Funky Chickaletta

The current Challenge at the Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers is Friends, so I jumped on the chance to use this silly image I printed recently from the Nick Jr. website, my favorite Paw Patrol character, the mayor's best friend & pet purse chicken, Chickaletta!

Paw Patrol makes great fodder for the snarky-at-heart; there are lots of blog posts out there by snarky parents like me who watch way too much of it!  I stole the sentiment from a meme, printed it using American Typewriter font, and stamped the bubble with a Latina Crafter stamp.  I colored Chickaletta with Copic markers & added some bling with a glitter pen. She's on an Action Wobble, so that she can do the Funky Chickaletta! I even added a brad to represent Wally, another animal friend in the show. I obviously had way too much fun with this!

Inspiration/Challenges:
Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers: (Sat 2W) Friends
Stick it Down: (P1) September Card Sketch

Thank you for visiting!

Sea You Later...

The theme this week at Pile It On is "Stripes and/or Plaid," and since I don't really have any plaid paper I concentrated on stripes!

I used Alligator Swim by our sponsor, 2 Cute Ink:

I came up with the sentiment myself; not sure I should be proud of that, ha! I made the banner in InDesign, using the font Atlas. The banner, alligator, and starfish are printed/stamped on "Sea Otter" textured DP from Core'Dinations.

The starfish is from a Recollections set, and stamped with Staz-On and inked with blue & purple inks (Ranger & Versamark). I backed the banner with my favorite ribbon, Celery Striped/Chevron Twill from MayArts (purchased at Can You Digi It?).

The alligator piece was embossed with a Fiskars Texture Plate in my BigShot, inked with Wild Wasabi (SU!), and detailed with a Copic and a white glaze pen (Sakura). He's attached with an Action Wobble, as if he could get any cuter.

The "sea" was made with a digital patterned paper from Papercraft Inspirations magazine (I love how they offer their free papers as digital downloads as well). The striped background is from a 6x6 Echo Park pack.

I added Mircobeads to the corners with Glossy Accents. All the shiny blue detail was done with a Sakura glaze pen.

I know that someday I'll find the perfect occasion for this card; for now, it just makes me smile!

Inspiration/Challenges:
Card Crafter's Circle #77: Stripe Me Silly
Cutie Pie Challenge: 3, 2, 1 recipe (3 DPs, 2 images, 1 sentiment)
Eureka Stamps: The Great Outdoors
Ooh La La Creations: Inspired by Nature
Simon Says Stamp: Anything Goes
Songbird Challenges: All Creatures Great & Small
The Perfect Sentiment: Humorous Sentiment

Thank you for visiting, and hope you'll join us this week at Pile It On,

Rosey Snails

Mother's Day (in the U.S.) is only 4 days away, and that means I'm of course rushing to make cards! I bought this great digi, A Mother's Burden by A Day for Daisies, last year but I didn't manage to finish the card in time. I just made this just in time this year, though!

The polka-dot embossed Kraft paper is heat-embossed with glitter (Kaleidoscope embossing powder), so in real life it has quite a pink shimmer. I actually made it for a different project that didn't pan out, but I couldn't throw it away.

I really like this month's Color Challenge at Stamp and Create: Bright Pink, Turquoise, Lime Green, Brown (or Black). It gave me an excuse to use three of my favorite craft items: hot pink embossing powder, lime green Liquid Pearls, and turquoise chevron washi tape.

The scalloped circles and leaves were cut in my BigShot with Spellbinders dies. The sentiment stamp is from a Fiskars set. The corners of the white background are rounded with scalloped scissors, and the green banner is edged with a glitter pen.

The image is colored with Copics, mostly with Fluorescent Pink (FRV1), and is even brighter in person! The image is attached with an Action Wobble, so mom and the kids wiggle a bit! (All my projects featuring Action Wobbles are archived here.)

Inspiration/Challenges:
A Day for Daisies Challenge #69: Use Something Lace~y (Scalloped circles)
Shopping Our Stash #100: Mother's Day or Pink (All the papers are from my stash/off-cuts box)
Stamp and Create May Challenge: Color Combo (Bright Pink, Turquoise, Lime Green, Brown OR Black)
Technostamper's Monday Lunchtime Challenge: Sketch #262
Wobble Wednesday Challenge #53: Anything Goes + Action Wobble

Thank you for visiting,

Cinco de Mayo

Growing up with the ridiculous Mexican stereotypes that dominated kitschy culture in Arizona, I tend to shy away from themes that might remind me of them, but I couldn't resist using this silly "Tequila Worm" by KennyK to make a Cinco de Mayo card featuring lyrics from the classic jam by War:

Cinco de Mayo has definitely become an American holiday, and I've been known to take a bit of tequila in celebration! I put the worm on Wobbles, lining it up with the background. The lyrics are set in the font Chalkduster.

The background, patterned paper is from Reminiscence's Celebration series; the multi-colored pattern at the bottom is actually part of the "cut-off" strip. I cut some swirls out of a DP from my stash, using a Sizzix die.

I can't remember the last time I had Aguila beer, but this bottlecap was in my stash! I flattened it in my Big Shot (using this YouTube tutorial) and decorated it with some tiny pearls. The pearls and bottle cap are glued on with Glossy Accents, but I used ZipDry for everything else.

The image is colored with Copics, except for the gold on the sombrero (Sakura metallic pen). I added blue Sparkly Fluff to the hat as well.

The white background is trimmed with deckle scissors & ink-distressed with SU! Wild Wasabi. I finished the card with some red Raffia ribbon.

Challenges/Inspiration:
Cuttin and Stampin Challenge #16: Cinco de Mayo
Jellypark Challenges: Humor
Kenny K's Krafty Krew: Tic Tac Toe / 3rd row: Swirls, Digi, Ribbon, Die Cuts (plus pearls for good measure!)
613 Avenue Create Challenge #17: Photo Inspiration/Cinco de Mayo


Update: This made the Top 3 for 613 Avenue Create Challenge #17!

Here's the song "Cinco de Mayo" by War (I wanted to find a live version, but oh well):

Thank you for visiting,

Recycled Plastic Bag Bows

One of my favorite stories growing up was Little Egret and Toro by Robert Vavra, with illustrations by John Fulton, the "American Matador." Basically, egrets save a bull from death in the bullring by mimicking the tradition of waving white handkerchiefs to pardon a particularly brave bull. I've met John Fulton a few times, when I was a child living in Spain... interestingly, he also spent quite a bit of time in my husband's family's hometown in Mexico. Small world!

So when I won some digi stamps by KennyK Downloads via Party Time Tuesday, I just had to grab his Cute Bull. All of his images have attitude, even the animals!

I colored Toro with Copics, added some black Sparkly Fluff, and attached it to the card with a Wobble.

The bows are made with plastic bags! I used the part at the top of the handles; I just tied a bit of ribbon around it (just like using raffia ribbon. I glued them onto the card with Glossy Accents.

The "bullring" colors are fairly traditional, and are very much inspired by Sevilla's Plaza de toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería. I cut the circles & scalloped circle with Spellbinders dies.

I generated the sentiment in Chinchilla, printed it on a shiny white paper, and mounted it onto a gold paper (both by Recollections). I added some Onyx Liquid Pearls.

The clouded background is an embossed, two-toned Core'Dinations cardstock; I sanded the clouds to bring out the lighter blue. The white base is actually embossed with polka dots.

Inspiration/Challenges:
ABC Challenges: Recycle
Crafty Boots: Recycle
Digi Darla Challenge: Earth Day (use a recycled item)
Eureka Stamps: Animal Catwalk
Going Grey With Scrap-Creations: Insects Or Animals
Joanna Sheen Challenge: Recycle
Kenny K's Krafty Krew: Anything Goes

Thank you for visiting and do let me know if you try making your own plastic bag bows,

Hop hop hop!

I really liked the theme of this week's Squigglefly challenge: Card that depicts a Song. I thought that this stamp plus a wobble would be great for a "Bunny Hop"-inspired card. And since this is for my nieces, I went ahead and put two bouncin' bunnies on there (both are attached with Action Wobbles)!

The dance instructions are from the actual back of Capitol Record's "The Bunny Hop" compilation LP, posted by LORAC! on Flickr. I added a bit of color of Copics and some of the violet ink I used to distress everything.

The bursts are cut with a die from an a•muse studio set. I generated the sentiment with the font LD Music.

I'm entering this into the Top Tip Tuesday Challenge with some tips on applying 3D embellishments:

TOP TIP:
Use your sticker machine to add flocking and paper piece your image.

Here I have my bunnies all cut out, and my supplies at the ready.

I ran the bunnies & tummies through the sticker machine – image side down – and started by covering the tummies with white flocking.

I took the bunny off of the sticker paper and adhered the tummy & ears. I use a tray to catch all the extra fluff, so I just cover it and press to get a nice even layer.

TOP TIP #2:
Here I used superfine Flower Soft from there "Teddy Bear" collection; it works fine with the sticker machine, but best with a wet adhesive like Tacky or, my favorite, a ZIG  glue pen.

I glued the tale piece back on. I put everything together before adding the final touches with Glossy Accents (because it takes a while to dry).

Top Tip #3:
Glossy Accents works best for Flower Soft and heavy elements. I also used it to adhere the microbeads to the button and well as the left-hand corner of the card.

I made the little bows from rafia using the fork technique and, I swear, a Cake Breaker/Cake Fork.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Anything Goes Challenge #88: Seeing Double
Cutie Pie Challenge: Easter
In the Pink #17: Spring/Easter + Pink
Melonheadz Friends Challenge: Easter or Spring
Squigglefly: Card that depicts a Song ("The Bunny Hop")
Tammy's Scrappin Corner: Easter
The Pink Elephant Monday Card Challenge: Easter
Top Tip Tuesday #97: Funny creation/ TIP


Update: I was chosen as "Top Tipper" for Top Tip Tuesday's ROFL Challenge!

Thank you for visiting,

Happy Dr. Seuss Day!

Not only is today (March 2) Mr Geisel's birthday, it's Read Across America Day. I don't have any children here to read to, but maybe my husband would listen to a poem or two (actually, I love it when he reads to me...)!

My sister-in-law posted the cutest photo on FaceBook of our niece celebrating Dr Seuss's birthday at school, eating green eggs and ham (green-colored scrambled eggs and cut-up ham slices... so clever!), so when I saw the Inspired By...Dr Seuss challenge, I just had to make a card.

 
The quote image is by TLC Creations; she gave it out as a freebie last year and I had to go through her whole March 2012 archive to find it! So worth it though! I was naughty and darkened the yellow in Photoshop... sorry, I just couldn't see it in the print-out! Speaking of being naughty, I grabbed the Dr Seuss images from coloring pages available on the web. What can I say, I colored them!

I colored the "Truffula trees" and then added FlowerSoft to them for texture. It's difficult to see in this photo, but I colored the background for the trees with Copics and texturized it with Blender solution and Aida fabric. I cut out "Horton" with deckle scissors and colored him with Copic B60, Pale Blue Gray. He's attached with an Action Wobble, so he bounces really nicely on the card!

Inspiration/Challenges:
Art Impressions Challenge 102: Use a Wobble
Inspired By #64: Dr. Seuss
The Sketch File: February Sketch




Update: This won the "Wobble" challenge at Art Impressions, as well as Inspired By #64!

Thank you for visiting,