Using LO Sketches for Cards - By Annie Zorzo

Still considering myself a relative new comer to the world of scrapping, I have dabbled very little into the world of card making.  I'm not sure if this is the norm....are scrappers also card makers and card makers also scrappers or does everyone stick to what they know and very rarely do they cross over?

Well today I'm branching out and I thought I would show the scrappers out there that they too can become a card maker by using a LO sketch.  And for the card-makers among you, here's another little tool in your tool box when your grappling for some new inspiration....using a scrappers LO sketch.

Here we go...and you must know that I'm writing this before I've even started.  I've picked this LO sketch from the Scrap N Craft with T Sketch Gallery.  I've choosen it purely because of the tearing along the bottom and the little bits of stitching, two things I love to do.  I have no idea how it will translate onto a card but that's the fun of it isn't it!  Remember, sketches are a starting point, you don't have to add all the elements and you can adjust the orientation and placement of embellishments so it fits you're project.  Also remember that because you're working on a smaller surface, it's a great time to bring out your scraps and use them up.

For my card I used:
some left over scraps from the Fancy Pants About a Girl paper range.
Paper Flowers
Brads
White Gel Pen
Sam & Lucy Teeny Tiny Letter Stickers.

And here is what I came up with:

It's not the prettiest card, but the Fancy Pants About a Girl range lended itself to be quite bold, a bit funky and something that would suit a pre-teen.  To make the card I started with:
1. A strip of green placed along the bottom edge of the card to show through the tear
2. Cut a rectangle from the main paper I wanted to use and made a teared 'V' towards the bottom.
3. Next with a white gel pen, I made stitch lines across the main paper.  The About a Girl paper range has dark lines that I used as a guide rather than use the circle from the sketch.
4. From the About a Girl boarder strips and cards I cut out two phrases to take the place of the photos on the sketch and then cut the star and saying to take the place of the torn lined paper on the sketch.
5. The final touch on the outside of the card, I attached some layered paper flowers with brads and some cross stitch marks with a white gel pen.
6. And lastly for a sentiment on the inside of the card I used the Sam & Lucy Teeny Tiny Letters.

So there you have it, a card made from a LO sketch.  The pinnacle of card making might still be a little out of reach for this self-proclaimed scrapper, but it's a starting point for other like-minded scrappers out there to dabble in card making.....particularly with christmas coming up.  Now that's an idea....I'm going to challenge all of you out there to use this sketch or another LO sketch from the Scrap n Craft with T Sketch Gallery and make some Christmas Cards.  Have a go and show us what you come up with in the Gallery, we'd love to see it.

So off you go, get card making, scrapping or go and enjoy your Sunday with the family.  I hope it's warm and sunny where-ever you are.

Fancy Pants "About a Girl" papers - A layout by Annie Zorzo

Do you have beautiful girls in your family....but don't like PINK?  If you do and you are, you sound like me.  I find it so frustrating when I go to buy my girls clothes and all I can find is pink, pink and more pink, so despite my dislike of pink I've been forced to embrace it.  So this week I decided to make a layout about the colour I dislike most and the one that makes up the majority of my endless rounds of washing.

I didn't want this layout to be too structured, so I mixed alot of different techniques and elements to give a bit of a different feel.  To make this layout you'll need.
* Fancy Pants "About a Girl" papers - Rosalie, Olivia, Kenley & Striped Girl
* Letter stickers - American Craft Thickers & Making Memories Mini Alphas
* Chipboard - 2 Crafty Tree, Grass and birds
* Mesh Ribbon
* Green Tara Paper String
* Mini Clothes Pegs - from a craft shop
* Versa Colour Inks
* Twinklets Diamond Dust and Black Glitter
* Flower sprays
* Paint
* Thread

1.  First mix up some hot pink paint and splash it onto the dark side of Rosalie paper, which will become your base paper, and leave to dry

2. Tear some side pieces out of the base paper and on the exposed torn edges, ink with varying shades of pink ink.  I've used Opera Pink and Cinnamon Versa Colour.  Position "About a Girl" Kenley paper at the back and cut around the holes so you can keep the majority of the paper for another project.

3.  Start stitching around the whole edge of the Rosalie base paper with pink thread.

4.  I usually add my title last but as the American Craft Thickers I wanted to use are larger than what I would normally go for, I added my title next to make sure everything else would balance.  And as my photos is of clothes on the washing line, I also wanted my title to look they were on a washing line too.  To make the line, I took some hot pink mesh ribbon and twisted it with double sided tape on the inside to make the twist stick.  I then stapled this onto the base papers and attached the letters with mini clothes pegs.

5.  Then to attach my photo, I coloured some Green Tara Paper Ribbon with Versa Colour Ink (Tanyah has pink ribbon in the shop...I just didn't have any!!), tied it to the "O" in the title and stapled the other end to the base papers.  I then attached the photo with more mini clothes pegs.

6.  Finally with my embellishments, I wanted them to embrace the pink theme as well and then arranged in the bottom left hand corner.

• From "Striped Girl" I cut the pink and green spot scalloped strip, cut into sections and used the reverse side as well
• Cut a piece of hot pink mesh ribbon 
• Inked some 2Crafty Grass chipboard in varying green Versa Colour inks - bringing in some green from the photo and balancing out the use of pink.
• Inked a 2 Crafty Tree chipboard in pink Versa Colour ink and added Diamond Dust and Black Glitter.
• Cut the pink flowers of a flower spray and attached them to the tree.
• Covered another chipboard bird with "Olivia" paper.

And there you have it - a layout with the Fancy Pants "About a Girl" papers where I have embraced my inner pink!

Have a go at making a layout about the colour you like least and with an unconventional photo.  We'd love to see what you come up with in the gallery .

Enjoy your long weekend Sunday and hope the sun is shining where-ever you are.

Layout using Fancy Pants 'My Family' range

Last week I created a Fathers Day card using the Fancy Pants 'My Family' range so this week I've decided to create a layout using the same range. 

Materials used:

• cardstock
• Fancy Pants 'My Family' range
• flower sprays
• buckle
• alphas  - Ruby Rock-it Distressed Alphas and tiny milk chocolate alpha stickers.

Tip:  use the buckle with a strip of paper instead of ribbon.

 
Getting more out of your paper...
In this layout I have matted the photo, the patterned paper under the photo and the journalling card.
You may think that I would have used a couple of sheets of cardstock to do this but it has all come from one sheet of cardstock.

I know many of you probably already do this but for those who don't... this photo shows the areas I have cut out from the back of the cardstock. 

Hope everyone has a great day!

Happy crafting...xxxooo

Father's Day card using Fancy Pants 'My Family' range.

With Father's Day soon upon us, I thought I'd make a Father's Day card from the Fancy Pants 'My Family' range.  These papers are great for family themed projects but they are also perfect for masculine projects.

I've made the card to look like a wallet (well hopefully that's what it looks like). 
I have used:

• Cardstock
• Fancy Pants 'My Family Range'
• Paper string
• tiny alpha stickers

The source of my inspiration came from a quote I found while searching for a nice sentiment to put inside the card...
"A father is someone who carries pictures in his wallet where his money used to be."

I have used an 8x 10 inch piece of red cardstock, scored at 3.5inches and folded up from the bottom.
I used scraps of patterned paper to line the inside of the wallet and to make a small pocket.  I used some machine stitching around the edges to help it look like a real wallet.

Don't forget to add a handwritten note for Dad, or the pocket could be used to hold a gift card or voucher.

This is a great way to tell Dad how much you care and to use up your leftover bits and pieces of paper...and don't forget there is still 25% off all papers during the month of August!

Happy creating and have a great day!!