The Gladdest Thing Under The Sun..Reconnecting With Nature

Hi my gentle readers. As I said last week I plan to at least once a week post a photo or two from my adventures. I found this quote and right now as the dogs and I go off on our adventure this is how I feel as I enjoy and yes even touch all the different wildflowers growing.

I will be the gladdest thing
Under the sun!
I will touch a hundred flowers
And not pick one.
~Edna St. Vincent Millay, "Afternoon on a Hill"

Today the weather was sunny and warm. If a gentle breeze had not blown it actually would have been hot walking. My one dog loves to go on one trail that is only marked by stones at the beginning so he is always at the lead. After awhile the trail peters out and we find ourselves having to pick which animal trail to take. I am trying to teach them to not stomp on the flowers and grasses but sometimes they have to get up close and smell.

 I see lots of flowers and some of the flowers I recognize. I don't know what flower this is but the petals are so soft and even the leaves which look like they would be prickly are not. It amazes me how these flowers survive. here with no weeding and the only moisture what nature provides.It is awesome the way nature plants her garden via birds dropping seeds and animals carrying the seeds on their fur. Long after I'm gone flowers like this will continue to grow.

On the way home from the park. The city has constructed a block wall along the bike/pedestrian path into the park to try to prevent erosion and landslides. The boys love to walk on top of the wall out of the park. I love that the city has created this park so all can reconnect with nature as well as allowing a place for flowers,trees, and grasses to thrive.

Well the boys are tired after all of  our walking today but I'm sure if I were to take the leashes off the hook that they would be dancing around ready to go again.

 Be sure to check out Reconnect With Nature to see pictures of where others have been reconnecting. Blessings until we meet again!

Hope Card

Hello my dear readers. The sun is shining beckoning me to get out in nature with my dogs so as soon as I get this posted I will. What a great way it will be with camera in hand to start my weekend.

While working on this card I was thinking about the word Hope. When I think of Hope I think of the song "Whispering Hope". As a girl I was helping my dad clean out an old house when I found a bunch of 78's. Among them was "Whispering Hope" sung by Jo Stafford. That song got me through my teenage years. Although the record is long gone those words still get me through the not so good times when they come.

"Soft as the voice of an angel,
Breathing a lesson unheard,
Hope with a gentle persuasion
Whispers her comforting word:
Wait till the darkness is over,
Wait till the tempest is done,
Hope for the sunshine tomorrow,
After the shower is gone."

 The card base doesn't really show in this photo but it is a shimmery pearl. The word hope was created using the Brush Script font and then cut out with my Cameo. I scribbled  three different metallic gelatos on the letters and then brushed a wet brush across. I love the mottled look that I got.

The embossed panel was embossed with a Tim Holtz embossing folder. Gelatos was scribbled on it after embossing then blended with my fingers although I'm sure a sponge or cotton ball would have worked just as well. You know me I love to get messy.

My abstract flower actually was made using this week's free frame that was part of the Silhouette free file I just resized the frame to two different sizes. Then resized one so it was a circle. I then colored using Inka Gold. This same effect can be gotten using dies like the "Spellbinders" ones if you have them.

The butterfly file came with my Cameo. I painted it using 3D paint and giving it some texture by drawing the nozzle through the paint. I added scrapper floss to the back creating the antennae since the file didn't have that part of the butterfly. Of course I had to pop dot the butterfly to give dimension.

All I have left now is to print out the words of the song and adhere them inside and then mail it. Hopefully this card will bring hope to someone going through a not so good time right now. When you think of the word hope what comes to mind?

Wishing you Happy Frugal Crafting till we meet again!

Silhouette Swing Card

Today was a good day for crafting. I was going to take the dogs out for a long walk only to discover that not only was the wind blowing but it had started to rain. The temperature had also dropped about twenty degrees from what it has been. Thank goodness Thursday I took the dogs to a dog park which I had just discovered was near me.

Way before Christmas I had traced this Silhouette file of a boy on a swing which I downloaded from Dover as a sample to make a card.(Sometimes I'll not feel like crafting so will trace images in Studio I think I might want to use in the future.) I had to do a little bit of point editing but not a lot. It always amazes me at how well the Cameo will cut delicate images. It scrunched up in one place on the branch but  that was the cheap black card stock fault and not the machine. When I choose cut edge and decided to cut first with gray cardstock in case it cut more than the circle it cut out perfectly. I'm thinking of coloring the gray cutout later on for a card.

I get tired of making square or rectangle cards so decided to go with an oval shape with the bottom cut off. I decided to make my base using pattern  12 x 12 cardstock from a pad which I've had for about three years. After placing the focal piece on several different pieces of cardstock I finally went with the distress look piece. It actually took me longer to decide what to use for the base than to make my card. LOL!

I had wanted to back my cut out Silhouette shape. I ended up releasing the path in order to cut the circle out of cardstock which was the result of my play with making my own color mists using soap dyes I had on hand and spraying from different distances.

I cut foam squares to place under the dog and also used foam squares under the boy to pop them up. I curled the one branch that was not attached to the circle up. I like my cards to have some sort of dimension to them.

The sentiment is printed using my label maker. I backed it with the same cardstock I used to back the silhouette with. I gently folded the sentiment in half and cut with my scissors like I sometimes do with ribbon to get the notched ends.

This weekend is a three day weekend but the only plans I have is to craft. I did trace a fan image today which I'm anxious to turn into a card. I also want to do some playing as well as doing the inside of a few cards so I can mail them Tuesday.

Wishing you a Great weekend and Happy Frugal Crafting till we meet again!

Reconnecting With Nature Party- In Nature There Will Always Be Comfort

I came across a blog about reconnecting with nature. I thought it would be fun at least once a week to go out and take a photo and then share it here.
http://goodnorthcoastlife.blogspot.com.au/2014/01/introducing-reconnect-with-nature-one.html


Recently I found this quote by Ann Frank and it sums up for me why I like to be outdoors surrounded by nature. In nature I find solace and comfort when I'm hurting and stress falls away. I am lucky that I live only two blocks from a beautiful park which blesses me with scenes like this. Often even though the park is in a city I find myself alone with only my dogs as company.

“The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature. As longs as this exists, and it certainly always will, I know that then there will always be comfort for every sorrow, whatever the circumstances may be. And I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles.” 
― Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl

Even if you live in a city I encourage you to find a place outside where you can be alone with the heavens,nature and God.

Blessings until we meet again!

Hello Friend A Redo Card

Hi everyone I have had company for a little over a week now so don't have the crafting time. Also the sun has been beckoning me outdoors. Do stay tuned because I'll be doing a few photo posts as part of the reconnecting with nature party.

I did try some experimenting lately but alas my attempts failed. The packing tape transfer looked so easy in a video. I stamped on the packing tape using Stazon ink like was shown in the video but when I started to peel some of the backing of the designer paper I had under the packing tape in water the stamped image started to dissolve. I decided to go work on a card I had started. Alas I did not realize that there was water on my work surface and ruined my card base when I placed it on my table to work. Not being one to waste things I cut the undamaged front of the card base and made another card. Here is my redo card.

I happen to spy on my work table a scrap of 12 x 12 which was the perfect color and size to make a new card base. The front cut out panel I made be welding a lace border onto my rectangle card base. Later on I'll make a lace edged card and hopefully won't ruin it while working. LOL! 

I somehow managed to cut the front crooked when cutting off the back but the ribbon hides that so don't tell anyone. That will be our secret.

The green strip is origami rice paper which I had covered with packing tape to make a transfer. I should have realized something was up when it did not curl when I placed it in water. After soaking for several minutes the backing did not easily come off. I finally gave  up and soaked it overnight. Only to have too much of the backing coming off losing the green pattern. I went ahead and let the packing tape dry and cut off the part of the tape that was damaged. I actually like it better being narrowing here.

The Hello Friend was printed on clear tape using a Brother Label maker. The clear tape with black ink was the same price as the white so I went with clear since I can use it for cards or scrapbook pages. I adhered the tape to gold origami rice paper. I bought a pack of origami rice paper at a thrift store so I can make my own decorative tape. Since I was attaching the sentiment onto packing tape which is shiny I went and used  Zots glue dots.

To make the butterfly I used a scrap of the pink paper. I stamped on it using a dollar store foam stamp and Stazon ink. Then sprinkled lilac glitter embossing powder over it and heat embossed. I cut it out by hand and attached it with a foam square.

There you have it my redo card and a way to add a sentiment to a card if you have a label maker. If you don't have one you might be able to purchase one at a thrift store like I did. The tape at first glance looks to be expensive but believe me it will go a long way as well as you can find decent prices on it if you shop around.

I like the idea of the designer paper transfer so will try different papers. I want to see how it will work with wrapping paper as well as some other papers I have.

Off to enjoy the sunny weather and take more photos. Wishing you Happy Frugal Crafting till we meet again!

Pretty In Pink Card Using Embossed Folder Rubbing

Hi everyone! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. I had a fun day with the family yesterday. While waiting for my son to pick me up since right now I'm without wheels I finished a card which I had experimented with doing a rubbing using an embossing folder the day before. Those who know me know that I like my tools to do double duty. You also may know that I normally do not craft with pink but I found an assortment of card stock on sale which I bought for the purple card stock in the pack.  Since my goal is to use what I have I decided to make a pink card.

I am going to share first a picture tutorial. Then the finished card. If you wish to skip the tutorial and scroll on down to see the card you won't hurt my feelings.

First decide which embossing folder you are going to use. I found a more open design like Divine Swirls worked the best so you might have to experiment. Use the raised side for this technique.

Place your card stock  or water color paper on  top of the open folder. Copy paper would work also but since I wanted to add paint I went with a heavy weight card stock as copy paper would curl too much.

Using the side of  a crayon or oil pastels rub over the folder.

You can add other colors and at least with oil pastels you can create new colors by overlapping your colors. At this point you can leave it like it is or go to the next step.

I painted metallic water colors over it and only the white accepted the paint as the oil pastels acts as a resist. I wet the card stock first before I painted and then added some texture by blotting with a paper towel while the paint was wet which transferred the texture from the towel. I love how this shimmers and looks like a piece of designer pattern paper.

I decided to go with the fuchsia card stock. I don't usually anymore use my decorative edged scissors but I decided for this card to use them on the emboss resist panel. Mainly I've kept the scissors for my grandchildren to use when crafting with me.

I decided to use a folded over paper doily where I can write a secret note for the recipient. I felt like it paired well with the dimensional sticker I decided to use.

I wrapped the ribbon around the panel at the top of the doily. I bought this ribbon several years ago at a dollar store but it never seemed to work when I would go and use it on a card. I think it is perfect here as the color of the flowers echo the flowers down at the base of the sticker as does the shape of the flowers.Also it is the same color of pink as the card base.

The sticker is from a collection by Special Moments. When I find these stickers at a dollar store I buy them because I must confess I'm too lazy to make my own and they are great for when I want to make a quick card. It took longer for the resist panel to dry than to put this card together.


What kind of ways have you used tools that perhaps they were not originally intended to be used that way? Do you like to make your own papers or play with art supplies when paper crafting?

Wishing you Happy Frugal Crafting till we meet again!

Mother's Day Photo Card Using Stencil Resist Technique

Hi! I hope you have not missed me lately. Had a few days of sun and the wildflowers in the park near me were calling me away from crafting. My two boys (dogs) have been enjoying the sun and going where no one has gone before. O.K. well that is not completely true but they do seem to want to get off the paved trails as soon as possible and go on some of the more primitive trails. I am often surprised when I look at my watch to discover that we have spent hours at the park. However, with Mother's Day just around the corner I knew that I needed to be getting made a Mother's Day card. I'm pleased how this turned out.

Often the hardest part of card making for me is deciding what colors to go with. I knew I wanted to use a photo of my granddaughters so decided to go with colors that I thought would go best with the photo. Of course my other consideration was what colors I had on hand of 12 x 12 for the card base. For some reason I have a difficult time getting my scallop card file positioned correctly on the mat to use letter size card stock. I decided to use this purple I found while I was organizing my cardstock for the card base and for the heart mat. 

The rectangle panel,banners, and photo were cut out of white cardstock. For the banners I used a Mother's day sketch file which was a free file a couple of years ago from Silhouette. It is Design ID #27511. I used a fine tip marker for the letters using a Silhouette pen holder. If you are going to use a marker for the lettering you will want to ungroup and get rid of some of layers of heart shapes or letters. You will notice that some of the o's are really heavy as I didn't get rid of some of the layers. That is all right as it looks more like perhaps a child formed them. :-) Originally the banners were centered vertically on a sketched panel but I decided to put them at the bottom of a rectangle panel so I could use a photo on the front of the card. The banners looked too stark white so I used chalk and chalk ink to tone them down.

Taking a heart shape I filled it in with the photo I wanted to use. In the original photo the parents are in the doorway watching the girls but I wanted the girls to be the focal point. I love how using the advance function in studio under pattern fill you can manipulate photos to get them exactly how you wish them in a shape. Once I got my photo how I wanted it I did an offset for the mat. Both the photo and the mat were edged with purple pigment ink to give them more of a dimension.

Doing the rectangle panel was fun and I think really gives the card an elegant feel to it. I saw a technique on Scrapbook Soup where a stencil was placed under cardstock and then Jenny Barnett Rohrs rubbed crayons over the cardstock revealing the pattern of the stencil. I decided since I had bought some oil pastels at a thrift store to see if this technique would work with those. After Jenny rubbed with crayons over the stencil she applied watercolors. The crayon areas resisted the watercolors and the oil pastel areas resisted the metallic watercolors I used. You could also use water based color mists with this technique or distress ink or stains. This technique would be fun to do and then cut out shapes other than a rectangle.

Now to figure out how to get this card over to my Daughter In Law's and my granddaughters sign it for their mom. Without her knowing what we are up to.

That's all for now folks! Thank you for stopping by and if you are a woman Happy Mother's Day! Even if you don't have children of your own we are all Mother's in our own way. Wishing you Happy Frugal Crafting till we meet again!