Embellish a little or a lot at Playing in Paradise

Hello everyone!

I hope you had a great week.  The weather has finally warmed up a bit and the snow has started to melt... again.  In these parts, that really means nothing; we just enjoy it while it lasts.

Friday has rolled around again and so has a new Playing in Paradise challenge!  This week, the talented Nina is hosting and she has chosen 'embellish a little or a lot' as the theme.  You can make anything you like using any supplies you fancy and there is always a fab prize up for grabs.  I hope you'll join in!

I thought I would make a little basket for my son to collect all the yummy little eggs the bunny leaves for him on Easter morning.  I was going for embellish a lot, but I think I fell a little short.  Hubby thinks it is a little too girly :(   Oh, well - I love how it turned out regardless, and kiddo is only three - so he is still blissfully unaware that he is supposed to pretend not to like flowers... especially the pink ones.

Since this is going to get some real egg hunting use, I made the handles from grunge paper covered in designer paper to make them a little more durable.  The handles pivot, and before attaching the brads, I reinforced the little holes on the basket with eyelets, so hopefully they will hold up.

The entire basket is made from one sheet of DP.  There are many tutorials for this type of basket on the web.  I changed mine up a bit by scoring five lines at one inch intervals to give it a rounder shape.

Supplies:

Image - Wee stamps by Whimsy stamped with black Stazon on 300g hot pressed watercolour paper and coloured with Distress inks (black soot, tattered rose, walnut stain, pine needles, peacock feathers, victorian velvet, scattered straw, antique linen, spiced marmalade, squeezed lemonade)

Paper - My Mind's Eye DP, Bazzill card for mat, Tim Holtz grunge paper, painted with a thin coat of white acrylic paint to de-grunge it a bit.

Other - flowers by Pretty Petals, Elegant Edges Cricut cartridge for the image and mat, baker's twine, charm from stash, American Crafts pastel pearl brads, recycled ribbon and fabric.

If you are looking for more inspiration, be sure to pop by the Playing in Paradise challenge to see the beautiful creations the team has made.  Then pull out a couple or a heap of embellishments and join in the fun!

Thanks for visiting and for taking the time to leave a comment.  I love reading them and having the chance to visit you too.  I have to confess, I am shamefully behind with visiting at the moment (had a yucky sinus infection this week) but am feeling better today and I will catch up with everyone over the weekend.

Have a wonderful Easter!  Hugs,

Dawn

Banners at Playing in Paradise

Hello everyone,

I hope you had a wonderful week and that Spring has arrived in your corner of the world.  Not so lucky for us; I think we got at least 45cm (a foot and a half) of snow this last week and it is still snowing as I'm writing this post.  Looking to the bright side - all that shovelling will help tone my arms up for summer and burn the calories from the Easter eggs.

It is Friday so a new Playing in Paradise challenge begins today.  A big thank you to everyone who took part in last week's challenge!  I loved seeing all your favourites.  This week, the talented Linda is hosting and she has chosen banners as the theme.  As always, everyone is invited to take part and you can create anything you like using any supplies you fancy.  I hope you will join in the fun!

The project I had initially planned for this challenge didn't come together in time, so I ended up making a quick and easy gift card holder instead.  The idea for this 'wallet' style holder came from a magazine, but I made a lot of changes to the dimensions and design.

To replicate this project, start with a 10.8 x 28.9 cm (4 1/4 x 11 3/8 inches) piece of card and score it at 6.4, 14, 17.8, and 21.6 cm(2 1/2, 5 1/2, 7 & 8 1/2 inches).  Fold it up, glue the card holder part down taking care to leave the opening for your card and then decorate and embellish as desired.  Here is the inside, which I simply covered with designer paper:

Supplies:

Paper - Bazzill card, Copic card and American Crafts DP
Stitching - Even though I have a sewing machine, I did all the stitching around the edge by hand.  I find it easier to get a nice straight line.  I use my TH ruler (which has perfectly spaced wholes in it) and a paper piercing mat to pierce all the wholes before stitching.
Stamps - Stampin' Up Apothecary Art stamped with black Memento and coloured with Prismas
Other - edges of the DP were inked with yellow Colour Box fluid chalk.  Ribbon and pearls.

If you haven't already, pop by the Playing in Paradise challenge and check out the beautiful projects made by our DT and guest designer.  Then get crafting and join in the fun!

Thanks for visiting and for taking the time to leave a comment.  I love reading them and having the chance to visit you back.  Last but not least, a big welcome to my newest followers!  I am so happy to have you along.

Hugs,

Dawn

Playing in Paradise - What is your Favourite?

Hello & happy Friday!

A new Playing in Paradise challenge starts today and this week's challenge is all about favourites!  What could be more fun than using your favourite(s) on a project?  It could be a favourite product, technique, colour.... the possibilities are endless.  If you are stumped, you could even make a project inspired by the colours of your favourite ice cream!  Be sure to tell us what favourites you used in your post.  We hope you will join in and are looking forward to seeing all your wonderful creations!

I have many, many, many favourites, but my top three would have to be making Christmas cards, anything shabby chic and distressed, and colouring stamped images with my distress inks.  My favourite embellishments are lace (or really pretty ribbon), snowflakes, and anything with a really intricate or delicate pattern.  Turquoise or blue for my favourite colours.  Oh, and let's not forget glitter.  Love glitter!  I think I managed to get them all on one card, and this card is now among my favourites! :)

I have put together a mini tutorial explaining how I created this look over on the Playing in Paradise challenge post, so if you enjoy this style, please do pop on over there and check it out.

Supplies:

Image - Stampendous Snow Bird stamped with black Stazon on 300g hot pressed watercolour paper and coloured with Distress inks (tumbled glass, stormy sky, black soot, walnut stain, weathered wood, barn door).  The dimensional snow was created with a snow marker and microfine glitter (dazzling diamonds).  Simply colour in the snowy areas with the marker and sprinkle on glitter while the 'ink' is still wet; the glitter will stick to the ink.  Allow to dry completely and then heat with a heat tool until it puffs up.

Sentiment - Inkadinkado Warm Holiday Wishes (on clearance for a steal!) embossed with white embossing powder

Frame - Hot Off the Press Lacy Frames and Borders Dazzles stickers. 

Other - the feather, berries, twine, snowflake charm, crochet lace, and fabric are all from my stash.  Paper doily by Bo Bunny, snowflake die is retired Stampin' Up, corner piece is Spellbinders Fantastic Flourish 2 (cut from shrink plastic, heated and painted), metal frame is from Stampin' Up, pearls, flower stamens from Wilton.  Picket fence stain, crackle paint and gesso.  DP is from Bo Bunny Midnight Frost collection (my favourite winter collection ever!).

If you are looking for more inspiration, you won't want to miss the projects the talented team has created!  Head on over to the Playing in Paradise challenge to check them out.  Then join in and have some fun creating something with your favourite(s)!

Thanks for visiting and for taking the time to leave a comment.  I love reading them and having the chance to visit you too. 

Hugs,

Dawn

Easter at Creatalicious

Hi everyone,

I hope you are well and having a great week.  A big welcome to my newest followers - so happy to have you along!

All the signs of Spring have disappeared, but at least Easter is on its way and that is part of Spring too.  At any rate, if I can't start wearing shorts and tank tops, I might as well eat some chocolate eggs! lol  A new challenge starts at Creatalicious today, and the theme is Easter.  Remember, at Creatalicious you can make any craft you fancy as long as you follow the theme.  This month we are sponsored by Scrappiness Designs and the lucky winner will receive a $6.00 gift certificate to spend in the store!

The design team were provided with a choice of digital kits to create our projects and I chose Bunny Love.  I have to say - for some unknown reason I thought it would be complicated to work with a digital scrapbook kit, but it was actually really easy to use and a lot of fun.  For my project I made a little Easter door hanger for my son.  He loves it!

I printed out this cute little bunny three times, along with several other elements from the kit and fussy cut all of them.  With the extra bunnies, I cut out various parts and pieces, inked them around the edges and paper pieced them all back together to give it more dimension.  The letters are a computer font cut with my cricut out of one of the papers included in the kit.  I then applied glossy accents - looks like piping gel :)  A couple of eyelets, some twine and a drop of liquid pearls in the centre of each flower and that's it!

For more beautiful inspiration, be sure to pop by Creatalicious Challenges.  Then get out your Easter stuff and join in the fun.  We also have a colour challenge that still open for a couple more weeks, so check that out too.

I would also like to enter my decoration in the following fun challenges:

Allsorts - Spring time

Fab 'n' Funky - add a sentiment

One Stop Craft Challenge - Spring

Thanks for popping by and for taking the time to leave a comment!  I love reading them and having the chance to visit you too.  I am a little behind at the moment, but will catch up with everyone over the weekend and I'll be back with my Playing in Paradise challenge post in a few hours.  See you then!

Hugs,

Dawn

Dreaming of a white wedding...

Oops!  I meant Christmas!  But for now I would really like the snow to melt.

So my wonderful hubby walks into my craft room just as I am finishing up this card.  I made the mistake of asking for his thoughts to which he informs me that it doesn't look like a Christmas card at all, but rather a wedding card.  According to hubby, Christmas cards can't be white.  Well, this month at Christmas at Sweet Stampin' they actually can't be red or green.  Yup, this month's theme is 'no red or green,' so feel free to use as much white as you like :)  I hope you will join in!  It is so nice to have a head start on those Christmas cards.

I got this sweet Tilda when it was released last year and was so excited to use her that I inked her up right away.  Then time ran away, so she has been sitting on my desk waiting to be coloured and loved ever since.  I've coloured her with DI (stormy sky, chipped sapphire, tattered rose, antique linen, frayed burlap, gathered twigs, black soot) and watercolour pencil for skin tone.  I added plenty of ribbon and lace (TH trims, American crafts dark blue ribbon and the really delicate lace was from a fabric store), pearls and poinsettias (spellbinders die) covered with a dusting of glitter.  The background paper was embossed with a sizzix folder (I don't know the name) and framed with frosted lace stickles.  The scalloped circle is from the Cricut elegant edges cartridge.

I think this shot shows some of the glitter and detail a little better - all the white is a bit difficult to photograph.

The talented team has created some gorgeous cards to inspire you, so please do pop by Christmas at Sweet Stampin' to have a peak.  We have a fab sponsor this month - Flat Friends is offering a lucky winner their choice of 4 digis.  I hope you will join in.

I would like to enter this card in the following fun challenges:

ABC Christmas - Eye Down for a game of bingo - I went for a full house

Christmas Cards all Year Round - Sparkle and bling

Crafty Hazelnut's Challenge Extra - anything goes
Lovely hÄnglar or Sweet Magnolia - Ribbon or trim
No Matter Which Challenges - anything goes
Stamptacular Sunday - to die for
Totally PaperCrafts - use dies and/or punches
Winter Wonderland - photo inspiration - I was inspired by the dominant colours blue and white

Thanks for popping by and for taking the time to leave a comment.  I really appreciate each one and love having the chance to visit your blog too.

Hugs,

Dawn

A Bookmark Card using Playing in Paradise Sketch

Hello everyone in blogland,

A big welcome to my newest follower, Tammy.  So glad to have you along :)

I hope everyone had a great week!  Let me get the complaints out of the way first - what happened to our great weather?  We had one warm day followed by snow and cold!  Grrrrr.  I want Spring!  Otherwise, a decent week.

We have a new sketchy challenge starting today at Scrapbooker's Paradise Playing in Paradise Challenge.  I love a good sketch and this one was really fun to play with.  I hope you will join in!  As always, there is a fun prize up for grabs and you can use any supplies you like to make any project you like as long as we can see the sketch and your project is new.  Here is the beautiful sketch we are playing with:

My hubby wanted a birthday card for his cousin, so that is what I made.  However, she actually doesn't really care for cards (I forgive her, she is a really great gal otherwise :o) ).  So, I tried to come up with something that would make my hubby and her happy and this is what resulted:

She likes to read, so I incorporated a little bookmark into her card.  The bookmark has a magnetic closure and the back of it simply slides between the base of the card and the designer paper.  I tried to make it flat, but it still ended up with a couple of flowers.  I don't think it will really matter if they get mooshed.

This shot shows how the bookmark is folded.  One magnet is hidden in the little gap under the pink card and the other is placed on the inside.

Supplies:

Stamps - image is from Wee stamps by Whimsy stamped with black Memento and coloured with Prisma pencils blended in a few areas with Sansador.  I added a little clear Copic Atyou Spica glitter pen for a subtle, pretty shimmer on the butterfly and polka dots.  The sentiment is from Hot off the Press (Stamp and Punch set)
Paper - Glitz Hello Friend (I used the 6x6, but the 12x12 is on clearance here), edges were inked with DI tattered rose
Flowers and leaves - were made using some of the smallest components in the TH Tattered Flower Garland die and some thinner white card.  I died the flowers with DI spun sugar and gently misted them with water, shaping them with a toothpick and my fingers while they were slightly damp.  Dry with heat tool or set aside until dry.  I applied white opal Liquid Pearls to the centers.
Other - TH Crinkle Ribbon (some left white and some coloured with DI tattered rose and spun sugar).  The butterfly was made with Spellbinders Wonderful Wings die, shrink plastic and embossing powder.  You can check out the how-to here.  Border punch is by Martha Stewart and I finished off with a little twine.

So, what are you waiting for?  Pop by the Playing in Paradise challenge to be wowed and inspired and then go get your craft on!

Thanks so much for popping by and for taking the time to leave a comment.  I really appreciate each one and love having the chance to visit you too.

Hugs and happy crafting!

Dawn

Playing in a Green Paradise - PPC106

Hello everyone,

Have you seen signs of spring yet?  If going through gallons of windshield washer fluid is on the list, then check that box off.  March is finally here and we are supposed to reach a whopping +6 on the mercury today!!  I know, it really is still quite chilly, but I am jumping for joy anyway.  I'm sure there will even be sightings of overzealous (young) folk in shorts or t-shirts.  After a cold winter, anything above zero feels warm for at least a few days. :o)

Speaking of spring and March, the new Playing in Paradise challenge kicks off today and is all about green and/or St. Patrick's day.  Everyone is welcome to play along; you can create whatever you like using any product you fancy as long as you follow the theme and your project has not been previously posted.  I hope you will join in the fun!


Here is what I came up with:

I made a centre step card (my first ever) featuring the beautiful new carnation image from Stampendous.  I tucked in a good luck sentiment, but this image is so versatile it really could be used for so many different occasions.  Gotta love that!

Supplies:

Stamps/ink:  Stampendous carnation stamped with black Stazon on 300g hotpressed watercolour paper and coloured with Distress inks (black soot, antique linen, forest moss, peeled paint, tattered rose).  Sentiment is from LOTV.
Paper - My Mind's Eye On the Bright Side - Two inked around the edges with DI peeled paint, white & green card
Dies - Spellbinders Decorative Labels 8, Cheery Lynn Fanciful Flourish (I cut a bit of it off just leaving the base)
Other - white paper ribbon, Pretty Petals carnation and blossoms, circle punch, flat white pearls

Pop by Scrapbooker's Paradise to get the details on the fab prize up for grabs and to be inspired by the talented team.  Then come and play!

Hugs and happy crafting!

Dawn