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,

Eastertime at Crafting with Dragonflies

We're celebrating Easter/Springtime at Crafting with Dragonflies, and we're looking forward to seeing lots of cheerful cards. The blossoms & bulbs are just springing up here in Baltimore, the perfect backdrop for making some Eastertime cards for our family. This Crafting with Dragonflies challenge has two sponsors, Squigglefly and Bugaboo Digi Stamps.

The card base and removable eggs were made with the Easter Basket Builder digi stamp set from Squigglefly. I also incorporated the EB Tulips digi stamp from Bugaboo (I used this image for a card back in 2011, and really enjoyed playing with it again):

Inspiration/Challenges:
Brown Sugar #87: Easter (2nd entry)
Crafty Boots: Easter
Kreativeinkauf Challenge: Easter Bunny (2nd entry)
Lexi's Creations: Easter
The Paper Nest Dolls Norway: Easter or Spring Colors
Polkadoodles #13: Spring Is In The Air (2nd entry)
Simply Create Too #58: Easter or Use Bunnies (2nd entry)
Sparkles Forum Challenges #54: Easter Parade (2nd entry)

Thank you for visiting,and hope you'll join us at Crafting with Dragonflies,

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,

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,

Easter Fun

I couldn't resist trying the Copic Family Challenge at Mad for Markers: you can only use YR, RV and BG Copics. I have 12 markers that qualify, and I really like the resulting combinations.

I also couldn't resist combing the CDAC Sketch challenge (sponsored by Shelly's Images) with the Easter challenge at Catch the Bug (Bugaboo's challenge blog). I wanted to use the freebie Shelly offered for the CDAC Embellishment challenge (sponsored by Bugaboo), so I did a little swapping. I'll post my other project soon.

Although this isn't my card for the Embellishment challenge, I did keep with the theme of Favorite Emebllishment and used eyelets. This is also my first try with plastic tape. Worked great!

As you can tell, I had some fun with the backgrounds. The edging was done with the chisel tip of a Copic against a ruler. The bunny's background was a new-to-me technique: using the Copic Colorless Blender liquid to create texture on colored pieces. Eek, what a cool technique!!! Instead of coloring the background with my marker, I applied BG10 solution with sponge (I've ended up with two big refills for that color!). I used terrycloth for the texture. For get a similar look on the bigger piece without using copic ink, I applied Marigold Distress Ink (thanks for the candy Stampin' Dymonz!) with the same kind of terrycloth.

I actually learned quite a bit making this card; thanks to everyone for the continuing inspiration!

Inspiration:
CDAC Sketch Challenge (sponsored by Shelly's Images)
Mad for Markers Challenge: YR, RV and BG Markers only
Catch the Bug Challenge: Easter

Digi Stamps (thank you!):
Easter Bunny with Tulips: Bugaboo Stamps
Eggs: Shelly's Images

Copics: BG10, BG49, FBG2, RV29, RV04, RV23, RV21, RV42, YR01, YR00, YR09, YR12

Supplies: Colorbök decorative tape, Hammermill cardstock, flower brads (Oriental Trading Co.?), Crop-O-DileII, ruler, terrycloth, Copic Colorless Blender Solution, Scotch foam tape, ZipDry glue

Peep Calm -- Easter with Crafting with Dragonflies

Our challenge this fortnight at Crafting with Dragonflies is Easter cards.

I used papers from Aunthetique; the rabbit is a Sizzix die cut, and the peep was cut with a file from Miss Kate's Cuttables' "Easter Candy" set. I hand-stamped and colored the carrot borders.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge: Patterned Paper
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Easter Inspiration Photo


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

Final March challenge at Heart 2 Heart

Happy Easter! Here's the Easter card I made for my husband:

If you follow this blog, you know that I've had a lot of fun participating in all the March the challenges at Heart 2 Heart and playing with Close To My Heart (CTMH) products. Here I used CTMH papers (card base, background, circles) and one of their cute clips. I stamped the image onto kraft paper and colored it with SU! pencils and Sakura glaze & glitter pens.
(Sorry the photo isn't great; I took it really quickly without natural light).

Inspiration/Challenges:
Cards for Men Challenge 6: Easter
Heart 2 Heart: Easter
Make it Monday with Kraft Outlet: Chicks Rule + Kraft
My Craft Spot Challenge #92: Strings & Things
There She Goes Challenge #200: Sketch

Update: Wow, I was the March monthly prize winner at the Kraft Outlet!

Thank you for visiting,

Easter Daffodils with Pink Gem Designs at Pile It On

Our theme this week at the Pile It On Challenge is "Easter Joys," so I made this Joy Fold card featuring Daffodil Vase by Pink Gem Designs:

I colored the Daffodil Vase with Copics, and the center flower is popped up with foam tape. The vase was pieced with a shiny white paper, colored with Sakura glaze pens, and coated with Ranger crackle paint.

The "Happy Easter" sentiment is from a Fiskars rubber stamp set, and is heat-embossed onto white silk ribbon from MayArts (this was the very last of this spool of ribbon...must get more!) The ribbon is finished with some liquid pearls. The green mesh is recycled from a bag of avocados!

The Joy Fold card is one of my favorite techniques, but I haven't made one in ages (see my past Joy Fold cards here). It opens up to reveal a sentiment from a Hero Arts rubber stamp, heat-embossed in two green Stampendous powders:

The leafy background was made with a K&Company clear stamp set and the same two colors of embossing powders. I added some Liquid Pearl accents in the corners. I used a Cuttelbug folder to deboss some of the white pieces, and backed everything with a bright green, textured Core'Dinations cardstock.

Inspiration/Challenges:

1. Card A Day Blog: Baby, Spring, Congratulations or Easter
2. Charisma Cardz #5: Something Not for Crafting (mesh from bag of avocados)
3. Crafty Boots: Green
4. Crazy 4 Challenges: Be Sentimental
5. Created With Love Challenges: Think Spring
6. Emergency Crafters: Flowers
7. Love to Scrap: Create your own Background
8. MarkerPOP Challenge: Lucky Green
9. Really Reasonable Ribbon #90: Show me the Green & Ribbon
10. Sweet Stamps #151: Fun Folds

Update: This was the winner for Sweet Stamps Challenge #151!

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

Sketchin' Hos / Raisin' Smiles

What a title, right‽ This card was inspired by a couple of "crafty" blogs: Crafty Hos' Color/Sketch challenge and Crafty Ann's challenge#38 (Raise a Smile), as well as the Two-color Card Cupids Challenge.
The colors chosen by Crafty Hos are Spring Green & Pastel Pink, but I included white and black details too, as well as two shades of the main colors. This small card shows off my two current favorite techniques: paper piecing & heat embossing.

I asked Mom if she had any spare easter-ish stamps, and she sent me the most wonderful box-full! She & Dad will be traveling throughout most of the Spring, so she sent me all the stamps she won't get to use this season. It's so nice how close crafting has made us, despite the 2000 actual miles.

I wanted to make sure I used the funny and seasonal "Easter Ribbit" she sent me, and remembered the humorous theme at Crafty Ann's...I wish I could have used one of her digi stamps, but this stamp was just perfect for this challenge!

Easter Ribbit stamp: Whipper Snapper Designs
Decorated Egg stamp: CraftSmart
Supplies: Martha Stewart two-toned paper, detailing scissors, border punch and pink embossing powder, Core'dinations cardstock, Versamark watermark ink, Stampendous embossing powder, Marvy heat tool, Sakura and Elmer's glitter pens, ZipDry glue, ZIG 2-way glue pen, tulle

Bonnets & Butterflies

I have several adorable Easter/Springtime stamps so I figured I better make the most of them! This time I inked up a new-to-me stamp from a Penny Black set (I've used other stamps from the set before, but not this one). I stamped it three times: once on the green background (cut with a Spellbinders die), once for the colored portions, and once for the the bunny pieces. I ran the bunny pieces through my sticker machine and covered it with white flocking. I also added from superfine white Flower Soft on its tail.

The corner embellishment is a chipboard piece that I covered with pink embossing powder, and them added Glossy Accents and covered it with glass microbeads.

I inked the doily blue with chalk ink, and cut out some tiny butterflies from the DP. After cutting them out, I painted the butterflies with Creative Medium to make them more durable.

Fairy Tale Challenge #63

Inspiration/Challenges:
Craftin Desert Divas: Easter
Craft Your Passion: Ribbons or Lace
Fairy Tale: Photo Inspiration
Sketch Saturday: Sketch
Try It On Tuesday: Hats & Easter Bonnets

Thank you for visiting,

Easter Cards at Crafting with Dragonflies

Our theme this fortnight at Crafting with Dragonflies is Easter Cards. Whatever that means to you, please share your projects with our talented team!

I raided my Easter craft stash to make this card. The foil bunny is a wrapper from a chocolate bunny we enjoyed last year!

The grass in the basket is from a delicious sushi meal, and the yellow trim is plastic packaging from a bag of potatoes. I made a tiny tag from a Peeps bunny svg cut file, and stamped "You're so sweet" on the back.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Connie Can Crop #57: Recycle
Dragonfly Journeys: Eggs
Mojo Monday: Sketch #491

Update: This was a prize winner for Dragonfly Journeys. Thank you!

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

Bunnies ain't fakin', a-whole lotta shakin' goin' on.

Easy now.
Shake, Baby, shake!
I'm entering this card into the Anything Goes/DT challenge at Aud Sentiments. Oh how I'd love to be a part of their team!

I also made this card for the following challenges, and I thank everyone for such great inspiration. I took each challenge very seriously, and enjoyed seeing how all the different ideas worked together. I'm really happy with how this turned out.

PaperWorks Co. Recipe Tuesday: Easter image, 2 papers, a bow
Paper Pretties Wednesday Challenge: Sketch
Cards for Men Challenge #8: Easter

The movement lines on this image really made me want to make a shaker card. I really like the result, but it took me 8 tries to get a complete, smudge-free stamp on the plastic. Thank to StazOn ink remover, however, I was able to clean the plastic to reuse. For the "shaking stuff", I used the multi-colored pile of scraps from this week's border-punching. I like how it sticks to the edges, but still shake really well.

For the sentiment, there was no question: TLC Creations! I'm so glad I bought her $10 sentiment license. She's always posting freebies like this one that I grabbed (with a thank-you, it's only fair) just knowing it would come in handy.

I added a green overlay to the sentiment image, made a banner with a yellow stroke in InDesign, and printed it at "Best" onto vellum. Then I heat-embossed it with transluscent yellow. For the inside sentiment, I hand-stamped it in green and embossed it with the same powder.

I found myself stuck with how to color this stamp, as it's so full of possibilities. So I asked my editor (and husband) and he said, They're Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail going to Sunday School. I never would have thought to color them like actual bunnies! Somehow he always knows the direction I really want to take, when I'm too busy looking in all directions.

The PaperWorks Co. "recipe" calls for only two [designer] papers, so I chose a stripe-embossed white paper and a busy black-and-white polka-dot paper. I liked how they contrasted with the bright spring colors. I also liked that I could have the stripes going one way behind the rabbits, and the other way for the card itself.

I cut the frame with SCAL & Cricut, adhered it to foam tape and then lined the the whole thing with ribbon. I think it adds a quiet touch of color, and was certainly easy to do.

Hope you'll consider entering some of these fun challenges, and thank you so much for visiting!
*
Bunny Hop stamp: The Peddler's Pack Stampworks
What's Shakin' sentiment digi stamp: TLC Creations
Happy Spring sentiment stamp: StudioG

Copic markers:
Rabbits: E35, RV21, E51, E33, E31, E000
Blues: B39, BG10, BG15, BG49, B23, B32, B05
Reds: R27, R59, R02, R29, RV29, E000, E02, RV23, RV21
Yellows: YO4, Y000, Y06, YR12, Y17, Y02, Y08, Y13

Update 5/2/11: This card made the Top 3 for the Cards for Men Easter Challenge.

Easter Cards with Crafting with Dragonflies

This fortnight at Crafting with Dragonflies our theme is Easter Cards. Hope you'll join us!

I made a tunnel card using Karen Burniston’s Pop it Ups Accordion dies from Elizabeth Craft Designs, inspired by the tutorial by Shelly Hickox. I embossed the card base with my Swiss Dots folder & lightly inked it with pale green chalk ink. The sentiments & background are papers from Aunthetique; ooh I love this collection! The paper bunny peeps are cut with a file from Miss Kate's Cuttables' "Easter Candy" set.

Thank you for visiting, and hope you'll join us at Crafting with Dragonflies,

Easter Candy Holders

I had so much making sliding treat holders with Crafty Ann's Faberge Egg digi stamp that I decided to use both the image and the concept for the following challenges:

The Pink Elephant Challenge #97: Easter
The Pixie Cottage Challenge #64: Paper Piecing

I printed the image on three different papers: glittered-yellow, glittered & patterned, and light blue. Sorta wish I had made the eggs bigger, as those pieces are pretty small! If I were a little more skilled at decoupage cutting (O my aching hand!) I would have pieced the pattern on the egg too, but using the patterned paper & adding detail with a gel pen was a good compromise.

I kept holders relatively simple, as I love the texture of each piece. But it feels very precious and Easter-like to me...all I need now is a bonnet.

Supplies: Faberge Egg 1 digi stamp by Crafty Ann's, Colorbok glittered paper, pre-embossed cardstock (Paper Co?), HP printer & ink, Martha Stewart border punches and detailing scissors, Offray ribbon, ZipDry glue, Marvy heat tool, Sakura Gelly Roll pens, tulle, flower eyelets, Crop-O-DileII

Sliding Treat Holder tutorial: Pioneer Party

Easter at International Art & Soul

This fortnight at the International Art & Soul Challenge our challenge is Easter.

The Peep is an SVG from Miss Kate Cuttables. The base card is from the "Surprise Box" die set from Our Daily Bread Designs.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Country View Crafts' Challenge: (P1) Easter and/or Spring
Mod Squad Challenge: (Wed) 3 Items as Focal Point (my 3 Peeps!)


Thank you for visiting! Hope you'll join us at International Art & Soul,