Design Team - April Assignment

Hello, everyone! I hope you've all been doing well! I've been busy like crazy with school... exams, drawings, projects, and the likes. But what a relief it was to get to have a fun night of Design Team with the girls!

This month, our required supplies were Fancy Pants transparencies, Fancy Pants ghost shapes, and doodling templates! I'm not a big fan of transparencies, but after using them a bit and seeing some of the lovely things the other ladies made with them, I feel like I want to give them more of a chance. The ghost shapes and doodling template weren't as difficult for me to use.

My ghost shapes had lots of hearts and the likes (including a giant heart, which I loved) so I decided to do a layout of myself with my lovely boyfriend, Logan.



The transparency can be seen in the bottom left corner as a green border around the picture. The ghost shapes were pretty fun, and they include the two green pieces- the large one on the right edge and the little one in the top left. I simply painted the underside of them in a really messy fashion to mimic the transparency piece and to create balance. The button heart is also a ghost shape, painted pink and then with various shapes, sizes, and shades of pink buttons glued on top. The doodling template was used to create the dotted circles, which were done with acrylic paints.

We also had challenges. The challenges that I completed were hand journaling, use paint, and use buttons (boy did I!).

Products:
Paper: Pink Paislee - Office Lingo: Bottom Line & Office Lingo Shapes
Ghost Shapes: Fancy Pants
Transparency: Fancy Pants
Buttons: The Paper Studio
Flowers: Prima
Paint: Folk Art - Hot Pink, Anita's - Ripe Apricot & Morning Blue, Craft Smart - Apple Tart
Adhesives: Scrappy Glue, Miss Elizabeth's Double Sided Tape, Zots

I'm going to be doing more cropping this weekend for National Scrapbook Weekend, so check back sometime next week for new layouts!!

-Mandi

Design Team: March Assignment

Our assignment for March was to use the required materials: a set of Buzz and Bloom chipboard and two sheets of laser cut cardstock. Upon receiving my chipboard and laser cuts, I sincerely believed that I was working with the ugliest/most complicated/ridiculous/[insert negative adjectives here] supplies on earth. However, with a little work and a lot of imagination, my once horrific supplies became something beautiful.

The lesson of the story: Don't judge a chipboard set by it's spikey, vicious appearance.

Click layout to enlarge!!

To create the dandelions, I started with one pack of Buzz and Bloom "Spin Me Round: Spikes" Chipboard. Because the chipboard is burnt to create the shapes, I started by rubbing off the burnt black part with a paper towel. Once it was clean, I applied to coats of a special mixed color of paint I created with acrylics (Craft Smart White and Mustard Yellow). Once they were dry, I worked in sections on the chipboard and applied a thin layer of scrappy glue over the top. Before the glue had a change to dry (that Scrappy Glue works quick, you know!) I pulled apart cotton balls and pressed them down over the glued areas. After pressing down a bit and allowing them a few minutes to dry, I pulled all the excess cotton off, leaving a thin fuzzy layer of cotton (just enough to where the paint can peek through)! And that's really all! To add the green section of the larger flower, I painted it's original middle section with a mix of Folk Art Forest Moss and Buttercream acrylic paints and pop-dotted it over the flower.

The other technique I used was stamped and hand cut leaves for the dandelions. I used a fine tipped paintbrush to apply paint to one of the Impression Obsession Floral Damask stamps. I stamped the image to black cardstock and cut it by hand. The laser cut cardstocks I was assigned were also cut by hand to create the red border for the center picture and the 3 in the title and the 2008 on the side.

The three challenges I completed were:
1. Layer, layer, layer!
2. Use "trash" (the cotton balls)
3. Hand cutting

Products used:
Cardstock: Bazzill
Chipboard: Buzz and Bloom "Spin Me Round: Spikes"
Laser cut cardstock: KI Memories
Flowers: Prima - Chartres Lace Yellow & Queen & Co Red Felt Flower Border
Ladybugs: Creative Imaginations
Stamp: Impression Obsession "Floral Damask"
Paints: Craft Smart - White and Mustard Yellow, Folk Art: Buttercream and Forest Moss
Embroidery Floss: DMC
Lettering: Quickcutz - Maddy Anne
Other: Cotton balls, buttons, brads, rhinestones, rick-rack, letter beads
Adhesives: Scrappy Glue, Miss Elizabeth's tape squares, pop dots, glue dots

And let me thank my fabulous photographer friend Brianna for the amazing pictures (she's the one with the glasses)! The other lovely lady pictured is my friend Danielle. (I love you guys!!)

So, we have our next assignment, and I'm going to scrap today! I can't wait to get started!

Design Team - All About Me Layout

Tonight was our first Design Team meeting, and it was so much fun!!! All of the layouts were so beautiful. Everyone did a fabulous job, and I loved looking at everyone's unique style!

Our first layouts were supposed to show who we are and our scrapbooking style. So, of course, I went with my favorite paper (Scarlet's Letter by Basic Grey) and took it from there! I'm actually very happy with how it came out! :D



I used a special technique to create the large flower embellishments, and while it took a bit of time, it was well worth it! I started out with a few coordinating pieces of the Scarlet's Letter paper. I used Maya Road chipboard flowers as stencils and traced them onto the paper with pencil. I then cut out two layers for every flower shape. I glued the two layers together with Scrappy Glue, and while it was still wet, I bent the petals to mold the flower how I wished. I then let the flowers sit to dry, and they hardened. Layer your molded flowers and add buttons or jewels and you have your very own paper flower embellishments!

Paper: Basic Grey - Scarlet's Letter: Repose, Glance, At the Ruins, Recognition
Cardstock: Bazzill
Letters: Pizzazzill
Labels: Made with Dymo embossing label maker
Jewels: Doodlebug Designs in Ladybug
Ladybugs: Creative Imaginations
Flowers: Bazzill
Buttons: Dress it up
Playing Cards: From Target, painted edges
Paint: Folk Art Acrylics in Engine Red and Forest Moss. Craft Smart Acrylics in Black and White

I finally have a blog!!!

I know, I know. I am seriously terrible and behind, but finally, I have a blog! Yay for me! So now you may all view my layouts and whatever other craziness I decide to post!

- Mandi