Bows at International Art & Soul

Our current at the International Art & Soul Challenge our theme is Anything Goes with a Bow. This challenge will run 4 weeks instead of our usual two.

I created the notch swing card design myself, and cut out the pieces on my Silhouette. The sentiment is heat-embossed in sparkly white on a red foil cardstock. The bow, Merry Christmas cutout, and center circles were all die-cut with my Big Shot. The sentiment stamp is from Just for Fun Stamps; it seemed particularly appropriate for this year!

Inspiration/Challenges:
Cut It Up: (Fri 2W) Christmas + Die Cut(s)
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: (Wed) Die Cuts

Thank you for visiting! Hope you'll join us at International Art & Soul,

Grateful Autumn Penguins -- Inspired Thank-you with the UnstampaBelles

Our theme this month at the UnstampaBelles challenge is: Inspire (who/what was your inspiration into the world of papercraft?) with the optional twist of: Thank You Card using the word Inspire.

You need to follow the twist to be considered as the DT Favorite, but you only have to follow main theme to win our prize. And remember, no stamps!

My crafting inspiration, both for this card & for crafting in general, is my Mom. She introduced me to stamps & designer papers, which got me into this great online cardmaking community! She just left from a long visit with us, so I made this notch-wing card featuring a photo of me and my son. The foam penguin was found on the sidewalk by my thoughtful husband!

Challenges:

CHPP October Challenge: AG with Patterned Paper 

Papercraft Business Challenge (M, P1, E3, any papercraft) October - Interactive

Be sure to check out the fabulous projects by my teammates the UnstampaBelles this month!

Thank you for visiting, 

Pilin' On the Transportation

Our new theme at Pile It On is Transportation. You may enter the challenge as many times you like, as long as you are inspired by at least one other Challenge theme. We're sponsored by Dr. Digi's House of Stamps.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Alphabet Challenge: (Fri, 2W) E for Embossing (on globe)
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper: (M, P1) Anything Goes with Patterned Paper
Cuttlebug Mania: (Tues, 2W) Use Orange (I was very inspired to make orange my main accent color!)
Happy Little Stampers: (M, P9) Anything Goes with Dies
Make My Monday #97: (Mon, 2W) Interactive/Kinetic
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: (Wed) Anything goes
Southern Girls: (Thurs, 2W) Tape It, Lace It or Tie It

Update: This was chosen as a favorite at Southern Girls!

Thank you for visiting! Hope you'll join us at Pile It On,

Swingin' Mom's Day - Interactive Cards at International Art & Soul

Our theme this fortnight at the International Art & Soul Challenge is Interactive Cards. I made a notch swing card, so the center circle rotates.

If you'd like to try it yourself, this original card design is available for purchase as SVG files for your die-cutting machine in my SaySomethingLoudly Etsy Shop. Thank you for supporting my crafting!

Inspiration/Challenges:
International Art & Soul Challenge: Interactive Cards
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes

Thank you for visiting! Hope you'll join us at International Art & Soul,

A little Creamer for your coffee

I had so much fun making my coffee-hued card for the Summer Coffee Loving Cardmakers Link-up that I decided to make another with brighter colors. I made a notch swing card to make the most of the front-and-back stamp.

I created the shaker with my WRMK Fuse tool & Fusaeable paper, and filled both sides with sequins & microbeads. The cat is inspired by Creamer, a stray in our neighborhood who was adopted by Marian House II across the street & now has gone home with one of the residents. I sure do miss that cat, it always let me pet it.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Coffee Loving Cardmakers: Summer + Coffee (2nd entry)
Just Us Girls #348: Mustard, Hot Pink, Turquoise
Show Us Your Pussies: Anything Goes with a Cat
Twofers Challenge #22: Tea, Coffee or Me?

Thank you for visiting!

Pink Cadillac

Ever since I received the "Transportation Little Bits" die set from Taylored Expressions, I wanted to make a "Pink Cadillac"-inspired notch swing card using oval dies. I'm quite proud of the classically lovely yet naughty result!

Inspiration/Challenges:
Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers #61: Vroom

Thank you for visiting,

CAS + Food or Drink with the Crafter's Cafe

The Crafter's Cafe Challenge theme is CAS + Food or Drink. We're sponsored by Bugaboo Stamps and Art by Miran. I used Sugar and Spice and Cute Puppy by Bugaboo. I made a notch swing card for our niece's birthday; her folks are raising her without strict gender roles so I played on the old "Sugar & Spice" / "Snails & Puppydog Tails" saying.

I colored the images with Copic markers, adding some glitter embossing powder to the sugar. I used a Tim Holtz stencil to add a splash of "sugar" to the bottom of the card in the same glitter embossing powder. The sentiment is a sticker, and the tiny buttons were heat-embossed with neon powders. I stitched the buttons onto the card with glittery thread.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Brown Sugar: No Patterned Paper
Fab 'n' Funky: Clean & Simple
Pattie's Creations: Birthday + Digi stamp

Thank you for visiting & hope you'll join us at The Crafter's Cafe,

Power of Love

OSAAT February Prize Pack

Tell everyone you see
How much better the world could be
For them and for you, for me
With the power of love.
Luther Vandross / Marcus Miller

After three wonderful years as part of the One Stitch at a Time (OSAAT) Design Team, I've decided that it's time for me to move on & become a customer! You can see all my OSAAT projects here.

This fortnight at OSAAT, our theme is Love. StitchyBear's Digi Outlet has hundreds of digital products from many wonderful artists. Even if you don't use a store image, you'll still be in the drawing to win the super-duper February prize pack.

For my farewell project I couldn't resist using The Power of Love by Stitchy Stamps. I used this digi stamp back in 2012 on a card for my handsome husband. This time, I used a quote from the song "Power of love/Love Power" by Luther Vandross (the full video is here).
 

I made a notch swing card, so the sentiment circle rotates to reveal a silver vinyl heart design from Silhouette.

The patterned papers, including the message section, are from Recollections' "Comic Heroes" collection.

Inspiration/Challenges:
2 Cute Ink Challenge: Valentine's/Love
4 Crafty Chicks #232: Hand Coloured Image
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge: Patterned Paper
Crafty Sentiment Designs: Include a Heart
Going Grey With Scrap-Creations: Love

Thank you for visiting, and hope you'll join us at One Stitch at a Time,

Retro Heart Notch Swing Card #2

I couldn't help but make another version of my neon heart-shaped Notch Swing card (Visit that post to read all the details). The cassette tape stamp is from TPC Studio's Retro Technology rubber stamp set.

This heart-shaped notch swing card was designed in Sure Cut A Lot (SCAL) and cut with my Silhouette electronic die-cutting machine. All of my Notch Swing Cards are archived here.

If you'd like to try it yourself, a version of this card design is now available for purchase as SVG files for your die-cutting machine in the SaySomethingLoudly Etsy Shop. Thank you for supporting my crafting!
This card is also for sale on Etsy; I hope I get to make lots of brightly-colored versions!

Chromatic Craze #6

Inspiration/Challenges:
Chromatic Craze: Color Combo #6 / 2nd entry
Glitter n Sparkle: Anything Goes

This & my other Retro Valentine won me the January prize at Chromatic Craze! Thanks for the inspiration.

Thank you for visiting,

You're Just My Type

I can't say I'm a huge fan of Valentine's Day on principle, but I do like the feminism and/or romanticism of it, plus the cards are so fun to make (and give)! I also love puns, so I couldn't resist using these typewriters & sentiment from Clear Art Stamps along with this lovely paper from Graphic 45's Typography collection. 

This notch swing card was designed in Sure Cut A Lot (SCAL) and cut with my Silhouette electronic die-cutting machine. All of my Notch Swing Cards are archived here. If you'd like to try it yourself, a version of this card design is now available for purchase as SVG files for your die-cutting machine in the SaySomethingLoudly Etsy Shop. This actual card is also for sale...Thank you for supporting my crafting!

I made the "keys" in SCAL as well, using the print-and-cut feature. I can't get my Silhouette to align correctly, but I'm getting the hang of it. I used one of my favorite fonts, American Typewriter! The letters are cut from white cardstock, inked with Antique Linen distress ink, and coated with Glossy Accents. The silver bases were cut from a shiny Recollections cardstock.

The wood typewriter embellishment (Darice) was inked with the same Tea Dye distress ink that I used for all the edging. I stamped a little heart on it, using a stamp from a Dilo En Español set.

Thank you for visiting, and hope you'll visit my Etsy Shop,

Retro Heart Notch Swing Card #1

With Valentine's Day coming up, I thought it would be fun to try my hand at a heart-shaped Notch Swing card.

I've been waiting for the perfect opportunity to ink up this cassette tape stamp from TPC Studio's Retro Technology rubber stamp set. I also used a music-themed Posh Impressions rubber stamp. Both were stamped with Versamark ink and heat-embossed with purple powder (Stampendous).

I added a border of neon orange Liquid Pearls on both sides of the notch swing piece, plus in the corners.

The front is a pre-glittered cardstock (Core'Dinations), and I added a bit of black satin ribbon. The corners were notched with a Marvy punch.

This heart-shaped notch swing card was designed in Sure Cut A Lot (SCAL) and cut with my Silhouette electronic die-cutting machine. All of my Notch Swing Cards are archived here. If you'd like to try it yourself, a version of this card design is now available for purchase as SVG files for your die-cutting machine in the SaySomethingLoudly Etsy Shop. Thank you for supporting my crafting!

Chromatic Craze #6

Inspiration/Challenges:
Chromatic Craze: Color Combo #6
Hobbycutz Challenge #30: Anything Goes

Thank you for visiting,

1st Pile It On challenge of 2014 - Just Because

Today begins a new year of challenges at Pile It On, with the theme of "Just Because" (no celebrations nor birthday).

Our sponsor is Inky Impressions, so I used one of their great digi sentiments:

For the other side of the notch-swing circle, I used a KaiserCraft stamp that I won at a crop at Scraps of Love! I heat-embossed it in silver. The turquoise hummingbird is a separate stamp from the same set, heat-embossed and fussy-cut. The large hummingbord on the front of the card is also from that set, and was kinda a mistake...I stamped it with Memento ink but heat-embossed the opposite side with turquoise powder (I wanted it to face right at the time), but a little of the powder got on the "wrong" side and I ended up liking this version better!

The notch swing card was designed in Sure Cut A Lot (SCAL) and cut with my Silhouette electronic die-cutting machine. All of my Notch Swing Cards are archived here. If you'd like to try it yourself, a version of this card design is available for purchase as SVG files for your die-cutting machine in the SaySomethingLoudly Etsy Shop. Thank you for supporting my crafting!


The lace is from my stash, and the background DP is from a set Mom & I bought recently (at Michaels, I think?) I did the faux stistching by hand, using a silver Spica pen.

Color Throwdown #273

Inspiration/Challenges:
Color Throwdown: Color Combo #273
Cuttin & Stampin Challenge #52: Use Something New (new stamp set) / 2nd entry
Mema's Challenge: January BINGO (1st column: Lace/Ribbon, Stitching (real or faux), Digi/Rubber Stamp)
Shopping Our Stash #124: Use The Last Of Something (last bit of this gray ribbon; also, this was probably the last project for the silver pen I used for the edging)
Sparkle N Sprinkle January Challenge: Anything Goes with Glitter, Embossing Powder and/or Flocking (used 2 embossing powders) / 2nd entry
Through The Craft Room Door: Always Anything Goes

Update: This was a prize winner for Mema's January BINGO Challenge!

Thank you for visiting and hope you'll join us at Pile It On,