We Gato Fiesta

How could little ol' cat lover me NOT make a card like this? Punny and cute--win, win!

I started by diecutting and sponging the base layer. So bright and happy. I cut the fiesta from green paper but decided it need even more pop so I coated it with Glossy Accents.  I originally had a dot of Enamel Accents for the "i" but my cat had other ideas so the enamel heart covers some ugly.

I spent quite a bit of time working on the cat's shading. Quite pleased with how that turned out. Going to keep practicing adding those dark shadows on my other work.  What a fat little kitty now.

I'm entering this in Seize the Birthday without optional patterned paper, Time OUT #110, Simon Says Wednesday Use More Than One Stamp

The Details:  Hero Arts Cinco de Meow and Papel Picado Confetti die, MFT Fiesta die, Doodlebug Design Rainbow Hearts, Distress Oxide Twisted Citron, Squeezed Lemonade, and Picked Raspberry, Ranger Glossy Accents, Scor-Tape, Copics

Twinkly Wishes

The girls have been asking for a Chibi light tutorial for one of our crafty days so worked this one up for them.  And for me--all that cuteness!  The heart on the door of the house lights up. Ack!

I started by lightly sponging Salty Ocean blue in the upper corner to represent sky between leaves then used Twisted Citron to blend and create a vibrant summer green background. Next came the grass sponging with the TC and Lucky Clover; the leaves were done using the same colors but by dabbing to create a different look. The cover plate was cut using glitter paper (twinkly!).

Time to prep for the Chibi light aperture by cutting out the heart of the door on the mushroom house and cutting a slightly larger aperture on the base layer behind it. This allows the light to be brighter as it shines through the heart opening (which has a layer of vellum I colored in yellow). Now comes the fun part for me where I add the leaves then color up the various bits. Little secret: the balloon covers up where I had originally stamped "push here." I decided more subtlety was in order.

The Details:  The Greeting Farm Fairy Fairy Happy, Craftin Desert Divas Gnomie, Party Dies and Outdoor Landscape 2 Dies, Lawn Fawn Portrait Leafy Tree Backdrop and Push Here, Recollections Glitter Cardstock, Distress Oxide Twisted Citron, Salty Ocean and Lucky Clover, Copics, Ranger Multi Medium Matte, 1/8" Scor-Tape, Memento Tuxedo Black and London Fog, VersaFine Onyx Black

Gnomie

Outdoor Landscape 2 Dies

Party Dies

CDD May Mood Board 2

I'm up on the CDD blog today with a card featuring ombre and inspired by the May Moodboard (enter by joining the event or tagging #cddmonthly). 

The Details: CDD Flower Kisses, Flower Border Die, Outdoor Landscape 2 Dies, Window Pane Die, Ranger Super Fine White Embossing Powder, Memento Tuxedo Black, Distress Oxide, Scor-Tape, Ranger Multi Medium Matte, Copics

Flower Kisses

Flower Border Die

Outdoor Landscape 2 Dies

Window Pane Die

Cards in Envy Feeling Sketchy!

This round at Cards in Envy, we're asking that you use a sketch to create your card.  Any sketch will do although we would appreciate a link or at least a picture of the sketch so we can all be inspired by your interpretation.  This is going to be fun! 

I have a secret tho.  I am not a fan of sketches. There I've said it. I can be very literal so sometimes find it hard to see the possibilities a sketch provides vs. thinking the sketch must be exactly so. I've been working on it and trying to loosen up my brain a bit. Not that I went off the creative deep end on this interpretation of Freshly Made Sketches #284, however. LOL.  FMS has a BUNCH of sketches to peruse and is a good spot to get some direction if you're having layout woes.

I'm entering this in Watercooler Wednesday #170 Masculine Anything Goes, Crafter's Cafe #194 All Creatures Great and Small, CAS on Friday #133 Birthday, Simon Says Wednesday Stencil It

The Details:  Sugarpea Designs Chunky Monkey, Newton's Nook Tropical Leaves Stencil, Distress Oxide Peeled Paint, Twisted Citron and Lucky Clover, Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Onyx Black, Copics, Ranger Multi Mediu Matte

SOSS #110 - I is for Inky

It's time for the Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers #110 Inky!  Woo hoo!  There are so many ways to go with this one--practically anything goes!

I chose both a literal and figurative interpretation. Inky background and inky octi. That poor fish is having the worst day ever--inked in the face, about to be snagged by another octi and being given the yum eye by a shark. Definitely not enough middle fingers!

The Details:  Brutus Monroe Fish Bowl, CAS-ual Fridays Hot Coffee, Taylored Expressions Build a Scene Underwater, Memory Box Cheerful Crabs and Twisting Tentacle, Distress Ink Blueprint Sketch and Salty Ocean, Neat and Tangled Rice Paddies stencil, Versafine Onyx Black, Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics

Grass is Always Greener

Alas, a dear coworker is departing our office for a sort-of rival so I made her a rather tongue-in-cheek goodbye card.

I started by creating the hills and sky using various papers. My coworker works with statistics and analyses so I love that I had grid sky paper--so sciency. Next I colored up the various images using Copics.  I hadn't intended to paper-piece her shirt but when you accidentally grab jeans blue instead of red for shading, there's not a better way to cover up that mega oops.

I'm entering this in Addicted to Stamps and More #292 Make Your Mark

The Details:  MFT Green Pastures, MFT The Whole Herd, MFT Spring Scene Builder, Lil' Inker Large Sunshine, Lawn Fawn Rainbow Plaid, Spring Plaid and Into the Woods 6x6 Papers, Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark, Ranger Detail Fine White Embossing Powder, Copics

Monkey Birthday

Monkeys make me happy . . . monkeys make me happy. . . .  These are adorable and will pair so nicely with my other Little Agenda images (bunnies, peoples, cats, dogs--and I hope someday, a variety of jungle and/or farm animals plus accessories like different hats and such).

I started by sponging the background in ombre greens. I then laid a stencil down and used one of my handy dandy Costco baby wipes to remove the ink by pressing and holding it on the stencil until I liked the results. All jungly but not too jungly.

The cover plate and included sentiment diecut make for an easy design layout so I just added a few monkeys, monkeys, monkeys and a mini sentiment from Celebration balloons.

I'm entering this in Seize the Birthday without optional number topping, Simon Says Wednesday For the Boys, Watercooler Wednesday #169 All About Occasions, Addicted to Stamps and More #291 Anything Goes

The Details:  Mama Elephant Little Monkey Agenda, Tri Window Cover, Celebration Balloons, Newton's Nook Tropical Leaves Stencil, Distress Oxide Twisted Citron, Peeled Paint and Lucky Clover, Ranger Multi Medium Matte, Copics

CDD May Release Recap

Happy dancing that the CDD May release is available in the shop now! Everything is so cute and so so summer. Woo hoo!  Let me run through these cards for you real quick like.

For this card I embossed the base, created a focal point using one of the Stitched In Circle Dies, stamped the sentiment which pairs nicely with the sentiment washi that serves as the ground for the Away We Go critters, and added one of the Beach Scene palm trees for balance and interest.

Look at that bling!  For this card I sponged the background and then sponged the sun rays from the Bright Horizons Stencil, used the Ocean Border Dies to create the ocean floor with lots of chunky glitter, and then colored up the Merman Lagoon images using Copics.

Finally, I have for you a sweet Father's Day card featuring World's Greatest, Fall Border Dies, and Scenery Dies. The kiddos are so cute fishing with their dad and reminds me of my own childhood, minus the mountains and inserting mosquito bites and sunburn!

The Details:  CDD Away We Go, Merman Lagoon, World's Greatest, Bright Horizons Stencil, Beach Scene, Fall Border Dies, Ocean Border Dies, Scenery Dies, Stitched In Circle Dies, Distress Oxides, Memento Tuxedo Black, VersaFine Onyx Black, Scor-Tape, Ranger Multi Medium Matte, Doodlebug Design Milk and Cookies 6x6 Paper Pad

Away We Go

Merman Lagoon

World's Greatest

Bright Horizons Stencil

Beach Scene

Fall Border Dies

Ocean Border Dies

Scenery Dies

Stitched In Circle Dies

CDD Troll Wars Recap

I cannot tell you how cute I think this set is!  --insert light saber sounds-- 

I used paper that reminded me of a galaxy and placed the figures on ground made from the Garden  Border die--I totally see a moon in space!

Were you able to grab the set on release day there was a bundle special?  No worries.  You can still order it separately--whew!


The Details:  Craftin Desert Divas Troll Wars, Garden Border Dies, Copics, Ken Oliver Colorburst 6x6 Designer Paper, Bazzill Fig Swirl cardstock, Memento Tuxedo Black, VersaFine Onyx Black

Troll Wars

Garden Border Dies

CDD May Release Day 5

Today's the day!  The Craftin Desert Divas May release is available (or will be very soon depending on your time zone)!  Here I'm showcasing the World's Greatest set in a cute and yet masculine card. I kept with the robot theme of the image by using robot designer paper. Notice the robot in the lower left doing rabbit ears?  LOL!

The Details:  Craftin Desert Divas World's Greatest, Nested Hearts Dies, Doodlebug Design Patriotic Picnic, Brilliance Platinum Planet Pigment Ink, washi tape, Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Multi Medium Matte

World's Greatest

Nested Hearts Dies

CDD May Release Day 4

Ack! Such a cute cute new set from CDD (available tomorrow!).  Don't you just want to pack a bag and just hop in the car and go on vacation? Even a mini vacation after my mini vacation last week would do me right now!

The Details:  Craftin Desert Divas Away We Go, Window Pane Die, Distress Oxide Twisted Citron, Mermaid Lagoon, Salty Ocean, Memento Tuxedo Black, VersaFine Onyx Black, Copics

Window Pane Die

CDD May Release Day 2 Extras

So yesterday you may have seen some of my fellow DT gals sharing the upcoming CDD Mermaid Tail dies. Fabulous, right?  Well, I cut it out and saw . . . moustaches!  You see, the main die cuts the mermaid tail in your cardstock with a bunch of scales and a moustache as leftovers.

How could I resist making party favors by gluing the moustaches to sticks and popping them out of cupcakes. Such a perfect design for the kids to have fun with dad for Father's Day. But, add a beard and you get . . . Santa!

Talk about versatility and stretching your supplies!

The Details:  CDD Mermaid Tail Dies, Classic Cars, World's Greatest, Fancy Frames Dies, Stitched In Circle Dies, Ranger Multi Medium Matte, Doodlebug Design Milk and Cookies 6x6 Paper Pad, Ranger Super Fine White Embossing Powder

Classic Cars

Fancy Frames Dies

Stitched In Circle Dies

Doodlebug Design Milk and Cookies 6x6 Paper Pad

CDD May Release Day 2

I was am so excited about the new CDD release!  Mermen! I was thinking it would be so cute to make a tropical-themed box card and then it occurred to me to make 2 scenes in one!  On top there's the tropical island with sunset and a cool breeze but underneath is where the real action is taking place.

Things of note include:

1. I used the rectangle die included in the Box Die set to cut the aperture below.
2. I cut the tabs in thirds to hold the bottom and top scene elements so that they wouldn't obtrude into the aperture.
3. The designer paper I used to decorate the outside panels were printed watercolor that I sponged with Distress Oxide Peacock Feathers to blend with the blue of the box and then spattered with water.
4. The card folds completely flat just like the regular box card would. (woo hoo!)
5. I used brighter colors when coloring the scene beneath so they would pop a bit since the inside of the box would be darker and naturally reflect water-blues which act as shadow.
6. The sentiment is embossed in white.

The Details:  CDD Merman Lagoon, Mermaid Trolls, Beach Scene and Cloudy Sky Stencils, Outdoor Landscape 1 Dies, Outdoor Landscape 2 Dies, Box Die, Beach Scene dies, Ocean Border Dies, Distress Oxide Peacock Feathers, Salty Ocean, Picked Raspberry, Worn Lipstick, Squeezed Lemonade and Black Soot, Ranger Multi Medium Matte, Scor-Tape, Copics, Echo Park Jungle Safari 6x6 Paper, mystery 12x12 paper, Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark, Ranger Super Fine White Embossing Powder

Box Die

Ocean Border Dies

Outdoor Landscape 1 Dies

 

Outdoor Landscape 2 Dies

Cloudy Sky Stencil