Free to Fly -- Multimedia Collage with the UnstampaBelles

The UnstampaBelles August challenge is Collage with the optional twist of multi-media. You can make whatever you like without using any stamps. I had so much fun making my first collage card that I just had to try the technique again.

I used images from a Good Housekeeping magazine.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Mix It Up Challenge: Mixed media
DL.Art Linky Challenge: Anything Goes August Linky

Be sure to check out the fabulous projects by my teammates the UnstampaBelles this month!

Thank you for visiting,

Smirk-y Superheroes -- Pilin' on the kiddos

Our theme at Pile It On is Recycle and/or For a Child, and you have until Sept 2 to enter, so this is your last chance to join us this month! The only real rule is to be inspired by more than one papercrafting challenge. We're sponsored by MelonHeadz Illustrating, and I used her adorable Superheroes Buttonheadz clip art set to create this fun card for a a super kid! The sentiment on the front is a digistamp from Ginger's House (she's so hilarious!) and the scenic paper is the last of my long-hoarded Smirk stash.

click images to enlarge

I colored the images with Copic markers; these photos don't show the shading very well, it definitely looks better in person. I put a blank message section on the last back panel.

The larger images on the inside are on Action Wobbles, and the rest are popped up with simple springs made of paper strips (photo on right).

Thank you for visiting! Hope you'll join us at Pile It On,

Birthday Card with Cake at Crafting with Dragonflies

Our theme this fortnight at Crafting with Dragonflies is to make a Birthday Card featuring Cake. I made a card for our niece using both cupcakes & Birthday cake!

I created the pop-up inside with my new Stampendous Pop Up Stages dies. I dug through my stash for some of my favorite birthday stamps, none of which are still available to my knowledge: the Cupcake Girl stamp is from an Arizona artist; the Happy Birthday circle sentiment is by Scrapper's Paradise, and the "Cupcake" sentiment is from a Recollections(?) set; the inside birthday sentiment is from Hero Arts; the Banner stamp and Birthday Cake & Candles are from sets that came with crafting magazines.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Die Cuttin' Divas #331: Birthday Celebration + Die cut (pop-up steps)
Really Reasonable Ribbon: Anything Goes with Ribbon

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

Everybody is a Star, again & again -- Pilin' On the Childish Recycling

The theme this month at Pile It On is Recycle and/or For a Child. The only real rule is to be inspired by more than one papercrafting challenge. We're sponsored by MelonHeadz Illustrating, and I used their Stars Clip Art set to make this Card-in-a-Box.

The card design is based on on Keren Howell's Tuxedo Box Card tutorial, but I made mine smaller at 4 x 5.5 inches. I made the sentiment using the fonts Midnight Constellations and Willow by Kingthings. The images were colored with Copic markers.

I looked up the sentiment "Everybody is a Star in Someone's sky" and discovered this wonderful video from 1973:

Inspiration/Challenges:
City Crafter Challenge: No Flowers
Craft for the Craic: Include Triangle Shape
Crafty Calendar: Shaped Card
Crafty Gals Corner: Add a Star
More than One Score at Scor-Pal #40: 3D Cards + more than one score
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Add a Sentiment

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

Wildly Thankful -- Layers at International Art & Soul

Our theme this fortnight at the International Art & Soul Challenge is Layers. I made an easel card for my mom & dad!

The sentiment stamp is from Scrapper's Paradise. The animal silhouette image is cut from an envelope Mom got in South Africa. The Safari papers from Graphic 45, and Mom has used them many times to make beautiful cards, so this is sorta my homage to her.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Cardz 4 Guyz #176: Fancy Folds
Dragonfly Dreams: Animals
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Add a Sentiment
Sunny Day Crafting #47: Giraffe

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

Fresh-faced Recycling -- Multimedia Collage with the UnstampaBelles

The UnstampaBelles August challenge is Collage with the optional twist of multi-media. You can make whatever you like without using any stamps.
I wasn't sure how to approach this challenge at first, but it ended up being really fun! While flipping through a Good Housekeeping magazine, I was inspired by some beauty product images (compact makeup, emery boards, painted toes) to create this beachy card.

I cut/tore out the backgrounds and sentiments from Good Housekeeping. The base is grungeboard covered with a blue face mask that I flattened. It's all put together with layers of Mod Podge glue. I added glitter & shine to the images with different nail polishes (and yes, I even painted those tiny toes!) The card is finished with some yellow mesh.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Love to Craft #13: Anything Goes
Shopping Our Stash #316: Chillaxin' and Relaxin'

Be sure to check out the fabulous projects by my teammates the UnstampaBelles this month!

Thank you for visiting,

Fishy Slider -- Embossing at Crafting with Dragonflies

Our theme this fortnight at Crafting with Dragonflies is to use Embossing (wet or dry) on a card.

I used SCAL3 to create the frame with SVG Cuts' Polaroid Frame and a wave shape SVG Attic's Just Beachy set. I cut it four times; once with the small top slit and 3 layers with a wider slit to accommodate the folded-paper slider. I used all rubber stamps: the fisherman is from Art Impressions, the fish is from Recollections, and the sentiment is from Lili of the Valley.

My Time to Craft #351

Inspiration/Challenges:
Fashionable Stamping #125: Gone Fishing
My Time to Craft #351: Sketch
Stinkin' Inkers: Guy Talk
Tuesday Throwdown #355: Interactive Card (slider)

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

Pilin' On the Recycling

The theme this month at Pile It On is Recycle. The only real rule is to be inspired by more than one papercrafting challenge. Be sure to stop back on the 3rd Sunday of the month for a bonus theme! We're sponsored by MelonHeadz Illustrating, and I used their fun Earth Day image & sentiment. These are freebies from way back in 2012; for more fabulous Earth Day ideas, check out the MelonHeadz Index.

This card is made from cardboard boxes with my Accordion/Fancy Label die by Karen Burniston/Elizabeth Craft Designs.

The center block, with the lovely pastoral scene, is from a box of cereal that's been languishing in my pantry since, going by the "sell by" date, 2006! The Kind bar box I used for the rest of the card is much more recent; now we have loose Kind bars in the pantry!

Inspiration/Challenges:
Calling All Sistahs: Colour Palette (It reminded me of the packaging I used as the card base, and I built the colors from there)
Crafter's Cafe #178: More than one fold
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper: Anything Goes with Patterned Paper
Just Us Girls: Use Something Old and/or Something New (I've owned the die set & enamel stickers for several years; the papers are recent purchases)
Kreativeinkauf-challenge: Punches / Die Cuts

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

Bookish & just my Type -- Boxes/Bags at International Art & Soul

Our theme this fortnight at the International Art & Soul Challenge is Boxes/Bags. I adapted the Hidden Compartment Book Box from Silhouette/Lori Whitlock to create this trio of gift boxes.

I used some of my favorite writing-themed papers. I adhered colored tissue paper to double-sided adhesive before stamping the images (Clear Art Stamps, except for the sentiment, which is from Scrapper's Paradise) in distress & Memento inks.

The little bookmarks are made with a leather-like paper. I used thin magnets to closed the box lid. I've been saving this Dick-and-Jane-themed paper forever!

The "pages" pieces on the sides are traced & cut from corrugated cardboard that comes with sandwiches at Panera(!) and are inked with Antique Linen distress ink. The rest of the pieces were inked with a mix of Tea Dye & Antique Linen.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Aud Sentiments Challenge #185: No Sentiment on Front Of Project
Happy Little Stampers: Mixed Media + Tissue Paper
International Art & Soul Challenge: Boxes/Bags

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