A few days in Mammoth Lakes

We left Tarzana yesterday around 12:30 and had a beautiful drive up albeit very, very windy.  Too windy to stop for pictures.  It started to snow and by this afternoon we had about 8 new inches of powder.   Didn't bring any projects up with me, just some knitting to finish and so I decided to fiddle with the blog layout but I think I need help to customize it a bit.  Is there a Blogger for Dummies out there?   Maybe tomorrow we'll be able to get out for a bit to enjoy the snow.  I have a bunch of cards to post when we get back unless i can figure out how to access and post from ipad. Here is a pic from this morning, now it is grey and windy.

Seeing Green in Ireland

Just back, but still jet lagged, from a week in Ireland.  My California desert adjusted eyes couldn't get enough of the green and I hope you will enjoy these photos.  Can't wait to scrap them but first I need to weed out since I took over 400 pics.  None of these are adjusted or cropped.

Muckross House, Killarney

Ring of Kerry

PIXIE DUST ARK BABY CARD

My Niece had her baby in June and here it is almost the end of August and I have just now finished the card and the present.  When I started the card in June  I wanted to see if I could get the image into the Cameo so I wouldn't have to cut it by hand. I was able to do that but it was a process( for a later blog).  I had also ordered some adorable onesies from Fab.com but they still haven't arrived!  So card not made, presents not sent. 

Then to the rescue came this blog post, (now removed 2016)  http://mrsweyremaster.blogspot.com/search/label/Pixie%20Dust%20Studio

Suzie McKenzie  had taken the digital image and colored it in PS and then printed it onto iron on transfer paper. Wow, make digi images into iron on images,  what a great idea!  My problem was that I had already colored the image with Copics and had no idea how to use Photoshop elements to color like Suzi did.   So, I took a photo, edited it in PSE and then printed it onto the transfer paper. I used the erase tool to get rid of the background and did some color correction.  Then I printed and went to iron it on.   Lets just say the second one came out perfectly.  They don't tell you to CUT AROUND the image....

Well it is finally done and I am so happy with how it came out.  Thank you Suzi  for your great idea!

I will use this idea again as it really isn't too difficult and it is such a personal gift.

            I changed the roof to thatch and used Copics and Copic        
Multiliners.  There are so many colors in the roof
but it is hard to tell from my photo. 
 I double backed the giraffe head so he wouldn't get damaged.

The papers are all from my stash as is the button.  
The natural twine in the button is May Arts.

-------------Supplies--------------

Bazzill cardstock

CLEANING OUT SUPPLIES WEEKEND

I always wait for a weekend when my hubby is away so I can make a total mess and clean up.

So, that's what I did on this extremely hot weekend.  Got the dog out early, did some chores and then it was time to get down to business.  One of the things I cleaned out was almost a years worth of kits from Club Scrap from when I first started scrapping and I realized, I NEVER scrap or make cards from kits.  It is a wonderful resource if you can work with prepared kits but I can't.

So, I took all those kits, which I had nicely stored in plastic envelopes, and separated them out into their components.  Printed paper, card stock, vellum etc.  Some of the printed card stock was so dated.  Who would of thought that craft supplies would look as dated as old clothes!

Well they do, but the backsides are perfectly plain and usable.   Anything I felt I couldn't use I put in a box to give away.   Same thing with stickers.  I used to use a gazillion of them (remember Creative Memories?) in my scrapbooks, and  looking back on those early albums, they look good but its not how I am scrapping now.  Thanks to the Cameo I don't have to constantly buy stickers so those also got stashed in a more effective way, file folders by category, and a whole lot got put into the give away box.   I actually ended up with three empty paper cubbies and some extra room on one storage shelf, and I only used supplies I had on hand.  

The only thing I did purchase were these really neat Post It clear plastic envelopes which are perfect for storing left over die cuts.  I have them in an old wood box at the moment and can store them right on the shelf with my Big Shot. 

All in all, a very productive weekend (it feels even better than cleaning out my closet) and I have refreshed my memory of what supplies I have on hand.

Newly organized sticker storage.

                                     
                                               

Wow, three empty paper shelves. Hmm...

                                 

Excellent storage option for a variety of things

very compact storage for left over die cuts

   -------------------------supplies-----------------------

Martha Stewart Home Office Avery Labels

Penny Black Double the Trouble Challenge

Well this is a first for me, my very first challenge and I hope you like it.  I

colored the image with Copics first (while I was vacationing in Mammoth)

 and then had to match the papers when I got home.  I was lucky in

having the Basic Grey Kissing Booth Paper which picked up the

colors nicely.

Penny Black Bubbly, Flowers Sweet and Words Express

I'm not much of a bow maker but I managed to

get it tied and attached!

Copic Coloring at Altitude, Mammoth Lakes CA

We are up in the Eastern Sierras for a week enjoying the beautiful, cooler weather, hiking and biking.  Aside from our aged labrador having breathing problems it has been very relaxing.  When we come up here I usually bring all my copics and a lot of images to color, no paper, cardstock or card making stuff as it is just too much. The most important thing to remember when using your Copics at altitude is to remember to open them from BOTH ends at the same time the first time you use them.  That way the pressure equalizes and you don't get ink blobbing all over your paper.   Here are a couple of coloring projects that I have worked on and will make into cards when I get home.  

Justinklined Poppy Corner

Here is a detail.  

Justinklined Gardener's Harvest

I have left the wheelbarrow uncolored for now since I may want to 

co-ordinate with a paper.

The reds are better in the original but I am pretty happy with the way this

turned out.  It was hard to get the bluish tint to the 

large cabbage leaves.

And last but not least a pic of the boats at Lake George a few days ago. 

I was hoping to get a photo of the Momma Bear that comes around

to steal fish from the fishermen on an almost daily basis.  

I walked around the whole lake but no luck.

HAPPY HEXAGON BIRTHDAY CARD

I started making cards last December and while I just love it, I am ALWAYS behind schedule and frantically trying to create late at night (not a good idea for me) or early in the morning before the day gets crazy.  However, I have actually managed to finish my daughter's birthday card EARLY.  This was a perfect opportunity to use Papertreyink's happy hexagon cover plate die.  I selected My Mind's Eye Evangeline paper and sprinkled it though out the card.

PTI's Double Ended Banner Die and a MME brad completed the front.

The colors aren't good in my photo but the brad matches the Kraft paper perfectly (doesn't look like it does it)

Inside:

The large hexagon was cut on the Cameo.

So glad this is done with plenty of time to spare.  Now I have to finish coloring the baby card I started weeks ago! sigh.