Dragon Breath Cure

Happy, happy Friday everyone!
I'm sharing a 
TOP DOG DIES
project with you today using one of their new
August Releases, "Dragon"

So, why NOT have a gift sack made just for dragon breath :)
Fill it with tooth friendly stuffs like sugar free gum, a new toothbrush,
some paste, floss, etc...I'm thinking it would even make an adorable
Halloween treat instead of handing out candy!

I die-cut the dragon from a piece of Moda fabric.
To do so, adhere the fabric to a piece of lightweight cardstock.
I ran my cardstock through the Xyron Creative Station (w/ permanent adhesive)
and then applied the fabric over the sticky part.  
Layer the die and fabric/paper with the metal shim for an extra crisp cutting.

I then attached the dragon to the sack with high and low dimensional foam adhesive.
Where the arm and bend of the leg are cut out, I added the thicker 
foam adhesive...it just gives it a little more dimension.

I kept the design pretty clean and simple by accenting with a small
hand-tied bow and a teal pearl for the eye.

My son will think I'm crazy, but I'm sending it off to college with him when
he goes back on Monday! :)  
Visit Top Dog Dies blog and store for more ideas and supplies!

I hope you have a greattt weekend!

Patchwork Art Journal

I'm sharing my final project as an "Altered Arts Girl" with
CHICKANIDDY CRAFTS
Come on by and take a look at all of the pretty
Pinterest inspirations that we have up for you today!

Here is a little peek at what I've created:

Ciao, friends!

Tiny Tots Explore

Happening all this week at 
BELLA BLVD
This is a week featuring the newest collections from Bella Blvd
and the designers have been given the 'anything goes!' theme!
Since I mainly create cards for Bella, I decided to step out and create
a layout with the sweet "Tiny Tots" Collection.
I had snapped a few pictures of this adorable redhead at our 
Family Fun Day and I knew they'd be perfect to pair up with Tiny Tots :)

 For the layout I incorporated one of the Kiwi Lane Bracket templates and actually
 used the negative cut and attached it to the top of the page. I cut the red star paper 
the same height as the wallet-sized photos and then added it with foam adhesive.
 And I LOVE the new Amorie Alphabets. They have such a cute personality 
and are perfect for kids' pages!

Drop by and visit Bella Blvd all week long as new projects and ideas
will be springing up everywhere!  Hope you have a ter-rific week!

Boo Kitty!

I say this every year at this time, but I'm a Halloween fanatic!
I've always, always loved Halloween, but it seems that the older I get the
more that I love it.  The papercrafting industry comes up with the cutest 
Halloween themes year-after-year and that definitely keeps my interest ginning :)
The "Frankie & Friends" Collection by 
SIMPLE STORIES
is a mix of fun colors, whimsical patterns and adorable characters...
look at Frankie...isn't he a doll?!?!?

For my project this month I really wanted to use the collection in a fun way, so
I headed to Pinterest for some ideas.  I had this cat's head treat holder pinned
 

And here is my take on it using patterned paper & embellishments from the
"Frankie & Friends" Collection:

There are sooo many fun ways that you can dress up the face....
cute & funny or very minimalistic with just eyes and a nose :)
And if you have an extra-special trick-or-treater (or two) on your list,
think of whipping up one of these and filling with all sorts of homemade/bought treats.

The cat that I've made uses an entire sheet of 12X12 (modified) paper, but 
you can make smaller versions and leave off the hanger.

See more photos and how I put it together on today's blog post at 

Happy weekend!

Meet the May Arts Team

Today is day five of the "Meet the Design Team" at 
MAY ARTS RIBBON
and there are three chances for you to win some ribbon!
Each new 2014-15 team member will be sharing some about themselves
as well as some of their favorite May Arts projects :)

Today I am featured with these lovely ladies:
Here is the weekly line-up:
And be sure to stop by each day this week to have your name entered
for the prize drawing www.mayarts.com/blog
GOOD LUCK!

Have a Smooth Year!

It's back-to-school time and that means it's time to make some fun teacher gifts...
we're taking this one-step further than the standard apple :) 
This idea was inspired by a previous project created by Ro Philippsen:



I'm covering a standard 10 oz. bottle of lotion, but you can adapt the tag to the
 size that will fit your bottle. 
  1. For the base piece, cut your paper to 3.75"W X 5.75"H. 
  2. Corner round the two bottom edges.
  3. Cut the inner mat paper (shown as yellow) to 2.75"W X 4.75"H.
  4. Corner round the two bottom edges; center and adhere to base paper.
  5. Place the paper onto a score board.  From the top of your paper: score at 1/2"" and 1.75" marks. 
  6. Place a 1.5" circle die (or paper punch) approximately 1/4" from the top center of the paper and cut. 
  7. Fold paper along the score lines and you now have your bottle tag!
 I free-handed an apple motif onto the red dot Kraft In Color paper,
 but you may certainly use a template or digital cutting file.  My apple
  measures approximately 2.5"W X 2.75"H.  I sanded around the edge of the
 apple and added enamel dots for dimension.  The stem is actually a portion 
 of a tree sticker found in the Happy Harvest Collection!  
The leaves were trimmed from a Doodle Pop sticker.

Doodlebug Design has all sorts of tag stickers to choose from if you'd like
 to add that to your apple's front.  The Teensy Type alphabet stickers are a 
great size for adding a sentiment to smaller projects like this!

The opening slides right over the bottle top and hangs nicely. 
 I added a couple of small, low dimension glue dots to the back flap
 of the tag to secure it in place.

Keep this idea in mind for your upcoming Christmas gifts too!   
Visit the Doodlebug Design Blog for more fun and colorful back-to-school projects!

Happy to BEE in your class

I have a sweet back-to-school project up today at
CHICKANIDDY CRAFTS

I've used a recycled plastic jar, some dies/punches and
the Twirly Girl Collection from Chickaniddy!

Come on by the blog today and see more!
 

Thanks A Million

Happy Tuesday!
It's mid-month and time to share the August New Releases at
NEWTON'S NOOK DESIGNS


Here is my card with the first new release, "Simply Sentimental"
I've used patterned papers by Jillibean Soup and watercolor pencils
from Faber Castell.
 
Would you like to win “Hanging Around”?This set will be given away to 
 TWO lucky winners
Here's how to win: 
Comment on the NND blog and Design Team and Guest blogs (see list below)! 
Two winners will be chosen at random from the collective blogs release posts.
 Make sure to check out each of their blogs and comment for your chance to win. 
You will not know which blog has been chosen so the more you comment on the better
 your chances are of winning!
 You have until Tuesday, August 19th at 9pm CDT to comment 
  -- winners will be announced on the blog post on Wednesday, August 20th. 
Check out all the awesome Design Team Blogs below to enter:

Hanging Around With Newton

Happy Monday!
It's mid-month and time to share the August New Releases at
NEWTON'S NOOK DESIGNS



Here is my card with the first new release, "Hanging Around"

I've used patterned papers by Simple Stories and a bit
of shading with watercolor pencils to the belly/face areas.

Would you like to win “Hanging Around”?This set will be given away to 
 TWO lucky winners
Here's how to win: 
Comment on the NND blog and Design Team and Guest blogs (see list below)! 
Two winners will be chosen at random from the collective blogs release posts.
 Make sure to check out each of their blogs and comment for your chance to win. 
You will not know which blog has been chosen so the more you comment on the better
 your chances are of winning!
 You have until Tuesday, August 19th at 9pm CDT to comment 
  -- winners will be announced on the blog post on Wednesday, August 20th. 
Check out all the awesome Design Team Blogs below to enter:

Let Your Soul Shine!

Happy Friday, crafty friends!
 I don't do a lot of 'shabby chic' cards, but I had
a lot of fun putting this one together with some brand new dies from
TOP DOG DIES
 and pretty papers and stickers from Authentique Paper!

I've used three of the August Release Dies in making this card:

TC063-Windmill

TC061-Modern Mosaic A2 Mat

TC062-Vintage A2 Mat

As you can see, I used the top part of the Windmill Die and
turned them into blooms!  I added a disc of blue paper to the back for
extra color and to show-off the fine detail.

 I grunged up the edges of the Vintage Mat Die with a walnut ink 
before laying it with all of the pretty stickers and embellishments.

See more Top Dog Dies' projects and shop for dies at 

Have a very happy weekend, y'all!

Back 2 School Pocket Holder

We're sharing all sorts of back to school ideas this week at 
BELLA BLVD

I've done a similar treat/pencil holder in the past, but
this time around I've dressed up the fronts with an apple 
that I transformed from one of Bella Blvd's Crochet Hearts!

 These pocket holders only require a 1/3 of a piece of 12X12 paper and
 some high tack adhesive. Cut paper to 4" X 12".

 Place the paper horizontally on score board and score at 4" mark
 (this 4" flap is the front of the pocket). Turn paper lengthwise and place on trimmer. 
You will make the next two cuts at the back panel of the pocket (8" in length). 
Cut both sides 1/4" from the edge and just down to the 4" score mark. 
(see above)

 Place the paper back onto the score board lengthwise and score the pocket portion 
1/4" from each side. Fold along the score lines, add a high tack adhesive
 to the back of the folds and attach to the back panel to create the pocket. 
You can adjust the measurements to make any size pocket that you need!

 To make the apple from a Crochet Heart:
Thread needle with matching colored thread.
Starting at the bottom, center of the heart, stitch a straight stitch up
to the top of the heart; reverse and repeat.  

After you have stitched through the heart a couple of times, pull the tension
of the thread so that it creates a pucker at the bottom of the heart.  
Knot off the thread and cut.

The papers, stickers and die-cuts from the new Tiny Tots Collection 
can be adapted into the perfect embellishments for these back-to-school pockets!

Supplies:
Tiny Tots: Alphabet Soup, Paper Pieces, Trinkets, Treasures & Text; 
Christmas Cheer: Treasures & Text; Hello Autumn: Treasures & Text; 
Crochet Hearts: McIntosh; Button Market: Orange Stars

Visit www.bellablvd.typepad.com to see more!

Today is the Day

I had fun with one of the newest 
TOP DOG DIES
dies in creating this 'wedding dress' card.
It all starts with the Corset Die and the onesie base

I started by die-cutting the two shapes from Bella Blvd's "Love & Marriage" paper.

 Next, I took those same two shapes, and traced them onto white cardstock
and cut out.  The bottom of the onesie die can be adjusted to how ever long you'd
like for the bottom of the dress to be.

I highlighted the bodice and waistline with pearls and some pretty 
glittered flowers by Petaloo.

To the bottom I added an edging of lace trim from May Arts Ribbon.

Shop for a variety of dies at www.topdogdies.com

Have a wonderful weekend!

May Arts Ribbon New Release Week

New Release showcase time at 
MAY ARTS RIBBON
this week!  Today wraps up the final day, but it's
not too late to join in on the action :)

**You have a chance to win your own New Release ribbon**
Check out the May Arts blog for more information!

I was excited to work with the Adhesive Scalloped Border Ribbon
for my projects today.  They come in an assortment of your basic colors:
white, ivory, black and also in bright red, tiffany blue, light blue and pink...
they're all gorgeous when paired together too!


I designed three different cards, with three different looks and with
an assortment or a single ribbon:


First, use the ribbon to decorate behind a die-cut opening as I did with
this "Hello" card:

I cut a square of cardstock a little larger than the star opening and then adhered
the light pink Adhesive Scallop Border Ribbon in an overlapping pattern.

Make your own embellishment!
I used a couple of simple die-cuts to create this cute bumble bee.
Using the black Adhesive Scalloped Border Ribbon was just the right accent
for the bee's body, while also adding some texture.

Lastly, create your own background for a card by
layering a single or various colors of the ribbon together:
Again, just cut a piece of cardstock to the desired size and begin
adhering the ribbon in the pattern that you'd like.

All three cards featurw papers and accents from different
 Simple Stories Collections.

**Here is a line up from the entire week**


Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

I hope that you've enjoyed this week's projects with some of the
newest ribbon releases from May Arts Ribbon :)
Thanks for joining us! 

Doodlebug Swimming Pool


We're having a Color Challenge at
DOODLEBUG DESIGNS
over the next couple of weeks and I chose one of my favorite colors, "Swimming Pool"! 
I have a set of cards in various Doodlebug Design products boasting the color; 
 whether you're using an older or newer collection, it will still match
 perfectly with any of the Doodlebug staples.

 This first card is a compilation of Kraft In Color, Glitter Cardstock, Textured Cardstock and the cloud motif paper found in the Patriotic Parade Collection.

I started with a 6X6 card base and began layering on the different patterned papers.  I die-cut a few clouds from the Swimming Pool Glitter Paper and then used a hot air balloon stencil to emboss a piece of Lily White and Swimming Pool Cardstocks.

I trimmed the entire balloon out from the white paper and only the chevron portion from the swimming pool paper.  I also pulled in some Doodle Twine and Boutique Buttons as embellishments for the balloon. 

The butterfly sticker is from a much older Doodlebug collection, but it still matches perfectly!

For this next card I decided to focus on several of the Swimming Pool Washi Tapes that are available!  I cut a piece of cardstock to size and simply added strips of tape to it.

I found the cute Doodle Pop monster in my stash, so I added him to a small piece of cardstock.  The sentiment was actually cut from one of the Simply Put cards...it was just the right size and theme for this card!  I glued it around a piece of a Pixie Stick and then adhered to the card with liquid glue.


Doodle Twine and brads were just the right finishing touches!

Doodlebug Design is known for their bright and cheery colors; I most especially love the fact that Swimming Pool (or Cupcake or Limeade) is still the same today as it was years ago!  What is your go-to Doodlebug color?  I know it's hard to settle on just one, but  try designing a scrapbook page or card with just that color...it's fun to watch the different shades of the color blend together.  Have fun with it!
See all of the Color Challenge projects this week and next at 


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