Power of Love

OSAAT February Prize Pack

Tell everyone you see
How much better the world could be
For them and for you, for me
With the power of love.
Luther Vandross / Marcus Miller

After three wonderful years as part of the One Stitch at a Time (OSAAT) Design Team, I've decided that it's time for me to move on & become a customer! You can see all my OSAAT projects here.

This fortnight at OSAAT, our theme is Love. StitchyBear's Digi Outlet has hundreds of digital products from many wonderful artists. Even if you don't use a store image, you'll still be in the drawing to win the super-duper February prize pack.

For my farewell project I couldn't resist using The Power of Love by Stitchy Stamps. I used this digi stamp back in 2012 on a card for my handsome husband. This time, I used a quote from the song "Power of love/Love Power" by Luther Vandross (the full video is here).
 

I made a notch swing card, so the sentiment circle rotates to reveal a silver vinyl heart design from Silhouette.

The patterned papers, including the message section, are from Recollections' "Comic Heroes" collection.

Inspiration/Challenges:
2 Cute Ink Challenge: Valentine's/Love
4 Crafty Chicks #232: Hand Coloured Image
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge: Patterned Paper
Crafty Sentiment Designs: Include a Heart
Going Grey With Scrap-Creations: Love

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

Spooky Memories - Piano Hinge Book featuring Stitchy Stamps papers

Papers from Stitchy Stamps

StitchyBear's Digi Outlet (SBDO) has hundreds of digital products from many wonderful artists, and I was excited to get to use the brand-new Dark Halloween papers from Stitchy Stamps. There are 10 wonderful scenic papers, so my Design Teamie Nikki and I split them up and used 5 each. She gave me first choice, so I went with the house/blue theme!

I decide to make a piano-hinge book showcasing the lovely digi papers and some fun family Halloween photos.

The first two spreads feature photos from years ago, when I first bought these costumes for our dogs. This is the best photo I've ever been able to get of Super Allen and Bat Walt!

The little candy is made from tissue paper and a round foam piece (I made it way back in 2012 and kept it for the perfect occasion). The Comic Word image was a freebie from TLC Creations. Here's my husband trying to get Allen to fly:

This is our iguana Percy, and I PhotoShopped the witch's hat onto his little head. The "spooky" sentiment is heat-embossed in black onto a shiny blue paper. I cut a banner with with deckle scissors and attached it with a funky owl brad.

The photo below is the only one from this year; I'm actually showing off Wonder Women pajamas that I got for my birthday! I added some gem-topped plastic spiders.

These Dark Halloween papers from Stitchy Stamps really inspired the whole book, but I used a spiderweb-patterned paper behind the photos and on the back. I colored the paper with blue inks.

I'm entering this card into the following fun Challenges:
The Crafting Cafe: Not a card
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes (4th entry)
Through the Purple Haze: Anything Goes

Thank you for visiting, and hope you'll check out the great products at SBDO,

Teatime - Using Dies at OSAAT

OSAAT September Prize Pack

After a summer break, we're back with challenges at One Stitch at a Time (OSAAT)! Our theme this fortnight is Use a Die. StitchyBear's Digi Outlet has hundreds of digital products from many wonderful artists. Even if you don't use a store image, you'll still be in the drawing to win the super-duper September prize pack.

I used this whimsical Chores digi by Stitchy Stamps and I "stamped" it onto the teacup using the acetate rub-on technique. The teacup is a rubber stamp from the China Fragments stamp set by Heartfelt Creations (it actually has a coordinating die that is on my wishlist!), and I masked the center design with blue tape in order to place the digi. I've used 2 dies on this project: a large Sizzix doily and a Doodlebug tag die.

The color of the teacup was inspired by Delft Blue; my folks were married in Holland and received the most gorgeous Delft Blue Earthenware vase as a wedding gift, and since this is for my Mom I knew she'd like the concept. I colorized the Stitchy Stamps image in Photoshop using a suggested CMYK color build for Delft Blue. I inked the teacup with a mix of blues to match the computer-generated color.

The sentiment (from a freebie set from Cardmaking & Papercraft magazine)was stamped in pink onto a metal-lined tag. The pretty tulip-themed background paper is from Lili of the Valley/NitWit Collections.

I'm entering this card into the following fun Challenges:
Crafty Little Fairies: Sparkle and Bling
Left of Center Creative Challenges #44: Tag It!
Lia Stampz Challenge: Feminine/Girly
Polkadoodles #36: Tag, you're it!
Quick Quotes September Challenge: Bling It On

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

Across the Pond - Pile It On "Best Wishes" Challenge

This week at the Pile It On Challenge we are sharing projects featuring Best Wishes/Congratulations sentiments. We're sponsored by StitchyBear's Digi Outlet, and I used this festive Big Ben digi stamp by Stitchy Stamps:

inside

I printed Big Ben onto a shiny white paper & heat-embossed it with a clear powder. I then inked it with several blue inks. The street-lamp patterned DP is from a DCWV collection. I sprayed it with gold Tattered Angels glimmer mist.

The banner and crown stamps are from the Cool Britannia clear stamp set by Louise Allen that I received from Quick Cards as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebration in 2012, which means I've had this set in my stash for some time! I was so happy to finally have occasion to use it.

I stamped the crown onto Shrinky Dink plastic, colored it with stamp markers, and hand-wrote the "best wishes" sentiment. I shrunk it in my toaster oven & attached it to the decorative pin with gold embroidery floss.

The banner was stamped in blue onto a yellow-inked medical paper tape, a technique I learned from Crafter's Companion.

This card was party inspired by the ATC Swap we're having within one of my other Design Teams (OSAAT) with the theme of "a different culture/county to your own". I like playing with a few ATC ideas and then making cards with some of them. The ATC is on its way to my teamie Susie in the UK (once she receives it, I'll post it) and I hope to send this card to someone special one day!

Inspiration/Challenges:
Crafting By Designs: Rock around the Clock
Crafty Creations #270: Use old something from your Stash (I've had this pin for several years & the stamp set has been un-inked for 2 years!)
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper: Anything goes with Patterned Paper
Creative Craft Cottage Digi Creations: Charms or Pins
Lia Stampz Challenge #71: Use a crown or put one on your project
My Heart Pieces: Use a Digistamp

Update: I was the prize winner for Lia Stampz's Crowns Challenge!

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

Egg Hunt

The theme for One Stitch at a Time Challenge #206 is Anything Goes. 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 of 7 digis. If you don't use a store image, you'll still be in the drawing to win a $3 gift certificate. 

I always get a laugh from this Bunny Break digi stamp from Stitchy Stamps. I put him on an Action Wobble so that he's hopping along on his Easter Egg Hunt!

The "Hoppy Easter" sentiment is from BrossArt, and the Easter Accessories are from KennyK. The clouds are cut with IO dies, and the little candy pieces were all handcut. Time-consuming, but totally worth it! I inked the clouds with SU! Barely Banana ink.

I colored the images with Copics, and used a ZIG glue pen to add fine Flower Soft to the bunny costume. I used two leaf ribbons and some recycled mesh  for the bottom portion. I put a layer of green tulle between the card mattes for a little texture.

Inspiration/Challenges:

1. Action Wobble Challenge: Spring + Action Wobble
2. Aud Sentiments Challenge #103: Easter or Spring Sentiment
3. Brown Sugar #87: Easter
4. Kreativeinkauf-challenge: Easter Bunny
5. Polkadoodles #13: Spring Is In The Air
6. Simply Create Too #58: Easter or Use Bunnies
7. Sparkles Forum Challenges #54: Easter Parade

Update: This placed in the Top 5 for Aud Sentiments's Easter/Spring Challenge. Thank you!

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

Bein' Krafty! Anything Goes at OSAAT

It' time for an Anything Goes challenge at One Stitch at a Time (OSAAT)! This week I got work with one of the images from the Three Faces of Eve set by Stitchy Stamps.

I printed the image onto Lunch Bag Kraft cardstock, and colored it with colored pencils. This is pretty time-consuming, but I do love the results. I sprayed it with a matte coating to "pop" the colors. I printed the sentiment (TLC Creations) in orange, but it was too light so I reprinted it in brown, giving it a cool shadow effect. I cut it out with an a•muse studio die.

For the background, I embossed a two-toned Core'Dinations cardstock with a Fiskars Texture plate, and sanded it to reveal both colors. For the corners, I used a sort of "faux marble" technique. I heat-embossed chipboard corners in white and then clear, and then dabbed them with Antique Linen distress ink to get them a "bone" look.

I finished the card with a ribbon from The Kraft Outlet, an orange feather, and some copper liquid pearls.

Here's another view, that shows that white piece behind the image:

I'm entering this into the following fabulous challenges:
A Little Bit Crafty: Use Kraft of some type
Bloggers: A Feminine Touch
Left of Center Creative Challenges #5: Use a Digi Image + LOC theme (I think this is "edgy"!)
My Heart Pieces Digital Stamps Challenge: Embossing, wet or dry
Paper Crafting Journey: Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp: Just Because (not for a special occasion)
Sister Act Card Challenge: Always Anything Goes
Southern Girls #68: You can say that...quote or sentiment on card

Thank you for visiting,