Everything Nice

A craft-y friend recently had her second child, a beautiful little girl, just the excuse I needed to participate in Really Reasonable Ribbons' I Got You Babe Challenge. I was so intrigued by this week's Triplicate Trials Tuesday Challenge (TT) that I had to use it as well.

The TTT theme is Fun & Games, so I chose a "Candyland" theme. I don't much about kids but I know I played "Candyland" a scant kagillion times with my niece. I was partly drawn to this sketch because I wanted to use three of my favorite Mo Manning images. The other thing I know about kids is that they love tutus (even the boys, if they're allowed to)!

Inspiration:
Really Reasonable Ribbons Challenge #31: I Got You Babe
Triplicate Trials Tuesday Challenge #7

Stamps: Two Tasha, Done! & Kiesha's Curtain Call by Mo Manning, Candyland background, Fiskars, sentiment created with Euphorigenic typeface
Paper: Hammermill, Recollections
Tools: Fiskars papercutter & punch, MS scissors, Marvy heat tool, HP printer & ink, Adobe InDesign
Other: Tacky glue, Glossy Accents, red tape, tulle, Recollections  embossing powder, Versamark watermark ink, Offray ribbon,
Copics: BV08, V17, BV02, E13, E31, E33, E51, R37, R29, RV29, RV02, RV11, YG03, FY1, YR12, E50

Happy Wishes with Birthday Sundaes and DP2

I made this card pretty quickly since it's for a friend who's birthday was yesterday! Whoops!

Inspiration:
Birthday Sundaes Challenge #24: Inspiration photo (left)
DP2 Challenge #98: Sketch (right)

Stamps: Done! by Mo Manning, Bunting by  Ellephantastic (thank you!) Studio G, Fiskars, SP & Company
Paper: Hammermill, Core'dinations, Recollections, stash DP
Tools: Fiskars papercutter & punch, MS scissors, Marvy punch & heat tool, Cricut & SCAL, HP printer & ink, Adobe InDesign
Other: Tacky glue, red tape, Pink Paisley twine, Recollections & Stampendous embossing powder, Versamark watermark ink, stash brads
Copics: BG10, B00, B23, Y02, Y06, Y17, YR01, E13, RV04, E35, E37

Let it snow glitter!

When I purchased my Tim Holtz paper distresser, I noticed that the packaging sorta looked like a snowman...miracle of miracles, it fit perfectly over my build-a-snowman stamp set! I colored the stamp with Copics, filled the plastic with glitter, and glued it atop the stamped piece. The "Let It Snow!" sentiment is from the same stamp set, but I used shrink plastic to make the little charm. I used my Crop-O-Dile to punch a hole in the snowflake brads so that I could add a rhinestone brad in the middles. The background paper is by Tim Holtz, so I distressed the pieces with said paper distresser and Antique Linen distress ink. I also inked the striped ribbon for a slightly more "vintage" look.

Inspiration:
ABC Christmas Challenge: R is for Recycling & ribbons or rhinestones
Christmas Challenge + Sketch #8: must use stamp

Stamping celebration

I'm all about butterflies now that I have my Stampin' Up! stamp set with matching punch. I especially love how you can easily stamp on both sides.

I always check out the challenges at Flutter By Wednesdays, but since you must include a butterfly or fairy or angel and I have few of those stamps for some odd reason, I was really excited to be able to participate in their current Celebrate! theme.

Feeling celebratory, I also followed the sketch at Celebrate the Occasion (right).

It's difficult to see some of the details in this photo. The top section was created by punching 2 butterflies out of the music-patterned paper, adhering the paper to white paper, and sponging it all with two shades of blue ink. Then I stamped & heat-embossed the butterflies in black. The bottom white paper is pre-embossed with party balloons; I printed a dotted border onto it, which I used as a guide for the faux stitching (I used a dark blue gel pen). The bottom butterfly is raised off the paper with Glossy Accents, and the sentiment is heat-embossed in blue.

This is the first time I've tried this ribbon technique, where you create the ruffle atop double-sided tape.

Hope everyone is having a great day.

For the love of School Supplies

Bugaboo stamps recently celebrated 400 followers on Crafters Digital Art Center (CDAC) by sharing a couple wonderful freebies -- thank you! -- and I decided to have my own celebration & make a card with them for Bugaboo's Wacky Wednesday Challenge at CDAC.

I had lots of inspiration for this card, best explained with a bulleted list:

1. Bugaboo CDAC Wacky Wednesday Challenge #17
• Paper-Piercing: I used nine papers to paper-piece the two images (didn't seem like so many, really! I used mostly scraps)
• Faux Stitching: I digitally designed the background pieces with dotted lines, so all I had to do was poke out the holes with my awl & draw the faux stitching with a dark green gel pen
2. Sketch n Stash #69
• I rotated the sketch 90 degrees counter-clockwise
• Neglected stash: I used some graph-themed and patterned papers plus keyboard-letter brads I've been saving for quite some time
3. Use it Tuesday Challenge #14
• Back to School theme
• Hoarded supplies: I ventured into the attic & rescued some very cool paper: a sheet of actual Crayola-brand crayon wrappers that my husband got for me at a local printer's

Inspiration:
Sketch n Stash #69
Use it Tuesday Challenge #14: Back to School
Bugaboo Wacky Wednesday CDAC Challenge #17: Paper-Piercing & Faux Stitching

Stamps: CDAC 400 Follower Freebies by Bugaboo Stamps, Verve Stamps, the Paper Studio

Paper: Hammermill, Core'dinations, Recollections, Five&Dime
Tools: Tim Holtz paper distresser, awl, Fiskars papercutter & punch, MS scissors, Marvy punch & heat tool, Recollections punch, HP printer & ink, Adobe InDesign
Other: Tacky glue, Elmer's gel pen, stash twine, Around the Block brads, Stampendous embossing powder, Versamark watermark ink