Smile!... for the 10-minute Craft Dash #16

Got brave again this week--time for another go at the 10-Minute Craft Dash!

Here's this week's challenge colours:

I was checking out the results at CAS(E) this Sketch! and saw THIS cute card by Donna Mikasa.

Colouring those cute little wood veneer camera shapes seemed like a great idea. Here's the ones I purchased from Simon Says Stamp:

I just swiped them across ink pads in the challenge colours, using GYPSY, COTTON CANDY and LAGOON. They picked up the colour perfectly.

The stamp set used for the film-strip and sentiment is from Close to My Heart, C1440, Take a Picture.

• Lesson learned from this attempt: be careful layering stamped images when you want to heat-emboss, and you have limited time to permit complete drying. Despite blotting the black images and using my embossing buddy, some of the embossing powder stuck to the filmstrip and I wasted precious seconds carefully sweeping it off with a fine tip paintbrush.

I was pleased with how this turned out, and even managed to stamp on the inside:

(isn't that "CLICK" the cutest thing? could go back and colour the letters with alcohol markers...)

AND, more importantly, did it all within the specified time, look:

Woo-HOO!

Final look at the finished card:

(love the addition of the PINK gems as flash-bulbs).

So, off to link up to the 10-Minute Craft Dash.

Just one problem.

Can you see it?  In my rush to get the darned thing done, I chose the WRONG SHADE OF GREEN.  It really should be more like THIS.

• Lesson Learned #2: Refer to crafting directions and specifics VERY CAREFULLY before starting the timer...

Oh well, there's always something!

Hope your crafting brings you satisfaction this week,

Most sincerely,

Caroline

Fluttering By for a CAS(E) of Fusion!

I had a little free time this week to play along with a couple of challenges, CAS(E) this Sketch! #24:

and the inspiration photo from Fusion Card Challenge #3:  love all those black & white flourishes.

I thought I'd try and use up some of my washi tape for some bold stripes, and the zig-zag line on the sketch seemed to call for hand embroidery.

I started out embossing the card base with one of Lil'Inker Designs' Stitched Mats. Some of the flourishes from the Paper Smooches stamp set "Flap Happy" were used to guide the stitched flight path of the butterfly. The solid back-side of the butterfly stamp was used to colour in the die-cut butterfly, then I turned the stamp right-side up to stamp the outline.  The butterfly is attached to the card only along its spine.

This was a super-quick card to make--even the stitching was easy with the holes pre-punched.

Happy crafting,
Caroline

Supplies used:
Washi tape: Close to My Heart, American Crafts, other.
Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black and Cotton Candy (CTMH)
Paper Smooches' Flap Happy  stamp set and Butterfly #1 die.
Lil'Inker Designs' Stitched Mats-Rectangles
DMC embroidery floss
Piercing tools Z1114 (CTMH)

Color My Heart Denim... Color Dare #39

Hello, Color My Heart fans!

This week's challenge colours are a bunch of cooler shades:

SKY

GYPSY &

OUTDOOR DENIM

Well, these didn't inspire me to sing the blues, but they did remind me that my DH is going out of town (actually, half-way around the world!) next week for work, and I like to tuck a little love into his suitcase. So, I made this card:

It is a 3.5" x 8" card, a different size for me. I wanted to feature this lovely stamp set which is included in the "For Always" Workshop-on-the-Go.

I've already put together the lay-out from this kit, using photos from our 25th anniversary (for those of you married only a few years--they go SOOO fast!). Which I'll post someday--just have to find a duplicate of one of our original wedding photos. We were so young and cute... 

Anyway, some great sentiments and images in this set, fit for a "missing you" card.

One of the fun things you can do with a solid image stamp is to create a 3D-papier tole effect. I simply stamped the image three times, and cut the pieces out, omitting part of the image each time, then stacking them up with foam tape, see above.

I also used some of the stamps to embellish the inside of the card:

So, what do those cool blue shades inspire you to create? Come on over to the Color My Heart blog, see what the other gals have done, and link up your projects. We love to see your take on the challenge colours!

Happy crafting,

Caroline

Supplies Used:

Claire paper pack (denim paper) G1056

White daisy card-stock

Inks: Gypsy, Sky, Outdoor Denim, Cashmere, Champagne

Stamp set from For Always WOTG: G1055

Chevron ribbon: Z1808

Purple sparkles from For Always Card-kit:  G1060

Corner punch (We Are Memory Keepers)

Foam tape

Color My Heart...Water-colour! Color Dare Challenge #38

I just started following the Moxie Fab blog (tons of great ideas!) and picked up Paper Crafts magazine this past weekend at our local newsagent. There was a whole section on water-colour effects, and I decided to experiment a bit with that for this week's Color My Heart challenge.

The challenge colours this week are a delightful triad:

BUTTERCUP

PEAR & 

TWILIGHT 

(one of my personal fave shades).

The card I used for inspiration is on page 88 of the spring issue of Paper Crafts, designed by Teri Anderson.

I tried doing colour blocks with the CTMH water colour pencils, but frankly, it was a bit of a bust. None of the challenge colours are featured in the 24-pencil pack, and the yellow and green that WERE there were just too pale. So I broke out my old, water-based CTMH markers.

I used a piece of water-colour paper and saturated it by misting with water. My mister had some remnants of Pearlescent Paint in it, so there is a subtle shimmer to the finished panel. I applied the markers in horizontal lines, then misted some more to blend & mellow the colours. Its not quite the effect I had in mind, but I like it, splotches and all!

Once the panel had dried, I added ovals/foliage cut from vellum and wood veneer shapes as tree trunks (LOVE these! and BTW, the Color-Ready Arbor Wooden Shapes are on sale in the "While Supplies Last" section--use the CTMH shopping link at right to purchase them--a steal at $2.00/pack. You can see another card I made using them HERE).

The sentiment comes from the Stamps of Life set, sympathy4you. I stamped it in Twilight ink; the watercolor panel is mounted on a sanded Twilight card-base, with some natural hemp twine thrown in for good measure.

Time to visit the Color My Heart blog to see what those other crafty ladies have come up with! Consider joining us this week, with your own creation using the featured colours above (or as close as you can muster). You have until next Thursday, April 18th, to link up. We love to see what you've made!

Happy colouring,

Caroline

Supplies Used:

Cardstock in White Daisy and Twilight; vellum from Archivers

Ink: Twilight

Markers: Buttercup and Pear

Color-Ready Arbor Wooden Shapes

Natural hemp twine (Michael's)

Under the Weather: KIS #11 and DD #47

Here's a sweet and simple card to help bring on those April showers, which will hopefully result in some GREEN around here. Although the colours of the card are anything but!
I used the current challenge sketch at Keep It Simple!:

and the colours for this week's Dynamic Duos bold-n-sassy combo:

and created this card:

I used a Simon-Says-Stamp Circle Border die for the perforated panel across the top of the card, popped it up over some CRYSTAL BLUE card-stock, inking the edges of the panel in the same shade. I hope you thought "raindrops!"
The stamp set featured is from the Stamps of Life umbrella4you. I stamped the umbrella in TULIP ink, and hung it from the perforated panel (following the cue from the KIS sketch). The polka dot section of the umbrella is a separate stamp, so you can colorize your umbrella to your heart's delight.   I felt the white polka dots were  a little too plain, so added some round jewel Dazzles from Paper Wishes, in teal.

These are a great product! They are little stickers cut from holographic material, with a silver or gold edge. They add bling without bulk and you get 100's on a sheet for just $1.99. Bar-goon! Plus they come in several colours and shapes. Anyway! Enough product placement. The sentiment is stamped in GREY WOOL and I placed it UNDER the other elements...(get it).

Here's the inside:

So go check out the challenges at Keep it Simple! and the Dynamic Duos. Lots of great inspiration for your spring-time crafting!
Edited to include: Just saw the Heart2Heart challenge this week: Raindrops Keep Falling... Have to link up to that, too! Card-stock and inks used were all CTMH.

Happy stamping,
Caroline

Whoooo Loves Ya? Colour My Heart Dare #37

Time for a single-colour challenge at Color My Heart!

This week we dare you to use:

JUNIPER

Its a pretty kind of teal-grey green.

I had made one card earlier this week, but wasn't crazy about it.  My fellow Color-My-Heart DT pal, Marie (NJ Stamping Queen) directed my attention to a new find of hers, the Ruby Sunshine Creations blog. This woman (I'm assuming her name is Ruby?) is crazy-creative! She makes fantastic gift bags and tags out of basic materials. Check out the link above for a simple but visually stunning example.
While looking through her blog, I found this cute bag:

And this one:

I had to try out making an owl gift bag for myself!

As I had to incorporate JUNIPER, I used cardstock and patterned paper from an older Close-to-My-Heart paper packet, Key to My Heart. I think it must have been the introduction product for a bunch of new colours, as it includes: Crème Brulee, Juniper, Sorbet and Tulip.

Anyway, I started covering an oval shape with strips of paper, die-cut using a large scallop die from Sizzix.

Then I realized he needed ears if he wanted to look like an owl...added those.  Following Ruby's lead, I created the beak and feet using die-cut hearts, with Desert Sand card-stock. Similarly with the eyes (circle punches). I really liked the feathery wings Ruby used, but didn't have time to run to Michael's for real feathers, so I cut the feather shape using the Cricut Artiste cartridge. Did you know that fabulous shape was there? Its on page 78, on the Thanksgiving key. I inked the edges to make them look more, well, feathery, and attached them with brads, so you can play with the wings, like this:

I glued some brown ribbon to the bag, so the owl can sit on a branch. The tag was stamped with the CTMH Doodle Alphabet set, and wrapped with a piece of washi tape which just happened to be JUNIPER-ish.

Pretty easy to dress up a bag, huh? My brother used to collect owls when he was young, so I may save this for his birthday in July. Although I'll probably fill it with a more grown-up gift, like some micro-brewery beer!

So, two things:

1. Create a project (card, lay-out, 3D object, home decor, etc.) using JUNIPER (or as close to that colour as your stash permits) and share it with us at Color My Heart. You have until midnight next Thursday, April 11th to play along. We love to see your creations!
2. Go check out Ruby Sunshine Creations for some crafty inspiration.  That woman should have hundreds of followers!

Happy crafting,

Caroline

CTMH Supplies Used:

Card-stock: Colonial White, Desert Sand, Juniper and Black

Patterned Paper: Key to My Heart paper pack

Inks: Juniper and Desert Sand; white gel pen.

Chocolate collection ribbon; black tulle ribbon; natural hemp twine.

Cricut Artiste cartridge

Other supplies:

White gift bag

Sizzix large scallop die, hearts die set, circles die set; tag die set

Creative Memories circle punch

Brads from my stash

Washi tape

Hello...? Spring? Are you there?

The boys getting maple taffy EVERYWHERE

Good morning, crafty friends!

As we prepare for YET MORE SNOW here in Canada's capital today, I thought I'd share some photos from our trip last weekend to the sugar bush (cabane à sucre). The cold spring temps have made it a good year for maple syrup production (at least SOMETHING good comes of all the cold...!).

Everything goes better with maple syrup...

And, just want to remind you all that there is a prize up for grabs this week at Color My Heart. You have until midnight tonight to link up your project using

BLUSH

HOLLYHOCK

SUNSET &

OUTDOOR DENIM 

(or close approximations from your stash of goodies).

So hop to it, little bunnies! See you over at the Color My Heart challenge blog!