There's a train coming.....

Spent all morning putting in tile in the bathroom, felt that was as good an excuse as any to get to spend some time in my craft room!  As if I need an excuse!  LOL.  Anyway.......I have no "male" cards left in my stash (and you know how lonely those 'female' cards get)  :)   I decided I needed to get cracking and this is what I came up with..................

Both the image and the background paper are digi's from Create with TLC.  Aren't they just wonderful!  Paulette gives away an amazing number of digi's (she loves vintage) and word art.  She always seems to know just what I am trying to say, LOL. 

The train image is printed and colored twice with one copy popped onto of the first at the front of the train up flat on the paper at the back.  Sort of looks like it is coming out of the page.  It image is colored with what else:  my copics.  The bakers twine is from the twinery and the button from my stash.

This card may be entered in the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp and Show:  Buttons

Aly's Sunday Challenge:  Bakers twine

Digi Doodle Shop:  Anything Goes

Creative Friday:  Open Theme

Paper Cutz Challenge:  Anything Goes

Moving Along with the Times:  Anything Goes

Sandy Toes & Salty Kisses

Sandy Toes & Salty Kisses.....isn't that a wonderful sentiment!  And check out this DP.  Isn't it just to die for.  I picked this up in Maui (in December) at Island Paperie and finally have decided that I had to cut into at least one piece of it!  LOL..

The DP is cut just under the size of the kraft card base.  The image (from OCL) is stamped directly on the DP.  The ribbon is layered directly under the stamped image.  Spellbinder Fleur de Lis shapeabilities are used for the embellishments and the base for the sentiment.  Memento inks for stamping and sponging.

The shadings of the blue work perfectly for sky scene and the hibiscus flowers are just amazing.

This card may be entered in the following challenges:

Our Craft Lounge:  Use punches, die cuts, etc.

Take a Word:  Travel (Maui)

Totally Stampalicious:  Keep it Simple

Birthday Wishes

There is a beautiful picture of a cake on Our Craft Lounge to use as an inspiration for a project.  Couldn't wait to play with the idea that immediately popped into my head.  I would use my circut and design studio and make a card in the shape of a cake.  Only..........there has to be a stamp from OCL used to be able to enter their challenge.  Well,  I dug out "Life's a Picnic"  and this is what I came up with..................

Don't you just love those hungry little ants!  LOL,

The ants are stamped, colored, cut out and placed on the card.  The flowers are also individually completed.  The petals are curved out and the flowers mounted on the the cake. 

The 'happy' is from "Sunshine Cheer" and Birthday is from "Say it Big" stamp sets.

It is cool how you can mix and match the different sets to make your projects.

The decorative "icing" is made with an EK success border punch.  The ribbon and flat back pearls

are from my stash.  All coloring is with Copic markers and the stamping and sponging is all done

with Memento markers.  The center sentiment is from the "Life's a Picnic" set.  The die cut

is a new Spellbinder nestibility.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

This card may be entered in the following challenges:

Our Craft Lounge:  Photo inspiration
Birthday Sundaes:  Birthday card
Crafty Ho's:  Scrappy Birthday
There's Magic in the Air:  Let's use flowers
Fairy Tale Challenge:    Happy Birthday
PaperPlay Challenge:  Critters Galore
Paper CupCakes:  Let's use flowers

Spring may have Sprung!

This is a picture heavy post!  Be warned!

Spring is trying hard to come out and it definitely is influencing me.  My friend Marsha just had her birthday and I made her a beautiful spring lantern to celebrate it.  This is my first attempt at a lantern and I think it turned out just wonderful.  (Remember, this is paper.  Use a flameless candle)!

Isn't this just gorgeous?!  The tutorial that I started with for this lantern is on 'From my Craft Room'.  I did some changes, ie:  windows in all 4 sides, slight changes in size, added a shelf with a holder for the flameless candle inside the lantern, etc.  The basic frame is almost the same though. 

This beautiful butterfly is one of my new dies from Mariannes Creatables.  (see last post for another die cut from Mariannes).  I cut it out of white cardstock and colored it with my copics.  All of the flowers are cut out with my cricut, shaped, sponged and assembled with brads.  All of the leaves are a sizzix die cut.

The ribbons are from Michael's.  The papers and brads are from my stash.  The windows all have acetate (fastened on the inside with ATG adhesive).  I use overhead transparencies for this.  To access the inside to place/replace the flameless candle, the top comes off.  Didn't Norma do an amazing job designing the top to this great lantern!? 

Including the top, this lantern stands close to 7 inches. 

I can't think of a better celebration of spring than flowers and butterflies.  What better way to say happy birthday to my friend!

This project may be entered in the following challenges:

Dream Valley Challenges:  Things with wings

Creative Cowgirls Challenge:  Spring or Easter

Sparkles Challenge:  Springtime

One Stitch at a Time:  3-D

The Crafty Pad:  Flowers

I did it Creations:  Anything Goes

Bows and Berries:  Inspired by Nature

The Crazy Challenge:  Just add Flowers

Lollipop Crafts:  Make a box or a gift

There's Magic in the Air:  Lets use flowers

Clear it out Challenge:  Make a flower and use it

Papertake Weekly:  Anything Goes

Tuesday Throwdown:  Spring

Flutter by Wednesday:  Open theme, must have a buttlerfly, fairy or angel

Fresh Brewed Designs:  Flowers

Ambers Crafts and Such:  Try a new technique

Craft us Crazy:  Spring or Easter

Little Claire's Designs:  Celebrate Spring

Shannon's Sentiments:  Use an oval (the windows)

So Artful Challenges:  April Showers bring Spring flowers

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge:  Butterfly

Allsorts Challenge:  Bloomin' Blossoms

DYSU:  Follow the Yellow Brick Road

Dutch Dare Challenge:  Spring

TSB:  Monthly Challenge

Thinking of You

Teal, dark brown and white.  What an amazing color combo!  That is the challenge at OCL this week.  Once again I am breaking out my favorite stamp set "Natures Notes" and playing with that gorgeous butterfly!

And.......how about that die cut on the front!  I just got that in the mail last week.  From England!  The company name is Marianne's Creatables and they are awesome!  Watch out for some of the other dies that I bought to come up on projects soon. 

Another first in this project, I colored with my copics on kraft cardstock inside the card.  Not to bad although you do have to use quite darker colors to get them to show enough.

Deets:

Image & Sentiment:  Our Craft Lounge:  Natures Notes

Coloring:  Copic Markers

Paper:  Neenah solar crest

Stamp ink:  Memento

Glitter:  Dazzling Diamonds from SU

Paper, ribbon and half pearls:  from my stash

**Note:  I am still on with my new years resolution and have not bought any DP this year!**

The gorgeouse butterfly is stamped on the die cut.  Another is stamped on some scrap paper, colored, cut out.

The body is glued to the die cut, the wings are popped up for dimension.

This card may be entered in the following challenges:

Our Craft Lounge:  Dark brown, teal and white color challenge

Sparkles Forum:  Spring

Whoopsie Daisy:  Spring

Cooking it up with Kate:  Shimmer, sparkle and shine

Pixie Dust Studios:  Fluttering Wings

Christmas Stamping all year long:  Decorate the inside too

Little Claire's Designs:  Celebrate Spring

Secret Crafter:  Butterflies

Dream Valley Challenges:  Things with Wings

TSB:  Monthly challenge