Love is in the Air with Paper Funday's February Challenge

Hello everyone! I'd like to take this time to announce that I am now on the Design Team of  The Paper Funday Challenge Blog which is a monthly challenge open to any and all papercrafts!  I am very excited to share my first creation for the month of February; our challenge is Anything Goes with the Option of Love is in the Air.  I chose to work with the option this month and here is my card:

What I Used to Make my Card:
White Card Base
Red Cardstock
Light Pink Cardstock
Simon Says Stamp Pawsome Love Stamp Set, #SSS102077
Simon Says Stamp Pawsome Love Die Set, #SSSD112094C
Simon Says Stamp Ornate Love Dies, #SET12180L {retired, I just used the heart die}
Gina Marie Designs Lacey Lattice Rectangle Dies 
Watercolor Paper {I use this}
Zig Clean Color Brush Markers
Gina K Amalgam Ink Pad in Obsidian Ink
Derwent Inktense Pencils
Stickles Glitter Glue in Christmas Red 

I've been finding that using colored pencils, watercolor or not, along with my Zig Clean Brush Markers allows me to color in designs better and I have much more fun when I am mixing mediums.  That is what I did with the images I used on this card; I stamped them, colored them, {I can't remember which I used first but I think it was the pencils} and then cut them out, and set them aside.  For a background, I used the lace lattice dies and red cardstock.  I had first used a clear dimensional gel on the heart balloons but for some reason as it was drying it cracked and while that look may be fine for some projects, it just didn't work for this one so I covered the clear dimensional gel with the Christmas Red Stickles and they came out nice and sparkly.  I stamped the sentiment onto light pink card and used a heart die to cut it out.  Lastly, I adhered all the pieces to the card base and here you have it!

I love how each of the kitties is different; I still have yet to master adding stripes to my cats without them looking silly, but I think these cats are adorable even without the stripes!  Now it is your turn to create a paper craft or two and enter it into our challenge; after all you have the entire month so I am positive you can make something and join in the fun{day}!  I hope you enjoyed my card!  I am hoping to see you soon!  Fondly, Christi

Sending Hugs Shaker Card

This card has been in the works for a while and it is actually a comedy of errors.  While I am pleased with the end result, the picture I had in my mind's eye was a little different.  Here is what I used and how I made the card {including what went wrong!}

What I Used to Make My Card:
White Card Base
Dark Pink Glitter Card
Various Shades of Pink Card
Birch Press Designs Adora Die Set, #56093
Birch Press Designs Big Hugs Sugar Script Die, #57138
Birch Press Designs Just Because Stamps, #CL8124 {retired but available}
Gina K Amalgam Ink Pad in Obsidian Ink
Thick White Card
Acetate
Shaker Material from Stash {lips sequins, red cup sequins, red seed beads}

I started this card because I wanted to make a shaker card using the beautiful Birch Press Design Dies, so I cut the three layered dies out of glitter and colored cardstock, then proceeded to make a base out of five or six cuts using only the bottom die.  I used a circle die to cut a piece of acetate, attached that to the top portion of the shaker and set the 2 pieces {the top and the stacked bottom} aside to dry.  When I went to assemble the shaker itself, I could not find the bottom stacked piece.  I don't know if you have ever made a shaker card this way, using a stacked piece, but it isn't difficult.  It is time consuming, especially using an intricate die such as this. I looked everywhere; it was gone and the cats were not talking.  So I made another stacked piece and set that aside to dry.  This time when I went to assemble the shaker everything was there and I moved on.

I started this card sometime in December and when it came time to attach the shaker piece onto a card base, I decided white looked best so I glued the shaker onto a white card base.  Then came time for the sentiment.  I knew what I wanted to use.  I grabbed my Platform to stamp "sending" directly on the card and I couldn't do it.  Where I had already glued the shaker was causing the Platform to not make contact with the card.  I wrestled with this for a good amount of time, moving the card around, thinking if I wanted to risk stamping without the Platform {the old way; I am NOT good at the old way of stamping. I shudder to think of all the paper and ink I wasted trying to get a good impression.  And I can't use the old stamp positioners. I have two of them gathering dust somewhere and I just cannot get them to work properly} so I resorted to putting the entire sentiment on a separate piece of card and attaching that to the card base.  Normally I would have worked all of these tiny issues out prior to gluing anything down but because I didn't want to lose the shaker, I didn't even think of the possible sentiment issues.  To a non-crafter this is NOT a big issue.  I tried to talk to my roommate about it to get some sympathy and he just didn't get it.  Anyway, I stamped my sentiment and used the hugs die.  As a little bit of bling, I used a few of the hearts left over from making the shaker.  I can promise you I will never jump the gun like this again!  I blame the fact that I worked on it, set it aside, then worked a little more, instead of doing my usual work style and finishing the card within a week of starting it.  I would have liked the card better if the stamping and die cut were literally on the card, but it is what it is.

I know we all have little fails and I'd love to hear about some of yours below.  Maybe the one fail that sticks out in your mind is not so much for what went wrong but why.  Oh, and I did find the first stacked portion I made.  Under the paper cutter!  I still suspect the cats had something to do with it but until I install those nanny cams, I just need to move on.  Thank you so much for reading all of this and I know YOU feel for me!  Fondly, Christi

I am entering my card in the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp, Monday Challenge - Love/Hearts
Use Your Stuff, #145 - Hearts
Sweet Stampin'  - Love
Color Hues, #11 - Red and Pink
Dies R Us, #162 - Anything Goes
Crafting Happiness, #82 - Hearts