My Time to Craft Challenge Blog Inspirational Post

Inspirational Post #532

Good day, fellow crafters. Today I present my latest inspirational post as a DT member of the My Time To Craft Challenge Blog. Our theme for this challenge, #532, is "Everything Dies" and rest assured we are only referring to your paper crafting dies. If however you want to make a sympathy card do feel free but make them with your cutting dies only.

For every challenge we, as the design team, attempt to bring you themes and ideas that will test your abilities and, ideally, ignite your enthusiasm to explore fresh ways of thinking. However, what I like most about being part of the team is seeing how we each showcase our take on the theme and sometimes just what the card means to the creator.

I hope you are inspired to enter this challenge and I can’t wait to see your creative take on this week’s theme. Be sure to tag me on your entry and/or comment below so I know to watch out for you. Remember Crafting is Happiness!

In designing this card I decided that since it is graduation season here in the US that I would create a card based on that theme. I first went through my paper collection where I found this awesome cap and diploma paper to use as the background panel. Next, Using my Hero Arts rectangular nesting die and my Gemini, I trimmed the paper down to its final dimensions. Then with a larger die from the same set I did the same with a metallic gold cardstock for a mat. This was a cover size mat for an A2 card base.

The next step was to create the focal image. For this I used a graduation set that I picked up from Globleand. This is a really good set of dies, having many poses and mix of genders for each. I wanted a traditional cameo silhouette so used black cardstock and then for the mat behind the silhouette I used the Spellbinders Flutted Classics Oval die set and white cardstock.

The last stage was to assemble the card. Using Bearly Arts liquid glue, I adhered the gold cover mat to the card base, followed up by the background panel, and then

finally the cameo focal image. With that, I called the card complete.

Note: To support the creation of more content like this, I've included affiliate links for some of the featured supplies. Utilizing these links won't incur any additional costs for you, but it does provide a small benefit to me, allowing me to continue sharing my work with you.

Inspirational Post #530

Good day, fellow crafters. Today I present my latest inspirational post as a DT member of the My Time To Craft Challenge Blog. Our theme for challenge # 530 is "Mixed Color Florals" and I decided to once again turn to Creative Expressions gilding flakes for my design. This card was made using the Summer Meadow flakes, which are gorgeous.

For every challenge we, as the design team, attempt to bring you themes and ideas that will test your abilities and, ideally, ignite your enthusiasm to explore fresh ways of thinking. However, what I like most about being part of the team is seeing how we each showcase our take on the theme and sometimes just what the card means to the creator.

I hope you are inspired to enter this challenge and I can’t wait to see your creative take on this week’s theme. Be sure to tag me on your entry and/or comment below so I know to watch out for you. Remember Crafting is Happiness!

To create this card I first began by adhering some white cardstock to a sheet of double-sided adhesive. I then flipped the panel over and removed the adhesive backing. Next using Creative Expressions Summer Meadows gilding flakes I liberally applied them over all of the adhesive. It is very important that once you have it covered you burnish it to make sure all of the flakes adhere and no spot is left uncovered. I did this with my fingers over a paper towel so that I could collect anything that came off to reuse. DO NOT do this step over a silicone work surface as you will never be able to get it off in a usable state and your worksurface will be very hard to clean.

The next step was to use the Hero Arts Hearts and Blossoms cover die and my Gemini die-cutting machine to cut my image. I was already creating a different card with the entire cover plate so I decided to trim the image down to just the bloosoms.

Once that step was complete I trimmed a black mat down to match the dimensions of an A2 card base and then

adhered the cut-out to the mat with some Bearly Arts liquid glue. I then adhered the composite to the card base.

To finish off the card I used a sentiment die and shadow die from my Altenew collection, which after cutting and assemblying, I adhered to the card with liquid glue. With that, I called the card complete.

Note: To support the creation of more content like this, I've included affiliate links for some of the featured supplies. Utilizing these links won't incur any additional costs for you, but it does provide a small benefit to me, allowing me to continue sharing my work with you.

Inspirational Post # 529

Good day, fellow crafters. Today I present my latest inspirational post as a DT member of the My Time To Craft Challenge Blog. Our theme for challenge #529 is "Fantasy" and when I think of fantasy the first thing that comes to my mind are fairies. This led me to create this beautiful piece.

For every challenge we, as the design team, attempt to bring you themes and ideas that will test your abilities and, ideally, ignite your enthusiasm to explore fresh ways of thinking. However, what I like most about being part of the team is seeing how we each showcase our take on the theme and sometimes just what the card means to the creator.

I hope you are inspired to enter this challenge and I can’t wait to see your creative take on this week’s theme. Be sure to tag me on your entry and/or comment below so I know to watch out for you. Remember Crafting is Happiness!

To create this card, I began with a white Hammermill cardstock, ink blending brushes, and Distress Oxides in the colors of Prize Ribbon, Wilted Violet, and Picked Raspberry. The combination of these three colors and the addition of some white splatter make a beautiful setting sun effect which gives the next stage of creating the foreground silhouette more realistic.

The foreground was created using a combination of stamps. The first was from Simon Says Stamps called Wild Flowers (sss201998), which is a background silhouette stamp. I first aligned the paper in my Misti stamping tool, then aligned the stamp and inked it with VersaFine Claire Nocturne ink. I next stamped my images several times for a clean image transfer, reinking between stamp applications.

The fairy was from an unnamed Globleland set. It had several for me to choose from but I liked the idea of a nature fairy adding her magic to put the flowers to sleep for the night just like in the Disney Tinkerbell movies. I stamped her with the same ink and method as the foreground.

The last step was to use my Hero Arts rectangular nesting die set, to first cut the background panel down to its final dimensions and then I followed that up with a larger die and some more black cardstock to cut out a mat. I then used double-sided tape to adhere the background panel to the mat and then repeated the process to adhere the composite to a white card base. With that, I called the card complete.

Note: To support the creation of more content like this, I've included affiliate links for some of the featured supplies. Utilizing these links won't incur any additional costs for you, but it does provide a small benefit to me, allowing me to continue sharing my work with you.

Inspirational Post # 528

Good day, fellow crafters. Today I present my latest inspirational post as a DT member of the My Time To Craft Challenge Blog. Our theme for challenge #528 is to "Create your own backgrounds" and I did my best to deliver.

For every challenge we, as the design team, attempt to bring you themes and ideas that will test your abilities and, ideally, ignite your enthusiasm to explore fresh ways of thinking. However, what I like most about being part of the team is seeing how we each showcase our take on the theme and sometimes just what the card means to the creator.

I hope you are inspired to enter this challenge and I can’t wait to see your creative take on this week’s theme. Be sure to tag me on your entry and/or comment below so I know to watch out for you. Remember Crafting is Happiness!

To create the background panel for this card, I began with a piece of white cardstock, bubble wrap, and Distress Oxides in the colors Abandoned Coral, Uncharted Mariner, and Seedless Preserve. For each of the color layers, I dabbed the ink directly onto the bubble wrap and then misted the bubble wrap with water before applying the color to the cardstock. I then set the background panel aside to dry completely.

The next step was to create the party hat. To do this I chose to use a blue, a green, a black, and a pale yellow cardstock that I cut to shape using the Simon Says Stamp Party Hat die set, featured left. This die has three parts, the shadow (black), the tassel on top (pale yellow), and the outside of the hat (blue and green). I am making the distinction because the die that cut out the first two parts is self-explanatory however, to achieve the look of the various stripped hat you need to pay attention to which pieces are where on the die so that you can put them together properly. Once I had all of the pieces in the correct

orientation I adhered them together with Barely Art liquid glue and then set them aside to dry. I then used the same blue and green cardstock along with a more intense yellow to create streamers from the Simon Says Stamp Curly Streamers die set.

The next step was to create the sentiment. For this, I used the Catherin Pooler Party Word die set, featured right, with more of the same green and black cardstock. I adhered the letters to the shadow with liquid glue and set them aside to dry.

The last step was to use my Hero Arts rectangular nesting die set, to first cut the background panel down to its final dimensions and then I followed that up with a slightly larger die and some more black cardstock to cut out a mat. I then used double-sided tape to adhere the background panel to the mat and then repeated the process to adhere the composite to a pink card base. I then adhered the streamers with liquid glue to the background panel allowing for some overhang to provide visual interest. Finally, I adhered the sentiment to the card with more liquid glue. With that, I called the card complete.

Note: To support the creation of more content like this, I've included affiliate links for some of the featured supplies. Utilizing these links won't incur any additional costs for you, but it does provide a small benefit to me, allowing me to continue sharing my work with you.

Inspirational Post # 526

Good day, fellow crafters. I am thrilled to introduce my inspirational submission for the My Time To Craft Challenge Blog, challenge #526, “Hobbies” theme. The design challenge is to show off your hobbies, for me, outside of crafting there is nothing more that I like to do than to scuba dive. As a certified master diver I have dived in many places around the world and while the locations may change the peace I feel under the water never does. I have included a couple of pics of me from a dive at the Atlanta Aquarium where got to swim with a whale shark in the gallery below.

For every challenge we, as the design team, attempt to bring you themes and ideas that will test your abilities and, ideally, ignite your enthusiasm to explore fresh ways of thinking. However, what I like most about being part of the team is seeing how we each showcase our take on the theme and sometimes just what the card means to the creator.

I hope you are inspired to enter this challenge and I can’t wait to see your creative take on this week’s theme.

To create the background panel for this card I first began with a piece of homemade marbled cardstock. The technique to create this is really easy and produces some cool effects. You can use many different types of products to create it, like nail polish, or alcohol inks but I used a cheap acrylic paint from my collection. In the commercial world, they call this process hydro-dipping and generally use a pre-printed image that once put into the water the backing dissolves and leaves the image, then they slowly dip the item to be covered into the water which transfers the image. I carefully floated the colors I wanted on top of the water and then carefully dipped a white cardstock sheet into it. I then set it aside to dry.

After the panel was dry I used an unnamed die set from Globleland, featured left, to cut out my scene from black cardstock using my Gemini die-cutting machine. I then used Barely Art liquid glue to adhere it to the background. A word of caution, I usually use some of my acrylic blocks to weigh down my liquid glue adhere pieces and that works fine when the background panel is freshly made. If however you have had a panel that has been dry for a long time it is possible to get some cracking of the paint if you bend the cardstock very much.

I next aligned my background panel in my Misti stamping tool then used the Hero Arts Just Floating By stamp set, featured right, and some black ink to stamp my sentiment. While I would have liked to have a heat embossed sentiment on this card, the extra heat from the heat tool would not have interacted well with the paint. The last detail I added to the card was some mother-of-pearl flat-backed pearls to represent air bubbles.

The last step was to use my Hero Arts rectangular nesting die set, to first cut the background panel down to its final dimensions and then I followed that up with a slightly larger die and some blueish-purple cardstock to cut out a mat. I then used double-sided tape to adhere the background panel to the mat and then repeated the process to adhere the composite to a white card base. With that, I called the card complete.

Note: To support the creation of more content like this, I've included affiliate links for some of the featured supplies. Utilizing these links won't incur any additional costs for you, but it does provide a small benefit to me, allowing me to continue sharing my work with you.