Paper Smooches Sparks DYSU...

You may be wondering why I photographed my card with an egg and egg cup!  From the first moment I saw the gorgeous inspiration photo for the Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge, I wanted to have a go at making one of those cute felt bunnies - I just wasn't sure how I would incorporate it into a card.  With the added inspiration from this weeks Do You Stack Up Stitching Challenge, I created this card, incorporating a pocket for my felt bunny egg-warmer. 

I created the bunny egg-warmer by blanket stitching together white felt, with hot pink ears.  The pocket card was created by cutting my card an extra 2 inches long, and reverse folding this extra edge to create an outside pocket.  The card front was then lined with Echo Park paper.  I used an awl to create my stitching holes before I blanket stitched the top and side edges of the card pocket.  The sentiment was created using Paper Smooches Alphadots, heat embossed in Seafoam White.  The gorgeous little bunny stamp is also Paper Smooches from their Spring Fling set.

Wishing you and yours a very Hoppy Easter too!

The Things that Dreams are Made of, Rosettes, Cardabilities and Pink Elephants too!

  Butterflies Challenge

This card was inspired by this stunning Rosette Colour Trends Challenge at Embellish Magazine, and drawn from this gorgeous Cardabilities Sketch, first time I've played along at both these sites, and I couldn't resist joining in at The Pink Elephants Butterflies Challenge too!

I created these gorgeous roses using My Favourite Things Mini Rolled Roses Die Cuts in hot pink felt.  I discovered that you can create larger roses by die-cutting an extra rose (or more if you need to!), and continuing to wrap it around the outside of the rose to create exactally the sized rose you want - so I was able to use two die cuts to make three different sized roses - perfect!  I was inspired by all the circular elements in the Rosette Colour Trends Challenge - so all the papers (from SEI and Making Memories) are spotted, and I have repeated the circular elements in the scalloping and the Kaisercraft pearl bling too. I created a double frame around my card to reflect the frame from the photo too.  The gorgeous butterfly die cut is from Spellbinders.  This beautiful sentiment is from Verve Always on My Mind, stamped in Versa Colour Opera Pink and Orchid.

Hope your dreams come true today too!

Paper Smooches Easter Joy...

Inspired by this fortnights gorgeous photo from Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge, I love the cute felt bunnies and the saturated colours.

I tried something new by stamping images from Paper Smooches Spring Fling onto felt to achieve a light outline to use as a stitching guide.  I found the best option was to stamp them using Distress Ink. I used Victorian Velvet, but any light colour could achieve the same effect (although Spun Sugar was too light to see the outline). The outline was then highlighted by using 3 strands of embroidery thread - the usual 6 strands did not produce a fine enough line.  I used DMC Embroidery Thread in 704 (green), 3806 (pink) and... yellow whose code has fallen off!  The papers are from Alison Ellis Design and Rose Moka - although you could be really creative and make your own ;)  The egg shape negative cut was achieved by enlarging the Paper Smooches Spring Fling image on a photocopier, then cutting out the shape using a craft knife.  The Spring Fling sentiment is stamped using Versa Colour Lime, and I love the subtlety of the sentiment in the midst of all the saturated colours.

To adhere the egg and bunny to the card, I used Provo Crafts Terrifically Tacky Tape (also known as red tape). The best thing about Terrifically Tacky Tape is that it is terrifically tacky, the worst thing about Terrifically Tacky Tape, is that it is terrifically tacky - so you have to be extra careful - once it sticks, it stays!

Today is a gloriously sunny day - hope you are enjoying Spring / Autumn wherever you are!

For Weddings and a Valentine's Day...

Loved this gorgeous colour palette from The Colour Room combined with sketch inspiration from Mojo Monday - this week we're looking through the round window!

Had fun making red felt roses using My Favorite Things Minature Rolled Roses - just need to remember to roll from the outside of the diecut to the inside - doesn't work quite as well in reverse ;) I also used the Lifestyle Craft Floral Rose and Swiss Dots embossing folders - the ribbon across the centre makes hiding the overlap in the embossing easy! I love this couple stamp - stamped once in black ink on white cardstock and a second time in white StazOn ink on black cardstock, then hand cut the suit and top hat and added the coloured bow-tie and matching flowers to tie the colour scheme together. I adhered two sheets from Making Memories notepaper together to create the scalloped edge. This is the first time I have made a round card - folded an A4 piece of cardstock in half and cut an almost complete circle using my Fiskars circle cutter - too easy!

Many thanks for dropping by - much appreciated :)

PS. Having some technical issues today so sorry for the multiple listings / missing links in Mojo Monday