THD Challenge #12: Flights of Fancy

When I think of this month’s challenge graphic, fancy free comes to mind.  This is absolutely one of my favorite inspirations of the year– and our team really rose to the challenge in their bold and fanciful interpretations.  Can’t really get better than aqua, hot pink and silver or gold.  Look at those old books stacked up (those colors–swoon) or that gilded table setting; not to mention the dress with that bag!

Last month’s turnout was stellar, and I hope you will participate again, and bring your friends to this colorful party!

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I’ve incorporated the colors, butterflies, florals and even books into my piece– and I’ve even upcycled!  The craft/art world sadly generates quite a bit of plastic and waste, so I try to reuse as much of the packaging as I can, and recycle what I cannot.  Here I have used a glossy cardboard purple-dotted background piece from a selection of paperclips. It is cut from the Gina Marie Cross Stitch rectangle die.

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My card also features a favored technique you’ve seen me use before with the Altenew Wild Hibiscus florals and butterfly stamped on vellum and, this time, patterned paper, then heat embossed.  This set is designed for Mother’s Day, which is coming up soon, so I will be featuring the set in a future post that also uses our challenge graphic.  Stay tuned!

Wild Hibiscus

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Where are the books in my design?  Well, hidden a bit, but I have cut a strip from Maggie Holmes’ Chasing Dreams paper collection that matches our inspiration graphic perfectly. This paper is a line up of vintage books– and all our colors are featured!

Crate Paper - Chasing Dreams Collection - 12 x 12 Double Sided Paper - Library

 

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I am having a serious love affair with these Doodlebug Design Matte Sprinkles.  They are exactly  like the old-fashioned button candy that comes on the paper strips.  I loved this candy as a kid, but hated getting the paper off the candies.  The goal was a perfect peel-away.  Nothing worse for a kid with hyper-sensory processing than eating paper!  I am a really tactile person, and certain textures create extremely negative responses. But these little epoxy dots, I really, really want to eat. The colors are ridiculously delicious too. (No sprinkles were hurt or consumed in the making of this card)

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Finally, I used Waffle Flower’s With Love die for the sentiment, adhering only one corner and popping it up for dimension.  You know I love my dimension and texture!  The inside is finished with some ombre washi.  If you are wondering about the phenomenal background paper– well, sadly it is no longer available.  This is truly a one-of-a-kind card because it uses a scrap of old Basic Grey paper.  Amy and I horde our Basic Grey, but it comes out every now and again for special cards!  I sure do miss that company!

But Tonya’s has many great items from some of your favorite companies– so this month play along, possibly with some new goodies from THD–check out her updated selection!

I can’t wait to see how you’re inspired!

Take flight!

PNW Birthday Buddies

 

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Laura, I am sorry that the sun is not shining for you in the PNW (what else is new), I am sorry that Mercury is in retrograde (thus all my uploading woes), and thus I do apologize for being so unfashionably late. All that being said, I sure hope you have had a wonderful birthday weekend, and caught some sunny spring splendor Friday or late yesterday!  What a wonderful time of the year for a birthday when everything is bursting to life!

This card was inspired by the season and earth day!  I can’t wait to get digging in the dirt and my containers, as the front of the house is looking like a wasteland after the winter!

I’ve had this printed acetate from Studio Calico for awhile now and kept wanting to use it, but not really feeling inspired to.  Sometimes just spending time with your stash, organizing, reminding yourself of forgotten dies, and sifting through the bits and bobs leads to inspiration.  This is a a combo of new and old, and features a few different techniques.

For example, the hummingbird set from Hero Arts is brand new; I love these dies so much–you’ll be seeing more of this and the other bird soon.  I adhered some washi from a great Michael’s collection to some cardstock and then die cut.  I like this technique and it is a great way to create unique papers and use up washi, especially that which is getting older and losing its stick.

The sentiment from Papertrey Ink is adhered below the acetate.  Because anything will show under the acetate, adhering it itself is tricky, so glue dots were used under the die cuts.

The little Wellie is from an older My Creative Time die set.  The top layer of the boot is cut from hand-colored Ranger glossy paper using a combo of orange, pink and yellow alcohol inks.

I watercolored with brushos, available at The Heart Desires, and cut that paper with the new Waffle Flower leafy dies.   The new Waffle Flower collection looks so good with Savvy dies, and so I united the Savvy floral set here.

The inside is finished with the Michael’s washi set.

I’m the last stop on the hop, so make sure to head over to Laura’s blog and check out her recent work and wish her a happy birthday!

If you want to start at the beginning, head over to Tonya’s blog, our hostess for the event!

Many blessings to you Laura and your new year!

THD Challenge #10: Let’s Go!

Hi All! Ready to launch into spring and a new challenge month? Pack your bags!!

I’m taking you tropical, channeling the inspiration graphic, and Ms. Keren Baker,  who is always breaking the 4th wall with her cards!  See here and her Instagram. She rocks the acetate cards.

My card is interactive, engages the acetate and incorporates the blue vase and florals in our graphic, along with the colors and geometrics.

I really tuned into that transluscent aqua vase in the photo, and my aqua vellum seemed like a perfect fit, so I cut a circle from the Gina Marie circle cross stitch die, and designed the florals around it.

You’ll likely notice my love affair with the Wild Hibiscus set from Altenew lately.  I just can’t stop stamping these images on vellum!  And heat embossing!  This time I used gorgeous colored vellum with darker ink/embossing powder! All have been fussy cut.

All have been layered on paper embossed with WeRMemory Keepers Gemstone folder— another item I return to time and again!

Here you can see the folder’s dimension better!

I adhered the little dew drops for some interest.

Below you can see the little Delicata gold butterfly, stamped and embossed on gold paper, adhered to its acetate strip.

I flicked some gold Color Shine on the card and finished with washi inside!  The sentiment is from Waffleflower— which Tonya will be getting more of in the store soon!

Come play along and let us see where the inspiration takes you!

 

Other Supplies:
Altenew Striped Flowers (for the leaves)
MFT Primitive White cardstock

 

The Heart Desires: Challenge 9

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Hey Everyone!  It’s that time of the month again over at The Heart Desires and I am so excited to bring you some cards to brighten your February!

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Using Altenew’s Wild Hibiscus and Concord & 9th’s Crazy Awesome sets, I created my first card.  The flowers and bird were stamped on vellum in Unicorn white, heat embossed and fussy cut.

I have layered the focal point on Maggie Holmes’ Bloom and Gather papers.

For my red card, I am featuring Studio Calico’s scissors die— which isn’t easy to find, but Tonya has it for sale in the store!  Cut from foam and layered with pattern paper.

The flowers below are from the Crazy Awesome set, created the same way as those on the other card.  Border papers are from Maggie Holmes’ Bloom collection.

I hope you will get crazy creative with us this month over at The Heart Desires!