Oh Crab...

So many great challenges are happening this week and I want to play along with them all!!  :D  I know I won't get to spend all weekend in my craft space so I won't get to play along with them all so I knew I had to at least make one card tonight.  I narrowed down my choices and decided to use the sketch from CPS:

The inspiration photo from the Paper Smooches SPARKS challenge:

I see distress, ocean theme, blues/greens, and that vertical stripe pattern

And finally, since they just arrived a couple of weeks back and I hadn't used them yet, I decided to make it with an acetate card which fits Young Crafters Unite's challenge:

Once that was all settled, I had a plan and attacked!!  Here's what I came up with - 

I found it a little difficult photographing it because I kept getting glares in the acetate.  I used some washi tape (which was my self challenge this week) for the vertical stripes on the circle.  The tape was actually a bright aqua color so I distressed it with some Vintage Photo ink and it toned it down giving it the look I wanted.  The crab is also colored with Distress Ink (Fired Brick and Worn Lipstick).

The waves are on glossy photo paper with some alcohol inks and a felt applicator.  I used Ranger's Stream, Meadow, and Snow Cap.  Then ran it through my Cuttlebug with the wave die... super simple!  I lined the front circle up with a circle I cut to fit right behind it - for a little more color and to cover my tape for both the inside and the outside.

The inside says "Belated Birthday Wishes."  I had no luck getting a picture of that, but it's a sentiment from Paper Smooches Word Salad set.

Have a crafty weekend!

--Angie

SUPPLIES - 

PAPER: Neenah Solar White; Office Max cardstock; glossy photo paper

STAMPS: Paper Smooches Word Salad and Chubby Chum Pals

INKS: Distress Inks - Antique Linen, Vintage Photo, Worn Lipstick, Fired Brick, Walnut Stain; Memento Tuxedo Black; Alcohol Inks by Ranger - Stream, Meadow, Snow Cap, and Alcohol Blending Solution

OTHER: Aqua wash tape (can't remember who makes it, but I bought it at AC Moore), alcohol ink felt blending tool, MFT wave die, finger daubers, Tonic edge distresser, Uniball Signo white gell pen, Spellbinder's Standard Circles Large, Tiny brads from stash, Snail adhesive, Foam tape/dots

Quick Share and Store Update

I just wanted to pop in a share a card I whipped up with the February set from Stamps of Life, umbrella4u:

I was channeling purple today :)  It's a 3 x 3 card, great for a gift bag or flower bouquet for the sickie.  I used some more stamps from the same set for the inside:

The reason I did such a quick card on my day off is because I'm feverishly working on getting my Etsy store updated!  I added a new shop banner (which matches my blog banner) and I'm getting things listed!! If only my computer could upload the photos quicker... I'd probably be done (if only!).  So if you're in the need for a card, one you may have seen in a previous post that caught your eye maybe, have a look at my store. (you can also click on the tab under the blog banner)  Thanks in advance for looking :)

--Angie

SUPPLIES - 

PAPER: Lavendar paper (i think from Michaels or AC Moore), Stampin' Up! Whisper White

STAMPS: The {Stamps} of Life umbrella4u

INK: Vivid Purple, Kaiser Craft Amythest

Dazzling Aqua

I decided to play along with this weeks iCopic challenge kind of at the last minute.  The challenge this week is to use the BG family.  It's not one that I usually gravitate towards so I wasn't super inspired at the beginning of the week.  But today that changed!  I grabbed my image, colored away, and ended up with this little cutie:

I used some Dazzle stickers (as I challenged myself to this week!) and kept it pretty simple.  Still need to practice with those BGs and Rs.

Challenges:

          

Next week, my challenge is to use some washi tape.  i have a nice little stash but I never seem to use it.  

Have a great weekend!

--Angie

SUPPLIES - 

PAPER: Neenah Solar White, Stampin' Up! Whisper White

INK: Memento Tuxedo Black

STAMP: The Greeting Farm's Beanie Anya

COPICS: Hair - E35, E37, E29; Skin - E50, E51, E00, R20; Clothes: BG10, BG23, BG49, BG72, BG75, R35, R37, R39

OTHER: Corner Chomper Aqua, Dazzle Stickers

Happy Valentine's Day!

I said if all worked out, I'd have a little non-card project to share.  Well they kind of worked out (I was super ambitious so not 100% how I wanted them, but it's new so I need more practice!)

I baked cookies!!  I found this recipe on the Glorious Treats blog.  The picture there was what I was hoping for, but alas, cookie decorator, I am not.  I made the batter.  Rolled the dough.  Cut the hearts.  And baked.  I let them sit over night and finally iced them the next day.  I tried flooding the icing.  This was my first try -

 

You can see the piped outline in the top row of hearts and the flooded icing on the rest.  I was planning on adding some decorations - dots, hearts, sections of colors - but once I got started, I thought it was best to stick with the basics for the first go around, so solid flooded cookies it was.

Of course one of the cookies broke before it could be iced and so not to waste it, I gave it a test and it was Deeeeee-LISH-OUS!  I can't want to try it with the icing.  Most of these will be taken to work with me, but I wanted to save at least one for the hubby.  I made a little cookie box card just for him - 

 

 

When he unties the bow, he'll find a cookie stashed away - 

(just for the picture I added a cookie that wsn't fully iced since they were still drying at the time)

  I based the cookie box front on the final day's sketch for CPS's 5th Anniversary celebration (#231) - 

 It's been a blast playing along with the 15 day celebration!

Happy Valentine's Day!

--Angie

SUPPLIES -
PAPER: Stampin' Up! Real Red, Neenah Solar White, Core'dinations Pearl Black
INK: Memento Tuxedo Black, Stampin' Up! Real Red
COPICS: C0, C1, C3, C5, C7. C9, 100; Spica Lipstick, Garnet, and Silver
STAMPS: Stamping Bella Robot Love, Lawn Fawn Itty Bitty Backgrounds
OTHER: Stampin' Up Stain Ribbon,

Hello Ian

Today, I'm sharing a card I made using the 14th day sketch for the CPS 5th Anniversary (#45):

I have a little stack of new supplies sitting on my desk that I've been wanting to use before I put them away and I used a few of them on this card:

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 The Ian image reminded me of a little newspaper boy (it must be the hat!) so I paired him with the Hero Arts Newspaper Background.  I stamped the newspaper on Pool Party paper with Versamark and embossed it with clear embossing powder.  Then I inked over the background with Island Indigo so the Pool Party would come through.  I love this technique and don't use it enough!  I used the same ink colors to color in his colors.  He's such a sweet image.

I usually color brown hair but today I decided to try something new.  I need to find the right combo for blondes but I like how this one turned out.

--Angie

SUPPLIES - 
PAPER: Stampin' Up! Pool Party card stock and dsp; Neenah Solar White
STAMPS: The Greeting Farm's Hello Ian, Hero Arts' Newspaper Background, Verrsamark
INK: Memento Tuxedo Black, Stampin' Up! Pool Party, Island Indigo, Daffodil Delight, and Early Espresso
COPICS: skin - E50, E51, E00; hair Y21, Y32, E35
OTHER: Clear Embossing Powder, Heat Gun, Glue Dots, Tombow Mono Multi Glue, Snail Adhesive, Glue dots, Buttons, Sponge Daubers, Pool Party Seam Binding Ribbon

Sparkly Congrats

Just a quick card for Day 13 of the CPS 5th Anniversary using sketch #121:

I wanted to use a new die set I got that happens to be stars and I liked howthe star on this sketch and left it as is -

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I didn't have a sentiment that fit in the star, so I (carefully) wrote congrats across the star and added dashed lines around the edges to ground them a little to the background... quick and easy!

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day - any plans?  If all goes well, I'll have a little non-paper project to share :D

--Angie

SUPPLIES - 
PAPER:Stampin' Up! Basic Black, Daffodil Delight, Neenah Solar White, Silver Glitter paper
DIE: Sweet and Sassy Stars
INK: Stampin' Up! Basic Black Marker

Week 6: Paper Piecing

This week I challenged myself to use some of my paper stash by paper piecing.  Todays card has no paper piecing but I did do some paper piecing through the week and you can see them here and here.  For today's card, I turned CPS's day 12 sketch (#118) into something inspired by the current Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge -

And here it is...

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I loved the felt heart with the pinking around the edge.  I immediately was drawn to the Smoocheroos set and that adorable little monkey.  I stamped him and colored him with Copics.  I used Distress Inks and masked clouds to create the sky that he is floating through.  I stamped the I heart U from the same set on red glitter paper, popped them up and attached some twine.  I cut the heart with pinking shears. The background is stamped from hearts and XOs from Chubby Chums, spiffy Scooters, A Little Lovin', and Word Salad in addition to the Smoocheroos.

That monkey is just too cute :)

My self challenge this week is to use Dazzles in some of my creations.  I've amassed quite a collection because I love how they look, but I don't seem to use them very often.... but this week I will!!

--Angie

SUPPLIES - 
PAPER: Stampin' Up! Crumb Cake and Real Red, Neenah solar White
STMAPS: Paper Smooches - Smoocheroos, Chubby Chums, Spiffy Scooters, A Little Lovin' Word Salad
INK: Memento Tuxedo Black, Stampin' Up! Real Red, Tumbled Glass and Faded Jeans Distress Inks, Jet Black Stazon
COPICS: E31, E35, E37, E30
OTHER: Pink Felt, Pinking Shearts, Sweet & Sassy Cloud Die, Ink Blender, Red Glitter Paper, Foum Tape, Souffle White Gel Pen, Maraschino twine from the Twinery, Paper Piercer, Snail Adhesive