Sunday, October 28, 2012

Yin and Yang

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I love this week's sketch at CAS(E) this sketch. It's simple, but very unique. I started my card by making list of things that are round and then searching through the Silhouette Online Store. By matching ideas in my list with files I like I came up with the Yin and Yang idea and the sentiment just popped into my head. Or I read it somewhere else and it was already implanted in my brain. My apologies if I stole the wording from anyone!
Seems like I always have some unforeseen issue when I'm laying out a card. On this one, I had chosen the red, white and black color theme, but discovered after I cut everything out that the white Yin (or is it Yang?) didn't show up against the white background of the card. So I added a lightly colored background behind the symbol to help pop it off the background. It's always something!


Monday, October 22, 2012

Feelin' Kinetic

I must have been feeling very kinetic this weekend because I spent all of Saturday making this pop-up card for The Cameo Spotlight and Cut It Out Challenges and then yesterday, when I envisioned a card that was "over the edge" for the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge, I immediately thought of my son's old books that had tabs to pull, which would reveal a hidden treasure. So, on Sunday I created this kinetic card:
Here, you can see the detail of the pull-out:

Hope you enjoy looking at it as much I enjoyed creating it!

Sunday, October 21, 2012

My Weekend Project

I've been wanting to learn how to make pop-up cards and had plenty of time this weekend so I checked out some videos on pop-up cards, then got to work. It took me the whole day yesterday! Well, I did do a few other things like clean the grout on my tile countertops and make lunch and dinner. But all my free time went to this card.

I got the inspiration for the mechanics from this video which shows how to make pop up cards using that company's pre-printed images. I also got the inspiration for my pop-up layout from the card on that video. I'm not sure of the company name, but the person on the video is Robyn Cockburn.
Once I made my sketch, I drew out the arch in the Silhouette Designer software and then downloaded the other elements and cut everything out on the Silhouette Cameo.  Last night, after dinner, I got settled with my tools and assembled the card. The whole process is quite easy once you know what you are going to do.The one thing I did learn is to make sure, before you glue everything, that the elements don't stick out of your card when folded. I had to do some last minute trimming to do  last night!

Happily, the theme for both The Cameo Spotlight Challenge and the Cut It Up challenge is Halloween so I'm  going to submit this card to both.  Pop on over to both challenges and see all the great projects!


Saturday, October 20, 2012

New Challenge Today!

There's new challenge out there for all you who love sketch challenges. This one is a clean and simple challenge that follows a new sketch each week. Click on the image below to learn more:
I missed out on playing along with the first challenge but got right to work on the second. Here's the sketch:
And here's my card!
It's nice to work with a sketch because that's one less decision I have to make. Plus it is fun to see how creative people are using the same sketch. For this sketch I used a very simple flower that has thin, simple lines. On its own it doesn't have much substance so I watercolored it to give it a light, happy feeling then added the simple birthday wish. The ribbon wasn't in my original plan...have you ever spent time make something just the way you want it and then when you are adding the final touch (the sentiment, in this case) you manage to get a little ink on your paper? I walked away from it for a while and when I came back I spotted the ribbon in my embellishment box and put it in just the right spot. All fixed!  

If you love sketches, head on over to the Cas(e) This Sketch blog and join in the fun!

Friday, October 19, 2012

I Made the Cut!

I don't normally toot my own horn but I have to shout it out that "I made the top cut" in the Cut It Up Challenge! I'm excited because I only started participating in challenges a few weeks ago and I am very humbled by the amazing creativity and attention to detail I see in the other cards in each challenge. So to be selected so soon while I'm still honing my skills was a complete and happy surprise. This is the only time I'm going to shout it out (hopefully there will be more selections in my future) and I'm only doing it because there is no one at home right now for me to tell.  WooooHooooo!  I "I made the top cut"!

Friday, October 12, 2012

For My Friend

Challenge #3 - Think Pink

I have a good friend who has battled breast cancer for the past year and a half.  She is on the road to recovery after losing both breasts, enduring chemo and suffering through complications from her reconstruction surgery. It has been a rough road for her but now when I see her finally feeling better it makes me smile.  But I am smiling through my tears because I know it still continues to affect her life.  This card is for her.

I cut the yellow lattice in the background and the pink ribbons on my Silhouette Cameo. The rest is bits and pieces out of my embellishment box.

Get your mammos ladies!

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Fall Colors

Today I'm playing along with The Cameo Spotlight and using the challenge colors which are rich red, deep orange and harvest gold.  Three colors that together scream "Autumn"! And Autumn to me says pumpkins so I created this simple card to showcase a pumpkin that I downloaded from the Microsoft Office Clipart Website.  Did you know that you can access thousands of free images there?  I've been using it for years and rarely have I not been able to find what I want.  

Today I was looking for a realistic image of a pumpkin and found one right off the bat. I used the trace feature in the Silhouette Designer software to create a print and cut file. That's one of my favorite features of the Cameo.  Here's an easy tip for you.  If you find you have a little white border here and there after you cut your image just use some markers to touch it up.  I did that on my pumpkin and it worked great. 

I also downloaded the frame from the Silhouette Online store and added an oval off white background to make the pumpkin stand out. For the image of the leaves on the red cardstock I used a technique I learned several years ago but I had forgotten as new and shiny techniques caught my attention. I simply used a leaf rubber stamp and Versamark to stamp clear images all over the cardstock which gives the cardstock a two tone look. Simple technique, but always great results! To give the card a little dimension I used to Stampin' up dimensionals to pop both the pumpkin and the frame off the background a little.  

I loved my card when it was finished and couldn't wait to post it to The Cameo Spotlight Challenge, but as I was photographing it I realized it has an "illegal" color...the green on the pumpkin leaves!  I probably never colored inside the lines in kindergarten either!  I'm posting it to The Cameo Spotlight anyway because I just like to be part of the fun.