Thursday, June 30, 2011

Pages in Time Interactive Blog Hop

Pages In Time Interactive Blog Hop
Welcome to the Pages In Time Interactive Blog Hop! We call it an “Interactive Blog Hop” because you do more than read a blog, you actually get to create a layout along the way! At each stop you will collect steps for completing a layout!
The Interactive Blog Stop starts at the Pages In Time blog http://fablady.blogspot.com/ with the Pages In Time Weekly Sketch. From there, you will hop from blog to blog to collect the steps to create your layout! You should have arrived here from Stacey's blog http://ohschwietscrap.blogspot.com/.  If you stumbled upon the hop by accident, please play along (just make sure you hit all the blogs)!
The step you are collecting from me is stitching. First let me show you my take of the sketch.
 I chose to do machine stitching (the black stitching around the yellow pp) and hand stitching (around the title).
You can do any kind of stitching you want, machine or hand, but here's a really easy stitch I'd like to share with you that I call a twisted stitch. Here's what you'll need.
1. 2 different colors of embroidery floss
2. needle
3. scissors
4. Mat to poke holes (you can also you an old mouse pad)
5. Piercing tool (you can also use a needle or small nail)
The first and most important step when sewing by hand on paper is to pierce your holes. Then just do a basic stitch in one of your colors. I did the darker green first. For a skinnier stitch you can divide your embroidery floss into 3 strands. I didn't do that on this page because I liked the bulkier stitch to bring out the title more.
Then thread your needle with your other color making a knot at the end. Bring your needle up from the back of your page starting at one end of your previous stitching. Then pull your needle through the very first stitch along the front page.
Continue doing this with all your stitches bringing your stitches through each previous stitch going in the same direction. See how my needle is facing out. After I pull the thread through, I put my needle through the next stitch the same exact way never going through the back of the page until your done. As you can see, your threads will start twisting making a great outline or rope effect.
Because I used 2 different shades of the same color it's more subtle. But try it with black and white, or red and white, which gives you a candy cane look. Once you get to the end just pull your needle through the hole in your last stitch and knot it in the back. Here's what it looks like all done.

Be certain to write down the steps along the way, because you will need to incorporate them into your layout to be eligible for the overall prize! Speaking of prizes, take a peek at the grand prize:


To be eligible for the prize you must incorporate the sketch and five additional steps from the hop. The order of the hop is as follows:

Karen: http://fablady.blogspot.com (sketch)
Becky: http://manyminimemories.blogspot.com/ (distressing & inking)
Lisa: http://theshabbyhorse.blogspot.com/ (Pictures: Mat picture and doodle on the edges)
Anna C: http://picturesnpapers.blogspot.com/ (Border Punch)
Jessie: http://disasterouscrafting.blogspot.com/ (Flowers-plans tutorial)
Stacey: http://ohschwietscrap.blogspot.com/ (Faux Flourish)
Me: http://dreasscrapsofinspiration.blogspot.com/ (Stitching)
Traci: http://scrapsofwhimsy.blogspot.com/ (Title - Stamping or doodling on the letters)
Lili:http://pagesintimestoresite.ning.com/profiles/blogs/pages-in-time-interactive-blog (Journaling) 

Finally, you will need to upload your completed layout at Pages In Time. If you are not already a member, you will need to become one. Once you are there, you will find a Forum entitled “June 30 – July 6 Thursday Sketch”. You will have until midnight on July 6th to upload your layout. All layouts that are based upon the sketch and have incorporated at least five of the steps from the blog hop will be eligible for the prize. A winner will be chosen by the Pages In Time Design Team.

You can earn two extra votes!!! If you follow all the blogs listed in the hop and leave a comment on each blog, you will be eligible for an extra vote. You can also earn an extra vote if you incorporate the step listed at each stop in your layout. That means, if you do your layout based on the sketch and include all of the steps, you get an extra vote!

One more surprise!!! I am offering a personal RAK of some of my homemade embellies to a random person that is a follower of my blog and leaves a comment!

Now hop on over to Traci’s blog http://scrapsofwhimsy.blogspot.com/ and have fun!!

Friday, June 24, 2011

Interactive Blog Hop Coming soon!

Please join us on June 30th at Pages in Time for an Interactive Blog hop. You'll be directed to different DT blogs for each step to create your page. There's going to be prizes too!

Thursday, June 23, 2011

PIT Sketch of the Week for June 23rd

Here's the new Thursday sketch at Pages in Time designed by Becky Neemann.
Here's my take.
I just love this photo of my sister-in-law, nephew, and niece. I doodled a serged stitch all over the scalloped border, around the squares, and some of the flowers. I did a zigzag stitch along the orange pp. Here's how I made the yellow flowers. First I cut out 3 flowers with my cricut (Serenade cartridge). I wanted to use a 5 petal flower. I cut out a 1 1/2", 2" and 2 1/1" flower.
Then I used a dark blue pen to outline the flowers in a squiggly line. 
After that just curl all your petals and stack on top of eachother with the largest flower on the bottom.
For the center I used a punch to cut out a 3/4" circle out of white cardstock. Then I used the same blue pen to make short lines all around the circle. Then I outlined the circle. Finally add a button, brad, or whatever you want for the center.



Sunday, June 19, 2011

Happy Father's Day!

   Happy Father's Day! I just got back from a nice barbecue at the lake with my dad. Unfortunately, the weather was chilly, but dad loved this page I made for him. He's the baby with his father, grandfather, and great grandfather. I used a texture medium to apply the buttons, all from my great grandmother's stash. Then I applied silver glimmer mist over the buttons and masked clock. The pocket watch started as an alarm clock I received from 3tailscraft.
 Here's what I started with. I didn't think to take a photo until AFTER I cut off my pieces, so I put it back together to show you.
 First I applied a light coat of silver paint over the entire chippie using a Ranger dabber in silver.
Then I used black soot distress ink over the whole chippie rubbing lightly with a napkin. 
I diluted a little bit of white paint with water to paint the face of the clock. I used about 4 coats. Then I redid the steps above painting another coat of silver and using the distress ink on top.
       Here's the tricky and time consuming part. I used black paint to paint the numbers. I wanted to use a black sharpie, but knew it would bleed after applying glossy accents. So I HAD to paint the numbers by hand.
Finally I applied Glossy Accents over the face. After it dried I glued on the hands and added the silver brad. I added the chain which I toned down with black soot reinker. 

Thursday, June 16, 2011

PIT Sketch of the week for June 16-22

Here's this weeks sketch at Pages in Time designed by Becky Neemann.



                                                                                                                                                                             As soon as I saw this sketch I knew that I wanted to convert it into a 2 pager. So I did! I used cardstock and a torn brown shopping bag which I crumpled up and used glimmer mist on. I used my tree glimmer screens for the first time creating my background of trees. I did a lot of tearing and distressing, and finally used my sewing machine to stitch. TFL!

Monday, June 13, 2011

My first tutorial!

I'm on the design team for Pages in Time, and recently we were challenged to use postcards on a LO or project. So I decided  it was the perfect opportunity to work on my bucket list, which I've been wanting to do for the last couple of years. So after a lot of thought I made my list on plain white paper, and then inked it in various colors with my blending tool. I did a lot of stamping and embossing, including the stitched border, coins, small postcards, key, map flowers, and Paris stamp above the smallest map flower. I've gotten quite a few requests on how I made the map flowers, so I thought I'd show you in my first tutorial.

Here's a close-up of the largest map flower.
Step 1.
Cut out 4 flowers ( I used my Cricut (Mother's Day bouquet cartridge) from white cardstock. If you don't have this exact cartridge, then try using another shape as long as the petals aren't too skinny, so you can see the stamping. I cut mine at 3", 2 1/2", 2", and 1 1/2".

Step 2.
Use your blending tool to apply Tim Holtz Distress inks. I used Tumbled glass, spun sugar, and dried marigold.
Step 3.
Use globe stamp to cover all the flowers. I bought mine at Michael's craft store, but if you don't have a globe or map stamp you can always use a real map. Another option is printing a map onto white paper and then inking over it.I stamped mine using Walnut Stain distress ink and then lightly went around the edges with it.

Step 4.
Pinch in the centers of each petal with your fingers, without making any creases.
Step 5.
Glue all the layers together starting with the largest flower on the bottom. For the center I used a regular gold office brad. I dipped it into distress embossing ink and then into Walnut Stain distress embossing powder, heating it with a heat gun.Finally I used Liquid Pearls in Petal pink to make small dots around the brad.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

I did it!!

Well after many requests and inquiries, I finally decided to start my own blog. So please join me as I share my love of scrap booking with you. I'll be sharing my work here, as well as teaching you some of my techniques.