My First DT Challenge Card for The East Wind

WOW!  It's April 1st already and that means another FABULOUS challenge at The East Wind. I'm thrilled to be posting my first official DT card.  There are new challenges on the 1st and 15th of every month and on the 1st, the DT always showcases the Freebie you can receive just by signing up for the TEW Newsletter.  Just look for the bright pink box on the right sidebar, enter your email and name, and you'll receive a fabulous Freebie each month. WooHoo!

The Challenge Theme this time is Use a Sentiment and you can use any image at all, but of course we especially love to see what you do with the fab TEW digis. (And you get to enter TWICE, if you do!)  I've made a shaped card that resembles the "panoramic" sugar eggs I had as a child.  It was designed in Design Studio and cut with my Cricut. The sentiment was cut and embossed with my Cuttlebug Emboss Plus Fanciful Labels Folder and the sentiment was computer generated.

Just look at this adorable gal!  Her name is Aurora-Easter Egg Hunt and I'm totally in love with her! She's colored with Copics and her little bunny suit and stuffed bunny have been flocked.  I printed her several times so I could fussy cut and layer her for dimension.  The grass and fence are MS punches.

As you can see there's quite a bit of depth to the card.  Don'tcha just love her little bunny tail?  I've also added a boatload of flat backed pearls to finish it off.

 

AND, I enjoyed making this card so much, I've even finished the inside (GO ME!)  The basket is a Spellbinders die exclusive to Heartfelt Creations with some Prima flower embellies.  Now hop on over to The East Wind Challenge Blog and check out the amazing creations by the rest of the team.  Then come join our challenge.  There ar FREE DIGIS to WIN!  We sure hope to see you there! 

 

P.S. There's loads of fun stuff going on on the TEW FB Group too. 

 

I'm entering in the following Challenges:

 

Artistic Inspirations Easter Colors/ATG

Craft your Passion Shaped Cards

Cutie Pie Cute with Dies and Punches

Lexi's Creations Easter challenge

Simon Says Monday ATG

Outlawz Monday Greeting Card ATG

613 Avenue Create ATG w/ Optional Color Twist (sort of Blue/Pink/White)

Hobbycutz Easter Challenge

DL Art Thankful Thursday Bunnies

Simply Create Too Easter or Use Bunnies

Crafty Boots Easter

Paper Make Up Stamps Digi Makeover Pastel Colors

The Alphabet Challenge, "D" is for Diecuts

Creatalicious Easter Wonderland

 

Week 2 of Skullduggery at HDH

Oh yes!  It's our second week of our Skullduggery Challenge at HDH and I've finally gotten around to making a faux porcelain skull with my meltpot using the fabulous step by step Tutorial by our own fabulous Minion Sister Blackdragon available in the Mixed Media University Group on the Smeared and Smudged Forum. So many cool things happening over there. The skull is a Smeared Ink digi that was printed 6 times, fussy cut and layered according to the tut.  WooHoo!  BD does the most amazing work and my effort cannot even begin to compare with hers, but I'm pretty damn proud of the result, just the same.  I've mounted it on a Tim Holtz Ornate Plate and added tiny metal roses and turned it into a necklace.

I'm entering this in the LOC Anniversay ATG Challenge (last day, BooHoo!) as well as the LOC Ribbons/and or Flowers challenge.

 Corrosive Challenge Show Us Your Metal

Tip Top Tuesday Metal or Faux Metal   My TIP for Tip Top Tuesday is after removing your creation from a Meltpot, you can easily remove bubbles or other imperfections with your heat gun.

Quoth the Raven Tic Tac Poe using the left verticle line of Hardware or Metal, Skull and Flowers and although it hasn't a specific reference to Poe, I think it speaks to his preoccupation with Death and I did find reference to "enamell'd head" in the poem Al Aaraaf.  (Perhaps a stretch.  LOL)

Exciting News!

Although it's been a totally sucky day for NCAA Tournament basketball (my alma mater MSU AND rival U of M BOTH lost today), I managed to finish a card because I'm totally thrilled to have been invited to be a part of The East Wind Design Team. WOOHOO! I fell in love with Kyra's (AKA Unky's) stamps and you will too.  We have a fab Challenge Blog, an active FB Group and fun challenges on both sites.  Our current FB Group Challenge is Magical Creatures (which runs through April 17th) inspired my card today as well as several other challenges where I play regularly.

 

The fabulous image is Lucy Loo Arabian Nights, colored with Copics (yeah, yeah, I know, red hair, LOL) and fussy cut atop a gorgeous embossed panel sent to me by my dear friend Carole, because it is from a discontinued Marianne folder.  I've been saving these embossings for a special project and THIS it IT!  Thanks so much, Carole!

 

Here's the card closed.  I spent the entire day yesterday figuring out this fold for the current Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers "F" is for (fortunately not for what came out of my mouth watching basketball all afternoon) Fancy Fold.  Used my Spellbinders Gothic Arches to make it happen.  Obviously, the sentiment was inspired by their challenge, as well.  In case you can't read it, it says "To be perfectly honest, you really rub me the WRONG way". Although it's not required, I LOVE the opportunity to do SNARK.  (Especially TODAY!)  The blue scrolly stuff is cut with my Cuttlebug  Moroccan something (don't even THINK of asking me to look that up) set.  The color scheme of Blue, Purple, and Turquoise was inspired by the current challenge at 613 Avenue Create.  Although they are an ATG Challenge Blog, they always have the most creative optional twists and this one was no exception.  Always love playing there.  So there ya go.  Back to drowning my sorrows. 

 

I'm also adding this to the Allsorts Use Those Dies Challenge. 

Guest Designer for Quirky Crafts

As the winner of the Quirky Crafts Secret Garden Challenge I was asked to be a Guest Designer, so of course I jumped at the chance.  The theme is Spice Girls, meaning "spice up your life" (or anything bright and girly) and the fabulous sponsor is The Cutting Cafe.  I've used printable stamps from the All About Girls Precolored Set.  Normally I prefer to color my own images, but the colors here were so sweet and Springy I couldn't resist.  The precolored sentiments are part of the set as well.  WooHoo!  I just sized and printed the stamps with my Printmaster Pro Program and fussy cut them out.  The center sentiment was cut with a Nesties Labels One.

The yummy DP is from a 6x6" pad from Lawn Fawn which coordinated perfectly with the fab colors in the stamps.  I popped the mat as well as some of the images and added a few tiny punched flowers and adhesive pearls to finish it off.  Easy peasy and super cute, don'tcha think?  I want to thank Quirky Crafts for inviting me to join them this week and the Cutting Cafe for provided the fabulous stamps I used.  Please visit the Quirky Crafts Challenge to see the fabulous inspiration from the DT.

Lacy Sunshine Anything Goes

 

This is my second post of the day, so please scroll down for my Dilly Beans DT card for the new Challenge.

Here's a little tag I did for the current challenge at the Lacy Sunshine Challenge Blog.  Although I started it using the freebie I got from the Loyalty Plan (use any LS image for one challenge, get the next Challenge image as a freebie)  from the last challenge but didn't quite get it done, it totally works for Anything Goes this time.  I've made a Spring tag using my Cricut for the garden gate.  It was designed in DS using the Picturesque cartridge with the "Spring" header from Stretch Your Imagination.  The pieces were then embossed with the Cuttlebug Distressed Stripes folder.

The adorable image is Gemma's Spring Gumdrops.  Could she possibly be any cuter?  I've printed her several times in several sizes so I could fussy cut her flower, colored her with Copics and fussy cut and popped her in front of the fence.  The flower on her head is popped as well and there are two more growing beside her on the other side of the gate.

As you can see, the tag is quite dimensional.  The DP behind is from an old DCWV sack and I've added a little punched butterfly and Prima flowers to the top of the gate.

I'm also adding this to the 4 Crafty Chicks Spring Challenge, C.R.A.F.T Challenge What Season Where You Are, Art Impressions "Getting Girly", Outlawz Twisted Thursday Add a Butterfly, Creative Knockouts Texturize it, Cute Card Thursday Floral Delights, Southern Girls Floral Frenzy, Stampavie and More Girly, TTRCD ATG Mar 25th -31, Tuesday Throwdown Digi Dimension, All-Crafts Challenge Anything but a Card, Artistic Inspirations ATG, Created with Love Girly Challenge, 613 Ave Create ATG, Whoopsie Daisy Welcome Spring, Catered Crop Spring Fever, Craft a Scene Let it be Spring, Eclectic Ellapu Flowers and Butterfies, and Robin's Fetish Anything but a Card.

New Challenge at Dilly Beans-Flowerful

Spring has sprung, the grass is ris, I know where the flowers is - at Dilly Beans!  That's right, our new challenge at Dilly Beans is Flowerful.  We want to see lots and LOTS of flowers.  Now that I look at this, it's kinda dark for Spring, but I chose the MAMBI DP for all the flowers and colored my image accordingly.

The adorable image is #182 Flower Girl (Scroll down for yours). I cropped the flower and printed them several times in different sizes and flipped some so I could fussy cut more to add to the frame.  All were colored with Copics.  The mats were cut with my Spellbinders ovals.  It's quite the blooming garden at Dilly Beans so be sure to pop over and see the lovely work by my teamies and hope to see you there.  Just remember, you must use a Dilly Beans image to join in.

I'm aslo adding this to the Cute Card Thursday Floral Delights challenge, Southern Girls Floral Frenzy, and Fan-tastic Tues ATG (but must be square).

Guest Designer for the LOC First Anniversary Party

Left of Center is one of my favorite Challenge Blogs, so naturally I was thrilled when asked to participate as a Guest Designer during their First Anniversary party.  Each day from March 7th through 31st there is fab inspiration and a special Anniversary Challenge (apart from their fortnightly challenges) as well.  I was even more excited when Mitzi Sato-Wiuff, the uber talented artist from Aurora Wings, one of the fab sponsors, allowed me to introduce a brand new digi in honor of the event.

Here is a closeup of the gorgeous new image entitled Madness and seeing I live in the Livermore Valley wine country (and love my wine ;D) you can just imagine how much I LOVE her!  Fabulously dark, don'tcha think?  Madness, indeed!  She was printed several times, colored with Copics, fussy cut and popped on a giant tag.  The vine is an ancient Spellbinders die that I'd never used but was perfect for this project.  The fab DP is K&Co.

The quote is from a poem by Bob Jonson from the 1600's.  I just couldn't resist.  LOL  It was printed on yet another of the Fancy Labels from the Cuttlebug Emboss Plus folder of the same name and inked with Distress.  Of course I had to add a bit of Drippy Goo.

Here's the dimensional shot, always my favorite part.  The grapes, blood drips and eyeballs were all coated with Glossy Accents but unfortunately that  doesn't seem to show up in any of the pix.  I hope you're enjoying  the LOC Anniversary Celebration as much as I am and are taking part in their very special ATG challenge, as well.

 

 

I'm also entering this in the TTPH Bingo Challenge (using the diagonal Purple, Sentiment/Greeting, and Punch)

 

 

 

Left of Center Favorite Book

Playing "catch up" here with a project that has been on my desk for awhile.  It fits in nicely with the current Favorite Book Challenge at Left of Center so I photographed it with the book itself, The Unabridged Edgar Allen Poe. 

The gorgeous Annabel Lee 2 is from Ike's Art and I've merged it with one of the digital papers from the Poe Boy pack from Smeared Ink.  Annabel is colored with Copics but the lovely blood drips are part of the digi paper.  WooHoo!  I printed the paper several times so I could fussy cut and pop the skull and raven.  I've used the "feathering technique" from Ike's fussy cutting and feathering video available in the Mixed Media University Group on the Smeared and Smudged Forum for the raven's feathers.  Always lots of good stuff going on there.

I was also following the Tic Tac Poe Quest over at Quoth the Raven using the center horizontal row of Skull, 3D, and Emboss. I've used the Cuttlebug Fanciful Labels to cut, dry emboss and ink.  The sentiment is a past offering from the Smeared Ink Rubber Club.  (Forgotten lore indeed.  Bet there's tons of it in the Unabridged Poe, it's 1124 pages long!  Haven't quite made it through, yet.)

Here's the dimensional shot.  The quill pen is part of the design, layered between the image and frame.  The lovely framing uses two of the dies from my new Spellbinders Enchanted Labels 28. 

I'm also adding this to the Left of Center First Anniversary Anything Goes Challenge.

Aurora Wings First Blog challenge EVER!

WooHoo!  Today is the day we've all been waiting for.  It's the inaugural challenge on The Aurora Wings Challenge Blog and we're so excited to announce that the theme is  ANYTHING GOES!

Hope you joined the party on the Facebook Page as well, which will continue for 3 hours.  There are prizes to be had. WooHoo! Just ask to join if you haven't already.  And for our Blog Followers, Mitzi has provided a Freebie image and coupon code.  Just check out the Offers Tab on the Challenge Blog.

I've chosen images of my favorite flower, the hydrangea for my very first project, a wall hanging, cut on my Grand Caliber using Grand Labels Four and some fancy corners from Heartfelt Creations.

The main image is the beautiful Hydrangea Fairy.  Isn't she just gorgeous?  She's colored with Copics with some of the petals fussy cut and popped for dimension.  The lace caps were detailed with Liquid Pearls as well as flat backed adhesive ones.

But I couldn't resist adding the adorable Whimsical Hydrangea Sprite.  Don't they look cute together?  He's also colored with Copics, fussy cut and popped with sparkly Stickled wings.

So here's the dimensional shot.  Head on you couldn't really see the layers.  Have to say I LOVE how it came out.  I'm sure you're all excited to see the rest of the fabulous inspiration from my DT Sisters as well as the winner of the Coloring Book Giveaway so hop on over to the Challenge Blog and see.  Can't wait to see what you come up with as well.  The prizes are spectacular and the challenge runs through April 26th.

Oh, and BTW, Mitzi does some fabulously dark images as well,  Please scroll down to see my DT project for Haunted Design House this week.  EEEK!!!  Busy Monday! 

I'm also entering this in the 613 Avenue Creat ATG/ with optional 2D or 3D Flowers, Simon Says Wednesday Mother's Day or Special Girl challenge, Digi Galore ATG, Natalie and Amy's Flowers Challenge, the Outlawz Friday Alcohol Markers Fantasy/Fairies Challenge, the CMC Copic Challenge Group Show Some Skin, and the very first Oddball Art Stamps challenge Use a Digi.

Macabre Monday Let's Play a Game Week 2

It's the second week of our Let's Play a Game Challenge for Macabre Monday at HDH and I think the reference to the "Saw" movie franchise is scaring people off.  Yes, JigSaw has taken the helm, but we encourage any projects that reference games or game pieces so here ya go.  My wall hanging uses the fab image from Aurora Wings called Window To Your Soul (Dark Version, duh!).  Wonder why I don't have kids?  LOL

 I've colored her with Copics in sepia tones.  Sorry that my printer was being a bit wonky, hence the sort of double image, but I'd say it sort of adds to the creepiness.  There is a sweet version of the same image HERE (minus the eyeballs) in case creepy doesn't float you boat.  Fortunately the kitty is adorable in both versions. 

 I had a lovely time referencing more toys, games and game pieces including a bloody domino and some very unholy bingo numbers.

 

Looks like she hasn't been to nice to her dolly, either.  The cards are unlucky and the Scrabble letters that spell out the sentiment are splattered with blood using the Inky Dreams rubber set by Smeared Ink.  No wonder the poor dear doesn't have any friends.  So now do you get the picture?  We're counting on you to come play with us at Haunted Design House.  We might even let you win.

 

And BTW, later today (at noon EDT) the first Blog Challenge at Aurora Wings goes live.  In the meantime, there is a fab kickoff event  starting at 9:00am EDT going on in the FB Group where you can win loads of fab stuff.  Hope to see you all there.

 

I'm also adding this to the Left of Center 1st Anniversary Challenge, the CMC Copic Marker Show Some Skin Challenge and the Simon Says Monday Lucky Challenge (guess this one's UNlucky).

Lacy Sunshine Dark vs Light Challenge

Well, I just couldn't let it go.  My first entry into the Lacy Sunshine Dark vs Light FB Challenge used a Boo image, but the dark side still beckoned.  (Big surprise, LOL!)  So I went to work with Amelia (possibly my all time FAVE image) and created this.  Unfortunately, I seem to have missed the deadline because I couldn't upload it in the challenge folder.  BooHoo!  The card is 6x6 square and I popped Amelia on the front and fussy cut around her to shape the front flap.

Amelia is colored with Copics in shades of pink and grey.  Was able to find the same patterned DP in the two colors as well.   I've used a scrap from my Spellbinders Arch die and a bat border punch on the front and also added a Glo skull from my Minion sister Creepy Glo's Etsy shop to her bow.  (LOVE!)  And when you open the card, VOILA!

Amelia is all boofy (beautiful) and light.  This took a fair amount of cropping flipping and welding the light side of Amelia in my Printmaster Pro program and I wasn't even sure it would turn out, but WOOHOO.  Pretty cool, eh?  Isn't it amazing what love can do?  (This one is obviously for my man!)

 

The inside dies are are from a long discontinued Spellbinders Fleur di Lis Medallions set accented with some silver flat backed beads.

I'm entering this in the Left of Center ATG Anniversary Celebration Challenge, and the Fan-tastic Tuesday ATG (but must be square) challenge.


 

Dilly Beans Pink and Green

We've got a color challenge at Dilly Beans this time around and it's Pink and Green.  I just love that...soooo Springy, don'tcha think? 

I couldn't resist #593 Aidyn's Frog Hat Framed which just CALLED for googly eyes.  IMOHO, almost everything is better with googly eyes.  I paper pieced Aidyn's hat and outfit with some green scrap I found on my table and ended up doing the whole card with scraps.  Go ME!  It practically made itself.  Added a gingham bow and the teeniest, most delicate heart paper clip imaginable.  SWEET!  Go visit the Challenge Blog for more inspiration and hope to see your take on the challenge.

I'm entering this in the Delightful Wearing of the Green Challenge, Ruby's Rainbow Shades of Green + One other Color, the Outlawz March 11th Color Challenge using White, Pink and Green with the Twist Use Google Eyes, Twisted Tuesday Clean and Green and TTRCD March 11 ATG.

Lacy Sunshine Dark vs Light and Spring Colors

There's a fun challenge on the Lacy Sunshine Facebook Fan Page in which you had the opportunity to choose between two images, one dark, one light.  Since I already HAD the Dark image (Amelia from Lady Heather's Curiosities, one of my absolute FAVES)  I actually chose the light one, Bashful Buttons and Bows Boo.  (I know you're  all wondering, who are you and what have you done with Donna?  LOL)  You gotta admit, though, she's pretty darn cute and I immediately had an idea so there ya go.  The giant button card was made with my Spellbinder's Grand circles and punched with my Cropadile Big Bite.  The big button is laced with ribbon that ties in a bow with Prima flowers and all kinds of real buttons as well. 

Boo was colored with Copics, in Spring colors, so I can do some double duty for the Lacy Sunshine Blog Challenge as well.  I love adding those teeny buttons to her, and Stickles to her wings and if you look closely, you can see that I've embossed and interior circle in the big button so up close it does look a bit more realistic.  Still hope to do a dark card with Amelia but I just may not make it in time for the challenge.   Tomorrow is the Pleasanton Scrap Expo and after spending two and a half weeks shut up inside, I'm ready to do some major damage.  LOL

I'm also entering this in the Crafty Little Fairies Things With Wings Challenge (look hard, they're there, LOL), Crafty Ribbons Ribbons and Bows, and Hobbybook Designers Make It Girly.

The East Wind Challenge 2

WOW!  Been working all day on the current Use a Digi challenge for The East Wind and am just making it in with a couple hours to spare.  I had the hardest time choosing which of her fabulous digi's to start with and had both the adorable Freebie image I received with the newsletter, and Aurora Poppy colored, thinking I could do both, but of course that was not to be.  Aurora Poppy won out because I was dying to use this DP by BoBunny and a never used Poppy Die by Spellbinders.  I created a window straight through the card with Aurora peeking out.  The butterfly is a Martha Stewart punch and the sentiment is computer generated.

And don't faint, I actually finished the inside.  Go ME!  She's colored with Copics and I used the scraps from the DP mat on front to help finish it off. Another MS butterfly and an ancient photo corner die as well. 

I'm also entering this in the Quirky Crafts Secret Garden Challenge, the Left of Center Die Cuts Challenge, Through the Purple Haze Anything Digital, Naughty or Nice Birthday Challenge (I can't believe I went with "Nice".  Still thinkin' on "Naughty"), the ABC Challenge "G" is for Girls, and the Fussy and Fancy Birthday Challenge, Digi Stamps4Joy Add a Birthday Sentiment and the LOC 1st Anniversary ATG challenge.

SOSS "P" is for Paddy

WooHoo!  As a perk for being crowned Queen for Snark for the very first Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers challenge I was asked to be Guest Designer.  Oh YEAH, Baby!  You BETCHA!  So here we go for Challenge #3 in honor of St. Paddy's Day.

Hope you all find this amusing and not offensive. (Well, ask me if I REALLY give a flyin'...  OOOpS!  That just slipped out.)  Anyway, here's my card.  Loads of thanks to a friend, with a kindred sense of humor, for suggesting the sentiment.  Die cuts are all Spellbinders with some glitter foam shamrocks, ribbon and gems from Mike's.

The fab image is Clover from Sassy Studio Designs.  She's colored with Copics and of COURSE she has red hair, she's Irish! (Duh!)  So whadda ya think?  Snarky enough?  Well, in any case, I want to thank the Sisterhood for inviting me along this week and you can view their fabulous creations HERE. Now ya gotta come play along.  Honestly, it's sooo therapeutic and a chance to say publicly what you've really been thinking all along.  And people even applaud you for it!  Woohoo!  Besides, who could resist that badge?  See ya there.

I'm also entering this in the Craftitude ATG or Add a Little Green.  (Figure those ladies can handle the sentiment without being too offended.  LOL)

Macabre Monday Children of the Night Week 2

OOOps!  The Minions have fallen on some hard times in the dungeon at HDH and are playing catch up with Week 2 of Children of the Night.  Our fabulous sponsor is our own Imp of Insanity Ike who is offering up 3 images of choice from her fabulous SHOP, to EACH of the Gruesome Twosome, SO GET YOUR BUTTS BUSY, guys!  This isn't rocket science!  I've gone the vampire route and recycled a hair product bag (go, ME!) using Night Stranger and Bite Me from her new release.

I've colored the images with Copics, (yeah, her hair is red AGAIN, what can I say?), fussy cut and mounted them on Spellbinder's Labels 2 die cuts.  Of course I've added some blood drips courtesy of my trusty MS Drippy Goo punch.  I really love how versatile these images are.  The blood drips and bite marks on the images are my additions.  They could easily be just a hunky guy and a chick with major 'tude, if vamps don't float your boat.  The sentiment is computer generated and dates way back.  It alludes to a drunken riotous spree, during which much blood is spilled.  Works for me!  Now scurry off in the darkness and show me night night creatures, ok?  There's plenty of inspiration from the Minions and a fab prize to be had.

I'm entering this in the Ike's World Movie Madness Challenge (Inspiration from The Thirst)  and the Left of Center Die Cut Challenge.