Black Widow Frame

It's time for another Paper Playtime Challenge!! YEAA! :) The new challenge is

 "Halloween!"

I have this scary frame to share.  If you visited the blog hop yesterday, you may have seen another vinyl and frame project... here is my Halloween version! This distressed black frame ($5 from Craft Warehouse) measures 7" x 20". It comes with a sheet of glass like a picture frame does, but it doesn't have a backer, it makes it a terrific piece for a home decor project like this.

These spiders are cut from black matte vinyl. They are from "Wild Card" cut at 8 1/4" for the center spider and 3 3/4" for the two small spiders.

The red black widows mark is from "Simply Charmed", I cut it out in red vinyl and then added some Studio G rhinestone for the spider's eyes. Instead of using the super expensive vinyl transfer tape that Provo Craft sells, I use a super cheep alternative: clear shelf paper.  I bought a whole roll for $2 at Big Lots.

The Spider Webs are from "Mini Monsters," cut at 6 1/2" tall. I cut two but cut off the spider that hangs from the web. Again, I used clear shelf paper as a transfer sheet (I even reused the same piece).

Please take a quick trip over to Paper Playtime to play along with our Halloween Challenge.

Challenge: 

Scrappy Mom's Stamps : Mini Monsters

Alphabet Challenge : Q for Quick and Simple

Teacher Easel Cards

The new challenge over at Paper Playtime is to make an Easel Card.

Thanks so much for visiting my blog. If you haven't visited recently, please scroll down through the last few days, I've been posting like crazy with a ton of cool projects!

These are cards my kids took to the first day of school to give to their lovely teachers. 

The inside says "I'm so happy to be in your class!"

Here is a quick tutorial in case you've never made an easel card:

First, you need to fold your easel card. Start out with a card stock base measuring 11" x 4 1/4". Fold the card stock in half at 5 1/2" and then fold one side in again at 2 3/4". You should end up with a card base that looks like the picture.

I then printed the sentiment of my printer and cut it out. The mat measures 4" x 2 1/2" (black) and 3 1/2" x 2" (orange check patterned paper) and 3" x 1 1/2" (sentiment).

Here is the front. Measurements are as follows:

Black card stock base: 5 1/2" x 4 1/4"

Orange patterned paper: 5 x 3 3/4"

The apple 4 cut from Preserves: 3 3/4"

Black velvet scallop ribbon: 4 1/4"

3 mini Prima flowers

Apple and flowers attached with pop-dots

Attach the card front to the card base ONLY on the bottom

(under the scored/folded line). This allows the card to fold to stand up on it's own.

Can you see the dimension??

Attach the sentiment on the inside with pop-dots.

This makes a little catch on the inside for the card front to

rest on when the card is in the easel.

Here is a picture of the card standing up.

We'd love if you'd join in the Paper Playtime Challenge :Easel Card

Sweet Treats Digi Cards

Welcome to another great challenge at PAPER PLAYTIME! We are so glad you are joining us for our AUGUST STAMPING MONDAY CHALLENGE! 

I made this yummy card for the new Paper Playtime Challenge : Vacation.

This ADORABLE card is featuring Doodle Pantry's Decadent Desserts Digi set

Here is the link if you'd like to pick up this delicious digi package!

The sentiment on this card reads "I'm taking a vacation from my diet."  This is the only sentiment I created, the rest come from the digi set.  All the patterned paper is from DCWV's Stack 7, the card bases are using Bazzill textured card stock.

I added twine to each card and punched out the sentiment using my photo label punch from EK Success. A few buttons tied with matching twine finishes off the uniform look to this card set.

All the digis are printed onto white card stock and mounted on pop dots. The card shapes vary but all are from the Preserves Cricut Cartridge.

Here is the set all huddled together... they all fit into a standard A2 envelope.

And one more look at this card set.  

These digis come colored (with sentiments)...

Or you can buy the whole set uncolored.... both ways are so tasty!! :)

Please hop over to Paper Playtime and enter the challenge (and take a look at what the other design team ladies have come up with)... and stroll over to Doodle Pantry and grab an adorable digi... they have a collection of freebies too!

How to play along at Paper Playtime: Make a project with the theme of VACATION using a Stamped or Digi Image/Sentiment. Easy Peasy! So for all you Cricut Lovers out there – you can still play along by adding a STAMPED sentiment. And for all you DIGI Lovers out there – use any Digi image or sentiment on your project.

You can enter as many times as you'd like as long as all your entries are NEW projects and NO backlinks to previous blog posts.

Challenge : My Shari Crafts : Vacation

Sailboat card

The new challenge over at Paper Playtime is to "Cool off with Water!" I think it would be a lovely way to enjoy the summer weather by sailing into the sunset.  Here is my take on the challenge. The card shape is from Preserves.  I sized it to be an A2 portrait card.  I just love the shape! :)

This adorable little sailboat is from New Arrival. It's sized to 3 1/2".  All the pieces are cut from scraps. I added some Glossy Accents to the little port-hole windows and attached the boat with pop dots. I added an adorable little red button to the top of the mast.

The clouds are from Everyday Paper Dolls. I sized them at 2", 1 3/4", and two at 1 1/2". I used a finger dauber to ink them in royal blue and "trace" them with some Star Dust Stickles.  I did the same thing to the patterned paper for the sky.

The sun is from Country Life (cut at 2 3/4") and finished off with some dark orange ink (applied with a finger dauber) and Glossy Accents.  The wave are from ZooBalloo (the taller waves) cut at 3/4" and Plantin School Book cut at 1 3/4" and 1 1/4". I inked all those with royal blue ink too.  After layering them on the card front, I applied Stickles too.

The little rhinestones are from Craft Warehouse, the "hello" stamp is from Scrappy Mom's. As a finishing touch, I doodled some stitches using my white gel pen.

We'd love if you'd join in the Paper Playtime Challenge : Cool Off With Water

Easel Birthday Card

Today is a Digital Design Team Day over at Paper Playtime! :) 

The theme this time to make a SUMMER project and include a digital image.

Today I am using an image from Dude Time Doodles. 

I am working with their image titled "Hammock Harold."  

The front features the digi of Harold lounging on hammock on a nice summer day... the grass is growing long beneath his feet...

I layered Harold on a piece of grass patterned paper, a layer of black and then a layer of dark green. He's mounted up on pop dots... sitting on a border of craft card stock and then a layer of grid paper from the DCWV "Guy Stack", black and then on the craft card stock easel base. I added a row of three brown brads along the bottom, a craft tag (from TBBM cut @ 1") with a Studio G stamp. The front is finished off with some black inking and a few twists of off white craft twine.

Harold sits up on his easel base... the sentiment tag on the bottom is mounted the same as Harold himself.  I added another strip of craft card stock to hold up the easel layer.  Like the accent border on the card front, I ran it though the "Diamonds in the rough" Cuttlebug embossing folder before inking the edges and the surface. This layer is also attached with pop dots.

I colored Harold in using Photoshop. I even used the "grass" painting brush to get that cool over-grown look on Harold's lawn.  I added some clouds to the background and finished off the sky with a blue gradient layer.

This sentiment is one that comes with the "Hammock Harold" digi set from Dude Time Doodles.

While I was at it, I went ahead and made two of these cards. I love doing cards in multiples... each additional card doesn't take too much more time than one card! :)

Now, head on over to Paper Playtime and enter in the Summer Digi Challenge!

Ant Birthday Card

The brand new challenge over at Paper Playtime is to make a summer themed project.  Here is my inspiration project for the design team.

The picnic tablecloth paper (with the ants) is from a Momenta Speciality paper pack called "Summer Fun." The adorable hot dog is from Simply Charmed - cut at 2 1/2".

I lightly inked the edges of the bun and the hot dog with brown and black ink to give them dimension.  I added some green paper in two tones for the relish and threw on some glitter glue "ketchup". The card base is white but I matted the tablecloth paper with two black mats and a red mat. Gel pen stitches really add a lot to the black mats. :)

The sentiment is printed using Copybook font. I framed the sentiment block with some black stitched ribbon that really compliments the gel pen doodling. I don't use them often, but little black adhesive photo corners to all four corners.

Here is a close up of the little ants carrying the hot dog away. You can also see the texture on the background paper.

The inside has the some scraps of the tablecloth paper (along with one lonely ant) and some more stitching and photo corners too.  I think it really finishes off the inside of the card well.

Now, please hop on over to the Paper Playtime Challenge and link up a summer project!! We'd love to see what "Summer" fun you come up with.

America the Beautiful card

Today is a Digital Design Team Day over at Paper Playtime! :) 

The theme this time is to red, white and blue project and include a digital image.

Today I am using an image from Doodle Pantry. 

I made this flag shaped cricut-less card by hand.  I just drew the wave shape by tracing the shape onto a cardboard template so all the lines would be parallel. The card base measures 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

I love the antique like feel I achieved by using ivory, cranberry red and navy blue for the card stock layering of the flag.

I added the red circle around the eagle using Photoshop.  I printed it onto some glossy photo paper and it really has a wonderful shine.  I used some of my kids markers to color the eagles feathers, beak and eye.  I cut two of these and cut out one eagle to pop him up on  a layer of pop dots.

I printed the sentiment with the eagle.  I then punched it with my EK Success photo label punch and made a little mat with some scrap blue paper. I added some smaller stars to the four corners.

These stars are little strips of adhesive back embellishments. These are by Mark Richards (I bought them at Michael's on clearance for $1.99 last November). As usual, I added some stitches using my white Gelly Roll pen.

Here is the card base, you can see how I cut the entire card base into the waving flag shape.

Here are all the images you get with this patriotic eagle image.  I love all the sentiments!! Here is the link to the Doodle Pantry Store so you can grab this set too!

Now, head on over to Paper Playtime and enter in the Red, White and Blue Challenge!


Challenge:
 Whimsical Wednesday : Let's Get Patriotic 
My Sheri Crafts : Independence Day
My Craft Spot : Seeing Stars

Beach Bum Birthday card

Here is a sneak peak for the next Paper Playtime Digi Monday Challenge:

This little boy is from Ai Factory, he comes with a whole package of other boys to add to cards, scrapbook layouts etc. They are really fun and colorful images.

This is a Scrappy Mom's Stamp. I punched it out with my EK Success Photo Label punch and matted it with some scrap of the DCWV bubbles paper and black card stock.  I added some gel pen doodling and flat back black pearls to the four corners of the sentiment tag.

You can also see how I paper pieced the beach ball here. I removed all the coloring from the beach ball and printed it onto this red and white polka-dot paper. Then I hand cut the red parts and glued them down. The beach ball is up on pop dots and the little hands are up on another layer of pop dots.

I added three more flat back black pearls on the lower right hand side of the card. I filled in some of the bubbles with Stardust Stickles, added some more doodling around the black layer too.  Using my Corner Rounder, I clipped just the right side corners of the card base and all the layers.

I added some white craft twine from The Dollar Tree and popped the full layer up on pop dots.  As you can see here, I created lots of dimension in this fun card.  I was really tempted to add and Action Wobble under the beach ball. :)  The inside of the card is finished off with some scraps.

Here is the link to this Ai Factory digi package:

http://www.aivault.com/store/product.php?id_product=152

As you can see here, I changed the colors on the beach boy.  I needed red, white and blue, for the upcoming Paper Playtime challenge, so I used Photoshop to change the colors. I also used PS to create the shadow for the boy.

Come back and take a look on Monday... I'll have my second post ready for Paper Playtime's Digi Monday Challenge.

Challenge:
 The Sisterhood of crafters : Birthday or anniversary for a man

"One Smart Cookie" Z-fold card

Today is a Design Team Day over at Paper Playtime! :) 

The theme this time is to make a z-fold card.

I made two of these wonderful cards to give to my boy's teacher for the last day of school. We tied the cards to a bag of chocolate chip cookies!! YUMMM!

I added the sentiment tag with some pop-dots but only attached it to the right side of the card.  This lets the block act like a little latch to hold the card shut when you tuck the cookie under the sentiment tag! :) Cute huh! 

The cookie is cut at 3 1/2" from Sesame Street Friends. I added some "white" glaze pen doodling to the cookie but it really looks like embossing. 

I printed these little sentiments on my computer. I used Copybook font for the top and bottom lines and Peas Picky Panda for the center line.  All the text was 20 point font.  I've included this file in JPG format so you can print some out for the teachers in your life!

This is how the z-fold card folds out flat.  Normally, there is no hole in the card base, I just added it so I can string the cards onto the bag of cookies.

Just click on the pic above and right click to save it so you can use if for your own card! :)

Now, head on over to Paper Playtime and enter in the z-fold card challenge!


I am also including this card in the following challenge:
Getting Cricky : Anything Goes