Peep Calm -- Easter with Crafting with Dragonflies

Our challenge this fortnight at Crafting with Dragonflies is Easter cards.

I used papers from Aunthetique; the rabbit is a Sizzix die cut, and the peep was cut with a file from Miss Kate's Cuttables' "Easter Candy" set. I hand-stamped and colored the carrot borders.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge: Patterned Paper
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Easter Inspiration Photo


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

Steampunk Thanks

I made the front piece at the same time as I made the background for my Steampunk shaker card.

The accordion card was based on a tutorial from Me & My Big Ideas. I put a message section on the back panel:

building the accordion base

I started with a piece of Tim Holtz's Grunge paper: I stamped it with a stamp & heat-embossed it in gold (ZING); I inked an embossing folder, lightly embossed it in my BigShot, and heat-embossed it in rose gold (Lawn Fawn); I inked it with gold metallic ink and Cosmic Copper pigment ink; I used Tim Holtz dies to cut 3 gears from an aluminum can, added some embossing powders, glued them to the piece, and ran it through my BigShot again with the same embossing folder; I used the same technique with a large paper gear die-cut, and then again with a die-cut sentiment (Spellbinders); I added 3 metal gears that were also heat-embossed. All together, I used gold, silver, copper, rose gold, and aged copper enamel embossing powders. I ended up mixing powders, and that gave it a nice effect.  For the accordion card, I used a coated copperish paper (CTMH, I think) and decorated it with more stamps & embossing powders. I finished the card with a few paper die-cut gears.

Inspiration/Challenges:
SanDee & Amelie's Steampunk Challenges: Steampunk/Industrial
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Grunge It Up
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Make Your Own Background
Stick it Down: Card Sketch

Update: This was chosen as the Top Pick for the Card Sketch at Stick It Down! Wow, can't wait to guest design with them.

Thank you for visiting,

Simply SHINE -- Sparkle at International Art & Soul

Our theme this fortnight at the International Art & Soul Challenge is Lots of Sparkle. This challenge will run an entire month.

I used a shiny, patterned paper for the base card, with the decorated side for the back.

It's all about these beautiful, sparkly papers! The sentiment on the front (Verve Stamps) was heat-embossed in blue, and the large sentiment (Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps) was heat-embossed in silver. I die-cut the bubble strip (Pink & Main) and hand-punched the stars with a Fiskars punch. The message section was made with an SU! die; the stars are cut/embossed with a die from my stash. The corner punch (Marvy) is one of my favorite crafting tools.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Connie Can Crop #65: 3D Project or Fancy Folds
Monochrome Magic #7: Anything Monochrome Goes + option of Blue
International Art & Soul Challenge: Lots of Sparkle
Try It On Tuesday: Twinkle, twinkle (C5)

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

Steampunk Sea - Pilin' On the Die Cuts

The theme this fortnight at Pile It On is Die Cut Embellishments. We're sponsored by Dr. Digi's House of Stamps. I was inspired by this Graphic 45 paper to make this funky steampunk card.

Inspiration/Challenges:
The Crafty Addicts: Anything Goes/Use Die-cuts
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper: Anything Goes with Patterned Paper
Mod Squad Challenge: The Die's The Thing
SanDee & Amelie's Steampunk Challenges: Anything Goes Steampunk/Industrial
Pile It On: Die Cut Embellishments

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

Dragon Balloon Birthday - Pilin' on the Tic-Tac-Toe

The theme this fortnight at Pile It On is Tic-Tac-Toe. We're sponsored by Eureka Stamps.

I used the first column from our PIO Tic-Tac-Toe board: Balloon, baker's Twine, Stripes.

This accordion card was inspired by a tutorial from Me & My Big Ideas; I made a matching birthday card for his brother this year.

Although this features bold designs, I wanted to feature the Dragon Balloon from Eureka Stamps' unique line of shaped balloon images.

The balloons are from an Elizabeth Draft die set, and the vehicles are from Taylored Expressions' "Transportation Little Bits" set. The sentiment stamp is from Jillibean Soup, and I heat-embossed it in neon yellow.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper: Anything goes with Patterned Paper (2nd entry)
Tuesday Throwdown: For a Child
Just Add Ink: Add anything starting with B (balloons)
QKR Stampede: Birthday Cards
WOW Embossing Powder Challenge: Anything Goes with Embossing Powder

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

Birthday Cards at Crafting with Dragonflies

This fortnight at Crafting with Dragonflies our theme is Birthday Cards.

I won this adorable Robot Birthday stamp set by V's Sweet Ideas from WordArt Wednesdays Challenge #200. The accordion card was based on a tutorial from Me & My Big Ideas.

Inspiration/Challenges:
ABC Challenge: B is for ... (Bot, Birthday)
Crafty Gals Corner: Fancy Folds
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper: Anything goes with Patterned Paper
Fab 'n' Funky: Male Birthday
Tinker- Dream: Birthday
WordArt Wednesdays: Anything Goes

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

Pink Thanksgiving

I just had to try my hand at another Concertina/Accordion Style Card, so I made this Thanksgiving card for a friend who loves all things pink!

The pumpkin is a sticker; the pumpkin was originally white, but I colored it with a pink Sharpie. The gold leaves are a ribbon. The sentiment on the side is heat-embossed in sparkly white powder, and I added some gold & leaf stickers.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Stampin' Royalty #304: Picture Inspiration
Taylored Expressions' Share Joy Challenge #12: Sketch +/or CAS (I'm giving this card to a friend for Thanksgiving)



Thank you for visiting & inspiring my crafting!

Sweet Winter Wishes

I've been intrigued by this style of Concertina / Accordion Style Card since I saw Ane Lene's gorgeous version.

I can't get enough of this sweater Silhouette cut file from Pretty Papers, Pretty Ribbons.I raided my holiday scrap stash for the patterned papers, and used a good bit of a DCWV paper pack that I've had for years. I'm particularly pleased with the scarf, which I made with a bit of ribbon from my stash.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Cheerful Sketches Challenge Blog: Sketch (for the front)
Jingle Belles: Holiday Food and Drinks
Kreativeinkauf-challenge: Special types of cards (2nd entry)
Sweet Stampin: Wrap Up Warm
Through the Purple Haze: Baby it's cold outside but hot inside

Winter Wonderland: Christmas Candy

Update: This was chosen as a Fave for the Holiday Food Challenge at Jingle Belles!

Thank you for visiting & inspiring my crafting,

Sky Scene at the Crafter's Cafe

This week at The Crafter's Cafe we're challenging you to Create a Sky Scene. One of our great sponsors is Rick St. Dennis, and I used his amazing "Aerocruiser for Lady B" digi stamp to create this tunnel card inspired by the tutorial by Shelly Hickox using Karen Burniston’s Pop it Ups Accordion dies from Elizabeth Craft Designs.

I used a blue, double-sided cardstock that is frosted white on one side (Core'Dinations) for the base and the die-cut clouds (IO). Inspired by the Steampunk quality of the image, I used stamps from Forever in Time's "Old Fashioned" set. I used gold, silver, or glittery white embossing powders, and inked the backgrounds with Sky Blue ink (Inkadinkado). I fussy-cut all the images, using my finger knife to cut the interior sections.

The hot air balloon is a wooden embellishment. I added some gear die-cuts to decorate the balloon, and glued a white cloud onto it. I used Broken China distress ink to stamp the sentiment (HOTP).

I colored Lady B and her Aerocruiser with Copic markers and gel & glitter pens. Her lap blanket is covered with Flowersoft; I didn't have yellow, so I died some Polar White Flowersoft with liquid Sunshine Yellow ink (TH/Ranger).

For the background, I used more of the white/blue cardstock, debossed it with a cloud-patterned folder (Darice), and sanded it to bring out the blue.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Craft and Smash: Clouds
Crafty Friends Challenge: Something beginning with B (Balloons, Blue)
Just Us Girls: Balloons
Rick St. Dennis Digi Fans & Friends: Anything RSD goes
That Craft Place: Steampunk

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

Honeycomb's big, yeah, yeah, yeah

As soon as I saw the awesome Accordion Tunnel Card & tutorial by Shelly Hickox using Karen Burniston’s Pop it Ups Accordion dies from Elizabeth Craft Designs, I just had to try it right away. I made a beehive card using my newest purchase, the Bee set of Sizzix Triplet dies.

The tutorial uses the Rectangle Accordion die, but I used my Fancy Labels version. I cut the pieces on my BigShot from yellow paper & embossed them with a honeycomb-patterned Fiskars texture plate. I also cut a frame from a DP from Recollections for the front. I inked it all with Barely Banana SU! ink.

I used Coasterboard from a•muse studio to die-cut the honeycomb pieces, because it was just thick enough to stay as one piece. I then heat-embossed both sides with yellow embossing powders (neon yellow from WOW! and regular yellow from Creative Zoo) and attached them to the card base. For the back panel, I backed two honeycombs (for each side) on white paper, which perhaps could be used as a message section on the back. I used the same honeycomb die to cute some overlays from a shiny yellow paper. The die set comes with little hexagon dies so I cut some of those from the same paper as I used for the card base.

The bees were cut from yellow, black, and vellum papers. I covered the yellow portions with yellow flocking.

The flower is cut with a die from a•muse studio's Cupcake Toppers set. I stamped the sentiment in black and inked the edges with the same ink I used earlier. I folded the flower to give it dimension.

Challenges/Inspiration:

Amusing Challenge: Birds &/or Bees + no digis (Cupcake Toppers die set for flower + Coaster Board from Amuse Studios)
Craft for the Craic May Challenge: Wings
Creative Craft Cottage Digi Creations #25: Monochrome (2nd entry)
Moving along with the Times: Texture

Update: This was chosen as the Winner for Amusing Challenge #126, and I was also the lucky winner of their May prize. Wow, thanks!

 

Thank you for visiting & inspiring my crafting,

Over the Moon - Non-traditional Baby Projects with the UnstampaBelles

I really enjoyed making my fur-baby card for the UnstampaBelles' April Challenge, but I also made this Accordion card using papers from Graphic45's Mother Goose collection.

The UnstampaBelle's challenge is to make a Baby project with non-traditional elements. I went with a Vintage style, and used lots of brown distress ink...I have a rule about not using brown on baby cards, guess why! But I think this make would make a fun card to give at a Baby Shower.

I used dies from SweetStamps for the flowers & flourishes on the outside.

I traced the chipboard stars onto a matching cardstock which I covered with glow-in-the-dark glitter. I heat-embossed the chipboard stars with different powders, distressed them a bit, and edged the pieces with a gold leaf pen. I used a die from the Accordion card set to cut out two of the pieces, and strung the stars with ribbon.

I used a clear plastic Popeze PopBlock to adhere the little Spoon & Dish in one of the interior corners (I cut the image from the same Graphic45 paper I used for this whole project).

Be sure to check out the fabulous projects by my teamies and hope you'll join us this month at UnstampaBelles! You can link up your projects until the end of the month today!, but remember that you can't use ANY STAMPS (digi or otherwise.)

Inspiration/Challenges:
Ooh La La Creations #179: Nursery Times
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper: Anything goes with Patterned Paper (4th entry)
Mema's Challenge: Use a Punch or Die

Update: This was chosen as a Top Pick for Ooh La La Creations #179!

Thank you for visiting,