Double D Challenge: Music Theme

 

What a fun challenge the Double Ds have for us today!  It's a music theme, as I'm sure you've already determined, but there are so many possibilities -- sheet music, musical instruments, singers and songs (be sure to tell us which song you've used) -- let your imagination have fun with it!

As always there's a prize for a random winner.  Today it's a cool Spellbinders Cable Knit stencil.  Creative favorites are voted on by the team.

At this point I'm taking every opportunity to get another Christmas card done, and I had all kinds of fun putting this one together.  I've used a Memory Box bear, landscape, and sentiment, with an oldie music border die overhead.  The music border had been cut from an inky, glossy background and set aside, forgotten, long ago.  It's what determined my color scheme, and I'm all the happier for it!

You're probably familiar with the song, "Winter Wonderland".  My bear might be happier on an ice floe, but she seems to be enjoying the current change of scenery.  What's a winter wonderland without a little sparkle?  You may not be able to see it in the photo, but I added red Stickles to the holly berries, and Diamond Stickles to the landscape.

Sometimes card making is almost too much fun!

Have a look at the fabulous inspiration the Double D team is sharing.  I hope you'll sing along with us!

Have a beautiful day!

Stamps:  Memory Box Holiday Wishes  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80 & 110 lb  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Stampin' Up Bashful Blue  Coloring:  Copics  Dies:  Memory Box Wintertime Bear, Evergreen Sky Collage, Yvonne Creations Holly Jolly Music Border  Other:  Diamond and Candy Cane Stickles

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

Double D Challenge: For the Kiddos

Hello there!  The Double D challenge is all about the kids today.  We have a fun board for inspiration...

... and a cute stencil prize for a random winner.  As always, creative winners are by team vote.

The board is full of Disney characters, which I don't have in my collection, but I was inspired by Pooh Bear to pull out one of my oldest stamps by DJ Inkers (or Hooks, Lines, and Inkers -- 1993).  I've used this guy many times in the past, but it's been more than a minute since he last saw ink.  He's just so easy and fun and cute, and he goes perfectly with my Cottage Cutz bamboo frame.

The sentiment is an oldie from Stampin' Up.  The background is a Sizzix 3D folder called Fallen Leaves -- another oldie and one of my most gorgeous favorites that WOWs me every time.  I brushed on yellow and blue inks for a soft suggestion of a bamboo forest.

Just for fun I cut an extra frame and trimmed off a piece for the panda to play with.

The team has some cute cards to share with you on the Double D blog!  If you need a card for one of the kids in your life perhaps you'd like to play along.  We'd love to see you there!

Have a wonderful summer day!

Sew Much Fun!

Hello again!  I hope you all are ready for a new week and whatever it may bring.  Who knows what's around the corner, but I'm in my happy place and there's nothing but good cheer up in here.

Today's card, for instance... I can't help but smile!  These industrious little Penny Black meeces hopped into my cart earlier this year and they've been awaiting their turn ever since.  Then along came the Penny Black Saturday Challenge where the optional theme is "stitching".  Just the nudge I needed!

My stitching is all faux, but there's a whole lot of it going on here -- cross stitch, straight stitch, mouse stitch... even the designer paper in the background is stitched up patchwork.  I colored with Copics, and if you look closely you can see the pattern in the fabric the mice are working on.  That was stamped with an old Stampin' Up Background Basics set.

Not that I'm old or anything (ahem), but infinite years ago I had a sewing machine like this.  It was built into a cabinet and it raised up when you opened the lid.  You know the type.  I gave it to my sister-in-law when I "upgraded" to a new fangled machine which was not nearly as beautiful.  The machine I learned to sew on in high school looked like this, also in a cabinet, but operated by pressing your knee against a lever.  Vintage memories, sheesh!

Three challenges today:

Penny Black Saturday Challenge -- Anything goes, optional "stitching"
Love those Pretty Papers -- Anything goes, optional "wedding".
NBUS Challenge #75 -- Never before used schtuff.  Penny Black Sew Much Fun stamp is newish to me and used for the first time today.

  

Thanks for visiting today and I'll see you again soon!

Stamps:  Penny Black Sew Much Fun, Stampin' Up Background Basics  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80 lb, SU Blue Bayou, Forever Friends Kraft Notes designer paper (years old)  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black  Coloring:  Copics  Other:  Sequins, twine, Penny Back Background Basics stencil, Memory Box Cross Stitched Frame Borders, Poppystamps Stitched Main Street Tags, Taylored Expressions Ric Rac Borders

Double D Challenge: Frames

Hello there!  It's Double D Challenge time again, and to kick off the month of June Diane is asking us to design with frames.

As always, there's a prize for a random winner, and creative favorites are voted on by the team.

The inspiration board is full of vintage loveliness, but I went a different direction with the Woodland Whimsy set (Simon Says Stamp) which was still on my table from another project.  This oldie set packs a lot of cuteness.  You know how I love critters!

My bear is resting happily on the edge of Impression Obsession's Birch Tree Rectangle frame.  Isn't he a handsome fella?  Maybe he's waiting for his Valentine to come along.  I brushed inks on the background and stamped some sprinkles.  Coloring is with Copic markers.  The plaid around the edges makes his home appear all the more cozy.

Check out the team's inspiring samples at Double D.  I hope you'll have time to play along!

Have a happy June day!

Stamps:  Simon Says Stamp Woodland Whimsy, SU Itty Bitty Backgrounds  Paper:  Neenah 110 lb white for die cuts, 111 lb woodgrain white for card base , brown scrap for layering, Mintay Wilderness designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, SU Bashful Blue, Old Olive and Close to Cocoa  Coloring:  Copics  Other:  Impression Obsession Birch Tree Rectangle

Double D Challenge: May's Birth Flower or Birthstone

Hello, friends!  The Double D challenge is full of choices today.  Be inspired by May's birth flowers: Lily of the Valley and Hawthorne (either), or birthstone:  emerald.  See our pretty board for this challenge:

And a prize for a random winner.  Creative winners are voted on by the team.

I think you can see I chose "emerald" for my inspiration.  I thought of emerald forest, emerald ocean, emerald pool... and eventually I came around to this never been used, recently gifted Penny Black Jump for Joy frog.  He makes me so happy!

I gave him a stenciled green background from my bag o' backgrounds, a few green foliage bits, and a fun sentiment.  The sentiment is a combination of two oldie unrelated stamps.  The second half is a St. Patrick's Day stamp.  The original says "It's St. Patrick's Day...".  I used markers to ink only the latter part of the St. Pat's sentiment and now it's perfect for a frog.  What fun!  I love this guy.  He's colored with Copics, hand cut and popped up.

Visit my teamies at Double D.  They've got some pretty cards over there!  We'd love to see yours, too.

My frog and I are also visiting the following challenges:

AAA Birthday #73 -- Anything goes birthday.  It's their 6th birthday party.  Happy birthday to them!
NBUS #74 -- Never before used schtuff (my PB frog stamp)
Penny Black Saturday Challenge -- Anything goes or optional monochrome.

  

Have a happy day!

Stamps:  Penny Black Jump for Joy, two oldie unrelated sentiments  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80 lb for most, 110 lb for frog and foliage  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, black & green Tombow markers for sentiment, Distress Oxide Lucky Clover & Twisted Citron for background  Coloring:  Copics  Other:  Green gems, MFT Die-namics Wild Greenery, Taylored Expressions Stitched Rectangle Stacklets, Spellbinders Essential Arches (for sentiment), Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Bunny Smiles

I wouldn't want you to think I was done with the bunnies yet.  Well, here's another one, and it's a cutie.  It had me smiling and I hope it does the same for you.

She's from the Simon Says Stamp Woodland Whimsy set.  We go back a few years and I've loved the set lots, but I'm not sure I've used the bunny before.  Isn't she pretty with her flowers?

The flowers come with the set, and I've combined some stitched circles with butterflies, gems, and Mintay designer paper from my stash.  All older stuff that still brings me joy.  That's why we do this, isn't it?  She's colored with Copics and popped up on foam tape.  I added stamped sprinkles with the very old SU Itty Bitty Backgrounds set.  Heaven forbid I should ever be without my Itty Bitty Backgrounds!

Enjoy your day!

Stamps:  Simon Says Stamp Woodland Whimsy, Penny Black Thinking of You, Stampin Up Itty Bitty Backgrounds (sprinkles)  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80 lb & 110 lb, yellow scrap, Mintay Farm Life designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black & Rich Cocoa  Coloring:  Copics  Other:  Lil' Inker Silly Stitched Die Set, Memory Box Stitched Circle Layers, Impression Obsession Butterfly Set, gems, linen thread, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Rosy Whiskers and Running Free

Hello and happy May Day!

If you'll bear with me, I'm not quite done with the bunnies yet.  Soon.  This self-challenge has thinned out my NBUS baskets as well as given me the opportunity to revisit a few from my collection.  Today I have two bunnies, one NBUS and one from my stash.

The first is NBUS Rosy Whiskers from Creative Expressions Designer Boutique.  I colored with Copics.  Cut an oval from the center and raised it by layering over an additional oval (or two?).

Spellbinders Essential Stylish Ovals and Fluted Classics Rectangles
Creative Expressions Mini-Expressions -- Hello & Hi die
Nuvo Sugared Almond Crystal Drops

The next bunny is Creative Expressions Designer Boutique Running Free.  I've colored it only once before.  It takes time with all the detail.

Spellbinders Hemstitch Rectangles, Penny Black Background Basics stencil multi-pack

Sharing here:

Addicted to Stamps and More #491 -- The theme this time is "make your mark" (coloring, etc)

Spring has sprung and the outdoors are claiming more of my time, but I expect I'll still be making cards, too.  Just can't stop!

Have a beautiful day! 

Folk Art Easter Bunny

Hello!  I know you're all busy with Easter weekend and, if so, maybe you'll stop by later.  It's quiet here.  No little ones or Easter visitors, and that's just fine.  Monday the landscaper is scheduled to start and we have company coming on Tuesday.  It will be a busy week!

I have one more Easter card to share.  I enjoyed making it with my Cottage Cutz Folk Art Rabbit (first time use), and a few additional pretty elements from my stash.

Cottage Cutz Happy Easter Phrase, Poppystamps Floral Dotted Border, partial cut IO Grass Border

I clear-embossed the sentiment and added Diamond Stickles over it, as well as on the yellow flower centers.  Sorry the sparkle doesn't show.  A leftover strip from Spellbinders Criss Cross Motif 3D embossing folder adds a textural border.

More designer paper from The Vast Hoard -- yay!  I have a weakness for woodgrain, whether in cardstock, embossing folders, or designer paper.  This pretty piece comes from a 6x6 pad of Polkadoodles Peeling Paint papers that's been in The Hoard for a few years.  It was just right for an Easter card.

Challenges:

Love Those Pretty Papers
NBUS Challenge #73 -- My Folk Art Rabbit is never before used.

 

Have a happy Easter weekend!