OCC: Frame It Up!

Hi papercrafting pals!

I hope your Saturday weather is starting out better than ours today. In the Puget Sound area of Washington, its raining but warm the perfect combination for a bad hair day. Guess that's my cue to stay inside and do some papercrafting!

This week Susan is our host and is throwing down a fun challenge - Frames!

At first I didn't think this would be too hard but as I started sorting through my ideas, I realized it would be more of a challenge than it seemed. There were so many options to consider and so many different ways to create a frame. In the end, I settled on a sweet little box with two layered chipboard frames as the focal point for the top. 

I've made this box a few times and one of these days I'll actually take photos of the steps along the way but the process I used to make this box is roughly based on this video from Tresa Black. A few of Tresa's videos on YouTube were ultimately how I began this life in papercrafting.

I stamped the box base with a Martha Stewart flower clear stamp set called "Camilla" using Versa Magic Dew Drop ink in Pretty Petunia.

For the top, I used Adirondack Metallics paint in Pearl with the same stamp set. They've made it really easy to stamp with paint by adding a dauber at the top of the paint bottle. You just dab the stamp evenly with paint, stamp and then clean right away with water. The result is this beautifully subtle silvery impression. You can see it here on the top. I stamped the "Live Your Bliss" first with a dye ink, let it dry and then stamped the flowers over the top.

A little paper flower and some tulle shoved in between the two frame layers and there you go!

So take a stab at it this week and create a project with the frame as the focal point. I think you'll enjoy the process as much as the result. Take a look at what the other OCC designers have come up with:

Linda Coughlin The Funkie Junkie

Vicki Burdick It's a Stamp Thing

Sue Butler Scrumplescrunch

Anita Houston The Artful Maven Haven

Anne Marie Hile Stampin' Anne

Wendy Janson It's All About Stamping

Marcy Kaminski En Papillote Arts

Irena Kowalczyk (aka Rudlis) Love, Life and Crafts

Meihsia Liu Simply Paper Crafts

Tui Nathan Stampin Time

Lori Rider The Diva Stamper

Kristin Tierney Lilly Beth Boutique

Sharon Wheet Designs by Sharon 

I cant' wait to see what you come up with!

Holly

OCC: Haul Out the Holly

Happy first-Saturday-of-December! I could not be more thrilled that the Christmas season has finally come. Christmas is by far my most favorite time of the year so I am savoring every moment between now and December 25th.


This week on Our Creative Corner, Wendy Janson is hosting a fun sketch challenge for us all.


Check it (as Cath from Moxie Fab World would say):

And here's my take on this sketch:

I think lavender is one of those unexpected holiday colors and snowflakes are a perfect compliment. Isn't it pretty along with the glitter?

I took a 3"x3" square of Amethyst Core'dinations Gemstone cardstock, used my fingers to spread a bunch of glue around it to cover the surface and then with Martha Stewart's Crystal glitter. Then I dry embossed the snowflakes on a piece of white cardstock and then used a Sizzix Sizzlit snowflake die to punch out the large snowflake shape. After the glitter had dried, I adhered it to my card base in the area where the punched out snowflake would be. On another piece of Amethyst cardstock, I stamped my PTI sentiment and then mounted it to the dry embossed piece. 

Using foam tape, I mounted the whole thing to my cardstock and BAM! I was done. This card is ideal for giving to someone in person or with a gift basket because of the dimensional aspect. 

So now its your turn. See what you can do to "decorate" this sketch! To get your ideas rolling, take a look at what the other designers on our team have made.

Linda Coughlin

Lori Rider

Wendy Janson

Vicki Burdick

Sharon Wheet

Jen Rzasa

Kristen Tierney

Anne Marie Hile

Marjie Kemper

Tui Nathan

Have a great week! Only 22 days until Christmas!

Holly