Colorful Springtime - My Heart Pieces and OSAAT

This week at One Stitch at a Time (OSAAT), our theme is Use a Digi. StitchyBear's Digi Outlet has hundreds of digital products from many wonderful artists, and if you use one of our products you'll be entered to win the super-duper April prize pack of 7 digis. If you don't use a store image, you'll still be in the drawing to win a $3 gift certificate. 
My teamie Shell chose one of my favorite images to work with, Ankhi by My Heart Pieces.

I used this image a while back, so I wanted this card to have a different, yet complementary, look. I've used some other of this artist's images that have similar birds, and I always end up coloring them as bluebirds (of happiness, I guess)! I actually printed this image onto the patterned background paper so that I could line it up exactly. It was printed again on white cardstock, colored with Copics, and fussy-cut.

The DP is from Graphic 45's Mother Goose collection, and I was tickled to discover that the flower patterns on the Ring Around the Rosies and Storytime sheets match! If you look closely, you can see how the green paper is aligned with the background. The scalloped border on top is a Sizzix die cut, and let me tell you that was pretty tricky to line up correctly! The circle is die-cut from a paper from the same Mother Goose collection, A Pocketful of Posies.

I finished the card with some ribbon and a printed, silk flower from my stash. The brad is by Amy Tangerine/American Crafts.

Scrapping Everyday Miracles

Inspiration/Challenges:
Copic Spain Challenge: Flowers + Copics
Crafter's Cafe: Spring
Creative Card Crew #59: Spring
Ladybug Crafts: Here comes spring
Oddball Art Stamps: Use a Digi
Papertake Weekly: Spring Has Sprung
Penny's Paper-Crafty: Flower power
Scrapping Everyday Miracles: April Card Sketch

Update: This made the Top 3 for Scrapping Everyday Miracles' April Card Sketch.

Thank you for visiting, and hope you'll join us this week at One Stitch at a Time,

My Heart Pieces and OSAAT

This week at One Stitch at a Time (OSAAT), our theme is Use a Digi. StitchyBear's Digi Outlet has hundreds of digital products from many wonderful artists, and if you use one of our products you'll be entered to win the super-duper main prize.

I used Ankhi by My Heart Pieces. I just love her work, especially her sweet little birds. Everything is colored with Copics, and I used the Blender Texture technique for the background. I enlarged the birds from the main image and gave them "wigs" with blue Sparkly Fluff.

I don't always use Prima flowers...but when I do, I use a whole bunch! I adehered them with Glossy Accents to give them some dimension, and added Liquid Pearls in different colors to the centers. 

The background was embossed using my BigShot and a Fiskars texture plate, and I inked the edges with China Blue distress ink. The mesh ribbon is actually a piece of netting from the pearl onions we had for Christmas dinner!

The banner was cut with a Spellbinders die from a shiny white paper, and stamped in China Blue with a sentiment from Clear Art Stamps' Rosy Wishes set. 

Inspiration/Challenges:
Crafty Creations #256: for the birds
Mod Squad Challenge: Flowers
Red Rubber Inspirationals: Dreaming of Spring Flowers
Stampin' For The Weekend: Flower Power

Thank you for visiting,and hope you'll join us this week at OSAAT,

Let it Rain! - For the Girls challenge at Sunshine Mail

It's time for a new Sunshine Mail Foundation Challenge (October 15 - November 1). Our theme is "For The Girls" and the only real rule is that you send in at least one card (it doesn't have to be the card you enter in the challenge; Donation guidelines here).

We're sponsored by My Heart Pieces, and used her oh-so-sweet digi stamp My Name is Happy:

click to enlarge

I printed the image and cut it out with a Spellbinders die in my BigShot. I also cut a light blue piece. The image is colored with Copic markers, and I added some details with Sakura glitter & gel pens. The clouds were cut with an IO die from blue paper covered with chevron-patterned Washi tape.

The sentiment is by Paper Makeup Stamps; I won it some time ago, and I thought it worked so well with this image. I printed into onto a plain white cardstock, mounted it on a teal cardstock, and embossed it with the Charles Cuttlebug folder.

I used double-sided tape to adhere the pretty printed ribbon onto a piece of shiny white cardstock that I edged with deckle scissors and a fluorescent blue Copic.

I made this on a very rainy day; we didn't have much rain this summer, but so far, it looks like Autumn will be making up for that. I sort of like the rain, but I wish we could have a little sunshine at least once a day!

Inspiration/Challenges:
A Die for a Sketch: Sketch + Dies
Bunny Zoe's Crafts: Ribbon
Craft Your Passion: Embossing
MarkerPOP Challenge: Anything Goes with markers
Songbird: Blue Hawaii - Use Lots Of Blue

Update: This won a "Top Tweet" mention at Songbird Challenges, as well as the prize for A Die for a Sketch #17!

Thank you for visiting, and hope you'll share some smiles with the Sunshine Mail Foundation,

A little birdhouse in your Soul

This week at One Stitch at a Time (OSAAT), it's Anything Goes! I used Bird House by My Heart Pieces:

click to enlarge

For the sentiment, I used the chorus from They Might Be Giants' classic song "Birdhouse in Your Soul". I don't know, I just really like that song! I cut it out with a Spellbinders die and added some blue Liquid Pearls.

The house and birds are decoupaged, with the layers popped up with foam tape. I colored everything with Copics, and used blue Sparkly Fluff for the birds' hair.

The "fence" and blue background are made from Core'Dinations two-tone cardstocks and embossed with Cuttlebug folders. They were lightly sanded to bring out the core colors. I added some "nails" with a Viva Pearl Pen.

Challenge #13

The Craft Garden

Inspiration/Challenges:
A Die for a Sketch Challenge #13: Sketch + at least 1 die cut
A.R.T. Card Challenge: Anything Goes (1st entry)
Crafting By Designs: Anything Goes
Pollycraft Challenges: Anything goes
Ruby's Rainbow #57: Things with Wings
Simon Says Stamp: Anything Goes (1st entry)
Sandy's Crafty Creations: Embossed backgrounds
Scrap It Girl's June Challenge: Use your dies
The Craft Garden: Color Palette (I know my shades are different from the photo, but I was very much inspired by the colors)


PS: Check out my 4th Blogoversary Blog Candy, through July 9.

PSS: You can now Follow my blog with Bloglovin.

Here's the video for They Might Be Giants' classic:

Thank you for visiting, and, while you're at it, keep the nightlight on inside the birdhouse in your soul,

Pile It On - For a Dad

We have a timely challenge for you this week at Pile It On - For a Dad! I know you'll be able to link up to lots of challenges with this one.

Our sponsor is My Heart Pieces, so I used her Summer Fun digi stamp along with this sentiment from Paper Makeup:

For the background, I used the Pinwheel Party DP from My Minds Eye's Kraft Funday line. I colored the image with Copics and glaze pens, and inked everything with Barely Banana ink from Stampin' Up.

Die Cuttin' Divas

Inspiration/Challenges:

1. Creative Belli #171: Father's Day (the Candi & bottlecap have been in my stash for a long time)
2. Die Cuttin' Divas Challenge #118: Sketch + Die Cuts
3. My Heart Pieces: Clean & Simple
4. Paper Pretties Wednesday Challenge: Father's Day
5. Party Time Tuesdays #123: Happy Fathers Day
6. Simon Says Stamp: Masculine/Father's Day
7. Stamp n Doodle: Father's Day/For a man
8. The Perfect Sentiment #82: Father's Day/For a man
9. The Stamping Chef: Father's Day/For a man

Update: This placed in the Top 3 for My Heart Pieces' Clean & Simple challenge! 

Thank you for visiting,

Photo fun

Hope you'll join the Use a Digi challenge at One Stitch at a Time this week (and be sure to check out my teamies' fabulous projects). For entries using a StitchyBear Store product (be sure to add a # after your name when entering), you'll be eligible for our main prize. You're welcome to enter the challenge using different products, but instead you'll be entered into the draw to win a £3 coupon to StitchyBear Digital Stamps. Can't wait to see what you create! 

I used Me And Snowman by My Heart Pieces: 

Ticket digi stamp from Scrap-a-lious Times
Papers:
Mark's Finest/ Blue linen
Authentique / Splendid Richness
Sweetwater / Family Ties


Inspiration/Challenges:
Happy Campers: Use a favourite Stamp (This digi is one of my all-time favorites; I love the perspective) 

MilkCoffee Challenge: Make it Cute

Sweet n' Sassy Digi Challenge: for a child

Thank you for visiting & hope you'll join us this week at One Stitch at a Time,

Anything Goes! at OSAAT

Today begins another fun challenge at One Stitch at a Time (OSAAT): Anything Goes!
I used Beautiful Nature by My Heart Pieces to make this simple holiday card:

I printed this out on thick white cardstock, colored it with Copics, and then used a Sizzix embossing folder & embossing diffuser to make the frame. 

The chipboard sentiment was free with a magazine, and I edged it with a bronze Sharpie and added a little ribbon. The card is backed with a shiny brown paper (Recollections), and I finished the corners with some paper Candi. Oh, and I used my scallop scissors on the card corners.

We don't always choose our own DT images at OSAAT, but sometimes we get to choose for ourselves and teammates. It's fun to see several different takes with the same image. This week I got to chose for myself & my teamie Crafting Vicky; do check out her gorgeous card for this challenge on her blog!

Inspiration/Challenges:

• Cards by Lady Anne / Friday is Sentiment Challenge: Anything Goes
• Challenges 4 Everybody: Always Anything Goes
• It's All About the Vintage: Make your own background
• LEJ Designs Challenge #27: Anything Goes
• Mema's Crafts November Challenge #1: Anything goes (winter/holiday optional)
• One Crazy Stamper: Anything Goes
• Oozak: Winter Vibes
• Really Reasonable Ribbon: Winter Holiday & ribbon (I know I didn't use a ton of ribbon, but I feel like it really makes the card)

Hope you'll join the "Anything Goes" challenge at One Stitch at a Time this week (and be sure to check out my teamies' fabulous projects!) For entries using a StitchyBear Store product (be sure to add a # after your name when entering), the prize is a selection of die cuts from Crimson Cloud. You're welcome to enter the challenge using different products, but instead you'll be entered into the draw to win a $3 coupon to StitchyBear Digi Stamps. Can't wait to see your projects! 
 

Thank you for visiting & I truly appreciate your comments,