Washi's Up?

I've been watching the Olympics Primetime spot on NBC, and tonight was gymnastics and swimming. It's pretty crazy what all these athletes can do. They train all their lives for this one shot, and then all bets are off at the competition. It could be jitters, a bad day, or an injury that can take it all away. I can't imagine that kind of pressure these athletes are, and some are as young as 15 or 16...

So while all this excitement was happening, I decided to play along at Catered Crop. I found this site through Rebecca, and was just delighted. Most of you know how much I am a foodie, and this challenge group combines the metaphors of the kitchen in the crafting space. How can I not love this? And I absolutely dig the vintage, clean and simple logo.

So this week they are putting a recipe swap together with washi tape! As you can see, I had to "borrow" their clever, punny "Washi's Up" line...So here is my creation (while watching nervously the US girls complete their gymnastics).


Stamps: N/A
Paper: (Paper Basics Card Stock - Vintage Cream) Papertrey Ink
Ink: N/A
Embellishments: (Grab Box - Tag) The Craft's Meow; (Washi - Love Graph, Sketched Grey Polka Dot, Sketched Grey With Love, Heart Cloud) Freckled Fawn; (Border Punch - Scallop Sentiment, Swiss Cheese) Fiskars; (Washi - Blue Grid with Red Dots, Gray Stripes, Aqua Pink Argyle, Light Green Chevron) Love My Tapes; (Decorative Washi Tape Set #2 - Teal Woodgrain; Decorative Washi Tape Set #3 - Teal Hearts) Hambly Studios; (Jolee's Boutique - Fish Bowls) Stickopotamus; (Precision Pen - Black 01) American Crafts; (Inkssentials - Glossy Accents) Ranger; (ABC Stickers - HLS0092) Lily Bee Design

My inspiration for this tag was the little fish in the Jolee's Boutique Fish Bowl sticker set. I knew I wanted to create something with this, and I thought making a tag of washi "ocean waves" would be fun. Here is a quick look at my supplies: 13 rolls of washi, two card stock, a tag, border punch, and the stickers. I changed my mind on the alphas, as you can tell, but that usually happens half way through creation...



To create these scallops I taped up strips of Vintage Cream card stock and ran them through my border punch. I glued down the layers as I went. I thought my fish should blow some bubbled, so I used the Swiss Cheese border punch to get various sizes of circles. Carefully with tweezers and a Am Crafts Precision Pen I created some bubbles on the circles and then finished with Glossy Accents.



After looking at the alphas I have pulled before, I decided I wanted some letters that were not squares or circles - just plain cut out letters. These from Lily Bee Design were perfect size and perfect weight (not too skinny, not too bold). But I'll let you judge...



It was truly a fun tag to make. Glad I was watching TV, since it took awhile to tape down and punch out everything so carefully. Lots of tweezer work too! Thanks for peeking!

[DYSU] Challenge #82 - For a Friend

Good morning! This week at DYSU we're bringing you a theme that is near & dear to my heart...it's always a nice excuse to say hello & how much a friend or someone in the family means to you. We don't have enough opportunities to tell our loved ones how much they do mean to us...

So this week we're bringing you a theme: For a Friend. So let's get crafty, shall we?

I'm working with a new sponsor Floppy Latte Designs, and I really like how they have all kinds of images, from whimsy to serious, from sweet to elegant. Check their store out!


Stamps: (Country Hearts) Floppy Latte Designs
Paper: (Paper Basics Card Stock - Smokey Shadow) Papertrey Ink; (For the Record by Bella Road) Echo Park
Ink: (Tim Holtz Distress Inks - Antique Linen) Ranger
Embellishments: (Soft-core Color Pencils) Prismacolor; (For the Record Alpha Stickers) Echo Park; (Jute Button Twine) Papertrey Ink; (Point 88) Stabilo

I must have still been on my red, black, and vintage cream color scheme, because it's just a small deviation from last week's card. Here is an up-close look of the image. I wanted the polka dotted heart to match with the pattern paper, so I took my color scheme as a queue.



I decided to sponge on some Antique Linen because the white was too stark. And before you know it, I had some twine. I really wanted to go find a wooden button, but I was running a little bit short on time, so this will have to do. But yes, a wooden button would have given this a little more pizzazz.



Anyways, hope you like it anyways! Check out the other girls's creations and remember to leave them some love :)...And don't forget to enter our challenge!
Our sponsors this week:

Pink Gem

* Winner's Choice of 3 Digis

Little Darlings Rubber Stamps

* $10 Gift Certificate

Floppy Latte Digital Designs

* $10 Gift Certificate

[DYSU] Challenge #81 - Food

Good morning, everyone! So we brought our house guests to the airport yesterday and saying farewell was difficult. One of our house guests was a 11-year old girl who was literally attached to my hip, unless she was sleeping, or I was at work ;) We toured out guests around including an intense weekend in Washington, DC. We saw the monuments by day, had dinner and frozen yogurt in Georgetown. The guests were so pooped that they wanted to head back to the hotel. Florian and I went out again to see the monuments by night to test out his nifty new camera...I'll try to upload some pictures later!

We're bringing you a DYSU color challenge: Food. One of my favorite passions aside from crafting! I love to eat, I love to cook, I love to read about eating and cooking, I love to take pictures of food, as well as watch cooking shows (anyone else hooked on Master Chef?!) and read through articles about the supply chain and origin of food... So this challenge fit right into the center of all my hobbies!

I'm working with Meljen's Designs this week. A fun little movie popcorn image...


Stamps: (Movie Time Popcorn) Meljen's Designs
Paper: (Paper Basics Card Stock - Pure Poppy) Papertrey Ink; (Curtain Call) Graphic 45
Ink: N/A
Embellishments: (Burlap) Stash; (Soft-core Color Pencils) Prismacolor; (Mini Tickets - Kraft) Maya Road; (Red Twine) The Twinery; (Signo - White Gel) Uniball

I thought the movie image would work well with the Curtain Call pattern paper. I love the whole black and kraft theme, with a little red color for pop.



I love how these mini kraft tickets from Maya Road are the perfect embellishment. To add a little bit of whimsy I decided to outline the mini tickets and the card with white gel.


Hope you like it! Check out the other girls's creations and remember to leave them some love :)...And don't forget to enter our challenge!


Our sponsors this week:


Meljen's Designs
* Winner's Choice of 4 Images


Wonderstrange Arts
* 5 Digital Stamps (not from sets)


Rhoda Design Studio
*$15 Gift Certificate

No Matter What I Have to Do...

...my friend there is always time for you. That's the sentiment of today's card that I have for you. I decided it was time to make a card for my all-time favorite sketch challenge... Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge. Easy enough, right? A few panels and we're good to go...

So here is a card using my much beloved Afternoon Tea set...


Stamps: (Afternoon Tea Sentiments) Waltzingmouse Stamps;
Paper: (Paper Basics Card Stock - Vintage Cream, Orange Zest) Papertrey Ink; (Lost & Found - Portobello Road) My Mind's Eye; (Gathering) Authentique
Ink: (Jenni Bowlin - No. 11 Brown Sugar) Ranger
Embellishments: (Soft-core Color Pencils) Prismacolor; (White Thread) Gütermann; (Corner Chomper - 1/4") We R Memory Keepers

As inspiration I decided to check out what Embellish was up to this forth night...

Tea! I thought that was a weird coincidence...maybe I had seen this a while back and it was in my subconscious, but who knows?! I combined the colors from this fantastic poster with the above sketch...



Love little pink porcelain tea cups... :) Anyways, thanks for peeking. I love it when I get to make a card for myself...it's a small luxury that I truly enjoy. Happy Weekend...

[DYSU] Challenge #80 - Cool Colors

Good morning, everyone! Whose roasting in this sun? On our trip I got very brown, even after . I even tried to wear different t-shirts with different collar cuts & sleeves to prevent getting a tan line. But to no avail...So to help cool off we have another great challenge for you today...

We're bringing you a DYSU color challenge: Cool Colors. Isn't this inspiration picture just grand? I love the little bit of pink for accent in the mainly cool colored room.

This week we have a great line up of sponsors, and I am featuring a digital stamp by The Stamping Boutique. This one is a special one called Tree of Circles.


Stamps: (Tree of Circles) The Stamping Boutique; (Up, Up & Away) Papertrey Ink
Paper: (Paper Basics Card Stock - Spring Moss, Kraft) Papertrey Ink; (Basic Card Stock - White) Recollections; (Lost & Found Two - Breeze) My Mind's Eye
Ink: (Jenni Bowlin - No. 11 Brown Sugar) Tsukineko
Embellishments: (Soft-core Color Pencils) Prismacolor; (Green Button) Basic Grey; (Rustic Jute Twine) Papertrey Ink; (Point 88) Stabilo; (Liquid Pearl - Bisque) Ranger

I ran this image several times through the printer using three types of pattern paper from the Breeze paper collection. One paper type even had some brilliant glitter that I incorporated. The smaller circles were filled with liquid pearls as well as colored in with two kinds of green Stabilo pen.



What a lovely design, isn't it? I really love the little details in the tree. They were tedious but fun to piece together. Just a little bit of button & twine love, a small little sentiment and I framed the rest on some delicious My Mind's Eye Paper and Kraft card stock.



Hope you like it! Check out the other girls's creations and remember to leave them some love :)...And don't forget to enter our challenge!
Our sponsors this week:

The Stamping Boutique

* Winner's Choice of 3 Digis 


Copic Maker Scrapbooking

* 6 copic ciao marker (North/South America), Martha Stewart punch (rest of the world)

Scrapper's Delight

* $5 Gift Certificate

[Paperplay Challenges] Week No. 27 - Happy Birthday

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

Hi there, again! I'm currently traveling with Florian's family who is visiting from Germany so I will keep this short and sweet. Because if I don't leave the hotel room soon, they will all start clustering around me and give me the "staring" treatment... So today at PaperPlay Challenge we are challenging you to make projects related to my all-time favorite theme: Happy Birthday. I try really hard to make everyone I know a birthday card. And I have yet to accomplish this feat...much less get them to everyone on time. I have friends that have to celebrate a birthday month, thanks to my "late" delivery of the cards...


Stamps: (Up, Up & Away, Up, Up & Away Sentiments) Papertrey Ink
Paper: (Paper Basics Card Stock - Hawaiian Shore) Papertrey Ink; (Stella & Rose - Hazel) My Mind's Eye
Ink: (Memento - Tuxedo Black) Tsukineko
Embellishments: (Cuttlebug A2 Embossing Folder - Swiss Dots) Provocraft; (Stella & Rose - Mabel "Play" Layered Chipboard; Hazel "Memories" Trims) My Mind's Eye;

This card was inspired by this week's Embellish Challenge. Isn't this inspiration picture just fantastic? I love those phones in the display window...hot hot hot!

Some Hawaiian Shore card stock and a bit of texture is how I started. The rest kinda just piled its way onto the card ;) I stamped the sentiment onto the label and made my own by masking out certain texts from two sentiments from the "Up, Up & Away" Papertrey sets.



Hope you like this little wee card. Hop on over to see how the rest of the PPC girls used a die! Hope you will be playing along with us this week...After all, everyone always needs Birthday cards, right?

Our sponsor this week:

• Simon Says Stamps

[DYSU] Challenge #79 - Red

Good morning, everyone! We just got back from viewing the fireworks at Boston. It was pretty eventful, because we weren't even sure if they were going to take place due to a thunderstorm. They actually evacuated the Esplanade right before they were getting ready to play the 1812 Overture...a little ironic since this is the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812. But we did catch the fireworks on our way home and everyone got a happy ending. More travel updates later on the blog...but let me say that Boston is an amazing city. Friendly people, amazing city planning & security, and very kind people.

We're here to bring you a great DYSU challenge: Red. Lovely inspiration picture, right? If you love our inspiration pictures, please go leave Joan some extra love! She does such a fabby job and really deserve a pat on the back! And we have a special Guest Designer from The Ribbon Reel onboard that you will recognize...our dear Keilly. If she looks familiar, it's because she was part of the DYSU DT team ;)

This week we have a great line up of sponsors, and I am featuring stamps by Inspired Stamps.


Stamps: (Flowers) Inspired Stamps;
Paper: (Paper Basics Card Stock - White) Papertrey Ink; (Lost & Found - Union Square) My Mind's Eye
Ink: (Memento - Tuxedo Black) Tsukineko
Embellishments: (Stella & Rose - Gertie "You & Me" Layered Stickers; Gertie "Little One" Label Stickers) My Mind's Eye; (3/5" Top Notch Twill Tape - Fresh Linen) Papertrey Ink; (Artists' Color Acrylic Series 1 - Cadmium Red Hue) Utrecht; (Liquid Pearls - Bisque) Ranger; (Soft-core Color Pencils) Prismacolor

I started to cut out the flowers and colored them in with red color pencils & black for shading. Since they look so homogenous I decided I wanted to add some acrylic paint to give it some texture. I blended the acrylic Cadmium Red with the Liquid Pearls Bisque to lighten up the red from the brilliant, pungent fire red. To add some texture I decided to brush them all differently. Some smooth, some with dots of paint, others with a mixture.



The pattern papers are from My Mind's Eye and I decided to use a window to mat the main panel. Then decided to add the labels and sentiments from the Stella & Rose Gertie collection to make it a little more personal.  The twill ribbon adds a little anchor for the sentiment and gives the card a little bit of spatial division.



Thanks for peeking. We are off to Plymouth tomorrow and drive part ways to Niagara Falls! How exciting is that?! Check out the other girls's creations and remember to leave them some love :)...And don't forget to enter our challenge!


Our sponsors this week:

The Ribbon Reel

* £10 Gift Certificate

Paper Pretties 

* Winner’s Choice of 6 Images

 

Inspired Stamps

* $15 Store Credit