feathers. Use stamps to help emphesize the time period or an "aged" look. If unsure about what fits, do some research on the style of the era you're trying to portray or use generic "timeless" items such as: pins, flowers, clock (not digital), old style postage, etc.

On the layout above I let the paper do most of the work for me. It was neutral with a script pattern that resembled an old handwritten letter, so it fit well. I still scattered the photos and added journaling blocks just like i would on a modern page, however, i added a few "timeless" embelishments such as a clock chipboard piece, neutral ribbon, pearls and pin. Added some journaling and the page was done.

The same concepts can be applied to a card. I used neutral DP that looked like old letters for the background, added pewter eyelets to keep with the aged look, distressed and slightly sponged the edges of the image and added a few other embelishments in the same color scheme.

Supplies:

• Stamps: Eiffel Tower from Stampabilities
  
• Paper: Heritage Postcard by Provo Craft
  
• Ink:Going grey, sahara sand, StazOn (to stamp on metal)
• Accessories: Stampin'Up! pewter jumbo eyelets, metal tag, twine, ribbon from Hobby Lobby
  
• Tools: Crop-a-dile

Other things to keep in mind when scrapbooking old photos:

• Do NOT use the originals. Scan them and then print at home or through a photo processing service. Some places even offer photo restoration services. 
• If you're very conscientious about your albums lasting for decades, be careful to use acid-free items on the layout (including adhesives and inks) or spray the page with a product like "Make it Acid Free" by Krylon to neutralize the acidity and make the pages archival safe. 
• Let the photos take center stage. 
• Ask family members to help with the details of the story. If you or someone else wasn't there when the photo was taken, write down the memories of the the people or the place in the photo.

~Olgy

2008: A Year In Review

First of all, let me apologize about the format of the Flocking tutorial in my last post. I've made a few attempts to repost it, but every time the spacing either in FireFox or IE is skewed and the pictures are misaligned. I'm sorry about that. If you're having problems viewing it try using FireFox or if you'd like a pdf of this instead, just email me and I'll send one to you.

Now, for some belated 2008 wrap-ups. I thought this was one of my least eventful years - no vacations, mostly work. Then I started listing the things I've done and to my surprise it was a lot more than I thought. A lot of firsts. A first trip to Singapore, actually Asia in general; a first tri; a first craft room (well, loft); started building a house; started this blog, etc. I actually ran out of space on my layout and had to stop at 10.

See Flocking Tutorial if you want to know how to make your own "fuzzy" letters.

Now thinking about 2009, I'm not big on for making New Year's resolutions. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for self improvement, I just don't tend to associate it with the first of the year. Maybe knowing that I have a year to realize something makes it feel like it has to be something BIG. Or maybe I just feel like I wouldn't get as much done right away if I had a full year in front of me (admit it, we all procrastinate). Instead I'll just try to do more "firsts." With the move I doubt I'll be traveling much, but I'd like visit some new place outside of Austin. I need to start training again... maybe even train for an Olympic distance instead of a sprint if I can find the time. I don't want to set a goal who's outcome is out of my hands, so instead of making a goal of getting published or getting on a design team I'll make a goal to submit. I often say I will and then forget or change my mind, so this year by March I want to submit at least ten of my pieces. Ok, that's more than I keep track of as is. Happy New Year!

~Olgy

Supplies (All supplies are Stampin'Up! unless otherwise noted) :

• Stamps: none
• Paper: kraft, SEI Dill Blossom, whisper white
• Ink: basic black
• Accessories: Stampin'Up! Sticky Cut Letters, Fun Flock, Basic Grey Obscure rub-ons
• Tools: Wishblade
  

Basketball Layout and Banana Muffins

A friend of mine graduated from college last weekend (yep, I'm talking about you Amy). It's hard to imagine it's been 3 years since I got my ECE degree at UIUC. The finals, the stress, the winter. I was really happy when it was over, but now that classes are behind me, I wish I had a reason to go visit more often and do the things that I didn't have time for when I was there such as basketball games, football games, bar hopping, etc. For a while I still had a few friends and contacts in Champaign, but Amy is the last person I knew who still attended the school. Makes me feel a little sentimental... and a little old :)

As a tribute to UIUC, here's a layout I did in October for SCS virtual scrapbooking night.

It's a 12x12 page with a faux leather technique created by embossing paper through Swiss Polka Dot folder. Since the the folder is small, I had to emboss two pieces and glue them together. The stitching was done with thin ribbon. What I love most about this page are the pictures - someone dressed up our Alma Mater in a jersey - brings back fond memories when UIUC went to basketball finals in 2005.

Supplies (All supplies are Stampin'Up! unless otherwise noted) :

• Paper: Pumpkin pie, night of navy, blue/orange dots DP from My Mind's Eye
• Ink: Really rust (for faux leather look)
• Accessories: Making memories tag, night of navy and brown ribbon, Cuttlebug embossing folder, punches, BasicGery alphabet, die cut, Illinois sticker
• Tools: Cuttlebug embossing folder, scalloped edge punch
  

Now for some cooking experiments. This year I've been getting more and more into making muffins. They're easy to make and what I love most about them is that they freeze really well so I can make a few batches at a time and freeze a portion of them. A few weeks later just pop them back into the fridge for a day or two and then into a microwave or taster oven right before eating.

Last night I tried a new recipe, Quick and Easy Banana-Oat muffins.
I think I made a few mistakes such as putting too much bananas and taking them out a little too soon, but all in all these have some potential, not bad at all for how healthy they are compared to other muffins. The recipe calls for lots of bananas and oats, whole wheat flour and very little sugar and oil. Next time I need to experiment a bit to make them raise more. If you have some muffin recipes you like, let me know, I'm always on the lookout for new ones.

~Olgy