Fun Little Totebag

I don't usually do anything but cards.

You see I have a problem when it comes to folding and gluing.

I usually end up with the strangest shapes.

But a while back, my friend Karen (Snippets) posted the most adorable little bag.

She included the video she went by to make her bag.

LeeAnn Gref did the video and she made it look easy enough for me to try.

Fast forward to this week and Karen is the host for the Technique Lovers Challenge at SCS.

I just happened to have this totebag waiting in the wings for a chance to hop on my blog.

It does look a bit wonky, but I think it's because of the camera (wink).

I'm going to make some more of these.

I'm hoping they'll be as easy as this one was and I don't end up with something odd!

Maybe I can reduce some of that pretty paper I've been hoarding.

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  

Ink:   

Paper:   Retired DSP & Cardstock (SU)

Other:  Brads (also retired), Tombow Aqua Glue

With Love for CAS Watercolour Card Challenge

Time for another challenge at 

CAS Watercolour Card Challenge

Here's this month's challenge.

With Valentine's Day on the horizon, I wanted to start the challenge with hearts and love.

I started by stamping this image with Whisper White ink and

 heat embossed so I could do a resist technique.

I used by Gamsai Tambi Dark Pink Watercolor and a wet on wet technique for the wash.

After it was dry, I dropped a bit of diluted blue ink that was on my palette.

When dry, I added some more color to the hearts.

This card was inspired by Heather Telford's gorgeous card here.

Our challenge at CAS Watercolour is open until the 24th.

Our Design Team and Guest Designer, Michelle

have some gorgeous cards to inspire you.

I hope you'll check them out then join in the fun!

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Love & Hugs (PB), Special Wishes (PB)

Ink:   Whisper White, Perfect Plum

Paper:   Mixed media (Strathmore), Regal Rose (SU), Solar White (Neena 110 lb.)

Other:  White EP (SU), Gansai Tambi Watercolors (Dk. Pink), Stitched Mats Rectangles (LI), Basic Pearls (SU)

Birdhouse for CAS Mix Up

It's time for another challenge at

CAS Mix Up

Using corrugated cardboard, stamping, acetate smash, smooshing and die cuts.

Susan is our hostess this month and she chose this for our challenge

For your corrugated cardboard, you can use any kind of corrugated cardboard you like.  It can be recycled from a box (but you must tear off all or part of one of the paper layers to expose the corrugation), a recycled coffee cup sleeve (as I used in my card), corrugated cardboard sold in craft shops, or even cardstock you run through your good old paper crimper.

I chose some cardboard from a box of NBUS.
I have more of that than should be legal!

I had to pull one side of paper of the ripples.
That's easier said than done!
But I finally got a clean piece after a little sanding.

I used my NBUS birdhouse die
and a background of acetate splash.

The Big Shot flattened the ripples but I was able to pull them out
a bit with a paper piercing tool.
They add wonderful texture even if they're flattened.

My piece didn't have any green so I smooshed some green ink,
spritzed with water and smooshed the bottom of the piece in the ink
and let it dry.

I needed some stamping so I inked the little flowers with markers
and stamped under the birdhouse.
I used my Aqua Painter to move the red ink around a bit.

I had so  much fun using the cardboard!

Our Design team and Guest Designer, Julie Beech
have some awesome inspiration for you.

I hope you'll join in and share your card or cards with us at
CAS Mix Up.
(I predict it will be hard to stop with one!)

This card doesn't fit Darnell's optional technique but I'm going to add it to her
NBUS Challenge #10

My birdhouse die was a NBUS

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Silhouette Sentiments (retired SU)

Ink:   SU Markers (Melon Mambo, Old Olive), Distress Inks (Broken China, Faded Jeans, Mustard Seed for smash technique), Twisted Citron, Mowed Lawn (for smooshing)

Paper:   Solar White (Neena 110 lb.), Arches (140 lb. cold press), Cardboard Box

Other:  Bird House Die (Paper Smooches), Stately EF (Craft Concepts)

Love and Hugs NBUS

When Darnell's NBUS challenge #9 went live last Monday, I was in the middle of 

packing for a little trip to Virginia.

I kept thinking about the technique she challenged us to do.

(This is an optional challenge BTW.)

It was one I'd never tried before.

To be honest, I don't usually see those hidden words until I read the blog

and read that it's there.

Darnell has called the challenge "Hidden Word", "Camouflaged Word" or

"Stenography".

Since time was short, I found a Brusho background I could use,

 my NBUS image from Penny Black's Love and Hugs set and 

inspiration from this card that Heather T. had done recently.

My MISTI was a big help as I had to stamp and emboss several times

to get a good strong image on the bright pink.

I die cut the love from the stamped image and again from a snippet of white,

layered them up and popped it back in.

I also did Darnell's optional 2nd challenge to CASE a card.

I CASEd hers.

Here's the link to Darnell's challenge

and since this is Penny Black, I can enter at  

   

Penny Black Saturday Challenge            and          Penny Black and More 

ANYTHING GOES                                             ANYTHING GOES

                     

and

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge

ANYTHING GOES

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Love & Hugs (PB), 

Ink:   Whisper White (SU)

Paper:  Solar White (Neena 110 lb.), Watercolor (Arches 140 lb. CP) 

Other:  White EP (SU), Heartfelt Words Die (PB), Stately EF (CC), Sequins (SSS)

Inspired at Merry Monday

So far I'm keeping up with my Christmas cards.

I'm kind of glad to get away from snowflakes now.

My dear friend, Hazel (My Card Attic)
recently sent me a surprise package with some beautiful die cuts.
This was one of them.
Thanks so much, Hazel!

I glued it on a piece of wood grain cardstock and
used some Prismacolor Pencils to color through the bird and flower.

This week's Merry Monday challenge was chosen by Deanne.

I used the colors and texture on the cup as my inspiration.

I'm going to tell you a secret.

It's something I'm not proud of and glad I was able to fix it.

I put the glue on the top side of this die!

It's cut from shiny cardstock so luckily it wiped right off.

Whew!  I thought I'd messed up this beautiful die cut!

Glad I didn't!

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Paper:   Solar White (Neena 110 lb.), Wood Grain (TH)

Other:   Die (?), Prismacolor Pencils, Blender Pen (SU)