Meet Ellie-phant

****Scroll down to the next post to see my Blogger Challenge/Friends with Flair project.****

Here’s my card for this week’s Bellarific Friday from Stamping Bella. This week’s challenge was to use an unlinked Bella stamp. I had this cute elephant, Ellie-phant, in my binder full of Bellas, just waiting to be used. I paired the elephant image with this week’s Sweet Sunday Sketch challenge for this fun birthday card.

The elephant is colored with Copic markers. I used pink and red for the ears for a fun look and to coordinate with the colors I had planned for the rest of the card. I added a tiny rhinestone at the center of the flower on the elephant’s head for just a bit of sparkle. The coordinating sentiment is stamped just under the image panel. I layered the panel on a red big scalloped circle—loving these!

Instead of using paper scraps for the three strips along the side of the card, I used a trio of different color ribbon scraps. I made sure to use different colors, textures, and widths to add interest. What a great way to use up some of the pieces waiting in my scrap basket!

Materials Used:
Amimals Ellie-phant image and sentiment (Stamping Bella); white cardstock, Tiny Twinkle (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Pink Pirouette and Real Red cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); circle and big scalloped circle dies (Nestabilities); red grosgrain ribbon, white satin ribbon (Michaels); pink grosgrain ribbon (American Crafts)

Blogger Challenge: Week 149/Friends with Flair

This week’s blogger challenge is a technique challenge—using embossing on your project. I combined the challenge with one of Unity’s anniversary challenges to use a tree image on your project and came up with this simple card.

I started by coloring the Plant a Tree image using Copic markers. I sponged in a sky background behind the image. I wanted to use my airbrush, but Chloe the cutie puppy had just fallen asleep and I didn’t want the sound of the compressor to wake her. She’s fascinated with it, for some reason I can’t figure out.

Anyway, I set the tree on an olive mat and added a coordinating green twill bow, made with my Bow Easy, to the empty space in the upper right corner of the image panel. The twill’s texture was a nice match for the tree image I used. I layered the image panel on a brown panel, stamped with the Distressed Dots background stamp and embellished with a faux-stitched edge created with a white pen.

For the embossing, I used a woodgrain texture plate on the kraft card base. It’s hard to see in the photo, but it looks so pretty IRL!

For more projects featuring embossing, you can check out what the rest of the challenge players have created. Links to their blogs are in the sidebar on the right. And, check out the Unity blog for the list of all of this week's Friends with Flair players for more Unity inspiration.

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers: Unity Stamp Co. Plant a Tree image and Distressed Dots background, medium weight Copic blending cardstock, Copic markers (YG05, YG07, YG09, YG21, E33, E35, E37, E39, R81, R85, Y23, C-5), Alexx Kesh green herringbone twill, Bow Easy, Ranger Inkssentials white gel pen

other: Bashful Blue and Close to Cocoa Classic ink, Old Olive and Kraft cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); woodgrain impressions plate (Papertrey Ink)

Weirdos

As soon as I saw Taylor’s latest sketch challenge, I knew what I wanted to do with it. It came out just like I imagined it, too!

I thought that all of the little squares arranged in a 3x3 grid would be a perfect fit for the mini sized creatures in the DoodleFactory Creatures II set from Starving Artistamps. I stamped each creature in black ink and colored them with Copic markers in a variety of colors for fun. After punching out each one with a 1 3/8" square punch, I arranged them in the grid pattern on the cardfront. Since I had a lot of different colors going on, I picked a pretty simple black paper with white polka dots for the cardfront. The images really stand out nicely against the black.

The set’s sentiment is stamped on a circle panel and embellished with a small bow. It’s layered over a few of the creatures, but I think you still get the idea!

Materials Used:
DoodleFactory Creatures II stamp set (Starving Artistamps); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); 1 3/8" square punch, 1 1/2" and 1 3/4" circle punches (EK Success); black grosgrain ribbon (Stampin' Up!); designer paper (Making Memories); foam tape

Baby Brag Book

Here’s a simple but great way to share special photos. I made this sweet baby brag book using just some cardstock and clear envelopes along with images from the Rock-a-Bye stamp set from Clear & Simple Stamps. You've got just a few more days to use the discount code CSS0410 to get $1 off your purchase of this great baby set.

The front and back covers of the book are made from two shades of pink cardstock. I used ScorTape to attach the cover pieces together and a pair of pink brads to bind the book together. I decorated the cover with some pretty pink gingham paper along the bottom. A scalloped strip, topped by a piece of pink grosgrain ribbon, hides the seam where the patterned and solid papers meet. I stamped the words “precious little one” in rose ink on the cover. A pink button embellished bow was added to the opposite side to dress the cover up just a bit. Inside, there are 5 clear envelope “photo protectors,” ready to display special pictures.

Materials Used:
Rock-a-Bye stamp set, pink brads, button, ScorTape (Clear & Simple Stamps); Regal Rose Classic ink, Pretty in Pink and Pink Pirouette cardstock, clear envelopes (Stampin’ Up!); designer paper (DCWV-Flower Shower matstack); medium scallop die, twine (Papertrey Ink); pink grosgrain ribbon (Morex)

Return to Giggle Grove

I combined today's SCS sketch challenge with another of Unity's anniversary challenge for this fun, kind of scrappy card. Unity's challenge was to revisit one of your first Unity sets and if I remember right, Giggle Grove, with its whimsical trees and birds might have been my first set, if not one of my earliest, so I pulled it out for the challenge.

I paper pieced both the tree and the bird image. The tree is pieced with some My Mind's Eye patterned paper and the bird with a scrap of blue cardstock. I stamped both images on the pale blue panel, then layered on my paper pieced images. The tree was purposely set and stamped to extend beyond the panel to add some interest. In the empty upper left corner of the panel, I added a ribbon tab, accented with a wood button.

The card base is made from the same blue cardstock as the bird. I used the reverse side of the same patterned paper I used for the tree for the 4 panels on the cardfront. Quick and so cute, too!

Materials Used:

Giggle Grove stamp set (Unity Stamp Co.); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); Soft Sky and Kraft cardstock, horizontal slot punch (Stampin' Up!); Hawaiian Shores cardstock, Ripe Avocado grosgrain ribbon, wood button, twine (Papertrey Ink); designer paper (My Mind's Eye-Quite Contrary line); foam tape

A Little Rain

We’ve had our share of rain over the past few days! It was pretty stormy Sunday night into Monday and gray and gloomy all day before it poured again in the evening. Chloe the cutie puppy and I were out for a long walk and got caught in the downpour about 10 minutes from home—fun, fun, fun . . . This card for this week’s Our Craft Lounge sketch challenge is just perfect for weather like that!

I used the rainbow image from the Ducky Days set as my focal image. I masked the rainbow with Eclipse tape so I could stamp the partial sun image peeking out from behind it. The image is colored with Copic markers. I added some Stickles to the cloud for a fun look. The sentiment fit nicely underneath the stamped image.

I used both sides of a piece of My Mind’s Eye designer paper for the panels on the cardfront. The striped pattern kind of reminded me of a rainbow. A piece of sparkly lime green glimmer ribbon stretched across the card with a Bow Easy bow accent completed the card.

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers: Our Craft Lounge Ducky Days stamp set, medium weight Copic blending cardstock, Memento Tuxedo Black ink, Eclipse tape, Copic markers (Y11, Y15, Y35, Y38, RV29, YG25, BG11); Ranger Diamond Stickles, My Mind’s Eye Quite Contrary line-Mary Mary "Best of Friends" designer paper, Creative Impressions lime glimmer ribbon, Bow Easy

other: Hawaiian Shores cardstock (Papertrey Ink)

Life is Sweeter

One of my favorite stamp companies, Unity Stamp Co., is celebrating its second birthday this week. I've been a Kit of the Month subscriber almost since the kits were first introduced and I always look forward to having one arrive in my mailbox. I used the last two kits for the cards in this post.

This card was made for last week’s Hip Hop sketch challenge. I love the cute gumball machine image from March’s Kit of the Month—it’s just too cute! I colored it in bright colors with Copic markers, and then paired it with some dotted Martha Stewart paper I found while cleaning out some stuff. I’ve been doing a little reorganizing and thinning out of my stash with the arrival of Chloe the cutie puppy. My system of precariously balanced stacks on the floor storage method is nowhere near as effective as it once was now that someone with super sharp teeth and an inquisitive mind is always nearby . . .

The band across the cardfront is solid red to bring in the red from the gumball machine. I added a blue scalloped strip underneath the panel and tied a piece of matching blue satin ribbon around it, too. I stamped the “life is sweeter” sentiment across the band and tied a coordinating blue ribbon underneath it. The rest of the sentiment is on the inside of the card.

Materials Used:
March Kit of the Month-Rockin' It Unity Style (Unity Stamp Co.); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Bermuda Bay and Real Red cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); designer paper (Martha Stewart); medium scallop die (Papertrey Ink); blue satin ribbon (Michaels)

Unity’s also hosting some challenges for their birthday week. Here’s my card for the “Martini Challenge”—a sketch with a twist. The twist was to use ribbon and three buttons on your design. My April Kit of the Month, Together We Bloom, just arrived (almost in time for May. . .), so I inked it up for this sweet card.

I stamped the berry image on white cardstock and colored the image with Copic markers, then cut it out. The rest of the card is pretty simple. I used some sparkly My Mind’s Eye paper scraps for the panels on the cardfront. The tricky part was fitting three buttons into my design. One ended up on the bow on the ribbon strip along the top of the card, one is alongside the berry image, and one tiny button fit inside the “o” in the sentiment stamped at the bottom of the card in berry ink.

Materials Used:
April Kit of the Month-Together We Bloom (Unity Stamp Co.); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Kraft cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); designer paper (My Mind’s Eye); Berry Sorbet ink, Berry Sorbet satin ribbon, Berry Sorbet buttons, twine (Papertrey Ink); circle die (Nestabilities)

1-2-3 Recipe

This week's challenge in the i {heart} copics group at Paper Craft Planet is a recipe challenge. The challenge was to use 3 embellishments, all colored with Copic markers, 2 patterned papers, and 1 image--colored with Copics, of course! I have to admit that this is the only kind of recipe that I like!

I used the adorable Chicken Girl Design Spring Giraffe digi image, printed on medium weight Copic blending cardstock and colored with Copic markers. The image is paired with some My Mind's Eye designer paper. I used both sides of the paper to get the 2 patterns required by the recipe.

I went with three different embellishments for the final part of the challenge. I colored a piece of white ribbon with a Copic marker to get a green shade that coordinated perfectly with my patterned paper. Then, I used a pale red marker to color the pretty tulle butterfly that I set floating above the image's flowers. The final embellishment is a tiny trio of crystals, left over from a larger crystal flourish that I cut apart. It's hard to see in the photo, but I colored them with a blue-green marker and added them to the image panel as the butterfly's trail.

If you're a fan of Chicken Girl Design images, you'll want to check out the design team call posted here. We're looking to add two to five new members to the team working with these fun images created by children's book illustrator Jannie Ho. There's a quick turn around time, so be sure to look right away if you're interested (this Thursday at 8:00 PM EST) in joining the Chicken Girls.

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers: Chicken Girl Design Spring Giraffe digi image, medium weight Copic blending cardstock, Copic markers (Y11, Y15, YG07, YG21, YG25, BG13, E35, E37, E39, R14, R17, R22); My Mind's Eye Quite Contrary line-Jack and Jill "How Sweet It Is" Kit, May Arts white ribbon, Alexx Kesh ivory tulle butterfly, Zva Creative crystal flourish

other: Lemon Tart cardstock (Papertrey Ink)

Round & Round Birthday

I have time for just a quick post tonight--a perfect match for my equally quick card. Chloe the cutie puppy and I have had a very rough evening. She seems to think that I am her personal chewing toy and nothing I have tried has seemed to stop her from chomping on me, or my carpet, or the furniture. I'm more than a little frustrated and hoping that tomorrow will be a (much) better day . . .

Anyway, here's the card. I used the Papertrey Ink anniversary set, Round & Round for the images. The round floral image is stamped in Summer Sunrise ink and punched out with a 1 3/4" circle punch. I added some small gems to the flower centers for a little sparkle, then layered the panel on a coordinating big scalloped circle. I added grosgrain ribbon tabs under the panel to add some interest, then set the panel aside.

I stamped the dot border strip twice in Summer Sunrise ink on Lemon Tart cardstock to dress up the plain cardfront. The stamped image panel is layered over the dots with foam tape. I stamped the birthday sentiment along the bottom in Summer Sunrise ink to finish the card.

Materials Used:

Round & Round stamp set, Summer Sunrise ink, Summer Sunrise and Lemon Tart cardstock, Summer Sunrise grosgrain ribbon (Papertrey Ink); gem stickers (Martha Stewart); 1 3/4" circle punch (EK Success); big scallop circle die (Nestabilities); foam tape

Hang in There

Here's my card for the latest Wednesday Stamp Club challenge from My Favorite Things. The challenge was to use an MFT set with a tree image, in honor of Earth Day. I hadn't inked up my new Pure Innocence Boy and Dog Tree Swing set yet and I knew it would be perfect for the challenge.

I stamped the image of the boy swinging from the tree on a white panel and colored the image with Copic markers. I used a sponge and a cloud template to ink in a bright blue sky behind him.

I really wanted to keep the focus on the image--and it's kind of large--so I kept the rest of the card pretty simple. I layered the image on a moss panel, then set it on a kraft card base, perfect for an Earth Day challenge. I ran a strip of coordinating moss twill down the left edge of the image panel and stitched it in place with my sewing machine. A pair of wooden button is attached to the bottom of the twine as an accent. The "hang in there" sentiment is stamped on an extended word window punch and attached to the panel with foam tape.

Materials Used:

Pure Innocence Boy and Dog Tree Swing stamp set (My Favorite Things); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Cool Caribbean Classic ink, Mellow Moss and Kraft cardstock, word window punch (Stampin' Up!); wooden buttons, twine (Papertrey Ink); sage twill tape (Martha Stewart); foam tape; sewing machine

Papertrey Ink Blog Hop

It's time for another Papertrey Ink Blog Hop! This month's theme is creations using tissue paper. I've used tissue a few different times for my blog hop projects, so this isn't a new challenge for me. For this month, I used the tissue that came with my latest PTI order (and the new anniversary set, too) to create a set of stamped candles.

I stamped the flower image from the Round and Round set in Summer Sunrise ink on the white tissue paper from my order. I put a piece of plain copy paper underneath the images, then punched each one out with a 1 3/8" circle punch. I used a 1/8" circle punch to make a hole in the center of the circle, then threaded the wick of a tealight candle through the hole and set the stamped tissue on the top of the tealight. I heated the tealights with my heat tool until the wax melted the tissue into the candle. To hold the tissue in place while heating, I use a pair of craft tweezers. I also use the tweezers to move the candle once I've finished heating it--the metal wrap outside of it gets hot from the heat tool! Once they cooled, I glued strips of dotted paper around the candles to pretty them up a bit and hide the metal edges.

I put the candles inside of a slide top box made using a template I designed. Instead of using a stamped or patterned paper panel to decorate the top of the box, I used a craft knife to cut out a window opening. The opening is backed with a piece of clear acetate, recycled from a PTI stamp set.

To finish off the project, I stamped a quick matching tag using more images from the anniversary set. The matching flower pair is stamped in Summer Sunrise ink and the sentiment is stamped over the image in Pure Poppy ink. I added a Summer Sunrise button embellished bow to the circle and a big scalloped circle underneath the image panel to complete the tag, then attached it to the box.

Materials Used:

Round and Round stamp set, Summer Sunrise and Pure Poppy inks, Summer Sunrise and Pure Poppy cardstock, Bitty Dot Basics patterned paper, Summer Sunrise satin ribbon, Pure Poppy button, twine (Papertrey Ink); 1 3/8" and 1 3/4" circle punches (EK Success); big scalloped circle dies (Nestabilities); recycled tissue, acetate

It's Getting Hot . . .

Here's my card for today's SCS featured stamper challenge. It's based on this cute scallop edged little love note here.

I don't have scalloped square Nestabilities, so my card has a little simpler look due to its straight lines. I used one of the mini images from the DoodleFactory Creatures II stamp set from Starving Artistamps for the focal image. Mini Sprat is colored with Copic markers and his belly's highlighted with some Stickles.

I loved the little hearts stretching above the monkey's head like a thought bubble in the original card, so I made sure to include something like that on my version. I used some pale pink-ish Rain Dot hearts to make the trail of hearts. I inked around the edges of the panel with Crushed Curry ink for a warm look. The sentiment, from the Boudoir Sentiments set, is stamped in red ink using a Stamp-a-ma-jig for placement.

Don't forget that you can always use the discount code savetenLT for a 10% savings on your DoodleFactory and Starving Artistamps stamp purchases at Starving Artistamps.

Materials Used:

DoodleFactory Creatures II and Boudoir Sentiments sets (Starving Artistamps); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Riding Hood Red and Crushed Curry Classic inks, Riding Hood Red and Crushed Curry cardstock, Riding Hood Red striped grosgrain ribbon (Stampin' Up!); Yellow Stickles (Ranger); pink Heart Rain Dots (Cloud 9 Design)

Enjoy Your Day

Here's my card for the final Viva la Verve sketch/inspiration challenge for April. I was inspired by a living room with furniture that featured a combination of stripes and dots. I used those elements along with bold colors for my bright, festive birthday card.

I used two papers from a My Mind's Eye 6x6 stack I picked up at Michaels on the cardfront. The dotted paper is kind of sparkly, the striped one is not. I stamped the "enjoy your day" sentiment from Verve's Big Wish set in Bermuda Bay ink on a white panel, leaving room for an embellishment. I created my own layered felt embellishment by cutting a pair of felt stars using Nestabilities dies and adding a matching button to the center. I used glue dots to hold all of the pieces together. So easy!

I cut a scalloped strip to run along the top of the dotted paper panel. A piece of pink satin ribbon, embellished with a bow, runs along the seam where the scalloped strip meets the patterned paper.

Materials Used:

Big Wish stamp set (Verve Stamps); Bermuda Bay Classic ink, Melon Mambo, Bermuda Bay, and Whisper White cardstock (Stampin' Up!); designer paper (My Mind's Eye); medium scallop die, Raspberry Fizz and Hawaiian Shores felt, Raspberry Fizz button, twine (Papertrey Ink); star dies (Nestabilities); pink satin ribbon (AC Moore-dollar bin)

Your Birthday Popped Up

Clear & Simple Stamps is sponsoring this week’s challenge at Oh, Alice, an Alice in Wonderland inspired challenge blog. There’s a great prize up for grabs, so you’ll want to be sure to check it out. This week’s challenge is based on the Queen’s missing tarts and requires that you create a project that incorporates food.

I made an easel card featuring one of my all-time favorite snack foods—popcorn! I paired two Clear & Simple Stamps sets, Bucket-o-Popcorn Fun and Popcorn Extras on the card. The overflowing popcorn bucket and a trio of fallen pieces are stamped on the card’s large panel. I masked the single piece and stamped it a few times to get the clustered look. The images are colored with Copic markers. I accented the panel with a black button, threaded with a scrap of red grosgrain ribbon.

I stamped the birthday sentiment from the Popcorn Extras set in black on a bold yellow panel. The panel is edged with a black scalloped strip. The popcorn theme is a perfect match for an easel card with the way the image panel pops up when the card is opened and leans against the stand created by the scored lines.

Materials Used: Bucket-o-Popcorn and Popcorn Extras stamp sets, Perfect Little Black Dress ink, A Blanc Check, Dare to Be a Diva Red, and Say Yellow to All Your Fans cardstock, button (Clear & Simple Stamps); markers (Copic); Real Red grosgrain ribbon, scallop edge punch (Stampin’ Up!)

Lollipop Love

Here’s my card for this week’s Bellarific Friday from Stamping Bella. This week’s theme was Mother’s Day. I didn’t have any actual Bella Mother’s Day stamps, so I settled on this sweet Presley Lollipop image and matching sentiment.

The Lollipop is colored with Copic markers in shades of pink and red. I added some Sugar Sparkly Fluff to the stuffed bunny and the bunny slippers for a fuzzy look. The sentiment is stamped along the side of the image panel.

I used a sketch from this week’s Crazy 4 Challenges challenge to put the card together. I used some heart patterned paper for the panel on the cardfront. Instead of using paper for the strips on the cardfront, I used scraps of red grosgrain ribbon. The image panel is placed over the ribbon strips using foam tape.

I'm off to rescue my 1 3/8" circle punch from the sharp teeth of Chloe the cutie puppy . . .

Materials Used:
Presley Lollipop image and sentiment (Stamping Bella); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Real Red cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); designer paper (Simple Valentine-Papertrey Ink); red grosgrain ribbon (Michaels), Sugar Sparkly Fluff (Our Craft Lounge); foam tape

Blogger Challenge: Week 148

This week’s blogger challenge is a color challenge that includes orange, blue, and moss. Since exact shades of blue and orange weren’t specified, I kind of went off a bit to coordinate this challenge with Verve’s release week color challenge that called for an aqua shade of blue. I also worked from this week’s sketch at 2 Sketches 4 You. I flipped it around just a little to get my version, but definitely included the elements from the sketch.

I used the beautiful flower from Verve’s Love’s Flower set as the focal image. This flower is so much fun to color! I colored it with Copic markers in several shades of orange and filled in the center with a pop of aqua. A tiny pearl sits at the center for an elegant touch.

I attached the flower to a part of a die cut piece. One of the set’s sentiments is stamped beneath the flower in coordinating aqua ink.

I used an orange floral paper with a shiny, varnish finish print on the left side of the card. The pattern is divided from the rest of the card by a big scalloped strip and a piece of grosgrain ribbon. If you look closely, you can see that each scallop is embossed with dots that follow the scallop’s curve—pretty detail! I topped it all of with a pretty button embellished bow.

For more projects using this color combination, you can check out what the rest of the challenge players have created. Links to their blogs are in the sidebar on the right.

Materials Used:
Love’s Flower stamp set (Verve Stamps); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Hawaiian Shores ink, Hawaiian Shores and Aqua Mist cardstock, Hawaiian Shores grosgrain ribbon, Orange Zest button, twine (Papertrey Ink); designer paper (DCWV-Cafe Mediterranean Matstack); Labels 9 die (Nestabilities); Double Embossed Dotted Lace border punch (EK Success); self-adhesive pearl (KaiserCraft); foam tape

Beach Party Challenges

It's Thursday night and I've finally worked my way through Verve’s Beach Party Release Week challenges. Here are my cards for four of the five challenges.

To make things a little easier, I worked with one patterned paper package to help coordinate the colors and patterns. I used DCWV’s Citrus Matstack. It’s bright colors and bold patterns make great spring cards. Here, I combined three patterns and Verve’s Party Time set for a fun birthday card. I stamped the balloon trio on a narrow white panel and colored the image with Copic markers. The image is matted on an orange panel with rounded corners and some faux stitching on one edge.

I used a red, glittery paper to cover most of the cardfront and an orange paper with a more subtle pattern for the large panel near the bottom of the card. A red ribbon is knotted around the orange panel to bring in a nice pop of color. I punched a 1 ¾” circle from a scrap of yellow dotted paper and stamped the “happy birthday” sentiment from Big Wish on it in black ink.

Materials Used:
Party Time and Big Wish stamp sets (Verve Stamps); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Pumpkin Pie cardstock, corner rounder (Stampin’ Up!); designer paper (DCWV-Citrus Matstack); 1 ¾” circle punch (EK Success); white gel pen (Ranger); red grosgrain ribbon (Michaels)

This card uses more scraps of Citrus paper. I have an envelope stuck inside the front cover of the paper pack to collect scraps so I can put them to use on projects like this one. I used the clouds and one of the hot air balloons from the Up, Up, and Away stamp set for the focal image. I paper pieced the top of the balloon using a glittery scrap. The clouds are filled in with Dazzling Diamonds for some more sparkle—and to cover the bit of blue ink that got inside them when I was sponging in the sky—LOL! I had just enough room at the bottom of the panel to squeeze in the sentiment from the Great Expectations set.

I arranged a trio of coordinating patterned paper panels along the left side of the cardfront, making sure to separate the two busier patterns with the more subtle dotted one. A strip of blue ribbon, accented by three orange brads, stretches across the card. The image panel is matted on an orange big scalloped circle, then attached to the front of the card.

Materials Used:
Up, Up, and Away and Great Expectations stamp sets (Verve Stamps); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Bashful Blue Classic ink, Pumpkin Pie and Tempting Turquoise cardstock, Dazzling Diamonds (Stampin’ Up!); designer paper (DCWV-Citrus Matstack); circle and big scalloped circle dies (Nestabilities); blue grosgrain ribbon (Michaels); orange brads (Making Memories); foam tape

This one’s a clean and simple card that uses some sparkly designer paper to make a statement. I cut a piece of glittered floral paper for the large panel on the cardfront and rounded the edges for a softer look. A pair of ribbon strips run

The “hey there, sunshine” sentiment is stamped in Summer Sunrise ink on a white panel. I attached a coordinating big scalloped circle underneath it—it kind of reminds me of the look of a sun!

Materials Used:
Hey There Sunshine Plain Jane (Verve Stamps); Summer Sunrise ink, Lemon Tart and Summer Sunrise cardstock, Summer Sunrise grosgrain ribbon (Papertrey Ink); Whisper White cardstock, corner rounder (Stampin’ Up!); designer paper (DCWV-Citrus Matstack); circle and big scalloped circle dies (Nestabilities); foam tape

And, here’s card number 4. I switched to a different patterned paper collection for this one to get a softer look. I stamped the silhouette flower image from the Because of You set in River Rock ink on a cream panel, then stamped the “mom” sentiment over the image in Baja Breeze ink. Not sure I’m so thrilled with how that turned out . . . I layered the stamped image on a coordinating oval mat, then on a dot-embossed blue panel with stitched edges.

Most of the River Rock card base is covered with a sparkly plaid pattern in colors that match the image panel. I attached a polka dotted panel to the bottom of the card, covering a bit of the image panel. A matching satin ribbon runs along the top of the dotted paper.

I’ll share my last card for Verve’s release week challenges for my blogger challenge post tomorrow morning . . .

Materials Used:
Because of You stamp set (Verve Stamps); River Rock and Baja Breeze Classic inks, River Rock, Baja Breeze, and Very Vanilla cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); designer paper (DCWV-The Linen Closet); oval dies (Nestabilities); Swiss Dot embossing folder (Cuttlebug); wooden button, twine (Papertrey Ink); satin ribbon (Michaels); sewing machine

Krafty Earth Day!

In honor of Earth Day, Clear & Simple Stamps is releasing a special line of kraft cardstocks. If you’re like me, you can’t get enough kraft and will love the variety of these new kraft colors. The line will include Kraft Like a Rockstar (already available), Kraft Like a Rockstar Cream (a rustic cream), Kraft Like a Rockstar Green (an awesome olive kraft!), Kraft Like a Rockstar Ivory (a warm ivory kraft), and Kraft Like a Rockstar Brindle (a tan kraft with flecks of color). Ribbons, ink and buttons will be available to match the Kraft Like a Rockstar Green, too.

Clear & Simple Stamps has a great collection of Earth Day themed stamps, found in the store's Green category. I made an ATC featuring an image from one of the Green sets, Eco Chic Darling. The Darling’s getting ready to take out her recycling bin for collection. I’m glad I remembered to do this yesterday morning before I left for work! I colored the Darling with Copic markers, then inked around the edges with some brown ink for a softer, distressed look.

I stamped the “go green” sentiment from the Do Your Part set and cut apart the words, then attached them to pieces of Glamazon Green cardstock. They’re attached to the bottom of the ATC. A pair of matching green brads fills the white space in the top right corner of the card. I layered the colored panel on a kraft panel to finish the ATC.

Materials Used:
Eco Chic Darling and Do Your Part stamp sets, Perfect Little Black Dress ink, Glamazon Green, Kraft Like a Rockstar, and A Blanc Check cardstock, Copic markers, green brads (Clear & Simple Stamps); Creamy Caramel Classic ink (Stampin’ Up!)

Your Couch or Mine?

Here's a pretty clean and simple card for today's SCS sketch challenge. I was going for a kind of masculine look using some new things from Papertrey Ink.

I used one of the couches from the On My Couch set for the focal image. I love that cute couch image, but cutting it out was a pain, so I was excited to see the coordinating die. It made using the couch so much easier! I cut the image from patterned paper, then stamped the outline image on the die cut piece using black ink. I stamped one of the image from the Background Basics: Woodgrain set in brown ink on a scrap of brown cardstock to make the floor for underneath the couch. The sentiment is stamped directly on the woodgrain piece in cream ink.

The rest of the card is very simple. For the large panel on the cardfront, I used a piece of striped paper from the same collection as the paper I used for the couch. I didn't mat it to keep the number of layers on the cardfront down a bit. A moss strip runs across the card. It's accented with a pair of copper brads and some paper piercing to add a bit of interest.

Materials Used:

On My Couch and Background Basics: Woodgrain stamp sets, Vintage Cream ink, On My Couch die (Papertrey Ink); Close to Cocoa Classic ink, Brocade Blue, Mellow Moss, Close to Cocoa, and River Rock cardstock (Stampin' Up!); designer paper (DCWV-Linen Closet Matstack); copper brads (Making Memories); foam tape

Sending You (More) Sunshine

I love the Sunshine Cheer stamp set from Our Craft Lounge! I used it again for this week’s OCL sketch challenge, along with some new Pink Paislee papers I got from i {heart} papers.

I stamped the set’s cloud image in black ink on white cardstock, then masked it with Eclipse tape before stamping the sun image overlapping it slightly. The images are colored with Copic markers and the sky’s filled in with a Copic marker and the airbrush system. I stamped the sun a second time and just colored the center. I spritzed it with some Sparkle Shimmer Spray, then cut it out and attached it to the image panel with foam tape. The panel is layered on a big scalloped circle die cut.

I used a pair of patterned papers from Pink Paislee’s 365 Degrees collection for the panels on the blue cardfront. I ran a strip of solid orange cardstock across the card and tied a shimmery blue ribbon around it instead of using brads as an accent. The colored image panel is layered over this strip. I stamped the coordinating sentiment on a scrap of light blue cardstock and attached it to the card beneath the image panel.

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers: Our Craft Lounge Sunshine Cheer stamp set, Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black ink and Sparkle Pssst! Shimmer Spray, medium weight Copic cardstock, Eclipse tape, Copic markers (Y00, Y11, Y15, Y17, B0000, B000, B21, R20), Nestabilities circle and big scalloped circle dies, Pink Paislee 365 Degrees designer paper, Creative Impressions light blue glimmer ribbon

other: Brocade Blue, Bashful Blue, and Pumpkin Pie cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); foam tape

Sew Thankful

***Scroll down to the post below to see my project for this month's i {heart} papers DT challenge.***

I needed a thank you card for a thoughtful stamping friend—and fellow Unity fan, too—so I thought I’d pull out my new April Stampin’ Store kit for the card. I paired a few of the images with this week’s Hip Hop sketch challenge to come up with this bright and cheerful card. i {heart} papers has the kit available and now there’s the option to purchase just half of the kit.

I stamped the two different sized button images from the kit in black ink on a kraft panel. The buttons are colored in bright shades with Prismacolor pencils and odorless mineral spirits. The bold colors pop nicely against the kraft background.

I stamped part of one of the sentiments on a coordinating blue panel, then used my sewing machine to stitch the panel to a mat. Sewing seemed very appropriate given the theme of this kit! I used my Bow Easy to make a small bow to add to the panel as an accent.

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers: Unity April Stampin’ Store kit-Super Sweet and Stuck on You, Memento Tuxedo Black ink, Bow Easy

other: Melon Mambo, Bermuda Bay, and Kraft cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); blue satin ribbon (Michaels); sewing machine

April IHP DT Challenge: April Showers Bring May Flowers

You all know the saying—April showers bring May flowers. So, with that in mind, this month’s i {heart} papers design team challenge is showcasing a variety of flower themed products found in the IHP store.

I created my own flower as the focal image for this card using the Nestabilities Nested Blossom dies and some beautiful velvet paper from SEI. I cut several different flower sizes from two pieces of velvet paper and layered them using some foam tape for dimension. For the center, I used a Copic marker to color a Petaloo dyeable flower with a sparkly center.

To keep the focus on the pretty velvet flower, I used a simple layout design for the card. I paired my flower with a panel of designer paper from SEI’s Claire line. I stamped a sentiment from the Hero Arts All Occasions Messages in black ink on a piece of coordinating cardstock. To add some interest, I did some faux stitching along the edge of the sentiment panel using a white pen. The flower is attached to the right side of the panel, overlapping the sentiment panel just a tiny bit. I added some pieces of a Zva Creative flourish as a super sparkly leaf to finish the card.

Be sure to visit the rest of the i {heart} papers design team for more flower inspiration. Here’s where to find them:

• Carolyn


• Cathleen


• Deb


• Gretchen


• Kendra


• Loretta


• Lori--you're here!


• Lynn


• Megan


• Tracy


• Kate

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers: Nestabilities Nested Blossom dies, SEI Claire designer paper and velvet paper pack, Petaloo Color Me Crazy dyeable flower, Copic marker (R20), Hero Arts All Occasions Messages stamp set, Memento Tuxedo Black ink, Ranger Inkssentials white pen, Zva Creative small flourish

other: Sweet Blush and Orange Zest cardstock (Papertrey Ink); foam tape

Super Star Trio

Here's my card for today's SCS clean and simple challenge. The challenge was a sketch with three image elements and a sentiment, separated from the image with some type of element.

I went for a masculine look on my card. I used two different size star punches to punch 3 star shaped openings in a kraft panel. To get the stars spaced evenly, I first punched the stars from sticky notes, placed them where I wanted, then punched over the sticky notes.

The stars are filled in with red and blue grosgrain ribbon strips. I love the texture this adds to the card! I added another red grosgrain ribbon strip underneath the stars, accented by a row of paper piercing. The "super star" sentiment from Papertrey Ink's All Star Team Additions stamp set is stamped beneath the paper piercing in navy ink.

Materials Used:

All Star Team Additions stamp set (Papertrey Ink); Not Quite Navy Classic ink, Not Quite Navy and Kraft cardstock, Real Red and Night of Navy grosgrain ribbon, star punches (Stampin' Up!); red grosgrain ribbon (Michaels)

Living Room Inspired

Over the weekend, I caught up on the last two Viva la Verve challenges. These cards are based on inspiration photos of some great living rooms.

This card is inspired by the colors and patterns in one of the photos. When I saw the pink and green florals, I immediately thought of SU!'s Raspberry Tart designer paper pack. I used two different patterns from the paper pack on my cardfront.

One of the floral patterns is the base for my card. I used a green pattern for the panel along the left side of the card. Since I had a lot of pattern going on, I kept the rest of the panels pretty simple. I stamped the Mother's Day sentiment from Verve's Because of You set in rose ink on a pale pink oval as the focal image. I used a matching pale pink strip across the top of the card. The strip's embellished with a rose ribbon. Instead of using a shaped embellishment at the top edge of the oval panel, I added a pretty bow.

Materials Used:
Because of You stamp set (Verve Stamps); Regal Rose Classic ink, Regal Rose, Pink Pirouette, Regal Rose, and Kiwi Kiss cardstock, Raspberry Tart designer series paper, Regal Rose grosgrain ribbon (Stampin' Up!); oval dies (Nestabilities); Bow Easy

Here's my card for this week's sketch. For this one, I used the patterns in one photo and the color scheme in another as my inspiration. I love the

monochromatic blue color scheme!

I stamped the medallion image from the Thankful Accents set repeatedly in blue ink on a lighter blue panel. The edges were sponged with the same blue ink for a slightly distressed look. I stitched the stamped panel to a darker blue panel, then set it on the card base. A piece of ruffle-edged satiny ribbon runs along the length of the card.

I stamped the "thank you" sentiment in blue ink on a light blue panel and matted it on a darker blue one, same as on the larger panel. Once I had the panel in place, I attached a matching bow to the top. I added a matching felt flower with a silver brad center to finish the card.

Materials Used:
Thankful Accents stamp set (Verve Stamps); Baja Breeze Classic ink, Soft Sky and Blue Bayou cardstock, felt flower (Stampin' Up!); silver brad (Making Memories); ribbon (Michaels)

Rock-a-Bye Baby

Here's my card for today's SCS featured stamper challenge. It's based on this baby boy card. I kept the layout the same, but made a few changes in the design to make it my own.

I used the rocking horse image from the Rock-a-Bye stamp set, April's Stamp of the Month from Clear & Simple Stamps, as the focal image. You still have a few more days to use the discount code CSS0410 to save $1 on this stamp set. The rocking horse image is colored with Copic markers in shades of blue and brown.

I added a piece of pale blue polka dotted paper underneath the image and tied a red ribbon around the panel to cover the seam between the solid and patterned papers. I love the look of the pop of red on the otherwise mostly blue card! I combined two of the set's sentiments for the "rock-a-bye baby" sentiment. They're stamped on a blue circle on blue ink and matted on a slightly larger blue circle. I attached the circle to the patterned paper, kind of tucking it under the ribbon so it kind of look like a charm might if it were dangling from the ribbon.

Be sure to check out the previous post for a sneak peek of my card that's featured today on the CSS iPhone app. And, today's the last day to play along in the CSS/Caardvarks blog hop--you don't want to miss out on a chance to win one of the great prizes up for grabs.

Materials Used:

Rock-a-Bye stamp set, Perfect Little Black Dress ink (Clear & Simple Stamps); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); markers (Copic-B21, B23,B24, E33, E35, C00); Ballet Blue Classic ink, Ballet Blue, Bashful Blue, and Real Red cardstock, Bashful Blue Prints Series designer series paper, Real Red grosgrain ribbon (Stampin' Up!); 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" circle punches (EK Success)

Totally Rockin'

I haven't stamped with one of my Simple Darlings images from Clear & Simple Stamps in a while, so I pulled out MP3 Darling for a card for Mercy's latest sketch challenge. This is such a fun set and really versatile, too.

I colored the Darling image with Copic markers. The colors coordinate with the blue/green shades found in the pair of patterned papers from SEI's Bridgeport line that I used for the panels on the cardfront. I love the look of the sort of variegated striped paper on the left side of the card.

To keep with the "you rock" theme of the card, I made sure to include a few star elements to the card while sticking to the layout. The striped panel is matted on a coordinating blue panel with a star edge, made with a border punch. I like how the patterned paper shows through the open areas in the stars. Instead of using a circle for the sentiment, I stamped "you totally rock" in black ink on a silver star, then attached the star to the cardfront with some foam tape for a little rock star-like sparkle.

Be sure to stop by the CSS iPhone/iTouch app today for more CSS goodness. I have a card featured on the app today. You can see a teeny, tiny sneak peek of the card in the graphic here. You'll have to visit the app to see all of it and to find out all the details on how I created it.

Materials Used:
MP3 Darling (Clear & Simple Stamps); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Ballet Blue cardstock, large star punch (Stampin' Up!); New Leaf cardstock (Papertrey Ink); designer paper (SEI-Bridgeport line);petite oval dies (Nestabilities); Classic Stars border punch (Martha Stewart)

Pastel Birthday Princess

Here's my card for this week's sketch challenge at Paper Craft Planet. Jessica drew up a fun one with a panel that's split diagonally across the cardfront. She used a Pure Innocence image from My Favorite Things for her sample, so I got some inspiration for my card from that. I got my color inspiration from this week's Just Us Girls Challenge.

I used my new Birthday Princess set for the focal image. The image is colored with Copic markers. I used some Yellow Stickles on the candle flames for just a bit of sparkle. I added a pair of pink buttons, threaded with some cream twine, to the upper left corner of the panel, then layered it on a pink mat.

The split panel on the cardfront is made from two patterns from SU!'s Prints Series designer paper collection. I still have tons of paper left over from when this line of designer paper was first introduced. Since some of the colors in it are retiring, I should probably work on using it up . . . Anyway, I cut the papers to get a nice fit on the cardfront, then covered the seam where the two different papers meet with some matching satin ribbon.

I used my Bow Easy (told you I can't put it down!) to make the small matching bow for beneath the image panel. The sentiment is stamped on a scrap of purple paper and attached to the cardfront beneath the image panel.

If you play along with this week's sketch, be sure to upload your card to the PCP gallery using the keyword sk041710 so it can be added to the album with the rest of this week's creations.

Materials Used:

Pure Innocence Birthday Princess stamp set (My Favorite Things); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Almost Amethyst and Pretty in Pink cardstock, Almost Amethyst and Pretty in Pink Prints Series designer series paper (Stampin' Up!); purple satin ribbon (Wright's); Yellow Stickles (Ranger); buttons (Making Memories); twine (Papertrey Ink); Bow Easy

Practicing Creativity with Practicing Creativity Designs

I recently ordered a pair of stamp sets from a relatively new company called Practicing Creativity Designs. I tried them out for the first time on these two cards.

The first card is for this week's sketch from 2 Sketches 4 You. I used the argyle elements from the Key to My Heart stamp set to create my own background paper on the kraft panel. I used pigment inks for a nice, opaque look. I love how pigment inks look on kraft cardstock! The images were really easy to line up and it took almost no time to stamp the entire quarter sheet background.

I pleated some red ribbon to run down the center of the strip in the middle of the card. The bow was made with my new-found friend, the Bow Easy. Now that I get how to use this thing, I haven't put it down! The set's "i heart u" sentiment is stamped on a pair of layered heart die cuts and attached to the cardfront using foam tape.

Materials Used:
Key to My Heart stamp set (Practicing Creativity); Real Red and Chocolate Chip Craft inks, Real Red, Chocolate Chip, and Kraft cardstock (Stampin' Up!); heart dies (Nestabilities); red grosgrain ribbon (Michaels); Bow Easy; sewing machine; foam tape

This card uses the Just Dandy set. I used the set's cloud and kite images to create a simple spring scene on a Top Note die base. I cut some patterned paper with the die, then arranged the scene elements, all stamped on scraps of paper. The clouds were cut from some scraps of bright, diagonal striped patterned paper. The kite's a bold pink. The grass was punched with a border punch and layered with some foam tape for dimension.

I attached the scene to a bright pink card base, matching the kite. The set's "congrats" sentiment is stamped on a green strip and layered on the card to overlap the scene just a bit. I used my Bow Easy (again!) to make the coordinating blue satin bow that completed the card.

I have some other ideas in mind for these sets, so keep an eye out for them in the upcoming days . . .

Materials Used:
Just Dandy stamp set (Practicing Creativity); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); Melon Mambo and Kiwi Kiss cardstock, Top Note die (Stampin' Up!); designer paper (October Afternoon; DCWV-Flower Shower matstack); grass border punch (Martha Stewart); blue satin ribbon (Michaels); foam tape

Birthday Eye Candy

Here’s my card for this week’s Bellarific Friday from Stamping Bella. There was no specific theme for this week’s challenge, so I went with a clean and simple birthday card with fun, bright colors.

I used the large rumball as my focal image. It’s colored with Copic markers and dotted with just a bit of Stickles on the candle flame for some sparkle. I paired the image with some bright striped paper from the Eye Candy line from GCD Studios. I love the fun colors and bold patterns in this line! The image is layered on the striped panel and accented with a coordinating button-embellished bow. I stamped the “happy birthday” sentiment on a scrap of pink paper and attached it to the card with some foam tape.

Materials Used:
Rumball with Candle image and sentiment (Stamping Bella); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Hibiscus Burst cardstock, Lemon Tart button, twine (Papertrey Ink); Barely Banana cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); designer paper (GCD Studios-Eye Candy line); circle dies (Nestabilities); Yellow Stickles (Ranger); pink grosgrain ribbon (Michaels); foam tape

Blogger Challenge: Week 147

This week's blogger challenge was a sketch. The large panel on the cardfront was the perfect size for one of the Pure Innocence cuties from My Favorite Things.

I used the image from the My Umbrella set on the panel. The image is partly colored with Copic markers and partly paper pieced using striped paper that matches the striped paper strips on the cardfront. It's kind of busy, but I think it's still cute, too.

I arranged the four striped panels on a rose panel, then machine stitched around the edges to add some interest. The image panel is layered on a green mat, then added to the cardfront. I stamped the set's "It'll be okay" sentiment on the panel and added a pink button-embellished bow beneath it. The panel is attached to a matching green card base.

For more ideas using this sketch, you can visit the rest of the challenge players. Links to their blogs are in the sidebar on the right.

Materials Used: My Umbrella stamp set (My Favorite Things); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Regal Rose and Kiwi Kiss cardstock, Regal Rose grosgrain ribbon (Stampin' Up!) designer paper (DCWV-Flower Shower matstack); Spring Moss button, twine (Papertrey Ink); sewing machine

Oh, Behave!

The card I made for this week’s sketch from Our Craft Lounge is eerily reminiscent of what things look like at my house right now—LOL! Chloe the cutie puppy is three months old today and chewing pretty much anything she can get her paws and teeth on. She’s especially fond of the throw rug by the door she uses to go outside and the rocks in my backyard. I can’t even begin to count the number of times I’ve pried her jaws open to yank a rock out of her mouth . . .

Anyway, here’s my card featuring Pat the Dog. I colored the image with Copic markers and added a Copic colored layer of grass at the bottom of the panel and a sponged-in sky at the top. There was plenty of room to stamp the sentiment from the Pat the Dawg House set in the upper right corner of the panel.

I used a piece of Piggy Tales striped paper for the panel on the top half of the cardfront. A coordinating polka dot embossed panel is on the bottom. A piece of cream faux suede ribbon covers the seam where the papers meet. I added a small knotted piece of the same ribbon to the right edge of the image panel to finish the card.

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers: Our Craft Lounge Pat the Bad Dog and Pat the Dawg House stamp sets, medium weight Copic blending cardstock, Memento Tuxedo Black ink, Copic markers (E18, E31, E33, E35, R11, YG00, YG03, YG05, YG07, W-1, W-3, W-5), Piggy Tales Oven Door designer paper, QuicKutz Polka Dot embossing folder, May Arts ivory faux suede ribbon

other: Bashful Blue Classic ink, Blue Bayou and Old Olive cardstock (Stampin’ Up!)

Two Tiny Creatures II

I’m just getting around to trying out this week’s Paper Craft Planet sketch challenge. This week’s sketch was designed by Kim. It’s great for some of those smaller images in your stamp collection. I have all of the tiny versions of the creatures from the DoodleFactory Creatures II set from Starving Artistamps, so I thought I’d try one of them out on this card.

I made a get well card featuring Cappie. To me, he kinda looks like he has an upset tummy or something like that! I colored him green and layered him on a blue mat. I used some grid patterned paper, layered on coordinating blue and green panels, for the large panel on the cardfront. I machine stitched around the edges of the grid paper for added interest, then layered on the stamped image. The image is accented with a pair of blue brads that are a pretty close match to the panel underneath it. I tied a coordinating green twill ribbon around the panel, then stamped the “feel better soon” sentiment from the Boudoir Sentiments set along the bottom of the panel. The pieces are layered on a kraft card base to complete the card.

If you have a chance to play along, upload your card to the PCP gallery with the keyword sk041010 so that it can be added to the album with the rest of this week’s creations.

Materials Used:
DoodleFactory Creatures II and Boudoir Sentiments sets (Starving Artistamps); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Pacific Point, Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, and Kraft cardstock, Old Olive twill ribbon (Stampin’ Up!); designer paper (Colorbok-Forest Friends); blue brads (Making Memories); sewing machine

While I had the Creatures out, I made another card, this one for this week’s Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge. It features a trio of creatures and one of the set’s coordinating sentiments.

I used a Stamp-a-ma-jig to position Clowd, Flob, and Spinkle pretty evenly across the labels die cut. They’re colored in bright shades using Copic markers. I stamped the set’s “normal is boring” sentiment underneath the trio, then attached it to a coordinating mat using foam tape.

The patterned paper panel on the cardfront is from the Bloom & Grow line from My Mind’s Eye. I ran a coordinating green cardstock strip across it, embellished with a piece of grosgrain ribbon. The edges of the strip are stitched to add interest. The stamped panel is set in the middle of the card with a button on either side of the panel as an accent.

Materials Used:
DoodleFactory Creatures II set (Starving Artistamps); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Aqua Mist and Spring Moss cardstock, Aqua Mist grosgrain ribbon, Spring Moss buttons, twine (Papertrey Ink); designer paper (My Mind’s Eye-Bloom & Grow line); Labels 2 die (Nestabilities); foam tape; sewing machine

Bringing You Flowers

Here's a card featuring another one of the new Chicken Girl Design digi images available exclusively at i {heart} papers. I used today's SCS sketch challenge as the basis for this spring-feeling card.

The racoon image is printed on white cardstock and colored with Copic markers. I chose the marker colors to coordinate with the papers from Basic Grey's Green at Heart line that I used on the cardfront.

I layered the colored image and patterned papers on coordinating cardstock to assemble the card. A strip of pink satin ribbon is knotted around the narrow panel that stretches across the card. For a simple accent, I used a white mulberry flower that I custom colored to match my card using a Copic marker. I love how easily I can color these white flowers to match any project!

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers: Chicken Girl Design Raccoon Flowers digi image, medium weight Copic cardstock, Copic markers (R81, R83, R85, YG05, YG07, V15, V7, E35, C-1, C-3, C-5, C-7), Basic Grey Green at Heart designer paper, May Arts pink/light pink reversible satin ribbon, Petaloo Color Me Crazy Dyeable Flower

other: Rich Razzleberry and Regal Rose cardstock (Stampin' Up!)