Double D Challenge: Butterflies

Is there a soul among us who doesn't love the sight of a beautiful butterfly?  That's our challenge at Double D this time around.  Have a look at our gorgeous inspiration board:

So many colors to delight the eye!

The DDs offer a prize for a random winner, and the team votes on creative favorites.

I played off the blue and pink in the upper left corner of the board.  My butterfly is an oldie by Impression Obsession.  The die cuts the open scroll, but I managed to keep the inner parts together long enough to secure a solid background.  It's cut from shimmery paper and brushed with inks.

What better place to alight than a rose garden?  It's Tim Holtz Sizzix Roses 3D embossing folder, a gift from a dear local friend who knew I would love it.  I'm using it for the first time here, brushed with inks and a butterfly-appropriate sentiment stamped in the corner.

Do stop by the Double D blog to enjoy all the team's butterflies, and then show us yours!

Take care, and have a wonderful day!

Stamps:  Power Poppy Lilac Time sentiment  Paper:  White shimmer CS for butterfly, Neenah 110 lb white for embossed panel and card base  Ink:  Stampin' Up Brilliant Blue, Bashful Blue, Old Olive, Certainly Celery, Mauve Mist, Memento Tuxedo Black  Other:  Impression Obsession Open Scroll Butterfly, Tim Holtz Sizzix Roses embossing folder, black gem

Guesting with Color Hues Challenge: Blue and Red

Hello crafty friends!  I'm having some fun today -- guesting with the Color Hues Challenge!  I was so pleased with the invitation and couldn't wait to get started.

As you can see, our colors for this challenge are blue and red, with neutrals welcome as well.  I can't help but think "nautical" when I see these colors, and I had the perfect guy for the theme.  I'm so glad to bring him out for his first play!

I joined the Spellbinders Small Die of the Month Club just so I could have the Shipmates set.  I definitely do not have a Walrus in my collection and I think he's so cute!  There's a seagull in the set, too.  Quite a deal I thought, and bigger than I expected.  He fills up the card quite nicely!  The anchor and sentiment are separate.  I fell back on my trusty (older) Mintay Marina paper for the background.

Check out the amazing samples by the Color Hues team, and then show us your blue and red.  It'll be fun!  Have a happy day!

Stamps:  Stampendous Ocean Sayings  Paper:  Stampin' Up Brilliant Blue and Real Red, neutral color scraps, Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 110 lb, Mintay Marina designer paper  Ink:  Real Red for sentiment, other matching for sponging  Dies:  Spellbinders Shipmates, Memory Box Stitched Circle Layers, KaiserCraft Anchors  Other:  Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Orange Sunshine

Hello friends!  I'd better get this last (for now) citrus card on the blog before I forget.  It's a single orange this time with a mix of dies from my stash.  Again with those improbably bright leaves courtesy of some very old Stampin' Up colors.

I pulled together a leafy background, scalloped border, and a very fun sentiment by Impression Obsession with sunrays from a Cottage Cutz set.  Lots of ink blending and some sparkle on the foreground dies splash against a very white background.

That's all for today.  I've got a lot of different things grabbing my time and attention right now, but you know I'll be back here again soon.  Can't stop those crafty hands!  I hope you all keep on crafting, too.

Group hug!

Stamps:  Impression Obsession Sending You Sunshine stamp & die combo for sentiment  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 110 lb  Ink:  Stampin' Up Gable Green, Green Galore, Summer Sun, Tangerine Tango  Coloring:  Ink blending with brushes  Dies:  Elizabeth Craft Fresh Fruit, Creative Expressions Leafy Frame, Impression Obsession Heart Scroll Valance, Cottage Cutz Hello Sunshine (sunrays only)  Other:  Diamond Stickles, Memory Box Fairy Jewels

Double D Challenge: Bee Happy

Hello and welcome to another Double D Challenge!  This one is all about the bees and bee-ing happy.  Have a look at our inspiration board:

And a prize for a random winner.  So cute!  Creative favorites are by team vote.

The idea is to use bees and/or the word "happy" on your card or project.  The concept automatically evokes happy thoughts of summertime, flowers, honey, warm colors -- so today I'm celebrating all of it with my card.

It's another opportunity to sit back and let the designer paper do most of the work.  Kinda sorta.  I started with a background of beautiful paper, added a decorative panel, and cut a trio of pieces from another page to place across the front.  It's a formula that always works and I could make a bunch and love them all.  Hmmm... maybe I will.  Heaven knows I've got plenty of designer paper!

Aren't those little die cut bees cute?  They're Memory Box Buzzing Bumblebees.  I was certain they'd be great for flower cards so I added them to my collection last summer and it only took me a year to get around to actually using them, sheesh.  Now I love them!  I made up a double batch so I'd be sure to use them again soonish.

The Double D team has all kinds of inspiration for you and I hope you'll play along.  I would love a gallery full of bee and/or happy cards!

Have a super day!

Stamps:  None except inside sentiment  Paper:  Cougar Natural for card base and bees, Memory Box Parsley, Paper Rose Bees & Butterflies designer paper  Coloring:  Copics for die cut bees  Other:  Impression Obsession Fancy Cut Out Border, Memory Box Buzzing Bumblebees, 49 and Market epoxy heart

Bird with Pansies

Hi, and welcome to a new month!  One more card for this week.  This is the Penny Black Perch set again and definitely the stamp that sold me the set.  I just love the sweet bird.  It looks like it's smiling.

It's colored with Tombow markers and blender on hot press watercolor paper.  Sometimes I just stamp a set's images, then color and cut out and think about the cards later.  That's the case here.  It seems there are more options (and more fun) with the card design when I'm working with a collection of homemade ephemera.  The same goes for dies.  Gee, I think I'll get started on a bagful today!

I used some of that JarThenaAMCS paper again, an Amazon find.  I especially love this piece.  You'd think they could make the name more appealing.  It's actually quite nice paper.

I'm moving over to the other side of the room now, where I have a few things on my table waiting for playtime.  I hope we can visit again real soon!

Stamps:  Penny Black Perch and Enchantingly (sentiment)  Paper:  Fabriano Artistico Extra White 140 lb hot press watercolor, Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80 lb, designer paper from Amazon  Ink:  Ranger Archival Shadow Grey, Stampin' Up Mellow Moss  Coloring:  Tombow markers and homemade blender  Other:  Spellbinders Scallop Labels and Tag, Memory Box Fairy Jewels