Be Mine

Good day my blogger friends. Valentine's Day, the day of love, is fast approaching, so I made this little card yesterday for my 8 years old granddaughter. I had loads of laughs last night with her. We are making little Valentine goody-bags together for her classmates, and while working on them, she expounded on her ideas about crushes and love.Seems as if not too much as changed between the time I and her Mother were eight years old -- cute is the main and singular criteria for young love. Made me question at what age we start getting wiser and realize that there is a lot more to relationships besides looks. Oh well, at eight, looks and candy are enough -- let's not rush the innocence and delight of childhood -- it fades far too quickly as it is.

So, on to my little card. I'm showing the outside and inside of this little 6" x 6" valentine. The base of my card is red card. On top of that, I layered a piece of pink card (both were textured so either DCWV or Bazzill). The third layer is little dotty paper from a 6" x 6" We R Memory Keeper pad called Love Struck. My little image (stamp from The Greeting Farm) is on Xpress-It paper and colored with Copic markers. I cut the little image out using a classic oval Spellbinder die and layered it on the scalloped edge oval by Spellbinder. The red heart is also cut with a Spellbinder die and layered onto a purchased paper doily. I inked the edges of the doily with pink ink so that it would stand out a little bit more against the predominately white dotty paper. Lastly, the two tickets are Whimsy ticket stamps cut with the matching ticket die. I adhered the dotty ribbon across the top two layers before layering the image and other embellishments. Those sweet little roses are by Wild Orchid Crafts.

The inside (which doesn't yet have the sentiment) is made using the same pink card that I used on the front and then cutting and layering a smaller classic heart and scalloped heart (Spellbinder dies). I will, of course, add an appropriate and private sentiment especially to/for her.

Now, into my craft room to come up with two (more masculine) Valentines for her two brothers. One can never spread enough love nor too often tell those special people how much they are loved. At our house (hopefully) we don't need a special day for the purpose of love; however, it is kind of fun to get the chocolates, eh?

I plan to enter this card in the following challenges:
http://www.craftysentiments.blogspot.com/ - Let's Get Girly
http://digitaltuesdaychallenge.blogspot.com/ - Pink or Red
http://ladybugscraftsinkchallengeblog.blogspot.com/  Loves Me, Loves Me Not
http://sassycherylschallenge.blogspot.com/ - Be My Valentine
http://tuesdaytaggers.blogspot.com/ - For a True Love

White on White

This week our challenge at Card Crafter's Circle is to create using white on white. White is such an elegant colour (or is that lack of colour??) when layered on top of itself. You may use a wee bit of colour if you are using an image, but the base card should be white only. Our sponsor for the week is Whoopsi Daisy! Linnie creates delightful images, and there are so many darling ones from which to choose that you will have a hard time making your decision! Do visit her store and look around. She has great prices. Our randomly drawn challenge winner will receive their choice of two sheets of digital images.

The cards created and shared by the Card Crafter's Circle design team are visual delights, so hop over to http://cardcrafterscircle.blogspot.com/ and treat yourself to some fantastic eye candy!

For my card, I used the little starlight fairy image and a combination of different dies. The card base is white, of course, and onto that, I adhered a large scalloped square which was cut using a Lifestyle Crafts nesting lace square die. Next, I added a beautiful Dainty Dutch Deco Frame (DL141) by Cheery Lynn and then a round doily (floral doily motifs, S5-041) by Spellbinder. My image is lightly coloured using Copic markers and then cut out using the Spellbinder Labels Four (S4-190) nesting die. I printed the sentiment off from my computer and cut it using just the top portion of a Spellbinder's Labels Ten nestabilities die. Lastly, I added the little bouquet of white flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts and the little white pearls (from Michaels) in each corner.

White on white make such beautiful cards -- and there is no colour coordinating, so easy-peasy! I hope you will give it a try and then enter what you make in this week's challenge at Card Crafter's Circle (http://cardcrafterscircle.blogspot.com/). Hope to be back soon with more inspiration for you.

I am entering this card in the following challenges:
http://craftysentiments.blogspot.com/ - Punches and/or dies
http://mytimetocraftchallenge.blogspot.com/ - A is adorable
http://diecuttindivas.blogspot.com/ - Anything Goes
http://kaboodledoodles.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/challenge-104-its-all-about-girls-make.html - All About Girls
http://paper-craftingjourney.blogspot.com/ - Fairies and/or Angels

Friendship

It is appropriate that this week's challenge at Card Crafter's Circle is about friendship and is called FEEL GOOD WITH A FRIEND. I am late getting my DT blog posted because I was on the computer for hours last night arranging a flight to visit two special friends. I will be flying to Indianapolis 17th February, and to say that I'm excited is quite an understatement! Anyway, on to this week's challenge card as I've procrastinated this post long enough.

Our sponsor for this week is Happileigh Scrappin'! Leigh creates both coloured and uncoloured images, and they are delightful! Our randomly drawn challenge winner will receive the fabulous selection of digital images that our design team used this week... what a great prize!

My image is called Tea Cup Stack (http://hlscteaparty.blogspot.com/). Isn't it beautiful? I did actually colour my own image using the black and white digi, but I ended up using the coloured file from Happileigh for my card instead. Although I liked my own work (and will use it for another card), I liked the soft, Victorian look of the coloured image Leigh provided. (I'm an old fashion gal at heart in many ways - grin!)

I used a soft, printed DP that also had (to me) a Victorian feel. The card base is white with a layer of green then the DP.  I cut the Happileigh image out using a Marianne die (CR1204) which I got from Dutch Paper Crafts (link in my sidebar). This lovely die comes with the oval frame and three flower petal shape dies. The flowers at the top of my card were made using the flower petal dies and giving dimension to them by cutting, curling and stacking the pieces. The leaves are cut from a die (Cheery Lynn B117) that I also got from Dutch Paper Crafts. Lastly, I added a sheer ribbon and bow. There is plenty of room at the bottom of the card to add an outside sentiment appropriate to whatever your need (a nice rectangle with inked edges then matted on the green would look great and is what I should have done -- am a wee bit frustrated that I didn't quite "finish" this card, but it is gone so can't add the sentiment as I should have).

So there you have it. I hope you will be inspired to create your own friendship card -- next to a good family, good friends are life's greatest blessings. Remember not to take them for granted and to tell them often how special they are.

I've Debuted

My first set of designs as a DT for Dutch Paper Crafts debuted today with a video of the dies and cards that I made. It was really rather exciting. If you would like to see the video, it is at http://dutchpapercrafts.blogspot.com/2012/01/marianne-craftables-for-sale.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Dutchpapercrafts+%28DutchPaperCrafts%29

It is my intent, now that Darlene has the projects posted, to show them individually here on my blog with instructions on how I made each even though Darlene did give an over-view of what I did on her video. The operative word in the above sentence is "intent."  I'm currently working on the second assignment for Darlene. There are 12 dies in my new set, so am working hard to get the samples done and back to her ASAP.

This new adventure in my life has been so much fun. I never imagined that I would be so blessed to have the opportunity to share my work with others in such a manner. The dies that Darlene carries at Dutch Paper Crafts (remember, the link is on my sidebar) are some of the prettiest dies available to us crafters. She strives to give us the tools, at reasonable prices, to make it so easy for anyone to create beautiful works of art.

Bear the Challenge

I have to admit that it took a lot of constraint on my part to keep from using all various forms of bear puns for the title and beginning of this blog entry. This week's challenge at Card Crafter's Circle is to use bears, and our delightful images were provided by Janet, at Pink Gem Designs! Our randomly drawn challenge winner will receive their choice of any 4 Black/White images from Pink Gem.

Our DT have provided some wonderful cards for your inspiration, so drop by http://cardcrafterscircle.blogspot.com/, have a look and then get creating and enter your own wonderful bear artwork in our weekly challenge.

My card was made using Fairy Teddy (http://www.pinkgemdesigns.com/catalog/fairy-teddy-digi-stamp-p-778.html). Isn't that just the sweetest, most huggable looking little teddy? The image came in .png format, .jpeg format and colour graphic format. The .png and .jpeg are black and white images allowing you to colour as you desire. The coloured format, of course, is already coloured for you. I chose to colour my own image using my Copic markers. I then cut out the image using a classic oval Spellbinder die. I cut a second oval from pearly hot pink card using the Spellbinder beaded oval die, and I layered the image onto the pink. My card base is white card, then a layer of the same hot pink and then a layer of piece of stripey paper from a We R Memory Keepers 6" x 6" paper pad called "Love Struck." Across the stripey paper, I've added a strip of dotty paper from the same pad. Atop the dotty paper, I've added white satin ribbon and bow. Below the bow, I added some small pink roses and two stick pins (Wild Orchid Crafts). Lastly, I printed a computer generated sentiment which I cut into a circle and backed with an embossed circle of the hot pink. I popped the ovals with image up using pop dot foam, and I lifted the sentiment slightly using less thick pop dot foam.

I hope my little card will help inspire you. Thank you for stopping by.

Stay Tuned

This post is sans photo. I have some exciting news that I've been wanting to share with you, my wonderful followers. Do you love those fancy doilies and die cuts that you see on many beautiful cards? Do you want to enlarge your cache of tools that make your card making and scrapping easier? Do you constantly wish you would win a lottery so that you can buy the dies and tools on your ever growing wish list?

A month or so ago, I was contacted by a wonderful lady by the name of Darlene Placito asking if I would be interested in creating samples for her online blog store using some of the industry's more beautiful dies. Of course I jumped at the chance. I'd been purchasing Marianne, Cheery Lynn and Memory Box dies from Darlene for some time. I found her prices to be, in many cases, better than those of other vendors, and her service and personal attention to orders superb. I felt honored and blessed that Darlene contacted me.

I would like to ask that you take a look at Darlene's site (click on the photo to the right and it will take you directly there). Dutch Paper Crafts is set up in blog format. You can scroll down (and then click "older posts" for more) to see samples of the products Darlene offers. In order to place an order, you need to email her. If she is out of a product, she will immediately contact you (in many cases, she will try to get it for you). The site is a little different from the usual online "stores" in that you don't have a click to order option, but let me assure you that Darlene will answer you ASAP -- her prices and service are well worth the little extra effort.

I hope, soon, to be able to share some of the samples I've sent to Darlene. In the mean time, I will continue to share my weekly DT card for Card Crafter's Circle (newest to be posted later this evening) as well as personal cards (which haven't been as many lately) as I make them.

Thank you for continuing to support me by following my humble little blog. Blessings to all of you.

Birthday Challenge

This week, at Card Crafter's Circle, the challenge is to make a birthday card. Our delightful images were provided by our wonderful sponsor the awesome MelJens Designs! Our randomly drawn challenge winner will receive their choice of 4 Black/White images... what a great prize!

My card uses this delightful little rodent popping out of a yummy cake (isn't he darling?). He is called Birthday Cake Mouse and he can be found at http://shop.meljensdesigns.com/Birthday-Cake-Mouse-MD0039.htm.  If you check out the DT cards at the CardCraftersCircle blog, you will find some amazing (and colourful) cards, and of course, we'd love to see your own creations using the birthday theme.

My image was printed onto Cryogen paper and coloured with my Copic markers. I then cut the image into a circle using one of my Spellbinder dies. The decorative circle behind the image is a Marianne Design die (LR0152). I did not emboss the Marianne die this time (although that would have also worked), but opted to leave the space (where you see some pearls) blank. The center (white) section is cut using a Fiskar's border punch. I punched a strip of the border and then flipped it top to bottom and cut another strip of the design close to the first strip to make the design. The oval sentiment was a freebie. The pink border around the sentiment is made by colouring with one of the colours I used for the cake frosting. I cut it out and then used small pop-dots to lift it slightly off the card. I added the blue pearls around the Marianne die cut, the upper corner of the card and on each side of the sentiment.

Hope you enjoy.