Scor Tape Test or Something Old, Something New... TIME TO USE IT!

I think I have decided to try and continue my "OK You Just HAD To Have It, Now USE IT!" Challenge

Today I used two new dies:

Memory Box Dies, Kaleidoscope Butterfly

Memory Box Dies, A Little Thanks

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- paper that was collecting dust (for at least two years) 

and my new 6" Scor Tape

OH! and some glitter like this only gold:

Gotta say I LOVE THE TAPE!!!  So much so that I ordered the 1/8" and 1/4" today.  I thought I could just cut strips from the 6" wide but that isn't all that easy...forget cutting a good straight line!

OK, so I wanted to test using intricate dies and glitter with the tape so this is what I did:

1. I took a 2" strip of tape and covered one side of it with the glitter, making it a piece of glitter tape.

2. Cut the butterfly from that strip of just tape w/ backing.

   - problem, the die cuts super fine lines (which was part of the test for me)...unfortunately the backing paper came off and left just the glue/glitter part in the die so I had to pull it off and of course it stretched ...bad.  I think it would have been fine if I'd used a more solid die, like a solid butterfly, or heart, or something... but I still wanted to use what I had cut so I stuck it to the back of my phone:

I figure this will be a good test of its durability because I have used my phone and rubbed on it all day and that glitter is on there good!

3 - I still wanted a glitter butterfly for a card so this time I stuck some of the glittered tape down onto a piece of scrap card stock and cut it out along with the word:

The results:

It is hard to tell from the picture but both the butterfly and the "thanks" are perfect, solid glitter.  So pretty. One thing that I was worried about was that the glue would gug up my die, but not at all, it came out without leaving anything behind.  Test was a success.

The "OK, You Just HAD To Have It, Now USE IT!" Challenge

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Archivers is about 5 miles from my house so it was always my "go-to" when I wanted something that Michael's and Joanne's didn't have.  Well, they are closing... and everything in the store is now 75% off!!!  YES!!  I stocked up with tons of stuff I really don't need...but...it was 75% off!

One of the things I bought was this set of Nestabilities:

I have to say, I didn't love it, but it was only $6.50.  I decided yesterday to force myself to use them and doodle on the cutouts.  Of course I used some of my empty boxes.

I was actually pretty pleased with what I could do just using the shape for inspiration...I started with the obvious, frames for whatever, but then I decided to try flowers....I don't usually do very well with flowers but these were simple.  Start by drawing some circles in the middle then draw the pedals out from the circle to each of the scallops.

And then I stuck them down and drew leaves and stems on the page:

A more Pinterest Friendly version:

Another thing I did yesterday was to buy more Sakura markers...AGAIN.  I can't tell you how many times I have bought these pens and they fall into the black hole that follows me.  THIS TIME I'm going to try and be better and keep up with them by leaving them in the package they came in!  Well, I don't know about you but all those little size numbers mean absolutely nothing to me so I decided to make some examples:

NOW I can tell!

Doodle Ready ATC Cards From LC Boxes

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I haven't mentioned this yet but, I started Weight Watchers (again) on January 1st. I only mention this because I have eaten at least one Lean Cuisine every day since and I can't bear to toss the boxes!  That's good, FREE, white cardstock!  So they are my first "go-to" cardstock when using all my new dies.  This week I cut out lots rounded corner cards (about ATC size) using a Sizzix die, that I can use for doodling and/or adding bits and pieces that I have piling up... like the leaf below and the stamped doghouse on the card below... I just like doodling on something that size because any larger blank white paper intimidates me... I figure anyone can fill up this much white space, right?

After I got several cards done (doodled on) I decided that I wanted to hang them together but I didn't want to punch a hole in the top, just in case I decided I wanted to use them for something later.  Sooooo, I punched out a fancy little piece using Spellbinders, Parisian Accents (seen in the middle of samples below).

I only added glue to the back so I could easily remove it without messing up the front of the card... 

I'm showing you a close up of this next card because I love the gingko leaf.  I made that by putting aluminum tape to the front of a piece of box then cut it out...the die has built in embossing lines.  Love it.

Below is a  quick card I made using one of my cards... quick quick because the work was already done.

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Learning the Hard Way!

I made this card ALL WRONG!  See those little dark dots on it?  Well, those are smashed "crystals"!! (who knew they were plastic and they could be made to be so flat?!)   Lesson learned, don't run them through a die cutter!  The problem was I ran the blank cardstock through the machine just so I could see a new embossing folder, then I added the crystals, very cute.... but then it all went a muck,  I decided that I wanted to add a window using a Spellbinders scalloped oval ... mistake!  But, live and learn.  I guess I could have peeled them off and added more but I decided to go the cheap route and just added some Stickles on top of each, along with adding it to all of the dots inside the diamonds.  Unfortunately, you can't see any of that :-(  it really does add a cute little sparkle to the card.

Linked to:

Make It Monday #150: Window Screen Cards

Tim Holtz's Brick Wall Die

It all started with this die:

It is a Tim Holtz die from Sizzix.  LOVE IT! LOVE IT!  

BUT....

when you cut it out it is the martyr between the bricks which makes perfect sense but not so much when you try to use it... not to me anyway.  The problem is, if you just lay it down on paper it will be higher than the actual brick, and that isn't "real"... not in the South anyway... here the brick sticks out further than the martyr.  Problem... so, I look all over the web in search of something someone else might have done to fix the problem...nothing...not even on Tim's personal blog.  Well yesterday I had a "suddenly, WELL DUH!" moment.  I cut the die out of a Lean Cuisine box (have lots of those these days) and used it like you would use any stencil you buy.  I don't have any of the paste that is made for 3-d embossing so I improvised with what I had: (a LOT of)

I slathered it on nice and thick with my finger, then instead of smoothing it out with something I patted it to make it rough, more brick like.  Then because I have no patience I took my heat gun to it and that caused it to bubble up a bit, even better! 

The two pictures below are just WEIRD because they make it look exactly opposite of what it actually is!  

- The very top of the first picture is one I made with just paper and in this picture it actually looks that I would want it to look!...but not in real life.

- the middle is just the "stencil" right after I used the tile adhesive and it gives the appearance of raised bricks!  NOT!...just the opposite

- the bottom was the PERFECT results but in the picture the bricks look recessed... ???

Closer:

Now.... how I used it and pictures that maybe show it a little bit better:

Well heck, not really ... you'll just have to take my word for it I guess, the bricks stick out about 1/8".

The solid strip of "concrete" across the top is actually 1 bump cut from a piece of corrugated paper and colored gray.

OH! and I colored the bricks with BIC permanent markers.

Products Used (with links to where to buy them):

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Make It Monday #148

Today I worked on a card using a technique introduced on the Papertrey Ink Challenge this week.  

Make It Monday #148: Generation Stamping with Line Images & Multiple Colors

There is a video showing what they wanted anyone participating in the challenge to do, and using their stamps was required.

The technique produces the image in the middle of the card below.  It requires line stamps and lots of re-stamping with three different colors for each element.

I only have the one line stamp set that I just got yesterday.  

Stitches & Swirls Stamp Set  

I'm not too crazy about using the technique with this stamp set but I do LOVE the set!  I was able to make the background card using three different stamps from the set and I could tell that there is real potential there, I'm looking forward to doing more with them.

I will add the "link-to" product list to the bottom of the post when I have more time.  That really does take more time than I can give it tonight.

The main reason I do these challenges is that there are TONS of new stamps being made available tomorrow (Jan 15) and I want most of them!  I need to win the random selection to get some store money!!!!

Brown Paper Packages Tied Up With String....

Today I did a REALLY QUICK something for a challenge that was sent to me this morning from  {capture the moment} ... all about 

"Brown paper packages, tied up with string, these are a few of my favorite things..."

Thankfully I already had my brown paper packages tied up with string!  A while back I wrapped some 4x4 canvases that I have sitting by my front door ready for a quick RAC.  They are all different because that was part of that play day.  

This one is wrapped with a brown paper bag that I then drew lines on with a sharpie and a white marker, quick and easy!  I already had the black ribbon but I added the b/w bakers twine today along with the label that I printed out on my PC.  It is a label design I made with CorelDraw to be ready for a Sizzix label die (Sizzix Framelits Die Set 6PK - Labels, Majestic #2)  I ordered earlier this week...but it isn't here yet, so I hand cut it.  None of the dies I have from Papertrey Ink would have worked with what I had so I had to go generic this time.  I LOVE Papertrey Ink products but I haven't gotten that many (ok, I've spent over $100 with them just since I started this madness)... they don't have sales so I have to shop carefully :-)

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Cheery Lynn Designs - Quills & Ink Pot

Since I am having such a hard time forcing myself to be creative these days I have decided to start doing some online challenges... this one is HERE:

The die is Cheery Lynn Designs "Quills & Ink Pot"...however, I did a tiny bit of modifying because I tried cutting it out of some old glitter ribbon I had in my stash and that was a NOT!  It left an impression but didn't come close to cutting it out!  I cut them out by hand using the impression as a guide then cut a few chunks out to help it look more like feathers.  It cuts paper fine, but not that ribbon for sure!

I just used my PC to do the text (Billy Argel Font) and hand drew the frame because the card looked too plain without it.

Supplies:

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