Blogger Challenge: Week 247

This week’s blogger challenge theme is birthdays. I combined the challenge with this week’s Our Craft Lounge challenge’s “pretty petals” theme and this week’s Mojo Monday sketch to come up with a soft and feminine birthday card. And, since the OCL design team is showing off May Arts ribbon this week, I included some of that, too--be sure to read on to the end of the post for details on how to win some May Arts ribbon for yourself . . .

I used a floral image from the Pretty Petals set as my focal image. I stamped the set’s stem image twice and used foam tape to add the colored flowers at the top of each stem. The “happy birthday” sentiment from the Say it with Flowers set is stamped next to the flowers in a soft green ink and accented with a trio of tiny pearls.

I used a piece of pastel striped paper for the panel at the bottom of the cardfront. It’s attached directly to the pink card base. A piece of celery cardstock runs across the top of the patterned paper panel and the image panel is attached over that. As a finishing touch, I tied a piece of pale pink wrinkled ribbon from May Arts around the card.

For more birthday themed ideas, check out the link list below (list will be added in the morning). And, if you’d like to join the challenge, add a direct link to your new birthday themed project below.

And, as promised, here's the info on how you can win some May Arts ribbon for yourself. May Arts sent us lots of YUMMY ribbon to share with all of you so OCL has 5 prize packages to give away this week. You have lots of ways to enter EVERY SINGLE DAY this week + one BONUS entry!

Daily leave 1 comment on each…

1. the OCL Blog (please leave contact info),
2. each designer’s blog playing along that day, and
3. the OCL Facebook page.

BONUS ENTRY: If you “LIKE” OCL on Facebook, you’ll get a bonus entry (as long as you tell us you did it) ~ if you've already "liked" OCL, let us know that too!

We will pick 5 random comments this weekend and our winners will be announced on the OCL blog on Tuesday, March 20th.



Materials Used:
Pretty Petals and Say it with Flowers stamp set (Our Craft Lounge); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Memento Tuxedo Black and Pear Tart inks (Tsukineko); markers (Copic); Blushing Bride, Certainly Celery, and Bashful Blue cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); Fair Day 6x6 paper pad (SEI); pink wrinkled ribbon (May Arts); self-adhesive pearls (Recollections); foam tape

Exclusively Yours

For this month's i {heart} papers design team challenge, IHP's DT is showcasing IHP's exclusive stamp lines, The Petal Press, Mint Motif, and Chicken Girl Design. I made a fun project using images from the Chicken Girl Design Hugs from a Bug set. This set is great for spring and summertime cards!

I used a tin pail, picked up in Target's dollar section, to hold a bouquet of lollipop flowers. Each lollipop is made from a Blow Pop that's inserted into the center of a paper flower cut from a piece of striped patterned paper using the medium sized flower from the Spellbinders Nested Flower die set. I added a small circle to the center of each flower for some contrast before threading the lollipop through the die cut. I set some floral foam inside the bucket and covered it with green paper shred before arranging the lollipops. It took 5 "flowers" to fill out my bouquet.

I dressed up the tin pail by cutting a narrow strip of the same paper I used for the flowers and wrapping it around the pail, securing it with redline tape. I added a bright red twill bow, made with my Bow Easy, as an accent. I also made a coordinating tag using the mosquito image from Hugs from a Bug and the matching sentiment. I stamped the bugger in black ink on a white circle and colored it with Copic markers. The wings are covered with Crystal Stickles for an iridescent look. The "I'm a sucker for you" sentiment is stamped under the image. I used more red twill to attach the tag to the pail's handle, then added a red button, tied with matching red baker's twine, to hide where the twill is attached.

Be sure to check out how the rest of the IHP DT has used IHP's exclusive stamp lines. Here's where to find them:

Carolyn
Deb
Gretchen
Kendra
Loretta
Lori (you're here!)
Lynn
Megan
Tracy
Kate

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers: Chicken Girl Design Hugs from a Bug stamp set, X-Press white Copic blending cardstock, Memento Tuxedo Black ink, Copic markers (C00, C-1, C-3, B0000), My Mind's Eye Penny Lane "Beauty" Charmed Stripes patterned paper, Spellbinders Nested Flower and circle dies, i {stick} papers redline tape, May Arts red twill, Bow Easy, Ranger Crystal Stickles, Divine Twine Cherry Red baker's twine

other: Riding Hood Red cardstock

Blogger Challenge: Week 194

This week’s blogger challenge is to make a birthday card. I pulled out one of my Chicken Girl Design sets from i {heart} papers and combined the images with this week’s Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge to create a birthday card perfect for a little one.

Sketches like this one with lots of little panels really challenge me—I always have such a hard time getting the pieces the right size and then, if they are the right size, getting them lined up just right. I started with the small kraft rectangles that serve as the mats underneath the patterned paper pieces and the image panel and worked from there. Once I had those figured out, I went back and filled in. I used patterned papers from just one collection (the My Mind’s Eye Alphabet Soup-Boy one) to make it easier to find an eye-pleasing mix without investing too much time. After cutting the pieces, I played around with the arrangement until I came up with one I liked, then glued everything in place.

I used the bunny image from the Birthday Wishes set as the focal image. The bunny is colored with Copic markers. I added a fluffy white tail using a little Flower Soft. The balloon was stamped a second time on a cardstock scrap, colored and cut out, then attached to the panel with a dimensional dot. A thin coating of Glossy Accents gives it a shiny look. I stamped the coordinating sentiment underneath the image and attached the panel to the cardfront. Some red baker’s twine looped around the card and tied in a bow adds a fun, festive touch to finish the card.

For more birthday card ideas, check out the links below. And, if you join in the challenge, feel free to add your link to the list.


Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers: Chicken Girl Design Birthday Wishes stamp set, X-Press Copic blending cardstock, Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black ink, Copic markers (E25, E31, E34, R21, YR12, YR15, YR16, YR20, W00, W-1), Polar White Flower Soft, My Mind’s Eye Alphabet Soup-Boy Collection Kit, Zva Creative dimensional dots, Ranger Glossy Accents, Divine Twine Cherry Red baker’s twine

other: Aqua Mist cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Pumpkin Pie and Crumb Cake cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); inside pinking border die (The Cat’s Pajamas)

Witching You a Happy Halloween

Even though it’s coming up this weekend, it sure hasn’t felt like Halloween’s near around here with our temperatures in the mid 70’s! I made this sweet card to celebrate the season using today’s SCS sketch challenge.

The little bunny witch from the Chicken Girl Design Happy Halloween stamp set takes center stage here. The bunny is colored with Copic markers and I added a little Polar White Flower Soft to make her tail super fluffy.

I layered her on a cardfront that’s covered with a panel from Cosmo Cricket’s Matilda paper pad.
I used coordinating colors of solid cardstock, embossed with dotted patterns and matted on black, for the two panels across the cardfront. The colored image is layered onto the card with foam tape.

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers: Chicken Girl Design Happy Halloween stamp set, Couture Cardstock white Copic blending cardstock, Memento Tuxedo Black ink, Copic markers (BV0000, BV00, BV02, C-1, C-3, C-5, C31, E34, E35, Y35, R30), Flower Soft Polar White, Spellbinders oval dies, Cosmo Cricket Matilda mini deck, QuicKutz embossing folders

other: Basic Black, So Saffron, and Perfect Plum cardstock (Stampin' Up!); silver gel pen; foam tape

IHP Birthday Bash

Welcome to the i {heart} papers 2nd Birthday Bash blog hop and scavenger hunt! You should have arrived here from Loretta’s blog. If you're jumping into the middle (or if you're lost!) be sure to start at Kate's. You don't want to miss a thing!

Today we’re celebrating two great years of IHP and are delighted to have some fabulous guest designers playing along with our talented design team members to bring some birthday paper-crafting inspiration your way! Our design team and guests are revealing their creations for this month's design team challenge--to design the "Perfect Pair"--a birthday card and coordinating gift, tag or other presentation item.

We would love if you would join us in making a Perfect Pair of your own (upload to your blog or an online gallery with the keyword IHPBB10). Be sure to post your link on Kate’s blog so we can see your project and enter your name in our challenge prize drawings.

In addition to today's design team challenge, we've got some fun celebrating in store for tomorrow and Thursday! Don't worry - you won't have to hop every day! Kate will be hosting a sketch challenge tomorrow on her blog, and Deb has another challenge for you on Thursday. Winners for each day will be randomly drawn from each day's entries, and everyone who plays along, either with the challenges and/or the scavenger hunt (more on that below) will be eligible for the grand prize drawing that will close the festivities on Friday.
Submitting your challenge projects is not the only way to win! Tucked into the text of today's blog posts we've provided clues to an easy scavenger hunt (most have to do with our favorite products and tools or hobbies and interests we have) that we invite you to play as you hop. When you find the answer, click the link to visit the store and collect "evidence" that is listed on that particular product’s page and email your complete list, in blog hop order, to Kate when you're finished. You can take your time and stretch the hop over the three days of our Birthday Bash celebration...it's not a race, but like any other sale, the earlier you shop, the better the selection! Deadline to submit your scavenger hunt entry is Friday morning, 3AM EST.

By participating in the scavenger hunt you'll receive an exclusive, one time use 20% off coupon code to use when you shop at i {heart} papers. (This will be emailed to you after the Bash when entries are checked.) You will also be entered for your chance to win the grand prize $50 gift certificate drawing on Friday.

ALL orders placed during the Bash (Oct 19-21) will receive a free goodie bag of surprise merchandise. The more you spend, the bigger your goodie bag!

Also, there will be random drawings for additional prizes from our PaperCraft Planet group members, our mailing list (sign up on the right side of the homepage) and our fans on Facebook. If you are on all three, then you’ve got triple the chances to win!

Here’s a look at my birthday bash ensemble, designed with a little girl in mind. I made a fancy fold card featuring the Chicken Girl Design Lookin’ Purrty digi image and a small matching gift box using the same designer paper that I used on the card. The box is tied up with pretty pink satin ribbon and has an opening in the top, lined with clear acetate that reveals the little treat inside—a homemade hair barrette.

The barrette was quick and easy to make with SEI’s velvet paper, cut with Nestabilities dies and stacked on top of a plain barrette using Glossy Accents to hold it in place. And, I had to add a little bling to the center, too, to finish it off.

Here’s the only little girl I had access to modeling the barrette—my very own Chloe the cutie puppy! She was kind enough to sit still (and not eat the barrette) while I took this photo.

For my project, I used
Stamps: Chicken Girl Design Lookin' Purrty digi image
Papers: Couture Cardstock white Copic blending cardstock, SEI Claire designer paper and Happy Day velvet paper assortment #2
Other: Copic markers (RV00, R81, R83, R85, Y00, Y11, Y15, YR24, C00, C-1, C-3, C-5), Zva Creative pink and clear crystals, Ranger Glossy Accents, Spellbinders circle, big scalloped circle, and oval dies, QuicKutz Polka Dots embossing folder, i {stick} papers redline tape, May Arts pink/light pink reversible satin ribbon

Your next stop on the hop is Lynn. There's a list of all of the participating designers on Kate's blog just in case you get lost along the way!

Chicken Girl Design October Release

It's time for Chicken Girl Design's October digi collection release at i {heart} papers! This month's collection includes 4 adorable images--Chase the Snowflakes, Meowy Christmas, Gobble You Up, and Good Cheer. The images are available for download now for $2.50 each or for $8.50 for the entire collection.


Here's a card featuring the cute Chase the Snowflakes digi image. I used this week's Taylored Expressions sketch challenge as a starting point along with a trio of patterned papers from Pink Paislee's 365 Degrees collection.

I resized the image, leaving the sentiment below it, then printed it on white cardstock. It's colored with Copic markers in colors that coordinate with the patterned papers. I added a teeny, tiny pearl to the center of each snowflake and some Flower Soft "snow" underneath the birds to complete the sweet scene. I arranged the colored image and the coordinating patterned papers on the cardfront.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Chicken Girl Design Team to see more samples using the images from the latest release. Here's where to find them:

Christy ~~Loretta~~Lori (you're here)~~Tammy
Michele~~Laura~~Judy~~Kate

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers: Chicken Girl Design Chase the Snowflakes digi image, Couture Cardstock white Copic blending cardstock, Copic markers (R12, R22, R24, R27, B32, B34, E34, E35, YR15, W00, W-1), Zva Creative self adhesive white pearl lines, Polar White Flower Soft, Pink Paislee 365 Degrees designer paper

other: Riding Hood Red and Not Quite Navy cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Snowflake border punch (EK Success)

I've Only Got Eyes for You

Here's my card for this week's SCS sketch challenge. I used the Chicken Girl Design witch digi image and coordinating sentiment from September's release for a fun Halloween card.

The witch is printed on white cardstock and colored with Copic markers. I carefully cut the image out and layered it on a pale purple panel with foam tape. The spooky eyes are coated with some Glossy Accents for a glazed look. I also added a sparkly crystal to the witch's hat as a fun accent.

I used a piece of patterned paper from Cosmo Cricket's Matilda line to cover most of the cardfront. The wavy, bubbly pattern made me think of something mysterious boiling out of a cauldron (like the one in the image, I guess). The sentiment is printed on a strip of gray paper and attached to the bottom of the cardfront. It's accented with a piece of sparkly glimmer ribbon.

Be sure to stop back here on Sunday to see the latest digi images from Chicken Girl Design. All of the Chicken Girls will have fabulous samples to show off.

from i {heart} papers: Chicken Girl Design Witch Eye Brew digi image, Couture Cardstock white Copic blending cardstock, Copic markers (BV00, BV02, BV04, BV08, YR00, YR12, YR15, YR16, YG01, YG03,YG05, V0000,E34, C00, C-1, C-3, C-5), Ranger Glossy Accents, Zva Creative clear crystal dot, Cosmo Cricket Matilda mini deck, Creative Impressions lilac glimmer ribbon

other: Lovely Lavender cardstock (Gina K Designs); Elegant Eggplant and Basic Gray cardstock (Stampin' Up!); foam tape

The Apple of My Eye

Here's my card for today's SCS sketch challenge, featuring one of the newest digi images in the Chicken Girl Design line from i {heart} papers. I combined the adorable elephant image with the colors from this week's Color Throwdown for this fun fall card.

I resized the Apple of my Eye image, then printed it on white cardstock. It's colored with Copic markers in gray for the elephant and reds and greens for the apples and basket. Once I'd finished coloring, I coated the apples with some Glossy Accents for a shiny look.

The image is paired with red and pumpkin-ish designer papers from Crate Paper's School Spirit and Restoration lines. I added some orange baker's twine, wrapped around the bottom patterned paper panel and tied in a bow, before setting the image panel on the cardfront using foam tape.

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers: Chicken Girl Design Apple of my Eye digi image, Couture Cardstock white Copic blending cardstock, Copic markers (C00, C-1, C-3, C-5, W00, W-1, R000, R00, R12, R22, R24, Y35, YR04, YG91, YG95, YG97 ), Ranger Glossy Accents, Crate Paper School Spirit and Restoration 6 x 6 pads, Jillibean Soup baker's twine

other: Riding Hood Red and Pumpkin Pie cardstock (Stampin' Up!); foam tape

IHP DT Challenge: Treats and Tablescapes

As the season is starting to change, everyone’s mind is turning towards upcoming fall celebrations. With that in mind, the theme for this month’s i {heart} papers design team challenge is “Treats and Tablescapes.” We’ve all come up with some creative project ideas that you can use for fall events.

I created a simple treat holder for the challenge. Chloe the cutie puppy has become very friendly with a few of the kids in our neighborhood. She loves to join them when they play outside on the sidewalk in front of our house and if we’re inside, she watches them play through our kitchen window, moving from side to side to see them and chirping her puppy cry. They (and their parents) have been so sweet to her and haven’t minded at all that she’s joined the little group. I wanted to make sure that I had something a little different to give to Chloe’s special friends when they stop by on Halloween, so I came up with a fun presentation for some fancy Hershey’s Kisses.

I started by cutting a piece of Cosmo Cricket’s Matilda paper using the largest of the Spellbinders Labels 10 dies. I used my ScorBuddy to score two lines, each about ½” from the center of the die cut piece. When folded, this forms a base for a simple treat holder. I filled a cello bag with candy corn flavored Kisses and set it inside the paper. I picked the candy corn flavor because the wrappers match the paper I used—I have no idea how they taste—LOL! To hold both the bag of treats and the treat holder closed, I punched holes in each of the “bumps” at the ends of the die cut and threaded some orange glimmer ribbon through the holes, securing it in a bow. So quick and easy! This would also work with other Spellbinders die shapes. Check out the second photo for a view of the back--it shows the shape and how I used the ribbon a little better.

I used the dog image from the Chicken Girl Design Happy Halloween stamp set to make a little tag so that I can sign Chloe’s name on the treat. The image is colored with Copic markers. I layered it on a mustard mat, then punched a hole in the top so I could attach it through the bow with some coordinating baker’s twine.

Be sure to stop by the rest of the IHP DT for more fabulous ideas and 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: Chicken Girl Design Happy Halloween stamp set, Memento Tuxedo Black ink, Couture Cardstock white Copic blending cardstock, Copic markers (E31, E33, E34, E35, YR16, YR20, Y38, W00), Ranger Gold Pearl Liquid Pearls, Cosmo Cricket Matilda Mini Deck, Spellbinders Labels 10 die, ScorBuddy, Creative Impressions orange glimmer ribbon, Jillibean Soup baker's twine,

other: More Mustard cardstock (Stampin’ Up!)

Have a Boo-tiful Day

It is definitely not a boo-tiful or beautiful day here! It's been drizzly and dreary, but perfect for staying inside and stamping. The sun's just starting to peek out from behind the clouds. Hopefully I'll be able to get Chloe the cutie puppy out for a walk in a little bit. She refused this morning--didn't want to get her (not so) delicate paws damp, I guess. I got her her very first Halloween costume this morning at Target. All of Cosmo the crazy dog's costumes were very boyish, so I needed something a little more girlie for her. I got her a bat with purple sparkly satin wings, but this may not be my final choice. I'm not sure I love it for her. Fortunately I still have time to find the perfect costume for Chloe's first Halloween.

And, speaking of Halloween, here's a fun Halloween card for today's SCS featured stamper challenge. It's based on this simple card. I made a few adjustments to the layout and switched out the images for ones from the Chicken Girl Design Silly Monsters set. This is one of the sets that was released before Chicken Girl went digi, so it's available while supplies last at i {heart} papers.

I stamped the ghost image on a scrap of white cardstock and shaded it just a bit with the palest shades of purple Copic markers. After cutting the ghost out, I sprayed it with some Sparkle Shimmer Spritz for a fun twinkle. The ghost is set on an orange mat that's layered on a fancy edged circle cut with the new Spellbinders lacey circles die.

I used two different papers from SEI's new Halloween line, Spooks, for the card. The foil star panel is set at an angle on the cardfront. I knotted a piece of orange glimmer ribbon around the top of the panel and added the sentiment on a narrow orange panel, slipped underneath the bottom edge of the ribbon. An orange plaid panel covers most of the deep purple cardfront.

Materials Used:

from i {heart} papers: Chicken Girl Design Silly Monsters stamp set, Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black ink and Sparkle Shimmer Spritz, Couture Cardstock white Copic blending cardstock, Copic markers (BV0000, BV00, BG0000), Spellbinders Nestabilities circle and lacey circles dies, SEI Spooks designer paper, Creative Impressions orange glimmer ribbon

other: Pumpkin Pie and Concord Crush cardstock (Stampin' Up!); foam tape

September Chicken Girl Design Release/Blogger Challenge: Week 168

It’s Chicken Girl Design digi release day! September’s images are perfect for the approaching fall season. The 4 brand new images--Apple of My Eye, Witch Eye Brew, Scarecrow Greetings, and Whoo's Ready for Fall--are available exclusively at i {heart} papers for $2.50 each or as a collection for $8.50. Here’s a peek at the new additions to the lineup.

The autumn theme made these images the perfect pick for my card for this week’s autumn themed blogger challenge. The card's design is based on this week's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge, flipped up on its side.

I printed the scarecrow image on a white panel and colored it with Copic markers. I picked the colors to coordinate with the dotted panel of Basic Grey Max & Whiskers designer paper I used for the cardfront. The colors in this paper collection are perfect for fall cards.

I printed the matching “Autumn Greetings” sentiment separately on a strip of orange cardstock and layered the strip across the cardfront. To add some texture, I cut a scallop edged strip from a cork sheet. The strip is wrapped with some brown and white baker’s twine and attached underneath the image panel. I used the super strong i {stick} papers redline tape to attach the cork to the

For more autumn themed projects, 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, be sure to check out the rest of the Chicken Girl Design Team to see more samples using the images from the latest release. Here's where to find them:

Christy ~~Loretta~~Lori (you're here)~~Tammy
Michele~~Laura~~Judy~~Kate

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers: Chicken Girl Design Scarecrow Greetings digi image, Couture Cardstock white Copic blending cardstock, Copic markers (Y0000, Y000, Y21, Y23,Y35, Y38, YR04, YR16, YG97, E17, E31, E33, E35, E37), Basic Grey Max & Whiskers designer paper, Creative Impressions cork sheet, Jillibean Soup baker's twine, i {stick} papers redline tape

other: More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie, and Chocolate Chip cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); medium scallop die (Papertrey Ink)

Lookin' Purr-ty

This afternoon, I finally got around to trying this week's SCS sketch challenge. I flipped the sketch on its side and paired it with one of the images from the latest Chicken Girl Design digi release.

I printed the Lookin' Purrty image and matching sentiment on white cardstock and colored the image with Copic markers. The girly image just screamed out for sparkle and shine, so I added some sparkly pink bling to the crown and some Platinum Sparkly Fluff to the cat's stripes.

I set the image on a piece of paper from Basic Grey's Olivia collection. A strip of solid cardstock, accented with a row of white pen faux stitches, runs along the left side of the image panel. I added a pretty pink faux suede bow on the stitched strip, just below the sentiment. The final touch was some Glossy Accents on the mirror to make it look glass-like.

Materials Used:

from i {heart} papers: Chicken Girl Design Lookin' Purrty digi image, Couture Cardstock white Copic blending cardstock, Copic markers (RV00, R21, R81, R83, R85, C00, C-1, C-3. C-5, Y23, Y26), Zva Creative pink self adhesive crystals, Our Craft Lounge Platinum Sparkly Fluff, Basic Grey Olivia designer paper, May Arts light fuschia faux suede ribbon, Bow Easy, Ranger Inkssentials white pen and Glossy Accents, Bow Easy

other: Hibiscus Burst cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Pear Pizazz cardstock (Stampin' Up!)

Dreaming of You

***Scroll down to the post below to see my projects for the Lawn Fawn Cards for Kids Blog Hop.***

Here's my card for this week's SCS sketch challenge. It features one of the cute digi images from this month's Chicken Girl Design release, available at i {heart} papers.

I printed the sleepy sheep image twice on white cardstock so that I could layer the images for a dimensional look. The images are colored with Copic markers and the sheep part is popped up with foam tape. To add a little sparkle, I covered the little tuft on the top of the sheep's head with some Sugar Sparkly Fluff. I printed the "dreaming of you" sentiment along the edge of the blue panel that I layered the image on.

This sketch has a lot of layers! For two of them, I went with solids and for the other two, I used coordinating prints from the October Afternoon Thrift Shop collection. I added a strip of ruffle edged faux suede ribbon along one of the panels for a little more texture. Too sweet!

Materials Used:

from i {heart} papers: Chicken Girl Design Dreaming of You digi image, Couture Cardstock white Copic blending cardstock, Copic markers (Y000, Y11, Y13, Y18, R32, B0000, B000, C00, C-1, C-3, C-5, C-7), Our Craft Lounge Sugar Sparkly Fluff, October Afternoon Thrift Shop designer papers, May Arts ivory ruffle edge faux suede ribbon

other: Hawaiian Shores cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Barely Banana cardstock (Stampin' Up!)

Out of this World

Here's my card for today's SCS sketch challenge. I went back to one of the digi images from last month's Chicken Girl Design release for my card. Be sure to check out this month's images that were just released yesterday exclusively at i {heart} papers.

I colored the Blast Off image with Copic markers and cut it out. It's set on a dark blue "night sky" panel with a polka dot embossed moon in the corner. Once the colored image was attached to the panel with foam tape, I dressed it up with some Glossy Accents and Liquid Pearls on the rocket and some Stickles on the flames shooting out from behind it.

I used some star accents and elements to match the rocket image. The panel on the cardfront is made from a star patterned paper (unfortunately, most of the stars got covered up by the image panel . . .). I also used a star border punch along the edge of the mat under the image panel. I printed the "out of this world" sentiment (from the Out of This World digi image) on a matching mustard panel to stretch across most of the cardfront. The sentiment was split between two lines and I used my editing software to reorient it to fit my design--love that about digi stamps!

Materials Used
from i {heart} papers: Chicken Girl Design Blast Off and Out of This World digi images , Couture Cardstock white Copic blending cardstock, Copic markers (R12, R22, R24, R27, R, 81, E31, E33, E35, Y13, Y18, YR16, C00, C-1, C-3, C-5, B0000), Ranger Silver Pearl Liquid Pearls, Glossy Accents and Yellow Stickles, QuicKutz Polka Dots embossing folder, Three Bugs in a Rug Playtime Stars designer paper

other: Not Quite Navy and More Mustard cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Classic Stars border punch (Martha Stewart); foam tape

August Digi Release from Chicken Girl Design

It's time to check out the latest Chicken Girl Design digi stamp release from i {heart} papers! This month's release features 4 brand new digi images--Lookin' Purrty, On the Moove, Sweet Dreams, and Just Lion Around--available for $2.50 each or as a collection for $8.00. Here's a look at the whole August collection.

For today's release, I made a card featuring the adorable Just Lion Around image using this week's Taylored Expressions sketch challenge. I printed the image twice on white cardstock, making one image just a tiny bit smaller than the other. I fully colored the larger image using Copic markers and then colored only the lion's head and the tree top from the smaller image. I cut out the colored pieces and used foam tape to attach the smaller pieces over the matching larger portions of the image for a fun, 3 dimensional look. The colored images are attached to a blue panel with some torn cardstock grass along the bottom.

I used a pair of papers from Basic Grey's Green at Heart line to cover most of the cardfront. A pair of ribbons, one orange corduroy and one yellow velvet with a scalloped edge, run across the patterned paper panel. I attached the completed image panel to the cardfront on an angle and added a green button, knotted with some twine, as an accent at the lower left corner of the image panel. The coordinating sentiment is set across the top right corner of the image panel.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Chicken Girl Design Team to see what they've created using these fun images. Here's where to find them:

Christy ~~Loretta~~Lori (you're here)~~Tammy~~Carlie

Michele~~Laura~~Judy~~Kate

Materials Used:

from i {heart} papers: Chicken Girl Design Just Lion Around digi image, Couture Cardstock white cardstock, Copic markers (E25, E31, E33, E39, YG0000, YG11, YG13, YG17, Y00, Y11, Y13, Y17, Y18, Y35, Y38, YR16, R32), Basic Grey Green at Heart designer paper, Kioshi button, May Arts orange corduroy ribbon, Cosmo Cricket yellow scalloped velvet trim

other: Old Olive, Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery, and Crumb Cake cardstock (Stampin' Up!); foam tape

Going Fishing with Chicken Girl Design

It was so nice to get the chance to meet the super sweet and super talented Mercy last week in Chicago at CHA! I used her sketch for inspiration for this fun card featuring a digi image from Chicken Girl Design. I met Chicken Girl herself (also known as Jannie) last week, too, when she joined the i {heart} papers DT to walk the trade show floor on the first day of the show.

I printed the Gone Fishing digi image on a white cardstock panel and cut it out with a circle Nestabilities die, then colored the image with Copic markers. I printed the image a second time so I could cut out just the fish and attach it to the image with foam tape for a just-jumped-out-of-the-water-and-on-to-the-fishing-line look. The water droplets around the fish are coated with some Glossy Accents for a watery look.

I used a piece of Cosmo Cricket’s Joy Ride patterned paper to cover most of the cardfront. The panel underneath the image is embossed to add some interest. A strip of coordinating faux suede ribbon runs across the cardfront. I accented it with a corduroy brad to add some more texture.

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers: Chicken Girl Design Gone Fishing digi image, Couture Cardstock medium weight white Copic blending cardstock, Copic markers (Y000, Y17, Y21, Y23, Y35, YR16, YR21, YR24, BG000, BG02, BG11, BG32, BG49, R 30, E000, E25, E27, E31, E33, E35, C00, C-1, C-3, C-5), Ranger Glossy Accents, Cosmo Cricket Joy Ride designer paper, Spellbinders circle Nestabilities dies, May Arts light blue faux suede ribbon, Zva Creative corduroy brad

other: Hawaiian Shores cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Crumb Cake cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); foam tape

IHP DT Challenge: Playing with Patterned Paper

This month’s i {heart} papers design team challenge is all about patterned paper. IHP carries a fabulous selection of 12 x 12 papers that will meet pretty much every possible stamping and/or scrapping need. And, right now, lots of that paper (and other stuff, too!) is on sale in preparation for bringing in lots of new goodies after CHA at the end of this month. After hopping around the DT blogs, be sure to visit IHP to check out the sale!

I used some bold and bright patterned papers for this card from October Afternoon’s Night Light Collection Kit. They provided a perfect background for the space characters in the Out of this World digi image from the latest Chicken Girl Design release. I printed the image on white cardstock and colored it with Copic markers, then carefully cut out each of the characters. It’s hard to see in the photo, but I added some Glossy Accents to the helmets for a glass-like look. They’re attached to the blue patterned paper panel with foam tape.

I used a red star patterned paper from the same collection for the panel peeking out at an angle from behind the image panel. The sentiment is attached tab-style underneath the image panel. I added a strip of red twill across the card and accented it with a pair of sparkly stars. It was three stars, but Chloe the cutie puppy stole one and ate it . . .

Be sure to check out what the rest of the IHP DT has created using patterned papers. 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: Chicken Girl Design Out of This World digi image, Couture Cardstock medium weight white Copic blending cardstock, Copic markers (YG000, YG01, YG05, YG07, B0000, B21, B24, B34, E0000, E000, E00, E99, R22, R24, R27, R30, C-1, C-3- C-5), October Afternoon Night Light Collection Kit, Ranger Glossy Accents, May Arts red twill, Petaloo Dazzlers-small stars

other: Enchanted Evening cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Shimmery White cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); foam tape

Blast Off

Here's my card for today's SCS featured stamper challenge. It's based on this sweet and simple design found here in Latisha's gallery.

I put my own spin on the design by replacing the flying ladybug image with a flying rocket ship. The rocket ship image is from the July Chicken Girl Design digi release. I printed the image on white cardstock and colored it with Copic markers. I added some interest and dimension with silver Liquid Pearls and Glossy Accents (for the clear window). The rocket is added to the dark, space sky with foam tape.

I replaced the curved ground in the original card with a bumpy moon. To get the moon panel, I cut a yellow circle with the largest circle Nestabilities die, then ran it through my Big Shot with a Polka Dot embossing folder. The image's matching sentiment is layered over the moon panel with some foam tape. A trio of sparkly stars fills out the sky and the card.

Materials Used
from i {heart} papers: Chicken Girl Design Blast Off digi image, Couture Cardstock medium weight white Copic blending cardstock, Copic markers (R12, R22, R24, R27, R, 81, E31, E33, E35, Y13, Y18, YR16, C00, C-1, C-3, C-5, B0000), Ranger Silver Pearl Liquid Pearls and Glossy Accents, Nestabilities circle dies, QuicKutz Polka Dots embossing folder, Petaloo Dazzlers-small stars

other: Night of Navy, Real Red, and Barely Banana cardstock (Stampin' Up!); foam tape

Introducing the Chicken Girl Design July Digi Collection

The July Chicken Girl Design digi image collection is now available at i {heart} papers. This month's collection includes 4 adorable images (Pig Balloon, Blast Off, Gone Fishing, and Out of This World)that are available for download for $2.50 each or as a collection for $8.50

I've been wanting to try a tent card for a while now so I made one using the Pig Balloon image from the new release. My card's front measures 5" square and features the cute image dangling from the cutout in the front panel.

I printed the image on white cardstock and colored it with Copic markers. It's hard to see in the photo, but I added a soft blue airbrushed sky and some Crystal Stickles to the clouds for a little sparkle.

I covered most of the front of the tent card with some pink plaid patterned paper from My Mind's Eye. I cut the opening for the image using a Nestabilities circle die. The opening is framed with a decorative scalloped frame made with a big scalloped circle die. Since I didn't have any jump rings around, I hung the image from the top of the opening using clear fishing line--it seemed to work okay as a substitute. A pretty yellow crepe ribbon, tied in a bow using the Bow Easy, decorates the top of the frame and hides where the fishing line .

Be sure to check out what the rest of the Chicken Girl Design Team has created using images from the latest release. Here's where to find them:

Christy ~~Loretta~~Lori (you're here)~~Tammy~~Carlie

Michele~~Laura~~Judy~~Kate

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers: Chicken Girl Design Pig Balloon digi image, Couture Cardstock medium weight white Copic blending cardstock, Copic markers (Y11, Y13, Y18, YG01, YG03, YG05, R000, R21, R30, R81, R83, R85 YR16, B000), Ranger Crystal Stickles, My Mind's Eye Quite Contrary designer paper, Nestabilities circle and big scalloped circle dies, Creative Impressions yellow crepe ribbon, Bow Easy

other: Pretty in Pink and So Saffron cardstock (Stampin' Up!); cloud die (Papertrey Ink); clear fishing line

Congratulations on Your New Home

Here’s my card for this week’s Taylored Expressions sketch challenge. I used one of the digi images from the June Chicken Girl Design release, available exclusively at i {heart} papers, for the card.

The New Home digi image is printed on white cardstock and colored with Copic markers. I added an airbrushed sky behind it (with the help of Chloe the cutie puppy, who was chewing my airbrush’s hose while I worked . . . something about the braided hose really interests her for some reason I can't figure out) and some Glossy Accents to cover the windows for a glass-like appearance.

I left plenty of room at the right side of the image panel to add a pretty ribbon embellishment. I stretched a piece of olive crepe ribbon over the panel and added a matching bow with a brown corduroy brad at the center.

The colored image is layered on a coordinating piece of Basic Grey’s Origins designer paper. I used another piece of Origins paper for the grid-patterned scalloped strip underneath the image. The earthy colors in the papers were perfect for finishing a warm-feeling new home congratulations card.

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers: Chicken Girl Design New Home digi image, Couture Cardstock white medium weight Copic blending cardstock, Copic markers (Y11, Y13, Y18, YG11, YG13, YG17, E35, E37, E39, E99, B0000, B21, YR16, YR24), Ranger Glossy Accents, Creative Impressions olive crepe ribbon, Bow Easy, Zva Creative brown corduroy brad, Basic Grey Origins designer paper

other: Old Olive cardstock, scallop edge punch (Stampin’ Up!)