C4C- Raise the Bar!

This week our Crazy 4 Challenges team is 'raising the Bar' as in our much loved team member Barbara Anders! Barbara is on a crafting break right now due to hand surgery- boo! To help cheer her up and let her know we are thinking of her our challenge this week is to CASE one of Barb's cards from her blog! 

Sounds easy right? NOPE! She has soooo many gorgeous cards it took me forever to pick just one! I settled on this one as I loved the clean lines with the embossed white panel- click here to see which card I am referring to. I flipped the card position but kept most of the design the same. Thanks for the inspiration Barb!!

So to play along with us head on over to Barb's Blog and scroll through all her delicious eye candy and CASE one of her cards and link it up! Also hop over to the C4C blog and see what the rest of the Crazies did with their Barb inspiration!

Cheers- Andrea

Crazy 4 Challenges- Use your one of your fave Christmas stamps

Today is our last challenge over at C4C for 2012 and Cindy has asked us to use one of our fave Holiday images. I used this cute bear from Magnolia Stamps called Cozy Christmas Bear. How cute is he!! I coloured him up with my copics then used a nubby washcloth and copic blender solution to dab at the image and give him his furry look. Such a cool technique! I then added some fun papers, flowers and Tim Holtz clock die cut to help finish it off. 

I hope you can play along with us and I hope I am not the only one who still needs to make more holiday cards lol! If you are one of the lucky ones already done for this year maybe this will help you get started on next year ;). 

So hop on over to the Crazy 4 Challenges blog and see the rest of the AWESOMESAUCE samples the Crazies have cooked up for you this week!

Cheers! Andrea

Crazy 4 Challenges- Tag your it!

Happy Saturday!

Joycelyn has a fun challenge for us today- make a gift tag or a card with a tag on it. I made this Paris inspired tag which is actually the gift for the person I made it for. I didn't start making it for them but with my sweet niece helping me each step of the way..well..when she said how much she 'really really liked it' how can Auntie say no to that! She is going to use it as a bookmark as well. I love when she comes to visit- she is a hardcore crafter like me and she is only 7! A girl after my own heart!

I used a Ranger tag and used about 3 different shades of Tim Holtz Pink distress inks then decided it needed to be broken up a bit and used that gorgeous teal distress ink he had come out in his Summer set. I always tell myself I am not going to get them this time and then I can't resist hee hee. I loved how the teal turned some areas purple when I put it over the pink. I spritzed water to add some texture and also added some opaque white spritz. I stamped my tag in Versafine (my fave) and added some of Timmy's film strip to add to the vintage feel. My niece loves bling so I also added some Tattered Angels Pearl glimmer mist and this gorgeous crystal ribbon slide to the black satin ribbon. She loved it!

What kind of gift tag..or tag that's a gift are you inspired to make? Hop on over to the C4C blog and see what other Tagalicious goodies the ladies have cooked up for inspiration for you today!

Cheers, Andrea

Crazy 4 Challenges- Sketch time!

It's Saturday so it's time to get Crazy 4 Challenges! This week we are getting sketchy. Pop on over to the C4C blog to see all the DT eye candy and to see the sketch we based our cards on. It's a nice and easy one! 

To play with this week's sketch I used a Unity Itty Bitty stamp called 'Direction of Happy'. I just love the meaning to this sweet stamp and that little bird makes me happy :). I can't help it- nice saying, cute bird, butterflies- yep this girly girl was in a happy card making zone. 

To ink up my stamp I used my new Tim Holtz distress markers to colour up the images then 'huffed' on them to get the ink moist before pressing it to the paper. I also used Lord Tim of Holtz's distress ink on my ticket shape and on my music note paper from Bazzill. I added some twine, flowers and bling to help add the details to follow the sketch. I only really changed it up by using a tag instead of circles. Other than that I was true to the layout. Pretty good for me as I do like to take creative license with sketches lol!

If you get a chance to craft this coming week we would love to have you play along with us over at Crazy 4 Challenges!

Happy Crafting!

Andrea

Gilli stamps challenge- Blue and glittery

Feels like forever and a day since I have posted on my blog sharing one of my crafty creations. I have been so busy enjoying family and friends during this holiday season- I hope you have been too!

I have to share that I did get one big prezzie from the hubby that I really wanted- a vagabond!!! That's right- the electric die cutting machine from Lord Tim of Holtz himself....ahhh bliss! Yep no more turning of the hand in a clockwise manner for me- now just a push of the button and zip my die cuts are done. One happy crafter right here!

On to my reason for posting today- it is time for a brand new challenge over at the House of Gilli blog and it is my turn to be the hostess with the mostest. We are challenging you to use the colour BLUE and to make your project SPARKLE! So get out those blue papers and embellishments and pour on the glitter. Everything is better with glitter ;). 

I made a tag for my project today to go onto one of the many wine bottles that get passed around during the holiday season. I rarely drink wine anymore due to acid reflux (ugh) but my friends are still winos so this gift is perfect as we hang out and enjoy each other's company. 

I used some of the new Echo Park paper for my tag and a die shape from Lord Tim of Holtz to get my tag shape. I added some ribbon and die cut out some snowflakes on glitter paper to add lots of bling. For my Gilli stamp I used her home- I love this cute and versatile house stamp! The opposite side of the tag reads 'From our house to yours- May this be a wonderous holiday season'. 

If you would like to win lots of Gilli stamp goodies come on and play with us over at H.O.G. and maybe you will be our next lucky winner!

Cheers! Andi

La Blanche stamped card

Hello!! I just wanted to share with you my post today over at the SGD blog using La Blanche stamps and coloured using the technique shown in the video. I hope you enjoy it and have a wonderful day!

Andrea here on this Saturday morning with the second card you can make with the Oct card kit. Today's card uses some of Prima's gorgeous Printery papers...I have some 12x12 in my stash along with the 6x6 pack..love the vintage look. Again this card uses a La Blanche stamp and in this month's card kit you will have received 3 pieces of the La Blanche specialty paper to try out the technique seen in the video above. On my card I stopped after the distress inks and didn't use the Ultra Thick Embossing Powder (UTEE) but it does add a really nice effect. 

I share this often on my personal blog about my love of mice stamps. Not real ones...just stamps or cute mice stuffed animals so this stamp was one I had been eyeing for awhile. I coloured it up with my distress inks and a one of my Fantastix colouring tools. After he was coloured I spritzed water onto my image using my mini mister and then blotted it with a paper towel before turning my heat gun on it to really set it. Once I had that done I put it together and as a finishing touch I spritzed it with some shimmer spray in the handy portable tubes that are included in this month's kit. I am not sure if you can make it out in the picture but it has an amazing sparkle to it! I am not sure if vintage cards are supposed to sparkle but they sure do in my world hee hee!!!!

I have to share that my hubby actually really liked this card as well and even took the time to compliment it without me asking first. Actually what he said was "Oh cool, I really like your Rat card". snicker!!! Of course I corrected him and told him it is a mouse actually and he just smirked. Boys!!!

I  hope you get some crafty time in today and if you want to grab one of this month's kit you may want to act fast as very few were made this month outside of the club members. 

Cheers! Andrea

Final Whimsical Wednesday with the Diedrich Daredevils..

It is with sadness that I share that this will be our last Whimsical Wednesday post. With Jess's children getting busy with new pursuits Jess has made the hard decision to end the challenge blog. I have absolutely loved being part of this team and working with the sweet sketches her children have provided. As well, I have made some incredible cyber friendships that I will always appreciate. Thanks ladies for including me on this fun journey.

For our last challenge you again have a whole month to participate. There is also a huge prize to be won! Boy do I wish I could enter to win hee hee. The challenge is to use the inspiration photo of the yummy cupcake by therecipegirl.com to help you make your card. I actually made two cards to help ease my sadness at the end of this group. I used the colours red, white and blue (as well as a few others) and chose papers that had these colour elements. I used some new Tim Holtz stamps I picked up today at scrappingreatdeals.com- they hadn't even been priced or put online yet lolz! The paper is also from Webster's pages Vellum package that I also picked up there. I adore Webster's pages and can't stop buying it! Speaking of which my friend Sheila from SGD's is donating 3 new High Hopes unmounted stamps for the July prize!!! I love my sweet friend Sheila- thanks so much for helping us do a huge send off!

For the last time I invite you to hop on over to the challenge blog to get started on the challenge details or to see my fellow daredevil's delish creations. I have also included the links below. Good luck to those who enter and Happy Stamping to everyone!

The Dare Devil Designers:

Cassie Larson... Heather Schlatter... Jacquie Peifer... Jessica Diedrich... Kim Ross...Rebecca Ednie...Randi Whall...Kris...Andrea..Krista