Heart & Soul

Hi Everyone and Happy Friday!  Friday is one of my favorite days of the week especially now that A is back at school and hubby and I got back to our normal routine.  We had a leisurely cooked breakfast, then had a lovely lunch out at one of our favorite pubs in town, did a bit of shopping and then brought something yummy for A to have when he arrives home from school before our usual Pizza and Movie night.

Whilst hubby had a afternoon nap, I managed to sneak into my craft room and play along with a couple of challenges to make this Valentines Day Card incorporating the cute Cupid Cutting File and Banner Cutting File that I cut out yesterday on my Sizzix Eclips.

The challenges that inspired my card are:-

Die Cutting Divas - #101 Sketch (Sketch Shown above and Must use Die Cuts) - My cupid is mounted on two Spellbinders Nesting Labels and my Cupid and Banner are both electronic cutting files.  

Cards & More - # 75 Love/Valentines Day (Must use a Stamp) - My Heart and Soul (Unity Stamps) was stamped onto my Banner with Real Red Ink from Stampin' Up!

Clear it Out - Theme: Anything Goes using Old Stash of Red and White Items.  The Polka Dot Paper is one of the very first pieces of Designer Paper I brought when I first became a SU Demo in 2009, plus the two heart brads and Red Kindy Glitz which I have covered my cupid with were also brought around this time.

Crazy Amigos Challenge - Theme: Hearts - My card being Valentine's Inspired obviously fits this theme.

Creative Craft Challenges - #3 Hugs and Kisses - Again Valentine's Inspired

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Love Struck!

Hi Everyone, just a quick post here to share a picture of my latest DT project for Altered Pages.  I have called this ATC - Love Struck as it uses this cute Cupid Cutting File which I got yesterday teamed with some of the great products available from Altered Pages which I love.

For all the details you will have to pop over to the Altered Pages Blog.

I am also entering this ATC into the following Challenges:-
Wicked Wednesday #70 - Valentine/Love
Papercraft Star #131 - Love

The Poodles Parlour - Halloween Challenge

Hi I'm back again for the second time today to kick off the start of a new Challenge over at The Poodles Parlour.  This fortnight we want to see all things spooky with creations for Halloween.

This very cute image is from Bugaboo Stamps who are our sponsors this week and is called Cat + Peeker

I have teamed it up with some Basic Grey Papers, an Elegant Eggplant Card Base (Dark Purple) a spiders web cutting file and some Dew Drops from the Robin's Nest.  This very cute image isn't too scary but it sure looks like he's a scare-dy cat.  I have colored him with my Tria Markers.

I do hope you will play along too at The Poodles Parlour this fortnight.  For more frightfully scary projects or to link up your creation simply head over to The Poodles Parlour Blog.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:-

Creative Card Crew - Challenge #20 Purple
Through the Craft Room Door - Challenge #38 - Always Anything Goes
Craft Us Crazy - #27 Halloween/Anything Goes
Moving Along with the Times - In the Dark!
Southern Girls Challenges - Show Us your Spots or Stripes 

Sponged Color & Scallops Swap Card

Good Morning and a Big Hello to my new followers this week!  This week so far has seen me creating some cards which are overdue for a swap.  I had to create a card which included scallops, so I tried out a new SVG cutting file on my Sizzix Eclips.  The file is from the Cutting Cafe and part of a Shaped Card Collection.

The front is actually rectangular whilst the back overlaps bigger than the front with a scallop edge.

I have initially lightly sponged three colors across my front panel.  Those colors being Old Olive, Daffodil Delight and Marina Mist all from Stamping up.  I then took my main image and sentiment and using Versamark stamped them and then taking some clear embossing powder embossed them.  The light sponged color showing through.

Again using my three chosen colors I added more depth of color to my background, blending the Old Olive across both of the other colors.  Around the edges I distressed with Tattered Rose and Aged Mahogany Distress Ink.

To finish I took the Sizzix/Stampin' Up! Embosslits Beautiful Wings and die cut/embossed 3 butterflies out of a brown patterned paper scrap and added some green bling to the flowers of the stamped image and some Old Olive Ribbon to the bottom of the card.

I am entering this card into the following challenges.

Stamping for the Weekend - #18 Feeling Floral
Paper Crafting Journey - My Sentiment Exactly
Charisma Cards - #37 Things with Wings
Cute Card Thursday - #235 A Different Shape
Paper Playtime - #84 Punches + A Sentiment
2 Sisters Challenge Blog - #110 Things with Wings

Platypus Creek Digitals - #15 Lets Celebrate Birthday

Happy Monday everyone!

You may have remembered in yesterdays post I was using the gorgeous Damask Paper from the Robin's Nest on a Scrap Layout and I said that I would be back today to share a card I made using the leftovers.

Well here it is!  My card is for this fortnight's new Challenge over at Platypus Creek Digitals which is #15 - Lets Celebrate Birthday!  This challenge couldn't have come at a better time for me as September is Birthday Month for most of my family and quite a few of my friends as well as my own birthday!

So once again I have teamed this paper with red. I love Red, White and Black Together!  The Birdcage on a Branch Digi is from Platypus Creek Digitals, I have simply printed and cut this out with my spellbinder circle die, layered over the Black and White Damask Paper from the Robin's Nest and framed it with a SVG Cutting File Frame Element.  The two birds and flowers are punched and I have randomly placed some Red Dew Drops also from the Robin's Nest around the Frame.  The Birthday Wishes Sentiment is from The Unity Stamp Co.

For more great birthday inspiration showcasing the wonderful design at Platypus Creek Digitals be sure to pop over to the blog and I do hope you will join the fun and play along too!

I am entering this card into the following challenges.

Pile it On - #37 Patterned Paper 
Drunken Stampers - #96 The Birds
Charisma Cardz Challenge - #35 Seeing Double
The Perfect Sentiment - PSC48 All Creatures Great and Small
Do You Stack Up Challenge Blog - #88 Birthdays

My Heart Pieces - Lots of Layers Challenge

It's time for another Challenge at My Heart Pieces and we simply want to see you use Lots of Layers on your cards this fortnight.  We are joined by a fabulous sponsor too this week.

My card today uses the delightful image Ankhi from My Heart Pieces and elements from the SVG Cutting File for the Sweet Cupcake Card from the Breezy Backyard Lever Cards Collection.  

I have colored Ankhi in with my Twinkling H20's  added three small purple rhinestone to the flowers draped across her front.  My card has been cut from various pieces of my favorite retired Stampin' Up! Designer Papers.  To the frame around the card front I have added three flowers which I have cut using my Spellbinders Carnation Die and Clear and Purple Dew Drops from the Robin's Nest.

For more layered inspiration be sure to pop over to the My Heart Pieces Challenge Blog.

I do hope you'll join us.

Platypus Creek Digitals - New Release Cutting Files

Hi Everyone!  Today it's another new release day over at Platypus Creek.

You will have lots of spooky fun with the any of these great cutting files which will have all your halloween projects covered!  There is a Coffin Treat Box, A Coffin Card (which I used for my tag today) and what would Halloween be without a Haunted House.

Be sure to pop over to the Platypus Creek Site and check these out!

My Heart Pieces - Show us Your Favorite Colors

Hi Everyone!  I am back with my second post for today.  It's time for a new challenge at My Heart Pieces and this fortnight we want you to show us your favorite colors.  This week the challenge is being sponsored by the Cutting Cafe!  If you haven't visited Regina's site before, you really should as she has a wonderful range of digital images and cutting files for every occasion.   I have used some of her cutting files in some of my previous projects which I have cut by hand, but I am pleased to say that I finally gave in and brought a cutting machine a few months back, so my card today was the first chance I had to play with it using SVG files.

Window Sill Cutting File by The Cutting Cafe & Ankhi Image by My Heart Pieces Digital Stamps

Cardstock and Papers by Stampin' Up!

       

I was given the Window Sill Cutting File from The Cutting Cafe and chose the Ankhi Image from My Heart Pieces Digitals to work with this week.  My favorite color is purple and my favorite color combo for card making is Pink and Green so I have combined all of these into my card today.  Don't you love the detail of the window.  The shutters, curtains, window box were all part of the cutting file.  I simply added Ankhi so that it appeared she was looking out the window and a few leaves and flowers to the flower box.

I am definitely having fun (aswell as a few hiccups along the way) learning how to use my new machine, and I can't wait to play some more.  If you'd love to play some more, why not show us your favorite colors and make a card for the latest challenge at My Heart Pieces.

Platypus Creek Digitals New Release - Butterflies

Today Platypus Creek Digitals are releasing two new Butterfly Digital Images and a Cutting File.

Cairns Birdwing Butterfly and Ulysses Butterfly Digis

Solid Butterflies Cutting File

I have a couple of projects to share with you today using these files.

For my first one I have created a Photo Pouch Card, so that if you wanted to send a Hello and enclose some photos of the family etc they can be held nice and secure in this card.

The sentiment is on a circular flap which is held down by the beautiful Birdwing Butterfly.

Upon opening the flap the Ulysses Butterfly is revealed.

And at the top of the card we have created a pocket so that you can include a note or photos etc and know they want fall out the side of the card.

For my second card I have used the Solid Butterfly Shape Cutting File of the Birdwing Butterfly with out antennae.  

I have hand cut this shape from the centre of my card front using the cutting file pattern and layered my text paper behind it.  I have defined the shape by a quick faux stitch outline with my trusty black Zig Pen.  I have also done some messy faux stitching around the edges.  The colorful dots on my card front were created by sponging different colored ink over some Punchinella.  

For both of my projects the background papers have been from the Christy Tomlinson She Art Paper Pack.

I love butterflies, don't you?  If so be sure to pop over to the Platypus Creek Digitals Blog and see all the wonderful creations for today's release by the rest of the DT.