Mosaic Card - CD challenge at Crafting with Dragonflies

We have a fun & unique challenge for you at Crafting with Dragonflies: Use a CD on/as your card. Wait til you see all the beautiful and creative DT projects.

I've been wanting to try a mosaic project for some time, and was inspired by the CD Mosaic Tutorial at Make It Easy Crafts. I must admit that I had second -- and third and forth -- thoughts about this once I started cutting up my CD. It was not as easy as I'd hoped; none of heavy-duty scissors made a clean cut, and the silver film kept falling off. But I persevered! The result is certainly funky, which was what I was going for. I used yellow Liquid Pearls for the edging.

We have two sponsors for this challenge: Eureka Stamps and QKR Stampede. I made the background using Brick Wall by QKR Stampede and heat-embossed it in copper.

I created the sentiment in SCAL and cut it twice on my Silhouette Cameo, once in silver and once in a darker silver that I used as a shadow.

This card was inspired by a Baltimore non-profit I recently had the pleasure of making a website for, Mosaic Makers. They work with community organizations to make public mosaics. I was actually familiar with this piece in the Station North district before I was connected with them:

copyright mosaicmakers.org

Inspiration/Challenges:
Card Makin' Mamas: Earth Friendly (recycle/reuse)
Creatalicious Challenges #62: Say thanks
Inky Impressions #156: Recycled item on card
Miriam's Crafting Blog Monthly Challenge: Texture
Sentimental Sundays: Clean & Simple + Sentiment
Simon Says Stamp: Clean & Simple (5th entry)

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

Craftygirl's Love Hand - Rainbow

For this week's One Stitch at a Time Challenge (theme: Anything Goes), I used Love Hand Doodle by CraftyGirl Creations, available at StitchyBear's Digi Outlet. After playing with several ideas, I ended up making two complementary cards. You can read about the copper-hued version in a separate post.

For this card, I used the back of the pre-embossed paper I used for the other version. I filled the debossed sections with a white glaze pen. I also used my favorite corner punch.

I colored the image with Copics; I actually did it twice, because I didn't like my coloring the first time. It's fun to color, though! I colored the drywall tape with a black Copic.

I almost always use a fork to make bows, but the Delicate Bow Tutorial at Useful DIY made it easy to make this fancier version. It uses up a lot of ribbon, but it really does come out looking good. I must admit I'm a little proud of how I was able to line up the center ribbon to show the words. I got this ribbon 2nd-hand quite some time ago, and it was just what I needed for this project. The primary-color ribbon has been in my stash forever as well.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Craft-Dee BowZ April Challenge: Anything Goes with a Handmade Bow (2nd entry)
Simon Says Stamp: Clean & Simple (4th entry)
Tok Bobok #11: CAS

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

More fun with Rogue Redhead Designs

Working on my Pile It On! DT card for our current Ink-on-paper Stamping challenge, I was inspired to use more of our sponsor's stamps. For this Anniversary card, I used an image from the Just Sayin' set and a sentiment from the Nature Notes set from Rogue Redhead Designs (You can see some of my other projects featuring RRD stamps here.) This was a relatively quick card, for a special anniversary.

Inspiration/Challenges:
ColourQ: Colors
Rogue Stampers Facebook Group: April Sketch
Simon Says Stamp: Clean & Simple (3rd entry)

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

Pilin' on the Ink-on-paper Stamping

This week at Pile It On! we're goin' old school with the theme of Ink-on-paper Stamping. You can use digi products, but actual stamping needs to be the focus.

We are sponsored this week by Rogue Redhead Designs, and even though it's not my week to play with the PIO team, I couldn't resist pulling out some of my own RRD stamps. I used this lovely scene from their Nature Notes set:

One of my favorite uses of Rogue Redhead rubber stamps is to ink them with markers (I use American Craft and Marvy stamp markers). The RRD stamps have such nice, deep edging that it makes them easy to color, and even when it takes some time to ink the whole piece, it always stamps very well (I always breathe on the final ink, to refresh it.) The stamped piece is cut-out and pasted onto the background.

I bought this set partly with a gift certificate that I won via Rogue Redhead Designs #31, but this is my first time inkin' it up. (You can see some of my other projects featuring RRD stamps here.) The "hello" was cut with a TCW die with paper I stamped with a Woodgrain pattern from the same set.

The background was inspired by the Quilted Tiles Tutorial at Rogue Redhead Designs, but I used a stencil instead (made in SCAL and cut on my Silhouette Cameo), so it's a bit more of a harlequin pattern, but I'm still linking it up! Thanks for the inspiration, Sharon and all at RRD. I inked it with one of my favorite inks, Barely Banana from Stampin' Up, which is very subtle in most light, but in direct sunlight can be quite bright. It's like a surprise of sunshine!

I wanted a little something extra, so I put a bird on it. I backed the wooden bird (from Prima or Darice) with a scrap of paper from the "hello" die cut.

Inspiration/Challenges:
CAS Colours and Sketches: Sketch #71
Eclectic Paperie: Wood
Rogue Redhead Designs: Quilted Tiles Tutorial
Scrapping4funChallenges: Use a Stamp/Digi Image
Simon Says Stamp: CAS (2nd entry)
STAMPlorations April Challenge: Stamps & Your Favorite Technique (using markers to ink stamps)

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

Craftygirl's Love Hand Doodle - Monochrome

This week at One Stitch at a Time (OSAAT), our theme 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 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.

You'll definitely want to check out all the beautiful OSAAT Design Team projects, in particular Shell's card using this same image.
 
I've always been intrigued by this Love Hand Doodle by CraftyGirl Creations, so I ended up making two cards. You can read about the rainbow version in a separate post.

The image was printed on a shiny white paper and heat-embossed in black (I have some tips from doing this here).

I followed the Delicate Bow Tutorial at Useful DIY to make the fancy bow using a fork. The "I Love You" printed ribbon is from Making Memories; the copper-ish ribbon is from my stash, and I literally used the last bits!

The pre-embossed backing paper (Colorbok, I think?) was inked with a copper ink, and I added some drywall tape that I colored with a gold pen. The copper backing layer is from Recollections; I can't get enough of this gorgeous paper.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Artistic Inspirations: Anything Goes / Clean and Simple (CAS)
4 Crafty Chicks #191: Embossing
Craft-Dee BowZ April Challenge: Anything Goes with a Handmade Bow
Love to Create: Monochromatic + Ribbon
Natalie and Amy's Challenge #19: Embossing
Really Reasonable Ribbon #93: Monochromatic Color & Ribbon
Simon Says Stamp: Clean & Simple

Update: This was chosen as a DT Favorite for the Artistic Inspirations CAS challenge. Thanks!

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

DP-free at Pile It On

This week at Pile It On! we're challenging you to create your project without any DP (Designer Paper). You may make your own patterned paper, however.

We are sponsored this week by A Day for Daisies, and I was able to use their adorable Baby Giraffe:

click to enlarge

I've had the Poppy rubber stamp set by Sheena Douglass for many years, but it's fairly large so I haven't used it very often. But I thought it would be really fun with this image. Imagine a jungle of poppies! I stamped directly onto the printed image sheet, and colored everything with Copics. I added some detail with gel and glitter pens.

I used this lovely, large die for the card base and orange layer. It's actually a bright orange that I embossed and inked with a lighter orange chalk ink. The cloud was cut on my Silhouette Cameo using a cut file from Bird's Cards (thanks Bird, you always seem to have just what I'm looking for!) and I used a finger dabber to ink the edges with another chalk ink (VersaMagic). The sentiment rubber stamp was stamped with Versamark ink and heat-embossed with two orange powders. I added some bright orange Liquid Pearls to the outer border, and finished the card with some blingy flowers.

For the message section on the inside, I used a smaller die from the same set as the card base:

Inspiration/Challenges:

1. Crafty Bloggers Network April Challenge: Die Cuts or Embossing
2. Delightful Challenges: Include a flower
3. Fab 'n' Funky #212: Flowers
4. Get Inky! Challenge #12: Die Cuts
5. Hiding in my Craft Room: Flowers
6. Just B Creative Crazy: Linky Party Anything goes
7. Party Time Tuesdays: Die Cuts
8. Quick Quotes: Project with Stamping
9. Red Rubber Inspirationals: Back to Nature
10. Simon Says Stamp: Animals

Update: This was the Prize Winner for Get Inky! Challenge #12!

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

Crafting with Dragonflies challenge: Mother's Day/ Special Lady - elaborate card

Our current challenge at Crafting with Dragonflies is all about celebrating the Mothers and Special Ladies in our lives. But we don't just want to see cards...we want to see elaborate cards!

This Crafting with Dragonflies challenge has two sponsors, Heather Ellis Digital Stamps and Meljen's Designs. 

I used these Cute Kids images from Pure Innocence/Heather Ellis to make this Napkin/Serviette Fold card:

click images to enlarge

This is for my mom, so "all of us" refers to me, my husband, our two schnauzers, and our 14-year-old iguana:

The base is DP by Heidi Grace/Colorbök. The schnauzer stamp is from Art Impressions, and the iguana was custom made for me by Therese Travis/Paperfaces Design.

The rosette was made using the Tim Holtz/Sizzix die. The leaves were cut with a Sizzix die from a paper covered with the same decorative tape I used on the inside.

I'm entering this in these great challenges:
Addicted to Stamps: Fancy Folds
Paper Crafting Journey: For that Special Lady
Paper Creator's Crafts: Spots and Dots

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

Simply Nautical

Although my house is filled with cards I've made over the years, I couldn't find exactly what a I wanted to send to a friend. So I pulled out some lovely Graphic 45 papers and a Spellbinders die set.

I get such a kick out of this fun kraken design from the By the Sea collection. I cut the shells from a shiny, textured Core'dinations paper and sanded them a bit. The sentiment sticker (Starform) is actually silver, colored with a Copic marker (Honey/Y38). The blue mesh is recycled from a bag of pearl onions.

Try Stamping On Tuesdays

Inspiration/Challenges:
613 Avenue Create: Reuse / Recycle
My Time to Craft: All at sea
Stamping Sensations April Challenge: Dies and/or Punches
Try Stamping On Tuesdays: Sketch #162

Thanks for visiting,

Lots of Love for Lauryn Card Drive

Welcome to my stop on the Lots of Love for Lauryn Blog Hop (April 14-18). I'm pleased to be able to participate in this Card Drive for Lauryn and her family, who are dealing with her recent leukemia diagnosis.

We encourage you to create cards to share your support and encouragement for Lauryn, her parents Josh & Elizabeth, and siblings Lily & Logan. Cards can be mailed to:

Children's National Hematology/Oncology
RM 437
c/o Lauryn Newsome
111 Michigan Ave NW
Washington DC 20010

Several digital artists are offering wonderful stamps to to raise funds for Lauryn & her family. I purchased this wordart by Cec Wintonyk; it's one of my favorite lines of poetry.
I made a card with lots of texture:

The Five Fairy Kitties are by A Day for Daisies. The die-cut feathers are a Silhouette file.

You can find updates on Lauryn via a Facebook page that has been set up by some family. It is Fight on Little Lauryn. They have shared how encouraging it is receive a simple "like" on a
Facebook status or words of love and encouragement that is posted.

Here is the fabulous group of bloggers who have joined us in promoting this Card Drive. We would love for you to hop with us as numerous bloggers have blog candy (look below for a little something from me):

• Lots of Love for Lauryn
• Olga Jewell Craftieodamae
• Mary Anne Kelemen Lakeside Stamping
• Lisa Haines The Purple Place
• Patti Painter Patti’s Paper Creations
• Jennie Harper Stampin Away the Day 
• Colleen Holmes A Card’s Delight
• Jennifer Scull Just Coffee Please…& Stamps & Ribbons & Paper
• Anita Autore Cards & Coffee 
• Sandra Van Blaricum Cards and Creativity 
• Jerusha Borden I Love Paper Crafting 
• Nina Brackett Crafting in Croatia
• Linda Coughlin The Funkie Junkie
• Kathleen Curry Will Stamp for Wine
• Vicki Dutcher All I Do is Stamp
• Debbie Ebat Debbie’s Stamping Adventures
• Tera Fujan Stamp Queen 
• Patti Gilliam Cherish Each Precious Gift
• Joy Hadden Pieces of Joy
• Karen Knegten Studio at the Lake 
• Lori McAree Smiling While Stamping
• CG Say Something Loudly (you're here)
• Lee Murphy My Reality
• Betty Neville Betty Neville on StampTV
• Jackie Randolph Paper Moments 
• Shirley Ross Card Art, Etc.
• Melissa Shultz Buggin to Stamp
• Carla Suto Carla’s Stamping Spot 
• Cat Tidwell Cat’s Creations 
• Brenda Turner Stamp It Up
• Geri Utterback Geri’s Cards 
• Cheri Weston Stamp’n Boomer 

What an amazing parade of...hope! Today we honor Lauryn and her extended family, but we also honor all of us, because we all experience the unimaginable. Thank you for sending Lots of Love for Lauryn! If you have a few extra cards the Sunshine Mail Foundation could really use some more cards for other sick children.

As for Blog Candy... I have a special offer for everyone participating in this Card Drive: A Notch Swing Card SVG template of your choice from my Etsy Store! Leave me a comment and/or email me (CGsaysSomethingLoudly [at] gmail [dot] com) by April 18 with your choice (Sorry, it's only available in SVG file format.)

Thanks for visiting,

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,

Crafting with Dragonflies Baby Blog Hop Winner

Many thanks to everyone who joined the Crafting with Dragonflies Baby Blog Hop. Be sure to check the main Winners Post.

One lucky participant who commented on my stop on the hop had a chance at a special priaze of six digis from Handmade Harbour. 

I had 17 lovely comments (thank you all!), so I used Random.org to choose a winner, which was:

#5 Divya B

Who left me this lovely comment:
CG..it is really a never-ending card. But must say it is just too amazing. Loved the way you have done the patchwork with lovely baby colors. Feels like its a baby quilt.
Thanks for the chance to win!!

Congratulations, Divya! Please email Judith [at] PoppyCottage [dot] com to claim your prize (use the subject: Crafting  with Dragonflies Blog Hop Winner - Handmade Harbor]

Many thanks to everyone who joined in teh Blog Hop fun,and hope you'll join the current  Easter Challenge at Crafting with Dragonflies,