Japanese Paper Dolls

I made this card ages ago and I recently came across it; I think it is just too cute not to share and I hope you agree!  Now, I have had the die set for a while, but this is the first time I've used them - I hope that counts as something new for all of these challenges!

What I Used to Make my Card:
White Card Base 
Frantic Stamper Kokeshi Japanese Paper Doll Die Set, #FRA-DIE-10067
MSE! Stamp Set, Handwritten Sentiments, #Y500 {they sell on eBay now and this link will take you to the store}
Vanilla Card {for the faces}
Black Card {for the hair}

Silver & Gold Card {for the belts and accessories} 

Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black  
Patterned Paper

I am loving these "assembly" die sets; cut out a bunch of different pieces and parts and then go to town assembling your items - in this case these adorable dolls.  There honestly isn't much to say about the process, it is fairly cut and dry.  I enjoy bringing all the parts out in the living room and playing around while I watch TV.  I actually look forward to commercials!  Anyway, once all my dolls were assembled, I stamped the sentiment on the card and attached the cuties above and below.  There was a time when Asian everything was all the rage in crafting and I have papers, coins, newspapers, books and so much more left over from that time but I love the items so much I can't let them go yet! It was nice to use papers that I've had since, well, let's just say a long time ago.  

I forget I have this die set and seeing this card reminds me - I think I will make a friendship card with all the little dolls holding hands - how cute would that be? Stay tuned! I would appreciate it if you'd elect to follow me on any form of social media of your liking, all of the links are on the sidebar.  If you do, please let me know so I can follow you back! Thanks SO much for spending your time here with me, fondly, Christi

I am entering my card in the following challenges:
Allsorts - Something New
Less is More, #434 - Fashion and/or Accessories {I hope my card counts!} 
Moving Along with the Times, #126 - New
NBUS - January NBUS
UNIKO, #63 - Anything Goes
Happy Little Stampers Die Challenge - Anything Goes
Dies R Us, #161 - Anything Goes
Ellibelle's Challenge - Something Old/Something New {I've got both!}
The Sisterhood of Crafters - Die Cuts and/or Embossing Folders
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - Anything Goes w/ Patterned Paper

Best Wishes

When I found out that I was the winner of CropStop's Linky Party #39, I was thrilled.  It's always fun to win, even if it's just for fun.  But, not two days after my win, I received some beautiful embossing folders from them and an email asking me if I would like to be a guest designer on their blog! I'm very honored to be sharing my card with the gang at CropStop and all of you!
  

What I Used to Make my Card:
Square White Card, 5 1/4" x 5 1/4"
White Glitter Card
White Pearlescent Card
Sue Wilson Background Butterfly Frame, #CED-7105 {find all the Sue Wilson dies here}
My Sentiments Exactly! Best Wishes, from Wedding, #M106 {this stamp set will work just fine}
VersaMark Ink Pad {for the embossing}
Kaleidoscope Embossing Powder {Stampendous makes a nice one}
Colorbox Petal Point - Alchemy {any silver ink will work}
Dimensional Dots

You can see the sparkle a bit better here

I recently found out that an old friend was getting married, and while they are just doing a quickie ceremony at their local town hall, it inspired me to create a wedding card.  See, at my age, most folks are already married, or on their second and third marriages, so there isn't much call for wedding cards.  Which is why I purposely didn't put anything on the card about weddings or marriage, just a good old "Best Wishes" works for me.  I don't even know if I will send this card to him because he couldn't even give me a wedding date; I suppose I could always send it after.

Another Peek

I wanted the card to be elegant and sophisticated but still have the shine, glitter, and a taste of festivity.  I started the card by cutting the large background die and the top portion out of white shimmer card.  I glued the frame onto the square card.  Then I embossed the sentiment in the center of the top piece.  Next, I cut a square of white glitter card to go under the top of the card, attached the two pieces together, and used dimensional dots to attach that to the card.  That was really all there was to it.  I think it looks almost as good as a store bought card!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are entering the CropStop challenge as much as you can - the only product requirement is that you use a brand of die that they carry, and you can only enter five {5} times per challenge - that's it!  I hope to see YOU as the next Guest Designer!  Fondly, Christi

I would like to enter my Best Wishes Card in the following challenges:
Crafting with Friends - #71, Anything Goes
Southern Girls Challenge - M, Just a Bit Flash
Dies R Us - M, #100, Anything Goes
Card Mania - M, #106, Anything Goes

April Showers Bring May Flowers

For the theme this month at Stinkin' Inkers, April Showers Bring May Flowers {use flowers}, I decided to use some Tim Holtz background stamps and I had so much fun making the first one, that I made a twofer!  While it did take some time to make the "Birthday Wishes" card, I adore how it came out and it was worth the effort.  For the other one, who doesn't like rainbows?  To make it easier to describe each card, I've divided the cards by the sentiment but here is a picture of the two cards:

What I Used to Make my Card {Birthday Wishes}
White Card Base
Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous, Vines and Roses Stamp, #CMS298
Tim Holtz/Sizzix Labels, #660060
My Sentiments Exactly!, Handwritten Sentiments, #Y500
Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black
Clean Color Markers
MISTI

I made this card first.  I wanted to color each individual part of the stamp a different color to mimic a painting.  I started with the leaves on the stamp and I used the Clean Color Markers in two shades of green.  First I used the light green and then I used the darker green to give the leaves some depth.  Then I colored the flowers using two shades of pink, again starting with the lighter shade and using the darker shade last.  It took a while to get the colors as vibrant as I wanted; the key to this technique is keeping the stamp on the MISTI in the same place for all the stamping.  I even cleaned the stamp between colors without taking it off.  Since the markers I used are water color, I just used a baby wipe in between colors.  

Once the background was done, I trimmed it down and mounted it on a white card base.  The sentiment was stamped on a piece of white scrap, using black ink, then cut out using a die from the Labels set.  Lastly, I attached the sentiment to the card.   

I am entering my Happy Birthday card in the following challenges:
Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
Inspiration Destination - #149, Anything Goes
Everybody Art Challenge - #424, Floral Greetings
Happy Little Stampers - M, May, Watercolor Challenge















What I Used to Make my Card {Thinking of You}
White Card Base
Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous, Vines and Roses Stamp, #CMS298
Tim Holtz Crazy Talk, #CMS236
Tim Holtz/Sizzix Labels, #660060
Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black
Kaleidacolor Ink Pad, Spectrum
MISTI

It was much easier to make the Thinking of You card.  All I did was ink up the stamp using a Kaleidacolor ink pad and stamped it onto some white card.  I trimmed down the stamped background and attached it to the card base.  The sentiment was stamped in black and cut out using one of the dies in the Labels set and then attached to the card.  

Picture from Simon Says Stamp

If you don't have this stamp set, it comes with two different background stamps and both are very pretty.  You can also purchase the other pattern {the one I didn't use to make these cards} as a mounted stamp from Stampers Anonymous, #X1-2994, called Roses.  But, for a few dollars more, you get both background stamps and they are cling mount to work with your stamping system.





I am entering my Thinking of You card in the following Challenges:
The Paper Girls - #150, Rainbows
Not Just Cards - M, April - Anything Goes
Always Fun Challenges - #56, Flowers
Crop Stop - M, April - Anything Goes, Spring
Creates and Makes - M, April, Anything Goes
Everybody Art Challenge - #424, Floral Greetings
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

I hope my cards inspire you to join in the fun at Stinkin' Inkers; after all, who doesn't have a few flower stamps in their collection? And you can use those wonderful flower embellishments that have been hanging around, like I did in last year's Stinkin' Inkers April challenge, which was our very first one.  Thank you for hanging in for the long haul, I know this post was a bit long and I truly appreciate your support.  Fondly, Christi

Merry Christmas Wreath

One of my favorite things is when I can stretch my crafting supplies - I love it when I can make something intended for something else, another holiday or project and shape it into something entirely different.  Today I am sharing a card I made with what I'd call a spring die, after I turned it into a holiday die.

What I Used to Make my Card:
Red Card Base
Small Fairytale Oval, Memory Box, #99172 {Calla Oval Wreath will work also!}
Poinsettia Mini, PoppyStamps, #1971 {could use this poinsettia set}
Stitched Oval Stax, MFT/Die-Namics, #MFT-521
Sentiment, Merry Christmas, My Sentiments Exactly! #G545
Wendy Vecchi Ink in Red Geranium
White and Green Card
Red Glitter Card
Stickles in Gold

I got the idea for this card after I spied the Poinsettia dies in the Dies R Us store.  I had to have them and the flower is so tiny and cute, I hope to be able to incorporate it into some other projects.  First, I cut the Small Fairytale Oval out of green card.  Then I set to work on the poinsettias.  I cut each layer out of red glitter card {there are three layers to each flower}, glued them together, then added the gold stamen.  The gold Stickles came out really dark and I was thinking I might have to make the flowers all over again, but once it dried it was fine. 

Once the poinsettia flowers were dry, I added them to the Small Fairytale Oval.  I trimmed some of the green flora to accommodate the flowers and also the

sentiment. The sentiment I chose fit just so even after I trimmed the inside of the oval a bit, so in order to ensure that I'd get the Merry Christmas in the right spot I taped the oval with washi tape around the sentiment while I glued it.  You can see the washi tape right under the ink; I used a scrap piece of white card since I knew I was going to cut the entire design out again.  Before I go further, I have to gush about the Red Geranium Wendy Vecchi ink.  In my opinion, it is the truest red ink I've found.  You may not be able to tell with the sentiment being so thin, but it is the only ink I use on my holiday projects that call for red ink.  Plus, it's archival so it dries permanent on most surfaces and it's waterproof.  I don't care for tomato red or orange reds when I need a true deep red.  Enough about the ink. 

When the oval dried around my sentiment, I cut it out using one of the Stitched Oval Stax dies and adhered it to a red card base.  This is all part of my attempt to be a bit more clean and simple with my card designs.  I hope you enjoyed my tutorial and are enjoying the holiday season! 

I do hope you will continue to join us at the Dies R Us Inspiration blog - we are there through the holidays with tons of brilliant inspiration! Fondly, Christi

Don't forget to join in on all the fun at the Dies R Us Challenge Blog.  

There's  a new challenge theme offered on the 1st and 15th of each month

 and one lucky  randomly drawn winner will receive a gift voucher prize to 

the Dies R Us Store.  For your convenience, all the important Dies R Us 

links are provided below.

click below for:

STORE
CHALLENGE BLOG
FACEBOOK
INSPIRATION BLOG

FRIENDS OF DIES R US PINTEREST PAGE

I am entering my Merry Christmas Wreath card in the following challenges:

Muse:Christmas Visions - ANY Holiday Card, #90

Happy Little Stampers Christmas - Anything Goes

Outlaws Twisted Thursday - Anything Goes, Twist: Poinsettia 

Die Cut Diva's -Winter Time

The Artistic Stamper - Christmas

Lost Coast Portal to Creativity - #43, Christmas/Winter

Incy Wincy - Red & Green