Graduation Bouquet -- CAS + a surprise inside at Crafter's Cafe

We have an especially fun challenge for you at The Crafter's Cafe Challenge: CAS + a Bright Surprise inside. Here's the recipe: Make a card, with the front in a CAS style with mainly a black and white sentiment, but decorate the inside with bright colors, embellishments, etc. Doesn't that sound fun‽

I used "Spring Cart" from Robin's Fetish for this graduation pop-up card.

I made a little diploma scroll from copy paper, distressed the edges with Antique Linen ink, and stamped one of my favorite sentiments in black (Clear Art Stamps). I made the mortarboard with a square of black cardstock, a black gemstone, and a die-cut tassel.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Aud Sentiments Challenge: #155 Anything Goes + A Sentiment
DL ART Thursday Challenge: #180 Flowers and/or Graduation

Thank you for visiting & hope you'll join us at The Crafter's Cafe,

Feminine at Crafter's Cafe

Happy May! Today begins a new challenge at The Crafter's Cafe. Our theme is Feminine. We're sponsored by Bugaboo Stamps and My Stitch Back in Twine. I used "Stella Birthday/Over the Hill" from Bugaboo to make this birthday card for a lady with a good sense of humor!

I inked the black & white and gray & black patterned papers with shimmery inks, and die-cut them with my BigShot. The sentiment was die-cut with an IO die. The banner is a ShrinkyDink that I made with an AI stamp. The wooden birds were heat embossed with a light blue. The seam binding is from Paper Sweeties. I added a border & dots with Grape Stickles.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Fussy and Fancy: Female Birthdays

MarkerPop! Challenge #93: Anything Goes
Sasayaki Glitter Challenge: Shaped Cards

Update: This was the April prize winner at the Sasayaki Glitter Challenge!

Thank you for visiting & hope you'll join us at The Crafter's Cafe,

Spring has Sprung! -- Seasons at the Crafter's Cafe

It's time for a new challenge at The Crafter's Cafe! This time, we're all about Seasons: What season are you enjoying right now? What's your favorite season? I was inspired by Spring, our current season in Maryland & probably my favorite. It's fun watching everything bloom. I used "Tulip Frame" by Eureka Stamps, one of our generous challenge sponsors.

I colored the image with Copics, using a very light blue for the background. The sentiment is stamped in blue on a woodgrain-patterened paper. I framed both pieces with Kraft paper. The background papers are from my stash (I've had them for years!) and I covered them with a layer of glitter embossing powder.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Crafty Boots: Use a Sentiment
Di's Digis Designs: Embossing
Moving along with the Times #18: Spring Flowers
Use Your Stuff: Kraft + Stash (patterned papers)

Thank you for visiting & hope you'll join us at The Crafter's Cafe,

Good news! -- Lace at the Crafter's Cafe

The Crafter's Cafe Challenge theme is Lace. We're sponsored by SLS Lines, Bloobel Stamps, and Melonheadz. I used "Weak at the Knees" by Bloobel along with this fun sentiment stamp.

The DPs are from a paper pack by My Mind's Eye.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Crazy 4 Challenges: Purple
Make My Monday: Circles
My Time to Craft: Girlie
Sassy Sketcharinos: Sketch #004
Tuesday Throwdown #287: Add Lace

Update: This was the winner for Sassy Sketcharinos #004; Sure, I was the only entry, but they gave me a badge anyway!

Thank you for visiting & hope you'll join us at The Crafter's Cafe,

Easter at the Crafter's Cafe

The Crafter's Cafe Challenge theme is Easter. We're sponsored by Crafty Sentiments, Dr Digi, Creative Bug, and PolkaDoodles. I used "Cuddly Critters Rabbit" by Dr Digi. The paper bunny peeps are cut with a file from Miss Kate's Cuttables' "Easter Candy" set.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Animal Friends Challenge #36: Easter + animal
Creative Corner: Hoppy Easter
Digitally Sweet #148: Spring is in the Air
Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge: Anything goes with a twist: Easter

Thank you for visiting & hope you'll join us at The Crafter's Cafe,

Inspired by a Song at the Crafter's Cafe

The Crafter's Cafe Challenge theme is Inspired by a Song. We're sponsored by The East Wind, SLS Lines, Lacy Sunshine, and DS4J.

I was inspired by the song "Stray Cat Strut" by the Stray Cats, and this "Rebel Alley Cat" digi stamp  from The East Wind worked purrfectly.

Following the song's lyrics, I made the cat orange & black with flocking. The base-card is a black, pre-embossed cardstock, but the teal & brick papers are dry-embossed with a Sizzix folder. The guitar is metal charm that I colored with a red enamel; I attached it with a star-shaped brad & Glossy Accents. The sentiment is inspired by the song as well.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Polkadoodles #8: Tic Tac Toe (Top Row: Charm, Animal, Sentiment)
Show Us Your Pussies: Lucky Kitty (this guy definitely has more than 9 nines!)
Wags 'n Whiskers #172: Furry Friends
WordArt Wednesdays: Anything Goes (3rd entry)

Thank you for visiting & hope you'll join us at The Crafter's Cafe,

Love is in the Air at the Crafter's Cafe

The Crafter's Cafe Challenge theme is Love is in the Air. We're sponsored by Melonheadz, QKR Stampede, and Rick St. Dennis. I designed this card around the All You Need is Love sentiment on the digi stamp "Valentine Tangle" by RSD & the song "Love Is All You Need" by the Beatles.

I made a twisted easel card, propping up the top with a record player cut using Cricut's Bits & Pieces cartridge.

Thank you for visiting & hope you'll join us at The Crafter's Cafe,

Purple Cow - Monochromatic at the Crafter's Cafe

The Crafter's Cafe Challenge theme is Monochromatic. We're sponsored by Kitty Bee and My Stitch Back in Twine. I used this adorable Cow by Kitty Bee along with the familiar verse by Gelett Burgess. 

I used a double-sided DP and Karen Burniston’s Rectangle Pull Card die set from Elizabeth Craft Designs to create this pop-up card.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Ruby's Rainbow: Animal Magic
Sassy Studio Designs: Monochromatic
Simon Says Stamp: Anything Goes
Speedy Fox and Friends: Anything goes

Thank you for visiting & hope you'll join us at The Crafter's Cafe,

I Got the Blues Blog Hop + Cards for Men at the Crafter's Cafe

The Crafter's Cafe Challenge theme is Male Cards, and we're calling this our January Blues Challenge.  It's been 3 weeks since Santa was here, 2 weeks since we welcomed the New Year - all the hype and excitement has gone, are you feeling a bit down? So along with our normal challenge prizes, we will be 4 blog hop prizes as well to help spread a little cheer! Be sure to leave a comment on all the Design Team members blogs and mention "January Blues" to be eligible. And of course, link up your great Male Cards!


Welcome to my stop on this fun Blog Hop! Here are two cards featuring products from Angie's Cards & Digis to chase away a few winter blues.


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Hot Cocoa Gift Card

I used this fun sentiment by one of our generous sponsors, Angie's Cards & Digis. The card base was adapted from an SVG file I grabbed online years ago. It's an actual card, I just used the template to create a pocket on the front, for a packet of hot cocoa.

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Teddy Pop-up Card

For my second card, I used this cute image by one of our generous sponsors, Angie's Cards & Digis to make a 3-fold card based on this video tutorial by Frenchiestamps. The sentiment is by TLC Creations.

Thank you for visiting & hope you'll join us at The Crafter's Cafe! Be sure to leave me a comment & mention "January Blues" to qualify for the great Blog Hop prizes. Your next stop is the fabulous Fiona.


Best,

Goin' Square at the Crafter's Cafe

The Crafter's Cafe challenge theme for this fortnight is Square Cards. We're sponsored by AliciaBel and Robyn's Fetish. I used "Marina" by AliciaBel. It's this such a fun design?! I was reminded of my 8-year-old niece, who recently said to me, "I've always been a mermaid...in disguise!"

To make the background, I cut a double-sided DP into squares, glued them to a white base, and filled in the grid with double-sided tpae. I heat-embossed the tape with beige embossing powder. The design is inspired by sea-side, tiled tables. The sentiment (Doodle Pantry) is printed on yellow paper, folded & cut by hand (technique inspired by DIY drink umbrellas), distressed with yellow ink, and secured with a wooden skewer that I sliced in half lengthwise with a knife. The Marina image is printed on white paper & vellum, and colored with Copics & glitter pens.

I'm linking this card up to the following Challenges:
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper: Anything goes with Patterned Paper

House That Stamps Built: Anything Goes
StampArtPapel Retarte #68: Anything Goes
Sweet Stampin: Food & Drink
WordArt Wednesdays: Anything Goes

Thank you for visiting & hope you'll join us at The Crafter's Cafe,

Tags with the Crafter's Cafe

The Crafter's Cafe Challenge theme is Tags. We're sponsored by Rick St. Dennis, MFA, Angie's Cards & Digis, and Melonheadz Illustrations. I used "I Think I've Lost My Buttons" by RSD to create a tag atop a box for lost buttons!

I originally decorated this recycled box for the first Pile It On Challenge of 2012 ... I removed the top portion and remade it into a box for loose buttons.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Brown Sugar: Buttons
Crafting When We Can: Buttons Galore
Simon Says Stamp: Tags (2nd entry)

Update: This was chosen as the Winner for Crafting When We Can #109!

Thank you for visiting & hope you'll join us at The Crafter's Cafe,

Dies/Punches with the Crafter's Cafe

The Crafter's Cafe Challenge theme is Dies/Punches. We're sponsored by Bugaboo Stamps, My Stitch, and Art by Miran. I used "Snowglobe Winter Bird" by Bugaboo.

I popped up the front with a foam sheet, using a circle die to create a hole in the foam. After I hand-cut the snowglobe section on the image piece, I embossed it in my BigShot and inked the raised snowflakes with a shiny blue chalk ink. The shaker portion is covered with acetate & filled with Diamond Dust and punched-out stars. The border was punched from the same shiny blue cardstock that I used for the stars; I also used it for the background.

The sentiment is made of two stamps from a Ladybug Crafts Ink set that I got with an Australian Simply Cards magazine. I added some foam snowflakes for good measure!

Inspiration/Challenges:
Not Just Cards: Always Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp: Anything Goes (2nd entry)
Stampavie and More: Snowflakes

Thank you for visiting & hope you'll join us at The Crafter's Cafe,

CAS + Food or Drink with the Crafter's Cafe

The Crafter's Cafe Challenge theme is CAS + Food or Drink. We're sponsored by Bugaboo Stamps and Art by Miran. I used Sugar and Spice and Cute Puppy by Bugaboo. I made a notch swing card for our niece's birthday; her folks are raising her without strict gender roles so I played on the old "Sugar & Spice" / "Snails & Puppydog Tails" saying.

I colored the images with Copic markers, adding some glitter embossing powder to the sugar. I used a Tim Holtz stencil to add a splash of "sugar" to the bottom of the card in the same glitter embossing powder. The sentiment is a sticker, and the tiny buttons were heat-embossed with neon powders. I stitched the buttons onto the card with glittery thread.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Brown Sugar: No Patterned Paper
Fab 'n' Funky: Clean & Simple
Pattie's Creations: Birthday + Digi stamp

Thank you for visiting & hope you'll join us at The Crafter's Cafe,

Inspired by a Song at the Crafter's Cafe

The Crafter's Cafe Challenge theme is Inspired by a Song. We're sponsored by Creative Bug and Deedee's Digis. I was inspired by the songs "Whistle While You Work" & "Heigh-Ho" from Snow White, and used the cute Happy Dance digi stamp by Creative Bug. A crafting friend of mine works for for the railroad, so I made this card for her.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper: Anything goes with Patterned Paper
Cuttlebug Mania: Trees (die cuts: treeline and image & sentiment pieces)
Incy Wincy Designs: Sketch
Simon Says Stamp: Anything Goes
WordArt Wednesdays: Anything Goes

Thank you for visiting & hope you'll join us at The Crafter's Cafe,