March 30, 2013

Happy Easter!



It's time for Easter eggs, chocolate bunnies, jelly beans and marshmallow chicks... Happy Easter, everyone!

I finally had time today to make a card for some fun challenges.  It felt so good to be back in my craft room!  This cute Easter Star digital image is from Doodle Pantry.  I used Copics and colored pencils to color the image, and also paper pieced both stars with the help of Photoshop.  I sponged the main panel with SU! barely banana and Memento dandelion inks before heat embossing with clear EP mixed with dazzling diamonds.  Gilitter was also added to the outline of the small blue star.  Embellishments include diamond dots by Stampendous and punched flowers with colored rhinestones.  IRL, there's lots of sparkle and shine.

I will be entering this card in the following challenges:
2 Sisters Challenge 137 -- Sparkle and Shine
A Gem of a Challenge 73 -- Make It Cute
Crafty Calendar March Challenge -- Easter Egg-stravaganza (must be Easter related)
Just Add Ink 159 -- "Just Add Bunny's"

Enjoy the holiday and thanks so much for stopping by!

March 21, 2013

Spring Trimmings



Sorry, it's been a while.... I had some computer problems that sidetracked my crafting.  Fortunately, the genius at the Apple Store was able to work his magic.  My computer is fixed, and I am a happy camper playing with some new digital sets.

For this Easter card I combined colored images from 2 new CDS sets, Spring Trimmings, illustrated by Laurie Wilson, and the fun notepaper image from Cool Camera, illustrated by Lisa Lara.  For the image panel, I merged a row of colored eggs from Spring Trimmings and a sentiment from Doodle Pantry on top of the notepaper image.  Then I framed the 'notepaper' with a layer of pumpkin pie, 2 layers of chevron border die cuts and finally my little basket of Easter eggs adhered with dimensionals.

The indigo blue background panel was embossed with a chevron EF.  I layered two different sizes of white chevron die cuts on top, then angled the image panel on top.  Hard to believe there is a total of 8 layers and that's not counting the flower with leaves made with the help of MS punches that have been in my stash for a number of years.

I will be entering this card in the following challenges:
Oldie but A goodie Challenge -  Easter (MS punches, used to make the flower & leaves, have been in my stash for years.)

Hope everyone enjoys the rest of the week.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

March 13, 2013

Sweet Baby!



Happy news!  We have a new addition to our family.  My niece and her husband have a new bouncing baby boy,  He is the sweetest.

Thanks to Paper Take Weekly Challenge and Lil of the Valley for making this card possible!  Last month I won the Paper Take Weekly (anything goes) Challenge sponsored by Lili of the Valley.  I used the winning voucher to purchase some gorgeous, illustrated Lili of the Valley (mini masterpieces) die cuts.  The cute bear I used for this card was one of them.  I don't think I could have found a more perfect image to welcome baby Miles.

Now about my card...   When working with pre-colored images, or in this case a colored illustration, one tip I would like to share is to add some additional coloring and/or shading to enhance the image and make it your own.  I also used pastels to shade the embossed edges of the image panel to make the embossing pop. Finally, I used a second copy of the same image to cut out one of the balloons and added it to the image panel with dimensionals.

I will be entering this card in the following challenges:
Crafty Boots Challenge March 4 -- Old, New, Borrowed or Blue
Deep Ocean Challenge 47 -- Cute and Cuddly
Fab' n' Funky Challenge #162 -- Add a Sentiment
Nutcrafters Challenge #38  -- Something beginning with 'B'  (I used balloons, bear, button, bow, blue.)
Top Tip Tuesday 96 -- Up, Up and Away - Theme is balloons, spaceships, planes, etc.  

Hope everyone is enjoying their week.  Thanks for stopping by!!

March 10, 2013

Oh Yummy


Happy Sunday!  Doodle Pantry is sponsoring this week's  Pile it On Challenge #10 -- Oh Yummy; and this is the card I created for the challenge. The colored image and digi paper are from the DP set -- Juicy Strawberry COLOR with digi papers.  The sentiment is from another DP set -- Berry Pie.  Don't know about you, but I can't wait for this year's crop of local fresh strawberries.  YUM!  

It was very easy to merge the digi paper and image. First, I j copied and pasted the digi paper into a Word document.   Then copied and pasted the strawberry image (to the same document) in front of the digi paper.  The image as well as sentiment were cut out with dies, then mounted to the square panel.  I embellished the silk flower (which has been in my stash for ages) with Flower Soft, and added leaves which were die cut with a Spellbinders die.  The woven tape is another hoarded item from my stash that I salvaged from a shopping bag.  

I will also be entering my card in the following challenges:
Cards by Lady Anne's Challenge #7 -- Sentimental for Friday-Anything Goes thru March 28
Totally Papercrafts Challenge #157 -- Punch It! (must use dies and/or punches)
Creative Moments Challenge #12 -- Add a Sentiment
Paper Playtime Challenge #5 -- Anything Goes
One Crazy Stamper Challenge -- March "Anything Goes"
Oldie But A Goodie Challenge -- Feeling Floral ( The silk flower, Flower Soft & woven tape have been in my stash a 
 number of years.)

Thanks so much for stopping by.  Hope everyone in the States remembered to turn their clocks ahead -- welcome to daylight savings time!

March 05, 2013

Puppy Presents for St. Patrick's Day



Hi everyone!  This cute image is from Doodle Pantry's new Puppy Presents set; and, for a limited time, this set is "free with purchase" from March 1 through March 24.  Here's a view of what's included: 


For my card, I used one of the outline images included in the set. To dress up the pup for St Patrick's Day, I merged a pre-colored hat from Irish Birdie and some green grass from Cuddly Bear Color. I colored the image with Copics, pastels and colored pencils blended with gamsol. I used lots of different die cuts and added glitter to the hat and clover.  I also added paper piercing and Spirelli string art  to the image prior to adhering to the card's base.  What fun!

I will be entering this card in the following challenges:
613 Avenue Create Challenge -- Anything Goes w/Optional Tic-Tac- Toe (I use glitter, digi stamp and green.)
The Corrosive Challenge #169 -- All that Glitters
Paper Playtime Challenge #5 -- Anything Goes

Thanks so much for visiting!  Hope everyone on the East Coast who are expecting the snow storm stay safe and warm.

March 01, 2013

Feeling washed out?


I'm so glad March is here... Spring is just around the corner!  The first of March brings a new release by Doodle Pantry, and today I get to share a card made with one of the new sets, Washin' Board.  

I used 2 of the outline images as well as one of the sentiments from this set to create a fun get well card. To chase away the winter blues, I chose a bright color palette, and used Copics to color the images in matching tones.  Several different layers were cut out with the help of dies.  The images were cut out by hand, and mounted to the dotted scallop circle using dimensionals.   

I will be entering this card in the following challenges:
My Heart Pieces Digital Stamps Challenge -- Ue your 3 favorite things (dotted papers, circle dies, buttons)
Bearly Mine Challenge #75 -- Anything Goes
Make It Monday Challenge #129 -- Always Anything Goes
Whoopsidaisy Challenge -- Add a sentiment
Oldie But A Goodie Challenge -- Bright Colors  (Old Things -- pattern papers and retired 'really rust'  card stock)
Crafts  and Me Challenge #122 -- Dies or Punches

A big welcome to the newest members of the Creative Team!  Be sure to stop by Doodle Pantry to see the new release.  You won't be disappointed.  In addition, from March 1 - 3 ONLY there's a 20% off coupon being offered (see Specials).  Coupon Code is SPRINGME.

Thanks so much for stopping by.  Hope everyone has a great weekend.