Peach & Lavendar Xmas - Christmas Card using non traditional colours at Crafting with Dragonflies

Our challenge this fortnight at Crafting with Dragonflies is to make a Christmas Card using non traditional colors.

Do you remember the SMIRK paper line? I still have a bunch of their Christmas stuff, and although I don't use it as much as I should, I always have fun when I do. I used Copic markers for the skin, some of the hair, and a few other details to make it my own. The ornament stamp & sentiment are from the "Heirloom Ornament" clear stamp set by Spellbinders. I heated-embossed the ornament with a purple-mix powder on a piece of the SMIRK paper that already included the different background patterns & that lovely glittery stripe.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Aud Sentiments Challenge #193: Anything Goes + A Sentiment
Naughty or Nice Challenges: Walking in a Winter Wonderland
WOW Embossing Powder Challenge: Christmas + Embossing Powder

Thank you for visiting & hope you'll join the fun at Crafting with Dragonflies, 

Smirk-y Superheroes -- Pilin' on the kiddos

Our theme at Pile It On is Recycle and/or For a Child, and you have until Sept 2 to enter, so this is your last chance to join us this month! The only real rule is to be inspired by more than one papercrafting challenge. We're sponsored by MelonHeadz Illustrating, and I used her adorable Superheroes Buttonheadz clip art set to create this fun card for a a super kid! The sentiment on the front is a digistamp from Ginger's House (she's so hilarious!) and the scenic paper is the last of my long-hoarded Smirk stash.

click images to enlarge

I colored the images with Copic markers; these photos don't show the shading very well, it definitely looks better in person. I put a blank message section on the last back panel.

The larger images on the inside are on Action Wobbles, and the rest are popped up with simple springs made of paper strips (photo on right).

Thank you for visiting! Hope you'll join us at Pile It On,

Golf - TLC Progressive Challenge Day 6

I'm having fun with the Progressive Challenge at TLC Creations (here are my first, second, third, fourth and fifth projects). This "Golf" image for the 6th day was challenging, but it gave me a chance to use some SMIRK products from my stash and the fun Flip card die from Sizzix.

Thank you for visiting & inspiring my crafting!

Super Baby

I'm an only child, but thanks to my husband's 3 fabulous siblings, we're up to 7 nephews & nieces (with one on the way)! Our newest nephew arrived just last week, and I sure had fun putting together the baby gift.

I've reconnected with a crafty friend from High School via FaceBook, and she sells her gorgeous handicrafts on Etsy at MyRandomActs on a special-order basis. For just $15 (including Priority shipping), she made these Baby of Steel "Superman" Mitts:

MyRandomActs

And here's how they were sent to me, wrapped so beautifully! That little tag she added is hand-stamped.

I wanted to wrap the mitts in a fun way, so I made a fabric pouch, using Timeless Treasures/Smirk Super Hero fabrics and some scrap white fabric:

And the back:

I started with the tutorial for an iPhone Case at During Quiet Time, but I made my own template in InDesign and pretty much just did it my own way. Not fancy, but it works! 

I've been itching to use this material since I bought it back in December, and I think it came out O.K. considering: 1) I've never done this before, 2) my machine was acting up so I had to remove the stitches a kagillion times, and 3) I totally refused to get out the iron. I broke a needle pulling that baker's twine through too!

The Newspaper-patterned buttons are from Daisy D's Paper Company.

Of course, I made a card as well:

You may remember the cityscape die cuts from several of my recent posts (archived here). The baby carriage rubber stamp is by Viva Las VegaStamps, and the sentiment is from a set that came with an issue of Cards Beautiful.

I used some Graphic 45 paper on the inside to give it more of a "baby" feel.

I wish I had taken a photo of everything all together, but it had been pouring for days while I put it all together and I simply couldn't get any good light. Anyway, it got in the mail just in time. I wish I could share a photo of our new nephew with you, but it goes without saying that he's super-cute at 6lbs 8oz!

Also, as total coincidence as I didn't know the little guy's name until his birth, the woman who made the mittens has a son with the same name as our nephew!

Thank you for visiting, and best to you & yours,

Anything Goes at Card Cupids, with MilkCoffee

It's time for another challenge at Card Cupids! This time we're sponsored by MilkCoffee Digi Stamps. I used their Let's Go Fishing and papers & ribbon from Smirk's For Him Collection to make this summery card:

Hope you'll join in with us for this challenge, and be a Card Cupid! The only requirement for our challenges, other than the theme, is to send in at least card to Card Cupids (the simple instructions are here).

Thank you for visiting,

Glittery Smirk

One of the owners of Crop Girls in Arizona introduced us to Trimcraft products, and I've amassed several long-neglected build-a-card sets. I finally pulled them out and made three cards for three challenges:

• bottom left: Creative Card Crew: Anything Goes
• top: Fuzzy Wuzzy September Challenge: Pink (plus an animal)
• bottom right: Christmas Inspirations Challenge #32: Glitter

I'm very sad that this will be the last challenge at Fuzzy Wuzzy...so let's make it a good one and make lots of beautiful projects to share!

Scroll down for the individual cards & details.

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Inspiration:
Creative Card Crew: Anything Goes

I stamped some matching doggies onto Pepper & Friends paper, and colored them in with Copics.

Stamps: Pepper & Friends
Paper: Pepper & Friends, Core'dinations
Tools: Fiskars papercutter, stamp block, MS detailing scissors, HP printer & ink
Other: ZipDry glue, Memento ink, Copics, foam tape

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Inspiration:
Fuzzy Wuzzy September Challenge: Pink (plus an animal)

I decided to paper-piece these matching stamps, for some reason! I decorated a matching clothespin too, just because! I used photos of my dogs being adorable.

Stamps: Smirk
Paper: Smirk, Core'dinations
Tools: Fiskars papercutter, stamp block, MS detailing scissors, HP printer & ink
Other: ZipDry glue, Memento ink, Copics, foam tape

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Inspiration:
Christmas Inspirations Challenge #32: Glitter

The little girl throwing snowballs (below) is actually part of the die cut set I used on the front. The images on either side are stamps that I colored with Copics (I added skin and highlights to the diecuts with Copics as well). I added lots of glitter to everything with gel pens. The "snow" is FlowerSoft.

Stamps: Smirk, Christmas stamps by Alys Paterson for Quick Cards Made Easy (for lightbulbs on clothespin)

Paper: Smirk, Core'dinations, K&Company
Tools: Fiskars papercutter, stamp block, MS detailing scissors, HP printer & ink
Other: ZipDry glue, Memento ink, Copics, FlowerSoft, foam tape