Fun with Washi

We recently had a "Decorative Tape" theme at the Pile It On Challenge, and between the gorgeous projects by the Design Team and the beautiful products by our sponsor Freckled Fawn, I really wanted to play with some of the tapes in my stash. For inspiration, I found the Tuesday Morning Sketch Challenge with the optional twist of using Washi Tape.

If you follow on blog, you may have seen my "Sew Simple" card a few days ago; if this looks familiar, it's because I made them at the same time!I had so much fun making the rosette with Kraft paper & "measuring tape" Washi.

I used a sentiment from the same Our Daily Bread Designs stamp set and another Amy Tangerine fabric brad (yes, that's a tiny sewing machine; too cute!) Between the rosette and the brad, I used a paper button cut with SU!'s Sweet Buttons Embosslit die, which I colored with Pear Tart ink (Memento).

I made the frame with a decorative tape I got on sale at Michaels over 3 years ago. I added machine-stitching in white thread (I was going for a "seam-binding" look). That funky ribbon was in my stash; love it's Shabby Chic look.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Crafty Ribbons #37: Anything goes with ribbon
Happy Campers #10: Shabby Chic
Tuesday Morning Sketches #184: Sketch + Washi Tape
Whimsical Designs: Textiles (ribbon, fabric brad, linen-textured paper, thread)

Thank you for visiting,

Star Spirelli

Here's a quick card I made this morning:

I was really intrigued by the "Spirelli" technique challenge at Crafting by Designs. I actually had a turquoise embroidery thread remnant (DMC Fluorescents) that was just enough for this project. I cut the starry shape with a die from a•muse studio, and used a Recollections punch for the tiny stars in the corner. 

The star-shaped, music-patterned stamps are from a set that came a Crafts Beautiful Magazine; and the sentiment stamp is from a Teddy Bo set, another magazine freebie, this time from Simply Cards & Papercraft. The sentiment is heat-embossed with a yellow power from Creative Zoo. The ribbon is from my stash, and the star-patterned Kraft DP is from My Mind's Eye. I finished the card with a machine-stitched border using yellow thread.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Card Mania: Color combo
Cards in Envy: Sketch
Crafting by Designs: Spirelli 


Update: This card was chosen as the winner of our Try a New Technique challenge at Crafting by Designs for the month of February! Wow!

Thank you for visiting,

Sew Simple

Since I got to spend all day waiting for contractors (who never showed up, sigh), I pulled out some of my favorite products and got crafting!

I couldn't resist the "Kraft & Kreme" challenge at Less is More, and paired it with the current Clean & Simple sketch. The sentiment stamp is from Our Daily Bread Designs, and the corner stamp is from SP & Company. The sentiment is stamped in Rich Cocoa ink (Memento); the "stitching" is stamped in Craft White (SU!) and heat-embossed in Brown Sugar with embossing powder (Zing).

I cut the rosette from Kraft paper with a Tim Holtz die, and covered the edge with a "measuring tape" decorative tape that Mom got free with a British magazine. I covered the center with a paper button cut with SU!'s Sweet Buttons Embosslit die, and finished it with this stunning fabric brad from American Crafts' Amy Tangerine line.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Clean & Simple: Sketch #226
Less is More: Kraft & Cream

Thank you for visiting,

Sunshine Mail Challenge: Pink, red, and white

It's the 1st of the month (Rabbit rabbit!) which means it's time for a new 2-week Sunshine Mail Foundation Challenge. This time our theme is "pink, red, and white". The only real rule is that you send in at least one card (Donation guidelines here). 

We're sponsored by Red Rubber Designs, and I used their fabulously unique Happiness of Life set:

Inspiration/Challenges:
Crafting By Design: Animal
Hanna & Friends #164: Anything Goes with a cute stamped animal
Party Time Tuesdays #105: Anything Goes
Sisterhood of Crafters: Hearts
Vickie's Challenges: Anything Goes

Thank you for visiting & hope you'll join us for the Sunshine Mail Foundation Challenge,

Look at me, look at you / Searching for the purest blue

I so enjoyed making my Jane's Addiction-inspired card that I decided to make another song-inspired card.

In that post, I talked about my best friend from college, and our experiences also influenced this card. One of my favorite memories is when we went to see Porno for Pyros (the second-generation Jane's Addiction) at Club Rio in Tempe ... they had advertised a "Special Guest," and we were about the only people there when the opening band came on... We were 19 at the time, and so described them as "a bunch of old guys who played like nothing we'd ever experienced." Well, it ended up being Love and Rockets, an incredible band that influenced so many of the artists we all love. We were literally front-row for their performance (it was a standing-only club, no seats), but by the time Porno for Pyros took the stage the club was packed and we were caught up in surge of people... I weighed less than 100 pounds back then, and I remember my friend (who is over 6 feet tall) holding me as we were swept backwards into the crowd... I could have been trampled it if wasn't for him, but of course we then fought our way back towards the front! Good times!

Anyhoo, shortly afterwards I got my hands on a copy of Love and Rocket's album Earth.Sun.Moon. and took to listening to it while watching the sunrise every morning. I was staying with my parents at the time, and they have the most beautiful view of mountains from their back porch; I could time it just right so that as the tape played the track "Waiting For The Flood" the sun poured over the mountains and lit up the landscape. With those memories in mind, I made this card:

Inspiration/Challenges:
Annabelle Stamps Challenge: Sketch Challenge
Anything Goes Challenge #85: Monochrome

The cherry blossom images are from a Flourished set, and I stamped them in "Night Sky" VersaMagic chalk ink and colored the petals with a white pencil. I added hand-stitching with a light blue thread. The papers are all DPs from my stash. I think this blue monochrome scheme reflects the color of the landscape in those seconds before the sun fully rose...

Thank you for visiting & rock on,