Haunted House and Halloween Mini Album Sneak Peek

Okay, this is totally a sneak peek because I am not finished with this yet.  I have a skeleton to go in the balcony of the haunted house and my album is near complete.  What do you think? Leave me a comment and let me know.  I started with a plain paper mache house from Hobby Lobby like this one:

 

I gave it a few coats of paint (okay, I painstakingly applied layer after layer until I got it just right lol), a balcony made from chipboard scraps, ragged cloth curtains in all windows, a chipboard door with real metal hinges and a door pull, not to mention spider webs and tombstones and voila!  You have a haunted mansion perfect for housing my Halloween Mini Album.  Here are a couple more pictures:

 

Close-up

 

 

The one below shows the inside.  I put "wallpaper" and a hanging picture on the back wall because with a couple of battery operated tea lights you can see through the windows.  I painted the entire inside black before installing the curtains and adding "wallpaper."

 

Now for a sneak peek at the album . . .wait  . . . for . . . it . . .

 

 

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So . . . what do you think?  I totally love it.  Of course I agonized over the cover like I always do, layering things on top trying to figure out if I was going to like it, because the minute you glue it down there's no turning back.  But I really do like how it turned out.  So here's what's piled on . . . 

 

 The two metal corners are die cut from metal tape and dry embossed using my sizzix.  After that I added layers of emboss enamel and paint and then chipped some off to look really worn.  The skeleton hand has been painted and distressed and wiped off again.  I added three layers of lace to look like a vintage sleeve.  I also added a jump ring with a rhinestone to create a ring.  The skeleton is cut from design paper and embossed using an embossing stylus to give it some depth (of course I also adhered it with pop up tape for more height).Under the hand and skeleton is a black rose trim with a bit of black crocheted lace peeking out from just under the edge.  I have added two stick pins I created using various beads from my stash, a teeny tiny glass vial with green "poison" in it (the lid is glued in) a frame I created with Amazing Mold Putty and Resin with a glitter spider from design paper, I Am Roses flowers and skeleton leaves colored with Lindy's Stamp Gang Starburst sprays, some bones and a tiny skull from my stash, a title tag from design paper, and to finish it off, a Tim Holtz door knob. 

 

Whew!  I think that about does it for the cover.  Since I didn't show the spine, I don't have to tell you about that yet lol.  I will be selling this house/album on Etsy or Ebay so when I show the finished product I will give all of these details again for anyone who is interested.  Wait until you see how chunky this album is . . . I think the spine is 5" wide (I need to measure).

 

Well, there's the sneak peek, thanks for stopping by.  Be sure to comment and let me know what you think.

 

~ Make Today Count

 

Wendy

 

But We Were on a Break!

I know it's been awhile since I've posted, but in the words of Ross Geller . . . "but we were on a break . . .!"  All kidding aside, between closing shop (the attorney I work for has retired and aside from a few lingering cases we are finishing up we are closed), a Kern River camping trip, a Vegas trip with my bestie and her family, a three week road trip (main destinations Durango and Cripple Creek Colorado with many stops along the way) and my son starting a new charter school, it has been a doozy of a summer (yeah, yeah I know summer is over and it's really fall already).  But now that kids are back in school and I'm trying to get a hold of my new schedule of being a glorified taxi (my 16 year old is in a hybrid independent study/online school through our district where I still have to haul him around to labs, language and for tests several times a week to the old district office (in another city).  So, that being said, I am going to start posting again regularly and start showcasing some of my recent projects. 

My first post (after this one) will be a sneak peek at my Haunted House and Halloween Mini Album (I think I will do a YouTube video on that one too).  It is almost finished and I think it is coming out fab! 

My next post will probably be a gift I made for my niece who just had a baby.  I don't want to post it before I give it to her because I'm afraid she might see it (although she probably doesn't follow my blog lol).  This one I am really excited about because it came out so stinking cute!  I created the mini album first, then when I got the idea to make a baby carriage to house it, I had to size it around the mini album.  It turned out to be a good fit, except that the next one (that's right I'm gonna make more!) will be a bit wider so that I can embellish the album front more.

Before I go, here is my favorite road trip 2013 photo of my boys and Gidget.

So, all that to say I'M BACK!  Stay tuned . . .

Thanks for stopping by!

~Make Today Count
Wendy

Little Boy Blue ~ Robin's Nest DT Project

Some of the items we are featuring this month at The Robin's Nest are the new Special Delivery Baby sets.  I chose the Special Delivery Baby Boy set for my project.  I decided to do a one page, 8 x 8 layout and showcase it in a square frame.  I absolutely love the way it came out!

 

I used the following items in my post (click below to see the paper on the Robin's Nest website):

 

Special Boy ~ Rocking Horse Specialty Paper

Special Boy ~ Special Delivery Boy Paper

Special Boy ~ Special Boy Tags

I started by distressing a piece of blue cardstock by sanding it and then adhering it to a piece of chipboard.  Next, I cut a rectangle out of the Rocking Horse Specialty Paper (no measuring, just a quick couple of cuts).   I cut various pieces from the Special Delivery Boy Paper and used distress ink to age them.  My cut pieces were all triangle type shapes (nothing exact).  I glued the Special Delivery paper (face down) to the underside of the opening in the Rocking Horse paper (wide end glued down).  I then used a few different trims I had in my stash to surround the opening, and then glued the smaller end of the Special Delivery pieces down around the trimmed out area.  I completed my layout by adding a "Little Treasure" tag  and then adhering the Rocking Horse portion to the solid cardstock  portion and then adding the piece as a whole to my frame.  I just love the colors and the way the frame gives it such a finished look. 

In these last pictures I added a piece of scrap paper to show how you would just insert your photo and glue it down . . . or I was thinking about gluing a mini clothespin at the top of the opening so that you could even change out the photo.  What do you think?

Make sure to leave me a comment and let me know what you think.  Thanks for stopping by; make sure to hop over to the Robin's Nest Website to check out the New Baby Boy and Baby Girl Special Delivery sets.

~ Make Today Count
Wendy

www.scrappinwendysway.blogspot.com

Ride On 4 Page Layout ~ Robin's Nest DT Project

This month we are featuring the Robin's Nest Hot Flame line. I have some pictures of my youngest son riding a Harley Davidson toddler scooter that I know will go perfectly with this paper.  With that in mind, I created this 4 page layout.  I used:

Mango Flame Border

Mango Flame - Thermal Icing

Mango Cardstock

I think this paper is the perfect match for my little biker!  The paper was a little bright for what I was doing, so to tone it down a bit I made a "wash" with gel medium in a matte finish and added a couple of drops of white paint and a couple drops of yellow ink.  This gave me exactly the look I wanted.  It was a more washed out, old look. 

For the far right page I used the Mango Flame Border paper for the background.  I created a pocket from plastic packaging.  I used another portion of the Mango Flame Border cardstock and fussy cut the flames so that I could adhere them to the clear pocket so that I had a place to add a large tag. Adding the fussy cut flames above the patterned cardtock give the page a little more depth and more interest when your tag is out of the pocket.  The second from the right page is a neutral page with a tag backed in Mango Cardstock given the same "wash" treatment.  This pulls the pages together.

The second page from the left was created using the Mango Flame - Thermal Icing as the background.  The paper has so much interest that you really don't need to do too much with it.  I simply added a filmstrip die cut with a an insert to attach the photos so they can be pulled out revealing the patterned carstock behind.  I might even put two more photos behind the tag so that this page can now hold 4 pictures.  The first page from the left is another neutral page with a Harley Davidson sticker to finish it off. 

My hot tip for this project is to use aluminum plumber's tape.  I ran it through my diamond embossing folder and voila . . . faux diamond plate!  I love the way this finishes off the layout.

Keep an eye out on my blog as I post more pictures using the Robin's Nest Hot Flame line.  Make sure you hop over to the Robin's Nest website and check out all of their fabulous products.

Thank you for checking out my project!  Be sure to leave me a comment and tell me what you think.

~  Make Today Count
Wendy

www.scrappinwendysway.blogspot.com

Robin's Nest Blog Hop Winners!

THANK YOU

Our Design Team was so thankful for all the wonderful comments that were

posted on all of their blogs.  

As a team, I know we had fun making our project and reading your comments.  

now it's time to pick some winners:

Each Teammate got to pick one winner from their blog

each of these winners will win

$15 toward the on-line store for 

The Robin Nest

Robin WINNER is: StampinCarol
robinscreationsofjoy.blogspot.com

:

Terri Sproul  WINNER is:  Alice Charles
http://www.terrisproul.blogspot.com

Mandi Holmes WINNER: Lynda Jeffs
Blog: http://mjskraze.blogspot.com/

Barbara Rankin  WINNER is:  Debi Minter
My Blog address:  http://blackholeartstudio.blogspot.com/

Juraci Falcucci Winner:  Lyneen
blog: http://ju-scrap.blogspot.com.br

Brenda Burfeind WINNER is:  Embley Veronica embleyveronica@evnoechel.com
http://Createbyburffrau.Blogspot.com

Michelle Hodges
winner is Amy #8546. 
Blog:  http://www.iluvscrapping.blogspot.com

Danie May  Winner:  Janis
blog: http://www.d-dazzledscraps.com/

Dawn Mercedes Barrett
 http://dawnmercedes.blogspot.com
WINNER: 
 reflections:0) said...
I like them all but, I am loving that tall card. Flexie:0)


Camille Short - WINNER is:  marylouh
Blog:  http://shortonideasaz.blogspot.com/

Genevive Badila WINNER is: Sandra Caldwell
Blog: http://scrappingcrazy.blogspot.sg

Marília Lopes WINNER IS:Debra Lovell - https://plus.google.com/100710155526652673167/posts
Blog:http://mariliallopes.blogspot.com

Wendy Cuskey  Winner:  CTgirl
Blog:  www.scrappinwendysway.blogspot.com

  Michelle Frae Cummings   WINNER is Genevive.
http://scrappingcrazy.blogspot.com/
http://faeriedustdreams-michelle.blogspot.com/

Sherri Welser- Winner is Giavanna Lau!!
http://indigoearth-indigoearth.blogspot.com/


Tonya Wilson WINNER IS: Rhonda Helm
http://creativeaddictiontopaper.blogspot.com/


Clare Dempsey WINNER IS:  Cheryl 
http://www.cricutcraftyclare.blogspot.com/

and our GRAND Prize winner is: Pammejo

Please email us @ robinsnestscrap@gmail.com if you are a winner.
And Congratulations! Thanks for Hopping!

Twilight Mini Album ~ Last Pages

Okay, if you have been following or waiting for the last pages of my twilight mini album, here they are!  If you missed the first couple of posts you will have to go back to check them.

Another look at the cover. 

Kind of chunky! 

Thanks for stopping by!  Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.

~ Make Today Count

Wendy

Summertime Place Setting ~ Amazing Mold Putty DT Project

Hi all! For my project this month I decided to concentrate on summertime table settings. With spring in the air and my husband readying the back yard pond and fountains and patio for guests, I wanted to create some fun new napkin rings. So out came my Amazing Mold Putty and Amazing Casting Resin (links below).

To start, I had to search for something to use as a base. I chose the cardboard center of a (or spool) of a roll of ribbon. Then, to give it some texture and depth I used my glue gun to add some stings of glue all over it.

Next I mixed my Amazing Mold Putty part "A" and part "B" in equal parts (see website via the link for detailed instructions).

Next, I made molds of this and some other items to use on my napkin ring.

Once my putty was set (about 10 minutes - or when you can scrape the side with your fingernail and it doesn't come off). The detail I was able to get in my mold was really quite amazing. With all of the mold I've created, I still wasn't sure this would work, but just look at the next picture to see how detailed you can actually get with your putty.

Is this cool or what!?

Next I used my Amazing Casting Resin to mold my pieces.

Now, I'm not gonna lie, the ring itself took a little work to get out, but it was totally worth it. Once I popped the pieces out I glued them together and then painted them solid black.

I went over the black with a blue green color, then a seafoam green. I finished it off with some antique gold rub.

What do you think? I love how this looks like some high end metal napkin ring that I might have bought in downtown Laguna Beach; but really I made it lickety split in my craft room. Now I just need to make 7 more! Thanks for stopping by and checking out my project. Please leave me a comment and let me know what you think. Don't forget to hop over to the Amazing Mold Putty website and check out their truly Amazing products!

~ Make Today Count

Wendy

www.scrappinwendysway.blogspot.com