Stampless Feria

I've always wanted to participate in a challenge at UnstampaBelles, the blog that challenges you to not stamp. I certainly have plenty of crafting supplies, but when you can't stamp that seems like all you want to do! This month's challenge at Unstampabelles is "Paper Dress," and I've always wanted to try my hand at an Origami Dress. I used the fabulous tutorial at Inklings & Yarns (although I used a 4x4 piece of paper). I've never quite gotten the hang of origami, but this came together really easily.

I was inspired by the "Red & Aqua" challenge at There She Goes, so I grabbed some red-and-white polka-dotted paper from my stash for the dress. However, once I made it I just knew I had to make it a Feria dress! I've been hoarding this white trim and red ric-rac for just-the-right project.

The cork borders were cut on my BigShot with a Sizzix die. The aqua background was embossed with my newest Cuttlebug folder, Charles. I strung some alphabet buttons on twine to create a little sentiment.

This reminds me a lot of my first Feria dress, which is currently hanging on the wall in my parents' living room!

TSG219

Inspiration/Challenges
City Crafter Challenge: #171 Polka Dots
Our Daily Bread Designs Challenge: Sketch
There She Goes: Red & Aqua + Photo Inspiration
UnstampaBelles: Paper Dress


Update: This was the random prize winner for TSG219, as well as a Spotlighted Project at City Crafter.

Thank you for visiting,

Pilin' On the School Supplies

I suppose there's still some summer left, but School Time is coming up again! That's our theme this week at Pile It On: School Time and/or school supplies. We're sponsored by Meljen's Designs, so I used her Little Chalk Board digi stamp:

I printed the image directly onto a yellow library card I got from the Kraft Outlet. I colored it with Copics and glaze pens, and then stamped the "ABC" using the Chalkboard Technique.

The sentiment and "ABC" stamps are from Clear Art Stamps' Story of Me set. The notebook edge was cut from a notebook-patterned DP with a MFT die. I distressed the sentiment piece & library card with Antique Linen ink & my Prima Flowers tool.

The owl brad and star clip are from my stash...thanks Mom!

For the base, I inked a large TH tag with Fired Brick distress ink, and gave it a staple border. I made a "ribbon" with a rubber band.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Crafting By Designs: Anything Goes
Crafts and Me: Anything Goes
Eureka Stamps: Anything Goes
Kitty Bee Designs Aloha Friday Challenges: School
Paper Shelter Challenge: Anything Goes
Stampotique Designers' Challenge: Tag

Thank you for visiting,

More Baby Blocks

I had so much fun making my nieces Baby Blocks Cards that I was inspired to use the Wooden Blocks concept for a relatively simple pop-up card. The blocks are 1.5 inches square, so they flatten securely inside the 5.25 inch square card. I cut the letters and frames (and the interior squares) with my Cricut. The yellow doilies were cut with a Sizzix die, and the scalloped ovals for the message section were cut with Spellbinders dies. The card base is a double-sided DP from my stash.

For the front, I totally raided my embellishment stash! The "Welcome" and "ABC" 3D elements are actually stickers; I can't take any credit for their awesomeness!

The "ABC" sticker has a red button on the right side, which causes it to flash with tiny lights. It's stuck to the base sticker with Velcro, so it can be removed to replace the battery.

The metal words were both heat-embossed, the "Baby" in a white/glitter mix and the "girl" just in glitter. I hung a metal charm from the "g" and adhered all the metal pieces with Glossy Accents.

The adhesive pearl swirls were cut from larger pieces. The lace daisy trim is from my stash; I literally had this much left!

Here's another view of the inside:

I'm entering this card into these wonderful challenges:
4 Crafty Chicks: Bling
The Crafting Cafe: A Baby Is Born
Natalie and Amy's Challenge: Celebrate Something
Sarah Hurley Challenge #83: Texture and dimension

Thank you for visiting,

Napkin-fold

A couple of weeks ago, I went to the best birthday party I've been to in recent memory. It was thrown by some crafting friends, so there were beautiful decorations and several projects wer made together after a lovely dinner. They had made placemats with 12x12 paper and a Lucky 8 punch, so I kept mine and made this thank-you card for the hostesses:

I used the Napkin Fold technique, and the great tutorial at Splitcoast Stampers. I've only seen this technique, I've never done it myself; but as soon as I saw this placemat, I knew I had to do it! It folded up easily:

The party colors were pink & black, and I added the green because the card looked like a flower to me. The inside is made with Core'Dinations cardstocks, and I cut the glittery black doily with a Sizzix die. The sentiment stamp is from the Floral Thank You collection by Jenny Ellory for Quick Cards magazine. It's heat-embossed in hot pink.

I made a band to hold it closed with a pink mulberry paper, some of the same pop-pom trim as I used on the inside, and a pink foam heart. The heart is actually a party favor; my hostesses made them with Martha Stewart's air-dry clay kit. The clay is really light-weight (you know the candy Circus Peanuts? It's exactly like that, but not sticky and delicious!) so it's perfect for card embellishments. I used a black Pitt Artist pen to color inside the design.

I cut triangles from the green cardstock and embossed them in a Thank-you-themed Cuttlebug folder.

I cut a scalloped circle from white cardstock to use for the message section on the back.

I'm entering this card into the following fabulous challenges:
Card and Scrap: Anything Goes
Paper Crafting Journey: Punch and/or Die cut
Sweet Pea Stampers: Embossing - Wet/Dry or Both

Thank you for visiting,

All about Friends at Sunshine Mail

Happy August! It's time for a new Sunshine Mail Foundation Challenge (August 1-15). Our theme is "Friendship" and the only real rule is that you send in at least one card (it doesn't have to be the card you enter in the challenge; Donation guidelines here). 

I used Ava and Deacon Friends Swing by our sponsor, Bugaboo Stamps to make a simple shaped card:

I sized the image to roughly standard card size, and then cut it out on different papers to paper-piece it. The base (which I folded in half before cutting around the image) is a light blue paper from Jo-Ann's. The swing is cut from a kraft paper, and the kids (& their feet) are on a heavy Hammermill cardstock and colored with Copics. Their shirts are both scraps of Graphic 45 papers, and their jeans are printed on a jean-patterened paper. Her hair bow and the flower on her shirt are made with a light green paper and colored with Copics. I traced the "friends" sentiment with a Sakura glitter pen.

Inspiration/Challenges:

1. Creative Creations Challenge Blog: Anything Goes
2. Digi Sketch Challenge: Anything Goes
3. Make My Monday: Paper Piecing
4. Squigglefly: Paper Piecing OR Paper Piercing
5. Tammy's Scrappin Corner: Use a Digi
6. There She Goes: Paper Piecing

Update: This was chosen as a Top 3 for Make My Monday's Paper Piecing challenge!

Thank you for visiting, and hope you'll join us at Sunshine Mail!