This glitter traveled 2000ish miles so that I could make this card!

Welcome to my final post for 2014; thank you all for sharing the year with me. I'm feeling even more nostalgic than usual, having spent two weeks at my parents' house going through our collected treasures, old and new. A new treasure that I couldn't resist bringing home from Arizona to Maryland was Mom's extra Starform outline stickers. She also gifted me with the tools I need for my favorite technique using the stickers and lots of glitter (like the transfer plastic; I still have lots of adhesive film for now and I've actually had these outline stickers for over a year.) Many thanks to my wonderful husband for lugging my 30 containers of extrafine glitter in his carry-on!

...And many thanks to the personnel at Southwest Airlines for lugging my suitcase, which contained this designer paper and ribbon!

I purchased the double-sided DP at Mom's local craft store Scraps of Love for another nostalgic family card. The "Warm & Cozy" sentiment piece is cut from the designer's logo.

I've had the paper candi for, gee, maybe two years‽ I even used some for the inside, along with a piece from the DP. The ribbon is new-to-me, but is from my mom's stash which is made of years collecting bits of others' stashes! 

This photo doesn't quite capture the true color of the glitter; the cups are cherry red & lime green. I edged all the papers with a gold pen.

This design was inspired by the birth of our newest niece, Luna ... the cups represent her awesome parents and the sugar cubes are Luna and her sweet sister!

Challenge #155

Inspiration/Challenges:

Eureka Stamps: Something Old, Something New (old: Candi; new: glitter)
Less is More: CAS + Family (Sorry, I got a bit carried away and this isn't as CAS as I meant it to be!)
Sketch N Stash: Sketch + Stash (tea-themed outline stickers & paper embellishments)

Thank you for visiting & inspiring my crafting!

One stitch at a time at OSAAT!

OSAAT December Prize Pack

This fortnight at One Stitch at a Time (OSAAT), our theme is Stitching. 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 December prize pack.

I used the sweet Birds with Leaves from Gingerloft along with a lot of hand-stitching to create this texture-filled card:

I printed the digi stamp onto a linen-textured cardstock and colored it with Copics. I cut the piece out with a decorative die. I made a dotted border around the bird in InDesign so that it was easy for me to create the holes with an awl and hand-stitch the border with a mix of silver & blue threads. I used a needle to poke stitching holes on the image itself, and hand-stitched those details with the silver thread.

The sentiment was created in InDesign using the Home Sweet Home font, and also die-cut. I attached it to the card with a pretty stickpin, covering the pointy end with some white ribbon.

I created the background by printing out a stitching template on white cardstock, adhering it to a lovely patterned fabric, and hand-stitching it with silver thread. Time-consuming, but worth it! I pulled out some of the threads on the edges to give with a nice fringe.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Animal Friends Challenge: Everything goes with an animal
Creative Moments: Anything goes / non-traditional Christmas colors
Fairytale Stampers #49: Everything Goes with stamping (digi)

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

Sunbathing Santa - Summer Christmas at UnstampaBelles

The UnstampaBelles December challenge is Summer Fun with the option of Christmas. We're sponsored by Bizzy Becs Paper Crafts, and you can link up your projects until the end of the month. Remember, you can't use ANY STAMPS (digi or otherwise)!

I couldn't resist using this great scene, complete with sentiment, from a Storyteller Card Sheet by Webster's Pages. I used a second sheet to fussy-cut Santa himself, adhering the piece with foam tape, and I also added diamond Stickles to his beard (both ideas from my Mom; she's smart cookie!)

These summer-themed brads lend some sunshiny fun to Santa's Southern Hemisphere Christmas!

I mounted the card on a double-sided DP from Cloud9Design, because I thought the words worked perfectly with this scene.

Challenge/Inspiration:
Card Mania: Christmas
Cardz 4 Guyz #49: The Big Guy (Santa)
CHCC December Challenge: Anything Christmas
Dream Valley Challenges: Christmas

Update: This was chosen as a Top 3 card for Cardz 4 Guyz #49! Thank you!

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

Home for the Holidays - Pilin' on Christmas

Our current challenge at Pile It On is Christmas/Holidays. We have three great sponsors lined up, and you have until January 3 to link up.

I've never lived anywhere with a lot of relatives close by; and even though we live in the U.S.A. now, we have to travel to be with our families during the holidays. So for me, the phrase "home for the holidays" has always tugged at my heart. My folks taught me that wherever we are together is home, but I am very grateful that we are able to join my folks in Arizona this Christmas holiday. I found this great paper from Carta Bella that had both the sentiment and knit-patterned background, so I pulled out some travel-themed ephemera and made this simple card:

Challenges/Inspiration:
Add a Little Dazzle: Anything Goes
Craft Hoarders Anonymous Challenge: Vacation/Travel (hoarded items: wooden globe and twine)
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper December Challenge: AG with DP background
Crafty Sentiment Designs: Winter
Digi Choosday Challenge #50: Last Minute X-mas
Hambo Hoedown: Winter
Simon Says Stamp: Winter inspiration
A song in your He{ART} #22: I'll be Home for Christmas

Thank you for visiting & inspiring my crafting! Hope you'll join us at Pile It On,

Glittery wishes at OSAAT

OSAAT December Prize Pack

This fortnight at One Stitch at a Time (OSAAT), our theme is Anything Goes with Glitter. 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 December prize pack.

Using my Silhouette Cameo, I cut It's a Girl by Floppy Latte Designs from a shiny white paper. I took out some of the cut-out ieces and colored them green with a Copic. I backed the main piece with an adhesive-covered cardstock, re-added the cut-outs, and covered the whole with with a peach glitter. I added contrast to the sentiment with a pink Copic. All the patterned papers are by Graphic 45.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Paper Shelter Challenge #185: Special Celebration
Penny's Paper-Crafty #207: Anything but Christmas
Southern Girls: Celebrations (new baby)
Sparkle N Sprinkle: Anything Goes with Loose Glitter, Embossing Powder and/or Flocking (2nd entry)

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

Pilin' on the Holidays - Pile It On December Challenge

This MONTH at the Pile It On Challenge our theme is Christmas/Holidays. We have three great sponsors lined up, and you have until January 3 to link up.

I recently won a gift certificate to Simon Says Stamp, and one of the goodies I got was their great Village wafer die set. I also used a circle die for the "frozen lake" sentiment section. The card front is a heavy white cardstock that I heat-embossed with a large snowflake border stamp.

Happy Little Stampers

Challenges/Inspiration:
Add a Little Dazzle: Snow/Snowflakes or Anything Goes
Aud Sentiments Challenge #121: Holiday Bingo (middle row: Die cuts, Stamp, Bling)
Craft and Smash: Ice- snow- Christmas
Crafty Ribbons: Mono Christmas
The Crazy Challenge: White All Around (all white or with snow)
Fan-Tastic Tuesday #64: Anything Goes with twist - Add Embossing
Happy Little Stampers: Sketch
Sparkle N Sprinkle December Challenge: Anything Goes: use loose glitter, embossing powder, and/or flocking
Stampavie and More: Snowflakes

Thank you for visiting & inspiring my crafting! Hope you'll join us at Pile It On,

Surfin' Santa Scene - Summer Christmas at UnstampaBelles

The UnstampaBelles December challenge is Summer Fun with the option of Christmas. We're sponsored by Bizzy Becs Paper Crafts, and you can link up your projects until the end of the month. Remember, you can't use ANY STAMPS (digi or otherwise)!

Most of my UnstampaBelles teamies live in Australia, which means that we enjoy opposite seasons. I'm spending most of December in sunny Arizona, but it definitely doesn't compare to the Summer Hemisphere Christmas they will be enjoying!

I used SVG files for the surfboard and sleigh. I coated the surfboard with Gloss Accents.

The "sand" is made with a cardboard coffee sleeve. I embossed the sentiment directly onto it and inked it all with Antique Linen and Vintage Photo distress inks. The "sea" is a blue, rubber tourniquet edged with scalloped scissors. The seashell is die cut from a beer can!

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

Pilin' on the vine

This week at the Pile It On Challenge our theme is Sprinkle It (glitter, flocking, embossing powder... anything you "sprinkle" on.)

We're sponsored Doodle Pantry so I used their Grapes digi stamp:

Challenges/Inspiration:
Get Creative Challenges: Anything Goes + Optional Twist: Glitter (there is a touch of glitter in the "wine stain")
The Pink Elephant Monday Card Challenge: Anything Goes
Perfectly Rustics: Embossing
Sparkle N Sprinkle: Anything Goes with Loose Glitter, Embossing Powder and/or Flocking

Thank you for visiting & inspiring my crafting! Hope you'll join us at Pile It On,

Live, Laugh, Love - Lace at OSAAT

OSAAT November Prize Pack

This fortnight at One Stitch at a Time (OSAAT), our theme is Anything Goes with Lace. 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 November prize pack.

I used the Anthurium Digi Stamp and Paper Pack by Coosty Creations and a sentiment stamp from Indigo Blue for my card:

Inspiration/Challenges:
Catered Crop: Anything Goes
Technostamper's Monday Lunch Time Sketch Challenge: Sketch #342

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

Chinese Love

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has little bags in their stash filled with leftover bits from past projects. Earlier this year, I made a large custom order of cards based on my Chinese New Year never-ending card, and ended up with a fair amount of leftover Chinese ephemera and papers. I also pieced this lovely decoupage piece some months ago and never ended up using it, so I was glad to see the Asian Art & Ephemera Challenge at Lunagirl Moonbeams and have a reason to make a card with some of these stash items. I made a Joy Fold card:

The gorgeous front piece is from a Dufex die cut sheet. I popped up each of the layers with foam tape. I matted it onto a light gold paper. To close the card, I used a bird-shaped paperclip.

The pattered papers are all from Graphic 45's Birdsong collection. I used a smaller sheet of the background paper to make the mini-card. The Chinese symbol reads "Love" and was created in SCAL & cut with my Silhouette Cameo.

I cut the flower in black and shiny red with the Wildflower Corner die by Memory Box. The message frame, corner elements, and the good luck character are all from Chinese money envelopes.

I really had fun making this, which ended up being perfect as a birthday card for a friend of mine. Many thanks to Lunagirl Moonbeams for the great inspiration!

Update: This was the random prize winner for the Lunagirl Moonbeams challenge!

Thank you for visiting,

Logical Journey / Crafting with Dragonflies Week 2

This is the final challenge at Crafting with Dragonflies. I joined the team last year and will miss the fun (you can see all my Crafting with Dragonflies posts here.)

This is the second week of Anything goes Challenge with option of Goodbye/Farewell. I made a Ciao card last week, but I wanted to make a reminder card, featuring another image from our sponsor Pickled Potpourri Designs.

I used an Einstein quote wordart from their Words of Imagination set as well as a frame from their Deco Frames set.

The flourish pattern is stamped with an SU! Roller Wheel. I edged the pieces with a fun film-patterned Washi tape. The banner is cut with a CTMH die using a Washi from the same set. The banner & sentiment are popped up with foam tape. The tassel is cut with a Sizzix die from a handmade, black paper. It's attached with a square, black brad. The background is a shiny, textured white Core'Dinations cardstock which I notched in just the top right-hand corner with my favorite Marvy punch.

CAS Challenge #100

Inspiration Challenges:
CAS Challenge #100: Sketch

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

Incense Tube Box + Tutorial - UnstampBelles midway post

The UnstampaBelles November challenge is Box + Tutorial. We're sponsored by The Stamp Spot, and you can link up your projects until the end of the month. Remember, you CANNOT use ANY STAMPS (digi or otherwise)!

We were recently gifted some large incense sticks, and since they are especially pungent I thought it would be fun to make a decorative box to hold them.

Allen likes it!

The incense sticks are almost 19 inches tall (great for a yard), so I used two 12-inch pieces to create a 20-inch-tall box. I scored the one of the short ends of one of the pieces at 1/2 inch, and fringed the smaller portion (this is the bottom of the box).

I scored one end of the other tall piece at 1/2 an inch and at 3.5 inches, and then cut the shorter end down to 3 inches. The smaller piece will be used for the lid. The 1/2 inch score on the larger piece will help line up the box with the second portion and create a 20-inch-tall box.

I used a Spellbinders circle die for the base circle. It has a diameter of about 1.875, which means the circumference of the box is 5.888 inches (I cheated and used an online Circle Calculator). I cut the side pieces at 6 inches wide so that I could use one sheet of 12x12 paper for the whole project.

I decorated the box with a sheet of "Live Laugh Love" and a burlap-patterned paper from Recollections, as well as some orange bulap ribbon and my favorite washi tape.

Here's a photo showing my fringing technique:

I didn't follow any tutorial, I just decided I could do it! Trust me, if I could do this you can too. The trickiest part was making the tube, and I used adhesive tape to help me line it up. I must admit that the incense is still pungent, but I really enjoy it and the box may or may not become a gift!

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