Easter greetings

I love finding a great sketch that can be used for multiple cards! I just finished making this batch of cards for the BC Childrens Hospital (sending them via Send A Smile 4 Kids Canada) using last week's sketch from Sketch and Stash. Most of the papers are from the "Peep" pack from We R Memory Keepers. The ribbons, flowers & buttons are freebies from a magazine. The gorgeous die cuts are Memory Box (thank you to my BFF Lee for cutting & sending these for me!). The bunny & puppy images are digital stamps from Karen's Doodles and the dragon is from Dustin Pike's Doodle Dragon Studios. Of course they are all coloured using Copic markers.

After assembling the cards I decided that they needed some some "bling" so I added Glossy Accents on the Easter eggs (background paper on dragon card, eggs in basket on bunny card) and Stickles to the basket filler (dragon card).

Challenges:
2 Sisters - anything goes
Allsorts - anything goes
Corrosive Challenges - another dimension (the images and flowers are popped up)
Crafty Catz - something starting with "B" (buttons, bunny)
Crazy Challenge - anything goes
Doodle Dragon - Pike's Playground - bling (glossy eggs & sparkly yellow basket filler)
Going Grey with Scrap-Creations - pop it
Karen's Doodles - pastel Easter
Moving Along With the Times - layers
Send a Smile 4 Kids - Easter/spring
Truly Madly Crafty - ribbon & bling

Have a ball on your birthday

Today's card is a fun & simple birthday card that I created for my niece. I was really pleased with how my colouring of the image (from Karen's Doodles) turned out so I decided to go with a very simple card design. I simply matted the image on some glossy red paper, placed it against a starred background and then added a "ribbon" of the same red paper. Super simple! I was inspired to add buttons over top of the balls - I think it's a fun and dimensional touch.

Challenges:

• CAS Sunday Challenge - anything goes
• Diva's By Design - buttons
• Lollipop Crafts - critters
• One Stop Craft - anything goes
• Scrap, Stamp & Doodle - circles (the buttons)
• Sisterhood of Crafters - birthday

Beware mice bearing gifts

I had fun creating these super-simple birthday cards that I'll be donating for Cards for Kids. I used an older sketch from Stamp With Fun, just flipping it and replacing the 3 embellishments with a sentiment in the opposite corner. In each case, I chose 2 coordinating patterned papers and then a matching colour scheme for the present. The papers came out of the scrap bin so I'm not sure about the line (although I suspect the right-hand card is Basic Grey).

 

Challenges:

• 2 Sisters - Furry friends
• Card Makin' Mamas - Animals
• Kaboodle Doodles - Birthday
• Simon Says Stamps - Birthday
• Top Tip Tuesday - Birthday
• Wee Memories - Cute & Cuddly

 

Sharing popcorn ... for life

A month to go and already everyone is thinking Valentine's Day. I was at the mall today and there were hearts and cupids and mushy cards everywhere. But, do not be misled by the hearts on today's card. This is not a Valentine's Day card! In fact, my husband's nephew announced his engagement and this card is actually in recognition of that wonderful event.

The image is a favourite of mine from Karen's Doodles; I bought it ages ago and have used it for other engagement cards. I purchased the boy & girl separately and merged them in Photoshop for this card. The colouring is done with Copics and the papers are from a brand-new paper pack I picked up this past week from Basic Grey. I'm not entering it into their card challenge since I'm not using a Christmas theme, but I used sketch from Christmas Card Challenges.

Challenges:
Karber Monthly Challenge - digi and movies
Basic Grey - dots & spots
Crafty Calendar - new beginnings
Elephantastic - new beginnings
Southern Girls - lovey dovey
Crafty Creations - new beginnings
Scrap-Creations - love is in the air
Gingerloft Challenge - celebrations
Crafty Pad - something new (a new marriage)
Copic Creations - anything new (the paper pack)

Who's a princess?

This image from Karen's Doodles is just too perfect for anyone who has ever owned (been owned by) a cat. I particularly like the little swirl of hair on her forehead - I can imagine this little princess taking hours getting it just right. I'm torn on just the right occasion for this card so I left the sentiment blank but I'll be able to fill it in as needed.

I'm disappointed that the photo doesn't do justice to the "bling" on the card - I used glossy accents on the details of the settee and on her colour and crown. There is also waterfall blue Stickles added to the crown "jewels" and the colour. The flower centres are clear gems.

I'm thinking about maybe replacing the flowers - at first I thought the yellow was a nice match with the heart collar but on second (third, fourth) glance I'm thinking the contrast with the pink might be too great. What do you think? Should I go with a pink or off-white or brown flowers?

Well, that's it for now. I'm hoping to post a scrapbook layout later today but it will depend on how early the kids go to bed.

Recipe:

• Karen's Doodles - digi-stamp image
• Copic markers
• Glossy accents (added to crown, collar, heart, settee details)
• SEI - chipboard embellishments
• Stickles glitter glue (added to crown and collar)
• Basic Grey, Bittersweet collection - patterned papers, chipboard sticker border
• Stash - Rhinestone brads & flowers

Challenges:

• Fab N Funky - use pink, chocolate, vanilla
• Karen's Doodles - UK - 3 embellishments (chipboard, flowers, brads), 2 papers, 1 image
• Copic Creations - flowers (I took a different take on this by colouring my flower embellishments instead of using a flower image)
• The Pink Elephant - 1 image, 2 dies (nestabilities flower, rectange), 3 embellishments (chipboard, flowers, brads)
• Cooking it up with Katie - new (image), old (flowers & brads), sweet (paper collection is named bittersweet)
• Handfull of Stamps - digital (digi stamp)
• Practical Scrappers - use glitter & bling (stickles, rhinestones, glossy accents)

Crop du Soleil

Sunday was just a wonderful day! 12 uninterupted hours of scrapbooking at the Photo Express Crop du Soleil. I am pleased to have completed the layouts I had planned, plus a bit more. I also packed much lighter than usual (although I still had a large stack of supplies to carry in). And I can attest to having used everything that I brought!

2010 Winter Olympics

I tried something new this time in that I didn't print off my photos. Instead, I printed off a proof sheet of all the pictures I might include and then I was able to print off the photos at home later to the exact proportions I needed. This worked out particularly well when I decided to make this row of photos match the wave pattern in the paper. The paper and die-cut title, by the way, are part of a limited edition set created by Photo Express. The mattes are made with paper from my stash.

The Allsorts Challenge for this week was to turn something from "rags to riches" and so I created "The Olympic Flame" embellishment by repurposing a City of Coquitlam advertisement. I absolutely LOVE free embellishments (LOL).

There will be a 3rd page to this layout that will have all of the journalling as I wanted to write quite a bit about the experience of living in a host city during the Winter Olympics.

Challenges:

• Allsorts Challenge - Rags to Riches - alter or recycle something

Recipe:

• Patterned paper - Photo Express
• Die cut title - Photo Express
• Cardstock - stash

Monsters at Rest

This is one of my favourite pictures of the boys and I really wanted to give it special treatment. When I came across this "monster" paper & sticker set I knew that I had to use it with this photo. After all, the kids were being absolute monsters that day until they just collapsed on the couch.

Recipe:

• Cardstock - stash
• Patterned paper -
• Cardstock stickers -
• Letters - Quickutz "Reuse" alphabet set  (thanks Jacqui for letting me use your brand-new dies!)

Monsters Vs Aliens Birthday Party


This layout was an extreme challenge because I had no pictures for it. I took a couple during the party but all but one were too out-of-focus to be usable. And the party was so incredibly hectic (what was I thinking asking Luke's entire kindergarten class???) that I hardly took any pictures anyway. I was able to redeem just one photo by blurring out the busy background so that the shot of Luke blowing out his candles was sharpened in contrast. I was absolutely thrilled last month then to come across a digital stamp of two kids in a movie theatre. I created a row of kids, added some clipart 3d glasses, and "voila" a "picture" of the kids in the theatre.

Recipe:

• Cardstock - stash
• Patterned paper - Piggy Tales "Billy Goat Gruff"
• Letter stickers - Piggy Tales "Billy Goat Gruff"
• Digital stamp - Karen's Doodles
• Brads - stash

Karen's Doodles Challenges have started

Yay! Karen's Doodles now has several challenge blogs up & running. Each blog will be running a different challenge each week. We can enter in all of the challenges but have to make new projects for each. I doubt that I will be able to enter each challenge every week but the stars were aligned this week (in other words, the kids went to bed early) and so I was able to finish up 3 cards! Every card uses a Karen's Doodles image (they are just soooo much fun to colour). I'm entering each into a selection of challenges so make sure to scroll through to the very end.

First up is "I didn't do it". I used the following sketch challenge from Karen's Doodles Challenge - US.

As well, a couple of colour challenges seemed to fit my mood:

• Simon Says Stamp (PCP group) which called for vanilla, brown and teal
• Pile It On Challenge which called for just one colour plus neutrals
• Stampin for the weekend where it's monochromatic week

I used papers from my stash along with a new ribbon that I just bought at Michaels. I wish I'd had some feathers to add but all I could find were some old scraggly seagull feathers that the kids gave me. Instead I added a white puff-ball behind the ribbon to hopefully add the impression of feathers everywhere.

My second card uses "Movie Date" which is one of my favourites.

I used Basic Grey papers and another sketch challenge, this time from Karen's Doodles Challenge - Netherlands.  The other challenges that apply to this card are:

• 
  
  Fab N Funky Challenges for their theme of "weddings"
• 
  
  Cute Card Thursday for their theme of "celebrations"
• 
  
  Saturday Spotlight for their theme of "friendship"

My final card uses a brand-new image from Karen called "Peekaboo". This time I chose a sketch from Simon Says Stamps.

I'm not totally happy with this card as I think the ribbon is too dark a green and the flowers need more volume (I may have to make a trip to Michaels to look for substitutes). And I really had a hard time coming up with a suitable sentiment. I figured this could work as a friendship or encouragement card. The papers are Basic Grey per usual.

• 
  
  Karen's Doodles Challenge - Scandinavian for colours - pink, baby blue, lime green

Easter cards

I can't believe that it is already March and there are signs of Spring everywhere. It was a very mild winter here on the West Coast and yet I am still very ready to see the end of Winter! I spent some time this weekend making an Easter card for my niece. The image is a new one from Karen's Doodles - isn't she just the most adorable little bunny you've ever seen? I used a sketch from a new challenge site I only recently discovered called Create4Fun.

Challenges:

• Create4Fun - sketch
• Simon Says Stamps Challenge - mother's day or girlie
• Stamp Something - something girlie

A card for Delia

One of the reasons I so love being a crafter is how quickly the crafting community responds to a call for help. This was proven yet again when Dustin Pike posted a request for cards for a sick little girl on his blog. From what I have heard, the cards are flooding into little Delia! I made this card for her - I hope all the goodwill cheers her day.

This was such a fun card to make as I took inspiration from quite a few challenges (and used a brand-new digi stamp):

• 
  
  Crazy 4 Challenges - valentine card
• 
  
  One Stop Craft Challenge - use the colours apple green, chocolate & clotted cream
• 
  
  The Pink Elephant - valentine card
• 
  
  Digital Tuesday - all about animals
• 
  
  Everybody Art Cchallenge - valentine card
• 
  
  Truly Scrumptious - sketch, plus use buttons & bows
• 
  
  Copics Colour - use copic colours R29, RV23, B12
• 
  
  Cute Card Thursday - valentine card
• 
  
  ABC Challenge - "n" for new stash
• Simon Says Stamps - love

The Recipe:

• 
  
  Digi stamp is called Herbert the Turtle, from Karen's Doodles - I just discovered her work and am totally in love with her style!
• 
  
  Papers - Basic Grey
• 
  
  Ribbon - scrap ribbons

Thanks for looking!