Crafty Secrets DT Challenge "Retro inspiration"

Don't you love anything retro?!! I do, so this month's designer challenge from Crafty Secrets, was a fun one for me. When I saw this pink oven in the Homemade Images and Journal Notes, I knew I wanted to incorporate it into my card. We recently sold my grandparent's house, and it still had the original turquoise oven in the kitchen! How's that for retro?

All of my papers were printed from our Creating With Vintage Patterns CD. There are new CD's in the works, and I know they will be as big a hit as the first one! Did you notice how my cherry border that I stamped from the Kitchen Classics set matches the paper? So cool! My adorable domestic diva is from one of our new sets, Let's Hang Out. I even sneaked in our newest stamp set, Mini Frames, by stamping around the sentiment form the Journal Note Pad, cutting it out, and then restamping and mounting the sentiment on top. I love how the cherries on the patterned paper, look like a tassel coming out of the sentiment tag.


I know you are going to want to see what the rest of the design team came up with, so here's a list of everyone, so you can check it out! Keep your notepad handy, cause I'm sure you are going to want to start your shopping list! So when you finish, you can head to the Crafty Secrets website and get some Crafty Secrets goodies delivered to you! And to make sure you don't miss anything, why not subscribe to the Heartwarming Vintage Blog? There's always lots of inspiration, announcements and giveaways.

• Amy Teets


• Debbie Marcinkiewicz


• Fauve vanMaanen


• Gini Cagle


• Heidi Blankenship


• Jan Hennings


• Julie Campbell


• Linda Duke


• Michele Kovack


• Pam Hooten


• Tammy Roberts


• Vicki Chrisman


• Victoria Warren-Mears


• Viola Mahr

Girl's Night Out

I think it's so fun to create a project that has a little surprise about it - this one actually has a couple! I used the Elegant Witches Legs in a different colorway, so it is perfect for a girlie card, rather than a Halloween one. Next, I used an arrow from the Airplane with Banner and Sign to point to the secret tag. The frame from Gothic Frame with Witch was added underneath my lettering to act as a tab to pull out the hidden message. It's so fun to challenge yourself to see how many different ways you can use you Cottage Cutz Dies!

Fall Flower with the Robin's Nest

I love trying out new ways to make my own flowers, and when I saw a "kite" flower, thought that it would be really cool with some of the autumn papers from the Robin's Nest. For the background and flower I used Glitter Leaf. The backside of the paper is the pretty stripe that I used as well. I mounted my flower on the matching Glitter Lime Chipboard.

Thanks for looking!

Unity Stamp Company and Scor-Pal Blog Hop

Hi and welcome to the Unity Stamp Company and Scor-Pal Blog Hop!
Our teams have come together to show you ALL of the amazing things you can do with Unity Stamp Company stamps and Scor-Pal products!

Along the blog hop you will find cards and projects that are sure to INSPIRE you!
Oh and we have prizes, too, so BE SURE to leave a comment on ALL of the blogs on today’s Blog Hop!
There will be 2 winners!

1 will get a Scor-Pal and 1 will get 10 Unity Itty Bitty stamps of their choice!
Winners will be picked from ALL of the comments so the more comments you leave, the more chances you have to WIN!

The winners will be announced on Thursday, September 15^th on the Unity Stamp Company blog and the Scor-Pal blog!

I've been itching to try a Napkin-fold card, and knew that it would look perfect with the Butterfly Garden set designed by Samantha Walker. I have to tell you, I love, love, love all of the Samantha Walker stamps, and have almost all of them! This is such a versatile set, and I know I will use it over and over again.

Here is my card closed. It is a little time consuming, but using the Scor-pal, it's really not hard!

After you remove the belly band that holds the card closed, this is what it looks like.

Finally, when you fully open the card - here is the spectacular view! Plus a little area to write a message to the recipient. I hope you enjoy the hop, and find lots of inspiration! Your next stop on the blog hop is: Natalie Dever

HOP ORDER:

Unity Stamp Company

Angie Blom

Diane Zechman

Jimmi Mayo

Gini Cagle

Natalie Dever

Julie Koerber

Maren Benedict

Katie Tate

Stephanie Muzzulin

Robyn Weatherspoon

Steph Ackerman

Christi Snow

Tami Mayberry

Lisa Henke

Brooke Lien

Virginia Nebel

Wendy Chang

Lisa Andrews

http://scor-pal.blogspot.com/

Challenges:
Simon Says Stamp: Multi-folds
Mark's Finest Papers: Use a punch
Southern Girls: Lots of Layers
Creative Inspirations: Ribbon

Septmember Beary Scrap Sketch with Favorite Embellies

You've just a few days left to play along with the September version of the Beary Scrap sketch challenge. This week, the designers are adding their favorite embellishments to their creations as well as using the sketch. I had to use handmade flowers, pearls, die cuts and ribbon! You know I couldn't get by with just one! The papers and stickers are from Echo Park's Victoria Gardens. I added some Viva Decor Pearls around the sticker, to jazz it up a little. The Pine Needles Distress Ink, was the perfect shade to ink my paper edges.

So what do you think our new challenge will be on the 15th? Any guesses? I know it's one you will have fun with!

Keep Your Face to the Sunshine

I have a layout to share with you, that came together so serendipitously! I wanted to play along with the Basic Grey Sketch for the week, and was working on this last minute. I found the pictures that I was wanting to use, but was wanting to link them together a little more. I found the wonderful quote by Helen Keller, which was perfect...and then, I realized I had a rub-on that said "Sunshine" in this paper collection! How cool is that? I loved including my title within the journaling.

Challenges:
Basic Grey: sketch

Give Your Layouts Their Own Jewelry!

I love making my own embellishments for my projects, and usually that means flowers or rosettes, but I decided I love to wear jewelry, and I'm sure my layouts would like a little bling of their own. So, I'm going to show you how to make a very Nouveau inspired page jewelry.





Step 1. Run a small piece of craft copper through your Cuttlebug with and embossing folder.


Step 2. Cut a scrap of cardboard to the desired size and shape of your finished medallion.
Add Scor-tape to the back.


Step 3. Wrap your metal around the cardboard and adhere with the Scor-tape.


Step 4. Add some color by swiping over the raised areas with Staz-On ink. Let dry, and then cover the entire tile with Sakura 3-d Crystal Lacquer. Let dry completely.



Step 5. Take a round jewelry finding and back it with a patterned paper of your choice. Don't worry about this being to precise, the edges will be covered over, with a border of the Metallic Gold Crystal Lacquer.
Step 6. Add a chipboard motif to the center of your pendant. Then, completely fill in using the Clear Crystal Lacquer. Take a toothpick, and pull a little bit of the gold to the center, so that it is not such a well defined border. Allow to dry, and glue to the tile piece. You are now ready to add this to any project that you would like!

Challenges:
Mark's Finest Papers: Bring on the Bling

Flower Soft's September Hop

Please join the Flower Soft team on an inspirational hop.

This month’s theme is Anything But a Card

You should have arrived from Debbie Seyer's blog, if not, the hop starts on the Flower Soft® Blog. You have until Sept 15^th at midnight CT to leave your comments. The winner will be announced on the Flower Soft® Blog on Sept 16th^th. If you get lost along the way the complete hop list will be posted on the Flower Soft® Blog.

Be sure to comment on every blog in the hop. One lucky person that comments on one of the blogs will be chosen to receive a 4 pots of Flower Soft!!!

I have a layout to share with you today. This is a picture of my nephew taken several Christmases ago....and he really looks unsure of this bearded guy! My, how times have changed! Now, he can't wait to tell him all of the goodies he would like to have. I fussy cut my flowers from the Basic Grey's Nordic Holiday paper, and layered them up a bit. It really set them off to add Strawberry Ultra Fine Flower Soft to the centers.

Now it's time to hop on to Dina Kowal's blog.

September Sketch with The Beary Scrap

It's time for our latest sketch challenge at the Beary Scrap, and I think you are going to like it! It's not a complicated sketch - just one that is open to so many possibilities.


I decided to go all out Shabby Chic for today. So of course, that calls for some wonderful, weathered pink papers. Authentique's Uncommon line was just perfect! Awhile back, I had bought some printed muslin, that looked like it had been stamped with vintage writings. I used a square of this, after fraying the edges for one of the components of the sketch. I gathered crepe paper on my sewing machine, and added a little seam binding over the top, for another layer. The bow is a 5-loop bow, with a snippet of antique lace, and a reclaimed button. I stamped my sentiment from Vintage Floral Labels from JustRite, using black Memento ink. Then I stamped the pattern from Friendship Blooms over the top, with Versamark Ink, and embossed it. Then I misted over the entire thing. I used a wonderful frame from Melissa Frances (that I distressed a bit), to set the whole thing off.

I hope you get a chance to play along with our sketch. One lucky winner always walks away with a $20 gift certificate to the Beary Scrap!

Challenges:
JustRite Stampers: Shabby Chic

Trick or Treat!

We have our first challenge at Scor-Pal, and would love for you to play along. The theme this month is boxes. There will be a random prize drawing at the end of the month for a Scor-Tape prize and we will also pick one project from Sept. entries to be a guest designer for the October Challenge and also get a Scor-Tape prize.



With Halloween quickly approaching, I thought a treat box was in order. I used the Window Box tutorial from the Scor-Pal website (there are tons of free tutorials there - all kinds of fun ways to use your Scor-Pal!) I did change the dimensions of the box, however, to make it a little bigger. (See the end of the post for details).

I got to play with some of the new dies from Cottage Cutz - and actually, the Witch's Castle Door inspired the whole project.....because, the really cool thing is that you can make the door open!

So, I used the Halloween Fun stamp from Crafty Secrets to stamp my sweet little trick-or-treater, and glued her to a piece of acetate in the door opening. I glued some Autumn Flower Soft around her feet to look like leaves blowing in. She looks so shy coming to the door for a little candy. I added accessories from the Castle Door die, as well as the Lantern Mini and Owl Mini dies, to complete the scene. The Happy Halloween on the side of the box is from the Haunted House Border.


So get out your Scor-pal and your Scor-tape (cause that's the only way to put together boxes!) and come join the fun! Just check out the Scor-pal blog for more details! And if you'd like to play along in another challenge, The Scrapping Cottage has a monthly challenge with a $25 gift certificate up for grabs. The current challenge is a great sketch designed by Angelica. So come play along with us!

To make this box, please refer to the tutorial at the Scor-Pal website, but instead of cutting your cardstock 9 x 6 3/4, cut it 12" x 8 3/4". Your score lines will be 1", 5 1/2", 6 1/2", 11". After you turn the paper, you will score at 3/4" and 7 3/4".

Challenges:
Creative Card Crew: Anything Goes
Catch the Bug : Anything Goes
Fun With Shapes: Anything Goes with die cuts
Die Cut Dreams: Gift Box or Bag
Critter Sketch: Anything But a Card
Totally Papercrafts: Anything But a Card
Wags n Whiskers: Anything But a Card
Cute Card Thursday: A Pinch and a Punch
Ribbon Carousel Challenge: two things from a spool (ribbon and baker's twine)
Stamp and Show: Anything Goes
Charisma Cardz: Anything Goes
Fussy And Fancy: 1000 Followers Celebration
Delightful Challenges: Halloween