Cacti Christmas

Our theme this week at Pile It On! is Non-Traditional Christmas, either non-traditional colors or a non-traditional image. I played with the idea of Christmas being traditionally being portrayed as a snowy time; my folks live in Arizona, and lots of people decorate their cacti!

I used a digi stamp from our sponsor, Milly with Toffee Apple by Pink Gem Designs: 

I've hand-cut my own step cards before, and I've even designed my own version in SCAL to cut on my Silhouette, which is why I was very willing to pay the 99¢ for this Side Step Card by Lori Whitlock from the Silhouette store. Funny story: a local crafting friend got a Silhouette around the same time I did, and we laughed that some of the first files we bought were cut designs we've hand-cut in the past! Nothing like experience to foster commerce.

I also used the Cactus Set by Sarah Bailey, which I layered with both sides a Core'dinations cardstock and a shiny red paper. I bought the caramel apple brads last year at Scraps of Love, and the geckos are from a punch also purchased there.

Challenges:
ABC Christmas Challenge: Winter Wishes
A Gem of a Challenge #107: Sparkle + Pink Gem digi
Aud Sentiments Challenge #94: Any Sentiment
Creative Corner #45: Heavy Metal
Crafter's Cafe #38: Metal
Crafty Creations: American Thanksgiving/Christmas
Flourishes Timeless Tuesday: Winter Scenes
Holly Jolly Christmas Challenge: Warm Christmas
Stampin' For The Weekend: Feeling Festive
Stamps & Fun = Creativity: Digi stamp

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

Layered leaf Notch-swing card

Ya'll are going to get tired of my notch swing cards...I'm just having too much fun playing with my Silhouette machine! I've pre-cut some front panels from my favorite DPs, and this lovely yellow pattern from Graphic 45 worked well for this week's colourQ challenge.

I also used my Silhouette to cut the leaf overlay embellishment (you can read more about my process in this post.

For the the sentiment, I created it in SCAL using the Georgia font and the "Union" tool. I cut it from a yellow paper and used chalks to add some dimension. I sprayed it with a matte coating to set the chalk, and used orchid Liquid Pearls for the border.

If you'd like to try it yourself, this Notch-Swing card design is now available for purchase as SVG files in my Etsy Shop.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Chalk N Stock: Anything goes just use chalk (on sentiment)
colourQ challenge: Color combo #215
Connie Can Crop: Leaf it up to me...
Creative Card Crew #49: Pearls
HIMCR #124: Die Cuts


Thank you for visiting,

Leaf Overlay card

Although I love my SCAL software, I really enjoy the "Internal Offset" and "Subtract All" tools in the Silhouette Studio software. My husband suggested this layered design, and although I've only gotten it to work well with their free Moroccan Background, I'm having fun making different shapes with the same design. For this overlay card, I used Silhouette's free Maple Leaf shape.

I bought a paper pack of Autumn colors at JoAnn's, which gave me a nice mix of colors for this one. I added some gemstones and a wooden embellishment that I painted with a gold leaf pen.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Craftitude #53: Anything Goes/Falling Leaves
Crafty Catz: Anything But a Square
Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge: Shaped Card

Thank you for visiting,

Shine On! -- Anything Goes at Sunshine Mail

It's time for a new Sunshine Mail Foundation Challenge (November 15 - December 1). Our theme is "Anything Goes" 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 also having a big giveaway to collect lots of cards for a bunch of request special requests. We all make so many cards, we can definitely send in one or two to give a child a smile! You can enter the giveaway here.

Our sponsors are Di's Digi Downloads and Big Heads Stamps, two really fun digi stamp companies, and I used Renoir by Big Heads:

The outer frame is modified from the Frame 2 cutting file that came free with my Silhouette software. I used baker's twine to sew the border onto the frame.

I digitally placed the polka dot background (digi paper by Mel Stampz) into the image, but I also fussy-cut the image out, for a bit of dimension. The umbrellas are printed on a shiny white paper, same as the outer frame. I colored the image with Copics, and heat-embossed the sentiment (Verve Stamps) in gold. The cloud is popped up with foam tape.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Crazy 4 Challenges: Let's frame it
Ooh La La Creations: Stitching
The Paper Girls: Cut it out! (Die or Fussy Cutting - This has both)

Thank you for visiting,and hope you'll join the Sunshine Mail Challenge,

Crafting With Dragonflies GDT / Card with Stickpins + Things with wings

I'm pleased to be guesting designing along with the talented Crafting with Dragonflies team for their two-week Card with Stickpins + Things with Wings challenge.

I made the quilted background with scraps, and placed the white frame over it. I made the overlay in SCAL and cut it on my Silhouette. I added "score lines" to give a stitched look; I inked the piece with Antique Linen distress ink to bring out the "stitching". The ribbon and twine are from my stash; in fact, those little pieces in the corner were all I had left! Glad I kept those little bits. The mesh ribbon is from May Arts. The stick pins came pre-beaded from Recollections. The tiny butterflies were cut from scrap paper using SU!'s Beautiful Wings Embosslits die.

For the large butterflies, I used my sticker machine to adhere fabric to cardstock, and stamped the butterflies using dye inks. I then I punched them out with the stamp set's matching punch, both discontinued from Stampin' Up. The sentiment is from the same set; I stamped it onto a scrap of Shrinky Dink plastic, cut it into a banner shape and punched some holes, and then shrank it in my toaster oven.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Addicted to Stamps Challenge #69: Punches and dies + Stamping
Crafting with Dragonflies: Card with Stickpins + Things with Wings
Hiding in my Craft Room: Super Scraps
Jo's Scrap Shack Challenge #25: Things With Wings
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Use Ink

Update: This got a Top 3 spot at Jo's Scrap Shack.

Many thanks to the Crafting with Dragonflies team for letting me join them for this fun challenge. Hope you all will join us! Thank you for visiting,

Happy Movember!

Are you familiar with the Movember Foundation? They promote Men's Health, and every November they fund-raise by having volunteers grow their mustache! Well, they ask the men to grow their mustaches...women can participate as well. Because I support Women's Health organizations, I'm happy to help out my brothers obtain the same kind of specialized care.

This year, a H.S. friend has set up a group with some of her girlfriends, and her photo on their Movember page inspired this card:

The notch swing card was designed in Sure Cut A Lot (SCAL) and cut with my Silhouette electronic die-cutting machine. All of my Notch Swing Cards are archived here. 

If you'd like to try it yourself, this card design is now available for purchase as SVG files in my Etsy Shop.

The Mustache Silhouette SVG is from BeaOriginal, and I used foam tape to adhere it to the polka-dot-embossed paper (Jo-Ann's) . The opposite side of the central swing piece was heat-embossed with a stamp from TPC Studio's Retro Technology set. The ribbon is from American Crafts, the flowers are Prima, the mini brass brad is from Burlin & Co., the white cardstock is from Recollections Metallics line, and the whimsical DP is by .

Be sure to check out my friend's Movember group, the Edgar Allen Mos. You will will a big kick out of my color inspiration!

Inspiration/Challenges:
Crafting By Designs: Anything goes
Scrapbook Stamp Society: Black & White + 1 Colour [I won the runner-up prize! Thanks!]
Scrapping4funChallenges: Anything Goes
WordArt Wednesdays: Anything goes + Uplifting

Thank you for visiting,

MaMaw Goes Skiing -- Using our tools at PIO

This week at the Pile It On Challenge, we're showing off our crafting tools! I have accumulated quite a few over the years, and really only used a relative few. Our sponsor is Inky Impressions, so I used their fun MaMaw Skiing digi stamp:

The tools I used for this card were my Silhouette cutting machine, the BigShot (for the die-cut flower), and a Martha Stewart punch. I also used my deckle scissors, and a needle to sew on the buttons.

The notch swing card was designed in Sure Cut A Lot (SCAL) and cut with my Silhouette electronic die-cutting machine. All of my Notch Swing Cards are archived here.

It's one of my favorite go-to designs, as you have lots of room to decorate! 

The center rotates on small slits or notches. You can do this with dies, but it's a cinch to  cut it with your electronic die-cutting machine! I cut a bunch of them on different papers and mix-and-match.

You can decorate the inside too!

If you'd like to try it yourself, this card design is now available for purchase as SVG files in my Etsy Shop.

Inspiration/Challenges:
C.R.A.F.T. #232: Christmas
A Creative Romance: Winter Blues
Divas by Design: Use a digi
House That Stamps Built: Snow fun
Inky Impressions #133: Dies and Punches
Jingle Belles: Holiday Traditions (I made this for a former co-worker, who has a tradition of taking the train up to the mountains by herself on weekday afternoons in the winter; Although she's been injured several times and is in her 70s, she still skis whenever she can! She was a professor at the University where I worked, and I remember that she'd get back in time for her night classes. A real inspiration for all of us.)
Top Tip Tuesday #113: Seasons
Paper Shelter Challenge #136: Winter fun

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

Warm Wishes with a Great Tit

This week at One Stitch at a Time (OSAAT), we want you to 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 chose Great Tit Pinecone by IkesArt:

I first heard of the birds Tits while working on Pile It On... we got some DT images, and someone mentioned how much they liked the Great Tit. Well, that started quite the chain reaction from her American teamies, who didn't read it as intended!!! Apparently it's a lovely little bird.

The flourish border was cut with A Quilted Christmas Cricut cartridge. I used a Spellbinders die as a template for the image and mat. I colored the image with Copics, and used a white Sakura glaze pen for the white fluff on the cheeks.

The DP is by the C-Thru Ruler Company. The pinecone brads are from my stash. I heat-embossed the sentiment onto a metal tag.

This is my last project for the OSAAT Design Team until February 2nd. I'm taking a little break, but will be back in the new year.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Brown Sugar #66: Things with Wings
Jingle Belles: not a CREATURE was Stirring...
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes (2nd entry)
The Crafting Cafe: Winter Blues

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

Circus Fun with Sunshine Mail

Happy November! It's time for a new Sunshine Mail Foundation Challenge (November 1-15). Our theme is "Anything Goes" 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).   

Our sponsor is StitchyBear's Digi Outlet, and I'm on the Stitchy Bear DT (OSAAT) so it was especially fun for me to use one of their creator's images. I used Fun in the Jungle by Lil Diva Stamps:

I cut the Circus Tent shapes on my Cricut using the Paper Dolls Cricut cartridge. It's cut three times at 4.25 inches, on black and white shiny papers and a polka-dotted cardstock.

I paper pieced the image with some DPs from my stash. This is a great use of small scraps. I added some details and color with Copics and a white Sakura glaze pen. The base image is cut-out with deckle scissors and edged in black.

The sentiment is actually a leftover from another project... I stamped the sentiment in Memnto brown on a scrap of DP andcut it down to a banner. I adhered it with this Seal brad. Mom sent me a bag of them, they are just too cute! I traced the lines on the brad with a black PITT artist pen.

For the base card, I just folded a piece of cardstock in half, traced the tent shape, and hand-cut it.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Digi Makeover Challenge: Use your Scraps
House That Stamps Built: Paper Piecing (October 23 Theme challenge)
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes
Stampin' Royalty: Anything Goes

Thank you for visiting, and hope you'll join us at Sunshine Mail,