KENDRA'S CREATIVE CORNER

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Scrapbook Progress...

Just an update on my progress with my scrapbooking goal. For those of you who didn't see the post on the 1st of May...I set a goal since it's National Scrapbook Month. My personal goal is to get (10) pages done in the month. May and December are always hectic at our house! How about yours? With a high school graduation, out of town family, extra classes scheduled, a scout camp out to the Black River, going out of town, two weddings,etc... it can get really hectic! So that's my goal - (10) pages and I've completed (3). YEAH!

This page is a favorite - only because the pictures are from 1973 when my family went camping. I was only five then, but I love the pictures of my mom and brothers!

I have SO many soccer pictures from over the twelve years Jake has been playing soccer! I just haven't gotten around to scrapbooking them yet.
I came across these and they are some of my favorites because Scott coached Jake's team with our friend, Steve Kaplan. The boys had a great time... and the coaches had a winning season!

These are some fun pictures. They are from 1996. Jessica had started Kindergarten and during the spring, came down with the Chicken Pox. A few weeks later Jake had them and it just happened to be during Easter. So it's fun to be able to scrapbook both on one page!
My thoughts for this page were to cut strips and use them in some way...but I found myself weaving them and tacking them down as I went along. Kind of a different page element, but I like the way it turned out!

Have you set a goal for scrapbooking this month? There are 16 day's leftin the month - so join me as we go thru out the month...even if you only do a few pages - that's an accomplishment!

Friday, May 8, 2009

Fridays "Stamp Set" Spotlight...

This weeks set spotlight is on:Garden Greetings # 113716 set of (8) on pg. 55. I have loved using this set. I used it earlier in the week for my Color Throw Down Challenge Card.It has been on my wish list for awhile - but I'm so glad I finally got it! I have enjoyed using it.

For this 3x3 card, I stamped the large flower image (4) times and cut out (3) of them so that I could layer them to create this 3-D image.

I used the Scallop Circle Punch, the Scallop Edge Punch, the Mat Pack and Paper Piercer, a Corduroy Button in Baja Breeze - (I just LOVE these!), 5/8" Old Olive Grosgrain Ribbon and Linen Thread to adhear the "Friends" tag.

I randomly stamped all (3) flower images all over my white CS in three different colors. I then added matching Rhinestone Brads to the center of three of the flowers in varying sizes. NOTE: The ribbon is not from SU! The saying is stamped in Black StazOn Ink for a more vivid image.

On this card, I used the Ticket Corner Punch and Brads from the Rich Regal Assortment. I HAD to use another Corduroy Button! The flowers are randomly stamped like the card above, but just stamped sparingly. The saying is mounted with dimensionals so it pops off the card a bit.

SEE WHAT OTHERS ARE DOING WITH IT:

Jan Farring

Michelle Tech

Christine Grygar

HAPPY STAMPING,

KENDRA

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Thursday's Scrapbook Basics!

We are all intrigued with the idea of scrapbooking and many of us want to get started, but need some direction. Hopefully this post will help you make some informed decisions about what you'll need and how to get started. I received my monthly newsletter from my friends at DemoToDemo. One of the articles in the May issue was exactly what we need to get started on our scrapbooking journey. So I mixed that article with some of my own thoughts.

As with all good things, there are basic supplies that we need. You have to be careful when first starting to scrapbook to not get completely wooed by all the great stamp sets and accessories. If you go home with all sorts of flowers, inks, and die cuts, you will undoubtedly have lots of fun trying them out, but you will not have the basics which you need to engage actively in the craft of scrapbooking. How much good does a stamp set do if you don't have anything to cut your paper with? I'd like to encourage you to get all your basic supplies first, and then you can indulge in the extras. Alright, so lets begin. These are the must haves that you need to get started:

WE MUST START WITH THE BASICS;

Album: You have made all these great pages, you just love what you created, but you come to a sudden realization...you have no where to put them. You certainly can't leave your precious memories to gather dust in a cabinet or a drawer. So the first thing you need is to get an album for preserving your pages. Stampin' Up! offers some great linen covered albums. You can get either post bound or ring bound in four great colors and the three standard Scrapbook sizes. 12" x 12", 8 ½" x 11" and 6" x 6".

Paper trimmer: One of the things you will quickly discover about scrapbooking is that you will be doing a lot of cutting. There is no avoiding the fact that crooked lines do NOT enhance a project. "I meant to do that" only goes so far. So do yourself a favor, save time and aggravation by purchasing a good trimmer.

Cutting Tool: Scissors (which Stampin' Up! calls Paper Snips) and a Craft Hobby Blade are more essential tools. They are great to have when you are trying to cut out stamped images, and when you want to cut ribbon or bits of paper to size. I always prefer to have both on hand because you never know when you will need to cut out letters or a tricky image. My suggestion to you is to mark your ribbon scissors with a piece of ribbon or charm on the handles. This way you and your family know that these are not for paper!

Adhesive: You now have your mats and you have all the elements of your page laid out in front of you. What will you do next? Hopefully the answer is stick it down *lol*. Good things to have as part of your "adhesive toolbox" include Snail adhesive for permanent bonds, Removable or Dotto Adhesive for repositioning (this is great for when you want to test out a layout), Mini Glue dots for adding 3 dimensional embellishments (such as buttons or hardware) and Stampin' Dimensionals for adding a pop-up effect.

Once you have these basic tools, you are ready to start getting the actual supplies for creating your scrapbook pages. Cardstock is of course essential. Multipacks of neutral and colored CS are a great way to start. Another great place to start is with a Simply Scrappin' Kit. Not only do you get CS, but the kits also come with Designer Paper, and die cut adhesive stickers with which to embellish your pages.
Journaling pens are great to have on hand. A scrapbook layout just isn't complete without a little journaling. Journaling can be as simple as writing the date and place, or as involved as writing the story behind the pictures. Finally you have all of our great stamp sets and inks. All of these should be built up slowly on an "as needed" basis. Alphabet sets are great for creating titles, and background stamps for creating your own Designer paper. Ribbon, brads, buttons, glitter...these are all great elements to be able to add the "pop" your page needs to bring it to life!

Being armed with a complete tool kit of start up supplies is a great way for you to feel secure as you take your first steps into the world of scrapbooking. These tools will allow you to "shine" as a beginning scrapbooker, but they will also see you through your years of being an experienced one as well! And just remember...The impulse purchases you make when your at the store and when you don't have your basic tool kit, is more likely to hurt you in the long run than help you. So hold off on the flowers, rick rack, and rhinestones for a while until you have your arsenol of tools ready to go! Then you'll be better prepared to take on the world of accessories when the time is right, and believe me when I say - Stampin' Up! has a wealth of accessories to help you create pages and tell stories that you, your family, and your friends will enjoy for generations and years to come.

Thanks again goes for the help with this post to - Andrea & Sophia @ http://www.demotodemo.com/

Make sure to check back here on Saturday to see how I am progressing with my scrapbook page goal for May!

HAPPY STAMPING & SCRAPPING,

KENDRA

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Color Throw Down Challenge Card

So this weeks color challenge is using the above colors. I went with a different type of card this week. This carousel scallop note card (held together with a brad) slides open. The second picture shows how.

SUPPLIES USED:
Garden Greeting Set #113716 $21.95

Carousel Note II #112139 $11.95

Baja Breeze CS #111352 $5.50

Riding Hood Red CS #111348 $5.50

Whisper White CS #100730 $7.50

Certainly Celery CS #105125 $5.50

Baja Breeze Ink Pad # 111833 $5.95

Riding Hood Red Ink Pad #111836 $5.95

Certainly Celery Ink Pad #105217 $5.95

Whisper White Craft Pad #101731 $7.50

5/8" Certainly Celery Grosgrain #109050 $7.95

Baja Breeze Corduroy Button #114344 $9.95

Mat Pack #105826 $9.95

Sponges #101610 $3.50 (3)

Soft Subtles Brads #106954 $8.95

Uni-ball Signo Gel Pen (white) #105021 $3.95

Dimensionals #104430 $3.95

This picture shows you how the card can open/swivel on a brad to reveal a place to write a note to the intended. It is a fun card to make nd the possibilities are endless. Change up the stamp set for a completely different look. SIDE NOTE: The carousel scallop note card is not Riding Hood Red.(It's close) You can actually tell a difference if you look closely at the pictures. The scallop carousel note card is actually Ruby Red. The strip of paper accross the front of the card is Riding Hood Red. (It's darker and a crisper color)

HAPPY STAMPING,

KENDRA

You can view other Color Throw Down Challenge Cards HERE.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Tuesday's Tool or Technique...

It's a Tool & and a Technique today!

Faux Linen is a fun technique to try. You acheive this look by using our sanding blocks. They are a great tool to have in your arsenal of supplies. They can give a card, page, or project a whole new & different look! So pull out your sanding blocks and have a go at it. Don't have sanding blocks on hand??? Try using a nail file. It doesn't compare to our sanding blocks...but at least you can try this technique out. Then add Sanding Blocks to your next order.

#103301 Sanding Blocks (2) $3.50 pg. 189

CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE INSTRUCTIONS.

HAPPY STAMPING,

KENDRA

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Monday Madness...

I needed to put together a quick gift and thought I'd share with you. I used the Pun Fun Set. Page #48 in the current Spring/Summer Catalog. It is a set of (8) $32.95.

HAPPY STAMPING,

KENDRA

Saturday, May 2, 2009

A Saturday Share...

So I'm sitting here ...it's Thursday, and can't wait for tomorrow and Saturday to get here. I will be enjoying some camping and fishing with my wonderful husband and son, cool mountain breezes, and enjoying the pines and different shades of green since we don't get a lot of green here in Tucson. So I thought I'd plan ahead and have a post ready for you on Saturday. There are only (8) more day's until Mother's Day and we should be thinking about getting our cards in the mail in the next couple of days. So if you haven't already made one...here's an idea for you. It just screams "Spring" and "Mother's Day"! You can view pictures of different flower pot cards HERE on Splitcoast Stampers to give you inspiration.

My inspiration came from a talented stamper I came accross when Iwas blog surfing. Her name is Laura Albertson and you can view her blog HERE.

The pot is created using Close to Cocoa CS. Cut your CS 3 1/2" x 9". Score it at 2" & 5 1/2". Fold the 2" section towards you and the 5 1/2" section, away from you. Scallop the edge your 2" section for the rim of your pot. Distress/age it with ink. You will also have to trim the sides of your pot to make it look more realistic.

For your pull out card section cut your Close to Cocoa CS - 2 1/2" x 4 1/2". Cut your White CS - 2 1/4" x 4 1/4". Layer them with adhesive. I also put a piece of 5/8" Vanilla Grosgrain across the front of the pot and punched a Scallop Oval out of Cetainly Celery CS. I stamped my sentiment on Very Vanilla and punched out with the Large Oval Punch.

To create the flowers, I used the Flower Fancy set. Laura used the Garden Greeting set and stamped & cut (1) image of each of the flower stamps. I stamped & cut out (2) of the large opened image flower, and (1) of the small opened image flower. (The reason I say "open imaged" is because the set I'm using is a Two-Step Stamp set. I wanted to use the open images rather than the shadow stamps). After you have them cut out, sponge around all the edges matching inks to your CS. The trick to your flowers coming to life is this: On the top layer of the large flowers, you have to make cuts a little deeper than the stamped image shows. This way you can really move your petals around. Carefully use your bone folder or finger to create the 3-d effect. I also put a small half pearl from the Pretties Kit in the center of each flower and adhered them with mini glue dots. To attach your flowers to your pull out insert...put your insert into your pot and then use dimensional on the backs of your flowers. You will have to overlap them slightly to get them on. Then you have a beautiful flower pot to share with someone wonderful!

HAPPY STAMPING,

KENDRA