Tiger Scrap Cards

Well, it took me a LONG time to make the last scrapbook layout for the NSD scrapbooking challenges I signed up for (see this post).  In order to meet the challenge, I used distress oxide inks to color several black and white papers to get the yellow/gold and black that was called for.  It turns out I ended up with a LOT of scraps from those papers, even though I only inked what I thought I needed!  

I've sort of made a pact with myself that I won't keep adding to my patterned paper scraps if I can avoid it, so try to use the scraps I create to make cards.  I decided to extend that this time to USE pictures I printed and ended up not using on the layout.  It took me NINE cards to use these up!  (And since I had tiger stuff out, I made a tenth bonus card for good measure.)  Here are my cards.  Sentiments unless otherwise noted are from Sassy's LLC.

Card #1:

Here's a card using one of those extra photos I had printed and didn't use in the layout.  As you can see, I used a couple of different patterned paper scraps, matted with black.  The sentiment is a sample of what I might use, but I removed it after the photo so I can add whatever circular sentiment I want when the time comes to use this card.

Inside:

A similar photo that was printed in a small size adorns the inside of this card made with more scrap and black mats.

 

Card #2:

This card is the one that appears on the top of this post.  It, again, was made using a leftover photo from my tiger layout.  As you can see, it also has some scraps on the side.  Again, I removed the sentiment so I can build up a set of cards with space for whatever sentiment I choose.

Card #3:

 

Another card with sentiment removed after photo - this time I double-matted the sentiment adding a yellow scalloped mat to the black.  As you can see, I used a bunch of narrow stripes of several patterns on black card stock to create the background  for this card.  The focal was matted with pierced rectangles set of dies from Fun Stampers Journey.  The focal itself is part of a page from Hunkydory's Little Book of Animal Planet.

Card #4:

 

This time I left the sentiment strips off, figuring I'd add them later when I knew what this card would be used for.  The focal is again from the Little Book of Animal Planet.  This card is actually an unexpected tri-fold since I put what became the inside panel upside down for the card I was making.  I decided to "fix" it by gluing that card inside another to form a tri-panel - which meant I needed a new card front (what you see above).  

 

Inside Panel:

The picture here and on the very inside below were both cut from a calendar.

 

Card #5:

 

As I continued using up these paper scraps, I had to work harder and harder to figure out focals for them.  This card uses leftovers from a Crafter's Companion card kit to create the focal.  The sentiment was printed from a Debbi Moore freebie, and added with foam tape. 

Card #6:

 

Really scraping the bottom of the barrel for a focal for this one.  I found these floral pieces in my stash - experiments with Color Burst powders.  Not great examples, but I figured it was fine for a "no occasion" card.  The sentiment was made using a Dazzles greeting mounted to white card stock, then matted on black.

 

Card #7:

 

This is another "not so great" focal.  It was from a Hunkydory paper insert collection - faded image because it's designed to go inside a card.  As you can see, I used it on the outside.  Then I found misc in my stash to complete the card - scraps and a stamped sentiment for a border at the bottom, and a couple of flowers from my stash - had blue spots on the yellow flower, but I took a Sharpie to it.  I've had those flowers for years, so it's good to see them getting used!

 

Card #8:

 

I went back to that same little book to create another leopard card.  the sentiment is a fun one, but may not be what is sent out on the card when the time comes.  Almost done with these scraps!  One more card!

 

Card #9:

 

I really like this card!  I like the way the scraps came together, and I like the focal image - another from the Little Book of Perfect Planet.  I thought the sentiment was perfect with this card, so it's stuck on for good this time.

Bonus Card #10:

This card doesn't actually use any of the scraps, but was another calendar image I had out on my desk that I decided to go ahead and use up.

 

Inside:

Inside is another image from the calendar.

 

So, that makes TEN cards - so glad to be able to clear these scraps and pics.  No adding to the scrap pile today!

2024 National Scrapbooking Day (Month?)

Today's post showcases scrapbook pages made in response to the NSD challenges on the message board I frequent. 

There were 7 challenges for making scrapbook pages.  Several called for use of sketches from the pagemaps website. Here is what I made for the seven challenges.

Challenge #1: Favorite Crafty Snack Food 

I chose "Taco" from the list of options.  Of course, choices were made BEFORE we knew what they stood for!  It turned out that Tacos meant we were to use: cream card stock, half circles, and fibers or fringe of some sort. As you can see, I included all required elements on this page about the train to New Delhi.  I really like the paper and gold fringe that I used since they speak to the flavor of India.  I DO wish I had raised the fringe a bit higher on the page, but I was trying to use it to create a bunch more "half circles" - and then it was too late.

Challenge #2: the first of three sketch challenges

Here's the sketch - from pagemaps:

And here's my page:

As you can see, I stuck pretty close to the sketch - mostly just changed the shape of the title, though the lower blue border is a bit more elaborate than in the original sketch.  And I double-matted the focal with more narrow mats.

Challenge #3: Before/After or Then/Now

It took me awhile to come up with a project to illustrate a before and after, but I REALLY liked the result!  I decided to focus on using up some white scraps - the before would be those scraps, and the after would be the projects I created.  I had so much fun creating the projects, and they turned out great!!!  And I really like the way the scrapbook pages turned out, too.

First page:

I chose to make my "before" page pretty colorless.  Even the butterfly embellishments are simply black and white - highlighting the plain white card stock that I started with.  

2nd Page:

As you can see, the next page is VERY colorful with all the projects I made starting with plain WHITE scraps!  Colored butterfly embellishments reinforce the colorful theme of this page.

Challenge #4: This or That

Once again I had to pick before knowing what I was choosing.  I chose "Spring".  It turned out that simply meant I needed to have flowers on my layout.  You can see the dual page at the top of this post.  This is a close up of the first page - complete with die cut frog and bees (Elizabeth Craft dies - the bees came with her Honey Bear).  

Second Page:

As you can see, this page simply adds a collage of more waterlily pics - and a couple more of those die cut bees.

Challenge #5: another sketch challenge

Here is the sketch - again from pagemaps

And my resulting page:

As you can see, I modified this sketch a bit, but not too much.  I started with 2 pictures instead of three and matted them on a larger mat than shown.  The title was from a fussy cut picture of a "welcome" stone.  I chose to stencil a bit of the background because my plain card stock seemed a bit TOO plain.  Two of the embellishments are a cluster of flowers similar to what was shown - except that I moved them around a little.  The third was replaced with the hot air balloon.  I was SO glad to be able to use that hot air balloon embellishment on this page.  I had bought it thinking to use it on the next page in the album and there hadn't been room for it! 

Challenge #6 - another sketch

As you can see, this one is again from page maps.  Here's my resulting page:

I REALLY struggled with this page, and it's not my favorite.  I didn't think it would be a big deal to replace the two photos with one, but I needed it to be a bit larger than the two together and it threw the proportions off.  I liked the multicolored paper I used for the large banner - and various other places around the page - but had a TERRIBLE time finding other papers/card stock that I liked for the rest of the elements.  I used small pictures in place of the flower embellishments, and I don't think that was as effective as I'd hoped.  I really wasn't that happy with the page when I was done.  I wish the background had been lightly stenciled or something.  I ended up finding a border strip of road signs in my stash that I cut and placed along the right side of the page.  I think that helped, but I didn't take an updated picture.

Challenge #7: Pick an ANIMAL

Once again I didn't know what I was picking ahead of time.  I chose the leopard.  It turns out that meant I needed to include the following on my page: 

• Main Colors: Yellow/Gold, Black
• Paper/Card stock: 4 or more patterned papers, 1 or more card stock
  
• General theme of photos & layout: nighttime, speed, stealth, cat - from that list I chose "cat" - specifically tigers!  The page also deals some with stealth.
  
• Embellishments: Polka Dots (can be part of the patterned paper)
• # of Photos: 1 or more
  

It was quite a challenge.  It took me a long time to figure out what pictures to use for this layout - decided to do a dual page layout.  

Then I had to find the patterned papers I needed.  I finally took black and white papers and inked them with distress oxide inks to get the colors I needed!  

Here are the finished pages.  I started with only papers, card stock, and printed materials (photos, journaling, title).  In the end, I decided I wanted to add some arrow brads that I had in my stash.  I decided that after taking the first photos, however, and didn't want to go to all the work to re-photograph the dual page, so just re-took the photo of page one.

Dual Page:

First Page:

2nd Page:

Re-done first page:

Another KCC 14

For Mother's Day I got a set of 6x6 papers that weren't really my style.  I decided to start using them up by choosing the 6 I liked least and chopping them up as per KCC#14 (see Kendra's Card Challenge).  The result is once again proof that there are no ugly papers - even if they seem so at first!  In fact, there are three cards in this set where I deviated quite a bit from the sketch because I didn't want to cover up portions of the printed paper!!!

I forgot to take a picture of the "before" set of papers, but here's a picture of the the entire set of 15 cards completed using those six 6x6 papers (and stuff from my stash):

For most of these cards, I matted the pieces with black paper.  Where I did something else, I'll call it out as we look at each individually.  Most of them also utilize greetings from Sassy's LLC - and I'll also note where this is not the case.

Time for Tea?

I've had a Hunkydory Whopper Topper sheet from their Birds of the World collection sitting out for some time - finally got around to doing something with it.  It's pretty simple - embossed the background (Swiss Dots EF from Cuttlebug), inked it, added topper & sentiment.  I then attempted to trim the top corners to mimic the curves of the focal - didn't turn out as well as I had hoped.   It just looked weird because the entire top didn't mimic it.  Oh well . You win some you lose some.  It's still really pretty imagery even if that trimming was  a little weird.

Before and After

 

What you see above is one of the "after" pictures.  Here is the "before":

A message board I frequent had a scrapbooking challenge ahead of National Scrapbooking Day.  It was to create a page using the theme "before and after".  I thought of several possibilities but didn't like any of them for various reasons.  Then my Mom suggest that I could showcase materials BEFORE I made something, and then the results.  That sparked this idea.  I had recently seen some YouTube videos about using up your white scraps.  I have TONS of those (from making card blanks & focals & mats & such), and really liked some of the ideas I had seen.  I decided to see what I could make with those scraps.  

First, I took my scraps and colored them in various ways.  On some I used embossing ink and colored embossing powders. Others were painted with Opal Polish.  One I even covered with double sided adhesive and added gilding flakes (that one took me FOREVER!!!).  After all were dry, I picked three of them and stenciled over the top (more details on that later).  Finally, I saved some pieces and die cut others, and soon found themes emerging.  Most of the pieces used on the following cards come from this process - additional elements added are mentioned in the descriptions of each individual card below.

First, here's a picture of all eleven cards that I made from these materials:

And here's my scrapbook page about it:

With a closeup of each page:

And now here's a closer look at each of the cards.