BIG News!

As in BIG SHOT!!
Yep, I got it.
Fellow scrapbookers know how exciting this is. I mentioned HERE how I traded an on-line friend my Copic collection for a new Big Shot and dies. Well, on the weekend it arrived and I have been playing and experimenting since. My friend also received her Copics and has been doing the same. It's nice that we both got something we really wanted for the price of postage. Gotta love the bartering system.
Besides playing with my Big Shot (OH it's a die cutting, embossing machine for those who do not know) I decided to do a pre-birthday bash challenge for Sisterhood of Scrap.
The challenge called for 5 items (a layout, card, altered item, whatever). One for each letter in the month of APRIL. So one using something starting with the letter A, one for the letter P - you get it. Anyways, I was lazy and cheated a bit (actually I cheated a lot).
Rather than making FIVE items using ONE thing for each I created ONE card using FIVE things. I always did have a mind of my own! haha

So, here's my card -
A is for Accordion Flower (the tutorial made it look simple - NOT!!!)
P is for Paper - (pretty paper from Graphic 45)
R is for Ribbon - (used to tie my banner flags together)
I is for Ink - (lots and lots of Ranger Distressed Ink)
L is for Lace - (used to edge the accordion flower and the banner flags as well as on border punched cardstock strip.



And a (blurry) closeup - I really gotta work on my photography skills - or should I say my lack of!



I did use my Big Shot on this card although it's hard to see. The background paper on the diagonal was run thru with the 'damask' texturz plate then lightly inked. IRL it looks awesome!
The tutorial for the accordion flower is HERE. Believe me, it's a lot trickier than it looks. Mine doesn't have enough pleats in it but I'm happy with it so that's all that matters. That's the great thing about scrapbooking - there's no right or wrong way!
Anyways, gotta go play some more but really I should be cleaning and organizing my scraproom.
Sisterhood of Scrap is having a week long 4th birthday celebration starting this Friday. They have awesome sponsors and prizes planned with lots of challenges and games and I'm sure many surprises along the way. So I need to clean, organize, print off photos and cut myself a piece of birthday cake. See you at the party!