A Courageous Dash...

8 Minutes and 57 seconds later...

This fortnights 10 Minute Craft Dash colours would be just PERFECT for a baby card - and guess what Paulina has as a fab prize - you guessed it, Little One, the newest, sweetest baby stamp set from Precious Remembrance Shop.

I remembered this week why die cuts are just perfect for the 10 Minute Craft Dash with this card (and its 7 die cut pieces!) being created in 8 minutes and 57 seconds, using a combination of Websters and Basic Grey papers and a sentiment from Verve, on a base of corrugated card I have had in my stash for a while!!!

Just thought I'd add a couple more 10 Minute Craft Dash tips here too:

• I often use a pre-made 6 x 4 inch white cardstock base for the card - even if I add another colour on top whilst the stopwatch is ticking, I know exactly what size I need to cut it - and every second saved counts! 
• I always make sure I have a clear idea/sketch to use for my card, including what colours I think I will use where. 
• If I am using die cuts, I cut all the same coloured shapes in one pass through the die cutting machine - then add the next coloured sheet of paper and cut all those shapes in one pass etc (kind of like an assembly line!) and make sure I keep a safety pin handy to help remove the coloured paper from the die cuts quickly.
• When I use foam to pop dot on my Dash cards I use the foam tape on a roll and peel off the backing BEFORE I cut it so that I can whack the tape straight onto my card and don't have to fiddle to remove the backing tape afterwards. 

I'd LOVE to see what you can create for the 10 Minute Craft Dash - just head over to Pretty Pink Posh and link up your creations there, and don't forget to check out the other FAB creations from the Design Team!

Playing along with this fab Retrosketch,
CAS on Sunday - Pastel Pretties Challenge,
CASology - Bloom Challenge and
Simon Says Stamp - Flower Power Challenge too

 

CAS(E) of CASual Gift Packaging...

I combined the current MoxieFab 350 Cards & Gifts - The Gift Packaging Challenge with this weeks cool CAS(E) this Sketch, CASual Fridays Top 10 Tic Tac Toe - Birthday, Bling & Punches or Dies and Color Combos Galore #243 and created this decorated ear-ring holder and birthday card in one.  I used a Dienamics label die to create the earring holder.  I first die-cut a piece of cardstock covered with chevron Websters paper on the front and back.  This was then folded into a triangle for the front, base and back of the ear-ring holder, I pierced two small holes through which the ear-rings were secured.  Larger holes were punched in the top of the front and back of the holder and the tassel secured (tucked inside the holder in the photo).  Lastly I added the flower decoration, cut from re-cycled from Simple Stories packaging, and adhered the ear-ring holder to the front of the card. I think those ear-rings count as bling - don't you!!!

  

You're My InFUSION...

Over 50 gorgeous FUSION cards in the gallery again last week!  I can't wait to see what this week brings - be inspired by this fab sketch or graphic or both!  Will you be inspired by the colours, the patterns, the cups, the calendar, or even that funky little bird?!

I'll be the first to admit that I struggled with the colour combo this week - I have realised that given the choice I pick cooler (blue-based) colours over warmer (yellow-based) colours - but hey, that's why it's called a Challenge right!!  I thought this weeks FUSION Challenge photo was the perfect time to have a play with my Skipping Stones Design coffee cup and "Happy Birthday (a little latte)" sentiment, inked in Cup O Joe - of course!  I chose a range of patterned papers from Studio Calico and MME, in graphic checks, spots and even little hearts.

I hope you get a chance to stop by and grab some inspiration from the rest of the Design Team - and experiment with FUSION today!

Allyson  Anderson  / Amy Tsuruta / Deanna Jean / Kelly Griglione / Stacey Schafer

A Dashing His & Hers...

I'm so very far behind on my His & Hers Online Card Classes homework from last week, that having already created this card for this fortnights 10 Minute Craft Dash, I thought I'd try a "His" version of the same card.  Using the same layout and sentiment stamp, but substituting more masculine papers and elements - replacing spots with weathered wood, gingham with a starry night sky, a blossom branch with a twig die-cut and a plump coral birdie with a more svelte red one.  This red & white birdie combo reminds me of Christmas, and I'm playing along with Festive Fridays Element Challenge.  Thought I'd play along with Dream Valley Challenges No Squares Allowed - with not a square in sight - just LOTS of rectangles!

Here are the "Hers" & "His" cards side-by-side for comparison:

Many thanks for stopping by, much appreciated

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A Little 3D FUSION...

Another fantastic gallery at the FUSION Challenge last week - and looking forward to seeing your experiments for this weeks challenge!  Will you use just Jackie's Sketch Challenge, or just Lesley's Photo Challenge, or be brave and create a FUSION of the two?

As a Fusion Scientist I have combined both sketch and photo inspiration to create my card.  As soon as I saw this gorgeous aqua birdcage as the table centrepiece, I knew I wanted to try and re-create a 3D birdcage, using a technique similar to that which I used on this heart card (see photo below).  I used this gorgeous MME patterned paper behind the birdcage to pick up the colours from the photo and to reflect the layers in the sketch.  Using My Favorite Things die-cut I cut 6 birdcage shapes, one full die-cut for the base and 5 for the folded layers.  Using scissors, I cut and removed the top loop and the internal "wires" from 5 of the birdcages, and then folded each birdcage in half vertically.  With the complete birdcage die-cut as the base, I attached the frames of the birdcages to each other using a glue pen.  The best thing about this is that the birdcage still folds flat if you want to post it - then can be popped back to 3D when removed from the envelope!

I had such fun creating my watercolour Neat & Tangled bird last week, that I recreated one in aqua and coral this week, to play along with Little Tangles Pick Two (Yellow, Aqua, Coral) Challenge and Moxie Fab The Wonder of Watercolour Challenge too.  With this gorgeous sentiment from Paper Smooches, I am also playing along with Simon Says Stamp Happy Mail Challenge and Paper Smooches Sparks Anything Goes Challenge too.

With this gorgeous sentiment from Paper Smooches, I am also playing along with Simon Says Stamp Happy Mail Challenge and Paper Smooches Sparks Anything Goes Challenge too.

Head over to FUSION to see more fab inspiration from the Design Team - 

I can't wait to see what you create!
Allyson  Anderson  / Amy Tsuruta / Deanna Jean / Kelly Griglione / Stacey Schafer

3D birdcage inspired by my earlier card

A-MUSE-ing Equation...

Jen's gorgeous MUSE card

There are so many elements I LOVE on Jen's MUSE card that I couldn't resist playing along this week!  And as I love combining challenges, I couldn't resist adding a few more challenges into the mix too.

I love Jen's layout, the butterfly element and the teal and yellow combo, to which I added some orange for extra zest.  Jen's combination of the maths washi tape and teal twine section reminded me of an equation - so what better sentiment to pair with my teal equation washi tape with than "We equate".  The sentiment was created using Paper Smooches Spring Groves "We" from "Welcome Spring", and die cut Wise Dies alphabet, perfect for playing along with this weeks Paper Smooches Sparks Anything Goes Challenge.  I love the embossed background, perfect for playing along with this weeks Catered Crop Make an Impression Challenge, and the washi tape, perfect for this weeks The Pink Elephant Washi Tape Challenge too.

Thanks so much for stopping by - hope you have a FABULOUS weekend, 

and National Scrapbooking Day!

This made me smile!!!

(Spring) Time to Dash...

I do hope you get a spare 10 minutes to do the Dash this fortnight - I love seeing everyone's creations in the 10 Minute Craft Dash gallery - and with aqua in the mix this week I am particularly looking forward to it!  Check out the inspiration from the Design Team too - very delish!!!

This week I couldn't resist incorporating this gorgeous die-cut birdie and sentiment from this fortnights sponsor, WPlus9 Design Studios.  To save on time, I started this challenge using a pre-made 4x6 inch card in white cardstock.  My branch was a die-cut element from Crate Paper, but I decided to make life more challenging and fussy cut the cream border away from the die-cut, thus eating up 3 minutes of my 10 Minute Dash!  Background patterned papers are from MME, originally I had planned to craft cut the window shape from my coral patterned paper to revel the aqua gingham, but as luck would have it, the piece I cut away from my 6x6 base was exactly the right width to use behind the window frame, and much less risky than trying to use a craft knife in a hurry LOL!  My first attempt at stamping my window frame die-cut went wobbly, so I die-cut a new frame and re-stamped it - my back-up option if I messed up my second attempt was to use my window frame in reverse - but it was second time lucky!  I layered my aqua gingham, coral spots and aqua gingham papers using double-sided tape, then pop-dotted my kraft window frame over the aqua gingham.  Then I used my glue pen to adhere one end of my branch to the coral paper, and placed the other end of my branch over the window frame before pop dotting my die cut birdie inside the window.  I love the extra texture created by not fully securing the branch to my card - and it saved on time too, 9 minutes and 21 seconds from start to end!

With this FAB prize up for grabs from WPlus9 Design Studio, 

I'd love to see what you can create in the 10 Minute Craft Dash this fortnight!

Playing along with Simon Says Stamp Happy Mail Challenge too