Celebrate Liberty

Hi my friends.  Happy Monday.  This is my final assignment for the Squigglefly design team.  It's hard to believe it's been six months already. 

With Independence Day just a week away, our challenge this week is Red, White & Blue.  I'm using sketch challenge #338 on SCS for my layout.  I decided to make my card using Fancy Flowers, again.  This set is so versatile.  Although I have flowers on my card, they have been made with a leaf image.  I colored the images with copic markers and then cut them out.  The flower centers are punched with SU's itty bitty punch pack.  I layered three together, so they are raised a bit from the flower petals.  All the faux piercing is done with black marker. 

For the partial circles, I traced around a CD and a cream cheese container. 

The sentiment is computer generated, punched with an oval punch and edged with copic marker. 

We'd love to have you play along with the challenge this week. Although you may use any images on your creation to enter the challenge, in order to qualify for the prize you must use at least one Squigglefly image! You may combine SF images with non-SF images to qualify! If you don't have any Squigglefly images, there are many to choose from, or help yourself from the FREEBIES available.  Be sure to also check out all the new images.

You have until Sunday evening to upload your new creation to your blog or any on-line photo gallery. Please use SFC104 in your keywords.

Please add a DIRECT link to your project in the InLinkz box on the SF blog, so we can find it -- (new creations only and no back-linking please!). If you have more than one entry, link each one separately.

The winner will be announced at the same time the new challenge post comes up next Monday, so be sure to check back to see if you are a winner!

Be sure to stop over at the Squigglefly blog to see what the rest of the design team has done for today's challenge.

Thanks so much for stopping by. Have a wonderful week. 

SFC102 a masculine birthday

Happy Monday, my friends.  I hope you had a wonderful weekend.  It's time for another Squigglefly challenge over on their blog.  Today's challenge (SFC102) is to make masculine cards.

I started by using an image from Monogram Frames Set and stretched it out from a square to a rectangle that would fit my card.  I also typed the sentiment on my computer using Impact font and printed it in blue.  I trimmed them both and added black marker along the edge of the sentiment rectangle, as well as some tiny photo corners (EK Success punch).  The dots on the corners are made with a black marker.  The center rectangle is raised on dimensional tape.

We'd love to have you play along with the challenge this week. Although you may use any images on your creation to enter the challenge, in order to qualify for the prize you must use at least one Squigglefly image! You may combine SF images with non-SF images to qualify! If you don't have any Squigglefly images, there are many to choose from, or help yourself from the FREEBIES available.  Be sure to also check out all the new images.

All proceeds from this cute little Fairy Klara by artist Jane Beljo will go http://www.one-happy-mama.com/2011/05/fundraiser-for-hope.html, a fundraiser for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.  View the full image at Squigglefly.com.

You have until Sunday evening to upload your new creation to your blog or any on-line photo gallery. Please use SFC102 in your keywords.

Please add a DIRECT link to your project in the InLinkz box on the SF blog, so we can find it -- (new creations only and no back-linking please!). If you have more than one entry, link each one separately.

The winner will be announced at the same time the new challenge post comes up next Monday, so be sure to check back to see if you are a winner!

Be sure to stop over at the Squigglefly blog to see what the rest of the design team has done for today's challenge.

Thanks so much for stopping by. Have a wonderful week.

Squigglyfly challenge #100

Happy Monday, my friends. The challenges on the Squigglefly blog have reached #100 - Triple Digits!

For my card, I first printed a piece of digital paper from ComputerScrapbook.com (girls night out), and then printed flowers from Squigglefly set Fancy Flowers (can you tell I like this set?) on the same paper. There may be an easier way to to that, but my computer skills are somewhat limited, so I just do what I know how to do.

I cut out the flowers and then used some of the scraps to die cut with my Doily Pendants die from Spellbinders and sponged the edges of both the flowers and the die cuts with cherry cobbler ink. In between the flowers and the die cuts, I put 1-3/8" circles of ivory cardstock, with the flowers raised on dimensional tape.

I punched fancy photo corners and added a few dots with a black marker.

I printed the sentiment on my computer and to go with the theme of threes, I printed 'laugh' three times. I cut the words out and backed them with more scraps from the digi paper. I attached them with dimensional tape.

As I looked at what I thought was my completed card, I realized that it needed something to 'pull it together' a bit, so I added a meandering dotted line with my black marker. Kind of a fun way to fill in the blank areas.

We'd love to have you play along with the challenge this week. Although you may use any images on your creation to enter the challenge, in order to qualify for the prize you must use at least one Squigglefly image! You may combine SF images with non-SF images to qualify! If you don't have any Squigglefly images, help yourself from the FREEBIES available.

You have until Sunday evening to upload your new creation to your blog or any on-line photo gallery. Please use SFC100 in your keywords.

Please add a DIRECT link to your project in the InLinkz box on the SF blog, so we can find it -- (new creations only and no back-linking please!). If you have more than one entry, link each one separately.

The winner will be announced at the same time the new challenge post comes up next Monday, so be sure to check back to see if you are a winner!

Be sure to stop over at the Squigglefly blog and check out what the rest of the design team has done with today's challenge.

Thanks so much for stopping by. Have a wonderful week.

Just peachy

Hi my friends. It's time for another Squigglefly challenge (SFC96 - Spring Showers/May Flowers) on the Squigglefly blog.

With Spring comes rain! And of course the rain helps bring out all of those gorgeous flowers! So incorporate "May flowers" on your creation for this challenge...paper flowers, make your own flowers or use a SF image that incorporates flowers on it! Most importantly, have fun!!

Although you may use any images on your creation to enter the challenge, in order to qualify for the prize you must use at least one Squigglefly image! You may combine SF images with non-SF images to qualify! If you don't have any Squigglefly images, help yourself from the FREEBIES available.

You have until Sunday evening to upload your new creation to your blog or any on-line photo gallery. Please use SFC96 in your keywords.

Please add a DIRECT link to your project in the InLinkz box on the SF blog, so we can find it -- (new creations only and no back-linking please!). If you have more than one entry, link each one separately.

The winner will be announced at the same time the new challenge post comes up next Monday, so be sure to check back to see if you are a winner!

For my card, I used a new image called Peach, which I printed in two sizes, colored with copic markers and cut out.

For the background, I used a Spellbinders impressabilities (silhouette flowers) as a stencil and sponged groovy guava ink over it onto some patterned paper. I tied some black crochet cotton around the cardstock and then attached the two pieces with dimensional tape.

The sentiment is from Smell the Flowers set and the leaves are from Fancy Flowers. Both were colored with copic markers. I ran a black marker along the edges of the sentiment piece instead of adding another layer of cardstock there.

The flower is hand crocheted, with a large brad as the center, and the leaves are just tucked underneath.

Be sure to stop over at the Squigglefly blog and check out what the rest of the design team has done with today's challenge. And then hop on over to Squigglefly.com to check out the newest images.

Thank you so much for stopping in today. Have a blessed week.

SFC94 the Squigglefly Workout

Hi my friends. As I was typing up this post very late Friday night, almost finished, I hit the backspace key and the entire post disappeared. Grrrrr.... not happy, but I was just too tired to try again before I got some sleep first, especially since it will be set to post on Monday morning.

It's another new challenge on the Squigglefly blog - SFC94 - the Squigglefly Workout. Nope..not an ACTUAL physical workout silly!

Show us how much you love your Squigglefly digital images by picking YOUR favorite way to use them...

print them out and color with Copics
combine images together
make your own background paper
use paper piecing
or some other creative way that you know how to use digital images...

Squigglefly style that is!!

Although you may use any images on your creation to enter the challenge, in order to qualify for the prize you must use at least one Squigglefly image! You may combine SF images with non-SF images to qualify! If you don't have any Squigglefly images, help yourself from the FREEBIES available.

You have until Sunday evening to upload your new creation to your blog or any on-line photo gallery. Please use SFC94 in your keywords.

Please add a DIRECT link to your project in the InLinkz box on the SF blog, so we can find it -- (new creations only and no back-linking please!). If you have more than one entry, link each one separately.

The winner will be announced at the same time the new challenge post comes up next Monday, so be sure to check back to see if you are a winner!

On my card I used a new image (beautiful butterfly) with an older image from flowers set. I colored the images with copic markers and added some white highlights with a gel pen. I punched one edge of the floral piece with a lace doily Martha Stewart punch and added several more punched layers beneath it.

I cut out the butterfly and glued it down, with some dimensional tape underneath the wings for a little dimension. Since I'm not so good at detail cutting around the antennae, I almost always just trim them off. I just used a black marker to redraw them on this card.

The sentiment is from Stampendous, stamped in black ink. The 'brads' are faux - just 1/8" circles punched from black cardstock.

Be sure to stop over at the Squigglefly blog and check out what the rest of the design team has done with today's challenge. And then hop on over to Squigglefly.com to check out the newest images.

Thank you so much for stopping in today. Have a blessed week.

SFC93 fabric & stitching

Hi my friends. It's time for another challenge on the Squigglefly blog. This week's challenge is to use fabric or stitching on your project.

Although you may use any images on your creation to enter the challenge, in order to qualify for the prize you must use at least one Squigglefly image! You may combine SF images with non-SF images to qualify! If you don't have any Squigglefly images, help yourself from the FREEBIES available.

You have until Sunday evening to upload your new creation to your blog or any on-line photo gallery. Please use SFC93 in your keywords.

Please add a DIRECT link to your project in the InLinkz box on the SF blog, so we can find it -- (new creations only and no back-linking please!). If you have more than one entry, link each one separately.

The winner will be announced at the same time the new challenge post comes up next Monday, so be sure to come back to see if you are a winner!

For my card I used an image called Ice Cream Cones by Alecia Blake, another new Squigglefly artist. I colored my image with prismacolor pencils and gamsol. Then I die cut the image using Spellbinders labels two, but cut off the top and bottom. I faux stitched around the edge with a black marker and then layered with black and trimmed the edges with scissors to keep the shape of the die cut. I punched some holes with my cropadile and threaded some fabric through the holes.

The card base is white and I traced a CD on the back of some designer paper and cut it out. I cut it into two pieces and put one on each end of the card. I then trimmed off any that extended beyond the card. Again I faux stitched around the edges.

The main image piece is attached with dimensional tape. The sentiment is computer generated, colored with a copic marker and punched out with my word window punch.

The buttons are from Stitched With Love, a Squigglefly digital image by Nina Brackett. I colored them with copic markers and popped them up on the card as well.

Be sure to stop over at the Squigglefly blog and check out what the rest of the team has done today. And then be sure to check out the newest images over at Squigglefly.com.

Thank you so much for stopping in today.

SFC92 they're only words

Happy Monday morning, my friends. Today is a new challenge on the Squigglefly blog. Today's challenge is SFC92 - They're Only Words. That means we want to see some "wording" on your creation. Whether it's a single quote, background papers with wording like a dictionary collage, newsprint papers, a page from an old book, or adding a "word balloon", etc. to your creations... you get the idea, right?

Although you may use any images on your creation to enter the challenge, in order to qualify for the prize you must use at least one Squigglefly image! You may combine SF images with non-SF images to qualify! If you don't have any Squigglefly images, help yourself from the FREEBIES available.

You have until Sunday evening to upload your new creation to your blog or any on-line photo gallery. Please use SFC92 in your keywords.

Please add a DIRECT link to your project in the InLinkz box on the SF blog, so we can find it -- (new creations only and no back-linking please!). If you have more than one entry, link each one separately.

The winner will be announced at the same time the new challenge post comes up next Monday, so be sure to come back to see if you are a winner!

On my card, I used a stamp set called Faith, Love, Hope. I wanted the bird to be facing both directions, so I printed Hope frontwards and backwards and cut the birds off.

To get the word Love on the hanging sign (which is a Sizzix die by Tim Holtz), I first printed it on cardstock and then traced the die cut on the back, so I could line it up on the die in the correct position. I'm happy to say that it worked the first time. But then I'm not above marking lines on my dies with white gel pen. Whatever works.

I colored the images with copic markers. For the woodgrain, I used direct to paper technique and dragged my ink pads across the paper. I used creamy caramel, more mustard, really rust, and chocolate chip ink. I didn't need to add sponging on the edges, because that happened just from dragging the ink across the die cut. I wanted the word to be a little bit brighter, so I colored over the copic marker with red colored pencil.

To make the card base look like siding on a house, I drew lines with a marker every half inch. I made a sign post with black cardstock. The sign bracket is embossed two times with clear UTEE, to give it a nice glossy finish and make it look like a metal bracket. I attached the bracket, sign and birds with dimensional tape. Then I used some hemp to tie the sign onto the bracket.

I'm really happy with the way this turned out. It was exactly what I was going for. That doesn't happen very often.

Be sure to stop over at the Squigglefly blog and check out what the rest of the team has done today. And then be sure to check out the newest images over at Squigglefly.com.

Thank you so much for stopping in today.

new artists today

Good morning, my friends. Happy Saturday. Today is another release of new images at Squigglefly.com. But today you're going to see some images from three artists who have just joined the Squigglefly team --

Paulette Rich Long
Nate Owens
Diane Knott

Be sure to stop over at Squigglefly to see what they have to offer.

I have a card today using a digital wishing well image. I colored this with copic markers and sponged the edges with vintage photo distress ink. I added a layer of chocolate chip cardstock and then tied some hemp on for an accent. I decided to try some designer paper for a background and was really happy with how this green one from scenic route really brought the image to life.

Thanks for dropping in today. Have a wonderful weekend.

new artists coming

Hi my friends.

Squigglefly is super excited to introduce THREE NEW ARTISTS! They all
make their debut on Squigglefly this Saturday. We think you'll love
their work.

Paulette Rich Long
Nate Owens
Diane Knott

and more new talent coming soon!

Be sure to check the Squigglefly website on Saturday to see the first images from these new artists.

My card today uses Flowers Set by Lynn Stansbery. I printed two copies of the daisies, colored them with copic markers and then cut them out -- even the leaves and stems -- yup, crazy... lol. Seriously, my coloring sometimes gets a bit messy -- especially when I doze off with an open marker in my hand (*snort*) -- and it becomes necessary to cut things out. Anyway, cutting out the flowers allows a bit of rearranging, which makes me happy. The flower closest to the bottom is adhered with dimensional tape.

My background piece is created by stamping Sanded (SU) in more mustard, then Print Pattern (SU), also in mustard, and French Filigree (SU) in tea dye distress ink. Then I used a tiny butterfly (A Muse) to randomly add a bit of tempting turquoise. I stamped the butterfly off once to get a lighter color on the background.

Thank you for stopping by today. Have a wonderful day.

pushing my buttons

Hi my friends. Today is another challenge on the Squigglefly blog. It's called SFC90 - Pushing my Buttons. That means we want to see buttons on your creation.

Although you may use any images on your creation to enter the challenge, in order to qualify for the prize you must use at least one Squigglefly image! You may combine SF images with non-SF images to qualify! If you don't have any Squigglefly images, help yourself from the FREEBIES available.

You have until Sunday evening to upload your new creation to your blog or any on-line photo gallery. Please use SFC90 in your keywords.

Please add a DIRECT link to your project in the InLinkz box on the SF blog, so we can find it -- (new creations only and no back-linking please!). If you have more than one entry, link each one separately.

The winner will be announced at the same time the new challenge post comes up next Monday, so be sure to come back to see if you are a winner!

My card showcases an older set called Smell the Flowers. All the images on my card, including the sentiment, are from this set.

I colored the images with a combination of sponging and copic markers. I decided to use the stem image a little differently than normal and place it on its side.

I added white dots with a gel pen to the large flower and cut it out. The leaves are also cut out. I popped up the flower on dimensional tape. The flower center is a black button with a rhinestone added in the middle. All the buttons are from my very large stash.

Be sure to stop by the Squigglefly blog and check out the other design team samples.

We'd love to see your creations, so be sure to join in the challenge each week.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Have a great week.

cards for spring

Hi my friends. It's nice and sunny this morning, but still pretty cold. A lot of the snow has melted. In some ways I'll be happy to see the end of winter, because I love the newness and freshness of spring, but I really like having four seasons. God's handiwork is displayed in so many different ways in each season.

I just wanted to tell you about a chance to win over on the Squigglefly blog this week.

Purchase & Win!

Make a purchase this week (3/12 - 3/19 midnight) and be entered to win one of three prizes! For each image purchased, you'll be entered to win - make two purchases, your name will be entered twice, three purchases, your name will be entered three times - the more purchases, the more chances you have to win!

We'll draw three names to win:

• First prize: Your choice of $25 worth of Squigglefly images
• Second prize: Your choice of $15 worth of Squigglefly images
• Third prize: Your choice of $10 worth of Squigglefly images

The winner will be announced on the blog on Sunday, 3/20!

And now I'll leave you with a couple of bright spring cards.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonder-filled day.

double inspiration

Hello my friends. I do have to tell you that my daughter loved the card I made her (see my last post).

Today I made two cards for the inspiration challenge on SCS. I found a couple of things on the selected sight that I just loved and knew that I'd be able to use a couple of new dies that I just got from cheery lynn designs.

The first card was inspired by this wonderful lacy shoe. The lacy leather reminded me of doilies, and one of the dies called French Pastry looks just like a doily, so it was perfect. I pulled out some chocolate cardstock and die cut the doily. These dies are just gorgeous, but they are very, very detailed and require a lot of work punching out all the tiny little holes. But to me it's worth the effort.

To accent the chocolate, I decided to use a card base of groovy guava, sponged with cherry cobbler. Then I die cut a lacey circle from ivory cardstock and stamped filigree (SU) in groovy guava on it. I sponged the edges with the same ink.

The flowers are a digital image called Flowers Set from squigglyfly, which I colored with copic markers and cut out. I wanted a little more color on the flowers, so I sponged the edges with cherry cobbler ink. The leaves are from all natural (SU), stamped on certainly celery and then I pretty much changed the color with some copic markers and sponged the edges with always artichoke. Then I tucked them in behind the flowers.

The sentiment is from A Muse, stamped in cherry cobbler.

My second card is based on this beautiful butterfly bracelet. I started with some very old textured gold wrapping paper. Since it curls rather stubbornly and is really difficult to straighten out, I glued it to some cardstock with tacky glue to make it easier to work with. I then die cut it with my Oriental Butterfly doily die. I also took a strip of the gold and scored it using my Scor-Pal to imitate the bracelet band. I wanted to make the gold look more vintage, so I painted over it with black acrylic paint and then lightly wiped over it with a paper towel to remove the paint from the surface, but not the grooves or the texture.

Using a black card base, I added a red oval behind the butterfly, some red ribbon and a red jewel for accents.

Thank you so much for stopping by today.

It's good to be Queen

Hi my friends. This morning begins a new challenge over on the Squigglefly blog. The new challenge for this week is:

SFC88 - Grateful for Green!

Since this is our first challenge for March...what better way to celebrate Spring coming than with GREEN!! So make a monochromatic green style creation and show everyone what green means to you!

Although you may use any images on your creation to enter the challenge, in order to qualify for the prize you must use at least one Squigglefly image! You may combine SF images with non-SF images to qualify! If you don't have any Squigglefly images, help yourself from the FREEBIES available.

You have until Sunday evening to upload your new creation to your blog or any on-line photo gallery. Please use SFC88 in your keywords.

Please add a DIRECT link to your project in the InLinkz box on the SF blog, so we can find it -- (new creations only and no back-linking please!). If you have more than one entry, link each one separately.

The winner will be announced at the same time the new challenge post comes up next Monday, so be sure to come back to see if you are a winner!

My card today showcases a newly released image called Delighted by Lynn Stansbery. I colored the image with copic markers and die cut it with labels four and backed that with two green labels five die cuts from Spellbinders. I drew a black line around the white label to define it just a bit.

Another layer of green galore with rounded corners sits on the white card base.

For the crown, I glued a piece of aluminum foil onto a piece of chipboard, colored it with a green copic marker, and then die cut it with my new Tim Holtz Heart Wings Sizzix die.

I printed the words from my computer and just cut them free hand, then glued them to black cardstock and cut again.

Of course, we all know that royalty needs some jewels, so I added some green rhinestones.

Be sure to stop by the Squigglefly blog and check out the other design team samples. Also head over to Squigglefly.com to see all the newly released images.

We'd love to see your creations, so be sure to join in the challenge each week.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Have a great week.

a challenge for spring

Hello my friends. There is a new challenge for this month over at Splitcoaststampers. It's called Spotted Canary Spring Challenge. It lasts all month long. You can enter as many projects as you want and there will be a random drawing for a $500 prize package of EK Success products. How cool is that.

Today, I made two cards for this challenge.

The first one uses some digital images from Squigglefly called fancy flowers. I colored them with copic markers and then sponged the edges just a bit with vintage photo distress ink. Layered behind the flowers are circles (spellbinders) in mustard and black and a floral doily motif (spellbinders) cut from celery cardstock. I wanted the celery to match the leaves better, so I just used a copic marker to color over it and changed the color.

For the card base, I tried a lot of different colors before deciding on the one I used (somewhere between green and yellow). It's from a pack of cardstock that I purchased at a local stamp convention.

The sentiment is from SU. And the brads are just punched out black cardstock.

The image on the second card is from Paper Inspirations. I colored it with old olive and tangerine tango markers and then huffed on the stamp to remoisten the ink and stamped on white cardstock. I added a little bit of black in the centers of the flowers.

The card base is kraft stamped with lattice background (cornish heritage farms) in white craft ink. The remaining layers are black, dusty durango and groovy guava. Some faux stitching completes the card.

Thank you so much for stopping in today.

dancing divas

Good Monday morning, my friends. More snow here. Yesterday was a mix between snow, sleet, rain, etc. all day long. Really kept us guessing. But this morning, it's just snow. I had planned to go visit my sister today and enjoy some crafting fun, but I'm gonna be wimpy and stay home, safe and warm.

Today is another challenge (SFC86 - Digital Delights!) over on the Squigglefly blog, and the design team is showcasing some of the newest images. (Sorry I'm a bit late getting my post up. I hit the off button on the alarm this morning and then promptly fell back asleep. With my limited computer knowledge, I haven't yet figured out how to set my blog to auto post. I guess I need to work on that. )

The title of the challenge is "Digital Delights!"
What does that mean you ask?....We are putting emphasis on the letter "D" today! When making your creation, be sure to use/add something that starts with the letter "D" (besides digital image of course as that's a given!) So use things like dots, decorative papers, dew drops, doily, deco paint...you get the idea, right?! So get out those delightful digital Squigglefly stamps and get creating! DOH!:)

**You don't *have* to use a Squigglefly image, but in order to qualify for a prize you MUST use one. You can also combine SF images with non-SF images to qualify too! Don't have one? Then try looking at the FREEBIES section and use one of those!**

My card uses Little Bunny Foo Foo. For my "D", I used some designer paper and decided to make my bunnies dancing, hence the title.

I cut out the bunnies and added just a touch of pink copic marker to their ears and noses. For the tutus, I gathered some mint green, lavender, and coral lace with a running stitch and then pulled the thread tight. I just tucked the threads underneath when I adhered the lace to the bunnies. I gave each bunny a rhinestone earring, as well.

The background is stamped in several colors with one small flower. The top strip of designer paper is punched with a doily edge punch from Martha Stewart and then I added a few rhinestones. The green strip near the bottom is ribbon.

Thanks for visiting today. Be sure to head on over to the Squigglefly blog and check out what the rest of the design team as made. Then grab your digital images and make a card for the challenge.

making the rounds

Happy Monday, my friends. How about those Super Bowl winning Packers? That was quite an exciting game. And of course, I'm glad they won. We watched the game at my son's apartment, where his roommate has the living room set up like a theater. The screen takes up a whole wall.

Today is another challenge on the Squigglefly blog, called 'making the rounds'. You have to use at least one circle on your card. I used a new image set called Monogram Frames and combined it with an older set called Flower Set.

My card base is black, with a layer of groovy guava, which was partially embossed with Swiss Dots embossing folder. Then I embossed two lines with my ScorPal. The sentiment is a new set from SU.

After printing the frame, I die cut a circle from the center using a nestabilities circle from Spellbinders. I placed a larger black circle behind the opening. I cut the frame out, just following the shape.

I printed several flower images and colored with copic markers and then cut them out. I arranged them in a grouping with some of the leaves. The one in the front is raised on dimensional tape. The entire frame/floral unit is also raised on dimensional tape.

For a final touch, I added some diamond stickles on the flower centers.

You're invited to hop on over to the Squigglefly blog and play along with the challenge. While you're there, be sure to check out the sampes made by design team.

Thanks for stopping by today. Have a wonder-filled week.

Melody

Sepia & a new release

Good Monday morning to you, my friends. How about those Packers? While my husband watched the game, my daughter & I put together a 1000 piece puzzle. I just sorta kept one ear tuned into the game. She came over for lunch & wanted to do a puzzle, since it had been quite a while since either of us had put one together. It was a fun time together.

Since I teach a monthly technique class, I'm always looking for fun, yet easy techniques to teach, whether an old standby or something new. Recently I came across a technique called Sepia. That's pretty self-explanatory - brown tones like an old photo. Last weekend I tried it with the instructions given, but I just couldn't like how anything turned out, and I will not teach something that I'm not comfortable with or that has very inconsistent results. I don't mean that every piece has to look exactly the same, but rather, the end quality of the technique has to be consistent. So later this week, I decided to play around with the instructions again and see if I could change it to get better results. I'm pleased to say that it worked. Briefly, you stamp your image with timber brown stazon (or other permanent brown ink) and then paint with white pigment ink, and a light and dark brown dye ink.

My first card is a newly released digital image from Squigglefly, called 'I can hear the ocean'. The challenge this week on the Squigglefly blog is 'Living on the Edge'. Be sure to go check out all the designers cards and play along.

Before I printed the image, I adjusted the color a bit to get a brown instead of black (don't ask - I'm in no way an expert - I just played with the red & green a bit). Then I used the white and brown inks to color the image. I die cut it with a circle nestabilities die from Spellbinders and sponged the edge with browns. I added a cream circle and a lacey circle in chocolate behind the image. I painted over the shell with crystal effects, but it doesn't show up much in the photo.

The sentiment is from a set of words I bought years ago locally. I'm really bad at keeping track of what dp I have, so I don't know the manufacturer. There is a chocolate layer and the card base is creamy caramel.

My second card with the sepia technique uses all the same cardstock colors and inks. The image is from Fast & Fabulous (SU). The sentiment is from My Sentiments Exactly, and the background is made using Bella Toile & Linen (SU), with a lot of sponging involved.

I also used Spellbinders petite ovals and ribbon tags trio, along with some chocolate grosgrain ribbon and dimensional tape.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Have a wonder-filled week.

put your heart into it

Happy Monday morning, my friends. OK, I'm going to admit it -- I messed up! Royally! I posted images before I was supposed to. Not just ONCE (<--- click here), but TWICE (<--- click here)! Ouch! My knuckles are still stinging! I'm blaming it on my age and state of total confusion when you put 'NEW' and 'anything 'COMPUTER RELATED' in the same sentence! I'm completely new to digital images and this is my first design team ever! I sure hope they don't kick me off the team! (just kidding)

In an effort to redeem myself, I made another card for today's challenge on the Squigglefly blog. The challenge is SFC80 Put Your Heart Into It if you want to play along.

For my base layer, I used some digital designer paper from Computer Scrapbook called hello aunty. I sponged the edges with aged mahogany distress ink (Ranger). All the accent layers are bravo burgundy.

I used the same images as before. For the sentiment, I used love is friendship set to music. I lined up several in a row for a different look than just one. This is also sponged with aged mahogany. Then I set it at an angle.

I printed the flower tag really large and used my Spellbinders Classic Hearts to cut the shape. Then I colored it with copic markers and sponged aged mahogany around the edges. I adhered the heart with dimensional tape.

Three pearls (Kaiser craft) finish the card.

Be sure to check out the other design team blogs (you can access them here) and then play along with the challenge.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Have a wonder-filled week.

My first DT release

Exciting! Hi my friends. Today is the first release for me as a Squigglefly design team member. All of their images are digital, so they can be any size you choose. You can also flip them so they face the opposite direction. I'm sure there are other manipulations that you can do, but my computer savvy is pretty limited, so I haven't figured out anything else yet.

My first card uses two images - 'flower tag' and 'love is friendship set to music'. I printed them together. The image is colored with twinkling h2o's.

For the background, I ran a piece of white cardstock through my Alegro embossing folder and then spritzed lavender lace ink on it with my color spritzer tool.

I added some velvet and grosgrain ribbon to the tag and attached it with dimensional tape.

The little heart is made with an embosslit, which cuts and embosses at the same time. I ran a marker around the edge to define it a bit and sponged it lightly.

The purple rhinestone completes the card.

My second card is (are you ready?)... tangerine... again (haha -- see last post)!

I printed three of the tags in a smaller size and again colored with twinkling h2o's. Then I punched out a portion with a 1-3/8" square punch and backed them with black.

I used a flourish stamp from Inkadinkado, which I stamped in both tangerine tango and certainly celery. A strip of tangerine and black accent the flowers.

The sentiment is from Endless Creations.

Head on over to Squigglefly and check out the images.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Have a wonderful day.

a sneak peek

Hi my friends. My card today is a sneak peek of a digital image (sentiment) being released on January 8th over at Squigglefly. I also used some butterflies from Fancy Flowers, which is not a new set of images. I trimmed off the tails and just filled in the edge with a black marker. I sponged them with cherry cobbler ink and added some pearls for the bodies and some Atyou Spica highlights for a bit of glitz on the wings.

This was for a design team challenge 'put your heart into it'. I don't have any digital heart images, so I used a heart punch and die cuts. The heart is die cut from some old sheet music using Spellbinders hearts nestabilities.

The background is embossed with woodgrain embossing folder and sponged.

I added some dots with a white gel pen on the scallops and some tiny punched hearts on the sentiment piece and in the corners.

Thanks so much for stopping by today.