Something other than cards!

Most of the time I make cards because it is quick, easy and rewarding! Then along comes a challenge to knock me out of my comfort zone. I learned to make these Jr. Legal pad folios via a VSN challenge. VSN is a periodic event at SCS designed to get people stamping, out of their comfort zone, and for entertainment. Anyway, I learned to make these notepads and took them to school. Some of the women I work with really liked them and asked me to make them some to use as gifts. So, I made them. I was very busy crafting these the last two weeks of school. Some of these I made for sketch challenges or inspiration challenges. Others I made based on previous cards that I had made and liked. This one is based on a former card.

This one I just made from some designer paper I had recently ordered. The set I used coordinates with the paper. I wanted to have my bird coming off of the top panel. I embossed it on vellum and then colored the back side of the vellum. It was hard to get the images embossed well on the vellum. I don't know if it was the Versamark pad that news re-inking or the embossing gun which died a few weeks later!
If I had it to do over again, I would stamp the sentiment a bit lower, so that the branch didn't overlap it. Maybe later! I also really like how the branches turned out when I added Crystal Effects to the berries. Fun stuff, but really hard for me to wait for it to dry!



This folio wasn't made for any particular challenge. I just really like the paper. I used a technique called paper tole where I cut out about three different flowers from the designer paper and layered them (various pieces of the flower) to achieve some dimension. I mimicked the background paper on my focal image with some pink polka dots and jazzed up the dp by using my Sakura Clear Star gel pen on it!








This folio was created for an inspiration challenge on SCS and used a sketch that I used on a wedding card that is just one of my favorites!!! I altered my own sketch this time to use up all of that space on the front of a folio by moving my flower to the left. I painted it with Angel Wings Shimmerz. This stuff is fabulous. I made my flower a little more stiff, fine by me. I also had to add a circle to the center to keep the rhinestone brad from getting lost in all that flower!






I used a sketch from the ladies at Our Creative Corner to flesh this one out. I also dug into some ancient papers I have laying around. I used my old Simply Scrappin' kit for the flower, bee, vine border and background paper. I love this one so much, I think I will have to make an extra, just to have one around!

The self-adhesive silver pearls are really fun, but on the next one I might just add some colored bling. One of my favorite things to do these days is custom color clear rhinestones with Sharpies. I love that I can really match things up. And instead of wasting the bling, if the color is not right, I wipe it off with some StazOn Cleaner!


Here is the original that I made for VSN! I used my Uhity on this one a) because it worked so well and b) because I wanted to be able to submit it for SCS challenges that week. Who knew how big this was going to get for me? I took it to work and got a couple of orders out of it! Love that! I made a couple others that I just didn't get photos of. That is alright though, I'm sure that you have seen enough!

Too many photos here to list the details, but they are all in my SCS gallery! As always, products used are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise posted!