Use an Embossing Folder @ Little Red Wagon

This week at

we want you to make an impression....with an embossing folder that is! I looooooooove embossing folders. I've got TONS. Problem is I hardly ever use 'em. And why is that? Because my love of patterned paper eclipses my love for embossing folder with ridiculous abandon. And it's not often that I want to use my embossing folders on my precious patterned paper. I find PP doesn't much care for it and protests by either ripping, not being noticeable at all, or just making a poor impression (kinda like I do when first met).

But, this week I managed to get around that by trying something I've never attempted before. I admit I was a bit nervous because....

....I really liked the colouring I had done and didn't want to end up ruining the image if embossing it turned out to be a bad idea.  But, luckily, it worked.....and not only that, I quite like it, so yay!

Digi is from Bugaboo Stamps.  You know, they were my first and favourite digi stamp company when I first started crafting, which would have been about five.....getting close to six years ago.  Excuse me while I wax nostalgic for a bit.....actually never mind.  My cards for the first year, year and a half of my foray into cardmaking still make me shudder.  Seeing as I need to go to bed, like now (since it's 11:52pm) I'm not going to think back as I would like to have a peaceful, non-nightmare filled sleep.  Though it does make me wonder if I'll be saying the same thing in five or six years from now about the above card.  Hmmmmm......

You know you've got some embossing folders in your wagon so why not join us for our challenge?  Then you can head on over to Little Red Wagon and link up.  And, while you're there, be sure to check out the wonderful projects the other Girlfriends have created.

Let's Get Krafty @ Tiddly Inks

For the next two weeks at

we've got an easy one for ya. We're getting krafty.....using kraft paper that is!

This is what I did.....

I used Sk8tr, a perfect image for your boy cards.  I was at a crop recently and this was one of two cards I got completely finished.  I know that sounds like I really didn't do much at said crop, but I was super productive (both at being crafty and shovelling food in my face).....as while I got only two cards completed, I got the majority of nine other cards created and I just had to put the finishing touches on them here at home.  At first it did kinda bug me to set them aside before they were finished (as I don't like to start another card if I'm not finished the one I'm working on) but it certainly didn't bother me enough to wish I had dragged my sewing machine and computer and printer (for sentiments) along with me.

So why not grab some kraft paper and a Tiddly Inks image and enter the challenge? And be sure to also check out the fabulousness the DT has come up with.

Also for:

Ooh-La-La:  kraft card
Without Words:  for the boys + cas
Crafting-With-Friends:  anything goes
Simply Papercraft:  anything goes
Jo's Scrap Shack:  anything goes
Crafty Girls Creations:  anything goes
Through the Craftroom Door:  anything goes
613 Avenue Create:  anything goes
Artistic Inspirations:  anything goes
Crafting From the Heart:  anything goes
Craft Your Passion:  anything goes
Sweet Stampin':  non-white base
CAS on Sunday:  polka dots
Clear It Out:  use a stash item - patterned paper is not new
Tuesday Throwdown:  clean & simple
Creative Card Crew:  masculine

Fall Is In the Air @ Melonheadz Friends

For the next two weeks at

we are celebrating fall! Gotta love fall. It's not too hot, not too cold and I don't have to feel as guilty for being neglectful about my flowerbeds.

This is what I made to celebrate....

What says fall more than apples?.....and if you think of the fact that they grow on trees they're "in the air" too - ha!  This digi came from the Feeling' Fruity bundle.  I've linked you to the combo pack so you can get both the black & white AND coloured images.

So why not get into that autumn frame of mind and enter the challenge? And be sure to check out what the rest of the DT has made.

Also for:

Aloha Friday:  buttons
Crafting for All Seasons:  layer it up
Through the Craftroom Door:  anything goes
613 Avenue Create:  anything goes
Artistic Inspirations:  anything goes
Crafting From the Heart:  anything goes
Craft Your Passion:  anything goes
Come and Get It:  use a stash item - Nothing new here....in fact that green paper is probably five years old!
Fresh Brewed:  3 or more patterned papers
Crafty Creations:  it take two - two pairs of buttons, two words
As You Like It:  sweet or savory - I like sweet.....so yummy!  I like savoury too actually.....so yummy!  Food.  I like food, period.  :-)
Jo's Scrap Shack:  anything goes
Shopping Our Stash:  show us your smile + old stash - Nothing new on this card.....and it's got some paper that's about five years old.

Black & White - Fab Friday @ Tiddly Inks

Well, here it is, Friday again.  Time for a Tiddly Inks project!  I did something slightly different from my usual style.....

Okay, not crazily different or anything, but look! There's flowers on that there card.  Just want to point out that the colours are a bit off in the photo.  Those flowers are a lot more white than yellowish-cream as seen here.  Oh, and those black flowers were die cut out of glittery felt.  Kinda forgot I had that stuff.

I used Aida - Gonna Miss You.  Coloured her up in all grays, I did.

Make sure you go check out the other fabulous Fabby Friday makes the rest of the DT has come up with.  You can see 'em right here.

Also for:

Crafty Gals:  sparkle & glitter
Crafty Creations:  it take two - two suitcases, 2 felt flowers, 2 pair of white flowers
4 Crafty Chicks:  sparkle & shine
Dragonfly Dreams:  let's get girly
Glitter 'n' Sparkle:  use a punch or die cut
Crafty Boots:  monochrome (Is black and white considered monochrome?  Hmmmm....)
Whoopsie Daisy:  add embellishments
Craft-Dee Bowz:  anything goes + handmade bow
Ooh-La-La:  ribbons & bows
Fresh Brewed:  3 or more patterned papers
Crafting for All Seasons:  layer it up
Creative Moments:  anything goes
Crafting-With-Friends:  anything goes
Simply Papercraft:  anything goes
Jo's Scrap Shack:  anything goes
Crafty Girls Creations:  anything goes
Through the Craftroom Door:  anything goes
613 Avenue Create:  anything goes
Artistic Inspirations:  anything goes
Crafting From the Heart:  anything goes
Craft Your Passion:  anything goes
Sweet Sketch Wednesday:  sketch (Have to admit, it got away from me a bit but give it a 90º turn to the left and you'll see it.)

Happy Fall Y'All @ Little Red Wagon

This week at

it's Donna's turn to chose the challenge and she decided she wants to help me celebrate my favourite season - fall! I do so love fall. Especially this time of year fall. You know what I mean, it's still nice and warm (about 20ºC 'round here) and the wind is fairly calm and there's that smell of apples and fallen leaves in the air. The days are getting shorter, sure, but there's still some daylight after supper. Kids are back at school so there's not that "gotta have some summer fun!" pressure but the weather's still nice enough that you can do outside stuff on the weekends.

Anyhoo, enough yimmer-yammering! I'll now express my feelings for fall in the form of visual creativeness.....

and really, what can be more fall than going to a pumpkin patch?  Digi is from Mo Manning.

So, why not celebrate all things autumn and join us for our challenge?  Then you can head on over to Little Red Wagon and link up.  And, while you're there, be sure to check out the wonderful projects the other Girlfriends have created.

Try Something New @ Little Red Wagon

This week at

we want you to try something new! So, don't be timid.....try out that new fold, attempt a new technique, break out that new product or whatevers and let's have a go with it.

This is what I did....

I did a quasi-mixed media card....that's a new style for me....well maybe not brand new but definitely not something I do very often.  I broke out some never used before mists and glitter paper, so that's new too.  I also did some paint brush flicking with the mists....something I've always said I would do but never have.....and then would curse when I couldn't get some itsy droplets on my project instead of the big sprayed-from-the-bottle-blotches.

There's one final new thing I tried on this.  Have you ever used the Mister Huey's white colour mist?  You have?  Then you know it NEVER DRIES EVER.  Seriously, what's with that stuff?  I've let it air dry for three days and then when I go back and touch it it still comes off on my finger.  So, because the can of fixative I had was hopelessly clogged, (The nerve of it!  How dare it not work after being used once and then sitting on a shelf completely untouched for five years.) I decided to try hairspray to seal in the mist.

Guess what?  It didn't work AT ALL.  That's why the white blotches are extra blotchy.  I ended up dabbing off the extra mist with a tissue.  And I bet if I touched them with my finger it'd still come off.  *grumble*

Digi moon is from Tiddly Inks.  Quote was computer-generated in Word.....it's taken (in pieces) from Dive For Dreams by E.E. Cummings.

So why not try something untried and join us for our challenge?  Then you can head on over to Little Red Wagon and link up.  And, while you're there, be sure to check out the wonderful projects the other Girlfriends have created.

Don't Be Square! @ Tiddly Inks

For the next two weeks at

we don't want to see any Squares! Normally that would disqualify me but luckily we're talking about Square the shape, not Square the state of being. And, don't forget to use a Tiddly Inks image too.

This is what I did.....

I used Christmas Princess which has disappeared from the shop. Sometimes Christy removes the older images to make room for the new ones and it's looking like that's what happened here. Let that be a lesson to ya, if you see a digi you like, snap it up! You never know when it might retire.

Did some paper piecing again and added Flower Soft to give the trim that fluffy look.

So why not grab a Tiddly Inks image and enter the challenge? And be sure to also check out the fabulousness the DT has come up with.

613 Avenue Create:  CYOC - image, sentiment, solid colour paper, stitching, ribbon
Glitter 'n' Sparkle:  things that start with G - girl, gray
Simply Papercrafts:  anything goes
Crafting-With-Friends:  anything goes
Crafting From the Heart:  anything goes
Craft Your Passion:  anything goes
Artistic Inspirations:  anything goes
Aud Sentiments:  anything goes + sentiment
Crafting With An Attitude:  anything goes
Crafty Girls Creations:  anything goes
Jingle Belles:  stash that is at least a year old + holiday card - Patterned paper and bling is over a year old.
As You Like It:  favourite die - I know they aren't exciting dies, but my fave are my circle and scalloped circle dies.  I use them both all the time.
Incy Wincy:  digis only (Sentiment was done in Word.)
A Snowflake Promise:  Chrismtas/winter theme
Through the Craftroom Door:  anything goes
City Crafter:  paper piecing
Crafty Sentiments:  anything goes
Simply Create Too:  early holiday wishes
Winter Wonderland:  anything but square + Christmas card
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards:  fancy & feminine

Try Something New @ Melonheadz Friends

For the next two weeks at

we want you to try something new! A new technique, a new fold, a new idea.....any little thing that you haven't already done is good!

I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do. I did a bit of surfing and Pinteresting and came across a tutorial that looked pretty neat.....and it was an awesome way to use up scraps....

I used this Herringbone tutorial from Splitcoast Stampers to do the background.  Nice and easy, and interesting too!  Next time I might cut my strips a little wider as the background looks a tad to busy I'm thinking.  I also used a snowman from the Snowman Bobblehead Pack.  Let me tell you, this bundle is packed with (12!) fantastic snowman.  I've linked you to the combo pack so you can get both the black & white AND coloured images.

So why not try something untried and enter the challenge? And be sure to check out what the rest of the DT has made.

Also for:

Crafting For All Seasons:  tic tac toe - sentiment, digi image, die cuts
Crafty Gals:  bingo - 2+ layers, hand coloured digi, punches/die cuts
613 Avenue Create:  CYOC - image, sentiment, solid colour paper, stitching, ribbon
Glitter 'n' Sparkle:  things that start with G - green, gems
Simply Papercrafts:  anything goes
Crafting-With-Friends:  anything goes
Crafting From the Heart:  anything goes
Craft Your Passion:  anything goes
Artistic Inspirations:  anything goes
Tuesday Throwdown:  anything goes
Scrap-Creations:  anything goes
Aud Sentiments:  anything goes + sentiment
Crafting With An Attitude:  anything goes
Crafty Girls Creations:  anything goes
Creative Moments:  use a sentiment
The Pencil Cases:  B = bright
Christmas Stampin All Year Long:  anything goes
Jingle Belles:  stash that is at least a year old + holiday card - Patterned paper is over two years old (and I had only scraps left), bling and twine are at least a year old.
As You Like It:  favourite die - I know they aren't exciting dies, but my fave are my circle and scalloped circle dies.  I use them both all the time.
C.R.A.F.T. Challenge:  Christmas
ABC Christmas:  things that begin with R - red, round
Incy Wincy:  digis only (Sentiment was done in Word.)
A Snowflake Promise:  Chrismtas/winter theme
Through the Craftroom Door:  anything goes
Inky Chicks:  white Christmas
Crafty Friends:  B is for.... - bling, buttons (on snowman), brown
Simply Create Too:  early holiday wishes

Book Dreams - Fab Friday @ Tiddly Inks

It's Friday again! And this Friday is a little different for me.....I've switched my schedule around a bit. Before now, if I didn't have a crazy week, then I would normally have Thursday off. But, I switched one of my jobs from Friday to Thursday so now Friday will be my day off.....or actually a "light day" as I usually end up doing some sort of work anyways. It's a bit of an adjustment, it was nice to have that lighter day closer to the middle of the week to regroup (and maybe tackle some didn't-have-any-time-so-the-whole-counter-is-covered-with-dishes housework) and take a breath, kwim? Oh well, I'm sure I'll get it all figured out.

Now, you didn't come here to listen to me whine, you came to see what I did with a fabulous Tiddly Inks image. So, without further ado.....

I used Sweet Dreams Wryn which has not one, but two different images AND a digital paper all for $4.00!  Doesn't get much better than that!  And isn't that a wonderful quote too? 

Please don't mind that wicked Half-A-Brad in the top corner there.  Oooh, they were driving me nuts, they were.  I was in a huge rush when I made this (as I was doing this just hours before....and yes, when a crafter is in a rush the best thing to do is to decide you want to sew on your card, with new thread, and therefore need to wind up a bobbin.......and then you must be sure to print every word of an 11 word quote this way so you can cut them all out separately....and layer them too, of course) and it took forever and two thumbnails to get the prongy parts off them.  And they had to be the sharpest prongy parts on any brad ever.  And now it has the nerve to come slightly unstuck.  Well, rest assumed I used my abused thumb to grind that sucker down flat into the card.  It's not sneaking off anywhere now.

But, you can feel free to sneak off!  In fact, why don't you skedaddle off and go check out the other Fabby Friday makes the rest of the DT has come up with.  You can see 'em right here.

Also for:

Crafting For All Seasons:  tic tac toe - ribbon, digi image, sparkle/bling
Crafty Gals:  bingo - ribbon, hand coloured digi, use a sentiment
Sweet Sketch Wednesday:  sketch (It morphed a bit....)
613 Avenue Create:  CYOC - image, sentiment, solid colour paper, stitching, ribbon
Eclectic Ellapu:  use old stash - flower and brads are years old, papers and ribbon are a few months old
{PIN}spirational:  inspirational photo - It's a quote, I used a quote too.
My Time to Craft:  flowers
Crafty Friends:  use a sentiment
Glitter 'n' Sparkle:  anything goes
Simply Papercrafts:  anything goes
Jo's Scrap Shack:  anything goes
Crafting-With-Friends:  anything goes
Crafting From the Heart:  anything goes
Craft Your Passion:  anything goes
Artistic Inspirations:  anything goes
Tuesday Throwdown:  anything goes
Scrap-Creations:  anything goes
Aud Sentiments:  anything goes + sentiment
Crafting With An Attitude:  anything goes
Crafty Girls Creations:  anything goes
Creative Moments:  use a sentiment

Digi Do! @ Little Red Wagon

This week at

it's me, me, me, me's turn to set the challenge and I'm going so super easy on you that you're gonna want to enter a whole bunch of times......oh wait....

SIDEBAR!

(When I was typing up my post minutes before for the Little Red Wagon blog I had put Use a Digi! as the original title. Then I though, "Geez, that's awfully boring. Is that really what I called the challenge? A quick trip to our Master List showed that I had actually went with Digi Do!.....and I ended up surprising myself with my own cleverness. I was all like, "Oooh, good job me." *licks thumb and pretends to put stamp of approval on computer screen* Now how ridiculously geeky is that, eh?)

...'coz the challenge is Digi Do! which just means I want to see a digi on your project. Now, I'm not a big stickler, if you want to use your digi with a rubber/clear stamp too, it's all good. If your non-digi stamp is the main focus of your card and there's just a little tiny digi sentiment then it's in too. As long as there's some sort of digital stamp on your project I want to see it entered into our challenge.

As some of you might already know, I's loooooooooooves my digis.  In fact, I have almost no clear or rubber stamps.  Yep, just about every time I make a card I digi do.  So this challenge was a no-brainer for me.

This is what I did....

I used a digi from Dilly Bean Stamps. Lovely image, isn't it?  It's nice to go all girly and lacy and blingy every now and then.

So why not get that printer a-hummin' and make something for our challenge?  Then you can head on over to Little Red Wagon and link up.  And, while you're there, be sure to check out the wonderful projects the other Girlfriends have created.

Clean & Simple @ Little Red Wagon

This week at

we've got a challenge that a whole bunch of you are going to enjoy. We're going all clean & simple, or cas, if you will.

If I had to put a label on my style (though I generally don't do labels at all, unless it's for addressing envelopes) I would have to say I'm very much a clean & layered girl. (I was going to go back and put the word "crafting" in front of style in that first sentence but really, I've got the clean & layered fashion-style going on too.) Not much for embellishments, but lots and lots of paper. (Crafting I mean now.  I don't make a habit of wearing paper.)  So, when I do cas cards, I tend to go super cas, that way I can distinguish it from my usual makes.

So, this is what I did....

Digi is from Squigglefly which is now closed.  :-(  I love this funky snail.  Did some paper piecing again.  Remember two weeks ago when we had our paper piecing challenge and I said I love paper piecing and should do it more often?  Well, I'm making good on that declaration, that's for sure.

Even looking at it now I keep thinking how cool it would be to add more layers.  Like I could have embossed the white paper and then pop dotted the snail on it.  But then we're definitely getting out of the realm of clean & simple then, aren't we?

So why not leave all the layers and embellis in your wagon and make something for our challenge?  Then you can head on over to Little Red Wagon and link up.  And, while you're there, be sure to check out the wonderful projects the other Girlfriends have created.

School Rules! @ Tiddly Inks

Part One:

For the next two weeks at

we've got the quintessential September challenge for you, "School Rules!" Now, I waffled on about back to school yesterday so I won't bore you with that all over again. (Just scroll down if you wanna see that post.)

This is what I did.....

I used two Tiddly images, Send Me a Sign Bugg and School House. I digitally coloured the school house and did a bunch of paper piecing on the Bugg. I also Stickled up the wings really good.

So why not grab a Tiddly Inks image and enter the challenge? And be sure to also check out the fabulousness the DT has come up with.

Part Two:

Now, this was a real comedy of errors, this card was. It started with me forgetting to turn off the cut lines in my Silhouetted designed "School is cool." in the sign. Then my sewing machine threw a fit and chewed up a piece of paper. Then after I got the whole thing sewed I said to myself, "Oh my word. I wish I had thought to emboss that piece of green paper. Good golly darn it." (Okay, the language of that last bit might have been cleaned up for blog posting purposes. The unedited version went like this: *unintelligible noise* I should have embossed that. F___ me!") But I couldn't do anything about that because in the first go 'round I had sewn the "grass" too.  I ended up starting over, but then when I embossed that paper I didn't like the sharp dots, so to fix that I then embossed it with the large polka dots.  Decided I did want stitching on the top part after all and really munched up that top left corner.....and couldn't make it the bottom right corner (therefore hidden by the green paper) as I had only sewed the showing part of that panel.  'Sides at that point I was pretty much like "oh, forget it".....and I'm thinking you don't need the actual translation for that one.

Even with all that rigmarole I did end up liking it in the end so that's all that counts.

Also for:

Sweet Stampin':  school days
The Pencil Case:  anything goes
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards:  use a sentiment
Crafting-With-Friends:  anything goes
Simply Papercrafts:  anything goes
Simon Says Stamp:  anything goes
Scrap-Creations:  back to school
Artistic Inspirations:  anything goes
Crafting From the Heart:  anything goes
Craft Your Passion:  anything goes
Incy Wincy:  anything goes
C.R.A.F.T. Challenges:  back to school
Crafty Friends:  use a sentiment
Hiding In My Craftroom:  anything goes
613 Avenue Create:  anything goes
Jo's Scrap Shack:  anything goes
Crafting Girls Creations:  anything goes
The Sisterhood of Crafters:  anything goes
Crafting Desert Divas:  anything for a kid
Through the Craftroom Door:  anything goes
Crafty Sentiments:  school
Scrap-Creations:  anything goes
Sweet Stamps:  anything goes
If You Give a Crafter a Cookie:  inspirational photo