Friday, June 17, 2016

Road Trip - USA! Blog Hop

Welcome to the
http://scrapsbygracie.blogspot.com/2016/06/road-trip-usa-blog-hop.html
Blog Hop.

Today's hop is all about traveling this great country of ours and all the crafty projects are inspired by that travel theme.

We've got a bit of everything for you today, so be sure to stop by each blog and leave a little love in the form of a comment. One comment will be chosen from all those left on the hop by June 30th for a Stampin' Up prize pack and the winner will be announced on next month's hop.

And hereeeee's MY actually my daughter's with a bit of my help project!

Here, in California at least in the southern part of the state, at some point in a student's Elementary School Career notice how I capitalized that, to show it's importance?, the student must do a California Mission Project. Instead of creating a replica, my daughter without my urging... believe it or not chose to do a... SCRAPBOOK! Squeee!!!!!

(When my older girls were younger, my mom was kind enough to take them to visit one... Luckily, this time around, I was fortunate enough to be able to actually go!) And so... my daughter was given one that was more towards the Central region of the State of California. And I'd never been there... or to any California Mission for that matter!

Hello, La Purisima... in Lompoc, California! We went up on Good Friday (2015). Yes... they were open. Afterall, Missions ARE Catholic! The weather was perfect too bad our hotel wasn't... and YES! I did a complete review on YELP!

Missions are widely known for their bells... So what better photo opp than the Bell Tower, itself?
The cemetery is overlooked by the Bell Tower. Most graves are unmarked, as they are occupied by Native Americans Indians. The Native Americans' families who had not converted to Christianity/Catholicism would often come and try to reclaim their dead, so as to given the deceased soul/body a "proper" burial in their own rite. And so... the Mission Fathers would leave the grave unmarked, so the were not easily identified.
I used my handy-dandy Bind-It-All for this project. Don't judge... it's just a tad bit complicated to let the kiddo attempt it to get it right.
She chose some really great antique-type papers that coordinated well. (Love that kid!) And she typed in and cut out all of her titles.
Here is the Church... Missions are famous for their beauty, as well.
And this is the purchased cover. Love that the pages just "slide" into the cover! (Tuesday Morning bargain price of $2.49!!!!)
She chalked it up... then blended it, to give it a Native American "pottery"-type look. Um. K. That was my suggestion... You guessed it!
Then applied Mod Podge in a hashtag stroke first one way and then the other, if you don't get that... to make it appear semi-like canvas.
And the finished result!!! Of course she got an "A!" She is my kid, after all...

Where did your road trip take you? Don't forget to comment... and visit all my pals. Up next is Anna! Thanks for visiting!

Here's the lineup... so you don't go off the road too much!:
Theresa scrapsbygracie.blogspot.com
Sharon http://piece-ofheart.blogspot.com
Alicia http://goldengoddessdesigns.blogspot.com/
Kim www.katydidcards.com
Connie http://conniecancrop.blogspot.com
Amanda http://salnclts76.blogspot.com
Lisa http://lisaslittlerascals.blogspot.com
Anna http://grumpygrandmacreations.blogspot.com/
Jearise http://lorbysworld.blogspot.com
CADC DT cardadaychallenge.blogspot.com

Friday, June 10, 2016

Ships Ahoy! Blog Hop

If you are here for the A Year of Card Techniques - June's Post, please go HERE, or you can check it all out. We'd love to have you!

Welcome to the 
Ships Ahoy! Blog Hop

Thank you for joining us as we set sail for a hop full of nautical fun!

You should have sailed in from Vicky's Blog. If not the Captain, Connie Can Crop, is the first stop in this hop. This is a one day blog hop and we appreciate your leaving a comment for all of these amazing crafters.

We have a WONDERFUL sponsor this month!!

 

One lucky winner will win their choice of 3 files from their shop! 
Be sure to check out their shop online HERE
Visit them on facebook HERE

What do you need to do to win? Easy... become  a follower of each of the fabulous blogs in this hop and leave each of them a comment letting them know what you like best about their projects.

You will have until 10 pm Sunday to finish the hop and leave your comments.

Winner will be announced on Wednesday 6/22/16 at Connie Can Crop.

Be sure to follow everyone and leave a comment along the way!
 
Raise those anchors and batten down the hatches as we embark on this great adventure! All aboard!
 
And so... if you possibly read my "other" blog post from today... You'd know I've been extremely busy... Who hasn't? and (at this point, you  really should be scrolling back up to the link... or scrolling down on my blog [to the previous post of the day] to see what the heck I'm talking about... hint, hint.. You'd ALSO know we were working on step-cards this month in A Year of Card Techniques. Whelpers... I loved it SO much, that I thought I'd do it for this one, too! Watch out friends and family... Step-Cards are my new favorite! Guess what kind of card you'll probably be getting...

I scored notice I'm still loving the blues? Especially since it' "like" summertime here (and everywhere) kinda oceanic... it... JUST like the video told me to!

And then... I over-sliced it with my paper trimmer. Be sure to follow the instructions!

And it folds... just like so! Love the aerial views...
A closer view... Loving these folds!!!

Created another "border" with my Explore Air... then chopped it up again... (obviously, it's a "ships ahoy!" theme, and I happened to be having a teacher I know leaving us... and setting sail! Whatever works, right?)

The view from above shows me my adhesive will make each fold stick... had to trim the ships' insides

And the ships kinda overlapped on folded waters. But that's ok! Right?
Ok... It now looks kinda cool from the aerial view. I like it!


Added sentiment... Simple. Again...

And there she blows! Super Duper SIMPLE! And easy. Look, Ma! No Ink!!! All set for a teacher who's going away! to have a blast and leave us forever... I just hope she comes back to share her adventures with us!

 Up next is Sarah! And have a look-sy at where she's going!
Here's our line up in case you get lost at sea:

A Year of Card Techniques - (June) Step Cards

If you are here for the Ships Ahoy! Blog Hop, please go HERE, or you can check it all out. We'd love to have you!

Welcome to...
It's month six of our year long adventure into different card-making techniques, folds and paper crafting products. We hope you got the chance to hop with us each month.

It's not to late to hop and comment to be entered into our prize drawing. If you missed any of the previous months, you can click on the month to be taken directly to the start of that month's hop.
January HERE
February HERE
March HERE
April HERE
May HERE

This month, we will be creating step cards and you won't want to miss the amazing and fun cards we've got for you today.

We really love feedback, so please leave a comment on each of the blogs in today's hop. Each comment on the 12 hops throughout the year will be entered into a drawing for a $25 Blitsy.com or Stampin' Up gift certificate (Winner's Choice).

Now on with the projects. Here's mine...

So... I had all of these examples to check out. But... since May through June are TOTALLY crazy-buzzy-busy for me (think end of year at my school, my kid's school, and end of season for high school swimming, and full of qualifiers for year-round swimming)... I'm kinda full. So... I opted for the simplest: Amy Kunkle! Seriously. So super easy. (And I watched so much more from her channel after this... I subscribed! Yes, Amy Kunkle! I am stalking your YouTube channel!!!!)

The 11-year-old was having  "promotion". Actually, it was physically yesterday... I jumped on it and decided to have my card do double-duty not doo-dy. lol. I did a simple step card, with an aqua turquoise/whatever the **** you want to call it! base,

Added a line-up of dolphins (she loves dolphins!) that I cut with my Explore Air totally was a border, but I chopped it up! But just fyi... the folds were a little deep, so I adhered my swimming buddies a little higher than the creases, and let the dolphins "fly" on the waves.


Followed through with a sentiment about "jumping" and a tad of "congrats", and let her rip. Super simple! Isn't it? Not even a speck of ink on this card or any other elements. Simple. Simple... SIMPLE!

And btw... she is beyond thrilled that her card is being used for this post... Dunno why... I think she thinks it kinda makes her famous or something? What she doesn't realize maybe is that I'm not even famous! Not even sure there are many people that read MY blog. And that's okay...  

Really truly, go back and check out that video. I loved it so much I used it for another post (also posting later today!). And, so you follow through and are eligible for a wack at the prize... Today's Line-up: