May Classic Design Challenge : Moondrea Designs

 Hello and welcome back to another Classic Design Challenge! I love this time of the month, when we get to unveil our creations from some really amazing artists! This month the design team gets to feature images from Moondrea Designs. Moondrea has such lovely and unique images to choose from, that I can't ever seem to decide which one I want!

But this month, when I saw the Aquarius Maiden from Moondrea Designs, I just knew I HAD to try to color it in! I couldn't wait to start pulling blue Copics and shading it all in!

After printing off the image, I used many different Copics and colored pencils to shade the maiden in. I wanted her blue color to stand out and not blend into the blue water. I cut out the image with a stitched rectangle and matted it with some blue bamboo paper from American Crafts, then matted that design paper with a lighter blue shade of cardstock from from Recollections. I added some Stickles on the "white caps" and the foam on the waves for some "wet sparkle" and shine.

I really enjoyed creating this card and coloring in this image. Moondrea creates such beautiful images that even if you don't color them in, they're absolutely beautiful and full of so many details!

Thank you for stopping by and joining us for another Classic Challenge. I can't wait to see your submissions this month!

May Beautiful Blossoms Challenge : Birthday Wishes

 Welcome back again to another fun Beautiful Blossoms Challenge! I really do look forward to these every month, and this month is another good one!

Our challenge photo is :

Look at those beautiful flowers and lovely blue color of fine china! So inspiring! I was inspired by the blue and the details on this photo. I love the clean white flowers and on the china, so I left a lot of white space on my card, and added a few hints of blue here and there. I was also inspired by the details of the vessel, so I added a few details to inspire the eye.

I stamped out tulips in a bucket from Flourishes (gone out of business) "Tulips for Friends" stamp set, cut it out, and colored it in with Copics. I cut the main "base" under the tulips in white cardstock that I stamped some decorative edges around (I decided to leave them unconnected because it was more interesting that way, and I wanted the main focus on the tulip bucket) the outer edges. I used Echo Parks "Stitched Squares" die set for my main "base" on top. I stamped a sentiment from Simon Says Stamp from their "Tiny Words" set, on the base after I'd stamped the corner decorative images. Then I cut out a blue cardstock using MFT "Scalloped Squares" die set, after that, I cut out another white square from Echo Parks "Stitched Squares" die set, as my "bottom base". As I added each "layer", I placed 1/8" foam tape under them, to give "lift" and spacing so the card wouldn't seem "flat" and uninteresting. Then I put my main image on last, with more popdots under it to pop it off the card even more.

As you may have noticed the challenge photo is both small and detailed, so I kept the idea of that scale and detail in mind when I created my card. It is both small (3 1/2 x 3 1/2) and detailed. I know there isn't any yellow in the photo, but remember, it's for inspiration only. You can be inspired by the colors, subject, details, size, theme, or anything else you find inspiration in!

I hope this month's photo, and our design team's examples have given you plenty of ideas to create something. We're looking forward to seeing your submissions and lovely inspirations, and I'll see you next month, Crafty Friends!

April Classic Design Challenge : Cute Bee Digis

 Hello again crafty friends!! Are you as happy as I am that it's April?! It's time for another Classic Challenge! 

This month we are featuring the prettiest digi stamps from Cute Bee Digis. There are SO MANY cute and pretty digi designs to choose from! But I specifically chose Catherine Holding Tulips because it just looked so spring-like and had a pretty Easter outfit. Catherine looks like she just got back from her Sunday Easter service :)

I printed out the image and colored it in with Copics and cut the image out with Lawn Fawn "Small Stitched Rounded Rectangle Stackables" and then stamped my sentiment from Honey Bee Stamps "He Is Risen" stamp set. I used Mintay Papers Scalloped A2 sized card base, and cut my two design papers using MFT Double and Single Stitched dies to matt my main image. before I added my silk and velvet ribbons, I edged my main image and pink background paper with Spectrum Noir's Blush Metallic paint markers, and added some candy enamel dots.

I love how fresh and springy the card turned out. I really love coloring in digi stamps and finding new ones like the ones Cute Bee Digis offers, to my stamp catalog!! Thank you for visiting my blog and joining the Classic Design Team Monthly Challenge! I'll see you next month! :)

April Beautiful Blossoms Challenge : Thinking of You

 Hello and welcome back to another wonderful Blossoms Challenge! Have you been enjoying the team's examples and monthly inspiration photos this year? I hope so, it's been truly a fun challenge every month to come up with a card to inspire you!

Speaking of, here is this month's inspiration photo.

So pretty, right?! I enjoy Daisy's and the pretty colors shown in this photo. I don't have any Daisy stamps, but I chose something as close as possible to the look of one.

I stamped out My Favorite Thing's "Flowers in Bloom" stamp and cut it out with the coordinating die, then colored it in with Copics. I cut out a white frame using Papertrey's April die and layered it over MFT's "Orange Sherbet" paper cut out using MFT's A2 Stitched Rectangular Stax Set 1. I stamped out my sentiment from Honey Bee's "Perfect Sentiments" set, then added a dark purple cardstock frame from Core'dinations ColorCore collection. Then I finished the whole look by adding some gems from Spellbinders in their "Orchid" collection.

Honestly, I was trying to find a light purple cardstock to match the flowers and the purple in the cardstock, but I honestly couldn't find anything in my stash!! I'm shocked! I honestly thought I had ALL shades of cardstock in my stash, but it looks like I don't! LOL! Oh well, It still turned out nice.

I hope this card inspired you for this month's challenge. I can't wait to see all of your creations, and until next month, keep crafting and I'll be back with another card inspiration! :)

March : You Bake Me Happy

 Happy March, Ya'll!!! Is it spring yet?! Not so much here, but it hasn't been the worst winter, so I can deal.

This month, the Classic Design Team is featuring Dr. Digi's designs again. Dr. Digi has a huge selection of great images to choose from, and at a reasonable price, too. Take a look at the store here : Dr. Digi

I chose to use Bertha's Bread Baking Bonanza image. I chose it because I struggle and look as lost as Bertha, when I make homemade bread!!

I printed off the image and coloring it in with Copics. After coloring the image in, I taped off the edges of the image and sponged Antique Linen and Weathered Wood Distress Inks around the edges. I used Taylored Expressions Easy Edgers die to cut a pinking edge on some soft brown gingham paper from Simple Stories, from their "Gingham" collection. I adhered the gingham paper to a heavy Kraft cardstock, and added a ribbon from Maya Arts to the base. After tying the ribbon on the card, I placed the image over the front of the card base, then stamped my sentiment from Honey Bee stamps, then added three pearls from Honey Bees "Warm Pearls" collection.

I really had a hard time picking an image to color in, but I love how nice Bertha turned out!

I hope you're having a great spring and enjoying the warm weather!! Or I hope it's at least headed your way, soon! :) 

March Beautiful Blossoms Challenge : I Am Here For You

 It's March. No way, it's March already! Hopefully winter will be over soon... I hope!

Until then, it's more days inside for us to craft... right?! LOL! 

Well then, lets see this months Beautiful Blossoms Challenge photo and you can play along with us!

Pretty yellows and greens, right?! I love how springy it looks! It makes me excited for Easter to arrive!

I stamped out my image from Flourishes (store closed) "Botanical Bookplates" stamp collection, and colored it in using Copics. I cut out the image using MFT "Stitched Rectangles", and stamped my sentiment from Say It With Stamps "Thinking of You" stamp set. I cut a yellow piece of cardstock in Bazzil's "Cornmeal", again using MFT's "Stitched Rectangles" dies. Then I cut out my bottom "base" using MFT's "Double Stitched Rectangles" in Simple Stories "Warm White" design paper (it has little light yellow polka dots all over it).

I deliberately kept my card simple and pretty, like the image evokes. Uncomplicated, unfussy, and pretty. Just clean and simple like the bouquet. 

I hope the challenge photo and the team's examples inspire you as much as they did for me! I can't wait to see all of your creations, and until next month, keep crafting, Friends!

February Beautiful Blossoms Challenge : Love & Thanks

Happy February fellow "Bloomers"! Welcome back to another Beautiful Blossoms Design Challenge! 

Let's just jump right in, shall we? I'm so excited because this month's challenge photo because I love how cheery and spring-y it looks! I'm so ready for spring and summer to come back around again. This month's photo has purples, yellows, whites, and some blues. 

I didn't want to get too many bold colors going on, but try to create a softer approach while featuring all the colors I could, without making it color chaotic! LOL!

I chose to stamp out my image using Gina K's "Let's Celebrate" and coloring it in with Copics, then die cutting it out with the coordinating die. Then I cut out a decorative "banner" using Studio Light's "Slimline & Label" die so I can put the flower wreath image on it. Then I stamped the sentiment from Power Poppy's "Nice Things To Say" stamp set. I cut out the base of the card using Kat Scrappiness's "Mini Slimline Fancy Scalloped Die" using the 49 & Market's "Tranquility" design paper. Under the decorative middle piece, I placed popdots, to give it some lift and dimension off the design paper, and under the wreath too, to give some depth. Then I added some purple & blue colored gems from Honey Bee Stamps "Perfect Petals" gems.

I try to learn something new with each card that I make and I really love how the sentiment font seems to really go with the wreath. I learned that sometimes you can choose a different sentiment for the card you created, that often goes better than ones that usually goes with the stamp set. I also realized something else, fonts and illustrated image styles matter. Mis-matching the styles often look...odd. That is why some images and sentiments just seem to give off an odd vibe. Have you ever notice that? Am I the only one?

Oh well. Sometimes the things I figure out are only important to me. LOL!

Have a great month and I will see you back here next month for another Beautiful Blossoms Challenge photo and inspiration!

January Classic Design Challenge : Patties Creations

 Happy New Year, Crafting Friends!! Can you believe it's another year down?? I feel like every year just blitzes by even faster than the year before!!

This month we're featuring digi's from Patties Creations. I had so many great images to choose from!! In fact, I bought a few other images along with the one I am featuring today! The image I chose to feature is Flamingo Happy Hour. It's just so happy, vibrant, and quirky that I HAD to play with the image! LOL!

I printed off the image and colored it in with Copic markers, then cut out a border at the bottom of my image with a long since retired Spellbinders borders combinations dies. After cutting out the border and trimmed my image sides, I sponged some Distress Oxide ink lightly around the image in various areas, in Carved Pumpkin. I didn't want it dark, just a highlight around the image. I put popdots under my main image and placed that over Bazzil's "Mint" cardstock. Then I placed the image & polka dot Bazzil cardstock over some A2 card-backs from Mintay Papers. Then, I placed a "Celebrate" rub-on from 49 & Market and some clear enamel candy dots from Bo Bunny.

I had SO Much FUN coloring this image in!! So easy and effortlessly fun! I hope it inspires you to color in a fun and quirky image for a card, even if it's just for the fun of it! :)

Have a great day, and I'll see you next month for another Classic Design Challenge!