Showing posts with label Birthday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Birthday. Show all posts

Thursday, March 21, 2019

Happy Birthday AWCB


If you follow the Aurora Wings Challenge Blog you may already have read the Farewell Post.  We've had a hard time with Facebook not allowing links to the blog in our Stamps by AuroraWings FB Group but you know you can always come here to find out what's up.  Yes, we're celebrating 5 incredible years of challenges and I'm so honored and proud to say that I've been a part of it since Day 1.  I've made many friends through my association with the Aurora Wings family of designers both past and present and I can't even begin to tell you how Mitzi's talent, support and special friendship has inspired me throughout the years. Oh oh!  Here's where I'm getting a little teary eyed so I may have to cut this post short.  Anyway, after careful consideration, we are closing the AW Challenge Blog, but it will be business as usual in the FB Group, AuoraWings.com, AuroraWings Etsy, etc.

Last Monday, the 3rd Monday in March was our 5th Anniversary of the AWCB and had we continued the challenges, it would have been the ever popular Sprite Delight.  In celebration of those 5 fabulous years, Mitzi is offering this special Birthday Cake Sprite as a freebie in both jpg and png form through the end of the month HERE.  I've colored this cutie in png format with Copics in order to combine her with lovely Birthday Bouquet digital papers from WeAre3.

We also have a coupon goin' on through March 24th (plus the opportunity to guess the SECRET COUPON CODE) so be sure to visit the Aurora Wings Challenge Blog to collect your freebies and maybe get an even bigger discount if you shop.


I'm entering this in the Outlawz Special 8th Birthday Challenge (using sponsor papers from We Are 3), the DL.Art March Linky Challenge, Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #102 AG,  ...
WINNER!

Monday, September 17, 2018

New Challenge at Aurora Wings


Our new challenge begins today on the Aurora Wings Challenge Blog with the exciting theme of 



Any music works here, a movie or TV series soundtrack, a nursery rhyme, classical or popular, with or without lyrics.  We're excited to see what inspires you.

They say "Music speaks to the heart in ways words cannot express."  The beautiful thing is music is like a time machine.  One song... the music, the lyrics, the mood...can take you back to a moment like nothing else can.  My inspiration comes from Elton John, he definitely takes me back.  To be honest, my initial choice was "Your Song", which has special meaning, as it was a surprise gift (a 45 record) and Elton John's first hit, from my first serious boyfriend in 1970.  Unfortunately, I couldn't quite come up with an appropriate image, so I chose my next favorite by Elton, "Tiny Dancer".



No problem there, as Mitzi, a former ballerina and ballet teacher, has many beautiful images to choose from.  Star Dancer won out as it evokes the pure joy of the dance and looks like someone you could fall in love with completely.  She's colored in Copics, fussy cut, glued to a black background, and fussy cut again for stability and drama.  


Here's a closeup of the dimensional adhesive stars and Stardust Stickles I've used to bling Star Dancer up. She's pure magic, isn't she?!


I've used a piano die from Marianne Creatables to make the shaped card.  Elton's piano was such a love of mine that I bought sheet music of my favorites of his to learn myself.  Unfortunately, they were not piano solos and required sung lyrics which is certainly NOT my forte.  I cut the die with substantial matte card stock and again in glossy black like our grand piano at home. Star Dancer is attached to the intricate die cut music stand that came with the piano die, which I then glued to a Spellbinders Labels Two die, again for more stability.  

Although there was another die that was supposed to hold up the piano lid, I didn't need it, and to be honest, couldn't figure out how it was supposed to be attached.  No instructions included with the die, so I had to wing it. I decided to make this a birthday card and added curved silver sentiment stickers and a musical die by Tutti cut in silver metallic card stock.


I know I've mentioned this before, but when working with glossy or metallic card stock especially, I prefer to use my Xyron machine to apply the adhesive to avoid messing up the glossy finish.  My trick is to use a small stylus and go around all of the edges of the die, as well as the interior portions, before removing the top layer to avoid those icky "strings".  It helps that the weather is getting cooler, as well.


Inside, I cut down the right angle edges of the piano die to make a mat and printed the sentiment on my computer.  I added star corner stickers and additional stars to embellish.  From here you can see that I attached Star Dancer underneath the interior mat, and between two layers of the Labels Two, with a strip of acetate.  The back of the digi and the die cut music stand looks finished, as well.  Happy that I didn't have to use the mystery die to prop the lid because it popped right up automatically, as did the music stand with my "tiny dancer".  WooHoo!


The good news is, it folds flat for mailing, as well.  Well, thanks for hanging in there for this epic post (believe it or not, this was edited severely, but as they say, "One song... the music, the lyrics, the mood...can take you back to a moment like nothing else can.")  

Be sure to visit our new Challenge and the fabulous musical inspiration from my Stella sisters.



I'm entering this in the DL.Art September Linky Challenge, Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #90 AG (1/3), Jo's Scrap Shack FFC #251 AG (1/3), the Outlawz Festive Fridays Birthday theme, 613 Avenue Create September AG, A Gem of a Challenge #227 One for the Girls/Ladies, the Colour Crazy Challenge wk 37 AG w/coloring (1/2), the Classic DT Open #9 AG (2/3), Creative Fingers #152 AG (1/3), Crafts Galore Encore Sept. AG (2/3), the Corrosive Challenge September #9 AG (1/3), A Perfect Time to Craft September #9 AG (1/3), Always Happy Birthday September (1/3), Crafty Girls Creations #50 AG (1/3), Create and Inspire September #77 AG/Inspired by a Song (1/3), CCC Digi Creations #96 Use Pearls/Gems (1/3 hope those stars count), Daisy Chain Challenges September #23 Birthday (U), If You Give a Crafter a Cookie Challenge #102 4th Anniversary challenge AG, Let's Craft and Create #141 AG/option Best Friends, the World Wide Open DT Challenge #09 (Sept/Oct) AG (1/3), Simon Says Wednesday Pop it Up (1/5)




Sunday, September 9, 2018

Guest Designing for the Outlawz Sunday Songs and Rhymes


As you know I play regularly on the Outlawz Forum, a fun and friendly craft forum with 7 challenges a week plus a monthly Progressive challenge, so there's always lots going on.  If you're not a member, why not check it out.  You'll be glad you did.  This week I'm Guest Designing for Sunday Songs and Rhymes and our song is: 


You know it doesn't make much sense
There ought to be a law against
Anyone who takes offense
At a day in your celebration
'Cause we all know in our minds, etc
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday
Who doesn't need more birthday cards in their stash?  As you may already know, I'm a monthly subscriber to the Kit and Clowder Coloring Classes for both Markers and, more recently, pencils as well.  As a subscriber, Alyce also sends out a free monthly bonus class, theme voted on by the current members and this  one was coloring dragons (still available if you subscribe before the next monthly class, but HURRY!).  The dragon here was provided in the class and this was my first "practice" shot at the class.  OMG!  I had soo much fun with this!  I purposely scaled it (ha, ha, I made a funny) to be card size and colored it with Copics, according to the class colors and set it aside.

The image was perfect for my birthday card for today as the colors also fit the current Outlawz Tuesday Color Challenge and birthday twist, so I fussy cut him out and added him to the fun striped paper by Queen and Co.  The birthday sentiment circle and cupcake are new to me from Simon Says Stamp.  The sentiment circle was cut in purple, but I cut the cupcake in white and colored it to match the scheme and give the "frosting a bit of dimension.

  
I've been making a lot of square cards lately, but the Outlawz Monday Greetings challenge called for a rectangle, so rectangle it is.  Yes, if your card fits more than one challenge on the Outlawz Forum, you may enter it wherever it fits.  Only once on the sitewide monthly Linky though, where you can win even more prizes.  WooHoo!  Don'tcha want to join in?

I'm also entering this in the DL.Art September Linky Challenge, Jo's Scrap Shack FFC #250 AG (2/3), 2 Crafty Critter Crazies #18 (1/5) and If You Give a Crafter a Cookie Challenge #102 4th Anniversary challenge AG (2/5).

Monday, July 16, 2018

Anything Goes at Aurora Wings


WooHoo!  A new challenge starts today at Aurora Wings with everyone's favorite theme,

I've created an easel card using Steampunk Angel available HERE on AuroraWing.com and a new die from Crafter's Companion.  My photo box is still packed away in the attic since our July 4th party so I photographed my project in front of a clock my Daddy made that sits on the desk in that guest room.  The wooden casing he made is not evident in the pic and the glass door is ajar to eliminate some of the glare but it's still one of my most treasured possessions from him.  He was an engineer, artist and meticulous craftsman and this was one of the last things he was able to create before Alzheimer's took it's tole.



Here's a closeup of Steampunk Angel.  She's colored with Copics and metallic gold and silver gel pens and also available as a 2-pack with Steampunk Owl HERE on Etsy.  My original plan was to use them both, but the size required to fit them both in was beyond my eyesight capability to color them decently. Oh yeah, I also gave her some fishnet stockings with my fine point pen. Hee, hee! You can also see here the intricacy of the die overlay, which was not the easiest to cut, and the metal gears and clock hands I've added from Tim Holtz.



The sentiment was computer generated and cut and matted using a Spellbinders Labels Four.  All were inked with Distress and popped with foam.  The metal wings and all metal gears are also Tim Holtz.

Please check out the fabulous creations by my Aurora Teammates and come play along.  Up to THREE creations if ALL are Aurora Wings but only ONE if not.


Here's how to keep up with all that's happening at Aurora Wings.

Aurora Wings Challenge Blog (current challenge runs through August 18th)




Monday, May 21, 2018

A Joyous Occasion at Aurora Wings



It's time for a new challenge at Aurora Wings and this time we're celebrating



We're looking for Birthdays, Holidays, New Baby, Wedding, Mother's, Father's or Grandparent's Day.  WOW!  Loads of happy occasions to choose from, eh?  

Well, since it's the month of May, with Mother's Day just past, my thoughts did turn to my own mother who has been gone for 23 years now.  It's also her birthday month (and she'd be 106 if she were still alive) so I made a card that would honor her for either day using the sweet Lily of the Valley Sprite which is May's birth flower.



Here's a closeup of the adorable Lily of the Valley Sprite available HERE on Aurora Wings.com and HERE on Etsy.  I've used the png version so I could print her on digital paper and color her with my Copics.  Blue was my Mom's favorite color and the gingham seemed as fresh and sweet as the image.  We had a little patch of lilies of the valley hidden behind my playhouse in my backyard as a child and I loved to pick bouquets and bring them in to smell.  As a matter of fact, Muguet De Bois was the first perfume I ever gave her.



I really wanted to give this project some dimension, but when I considered the intricate fussy cutting I would have to do, I was content to use die cuts for that.  The Spellbinders Grand Oval was popped on the Grand Decorative Oval mat.  The Lily of the Valley Frame die is from Tutti Designs. I cut it in white and colored with my Copics, trimmed off the rest of the thin oval frame because it interfered with the image and popped it ever so carefully with foam as well.  The sentiment label is also Spellbinders and the sentiment is from the Words 2 set by Elizabeth Craft.  Finally I added a few flat back pearls and called it done.  Unfortunately I didn't begin to  make cards until after she was gone.  I think she would have liked it.

Now I invite you to visit the Aurora Wings Challenge Blog to see the fabulous inspiration from my Aurora Team sisters and come play along.  Hope to see you there.


Here's how to keep up with all that's happening at Aurora Wings.

Aurora Wings Challenge Blog (current challenge runs through June 16th)
Aurora Wings FB Fan Page

I'm entering this in the DL.Art May Thankful Thursday Challenge #228 BirthdayLil Patch of Crafty Friends #82 AGCreates and Makes #21 AG, Jo's Scrap Shack FFC #234 AG , the Colour Crazy Challenge Wk 20 AG w/hand colored image613 Avenue Create May AG/optional Mainly Blue, the World Wide Open DT Challenge #05 AG, Scrapy Land Challenge #90 AG w/die brands SL carries, Crafty Friends #84 "B" is for...(blue, birthday), Allsorts Week 468 Happy 9th Birthday Allsorts, the Outlawz Festive Fridays Birthday theme, the Classic DT Open #25 May AG, Simply Papercraft #57 AG, Crafting With Friends #67 AG, Kitty Bee Designs #118 For Mom/Feminine, QKR Stampede #296 AG, Do Al(l) Creative #17 Not Sguare/Rectangle (3/3), As You Like It Pink or Blue (blue, because it was my Mom's favorite color and works for both genders), Create and Inspire #74 Springtime, Get Creative #69 Lots of Flowers, A Perfect Time to Craft #5 AG.





  

Friday, May 18, 2018

Have a Wicked Birthday


Again playing with one of the Faery Ink Unicorn Masquerade Birthday stamps from the FB Group event last weekend and this wicked chick is Ophelia.  I LUUURVE her!  Made it a tag for the Outlawz Saturday Paper Ala Mode challenge and birthday for the Festive Fridays Birthday theme.  She's colored with Copics and I printed her originally without her mask (AFTER coloring, of course) and then realized she needed it for the costume contest so I printed her again, fussy cut the mask and popped it on her face. Used my fave color scheme of Red, Black &White.  The tag was cut and matted with Spellbinders Labels 25 and added a Memory Box Small Spiderweb Frame.  "wicked" was cut with a Tim Holtz Halloween words die and the rest of the sentiment was done with my Dymo label maker.  Cool fibers are from my stash.

I'm also adding this to the DL.Art Thankful Thursday Challenge #228 Birthday Theme, Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #81 AG, Simply Papercraft #57 AG, Jo's Scrap Shack FFC #234 AG , Incy Wincy with Things That Fly, Crafting with an Attitude #39 AG, Do Al(l) Kreatives #17 Not Square or Rectangle, Scrapy Land #80 AG w/dies SL sells, Sheepski Designs Your Favorite Colors, ...

Sunday, April 22, 2018

ONE is Never Enough!


Here's one more for the LeighSBDesigns first birthday and Birthday Card Contest which ends TONIGHT at midnight PDT.  Still time to grab the FREEBIE HERE and enter for a prize.  Yesterday I went for a bit of a macabre approach you can see HERE, but today I went cute and quirky combining the freebie (ONE with cupcake) with the OddLeigh Cupcake set and adding Miss Oddleigh herself (see the whole Oddleigh family HERE) and two cupcakes that are part of the set.  I've colored with Copic in sweet yummy colors and inked the edges with Distress.  Went CAS since there was already a lot going on using a pretty pastel chevron pattern from Queen & Co.

Oh wow, and BTW, in honor of Earth Day Leigh has Just released 2 new stamps! 

And 

Available until April 28 at a special introductory price at LeighSBDesigns HERE.


Monday, September 18, 2017

Crop It! for AuroraWings


Our new challenge starts today on the Aurora Wings Challenge Blog with the theme of Crop It




For those of you who know me, and my recent computer situation,  you're aware that this post is sort of a miracle, as for once I worked ahead and had this completed before the crash.  Yay, me!   I've used the adorable Little Kitsune Anko (simple version) available HERE on AW.com and HERE (jpg only) on Etsy.  I thought this little cutie would be adorable not only peeking out from behind her fox mask, but also a very detailed fan cut with a die by Tattered Lace from specialty crinkle matte gold paper.  I've made a little tassel from two shades of red floss to dress up the end.  The screen die behind her is Die-versions.  The card is triple matted in the colors of her kimono and the corners dressed up with Asian inspired stickers and a small sticker sentiment.




Here's a closeup of Little Kitsune Anko (simple version) available HERE on AW.com and HERE (jpg only) on Etsy.  I chose the simple version so I could paper piece the sleeves of her kimono with one of the papers from the Mori Girl paper pack by Gecko Galz. 



I printed a cropped version of her arms and mask twice so I could pop them for dimension.  Her face and mask were colored with Copics.  I've positioned her arms and mask closer to her face so that she looks like she is peeking out from behind.  Kitsune is the word for fox in Japanese and is a frequent character in in Japanese folklore.  This fantasy creature can have up to nine tails depending on her age, wisdom and power.  This little chickie is just a beginner, I'd say having only one tail so far (and it's cropped out!)  



If you'd prefer to have fun with coloring a more detailed version of her kimono, you can find the fancy version HERE on AW.com and HERE on Etsy.  Either way, I think she's a doll, don't you?

Be sure to check out the AW challenge Blog to see the creative takes on this challenge by my Aurora Teamies.  We can't wait to see what you come up with.

The new September Rainbow Inspired FB challenge is in full swing as well. Hope to see you there. 

Sunday, August 6, 2017

Still Smokin' HOT!


Doing a quickie post for a card I just finished for a 70th birthday celebration tomorrow.  Yup, on a Monday...it's good to be retired.  LOL  Cute image is called Flamin' Dragon, from EricraftShop, that I bought specifically for this card because the recipients last name is DRAGON!  She's colored with Copics and I've added a birthday crown to her head and die cut and embossed balloon from an old Cuttlebug set.  I tried to keep is primarily monochromatic to enter in the Outlawz Tuesday Color challenge since I won't have time to do another. Hope it's okay and I don't think the inside counts, to you?






Friday, June 9, 2017

New Release from Sandra Caldwell


It's Friday, and that means new release day for Sandra Caldwell.  You can check out the fabulous new digis and inspiration by the team in the Sandra Caldwell Stamp Fans FB Group.  I'm showcasing the adorable #1596 Dancing Rose Hippo.  Isn't she the sweetest?  She just called for PINK and the fabulous rose Die cut by Joy Crafts that I layered and inked with Distress.  I've also added a die cut doily from Cheery Lynn and triple picot edge bow to further the delicate feminine theme.



Here's a closeup of this cutie prior to fussy cutting.  She's colored with Copics and I love her to bits.

I'd also like to invite you to the Kat Paws Challenge, hosted by me, in the Sandra Caldwell Stamps Fans FB Group.  6 adorable cat digis are on sale for only $1.50 through June 22.  You can view them all (including the 2 new ones) HERE.  Hope to see you there.

I'm adding this to the DL.Art June Linky AG challenge, Crafty Friends Make it Pink, June 2 Crafty Critter Crazies and Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #59 AG.