H2H Tag Challenge

I just got back from the CKC Convention in Valley Forge when I saw the new Heart2Heart Challenge and its requirement to involve tags. I viewed this as a perfect opportunity to play with acrylics I saw and use up some scraps at the same time!

I love making cards from scraps! I found some wonderful sentiments on a mostly-used Emporium Level 1 Sticker set, backed them with scraps from Emporium B&T’s and mini-glue-dotted them onto a clear card base (Z1323).

I made my tag from a Twilight cardstock scrap, colored a White Daisy Clear Bloom (Z1300) with Buttercup ink (Z2110) and adhered an Emporium sticker in the center. I used the tail end of a Z1127 Chocolate Ribbon Round as my tag topper. I edged papers and stickers with Twilight Ink (Z2160)

Since this is a greeting card, I wanted to make sure that I could write a sentiment on the inside of the card, so I considered myself most fortunate to find a journaling blank among my leftover Emporium stickers. So I placed my sentiment on the lower portion of my Clear Card album and left the top open for my sticker. I positioned the journaling sticker to it could be seen above the sentiment. After adhering two layers of B&T’s on top of the cardstock tag, I cut the blank top off the “beautiful moments” sticker and adhered it to the tag. Next I adhered the flower with a glue dot, then the center of the flower with the Stickese sticker. Finally, I added my tag topper and adhered it with glue dots and now I have a most unusual card.

Two Challenges: Triple the Scraps & Heart2Heart Color Challenge

Matthew 6:26 is the inspiration for this scripture. Behold the birds of the air, for they neither snow nor do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not you of much more value than they? Our little birds may not “work”, but what is more joyful in the morning than to hear to hear uplifting bird-song as we begin our day? In the same way, what father does not revel in his own child’s laughter, or seek to “fix things” that make his child sad? Just as my own sons’ parenting skills are clear reflections of their father, so must our hearts and our actions be reflections of our heavenly Father. How blessed are we to have His protection, his agape love, and to be cherished as His children?


I struggled with what projects to take with me to work on at the Friday Night Crop at the CKC Convention in Valley Forge, PA. It hit me Thursday morning (we left Thursday evening) that this would be a WONDERFUL opportunity to catch up on ALL of my missed challenges! I was five behind on my Triple the Scraps scripture challenge and I wanted to do this week’s Close to My Heart Color Challenge.

So, I frantically looked for scriptures and art for three out of the five challenges, added a few last minute projects, and was confident that I would have plenty to do while making huge strides to finish overdue projects during our four-hour cropping window. I failed to factor one element into my best-laid plans: EXHAUSTION! After a grueling, 10,000-step, six-class day, my world took on Alice-in-Wonderland angles and shapes. My inability to cut a straight line with a ruler/trimmer magnified itself to the power 10. Scallops were lost and edges skewered. But how like our heavenly Father is it to accept us as we are, odd angles and all? Rather than redo the project, I decided to let the imperfections remain because we are flawed creatures who can rest in our Father’s perfections.

“You should have seen her!” my roommate Melissa shared with our two other cropping partners – Tina and Erica. “By 10:00 she was nodding off at the table with pop dots in her hand.” The next day, after another five classes and almost 6,000 steps, I added the final touch to the project -- “stitching” – while sitting in my minivan waiting for my three traveling companions to finish their last class. I used three-general stamping on my little birds and created my scallops with an EK Success corner rounder.

I used the following products to complete this project.

 Vineyard Berry cardstock (1248)

 Vineyard Berry Exclusive Ink (Z2257)

 Blush Cardstock (Z2257)

 Crème Brulee cardstock (X5754)

 Black Exclusive Inks (Z2305)

 Classic Cap Alphabet stamp set (D1110)

 Love Birds stamp set (C1396)

Onward and Upward

Our first Angola By the Bay Women's Club Craft Fair is over and now I'll be moving ever forward in the scheme of things -- all things. While my sales were mediocre, I met some WONDERFUL people and may have some future Scrapbook in a Year participants in the future.

This one-of-a-kind Hoppy Birthday card found a home in Angola. Melissa and I plan to continue participating in craft shows as we fine-tune our resale product line.

My focus during the next six weeks will be on building various scrapbooking pages. I'm also gearing up to teach SDU classes at A.C. Moore in Dover and possibly in Michaels in Rehoboth Beach, DE. Between our new CTMH projects and gearing up for teaching the EK Success product line, I'm totally  psyched.

I'll be posting more in the days ahead. Meanwhile, have a hoppy day.

Teapot Card

This is a teapot "thank you" card that I made for the Angola craft show. I picked the stamp up at the Stamp, Scrap and Art Tour back in March. I deliebertly selected papers that I'm grying to use up, so I thought it all worked out rather well, all things considered. I love the coffee pot. Stop by Angola on Saturday (weather permiting) and say "hellos." We'd love to meet you.

50-Card Christmas Workshop

When I saw these cards on one of the Close To My Heart (CTMH) bulletin boards and realized that you could make 50 cards from half a level 2 paper pack, I knew this was an incredible holiday workshop. Unlike the one I saw, I've added a few extra elements to the project. Instead of two basic stamp sets, I used four. Instead of 4" x 5.5" cards, I purchased quality card bases at 4.5" x 5.5 inches. So I created a "ribbon" effect by adding a half-inch strip and crimping it. In the first set of four cards you see, I used CTMH's Angel Sent cards featuring for sweet cherubs (A1099). Visit my website at http://dianecook.myctmy.com for more art. I'll be posting more later today or tomorrow. My workshop is at my home and is slated for Saturday, October 3 from 9 AM to 5 PM. Sign-up deadline is September 15, 2009. For more details, email me at dcookwrites@cookworkshop.com and I'll add you to my newsletter mailing list.

Brothers

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As I was deciding on what to do with the second "Club Baby" double-page spread, I started thinking about Brayden's big brother Parker. I have an older brother who was cooler than cool in my kid sister eyes. I hope that Brayden and Parker will get along as well.

The nuclear family is not so nuclear anymore, especially with the "yours, mine and ours" construct. But brothers are brothers whether they are full-, half- or step-.


I appreciate Parker's capacity to love the big bruiser of a little guy who is taking so much of Mom's time and attention. But these pages prove beyond a doubt that "he aint heavey, he's my brother."


This is why I decided to make the second two-page project a brothers project, because no child should feel left behind.

I used Close To My Heart Emporium Level 2 papers to build the 2-page spread along with Sol0 "P" (B1240) and "B" (B1226) stamp sets. My journaling and title I generated on the computer and printed onto in vellum. Stickers are from theEmporium stickese pack, but I'm not sure whether they were Level I or II. The white crocheted flower is from CTMH's White Daisy Collection (Z1136), which be purchased on my website at http://www.dianecook.myctmh.com/. Actually, all of the CTMH products can be purchased on my website.



The two brothers stamped together at the top of the page next to the title is from CTMH's Family Ties -- Children collection. (C1345). I just ordered Family Ties -- Adults (C1346) and am looking forward to pairing them with the children in future projects.


I used Jeannette Lynton's Balanced Blocks layout from Cherish Scrapbook Layouts Made Beautifully Simple (CTMH Item # 9029) as a launchpoint. I normally prefer designing my projects on my computer and deciding what I'll use where. I sort of made this one up as I went along. All in all, I'm happy with the end result . . . now I suppose I'll have to make a page for my daughter-in-law . . .

Getting Started

Yesterday afternoon my daughter-in-law, Maddy, came by and we scrapped together for about two hours. She's helping me develop a Pet Pages workshop using Close To My Heart products. (I would love to see you visit my website at http://www.dianecook.myctmh.com/)

Maddy and I share many of the same interests, so it's quite convenient that she and my son moved next door. Since Maddy is relatively new to scrapbooking, our first big decision was big or little? Maddy found the 12"x12" scrapbooking page rather intimidating, fearful that she couldn't fill it up. I understood since I felt the same way when I stepped back into the genre several years ago. But we opted for the larger size to accommodate our design and technique.

Though I had hoped to finish the two-page spread before the evening was out, I discovered that I was sorely lacking a photo of my pets together. So, I grabbed my digital camera and stepped over the dogs who immediately jumped up, obviously hoping that we were going downstairs to get them treats, which they view as my sole purpose in life.

We went into the hallway where they started milling and waiting, waiting and milling, but they wouldn't remain in close enough proximity to get a good shot.

Finally, I issued the command . . . "sit!"

They looked up at my as if they were thinking, "What, are you crazy?"

"Sit!" I commanded once again. Tally was the first to sit; Bo reluctantly complied.

I positioned my camera and took the shot, but its slight delay caught Bo looking away. He was obviously tired of this nonsense, so he stood and walked into my husband's office.

Since Bo-dog was walking, Tally figured she was released as well. But I wasn't looking for a picture of their tales, so I once again commanded, "Sit!"

They turned and looked at me like I was an idiot. Their expressions revealed their transparent thoughts: "What are you saying? I don't see any treat in your hand!"

"Sit!" I commanded, one more time. Surprised, they turned around and sat in unison. This time my camera cooperated. I got a picture of the best buds together, looking at me as sweetly as I could hope. . . well, maybe Bo-Bo (the black and white dog in the front) wasn't quite as happy as Talley, but he complied.

"Do you want a treat?"

Their ears popped up, then they rushed past me to scrabble down the stairs while I remained in the hallway most certainly left behind.

I'll be posting their completed pages sometime this evening. Have a blessed day.

Diane Cook

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened."

~ Anatole F