[Mami Doodles] Challenge #31 - Flowers

How is your summer going? Have you checked out the flower tutorial on the Mami Doodles blog? It is the perfect inspiration to get going for our next challenge: Flowers.

I have a cute card to share with you today. When I see the words "flowers" I think girl-inspired. So this card has a lot of pink and a special sneak peek...


Stamps: (The Swing) Mami Doodles; (Up, Up & Away Sentiments) Papertrey Ink
Ink: (Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Sugar Spun) Ranger
Paper: (Paper Basics Card Stock - Hibiscus Burst, Dark Chocolate) Papertrey Ink; (Scrap Pack Card Stock - Pink; Basic Card Stock - White) Recollection; (Porcelain) Basic Grey
Embellishments: (Soft-core Color Pencils) Prismacolor; (Scalloped Sentiment Border) Fiskars; (Satin Swiss Dot Ribbon - Dark Chocolate) Papertrey Ink; (Gelly Roll Metallic Pens) Sakura; 

So what do you think of this darling little digi? It's a sneak peek to next month's promotional item at Mami Doodles. The Swing has a bunch of cute flowers which matches the Porcelain paper so well. And a fun little swiss-dotted ribbon to add to the whimsy.



The Swing digi made me think of my childhood. My favorite playground ride was aways the swing. I'd get on and try to swing as high as possible. On the way up, I'd kick up my legs and try to touch the sky - those bright, blue, serene skies dotted with some white. Do you have any favorite playground memories

Go check out the rest of the DT's inspiration to feel flower power :)  There are some gorgeous cards out there to get your going.

Thanks for stopping by, and Happy Friday!

[DYSU] Challenge #30 - Yellow, Orange & Brown

Did you play along last week with us at Do You Stack Up (DYSU)? Thank you to all of those that participated. It was very inspiring to see so many interpretation! This week we have a color challenge to get your creative juices flowing...

Pull out your card stock, your pattern paper, your embellishments, your color pencils - anything that is Yellow, Orange & Brown.

I am featuring a digi from Gingerloft. I am not very well-versed with more realistically drawn digis, and it was great challenge to think of how to make a digi stand out. So I tried to gather inspiration from my pattern papers, my embellishments and other items. Here is what I came up with, and hope to do the talented artist from Gingerloft justice!


Stamps: (Lion Cub Digi) Gingerloft; (Way out West) Waltzingmouse Stamps
Paper: (Paper Basics Card Stock - Dark Chocolate) Papertrey Ink; (Basic Card Stock - Cream) Recollection; (Archaic) Basic Grey
Ink: (Jenni Bowlin - No. 11 Brown Sugar) Ranger
Embellishments: (Soft-core Color Pencils, Double-ended Art Marker) Prismacolor; (Hemp Cord) Darice; (Burlap) Hollmann Textil GmBH; (Vellum from Stationary Packaging) Recycled

I had a piece of vellum from stationary packing in my recycling stash. I thought it would be fun to create a zebra striped panel and started out with dark brown marker on kraft. It didn't show through, so I switched to black - I liked the results better. See the next picture for an up-close picture.



The Archaic pattern paper actually had a lot of light blues hues. I amended it by shading in some yellow and orange hues in to fit the color challenge better. If you squint, you can see a little bit of the yellow peeking out behind the vellum.

I hope you join us this week at DYSU. Make sure to check out what the DT has cooked up and leave them a little bit of love, will ya?

Our sponsors this week:

Stretch ‘n Bubbles Winner’s Choice of 4 Digis

Stitchy Bear $10 Gift Voucher for Stitchy Stamps, Floppy Latte Designs and Sylvie’s Stamps

Gingerloft Winner’s Choice of 3 Digis

[Paperplay Challenge] Week 29 - Ribbon, Lace & Button

Note: If you are looking for DYSU challenge - please keep scrolling :)

Some challenges are a challenge even for a Design Team member. I had an extreme mojo block with this one. No matter how many times I tried putting something together, it just didn't work. How can three little harmless ingredients of Ribbon, Lace & Button drive someone to the brink of insanity? Perhaps, all I needed was that time pressure to just put something together...and call it the day. Well, here is my contribution (and hoping this challenge won't torture you as much as it has me ;)


Stamps: (Butterfly Kisses; Fly Free) Nine B Designs;
Paper: (Paper Basics Card Stock - Vintage Cream) Papertrey Ink; (Scrap Pack - Cream) Recollections; (Once Upon a Spring Time) Graphic 45
Ink: (Jenni Bowlin - No. 11 Brown Sugar; Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Antique Linen) Ranger; (Versamark) Tsukineko
Embellishments: (Pearls - Champagne) Kaisercraft; (Stickles - Diamond) Ranger; (Vintage Buttons - Autumn Collection) Papertrey Ink; (Embossing Powder - Detail Clear) Stampendous!; (Key Ingredient Kit "Penelope's Potpourri" - Ribbon) Taylored Expressions; (Sewing Thread - White) Gütermann; (Lace Trim) May Arts; (Corner Chomper) We R Memories

The first road block was to find lace. Lace, lace, lace...not usually my medium. But thankfully I bought a card kit from The Craft's Meow that had a piece of lace to my rescue. Since I haven't had a chance to work with my Graphic 45 paper in that said bought kit, I decided to pull some things together from it. As inspiration I was also using the sketch that The Craft's Meow is currently running. They have The Craft's Meow Monthly Card Sketch Challenge that has debuted this month, in case you want to play along :)

My next hurdle was coming up with color combinations. I decided to pull colors from the pattern paper and start assembling. The butterfly is clear embossed and then sentiment dressed up with some Stickles to give it that extra shine.



I layered the lace on a broader satin ribbon and gave it a few pearls for good measure. Popped a tiny button onto my butterfly and called my "Ribbon, Lace & Button" card done. What do you think? Make sure to check out the other amazing contributions from the Paperplay Challenge DT and don't forget to leave them some love.

Our sponsors this week:

• Bunny Zoe Crafts

[DYSU] Challenge #29 - Wings

Did you play along last week with us at Do You Stack Up (DYSU)? We had 100+ players and was I wow-ed by all of your creations. Thanks so much for joining us. I hope you had fun. And this week's challenge will hopefully bring another wave of creativity. I think you'll like it, since it can be interpreted in many ways.  So come one, come all! 

This week pull out anything that has wings - your birdie stamps, your butterflies, your dragon flies, fairies, angels...don't forget that amazing pattern paper too! So show us what you got with Wings this week.

Today I'm featuring Pixie Dust Studio digi. Thank you, Kathy, for being one of our lovely sponsors this week! My card is showcasing a cutie patootie called Baker Fairy. I'm so glad I got to create with her. The avid baker in me thinks she is super cute - who can say "no" to those big eyes?


Stamps: (It's a Girl Thing - Baker Fairy) Pixie Dust Studios; (Frame-It) Waltzingmouse Stamps
Paper: (Paper Basics Card Stock - Pure Poppy, Aqua Mist) Papertrey Ink; (Basic Card Stock - Cream) Recollection; (School Spirit Collection) Crate Paper
Ink: (Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Antique Linen) Ranger; (Brilliance - Pearlescent White) Tsukineko
Embellishments: (Soft-core Color Pencils) Prismacolor; (Ultrafine Prisma Glitter) Palette; (Sticker Glass - B-Day Bash Collection) imaginisce

I wanted to use that cute little glass sticker embellishment and decided to pull some colors that mixed and matched well. A little bit of coloring and distressing to match the cream in the pattern paper. I didn't have a good idea on how to stamp on a sentiment. Sometimes adding a label or a certain sentiment draws the eye to that place, and with Baker Fairy and the cake sticker I had already too many focal points. So I created a background with a happy birthday sentiment - a not so subtle way of adding a sentiment, but I think it doesn't detract from the Baker Fairy. What do ya'll think?



I hope to see you play along this week. Check out what the amazing  DYSU DT has created to get your inspiration flowing. Feel free to leave a little bit of love.

Our sponsors this week:

• The Stamping Boutique - 5 digis (winner's choice)
• TLC Creations - $10 gift certificate
• Pixie Dust Studios - 3 digis (winner's choice)
  

[DYSU] Challenge #28 - Sew: Faux or Real

Did you play along last week with us at Do You Stack Up (DYSU)? We have another fun-filled challenge, one that almost everyone has tried or done before and is one of my personal favorites ...

So pull out your gel pens, black pens, needle & thread, or sewing machine...any kind of Sewing goes this week.

I am featuring one of the sponsors today, which happen to be a personal favorite of mine...Mami Doodles digis! Elisa makes the cutest, darndest digis and we got to play with Ligia. I feel so honored to be able to show you something special today.


Stamps: (Ligia Playing Dress Up) Mami Doodles
Paper: (Paper Basics Card Stock - Vintage Cream) Papertrey Ink; (Basic Card Stock - Cream) Recollection; (Earth Love) Cosmo Cricket; (Porcelain, Urban Prairie) Basic Grey
Ink: (Jenni Bowlin - No. 11 Brown Sugar) Ranger
Embellishments: (Soft-core Color Pencils) Prismacolor; (Vintage Button - Dark Chocolate; Baker's Twine - Chocolate) Papertrey Ink; (Mini Clothespins - Natural) Canvas Corp; (White Sewing Thread) Güttermann

Do you remember these paper dolls? Did you ever have one? One of my childhood memories of a family trip was getting one of these from a trip to London. I carefully cut out each dress and accessory piece and made sure to fold the tabs exactly along the line. After I was done playing with my paper doll, I'd put all the clothes and parts carefully back into its folder and made sure each tab was flat and unfolded. Call it OCD or anal retentive...I was that kid.



When I saw Elisa releasing the Ligia digi, I had this concept floating in my head. I am showcasing Ligia in Braids & Uniform and thought why not convert her into a paper doll? The rest of the outfits hanging on the clothe line are the other Ligia outfits that were paper pieced with some Basic Grey scraps.



To make the clothes more prominent, I outlined the pieces with a black ink pen and then added tabs and outlined those as well. 



Ligia is actually made of two pieces of card stock, and I created a slit into the green grass where I slit the back silhouette of Ligia into the card for her to stand. It's her "home" when she's not being played with. If she wants to come out and play, then a little tug should do the trick, and she's free to "wander off."



A little bit of (unintentional messy) sewing around the hills, and this little play date invitation with built-in fun is done. So see this inspiration as a personal invitation to come play along with us at DYSU. Make sure to check out what the DT has designed and leave them a little bit of love.

Our sponsors this week:

• Robyn's Fetish- either 5 digital stamps or 4 digital stamps + 1 paper pack
• Mami Doodles- 4 images for the prize winner (3 + one of their choice)

[Mami Doodles] Challenge #30 - At the Beach

This week at Mami Doodles we are creating cards for the beach. I just returned from a marvelous trip that included two days at the beach doing nothing...well, by nothing, I mean not working ;) For this challenge, I decided to showcase an older Mami digi that is perfect for this week's theme.


Stamps: (Lil Alex with Bucket) Mami Doodles
Paper: (Paper Basics Card Stock - Vintage Cream) Papertrey Ink; (Heat Wave) American Crafts
Embellishments: (Soft-core Color Pencils) Prismacolor; (Point 88 Pens) Stabilo

An easy peasy card - just some coloring a little bit of pattern paper and a bit of self-made sand. I cut the star fishes out from the Heat Wave paper collection. Doesn't it just fit? Here an up-close look on Alex, who was easy to color!



Go check out the rest of the DT's inspiration to feel the summery heat and I hope you'll come play along. After all the summer days are limited, and before you know it you'll be crafting christmas...! If you need a free digi, hop on to Wendy's blog. She has some cute flip flops that would fit this theme. Don't forget to link back to her blog and give her kudos!

[Paperplay Challenge] We Make the Perfect Pear

Note: If you are looking for DYSU challenge - please keep scrolling :)

Are you ready for this week's PaperPlay Challenge theme? Then come and create something Fruity. This theme is perfect for this time of the year. Our strawberry picking season ended about two weeks ago; we're in the middle of our raspberries and next week blueberries are available. It's so exciting how just a few miles in any direction from my house either a farmer's stand, a farm for pick-your-own, or a local fresh produce section in my grocery stores offer the local good stuff! Do you go fruit & vegetable picking?


Stamps: (Punny Fruit & Vegetables) Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps; (Frame-It) Waltzingmouse Stamps
Paper: (Paper Basics Card Stock - White, Ripe Avocado) Papertrey Ink
Ink: (Jenni Bowlin - No. 11 Brown Sugar) Ranger
Embellishments: (Soft-core Color Pencils) Prismacolor; (Glossy Accents) Ranger

I masked the the pair of pears to make them sit together. A quick frame and a nice rich avocado card stock to bring it all together. Quick & easy...!



Since a little bit of shine can never hurt fruit, I added a layer of glossy accents! So come play along this week and beet out the competition. *har har*

Our sponsors this week:

• Simon Says Stamp: $15 Voucher

[DYSU] Challenge #27 - Chipboard

This is my first week debuting as one of the new DT members on Do You Stack Up? (DYSU). We gals have already been chatting behind the scenes and making friends with one another. I already feel quite at home here with this bunch. To be honest, I feel so honored to be "stacking it up" with these girl and can only hope that I don't let them down. This talent pool is amazing. Make sure to stop by their blogs to check out the latest designs. So before we get started, I'm sure you guys are all curious to see what the theme is and what is at stake this week...

Yep - pull out those chipboards!

Our sponsors are:

• My Mind's Eye: check out the DYSU site for the photo of the prize package
• Copic Marker Scrapbooking: 6 copic ciao marker (North/South America); Martha Stewart punch (rest of the world)
  
• Lili of the Valley: £10 gift voucher
  

I am featuring a Lili of the Valley digi. Here my inspiration for this week's chipboard theme.


Stamps: (Armchair Bear) Lili of the Valley
Paper: (Paper Basics Card Stock - Vintage Cream) Papertrey Ink; (Basic Card Stock - Cream) Recollections; (Marcella K - Sophie Paper) K&Company; (Lemonade - Pink Fizz) Basic Grey
Ink: (Memento - Tuxedo Black; Versamark) Tsukineko
Embellishments: (Soft-core Color Pencils) Prismacolor; (Fresh Chipboard Motif - Crown) Maya Roads; (Brenda Walton Grand Adhesion - BW Princess Tags) K&Company; (Glossy Accents) Ranger

I have a hard time incorporating chipboard onto my creations, because I don't usually create with it. I started this card by wanting to use this cute dimensional "Once Upon a Time..." sticker with this cute Armchair Bear. After coloring in the bears, I created a wallpaper with the pattern paper that I chose.



I happened to be digging through my stash, when I found some fun Maya Roads chipboard. Isn't the crown perfect for the princess-wanna-be? I paper pieced this with some yummy Basic Grey paper and added a layer of Glossy accents to give it shine and dimension. If you wanted to be a make-believe princess, would you wear this crown? ;)



Thanks to Lily of the Valley I got to play with some great digis. I hope you'll consider playing along, and don't forget to hop on over to the DYSU site to check out the rest of the DT's work. In the meantime, I want to hear which princess you always wanted to be as a kid... :)