A Cappella Sheep

I have been wanting to make a card with these sheep ever since Marilyn made a comment in rehearsal about "Lazy Day" making her feel like a sheep. (All you barbershoppers out there who sing the harmony parts know what she was talking about!) Channeling harmonious sheep or not, it is still one of my favorite songs to sing.

Today's card is for the Crafty Hos. One of our members, Scrappy, drew the sketch for this week's challenge. You can see that I did not follow it exactly, which though unusual for me, is exactly the beauty of a sketch. Words as the largest focal point is another abnormal feature (for me at least). Since my inspiration is a fellow chorus member, however, I thought the sentiment was particularly apropos.

Crystal Stickles cover the butterfly which was first colored with Prismacolor markers and the "sky" in which it flies was sponged. The sheep are plush with an addition of Liquid Applique.





Card Details:
Image: All Night Media
Sentiment: Inkadinkado
Cardstock: SU, unknown designer (glitter) paper, GP
Ink: Memento, SU
Tools: SU punches, Fiskars Border punch, sponge, heat gun
Coloring: Prismacolor markers
Embellies: Stickles, Liquid Applique

Bleeping Digital

Digital is the wave of the future. Digital books, digital music and what some people call digital stamps, though I usually just use the word 'images' Michele has a swap right now for cards made using digis. Within it she has a category for Fancy Folds/Techniques/Shapes card. Thinking I should try something new, I signed up for this one.

Now I am fairly computer savvy, but digis just stump me. They never come out the size that I want. And oh, for this card, I used two, cuz the fish is a digi, a whale actually, that I altered a wee bit (I can do that no problem). I know how to change the size, but cannot seem to figure out how that translates on the paper. At least I am no longer resizing by percentages anymore - OY! That was a bear of a math problem. As for the whale, altering the image was easy; took some time to alter the frame around the image (cuz after all that is the size you are changing, not the picture itself.) Printing it how I wanted - ERG, that took many, many trips through the printer to perfect.Only one sheet of paper, though, cuz I am cheap (green?) like that. Finally I got the whale shape printed and cut out. The turtle was a little easier as I was using him as is and his frame is already tight, so though he took quite some time to get sized correctly, he only one test print. (I used the test page from Belassiz; did I mention I am cheap? In fact, once a page is too full to continue to print, it becomes my desk protector when I do real stamping. I say that cuz after I made this card I thought I will never do digis again! I will, though, and I will get better at it. Certainly could not be any worse...

An inked embossing folder was used for the underwater section of the "fish", and there are Stickles on both the fly (on the fishing line) and the edge of the whale tale. Originally I planned on a Happy Fathers Day sentiment, but did not like any of the placements, so I ditched it. Even without, I think GB will likely be finding this in his mailbox in June.





Card Details:
Image: Dustin Pike - with some parts of the image removed (card shape) , Bugaboo
Sentiment: N/A
Cardstock: SU, GP
Ink: Memento, SU
Tools: Embossing Folder, Brayer
Coloring: Prismacolor markers
Embellies: Stickles, ribbon

Fairy Tale Froggy

What else would you expect to find in an Enchanted Forest than a Prince who has been turned into a frog? Being of short stature, (vertically challenged), this froggy fellow is leaping into the air to get your attention. He does not want you to waste your time kissing those regular old run-of-the-mill frogs by mistake. Not only will they not become your Prince, but you might get frustrated from a lack of expected result and stop kissing frogs altogether! No, no, we mustn't have that...

In order to help your wish along, I have included your very own parachute ball. Better be quick, for some are already blowing in the wind! (If you look closely above the sentiment you will see the complete dandelion seed with stem. Or perhaps you just have to trust me that it is there. It is visible in person. At least you can see the ones that are blowing in the "blush blossom" area of the card. You can see them, can't you?)







Card Details:
Image: Inkadinkado, Great Impressions
Sentiment: Elzybells
Cardstock: SU, GP
Ink: Memento, SU
Tools: Nestabilities
Coloring: Prismacolor markers
Embellies: Googly eyes

Pink and Black Challenge

Welcome to my first project for the Crafty Hos Challenge Blog! As I joined late, I only had a couple of days to complete this challenge - I did not want to miss my first one!!

I had an idea of what I wanted to do, but did not own a brayer, so off to the LSS I went. Despite chanting, "Brayer, brayer, don't for get the brayer" in my head the entire ride, I came home with a cute raccoon stamp I have been coveting for months and an embossing folder I had special ordered in December, but NO BRAYER. Yup, totally forgot.

Got up early on Saturday morning and arrived at A.C. Moore shortly after opening, 50% coupon in hand. I am now the proud owner of a Speedball Soft Rubber Brayer (isn't she gorgeous?).

On to the challenge: Pink and Black. That's it. Simple, right? My, how I struggled. Took me a while to come up with an idea, then two trips to actually remember to purchase the brayer, and finally to put it all together. You would laugh if you knew how many times I needed to start over because I forgot to mask out the circle for the moon.

The expanse of snow needed a little something, too. I experimented with prima flowers and brads, but finally decided, between the sunset background and the house in shadow, "With Sympathy" was the most fitting.





Card Details:
Image: PSX
Sentiment: SU
Cardstock: SU, GP
Tools: Brayer, Scallop blade (in rotary cutter) 
Coloring: SU pads (brayer and sponge), Prismacolor marker
Embellies: N/A

Two Embossing Folder Challenge

Don't you hate when you finish a card (or even worse a set of 8) and you see a bunch of things that you could have done differently, but just don't have the time? That is how I feel about this card. Well, to be truthful, there is really only one thing I can think I should have done differently (other than the whole card itself) and that would be the ink color of the sentiment. Should have matched the green I think. Or at least tested that to see which was better.

I could not think of any embellies to add, so there are none. At least I fulfilled the swap requirements of using at least two embossing folders.

I admit it, I do not love this card and I feel guilty to sending it to Paola, as I do really like her. Of course, one of the great things about Sweet P is her forgiving nature. Looks like I will be putting it to the test with this one!




Card Details:
Image: N/A
Sentiment: SU
Cardstock: SU, GP
Tools: Cuttlebug Embossing Folder (x2) 
Coloring: N/A
Embellies: N/A

Looking to Spring

February's Sisterhood of the Traveling Cards theme was a stumper. Seems pretty easy at first read, a flower theme and use buttons. But, I am not usually a 'pretty' stamper - I tend to lean more towards cute or funny. Sadly the only way I can think to use buttons with flowers is right at the center. Not terribly original and not terribly creative, so I put it off. And put it off. Then suddenly I remembered that February only has 28 days; I could not put it off any longer.

Finally, inspiration. I had received some flower buttons as part of a Secret Sister gift (thanks Lorie, you saved me!). Next to find something to hold the flower. My new Build-a-Roo started hopping and round chanting, "Pick me! Pick me!"

I tell you, it is hard to resist a begging kangaroo.



Card Details:
Image: SU Build-a-Roo and Kindness (wheel)
Cardstock: SU, GP
Tools: Nestabilities, Stampin Around (large), generic dimensional
Coloring: Prismacolor Markers
Embellies: (unknown) flower button, Stickles

Crafty Hos Challenges

I finally got around to sending my head shot to Audrey so that I could be linked up with the Crafty Hos. What took so long? Well, I am really not a fan of having my picture taken. I used to like it. In fact I used to dive into all sorts of photo ops, with or without an invitation. But then along came prednisone (vile stuff!) and pigment changes on my face in inconvenient areas. And well, I am just not a fan anymore...

But if I want to be on a DT, a head shot is a necessary evil. That said, you can find me on The Crafty Hos Challenge Blog sidebar. Somehow being last put me at the top of the page.

New challenges are posted every Sunday and you have until the following Saturday at 11PM EST to upload your creation. Now if I could only figure out where to find the challenges BEFORE they are posted with the DT samples I will be all set.

Please join us if you can!