Monster Hugs

Isn't that lil' monster just the CUTEST??!!

I am a follower of Jen Shurkus aka {Creative Chick}. When I saw her initial card kit/online class, I had to try it out.  The stamp set (designed for Simon Says Stamp by Sandy Allnock, I believe) has the most adorable images! I love the big eyes.  I added a little shading to them, then Wink of Stella, then Glossy Accents to make them shimmer and shiny... But I'm getting ahead of myself!

I made four of the cards in the Valentine's and Friendship Card Kit for my hubby and sons. Then I made a shaker card with little Wendel (yes, those monsters have NAMES!).  I used a trick seen on Jennifer McGuire's blog, where rather than using adhesive foam tape as the spacer between the card base and overlay, she die cut craft foam sheets. This seemed like a good idea to me, as I find my sequins tend to stick to the edge of the foam tape.  

Here's a closer look:

There's the water-coloured Wendel image surrounded by the craft foam cut-out. I used Lil'Inker Designs stitched hearts dies.  Using the actual shape evacuated from the foam, and working from the bottom up, makes it easier to add your sequins and punched shapes because they are contained.  I cut out some little foam hearts to add to the shaker mix, while I was at it. The sequins are from Pretty Pink Posh (came in the card kit) and Neat & Tangled.

Then I die-cut another heart from card-stock, and layered it over the foam, sandwiching the acetate in between.

I wish I'd left a little more space between the shaker box and the sentiment, however its still pretty darn cute, eh?

Since I used Pretty Pink Posh sequins, and Paulina is sponsoring the challenge, this card's being linked up to Virginia's View shaker card challenge. I also hope Jen Shurkus gets to see it!

Happy crafting,

Caroline

FMS # 144--Hey!

 Still using up the goodies from June's Simon Says Stamp card kit.

This time, I'm playing along with the current sketch at Freshly Made Sketches:

I stuck pretty literally to the sketch--matted my patterned paper to make it stand out against the background. I used a Paper Smooches book-mark die to make the banner shape.  Also some loopy coloured jute, to echo the big polka dots on the PP.

TTFN!

Happy crafting,

Caroline

Supplies:

Simon Says Stamp card kit-June 2014 (card-stock, PP, wooden flower, enamel dots, sentiment stamp)

Paper Smooches book mark die

American Crafts coloured jute.

Seize the Birthday Card

 "Anything goes" this week at Seize the Birthday.

I just received this big beautiful die from the monthly die-club at Paper Wishes.

Isn't it awesome?  I cut it out using white card stock, and backed the open areas with dotted paper. 

The candles are dies included with the set. The vellum banner is a Simon Says Stamp item, heat-embossed with a Stamps of life sentiment stamp. Love to mix the ingredients!

Then I cut out just the base from silver paper, and layered it on top. Adding a bow reminded me of my mother-in-law's cake stand, where you could lace a coordinating coloured ribbon to match the cake. She was a classy lady.

Feels good to build up the stash of birthday cards. Although this one will be sent off this week.
There's still another week to play with the Seize the Birthday challenge. I dare you!
 

Happy crafting,

Caroline

EEK! Under the wire, at the Dynamic Duos #74

 

This was the yummy color palette at this week's Dynamic Duos.  I subbed in Creme Brule, Sorbet and lots of black and white for neutrals.

We have lots of October birthdays in our family, and these colours lent themselves nicely to a Halloween-themed card.

I cut the card-base a little shorter than the usual 4.25" to allow for the moon hanging off the top of the card. The Stitched Circles embossing plate from Lil'Inker looks a little like spider webs, in the background.
The kitty is part of a great fall stamp set (the tree, moon and sentiment are included, too) from CTMH. The detail on the stamp really makes him seem furry, esp when heat-embossed in black:

The moon was heat-embossed with clear powder, then sponged with the two challenge colours:

I had fun with the inside, too:

I'll be back later with details on the supplies used. Off to link up to Dynamic Duos before the noon deadline!
Happy (and spooky) crafting,
Caroline

Adorable...Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #14

Monday means SKETCH CHALLENGE TIME over at the Atlantic Hearts blog.  This week's design is particularly versatile and would work for many different-occasion cards.

There is always room for some flexibility with a sketch challenge, but this time I definitely wanted to take advantage of that large flower silhouette, by making a big fat flower, playing with some Noor! Design dies sent to me by my Dutch crafting friend, Corina.

Floral Flourishes Dies

I started out cutting the nested flower shapes from some double-sided CTMH paper. Then spritzed them with water, then played with a "smooshing" tool and my McGill foam mat.  After they had taken on the shape I was looking for, I set them aside to dry while I assembled the rest of the card.

The colour scheme comes from the current 10-Minute Craft Dash palette, 

but there was no way I was going to get this baby done in ten minutes...! But I did like the blue and coral colours paired with kraft paper.

The background is embossed with a large dots Cuttlebug folder; the focal mat is textured cardstock cut with a Nestabilities die.

Flourishes, cut with a Paper Smooches die, add some whimsy. The sentiment comes from Paper Smooches' "Good Gab" stamp set, heat-embossed onto a Simon Says Stamp tilted banner die. Notice the new bling from CTMH!

Lots of dimension, eh? Not exactly mail-able, but this one will be hand-delivered to hubby for his birthday this week.

So! I'm sending you off to the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge blog, to see the new sketch up close. Creations by the other DT members will be posted on Wednesday of this week, and you have until midnight, Sunday, August 4th to link up YOUR take on the sketch.

How will you interpret it?
Can't wait to see your creation!

Happy crafting,

Caroline

CTMH Supplies Used:

Cardstock: Kraft, White Daisy, Smoothie, Pacifica

Patterned Paper: Elemental (retired)

Ink: Versamark, Pacifica dye ink

White detail embossing powder

Bling: Base & Bling Floral accents Z1883; Bitty sparkles Z1263

Other Supplies:
Nestabilities: Labels #2 dies
Joy Craft/Noor! Design: Floral Flourishes dies
Paper Smooches: Flourishes #1 die set
Simon Says Stamp: Tilted Banners die set
Cuttlebug: embossing folder (large dots)
Paper Smooches: "Good Gab" stamp set.

Jewel Tones--Color My Heart Dare #52

Color My Heart Dare #52...this must mean the first anniversary of the Color My Heart challenge blog! I'll have to check on that with creator, Sarah Stone.



The design team is now taking turns, posting every other week, and I'm really happy with this week's challenge palette:  a trio of jewel tones,

TWILIGHT
OLIVE and
RUBY

Prompted by this image from an on-line catalogue, Keepsake Quilting (a GREAT place to go browse for design ideas, BTW),

I decided to stick with an Amish theme and showcase those colours against a backdrop of basic black.

The quilt blocks were made using a couple of different dies. The background square is from my fave Lil'Inker's Stitched Mats series. The actual templates are from a die I purchased from Simon Says Stamp, Wplus9 Quilt Cuts 2. For a pattern like this, I recommend using a die or punch to get your shapes perfectly-sized. I can tell you, from years of experience quilting, that there is nothing more annoying than having to repeatedly trim a seam to get it to fit.

We attended the wake for a friend's father last weekend, and needed a sympathy card, so the sentiment from Papertrey Ink, Quilter's Sampler was perfect.

✄✂✂✂✄

Now it's your turn!

How do those beautiful saturated colours inspire you?

Go visit the Color My Heart blog to see some more lovely creations by the design team, then break out your scissors and ink and get crafty. We love seeing your work!

Remember, the challenge colours do NOT have to be Close to My Heart. Use what you have.

You have until next Thursday, July 25th, to link up your project.

Happy crafting,

Caroline

Supplies:

Cardstock in Colonial White, Black, Twilight, Olive and Ruby (CTMH)

Ink in Black

Lil'Inker Designs Stitched Mats-Squares

Wplus9 Quilt Cuts 2

Papertrey Ink Quilter's Sampler Sentiment stamp set

Oh, Those Summer Nights...FMS #92

Just under the wire with a submission to Freshly Made Sketches challenge #92:

I will come back later and fill you in on the materials I used for this card, but basically, I rotated the sketch and took it pretty literally.  Focussed on the summer night sky, which is marvelous seen from our cottage on the beach (no light pollution). **edited**Used a panel in navy blue, die-cut with Simon Says Stamp's Circle Border die, mounted over silver holographic ripple paper from Paper WIshes, for some MAJOR twinkle. The Nike-like swoosh is cut from Wausau paper's pearlescent cardstock, also available at Paper Wishes. Alpha-stamps are Keyboard Uppercase from Close to My Heart.**

I added some mini sparkles, coloured with alcohol markers, to create the constellation of Orion, complete with red Betelgeuse on on shoulder...

Hope you can see it!

Check back with Freshly Made Sketches tomorrow--oops--Tuesday for a new sketch to try!

Happy Canada Day,
Caroline

Red, White & Blue--Color My Heart #49

 Hello crafty friends! 

We have a long weekend coming up, here in Canada, as we celebrate Canada's birthday on July 1st. 146 years young...    And July 4th is just around the corner, too.

The color dare at Color My Heart this week is, appropriately, to use 

CRANBERRY, WHITE DAISY and PACIFICA 

to create a project: patriotic, celebratory, or just whatever strikes your fancy.

I made a couple of cards: one for July 4th (in memory of many celebrations while living in the US) and one for July 1st. 

The firecracker card uses a retired CTMH stamp, Snap, Crackle and Pop. This is a fun one, as the body and "fillings" for the crackers are separate stamps. I added maple leaves (shout-out to the Great White North) to the cracker on the right, from the stamp set Vintage Canada.

The background is a Lil'Inker Design stitched rectangle mats die. The CELEBRATE banner uses a die from Simon Says Stamp, called Tilted Banner.

The explosives were stamped in Versamark ink, and heat-embossed with some sparkle powder I bought at Michaels, plus a little Glitz glitter gel in red.

This card uses my FAVORITE stamp from the retired Super Powers stamp set, the cityscape.  We have these fantastic gothic Parliament buildings in Ottawa, with the Peace Tower in the middle of the Central block, from which the flag always flies. You can join thousands of other proud Canadians on the evening of July 1st, right on the lawns in front of Parliament, to watch a fireworks and laser show. Only in Canada, eh?

Anyway, back to the cityscape.You can see another card using it HERE. The skyline already has shading built in, but adding a little more with grey alcohol markers is pretty effective. And I have news for you, if you're drooling over that stamp, saying "I wish it wasn't retired." Well, Close to My Heart will have a new stamp set, appropriately titled "Cityscape," available August 1st!  Woot! 

I stamped those bursting fireworks from the new patriotic stamp set:  Strong and Free and heat-embossed using both red and sparkle powder this time.  Then another of my fave techniques, sponging on colour, in this case PACIFICA, to create the night sky.

Alrighty, then. Jump on over to Color My Heart to see some more goodies with the RED,  WHITE  and BLUE theme. Get inky, and link your creation up by 9 p.m. CST, Thursday, July 4th! Can't wait to see your take on the color dare.
Happy celebrations, this week!

Happy Crafting,

Caroline

CTMH Supplies:

Cardstock in White Daisy, Outdoor Denim, and Cranberry

Inks: Versamark, Black, Pacifica, Cranberry

Alcohol marker in Whisper grey

Glitz glitter gel in red

Stamp sets: D1575 Strong and Free
D1295 Vintage Canada
C1485 Super Powers
B1192 Snap Crackle Pop
D1459 Canadian Celebration

Other Supplies:

Embossing powder: Recollections Sparkle Embossing Powder in Opaque Bling; Tim Holtz Distress Powder in Fired Brick

Lil'Inker Designs: rectangle stitched mats die

Simon Says Stamp: tilted banner die

Signo Uniball white gel pen