The Butterflies return home to Crafting with Dragonflies

I'm so pleased that Crafting with Dragonflies is back with fortnightly challenges! Many thanks to Hilde for inviting me to rejoin the team. Our first challenge theme is Add a Butterfly.

I made this scene using dies from a Memory Box set and metallic papers from Recollections. The butterfly and sentiment are from an SU! stamp/die set, and I heat-embossed the stamps in a shiny dark orange. I made the border with Lemon Ice Stickles.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Die Cuttin' Divas #226: The Great Outdoors + die cut
Fab 'n' Funky: No Patterned Papers
Fussy and Fancy #144: Things with Wings
Glitter n Sparkle #147: Something that starts with a B (Butterfly, Buildings)
Mod Squad Challenge: Anything Goes PLUS a DIE
Top Tip Tuesday: Bingo (Middle Column: Embossing, Sentiment, Dies)


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

Buttons at the Crafter's Cafe

The Crafter's Cafe Challenge this week is Buttons. We're sponsored by ArtByMiran, so I used her Love in a Cup digi stamp.

I recently won this great "coffee" die from YNS, along with some other goodies via the fun Summer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop. I die-cut the flowers from cardboard coffee sleeves and hand-sewed the buttons onto the card. The white border was die-cut from white Styrofoam. The coffee cup was made with a Heartfelt Creations die/stamp set. I colored the sweet image with Copics.

Cheerful Sketches

Inspiration/Challenges:
Cheerful Sketches Challenge Blog: Sketch
Make My Monday: Flowers
Wags 'n Whiskers: Recycle (coffee sleeves & Styrofoam)



Thank you for visiting & hope you'll join us at The Crafter's Cafe,

DT Call at The Crafter's Cafe + Xmas in July Challenge Reminders

Hi everyone! I just wanted to pop by and let you know that we're having a DT Call at The Crafter's Cafe Challenge Blog. It's a fun team and I encourage you to try out!

Our theme this week at The Crafter's Cafe as well as Pile It On is Christmas in July. I know that's a popular theme this week, so I hope you'll find a project or two to link up!

Just to add a bit of fun to this post, here's a photo of my dogs Walt & Allen after their summer shaves!

Thank you for visiting,

In the Flower Garden with UnstampaBelles

The UnstampaBelles July challenge is to Make some flowers, with the twist of creating a garden. You can make whatever you like, but remember: no stamps!

I made a little garden that pop out from the front of the card, but lays flat. The flower tops are made with a Sizzix Triplets die set. The stems are cut with dies from a Sizzix/Hero Arts die set. The fence and grass (behind the fence; you can't really see it) were cut on my Silhouette. The little butterflies were cut/embossed with an SU! Embosslit die. The tag is from a Graphic45 paper, and I attached it a flower-shaped brad.

Be sure to check out the fabulous projects by my teamies and hope you'll join us this month at UnstampaBelles!


Thank you for visiting,

Pilin' on the Snowmen

The theme this week at Pile It On is Christmas/Winter in July, and we're sponsored by StitchyBear's Digi Outlet and I used Snowman with Sign by Ken Benner Designs.

This was a relatively easy card to make, as the base is from an IO Shake It card set. I made the top layer from a DP using a circle die.

I colored the snowman (other than the snow part) with Copic markers. I made the background by coloring it green and going over it with a blender pen. The "Warm Wishes" sentiment is a physical stamp that just fit onto the image! I filled the shaker card with Polar White Flowersoft and silver & blue glitters. I covered the white border with Glossy Accent & Diamond Dust.

Challenges/Inspiration:

1. 52 Christmas Card Throwdown: Snowman
2. Addicted to Stamps and More #15: Holiday
3. Christmas Stampin' All Year Long: Snow or Glitter
4. Crafty Calendar: Christmas in July
5. Hanna & Friends #226: Shaker Card + Cute Person/Animal (Cute Snowman)
6. Holly Jolly Christmas Challenge: Winter Wonderland
7. Little Claire's: Holidays
8. Love to Scrap: 3 Embellishments (3 bows)
9. Sparkle N Sprinkle July Challenge: Anything Goes with ... Loose Glitter (2nd entry)
10. Tuesday Throwdown #235: Tic Tac Toe (Top Row: Stamp, Pattern Paper, Brads)

Update: This was chosen as a Top 3 for Tuesday Throwdown #235!

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

Stars & Stripes with the Crafter's Cafe

The Crafter's Cafe Challenge this week is Stars & Stripes. We're sponsored by Melonheadz, and I used their 4th of July Bundle along with Graphic45 papers to create this baseball-themed card:

The baseball is a digi from Fitztown. I colored it with a red marker & distressed it with Antique Linen ink. It's attached with an Action Wobble.

The pre-colored star borders from Melonheadz were cut with a YNS die and edged with Copics. I went over the Copic edging with a Blender pen to create a distressed feel. The background papers and baseball card are Graphic45 papers. I used a distressing tool to age the card. My dad played baseball in Cornell, Wisconsin, when he was a boy so this card has special meaning to me!

Inspiration/Challenges:
Crafts 4 Eternity Recipe #234 Challenge: Sport
Dream Valley Challenges: Distressing
Morgan's Art World: Red, White & Blue
Wobble Wednesday Challenge: Sports + Action Wobble
YNS Challenge #18: Sketch + YNS die


Thank you for visiting & hope you'll join us at The Crafter's Cafe,

Drink Up! - Guest Designer at Stick It Down

Stick It Down

Back in May, I was inspired by the Stick It Down sketch to create a Get Well card. Not only was I honored with a Top 3 spot, I was asked to be the Guest Designer for their July Card Sketch Challenge. Their lovely sketch challenged me to make a mixed media card.

The sentiment, cork frame, grapes, wine glass, and gold coffee beans are all pre-made stickers. I made a bow with a scrap of ribbon & adhered it with a coffecup-shaped brad.

For the background, I used a Memory Box die to create a stencil from plain paper, then inked it onto white cardstock with Versamark ink & heat-embossed with a shiny violet powder. I then inked the white cardstock with two shades of green ink. I rounded the corners & mounted it on a black matte & white card base.

Challenges/Inspiration:
One Stitch At A Time #241: Anything Goes with CHILLAXING
Southern Girls #114: Sticky Stuff (stickers, embossing powder)
Sparkle N Sprinkle July Challenge: Anything Goes with ... Embossing Powder
Stick It Down: Sketch

Thank you for visiting & inspiring my crafting,

Pilin' on the Seaside

The theme this week at Pile It On is Water / By the Water, and we're sponsored by Craftin' Desert Divas. I used cut files from their Cute Fish Tank collection along with Graphic45 papers to create this card for a friend:

Challenges/Inspiration:
Crafty Gals Corner: Under The Sea
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper: Anything goes with Patterned Paper
DoubleClick Skittles: From The Ocean
Fairy Tale #121: Under The Sea
Fussy and Fancy #143: Beach Fun
Jo's Scrap Shack #96: Nautical Seascapes
Mojo Monday: Sketch #405 (2nd entry)
Paper Sweeties Challenge #33: Red, White & Blue
The Stamping Boutique: Red, White and/or Blue

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

Honey Bunches

I graduated from & worked at the University of Baltimore (UB) & I always enjoy their yearly Alumni magazine. The most recent issue's back cover was a giant photo of bees; I couldn't resist keeping it and using it with my newly-acquired Bee Sizzix Triplet die set.

The jar digi stamp is from Melonheadz, and the digi sentiment is from Meljen's Designs. The banner was cut with a die from a•muse studio's Cupcake Toppers set. I printed the jar on white paper & vellum. I fussy-cut both, coloring the lid with a Copic marker and glitter pen. I heat-embossed the back of the vellum jar with transparent yellow powder.

For the honeycomb border & fuzzy bee, I used the same techniques as in my Honeycomb Tunnel Card, except this time I used recycled box cardboard instead of coasterboard. The shiny yellow, honeycomb-embossed paper is actually scrap from a previous project. I cut the frame with a Pagemakers die. I added some drops of Glossy Accents to the corners.

I had lots of fun making this card, and gave it to my husband as a "just because" card. I'm lucky to be married to someone who understands how much love is put into my creations.

Challenges/Inspiration:
Crafting By Designs: Re-Use/Recycle (image from a magazine & cardboard)
Crafty Sentiment Designs: Sweet
Mojo Monday: Sketch #405
Polkadoodles: Add Some Embossing (heat & dry embossing)

Thank you for visiting & for inspiring my crafting,

Happy Blogoverary to CG! Blog Candy WInner

Thanks to everyone for sending me good wishes on my 6th Blogoversary!

I had four of my favorite followers sign up for my Blog Candy. I consulted the random generator, and the winner is:

Elizabeth H!

Thank you for visiting & for inspiring my crafting,

Pilin' on the Summertime Fun

The theme this week at Pile It On is Hot Fun in the Summertime, and we're sponsored by Pink Gem Designs, so I used their Beach Fence and Sunshine & Smiles digi stamps to create this beach-scene easel card:

I had lots of fun with this card! I fussy cut the image. I colored the Beach Fence scene with a brown marker and painted it with white Crackle Paint, heating it to give it a worn look. The umbrella is pieced with a digital paper from Mel Stampz. I cut it twice, popping the top portion with foam tape. I added color to some of the stripes with a hot-pink marker. The umbrella stand and ball are also colored with Copic markers, but I popped the ball with more foam tape.

The sailboat, sandals, and coconut cocktail are buttons from Dress It Up (a "must use my coupon" splurge purchase I made at A.C. Moore this week!) and are adhered with Glossy Accents. I also used some actual shells as well.

The crab and starfish are stamps from a Recollections rubber stamp set, and the white shell is a cut file from SVG Attic's Just Beachy set. I used shiny papers for them. The background waves are from the same Just Beachy set, and were cut from a neon-blue paper. The front piece is heat-embossed with a Peacock powder (a glittery blue). The sand sections are heat-embossed with Brown Sugar powder from ZING! The Sunshine & Smiles sentiment was printed on neon-yellow paper. The star shape was cut from shiny paper. The final card folds down to a regular A2 size.

P.S. I have Blog Candy until the end of July 5. Hope you'll sign up!

Challenges/Inspiration:

1. A Gem of a Challenge: Red, White and Blue
2. City Crafter Challenge: Let's Go Nautical
3. Creative Moments: Embossing
4. Fussy and Fancy: Fancy Folds
5. My Time to Craft: Paper Piecing
6. Natalie and Amy's Challenge: Summertime
7. One Stitch at a Time: Red, White and Blue
8. Ruby's Rainbow: At The Seaside
9. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Dots
10. Wags 'n Whiskers: More Than One Fold

Thank you for visiting & inspiring my crafting! Hope you'll join us at Pile It On (we're also having a DT Call),

Blog Candy Alert! - Summery Celebration Card

It's almost my 6th Blogoversary, so I made this card to show off one of stamps I'm offering in my Blog Candy!

The flipflop border was made from a file from SVG Attic's Just Beachy set. The papers, tapes, flowers, and brad are form my stash. I filled the shaker card with red star sequins, blue glitter, yellow microseconds, and music notes that I cut on my Silhouette Cameo.

The stamp is Lounging Miles by Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps, and is part of my Blog Candy, along with two Shake It Card templates like I used for this card:

The colors of the flip-flops colors were inspired by the new sandals from Austin Footwear Labs, which are created from recycled scrap tires, are casually comfortable, and were coincidentally partly developed by my awesome brother-in-law. I know it's shameless promotion, but they really are groovy shoes! 

Speaking of shameless promotion, this card is also a reminder of the current challenges at Pile It On (Your Flag Colors) and The Crafter's Cafe (Summer Fun).

I was also inspired by the following fabulous challenges:

Eureka Stamps: Red, White, Blue
Fairy Tale Stampers #120: Flip Flops
Perfectly Rustics: Add Movement (shaker card)
Sketch Saturday: Sketch

Thank you for visiting & be sure to check out my Blog Candy,

Summer Fun at the Crafter's Cafe

The Crafter's Cafe Challenge this week is Summer Fun, and we have two great sponsors: Angie's Cards & Digis and Deedee's Digis. I used Life's a Picnic by Deedee's Digis.

I made the sentiment banner using a sentiment & ant border from the digi set. The red-and-white, tablecloth-like paper is also from this set; I used it as a background as well as paper-pieced it into the image. I colored the image with Copics. The lemon-patterned paper is from my stash. The grass is recycled from Sushi dinners. The ants are buttons, which I heat-embossed with shiny black powder. I sewed them onto the card with white ribbon. I added a hand-drawn border to the blue background.

Digi Sketch Challenge

Inspiration/Challenges:
Brown Sugar: Summer Fun
Digi Sketch Challenge: Sketch
A Gem of a Challenge: Summertime
Glitter n Sparkle #143: Use a sentiment
MarkerPop! Challenge #72: Anything Goes (colored with Copics)

Thank you for visiting & hope you'll join us at The Crafter's Cafe,