Tag, You're It

Holy Moly, is it really great to be home.  For those of you, who don't live here in central New Mexico, we had a bit of snow fall on the city.  That isn't the tragedy.  Well, the storm really hit the northern border of Texas and Oklahoma.  So, they closed I-40 East.  They closed the freeway Sunday evening, and didn't re-open it till Tuesday.  I take the freeway to get home from work.  And I was on-call at the hospital Sunday night.  And the snow plows didn't start on I-40 East in our area till after 3a Monday.  But then again, they don't really know how to plow anyways.  They are better at dumping red dirt on top of the snow.  Blah, blah, blah . . .   I could go on, but I'm sure that you didn't stop here to hear about my crying.

The wonderful ladies over @ Nacho Average Challenge have a very creative sketch for you to try this week.  I'm sure you will have fun with this sketch!

Before you pass us by.  Don't let the large pennant discourage you.  I added a torn edge, a doily, and a slightly off-center tag.  Here is what I did!

I did alot of masking on the tag.  I stamped two postage stamps and two flowers.  I inked my text wheel and ran it across the lower third of the tag.  I stamped the flowers again and fussy cut them out  and used foam tape to pop them off the tag.  I stamped a sentiment banner and machine stitched it to the tag.  I used a 'water mark' stamp to help age the tag.  

I tore a measuring tape DSP to resemble some what of a triangle shape.  I also added a paper doily.  I ran a strip of crochet trim and vanilla seam binding down the middle of the card.  I machine that too.  I tied a multi-loop bow with the seam binding and added a fabric blossom to the center of the bow.

I hope you get a chance to play along with us @ NAC.

I am participating in the Natural History Museum Chocolate Fantasy, again this year.  I'll post photos of my chocolate sculpture on Sunday, as the judging is on Saturday.  Wish me luck!

New Things

Hello.  I hope your weekend is going well.  I know for me, if I get a chance to craft, it is a good day.  And well, today is a good day.  But right now, my mind is traveling in several different directions.  So, staying on task has been a challenge.  

I am participating in the Natural History Museum Chocolate Fantasy this year.  And I have been busy working on my sculpture, as well as perfecting my bite-size chocolates for the attendees.  So, please check back late this week, for a peak at what I did.  As the competition is Saturday March 2, 2013.  So, I need to have everything done and ready for judging by 1p that day.

Meanwhile, I have created a lovely card, for a lovely lady.  One of the things that I find fascinating about blogging, is the wide range of folks you interact with.  Folks that you wouldn't normally meet at a craft fair, or a grocery store.  This is a belated Birthday card, for a fellow design team member.  She is quite talented.  From her blog, and working with her, I have discovered that she treasures her friends, and her crafts.  

While crafting a Birthday card for Paula, I thought, why not create Birthday cards for the other design team members for their birthdays.  I'm a bit late for Sue, but I hope she knows that it is not reflective to my happy wishes for her.

I hope you get a chance to play along with your favorite challenges this week, and enjoy the process.

HB, Paula

Happy Saturday!  It's time for another challenge @ Our Creative Corner.  Paula, has an interesting color challenge for us to try this week.  Paula, wants you to create a cake creation using Red, Blue, and Yellow with layer upon layer.  My first question was what shade of red, or blue.  The yellow, I pretty much have that covered.  But, Paula mentions super hero s, so the shades I selected are deep and bright.  

Here is my card: 

For those who know me, this is not my typical color combo.  But, this is labeled as a challenge.  I selected Not Quite Navy for my card base.  I thought this color would help ground my card and give it a starting point.  Not only as the card base, but a base for coordinating the other colors.  The blue/yellow pattern paper is from a Teresa Collins collection, I believe.  The text pattern paper is from Paper Studio.  I used my red to showcase embellishments.  I used an Authentique Valentine's Day themed paper for the red/cream polka dot pattern paper.  I added a scrap piece of the red checker ribbon to add a splash of color towards the bottom of the card.  I used my Utility stamp set for the cake and the sentiment.  I used white embossing powder and my heat gun to emboss the cake image.   I just love the shading.  I added a lady bug fabric brad to attach the multi-loop bow to the top of the birthday tag.
I hope you get a chance to play along with us @ OCC.

Every Bunny

Whew, it's finally Friday.  This week has been extra brutal at work.  One of my friends told me yesterday, that she would love to quit her paying job and just stay home: cook, clean, and tote her children to their organized events.  And after the day we had at work, I almost could.  But, I have grown accustom to my pay check.

One of the ways that I keep my sanity, is by creating.  Mostly paper crafts.  But, right now, I'd love to sit at my sewing machine to whip something together.  The thought of sitting at my sewing machine and the humm is like music to my ears.  

On Fridays, the lovely ladies over @ Sketch Frenzy Friday, provide us with a sketch, and we hope to inspire you to play along.  However, today, I am the creator of this weeks sketch!

here is the sketch:

As you know, I am a fan of multiple elements.  And so I have different elements and layers to this weeks sketch.

here is what I created:

The card base is basic grey card stock.  I used some polka dot pattern paper from the Neutral DSP.  I ran a scrap piece of pink pirouette through my Lacey Brocade EF.  I love the delicate design.  I inked the lace wheel with basic grey classic ink and created my own piece of lace trim.  I wrapped a piece of pink pirouette taffeta ribbon around the card, to help hide the seam, and tied it into a bow.  I stamped the sentiment in basic grey classic ink and used the modern label hand-held punch to create the decorative label.  For the focal image, I stamped the bunny in basic grey classic ink, and used my blender pen to color the image.  I stamped the dress portion of the bunny onto pink pirouette card stock and fussy cut the dress.  

I used the framelits labels to create the decorative piece.  To create the blossom, I used the floral fusion die and the buttons #5 for the button center.  I added a trio of pearl jewels in opposite corners, to add a feminine touch.

I love this grey and pink color combo.  I think it looks so elegant.  I also hope that we have inspired you to play along with us @ SFF.

Create Happiness

This week, over @ Nacho Average Challenge have a color challenge for you this week.  I have to admit, when I first saw the colors, I thought, 'what can I make with these colors?'  You see, they are not the typical colors that I work with.  But, it is called a challenge.

Here are the colors:

here is what I made:

I stamped the back ground stamp in VersaMark ink onto the Marina Mist card stock.  I used clear embossing powder and heat set the image.  I placed my embellish pieces over the label portion of the main panel piece.  

For the butterfly cluster:  I used the doily die to cut the small doily under the butterfly.  The paper is actually very vanilla card stock.  I sponged daffodil delight onto the card stock.  I used a piece of First Edition DSP and the butterfly die.  I used real red card stock and the beautiful wings die.  I sponged daffodil delight classic ink onto a paper blossom.  I adhered the paper blossom to the red butterfly with a dimensional.  I tied some white bakers twine through a faceted button and added it to the center of the paper blossom.

I used the Loving Thoughts word stamp set to create the two banners.  I stamped the words in Basic Grey classic ink, and used a 1 1/4" square hand-held punch to create the flagged ends.

For the postage stamps:  I first stamped the images in Marina Mist classic ink.  I then used the postage stamp punch and punched out the images.  I sponged crumb cake classic ink along the edges to distress the stamps.  I then used the Paris postmark stamp, on the Eiffel tower postage stamp, in Basic Grey classic ink.  I rolled the text wheel, over the Travel Post postage stamp, in Basic Grey classic ink.

I hope that we have inspired you to play along with us @ NAC.  You never know, you could be our next Top Nacho!

the Little Things

Happy Saturday!  I hope you are all well.  I'm busy just like usual.  But, I did carve out some quality crafting time.  The talented Paula over @ Our Creative Corner, have a creative sketch for you to play with this week.  When I first saw the sketch, I was a little intimidated.  But, hey, it's called a challenge, so here it goes:

Here is what I came up with:

I started working on this card, with the thought of creating a sweet card, that had a shabby chic feel to it.  I also wanted to add my own touches, without over doing it.  Here is the card recipe:

I used some of my favorite pattern papers.  The green pattern paper is Rose Garden by EP.  The two pink pattern papers are from the Lovely collection by Authentique.  The two different shades of pink paper is actually the opposite side of the two pink pattern papers.  I used my Top Note die from Stampin' Up! to cut the dark pink paper.  I used my Tasteful Trim die from Stampin' Up! to cut the light pink paper.  I ran my card through my sewing machine, and stitched along both edges of the pink floral pattern paper.

For the label piece, I used the decorative label die from the Lots of Tags die set, to cut the dark pink label piece.   The inner label piece is very vanilla card stock.   I stamped the flourish in crumb cake classic ink.  The flourish stamp came from the Established Elegance stamp set.  I then stamped the sentiment in basic black classic ink.  The sentiment is from the Little Things stamp set by Unity Stamps. 

I tied some cream twine from Paper Trey Ink, through a vintage button by Paper Trey Ink.

I had a scrap piece of cream dyed crochet trim along the lower edge.  I hand-dyed some seam binding with my Blush re-inker, by Paper Trey Ink.  I machine stitched these two trims together.  Then, I tied a multi-loop bow with the Blush seam binding.  I added a pearl brad by Recollections to the center of the bow.  I added a 'hand-crafted' tag to the trim.  

I hope the design team has inspired you, and you have a chance to play along with us @ OCC.

love it? This card can be purchased here