You make my heart dance

Valentine's Day is coming and even though I have no one to celebrate with, I still made a Valentine's Day card. I just bought one of the new Dylusions stamp sets and couldn't help imagining pairing the legs with a heart.

I covered a die cut paper heart with crumpled tissue  and then stenciled over top with pearlescent paste. When I attached the legs, I cut the image apart so that the legs could be positioned more like a chorus line dancer. I love how flexible Dylusions stamps can be! To give the card motion, I added springs behind the heart and legs. The final touch was a slightly skewed background (again, to capture the idea of movement).

This was fun and simple to create and it just makes me smile.

Thank you to the following challenges for the inspiration:

• Mixed Media Card Challenge for the inspiration.
• Dies R Us Challenge - hearts
• Naughty or Nice Challenge - love/anti-love

A little bit of love

I'm working this coming weekend to bundle up Valentine's Day cards to donate to my local childrens' hospital (via Send A Smile 4 Kids - Canada). Here are 4 of the cards that I'll be including in the box.

I created these cards with scraps (cut into 1/4" strips and woven) and some leftover stickers. I really like how they worked out as there is lots of texture and with the kraft background these aren't too girly so could be given to a boy.

I'm entering these cards into the following challenge:

• Clear it Out Challenge - Valentine's Day / Flowers (2 of the patterned paper scraps had flowers in the design)

Valentine's Day for SAS4K

I'm moving houses next week and almost all of my crafting supplies have been packed but I still managed to make a few Valentine's Day cards to donate to Send A Smile 4 Kids (Canada). I created these cards using free papers out of a crafting magazine, Spellbinders shapeabilities and some clipart printed off the internet.

Challenges:

• Card Positioning Systems - sketch
• Paper Creations Ink - die cuts/punches
• Send A Smile 4 Kids - Valentine's for kids
• The Pink Elephant - hearts (all the clipart images are hearts)

Valentine's Day Inspirations

Just posting a couple of Valentine's Day cards that I made for my nieces. As usual, the inspiration was found in many places:

Card 1 (Elephant):

• Cute Card Thursday - challenge #98 - spots & dots
• ABC challenge - "N" is for new - use some new stash (the digi is new and the paper came from a new magazine)
• Doodle Dragon Studio - challenge #2, provided the sketch

Card 2 (Girl):

• Copic Creations - challenge 21, use feathering technique
• Crazy 4 Challenges - challenge 23, create a Valentine

I played around with Dustin Pike's sketch quite a bit because I really wanted to make a wiper card. The picture doesn't show it well but basically the little Suzy's Zoo angel pops up when the card is opened. I left the side of the card purposefully blank so that I can write in a mushy, lovey-dovey message (which I will not inflict on you) to my niece. I absolutely adore the elephant image which is (of course) from Dustin Pike. The polka dot paper was a freebie from a card making magazine.

This card also uses a Dustin Pike image - isn't she adorable? I used more of the card making magazine free paper as well as some scrap ribbon. I have to do more practicing, but I also tried a new technique called "feathering" on the skirt. This was in answer to a challenge on Copic Creations. Check out Marianne Walker's great tutorial to learn more about using this cool method of combining colours!

Valentine's Day is approaching

I can't believe it is half-way through January already! I am ever so rapidly losing control of my time, and yet I still manage to find time to craft. It's the only thing keeping me sane!!!

Anyway, today I have a couple of valentine's day cards to share - I'm not sure which one (if either) my husband will get.

This first card is made for 2 challenges:

• Dustin Pike's first ever challenge at his new challenge blog (he even provides a free random stamp to use)
• Copic Creations challenge #19 to colour fur

I used two Dustin Pike stamps - the bear and the background (from his pirate set). The images are coloured with Copics (of course). I followed Marianne Walker's Tutorial - Coloring Fur for the bear. I need lots more practice but I think the result is still more realistic than I usually achieve.

Recipe: 

Digital images - Dustin Pike

Paper - Basic Grey, Lemonade

Ribbon - scrap, unknown

Other - glossy accents, heart brads

This second card uses a digital stamp from a brand-new company called Wink* Wink* Ink. The image is a freebie and it is just soooo cute.

Recipe:

Digital image - Wink* Wink* Ink

Paper - Basic Grey, Granola