Create x3

A {Cardboard} Card!

As if I don't have you saving enough stuff already to alter and reuse!  Today, I want you to start saving your corregated cardboard too.  :)  I thought it would be fun to show you how you can take some dainty papers and a floral stamp and "dress them down" a bit for fun!

For this card, I used the Memory Box Co. Blueberry notecard {22002}, Fernbrae 6x6 papers, Just a Note {B1053} stamp, and the Trumpet Vine {D1044} stamp.  Now, this combination could be really dressed up with lace and white pearls and really be beautiful!  Oooh, just the thought.  But they can also be "dressed down" for a more casual look.  That's one thing I love about Memory Box products!  I distressed and inked the papers, and then for fun I added a piece of corregated cardboard.  It makes your card a bit bulky but I love the look.  I also added a little hemp tied around the Fernbrae paper to "tie" it all together.

Papers:  Strathmore 140lb. watercolor paper, Memory Box Co. Blueberry notecard 22002, Memory Box Co. Fernbrae
Tools:  Creative Memories tearing tool, Making Memories distressing tool
Stamps:  Memory Box Co. Just a Note B1053, Memory Box Co. Trumpet Vine D1044
Stamp Ink:  Memento paris dusk, Colorbox Fluid Chalk chestnut roan
Embellishments:  Memory Box Co. pearl stickers 24 karat, hemp from Hobby Lobby, corregated cardboard

After stamping the vine in Memento paris dusk ink, I added Memory Box Co. 24 karat pearl stickers.  These actually match the cardboard beautifully. I love this color of pearl stickers!  The vine is stamped on 140 lb. watercolor paper. I chose to use that paper because I wanted the texture for the card. It also goes well with the cardboard. You can see the pearl stickers and textures up close in this picture below:
  
So be sure to start looking around for some cardboard to use on your next Memory Box creation.  You might find you love the look!  Thanks for stopping by today, and see you next time!  Blessings,

Contest Entries {Wow}!

Wow, I have SO enjoyed looking at everyone's entries as they have come in!  I thought it might be fun over the course of this next week to share the submissions with you. They are so inspiring, beautiful, and creative!

Now if you remember, the rules for my contest were to create a card, layout, tag, or altered piece using this sketch along with Memory Box papers and/or stamps.
   
One of our entries came from Rosemary.  I love how she used the Memory Box Brandywine papers and the Pear Collage {E923} stamp.  Here is what Rosemary said about her card--"I stamped the image on paper, then stamped the image a second time and cut out the pear. Popped the pear on top of first image."  It really turned out beautiful, Rosemary.
 
Another entry came from Laura.  I love how she chose to do a layout with the sketch! Laura used the Memory Box Flutter Chick {B1250} stamp and the Good Things {B1248} stamp for her page.  Both of these stamps worked perfectly for her page. I also love how she added the torn papers and put her title at an angle!  And what a cutie pie her son is!!!  Awesome page Laura!
 
This entry comes from Shelly.  Here is what Shelly said about her entry--"Well my mom's birthday is tomorrow, and I hadn't made her card yet until I saw the sketch then I knew what cricut cuts I would use. :) And of course I already knew I was going to use my favorite papers. For this, I used papers from the Memory Box Sugar Drop Collection. These are my ALL~TIME favorite MB papers. I really really really just adore this set the most!" I just love how Shelly cut out and layered all of the flowers and butterflies with the Memory Box papers. Beautiful!
 
 
And the last entry I will share with you today comes from Amy.  I love how Amy created a card set.  Such a great idea.  Amy used Memory Box Vanilla Bean cards for each one along with the following Memory Box stamps:  Dandelion {D1046} and Vintage Garden clear stamp set {CL123}.  Wonderful card set Amy!
 
Thank you for your entries Rosemary, Laura, Shelly, and Amy!  I will share more entries later this week!  Be on the look out. And in case you are wondering when a winner will be announced, it will be on Friday, April 10th.  Mark you calendars!  I know we originally said we would announce a winner on April 6th; however, we had a great response so we will be announcing on the 10th instead.  Good luck to all who entered!

Layout Finished!

Yeah!  My layout is finished!  How about yours?  Did you find some fun chipboard elements to add to your page?  Before I reveal my entire layout, I wanted to show you the tool I use for distressing my edges.  I don't distress my edges on everything I do but I do like to use it a lot!  Here is a look at the Memory Box Poppyfinch papers as I am distressing the edges.  Notice how I have not distressed the left-hand side yet.
 
Now sometimes I will leave the edges like that, and sometimes I will ink the edges with either a color that matches the paper, or I will use black or brown ink.  It depends on my mood I guess.  :)

So, here is my completed layout.  The letter "s" in the title was also plain chipboard that I painted and then stamped with the Memory Box Butterfly Collage {E1060} stamp.  I am sorry the page is so light. I played and played with it to get the true color but it just wasn't working. In my close-up shots, you can see the true colors a bit better.  I think my stark white background messed with my photo!  **Remember, you can always click on my images to see a larger version of the photo.**
   
 
In this next close-up photo, you can see how I only used the butterfly portion of the same stamp!  After stamping just the butterfly, I used my watercolors and then cut it out.  I added pop dots for dimension and Memory Box white pearl stickers to dress it up.
 
Papers:  Paper Trey Inc., Bazzill, Strathmore 140lb. watercolor paper, Memory Box Co. Poppyfinch
Tools:  Making Memories distressing tool, Basic Grey file set
Alpha: Quickutz studio, Making Memories tiny alpha stickers, Basic Grey chipboard 's'
Derwent Watercolor Pencils:  30, 31, 34
Stamps:  Memory Box Co. Butterfly Collage E1060
Stamp Ink:  VersaFine vintage sepia, Colorbox Fluid Chalk chestnut roan
Embellishments:  Glue Dots pop up, Memory Box Co. pearl stickers white, Making Memories spotlight paint, Shimmerz buttercream, Stickles cinnamon, Creative Café ticket and stickers, Heidi Swapp journaling spot, Dew Drops champaine, Deluxe Designs chipboard

I hope you enjoyed looking at matching papers and dressing up your chipboard this week!  Feel free to leave your ideas or comments.  And remember, tomorrow is the last day to get your entries in for the big contest!!!!  Let's see those creations!  Thanks for stopping by, and have a joyous Friday!

Layouts: Chipboard Elements

Okay, so you should have your papers and pictures ready to go for your layout.  Let's talk about creating chipboard elements for your page.  I have put four chipboard elements on my layout. I will share two of them with you today plus the steps I used to "dress them up."  I hope you looked for some chipboard elements that you wanted to use on your page too.

For my plain chipboard piece, I first painted it in white acrylic paint.  Then I covered it in Shimmerz.  After letting that dry, I used the Memory Box Butterfly Collage {E1060} stamp to stamp on top of the paints for a fun look.  Notice, I only stamped the script portion of the stamp. I avoided the butterfly because that was not the piece of the stamp I wanted to use here.
 
Now you are probably wondering why I did not paint a portion of this flourish.  I am going to cover that end in Memory Box Poppyfinch paper.  You can see that I have already traced that piece onto the back of my paper. Then I cut it out, and adhere it to the chipboard.  I usually use a glue stick and my brayer to make sure it sticks well.  Here is what it looks like with that end covered in paper.
 
Now it still doesn't look great yet.  I then used my Basic Grey file set to sand the paper edges down for a smooth edge.  Next I inked those edges for a nice finished look. Here you can see two of my elements finished.  The stamping, filing, and inking really give the chipboard a nice look not to mention I now have embellishments that will match my layout perfectly!
   
Now your job is to figure out how you want to use your Memory Box stamps and papers to dress up your chipboard elements for your page.  Get those all created, and I will share my finished layout next post!  Enjoy!

Layouts: Picking Pictures & Papers

Hello everyone!  Several of you mentioned that you needed help in choosing and coordinating papers.  Well, I wanted to share my process today in creating a layout and how I choose papers for my photos.  First, I always find the photos I want to scrap.  I pick out several I think I want to use on my page.  Now, I don't always end up using all of the photos I pull out but sometimes I do. I pick and choose as I work on my page.

After choosing my photos, I look at the colors in the pictures and look through my patterned paper selection to see what would match best.  I almost always (99.9% of the time) choose papers that match my photos. If I have papers I absolutely want to use but the photos don't match, I turn my photos to black and white so that I can use those particular papers.

Memory Box Co. makes it VERY easy to choose papers that coordinate.  Each line has papers that coordinate with each other, so it makes it super simple.  Yes, sometimes I will mix papers from another Memory Box line but for this particular layout, I am sticking with the Poppyfinch line.  Here are the photos I am going to work with and the Poppyfinch 6x6 papers.
 
Now at first glance, these papers don't match at all.  Agh, but have you looked through the entire stack of amazing papers yet?  :)  There are some that work perfectly in this line!  Here is what I chose:
 
There are four papers in this line that work perfectly with these photos.  The above photo is a bit light but once I share the entire layout in the next few days, you will see it all come together.  I hope!  LOL!

After choosing the four papers I will work with, I then start laying out a design.  Here is what I came up with so far:
 
Now the strip across the page are scraps of paper from the card I did earlier this week.  You can see it in this post here.  And actually the card pictures are the true colors of the papers.  My Ott lite in my scrap room does not work well for taking photos!  Anyway, back to the strips of paper--I am famous for saving and using scraps for everything. Now these papers are only 6x6 but my layout is 9x9, and the papers are hanging over the edge.  Yes, it is not one strip of paper. It is actually two pieces that I pieced together underneath my photo. No one will ever know!  Well, except all of you now. LOL! Here is what it looks like underneath my photo:
 
The pattern does not even match up but when you only see the left and right hand side of the paper coming out from underneath the photo, it looks like it matches perfectly.  So, there's my secret. :)

Now, your task for today is to pick your pictures and pick your papers.  Start laying out your page and picking embellishments. I will tell you that I am working with plain chipboard. Next time, I will show you how I cover the chipboard and use a portion of stamps to create a fun look.  So, if you want to find some plain chipboard for your layout too, then you will be able to play along with my next tutorial.

So, have fun picking papers and pictures!  See you again tomorrow!

Don't Forget the Contest! And a Card to Share!

Happy Monday everyone!  Well, first, I wanted to say how excited I am to see the entries coming in for the Memory Box Contest.  If you haven't sent yours in yet, no worries.  You have until March 28th to get your entries in!  And remember, you have 4 different contests that you can participate in!  If you have missed the details, check my post here.  I can't wait to see the rest of your creations roll in this week!

I also wanted to share a card I created this weekend.  I used the Memory Box Poppyfinch papers.  These colors are so beautiful!  Then I used the Memory Box Butterfly Collage {E1060} stamp. I LOVE this stamp. I have used it three times this week in several different ways already.  I will share some of those later.  Anyway, after using my Derwent Watercolor Pencils on the butterfly, the cards was super quick to make.  I decided not to use a sentiment so that this card could be used for any occasion.

 
 
Papers:  Strathmore 140lb. watercolor paper, Memory Box Co. Poppyfinch
Derwent Watercolor Pencils:  30, 31, 34
Stamps:  Memory Box Co. Butterfly Collage E1060
Stamp Ink:  VersaFine onxy black
Embellishments:  May Arts ribbon, Dew Drops silver

Well, I hope you enjoyed my creation today, and remember to get those entries in!  Good luck everyone!

{Altered Items} Start Saving Up!

Okay, I was going to try and share something creative with you today but I am not feeling well so I didn't get to finish.  Instead, I thought I would share some things that you should start saving up.  Yes, now you need to have another box or room for storage.  LOL!

I have a long list of things I think we can alter over the weeks and month to come.  I thought I would go ahead and share a list of supplies that you might want to have on hand so that you will be able to create right away once I post something.  Now, I can't say WHEN exactly we will get to use each of these items but if you want to start looking around and saving up, you certainly could.

In the picture below, I have:
**acrylic frames
**a wooden box
**small legal pads cut in half (Office Depot can cut them for you)
**badge holders
**Memory charms
**Starbucks cup sleeves
**Mod Podge
 
And some other things not in the picture that I have stored away that we will use too are:
**Altoid tins
**Large clothes pin (wooden)
**Jumbo deck of cards
**Small spiral notebook
**2x2 and 4x4 tiles
**Glass jars like those sold by Starbucks
**Clipboard
**Photo cube

Most of these items you can find from the $0-$4 range.  Not bad, huh?  And I will share specifics on where to find these items as I share each tutorial.

So, these are just some ideas.  I will be mixing in altered art with scrapbook pages, cards, tags, etc., here on this blog so be ready to have some fun!  And of course, you will want to have tons of Memory Box goodies on hand--papers, stamps, trimmings, and Soiree cards.  Be sure to check here for your local Memory Box retailer.

Well, have a joyous Friday, and I will see you again soon!  Thanks for stopping by!

A Card using Our Contest Sketch!

Happy Wednesday everyone!  On Monday I shared how I love birds.  Well, I thought I would create this simple card using our sketch for the contest along with a bird!  If you missed the sketch or the contest details, see my post here.

For my card, I cut the Sweetbay papers so that it would look like the bird is sitting on the branch.  I then stamped my bird with Brilliance Coffee Bean ink and embossed it with Ranger clear embossing powder.  (Click on the images to see a larger version.)  I love using the beautiful designs on the Memory Box papers to create a "scene" as I did here with the bird and branches.  Look at your Memory Box papers and see what scenes you can come up with!
   
 
Supply List:
Papers:  Memory Box Robin's Egg notecard 22037, Memory Box Sweetbay
Stamp Ink:  Brilliance coffee bean, Ranger clear embossing powder
Stamps:  Memory Box Swirl Bird C1047, Memory Box Just a Note B1053
Embellishments:  Dew Drops clear, misc. ribbon

I hope you are having fun creating something for our contest!  I can't wait to see everyones work!  Have a joyous day, and thanks for stopping by!

It's a Huge Memory Box Contest!

I love birds—wild birds, pet birds, you name it!  Well, how would you like it if one of those wonderful birds flew down a nice $100 Memory Box Buck for you to use on a one-time purchase of Memory Box products?

Well, it can be yours to win by entering my contest!  To be eligible to win, you need to create a card, layout, tag, or altered piece using this sketch:
 
Your entry must also use Memory Box papers or a Memory Box stamp.

You may submit your entry one of three ways:
**Upload your entry to any online gallery.  Post the link to your entry here in this comment section by 11:59 p.m. CST on March 28, 2009.

**E-mail it to [email protected] by the same date and time listed above with "Create x3 Contest" listed as your subject.

**Snail mail it to:  Memory Box Co., 10232 63rd Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98178.  It must contain "Create x3 Contest" on the envelope and card.  Your entry must be postmarked by March 28th.

A winner will be selected on April 6, 2009.  The winner will receive a $100 Memory Box Buck for a one-time purchase of Memory Box products through your favorite Memory Box retailer!  If you don't have a local retailer, you can try one of these online retailers:

Ellen Hutson
Impress
Stampin Treasures

Now be sure to visit each Memory Box designers blog.  Jean, Laura, Cate, and I all have contests running and another opportunity for you to win!  You can find all of our blog links here or in the sidebar.

Also, if you haven't signed up for the Memory box mailing list, you will want to make sure you do that too.  As a member of the mailing list, you will get advanced news of stamp and paper releases and contests!  To sign up, visit this link here.

Okay, I think that's about it!  So, get creating, and have fun!  Post here if you have questions, and I will respond via the comment section. :)  Have a great and creative Monday!

RAK Winners!

Yes, I said winners with an 's'.  :)  Dave and I were so blown away by your comments that I decided to giveaway one more goodie.  Thank you so very much for your kind words, your excitement, your ideas, everything!  I loved reading through each and every comment.  Yes, all 81 of them! :)  Anyway, because there was so much excitement, I am also giving away the "Just a Note" stamp (B1053).  The first winner drawn receives the paper pack, and the second winner receives the stamp!

Winner #1
 

Winner #2

So, let's find out who our winners are. Random.org picked the following numbers this morning:

Here are your random numbers:
45
29
Timestamp: 2009-03-16 12:24:47 UTC

Those numbers belong to:
#45 {Nancy winner of the paper pack} Congrats!!! I checked out some of the Memory Box products and I really like their patterned paper. It will be fun to see what your create with them. I like to make gifts, organizational items and altered projects of all kinds so please amaze me with your ideas.  Posted by Nancy 03/13/2009 at 01:15 PM

#29 {DJ winner of the stamp} Congratulations, well deserved.  I love mini books and anything altered item, I'm always looking for some different to alter.  Posted by DJ 03/13/2009 at 08:39 AM

Congrats to both of you!  Please e-mail your address to me so that I can get your goodies off to you!

And one IMPORTANT NOTE:  I goofed in the subscription box I had on my new blog here.  I added a Feedblitz subscription form this morning. If you subscribed over the last few days, please re-subscribe via the new Feedblitz form.  Please accept my sincere apologies.  I am trying to learn Typepad so please bare with me!  :)

Thank you all for joining in on my new blog!  I hope you continue to drop by, and be sure to look for a second post from me today!  There is going to be something BIG going on at Memory Box!  :)