Super Dad...on the road

I was thousand of miles of away from my dad for Father's Day (my folks travel every summer), but we spent a lovely day with my father-in-law. We went to an East Coast favorite, Silver Diner; the food is so fresh and delicious, and of course the company was great!

I made him this card using a KennyK image, a CTMH paper, and the last of my cityscape die cuts:

Funny story about the CTMH map-patterned paper: by pure coincidence, it's a map of the Bethesda, Maryland area, where is where my FIL lives! He noticed immediately, and we all had a laugh about it.

The cityscape is heat-embossed in Kaleidoscope/glitter powder. I inked the pieces with SU! Barely Banana. The ribbons were both purchased at CYDI.

I used the opposite side of the CTMH paper for the inside, and added a simple pop-up message:

The sentiment reads "Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a Dad," and is by Paper Makeup.


Inspiration/Challenges:
CAS-ual Fridays #105: "Mapquest" (I know this is on the edge of CAS, but it's about as CAS as I get!)
Catered Crop: Masculine Card
There She Goes: Anything Goes


Thank you for visiting, and best to you & yours,

Super Baby

I'm an only child, but thanks to my husband's 3 fabulous siblings, we're up to 7 nephews & nieces (with one on the way)! Our newest nephew arrived just last week, and I sure had fun putting together the baby gift.

I've reconnected with a crafty friend from High School via FaceBook, and she sells her gorgeous handicrafts on Etsy at MyRandomActs on a special-order basis. For just $15 (including Priority shipping), she made these Baby of Steel "Superman" Mitts:

MyRandomActs

And here's how they were sent to me, wrapped so beautifully! That little tag she added is hand-stamped.

I wanted to wrap the mitts in a fun way, so I made a fabric pouch, using Timeless Treasures/Smirk Super Hero fabrics and some scrap white fabric:

And the back:

I started with the tutorial for an iPhone Case at During Quiet Time, but I made my own template in InDesign and pretty much just did it my own way. Not fancy, but it works! 

I've been itching to use this material since I bought it back in December, and I think it came out O.K. considering: 1) I've never done this before, 2) my machine was acting up so I had to remove the stitches a kagillion times, and 3) I totally refused to get out the iron. I broke a needle pulling that baker's twine through too!

The Newspaper-patterned buttons are from Daisy D's Paper Company.

Of course, I made a card as well:

You may remember the cityscape die cuts from several of my recent posts (archived here). The baby carriage rubber stamp is by Viva Las VegaStamps, and the sentiment is from a set that came with an issue of Cards Beautiful.

I used some Graphic 45 paper on the inside to give it more of a "baby" feel.

I wish I had taken a photo of everything all together, but it had been pouring for days while I put it all together and I simply couldn't get any good light. Anyway, it got in the mail just in time. I wish I could share a photo of our new nephew with you, but it goes without saying that he's super-cute at 6lbs 8oz!

Also, as total coincidence as I didn't know the little guy's name until his birth, the woman who made the mittens has a son with the same name as our nephew!

Thank you for visiting, and best to you & yours,

Silly Scrapper

Pile It On #24

This week at Pile It On, we're challenging you to use this sketch, made by our own Katie of Both Sides of the Paper, along with your other favorite challenges. You're going to love the DT projects; they all follow the sketch to the letter, yet are so unique. Of course, you're welcome to rotate and adapt the sketch, as long as it resembles the original.

For this card, I used the Crafting Sentiments Pack and Crafters Do It Digital Stamp & Paper Pack by Coosty Creations, available at StitchyBear's Digi Outlet.

click to enlarge

Not only are the digis a total hoot (see the whole story below), they were too much fun to work with. I spent an afternoon paper-piecing the image, and it was totally worth it!

The textured background on the image is from the digi paper set, and I also used 100lb Hammermill, Kraft from Jo-Ann's, shimmery red, gold, silver & white papers from Recollections, and a Graphic 45 DP (the dress). I covered her hair with fine Flower Soft by running it through my Xyron sticker machine. The scrapper, scissors, paint brushes, and paper pile were colored with Copics. The Scrabble pieces on the table are inked with Antique Linen distress ink; I just pressed the piece onto the inkpad briefly, which gives it a nice texture too. 

The actual Scrabble pieces are heat-embossed with Kaleidoscope/glitter powder, and I colored the sides with a Krylon gold leafing pen.

click to enlarge

The gold mesh is actually drywall tape, colored with the same gold leafing pen. I stuck the tape onto tin foil to make it easy to color (I usually use a piece of glass, but I couldn't find it!), and then ran my glue stick over it before applying it to the card, just to help it stick.

The brocade ribbon and buttons are from my stash. I tied silver thread onto all of them, even the teensy ones. The buttons and Scrabble pieces are adhered with Glossy Accents (I used ZipDry for everything else).

I used SP & Company's Stitchery Doo Stamp Set and more Kaleidoscope/glitter embossing powder to make a faux stitching border on the background as well as on the red piece (it's almost impossible to see the outer border in the pictures, sorry!).

And the inside, featuring another one of the crafty sentiments:

Pile It On #24

Inspiration/Challenges:
Artistic Inspirations: Stitching (real or faux)
Di's Digis Designs: Beautiful Borders
The Hobby House: Anything Goes
Little Red Wagon #189: Use 3 or more patterned papers
Ooh La La Creations: Buttons & Bling
Pile It On Challenge #24: Sketch
Through The Craft Room Door: Anything Goes

Besides being on the Pile It On team, I'm also on the DT for One Stitch at a Time (OSAAT), the challenge blog for StitchyBear's Digi Outlet (SBDO). Recently, my teamie Chriss requested some digi stamps for a craft-related card, and StitchyBear Creator Jane (Coosty Creations) made some fabulous digis, digi papers, and matching sentiments.

Crafting Bear Digital Stamp & Paper Pack

Crafting Sentiments Pack

The card and story that resulted are both wonderful, so do check out Chriss's beautiful post about the power of crafting with friends. I had been following all of this on the SBDO FaceBook page, and when I saw the "Scrapbookers Do It On the Table" sentiment, I just had to request a digi of a "shocked" crafter. Jane (Mimi) went out of her way to create a fabulous digi, with matching papers!

Crafters Do It Digital Stamp & Paper Pack

Not only did she give me this as a gift, she made a special red-tinted version of the scissors-patterned paper. I wanted to make a card for my Mom, and her favorite color is red! I ended up using two of the lavender papers as well, which made for an interesting color combo. Thank you Mimi!

Chriss used this same set to make this gift card holder; Love how she's colored the crafter.


Thank you for visiting, and hope you'll join us this week at Pile It On,

'Ey there Mr Cool Guy!

It's time for a "Use a Digi" challenge at One Stitch at a Time (OSAAT)! I love stamping, but digi stamps are so much fun too, and StitchyBear's Digi Outlet has hundreds from many wonderful artists.

Vicky chose our image this time, and I couldn't have had more fun with Cool Buds by BBKakes:

click to enlarge

I pieced the image together in 3 layers: The dog & base; The boy; and his hair, sunglasses, and jacket. Everything is colored with Copics, and the sunglasses are colored with black and clear glaze pens.

I find that I really enjoy coloring leather jackets. Maybe it's because I grew up in Spain, near Morocco, with a large Navy population...now that I think about it, I've spent a lot of time around leather. I've visited Ubrique many times; as a child, I loved the feel of their embossed leather. The whole town had a rich, leathery smell that I remember fondly. And I've been to several Moroccan leather factories...the reality and smell of which I remember less fondly (although I adore Morocco). And I'm pretty sure most of my friends' Navy dads had leather jackets. Look at me, getting all sentimental...

In any case, I'm pretty pleased with how this jacket came out. I gave it texture with Distress Crackle Paint.

I ran his hair through my Xyron sticker machine and covered it with fine Flower Soft.  I used a glue pen to apply white flocking to the dog. You can read some of my tips about adding Flower Soft and flocking here.

You may remember the cityscape die cut from several of my recent posts (archived here).
Here's another photo, where you can really see the texture:

Inspiration/Challenges:

1. Alphabet Challenge: I for Image
2. Crafting for all Seasons: Masculine
3. Delicious Doodles #40: All Creatures Great and Small
4. Hanna & Friends #173: Banner + cute person/animal stamp
5. Jellypark Challenges: Masculine
6. Polka Doodles: Male Theme
7. Simon Says Stamp: Transport
8. Stampin' For The Weekend: Cute
9. The Perfect Sentiment #83: Masculine + Sentiment
10. Top Tip Tuesday #103: Masculine

Hope you'll join the Use a Digi challenge at One Stitch at a Time this week (and be sure to check out my teamies' fabulous projects). For entries using a StitchyBear Store product (be sure to add a # after your name when entering), you'll be eligible for our main prize. You're welcome to enter the challenge using different products, but instead you'll be entered into the draw to win a $3 coupon to StitchyBear's Digi Outlet. Can't wait to see what you create!

Thank you for visiting,

At the Beach with Sunshine Mail

It's time for a new Sunshine Mail Foundation Challenge (June 15 - July 1). Our theme is "At the Beach" and the only real rule is that you send in at least one card (it doesn't have to be the card you enter in the challenge; Donation guidelines here).

I used Happy Times - Beach Boy by our sponsor, The Paper Shelter:

I recently saw a photo of my nephew playing at the beach that reminds me so much of this image! He lives in Florida, so I wanted the card to reflect how hot and bright it would be on a summer beach day.

The sentiment is by TLC Creations, and I drew out the sandcastle shape and inked it with Antique Linen distress ink (Ranger) by pressing the piece onto the inkpad briefly, which gives it a nice texture.
The circle frame was cut with 2 dies (Spellbinders), and heat-embossed in yellow (Creative Zoo). The frame is cut with the Disney Bubble Frame Die/Emboss Combo (Cuttlebug) from a shiny blue cardstock (Core'Dinations), and sanded a bit to add contrast on the bubbles.

The ric-rac is from my stash...I think it was actually originally from Mom's stash! As soon as I saw the June Sketch at The Stamp Spot, I knew I had to use it for a sun theme.

The Stamp Spot

Inspiration/Challenges:
Charisma Cardz #23: Digi Stamps Only
Crafty Bloggers Network: Bright & Breezy
Lady Anne's Challenge: The Great Outdoors
Mema's Crafts Monday Challenge: Summer/Vacation
Scrappers' Delights: S is for... (Sun, Summer, Sand)
Stamp and Create June Challenge: Summer Fun
The Stamp Spot June Challenge: Sketch
Whimsical Designs: Summer
Without Words: Hot Colours + CAS + hand-colored image

Thank you for visiting, and hope you'll join the Sunshine Mail Foundation Challenge,