I wishy Washi I knew this technique earlier!

Hey Everyone!
So as I was perusing my standard fare of blogs I follow and stumbling upon new blogs that are simply uber cool I came across a really cool technique with Washi tape over at A Blog Named Hero.  Admittedly, I have yet to use this fun new product.  I bought a couple rolls from the clearance bin at Michaels and they've been sitting in a drawer collecting dust....until today.  This technique was so fun and easy I want to go out and jump on the Washi bandwagon.  The ideas were just overflowing in my head!  I'm sure you'll be seeing a lot more of this stuff on my projects!  The technique was called "Tape your Stamps" and basically you stamp your picture, apply washi tape over it, and carefully and selectively cut parts of it out to add a cool paper-piecing -like effect.  I used this technique on the Anya Styles stamp from the Greeting Farm.  Here is the final product:

I used Michael's brand (Recollections) washi(craft) tape on her boots, bag, skirt and top.  Since the tape is see-through and easily removed, it's easy to use to add patterns and colour to the stamp.  Basically, you apply washi tape to the area you want covered and then with a fine craft knife you cut away the tape being careful not to cut all the way through the paper.  I used Stickles for the glittery bows and her phone and I coloured with rest of her with Copics.

I used a sketch from "Deconstructed Sketch" (Sketch #94) as the basis for this layout that I put her in.  Here is the sketch:

and here is my layout:

When I saw this picture of me and this Anya Styles stamp it made me laugh at how similar our 'dos were!  I just had to add her to the layout.  The patterned paper is from DCVW, the chicken wire fence stamp is from BoBunny and the lace is from Michaels.  I used an EK success border punch to cut the brown cardstock.  The "Always Genuine" stamp is from Autumn Leaves and the embossing folders used on the pennants are from Provocraft.
I would like to enter this layout in the following contests:

Anyone for Anya: Anything Goes

Deconstucted Sketch Challenge: Sketch#94

Thanks for stopping by!

Liz

Papertrey Ink March 2013 Blog Hop

YIKES!  Challenge due today?!  I stumbled upon this awesome blog today and just had to participate.

 So much inspiration and cool stuff here...not to mention Papertrey Ink have some amazing stamps I would love to play with!  As I was reading through the post I realized that their latest challenge is due TONIGHT!  Their challenge is sequins!

How coincidental that I just picked up some sequins from the Michaels bargain bin yesterday.  It was fate.  I must admit...I was a little stumped on how to use these tiny bits of bling on a card but after seeing some of the submissions at this blog I was inspired.  Here's my take.

I used origami to make the dress from DCWV paper.  The background stamp is from Hero Arts.  The die cute dress form is from Tim Hotltz and the sentiment is from Papertrey Ink.  The inside of the card says, "a Fabulous Birthday".  I used sequins on the belt and the bling on the dress.

I was quite surprised how quickly this card came together.  It was like my hands had a mind of their own.  Must be the momentum I've had lately.  YAY!  I hope it keeps up!  Loving the creating!
I'd like to also submit this in the following other challenges:

Simon Says Stamp: Spring/Easter

A Blog Named Hero: Freestyle 
2 Sisters: Easter/Spring
Chocolate, Coffee and Cards Challenges: Bring on Spring
Love to Create Challenge Blog: Pastel Colours

Thanks for stopping by!
Liz

More Greeting Farm Goodness

Hello All,
I must admit I'm a bit blown away myself at my motivation these last few days.  Now if only I can channel some of it to organizing the office and sorting out the kids clothes (they grow like weeds!).  Oh well, I'm being productive in some realm of the universe so I won't complain.
Recently I went to a Stampin' Up class hosted by a friend of mine.  We did an easel card that I really liked.   I adapted this concept using some Greeting Farm goodness.  I actually glued the front part on the other side of the fold than is shown above but it still worked out.  The result is cute and functional (just like me)!  This way you can be pretty much guaranteed that it will be enjoyed for at least a year (tee hee!). The butterflies and the bright colours on the Greeting Farm girl (I wish I could remember her name) once again make me wish for spring weather to arrive.

I love love the background stamp from Stampin' Up called En Francais.  So elegant.  The butterflies are Stampin' Up as well.  The sentiment stamp is from Heidi Swapp.  The mini calendar was given to me but you can get them at office supply stores or print up your own from templates online.

Here is a visual from the Greeting Farm Blog.

I would like to submit this to the following challenges:

Anyone for Anya: Anything Goes

The Greeting Farm Blog: Easel Card
Simon Says Stamp Challenge: Easter/Spring
One Crazy Stamper: Anything Goes

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Liz

Page Maps Giveaway-Just Under the Wire

Hello Everyone!

Boy am I on a roll this weekend!  Wahoo!  I'm a creating machine!  Feels good...but also a little stressed as I started this layout for a sketch contest over at the Page Maps Blog to win some Imaginisce swag but then sort of forgot about it until about an hour ago.  Oooops!  Luckily midnight MST gives me a little more time to complete this over in EST (I hope).  Here's the sketch by the uber talented and inspirational Becky Fleck.

 
 And here is my take on it. 

Lots of crafty goodness going on in this layout.  The tickets are a stamp from MME, the penguins are modified from a Stampin' Up Owl punch, the chevron stamps is from Simon Says Stamps, the fences were die cut from a Tim Holtz die and the pennant flag is a punch from Jenni Bowlin.  I used a Spellbinders die to cut the metal scallop circle from Quickutz and it was embossed using a Provocraft folder.  The pattern paper is Winter Wishes from Echo Park (love the penguins!).

I'd like to enter this in the Page Maps contest as well over at One Crazy Stamper Challenge Blog: Anything Goes.

Thanks again for dropping by!
Liz

Spring-y Layout

Hey Everyone,

I've definitely got spring on the brain this weekend.  Went to a scrapbook store garage sale yesterday and stocked up on some gently used (incredibly awesome) stuff!  I Love how one person's trash is another one's treasure...although I'm sure the people selling their stuff didn't consider it as "trash" but are much better at performing the spring cleaning than I am.  I am such a hoarder dare I say it's bordering on intervention!  But all the more reason to break out the crafting stuff (old and newish-old) and get to creating!  That's what makes me happy!

Here is a layout I made with a Spring feel and Im feeling the warmth overcome me!  C3 is daddy's little girl and this picture of the two of them together makes me melt.  Their sweet little smiles just brightens my day!  The patterned paper is from My Mind's Eye-Bluebell collection, the journal stamp is from SeeD's, The mask used for the butterflies is from Prima sprayed with some Tattered Angels Electric Blue Glimmer Mist.  The border punch and butterfly punches are from Martha Stewart.
I'm hoping this will bring some more warmth and goodness over at the Simon Says Stamp Challenge Blog: Spring/Easter and the challenge blog over at One Crazy Stamper:Anything Goes.

Keeping my fingers crossed!

Thanks for stopping by!

Liz

Spring and Flowers...At least in my cards

Hello Everyone,

Yup, day 4 of spring has come and gone and although the sun was shining, it's still cold and snowy out there.  Fight harder spring!!!  It's actually quite strange to see.  Over the last couple of days I have been able to actually see winter and spring battle it out with the local skies as their battlefield.  One moment the skies are blue and the sun is shining.  I'm driving around with the sunglasses on and feeling some sunny warmth on my face through the windshield and then the next moment, the clouds are filling the sky and snow starts falling and accumulating on the ground....only to have spring retaliate with the sun again and melting the new snow away.  I swear this cycle happens several times throughout the day.  Weird.
The family did Earth Hour tonight (Saturday) and it was fun!  We were at the grandparents for dinner and my girlies had a great time lying on a blanket in their solarium using binoculars to check out the planes flying overhead, singing pop songs and changing up the lyrics to funny ones and just being together.  My 2 year old was apparently moon powered tonight as the lights out phenomenon only served to fuel some hyper behaviour (more that ususal if you can beleive that!)  Good times.

At least there is some flowers and spring happening in some of my creations this week.
This one is using a Greeting Farm Anya Summer Stamp. The sunglasses made me think of me driving around this week when the sun was shining.  I'm hoping I can really help Spring out with some added sunshine power.  The butterflies are a Martha Stewart punch and the sentiments are from Autumn Leaves.  I would like to submit this to this weeks Double Take Tuesday challenge: Flowers over at the Greeting Farm blog and Anyone for Anya: Anything Goes!

This next card uses a sweet Whimsy Stamps image.  These stamps are just so cute!  The bunches of flowers she's holding and the colours are definately routing for spring to come.  I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges:

One Crazy Stamper: Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp Challenge: Spring/Easter

Thanks for dropping by!
Liz

Jumpstart on Spring

Hey Everyone!

Snow again today!  Enough to blanket the ground but really I'm not surprised.  It ALWAYS snows around my birthday (April 21) so having snow today isn't so bad.  At least I don't have to commute in it anymore.  That's a definite plus.  What does bug me a bit is that the local ski hill has already closed their doors for the season.  Booo!  Can't make the most of this snowy goodness.
Anyways, here is a little something my 6 year old daughter made this weekend for a birthday party she went to.  She was sooooo excited to dive into my stash of Greeting Farm stamps and she couldn't decide which one she wanted to put on the card so she put as many as she could make fit (and had time to colour).  Believe it or not she actually made this card all by herself!  She worked so hard and had tonnes of fun!  I helped with getting the supplies out but she coloured, stamped, embossed (okay so I helped with the heat gun), cut and rolled through the Cuttlebug all on her own.  Not to mention cleaned up afterward!  That was the best part!

I'd like to enter this in this week's The Greeting Farm's Double Take Tuesday Challenge: Flowers.  Definitely no flowers on the ground in these parts but hopefully this will put a jumpstart on the process!

Stay Warm everyone!   Thanks for dropping by!

Liz