Monday, April 30, 2012

Scraps Of Elegance Reveals The May Kit-Swan Song

Do you love all things soft, dreamy and just plain gorgeous? Well, if you do, then you are going to fall in love with the Scraps Of Elegance May Kit-Swan Song. I know I did!! From the elegant papers to the the exquisite embellishments this kit is just Shabby Chic heaven!


Along with all the kit goodness, you also get a beautiful sketch, created just for the kit by Charlotte (aka Suepup). Here is my take on the sketch, titled "Dreams Are Our Wings" that shows the sweet, soft side of the kit:

 I started by fussy cutting out the pattern in the top layer and then layering a second piece of paper underneath attaching the top piece with foam tape for dimension, and then layering in a lace Doilie for softness and texture.


 The photo is an image from Google Images that I texturized and re-colored in Photoshop and then added some Stickles to the Melissa Francis Resin Wings from the kit and attached them to the photo.



 Here you can see where I created a tear, set some eyelets and then laced it up with some of the yummy blue ribbon from the kit. I then popped on a Shabby Textured White Rose from my Etsy Shop , and then tucked in one of the soft, white feathers from the kit.


 I did some pearl work on the paper pattern from my stash, and then added some of the string pearls in the kit to the tassel design and then added the sweet ballet slipper charm from this month's add on to dangle from the end, with one of the chandelier crystals underneath for some extra blingage.

 I created a soft flower layer using a Prima flower from the Add On along with some more of those Shabby White Texture Roses from my Etsy, a Prima Chipboard and some feathers from the kit. I pleated some more of that blue ribbon and then layered it under the photo and sprinkled it with glitter glass, along with the blue rose.
I Stickled up my Fairy Princes, and then popped on a set of my Tiny Dancer Butterflies from my Etsy for lots of dimension.

I just love how soft and sweet this layout turned out!

This next layout is titled "Shine", and shows the Vintage side of the kit.

 The base layers are made up of a distressed layer of the kit paper, then I punched another piece into a circle, then punched a piece of white card stock and layered that in. Next, I took this gorgeous piece of fabric that Lisa N. (aka Raining) had sent me, cut it into a circle, adhered it with spray adhesive, then went around the fabric with the string pearls from the kit.
The Prima Chandelier was from this month's add on. Is it not just beautiful? And the chipboard title is from the kit. Melinda, gives me the honor and the privilege of  creating the butterflies that go in the Scraps Of Elegance Kits, and this month I created these Paper Wishes butterflies that you can get with the kit or in my Etsy Shop.

 The image is from Google Images and I used a technique that I had seen in the Stamper's Sampler Magazine, done by Jennifer Roach, that creates a cracked glass look. I just loved the way it looked, and had to try it. Boy, was I glad I did, it just adds an old, Vintage, textured look that I love. If you would like to try this technique, I have created a tutorial for Scraps Of Elegance, and you can find it on the Scraps of Elegance Website or you can visit the Cracked Glass Tutorial Page on this blog.

 For the flower layer, I took a piece of the chipboard from the kit and popped a stash Prima piece onto it. I then took an Alyssa Vine from the Scraps Of Elegance Store, and layered in one of the Prima flowers from this month's add on, and some stash Prima flowers.
The bottom layer is some stash crochet lace, topped with the hand dyed seam binding from the Vintage Finds Add On, some stash pearl pieces and those beautiful chandelier crystals from this month's embellishment add on with little string bows and pearls.

I just love Vintage, and the kit helped me to capture it perfectly here!

This next layout is titled "Go With All Your Heart", and shows that these kits are not just for feminine layouts, but for those masculine layouts as well!

 I started with 2 layers of the kit paper, distressing and tearing the top layer to reveal the bottom layer and the Dusty Attic Chains that I embossed with some metal embossing powder.  I then layered on a piece of white burlap, pulling some of the threads to fringe the ends. I then took another piece of kit paper and distressed and inked the edges, did some masking with modeling paste and glam to get a dimensional brick wall, and then distressed and inked another layer as a mat for my photo, that features a photo that I took of my son, Draven, and my God Daughter's son, Mason.

 Here you can see the dimension of the brick and how I created "brick" journaling.

 The medallion on the side of the photo, was created using a Spellbinder's Iron Motiff Die and then I put a metal clock face on it to add visual interest.
 Those sweet buttons, are from the kit and I tied pieces of the burlap that I pulled to get the fringe effect through the holes for texture.


I created the large gears using a Donna Sallazar, Spellbinder Die, and stamping, and then added on a large Tim Holtz clock face, and a smaller metal one. I put some little screw brads through the holes in the gears that I had left over from a past project. The large chain is a Dusty Attic piece that I embossed with some metal look embossing powder.

I love scrapping my son, and this paper was just perfect for that photo that I snapped of him. Who says masculine layouts can't be elegant?

This last layout is titled "Dream, Believe, Love" and shows the girly-girl Shabby Chic side of this amazing kit. I am about to turn 45 this month, and so I decided to let my son do a photo shoot of me. He actually took this shot in black and white, and the 2nd shot is a separate shot that he did in color. I loved the way he captured me here and wanted to use both versions.


 I started with a piece of the kit paper, punched around a second piece and layered it in. I then added another strip layer  that I punched the edges on and then tucked crochet lace under.


 The flowers at the top are Victorian Velvet Glitter Glass Roses from my Etsy Shop, with layers of leaves and swirls, created using a Heartfelt Creations Stamp, and matching Spellbinder's Die Cut.  I then took some of the string pearls from the kit and threaded them through the flowers and foliage.

 I then layered two of the Prima Wooden Ticket pieces from this month's embellishment add on  together and attached a pearl to the hole.



The title is a piece of the Prima Chipboard from the kit layered onto a stash Tim Holtz Ornate plate with little pearls placed over the holes. I then strung some more of the kit pearls along the bottom and added 2 of my Baby Renea Pale Pink Glitter Glass Butterflies from my Etsy Shop to complete the look.

I love the soft, shabby chic look of this layout. It captures my Romantic side and the title is a reminder to myself to take the time to Dream, Believe, and Love.

Thanks for stopping by for reveal day! I really appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule to visit! ~Renea

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Once Upon A Time

Happy Wednesday everybody! Today, I am sharing a layout that I did using some of the wonderful Rubber Cafe stamps and products, as well as my Scraps Of Elegance April Kit-Awakening. I created this layout to show that  stamps can be used for so much more than just an image, it can add warmth, depth and detail to your project, just by changing the way you use it.

 I started with 2 layers of Glitz Pretty In Pink papers from the Scraps Of Elegance Kit. Deeply distressing and staining the edges of the 2nd layer and staining them with Tim Holtz Victorian Velvet Stain.
 Here I layered in some white crochet lace, then I took some cream card stock and stamped it with the Postcard Stamp from The Rubber Cafe Vintage Treasures Stamp Set with some Tim Holtz Vintage Photo Distress Ink, and then stamped over that randomly with the Clock Stamp from The Rubber Cafe Vintage Treasures Stamp Set, using Mixed Media Leather Ink, cut the paper into a strip and then distressed and stained the edges with Tim Holtz Victorian Velvet Stain, creating a decorative strip. I then cut some Glitz paper and card stock (from this month's SOE add on) with a Spellbinder's Fleur De Lis Squares Die Set stacked them using some One and Only Tape that I turned into foam strips and are so perfect for creating dimension. I then popped on a sweet Prima Tile from the SOE kit to finish it off.

 In the top right hand corner I used The Rubber Cafe Blossom Branch Stamp colored the stamp with multiple colors of Tim Holtz Distress Markers and stamped the image twice at different angles to create the image you see, then added some Rubber Cafe Cotton Candy Jellie Dots for accents.



 I used Dollie Layers that I stained with  Tim Holtz Victorian Velvet Stain, cut a circle out of a piece of Moxie Cottontail paper from the kit, and then punched around it and then stamped it with the Postcard Stamp from The Rubber Cafe Vintage Treasures Stamp Set,  using the stamp to create a nice dimensional printed piece to layer with. I layered the photo in and then topped it with a Glitz Peek A Boo from this month's kit.

 I cut some banners out of a piece of the kit Glitz paper cutting a second layer, then I stamped the pieces with The Rubber Cafe Heart Strings Stamp,  layering the pieces on top of one another using some One and Only Tape that I turned into foam strips, attached some Rubber Cafe Crystal Clear Jellie Dots and attached some trim to create the look of a banner.


 I added in a second, plain banner. Created some rolled flowers using The Rubber Cafe White Puffies to add texture and dimension. I colored the FabScraps Title from the SOE kit with layers of Tattered Angels Mists, then added on some Rubber Cafe Crystal Clear Jellie Dots for accent and bling.

 For the finishing touch, I used The Rubber Cafe Flat Wing Butterfly Stamp stamped the image onto white card stock, then glittered the image using Your So Fine Princess Pink Glitter and then blinged it up using some Rubber Cafe Crystal Clear Jellie Dots and Rubber Cafe Cotton Candy Jellie Dots, and added a silver wire antenna.

See how much warmth, depth and detail you can add with stamps! I love them!! They are little images, that you can use over and over in so many different ways to get as many different looks as your imagination can create. They are definitely money well spent, because they can be used endlessly! Thanks for the visit! ~Renea

The Rubber Cafe Products Used:

Postcard Stamp from The Rubber Cafe Vintage Treasures Stamp Set
Clock Stamp from The Rubber Cafe Vintage Treasures Stamp Set
The Rubber Cafe Blossom Branch Stamp
The Rubber Cafe Heart Strings Stamp
The Rubber Cafe Flat Wing Butterfly Stamp
Rubber Cafe Cotton Candy Jellie Dots
Rubber Cafe Crystal Clear Jellie Dots
Your So Fine Princess Pink Glitter
Spellbinder's Fleur De Lis Squares Die Set
One and Only Tape
Tim Holtz Victorian Velvet Stain

Other Products Used:

Glitz Pretty In Pink Papers
Moxxie Cottontail Paper
Prima Art Tiles
Glitz Peek A Boos
FabScraps Chipboard
Card Stock
Tim Holtz Distress Inks, Stains and Markers
Gesso
Tattered Angels Mists
Zutter
MS Punch



Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Vintage Post Card **The Rubber Cafe** And BLOG WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

Good morning everybody! I love all things Vintage, and for today, I created a Vintage look card using some of the wonderful stamps and products from The Rubber Cafe, and some past kit  Scraps of Elegance  pieces.

 First of all I created a template digitally, in the shape that I wanted, and then cut some plain, cream card stock to the template. I then cut out the top layer of the card from some Bo Bunny Country Garden paper from the SOE kit. The paper lace was punched from some more Bo Bunny paper from the kit, pleated and glued to the under side of the top layer, and then I glued the whole piece to the card stock layer.


 To create a background that looked like a Vintage Postcard, I took The Rubber Cafe, Postcard stamp from the Vintage Treasures Stamp Set  and stamped the whole surface of the card face. I then stained around the edges with Tim Holtz Victorian Velvet Stain.


I then layered on some Vintage look crochet lace, adhering it with Scrap Happy Glue, used a Spellbinders Ironworks Motif die and cut out one of the circular shapes into cream card stock. Next, I took The Rubber Cafe  Vaticane Post Stamp  and stamped the image into the middle of the die shape. To add dimension and texture, I took a plain white Dollie, cut off the edging and pleated it around the die shape, I then added a felt Prima bow from their Marcelle Orchestra Flowers Set  that was in the SOE kit, and then popped on some Pearl Jellie Dots and Cotton Candy Jellie Dots to add a little bling to the design.


I then added some Prima Shabby Treasures Resin pieces from the Scraps of Elegance store to the top corners of the card, rolled 2 plain white flowers and accented them with The Rubber Cafe white Puffies, and attached one to each side then added in some mini white roses. For the finishing touch I added some more Pearl Jellie Dots and Cotton Candy Jellie Dots for accents.

I love the way this card turned out with the help of all those wonder Rubber Cafe products, and my gorgeous Scraps Of Elegance Kit. So soft, feminine, and Vintage. Thank you for letting me share it with you. ~Renea


The Rubber Cafe Products Used:


Other Product Used:
Plain Cream Card Stock
Bo Bunny Country Garden Papers
Bow from Prima: Marcelle Orchestra Flowers
Prima Shabby Chic Treasures Resin Pieces
Cream Crochet Lace
Martha Stewart Vintage Lace Punch
Tim Holtz Mustard Seed Marker

And now for the WINNER of The Rubber Cafe and Really Reasonable Blog Hop Giveaway........

Scrappyrat!!!! 

Congrats Scrappyrat!! Please e-mail me (you can find this on my profile)  your shipping address so that I can get your prize pack from My Etsy Shop to you! Thanks for playing along!!


 





Sunday, April 15, 2012

The Rubber Cafe and Really Reasonble Blog Hop Kicks Off!!

Hi Everybody and welcome to my blog!! If you have been playing along with the The Rubber Cafe and Really Reasonable Ribbon blog hop you have found me by way of  Misty's Blog .  If not you are welcome to jump in and start at the beginning by going to the The Rubber Cafe's Blog!!


How to play:

Our Rubber Cafe Design Team will be revealing their projects that they created using some of the fabulous stamps and products from  The Rubber Cafe, and some of the beautiful trims and ribbons from Really Reasonble Ribbon. You will need to visit each blog and leave a comment that you have been there. Your last stop will be the Really Reasonable Ribbon Blog.

Prizes!!! 

For those who have left a comment on each blog, as well as on The Rubber Cafe and Really Reasonable Ribbon blog posts, they will be eligable for prizes!!! There will be two prizes given away for the hop. One from Really Reasonable Ribbon, and the other one from The Rubber Cafe !! Some of the designers will be offering up prizes as well, so keep those eyes open, and be sure to read their posts thoroughly!!

RRR/The Rubber Cafe Blog Hop Order
The Rubber Cafe Blog - http://blog.therubbercafe.com/

 The following is my project that I created using lots of  Rubber Cafe products and some of those wonderful Really Reasonable Ribbon Trims:


When I caught these sweet, little Apothecary Jars on sale at my local scrapbook store, I thought they  would make a beautiful way to display glitters, beads, and small embellishments for any girls scrappy room!! They would also make a beautiful home decor display for any type of small momentos or keepsakes, or just stand alone all by themselves.

 For this jar I took the clock face stamp from The Rubber Cafe Vintage Treasures Stamps and stamped it onto white card stock, I then painted in the clock hands, and popped on a Rubber Cafe Crystal Clear Jellie Dot in the center of the hands. I then took some Rubber Cafe True Pink Puffies, outlined the clock face and heated it up with my glue gun to get that nice, puffed texture. I cut out a square of Prima paper, distressed it and then stained the edges with some Tim Holtz Tattered Rose Stain. I attached the paper and then attached the clock face on top. I then took some Really Reasonable Ribbon Estelle Crochet Lace tied it around the neck of the bottle and then tucked in some Vintage look beads and pins.



 To create the Diva Daisy Jar, I took  The Rubber Cafe Large Daisy Stamp and stamped it onto white card stock three times, and then fussy cut the images out and layered them together using Scrap Happy Glue. I then took some Rubber Cafe True Pink Puffies, outlined the edges of the daisies and heated them up with my glue gun to get that nice, puffed texture. Next I popped on lots of  Rubber Cafe Crystal Clear Jellie Dots in the center of the daisy. I took some Really Reasonable Ribbon Sheer Zebra Print Ribbon tied it around the neck of the bottle and popped on three more of those Rubber Cafe Crystal Clear Jellie Dots.


 For the Butterfly Jar,  I cut out a square of that same Prima paper, distressed it and then stained the edges with some Tim Holtz Tattered Rose Stain.  I then took The Rubber Cafe Flat Wing Butterfly Stamp  and stamped it onto white card stock , and then fussy cut the image out. Next,  I took some Rubber Cafe True Pink Puffies, outlined the edges of the butterfly's wings and heated them up with my glue gun to get that nice, puffed texture. Next I popped on three of  The Rubber Cafe Crystal Clear Jellie Dots  to create the body of the butterfly, and bent some silver wire to create antenna. 


 I love dimension!! So I created a way to get that by taking a foam sheet that you can purchase from any craft store (very inexpensively), and some of  the One And Only Tape then layered the tape in rows on both sides of the foam.

 I cut the foam and tape into strips to create my own "foam tape" at just a fraction of the price that it costs to purchase the premade tape. I then attached the butterfly to the paper on the jar.

For the finishing touch I took a piece of Really Reasonable Ribbon Light Pink Gingham Ribbon , and tied it around the neck of the bottle into a bow.

I hope you enjoyed my beautiful and functional project showcasing some of the fabulous stamps and products from  The Rubber Cafe, and some of the beautiful trims and ribbons from Really Reasonble Ribbon and that you get inspired by mine and some of the other designer's projects to create something beautiful of your own!! 

Prize!!!

Yes, I have a giveaway for you!! All you have to do is participate in the complete blog hop, leaving comments for all the posts, including mine, and become a follower of my blog! I will be taking the names from the comments on this post, checking to see if you are a follower, and then all the names will be put into a hat and a winner will be drawn randomly to receive the following prize pack from my Etsy Shop! The drawing will be held April 18th, so don't forget to check back to see if you have won!


The winner will receive a set of Vintage Dream Tags, a set of  Pink Lemonade Crush Glitter Glass Butterflies, a set of Seaside Blue Glitter Glass Flowers, and a set of  Sweetest Of Days Glitter Glass Butterflies. Good Luck!! 

Now head on over to Dawn's Blog and tell her I said hi!! Thanks for hopping over to my blog!! ~Renea


SCRAPS OF DARKNESS REVEALS IT'S APRIL KIT-SAKURABANA!!

 It is April 15th and time for another Scraps Of Darkness Reveal, and do we have a treat in store for you! April's Kit-Sakurabana, is loaded with Bo Bunny, Glitz and FabScraps deliciousness!!  The main includes:
Pattern Paper-
Glitz- Happy Travels- Bicycle, Stripe, Floral
Fabscraps-Classic flower, Red Stripe, Classic Black Lace
Bo Bunny- Serenity- Damask, Tomoko, Stripe, Serenity

Along with the following:
 Prima- Clear Stamps, Flowers- Hermosa Carmine, Zva Flourish, Glitz Happy Travels, Rhinestones, Yellow Ribbon, Melissa Frances Frame, Bo Bunny Noteworthy Die Cut Journal Pages, Kaisercraft Cherry Red Alpha Stickers, Bloack Feathers

Plus the beautiful sketch created by SuePup just for the kit every month.

This month's sketch:


 And this is my take on the sketch:

 This kit inspired me to create some layouts that tell you things about me. This one features a photo of me that my son, Draven took last fall.  I loved the journaling that was in the rub ons that were in the Romance Add On. It reads " I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I've ended up where I  intended to be." That saying is so true for me, I think we all had plans of where we would be when we grew up, but somehow life carries out it's own plans-lol! But, despite of it all I believe I am were I am supposed to be.  I layered, punched, and distressed 4 different pieces of the paper then attached my photo.


 I loved the bicycle on the paper, because I love to bike. Of course my bike is very practical not all gussied up with the basket and beautiful flowers from the Flora & Fauna add on.


 Here is the close up of the basket full of flowers. I did add in some stash daisies and leaves.


 I used some crochet lace from a past kit, stamped a little bird with the Prima stamps from the kit, and tucked him into some of the flowers from the Flora and Fauna Add On at the photo corner and popped in one of the Glitz Rhinestones from the main kit.


 I did lots of stamping and then painted a crackle finish over the top and did some inking, then colored up some Dusty Attic Bricks from the SOD store and randomly arranged them onto my layout. The little bird was from the Flora & Fauna add on and I stained and embossed him with some of the Lindy's embossing power from the Color Add On. I then stamped some flowers from the Prima stamp that was included in the kit, fussy cut them out and then added little ZVA bling centers that were also in the kit.



 Here you can see the bottom flower layers. The Prima florish was from my stash, as well as the green flowers that I added color to by using the Lindy's Starburst from the color add on, so that they matched my layout colors. I can't live without the color add on each month. I love to color everything, including my hands and clothes-lol! Mel, puts so many amazing technique products into that add on each month, that I reach for time and time again, so it is a must have for me!

I love a good fairytale, and no I am not talking about the candy coated one's. I am talking about the Grimm's  versions. One of my fav new shows to watch is "Once Upon A Time", and I loved their version of the Little Red Riding Hood story. The following layout features a photo, I found on Google Images, and just loved. It combines Little Red Riding Hood with a bit of goth, and I just had to scrap it. The title is "Red Hot" and you can see for yourself why. Those Reds just pop!!

 I used lots of layers of those dramatic black lace, and red damask papers. All the layers set the stage for all the dramatic embellishments.

 I punched the edge of the top layer paper, and then tore into the corners. I then inked the edges and set some eyelets. I died some white sheer ribbon with the Lindy's Starburst from the color add on and laced up the corners and tied bows at the top. I then took some black lace from a previous kit, pleated it and tucked it in the corners and then popped in some of the black roses from the Flora & Fauna and some red roses from my stash.

 For the bottom flower layer. I took a stash piece of Dusty Attic and colored it with the Lindy's Starburst from the color add on, and then added some ZVA rhinestones from the kit.  I then added on one of the Prima poppies from the Flora & Fauna AO right in the center and added some Prima black flowers with sparkly centers also in the F & F add on, pleated some more of the lace adding it to the corners, then added 2 more stash roses and 2 little metal flowers from the Bo Bunny Trinkets included in the Romance add on.



 I went up both sides of the photo with ZVA florishes from last month's kit.


I took one of the Bo Bunny Noteworthy Die Cuts from the kit and layered it behind the photo, added a  metal Bo Bunny trinket that I colored the rhinestone on, then popped on one of the Glitz Rhinestones and finished off the header with some of the ZVA rhinestones from the kit. For the finishing touch I popped on a set of my Cherry Coke Glitter Glass Butterflies from my Etsy Shop.

I just love how dramatic this layout turned out!!

Over at Scrap Book News and Reviews they are having a call for layouts that are all about you. They want submissions for layouts about things you wear or use. I loved this call and created this layout to submit. It features, one of my favorite things to wear "Boots". The journaling reads " I just love a good pair of boots." I started wearing boots as a little girl and still feel so much more happy in them, than I ever will in a pair of high heels!


 I did lots of punching and distressing of all the Bo Bunny and FabScraps papers. The papers behind the photo I took of my boots are the Glitz Happy Travel Paper Layers from the Romance add on.


 The little bird is one of the Kaisercraft wood birds from the Flora & Fauna Add On that I embossed with Perfect Pearls and added a ZVA rhinestone from the kit to. I died some seam binding and put it in his beak and then attached one of the Prima Trinkets from the Romance Add On.

I let the seam binding drift down and around the sweet Melissa Francis Resin Frame from the kit that I blinged up with some of the ZVA rhinestones and another Prima Trinket. I used one of the Bo Bunny Noteworthy pieces to journal on and placed the frame over it.




The flower layer beside the photo is a Prima Alyssa Vine from the Scraps of Darkness store that I layered Prima flowers from the kit into. The Doilie piece is one I cut from some of the patterned paper with a Spellbinders die and then popped on one of the little Glitz Rhinestones

My boots never looked so good!

This last reveal layout showcases another love of mine, Opera. I love the Opera and the music that comes from so many of them. The Opera I chose to depict in this layout is Madama Butterfly (or Madame Butterfly as some call it). Madama Butterfly is a Tragedy, and therefore my title. So heart wrenching and beautiful, I just hope I have captured some of the essence of this masterpiece here in my layout.

 The photo is actually from the Opera poster and is compliments of Google Images. I love the moment the photo captured in the Opera. I used a piece of the Bo Bunny Paper for the background and the other layers are the Bo Bunny Noteworthy dies used for background layers.

 Here you can see all the dimension and texture I created on my letters using dark ink and then grunge embossing them with the Lindy's Embossing Powder from this month's color add on.


 I loved the Ostrich feathers included in the kit, added with one of the Prima Poppes, black rose,black Prima flower, and Mandy Harrell's gorgeous pin, it was instant drama.




 The black lace, black ZVA florish and Bo Bunny trinket were all included in the kit.

I stickled all the tree branches and flowers for extra glitz, then fussy cut some lanterns from the papers and foam taped them on for dimension. I added on a set of my Madama Butterflies from my Etsy Shop for lots more drama and dimension.

I just love the versatility of the Scraps of Darkness Kits, and I really enjoyed creating some layouts that tell a little bit of my story. I hope you have enjoyed this up close and personal look at me. I know I have enjoyed your visit!! Hugs, ~Renea