More Snowflakes???

Hello everyone,

Does anyone know what happened to February?  Some days seemed really long, but the month just flew by.  Still a little snowy in these parts and, while I am wishing for spring, the snow makes it easy to 'work' on Christmas cards.

Our current challenge at Christmas at Sweet Stampin' is snowflakes and you still have a couple of weeks left to enter.  I hope you will join us and get a head start on your Christmas cards.  Here is my card:

This stamp is one of the first image stamps I got when I started colouring images for cards and I still love it.  They look so happy in spite of being freezing cold. lol The sentiment is from Amy R Snowman Sayings and I thought it was just perfect for a snowflake theme :o) along with lots of glittery flakes and pretty snowflake DP.  This shot captures a little more of the sparkle:

Supplies:

Stamps:  Penny Johnson, Amy R Snowman Sayings and Tim Holtz Odds and Ends (blank ticket)
Paper - Bazzill and Stampin Up card, Imaginisce Cottage Christmas DP, 300g hot pressed watercolour paper
Ink - Black Stazon, Distress (black soot, fired brick, forest moss, tattered rose, tumbled glass), embossing ink (Distress)
Cuts - Elegant edges cricut cartridge for the card and scalloped circle, Stampin Up northern frost (snowflakes), Tim Holtz ticket
Other - Picket Fence crackle paint, Stampin Up iridescent ice embossing powder (snowflakes and edges of ticket), Stardust stickles, snow marker and dazzling diamonds glitter (on the hat).

We have a fab sponsor this month:

Funky Kits has given us two Gorjuss Girl stamps from Personal Impressions to give away to one lucky winner!  Pop by the Christmas at Sweet Stampin Challenge to check out the prize, be inspired by the talented team's creations and join in the fun.  I'm looking forward to visiting and seeing your wonderful creations.

I'd also like to enter my card in these fun challenges:

ABC Christmas - D is for designer paper

CHNC Challenge Extra - Anything Christmas

Winter Wonderland - Snowflakes falling all around

Crimbo Crackers - Shaped cards

Christmas Card Challenges - Anything Christmas with optional Santa Baby theme

Thanks so much for popping by and for taking the time to leave a comment.  I love reading them and having the chance to visit you back.  

Hugs and Happy Crafting,

Dawn

Travelling with Playing in Paradise

Hi everyone,

I hope your week was splendid!  It is Friday, so that means a new Playing in Paradise challenge.  This week the talented Nina is hosting and she chose travel as her theme.  You can create anything you like using any product you like so long as your project fits the theme and is a new post (not backdated).  I hope you will join in!

I have to admit, I was completely stumped by this theme.  I don't really have much in the way of planes, trains and automobiles.  So, instead I went with a postcard.  We always used to purchase postcards of places we went when we travelled, both for souvenirs and to send to loved ones back home.  Just never mind that this one is a little Christmasy; the image is so gorgeous I couldn't wait till December to get it inky! :o)

Here is the front:

And the back:

Supplies:

Paper - 300g hot pressed watercolour paper

Stamps - Stampendous Snowy Postcard for the image on the front and 'this side for the address' text on back, post card text (back) is from the Tim Holtz Urban Chic set
Ink - Black Stazon for stamping, Copic 0.3 black multiliner for the line dividing the card in half (this pen does not bleed, is waterproof and copic proof), Distress inks (antique linen, vintage photo, scattered straw, fired brick, and forest moss)
Other - glue pen and Dazzling Diamonds glitter for snow

To see more travel inspiration, pop by the Scrapbooker's Paradise blog to see what the talented team has created.  As always, Scrapbooker's Paradise has a wonderful prize up for grabs.  I hope you'll join in the fun and I'm looking forward to seeing all your projects!

Hugs and Happy Crafting!

Dawn

L'Amour at Creatalicious

Hello again,

If you are looking for my Playing in Paradise Post, you can find it here or simply scroll down.

I hope everyone's weekend is off to a good start.  We have a long weekend to enjoy and so far the weather has been beautiful.

It is mid-month, so a new challenge starts at Creatalicious.  This month is all about love.  I hope you will join in!

After torturing myself with the last heart shaped box, I decided that I would have another go at it - and it turned out to be much easier to assemble the second time around.  Our fab sponsor, the Stamp Fairy, provided us with some adorable images to play with.  This one is Barry Angel in Love.

If you are looking for more inspiration, pop by the Creatalicious blog to see the amazing projects the team has created.  Then join in the fun!  One lucky winner will receive a $10 gift certificate to spend at the Stamp Fairy online store.

I'd like to enter my heart treat box in the following challenges:

Anything but a card - share the love
Charisma Cardz - anything goes
Ready-Teddy-Go - love is in the air

Have a fantastic weekend!   Hugs & Happy crafting!

Dawn

Playing In Paradise 104 - Add a Little Sparkle!

Hello everyone,

I hope you are all well and have enjoyed a wonderful Valentine's Day.   It is Friday and that means that in addition to this week finally coming to an end, it is also time for a new Playing in Paradise Challenge.  The talented Linda is hosting this time around and she has decided that our projects should have a little sparkle.  Of course they could sparkle a lot too :)  As always, you can create anything you like using any supplies you like as long as you follow the theme and your project post is new (not backdated).

Here is my take on the challenge:

If I was a kitten looking for a shoe to nap in, I would definitely opt for a super sparkly shoe with a leopard print lining :)  My cat prefers sweaty old running shoes and my hubby's stinky hockey equipment, but I try not to judge her for these shortcomings - she is very lovable most of the time.

Supplies:

Image - Crafter's Companion from the Strawberry Kisses line stamped with Momento black onto Copic Express paper and American Crafts POW glitter paper in Rouge (although I think it is actually pink in spite of the name).  This paper is really smooth and clean to work with - wonderful for stamping on, just make sure your stamp is well juiced.  The image was paper pieced.
Colouring - Copic C0, C2, C4 and C7 + prisma pencils for the pinks
Paper - White Bazzill and Theresa Collins
Other - Cheery Lynn Designs French Pastry Doily die, sheer ribbon, pins, flat pearls, lace, strung pearls, floral trim and tulle


I hope you will join us this week - playing with sparkly stuff is was lots of fun and I would love to see what you create.  The team has created some beautiful projects - pop by the Scrapbooker's Paradise blog to be inspired.  There is a fab prize up for grabs so grab your glitter and have a play :)

Thanks so much for popping by and for taking the time to leave a comment.  I love reading them and having the chance to visit you back.  Have a great weekend!

Hugs & Happy Crafting!

Dawn

Playing in Paradise 103 - A Loved One

Hello everyone!

I hope you have all been keeping warm and healthy.  The flu bug came knocking at our door this week, and silly us - we let it in.  So we are all stuffed up, tired and grumpy :(  I did get a new box full of goodies though, so that helped my mojo along :)  It also helps that the weekend will be here before we know it and I am so looking forward to getting some extra rest.  I think hubby and I will take turns :)

Well it is Friday - and that means it is time for a new Playing in Paradise Challenge!  This week it is my turn to host and I thought that with Valentine's day being just around the corner it would be fun to make something that is inspired by a loved one.  I hope you will join in!  You can make whatever you like using any product you like as long as it is for or about someone you love.  I'm looking forward to seeing all your creations!

For this challenge, I made a heart shaped treat box.... from scratch.  What can I tell you - it seemed like a good idea at the time!  I am really happy with how this turned out, but it took a lot of efforting.

I framed the cover with some seam binding ribbon that I pleated to create a ruffle.  The beautiful die cut was in my new box of goodies and is Spellbinders Fantastic Flourish 2.  I then added some Pretty Petals flowers that I coloured with Distress inks (tattered rose, tumbled glass and antique linen).  I finished it off with a twine bow and a quick and easy little heart charm that I made with a large Martha Stewart punch.  Want to know how to make your own tiny charms?  You'll have to pop on over to my Playing in Paradise post to see my super quick how-to.

The box itself was made with bristol board and heavy shimmery cardstock.  I covered it inside and out with pretty papers from Bo Bunny - Love Letters.  The sentiment is a banner cut out from one of the Love Letter papers.

If you decide to be adventurous and make your own heart shaped box - the lid opening should be 1/8th inch larger than the base to ensure a proper fit.  

If you haven't already been, pop by the Scrapbooker's Paradise blog to be inspired by the wonderful creations the team and our guest designer have made.  Then link up your own Valentine or project inspired by a loved one.  

Thanks so much for popping by and for taking the time to leave a comment.  I really appreciate them and love having the chance to visit you back.  I am a bit behind at the moment with this ugly flu, but will be catching up shortly.  I also want to welcome and thank my newest follower, Melanie!  So glad to have you along :)

Hugs and Happy Crafting!

Dawn

Some Changes at Creatalicious

Hello everyone,

Hope you are all well!  Have you heard the news?  There have been some changes over at Creatalicious Challenges!  Instead of just one monthly challenge, we now have two!  This means that we are still running our monthly themed challenge on the 15th of each month.  However, there is now also a colour challenge that starts on the 1st of each month.  Both challenges are open for an entire month, so plenty of time to play.

Here is our first colour challenge:

Unfortunately, this exciting news reached me on short notice, so I did not have time to play with this beautiful palette.  However, I hope you have time to play along - I'd love to see what you come up with :)

The challenge is being sponsored by Scrappiness Designs and one lucky winner will receive this wonderful digital scrapbook kit:

Thanks for popping by!  Hugs & happy crafting!

Dawn

PPC#102 - Time for a sketch

Hello everyone,

Does anyone know what happened to the week?  Seems like yesterday was Monday and I have no idea where the time has gone.  On the bright side, Spring might just be here before we know it!  We get to enjoy some beautiful weather this weekend; the mercury is expected to rise up a couple of degrees over the zero.  Well, it is all relative and after a week with highs of -25, any water dripping off the icicles constitutes beautiful weather :)

It is Friday (hooray!) and time for a brand new Playing in Paradise Challenge at Scrapbooker's Paradise (hooray!).  As always, there is a fun prize up for grabs!  All you have to do to be in for a chance is make a new project following the theme.  There are no product requirements and you can make whatever you like.

This week, Allison is hosting and she has created a fantastic sketch for everyone to play with:

As soon as I saw this sketch, I thought of my cute little Penny Black 'Eat Cake' set.  It has the perfect image.

Supplies:

Stamps - Penny Black Eat Cake stamped on 300g hot pressed watercolour paper with black Stazon and coloured with distress inks (weathered wood, stormy sky, fired brick, antique linen, frayed burlap, scattered straw, black soot, peeled paint).  After colouring, I went over the balloons with my clear Copic Atyou Spica pen to give them a little shimmer.  I loooooove this pen!  Sentiment is from the same set and embossed with black embossing powder.  This set is no longer in stock, but if you are a Penny Black fan, you can check out the selection available here - there are quite a few on sale!!

Paper - Bazzill card and DP is from my stash.  All the edges were inked with distress ink frayed burlap

Other - doily, balloons were handcut from Bazzill and coated with Goosebumps shimmer spray (gives some dimension and really shines and sparkles).  I dipped some twine in fabric stiffener and wrapped it around the goosebumps bottle to dry most of the way to give it a wonderful curled shape before tying it onto the balloons.

If you are looking for more ideas and inspiration, then be sure to pop by my team mate's blogs (links are in my side bar) to see their beautiful projects.  Then pop on over to Scrapbooker's Paradise to play along.  I hope you will join in and I am looking forward to seeing all your wonderful creations!

Hugs and happy crafting!

Dawn