Ippity Blog Hop and Sketchbook pages 25 & 26

It's Ippity blog hopping day. Come see what the Ippity bloggers have come up with this week, starting here at 10am EST. From all the blog comments in all the blogs, a random commenter will be chosen to win a prize, so leave lots of love as you travel around.

Frugal tip #53: Save time by using collage patterned paper as a background. 
I wanted an easily propped up get well card for an aunt that's in the hospital. (That's the beauty of easel cards.) This glittery K and Company paper was so inspiring because the beautiful collage work was a perfect background for my simple sentiment card and it gave me a branch and a fence for my sweet birds. (It's fun to decorate the inside of the card with a little more of that paper, too.)

Supplies:
Ippity stamps: birds (Quotes a 'la Happy),  get well (How YOU Doin'), framed sentiment (Cherish Your Dreams)
Paper: DP (Que Sera Sera - KandCo.), crumb cake (Stampin Up)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento), Copic markers
Other: Ribbon (Sherbet Ribbon Originals - Stampin Up), foam dots (Ranger), Gluedots


Now, I'll give you the next two pages of my Art House Coop Sketchbook project. (Only 16 more pages to go for those of you following along.)

As always, thanks for dropping in!

Oh, and, P.S. if you're interested in a handmade gift from me, check out the specifics on Saturday's post... I'm just sayin'. *smile*

Cindy (aka Scrapcollectr)

Sketchbook pages 23 & 24

Here are the next two pages in my sketchbook project for the Art House Coop. (Check them out. You may want to participate in a future event.) My true story began with my post on Jan 19th if you want to start at the beginning. There are about 10 more days of installments. *smile*

Thanks for dropping in!

Cindy (aka Scrapcollectr)

Pay It Forward and Sketchbook pages 21 & 22

I saw this on Rebekah's blog a few days ago and was lucky enough to be one of the first five to comment. I really like the idea and am excited to pay it forward.

This is how it works:
I promise something handmade to the FIRST 5 people who leave a comment here specifically stating they want to join in the Pay It Forward fun. The original "rules" state that you must repost this status on your own blog, offering something handmade by you to 5 other people and it must be sent to your 5 people some time in 2011. However I am not requiring this. If you would like to repost this and offer something to your readers, that would be lovely, but feel free to enter even if you do not have the time/money/desire to pay it forward at this time. You should be able to be able to get some goodies in the mail even if you can't do it yourself!!

Come join the fun!
I look forward to creating something just for you and four other lucky bloggers who leave a comment on this post.

And now for the next two pages of my sketchbook for the Art House Coop. (The story began with my post on Jan 19th, if you'd like to start this true account at the beginning. I italicized that because although it's strange, it's true!)

Thanks for dropping by!

Cindy (aka Scrapcollectr)

FWF and Sketchbook pages 19 & 20

Is time really whizzing by that quickly? I must be having fun because that's what they say! Okay, I admit, I am having fun. I love blizzards (weird, huh?) Well, I'm from Texas so the only snow I saw before moving to the northeast was one day when I was little and I tried to go out and build a snowman with a big spoon (what did I know? Lol) Anyway, we got our blizzard yesterday. By the time it left our area we had 12" of lovely white stuff on the ground. (I was sooo craving a sno-cone, hee hee.)

But now, starting at 10am EST, it's time for Unity's Friends with Flair blog hop. Start with this link and watch for the magic blue blinkie if you're interested in a chance at a prize pack.

I can't seem to stop making these bendy foldy cards. (Remember, Emma will gladly give you the directions if you visit her blog.) I think that once you know the dimensions it gets easier. So, here's Sparky again. He's desperate for the affections of the Siamese down the block so he's in the lab concocting a little love potion. I guess this is sort of a Valentine's card, hee hee. I needed a saying to go with the card and I found just the right one in Just Be You by Melody Ross for Unity. The other stamp sets used are Hugs and Kitties (Sparky) and the Oct '09 Store Kit called Wonderful You (the lab stuff). The DP is Danny O for KandCo.

And here are the next two pages of my sketchbook for the Art House Coop. We're at just about halfway through the story. And, I assure you, with the exception of some name changing, this is a true story. Remember, truth can be stranger than fiction!

Thanks for dropping by!

Cindy (aka Scrapcollectr)

A Blog Award and Sketchbook Pages 17 & 18

I was given my very first blog award by the lovely Patricia (whose blog you should check out, by the way, cuz she's got some great ideas to share!)

So, here's what I have to do...and, if you've been tagged, what you have to do to get this award for yourself!

There are a couple of conditions for the award if you have been TAGGED and want to participate. Create a post where you post the 'LOVE BLOG' image. You should also blog the persons link that gave you the award and inform her/him that you accept the award.You can then choose 3 - 5 favorite blogs which you also link in your post, then each blogger will inform you that they have been tagged. 

Please note: The aim of this action is that we bring unknown, good blogs to light, so it is probably best to choose great blogs that are just starting out or who don't have a lot of followers. Not a requirement...just a suggestion!

Now here is the hardest part of the requirements...picking the blogs to pass the award on to!

Here are some of the blogs that I visit regularly and that I think you guys would enjoy:

Understand Blue

Emily

Pam

Sasa

Sandy

So, there you have it! 5 very noteworthy blogs! Enjoy!

Now for the next couple of pages of my sketchbook project for Art House Coop.

Thanks for dropping in!

Cindy (aka Scrapcollectr)

WOYWW and Sketchbook pages 15 & 16

Isn't it sad when you're conscience forces you to forego the lovely chaos of your craft desk for the dastardly chaos of your office desk? My office desk is just in the room where the bills are paid and the computer is (which is a terrible distraction....."hmmm, maybe I'll just look up a blog while I'm paying bills......"). But, I am consistent, aren't I? Chaos rules on this desk, too. You'll notice that I surround myself with crafty stuff to get by, though. A couple of cards on top of the printer, a magazine and a Xyron 150 cartridge that is up here because I had to send an email to the company complaining that it was defective.) Back to the bills.... (Oh, and before you give me any credit for the date on the calendar in the back, if you moved what is in front of it, you'd see it's May 24, 2010. LOL. Seriously, I only have it there because I use the pages of the calendar as scrap paper for notes. Uh huh, see, not as bad as it seemed.)

At least I can offer up the next two pages of my sketchbook journal for the Art House Coop Sketchbook Project. The story began with my post on Jan 19th if you want to get the back story. Thanks for dropping in and have a great WOYWW...
*smile*

Cindy (aka Scrapcollectr)

A Layout and Sketchbook pages 13 & 14

Don't faint. I made a layout. ScrapbookingSuppliesRUs is starting to do sketch contests and this sketch worked well with photos from my recent trip. (If you feel so inclined, I'd love for you to go to the Dec Sketch page of their site and vote for my layout. The winners are based on the number of votes!) I used paper from MAMBI's Journal pad (which is the same pad that showed up often in my journal project below.) Glad to use those Bazzill chipboard alphas, too. They've been sitting around patiently. And, of course, the essential travel memorabilia (poker chip, coin, immigration form, hotel key and lotto ticket) had to make it onto the page. The parrot was already on the paper so I just cut around him so that my photo could sneak underneath him.

The next two pages of my sketchbook story are below.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cindy (aka Scrapcollectr)

Ippity Blog Hop and Sketchbook pages 11 & 12

Take a ride on the Ippity Blog train. Click here  after 10am EST for the scenic tour. Leave comments for a chance at a prize!

I took the challenge to use Ippity stamps and the red, white and blue color combo. (I used Fishy Philosophy and Where You Should Be stamp sets.) No accessories but I have to enable you about this fun bendy foldy card technique. I got the instructions from the lovely Emma. You can too! Just email your request to ladyandthestamp(at)gmail(dot)com. (Also, you'll find another of my bendy foldy cards in my Jan 21st blog post.)

Now, if you're looking for the continuing saga of my Art House Coop sketchbook project, the next two pages follow. (If you want to start at the beginning, go to my post on Jan 19th. I'm posting two pages a day and there are 42 pages in all, so we'll be here for awhile....*smile*)

Thanks for dropping by!

Cindy (aka Scrapcollectr)

Four Things (an extra post)

So, Understand Blue enticed her readers to do a Four Things post. How can I resist a challenge, even if I am still working on a card for the Ippity blog hop tomorrow? Lol
Here goes...

Four shows that you watch
1. The Middle
2. Modern Family
3. The Closer
4. Men of a Certain Age

Four things you're passionate about
1. Creating art
2. Writing
3. Shopping for art supplies
4. Blog hopping

Four words/phrases you say a lot
1. Love you
2. Y'all
3. Right, right, right
4. Brush your teeth and gargle

Four things you learned from the past
1. Don't rush when you're pouring boiling spaghetti water into a colander (ouch)
2. Don't take your health for granted
3. Say "love you" to your kids all the time so they grow up to be adults that are comfortable saying it
4. Time really does fly, hold onto your babies a little more before they're suddenly grown up

Four places you'd like to go
1. New Zealand
2. Greece
3. Paris
4. Fiji

Four things you did yesterday
1. Went to a post holiday party with college friends
2. Weekend lunch out with dh
3. Sat in the back seat while ds#2 drove (new permit in hand, yikes!)
4. Went to Bed, Bath and Beyond for Keurig k-cups

Four things you're looking forward to
1. a grandbaby one day
2. March 12th when I get to see ds#1 again
3. A de-cluttered house (dream on)
4. An organized studio (big dream on)

Four things you love about winter
1. Watching snow fall
2. Building and watching a fire (I'm from Texas, it'll never get old)
3. Being forced to stay inside and craft
4. Holiday lights everywhere

Tag. You're it.

Cindy (aka Scrapcollectr)

Sketchbook pages 9 & 10

The saga (which began with my post on Jan 19th) continues....

An Ippity blog hop card will share space with the sketchbook pages tomorrow. Just lettin' you know.
*smile*

Cindy (aka Scrapcollectr)

A quick card and Sketchbook pages 7 & 8

A quick card of encouragement with a favorite design sketch. I used some old Wube paper and Ippity's Fishy Philosophy.

And here are the next two pages in the sketchbook I made for the Art House Coop. The story began with my post on Jan 19th.

Thanks for visiting!

Cindy (aka Scrapcollectr)

FWF and Sketchbook pages 5 & 6

Welcome to another Friends with Flair Friday over at Unity. The tour begins here at 10am EST. Also, big sale going on over there right now.... check it out with this link to Unity's website.

I couldn't wait to try out a bendy fold card tutorial that I recently came across so I made an early Valentine's Day card for hubby using it. (You can request it from ladyandthestamp(at)gmail(dot)com.) I recently won the stamp set Straight from the Heart which was perfect for this card so I had to ink it up. Also making an appearance are Pixie Lane and Ippity's Simply Home. The adorable papers come from the Daydreams set by KandCo. (Oh, and just so you know, this card folds flat for mailing! How great is that?)

For those of you following my Sketchbook story, below you will find pages 5 and 6. I started the story on Jan 19th, so you haven't missed much if you want to read along. Just so you know though, I'll be posting these daily for about 3 weeks because the book has 42 pages! Comments left along the way will be entered into some sneaky random blog candy. Oh, and if you're a Sparky the Kitty fan, he does appear on one of the pages. Hee hee.

Stamps: It Must Be Love by My Favorite Things

Sticker: Marcella-K&Co.

Thanks for dropping by and have a wonderful warm weekend!

Cindy (aka Scrapcollectr)

Sketchbook Project - Pages 3 & 4

Catch the start of the book on yesterday's post....

("Rest, relax" stamp by Deadbeat Designs.)

Two more pages tomorrow....

In the meantime, I've got to work on a card for my nephew. Maybe it'll show up here before being mailed out...

Cindy (aka Scrapcollectr)

I've been AWOL, sorry... *smile*

A friend convinced me to go to Aruba with her.... sounds like a good story, huh? Well, she convinced me back in the summer and, lo and behold, she kept me to my word. We were gone last week so I'm behind in WOYWWs and blog posts. It was a warm weather vacation blast. She taught me how to play blackjack (21) in a casino... only, she didn't teach me how to win.... so what I lost I rack up to entertainment costs.... lol.

I got back in time to help DH put together ds#2's 16th bday party. Don't ask. Thirty rowdy teens in my basement. It was quite the clean-up. Welcome home! Lol.

I also came back to an almost finished Sketchbook Project that was close to being due. The extension we were given due to the weird weather we've suffered recently was no match for this procrastinator! I was supposed to postmark it yesterday but we had a little ice storm so I opted for holding off til today (as in I have to mail it by 4pm).

What I've decided to do is take pictures of all the pages and share them on my blog starting today. The theme I chose was "The Greatest Story Ever Told." I used various papers, stickers, stamps and dies to illustrate my TRUE story, as wild as it will seem to you. I just changed names in the story to protect the innocent - hee hee. You know, I'm getting antsy about the amount of supplies I have so I may throw in some random blog candy to commenters through the tale-telling process. Check back.

Pic #1 is the bombed out area that resulted in constructing this sketchbook. Once it's mailed, I expect to excavate.

Pic #2 is my front cover. I used a wine glass and some old red wind to make the faint "rings" and a definition from a dictionary to serve as a title.

Pic #3 is of the inside cover dedication and the title page (love that Tall Tales alphabet stamp set from Stampin Up.)

Pic #4 is actually the start of the story. From now on, I'll refer to the book's page numbers. This one is page 2. I used an adorable "man & woman" die from Cuttlebug and a "Wish You Were Here" stamp from Claudia Rose (had it a long time, never used before). The collage patterned paper in most of the book came from a Journey Stack by Me & My Big Ideas (MAMBI). The photo is from a magazine.

If you choose to read the story going forward, you can always catch up. I hope to post two pages a day and you can always check older blog posts whenever you check in. (If I'm making cards that day, I'll post those, too.)

What's exciting to me is that this sketchbook will start out at the Art House Coop (Brooklyn, NY), then is set to travel with 28,000 other sketchbook friends to about 8 more locations in the US. People will be able to check out the books and peruse them at their leisure. Can I consider this being published? *smile* Check the site if you're curious about future Art House Coop  Projects.

Thanks for visiting!

Cindy (aka Scrapcollectr)

Sweet 16 and a great cause

Ds#2 is going to a Sweet 16 party. Our family and the guest of honor's family go so far back that I cross-stitched a baby bib for her when she was born. What is so touching about her celebration is that she's asked for friends to consider donating to her favorite cause in lieu of any gifts for her. I'd like to tell you about the cause because it can only benefit from spreading the word.

Beyond the Walls is a non-profit organization that raises money for projects that can better the lives of disadvantaged groups inside and outside the U.S. One such project is the Health Program at Potter's House Association. This program serves the health needs of the 11,000 desperately poor scavengers who live around and work in the Guatemala City garbage dump. The young girl mentioned above, and her family, travel once a year to Guatemala City to donate their time to this cause. You can find more information about this worthy cause here.

In addition to our donation, I made the above easel card for this lovely young girl. I'm hoping it'll be nice reminder of her special day.

(I have to say that this clear stamp set is soooo versatile, I've already used it way more than my usual average with a stamp. It's due to how customizable it is. It comes with a stamp of every numbered candle and lots of great sentiments to cover a variety of occasions. Check it out in the link below:-)

Deets   
Stamps: Girl & "Time to Celebrate" (Who's That Birthday Girl? - My Favorite Things), "sweet" (Fabulous Phrases - SU)
Paper: DP (Que Sera Sera by KandCo), Pink Pirouette c/s (SU), white (My Favorite Things)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento), Antique Linen distress ink (Ranger), Copic markers
Other: Tag punch (Martha Stewart), ribbon (Offray), crystal stickers (Mark Richards), hemp  cord, alpha beads, foam squares (Ranger), Gludots

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Cindy (aka Scrapcollectr)

Kitty and the Mermaid

I'm supposed to be working on something else, so I didn't commit to Unity's Friends with Flair blog hop (but you can still do the tour here.) Then, I felt bad that Sparky the kitty wasn't getting his 15 minutes of fame today so I threw this together quickly. It's actually been an idea simmering in my brain for a while, so I'm glad to get it out of the idea bank to make room for something else up there. Hee hee.

Okay, so Sparky's dreaming again about being the favorite pet of a mermaid queen. Imagine a cat that likes water! I tried making him a little bubble helmet to wear but I didn't like how it came out so he'll just have to dream that he can breathe under water!

Deets 
Unity stamps: Kitty (Hugs and Kitties), mermaid (Elena Seaside by Suzi Blu)
Ippity stamps: Sentiment (Fishy Philosophy)
Paper: DP (Daydreams by KandCo)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento), Black (Memories), watercolor pencils (Generals), Copic markers
Other: Rhinestone stickers (Recollections), crystal stickers (Mark Richards), scallop border punch (SU), green ball chain

Thanks for coming by for no reason at all!

*smile*

Cindy (aka Scrapcollectr)

WOYWW83 and a new year

This is what my desk looked like when I finished the card in yesterday's blog post.

In view top left is a blank blue card that I made using my sketch flavor of the month (noticeable in many of my recent card posts)...the snowglobe stamp I used for my holiday cards is still loitering (he really should move on)...just below it is a humongous glue pen that I recently found in my stash that worked great for covering the large space I glittered in yesterday's card...my magnifiers with a yummy bling chain that I picked up a few months ago (so nice to always know where the glasses are, especially with my cluttered desk)...a couple of Suzi Blu Unity girls (love 'em)...and a whole mess of Lawn Fawn stamps.

I've become fond of Lawn Fawn. I've always been skeptical of clear stamps. Thought they weren't weighty enough for a good impression. But I guess I was wrong or they've been improved upon. Lawn Fawn stamps are crisp and clear and what I love, love, love about this type of stamp is that I can see exactly where my image is going. I just don't have that kind of confidence with the unmounted rubber stamps. My sentiments are always a little crooked. I'm resigning myself to the fact that if that bothers me enough I'm going to have to use the Stamp-a-ma-jig to line it up and that's just another step....

Anyway, yesterday I gave a link to Lawn Fawn if you're curious. Really adorable stamps.

If you're new to WOYWW (What's On Your Workspace Wednesday), go here to Julia's blog where you can get a ticket to over 100 crafty desks around the world.

Thanks for dropping by and have a toasty warm day!

Cindy (aka Scrapcollectr)

A New Site for Lawn Fawn Challenges!

Hello... gosh I feel like I've been gone so long, yet it was just one day without creating and posting! I actually felt sluggish yesterday and it wasn't a health issue, it was that I needed my creative fix... *smile*

So today, I made this reckless little winter bunny easel card for the brand new Lawn Fawn challenges blog. It's called Lawnscaping. Check it out. The inaugural challenge is to create a project with a snow theme. I snapped up this Winter Bunny last month because he was just too cute to pass up (and a frugal bargain to boot.) I wanted him to have more than just a solid colored scarf so I paper pieced it from a small print patterned paper. After drawing and cutting out the snow jump, I doused it with glue and chunky glitter for a sparkly effect.

Deets:
Lawn Fawn stamps: Winter Bunny, Fly Free, Critters in the 'Burbs
Paper: Curio pad (Basic Grey)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento), Copic markers
Other: Divine Swirl embossing folder (Cuttlebug), chunky glitter (Magic Scraps), crystal glitter (Ranger), rhinestone stickers (Recollections), foam squares (Ranger)

Somewhere out there is a mommy bunny that's biting her nails while her baby is fearlessly flying off moguls. (I'm sure there are a few of you who can join me in knowing what that feeling is like!)

Thanks for looking and have a toasty day.....

Cindy (aka Scrapcollectr)

Cupcake girl

The night before we left Florida, I suddenly realized that my s-i-l's birthday was around the corner and I needed to dash off a card for her. Gee.... what design could I fall back on? Hmmm, maybe the one I've been using, ad nauseum? (No not really, hee hee.... just used an awful lot.... but like I said, it's so versatile that it compliments any paper type.) I've been hoarding this background paper for so long that I don't remember who makes it. But I love how it's busy enough to dispense with the need for a lot of embellishing. Just some cute little pink sparkly dots in four corners. Watercolor pencils added the softness to the popped up image. The cuteness of this Birthday Girl set by My Favorite Things just bumps up the "adorable" factor of this card. Kinda like playing with dolls again. *smile*

Hope your new year's resolutions are going well!

Cindy (aka Scrapcollectr)

Quilted Love

As you may have noticed from my last few cards, I've used the same sketch over and over again. See... I was able to unlock the code for the perfect dimensions of each rectangle so that they'd fit the card and I can't help but want to see how a variety of papers look this way.

This card is CAS (clean and simple) but I think it's sweet. The watercolor pencils I used caused the paper of the image to warp a little which is serendipity (a happy accident) because it looks like the quilt is blowing in the wind.... *smile* Using twine for the clothesline added just the right little touch. The image and sentiment come from Unity's Dec KOTM. Lots of sales and free shipping going on over there... it's worth a check.

Thanks for dropping by and Happy New Year!

Cindy (aka Scrapcollectr)