ADFD New Releases - Birdwatching & Spring

Another fabulous set of images released today by ADFD.  They are super sweet and you will just love them. Here's a peek at the new images:

For this weeks release, I used one of the birdhouse images.  I don't know what it is, but I just adore birdhouse images.  I don't particularly like having one in my yard because I have two cats and that just means dead birds in my yard - not good.  So, I'll stick to pictures of birdhouses. :)  Here's the card I made for this week's release:

Supplies: Birdhouse image (A Day for Daisies), sentiment (Create With TLC)
Papers:  Recollections cardstock, Wausau Exact Index 110# cardstock, digital patterned papers (Summertime Designs)
Tools & Embellishments:  Scalloped Scallop edge punch (EK Success), Medallion Chain edge punch (EK Success), Zig glue pen, edge distressing tool (Heidi Swapp), bakers twine (Divine Twine), glitter (Craft Decor), pencil crayons (Crayola, Roseart), oms, copics (R35), button (Steam Trunk Craft Works)

To make the background on the image, I wanted to have sky & clouds.  Its a technique that is very easy to do with ink but I didn't feel like pulling out my ink and finding a sponge so I used my light blue pencil crayon & oms.  I cut a scrap piece of cardstock in a cloud shape.  I held the shape down on the image and then coloured along the edge of the cloud - colouring on the image and the cloud shape both.  Then I took my blending stump with oms on it and blended the blue pencil crayon.  Once it was blended, I took away the cloud shape and that left the subtle cloud shapes.  The only other "special" thing I did with the card is took my  new Medallion Chain edge punch and punched one of the shapes on a small piece of patterned paper.  I then cut the individual shape away from the rest of the "chain".  I used my Zig glue pen and glitter on the edge of the image.  Other than that, its a pretty basic card.

I hope you liked it.  Don't forget to check out the challenge still going on at the ADFD blog - there's still time. The new images are available in the ADFD shop now, so go on over and check out the new store.  You'll love the new set up.

That's my card for this week.  Unfortunately, I have some sad news.  I've had to make the sad decision to give up my spot on the ADFD design team.  I've really enjoyed working with all the girls on the team and, of course, Tammy.  I will still love ADFD images and will probably spend way too much money on the new images as they come out.  Its getting to be the time that I'll have to go back to work so I don't think I will have the time to devote to the DT commitments.  I'm truly grateful to Tammy for giving me my first position on a DT.  Its been a great experience. :)

That's all for today.

Cat

IBFD - Challenge #20 - Birthdays

This week's challenge over at the Brakefast Club is to make a Birthday card.  I've always loved the Freddie Frog images - they're so much fun - so I just had to use one for this challenge.  Here's my take on the challenge:

Supplies:
Stamps:  Senior Freddie (I Brake for Digis), sentiment (Create with TLC)
Papers:  American Crafts cardstock, Bazzill cardstock, Wausau Exact Index 110# cardstock, digital patterned paper (Summertime Designs)
Tools & Embellishments:  coloured pencils (Crayola), oms, Studio G ink, tearing ruler, ZigZag Stitch edge punch (EK Success)

You still have time to get in on this week's challenge over at The Brakefast Club.  A new challenge will be posted on Sunday if you miss this one.  You can find Senior Freddie over at the IBFD shop.  Don't forget to grab your 10% off discount code in my sidebar before you go shopping. :)

That's all for today.  See you later...

Cat

IBFD - Brakefast Challenge card

Hi again!  My second post of the day. :)  I can't believe I have so much to say lately.  Well, I want to share a little card I made for the Brakefast Club challenge this week.  The theme is SPRING - and its about time it got here.  Its been a lovely couple days here in Calgary and I sure hope it stays that way now.  I used the Bunnies & Watering Can image available at the IBFD shop for this card.  I hope you all like it. :)

Supplies:
Stamps:  Bunnies & Watering Can (I Brake For Digis), alpha stamp (Dollar Store)
Papers:  digital patterned paper (Sweet Springtime collection - Summertime Designs), Bazzil, red shimmer cardstock (Recollections), Wausau Exact Index 110#, matte finish brochure paper (Staples)
Embellishments & Tools:  Ribbon (dollar store), brad (Recollections), buttons (unknown), pencil crayons (Crayola, Roseart), oms, pink craft ink (Studio G), bakers twine (Canadian Tire)

If you haven't yet, you should get in on this week's challenge before it ends tomorrow.  A new challenge will be posted at the Brakefast Club on Sunday.  And, of course, you can get the image I used and so many more at the I Brake For Digis shop.

Thats it for cards for today.  Talk to later...

Cat

ADFD New Release & A New Challenge

Hi everyone!  Its time again for another great new release from A Day for Daisies and another new challenge starts today on the blog.  The challenge this time is to Go Green!  It will be a lot of fun, so hop over to the blog and join the activities.  You will get a chance to win a great image from ADFD and there is an awesome freebie this time to get you going.

Here's a little sneak peek of what in new in store today at the ADFD store:

I also want to congratulate Wendy C.  She is the winner of our last challenge.  Way to go Wendy!

So, here's the card I made for this new release and challenge.  I love love love peacock images.  They give you the chance to use so many beautiful colours and just dress them up however you like.

Supplies:
Stamps:  Peacock Fairy (A Day For Daisies)
Papers:  patterned paper (Amy Buttler Belle collection - K&Company), cardstock (Recollections, Bazzil, Wausau Exact Index 110#)
Tools & Embellishments:  Pencil crayons (Roseart, Crayola), oms, glitter (Jones Tones), glue pen (Zig), Floral Vine deep edge punch (Martha Stewart), Leave it to Weaver edge punch (Fiskars), striped grosgrain ribbon (Michaels)

That's it for now.  I'll be back later with a couple different posts. :)

Cat  

Blog Candy Claimed ! Yay!

I heard back from Laura and the blog candy is now on route - I can't really say whisking its way because we're talking about the postal service here!  I'm glad it was claimed and I hope you enjoy it Laura.  And let's see what you do with it, ok?  Well, I'll be back tomorrow with a new project (or two).  I've been working on something and my other life got in the way of getting it done.  You know that unfortunate part of our lives that involve laundry, dishes, cooking...  that kind of stuff.

Talk to you tomorrow. :)

Cat

New Winner drawn for the blog candy...

Unfortunately, Lisa didn't contact me by the deadline so I have re-drawn for the blog candy.  Here's the picture of what # was drawn:

and that # corresponds to ...............................................









































LAURA CAMACHO

I've emailed Laura and hopefully she will email me back shortly and claim her prize.

Again, I'll give it a few days and if the prize isn't claimed, I'll just keep drawing until someone claims the prize. :)

Talk to you all later...

Cat

Calling Lisa Cox! Calling Lisa Cox!

Just a post to Lisa.

Lisa, if you stop by, please email me your address so you can claim your prize!  You have until tomorro evening - Saturday, March 11/11.  I will leave it to you until 6:00pm MST, after which I will draw again and award the blog candy to a new winner.

So, please Lisa, email me!  You can use the contact form in my sidebar.

Cat

ADFD New Release Cards

I'm a blogging fool this week. :)  I think I've made 4 or 5 posts this week.  Well, here I am again to show you the card I made with this week's new release from A Day for Daisies.  This new release is, without doubt, one of the cutest Tammy has put out.  Here's a peek of what she has for you in the store today:

Aren't they adorable?  You can get them in the new ADFD shop.  AND, just for the grand re-opening of the store, there is 10% off all digital stamps now till March 14!  How great is that?  Also, don't forget about the challenge going on at the ADFD blog.  You could win an image from ADFD and there is a free image so you can play along (if you don't already have soooo many of Tammy's creations already like me.).

So without any further dilly-dallying, here is the card I made for this week:

Supplies:
Stamps:  Little Fish Child 2 (A Day for Daisies), Pretty Sea Shells Collection (A Day for Daisies)
Papers:  patterned papers (unknown), blue cardstock (Stampin Up), white cardstock (Wausau Exact Index 110#), craft cardstock (The Paper Company)
Tools & Embellishments:  CraftRobo, Silhouette fern cutting file, Dimensional Magic (Plaid - Mod Podge), white Liquid Pearls, Stardust Stickles, copics, Scalloped Scallop edge punch (EK Success), Quick Dry Tacky Glue (Aileen's)

The ruffled flowers that are so much the craze these days inspired me to create the large scallop shell that the baby mermaid sits in.  I used a scallop edge punch along a strip of paper (2" wide), then fan folded it at each scallop.  I opened it to create a 1/2 circle and glued that to a piece of scrap cardstock so it would keep its shape.  It was quick and a lot easier than it looks.  The trick is using a glue that will dry quickly so that it doesn't pull apart.  I like the Aileen's quick dry tacky glue, but you could use a glue gun too.

Well, that's all for now.  I'll be back again soon with something else.

Cat

Miscellaneous stuff I've been doing...

Just thought I would put up some picture of stuff I've made over the last little while.  It seems lately that I've only been posting my DT stuff, which is great because I love the stamps, but I have done a few other things that I think turned out really nice.  Here's the pictures:

Valentine Cards for Ronald Macdonald house:

Before you all starting oohing and awing over how lovely my cards are    they're all cased from the Splitcoast gallery.  I don't take credit for these lovely designs.  I just used whatever paper & stamps I had handy.  But, honestly, I think they did turn out lovely and I hope they were able to use them at the Ronald Macdonald house.

So, that's all for now.  I'll be back again in a day or two to put up a few other things.  Hope you liked them. And remember, I'd love to hear what you think about my work, so leave me a comment.

Talk to you later...

Cat

I Brake For Digis - Brush Horse

Back again with a picture of the card I made with the Brush Horse image from I Brake for Digis.  I used this week's challenge (Challenge #18 - Animals) over at The Brakefast Club as inspiration.  Its a very elegant image, very simplistic, and very versatile I think.  I chose a western theme for this card, but I know that it would work well with just about any theme.  Here's the card:

Supplies:
Stamps:  Brush Horse (I Brake for Digis)
Papers:  patterned paper (unknown), brown cardstock (Recollections), tan cardstock (Bazzil), white cardstock (Wausau Exact Index 110#)
Tools & Embellishments:  Craft Robo, Ribbon (Michaels), Mistral font (sentiment), copics, edge distresser tool (Heidi Swapp)

Thats it for today.  See ya tomorrow. :)

Cat

Blog Candy - 50 Followers Celebration

I just got back from shopping.  I told my hubby that I may reconsider what I'm giving away the next time I decide to have blog candy.  I had to buy two of everything!  I couldn't buy something and just give it away.  I had to have one for me too. :)  So, I took a couple pictures of the goodies I'm giving to Lisa.  Its all new stuff, except for the ribbon & the paper.  I've had these in my stash for a while.  There are some 6x6 papers, and one sheet of each design from the October Afternoon Seaside 8x8 paper pack.  Here's the pictures:

I've sent Lisa a message letting her know she's the winner.  If I don't hear from her by Saturday, I'll pick another random follower, and so on until I get some one to claim the prize. :)

I'll be back in a bit with another post, so talk to you later...

Cat

WHOOOHOOOO! I hit 50 followers

So in honour of this milestone, I have decided to pick one random follower and send them some goodies.  I haven't figured out what they are yet, but I will head off to the store tomorrow and get some stuff. :)

So here is the results of the random number generator from Random.org

Follower #40 is.....


drum roll....













LISA COX!!!  Yay!!  Lisa, I'll contact you through your google profile to get your address!

Congratulations. :)

Have a good night everyone!

Cat

I was a Guinea Pig...

My friend, Wenchie, was looking for a couple guinea pigs to test out her tutorial to make one of her amazing "furniture" projects.  So, I jumped at the chance to try my hand at making one.  It was a lot of fun to do.

If you aren't familiar with Wenchie's stuff, you should really get acquainted with her works, because they are spectacular.  She is one amazing crafter.  You can see her SplitcoastStamper gallery here, and this is her blog.

So, as I was saying I gave one of her projects a test run.  Its a sweet little dresser that turned out just amazing. I used plain cardstock (Domtar coated 200#) for mine and when I showed my husband the final product, he thought I had bought a little plastic dresser to store all my little trinkets in.  Be on the lookout for the tutorial for this project over at Splitcoast.  They have finally recognized Wenchie's talent and asked her to create a tutorial for the members.

Here is how mine turned out:

I think its awesome and the instructions were very easy to follow along.  After she does her tweaking on the tutorial, I think it will be even more easy to do.

Like I said, be on the lookout for this tutorial over at Splitcoast.  You won't be disappointed making this project.  Its fun and functional!

Have a great day everyone!

Cat

IBFD - Catch up cards

Here are a couple cards I created in the last little while using my I Brake for Digis stamps.  Hope you like them. :)

This first card I created using the theme from the BrakeFast Club Challenge #16 - Use something felt or fabric.  I've wanted to make a card with yo-yo's on it for a while and this challenge was the perfect opportunity to incorporate this embellishment.

Supplies:
Stamps:  Teapot (I Brake for Digis), sentiment (Create with TLC)
Papers:  digital patterned paper (Energy Kit - Summertime Designs), blue & pink cardstock (Recollections), white cardstock (Wausau Exact Index 110#)
Tools & Embellishments:  Corbel corner punch (EK Success), Paisley embossing folder (Cuttlebug), Blossom die (Spellbinders), ribbon (Michaels), fabric (unknown - stash), button (unknown - stash), pencil crayons (Crayola, Roseart), oms

This next card uses the theme from Challenge #17 - Make something green.  In honour of St. Patrick's day this month, I made this card:

  Supplies:
Stamps:  Rock Out Freddie (I Brake For Digis), sentiment (CatScrapFever Designs)
Paper:  black cardstock (SU!), green cardstock (Recollections), white cardstock (Wausau Exact Index 110#), digital patterned papers (Summertime Designs)
Tools & Embellishments:  Ribbon (Michaels), Craft Robo, glitter (dollar store), pencil crayons (Crayola, Roseart), oms

I created the sentiment in PSPX and printed it out on white cardstock.  The little 4 leaf clover was cut on my CraftRobo and covered with green glitter.

Even though these challenges have "officially" ended, there is nothing to say you can't still join the challenge and create something for these challenges.  Give them a try. :)

That's it for today.  I'll be back tormorrow with some other projects I've been working on the last little while. :)

Talk to you later...

Cat 

Playing catch up! ADFD cards

Well, lets just say I still alive.  I've had a few things going on, but the one that's really put me off my stride in posting is my printer deciding it doesn't want to work anymore.  It would work for a little bit when I printed off test pages, and then when I wanted to print off my images to make cards, it wouldn't print.  So, I had no images to play with.  Its all worked out now and its life has been spared - for now.  So I'm going to post a couple cards here right away.  I've also decided that I'm not going to go into full detail on my cards anymore unless I use some really specific or complicated technique on my cards - which is usually not the case.  It was taking so much time to write up complete instructions that I was getting to the point that I didn't want to post. So, from now on, I will be just posting the supplies I used under the cards.

Here is a card from the new release for Feb 25/11.

Supplies:
Stamps:  Vintage School Girl (A Day For Daisies), sentiment (Create with TLC)
Paper:  Tempting Turquoise cardstock (SU!), black cardstock (SU!), white cardstock (Wausau Exact Index 110#), digital patterned paper (Energy kit - Summertime Designs)
Tools & Embellishments:  Corner punch (unknown manufacturer), rhinestones (Walmart), ribbon (Dollar Store), Photoshop shape, CraftRobo, Matte Medium (Liquitex), black embossing powder (Stampendous), white embossing powder (Stampendous)

There are only a few things that I did on this card out of the ordinary.  The image itself is digitally paper pieced with digital papers from Summertime Designs.  For the frame,  I used the shape from Photoshop and cut it out 4 times with my CraftRobo and glued them together so they would be the thickness of chipboard.  I then used black ink and black embossing powder on the shape.

TIP:  If you don't have any chipboard and want a piece the thickness of chipboard, cut/punch 4 or 5 pieces the same out of cardstock and glue them on top of each other and the piece will be almost exactly like chipboard.  You can then finish it with patterned paper or other techniques as you would with chipboard.

The second technique I used is something I found recently on Mel Stampz blog.  Its a technique & product used on your paper so that you can emboss images/sentiments printed off on your printer.  I never had luck embossing things, even trying to dump the powder on as it was coming out of the printer.  It just absorbed into the paper to quickly.  So, what you do is brush a light coat of matte medium onto your paper, let it thoroughly dry and then run it through the printer.  The matte medium prevents the ink from soaking into the paper.  You still have to work quickly to get the powder on the printout, but at least it gives you a couple seconds.  I have found that you do need to use high print quality settings and it doesn't always work for light colours.  To get the white on a black background (because you can't print in white), I just printed with black and then dumped white embossing powder on it.  Since it was black cardstock, the black ink doesn't show and just the white embossing shows up.

My next card is from this past Friday's new release.  These images are so sweet.

Supplies:
Stamps:  Butterfly Pony (A Day For Daisies), sentiment (Create with TLC)
Papers:  patterned paper (DCWV), light blue cardstock (Recollections)
Tools & Embellishments:  Floral Lace edge punch (Martha Stewart), rhinestone sticker (Michaels), ribbon (Michaels), waterfall glitter glue (Stickles), star dust glitter glue (Stickles), pencil crayons (Crayola, Roseart), oms

Have a great day everyone!
Cat

Until Blogger gets their issues fixed...

I'll have to settle for this template.  Hopefully, its not too hard on the eyes.  I might try a different colour scheme, but the layout is ok for now.

Come on Blogger - get your $h!t together!

Ack!!! My blog is still messed up...

And I can't seem to fix it.  There must be something wrong with blogger or they changed something because everytime I try to edit the HTML I get a stupid error.  I may have to go back to one of their templates until I can get it sorted out.  Bummer.

IBFD - Brakefast Club Challenge #15 - Bare or Bear

This week's challenge at  the BrakeFast Club is to create a card that either has a bear on it, or is bare - as in clean & simple.  I'm not feeling the clean and simple thing theses days, especially since I've been making a lot of flowers to put on everything, so I had to settle for a bear. :)  Here is the card I made for the challenge:

Supplies:
Stamps:  Buzzing Bee Bear (I Brake For Digis)
Papers:  Wausau Exact Index 110#, Recollections cardstock, Gratitude papers/digital scrapbooking kit (Summertime Designs), matte finish brochure paper (Staples)
Tools & Embellishments:  Waterfall & gold Stickles, home made flowers, CraftRobo, Copic markers, black sharpie marker, Scalloped Scallop edge punch (EK Success), Baby Kruffy font, small flower punch (Fiskars), small daisy punch (Fiskars)

I printed the image on Wausau cardstock and coloured it with my copic markers - pretty straight forward.  I double matted it; the first mat is cut from the digital papers I had printed out and then the bottom mat is from plain Recollections cardstock that I used the Scalloped Scallop edge punch on.  Luckily, I happened to get it lined up pretty much perfect and I had nice neat corner scallops on it.  The background paper is also a digi paper from the scrapbooking kit I printed out. The sentiment is lettering I cut on my Craft Robo using the Baby Kruffy font out of the same patterned paper I used to mat the image.  I also cut a mat for the lettering in white.  It didn't show up that well, so I took a black sharpie marker an outlined the letters, and now it stands out better and makes it look more like paper piecing.  Finally, I made the little flowers using a couple small Fiskars flower punches I had been neglecting.  I used gold stickles for the centre of the flowers.  The scrolls are Sizzix die images I recreated in my RoboMaster software and cut with my Craft Robo.  The final touch was to use Waterfall Stickles to highlight the bumble bee's flight path.

So, I don't think I really I accomplished bare with this card.  But, at least, I have a bear on it. :)

Take care and have a great weekend everyone!

Cat

A Day For Daisies First Ever BLOG HOP!!!

Hey everyone.  Its the ADFD first ever blog hop.  We're going to send you along an exciting trail to see some great works from the design team.  You have a week to work your way through all the blogs, so take your time and visit (& comment) along the way. :)

Make sure you leave a comment at each stop.  Anyone who leaves a comment at all the participant stops will be entered to win a set of images from the new releases today!  Yay! And they are fantastic as usual.  There are three sets to choose from.  Here's a peek of this week's new images:

Aren't they great!?  Don't forget that today also marks the start of a new challenge on the ADFD  blog - Very Vintage.  This is the card I made with the Vintage Rose Blooming image (available now in the ADFD shop).

Supplies:
Stamps:   Vintage Rose Blooming (A Day For Daisies), Hanging by a Thread set (stitching around edge - Technique Tuesday), How Do I Love Thee digital paper (CatScrapFever Designs)
Papers:  Recollections cardstock, Domtar coated 200# ivory cardstock (base), Matte finish brochure paper (Staples), Wausau Exact Index 110# (main image printed on this)
Tools & Embellishments:  CraftRobo, rhinestone corner sticker (Dollar Store), gold glitter glue (Studio G), homemade glimmer mist (DecoArts paint - Rich Espresso), crotchet ribbon (Dollar Store), ivory satin ribbon (Michaels), white Liquid Pearls, pencil crayons (Martha Stewart), oms, heat gun, black Stazon ink

The card itself is fairly simple in design.   However, the little embellishments are where all the work was.  I made the little roses out of scrap cardstock.  I researched about 50 different ways they were done on different tutorials and you-tube videos.  Once I figured I knew what I needed to do I created a cut file and cut them with my CraftRobo.  I sprayed some of my homemade glimmer mist onto a piece of sponge and sponged the edges of all the flower pieces, let them try, and then assembled the flowers. They really are easy and once I get my craft room cleaned up, I want to do up a little video tutorial to show you how easy they are.  The corner pieces were also cut on my CraftRobo.  (I found the cut file on ukscrappers.com.  They have thousands of free files there if you have a CraftRobo/Wishblade/Silhoulette.  Its a great resource for cutting files.)  Once cut from cream cardstock, I put gold glitter glue all over.  I was impatient and used my heat gun to dry the glitter glue and it made the glitter glue bubble which was kind of a happy mishap because it gave it a really cool texture that you can't see in the picture.  I hand cut the main image out after I coloured it using my Martha Stewart pencil crayons and oms. Again, I could have used my CraftRobo, but I already had the image printed, so I didn't want to reprint it with the cut&print feature on my CR because it uses more paper and I don't like to waste paper - even if it is fairly inexpensive.  The Nestability shapes were cut on my CR and I used my "faux nestability" templates to emboss the edges to make them look even more like the real thing.  I used my How Do I Love Thee valentine paper for the top layer just because it has a nice vintage look to it and it worked well with my colour scheme.  I used the sponge again with my homemade glimmer mist around the edges to give it a little distressed look and some glimmer.  I put small pearls on the scallops using white Liquid Pearls.

TIP:  To get the Liquid Pearls to dome properly without the little "horns", I flicked the backside of the paper gently and that gets rid of those pesky little "horns".

Once the Liquid Pearls was dry, I used pop dots to adhere the image to the centre of the nestability shapes, and pop-dotted the focal piece to the cardfront.

I should mention that I also used the sponge and glimmer mist around the edges of the "stitched" cardstock as well.  I love this colour of homemade glimmer mist - Rich Espresso.   The "stitching" was done with a stamp and black stazon ink.

If you're following along the path of the blog hop, you should have arrived here from the talented Candy's blog.  The next stop on the hop is the amazing Jen's blog.  Don't forget to leave your comments along the way to be entered for the grand prize. :)  If you miss a stop or get lost, you can head back to the ADFD blog and the list of participants for the blog hop will be posted there.

Have fun everyone!

Cat

Guess what's coming tomorrow!

ADFD first blog hop!  Yup, I'm excited.  I've never been part of a blog hop.  So, starting tomorrow, get on over to the ADFD blog and start hopping.  You'll have one week to finish the hop and at the end, there will be a draw from all the participants to win a set of images from the new release.  That's fantastic!  Looking forward to seeing everyone along the way. :)