JustRite Stamps and Basic Grey...now that's what I call a marriage made in heaven.  Last month, I posted here on the blog, the wedding tag album I made using the Cappella Mini Album kit.  Now it's time to deliver the gift.  But wait, you can't give a gift without a card!  What to do...what to do...  I had this extra picture leftover from the album and I had wanted to use it but had no room left.  Why not use it on the card for a unique, coordinating accent to my gift. 

I was a bit tired of my standard 4x6 cards, so I stepped out of the box (literally) and decided to do a shaped card.   To create this shape card, you need cardstock (folded in half) and a set of the large scalloped Nestabilities.  First, place the largest nestability die over the folded cardstock, leaving the top edge off the folded seam, as seen in the photo below.  After running it through your die cut machine, you now have a folded scalloped card for your base.  Next, cut out a full scalloped circle, embellish it and then glue it down to the base.




Have you created an unusual shaped card lately?  Leave us a link to it in the comments below so we can see it too!


Card Details:
Paper: Patterned Paper (Capella Album Kit)
Stamp: JustRite Stamps - Loving Thoughts Set
Flowers:  Prima
Ink: Distress Inks by Ranger (Dried Marigold, Spiced Marmalade, Walnut Stain)
Dies: Spellbinder Nestabilities (Large Scallop Circle, Large Label), Quickutz Flourish

Then come join me in a Tropical Paradise.  The layouts for this weekend feature Bo Bunny's Paradise collection.  This paper collection is heavy on orange, yellow and blues and I love it.  It definitely reminds me of my few and longed for visits to the Carribbean.  I've been down there on 3 separate occassions and the blues of the sky and water and the sunsets are unbelievable.

However, you don't need to book that trip to the Carribbean to use this collection.  There are plenty of beaches around and if you're landlocked...well, there's always pool pictures.  All of them go great with this collection.  I've chosen pool pictures for my first layout and a beach sunset for my second one.

To start, we have my husband and daughter kicking around in the pool.  It was her first "real pool" and she had a great time.  Although, I'm not sure if she had more fun playing in the water or chewing on her ducky.  I drew and pieced together the sun and then decorated it with Liquid Pearl (Lemon Yellow).

To decorate the bottom half with the patterned paper, I traced the scalloped die cut onto a transparency sheet.  I cut the scalloped border on the transparency and then traced it onto my striped paper.  Cut it out and adhere right inside the scalloped border to keep that window effect of the die cut sheet.  I also grabbed the cream colored crab from one of papers and baked him in sun a la my Copic markers.  I think he came out pretty good.  The title tag is made from 3 different Spellbinder Nestabilities, with the inner circle inked with Distress Inks (Scattered Straw, Spiced Marmalade and Walnut Stain).


For the second layout, we head to the sunny or sunset-y beaches of San Diego.  My parent's were there visiting family and there's nothing like a California sunset, would you say?   I loved all the palm trees that accompanied this particular sheet of the Paradise collection and didn't want to lose them with all the pictures and punched strips on top.  So I pulled out my Swivel Exacto knife and cut just enough of the background palm trees to pull them forward to the front by slipping the circle and photo mat behind them. Pop up the palm trees for dimension.  The top two borders along the bottom are the Daisy Fan and Doily Lace Trim punches by Martha Stewart.  The bottom two scalloped border were hand traced with some scalloped packaging I salvaged from Scrapbooking supplies I received.


For the blue circle, I attempted to create a salty ocean effect by holding the circle at an angle and spraying Smooch Spritz on top.  I let the spritz run down the circle and then dried quickly with a Heat Gun.  I think it came out okay.  The edges of the circle and photo mat are dotted with Liquid Pearls (Lemon Yellow).


So, if you just aren't quite ready for that work week to start...why not scrap your summer fun.  We'd love to see what you scrap for summer.  Leave us a link in the comments section to your Summer layout so we can take a look!

Whew!  I have been Delovely-ing my entire scrap room.  I was able to make so many things with this bright, colorful Deluxe kit.  Here are the promised projects from last week.


First up...some attempt to control the Silly Bandz craze in our house.  If you have a kid, then you know what I'm talking about.  I found these two wood boxes at a local craft store in the clearance section.  The girls picked out their favorite pictures from the Delovely Die Cut card sheet and I got to work. 

Then I went to work on a stack of cards.  I went a bit Copic crazy I think.  For this card I stamped the Hummingbird (Inkadinkado) and used the other half of the flower from the box above to complete.  The dots are Liquid Pearls (Lemon Yellow) to create some flair.




This little cutie is a Tina Wenke stamp.  He paired quite well with the bright colors of the Delovely kit.  I created a window in the card by using the Large Label Nestabilities die. The border is the Double Loop punch by Martha Stewart. 




And finally, I grabbed several of the Die Cut cards from the Delovely card sheet and made this cute anniversary card.  The oval backgrounds are Nestabilities dies and I finished with faux stitching around the edges.




Can you believe it? Not a layout in sight.  This was very unusual for me.  But I have some layouts planned for my next project involving a little bit of Paradise.  Stay tuned...

Summer...Summer...Summer is certainly here.  We've had our third 100+ degree day in a row.  So what do I do in this heat?  Scrap of course.  Who can go outside in that kind of heat?  My girls have been begging me to decorate a bird house for them.  Bird house?!?  I don't do big projects like that...I'm a layout/card girl.  Well, I'm here to tell you, it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.  And, I had two very happy girls this morning when they saw the finished project.


I used the Cosmo Cricket Delovely Deluxe kit for this avian abode.  The colors are perfect Summery colors and simply push winter thoughts into the furtherest recesses of your brain.  So here it is.  The girls were gracious enough to lend me their little "peepers" for the photo shoot.

To create the roof shingles, for the top I used the Threading Water punch by Fiskars. For the bottom roof shingles, I had to get a bit creative.  I grabbed some scalloped packaging that came with a set of templates and traced the scalloped border, cut and inked the edges with Distress Ink (Worn Lipstick used here).  There are several wonderful floral patterened papers in this collection.  I cut out the big flower patterns, backed them with the bright yellow floral paper and used pop dots to adhere. The die cut card sheet had the most adorable birdies that I snipped out, inked the edges and pop dotted to the bird house.




 I loved the bright color of  the Doodlebug Sugar Coating that came with the kit and decided it would look perfect at the bottom (sort of a bird bath look).  Doesn't it shimmer!  The cute fence border is a Martha Stewart border punch.




To finish it off, I grabbed my JustRite stamps and picked this perfect little saying from the Seeds of Kindness collection.   These stamps are so hot right now and Lil' Lambs Boutique has a big selection for your stamping needs.  To create the dual colored stamp, I put the saying on the JustRite Wood Stamper and inked with Black Archival ink.  Then I carefully pushed the border onto the Wood Stamper and brushed Prussian Blue Chalk ink around the edges, being careful not to touch the center.  Stamp as usual and now you have a double color impression.  I attached the saying and a dragonfly charm with jump rings to the roof.




I have a couple more projects to come this week using the rest of my Delovely deluxe kit.  Stay tuned...