Anything Goes Challenge - 'Lil Patch of Crafty Friends

It's time for another DT post! Please join in Challenge 9: anything goes craft challenge at Lil Patch of Crafty Friends challenge blog! It's been a blast being on this DT, but I need to see your creations to make it SPECTACULAR!!

The challenge runs for two weeks starting May 3rd (Australia Eastern Standard Time). Ok, so guess what? We have not one, not two, BUT THREE sponsors - Sami Stamps, Bugaboo Stamps and Ching-Chou Kuik! They have offered some amazing prizes! Please check out their sites and show them some love!

#1

http://samistampsshop.blogspot.com.au/

Prize ~ $12 Gift Certificate

#2

http://www.bugaboostamps.com/

Prize ~ 7 Images

#3

https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/gjzcck

Prize ~ 1 Image

**********************************************************************

I was very fortunate to receive the digi
Hello magnolia by Ching-Chou Kuik!

It's a beautiful image with lots of hair (my arch nemesis!) I had fun learning where to put the highlights and low lights. I am sure you cannot guess what I colored with! Wink of Stella!!! 

Here's a better look at the subtle shimmer you get with Wink of Stella brush pens. They have a limited color palate but I was able to layer colors to create deeper shades and to blend colors. I have never tried this technique with Wink and I was so happy with the results.

Wink does not yet have skin tones so I did use a Copic to color her skin with minimal blending. The rest of the CAS card came together rather quickly. 

Supplies:

• Stampendous mixed media cardstock (digi printed on...)
• We R Memory Keepers - inked rose (Card base)
• Live for today: dollar tree (sentiment)
• simple stories say cheese - layers
• wink of stella brush pens
• Copic Marker E11 
• Scotch ATG

Thanks for stopping by!

Challenges:

• DLART - May Linky Challenge

Please follow me on social media and help spread the word about me.

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Instagram

YouTube

Facebook

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Kraftie Kre8ations Celebrations and Thankfulness Blog Hop (DAY 3)

Welcome to Day 3 of the Kraftie Kre8ations 

Celebrations and Thankfulness Blog Hop!

To view the lineup for all four days of the hop, visit the Kraftie Kre8ations blog. One random winner will receive a gift from Kraftie Kre8ations! To be eligible you must:

1. become a follower of the Kraftie Kre8ations blog
2. leave a comment on each participants blog, all 4 days of the hop
3. Join the FB Group (http://facebook.com/groups/kraftiekre8ations)
4. Have FUN!

***EXTRA blog candy from me!!! Follow my blog (let me know you did in the comments) to win some American Crafts baker's twine! So you can make a wreath of your own!***  

As you hop along with the Kraftie Kre8ations Design Team and Facebook group members, we hope you will be inspired to create your own fall project and link up using the inLinkz on the Kraftie Kre8ations blog sidebar.  Our color palette (see below) is an amazing representation of the changing colors of fall leaves.  Create ANY fall project (including Thanksgiving).  It can be a layout, card, mixed media project or an altered item. The sky is the limit!

For the occasion I created a fall wreath adorned with Cricut cuts and wrapped in twine, burlap ribbon (from The Paper Studio) and baker's twine for my craft room door. It was truly a labor of love!

I've always wanted to create a wreath like this but knew it would be time consuming. Although it's only 7 1/5" across it took FOREVER to cover in twine. It took more than 15 small spools of American Crafts twine to cover the form. To boot, I used a floral ring from the dollar tree and it was very difficult to work with. Next time I will get the styrofoam wreath (and stop playing LOL). 

The title is cut at 3.25" from the Celebrate with Flourish Cricut Cartridge using American Crafts foil cardstock, red linen cardstock (stash) and blue and brown cardstock from Bazzill.

Using the Cricut Imagine, I printed and cut the leaves and their layers from the Nursery Tails cartridge at 5.5" and added red glittered accents and yellow bling from Recollections. Instead of layering the leaves, I used the layer as a separate fern adornment for the wreath. Blue wired ribbon completed the look.

Thanks for hoppin' by! I hope to see your entry in the challenge! Your next stop is Carolyn's blog for more fall fun! 


La-Vie

Adrieel's Photo Shoot

This week my nephew Adrieel had his first professional photo shoot! Everyone loved him in his sailor suit and nautical socks. He is 5.5 months old here and is showing signs on scooting (using his toes and his face to navigate) which is pure joy for my sister to watch.

I am in charge of creating his scrapbook (of course) so I decided to enter some challenges while doing it! The DCWV June Stack-a-holic challenge asks to use one stack to complete a scrapbook page and to follow a provided sketch.  About a Boy June 15th challenge asks us to create a scrapbook page about a male in our lives using circles. The marriage between the two is my page!

Here is the sketch I was given to work with. As you can see I followed it in a literal way this time around. Using 6 designs and the embellishment sheet the DCWV My Sunshine Stack from Jo-Ann Fabrics and a few simple embellishments I was able to showcase one of Adrieel's top 10 memories for 2013.

Additional supplies include: sun kissed die cut from The Paper Loft, Summer Shapes, Jolee's Boutique for the beach balls and felt sun, SEI Grandpa's Attic cardstock alphabet stickers, The Paper Studio 1" circle punch and a Copic Spica at You glitter pen for the hand stitching.

Challenges:
DCWV June Stack-a-holic Template Challenge
About A boy - Going in Circles
Party Time Tuesdays - Anything Goes
CAS-ual Fridays - Hunger Games: use at least one arrow


La-Vie

Little Sport Big Star

I like to gift a framed scrapbook page to the coaches of my kid's sports teams as a keepsake and reminder of the season. This one is especially special because it's my son's first team sport.

Aidan is 4 years old and has been waiting for years at the sideline while his big sister played sports. He was dying to get out there. Although he did not understand all the rules, he was overjoyed to be out there and would run back and forth with such a beaming smile on his face. I've never seen him so happy. It makes it all worth it.

Supplies:

• Bazzill Blue cardstock, patterned cardstock (stash)
• White glitter Thickers
• Cricut Decals cut at 2.5" and 3"
• Soccer ball - Puffies
• 12 x 12 Frame - Micheals Crafts
• Jolee's Boutique - Little Sport, Big Star, stars, arrow
• Journaling block - Deja Views: Friends Journal Sticker Tablet
• Pigma Micron pen - green, Zig Photo Signature pen

Framed Scrapbook Page

Challenges:

• Sarah Hamer Designs - Anything Goes
• The Crafting Cafe - June challenge: Here Comes the Boys
• About A Boy - June 1: Favorite Activity
• Pink by Design - Boys Boys Boys
• DL.ART - Anything Goes

La-Vie

A friend will...

Thank you everyone who supported us in the first Get Inky! Stamps blog hop!
It's so great to have new fan and followers. I look forward to sharing my crafts with you and seeing your amazing creations too!

Later in the week I will reveal the winner of the blog hop prize pack. I'm counting up all the entries and getting ready to announce the winnings! Could it be you?? Stay tuned to see....


On to today's project ....

Last month at Scrapbook Expo I was shopping for African and African-American stamps at one of my fav booths - Rubbernecker Stamps, and came across this cute friends stamp. All I saw were two girls waiting to be colored and it made me think of my daughter and her girlfriends. At the register, the owner let me know there was a matching sentiment. I LOVE great customer service. Lo and behold after reading it (and belly laughing for a min) I then noticed the looks on the girls faces and the baseball bat!! Everyone needs a friend like this... I know I have 'em... don't you?

LOL!!! LOL!!! I'd love to know what you think...

I stamped the image in Perfect Little Black Dress Hybrid ink by Clear and Simple Stamps. It's perfect for coloring with Alcohol markers. Then I colored with Copics - E09, E33, E37, B02, 100, Y06, Y26, YR07, RV09.

Additional Supplies:

• Rubberneck Stamps - best friend, a best friend
• Neenah white cardstock
• American Crafts - 5x7 card (pink)
• Black and white striped fabric tape (from my stash)
• DCWV glitter cardstock
• Recollections glitter adhesive dots, chevron Washi Tape

This card was too cute NOT to enter some challenges! Please join me!

1. Tsunami Rose Challenge #22 Friendship
2. Washi Up - Use Washi Tape at the bottom of your project

la-vie

Lady Luck Card

Here's a quick post! I'm up against a tight deadline. I love the adrenaline rush of getting a project done in 30 mins.! I envisioned this project by picking the stamps last night but finished it up on the spot.

At the Crafting Cafe we were asked to interpret "Lady Luck" for this week's challenge. Here's my interpretation. I hope you like it! I identified with the "lady," a stamp from Stamp LaJolla, the frog from The Stamps of Life and the cute quote from Repeat Impressions. The bib card is from The Paper Cut but I hand cut my own bib in the color I needed. That reminds me! I am entering a second challenge at The Paper Girls. It calls for the colors navy, cream, coral and touches of yellow, pink and green based paper from Dear Lizzy Lucky Charm. I also entered 3 Girl Jam anything goes with ribbon.

Additional Supplies:

• Copics RV34, Y15, G07
• EK Success scallop punch
• Stampin' Up! Coral ribbon
• Marvy 1.5" circle punch
• Bazzill cream cardstock
• Jet Black Archival Ink by Ranger
• Ad tech Dot glue runner

See you in the morning for the Get Inky! Stamps blog hop!!  It's going to be EPIC!

La-Vie

Red, White and Blue Challenge

Today I made a small card (thank you card size) for the challenges at CAS-ual Fridays and The Alley Way Stamps which both call for Red, White and Blue creations. It took me 20 mins to make it, upload the picture, edit, post to the blog and enter with only 3 mins to spare on the CAS-ual Fridays blog!! Whew!! What a rush????!!!

I needed to use TAWS digis to qualify so I printed a free matching image and sentiment from their website. I placed the images in MS Word and printed on Neenah cardstock (one of the best for coloring). Recollections makes a stamp set of all splatters that seemed the best to use with the TAWS digis. Using TPC Studio Clearly Better ink in Navy and Scarlet I completed the look. The TAWS inspiration photo called for a little brown so I colored the paintbrush with my Copic marker Y26. This little painter didn't wash off her brush so she has both red and blue paint on the bristles. I achieved that look by picking up ink from the ink pads and using a blender pen from Marvy (Le Plume II) to add the color. There's a broad tip and a fine tip.

This card is whimsical, clean and simple. I hope you like it!

Challenges:
Cas-ual Fridays CFC102: Red White and Blue
TAWS Be Inspired #29

La-Vie

The Best Dad in The World

Ooooooooh wee! I feel free. I always have a tough time creating male-oriented crafts. But today I made this card super fast using a DCWV stack and a sketch. I was able to cut out elements of the cardstock using my new fussy cut scissors. So easy on the hands (I have chronic tendinitis).

It was amazing how quickly and easily this came together. My hubby is going to love it! You've got to try this type of crafting. It takes a lot of the decision making out because all the patterns work together. Wish me luck in the two challenges I am entering. Join me if you can.

Supplies:

• DCWV Guy Stack
• Martha Stewart  Punch Around the Page - Cathedral Lace
• TPC Studio Clearly Better Navy Ink Pad
• Elizabeth Crafts Spring Action "Fussy Cutting" Scissors

Challenges:
DCWV May Stack-a-holic Template Challenge
HIMCR #99 Father's Day
Clearly iStamp Father's Day Challenge


La-Vie

Dancing Queen

This is my daughter Zora from her last dance recital in 2010. She no longer dances (unless it's Zumba). I'm making my challenge debut on the All About A Girl challenge blog and DCWV Stack-a-holic (describes me to a T).

Let me tell you what!! This layout came together soooo quickly!! I always wanted to scrap like this but never got the courage to do it. I created this page with only the supplies in the DCWV Garden Party Stack. The only things added were the Thickers to spell my daughter's name and the twine in the tag and the banner. AMAZING!! I hope you like my challenge entry and will give it a try yourself. DCWV provided a sketch. Check out the link below to see it.

Supplies:

• DCWV Garden Party Stack
• Cricut Cartridge Shall We Dance - Dancing Queen and shadow cut at 2"
• Thickers (American Crafts) - Rainboots glitter foam stickers
• American Crafts - blue twine

Challenges:
DCWV May Stack-a-holic Template Challenge
All About A Girl May 1st Challenge


La-Vie

Have a Crab-u-lous Day!

I'm back into entering challenges! Have you missed these posts? I sure have! I'm hoping you can join me in some of these challenges. If you do, please share your projects with me!

Supplies:

• Card base American Crafts 5x7 green
• Navy Patterned paper - Stampin' Up!
• Yellow layer - Bazzill cardstock
• White circle - Recollections card stock
• Ink: TPC Studios Clearly Better (Navy and Green)
• Stamps: Inkadinkado Fish and Friends, Sentiment: My Pink Stamper Biggie Punnies
• Ribbon: American Crafts
• Punch: Marvy 2" circle punch
• Action Wobble

Challenges:

Action Wobbles #55 from the ocean
Repeat Impressions Sketch Challenge M1513
Tsunami Rose Challenge #21 Cards 
Repeat Impressions DCC522 Fur, Fins or Feathers
3 Girl Jam Anything Goes with Ribbon
The Playdate Cafe Challenge #183


La-Vie

Welcome card

When I saw the flashy floral stamp set from Inkadinkado the pineapple stood out to me most. I knew I had to get it and create something with it right away! I found my inspiration this afternoon from the challenges at Sketchy Friday - Sketch #14 (see below) and the rainbow color challenge at My Creative Time. The designer's challenge is to incorporate at least 3 of the following 6 colors Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple or all 6 for an extra challenge. I decided to use all 6 because I never back down from a crafty challenge!!!!!! Here's what I came up with....

 Crafty tips I learned along the way...

1. use a pink eraser to erase across the entire surface of each new clear stamp to take off the manufacturing gunk. Immediately clean the stamp using clear stamp fluid and a scrubber pad before using it. Otherwise you may notice your ink beads on the surface instead of what it's supposed to do.
2. if you aren't tying a bow, consider using the xyron 1" to put adhesive on a ribbon scrap in order to stick it on your project.

Supplies:

• American Crafts 5x7 card base - green
• DCWV purple glitter cardstock
• Recollections red cardstock
• Core'dinations blue and orange cardstock
• Bazzill yellow cardstock, white
• Stamps Inkadinkado flashy floral = pineapple and butterfly, welcome - Repeat Impressions
• Ink - Clear and Simple Stamps Hybrid ink Espresso Your Style
• Copics - 0, Y00, Y02, Y06, YG61, YG63, YG67, YR04, YR07, V12, V17
• Punches - 2" marvy circle punch, Martha Stewart punch around the page: heart chain and scallop dot
• Pen - faux stitching with Pigma Micron 05 in green
• White ribbon - stash
• Adhesives - xyron 1" and 5", Scotch ATG

La-Vie

The Sweetest Kid

Please join in on the fun! There's plenty of time 'til the deadline!

 

Today's Contest Links and Themes:

Cards Galore - Vintage

Repeat Impressions - DCC327 Spring Flowers

The Paper Girls - April showers brings May flowers

 

 

 

Supplies:

• DCWV The Mod-Retro Stack: Yellow card base and sentiment,
  The Mainstreet Stack: Blue layer, Flower (stash)
• Sentiment: Repeat Impressions
• Adhesives: Zig 2 way glue pen - wide, Scotch ATG, Xyron 510
• Martha Stewart Crafts - Crystal fine glitter
• Wright's Seam binding - pink
• Nicole heat tool
• Clear and Simple Stamps Hybrid Ink - Perfect Little Black Dress

The interior boast a sentiment from Repeat Impressions stamps.

 

 

I have seen people using clear glitter on patterned or stamped paper for a long time and it always looks so magical! Today I wanted to create some magic myself! I cut out a flower from the Vintage double sided paper in my stash. I think it's from DCWV (but don't quote me on that) and applied an even coat of Zig 2 Way glue. I then used my heat tool to dry the glue (making it repositionable). I sprinkled the glitter on the image and I love love love it! However, the camera did not pick up all the glittery goodness exactly like I wanted. Even so, the glitter took the vintage paper and made it look more vintage to me.

Here's the paper I used. Hopefully you can see the difference the glitter brings to it. The bow is tied with vintage seam binding. I plan on giving this card to my daughter when the time is just right!

La-Vie

Thanks Easter Bunny Scrapbook Page

For spring break last week we went to visit my side of the family in Boston. The challenges I am entering today were a perfect way to highlight some of the pics. My children and my 2 month old nephew had their first Easter baskets. I took pictures of them with some of their goodies. With the sketch and color scheme provided by Color Me Scrappy (see below) I had a strong direction for the scrapbook page.  I took more of a literal take on thew sketch but as you will notice, I was most inspired by the sketch turned upside down.

The banner was the most labor intensive part. It made the page fussy for me. I used the Bow-Easy tool for the first time to make double organdy bows with the tiniest ribbon. It was a MAJOR challenge. However, I did create the 4 bows I needed for this layout after an hour of fiddling with it. after that, luckily I didn't have to hand cut the banner pieces. I used the Cricut E2 to cut the banner pieces at 1.5" (real size) from the Birthday Bash cartridge. Believe it or not, I have always like this banner look but was too lazy to try it. That's why I like challenges that provide sketches. It always pulls me out of the familiar. I am feeling inspired. My previous thought was that sketches would stifle my creativity. I urge you to try some challenges soon. Please share what you create. I'd love to see it!

Supplies:

• Bazzill basics white, lavender cardstock
• DCWV black adhesive, blue glitter cardstock, black and white patterned paper
• Core'dinations cardstock
• Bo-Bunny - Thanks Easter Bunny sticker
• Thickers - glittered 2013
• Martha Stewart punch around the page - Teardrop Lace
• Sakura Japan blue Glaze pen
• Stampin' Up! Organdy ribbon 1/8" Calypso Coral
• Adhesives: Xyron, Scotch ATG
• Bow-Easy

The 3 challenges I entered today are:

Color Me Scrappy #35 Hoppy Easter - theme, sketch and color scheme

3 Girl JAM Challenge #15 - Pastel with ribbon

HIMCR #91 - Freestyle

La-Vie

Keep Calm and Hop On

Today I went out of my comfort zone to create a mini canvas. The 5 challenges I entered today required and Easter theme (Stampin Dragon Designz) with a humorous twist, clean, simple design that was NOT a card (CAS-ual Fridays), pastel colors and ribbon (3 Girl JAM) and buttons (Craftin' Desert Diva's). The challenge is freestyle at Hiding in My Craft Room - HIMCR. Hopefully you will play along. Here are the links:

• CAS-ual Fridays - CFC96 Funny Bunny
• 3 Girl JAM Challenge #15 Pastel with Ribbon
• HIMCR #91
• Stampin Dragon Designz - Easter challenge
• Craftin Desert Diva's Craft it up; link it up party #3

Because this project was out of my wheel house it caused my creativity to soar! I used all new materials and techniques. First of all, this is way too small. I usually create A2 cards or 12x12 layouts. Smaller = stress for me. However, I challenged myself to make this without becoming stressed. Pre-planning and then letting my imagination run wild as I was creating were key.

The first step to creating this project was stamping the bunny. I wanted him to be blurry a little to show motion. He is hopping into a cartwheel. Then I stamped the same image on cardstock, cut it out and adhered it to the stamped image on my canvas (masking). Then I used a stippling brush to layer color on the canvas to make the background.

Once the background was the way I desired, I used a small portion of a flower stem stamp to create the grass at the bottom of the canvas. I inked the stem and lightly (yet randomly) stamped it several times before re-inking. The light and dark parts help to create depth. Adding the clouds (one half on the right and the other half of the stamp on the left) in the same ink as the sky worked well. The sentiment was supposed to say keep calm and shop on. However, I removed the ink from the "S" with a Q-tip. I was feeling very cleaver.... All that was left to do was remove the mask, add the button, ribbon, twine and chipboard button. In strategic places I added double-sided tape to hold the ribbon still.

Supplies:

1. Artist's Loft primed wooden cradle board 1" (4 x 4")
2. stamps - bunny and grass: Sandylion girl clear stamps, clouds: Recollections Fun Borders, Sentiment: Stampin' Up! Carry On
3. Ink - Technique Tuesday green chalk ink, TPC Studio Clearly Better Green Ink pad, Clear and Simple Stamps Hybrid ink perfect black dress, paint the town pink, Simply Blue-tiful
4. Ribbon/Twine: Stampin' Up! Marina Mist striped grosgrain ribbon 1 1/4", Mon Ami Gabby Couture Accents twine
5. Buttons: Chipboard patterned button and mini blue button - stash
6. Stippling brush
7. Adhesives: Zots glue dots, Scotch ATG, Scotch double-sided tape

La-Vie

Friendship Card

Did you miss me? I took a little break to go see my family last week (including my baby nephew!) I'm back in my craftroom (oh how I missed it so...) and have created a Friendship card as my entry into 5 challenges.

Supplies:

• Cardstock - hand cut card base and layer: Bazzill, hand cut News print butterfly tag: Graphic 45, Olde Curiosity Shoppe
• Stash - buttercream colored button, ribbon, Friendship sticker
• Clear star - Twinkle Goosebumps colored with V15 Mallow Copic Marker
• Ink - Tim Holtz Distress Ink in tea dye and dusty concord
• Anna Griffin Cuttlebug and D'vine Swirls embossing folder
• Paper Shapers decorative edge scissors, Provo Craft
• EK Success powder tool

 

I started out with this sketch from Sketchy Friday (see above), added an Action Wobble and newsprint for their challenge (see below), a button for the Craftin Desert Diva's linky party, the colors lavender, buttercream and vanilla (black and white are ok as well) for The Play Date Cafe (see color scheme below) and last but not least, there's a freestyle challenge going on at Hiding in My Craft Room (HIMCR).

Challenges

• The Play Date Cafe challenge #175
• Sketchy Friday #13
• HIMCR #91
• Action Wobbles
• Craftin Desert Diva's Craft it up & link it up party #3

La-Vie

Bloom card for Spring

I just made a simple, bright-colored, Spring card to brighten someone's day! I'm entering 3 challenges as well. There's still time to join in. I've listed the links and the basic requirements below. Please check each blog for more specific, general instructions and a list of prizes to be won.

 

Supplies:

1. Bazzill cardstock in medium pink and lavender
2. American Crafts Moda Bella Preppy cardstock - yellow pattern
3. Recollections - yellow bling
4. Wrights seam binding - medium pink
5. American Crafts - Mini Marks Garden phrases rub ons - bloom
6. EK Success scallop punch
7. Paper Shapers for Stampin' Up! - top note
    

Please join me in the following challenges!

• CAS-ual Fridays - clean and simple with NO stamping
• My Creative Time - Tic Tac Toe (my choices: patterned paper, ribbon, bling)
• Cards blog - color challenge: Medium Pink, Lavender and light yellow

La-Vie

A Boy and His Dog

 

Today I have a project inside of a project for ya! First, as an entry into the Repeat Impressions Sketch Challenge #M2013 I created this card based on the sketch provided (see below). I used punches and the creative memories shape cutting system to cut the circles and squares. My son Aidan (almost 4 years old at the time) and our Shih Tzu Barkley (named after Big Bird's dog) are great play partners. 

 

 

 

 

Surprise!! I decided to use the card as an interactive part of a layout that I am entering into 2 other challenges. This layout is perfect for the "it's a dog's life" challenge at The Stamping Dragon. Since the subject is my darling boy and it's made almost entirely with scraps, it's also perfect for the mid-month challenge at About A Boy!

 The layout features the card with the secret journaling and full sized picture. I've always wanted to try something like this and as simple as it is...I have never tried until today. The cute dog die cut was cut with from the Four Legged Friends Cricut Lite cartridge. All but the base paper - SEI Park Buddies: Doggy Treats - started as scraps from my stash. 

 

 

Supplies:

• and layers cut at 6" from the four legged friends cricut lite cartridge
• Adhesive - pink Scotch  ATG and xyron
• SEI Park Buddies: Doggy Treats
• Basic Grey Mellow: Settle Down (patterned cardstock with the children and dogs)
• Camoflage paper: Crate Paper - Toy Box Collection: Library
• Card base - Bazzill
• Pet food paper (layer inside the card and under the picture on the card front) - Bo-Bunny Cat Treats Paper
• Everything else is from my stash from an unknown manufacturer

La-Vie