A Pink Paradise of Flowery Love Sketch....

Oh my goodness, that's a title and a half, but it sums up my day making this card to meet 5 challenges.  I hope you like it.  It's sort of different for me...

                                                                                                                         

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge is all about A Piece of Paradise and creating a project that depicts where you find your bliss.  *WARNING - I'm gonna get sappy* My bliss is when I get to cuddle with my husband.  I think it stems from the fact that after years of him being deployed for long periods of time in the military, I finally get to keep him home and hold him and that makes me very happy!  So, for fun, I decided to do a play on their challenge title and make the base into puzzle pieces.

   

Creating the mixed media substrate with Distress Ink Paints, marker, texture paste and stencils, all mostly in pink because another challenge happening over at Mixed Media Monthly is all about Thinking Pink!  Each layer from the bottom to the top contains some specific elements of pink so that the theme resonates throughout.  

The next layer needed to be flowers. Not just any flowers, but handmade flowers.  This wonderful challenge is for Frilly and Funkie Challenge Blog where the theme is Winter Blooms.

Below you can see how I store my handmade flowers for such an occasion.  

Since the flowers were already waiting for me to use, I thought I'd pair them up with some fun little handmade leaves made from Washi tapes and later painted with Distress Paint.

 

Now, I really needed to pull the Piece of Paradise challenge from Simon Says together with another challenge at Mixed Media Card Challenge where the theme is Love.  So here's a fabulous mushy sentiment and a big red heart.  

 

                                                             Another close-up of the flower that has been coated in crackle glaze and the Washi taped leaves.   The placement of these items also met the criteria of another challenge at Cardabilities where they are showcasing this fabulous 117th sketch! 

And here is the final outcome....

My sappy little Pink Paradise of Flowery Love Sketched card to my hubby that says,

'You Complete Me'

Hugs and Happy Crafting to ya'll and thank you so much for your visit.

Lisa x

Love in Variations...

You would think that with all the Valentine stuff I've been posting lately that I'm a romantic, but honestly, I'm not. I have a terrible time remembering dates and special occasions and if it weren't for the genius who invented post it notes, I'd forget my own name.  

I may not agree with being forced to smother your special squeeze with over sized teddy bears and aid in their eventual diabetes with the mammoth box of chocolates on one specified day, but I do agree with appreciating them all the time, so I've made cards that can be given year around.  

Flag Love

Simple Flowers

Hearts Abounding

Shabby Chicish

Bicycle Love

Heart Shaped Love

Just a few ideas to share.

Hope you enjoyed them and thank you so much for your visits.

Hugs n' Happy stamping...

Lisa x

Birdhouse Valentine Ornament #4

Happy Monday!

I accomplished nothing that I had to do, but boy did I procrastinate like a champ and had fun crafting instead.

Here is my Valentine ornament #4 in a set of 8....little birdhouses.

I began with black cardstock and cut 4 houses out and then painted them in white acrylic paint.

Once the acrylic dried, I coated them with crackle.

While the crackle dried, I thought it would be fun to recreate a metal roof for a couple of them so this how I did that.

I used a piece of metal tape that I cut to fit the roof, folder embossed a design and then inked it with Adirondak inks.

Once the ink was dry, I painted on a light wisp of white paint and then filed it off in places for the very old and weathered look.

Birdhouses need little eggs and I didn't have any so I created hot glue dots and then gave the dots a coat of white paint. Once the white was dry a light splatter of baby blue ink added as well. 

 Viola, baby bird eggs.

  Hand rolled roses, little banner cut from the Silhouette machine, a little bit of moss from the Dollar Store and those fabulous pink gems from my blog buddy Mitra; THANK YOU!!  

They look so perfect on these houses.

There are little holes on the top of the roofs so that these can hang from lights and illuminate through the little door and windows...so cute!

Thank you so much for all the very sweet comments of encouragement and thank you so much for stopping by.

Hugs n' Happy Crafting,

Lisa x

Shadowbox Ornaments #3

Hello again!

Still on my mission to fill the bare limbs of my once Christmas tree, as it transforms into our family Valentine tree, and I'm back with the third of eight ornament designs.

Here's a couple pictures I took to explain how I made them.

Each starts with a heart box cut from a cutting machine and then a cut heart flourish type frame placed on top.

5 more Valentine shadow boxes ready to get started.

I had the cutting machine cut out several trees, fences and keys to decorate.  I also printed out and fussy cut several vintage Valentine images.

 

Here's 

Headed to Lover's Lane ;)

You're Hot!

You're a Dear

I Love You!

 Puppy Love

and lastly...

Squeeze Me!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend and thanks so much for the visit.

I'm off to finish up my house chores and then watch more Dexter. Good grief, that show is addictive!!

Hugs n' Happy crafting,

Lisa x

Ornament #1 - Vintage Crochet Heart

Ornament #2 - Rosette Silhouette

I'm Naked Over Here....

It's true...bare as bare can be, but it's not me that's nakie, but my Christmas tree! 

I know, I know...I'm those people you see in March that can't stand to take it down.

 I love the concept of bringing nature inside and those soft twinkly warm lights that fill the room with a glow just make me so happy, SO...I've justified keeping it up by altering it for several holidays.

However, I've stripped it down to nothing but its lights and now it's time to dress it up a bit with some lovin'...literally.  I've decided to showcase 8 ornaments that I'll hand make for Valentine's Day as an offering of inspiration. 

#1 Vintage Crochet Heart Ornament

 Using the Cameo Silhouette Cutting Machine, I cut out 12 white cardstock hearts and 6 designer paper hearts and layered 2 white with 1 designer for thickness.

Ink the edges with Old Paper DI, inked the hand made leaves and crocheted 6 twine hearts.

Applied a small section of lace, hand rolled rose and a few buttons for decoration.



Here you can see what the hearts looked like

before I attached tulle and glued them to a crocheted heart.

All together in one happy group.

I promise to take pictures of them on the tree as I go along AND I'll return to bring you 7 more ornament ideas for Valentine's Day for the TREE!

I thank you so much for stopping in to visit. You have no idea how happy you make me :)

Hugs n' Happy Inking...

Lisa x

A Mother's Love....

Hello there to you!

I just want to apologize for not getting around to visit this week. I'm just running so far behind on kid, house and family stuff that I've not seen my desk in over a week. I WILL be by to visit starting next week and I really look forward to it. I've missed all your inspiration.

Well, it's Saturday and that means it's time to share another Onion, Mitza Pitza and Quirks project.

Our theme this week to 

Draw Your Own Focal Image/Sentiment

Mother and Child

(Please feel free to download)

Sentiment created on the PC, also free to download

This week has been so much fun with the kids that they were truly my inspiration for this drawing and the sentiment. 

A very CAS style for me, but I hope you enjoy it.

Hugs to you all!!!

Please enjoy my wonderful buddies projects here as well :)

Onion (Sue's blog) here

Mitza Pitza (Mitra's blog) here

It's true...I do

If I haven't said it in awhile, I do...I really do!  :)

Attempting to put four challenges together on one card, here's the sweet little image Going Up from Mo's Digital pencil colored in copics as she soars through the sky with her endearing sentiment.  I had the best time making this card along side the designers at Catered Crop and a huge thank you goes out to them for selecting one of my cards as their winning recipe.  The current recipe is to Frame It! I am also playing along in the Cupcake Inspirations 200 Blog Hop.  Unbelievable amounts of  'GASP..that's gorgeous' from all the DTs and this card is being paired up with the #5 cupcake inspiration photo.

Something about the simplicity of the design and the amazing colors together really caught my eye. 

 I also filled this card with love; fitting for the task at ABC Challenge, I for In Love.  Lastly, but not least, this all came together with the sensational help from Cardabilities Sketch #70.  

So many thanks for your visit and very sweet comments.

Hugs n' Happy Stamping,

Lisa xx

I "El-Oh-Vee-Ee" You...

Firstly, "Happy New Year!!!"

Secondly, welcome back to my very first DT post for The Cutting Cafe.  I'm tickled pink, just like little Cupie here, to have been selected to work with Regina and her fabulous team! 

This card debuts the It's All About Love printable stamp set.  

This background printable worked perfectly for the backdrop of the card.

The sentiment phrase is highlighted next to the soft felt heart.

LOVE was designed on my PC using the free dafont.com website where I downloaded Drifttype and merged it digitally with free papers from Free Vintage Digital Stamps.

The Cupie doll is colored in copics and is from a set I've had for ages.

Hope you enjoyed the card and I wish you all the very best of 2013!!

Hugs n' Happy Stamping,

Lisa xx