Elizabeth Craft Stickers - Fanstatic Aid to Quick Cards

I've tried to have a considered effort at using the supplies in the stash.  Some supplies were purchased at a convention that came home and just were stored - not to be used.  The Elizabeth Craft stickers, Flowers in Frame, I used to make this card is a good example.

I adhered the sticker to a piece of transparent adhesive sheet and covered the sticky back with transparent glitter.  I then used my Distress Markers to color the glitter.  The result is this stained glass effect.  Simple and easy to do, but it gives a lovely finish.

Sentiments inside and out are from a Heartfelt Creations set.  Elegant and matching the style of the sticker, this card went together in a snap.  I've a few more stickers in the set, so I think I'll finish the project and use up the rest making a set of cards.  Stay tuned!

Cards Made From My Besties Digital Stamps

I'm popping in today to share the finished cards Brandy made using the images colored in her self-challenge.  The finish is simple - these cards ended up being going-away messages for two of her little second cousins who moved away recently.  The little girls holding a letter seemed so fitting!!

The swirls were stampes and embossed to create background for the focal point images which were cut using frame dies.  A little SSS butterfly die cut with a body made of a gem set just the right accent to keep the focus on the colored image.

You gotta know I love this little green card (my favorite color).  She's just so charming, don't you think?  The yellow butterfly, the blue hat with such depth... perfectamundo.

We will both wish you all happy crafting.  Challenge yourself, make something happy, send it out to the world.  These are the reasons we craft and I can't wait to see what you make!

A Baby Girl Gift Set

I had occassion to whip up a little mini-album for a co-worker who celebrated the addition of a baby girl to his family.  I think the short timing of this project allowed for multple mistakes and so I am a little critical. However, I think that might be in my own mind, so I share...

I used leftovers of different baby projects from the past several months.  I think the projects is relatively cohesive and a good example that I don't always have to go out and purchase supplies for every project.  I tried to keep the project goal in the forefront - a simple photo album, 4 x 6 sized so the new mom didn't have to edit much, just paste photos into the page.

Most of the charm is in the fabulous patterned paper which comes from the Simple Stories Hello Baby paper set.

I made the album pages out of white cardstock and set my three hole punch to the proper two hole setting in order to utilize the Ranger/Tim Holtz premade binder.  Last, but not least, a small card to wish the happy couple joy in their latest daughter.  All simple stuff, but with the charm filled patterened paper the whole thing is adorable.

I challenge you to look to the stash and the leavings from other projects.  There are gems waiting to be used - papers feeling lonely and longing to be adored in a project. Satisfy their needs and consume them.  Look what might happen!

A Color Challenge Using Spectrum Noir Colored Pencils

I get the distinct pleasure of sharing with you a color challenge that Brandy set herself!  In this case, she used digital images from Sheri Baldy's My Besties collection.  Digital images are fun because of the immediate gratification - purchase and print. Just be sure to print using a toner printer to prevent bleeding during the coloring process.  In this case, Brandy loaded the images into a file on a thumb drive and took it to Fed Ex/Kinkos who copied multiple pages (in multiple sizes created by Brandy in the file) onto a white cardstock they had available.  



















Each image was colored with a different set of watercolor pencils.  The challenge was to make the coloring work with the limited color pallette.  A Derwent blender pencil was used on each hat and the pink girl's hair in order to blend the color a bit.  Otherwise, all blending was accomplished using the colored pencil only.

This pink lady is Brandy's least favorite.  The colored pencil set was extremely pink heavy which left little contrast in the image.  Isn't it fantastic, despite being limited?

A black marker was used to define the hair of the African American girl in green.

All in all, this was a successful color challenge.  Brandy is going to make a couple of these gals into cards.  Once I get the photos and edit them, I'll be sure and share the finished result with all of you.



















How can you challenge yourself?  What tools, techniques or inspiration urges you to stretch your creativity.  I know Brandy inspires me, I hope the same for all of you.

I'm going to enter the Blue girl in Simon Says Stamp's Leap into the Unknown challenge.  I think Brandy's self challenge is definitely a leap into the unknown.  If you give it a try, join the fun.

Gorjuss Girl - Ladybird

Brandy's image imspired me to find and share this photo of a card made a while ago.  I used my Gorjuss Ladybird stamp with Archival black ink onto Bristol paper.  I colored the image with my Inktense pencils and then die cut with a Spellbinders die.  The background paper is from the stash and made a perfect setting for this lovely girl.  The flowers were cut with my IO Spiral Flowers die and the butterfly cut from patterned paper using my Prickly Pear Mini Butterflies die.  Some floral sprig die cuts and a sentiment frame from the coordinating paper and this birthday card is done.  I am so pleased with how this turned out and I think the lovely lady who received this card felt special.

I hope March finds you happy and healthy.  I fly to Denver tomorrow to visit with my grandparents.  They will celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary Sunday and we'll all be there to mark and remember.  This is a monumentous occassion and I can't wait to see them!