Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Pink Flamigo in a Swimsuit?

Hello Crafters!  Christine here again.
Never in a million years would I have imagined that I would work with a Pink Flamingo in a swimsuit but it did happen.  Not only is the Flamingo wearing a swimsuit, he also has on sunglasses and is riding a surfboard!
My craft style tends to lean more toward the vintage, floral, distressed look.  For my final Guest Designer Blog post for Quick Quotes this month, I decided to step outside my comfort zone and do something completely different.  I went to a local Thrift Store and looked for something "unusual" to inspire me and found this little treasure.
 
I have to admit, it didn't immediately inspire me but thought it was so bizarre that if nothing else, it would make a great gag gift for our annual Christmas gift exchange and I would only be out $2.  I was a bit embarrassed by the piece and I actually hid it under other items in my cart.

So what did I finally come up with?  A little summer mini album featuring the Quick Quotes Be Bold paper line.  It's going to be the perfect Hostess Gift when I go to stay with friends at their ocean front beach home over the 4th of July.
 
It's a petite 4" x 6" album so I was able to utilize almost all of the papers in the Be Bold 6 x 6 paper pad.

For the cover, I trimmed out a phrase from one of the cut outs pages, layered it contrasting papers and then used pop dots to give it some dimension.  I fussy cut out the wave/swirl shapes from another of the papers and then added Stickles to give the cover some sparkle.  A metal dragonfly added a touch of whimsy.

For the interior pages, I used more of the cut out phrases and journaling cards from the 6 x 6 pad as well as some of the Be Bold die cut stickers.




I added several photo mats so there will be plenty of room to add pictures.  I also inked the edges of all the papers with a variety of the Powder Puff Chalking Inks.

 
The book was bound using a Zutter Bind-it-All and a variety of coordinating ribbons were tied to the wire binding coil.
 
 
 
Right about now I'm sure you're beginning to wonder what did the Pink Flamingo have to do with any of this design?
 
  Wonder no more as you gaze upon my finished project!
 
 
The surfing Flamingo became the perfect stand to hold my mini album!  It should make a great conversation piece and the couple who I am gifting the piece to have a sense of humor that will truly appreciate it's quirkiness.
 
It has been a pleasure this past month to be able to share some of my creations with you and again I would like to that Quick Quotes for asking me to be a Guest Designer for the Month of June.
 .
~Christine
 
Supplies Used:
Other Supplies:
  • Stickles - Ranger
  • Bling - Want 2 Scrap, Jolee's
  • Zutter Bind-it-All
  • Ribbon - American Crafts
  • Dragonfly - Teresa Collins
  • Flamingo Stand - Thrift Store
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Thursday, June 20, 2013

June Guest Designer

Christine here again.  I was so excited to show the birdhouse project on my first Guest Designer Post that I forgot to introduce myself!  My name is Christine Slak and I've been a lifelong crafter.  I've dabbled in a little bit of everything in the craft world but paper crafting and quilting are my two favorites.

I live in Muskego, Wisconsin with my husband of almost 14 years, Robert, and a handful of fur and feathered kids.  We also have a second home in Northern Wisconsin where we hope to retire to in the next several years.  I love to teach and I'm currently and instructor at The Scrapbook Store and Stamp This, Scrap That.  My favorite thing to do is upcycle thrift store items and you'll frequently find pieces of vintage jewelry and watch parts on my creations.

Fours years ago I was involved in a motorcycle accident that left me unable to walk for almost 3 years.  Scrapbooking is what got me through that life challenge since it was one of the things I was still able to do.  I've now been able to retire and I can craft almost full-time.

Today's post is a bit of a bonus.  I will be showing 2 projects I was able to make from one 6 x 6 pad of the Stowaway Paper Line.


Every year I am challenged in the months of May and June.  Mother's Day and my father's birthday happen in May and then Father's Day and my mother's birthday fall in June.  My folks are now in their 80's and have everything they need so I am always searching for new and different gift ideas that would be meaningful for them.  This year will be the 54th and last summer they will be able to spend camping.  I've put together a Memory Box and Mini Album where they and friends can record special moments from the last 50+ years.
For my Dad, I covered a Cigar Box with the Quick Quotes Stowaway papers from the 6 x 6 pad and embellished it with metal corners, ribbon flowers and Want 2 Scrap rhinestones.  All papers were inked with Mocha Mama Chalking Ink before being attached.
The inside of the box is also covered with the Stowaway papers and the coordinating Chipboard Die Cuts.
I filled the box with Manila tags where notes, stories and photos can be added.


 
Each of the 12 tags was decorated using ribbon, the Chipboard Die Cuts and/or cut outs from the 6 x 6 pad.  I was amazed how much product I still had left when I finished the box that I decided to make a coordinating mini album to give to my Mom.

I pulled out a 4 x 4 chipboard album from my stash and went to work decorating the little book.  I used a lot of the same type elements that I used on the Memory Box, ribbon flowers, metal embellishments and Want 2 Scrap rhinestones.  On both items, I used Glossy Accents to give the titles an epoxy like finish.

To keep the chunky album closed, I tied some sueded trim through a key embellishment, attached the knotted loop to the back of the album with a staple and added a set of Velcro dots to the cover and back of key for easy opening.



This album had a lot of pages, 16 to be exact, so I had to do some calculated cutting to make sure I had enough paper to finish the project.  Each 4 x 4 pages has a piece of 3 x 4 main paper then a 1 x 4 strip added to the binding edge of the page.  This allowed me to cover multiple pages with one 6 x 6 piece of paper.  There were also so many cut outs and die cuts left that I was able to add phrases to every set of pages.

Amazingly, after completing both projects, I still had paper left!  So glad that the Quick Quotes 6 x 6 paper pads come with 36 sheets!

Until next week,

~Christine

Supplies Used:
Other Supplies Used:
  • Plain Jane Cigar Box - Cosmo Cricket
  • Metal Box Corners - Momenta
  • Ribbon Floral Trim - Mon Ami Gabby
  • Rhinestones - Want 2 Scrap
  • Ribbon - American Crafts
  • Manila Tags, Glossy Accents - Ranger
  • 4 x 4 Chipboard Album - Maya Road
  • Metal Frame - Teresa Collins Blinagee
  • Key - Tim Holtz Idea-ology
  • Velcro Dots.


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Sunday, June 9, 2013

Quick Quotes Guest Designer


Christine here and what an exciting day it is for me!  I can't describe how thrilled I was to be asked to be a Guest Designer on the Quick Quotes Blog for the month of June.

I've been a huge fan of of all the Quick Quotes products since I was first introduced to them when taking a Workshop taught by Patsy at a Scrapbook Expo.  Last year I also had the opportunity to attend a Quick Quotes Private Reserve in Palm Springs, CA.  If you ever have the chance to attend one of the events, I highly recommend it.  I had to ship my clothes home from the event because I had so many projects and giveaway products the filled the 2 suitcases I brought with me!

When I received my box of Guest Designer goodies, I spread them all out on the table and looked for inspiration for where to start.  I stared out the window watching all the visitors to our bird feeder with the lilacs blooming in the background and instantly the idea was there.  The Dusty Road Paper Collection was a reflection of all the colors I was seeing outside my window!

 
I started with an unfinished bird house from a local craft store and painted the entire thing with black acrylic paint.  To give the piece some added height, I glued and old candle holder to the bottom of the bird house.  The Dusty Road 6 x 6 Paper Pad had the perfect small-scale and variety of prints I needed to cover the piece.

 
The bonus with Quick Quotes paper pads is that not only do you get a great variety of prints and matching solid papers, you also get coordinating quotes and journaling cut outs.  The want 2 scrap - Say it with Pearls were just the right touch to add to the ends of the perches and floral centers.



 
I shingled the lower roof with 1" punched circles that were cut in half.  The upper roof was done using strips of paper with randomly cut strips.  The dimension and shape of the shingles really came to life when they were inked with Java Powder Puff Chalking Ink.
 

 
I love to make paper flowers and almost went overboard since the papers were so easy to work with.  All of the flowers and leaves, except for the plaid daisy, were made using dies.  The daisy shape was a punch.  Everyone of the flowers was inked using a variety of my favorite Quick Quotes product, the Powder Puff Chalking Inks.  A small touch of Stickles was added to some of the flowers for a bit of sparkle.
 
I can't wait to get back into my craft room and start my next project!  See you again later this month and keep on crafting!!
 
~Christine
 
Products Used:
Other Items:
  • Wood Bird House - Michaels
  • Black Acrylic Paint - Craft Smart
  • Pearls - Want 2 Scrap
  • Bitty Blossoms Die, Carnation Creations Die, Rose Creations Die - Spellbinders
  • Circle and Daisy Punches - Fiskars
  • Brads - Oriental Trading Company
  • Stickles - Ranger
  • Adhesive - Beacon's 3 in 1
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