TOFF Summertime Challenge

This week the Octopode Factory Friday challenge is Summertime. Lily has so many adorable images that evoke summer in my garden, that I set about playing with my computer to merge a bunch of them together in a little scene. I've used The Sun is Shining, Flowers and Bees, Whimsical Fence and Grass, and another flower and ladybug from the Easter and Spring set (the economical way to go. LOL) Once it was all done, it looked like a coloring book page to me so I colored up a storm with my Copics, using whatever colors caught my eye. Although it's flat (with the exception of the metal "Smile" sentiment that I colored black with a Sharpie) I love how it came out. Just added a little doodling for the sun's rays and the bee's flight and sponged on some sunshine using Distress Ink. Cute, or quirky, Lily's images just make me smile. She is one talented girl!

Better Late Than Never BBTB2

So how many people totally freaked that I didn't have a BBTB2 project on Monday? Yeah sure, fess up. It wasn't intentional. I had my card design in DS and then IT WOULDN'T CUT! My dear friend and fabulously talented DT sister Susan chose the Sunny Days cut from Celebrate with Flourish. I'll admit my Macabre Monday project took WAY longer than expected, and I'm sorry to those of you who don't appreciate my "creep factor," but sometimes just the process of doing something new becomes really exhilarating so... Anyway I started to cut my BBTB2 card and it wouldn't cut in DS. I was really late so I emailed my DT sisters and Susan came to the rescue telling me that Celebrate with Flourish was listed twice in DS, once as Celebrate With Flourish and once as Celebrate With Flouris which was a correction for the screwed up first one. Yup, this one I'd done with the wrong one so it wouldn't work and as it was late in the game, I just couldn't redesign it with the right one. Monday I had stuff to do and this morning I had a dentist's appt. I was gonna blow it off (because technically we're only required to do 2 projects a month) but I take this DT position VERY seriously and I've only missed two weeks in the several years I've been on this team (and those were when I didn't have the required cut and there were no substitutions.) So here it is. Not exactly how I envisioned but... Shaped card, no surprise.

Not as much dimension as I'd hoped but it's okay. The colors were inspired my the Whimsical Wednesday Color Challenge as I'm entering this in that challenge as well. I'm hoping the pix speak for themselves because I'm really tired. Getting up at around 4:00 am every morning takes it's toll and tomorrow I have yet ANOTHER eye appt. Anybody know a good seeing eye dog? We have great inspiration on BBTB2 this week (well, when don't we?) and remember the challenge runs for 2 weeks. If you don't have the cart, you may substitute and do the phrase from another cart. Please remember we'd like new projects only, not back dates and be sure to link your challenge to BBTB2.

Tiddly Inks Challenge 13- Match It Up and Bunny Zoe's Crafts Challenge 2

How about that? I finished this week's Tiddly Inks challenge before the last day! WooHoo! This week is Match it Up; your colors with the papers, your image's clothing or accessory with the papers. I think there's a broad interpretation here. So here is Bathing Beauty. I LOVE her vintage charm! Bathing Beauty has no idea the stir she's causing at the beach. LOL She's just enjoying her vacation.

I tried a little water coloring with Distress Inks but definitely need some more practice. (Back to the Copics, LOL) Her suit and inner tube are paper pieced using papers from the Graphic 45 8x8 On the Boardwalk pad. In fact all of the cool stuff is from that pack. This is another side step card by just realized I didn't take a side view pic. OOPS!

The sentiment letters are from Making Memories and the cool charms are Blue Moon. That weird little embellie is made from netting from some produce bag tied with hemp twine. (I thought it looked "beachy". Sure wish I were at the beach, it's gonna be over 100 for the next 4 days.

I'm also entering this card in the Bunny Zoe's Crafts monthly challenge which is Summer Days. I just LOVE finding new challenges!

Tiddly Inks Challenge 12

Here I am getting in at the wire again. I ALWAYS look immediately at the new Tiddly Inks Challenge, have loads of ideas, and then end up posting at the last minute. This week the challenge is Summer Fun with Water, Sand and Toys. The problem with waiting is someone always manages to do something similar to what you had in mind and then it's back to the drawing board. LOL No worries though, I have loads of Tiddly Inks images that fit the theme so I went with plan B (well, actually C).

Here I used Sandy Memories and decided the boys would like a big, BIG sand castle, so after printing the image several times and paper piecing the castle using "sand" paper I cut a sand castle with my Cricut using the Life's a Beach cartridge. The boys are colored with Copics and popped in front of the larger castle. I cut off the shovels in their hands and replaced them with brads. I used a pail brad as a stopper for the easel too.

The majority of paper is from the DCWV Summer glitter stack from a few summers ago. I fussy cut the waves, cut a strip with beach balls and a section with summery words. That fab "sand" paper is from that stack too. The cloud mat behind is from K & Co. I just love how easel cards allow you to build a little scene. Now I don't know if I can contain myself because on the 19th, Tiddly Inks is releasing new images. There have been sneak peeks and I thought I saw some "Alice" images (you KNOW how I love Alice!) AND just in time for a "Halloween in July Blog Hop" Christy also will have some all new Halloween digi stamps!!!!!! (Be STILL my HEART!!!) Details of the blog hop are HERE and it is CUSTOMER PARTICIPATION with prizes galore. I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tiddly Inks Challenge #11, Red, White and Blue

Well I have to say it's been a tough day recovering from yesterday's festivities. LOL I really wanted to craft but I could hardly make any decisions and my eyes for some reason have been burning all day. I did manage to sneak in a Tiddly Inks Challenge using the adorable Going Swimming. She's colored with Copics and cut with Nesties. I tried to make her look like she has a bit of a sunburn. Her goggles have clear epoxy stickers to make them shine. I did sort of a modified tent topped card with the Nesties Pinking Circles behind the image.

The image is popped and the sentiment is spelled out in Alpha Beads. The DP is DCWV from a Summer Glitter Stack from a year or two ago. And I finally got a chance to use that pretty grosgrain ribbon. Better be quick and post so I don't miss this one.

BBTB2 Doodlecharms Sun cut and Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps

This week at BBTB2 we have a fabulous new sponsor, Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps and the Design Team was given a choice of a number of their adorable digi stamps to use in conjunction with the sun from Doodlecharms. I chose to use the sun as a frame for Milton Reading and did a shaped card. Isn't he cute? He's colored with Copics and I printed the image twice so I could cut the top petals of the flower and the leaf and add them for more dimension. The sentiment is done with tiny clear acrylic letters I got a J's and I added a few Primas for good measure.

Here you can see that the regular sun cut is popped and a little doodling is done for detail. You can also see how the petals and leaf are curled a bit. I really love how just that little extra step made the image pop.

I used the cut out from the front to mat the inside and added a happy sentiment because the weekend weather has been just GORGEOUS! I thought this would make a fun little thinking of you kind of card. Be sure to stop by BBTB2 to view the other fabulous creations from my DT sisters and keep checking back because there will be a new contest starting soon involving Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps. WooHoo!

I also found a new (to me) challenge blog, Stamp Something and this week it's a Digi challenge so WooHoo again! I'm sooo there.

BBTB2 and Peggy Loves Vintage

This week at BBTB2 the Design Team had beautifully nostalgic images from Peggy Loves Vintage to work in tandem with any of the first row tags from Tags, Bags, Boxes and More. I'm a big fan of Peggy Loves Vintage (and am honored to be on her Design Team) so this was an especially fun challenge for me. I love to combine Peggy's vintage images with punched borders, Cutting Cafe sentiments, Cricut cuts... well, they're so versatile, they work with anything! I chose the little girl and little boy at the beach images. They came separately or together but since I wanted to fussy cut the images I chose to print them separately. I printed the little girl twice and the boy once and used the scalloped top tag (page 91 or last one on the left of the top row) and the window cut to make my little vignette. And what a better way to showcase it than to make an easel card.

The frame and the images are popped and I tied a little hemp around the frame for detail. the designer papers are from the DCWV Linen Closet stack. Don't they have a sweet summery feel?

The "sand" paper is from the 2008 DCWV Summer glitter mat stack. "Summer" was cut twice from the Lyrical Letters cartridge with Alpha Beads strung on more hemp to complete the sentiment. The popped label is Spellbinder's Labels Eleven and I added a small shell for detail. Finally, I used "Skittles" to hold up the easel. I thought they sort of looked like sea glass. Be sure to stop by BBTB2 and check out how my Design Team sisters used more of Peggy's fun images and stop by Peggy Loves Vintage to browse the delightful images she has in store. Hey, and be sure to scroll down to see my Everyday Cricut post (I'm Ms. May!) and my Cutting Cafe giveaway.