Tuesday, September 26, 2017

The Apple Never Falls Far From the Tree

Welcome to my stop on the Club Scrap blog hop!

Orchard blog hop photo

This month's hop features projects from the September 2017 Orchard kit. I don't know about you, but I'm so ready for fall!

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I usually start my posts with a little story inspired by a quote or image in the kit. This quote was the spark that influenced me today...

The apple quote

Oh yes it does! My kids definitely didn't get their athletic prowess from me! I'm an accident waiting to happen. Both of my ankles have had torn ligaments bad enough to wear casts and I tore the ACL in my left knee jumping in the Spacewalk at my oldest son's 5th birthday party. I'm so glad that my boys got their dad's physical abilities! I'm proud of all of their achievements, but I'm most proud of their character. I have two fine sons with good hearts and beautiful minds. I can't ask for better than that. I love this picture...

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They're not any different now, just bigger!

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They support each other in everything they do. That makes this mama's heart happy. I sure do love my boys!

They always appreciate my artwork and they love interactive cards. Who doesn't? They are so fun to play with! I started off making some cards for the Club Scrap® 09/17 Idea Deck Challenge. This 8♠ card features cutting and assembly instructions to create a tent fold card and two cards with waterfall folds!

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I used some of the sentiments and images from the Jumbo Unmounted and Art Nouveau stamp sets and embellishments and fibers from the kit to create my cards. I love how the tiny round cutaparts fit in the bottle caps!

[gallery ids="10989,10886" type="rectangular"]

OK, I'll admit I cheated on the trimming. After I cut the first set of card stock, I didn't like the how the pieces paired together. So, I cut everything again, but I strategically cut some of the pieces for pleasing backgrounds. I like the lone apple with this quote!

[caption id="attachment_11034" align="alignnone" width="2695"]IMG_7616E Art Nouveau sentiment and Orchard card stock. Image was stamped in Club Scrap® watermark ink and embossed with gold embossing powder.[/caption]

Orange is not my favorite color, so I made this one to challenge myself. It kinda grew on me!

[caption id="attachment_11035" align="alignnone" width="2686"]IMG_7620E Sentiments and images inked with Club Scrap® watermark ink and embossed with copper foil embossing powder.[/caption]

I'm partial to red...who am I kidding...I love red! I want some more of this red crinkle ribbon!

[caption id="attachment_11036" align="alignnone" width="2934"]IMG_7622E Word art inked with Club Scrap® watermark ink and embossed with gold embossing powder. Inked edges using Club Scrap® Earth ink.  Red fiber from the kit.[/caption]

Aren't these entertaining?!

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Here's a video tutorial that is super helpful in constructing the waterfall fold mechanism and a set of instructions to go with it.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQiimNGhFRk]

I also made a drawstring gift basket to go with my cards. It was so perfect for the kit theme!

[caption id="attachment_11095" align="aligncenter" width="612"]Drawstring Gift Basket Copyrighted material shared with permission from Club Scrap® .[/caption]

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I used the stencil included with the Club Scrap® Deluxe kit to give the green pieces a wood grain look.

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Of course I had to fill it with something...caramel apple pops! IMG_7634E

Your next stop on the hop is Kelly and you can always find the full list of bloggers on the Club Scrap blog. Thanks for stopping by and come back and visit any time!

Do more of what makes you happy!

Wendy Signature with CS artist team
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Monday, September 18, 2017

Today's Special...WATERCOLOR!

It's fall ya'll! Well, almost...technically, the first day of fall is September 22 according to the Farmer's Almanac, but it's close enough for me! I'm ready for crisp fall days when I can turn off the A/C, open all the doors and windows, light a fire pit on the patio with no mosquitoes and have a big pot of something delicious cooking on the stove! We planted a fall garden and I can't wait for some garden fresh vegetable soup and cornbread...and apple pie for dessert!

I loved my grandparents' stories about growing up during The Depression and what it was like to live on a farm. My Memaw wrote a blog called The Ridges of Lee County for a few years before she died. Her stories are short and sweet, but she sure could paint a picture with just a few words. I scrolled through her blog and found this post about harvesting cotton, even the kids had to work! I can just see this little Virginia with a cotton sack over her shoulder!

Virginia little girl

Her story inspired me to create this art journal layout...it's about as "Americana" as it gets.

[caption id="attachment_10761" align="alignnone" width="4576"]CS Artist Team Challenge Watercolor Art Journal 033E All stamp and stencil images from Club Scrap® . Available supplies will be listed at the end of this post.[/caption]

I found this cute little vintage photo and created the rest of the layout around him.

CS Artist Team Challenge Watercolor Art Journal 033E1

He kind of looks like this picture of my Papaw when he was a little boy!

Papaw little boy

I used some watercolor distressing techniques for a "vintage" look. I sponged the background with Distress Inks and blended with water. Here I colored my stamp with watercolor pencils and misted with water before I stamped for a faded effect. I purposely didn't line up the border stamp image, I like the imperfection!

CS Artist Team Challenge Watercolor Art Journal 046E2

I used the new layering stencil from Club Scrap® 's Orchard kit to create my title. I applied Distress Inks so that I could splatter with water droplets and remove some of the ink for an aged effect. I also used a paintbrush and flicked some spatters of Black Soot Distress Ink  mixed with water over the background. I did the same with some white gesso.

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I just love this little scene!

CS Artist Team Challenge Watercolor Art Journal 046E

Today's post is part of the Club Scrap Artist Team Challenge blog hop. The challenge this month is to incorporate watercolor techniques into our projects. Be sure to visit the Club Scrap blog to see what Karen has created and you'll also find the complete list of bloggers there too. Thanks for stopping by and stay tuned for the Club Scrap Orchard blog hop next Wednesday!

Orchard blog hop photo

Do more of what makes you happy!

Wendy Signature with CS artist team

SUPPLIES LIST:

Club Scrap® is a monthly kit club and the kits are a limited-edition product. If you happened to miss out on some of Club Scrap’s paper kits, you should really check out all the corresponding digital kits! You'll find all available products used in this project with links listed below. I link to sources for your convenience. Affiliate links used at no extra cost to you. Please feel free to message me with any questions!

Club Scrap Orchard stencil

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Club Scrap Orchard Jumbo Unmounted Stamps

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Club Scrap Sonoma Digital kit

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Scrapbook.com has discounted prices on Ranger Distress Inks !

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Faber Castell Watercolour Pencil Set  from the Artist Supply Source

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Saturday, September 16, 2017

Daisy, Daisy!

When you think of a daisy,  you think of a small white round flower with a round yellow center, right?

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Well, here's some fun facts about daisies...

  • A single daisy flower is actually made up of two separate flowers. The center petals are one flower surrounded by the “rays” of another flower.

  • Daisies grow all year round.

  • Daisy leaves are edible. Some people add them to their salads.

  • The Old English word meant “day’s eye” because daisy flowers only opened during the daytime.


“Daisy” also became a slang word in the early 1800s...

  • It meant the best or most marvelous. Kind of similar to saying that something is the cream of the crop.

  • Innocence, especially with white daisies with yellow or pale centers.

  • Purity – also shown by daisies that are as white as possible.

  • New beginnings, which is why they are often found in bouquets for new mothers or as gifts for children.

  • True love – because each daisy flower is really two flowers blended together in harmony.

  • That the sender can keep a secret. Keeping a secret is one way a person can exhibit that they truly love another.


I totally get why daisies are the friendliest flowers!

CIC 423 Floral JFF Daisy 006E

Today starts a new theme challenge at Cupcake Inspirations...FLORAL!

CIC 423 Inspiration photo

The sponsor for this week is Birch Press Designs and they are generously providing a $20 gift certificate to our randomly chosen winner!



 

Check out their new fall 2017 catalog, they have some fabulous layering dies!

https://issuu.com/memoryboxinc/docs/2017_summer_catalog

I saw some wild daisies on the side of the road when I was riding my bike last week, so they were the first flower to come to mind when I was making my card. I love this quote from the movie You've Got Mail!

Daisy sentiment 4x6

I made a .png digital file to share. Just right-click on the sentiment below and save to your computer to print on card stock!

Daisy Sentiment

I typed the quote in Photoshop Elements using the Bakery font and printed on Club Scrap® card stock. I stamped the background using the JFF Rubber Stamps cluster of stalks stamp image using Memento Bamboo (darker green) and New Sprout (lighter green) inks. I stamped the JFF Rubber Stamps cone daisies stamp and arranged them over the stalks with my Stamp-a-ma-jig. I stamped the cone daisies again on specialty Spectrum Noir card stock in Memento Cocoa ink and colored them with Spectrum Noir alcohol markers. I fussy cut them out and adhered over the stamped background images, so that the cute scribbly stems would show. It took a while, but I find fussy cutting relaxing!

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As always, I add a little sparkle with Stickles!

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Check out what the rest of the Design Team Sweeties have created and be sure to link up your creation on the Cupcake Inspirations blog!

Charlotte

Christine

Debbie

EK

Kim

Me!

Do more of what makes you happy!

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Catch 'em if you can!

Technically, summer is over. School has started and it's the middle of September, but it still feels like summer here in Louisiana! Curiously, I haven't seen any fireflies this summer. When I was a kid, I'd see them all the time. Though, I did spend a lot more time outside back then. We didn't go inside til the street lights came on! When it got dark we'd lay in the grass and look up at the stars and if we were real still, we'd see the fireflies blinking. We'd run around trying to catch them in our hands, get itchy from laying in the grass and it was time to head to the house for a bath! Good times!

JFF September post 2 Fireflies in a Jar 018E

JFF Rubber Stamps artist Jacki Gehring  designed the mason jar and wire to be used with the fireflies. In honor of  Jacki, I incorporated five different new release stamps from JFF Rubber Stamps to create a firefly scene, the small canning jarcanning jar wire handlefirefly outline, firefly silhouette, and the old crooked tree. Her designs are fabulous and I'm so glad I get to work with them! The sentiment was created using an old font stamp set from my stash. I used distress inks to create the background and flicked some water droplets on top for effect. I used kaleidoscope embossing powder to stamp the jar image, I love the iridescent shimmer!

JFF September post 2 Fireflies in a jar 007E

I stamped the crooked tree branch in brown ink and fussy cut it out for a little extra dimension. I added some walnut stickles for texture.

JFF September post 2 Fireflies in a jar 014E

Check out the JFF Rubber Stamps online store for more new releases and join our monthly challenge for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to buy some of them for yourself! This month's challenge is to use this card sketch...lots of creative possibilities! 

JFF September 2017 Sketch Challenge

I can't wait to see what you create!

Wendy Signature JFF DT1

 
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Sunday, September 10, 2017

Mmmmmm...apple pie...

My Grandma made the BEST apple pie (I bet we can all say that!). Butter, sugar, flour, cinnamon, Granny Smith apples, a pinch of salt...She always made her own crust with Crisco! God that was good stuff! This was my attempt at making it a few years ago.

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I even used her pie plate.

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AND I made my own crust using her recipe of course!

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It was beautiful!

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It tasted great, but I should have cooked the apples a little before I put them in the shell...I don't like "crunchy". I'm weird like that. Try, try again right? Holidays are coming, so I'll get some practice soon! I saw this awesome video on Facebook and I want to try some of these pie crusts!

https://www.facebook.com/firstmediasoyummy/videos/1862813597366116/

The new Club Scrap® Orchard kit sure makes me miss my Grandma Judy!

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This kit would be right up her alley!

[caption id="attachment_10443" align="aligncenter" width="600"]Grandma Judy Digital Scrapper background, Club Scrap® Digital All that Jazz title element. Homemade Apple font.[/caption]

I had to dig in after I prepped my unmounted stamps, so I made some cards for the Club Scrap® 09/17 Idea Deck Challenge.

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Each month a card is chosen from the deck by number/suit. Any of the five decks can be used. Make a layout, card, or whatever is on that card in the deck you choose and post it in the Club Scrap® Idea Deck Challenge thread. The results must be created from at least 50% Club Scrap® materials.

This month the card is the 8♠.  Detailed cutting instructions are included on the back of each card so there is no wasted paper!

Club Scrap September 2017 Idea Deck Challenge 007E

Don't be intimidated by the little pieces, that's what the Club Scrap® grid ruler is for! (Check out this post, I was Made for Sunny Days! , for some tips on using the grid ruler to align tiny pieces.) I rearranged things a bit on a couple of the cards, but I used all the pieces. Don't you love this card stock?!

Club Scrap September 2017 Idea Deck Challenge 018E

The directions call for two 12*12 pieces of card stock, so I used card stock and elements from the Deluxe kit to decorate. On my first card I used the Jumbo unmounted stamp set  and ribbon from the embellishment pack. I edged the card stock with a gold leafing pen to tie everything together.

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This colorful card also features stamp images from the Jumbo Unmounted set as well as a sentiment from the Greetings Unmounted stamps.

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The next two cards feature the Orchard bottle caps with epoxy stickers and some of the embellishment cutaparts.

Club Scrap September 2017 Idea Deck Challenge 015EClub Scrap September 2017 Idea Deck Challenge 013E

All this gold and red is making me think Christmas cards! I may have to save a few sheets for my holiday card making. Hmmmm, some homemade apple pies and cards sounds like a gift giving plan!

Click here to shop for the Orchard kit and be sure to check out the challenges in the Club Scrap® forum!

Do more of what makes you happy!

Wendy Signature with CS artist team

I link to sources for your convenience. Some affiliate links are used at no extra cost to you.
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