Accenting with Liquid Pearls

Last week, when working on my June Upsy Daisy Designs assignment, I rediscovered my Liquid Pearls.  I have no idea why they got pushed to the back shelf, but now that I have taken them out again, you can expect to see them used a whole lot more.

Liquid Pearls are a cost effective way to add texture and interest to a page.  Take a peek at the two pages I have to share today for some examples of how I like to accenutate with liquid pearls.

"Almost  4"

Supplies:  Paper (Upsy Daisy), Flowers (Prima), Tape (Pink Paislee), Journaling Sprouts (Jillibean Soup), Liquid Pearls (Ranger), Chipboard (Basic Grey), Rub-ons (Black River Designs)

Notice how I created a border around my shaped paper and also added some texture to my chipboard number '4'. 

"Happy"

Supplies:  Paper (Upsy Daisy Designs), Epoxy & Felt Flower (Epiphany Crafts), Journaling Sprouts (Jillibean Soup), Brads (DCWV), Stamp & Ink (Stampin' Up), Liquid Pearls (Ranger)

I am in love with this stamp. It is the Medallion stamp by Stampin' Up.  I used some Liquid Pearls on this one to highlight some of the designs on the stamp.  That beautiful felt flower and epoxy bird you see are by Epiphany Crafts.  The Shape Studio Tool Round 14 allowed me to turn regular patterned paper in to a 3D embellishment.

I also used a mix of custom epoxy shapes (Heart 14), Liquid Pearls and brads to create a frame around my photo.  Again, this was a quick and inexpensive way to add some interest to my layout.

Liquid Pearls Tips:
-Always add your pearls last.  This way you can leave your page to dry and not risk smudging them.  I also recommend placing the wet page up high away from your craft table.  I've put a page to the side before thinking it would be fine and placed a sheet of paper on top by accident.

-Liquid Pearls are not meant to be perfect.  They really aren't.  Try and use a steady hand and very small amount for each dot and it will look great.  Don't worry if you make a dot too big.  You can wipe it right off when it is wet with little to no damage.  If you look closely at my dots, you will see they are not all entirely perfect but it really doesn't take away from the effect at all.

-If you are not entirely confident creating your own free-hand border, try highlighting existing borders on patterened paper or embellishments like I did above.  The vertical column of pearls on the first page is a mere highlight of a dotted border that was pre-printed on the paper.  The same holds true for the stamped medallion. I highlighted dots that were part of the stamped design.

-Try mixing things up with more than one colour.


So there you have it.  A fun little introduction to (or reminder to dig out) those Liquid Pearls.

Mixin' & Matchin' Upsy Daisy Style

Today is my day to post a challenge on the Upsy Daisy blog and I want to share a few design details on my blog of the two pages I created for the challenge.

"The Great Outdoors"

Supplies:  Paper, Brads (Upsy Daisy Designs), Sticker (Best Creation Inc.), Pins (Making Memories), Letters (Jenni Bowlin), Chipboard (Technique Tuesday), Twine

One thing I like to do with Upsy Daisy brads is add a mini letter to the center.  They are perfectly sized for this and make an interesting way to add text and titles to pages.  For another example, check out THIS PAGE.

"This is Love"

Supplies:  Paper & Bradds (Upsy Daisy Designs), Acrylic (Tattered Angels), Canvas Flower & Pearl Flourish (Prima), Chipboard Flowers & Journaling Sprout (Jillibean Soup), Chipboard Frame (Technique Tuesday), Stamp (Unity Stamp Company), Lace (Dollarama), Letters (Jenni Bowlin)

This page is all about texture. I added an oversize canvas flower, lace trim, acrylic, chipboard, metal brads, pearls and gems. I really love to create pages with layers of texture.

I also re-purposed the packaging from the Prima flourish.  I used it to stamp the word "love" for my title and to fill the inside of the acrylic frame above it. I really like how so many companies are making packaging that can also be used a design element.

Be sure to pop on over to the Daisy Diaries for specifics on the products I used above and to play along with this month's challenge.

Thanks so much for visiting.

A is for Adorable

The page I have today was made using the "See You Later Alligator" line by Upsy Daisy.  Blues and greens rank among my most favourite colours so it's no surprise that I love this line, even if it was intended for boy pages.

"A is for Adorable"

Supplies:  Paper & Brads (Upsy Daisy Designs), Trim (My Mind's Eye), Letters (Jillibean Soup, Jenni Bowlin), Brads (Basic Grey), Pearls (Craft Supply Store)

The pearls and ruffle trim add subtle femininity to the page.

These brads are just the right size for my mini alpha letters.

That's all I have for today.  I've spent the better part of the last three nights cleaning and organizing my craft space.  It feels great to spring clean....well it feels great once it's done! 

Have a wonderful day and thanks so much for visiting.

There is no such thing as a mistake in paper crafting.

I love embossing folders.  Maybe I should qualify that statement.  I love to collect embossing folders, or so it would seem.  They really are a wonderful invention and allow paper crafters to create so many unique and custom pieces.  So why is it that I rarely use mine?  It's hard to say, but today I decided I would break that trend...which leads me to the title of today's post. 

I cut out my card base and carefully lined it up in the folder and put it through the machine.  It looked great except for the bottom left corner.  For some reason, the impression wasn't fully made so I was left to decide if I should use it anyway or start again.  I mulled it over for awhile as I fussy cut some flowers from my patterned paper.  In the end, I decided to keep the "defective" card base and use my flower to make that mistake disappear.  Some of my most creative work has been created while fixing a mistake.  I'm not so sure this card ranks up there with the best of them, but it certainly worked and totally drew the attention away from the embossing in that area.  It also feels great to know that you didn't waste a bunch of product and have to start all over again.

Supplies:  Paper & Stamp (Upsy Daisy Designs), Pearls (Kaisercrafts), Embossing Folder (Sizzix), Glitter (Craft Supply Store), Glossy Accents (Ranger), Cardstock (Bazzill)

To give the flower a little more interest, I raised it with foam mounting squares.  I added pearls to the flower center and then filled the entire green area with Glossy Accents.  A sprinkling of white glitter over the wet glue gave me just the look I was after.


This next card is another quick and easy one to recreate.  I used a mix of "Vogue" (used above also) and "See You Later Alligator" lines.

Supplies:  Paper, Brads (Upsy Daisy Designs), Card Base (Stampin' Up), Cardstock (Bazzill)

The corduory brads give such  nice texture to the card and you all know how much I love texture.

That's all for now.  Thanks for visiting.

EDITED TO ADD:  Look for this card in the Winter, 2011 issue of Paper Creations Magazine.

Hopes & Dreams

Today's page was made with my new favourite photos of Daphne.  I was experimenting with my camera and was thrilled to get these shots.  She has the most adorable little face. 

I used Upsy Daisy's "Home Sweet Home" line for this page.  The quote written on the green strip across the middle of the page was the inspiration for the layout.  It reads:  "Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, but learning to dance in the rain..."  I need to say that again:   "Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, but learning to dance in the rain..."  I like that.  I like it alot.

So without any further rambling, here it is:

"Hopes & Dreams"

Supplies:  Paper, Brad (Upsy Daisy Designs), Chipboard Flourish (Magistical Memories), Chipboard Word (American Crafts), Letters (Websters Pages), Epoxy (Epiphany Crafts)

There is rarely a project that goes by that doesn't incorporate buttons or epoxies of some sort and this page is no exception.

That's it, that's all for today.  I'm got all kinds of activites packed into the next two days, the first being a pregnancy photo shoot for my sister followed by a visit from my brother and sister in-law and their family.  Whatever you are doing this weekend, Enjoy!  I'll see you again next week.

Valentine's Day Gift Set

Supplies:  Paper, Stamps (Upsy Daisy Designs), Epoxy (Epiphany Crafts), Candle (Walmart), Gift Bay (Autumn Leaves), Lace Heart (Dollarama), Baker's Twine (Martha Stewart), Scallop Punch (Marvy Uchida)

It is tutorial day on the Upsy Daisy Designs blog tomorrow and I have posted details on how to create this project.  I was first introduced to stamping on candles by Rhonda a couple of months ago and really love how quick and easy it is to create custom candles.  Be sure to visit the Daisy Diaries tomorrow for all the details.

Surrounded

I have another Upsy Daisy Designs page for you today using "Avalanche".  The photo is acutally from last year this time.  There is a park locally where the ducks congregate all year around.  In the winter they are especially fun to visit because there are so many of them and if you bring the right food, they will swarm all around you to feed.  So what exactly is the "right" food? While you might initially think bread, that is actually not it.  They will eat the bread, but it provides little nutrition for them and expands in their stomachs to make them feel full when they aren't. We were feeding the ducks corn one afternoon and another group arrived across the pond with a bucket of bird seeds and every single duck in the whole area swarmed across the pond to get the seeds.  It really was something and it would have been interesting to have had a video camera on the whole scene.  The girls were left standing there holding their corn with not a single duck left.  We were all just dumbfounded.  Luckily the people with the seeds were gracious enough to share with our little ones.  We learned after that what the best food is and haven't made that mistake again. 

"Surrounded"

Supplies:  Paper (Upsy Daisy Designs), Chipboard (Magistical Memories), Letters (Basic Grey), Stamp (Glitz), Acrylic Snowflakes & Glam Rocks (Imaginisce), Cardstock (Bazzill), Epoxy (Epiphany Crafts)

The custom epoxy shape you see on this beautiful crystal snowflake by Imaginisce was made using the Epiphany Crafts Shape Studio Tool Round 14.  Keep checking back as I will soon have some goodies to share using the 1" tool.  It is like nothing I have ever worked with before.  You are going to love it!

For more "Avalanche" work, check out these pages:
-Your First Winter
-Happy Canada Day (it really is that versatile)

As always, thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

EDITED TO ADD:
Look for this page in the Winter, 2011 issue of Scrapbooking  Beyond Magazine

Chocolate Smile

The page I have for your today is the first one I've made of Julia and her messy faces.  I have a mini that I'd like to make as well since this is such a part of who she is.  It doesn't matter what she is eating, she will find a way to paint it on herself in some way.  Last night she was rubbing pickled beets all over her hands to colour them pink.  What a mess!

"Chocolate Smile"

Supplies:  Paper, Stamps & Ribbon (Upsy Daisy Designs), Flowers (Petaloo, Michaels), Pins (Making Memories), Letters (My Little Shoebox, Basic Grey), Doilies (Craft Supply Store)

Journaling Reads: 

You LOVE to paint your lips.  I guess I can't blame you for choosing chocolate as your lip gloss of choice.  08/10

I used two Upsy Daisy paper lines for this page:  Enchanted and Blossom.  The two really do pair beautifully together and I don't believe I have used one without the other yet.

My new love is paper doilies.  I found them in two different sizes and layered them up here for a frame around my photos.  Strips of folded patterned paper create another layer between the two.  Don't worry about how long your strips are. Just make sure they are the same width and use a long reach stapler to attach them in place.

For more work with these lines, check out "My Life is Complete".

Thanks so much for visiting!

Altered Bulletin Board

When we built our house, I had to have stainless steel appliances.  It seemed like such a great idea at the time.  That is until we had children.  Not only is cleaning the fingerprints off a loosing battle, they aren't magnetic.  Am I the only person in the world who didn't realize this?  Or even consider it?  So over the past few years I've been making things for the kids to take the place of not having a magnetic refrigerator.  The first was the Magnetic Alphabet Board.  The next big void that I needed to address was a place for all the girls' artwork.   I bought this bulletin board, size 24 x 36, from Staples to hang in the kitchen.  The only problem was it seemed so boring.  It sat for a few weeks unopened until one day I saw a framed bulletin board that had pictures around the perimeter.  It was much smaller than this but it gave me the push I needed to alter my own into something a little more personal and interesting. 

As you can see, the frame relative to the size of the board is kind of whimpy. So what I did was mask off a three inch border all the way around the piece with painter's tape.  Next I sprayed it in several coats of black paint followed by a sealer.  Once I took the tape off, I had the illusion of a much larger frame more suitable to the size of the board.  I added the word CREATE and a bunch of 4x3 photos.

The board still felt like it needed something else so I dug out some Upsy Daisy patterned paper from the "See You Later Alligator" line and an EK Success border punch and made the scallop border.  The green in the paper is coincidently a perfect match to my wall colour.

Once topped with some inexpensive twill, I was ready to tackle the tacks.  I bet you can guess what tool I dug out for this one.  That's right, my Epiphany Crafts epoxy tool.  I used a bunch of Upsy Daisy rub-ons and made them into toppers for my tacks.

Supplies:  Bulletin Board & Flat Tacks (Office Supply Store), Paper & Rub-ons (Upsy Daisy Designs),  Epoxy Tool (Epiphany Crafts), Punch (EK Success), Chipboard Letters (Lil Davis Designs),  Black/White Spray Paint and Sealer (Hardware Store), Twill (Michaels)

In other news, I had a wonderful day yesterday with 35 wonderful ladies.  We had a great time playing with Epiphany Crafts' Studio Tools and making Christmas pages.  I loved seeing all the different interpretations of the page and all creative ways the tools were used.  THANKS so much to all of you for such a relaxing and enjoyable day.

Happy Sunday to everyone and thanks so much for stopping by.



Buy Things You Love

I have a motto I try to follow when it comes to shopping - buy things I love.  When I decorated my house, that was my motto and while it took a long time to finish, I'm happy with the end result because I love all the individual pieces that work together as a whole.  In scrapbooking it is the same.  I sometimes buy things I love that I have absolutely NO idea how or when I will use them but those are the pieces I hold onto and eventually that perfect project comes along.  And when it does, I usually love the page too.  The snowflake die cut on this page is one of those things I love that finally found a perfect home on this page.  The design is based on the December sketch on the Upsy Daisy blog.  Be sure to take a moment to cruise on over there for more beautiful, seasonal projects from the design team.

'"Your First Winter"

Supplies:  Paper, Brad (Upsy Daisy Designs), Die Cut (Creative Imaginations), Chipboard (Riff Raff), Pearls (Prima), Letters (Basic Grey, American Crafts), Crepe Paper & Acrylic (Tattered Angels), Sticker (Jenni Bowlin)

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Design Tip:  My new favourite chipboard technique is to spray paint it white.  Even if I plan to ink it afterwards, a white base coat really makes the colours richer and less muddy from the kraft colour of the chipboard.  Another thing I like about the spray paint, besides not having a brush to clean, is the even coverage on the chipboard.  There is never any excess paint on the edges this way, nor are there any brush marks.  On this snowflake, I kept it white and added little bits of rock candy stickles for sparkle and dimension.
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Before I sign off for today, I must show you another die cut that I love but have NO idea how or when I will use it.  This little beauty is from the Free Spirit line by My Little Yellow Bicycle.

So now I'm going to ask you...what little treasures are you holding onto in your scrapbook stash??

1st Soccer Season

This page is based loosely on the November sketch on the Upsy Daisy blog.  I used the Vogue paper line again.  I find it works so well with summer photos I couldn't help myself.  I must also be truthful;  blue and green are my favourite colours so noone will ever have to twist my arms to use this line. 

This layout is my first ever sports themed page and I found myself seriously lacking in the sporty embellishments department.  This past summer marked the first soccer season for my oldest daughter.  She really wasn't sure what she thought of the whole experience for the first few weeks until the jerseys arrived.  She was less than impressed that her team got the blue ones.  It wasn't until they pointed out the writing on the underside that a smile appeared.  Check it out.  Tim Horton's was their team sponsor and the fine print on the shirt was a free pass for timbits after every game.  All of the sudden soccer was the place to be and wearing blue was cool.  It's ruthless marketing if you ask me.  I suppose it could be worse.

"1st Soccer Season"

Supplies:  Paper (Upsy Daisy Designs), Trim (Bo Bunny), Button & Sticker (Jenni Bowlin), Epoxy (Epiphany Crafts), Letters (Basic Grey, Heidi Swapp), Brads (Bazzill)

If I could have found a soccer ball on anything I would have turned it into an epoxy for this page.  I'm still on the lookout for one.  You know what?  I just got an idea.  I should just google it and print a mini clipart soccer ball onto the blue paper and epoxy it.  There you have it.  This whole blogging thing really is good for something.  Why I didn't think of this two weeks ago is beyond me.  I'll chalk it up to sleep deprivation.  That's my excuse for everything these days.  With that, I'm going to sign off for tonight.  I have to pack for twelve hours of uninterrupted scrapbooking and shopping tomorrow.  Oh what fun!!  And there is not even a single note of sarcasm in that last sentence.  My, the times have changed when Friday night is happily spent packing craft supplies for an all day event of cutting and gluing paper on Saturday.  I wouldn't change it for a second.
Cheers (hehe),
Tracey

My Life is Complete

Today's page was made using one of my most favourite colours to scrapbook with:  PURPLE.  Upsy Daisy Designs came out with THIS LINE over a year ago and I still just love it.  The photo is a newer version of one you may have seen before.  I had to have another one since our family has grown. Thanks, Mom!

"My Life is Complete"

Supplies:  Paper (Upsy Daisy Designs), Flowers, Leaves & Pearls (Prima), Metal Plaque (Fancy Pants), Bingo Card (Tattered Angels), Punches (Marth Stewart, Marvy Uchida), Doilies (Little Yellow Bicycle), Letters (Basic Grey), Stamp (Unity Stamp Company)

For more PURPLE pages, check out these links:

-A Flower for You
-Sleeping Beauty
-Plum Crazy

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Edited to Add:  Look for this page in the Summer, 2011 issue of Scrapbooking & Beyond magazine.

Summer Fun

If I had to pick a favourite Upsy Daisy line, it would by "Vogue".  I simply adore anything navy to begin with and the green in this line works so well with outdoor photos it takes me back, yet again, to summer.  What's not to love about that?  Hope you all don't mind seeing a few more swimsuits and water photos because I have a stack that I have yet to touch.

"Summer Fun"

Supplies:  Paper, Trim & Stamp (Upsy Daisy), Stickers (Jenni Bowlin), Letters (Momenta), Custom Buttons (Epiphany Crafts), Border Punch (EK Success), Circle & Scallop Punches (Marvy Uchida)

The buttons you see in the bottom right corner were made with my Epiphany Crafts button tools.  You all know how much I love my punches and these are no exception.

That's all for today.  Look for several new altered projects this month.  I've got one on my desk right now using toilet paper rolls.  Keep your fingers crossed it all works out like I envision!

Happy Canada Day

So I might be a few months late for this one, but I finally got a Canada Day page done.   I used the new "Avalanche" line by Upsy Daisy.  Yes, that is the winter collection!  Funny thing with this line is, it is so very versatile that you could use it for most any theme you want and noone would be the wiser. 

"Happy Canada Day"

Supplies:  Paper, Trims & Brad (Upsy Daisy), Letters (Websters Pages, Scenic Route), Leaf Gem & Bead Letters (Dollarama), Stamps (myStamp BOX), Floss (Karen Foster)

Journaling Reads:
You two were so excited to put on  your matching outfits and "go to Canada Day".  Though you don't fully understand what Canada is, you know it is cause for celebration.  July 1, 2010.

Thank You Card Set

I love it when a line of paper has at least one sheet that has all kinds of fun elements that can be fussy cut to create custom embellishments.  This sheet from the "Home Sweet Home" line by Upsy Daisy is perfect for this sort of thing.

By simply removing individual elements from this page, you can create something like this:

Supplies: Paper & Rub-ons (Upsy Daisy), Ribbons & Trim (Making Memories),  Cardstock (Bazzill)

Flowers cut from this same sheet were used to embellish this page:
-Life's Most Precious Gifts

In other news, we are starting a whole new chapter here today with my oldest daughter starting kindergarten.  I'm ready. She's ready.  It's just the whole unknown of the first day and a new routine that we need to get use to.  Wish us luck.  I'm sure it's only the beginning of many wonderful things.

Life's Most Precious Gifts

Supplies: Paper & Die Cuts (Upsy Daisy Designs), Lace Flowers (Jolees), Butterfly Stem (Recollections), Letters (American Crafts, Jenni Bowlin, Websters Pages), Trim (Websters Pages)

Today's page is design work for Upsy Daisy Designs featuring their new line "Home Sweet Home".  As much as I hate to admit it (I saw red leaves today!?!), fall is on the way and this line will be perfect for all those beautiful fall photos.  In the meantime, here is a page of my baby girl and her Great Grammie.

Detail shots:

Journaling Reads: Write it on your heart that the ones you love are life's most precious gifts.

Today's Design Tip:  As many of you know, I adore shaped paper and can't bear to part with even a little piece of it.  When cutting piece off my shaped paper, I oftentimes will use them on the same page like I did here.  I offset the scallop to the left and had a small piece of it that was leftover, so I found a place for it on the right side of the photo.  This way I've added another little detail on my page and used the little piece that would otherwise be thrown out. 

For more examples, check out these pages:

-P.S. I Love You

-Look at that hair

-Read With Me

-Puppy Love

Thanks for stopping by!

It's Official!

Today is my first official post as a design team member of Upsy Daisy Designs.  Take a moment and check it out.

"Cheese"

Supplies: Paper (Upsy Daisy Designs), Bingo Card (Jenni Bowlin), Bird, Flowers & Trim (Prima), Floss (Karen Foster), Letters (Momenta), Shaped Paper (Little Yellow Bicycle), Brads (Bo Bunny), Misc. Buttons

Today's Design Tip: 

Jazz up your banner with some doodled scallops and by looping floss in and around the banner.  To keep the loops in place, attach with a needle and thread in the same colour.

I raised the polka dot paper with black craft foam and then tucked a series of flower petals along the top.  The center of each flower was then glittered with Stickles.

Journaling Reads:  Everyday you ask to hold your sister and each time you ask if this would make a nice photo.  My reply...."Say, Cheese!"

Have you seen the peeks of their new releases?? 

Which one is your favourite?