Saturday, May 30, 2015

A Masked OWH Sketch Card!

Hi, everyone! Last night, I challenged myself to try using Mask-erade Online Card Class techniques to create a card for OWH Sketch #255.

I thought this would be a good sketch to try out the layering and masking techniques since there were only three elements. Other than eliminating one or two background layers, I wanted to stay as close to the sketch as possible and make a flat card with lots of "layers" and interest.

Know what? And, I couldn't wait until Monday Musings to share the result with you! 


So, here are my steps, including supplies used.

Step 1: I traced out the position for the oval and my sentiment panel on Canson watercolor paper.

Step 2: I used sticky notes as a visual for the sentiment's position.

Steps 3 and 4: I heat embossed the sentiment (TPC Studio?) in Distress Ink walnut stain.
Then, I used sticky notes to frame the area I wanted to ink with DI vintage photo.

Step 5: I masked the sentiment panel and punched out a star with a Paper Studio punch.
Then, I used sticky notes and removable tape to position the negative on my card.
The star image was inked in DI chipped sapphire using a Ranger blending tool.

Step 6: I layered the negative created by cutting out an oval using the Creative Memories cutting system.
Sticky notes were used to mask the sentiment and star, as well as provide a visual of the oval's edges.
Then, a Unity Stamp (ragged ol' flag) image was stamped in DI fired brick and chipped sapphire.

Step 7: All inked areas were masked to ink the card's edges and the oval's perimeter.
DI vintage photo and a Ranger blending tool were used.

Step 8: A stash corner rounder was used to create two stencils.
I used the stencils to ink stars in either corner applying DI chipped sapphire with the blending tool. 

Step 9: When elements were unmasked, I decided to add a little chipped sapphire to the sentiment.
So, I used sticky notes to mask off the area a second time.
So, what do you think? Other than wishing I'd placed the star closer to the sentiment, I'm pretty happy with the results. 

Parting Thoughts

Think I'll link this up to the Day 2 class gallery and to the current Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes challenge.

After that, it's back to the day's planned activities... Well, maybe not the housecleaning.  :)

Have a great weekend! Thanks for stopping and happy scrappin'!

Friday, May 29, 2015

FNW8: My Mask-erade Homework!

Hi, everyone! Welcome to another edition of Friday Night Writes.

It has been so much fun taking the current Online Card Class! This class is presenting various masking strategies and techniques. The only drawback... not being able to spend the entire day masking away. I do, however, have a few cards to share.

But, before getting to my cards, I want to thank all those OWH bloghoppers who visited here last weekend. The hop was a great way to kick off OWH's Finish Strong campaign (#finishstrong). OWH has come to mean a great amount to many of us over the years, and it was wonderful to reconnect with all my OWH buddies. And, congratulations to Lisa for commenting and winning the Unity gift certificate!

Now to those Mask-erade cards. As you'll see, I'm taking advantage of making a few OWH cards while perfecting practicing these techniques.  :)

Day 1 Mask-erade Homework

On Day 1, our fabulous instructors shared basic masking information and showed some introductory paper masking techniques. For the card below, I used die cuts to mask the star and hand cut a mask for the rays streaming from the star.

Canson watercolor; Distress Ink core paper
Stampin' Up! stars framelits
SU be the star sentiment stamped in DI chipped sapphire
star and rays inking in DI chipped sapphire, salty ocean, fired brick, and barn door
Paper Smooches stitched die; stash sequins
 
This second photo shows a scene in which masking is used to place objects in front of or behind other objects. I can't tell you how long it took me to get this image. Got the technique, just can't stamp worth a darn. (Sounds like another type of class should be in my future.) So, I thought I'd share this image before I messed it up with a less-than-stellar coloring effort. LOL!
 
Lawn Fawn life is good on Canson watercolor paper in StazOn jet black

Day 2 Mask-erade Homework

Additional paper masking information was shared ton Day 2. The card below illustrates masking an area for a sentiment. If you're stamp-challenged like me, I'd recommend stamping the sentiment first, then masking off the area, as shown below. This isn't what Kristina showed in her video, but I'm no Kristina!

Canson watercolor paper; SU black core paper
Winnie & Walter sentiment (big, bold, you and big, bold, friends) in StazOn jet black
Simon Says Stamp garden trellis stencil
DI picked raspberry and peacock feathers, applied with Ranger blending tool

Lesson Learned: Stamp First, Mask Second

Day 3 Mask-erade Homework

We moved on to liquid masking yesterday. I have to admit, rubber cement just didn't work for me. (And, it looked so easy in the videos, didn't it?!) Luckily, I found some re-positional labels that worked like clockwork and used them to mask off the stamped star image before applying a water-based stenciling technique. Doing a big happy dance here!!!  :)

Canson watercolor paper; DI chipped sapphire core paper
Unity Stamp ragged 'ol flag image, stamped in DI fired brick and chipped sapphire
Memory Box stencil, inked with DI salty ocean and misted with Ranger mini mister
sentiment: Stamper's Best masked-off word in DI chipped sapphire
stash garage sale brads

Parting Thoughts

Looking forward to watching Day 4 class videos. Who knew homework could be so much fun?! And, I think I'll link up one of these cards to the current Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes challenge.

Also working on some card kits for an upcoming library art project for the summer reading program. More on that next month.  :)

A new OWH sketch will be up on the Stars & Stripes blog tomorrow. New Cards in Envy and Words 2 Scrap By challenges go live on Monday. Hope you will find a little time to check these three challenges. Rumor has it that a Simon Says Stamp gift certificate is up for grabs at W2SB.

Have a great weekend. Thanks for visiting and happy scrappin'!

Monday, May 25, 2015

MM7: Remembering Those Who Have Sacrificed

Hi, everyone! Hope it's been a nice weekend.


Rather than making a card to share today, I have spent time the last few days hopping along with fellow Operation Write Home card makers. Operation Write Home, a charity that has supported heroes with handmade cards since 2007, will be closing later this year. It is an organization that has become near and dear to my heart!

As many of your know, my father-in-law is a World War II veteran who flew bombing missions over Germany, and two of my uncles served during the Vietnam era. Operation Write Home has been a way for me to pay forward in honor of these special men in my life. On this Memorial Day Weekend, I offer my thanks and gratitude to all those who have served our country and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

I'm here to help get the word out that OWH is finishing strong and ALL cards need to be sent in by August 1st!
Please click here to return to the bloghop's home page.


Before closing its doors, OWH is hosting one final bloghop this weekend. If you have a little crafting time, you'll find lots of inspiration in the posted cards. Of course, the theme for this year's bloghop is to make cards featuring red, white, and blue.  :)
  • Please click here to learn more about OWH's Finish Strong campaign.
  • Please click here to read about OWH's card guidelines. Cards should be A2 size, deliverable via USPS, and glitter-free. In addition, cards should fit the following themes: miss you, thinking of you, love, thank you, and happy birthday.
Parting Thoughts

There are still a few more days to enter the Say Cheese Words 2 Scrap By challenge! We'd love to
 
have you play along.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend! Thanks for stopping and happy scrappin'! And, with any luck, I'll have a card to share on Friday.  :)

Saturday, May 23, 2015

OWH Memorial Day Bloghop: Finishing Strong!

Operation Write Home, a charity that has supported heroes with handmade cards since 2007, will be closing later this year. It is an organization that has become near and dear to my heart!

My father-in-law is a World War II veteran who flew bombing missions over Germany, and two of my uncles served during the Vietnam era. Operation Write Home has been a way for me to pay forward in honor of these special men in my life. On this Memorial Day Weekend, I offer my thanks and gratitude to all those who have served our country and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

So, I'm here to help get the word out that OWH is finishing strong and ALL cards need to be sent in by August 1st!


Please click here to return to the bloghop's home page.

The theme for this year's bloghop is to make cards featuring red, white, and blue. Of course, OWH-sketch-inspired cards are always welcome.  :)
  • Please click here to learn more about OWH's Finish Strong campaign.
  • Please click here to read about OWH's card guidelines. Cards should be A2 size, deliverable via USPS, and glitter-free. In addition, cards should fit the following themes: miss you, thinking of you, love, thank you, and happy birthday.
  • Please scroll down to see the two Any Hero cards I made for today's hop. Any Hero cards are cards that include notes written TO/FOR our heroes.

Loosely Based on OWH Sketch #27
Recollections blue; Distress  Ink fired brick; Core-dinations white
Unity ragged ol' flag image, heat embossed in SU white embossing powder using Versamark
Paper Smooches stitched die;,SU baker's twine
SU owl builder and small heart punches
adhesives: Scotch ATG; Zig 2-way glue pen; Scrapbook Adhesives foam squares
Glossy Accents applied to add shine to red heart


Loosely Based on OWH Sketch #110
Canson watercolor paper; Bazzill admiral; Distress Ink fired brick
DI fired brick stripes applied with decorative mask using Ranger blending tool
Unity ragged ol' flag sentiment, heat embossesd in DI black walnut on Core-dinations vellum over white cardstock
Fiskars and Marvy star punches; ??? corner rounder (for tiny stars); garage sale stash brads
base layer of blue embossed with Sizzix embossing folder
adhesives: Scotch ATG; Zig 2-way glue pen; Scrapbook Adhesives foam squares
 


Blog Candy

So, what's a hop without blog candy?

Since both of my cards feature stamps from Unity's Ragged Ol' Flag set, please leave a comment below for a chance to win a $10 Unity Stamps gift certificate.
  • Comments must be left by 3:00 AM Friday, May 29.
  • Comments need to include a way to contact you.
  • The winner will be chosen using random.org and will be announced here on my Friday post.
  • And, if this lucky winner is a follower of this blog, I'll up the gift certificate value to $15!


Thanks so much for hopping along with me! To return to the hop's home page, please click here.  :)

Friday, May 22, 2015

FNW7: OWH's Memorial Day Bloghop

Hi, everyone! Happy Friday!

I'm actually here with an early edition of Friday Night Writes -- more like Friday Afternoon Writes. Not quite the same sound, but a little more accurate for today's post.

#asneakpeek
 
 

Sneak Peek of Bloghop Card
Today's post is a quick reminder that there is a big bloghop going on this weekend at Operation Write Home -- kicking off it's Finish Strong Campaign.

The fun starts tomorrow (Saturday, May 21) at 8:00 EST. The pic at the right is a sneak peek of one of the cards I will be posting. 

Hope to see you at the OWH Hop! And, the Words 2 Scrap By Say Cheese challenge is open until May 28.  :)



Monday, May 18, 2015

MM6: Hey, Dude!

Hi, everyone! It's time for another Monday Musings. And it turns out to be a pretty special MM for me.  :)

#cardsinenvydt

Today, I'm thrilled to feature my very first card as a Cards in Envy DT member! I was so excited when I received Sandy's invitation to join this wonderfully talented group of designers.

Cards in Envy is a bi-monthly card-making challenge for those who mail their cards. So, the idea is to make cards that fit into standard A2 envelopes and can be sent without extra postage. Talk about a perfect challenge for an OWHer. 

So, without further ado, here's my card...

CIE Hey, Dude Dad!

Our CIE Challenge for the next couple of weeks is Hey, Dude! Seemed like the perfect opportunity to make my dad's father's day card.  :)

Bo Bunny Mama-Razzi 2; Stampin' Up! neutrals; Canson watercolor
computer generated sentiment
SU on film framelits; Tim Holtz film "ribbon" and corner embellishment
Hampton Art swirly stamp (in antique linen)
adhesives: Scotch ATG; Zig 2-way glue pen; micro Zots
inking in DI vintage photo with Ranger blending tool

Maybe it's because I had the Words 2 Scrap By Say Cheese challenge on my brain, but I wanted to do something photo related -- maybe including childhood pics of my brother and me.

So, I took down a few photos from our downstairs hallway and did some resizing using a few computer printer options. First, I started working with my childhood pic, mounting images on a strip of cardstock. I used a piece of cardstock that was the size of the Tim Holtz film ribbon openings, to cut out images for the film ribbon.

After I completed the strip of these little pics, I cut out some SU framelits and started playing with layout possibilities. I had a pic of my brother that I tried to include, but I just couldn't get it to work no matter how hard I tried. Honestly, I really did try. But, as hubby said, this is my card to Dad. So, my brother's the odd man out this time around.  LOL!

Did you notice the way I spelled "father" on the front of the card? I wanted it to look like a definition entry of the word. Inside the card, I created a definition that tied in with the card's picture theme. Wish I could say that this saying is original to me -- or that I knew to whom the credit should go. But, I love the way it works with this card. Hope Dad will like it too.


Bo Bunny Mama-Razzi 2; Stampin' Up! early espresso; Canson watercolor
computer generated sentiment
SU on film framelits; Hampton Art swirly stamp (in antique linen)
SU owl builder punch (for tiny heart)

Parting Thoughts

Hope you will join us for our Cards in Envy Hey, Dude! challenge. With Father's Day right around the corner, this is a perfect time to remember those special men in our lives. 

If you are interested in making cards for deployed troops, Operation Write Home has a His-and-Hers Challenge going on at its Stars & Stamps blog. And, if you enjoy tinkering with words, Words 2 Scrap By is hosting a Say Cheese challenge through May 28.

Thanks for stopping and happy scrappin'!

Friday, May 15, 2015

FNW6: Finish Strong

Update -- 5/20/2015: Hi, everyone! Please scroll down to see a "hers" version of my little super hero card. for the current OWH his-and-hers-cards challenge  :)


Hi, everyone! Happy Friday! Seems like I just wrote that.... Not quite sure where these weeks go.  :)

I have some important OWH news to share. So, without any further ado...

#FinishStrong

After much soul searching, Sandy and the OWH Board of Directors have decided to cease operations. The wonderful news about all of this is that so many of our heroes are now home with their loved ones that there simply is not enough mission to justify the operation of the OWH non-profit organization.



Please click here to learn the details of OWH's Finish Strong campaign. One really important detail is that all cards must be to Sandy by August 1. Cards arriving past that date will be returned to sender at the sender's (card maker's) expense.

Until then, however, OWH is up and running as usual -- with weekly challenges... and the traditional Memorial Day Bloghop! Please click here for hop details.  :)


 
 
Today's Card: My Little Super Hero
 
Given the OWH Finish Strong news, it's kind of appropriate that today's card is for a little super hero who's been busy helping out back home.   :)
 
Distress Ink (broken china?); Recollections black; Fancy Pants Design beach bum
Paper Smooches super stamp set and dies
images and sentiment stamped in DI black soot and StazOn jet black on Artist's Loft watercolor paper
Creative Memories circle cutter and EK circle punch
Stampin' Up! owl builder punch (for tiny circles); ??? corner rounder (for tiny star)
SU baker's twine
adhesives: Scotch ATG; Zig 2-way glue pen; Scrapbook Adhesives foam squares
 
Okay, Kim's delightful Paper Smooches artwork is rightfully the star of this little card. I so love Kim's work, and this little stamp set is among my favorites.  It's just perfect for one of our hero's little heroes.  :)

Design Decisions:
  • I knew early on that I wanted to place our little hero in front of silhouetted buildings. I also knew that I wanted to paper piece our hero. A color-er I'm not... and I actually think paper piecing works really well for kiddie cards.  :)
  • In addition, I  knew that I wanted a "bat signal" kind of light pointing to our hero. I used the shape on our hero's chest for the signal's symbol. The light emanating from the signal was placed behind the buildings to keep from giving the signal more of a presence than our hero. For the same reason, I chose not to do anything with the buildings' cut-out windows.
  • After placing the signal light, the buildings, and our hero, the card felt a little unbalanced. So, I added the "my hero" circular element at the far right and the teeny, tiny star at the far left.
  • Finally, since this is an Operation Write Home card, I decorated the inside of the card. Since there seemed to be a red-white-and-blue theme going on, I continued on with that inside the card.
Since the images and sentiment are from Paper Smooches, think I'll link this little card up to the current PS Guest Designer search.




"Hers" Version for OWH Challenge

My Mind's Eye stella rose; Distress Ink core paper; Recollections black
Paper Smooches royal cuteness stamps and royal icons dies
princess base layer stamped on watercolor paper
Paper Smooches fringe and balloons die; Stampin' Up! baker's twine
inks: StazOn jet black and Distress Ink black soot
SU owl builder punch (for circle in flower's center); EK hole punch (for wand center)
adhesives: Scotch ATG, Zig 2-way glue pen; Glossy Accents 

Part of the OWH challenge is to use the same sketch or layout for the two cards. At first glance, these two cards may not appear to have the same design. However, they share the following elements: 1) the paper-pieced central figure placed in the bottom left, 2) background elements designed to take your eye from left to right, and bottom elements that ground each card.
 
I must confess that I'm a tad ambivalent about the hers version. I love the princess, but am not so sure about the background. Thinking the card might have worked better with a solid sky.
 
Either way, hope it brings a huge smile to the face of one of a troop's little one.


Parting Thoughts
 
Words 2 Scrap By  Our current Words 2 Scrap By challenge is Say Cheese in honor of National Photography Month. Sounds like a perfect opportunity to make a card commemorating one of life's take-a-picture events/moments. This month's challenge runs through May 28. Hope you will play along.  :)
 
Cards in Envy  Cards in Envy is one of my favorite blog challenges for a couple of reasons. First of all, the focus is always on card making. Secondly, cards need to be flat enough to fit into standard A2 envelopes. Since my main crafting focus these last couple of years has been making cards for OWH, a flat-card challenge blog was perfect. Finally, the CIE DT comes up with fun challenges and fab sample cards. (The current challenge is When Nature Calls and is still open for a couple more days.) So, I was sooooo excited when Sandy invited me to join the CIE DT. My first card debuts on Monday.... and I'm hoping it's CIE-DT worthy.   :)
 
Maddicts, Anyone???  So is anyone else chomping at the bit to find out how Mad Men ends? Does Done end in California -- or does he head back to New York? Will we have one last Roger zinger? Will there be another Don and Peggy moment? Another Don and Sally scene? I simply adore this show. And, I honestly don't know which emotion is stronger: my excitement about learning what happens or my sadness about seeing very last episode.
 
 
Have a great weekend! Thanks for stopping and happy scrappin'!




Monday, May 11, 2015

MM5: Big, Bold Hugs and Small, Delicate Flowers

Hello! Hope it was a good Mother's Day for everyone. I know first hand that this can be a bittersweet day. If yesterday brought similar feelings, I hope you took good care of yourself. As for me, I am forever thankful for my mom's love.... on Mother's Day and throughout the year.

#smalldelicateflowers
 
My favorite flowers of all are lilies of the valley. I think I'm drawn to them because they are so understated. They hide under their lush leaves -- staying low to the ground. But, when you take the time to bend down and look under those leaves... Well, you are treated to the sweetest little flowers.  :)

Lucky for me, our master gardener (aka my hubby) has the greenest of thumbs. We have literally hundreds -- maybe even thousands -- of this plant on our property. A little bouquet of these beauties in a special wedding-gift crystal vase is the perfect adornment for our dinette table.  :)
 
Big, Bold Hugs
 
Did you see that the current Shopping Our Stash challenge is SOS #200? And, in honor of this big milestone, SOS is hosting a big, bold, and beautiful challenge. Sounds like a perfect opportunity to break in some new Winnie & Walter goodies -- as if I really need an excuse to do that! 
 
Canson watercolor; Stampin' Up! black core cardstock
Distress Inks: pickled raspberry, peacock feathers, seedless preserves
inks applied with Ranger blending tool using Scotch removable tape
Winnie & Walter "hugs" cutaway from big, bold, friends cutaways set
Glossy Accents, applied to add shine to sentiment
adhesives: Scotch ATG; Zig 2-way glue pem
 
In keeping with the big and bold elements of the challenge, I decided to ink up some big and bold DI colors to create stripes of various sizes.
 
I used removable tape to tape off one stripe at a time, progressing across the paper from left to right.  (And, if you haven't ever used removable tape, I highly recommend checking it out!)
 
 
I taped down the edges of a piece of watercolor paper on a gridded mat.
Then I used the grid to line up tape for each stripe.
When applying ink, I placed a sheet of blank cardstock on either side of the taped-off stripe.
I used a different pair of papers for all three of the inks.
The pickled raspberry papers are shown in the middle.
Seedless preserves and peacock feathers papers are shown on either side.

The sentiment itself is 3-paper thick. Then, it has a coat of Glossy Accents to add a little extra sheen.

So, how do you apply Glossy Accents to such a tiny piece -- and have it dry without sticking to something else? Well, my solution was to make a stand by folding a thin strip of paper in half several times and place the sentiment on top of this make-shift, folded-paper stand.

This actually worked pretty well. But, I'd love to hear of other solutions for this delicate task.  :)

The current Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Blog Challenge is all about sentiments. Think I'll link this card up there, too.  :)
 
Parting Thoughts
 
I need to set aside a little time this week to finish up the OWH cards I worked on in Hilton Head. Haven't sent in a box in the two months. Gotta get these cards to Sandy!
May Challenge
Say Cheese!
May 1 - May 28
Our May Words 2 Scrap By challenge is Say Cheese in honor of National Photography Month. This month, our challenge is going to run for four weeks -- through May 28. Hope you will join our I-Team as we commemorate those photo-worthy events in our lives.  :)

Have a good week! As always, thanks for stopping and happy scrappin'!
 
 

Friday, May 8, 2015

FNW5: Home Sweet Home

Hi, everyone! Happy Friday! Time for another edition of Friday Night Writes. 

#homesweethome

We arrived back home Tuesday night. Seemed like we had been gone forever. The trees that were bare when we left are now in full bloom and the once snow-covered ground is now a lush green.  :)

It's such a relief to find all is good in the house. We had  neighbors looking out for us... and no news is good news. Nonetheless, it's always nice to see that everything is fine with your own eyes.

There's certainly been a lot to catch up on. A lot near us has been cleared of trees in preparation for building a new home -- after 30 years of being untouched, the remodeled McDonald's is up and running -- and looks so different, and the lilies of the valley are coming out -- just in time to make a few teensy bouquets!

Today's Card: An OWH Any Hero Card

The following Any Hero card was inspired by the current OWH Our Daily Bread
 Design Challenge (to use embossing) and OWH Sketch #254.


OWH Sketch #244
Bazzill admiral and watermelon; Distress Ink antique linen; Bo Bunny anthem
Unity (ragged ol' flag) sentiment in DI vintage photo on Crate Paper rose garden
Darice and Cuttlebug embossing folders; Mark Richards crystals
Creative Memories circle cutting system; Scrapbook Adhesive foam squares
 
ho-hum pre-crystal card
I felt pretty good about the basic elements of my card. However, I felt it just seemed flat... a little ho hum. So, I decided to play around with additional embellishments.

My first attempt was using tiny punched out stars. The card had a little more life, but was still not quite right. Then, the thought of adding a few crystals came to mind. I like the subtle difference. The whiteness of the crystals now pop on the blue background and help to brighten the overall look, as well as being a nice complement to the sentiment paper.

Since the sentiment is such a prominent feature, think I'm going to link this up to the current Simon Says Stamp Wednesday blog's sentiment-inspired challenge.

Parting Thoughts

May Challenge: Say Cheese
May 1 - May 28
Our May Words 2 Scrap By challenge is Say Cheese in honor of National Photography Month. This month, our challenge is going to run for four weeks -- through May 28. Hope you will join our I-Team as we commemorate those photo-worthy events in our lives.  :)

Have a great weekend! As always, thanks for stopping and happy scrappin'!

Monday, May 4, 2015

MM4: See You Back Home

Hi, everyone! Boy, if you're like me you're wondering where the weekend went.

Plans are for us to head back to Ohio tomorrow. So, a good portion of our weekend was packing up and taking care of closing up our place down here for the summer months.

#SeeYouBackHome

So, hubby and I were walking the beach one morning last week. When we got to the end of the walk, I was going up to the beach to sit while hubby was headed back to our villa -- villa as in condo, not villa as in George Clooney in Italy.  :)

As we were parting ways, he said, "See you back home". This is the first time I've heard him refer to this place as home. It was nice hearing that he feels at home here. That's when I realized these may be four of the sweetest words in the English language.

#gatorbait

Okay, just so you won't get a completely skewed picture of hubby, let me share a conversation from this week. We were taking our little dog Miles for his evening walk and went past some standing water near a drainage area. I asked hubby what he would do if a gator came charging out of the water. Without missing a beat, he said he would push me in front of Miles... and then laugh that little laugh of his. Now, that's the man I know and love.  :)
 
Thinking of You

I liked OWH Sketch #58 so well, that I decided to use it for a feminine thinking-of-you card.



Echo Park times & seasons 2; Recollections black
TPC Studio sentiment in Distress Ink black soot
EK hole punch: Stampin' Up! petite petals and owl builder punches
Glossy Accents; adhesives: Scotch ATG; Zig 2-way glue pen; Glue Dots; Scrapbook Adhesives foam squares

The flowers are coated with Glossy Accents for a little shine. But, I've finally gotten smart about how I applied it. I put Glossy Accents on a strip of paper and then punched out the flowers after the Glossy Accents had dried. This was a tad easier than punching out the flowers first. A mistake I've made too many times to count.  :)

Parting Thoughts

May Challenge
May 1 - May 28
Did you notice that the May Words 2 Scrap By challenge went live on Friday?! This month's words are "Say Cheese" in honor of National Photography Month. Hope our challenge clicks with lots and lots of our fellow crafters.  :)

Next time we meet, I should be back in Ohio. See you back home! Until then, thanks for stopping and happy scrappin'!