Busy Busy…

Posted on | September 6, 2010 | 9 Comments

Just a few days before the trip and I have a list of last minute stuff. Since it’s just the girls and I there’s nobody else to rely on but me, myself, and I in terms of what to bring… or what makes it to the car. I have to remember to bring the important stuff and not be like our California trip where I left my camera on the kitchen counter. AURGH!!! That was the worst photographic trip ever!! Also, even though a drive to hubby’s family in Mississippi is a lot longer than our we’ll be passing through a few countries so I need to remember to have with us our passports (ALL of them, we have two each since as a military dependent we have to have a regular passport and another one – a no pay they call it – where the UK Visa is stamped — weird I know) and other documentations. BUT, in between all the prepping I managed to relax a bit while the Jove was napping and created this.

I’ve been eye-balling this digital kit by Quirky Twerp, The Retrospect 365 set (paper, elements, and tags) at The DigiChick and I found the perfect sketch to use it on: Sweet Sketch Sunday. If you like Webster’s Page or Prima you’ll LOVE this kit. So so so pretty and the colors are just so vibrant!! I felt a bit guilty when creating this card because a lot of gorgeous images were covered in the process. The below is just the paper!

Here I just want to show you how my card (and I do this for a lot of my work) looks from the side. I am not heavy on the glue. I use different size dimensionals and even when I use adhesive (ATG 1/4″) I’d only glue the bottom (or top or side, depends) part to give the card a more 3D effect. For example on the tag. The flower above it I used the ATG just on the bottom and one dimensional, close to the tag. I like to center my dimensionals if possible for two reasons, to not be too visible from the side and to also give it a more airy look — like nothing’s holding the paper on.

I did a few things on this card. I sprayed the tag and base with Tattered Angels ink. I tied two bows through one hole on the tag. The seam binding, Martha Stewart, I scrunched on the spot again. Then I rolled some twine (Etsy) around the tag and tied a big bow. I also didn’t cut the loose ends too short for a more “fun” feel. The little lace is Melissa Francis and the button’s from PTI. I did a lot of trimming. My hand went numb a bit but all’s good. Layered here, layered there — followed the sketch I did — and voila.

Here’s the sketch. I promise it looks just like it!!! For the base I did that flower pattern paper for the dark top portion. The tag is the light portion of the base. Then for the scallops, well if you look at the card there’s a line on the right side. That’s my divider line and instead of scallops I left it as is. For the center it’s obvious and I actually do have a strip of scallop paper, look to the left of the butterfly. The green strip.

I love sketches because they give me a starting point and after that I can move it around as I see fit. The stamp sets I used are Ever After from WPlus9 and Vintage Frame from Waltzingmouse.

Have a great one. I am super super sleepy right now. I’ll prob. edit a lot of stuff after I get up and have some coffee {::SMILES}. Been up late the last few finishing a few things up.

The next time I post it’ll probably be from Germany. Until then!

Today’s the Day

Posted on | September 1, 2010 | 7 Comments

For you to get yourself a WPlus9 Ever After stamp set and for me to get a Chip and PIN (EMV) bank card!!!

Yes, I am going to be like the Western Europeans and a lot of other countries (some Asians too I think… not sure about African countries and E. Europe) and no swipe and sign when using my debit/credit card. Half the time it’s been a stinkin’ hassle keeping our American bank card.

How does one use this chip card? You use a chip card like you’d use your credit/debit card at an ATM station, the machines that don’t swallow your card. Stick it in and enter the PIN. It’s less paper too. There’s no paper to sign and that extra credit card receipt. Also, there’s no international transaction fee. We’re lucky that our bank, USAA (BEST bank ever!!), waives ours (at least for a year) but most don’t. The fee ranges from 1-3%. If you ever overseas, check your statement. You’ll see the charge AND the transaction fee. It adds up!

Weeks ago I made an appointment but I had to cancel. I made another one two weeks ago for today. I know, right? Two weeks to schedule an appointment to open a bank account!! In the US one can just walk in to a branch and 45-minutes later walk out with a bank account. Hopefully tomorrow I can get everything taken care of and in a week or two have a shiny new card that I can use anywhere. We can’t even use a self-service anything now because they don’t take swipe cards. Sucks!

Card details…

First of all I love the color combo. I used sky blue, purely pomegranate, kraft, vanilla, mellow moss, and yellow. I had a lot of fun with this card because I used a lot of my favorite things on here. The best part was that I did a lot of sewing. I think my machine and I are buddies now! What did I do? I cleaned AND loosened it up. I guess that’s what that little knob was for. Before the thread was too tight and that’s why the thread always broke mid-way when I did zig-zags.

I’ve been loving layering my bows too. The base is PTI twill yellow ribbon. After I made the bow I tied another knot and bow, the crumpled seam binding from Etsy, over the twill knot. Then over the two I tied another knot and bow with the baker’s twine. To cover all the layers I added a button. The sentiment came from two different sets: Magical Moments and Funky Flowers.

Here I just want to give you a side view of the flower layers. I used dimensionals on the Gardenia and the leaves I just put a dab of glue on the bottom edge so that the only the edges would stick and not the whole leaves. I like it this way to give the card a more fluffy/3D feel. The rose, kraft paper, I glued on to the card base. It’d be too thick if I used dimensionals on everything.

The pattern paper that I used came from Paislee Press which is available tomorrow at the DigiChick. She’s guest designing and I couldn’t be happier – LOVE her!! I can’t wait to make a scrappy page with the kit!!

Ok, that’s it! I’ll be posting in a little bit too for another Sept. 1 release. Stay tune!!

Fun Sunday

Posted on | August 29, 2010 | 9 Comments

At least I hope it’ll be. The girls and I are planning on going to IKEA and a beach nearby it. Then on the way back we’re going to drive through the town where the summer 2012 Olympics will be. I dunno, just curious I guess. So, hopefully the weather will be decent and we can all have a nice shopping + outdoorsy time.

Here’s my day two of WPlus9’s Sept. release countdown project: A fun card AND I colored!!!! I used water pencil, Prismacolor, for the coloring and SU’s blending pen. I dunno about you pro colorers but I think it looks pretty dang good. If not, amuse me on this one and just tell me I did awesome, ha!

The background of the card was texturized using Tim Holtz’ embossing folder. I have four now since two comes in a package and love how crisp the textures are. Then I added some digital paper, both by Zoe Pearns at Sweet Shoppe Designs. See how vibrant the paper colors are? My cheap laser did it. LOVE that little thing!!! For the tag… well I found it. I have no idea where it came from but oh so perfect for my rose! Then I added some Martha Stewart’s double sided satin ribbon (I always try to go double sided if at all possible, just prettier), twine, button which was threaded with pink baker’s twine, and a little petal. Stamped the rose, colored, and added a sentiment. Oh, don’t forget the little extra petal on the bottom right. See? Oh, see some sewing too? Likey my sewing machine better now!

So that’s it. Wish us girls luck and if we don’t go, Ill tell you why. Do visit the other chick’s blogs if you haven’t done so. Lots of goodies to look at!!

Have a great one!!!

I Am Printing

Posted on | August 27, 2010 | 6 Comments

Again. After all the problems with my printers – my laser b/w died and the ink situation with the Canon Pixma – I went ahead and ordered a color… or colour… laser printer from Amazon. For more less £145 I got a Samsung CLP-315W (wireless, the none wireless is £10 less) and it’s nice. I don’t know how many prints the cartridge that comes with the package goes up to but a new one can print 1000 color prints (b/w at 1500) it said (£115 for new toners). I’ve always had a laser printer but this is my first color one. I can’t do a full review on this thing but for the price and size (the most compact laser in the market) it prints beautifully, setup was a breeze on my Mac (haven’t tried wireless, I was in a hurry), and whenever I need ink the cost might be 2x the price of ink jets toners but the toner will go 10x… or more. It is a bit slower to warm up and print compare to an HP (4ppm vs 16ppm) but really, I only print 1-2 pages at a time and I rarely wait on it. If I live on a printer than I’d get an HP. I’ve always had great luck with them and they’re fast.

I’ve always loved a laser because I buy it once and I never have to buy a new toner. The printer would die on me first before I get a toner (my b/w I’ve had for 4 years. It’d still be alive if I didn’t fry it). Plus it’s waterproof. Granted I don’t color much I can’t print on an inkjet and color. It’ll smear. There are special ink but I think they’re pretty spendy. So yes I spend a little bit more up front but laser printers, for me at least, go a looooooong way. Keep in mind that laser printers are not photo printers. People complain about how terrible their photos look after printing. Print photos on a photo printer and on photo paper – that’s what they’re for. For hybrid projects though, laser printers are dreamy, ha! Very excited about doing lotsa more hybrid!!

Card details…

For this card I used the colors and challenge from Embellish Mag: Purple, green, black and I added a touch of white and cream. The challenge is to use a square. I went with a square 5×5 card and a pattern paper that has little purple squares. The pattern paper, bird, heart and nest came from this GORGEOUS kit by Krystal Hartley and mle Card at Sweet Shoppe Design. The kit is called Hope Springs Eternal. If you like vintagy kind of projects or you want a beautiful kit for a digiscrap this one is a must have!! I can’t wait to do a few pages with this baby!!

Here are some details… I used PTI satin vintage cream ribbon. Then I tied another bow around the PTI bow using some already scrunched up seam binding that I got from Etsy. For the center I added a Making Memories brad which I gently wrapped around the knot. The card looked fine without the seam binding but I think the extra bow makes this look a bit more feminine and fun. Oh, almost forgot, I sewed!! I think I figured out my sewing machine. But we’ll see. Maybe I just got lucky!

Then I layered stuff in the middle. If you follow my blog you know I’m not a fan of purple. Purple is just an eviil color I think but I know a lot of you LOVE purple and can use it well. So, even though I used purple cardstock for the base I covered as much of it as I could and added a touch of it here and there for balance. It’s just a little something I learned when I was in graphic design class ages ago. The bird, hearts and nest I trimmed out. The doily I inked up with green galore from SU. It’s a super astro bright green but when I ink with a sponge I like using colors that are brighter so that I won’t have to ink so much/so hard. Then I went outside with my caligraphy ink + brush and splatter some ink. I just then layered everything. The sentiment is PTI’s, from Dawn McVey’s shower set, and the flower is Making Memories. Of course I had to stick a button somewhere and use more of the many yards of baker’s twine that I got from Etsy.

That’s that. I hope you all have a great one and last I want to show you the whole kit and how I laid the different pieces on my 8.5×11 piece of cardstock paper (normal cardstock that I got from WalMart).

The piece on the bottom right, I’ll be using for a layout.

Bye!

Help Me Decide!

Posted on | August 24, 2010 | 10 Comments

On a bed and breakfast in France!! I have Chardon Room and Buttercup/Autumn Leaf to choose from. There are no reviews on them but they all look good, three (French) stars, and breakfast included in the price. I am having a hard time because, I’m not sure which way we’re driving back. We need to catch a ferry in Dunkirk, France, I haven’t purchase yet but aiming for 4p (with a 3:30p check-in). From the Chardon we can go via the French highway, which is paid toll, and will cost around 22 Euros + 4 hrs, or through Belgium which will be 4.75 hrs and no toll cost (I am leaning more towards the French tolls though). If we stay in the Autumn Leaf (M doesn’t want to sleep in her own room) it’ll be 21.40 Euros + 3.5 hrs. Of course the one that takes longer to get to the ferry is the closest to everything we want to see (a few places we can walk to them), granted Autumn Leaf is only 20-30 miles from the sites we’re interested in.

Chardon has a dinner option where Autumn Leaf ask that guests go find themselves a restaurant. I like the idea of eating breakfast and at least a dinner at the B&B and chit-chatting with the owners and other folks there. I am wanting to practice a bit more French. I can’t do that at a restaurant, except just to order food and stuff. At the B&B I’m hoping that I’d feel a bit more unconscious about my (lack of) abilities and speak. I do love both places though.

The two B&B are unique in their own ways. Both, via emails, have been very helpful although I do feel a bit more warm and fuzzy towards the Chardon gentleman whom I’ve been corresponding with. I love that he offered to continue answering questions whether we stay there or not. My main interest in the Chardon is the location, the meals, and the owner. For Autumn Leaf, it’s the house, the interior of the house, and that it’s a bit shorter distance to the ferry and we can have a longer lunch break or more little stops. Jovie is a good traveler but ya never know, right?

Which would you choose? I have told both that I am considering two places.

My project….

I decided to participate in the Card Pattern’s sketch. It’s been a while since I did one. For this card I used some digital paper from the Digichick. The butterfly was from a Making Mischief kit by Karen Lewis and the other pattern paper was by Sugar Plum Paperie, Tiny Princess. I was playing with mellow colors with a splash of boldness. I’m not sure if I achieved this or not but I kind off like how the card turned out. For the stamps I used a Stampin’ Up! set called Central Park and PTI’s tag stamp.

So that’s it for tonight. I hope you all can help me and gnight for now!!