Stinky Love

Hello friends! Happy Friday and I hope that you’re having a great week so far! I’ve been having some fun creating a couple of Valentine’s Day cards with a fun/snarky inside greeting.

So, I absolutely fell in love with these STINKIN’ CUTE skunks from Lawn Fawn! A few weeks ago, I caught a live on FB and enjoyed the crafty products shown with these Lawn Fawn Scent with Love stamps! I wanted to play with them and decided to order it! I didn’t have them on hand during the video, but I decided to do my own spin from their cards once mine showed up in the mail.

I didn’t use the heart stencil they had as I decided to use my TE Heart of Hearts Layering Stencil on both of these cards. I’ve used some clear glitter paste over the first layer without using the largest heart, let it dry and then used some red ink for the second layer. The red strip was embossed with a 3D heart folder. I’ve used the Lawn Fawn Scripty Love die that was ink blended faded with the red ink and layered over another die cut sentiment with glitter cardstock. All of the images were colored with Copic markers and die cut with coordinating dies. I’ve used some black glaze and white gel pens for accents. I just glued all of the pieces down with the exception of the skunk that was popped up with foam tape.

OK, I had shared the inside of the card that the recipient will be receiving as I thought they would get a kick out it. 😆 I’ve used the SSS Sassy Insides stamp set for the inside of both of these cards. I finished with the Valentine sentiment and the tiny hearts from the Lawn Fawn set.

And so this is also a “spin off” from the second card they did on the live, but I decided not to add another layer to it; instead, I used the large heart within my stencil to center these darling hugging skunks. I did about the same thing that I did on the card above with different colored inks. The only thing popped up is the skunks over the sentiment banner that I cut out using the MFT Stamps banner dies. I think this turned out so cute for a one layer simple card.

And then here’s what the inside of the card looks like with another sentiment from the same SSS stamp set that I’ve used on the above card! 😆 I think this one was so appropriate for using with the skunks!

So I’m thinking that these cards would be something fun for the recipients to receive in the mail. It’s a great time of year to get something to chuckle about especially if it’s unexpected! I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing them too!

Thank you so much for stopping in today! I wish you a happy and wonderful weekend ahead!! See you soon!

Challenges:

Lawn Fawnatics – Lots of Heart
Make the Cards – Valentine card
Unicorn – Red (top card only)
Crafty Animals – Anything Goes with animal
Pearly Sparkles – Anything Goes
NBUS – #35 NEW SKUNK STAMPS! YAY!
Critter Crazy – Anything Goes with animal
Double D – Hearts
Aud Sentiments – Love Sentiment

Vintage Anniversary and Commissioned Ones Too!

Hello friends and happy February! I feel like we just started a new year and it’s already into the second month! I will need to get going on a couple of Valentine cards really soon! Today, I wanted to share a card I had made for my parent’s 57th wedding anniversary along with a few other anniversary cards I was commissioned to make that I had forgotten to share until I made my parent’s card! LOL!

I really like how this one turned out! If this looks familiar to you, then you may recognize it from a past Simon Says Stamp card kit. (This one came from a Valentine 2020 kit.) I thought that the papers in the kit looked “Vintage” and I really liked that, so I thought I’d try to go for that style in my card.

I used the heart rose stamp image from the kit and colored it with Copics and fussy cut it out. I also copper heat embossed the leaves from the stamp set included in the kit over some green cardstock and fussy cut those out as well. The sentiment was also from the same set as the leaves, and I copper heat embossed that for the bottom right corner of the card. It’s hard to see from the shine, but it says: “Happily ever together” and was fussy cut as well.

I started with the Vintage looking papers and cut a piece down to size and inked up along the edges with Vintage Photo distress ink and layered it over a side folding A2 white card base. I pulled out a piece of shimmer vellum that I ran through a Sizzix 3D heart embossing folder and layered it over top of the background. I also took some of the ephemera from the kit and added those to parts of the background after sponging the edges of that too. (See the “ticket” in the top left.)

Finally, I arranged the heat embossed leaves along with the heart shaped rose over top. I glued the leaves and then popped up the rose with foam tape along with the heat embossed sentiment. I added some shimmer to the leaves with a shimmer brush pen and then took some sequins from the kit to attach over the card and filled with Stickles glitter.

I think this would be a special Valentine card as well for someone! 😉

At the end of last year, I was also commissioned to make a 50th wedding anniversary card for someone. I was just given the detail that the wedding photos were shown with the colors black and white…so I based my card using that idea.

I always think that wedding/anniversary style cards look especially elegant with die cuts and embossing, so I dig through my die cut and embossing folder stash. I’m sure you can imagine me sitting on the floor with things everywhere! LOL!! Do you do this too when you’re not sure what you want to do and/or what all you have?

So I found this really pretty Memory Box die cut with the heart in the center that I wanted to use and thought some glitter paper behind it would be so pretty. This is why my card is a square shaped design. Since it was celebrating 50 years, I thought it would be appropriate to add some gold in there too and die cut the numbers for the center of the heart as well at the border pieces on the top and bottom of the heart. (Not sure where that die came from as it’s old. The number dies are really old too!)

I layered this onto the glitter paper and gold foil paper. I stamped a sentiment (Taylored Expressions-The Inside Scoop Anniversary used both inside and out of card.) and die cut it out with a banner die and popped it up under the heart with foam tape. I layered this onto a white 3D embossed background that was layered over a black top folding square card base. I attached a gold ribbon bow over top.

I stamped a sentiment for the inside of the card and you can see that I’ve decorated the inside of the card using the same die cut border with gold foil cardstock. The papers I’ve used for the borders on the inside were also used to create a custom envelope for this card. Sometimes if I don’t have the envelope on hand, I make my own envelope. Sometimes I prefer to do this for special cards anyway.

And this is another card that I had been commissioned to do for someone that wanted a card for an anniversary on Christmas Eve. I was given the detail about them spending time at Disney World and seem to be a fan of Disney along with it being their 25th anniversary…so my card was based on those details.

I have no Disney character type stamps/products at all. My thought was to create something with a “winter/Fairytale” theme which is why I turned to my Cricut machine for help. I was lucky enough to find the carriage and horse image that I cut out using brushed metallic silver and silver glitter cardstock for the different pieces. I also found a castle image that I cut from the brushed metallic silver as well. I used black cardstock for the base and insides of the cut-out images. After I cut out the castle, I ran it through a brick embossing folder to give it that brick castle look. I also die cut the numbers from Taylored Expressions Cap It Off Numbers dies. I attached the numbers in the center of the castle and attached a silver ribbon bow over top of the numbers.

Since I had my main cut out images for my card, I was able to create my scene and size based on those. My finished card measures approx. 7″ x 5″ which is not a regular size for me, but I thought it was fitting given the type of card it was along with the cut-out images. I started with a piece of blue cardstock and generously sprayed it with some Pearlescent Cosmic Shimmer previously received from a class I took. It gives a really stunning look, and the shimmer doesn’t show very well from the photo either. Once dried, I die cut both the snowflakes and snow border at the bottom from some white glitter cardstock. Both dies used for them come from Lawn Fawn. The trees behind the bottom snow border were cut from some pearl white paper with an older Stampin’ Up! die set in my stash.

I attached the sprayed blue background over a piece of silver metallic cardstock after wrapping a silver ribbon around the center. I then attached the trees and added the snow border at the bottom. I added the castle and snowflakes next being careful that everything was showing the way I wanted and then I popped up the carriage with foam tape.

This whole scene was placed over a white 7 x 5 top folding card base. I also took some silver glitter to add to the little flag ends on the castle. I thought with all of the glitter and shimmer it didn’t need any more embellishment! I was happy with how it turned out because I wasn’t quite sure it would!

There was a custom envelope that was also made for this card using some pretty silver pattern paper from my stash.

Everyone seemed to be pretty pleased with how the cards turned out for them and I was very happy to have had the privilege of being a part of someone’s special day too!

Speaking of wedding anniversaries, I’ve been given the honor to create wedding invites for my son’s wedding coming up this Summer and I know I’ll be getting really busy putting those together as well! So that will be coming up really fast and I hope I can keep up with things! LOL

Thanks so much for stopping in today! I hope that you’ve enjoyed my creations or been inspired in some way! See you soon!

Challenges (TOP CARD ONLY)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – Anything Goes
Krafty Chicks – All Occasions
Crafty Catz – Anything Goes with optional add flowers
Colour Crazy Craft – Anything Goes with coloring (Copics used for heart rose image)
Creatalicious – Anything Goes with optional love
Simon Says Stamp Monday – Use embossing folder (3D heart folder over vellum piece)

It’s a Spooky Kind of Love

Happy Friday friends! We’re now upon Halloween weekend!🎃 Are you ready?! Lots of candy on hand to give out and some to enjoy for yourself…check. Scary movies at the ready…check. Ready for lots of fun before the weekend ends!

Not really sure exactly where my love for Halloween comes from, but I love it so much that even my wedding anniversary comes real close too! So today is our 22nd year anniversary and I couldn’t have made it in this crazy life without my “Boo”! I’ve made a card to let him know how I feel:

And yes, this is probably something we would certainly be doing under that moon as we’ve done before including watching bats fly around in the sky! We do weird and wonderful things which is just ONE of the gazillion reasons why I love him so! I’ve made a card with a bit of a “love/Halloween” theme. I’m not sure I’ve ever really made a Halloween style card for him before, but I know this will make total sense for him and he’ll get a kick out it.

Started with the background using some Oxide ink blending keeping careful with leaving the “moon” area clean. I sprayed water over top of the purplish/black background for that texture and then took a Taylored Expressions heart stencil over the background and introduced another color of oxide ink. I ink blended the edges and bottom with black. I have a Tim Holtz “Moon Mask” to create the moon with…which makes it super easy! I stamped the fence at the bottom right and the bats with black ink. The couple on the bench (TE “Love Story” die) was die cut from black cardstock and glued in the center of the large heart. Lastly, I white heat embossed the sentiment over another piece of black cardstock and cut it out with a sentiment banner attached to the top left edge.

It’s really a simple card, but I loved creating the background with a “spooky love” feel that I know he’ll like too!

And since we’re going “all batty” here, I thought I’d share my creation that I’ve made for this months’ Inky Stamper challenge using a recycled item! I thought this might be a good opportunity to create a fun treat! I took an empty paper towel holder to cut a 2″ tall container with a handle and covered it with some Doodlebug papers. I layered some trim and ribbon around it and added a punched-out circle for the bottom.

I’ve used the Inky Stamper Bat stamp set for the bat that I’ve stamped, colored and die cut for the front of my treat holder. I’ve cut out a stamped sentiment banner to tie onto the handle. Really easy and fun to create! You could get about 5 containers per empty roll which I thought was a lot!

I sure hope you’ve enjoyed my “BATTY” makes today and I wish you a very frightfully FUN weekend!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!

Challenges:

Creative Knockouts – Anything Goes
Alphabet – ‘O’ is for Outdoors
Sweet Stampin’ – All Hallows Eve
Pammie’s Inky Pinkies – Anything Goes
Make My Monday – (E)scape it (scene)
Little Red Wagon – Outside (outdoors)
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – Anything Goes
CCEE Stampers – Create a Scene
Stamping Sensations – Animals, Birds & Bugs

An Autumn Anniversary

Hello friends! It’s been so cold over my way and even snowed the other day which is a tad bit early for this time of the year. I’m still trying to hold onto to Fall a bit longer as I know that the Holiday/Winter Season will be approaching us very quickly now! It seems that Autumn never gets it’s due justice and goes by so fast!🍂

I’m popping in today to share a card I’ve made for hubby to help celebrate our special day of 21 years together🥰:

I adore this sweet image by Crissy Armstrong for Whimsy Stamps called “Your Love Lifts Me” as I thought it was a great representation of how I feel about hubby and how I wanted it to reflect on my card for him. He will have already received this card by the time this posts…so it’s OK if he sees this!😉

I’ve stamped the image over a panel of Copic Blending Card off to one side of it and then cut it out with a stitched rectangle die. I took a piece of orange colored cardstock and used the same die to cut it with, but I cut this piece in half, stamped the sentiment over it and sponged around the edges of it with some Vintage Photo Distress ink. I also took the Whimsy Stamps Everyday Mini Sentiments set and white heat embossed it over a piece of brown cardstock that was cut out with the Whimsy Stamps Quick Strips die set and attached underneath the sentiment and cut off at the edge.

The few leaves over the design was stamped from an older Simon Says Stamp set and colored with Copics. I then added some more Vintage Photo sponged around the image panel and attached the orange sentiment panel over top of the colored image panel and wrapped some twine around the center of it. I layered this panel over top of an A2 sized top folding brown card base. I’ve added some sequins filled with gold Stickles in the center along with a few more dots.

Here’s a closer look at the Copic coloring I’ve done over the image. I’ve kept it pretty simple and decided I didn’t want to add white dots to their cheeks like I usually do. I don’t know why there are times I do and times I don’t. This time it just seemed to call for none.

I used a light blue marker to color in the background and then with the same colors that I’ve used to color in the leaves, I took the markers and made my own leaves on the ground surrounding the couple. I even stamped some more of the leaves on the inside of the card as well as the envelope and colored them.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my Autumn Anniversary card today as I sure had fun colored this sweet image.

I’m very lucky to have such a wonderful person to share my life with in the past 21 years and look forward to our times together in the future. Thank you for stopping in today friends! See you soon!

Challenges:

Colour Crazy Craft – Anything Goes + coloring
Allsorts – Celebration Time
Pammie’s Inky Pinkies – PIP2043 Anything Goes
Watercooler Wednesday – WWC295 All About Occasions

5. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – Anything Goes

6. The House That Stamps Built – O2820 Anything Goes

Making Masculine

Hey there friends! I know that Father’s Day is well past us, but I wanted to share some cards I made with a masculine style that don’t necessarily have to be for Father’s Day, but for birthdays, significant other, thank you, etc.

I have lots of males in my family that I need to have cards on hand for, so these will come in handy when I do need to grab one in the future for sure:

Vicki-MFTToolAround

This is one that I made which can be suited for almost anyone in my family! The fun dies, and sentiment including the pattern paper all came from My Favorite Things. I popped up the background over my brown card base, cut out the different tool pieces in wood paper, black paper and silver metallic paper. (I later noticed that one of my metal peg pieces look “off” with the tool…and I’m sure my guy recipient will notice! LOL!)

I silver heat embossed the sentiment over the brown cardstock and cut out my own design with my scissors with it and then went over the edges with some silver ink. I finished this off with some wooden dots I’ve had in my stash for a while.

Vicki-GrillMaster

My next card was for my hubby and it was made for him for Father’s Day which is has already received. He thought the added flames on the grill were pretty cool. LOL!

I sponged some clouds in the background of my card panel here and added some grey “smoke” clouds around the grill. The flames were also the “negative” portion from my other card that was used to attach between the grill on this one.

I added details to the grill with a little bit of ink sponging along the edges as well as color portions of it with a glitter gel pen. I die cut a border for the grass and added shadows with Copic markers. I had stamped my original sentiment crooked, so I ended up white heat embossing it over the cardstock, cutting it out and placing it over my boo-boo! I added some hearts around it as well.

Vicki-TE-plaidshirt

For my last card, I was wanting to try out the plaid stencil set that I got from Taylored Expressions and made a “shirt card” with it. Really love that stencil BTW! Very easy to create some fun and unique plaid designs with it! I sponged mine over kraft cardstock.

I wasn’t sure what to do for the pocket because I don’t have any “pocket” type dies, so looking through my dies, I thought that this Labels Stacklets 10 would work for a pocket which was die cut from a plaid piece and then I folded the top portion over and just glued it along the edges so that I could actually use the pocket for something like sticking in some cash.

Lastly, I white heat embossed the sentiment from the Mini Strips-Life Saver and cut it out with the coordinating die to go over the pocket flap. I cut an additional strip from the plaid to go along the edge and added a “collar” at the top. Finished it off with drawing stitch lines and adding buttons.

These are all so different, but I sure had fun playing with different items in my stash and now have some masculine style cards ready to go as well! I hope you’ve enjoyed them to or has given you some inspiration in some way!

Thanks for dropping in! I have a post coming up with some really fun news so stay tuned in!! I’ll be seeing you soon!

Challenges:

Sweet Stampin – Create Your Own Background (card #2 stenciled clouds card #3 stenciled plaid)
Crafty Cardmakers – Create Your Own Background (same as above)
Arty Divas – Anything Goes
Double D – Stitches (faux, real or dies) top 2 card dies, last card faux
A Perfect Time to Craft – Anything Goes
Craft Rocket – For the Men/Boys

Turtley Adorable!🐢

Hello friends! I hope you’re having a great week so far! Really hate it when technology doesn’t cooporate and I have to figure it out, but hopefully I can soon! Sometimes it just needs to be done!🤔

Anyway, I was wanting to post some masculine cards I made for Father’s Day earlier this week, but I’ll have to post another time as this card was already done and is needed to enter a challenge that is ending soon:

Vicki-BRMturtle

I love that wee little baby turtle riding on the back with his tongue out! The stamp was colored up with Copic markers, cut out with a circle die, along with another circle layer of Cabbage cardstock that I’ve also used for the A2 top folding card base, and another circle layer of vellum.

I was super excited to try out the brand new Ranger Distress line color “Speckled Egg” products! I’ve used the Distress Oxide ink to sponge over the image onto a piece of Sidewalk cardstock that was cut out with a stitched rectangle die. I also took the Circle Tone stencil and added some Opal Chroma Glaze over it. You can see how pretty the shimmer is on those dots!

For the banner along the side, I took another piece of sidewalk cardstock and cut my own banner with scissors. I took my embossing ink pad and covered the banner piece with it and then heat embossed the Speckled Egg Distress Glaze EP over it…turned out so pretty! I heat embossed the sentiment from the same turtle stamp set over a piece of vellum and wrapped it around the banner before attaching it to the card.

Lastly, I’ve added some metallic shimmer ribbon from my stash and some pretty sparkling sequins that remind me of bubbles. The card was designed based upon a sketch, see details below post.

Here’s a better view of the cute image and coloring I’ve done. I’ve added some dots with a white gel pen for their cheeks as well as their eyes and noses. I’ve also used it for highlights on their shell.

You can also see a better view of that pretty shimmer from the Metallic Chroma Glaze that I used over a stencil. Thought it was great for the circle theme going on.

Vicki-BRMturtle-flat

I hope you’ve enjoyed my card today and have been inspired in some way or has brought you a smile! Thanks so much for dropping in and I’ll be seeing you again soon!

Challenges I’d like to enter this card for:

Colour Crazy Craft – Anything Goes + coloring
The Divas That Cut…Paper! – Summer Fun + dies
Crafting Happiness – #154 Anything Goes optional: Under the Sea
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends – Anything Goes
Make My Monday – #125 Use Stencils
The Sisterhood of Crafters – Stenciling

Faux Emboss With a Stamp!

Hello there friends! Hoping you had a wonderful weekend and a fabulous Mother’s Day as well! I had a wonderful day with flowers delivered to me and wonderful phone messages.

Today I wanted to share a couple of cards that I had made participating in the “Spring Card Camp” classes from Online Card Classes. (It started April 11 and ran through the end of April.) Although we are now on a separate Part 2 Spring Card Camp, I have enjoyed the classes each day and I thought I’d just take my time and enjoy everything. So there may be posts spread across time as I go. I just like to take my time and actually enjoy the process rather than hurry up and run right through it. I feel this helps me to fully understand what I’m doing and what products I’ve used, take notes, etc.

The first class was taught from Jennifer McGuire as she showed us how to use a stamp and create our own embossing folder to make an impression with it!! Something that I had not heard of before, so this was fun to try out:

Vicki-BMKindFloral-fauxemboss

So the idea of each class is to pretty much get a “two for one” type of design and stretch your supplies and design concept so that it makes it easier to create multiple cards at a time, which is really great right now as I seem to be making more cards and donating extra cards that I normally wouldn’t be doing at this time of the year. (I also actually thought this could be applied towards Christmas making time as well…which I will be keeping in mind!)

I started with this panel first as this was my piece that created the faux embossng folder:

Vicki-BMKindFloral-FE

I decided to use this gorgeous large image from the Kind Floral stamp set to create my “faux embossing” piece with. This image was heat set several times with white EP. All of the cards I made including the sentiments were used with this same stamp set.

After using it for my “faux embossing” on my other cards shown below, I went back to it and finished it on a card by using some blending brushes and ink to color in the panel. I took a strip of black cardstock and white heat embossed the sentiment over it and then layered it onto a white A2 side folding card base. I finished it off with some colored bubble drops and Stickles glitter drops.

Vicki-BMKindFloral-FE1

Here’s a closer view of the white heat embossing I did on this panel with the image. It’s very thick as I had to build up layers to create a faux embossing folder to get a good impression with it. (See below)

Vicki-BMKindFloral-FE2

For my first card using the “Faux Embossing” piece, I took a sheet of pink cardstock and made the impression into it. You can see it in the background. For this panel I used the negative side of it and then sponged some darker pink ink over top of it so that you can really see the impression from the image. I used a Wonky Stitched Rectangle die to cut it out with and layered it over a piece of kraft Cardstock. This was attached to a top folded A2 sized white card base.

I took another sentiment from the same stamp set as above and heat embossed it with Gilded EP. I sponged some more pink ink around the edges of this panel and layered it over another piece of kraft CS. I popped it up with foam tape over some die cut flowers from vellum along with a strip of gold mirror cardstock and finished it off with some gold sequins.

Vicki-BMKindFloral-FE2a

Here’s a closer view at the texture in the background from the faux embossed piece.

I thought this gave a subtle but soft and pretty look to the design. Also, that sentiment could not be at a more perfect time right now, don’t you think?

Vicki-BMKindFloral-FE3

And for my last card, I made the faux embossed background using some more kraft CS. This image I used the positive side and ran some distress ink over the raised areas to bring it out more. I took a darker brown ink to go around the edges.

I stamped a sentiment from the same stamp set with brown ink, layered with some Copper Glitter paper and then cut a piece of Macchiato CS from a scalloped stitched square die that was also used for the A2 Sized top folding card base, and popped up the sentiment panel with foam tape.

I layered the embossed background piece over a vanilla cardstock layer that was cut with a scalloped stitched rectangle die and then I wrapped some silk ribbon with a bow around it before placing the sentiment panel over it. I attached the flower and the sequins to the design and finished it off with some Nuvo Honey Gold Glitter Drops.

Vicki-BMKindFloral-FE3a

Here’s a closer look at not only the texture from the embossed background piece, but I also took some Shimmer Spray and covered the background with it. You can sort of see the beautiful shimmer over it…and it really looks incredible in person.

Hope you’ve enjoyed what I’ve learned and created for class! Thanks for dropping in with me today! There will be more things I have to share with you coming up, so I’ll see you soon!!

Challenges:

Pearly Sparkles – Add a Ribbon or Bow (last card only)
Moving Along With the Times – #118 Flowers
Crafts Galore Encore – #75 Anything Goes
Simply Create Too – #160 Use Flowers
The Corrosive – #15 Anything Goes
Use Your Stuff– #397 Flowers and/or Butterflies
Arty Divas – #21 Anything Goes
Cute Card Thursday – #633 Anything Goes

Purple Day Blog Hop For Epilepsy Awareness

Hello my friends! Today starts the annual “Purple Day” blog hop and I have joined with my friend Fiki to help bring awareness about epilepsy.

Please take a moment and read important information about this special day:

Purple Day is a global grassroots event formed with the intention to increase worldwide awareness of epilepsy, and to dispel common myths and fears of this neurological disorder. Further intentions of this movement are to reduce the social stigmas commonly endured by many individuals afflicted with the condition; to provide assurance and advocacy to those living with epilepsy that they are not alone in their ongoing endurance; and to initiate individuals living with the condition to take action in their communities to achieve these aims.

The day occurs annually on March 26. To read more about epilepsy or how you can help in the U.S., check out the Epilepsy Foundation’s website.

My card inspiration:

Vicki-DDS-purplebloghop

Isn’t she just the sweetest little girl with her big heart?! So delighted, of course, to have been provided this darling image from Digi Doodle Studios which is one of the sponsors for our blog hop today! This image is called Sweet Carlina and I’ve got her colored up in purples and pinks. She has a little white heart tucked in her jacket pocket to go with the white hearts on my design.

I found some pretty purplish decorative papers from a recent card kit I had and then I just followed along with a sketch to complete my design. (See challenges below.) After coloring her out, I’ve cut her out with a MFT Wonky Stitch rectangle die and then layered with a purple cardstock layer cut out with a MFT Scallop Stitch rectangle die. I popped it up with craft foam over strips of lace, twine and accents I’ve created with the papers. I’ve used a LF scallop border die to cut accents to go with my heart paper strips. Extra hearts left over were used in the top corner. I also added a purple flower button with twine to finish it off.

Here’s a closer view of the coloring I’ve done on her with my Copic markers. I’ve used white gel pen to dot her checks and color the heart in her pocket. You can barely see the shimmer that I’ve done over the heart she’s holding with a glitter brush pen.

You’ll also notice that I’ve printed out this image twice, fussy cut out just the portion of the heart she’s holding along with her hands and popped it out over the colored image to give it some depth.

Vicki-DDSpurplebloghop-flat

I hope you’ve enjoyed my inspiration for the blog hop! I sure enjoyed creating it and helping to give support to my friend along with creating awareness for epilepsy!

Challenges:

Time Out – Purple (helping to support epilepsy awareness with us!)
Sketch Saturday – sketch #602
Pammie’s Inky Pinkies – PIP2012 Anything Goes
Arty Divas – #18 Anything Goes
Through the Craft Room Door – Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – Anything Goes
The House That Stamps Built – M2520

Showered Love Engagement

Hello friends! I hope that you and your loved ones are healthy. I also hope that you are having some inspirational crafty fun during this time. Crafting is a great way to create and send some smiles to someone as well! Let’s keep those smiles going!!

Today I have another card that I made for the same son that had his birthday from my last post. He was also recently engaged and I’m so happy for them both! Here’s the card that I sent to them:

Vicki-LOTVshowerlove

I had seen this image came out from Lilly of the Valley last month and just fell in love with it! I knew it would be perfect to use for this occasion! It’s called Showered With Love and I’ve printed it out, colored with Copic markers and then cut it out using the Whimsy Stamps Zig Zag Stitched Rectangles Die set and then layered it over some light blue card stock.

I popped up this image panel with craft foam over a piece of white cardstock that was die cut from a Lawn Fawn Fancy Scalloped Rectangle die and then layered over a piece of dark brown card stock. I then attached these layers over another piece of light blue cardstock with the same Whimsy Stamps Zig Zag Stitched Rectangles Die set.

Before attaching the image layer onto the light blue panel, I took a sentiment from the Simon Says Stamp Tiny Words and white heat embossed it over a dark brown strip. I also added some ribbon and lace around the light blue card front panel before attaching the popped up image panel. Lastly, I’ve added some Nuvo rhinestone water droplets.

Here’s a closer look at the coloring I’ve done on this couple. I’ve tried to keep the hair color likeness to the real life individuals. Hard to see in the photo of course, but I’ve covered the hearts with a glitter pen for shimmer and the trim on the umbrella as well as the center of the heart on the umbrella and part of the handle were colored in with a clear glitter pen which also gives a bit more shimmer to it.

Vicki-LOTVshowerlove-flat

For the inside of the card, I’ve added a computer generated sentiment that said “Congratulations! Wishing you a love together that can outlast any type of weather.” and also created a pocket that held a gift card inside.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my card today and have been inspired in some way! Thanks so much for dropping in today! I appreciate you being here with me! See you soon!

Challenges:

QKR Stampede – #389 Anything Goes
A Bit More Time to Craft – #112 Anything Goes
The Creative Crafters – #26 Anything Goes
Createful Heart Design Challenge Blog – #18 Anything Goes
Creatalicious – #183 Anything Goes with optional: Layer it up
Lil’ Patch of Crafty Friends – #128 Anything Goes
Pammie’s Inky Pinkies – PIP2011 Anything Goes
Arty Divas – #17 Anything Goes

Raggedy Love

Happy Valentine’s Day my friends!! Hope that you’re “feeling the love” and have a wonderful day today!

I wanted to share a card I made for Valentine’s Day.

Vicki-RaggedyLove

This really cute images is from Stamp On It called “Love You” digital stamp by QKR Stampede. I wanted to try and keep to the “original” Raggedy Ann style of colors as I could, so I ended up Google searching for photos so that I could use that as a basis for my coloring. I also thought that the rectangle die cut panels would go great for cutting her out with.

I sponged around the edges of the image panel with some blue distress ink, added some heart confetti pieces along with a white twine bow to the center of the heart.

Taking a closer look at the image, you can see how dimensional those confetti hearts are. There is actually a heart that prints out in the center of the “o” in the sentiment, but I decided to place one of those confetti hearts over it.

There is also some shimmer you can see in the heart with the bow that I’ve covered with a glitter brush pen. And in coloring her in, I’ve added some extra “dots” on her blue dress and then I took a white gel pen to add a pattern on her red patch on the apron and then also to add some “stripes” to her socks and “dots” to her cheeks.

If you look at her eyes, I’ve taken a black gel pen which gives them a slight dimension and makes them stand out a bit more.

Vicki-RaggedyLove-flat