July 30th Saturday Showcase; Ciao Bella Paper- Underwater Love

    It's another Saturday Showcase! Lyla here, taking you into another cool project with a very cool product; Ciao Bella Paper with a sweet summery theme: Underwater Love! Like many others, I pass over paper after simply glancing at the photos since I know what usually will work as far as color shades with a planned project. But even as I passed over this particular paper, something kept drawing me back to it; there was just something about that particular shade of blue... aside from the 'flowery' images that I usually don't care much for. Wow, wow, WOW; was I set up to be surprised! No sooner had Tim Holtz come out with the newest shade of Distress Ink, Unchartered Mariner, than it began to click together; that beautiful shade of blue was the same in Underwater Love! And more surprise was in store for me once I got the latest 'happy mail' from The Funkie Junkie Boutique. This paper is not only beautiful, double-sided, and very sturdy (I'm even going to go as far to say it's as sturdy as Tim Holtz's newer Kraft Stock), it's a pleasing perfect match for the Unchartered Marine Distress Oxide! Follow along with me and see if you agree!

This project is using the Eileen Hull Folio Journal Die 

and Eileen Hull compatible thin die sets as shown in photos below.

The 'star' of this Showcase is the Ciao Bella Underwater Love 12x12 Paper.

The camera simply does not do the colors in the photos enough justice.

We're talking a beautiful shade of blue, & I've put my Unchartered Mariner Oxide Ink

into the middle of the double-sided papers so you can compare with your own.

I fell in love with the 'wood' as well as the 'map' papers and there are 2 of each!

The other side of the stack is just as pleasing, but to get better views than this,

you really need to see it here: 

Ciao Bella - Underwater Love 12x12 Paper Pad

(BONUS: It's on SALE for $10.00 !!)

Here's one of the 'wood' sheets, so I chose it for my outside with one of the 'map' sheets

for the inside. Normally, I am one of those who insists on putting another cardstock in between

these layers, just for stability. Not this time; this Underwater Love stock is all that's needed!

I did my normal opposite layering (left blue to right blue then left wood to right wood)

since it always gives a good spine. I did use my usual Glossy Accents for adhering.

I also had a plan for the leftover strip up there at the top of this photo...you'll see.

After getting the outside and inside covers together, I chose a plain ribbed white ribbon for closure.

A 'slice' of that wood leftover became a sweet board to overlay onto the spine- inside and out.

It hid the holes as well as secured the closing ribbon.

I got out the compatible Eileen Hull Thin Die Set Page Pocket and Flowers

to cut pages and corner pockets. The leftover pieces of stock were cut into one-inch strips

just short of the length for the pages; for use in making the pages into tuck pockets themselves. 

Next, I used the other 2 compatible Eileen Hull Thin Die Sets. 

(Card Waterfall /Tags and Bookbinding/Label) for waterfall pages, the tags I planned to fill several pockets with, and the binding for the pages to layer onto. 

Then it was time for the assembly of all the inside.

I gave all the edges and corners (including the cover)

a bit of the TH Unchartered Mariner Oxide Ink, and heat dried everything.

I'm showing how I put together my pages to form a pocket in the middle of them.

This page above, was to have nothing else on the outside.

Others will have tuck pockets on the outside lower corners.

You can see in the next pic, how I added the corner tuck spots before putting the pages together.

Making the top-to-bottom waterfall pages were easy.

I inked them up all around the edges and that Unchartered Mariner just PERFECTLY matched!

I used ALL the pages except for one: the mermaid/secrets page.

I did have plenty of leftovers even after cutting more tags than I initially had.

That 12x12 stack went pretty far!

Now, my only problem was to figure out what I wanted on the front of the entire book.

Flowers? Nah. Tim's Paper Dolls? Much as I love them...nah.

More wood cuts stacked up. Nah.

Everything I suggested got flat-out rejected by my ArtMuse.

A memory came out of nowhere, along with a voice in my head saying

"Less is more. Less is more!"

The memory is so peaceful: my favorite Happy Place...

I spied the bag of Tim Holtz goodies I have for a future project on my desk.

The package of TH IdeaOlogy Window Frames caught my eye.

Why not?

So I went to my computer, looked up the date to find 

that set of photos and found IT- the perfect shot.

After printing it out on regular white cardstock, I laminated it with clear shelf paper.

I used only one thing on the Window Frame: Distress Crayon in Speckled Egg all around the edges.

And it looked simple and simply amazing to me!

This is where that one strip of wood went to... cute, eh?

Some of the other 'wood' and fish paper...

... and more of the other side of these papers.

These are probably my favorite designs of the Underwater Love 12x12 Ciao Bella Paper.

You can find products I've used by clicking these links:

Ciao Bella - Underwater Love 12x12 Paper Pad

Sizzix Scoreboards XL Die - Folio Journal by Eileen Hull

Eileen Hull Page Pockets & Flowers Die

Eileen Hull Bookbinding & Label Die

Eileen Hull Waterfall Pages & Tags Die

Ranger Inkssentials Glossy Accents

Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Pad - Uncharted Mariner

Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Crayons (Speckled Egg)

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Baseboards Window Frames

Tim Holtz Tonic Studios Kushgrip Snip w/Non-Stick Blade & Cap 7"-Small

White Cardstock

Clear Contact Paper

White Ribbed Ribbon from Stash

I hope you've enjoyed Saturday Showcase for this last Saturday of July

as much as I enjoyed making this folio.

Be sure to check out The Funkie Junkie Boutique Challenge Blog; "Scotch It Is!" 

and get your entry in- you have until Tuesday at 11:55pm!

This new album will have some really good fillers:

I'll have plenty of space for photos of this year's vacation at Memaw's & Papaw's House!

Until next time...

Stay Safe &

HAPPY BLOGGING!

The Funkie Junkie Boutique Challenge #15... Scotch it is!... The Occupied Octopus

       We just passed our 38th Wedding Anniversary on July 14th. In June, we celebrated 40 years of being a couple together. I always loved summer break and that's why we were married on a beautiful summer evening at 6:30 in 1984. My, but we were still kids at ages 18 & 21. I've laid off the makeup since then, my hair got much lighter blonde (probably sun-bleached) and I've enjoyed more sunning for bronzer skin over the years, too. Summer is still my 'thing'! It's still Summer right now, folks! I deplore the idea that Summer is 'almost over' just because your local schools announce their starting dates. I'm very much the old-fashioned thinking that school should begin after Labor Day and end by Memorial Day- in entirety (graduation and all). Our Boomer Generation grew up like that and look at all the things we managed to build. Even all the years I worked in our own school system's classrooms; I felt this weigh on my mind heavily since ours followed "The 100 Days" rule that made both semesters include a full 100 days. Thank GOD they went to all day Kindergarten after I "retired" because that is another beef with me. My own Kids choose as they wish for my Grandbabies, but I still feel babies under 5 belong at home for the most hours of a day. I'm mollified with the fact that their Preschool hours and Daycare hours do fall well below the full day of kindergartens. My own 2 boys were never in any kind of preschool or day away type of thing, as we never had any kind of outside help once I stayed at home after Brett was born (I worked until Brian was almost 3 yrs old). Yet both in accelerated classes, were early readers, and absolutely loved to read. I whole heartedly allowed Teachers to use that blessing in order to help others who fell below the averages. This gave our boys early experience in being helpful to others- one that serves them very well to this day! Our Daughters are also both high achievers with each having a college degree yet balancing the act of staying home with children full time- not a feat for the faint of heart. I did both (as did they- Ashley finishing her bachelor's degree and Holli teaching HS English Lit) working with one baby till the next came along. From then on, I was "at home". Those quotes are soooo misgiving! I was home, in the car, at the grocery, in the park, at the school, at all the Scout activities, at all the games, at all the Band practices, at the homes of their friends for drop-offs/pick-ups. You get the idea: not once was "at home" actually about being AT HOME, let alone sitting down for any length of time. I never once saw one soap opera. And for almost all of those things; the ChiefHubby and I actually led them, so we always had more than just our own 2 kids. I was even the first female to coach a YMCA Flag Football Team. Staying at home is MUCH harder than most people think, and definitely; it is not for everyone. You're on call 24/7/365 and there are NO "days off" since your job happens to be where you also are "off" at. You learn that there are always interruptions, and nothing- NO THING - gets totally finished... at all. And now I'm a Memaw. Not much has changed, other than going back and forth to our kids' homes instead of only being at my own. But: I would not trade my life for anything in this world!!! If there's one thing, I am changing at all, it's being there for my Daughters- to give them a break the way the ChiefHubby and I never had anyone to give us time away. I'm still juggling everything, just different things to keep in the air all at the same time, without dropping any, lol! We're currently in Ohio for the annual People to People Retreat, camping along with 3 sets of Besties. While the internet has not been as kind to me for getting this out, I can only hope to try again (and again and again...) to get it all loaded up to the internet before I leave home. Right... *sigh*

   With all that in mind, you can see where my ArtMuse was led in creating this latest make. I'm going to give you the actual description for this newest Funkie Junkie Boutique Challenge; "Scotch it is!" since it's definitely something that's never crossed my mind doing- even as a close Irish lass! Suzz is leading this one and she googled what July 27th is and it came up as National Scotch Day. She goes on to say "Why not be inspired by Scotch? I am going to take great liberties with this and say you can be inspired by Scotch in any way you want to interpret it including and not limited to: tape, plaid, liquor or any way you are inspired by the word Scotch. Make sure to share with us how you were inspired!"

                                                       So let's get started!

I started with Eileen Hull's Waterfall & Tags Die in order to have the right sized tag.

Then ran the chosen papers (Ciao Bella's Underwater Love and Tim Holtz's Kraft Stock- Cool) 

through my Big Shot for the tag shapes. I ran the TH Kraft Stock (a light greenish) through a

a second time using the Tim Holtz Simple Plaid Thinlit Die.

*This is my chosen use of Scotch It Is! requirement.

This is the finished background for the tag- both sides look the same for now.

If you've seen the movies "Finding Nemo" and "Finding Dory",

then this will look familiar to you: the grate that is leading to the outside!

I love how the Simply Plaid Thinlit cuts so precisely like plaid, yet it can be clipped apart

in several ways to create a lot of other shapes for other uses beyond plaid!

Then I got out Tim's Sea Life Stamps (one of my fave sets) and took out the Octopus

to match up with Tim's newest release in the Distress line: Unchartered Mariner Distress Oxide.

Oh! My! Goodness!

That color is fast becoming THE color on my "Fave List"!!!

As a sailor with her own sailboat.... this just describes me to a T!!! 

Ollie Octopus makes another appearance!

You can see my other creation with Ollie in Summer Fish.

I stamped her TWICE this time, since I needed to double up on her head and arms.

Don't forget to clean your TH stamps with a good stamp cleaner.

I found that this Ranger cleaner helps me out by smelling like bubble gum!

Next, I used Archival Ink to make a stamp of all the items Ollie will have in her... hands??

You can see the string for the deflated balloon is not included in the first stamping.

It's laying on top so I could stamp it onto the deflated balloon later.

Here is where I made a second middle-sized heart as well as the string attachment to the balloon.

I made sure I heat dried every stamped image- even the archival inked- to be sure it was all dry.

Then I chose colors I needed out of my Distress Crayons. I noticed I had no true red shade for the US Flag in my crayon sets, so that's on my list for my next The Funkie Junkie Boutique order. ;)

The technique I chose in coloring (other than the 1 TH Distress Marker in Barn Red) 

was simply smudging with my finger.

I came across a very old, and now retired, blending smudger tool in my drawer

and decided to use it on the US Flag. It worked very nicely, so I used my TH Tiny Snips

to cut off the used parts as I went along on all the other smaller items to color. 

Here's the TH Distress Crayon colors I've used and the finished colored items.

Don't fret about the outside lines... those will be gone after cutting.

I needed the help of the tweezers, but fussy cutting with TH Tiny Snips is easy.

TH Black Soot Oxide -by Blending Tool- on the outside edges helps the black lines to pop more

and gives some depth to the items.

Back to Ollie Octopus...and her arms.

I cut both out using the Tiny Snips, and used some Sizzix Double Sided Foam Tape

to pop out her lower head and the first set of tentacles.

The rest of one Ollie had her tentacles removed... ouch!

After inking the edges of the full Ollie, for depth, with TH Black Soot Oxide and then

on the bottom edges of the tentacles for the second cut up Ollie,

I used Speckled Egg Oxide on the top edges.

 This helped make the depth look even deeper for a 3D appearance.

I used a long cut off tentacle adhered to a short arm on the full Ollie.

Rolling them together opposite sided helped make the tentacle look "turned" around.

You can see in the circle- it helped look like an elbow of sorts.

This way, the arm looks turned without showing the white cardstock backside!

Simply repeat as needed for each arm tentacle, leaving a tiny space for the item to go inside.

Here's the things I used to make this tag...

You can click on the links below to help you shop for the items easier...

Ranger Inkssentials Glossy Accents                           Ranger Archival #0 Ink Pad - Jet Black                  Ranger Inkssentials Ink Blending Tool + 2 Blending Foams                    Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Storage Tin          Tim Holtz Tonic Studios Kushgrip Snip w/Non-Stick Blade & Cap 7"-Small                 Various Distress Crayons by Tim Holtz (shown in photo scroll upwards)Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Pad - Uncharted MarinerRanger Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Pad - Black SootRanger Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Pad - Speckled EggSizzix Chapter 1 Tim Holtz Thinlits Die Set - Simple PlaidCiao Bella - Underwater Love 12x12 Paper Pad

And this is what Ollie ended up as; VERY occupied!

FRONT SIDE

If you've got Grandkids, you're surely familiar with "Memaw, hold this for me."

as well as the term "holding them all in my arms at once- no matter where they are"!

This is how I came up with the title- from living experience in June this year.

I wouldn't trade that experience for anything on this earth,

and I look very forward to the next time, too!

 

The BACK SIDE

I've used the first layer sideways on the FRONT SIDE, but this shows

the correct facing for that particular paper.

Thanks so very much to everyone for taking the time to look into my makes,

and for the kind comments/likes left on all my SMS!

Here's YOUR chance to make something for

 The Funkie Junkie Challenge; "Scotch It Is!"

with a chance at a $25 GC or a Guest Designer spot- Sponsored by

The Funkie Junkie Boutique

There's one more thing...

I'll be heading up another SATURDAY SHOWCASE for July 30th- this Saturday!

So, I'll just leave this here for now

and hope you'll be back to join me for that!

Until then...

STAY SAFE &

HAPPY BLOGGING!!

The Funkie Junkie Challenge; "Scotch It Is!"