Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Get in the Spotlight!

This week's challenge theme at SweetStamps.com is Spotlighting. I wanted to create a reverse spotlight and use a bottle cap to put my reverse spotlight in, but since we are traveling cross country this week I only had a an hour or so to put this together and I didn't have time to hunt for my bottlecaps!
So here is my spotlighted card:
I used these products:
466G Embroidery Basket image by SweetStamps.com
tan and patterned paper from my stash
FRM135 Swedish Spring Oval Frame die by Cheery Lynn Designs
B162 Lace Corner Deco B dies by Cheery Lynn Designs
Large Corner Rounder


Here's a look at an angle, the white EP really sparkles IRL! And you can see the dimension of the rose in the center of the basket.
Join in the fun and have your creation in the spotlight at the SweetStamps blog this week...you could win $20 of rubber stamps!

Don't forget to stop by the challenge blog and check out all the awesome cards from the design team!


See you next week when we'll have a Blog Hop showcasing SweetStamps NEW RELEASE!


I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Creative Card Crew - #7 Spring
Paper & Such Design Blog - Spring or Easter 
Shopping Our Stash - #45 Circles or Dots
Paper Pretties - Paper Piecing or Piercing
Paper Cupcakes - Less is More
One Stop Craft Challenge - #175 Clean & Simple


Happy stamping,

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Hippity, Hoppity, Easter's on it's Way!

Greetings! It's gotten cold here in Arizona...even colder than back home in Michigan! But that's bound to change soon, after all, Easter's on it's way!
I worked on this card a little bit at the Tucson, AZ show but just finished it up Monday night. Here's my Easter creation, hope you like it.
I stamped Hunny Bunny in White Dye Ink onto 36# Vellum, heat embossed with Medieval Metals fine detail EP, etched some white into her eyes and fur (with stylus tools on the blue embossing pad), then colored using a tan marker from my Pergamano Marker set and a Dove Blender. Since Hunny Bunny is such a cutie, I had to give her some sparkly eye shadow (done with Pink Star & Rose Star Gelly Roll Stardust Pens and a Dove Blender). In the stamped image, she is holding a flower which I covered with a 3D flower I made using Cheery Lynn's Miniature Rose die. I adhered Hunny to a piece of ivory CS and pierced the image out with my 4-Split Needle Tool and Black Perforating Pad.
Little sidebar here: Have you seen the Reflections Boutique dies that Cheery Lynn has come out with? They ROCK! At the Tucson show I had cut a large scalloped circle from a 8" x 8" pattern paper from Hideaway - with my Vagabond. How cool is it that you can cut a large shaped die from a small machine (like the Big Shot or Cuttlebug)? AWESOME!

Ok, back to the card: The top of my card is a Scalloped Circle Reflections Boutique Die (Cheery Lynn). I only cut the one side because that is all I wanted to use. I created a score line one scallop width across the semicircle and taped that area to the back of the card with 1/4" Super Sticky Tape. I stamped Easter Blessings in Grassroots Shades™ Dye Ink and used the Scalloped Square XL Stacker Dies (Cheery Lynn) to create the rectangle...I couldn't locate my scalloped rectangle dies, so I cut a bigger square and then lined up diecut in the edges inside the square die to create the rectangle! It was also sponged with Grassroots ink. Satin Rose Shades™ Dye Ink was sponged onto the edges of the semicircle and the edges of the SF2 Stacker Flower #2 die (which I trimmed in diameter using Scalloped Circle Window Little Stackers dies also from Cheery Lynn). I used 2-1/2" Super Sticky Tape, patterned paper from Spring Feast and **a NEW product** Sugar Beads on the smaller blossom from Judy's Blooms die (Cheery Lynn) and layered that on top of the SF2 Stacker Flower #2. To finish this piece, I added dots of Petal Pink Liquid Pearls around the scallops - which was very easy since there is a little piercing in the center of each scallop which I used as a guide for my pearls.
For the inside of the card (under the top flap) I stamped Egg-stra Special Easter in Nightfall Shades™ Dye Ink onto a Scalloped Coved Rectangle XL Stacker diecut from white CS, edged in Satin Rose Shades™ Dye Ink and layered onto a beautiful paper from Spring Feast on the next size Scalloped Coved Rectangle XL Stacker die (Cheery Lynn).
I used the bow die from Cheery Lynn's Bow & Bell set to create the bow on top of the egg. The die cuts out a delicate outline, but I wanted to make it look like a real ribbon, so I cut out another bow and took the inside pieces (cut from Spring Feast paper) and placed them into the outline bow that was cut from pink CS. I cut the Grass Border out of green CS three times and layered some of it so that it overlapped itself at the bottom of the card.
Here's a close up of the Easter egg which was created with the Lace Egg Four die cut out of Starfire Holographic CS, placed onto 2-1/2" Super Sticky Tape and backed onto a 36# Vellum egg cut from the smallest die in the Egg Nest set. I used my new Sugar Beads on the top of the egg and colored the vellum on the back of the egg with fade resistant Pitt Artist Pens.

This card is being entered into the following challenges:
Cheery Lynn Designs - Challenge #20 Easter
Paper Pretties - Easter Challenge 
There She Goes - TSG148 Easter & Animals 
Dream Valley Challenges - #28 Easter 
My Sheri Crafts - Challenge #81 Easter  
Crafty Boots - Easter 
Little Claire Designs - #19 Spring/Easter

Now I know we'd all like to see your Easter creation so please hop on over to join us for this week's challenge at SweetStamps.com - you could win $20 of SweetStamps images!

Happy stamping,

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Think Spring @ SweetStamps!

Is the weather getting warmer where you are? We've been in Arizona and it's been a little windy, but nice outside (especially compared to what we are used to in Michigan!)

Our challenge this week at SweetStamps.com is "Think Spring". The first thought that pops in my head when I "Think Spring" is flowers, and I thought it would be fun to create a card that could hold a bookmark or gift card, so here's what I came up with...
All designer papers are from the Bo Bunny Welcome Home paper pack, and all the dies used are from Cheery Lynn Designs. I started by cutting B117 Fanciful Flourish die and adhered that with Krylon Spray Adhesive to the card base. I added shimmer to the flourish by painting it with CI Paints in Citrus. I sponged the 6x6 card with French Roast Shades™ Dye Ink and Carmel CI Paint to add a shimmery sparkle to the edges. I used ZVA Pearls in a light brown to add some bling here and there.
7057G Three Wild Rose Garland was stamped in Tuxedo Black Memento ink on Cryogen White paper and colored with Copics (Spring Leaf Trio and Teal Trio). The image was cut out with a 4-Split Needle Tool on the Black Perforating Mat and Daffodil Liquid Pearls were added to the centers of the flowers. 
 I used Candi Fix foam dots to adhere the flower garland to B124 Garden Gate die that I had cut twice to create a 3D gate. I put a strip of cardstock along the bottom of the two die cut gates (adhered with Ultimate Glue) to create a pocket. 

For the flower embellishment, I cut a base from French Flair Little Stacker die and sponged with White Dye Ink. To create the flower, I folded Candi legless brads (NEW COLOR: Baker Street) in half and adhered with Ultimate Glue around a foam dotted Candi center.

DL112 Butterfly was cut from blue paper with the matching DL112A angel wing cut from light tan CS. Two additional butterflies were cut from brown patterned paper, folded in half and adhered (sides together) to create a 3D butterfly.

The bookmark was created from the Scalloped Coved Rectangle die that was mounted onto a patterned DP - both edged with French Roast Shades™ Dye Ink - and embellished with Split Pea Rhinestones in the corners along with a DL112 butterfly die cut in brown. It was finished with white satin ribbon that was painted with Carmel CI Paint and a pretty flower brad from my stash.


Spring on over to the SweetStamps blog for inspiration from the talented ladies of the design team. Play along with us this week and you could win a $20 shopping spree for rubber stamps at SweetStamps.com!

I'm entering this into the following challenges:
Cheery Lynn Designs - #19 Add A Flourish
Paper Creations Ink - #20 Spring is in the Air 
Cutie Pie Challenge #13 Pearls & Swirls  
There She Goes Clear Stamps - Hidden Surprise
Dream Valley Challenges - #27 Mother's Day 
Gingerloft Challenge #35 Spring 
Penny Black & More @ Allsorts - Springtime 
Crazy 4 Challenges - C4C127 Spring

Happy stamping,

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Make Mine Monochromatic

This week's challenge at SweetStamps.com is Monochromatic. Here is a sweet & simple card I created for this challenge using one of my favorite flower stamps:
I used the following SweetStamps images: 

Shades™ Dye ink in the following colors:


along with:

Latte self-adhesive Pearl Strips
Cream CS
Lace from my stash 

I wasn't sure how the flowers would look in browns, but I think it gives it a vintage feel!

Don't forget to check out the SweetStamps blog for inspiration from the talented ladies on the design team. Play along with us this week and you could win a $20 shopping spree for rubber stamps at SweetStamps.com!
See ya next week when our challenge will be Think Spring!