Summer & Songs: The Perfect Mix!

What says I love you better than a mix tape??(er, CD!) When I mentioned our beach trip last week, one thing that stuck out in my mind that was really different this time around now that we have kids compared to our Sandcastle competition treks we made when we first met, was that this time we listened to our kids DVDs the whole way there and back instead of DH's Jimmy Buffet CDs! (He doesn't have a parrothead hat or anything, but does have all his CDs, "Bars", "Ballads", "Boats", all those B's...) So for Father's Day I decided to make him a little CD of some of his favorite traveling tunes from various CDs we have in our iTunes library, so he can take a little "beach trip" anytime he's commuting! (his only alone time of the day) It matches this card, also made with "You are My Sunshine".

To simplify decorating your CD, I have to recommend a CD label kit !(This link is not the one I have, got mine a few years ago, but it's similar: comes with an applicator( "stomper"), the labels, and software for creating custom print outs, just wanted to show you one, you may be able to find a better price/source) They come with a variety of flat and glossy labels. These are great for printing out designs for song lists you create on the computer and great for stamping on! (You could use your Xyron, but this is SO much easier, you'll see why!) Here I stamped my chair and put the "Relax..." "It's all good" on the horizon.
I colored the whole thing with Copics, it turned out better than I thought it would because twice I grabbed a Copic that was a shade darker than I intended and didn't realize until it was too late! oops! So I had to go a little bolder than I planned. I decided to leave the sky blank, liked the contrast and it reminded me of those perfectly clear days. Want to extend your water? TIP: Trim out the waves from your stamps in two snips so you can easily piece it back together or use the images separately, here I stamped the waves three or four more times without needing to mask. (see above)
Here is the CD Stomper, with the push of a button your label will be perfectly aligned every time!

Now peel your label off the sheet and lay it face down over on the stomper over the big circle(this is the underside, the Copics really show through, don't they!).
Now lay your burned CD (check to make sure the music recorded properly BEFORE decorating!) upside down on the stomper.* It will hover above the label until you press it.
Press the button in the middle.

Flawless!! I would never want to attempt trying to get this sticker and a punched whole lined up without the aid of this, you know how impossible it is to reposition something this sticky or to get it smooth/ no ripples!
Now! Another thing you can create pretty easily with your Scor-Pal is a paper sleeve for your CD. But these come in the CD label pack! So I decided to just decorate mine up with the DP I used on my card.For the front I cut out "a private island" and stamped "You are my sunshine"** I also stamped that crazy Kelly Panacci stitching on the top and bottom. Next you take your slit punch and make a whole through both layers of the case. Thread your ribbon through (I think Paul can deal with having this Pumpkin ribbon on the project since it's striped and not shiny!)

Then insert your disc all the way and tie your ribbon in a knot.
See how the "Relax" peeps out? :)
You don't have to untie the knot, the disc slips out of the tie ribbon and then slides easily back in to put away. I love how this keeps it from falling out and getting scratched, plus it's just a nicer presentation.

You could use this exact same design and substitute trip photos for the music, this would also make an excellent gift to present and store your favorite summer memories.

Have a GREAT Father's Day weekend!

*remember when I said I'd run into a problem with this project?? Turns out we no longer have our CD burning software on the computer! (so this is blank for now!! sigh...) Hopefully when Paul puts it back on it will burn correctly! Otherwise I will be making a new label!

**Way back when we first started dating he would send me emails with a line from a song and then I would send back the next line, "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine" was the first one he sent:) (I know ,we're big dorks!)