Happy Mail {Scrapy Land #87}

It's the first Wednesday of the month and that means it's time for a new Scrapy Land Challenge.  The theme is always Anything Goes using any brand of die that Scrapy Land sells.

For today's project, I used the following dies:

Impression Obsession: Mail Box
Impression Obsession: Grass
Sue Wilson Designs: Just A Note
Sue Wilson Designs: Backgrounds-Swirly Vine

We will be moving in a few weeks and I think this design will be perfect to send our change of address to all our friends that live near and far.

The background is a scrap of fabric that I adhered to a piece of cardstock.  The Mail Box die set is a three piece set, so you can easily cut as many envelopes as you like.  The top envelope is decorated with Nuvo Crystal Drops (Red Berry) to form the heart.

The post is also separate, so you can quickly run that specific die cut through an embossing folder.  I used the Sizzix (Woodgrain) embossing folder and colored the cardstock with Distress Inks (Ground Expresso, Tea Dye).

The sentiment was cut twice, once from fun foam (for dimension) and once from cardstock.  I added the white dots to the solid cardstock using a Sharpie white paint marker.

The Swirly Vine die was also die cut from white cardstock and adhered to the fabric.  The mailbox and tall grass was then tucked in the back of the frame.


All in all, this card came together fairly quickly and I think it will be easy to make lots of multiples of.

Now it's your turn to create a project and upload it to the Scrapy Land Challenge.  You have until April 15 to upload your project.  Two winners will be chosen from all the submissions and each will receive a $10 gift certificate to Scrapy Land.  Happy Crafting!

Sew Fun

To showcase the Vintage Sewing Machine die by Die-Versions, I decided to create a small box to hold some basic sewing supplies and I based it on this tutorial (although I made mine slightly smaller).

To start off, I die cut the sewing machine from white cardstock and then "colored" it with various embossing powders from Sparkle N Sprinkle: Black Detail, Red Apple, Silver Detail, and my own concoction of Red Apple, Daffodil, and Tangy Tangerine mixed together for the thread.  The handle and the spool were colored with Copics.   A scrap of fabric was also added, just for fun.

To add dimension and raise it, I used one of my favorite techniques - die cut it from fun foam and glue it to the back of the die cut.  That way there's no fussing around those small openings, trying to make sure none of the dimensional foam shows through.  Quick and easy!!

I also wanted some sort of border for the front of the box, so I die cut the spool and thread part of the die several times and then cut off the parts I didn't want.  I also heat embossed it with my own mixture.



Lace was added to the front cover and along the sides and some (old) alpha chips by Doodlebug Design were added to the front as well.

Be sure to check out what the rest of the team is creating with the latest Die-Versions Vintage release.

Angel

During the month of May, the Designers at Sparkle N Sprinkle are sharing various techniques using Dreamweaver stencils.  Today, I want to share the Angel stencil and the technique I used was to dry emboss with it.  You could use a light box and trace around the stencil, but I used my die cutting machine.

Everyone's sandwich for dry embossing with a stencil will vary depending on the machine used.  I use a Grand Calibur and my sandwich for this technique is:

1. Base Plate A 
2. Stencil
3. Card stock
4. Silicone Mat
5. Fun Foam (cut to size of base plate)
6. Embossing Plate B (the pink one)

Once the image was dry embossed onto my cardstock, I treated it as if it were a stamped image and colored it with my Copic markers.  This gives you the same effect as no-lines stamping.

After the image was complete, I placed the stencil back on the image and I added a thin layer of white embossing paste to the angel's wings and to the dove.  Remove the stencil (drop in a bucket of sudsy water) and cover the wet embossing paste with  Sparkling Snow glitter.  Allow this to completely dry.  I also added some Golden Silver glitter to the halo (using a Sakura glue pen) and Goldenrod glitter to the star.  (Tip: you could have used SNS Dimensional glue and get the same results.  You have to be careful not to squeeze to hard in the narrow areas.)

My background is a piece of fabric that I adhered to cardstock.  I added some SNS Brushable glue to the edges, smeared it inward with my fingertip and then covered the glue with Cloud Nine velvet glitter for a sparkly edge.  I also added Cloud Nine to my die cut sentiment (from Die-Versions).

Red velvet ribbon and gold mirrored cardstock for the base finish the card of nicely.

Road Less Traveled

The car in the new stamp set Road Less Traveled by Sparkle N Sprinkle reminds me of old British racing cars for some reason.  So I decided to create a racing scene along the country side.

To start off, stamp the car image several times and fussy cut out each one of them.  Alternately, you could create masks and stamp the trio on a single piece of cardstock and fussy cut out the silhouettes.  I have to admit that I tried this method first.  The "sample" one I created to find out if I liked the placement of the cars looked perfect.  The next four tries, however, always looked a little off.  So I salvaged cars from my masking attempts and cut them out individually.  In the end, this worked out better as I had started out with 4 cars instead of 3.  Color the images with Copic markers, or your favorite type of marker.  Glossy Accents was added to the windshields, headlights, and turn signals for added sheen.  Also, some Clear embossing powder was heat set onto a couple of the car grills as well.  The racing numbers on the doors are cut from Die-Versions A Little Mint font.

The racing scene started off as a piece of light colored fabric.  I drew in my road with a Sharpie and then began coloring the sections with Pan Pastels.  The cars were then adhered to the fabric using Tear-ific tape.

The card base was created by stamping the map from the Travel Mixed Media stamp set over the entire area with VersaMark and heat set with Blackened Bronze embossing powder.

The sentiment was created using Sticker paper and die cut from the Fishtail Flags die by MFT.  The sentiment and the border are covered with Blue Silver embossing powder and heat set.  The banner at the bottom, part of the MFT die set, was also cut from Sticker paper and heat set with Blue Silver embossing powder.

For a Great Guy

Today's card features the new Vest die just released by Die-Versions.  The die itself measures approximately 6.75" wide by 3.75" tall and the completed vest measures about 3.25" by 3.75".  There are score lines incorporated into the die, so the vest can close easily.

As soon as I saw this die, I knew that I wanted to cut some fabric with it.  The pocket and pocket flaps are separate, so you can die cut as many as you want.

I've added faux stitching all around and brads for a more authentic looking vest.  It would be cool to run this through a embossing folder to give it a quilted look too.  (I did do this, but the fabric I happened to choose doesn't hold the embossed design as well as I hoped.)

I also added an extra pocket on the inside to hold a gift card.  I just die cut the fabric again and cut off the sides (that way I didn't have to measure :-). )  As you can see, I added some white stitching on the inside as well.

The photo on the right shows you the sentiment (or journaling) card I created, using the gift card as my template.  That way I can write a quick note on the back of this.  The sentiments (which are a sneak peek from a new rubber stamp set - Vintage Pickup - coming soon from Sparkle N Sprinkle) was stamped with Distress Ink and heat embossed with Clear embossing powder.


On the left is what the vest looks like when opened and reveals the gift card.

The diamond background (again to give it a quilted look) was dry embossed using the DV Diamonds Background die.  The strip of patterned paper is from Carta Bella (Giddy Up - Boy).  I've added a bit of twine and my card for this great guy is completed.  Love how this die could be for any occasion - Father's Day, Birthday, or Just Because.

Hip Hip Hooray

One of the Sweet Spots released this month from Die-Versions is "Hip Hip Hooray".  I was in a restaurant in Franklin, TN and the first thing you see when you walk in is a sign that reads "Hip Hip Hooray - the Gang's All Here".  As soon as I saw it, I knew what I wanted to do with this new Sweet Spot.

This easel card used a lot of stamps (six in total) and quite a bit of masking, but it was fun to create.  I started off by cutting the sweet spot in fabric (just to see if it would work.  I didn't have any problems but you might if there were more intricate details.)  Then I scribbled a Spica glitter pen on the letters for a bit of bling.  Next I started stamping and masking to create my scene.  All of the images were stamped with Memento Black Tuxedo and colored with Koh-I-Nor woodless pencils for a more vintage feel.

The first stamp with the three ladies sitting in front and the man in the back to the right are by River City Rubber Works.  The man and woman image in the back on the left is from I Brake for Stamps and the trees/shrubs in the very back are by Beeswax Stamps.  The large watermarked sentiment is an older background stamp by Hero Arts and the "Happy Birthday you old bird" is retired stamp from Prickley Pear.  The rest of the sentiment was die cut from the Die-Versions Mister Micro font.

Want to see more great projects from the DV Dynamos?  Then check out the Die-Versions Blog and the DV Facebook page.

Santa's Sleigh

Santa's Sleigh is one of the new dies from Die-Versions this month and I've used him a couple different ways.  For the first card, he's flying off to his next location and was silhouetted by the moon.  Santa is colored with Copic markers and the white portions of his outfit are covered with Snow White flock from Sparkle N Sprinkle.  The bag of toys is really a piece of fabric, although it's hard to tell in the photo and Santa's Sleigh is all blinged out with some chunky silver glitter that I've had for a long while.  The trees in the foreground are actually the Tiny Tree from the Die-Versions Halloween release (pretty versatile die) and are covered with Goosebumps Texture Spray.  The background was created with PanPastels.

The second way I used this die was to make a tag.  I embossed the tag with Sizzix's Evergreen embossing folder and then randomly covered it with several Distress Inks.  I spritzed the die cut with Perfect Pearls mists (Perfect Pearl) and added a quick sticker sentiment from Creative Memories (that I've had for a long time).

For lots more inspiration, be sure to visit the Die-Versions blog.

Jiggy Leaves

It's time for a new challenge at Stamping with the Dragon and the theme is Fun Things to do in the Fall.  Our sponsor is Stamping Dragon Designs and the winner will get to choose four images of your choice.  For this challenge, the design team will be showcasing digital images from one of the October Grab Bags.  So when you visit the store, be sure to check out all the grab bags, as they are on sale for $3.00 (normally $9.00).  I've chosen Jiggy Leaves because kids young and old love jumping and playing in a pile of leaves.


Jiggy is colored with Copic markers and his wings, horns and nails are accented with Smooch pearlized ink (Illuminate).  The sentiment is also colored with Copics and is from Create with TLC.  I chose some fabric that's in my ever-growing stash for the background because the colors matched perfectly and a bit of suede ribbon for accents.  The card base was cut with a Sizzix die.


Head on over to the Stamping with the Dragon challenge blog and see what the rest of the design team has in store for you - you won't be disappointed.  Then start creating.  You have until 11/10/11 to upload your creation.


Copics used: R14, Y38, G17    R14, Y38    E81, E43, E55, E40    E31, E33    B0000    C0

Dude Time Doodles Oct New Release Blog Hoop

The October New Releases from Bonibleaux Designs and Dude Time Doodles is here and I'm very exited to be able to share two of the new images with you today.  The first one is Fanny Bunny and the second is Heath Hunter.  Both will be available in the store at 10am EST on 9/28.

Fanny Bunny is one of a series of Fanny images from DTD that are so funny.  When I saw her, I immediately began thinking of her as one of Hef's Girls Next Door; his new arm candy.  After fussy cutting her out, I colored her with Copic markers and added Polar White Flower Soft to her bunny ears and cotton tail.  The border is cut from netting with the Little Open Scallop Strip die from MFT and the flower is two parts (netting and paper) cut with the Sizzix Flowers, 3D die.  The background is Core'dinations paper embossed with a Sizzix Texture Fades embossing folder (Rays).  I found the Playboy font image on Google.

Next up is Heath Hunter and he's such a softy.  Why he ever thought he could shoot a deer is beyond belief.  The sentiment is cut with Spellbinders Grommet Tag and the image is adhered to Spellbinders Classic Ovals, Small (#5 - assumes the smallest is #1) die.  I had originally covered the oval in coordinating fabric, but Heath blended with the background a little too much to me, so I flipped it over and inked the edges with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.  Heath's coat and hat are fabric, cut out and layered on top of the paper (fabric piecing).  The background is also a piece of coordinating fabric.

As some of you know, there is no starting spot in the blog hop; it's a circle.   You just keep going until you've hit all the wonderful creations the Dudettes have designed for you today.  Be sure to leave some love in the form of comments everywhere you stop, as one of us is the Mystery Hostess.  Once the Mystery Hostess is revealed, one person who commented on her blog will be chosen as the winner.

Now it's time to head on over to see what Cleota has created for you.  Here's the list in case you get lost along the way.

Anne  (me)

Cleota  

Michelle 

Ruth

NanaConnie 

Dawn 

Lynn 

Linda 

Tammy 

Ginny  

Dude Time Doodles  

Copics used:  Fanny Bunny - RVOO, RV02, RV04, RV10    E00, E01, E11    YR23, N5, N8    B000
Heath Hunter - E00, E01, E11, R20    E99, 37, T0, T2    YG93, YG97, C3    E1, E35, E37    E97, E99    W00,W5    R000, R11, R20
Other ingredients: Smooch pearlized ink (Siren); Rusty Pickle paper; Kraft paper; Distress ink (Vintage Photo)

Retail Therapy

It's time for the Digi Makeover Challenge and who doesn't need a little therapy - retail therapy that is!  This is just one of the images and sentiments from the Retail Therapy set from Paper Makeup Stamps.  The theme this week is to use FABRIC on your project.  If you follow my blog, you know how I like to incorporate fabric into my projects quite often.  I also recently read that using fabric with your paper crafting is a hot, new trend.  Who knew I was being trendy? :-)

For this project, I adhered a piece of fabric to cardstock (using a spray adhesive) and printed out the image directly onto the fabric and fussy cut out the purse so I could pop dot it onto my base, which is cut with Scrap-mart Label 1 (#5) die by Spellbinders.  I went over the printed lines on the purse and a portion of the sentiment with my black Spica glitter pen for a bit of sparkle and platinum Liquid Pearls was used to create my clasp.  Sizzix Bigz Die Flower 3 D was used to create the fabric rose and the leaf  is suede.  And finally, I adhered fabric to my card base, completing the look.

Now, you don't have to use fabric for your entire project, but some fabric needs to be included.  You have one week to upload your gorgeous fabric pieces to the Digi Makeover Challenge blog.

 Be sure to visit the other team members and see how they incorporated fabric into their projects.

a Rose is a Rose

This is an acetate card made with Stampendous' rose stamp that I've had for quite awhile.  I cut out the mats (which are adhered on the inside of the card) with Magic Matter disk set.  These were originally designed for making mats around cut photos, but I use them on fussy cut images all the time.  The final layer is actually a piece of fabric with green leaves.

I added a rub-on sentiment and a bow to complete this CAS card.

This card was published in Scrapbook News and Review e-zine in the July, 2011issue.

Folk Art



This easel card was cut using Spellbinders Grand Squares (#3) and fabric for the background.  The Folk Art Stamps image is from Stamping Dragon Designs.  I copied and reversed the buttons to make a frame.

For the flowers, I used Glossy Accents on different sections of the bloom, depending on which flower

 I was working on to give it added dimension.   I thought about adding real buttons to the image, but decided to paper pierce the string portion of the image and hand stitched embroidery floss on top.  To make the easel stand, I mimicked the button image with real buttons and embroidery floss.  The sticker is from my stash.

There's still time to enter our Stamping Dragon Designs challenge going on now.  Also, be sure to see what the other members of the SDD team has dreamed up for you as well (blog addresses are under tab above).

Copics used: G19, G28, YG13    YR 61, YR65, YR68, YR09    YR21, YR61

Gladys Salt

It's time for the Sketch Challenge at Dude Time Doodles.  I've used Gladys Salt and one of the sentiments that come with the set.  Gladys is special because she can raise one eyebrow, just like me.  My hubby calls it "the eyebrow of disapproval" because mine usually goes up when I'm not happy about something :-).

For a change of pace, I used Perfect Pearls to paint Gladys and the rest is all fabric.  It's really hard to capture the glimmer and sparkle you get with Perfect Pearls on a photo.  You'll have to trust me that it looks really cool.  It's a very simple technique - take a little bit of the Perfect Pearls powder and spritz with water.  I used my non stick craft sheet, placed all the colors I wanted to use and spritzed with water and started painting.  It's really easy to do.  I did use Copic markers to color her skin and eye color.

Curved rectangles (#4) from Spellbinders was used to cut out the image and the sentiment is cut with the Baroque Movers and Shapers by Sizzix.  I added Glossy Accents to the glasses and a few pearls for Gladys' necklace.  I also finished the inside of the card with more fabric and distressed the sentiment just a touch with a bit of Distress ink.

Here's a different angle shot so you can see the glimmer of Perfect Pearls a bit better.  As I said, i definitely looks better in person, but is a really cool effect.

The rules for the Sketch challenge are pretty simple. The main one being that it has to be for a DUDE.   You have one week to complete your project and upload it to the Dude Time Doodles Challenge Blog.  You are not required to use Bonibleaux Designs; although it would make us really, really happy and giggle a lot if you did!   It MUST be a masculine themed card.  You can use humor, innuendo, be a little naughty, sarcastic, or whatever but it has got to be for a DUDE!  Be sure to use the InLinkz button at  Dude Time Doodles challenge blog to submit your creation.

Here's the sketch.  You can flip it, twist it, or leave as is.

Be sure and check out all the other Dudette's wonderful creations.  And don't forget about the Design Team Call going on until June 15.  The details are here.

Perfect Pearls used: Heirloom Gold, Pewter, Perfect Pearl, Forever Red, Blue Patina
Copics used: Eoo, E01, E11, R20    E97, E99, E47

Nellie Snellen flowers

Happy Monday!  Today I have a quick and easy card made with fabric and cardstock.  A Nellie Snellen die (Eastern Rectangle) was used to cut this piece of fabric.  The background stamp is by DRS Designs that I inked with a glue pad and covered with glitter.  I left the inside blank, so it can be for any occasion.  

Quackers over You - SDD

Stamping Dragon Designs has a new challenge beginning today and Stamping Dragon is the sponsor.  The challenge is : ANYTHING GOES!  How fun is that?  You have two weeks to complete and submit your project.  Here are the details:
     ~ Sponsor: Stamping Dragon Designs
     ~ Prize: 4 images, winners choice and a second prize of a Guest Design Team Spot. 
     ~ Challenge: Anything goes, show us your best work
     ~ Website to the challenge blog: http://stampingwithdragon.blogspot.com/
     ~ Link to the store: http://dragonslairdesigns.com/shop/
     ~ Challenge will run from Midnight the 4th of Feb and End Midnight 17th of Feb. England Time or   7pm the 4th of Feb to 7 pm the 17th of Feb EST.


I chose Quackers over You and printed this digital image twice.  I colored the ducks with my Copic markers and fussy cut them out because I wanted to pop dot their tail feathers.  All the hearts are paper pieced with paper from my stash and the bubbles are accented with Glossy Accents for a shiny look (I know it's hard to tell that in this picture).

The card itself is folded using the Spring Fold technique.  I first saw this type of card here (thanks Fink!) and then found the tutorial here.  I made my dimensions smaller, but it was easy to adjust the measurements.  I love trying new things.  They don't always work out, but I'm very happy with the results.

The background of the focal image is fabric, which is cut with Spellbinder's Standard Circles Small (#7) and the base of the card is the same piece of fabric.

Head on over to Stamping Dragon Designs and link up your newly created project.  I can't wait to see what you come up with!

I {heart} You - CM Valentine Blog Hop

Love is in the air and the Challenge Master Divas are celebrating by having a blog hop!  The hop is going to run from Friday, January 28th until Sunday, January 30th.  We have lots of prizes, fun, and inspiration for you this weekend.  If you have arrived from Colette's blog, you are on the right track.  If you just got here, then you need to head over to our Stash/Tag Diva Tammy's blog to get started.

All of the Divas have created love inspired projects for you to enjoy.  Also each of us have a word to create a secret phrase.  You need to stop by each blog, collect the words (they are all jumbled so you will need to visit each one) and once you have unscrambled them, send the unscrambled phrase to tealeaf@shaw.ca to be entered to win one of the two grand prizes.    Make sure to leave some love at each of your blog stops, you never know what you'll win.

Another way to win is to create your own love inspired project (it can be anything you love - a person, a place, a thing, a hobby...whatever "love" means to you) and upload it to the Challenge Master’s Gallery in the forum.  You'll need to register, but it's free. 

You will have until Sunday, February 13th to enter your projects and then, after careful deliberation, a winner will be announced on Challenge Master's challenge blog.  The grand prize winner will receive a great prize pack donated by our Stash & Tag Diva Tammy!  You don’t want to miss out - so start creating!  You can enter as many times as you wish as long as you create a new project each time.

And, now for my project....

I used the Spellbinder's Nested Hearts, fabric, and Copic markers.   My first step was to adhere a piece of fabric to cardstock for added stability and then I cut out all three of the nested hearts.  Since I wanted to base shape to be a heart as well, I left a small portion of the top of the largest die above my fabric, so it wouldn't cut all the way through - instant shaped card.  Next, I left the die in place on the largest and the smallest hearts and airbrushed Copic markers to get the stencilling details from the dies.  Finally, I layered the three shapes, pop dotting the middle heart for added dimension.

The word you are looking for from me is: "THE".   Now you are ready to hop on over Milie's blog for some more creative love.  Don't forget to leave comments everywhere you hop.  Thanks for visiting!