Friday, November 08, 2013

Morning Meadow and Metallic Pan Pastels

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Indulge Your Desire To Play
I'm not sure what prompted me to buy them.  Actually, I'm quite sure.  I somehow happened upon a video where someone was playing with the metallic Pan Pastels and after watching the video I just had to have those darn pastels (I need to stop watching videos!).  So I treated myself to the set and when they arrived I set them aside...until a few hours later I could feel them pulling me into the craft room!  I just had to play with them!  I had no idea what I was going to do!  I just knew that I needed to open those pastels and start playing with them.  I needed to learn how they felt and what they could do.  So, I embossed a piece of card stock with the Square Lattice, took out some little sponges, and went to town!  I ended up with the background panel that you are seeing on this card.  Of course I then needed to figure out what to do with the panel! :)  The card is what happened as a result of indulging my desire to play with those Pan Pastels.
I have to say that I'm still not sure how the Pan Pastels really work or what I can really do with them.  But what I do know is that they definitely brought out my desire to play and for that I am grateful! :)  How can you indulge your desire to play today???????

Thursday, November 07, 2013

Envelope Punch Board Mini Album by Peg Coombs

This Envelope Punch Board Mini Album was created by Peg Coombs and it was made with the Envelope Punch Board!  The little album would make a fabulous gift for the Holidays and you can add all of your Christmas/Holiday pictures.  Also makes for a fun class or camp project, or a fun girls crafting night in.
Want to subscribe to the November edition of Craft Project Central and get 10 wonderful tutorials (including the one for this project) for only $10?  Head on over to the Craft Project Central website HERE!

Wednesday, November 06, 2013

Sketch Alphabet Happy Birthday Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  What Are You Looking At?!
I think the Universe is trying to tell me something.  Last week I saw the most beautiful leaves that I would have missed had I not been paying attention to where I was.  The same thing happened to me this morning as I was eating my breakfast and looking out the window.  A bird I had never seen before - a mountain bluebird I believe - came to eat for a bit at one of our feeders.  These days it is so easy for me to be distracted - to have my attention diverted by some type of electronic device (as your attention is diverted now...reading this...and mine, typing this).  I take my smart phone on my walks with me.  I tell myself that it is just in case of an emergency and yet I find myself checking email as I'm walking or I will pause to sit in a park and within minutes the phone is out and I start surfing.  Ugh!  I am not pleased with this behavior I've been exhibiting and I am very grateful that the Universe is sending me signs that I need to pay attention to where my attention is.  How unfortunate it would have been had I missed the gorgeous leaves or that precious bird.  I've gotta finish typing this...there might be something out my window that I am not seeing because I am too busy looking at this screen!
Today's card began with a scrap piece of Very Vanilla card stock that I found on my craft table.  I had been inking up some vellum card stock earlier in the week and it takes awhile for ink to dry on vellum.  So, rather than wait, I decided to just rub this piece of card stock over the wet vellum and this is the "monoprint" that I ended up with.  I decided it would be the perfect backdrop for a simple birthday card so I just stamped the letters from the Sketch Alphabet set using Midnight Muse ink.  So simple :)

Tuesday, November 05, 2013

Scrappy Happy Day Smile Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room: Treat Your Scraps Like Leaves...Jump In!
I have some very happy memories of piling up leaves and jumping in them this time of year! :)  I love the crunch, krinkle, crunch sounds that the leaves make when you walk on them and the whooshing sound they make as they fall from the trees!  This is one of my most favorite times of the year!!!!!
I realize that my craft table is a lot like this season.  Things - mostly paper scraps - are constantly falling onto my table top and the crunch, krinkle, crunch sounds happen whenever I try to hunt for something buried on the table :)  So the other day I decided to treat my paper scraps like leaves and just jump in!  I picked and pulled scraps that caught my eye and just began piling them up!  This card began with a piece of card stock that I had bleach stamped using the Off the Grid stamp.  I then piled on punched bits and scrappy pieces and added the smile sentiment from the Happy Day stamp set.  I even added a touch of script stamping from the By the Tide stamp set.  This is a card that I would never have put together had I had a clean craft table :)  I thank the season and my messy craft table for encouraging me to jump in! :)

Monday, November 04, 2013

Winter Frost Portfolio & Cards by Regina Andari

This handy portfolio made by Regina Andari is rather quick to make, and it features two interior pockets—one to hold four to six 4-1/4” square greeting cards, and the other pocket will hold the custom envelopes from coordinating designer paper.  This project is designed as a gift of holiday cards, but it can be made as a stationery gift for any occasion.
Want to subscribe to the November edition of Craft Project Central and get 10 wonderful tutorials (including the one for this project) for only $10?  Head on over to the Craft Project Central website HERE!