My Little Unicorn

 

Challenge #260 has just gone live at  Time Out Challenges and this fortnight we challenge you to be 

Striped!

This challenge is generously being sponsored by Lawn Fawn and they are offering our Top Pick as chosen by the design teams a $25 credit to their store!  The Top Pick will also be invited to join Time Out as a guest designer in a future challenge!

Speaking of guest designers, we are joined this challenge by Karen our winner of Challenge 256!  If you're still stuck for ideas, Karen and the rest of the team have plenty of inspiration for you over on the Challenge Blog!

I cut a background panel from some candy stripe patterned paper, then cut an aperture using a WMS Pretty Circles die - which is exactly what I needed to provide a pretty focal space for my little unicorn scene and plenty of room for the stamped sentiment. 

I wanted to create a few of these unicorns for future projects (they're so darned cute) so I created a jig and cut some unicorns and fairies with Lawn Fawn A Little Sparkle Lawn Cuts from white card stock.  I then placed my jig in my stamping platform and aligned the matching stamps perfectly and stamped all the blanks I'd cut. 

I coloured the fairies' dresses and the unicorns mane, tail and hooves with some alcohol markers.  Then added a little sparkle with some glossy accents and glitter!

I stamped the sentiment from the set on the panel with black Memento ink and then again with Versamark (what would I do without a stamping platform) and embossed with a holographic embossing powder.

I wanted my aperture to be recessed, so I laid foam tape strips around the aperture and around the edges and a few other strategic places.  Then I cut some puffy clouds (Lawn Fawn Puffy Clouds Border) from some pink vellum and laid these across the base of the aperture so that they would be flat on the card base. Not sure why, but at the time I felt the sky should to be blue so I laid a circle of blue just large enough to cover the aperture and then attached the panel to the card base.  

Then I mounted my unicorn on a wobble spring and placed him on top of the clouds (which is why the clouds needed to be flat against the base) and placed the fairies around him.  Here he is in action

I'd like to enter My Little Unicorn into the following fabulous challenges

The Heart's Quest Fantasy Challenge #3 - Anything Fantasy Goes;

Cut It Up Challenge #300 - Happy Birthday;

We Love Stamping March Challenge - Feminine;

Dragonfly Dreams March Challenge - Circles;

Colourful Options March 2024 Challenge - Rainbow Option!

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you go away a little inspired!  Your comments are always appreciated and always bring me joy and if you do leave a comment, I’ll know you were here and how to find you!

Kate

Shake Your Tail Feather

 

If you read my last post you'll know I had one or two birds left over from false starts when creating a DT project for Challenge #259 at Time Out!

This is yet another bird!  But I noticed that Colour Hues Challenge #83 has a cream/blue theme and as this bird was cream and blue, I thought I'd have a go at making him into a card sooner rather than later ... I also needed a birthday card for my wonderful choir director hence the musical theme!

I used the same Spellbinder Cherry Blossom branch to give this little birdie somewhere to roost that I used for my last 2 birds ... what can I say it was already out and it remains one of my favourite branch dies despite being one of the first dies I ever bought!

I wanted to make this card a little special since it's going to someone very special so I mounted the birdie on a wobble spring which in turn gave me the idea for the sentiment!  I used the font "Are You Freakin' Serious" to create the sentiment and cut it with a speech bubble die from a Deco Time Set (which I've just realised is NBUS so I'd like to also enter NBUS Challenge #60)!

Here is the wobble spring in action!

I stamped the musical score background (Stempelwinkel) onto a piece of vellum.  I cut a frame using the two largest dies in the Pink Fresh Essentials Diagonal Stitched Rectangles set and laid it over the vellum score and trimmed the excess.  Then added this to the card base.  

Once I'd laid down the branch and my bird I added a smattering of quavers and the card was finished!

I'd also like to enter these fabulous challenges

The Card Concept Challenge #205 which has this lovely inspiration

The Four Seasons March Spring Challenge;

The Triple B (Birds/Blooms/Butterflies) March 2024 Challenge;

Crafty Animals Challenge #81!

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you go away a little inspired!  Your visits and comments are always a joy and always appreciated!  And if you leave a comment, I’ll know you were here and hopefully how to find you!

Kate

Bird Blessings

I had a few false starts last week with my DT project for Time Out Challenge #259 Birds of a Feather so I had one or two little birds left over!  

This little bird (Poppy Stamps Nordic Bird) was one of them!  I had made it up in Spring Colours so decided to make an Easter card for one of my sons.  

The background panel was an experiment with a background die (Poppy Stamps Double Diamond Lattice) and a rubber mat.  I quite liked the effect so cut it down with my guillotine to fit a card front.

I added a branch (Spellbinders Cherry Blossoms) and some leaves (Greetery Hey Cupcake).   I then built a nest using Gummiapan Witch Hazel branches cut into thirds and piled on top of each other and speckled some eggs (Poppy Stamps Whittle Chickens) with a fine point marker.

I had made the bird from snippets of a pale blue card stock and couldn't find any more of it - not even enough for this Easter sentiment (The Greetery)!  But this slightly deeper blue tones in well enough IMO and I also used it for the card base.   I bought the Easter sentiment last year and had almost forgotten I had it!  I spelt out "BLESSINGS" with this Tiny Gummiapan alphabet set.

I'd like to enter the following challenges

NBUS Challenge #60 - the bird and Easter sentiment die were NBUS;

The Card Concept #205 which has this lovely spring inspiration;

The Four Seasons March 2024 Challenge with this pretty inspiration;

The Triple B (Birds/Blooms/Butterflies) Challenge with this inspiration;

Traumfabrik #126  which has the film Chicken Run as it's inspiration but anything Easter Egg related will do a long as it's not a bunny;

AAA Card Challenges #261 - Spring Colours;

Inspire Me #530 - Happy Easter;

Krafty Chicks Challenge #708 CAS;

Papercraft Challenges #104 - Easter;

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Easter/Spring!

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you go away a little inspired!  Your visits and comments are always a joy and always appreciated!  And if you leave a comment, I’ll know you were here and how to find you!

Kate

 

Tartan Whimsy

 

A fairly quick card this fortnight for The Holly and the Ivy Christmas Challenge #159.   

I had 3 small snippets of designer paper that were just large enough for these little trees (Poppy Stamps Nordic Whimsy Trees).  The snowy sky panels was left over from a previous project and I found a pad of watercolour paper on a shopping expedition last week that had a lovely texture (and was a bargain to boot) and I used it for the snow bank (Lawn Fawn Cloud Borders).

I'd like to enter the Snippets Playground Challenge #476 - here are my snippets!

The trees are NBUS so I'd like to enter NBUS Challenge #60!

The theme for Christmas Craft Creations for March is Designer Paper

The current ABC Christmas Challenge theme is E for embossing, F for Faux, G for Gingerbread!  I've gone with faux - a faux stitched panel and a faux embossed snowbank.  

The Sparkles Christmas Challenge #158 has the theme Plaid or Tartan;

 I'd also like to enter these fab challenges

Merry Little Christmas Challenge #55 - Anything Christmas Goes;

Crafty Chicks Challenge #707 - Christmas;

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you go away a little inspired!  Your visits and comments are always a joy and always appreciated!  And if you leave a comment, I’ll know you were here and how to find you!

Kate

Toucan Do It!

Challenge #259 has just gone live at Time Out Challenges and this fortnight it's a theme challenge

Birds of a Feather

but it's an egg-stra special challenge because it's a collaboration challenge between the Time Out Challenge and the Just Us Girls Challenge

 

Both challenges are sharing the linkup so by entering the Time Out Linky you will automatically be visible on the Jugs Challenge Blog.  And your project may be showcased in either of the challenge blogs... or in both!  And of course both DT teams have prepared projects so there is twice the inspiration!

The challenge is being sponsored by Waffle Flower, and they are offering our Top Pick as chosen by the design teams a $25 credit to their store - no matter which challenge blog you enter through!

The Top Pick will also be invited to join Time Out as a guest designer in a future challenge!

Speaking of guest designers, we are joined this challenge by Jolanda Johnson of The Inquespot Studio.  Do drop by and say hi - Jolanda is a very talented crafter and her card making credentials are im-peck-able!

So, what are you wading for, get quacking!

I have a soft spot for birds and have so many bird dies and stamps (and cages and birdhouses and eggs and feathery dies and stamps) that my biggest problem was what to choose!  It took me days to decide and I may have one or two other birds lying around on my craft desk!

Luckily, I spotted this gorgeous colour inspiration at Colour Hues Challenge #82 which made me think tropical so I decided to go with this toucan die (Charlie and Paulchen) and create a little rainforest scene.

 

The die is NBUS so I'd like to enter my card into NBUS Challenge #60;

I'd also like to enter Snippets Challenge #475, the toucan pieces and monstera leaves are quite small and was able to cut them from snippets left over from previous projects - here are some of the snippets I used.  As you can see, I actually cut the toucan from pale blue and coloured him turquoise with alcohol markers.  I also added shading to the leaves with alcohol markers and distress ink blending.  The branches were also cut from snippets of brown.

This week Simon Says A Bit o' Green at the Simon Says Wednesday Challenge and I hope my leaves are enough of a bit!

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you go away a little inspired and I hope you have time to play cards with us this fortnight at Time Out!

Your comments are always appreciated and are always bring me joy and if you do leave a comment, I’ll know you were here and how to find you!

Kate

Not Even a Mouse

 

Time for a new challenge at The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge where we celebrate the Most Wonderful Time of the Year all year round.  I hope you can join us in getting Christmas cards made throughout the year and sparing that end of year rush!

This card features the lovely Waltzing Mouse 'Twas the Night Before Christmas stamp set and Waltzing Mouse Brogues die set (which I used for the border on either side).  The window featured in the set was designed to fit the Spellbinders Label 14 die.  I miss the wonderful Waltzing Mouse Stamps company a lot - Claire Brennan was such a brilliant stamp designer!

I added glossy accents to the window panes which you may be able to see better in this closeup.   I also added a wee mouse on the sill of the open window.  

I'd like to enter the following challenges

Merry Little Christmas Challenge #55 - Anything Christmas Goes;

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes;

Krafty Chicks Challenge #705 - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you go away a little inspired!  Your visits and comments are always a joy and always appreciated!  And if you leave a comment, I’ll know you were here and how to find you!

Kate

Tulip Trio

A friend asked if I could make a birthday card for a friend of hers turning 40.  Tulips are her favourite flowers so she wanted these included on the card.  

I was inspired by the mood board over at Inkspirational Challenge #310 (isn't it gorgeous)!

She chose this lovely tulip frame (Memory Box Tulip Trio) as the main image and I coloured the tulips to match the background paper.  I laid the tulip frame onto a piece of vellum and trimmed off the excess. Vellum adds such a lovely softness to a card front - I love using it but it's tricky to attach without the adhesive being seen.  I just hid the adhesive behind the frame and tulips.

I love this tiny alphabet from Gummiapan and I knew the matching number set would come in handy.  They're having their first outing with this card so I'd like to enter NBUS Challenge #60.

Add some flowers and a pretty soft palette and a feminine card comes together pretty quickly doesn't it!  As You Like it Challenge are asking What's Your Favourite - Masculine or Feminine?  Hands down feminine I'd have to say!

I'd also like to enter these fabulous challenges

Allsorts Challenge Week 770 - Spring;

Triple B (Birds, Blooms and Butterflies) Challenge for March;

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes;

Kraft Chicks Challenge #705 - Anything Goes;

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you go away a little inspired!  Your visits and comments are always a joy and always appreciated!  And if you leave a comment, I’ll know you were here and how to find you!

Kate