Paper Piecing Birds on A Branch

This week’s theme at Craft Your Passion Challenge is about Paper Piecing. It is being sponsored by AiFactory and Bunny Zoe. You will have a couple chances to win free images and even a chance to join us as a guest design team member. I used the Birds on Branch image from AiFactory for this card.

I love the look of paper piecing. It seems to be a lot of work so I was looking forward to the challenge, but it wasn’t as bad as it looks. Simply stamp or print your image on white paper and again on pattern paper for as many different patterns as you need and then use a really good pair of scissors to cut out your shapes. My Bumble Bee Scissors are perfect for this task. I find these cards are more successful if you don’t make everything into pattern paper.

For this card, I colored the image and the pattern paper pieces with Copic markers. Some of the shapes are pop dotted and others are glued straight down. The green and pink pattern papers both came from my stash so I don’t know where they are from. I finished off the card with a few clear dots and a button along with an EK Success flower punch and a couple hand cut leaves.

Vintage Plums

I love this Plums image from Dragons Lair Designs. It ended up being a complex image to color because plums change look depending on the light and angel. I used 15 different Copic markers to give the plums a purple, blue, grey dimensional look. I love the way they turned out.

The rest of the card was kept very simple. I used distress ink and a script stamp to distress green, purple and brown cardstock as well as a piece of kraft paper. I added a simple green netting fiber and a few Kiser Kraft pearls. I love the way it turned out!

Don’t forget to stop by and join our current Stamping Dragon Challenge. We are celebrating the “Year of the Dragon” with dragon theme projects.

Rainy Day Girl

This week’s challenge at Craft Your Passion is all about Red, White, and Blue projects to celebrate Presidents Day. This little image is the Rainy Day Girl from Mami Doodles, one of our Sponsors for this challenge.

I had a lot of fun with this card. I colored the little girl in with Copic Markers and then added silver Stickles to her and the hand cut raindrops on the page. I used American Crafts cardstock and a piece of Blue Polka dot Paper from Making Memories. I cut the shapes using my Nestabilities on my Big Shot and then dry embossed the pattern paper with the Sizzix Swirl envelope. I added some red ribbon from Michael's and a few sparkly eyelets from Memory Makers. To finish it off, I used a black pen to stitch around the image.

I have entered this card into the following challenges:
http://corrosivechallengesbyjanet.blogspot.com/
http://2sisterschallengeblog.blogspot.com/

Year of the Dragon

“The Year of the Dragon” is the current theme for the Stamping Dragon Challenge. Simply use a dragon on your project to enter in the fun and maybe win a few free images. It is sponsored by Dragons Lair Designs where they have dozens of perfect images for this theme.

This card is made  mostly with American Crafts Cardstock. The oriental theme border and the little black swirl where both cut on my Silhouette Cameo. The red fiber and the little medallion both came from my stash. I also used Charcoal Tim Holtz Distressing Ink around the edges of everything. The image itself was colored using Copic markers. The dragon has C00, C1, C2, C5, C6, W0 and W2. I intensified the shadows on this image so it would look like most of the light was coming from the lantern.

I've shared this card with the following challenge sites:
http://sparklesforumchallenges.blogspot.com/

Oriental Pendant

The current challenge at Cardmadfairy is all about cards that are not “Square.” I loved this challenge, because I love non-traditional shaped cards. This should be a great challenge for collecting lots of ideas. The challenge is sponsored by Cardmadfairy Creations so don’t miss our on your chance to win free images.

I used cardstock and my Silhouette Cameo to cut out the card shape and the character for “love.” I also cut a piece of oriental pattern paper from my stash to fit the same shape. I colored the lantern image with Copic markers then embellished them with some shine using my Spica markers and added fibers to give them dimension. Then I added them to the pendant with pop dots. I added the black ribbon and the little button from my stash.

Dragonlets Fantasy Card

I love this image called “Dragonlets and Me” from DeliciousDoodle. They are sponsoring this week’s challenge for the Craft Your Passion Blog. I hope you can all come over and join us.

The theme for this challenge is a recipe. Simply combine:

• One Ribbon or Twine
• Two Design Papers
• Three Button

I used a simple little knot of celebrate ribbon from Michael’s, brown and purple pattern paper from the Once Upon A Time collection by DCWV and cute little buttons from my stash. The title was printed on my computer and I used Core’dination cardstock for the rest of the card. I finished everything off by inking the edges with Tim Holtz Distress Ink and added a little light Glamour Dust on the wings.

Earth Tones Owl Card

This little guy is the “Yoo Hoo Owl” from Stamping Dragon Designs. The rest of the card has been designed with the Earth Tones Page Kit also from Stamping Dragon. I printed of the paper, words and embellishments and added a little embroidery floss and a little bit of Stickles. Just like that, the card was done. I love the Digital Page Kits, so fast and wonderful!

Don’t forget to stop by The Stampingwith Dragon blog and join us in this week’s challenge sponsored by Dude Time Doodles. The theme is all about “Man’s Love”. We all know masculine cards are difficult to come up with so this will be a great chance to see everybody’s ideas. We love to see all of your creative projects and you might even win a few free digital images from our sponsor.

Valentine's Bear Card

This week’s challenge on Craft your Passion is sponsored by Doodle Pantry, Little Miss Muffet and Pizzazz Aplenty. This cute little image is the Valentine’s Bear by Little Miss Muffet. He can be found at http://www.littlemissmuffetstamps.com/. The winner will receive credit for free digital images.

The theme for this challenge was Anything Goes without using design or pattern papers. To add interest, I dry embossed and inked some of the cardstock and used white gloss paper with liquid pearls, alcohol inks and blender solution to create the modge podge pattern frame behind the bear.

The rest of the card has Coordination cardstock, a sentiment from my printer, ribbon from my stash of supplies and a pearl brad from We Are Memory Keepers.

The image was colored with Copic markers. I used E31, E33, E35 and E25 for the browns. R00, R20, R24 and R27 for the reds and pinks. C00, C1 and C3 for the shadowing.  

Valentine's Day Vase Card

This weeks challenge on Cardmadfairys Challenge is all about HEARTS. All you need to enter in the challenge is to have a project with at least one heart on it somewhere. The challenge is being sponsored by Crafty Sentiments.

To make this card I used the Valentine's Vase image by Cardmadfarys Creations. I used my Copics to color the image and then used my Copic Red Spica pen to add glitter to the hearts. The card is assembled with Coredination cardstock and two Kaiser Craft pattern papers. I used my Cuttlebug envelope for the polka dot dry embossed pattern, used by Sillouette for the flourishes. I finished the card off with Tim holtz Distress ink and some ribbon, buttons and a charm from my collection.

Quiz Katie - Paper Tearing

Quiz Katie Challenge

This months question came from a woman at one of the beginner’s scrapbooking classes I taught recently. I have been asked this question a lot so here is the answer.

Question:

How do you tear paper for scrapbooks and cards?

I find that this question can be best answered by showing you an example of how it looks. Check out this card and these two scrapbook pages...

The last double page layout is the perfect example of how paper tearing can be used in your scrapbooks. You’ll notice that the background papers, title box, and page elements have been torn to create more texture and interest. Even the little flowers have been quickly torn from scraps of paper to create adorable little embellishments. To make your own hand torn flowers, simply cut the paper roughly into the shape you want and then tear around the edges.

Use your fingers or a straight edge ruler to guide the paper as you tear. Using your fingers will provide a wider tear with more edge on it. Using a ruler will give you a very lightly torn edge.

Six Tips to Remember:

1. When paper tearing, pull the torn edge towards you in small controlled motions to keep the line where you want it to be.
2. Don’t tear too fast, you will simple rip the paper without any consistency to the tear.
3. Try placing the edge of the paper along the edge of the counter or table so you can easily grasp the paper and guide the tear line.
4. Not all paper tears the same. Practice on a little scrap piece so you can see how that particular sheet will act before going all out on your page pieces.
5. For best results, use color core paper. It will tear more easily and provide you with the perfect color on your torn edge.
6. Ink and paper tearing are a great combination for rough and distressed effects. Simply tear the paper in the way you want and then use an applicator pad or sponge to rub the distress ink into the torn edge.

 Next time you get stuck on a page and don’t know what to do, try tearing a few of the edges. You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to do with just a little bit of practice. The best part is, this technique doesn’t require any extra tools to do.

Congratulations to Michelle Dees!

Michelle is the blog winner of a prize package from this months followers of Midnight Pixy Designs.

Michelle, please email me and I can send you the information about how to receive your free craft supply goodies. katie.twinkle@gmail.com