12 tags of 2014 - June

Today is the last day of June, which also marks the last day of the first half of 2014.  Time sure does fly by extremely fast!


Today I am sharing the much delayed 12 tags of 2014 - June:

It's always fun to play with the 12 tags.  This one is no exception.  Apparently I am still on the analogous colors kick so for the background I've used Ripe Persimmon, Picked Raspberry and Seedless Preserves.  For the butterflies, I felt that the colors do not pop up enough from the bright colored background, so I've colored them outside the lines to give them more definition.

I had a difficult time to put the bow onto the card!  My fabric glue  was nowhere to be found.  The bow itself did not want to stay put on the card, then added the pin and the pearl just made it worse.  Eventually, I gave on up adhesives.  I tried something new.   I punched two small holes onto the card, then I threaded the 8-inch ribbon through the two holes to tie the bow.  Because this "Paula bow" is rather bulky, no one can really tell that there holes on the card.  Further, this panel was stuck onto the card base, so the back of it is just equally clean!  This is one of those creative moments I am proud of myself! :)

Be sure to check out the other people's take on 12 tags of 2014 - June.  It is always a wonderful source of inspiration!

I'm linking up my card to the following:
613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes
Ditzie Digi Design - Anything Goes
Dragonfly Dreams Challenge - Anything with Wings
Quirky Crafts Challenge - Stencils

Thanks for stopping by!

HAPPY

I'm watching World Cup this weekend!  Out of the four football matches, two went to penalty kick.  I am no soccer guru but really hate this rule of the game because it is no different from a flip of coin.  Nevertheless, I enjoyed the games and luckily I still got some time to make a few cards.

This is one of those I made today:

It is based on the sketch at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge:

And boy, it is a tough sketch (for me)!  I've tried various things - Christmas, Fall, but none of them seemed to work with the sketch.  I finally picked the Blue Skies stamp set from Lawn Fawn and the Hello Sunshine paper for the background. 

I did enjoy coloring the balloons a lot!  At first I thought I would use distress markers so I used watercolor paper, but I changed m mind, as always, and used my Inktense color pencils.  It is just fun to color these outline images.

For the banner, I used the word "HAPPY" from Hello baby stamp set.  I carefully masked off the letters every time as I only need to stamp one letter on one pennant. 

I have not yet determined how I am going to use this card.  It could be a graduation card, a birthday card or all occasion card.  Love the versatility!

My card is linking up to the following:
Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
Sister Act Card Challenge - Anything Goes
Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
Stampin for the Weekend - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by!

Thanks

Remember the vibrant colors here?  I've made another card using the same technique but different colors.  This time I was also using analogous colors but it is the blue-green collection:

I can't tell you which color combo I like more - they are just different!  But I'd say this one is a great masculine card that I am always in need of!

I was inspired by this awesome sketch from Sketchbook Saturday Challenge:

I'm also linking my card to:
Fan-Tastic Tuesday - Anything Goes
Just Inspirational - Anything Goes
CRAFT Challenge - Thank you
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by!

A wedding card

For the most time, I love to have birds on wedding cards.  It just seems so natural and most cards look better with a bird.  Having said that, I got a little bored with it and I wanted to make a non-traditional wedding card. 

I still have birds on my card but they are ducks! 

Isn't that cute?  Different from traditional wedding cards, right?

As always, this card has evolved a lot from what I envisioned when I started.  First off I didn't mean to have the ducks!  Second, flying ducks?  No way!  I knew I wanted a bright yellow sun and the sentiment "Oh Happy Day."  The next thing was naturally some clouds but what next?  I colored some pieces here and there, not necessarily meant to put on this card, then I tried using a frog but it doesn't really match with the big bright sun.  I wanted to use a rabbit but I felt that the same problem persists.  The next thing I know was that I tried to put on those ducks on the background.  Not bad, huh, with a black bow on one and a pink bow on the other?  There we go!  Wait a second.  How do we make them up in the sky?  Balloons!  So I stamped the strings, fussy cut out the balloons and draw a little black line next to the duckies' hands to deceive everyone that they are holding onto the balloons.

I think it is very cute and will bring a smile to the couple, don't you think?

My card is linked up to the following:
Incy Wincy Designs - Things with Wings
Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes
Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
Party Time Tuesdays - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by!

A Christmas card in June

I know we are starting to enjoy the summer and perhaps you are planning the July 4th barbeque but I really have to start preparing my Christmas cards otherwise the disaster last year may happen again.

My card may look a bit busy because of the patterned paper but it was snapped up within seconds:

Thanks to the Echo Park Reflections Christmas paper pad and this awesome sketch by Sketchbook Saturday:

The deadline to link up the card to Sketchbook Saturday has passed, but I had just as much fun as if I am playing along the challenge.

Thanks to a variety of Christmas challenges I am motivated to make Christmas cards throughout the year.  I'm linking up my card to the following:

My Perfect Life - Any Christmas cards goes
Completely Christmas - Anything Goes
Crafty Hazelnut Christmas Challenge extra - Anything Goes
Sparkles Christmas Challenge - Favorite color combo (It's red, and red and lots of red for me!)
Dream Valley - Monochrome
Christmas card challenges - Inspiration photo (I kept my card so red because of the eye catching Christmas gifts)

Thanks for stopping by!

Playing with colors

It is a peaceful weekend and I finally get to my craft space for some fun!

I have been playing with a background stamp and various distress ink combos.  No kidding, just one background stamp and distress inks and I've made a number of cards already.  Let's look at this first one:

The card was made based on the sketch from Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge:

I got the feather dies from My Favorite Things long time ago and I can't believe it I'm using it for the first time!  Feathers may not be as popular as before but I like them just the same. :)

This is absolutely the first time I am using such a color combo - Picked Raspberry, Ripe Persimmon and Seedless Preserves.  Pretty unusual combo, don't you think?  I wanted to pick an analogous color combo so I've tried various ones.  This one is the brightest one and I think it is best for a birthday card.  My friend's birthday falls in July and I think these vibrant colors will brighten her day!

I'm also linking up my card to:
A Girl who Crafts - Anything Goes
Sketch and Dies - Anything Goes
Crafting At the Weekend - Anything Goes
Suzy Bee's Bloomin Challenge - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by!

A CAS Masculine birthday card

I'm trying to build up my stash of masculine cards as they go out so fast and they are always low.  I've made a birthday card to share:

It's graphic, free of embellishments and clean.  I've used only shades of green to keep its simplicity.
I was inspired by the muse at Muse Challenge:

Marion's card is sooooo pretty!  I've used a few elements of her cards to create mine:  The sketch of course, the monochromatic scheme and the simplicity.  I don't have stamps like those so I've used my set from Hero Arts to build the patterns made of diamonds then colored them with color pencils.

I've mentioned it before that it is a fun challenge!  I got to dissect a card then select elements to put on mine.  It is a fun learning process as I tend to be drawn to certain elements more than others and I think it helps me get to know my crafting style better. :)

I'm linking up my card to the following:
Rhedd & Rosie's - Anything Goes
Crafty Sentiments - CAS
Cuttin and Stampin - Birthdays
Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
Tuesday Throwdown - Celebrations

Thanks for stopping by!

Season's Tweetings

I know, I know, we are in June and it is very weird to make a Christmas time while we are enjoying the outdoor activities. 

But it's never too early to prepare for Christmas, right?  Christmas is probably the occasion that I need the most number of cards, so I think it will be nice to start early to prevent the stress from happening.

I've made a simple Christmas card to begin this year's Christmas card marathon:

It is based on the sketch from Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge:

 

 

Let me share a secret with you!  I am trying to use up my Christmas stash so by the end of summer when this year's Christmas items are released I will have a good excuse to purchase them!  Shhh.......

 

 

I'm linking my card to the following:

Crafty Hazelnut Christmas extra - Anything Goes

Holly Jolly Christmas challenge - Christmas birds

C.R.A.F.T. - Christmas

Crimbo Crackers - Anything Christmas

Thanks for stopping by!

Playing with Distress Inks

Sometimes, I do not have a particular project in mind.  I just want to play and play without the pressure of completing a project.  I may create a major mess, but sometimes I could use the pieces made during the play time to put on a card, a layout and what not.  Here's one example of putting those pieces onto a card:

One day I wanted to play with distress inks and I just played.  I took out some bright colors and started to blend them on a piece of white cardstock.  Then I turned to some stencils and started to play with them.  It was fun.

I could really use the paper with the distress inks blended on it, I thought.  So I die cut them into three butterflies (the third butterfly has not flown anywhere, it will be used on a different project later).  Then I thought of the sketch from Sketchbook Saturday:

My piece with the stenciling was actually much bigger.  I cropped it strategically (to avoid the really random and ugly stenciling) so the part with the Doily stencil and the Dot Fade stencil is showing.  I added some Picked Raspberry speckles onto the card, stuck on the two strips of paper blended with Peacock Feather, added a couple enamel dots then the card was done.  It is really satisfying to use scraps from play time on a card! :)

I'm linking my card to the following:
Stampart Papel - Stencils
Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes
Eureka Stamps - Thank You
My Craft Creations - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Father's Day

Are you ready for Father's Day?  I have always had such a hard time when it comes to picking a gift for my dad. 

Let's start with a card.  This is possibly the easiest part but a masculine card is not always easy.  My card is quite simple and that's what my dad likes:

I used the Pro Player paper from Close to My Heart as the background.  For the top panel I die cut the word "HAPPY" from Lawn Fawn Cole's ABCs dies.  Then I heat embossed the sentiment Happy Father's Day with Ranger Liquid Platinum powder.  The full sentiment then becomes Happy Happy Father's Day.  With a few studs this card is done. :)

I'm entering my card to the following:
That Craft Place - Men
Always Something Creative - Masculine/Men
Sisters of Craft - Anything Goes
Catered Crop - Manly Man
Crazy 4 Challenges - Man Made

Thanks for stopping by!

Beep! Happy Birthday!

I have had so much fun with the Beep Boop Birthday set from Lawn Fawn that I have to make one more card! 

This time I'm using the sketch from Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge:

My card looks like this:

I think the paper from Hello Sunshine adds not just color but fun and happiness to this card!  Thus far this is my favorite card from all that I've made with the stamp set!

I was a bit intimidated by the difficulty of making cards for young gentlemen but I guess I've overcome that with this stamp set.  Hooray!

My card is linking up to the following:
Sentimental Sunday - Anything Goes
Crafting Musketeers - Stamped Image
Fairies challenges - boys
Ladybug Crafts - boys/dies
Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge - see above sketch

Thanks for stopping by!

One more birthday card

I've mentioned numerous times that masculine cards are difficult.  Then yesterday I said that masculine cards for young gentlemen are even more difficult.  I decide to challenge myself to make two in a row!  And of course, you know, I have all those materials out already, why not use the same bundle to create a different card?

This time I'm using the circle die in the Stitched Party Banner die sets.  The stitches truly add a special touch to the circles.  I went ahead and die cut many of them then arranged them on a red cardstock to become a background.  Then I used the happy birthday sentiment from the Lawn Fawn #awesome set on a light green strip of cardstock.  Finally I stamped the robot, the cupcake and the gift, colored them and cut them out, assembled them and it's done.  Oh yes, the robot from yesterday's card has one empty hand but today's robot has his hands fully occupied. :)

Now that I have two on hand, I should be done with young gentlemen's birthday cards this year.  I am moving onto my next category!

I'm linking up my card to:
Crafting by Design - Anything Goes
Crafting for All Seasons - Boys will be boys
Creative Moments - Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp - Father's Day/Masculine
Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by!

Beep....Happy Birthday...

Hi everyone!  I have a birthday card to share today.  It is a birthday card for a little boy:

I think masculine cards are difficult but cards for a young gentleman are even more difficult!  This stamp set with robots does solve my problem!  The robots are so cute that I think anyone will like it, but I will reserve this card for a young gentleman.

This card was put together quickly.  I first found a bright and colorful patterned paper as the background, then use the new Lawn Fawn die to cut the banner.  After stamping the two robots, I added the word bubbles, the gears, the cupcake and the gift.  Their other hands......er........they are robots and like to hold up their hands this way (The truth is, the white panel is a bit too narrow to add another cupcake for them to hold on to, but I really want to show the stitch lines of the banner so I them empty-handed).  I colored their bodies with color pencils and it is done.  :)

Do you agree that cards for a young gentleman is difficult?  How do you cope with it?

I'm entering my card to the following:
Love to Create - Happy Birthday
Lexi's Creations - Happy Birthday
Use your stuff - Patterned paper
Crafts Galore Encore - Anything Goes
Dies R Us - One for the Boys
Sunshine mail - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by!