Time for Summer, Baby!

We’ve had some pretty hot temperatures lately here in Southern Ontario so a bathing suit card was perfect for this week’s Crazy 4 Challenges theme of Ombre!

I absolutely ADORE this background paper. I could have 10 sheets of it and it still wouldn’t be enough. I wanted 2 layers under the bathing suit  but I also wanted to let that awesome ombre paper shine so I used some vellum for my lowest layer. The bathing suit was popped up on foam but I chose to cut multiples of the ‘relax’ die cut to make it more dimensional. However, when it came time to add it to the card, I realized I was in a bit of a pickle as the ‘x’ is a separate piece! So I cut several more of the ‘x’ until I raised it up to match the rest of the word. I also did that with the ‘r’ so it would match the ‘x’. A touch of shimmer pen to the swimsuit and ‘relax’ plus a few coordinating sequins and I was done!

I hope you have lots of ideas for making a project with some ombre paper or other supplies. Maybe a watercoloured or sponged background? Don’t forget to link up your creation!

Enjoy, Rebecca

Cupcake Celebration!

We have a very intricate sketch this week at Crazy 4 Challenges! It’s got lots of shapes and layers to work with.

This project was coloured entirely with Copic markers with the exception of the inks on the banner but even that is shaded with Copics. I started by colouring the cupcakes but then I couldn’t find a background paper I liked for the life of me! ugh!! So, next I airbrushed a background with the same Copics I used to colour the cupcakes! I thought it turned out subtle but nice. The strips of paper and the die cut frames were also coloured using the same markers. The frames were made with some of the first dies ever manufactured, basic squares and scalloped squares from Spellbinders. The cupcakes, dies and the celebrate banner are all from the Baker’s Dozen set by PTI.

Isn’t this a fun sketch? Come on over to the C4C blog to play along with the Crazies this week!

Enjoy, Rebecca

Masculine Congratulations

Hubby always has me make cards for him for his co-workers. I really don’t mind because it’s the least I can do since a huge portion of our disposable income goes to my crafting! And the timing was perfect because our theme at Crazy 4 Challenges is masculine cards.

He needed a congrats card for someone he knows who is leaving for a job elsewhere. I always ask him about the person so I know what direction to take when designing the card. This guy likes the outdoors but that was all I got. Men aren’t the best at noticing the type of things about a person that lead to designing a card that suits them. :)

Fortunately, I have a searchable iPhone program that I’ve set up with a ‘masculine’ category so finding some outdoorsy male paper wasn’t too hard. The paper is from a great masculine pad by Kaisercraft. The small ‘quality’ panel and the congratulations are from the back of the same pad! I love how Kaisercraft has so many fun pieces in the back. The tree was die cut and sponged to add a bit more of the outdoors and I found some self-adhesive metal pieces that look like brads but had no prongs. They were the perfect colour, aged copper, for this card. The top of the card is made from kraft paper I embossed with a PTI texture plate. To add a bit more texture to the patterned paper, I stamped some vintage style stamping.

Do you struggle with masculine cards? Maybe you can find some inspiration over at our blog! Pop on by and leave a comment for our team. Then make a card and link it up!

Enjoy, Rebecca

Summer Flamingo Card

So apparently yesterday was Barefoot Day which makes that the theme for Crazy 4 Challenges. Which suits me fine as I regard socks as torture devices only to be worn when desperate! That means I’m barefoot anytime I’m inside and as much of the year as I can manage outside.

All the papers are from Authentique, a pack called Utopia. The flamingo is an Echo Park die that I cut from more patterned paper. To make the dots not quite so prominent, I added some Worn Lipstick Distress ink. Then it was a bit too plain pink so I added some orange, just a touch, with Marmalade to mimic the flowers. I hand cut the monstera leaf, I just love those, don’t you? So vibrant in colour and organic in shape! The hibiscus flower (or whatever it is) is a wood veneer accent that I coloured. I filled the Polaroid-style frame from Simon Says with various Lucy’s Sequins. The aren’t as bright as the flamingo but that’s ok as I wanted the flamingo to stand out anyway. And they do look brighter IRL.

I hope you can find something in your stash that is barefoot so you can play along. Basically any bird or animal that isn’t dressed in some sort of outfit with shoes will work so hopefully you have lots to choose from! Even some sea creatures in shells have a ‘foot’, snails do too! So lots of ideas you can work with. Head on over to our blog and link up your project!

Enjoy, Rebecca