MCT 3D Wednesday: Baby Clouds

Happy Halloween!!! Hopefully, the weather isn't too bad where you are so that you and your kids can go our Trick or Treating tonight!

Speaking of treats...

Emma at My Creative Time came up with a TREAT of an idea for the Design Team to share today. In an unexpected twist, today's 3D Wednesday challenge was to create a 3D card!

I LOVE pop-up cards - and they're so easy to make - so naturally, that was my go-to 3D card creation.

This weekend I had the baby shower of a dear friend to go to, and I was in a bit of a hurry. So I checked out Pinterest for some baby shower card ideas and came across this gem. I really loved how simple and classy it was. Of course, when I say I was in a 'bit of a hurry', I mean that I had absolutely no time to make this awesome card and had to pull a random card from my 'stash' that wasn't totally off the subject of baby showers. Yep, I was late.

I still had that card in my head, so I decided to step it up a notch and turn it into a pop-up card!

Click photo for larger view

I used a simple, white card stock base, corner-rounded the bottom edges and paper pierced around the front. The clouds were cut using MCT's Fly Away With Me Dies. I used the Anyday Bingo & Crossword stamp set to stamp my clouds in various pastel colors. The sentiment was stamped from All Star Baby and cut out and matted onto a flag shape. I added a rhinestone for some pizzazz.

On the inside, I added several more clouds (varying their depth with pop dots). Pop-ups are super easy to make! You can view my template on how I make my pop up cards here.

After adding the inside sentiment from All Star Baby, my quick and easy pop-up card was complete. It's clean. It's simple. But it packs a punch! Maybe I'll be ready for the next baby shower, eh?

Be sure to stop by Emma's blog today to see what the other designers have to share with you!

I hope you were inspired!

-Veronica

Scrappy Monday: Smashing Sisters

Have you ever "smashed"? This is my first time.

In fact - I admit that I actually had to Google "Smashbook" to really get a handle on what this new (to me) trend actually is. After watching the fun little video, I realized that it is just what it claims to be. A book that is smashed together.

But is it really that easy? Yes and no.

Yes: You really just have to slap a bunch of stuff on a page. There's no rhyme or reason. It doesn't have to match. The stuff doesn't really have to have anything to do with each other. That's the beauty of it.

No: When K&Company 'smashes' stuff on a page, it looks trendy and artsy. When I slap stuff on a page, it looks messy and cluttered. Or does it?

After creating my page, I brought it to my husband and asked, "Does this look 'smashed' together...but still not embarassing?" We are our own worst critics, I guess.

Click image for larger view

My page is 8.5" x 11" and features photos of the "McCollum" Girls. There's me on the left (about 50 lbs heavier); my sister-in-law, Christina; my sister-in-law, Kim; and my sister, Stacey. When we all get together, a good time is guaranteed!

On my page, I used My Creative Time's Cherish This Moment ("A day to remember...", hands and journaling lines) and Just Simply Live ("Treasure this!", arrows, Polaroid & sentiment die). I also used the Rolled Flower Die on top of a couple pink fabric flowers and embellished with a fun brad from Echo Park's This & That embellishment pack.

The pink rhinestones (Debbie's Dollar find) point your attention to the 'labels' I gave each of the girls. I also added a few extra flowers, some zebra ribbon and tiny mirrors for some added flair.

To be honest, I'm really not quite sure how I feel about Smashbooking. I'm more of a 'stay between the lines' kinda gal. But it was fun to play with!

Thanks for stopping by today. Please check out Emma's blog to see what the other designer's created for today's Scrapping the Little Things.

I hope you were inspired!

- Veronica

MCT Halloween Blog Hop: Trick or Treat

Boo!

Did I scare ya? *giggle*

Halloween is coming up QUICK, so Emma at My Creative Time has enlisted the Design Team to show you some AWESOME Halloween projects today (and yesterday, too!). If you've hopped here from Tracy's blog, you're on the right scary path. If not, mosey on over to Emma's blog to start the Hop from the very beginning.

Click image for larger view

Today I have an EASY PEASY project for you that would be PERFECT for school parties or extra little treats for your kids and their friends besides candy. They'll get enough of that, won't they?

This Trick Tac Toe uses bottle caps as pieces and a simple piece of card stock for a board (laminating the board wouldn't be a bad idea). For the pieces, I stamped and colored the candy from Treats for my Sweet, and stamped the web (green) and spider (black) from the same set onto white card stock. After punch them out with my 1" Circle Punch, I adhered them to the inside of the bottle caps with pop dots. They were then glittered with Star Dust Stickles. Pieces: done.

I created the board in Photoshop and printed it out. I then stamped the bats and kitty from Treats for my Sweet to add some spookiness.

What's that? You love the board? Fabulous! You can download it (absolutely FREE) right here.

Now here comes the fun stuff...

You could win ALL of this!

***GIVEAWAY***

This wouldn't be a party without a FANTASTIC prize .... right? Random.org will pick ONE winner from each day of this Blog Hop (yesterday and today) to win ALL OF THIS! All you have to do is leave your comments for a chance to win everything pictured here! DON'T FORGET to leave us your contact information in your comment just in case YOU are one of the LUCKY winners! You have until Sunday, October 21st at midnight to leave your comments! GOOD LUCK!



**SALE INFO**
We are ALSO having a sale going on RIGHT NOW that will end on Sunday, Oct 21st @ midnight!  Use the code SPOOKY save 20% on your order! Click here to start shopping now!

Thanks for hopping by today. I'm your last stop.

I hope you were inspired!

- Veronica

MCT 3D Wednesday: Altered Run Box

For today's 3D Wednesday at My Creative Time, Emma challenged the Design Team to alter something for our project. I know that I alter a LOT of frames here on VK Create, so I decided I should use something else.

After looking in my stash, I found a pretty pink box that I've saved for a few years - just waiting for the right time to make it fabulous. The box originally held a beautiful, pink Victoria's Secret planner that my in-laws bought me for Christmas in 2009. I knew that one day that sweet little box would be PERFECT for something. And now it is.

Here comes the non-crafty, personal section. If you're here only for crafts, feel free to skip...
*************************************************************************
If you've followed by blog for a little while, you might have come across some of my more personal posts. Namely, about my journey towards a healthy lifestyle. When I made the decision on December 31st, 2011 that 2012 would be MY YEAR to get healthy, I had no idea that would involve running. RUNNING?!?! Only if something was chasing me, I thought. I figured I'd be a Zumba fanatic. Maybe branch out to Yoga. But running was out of the question.

That was until March 1st when I got the guts to sign up for my first 5k race. I had never run a mile in my life. Never. But I was determined to finish the race - running more than walking. And you know what? I ran the whole thing. Of course, I burst into tears as soon as I crossed the finish line. And though most of the race I was asking myself, "why in the WORLD am I doing this?", after catching my breath at the finish, I asked my husband, "When's the next one?".

I completed FIVE 5k races and one 1 "Firecracker Mile" this year so far. And I'm currently training for my first 10k that I'll be running Thanksgiving morning. Do I love running? Not yet. But I LOVE the way I feel when I cross the finish line, or reach home after a morning run. Knowing that I did it. I did what I honestly thought was impossible for me to do.

*************************************************************************
Back to the crafty stuff...

Click photo for larger view. 

I altered this box to store the race 'bibs' (numbers) I've earned this year (and one Top 50 Women medal!). The size is perfect!

I used the Jubilee Cricut Cartridge to cut out the "run while you can" title. The orange layer (with the zebra ribbon) is actually a 'belly band' that keeps the box closed. I stamped the journaling lines from MCT's Cherish This Moment and wrote, "There will be a day when I can no longer do this. Today is not that day." I then cut the funky shape out by hand, matted it on aqua, and cut the shape again - around the white.

In the bottom right corner, I added "Dedication + Motivation = Success" from the Sports Sentiments stamp set. The flag shape was also hand cut and matted. As you can see, my color palette was inspired by my beloved running shoes.

Personal stuff again...
*************************************************************************
If you're wondering how my journey for a healthy life is coming along - it's awesome! I've lost 51 pounds so far and I feel amazing. My energy has skyrocketed and my confidence is building. While I haven't reached my 'goal weight' quite yet, there is a bright, shining light at the end of my tunnel. I'm in the best shape of my life right now. Shopping is fun again (maybe a bit too much fun *giggle*). And when I look in the mirror, I see me. It's been a long time since I could say that.

The photo on the left shows me at 186 lbs.
Photo on the right is me now - a healthy 135!

The down side? I don't really have any recent photos of myself that look like me now. All of my beautiful wedding photos look like someone else. Luckily, the Hubs (who's lost 30lbs, too, I must add) and I are having a photo session this weekend! I can't wait to get some new photos in the house!
*************************************************************************

Thank you so much for stopping by today. If you haven't already, I encourage you to head over to Emma's blog to see what she and the other designers have up their sleeves for today's 3D Wednesday.

I hope you were inspired!

- Veronica

MCT Show Me Your Technique: Masking

Using stamps together to make your own unique scenes is a great way to make your project stand out from the pack. It's also a great way to extend the 'shelf life' of your stamps - making them more versatile for you and therefore, helping you not to get bored with the stamps in your collection.

One way to make your stamps go farther is to use the 'Masking' Technique. With this technique, you create little covers for your images (masks) to allow other images to be stamped around them - giving them a look of belonging together in the scene.

Steps to Masking. Please forgive photo quality - I took pictures of each step with my phone while at a crop.

Steps to Masking

1. Stamp and cut out the masks of the images that need covers. I recommend using a Post-It Note for this step and stamping on the upper/adhesive section. This way, the mask can be lightly adhered to the stamped image and will remain in place as you stamp on top of it.
2. Stamp your first image. The trick here is to start from the front. The image that is in the foreground of the scene should be stamped first.
3. Place your mask directly over your image (this is where the adhesive on the back of the Post-It Note comes in handy.
4. Stamp the second image (this should be the image that is directly 'behind' the first image in the scene).
5. This isn't a step you must complete. I've just shown you in the image that after removing the mask from the small pumpkin, you can now see that the large pumpkin is 'behind' the small one.
6. Apply the mask to the second image (notice that I re-applied the mask to the first here, as well).
7. Stamp the third image.
8. Remove all masks and admire handiwork.

Of course, if you have more than three images, you might need to repeat steps 3-7 again (as many times as necessary).

Click image for larger view

After successfully stamping and masking my scene (created using MCT's Piles of Smiles), I colored it with my Copics. The oval it's stamped on was cut using the Elegant Edges Cricut Cartridge (I used the 'negative' of the scallop oval frame). The green scallop oval was cut using the same cartridge.

All of the layers on the card are popped up and I paper pierced the edges of the small dotted patterned paper layer. The flower was created after being inspired by the flowers I made in this project. I hand-set the green rhinestones into a little flourish shape and cut the flag-shaped sentiment layer after stamping "Autumn Wishes" from Piles of Smiles.

Thank you for stopping by today. Feel free to leave any questions you may have on Masking in the comments below. Be sure to stop by the other blogs in this mini hop to see what fabulous techniques they have up their sleeves!

Cathryn
Cassandra

I hope you were inspired!

- Veronica

MCT Designer Challenge: Fancy Flowers

It's time for another Designer Challenge over at My Creative Time! Today's Challenge host is the very talented Shar from Scrapendipity. She has challenged us to create a card or layout that includes at least three handmade flowers (incorporating gems or buttons) and follows this beautiful color palette she picked out.

Now I'm no stranger to Sky Blue and Chocolate Brown! Most of my house is decorated with those colors. But throwing the yellow in there really took me by surprise. It's such a modern combination.

Click image for larger view

This card is the standard A2 size (4.25" x 5.5"), but it folds at the top. After paper piercing my blue layer, I popped it on top of my brown card base. The yellow layer was dry embossed using the Chevron Embossing Folder by Stampin' Up! The label-shaped frame was cut using the Labels One Nestabilities set by Spellbinders. First, I cut out the white label using the larger die. I distressed the edges of that layer with my Walnut Stain Tim Holtz Distress Ink and Tim Holtz Distress Tool. I then used the same die to cut out a piece of brown. I ran that diecut back through my Big Shot with the next smaller die on it to create the frame.

The flowers are made up of a combination of MCT's Flower Petal Dies, paper flowers by Kaiserscrapbook, and adhesive flowers by K & Company. The Petal Die flowers are cut out of Papertrey Ink felt. Once my flowers were glued/pop dotted together, I adhered small rhinestones to the K & Company flowers for a little sparkle.

I stamped the "Thinking of you" sentiment from MCT's Floral Sentiments onto a piece of white card stock and notched the right edge with my scissors. Of course, a LOT of pop dots were used to complete this project!

Please join me and the other designers in this fabulous challenge by heading over to Emma's blog and entering your project at the end of today's post there! Can't wait to see what you create!

I hope you were inspired!

- Veronica

MCT 3D Wednesday: Button, Button

Halloween is quickly approaching and I've been hard at work decorating inside and outside to prepare for the holiday. Last year was my first time really decorating for Halloween and my decor supply is pretty low. To add to last year's decorations, I've been traveling to my local dollar stores and Salvation Army to find cheap items I can use to spook up the house.

Click photo for larger view

For today's 3D Wednesday, the My Creative Time Design Team was asked to create a 3D project incorporating buttons. Not long ago, I pinned a beautiful letter frame on Pinterest - knowing it would come in handy one day. And it did!

I purchased this frame from Salvation Army for $3. It was a brassy gold. But I knew that with a little black spray paint, this baby would be PERFECT! What is great about this frame is that the 'photo' sits far back in the frame while the glass is pressed against the front. Similar to a shadowbox. I knew that this configuration would allow me to use buttons and STILL have the glass in the frame.

After laying out my buttons on my card stock for a 'dry run', I glued them into place. Of course, I used an "H" for "Halloween", but you could use any letter or even spell out a word (...wouldn't "Boo" be perfect?).

I added the black shadow around the card stock with my Tim Holtz Distressing Tool and some black ink. I also stamped the bats and spider from MCT's Treats For My Sweet.

This colorful frame looks great on our foyer table along with some other Halloween decorations!

Be sure to swing by the My Creative Time blog to see what Emma and the other designers have up their sleeves for today.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you were inspired!

- Veronica