Have Courage and Be Kind

Here is my final project for Eileen Hull's month of Spring using her Display Stand and Gift Box Dies!    

Our lives seem to completely revolve around the Coronavirus right now with unprecedented things happening every day and all of that was on my mind as I designed my project using the Display Stand Die as my base.

I used a wonderful sentiment stamp set from Altenew called Better Together for my sentiments which is perfect for this project.

The Acrylic Red Hearts are from Honey Bee Stamps and I used an old Martha Stewart punch for the butterflies.

Here's the view from the back in case you haven't seen this die yet.

Here are a few photos showing supplies and steps.  I put a piece of 4 1/2" wide Galaxy Washi Tape from Altenew over the end panel being sure it was larger on the sides and bottoms so I could fold over the edges.  The flowers are from Prima, the Mini Globe Die from Tim Holtz/Alterations.  Better Together Stamp set by Altenew.

Since I find that Washi tape can lift off - I always like to fold it over the edge to make it more secure.

I added Gingko Washi tape from Altenew along the strip that will show when folded - but then added so many flowers you can't tell it's there!

All of these sentiments are things we should be mindful of ALL of the time -  

but especially during THIS time we are living through together - all over the world.

Please check out Eileen's blog where she has gathered other Inspiration Team members projects using this wonderful Display Stand or the Gift Box!

Starting next week, we will be posting projects using her April release dies -  Tiny Book and Tiny Book Case so please come back to check them out!!  

Did you see the Chalk the Walk project circulating on FaceBook this past weekend?  The idea was to chalk some affirming words on your driveway or sidewalk to inspire anyone who walked by since so many people are out walking now.

Here's what I chalked on my driveway.   Be Kind!  and Enjoy This Day

I also Chalked the Walk outside my church which sadly has suspended services probably through April.   Faith over Fear, God Hears Our Prayers, Love Your Neighbor, Be Kind, Enjoy This Day.

I'm also linking my project to:

Arty Divas: Challenge #18 

Stamps:  Better Together - Altenew
Paper:  white, Enchanted Evening - PTI, White Little Sizzles Matboard - Sizzix
Ink:  Obsidian - Altenew
Accessories:  Display Stand Die - Eileen Hull/Sizzix, Mini Globe - Tim Holtz/Alterations, 1 1/4" circle punch - SU, 2" Circle Punch Fiskars, 4 1/2" wide Galaxi Washi Tape,  1" wide Gingko Washi Tape - Altenew, Prima Flowers Capri/Aurora Bay, Red Hots Acrylic Hearts - Honey Bee Stamps, Butterfly punch - Martha Steward, foam dots, Tombow Glue, ScorTape.

Cards for Seniors

Today's Inspiration Challenge over at Splitcoaststampers is to be inspired by something found at Ellen Hutson's shop and/or blog.  

I buy lots of my crafting stamps and supplies from Ellen's company - she has great sales and offers discounts to good customers.  

I also found on her blog today that she has put out a call to send her cards made for Seniors who are socially isolated in Assisted Living Homes or Nursing Homes.  One random person who links up the card they are sending will win a $35 gift certificate to Ellen Hutson you have to link up by 3/29/2020. Check out all the details on  her blog post here.

I will be sending her two of these cards I've made today and three more will be sent to people in my church who are home bound.

I used Julie Ebersole's cute little bear and sentiment from All Inside, both the stamps and dies are from Ellen Hutson

I die cut the card base using Noted: Scalloped Square die from PTI.  The sentiment I used inside is from Bear Hugs also by PTI.

Here are a few process photos.

I die cut the bears out of water color paper and then stamped them using Obsidian Dye Ink from Altenew.  I dried the ink with my heat tool to be sure it wouldn't run when I water colored the bears.

I did the same thing with one of the heart stamps and dies in the set.  The heart slips into the bears arms as the die cuts around the arms - so fun!

I hope you are all well, keeping your social distance and enjoying your time in your homes as best as you can.  I am thankful that we are still able to get out in the sunshine and walk around in the fresh air.  

I am also very thankful for our wonderful stamping/blogging community where we can still stay in touch, share our concerns and encourage each other!

Thank you Ellen, for giving us a way to share our love of cardmaking with those who will be delighted to receive them!

Stamps:  All Inside - Julie Ebersole/Ellen Hutson, Bear Hugs - PTI
Paper:  Watercolor paper - Canson, white - PTI, Playful Patterns Valentine Paper Pad - Taylored Expressions.
Ink:  Obsidian - Altenew
Accessories:  All Inside Dies - Julie Ebersole/Ellen Hutson, Noted: Scalloped Square die - PTI, Marigold and Calendula water color paints - Ruby Mountain Paint Co., Red Watercolor paint - Kuretake, foam dots, paint brush, water.

Ballerina Bunny on Stage

Today I'm sharing a cute little Easter decoration (or very fancy 3D card!)  using Eileen Hull's new Display Stand Die.  This month many of her Inspiration Team are creating Spring things using either her Display Stand or her Gift Box dies

(see my Bunny Box here if you missed it last week?!)

So I've been in the Easter mode lately making cards and decorations for a sale at my church 

(which may now not happen with churches not holding services due to the Coronavirus - but that's another story!)

I just love the Display Stand Die and I had the Tim Holtz new Bunny Hop bunny dies on my work table, and I suddenly thought the stand could become a 'stage' for one of the bunnies -

and so THIS happened.

You can see the 3 layers of foam dots adhering the bunny to the back of the stand.

And the two layers of foam dots adhering the egg and sentiment.

A view from the back - which I left as plain matboard.

Here are a few photos showing how I put this together.

I die cut the Display Stand out of Little Sizzles White Matboard.  Then I die cut the two end sections out of polka dot DP and glued the pieces onto the die cut.

To make the tutu for the bunny, I cut two pieces of white netting from my stash.  Each piece measured 5 1/2" x 1 1/2".  I colored the white netting by spraying it with Seedless Preserves Distress Spray Stain.

I layered the two pieces together and hand sewed a running stitch along the top edge and pulled it in to gather it.

I wrapped the tutu around the bunny and tied the threads in a knot on the back.  I trimmed off a bit of the netting along the bottom to the length I wanted.

I stamped and die cut the large Nestability egg using a Nested Egg stamp from Waltzingmouse (retired).  I colored the ears and nose of the bunny with Copics and made her eyes with a 01 Micron black pen.  I sponged the edges of both pieces with Ranger Distress Antique Linen ink.

I die cut the net die from Impression Obsession and layered it to the Display Stand to give the suggestion of a basket.  I layered the egg and bunny onto the upright piece with thick foam dots.  I layered two of the foam dots for the egg and three for the bunny.

I added the pom pom ribbon along the top to look like the curtain on the stage and along the bottom to look like the footlights!  I stamped the sentiment on a die cut label and adhered it to the egg with two thick foam dots. I added enamel dots to the egg and an enamel heart to the sentiment.

Please check out Eileen's Blog every Wednesday where all of the weekly projects by various members of her Inspiration Team will be posted.  You'll find a lot of creative inspiration for using Eileen's Sizzix Dies!

I'm linking my project to:

Die Cut Divas

Anything Goes

 Creative Artiste Mixed Media

Anything Goes

Arty Divas

Anything Goes

Stamps:  Nestie Eggs - Waltzingmouse (retired), Happy - Penny Black
Paper:  White Little Sizzles Matboard - Sizzix, White Card, Bitty Big Pale Peony DP - PTI, Tan Kraft Core - Core-dinations.
Ink:  Baby Pink, Hydrangea, Ocean Waves, Obsidian - Altenew, Ranger Distress Antique Linen.
Accessories:  Display Stand Die - Eileen Hull/Sizzix, Nested Egg Dies - Nestabilities, Bunny Hop dies - Tim Holtz/Sizzix, Fish Net Die - Impression Obsession, Jar Labels - PTI,  white netting from stash, Seedless Preserves Distress Spray Stain - Ranger, purple embroidery thread, embroidery needle, pom pom ribbon - American Crafts, enamel dots - Altenew, thick foam dots, 01 Micron Black pen, Copics R20, W2 Tombow Glue

March Mid Month Reminders - CAS Watercolour and CAS Stencil

Since I'm on the Design Teams for both CAS Watercolour and CAS Stencil - I have two reminders and 2 cards to share today!

For my Luck of the Irish themed reminder card - I made a watercolored rainbow.

I die cut the MFT Rainbow and watercolored the separate pieces.  I water colored the Crimped Edge Frame die cut panel with blue to make a sky to hang my rainbow in!  I added punched hearts to each end and stamped the sentiment from Rainbow Greetings by MFT.

 

For my reminder CAS Stencil card, I heat embossed in gold with my open space being black.

I  used just a portion of the Bird in Window Stencil from Stencil Girl on my panel as seen below.  I used my Emboss it Dabber through the stencil and gold embossing powder.

If you've been thinking about joining the challenges this month you still have time!  Both challenges end 3/24/19 so link your CAS cards up soon!

 

 You'll find the CAS Watercolor Challenge here. 

  You'll find the CAS Stencil Challenge here.

I'm linking my Courage card to:

Just Us Girls

Rainbow Card
Stamps:  Rainbow Greetings - MFT
Paper:  White, Pure Poppy - PTI, Watercolor paper - Canson
Ink: Obsidian - Altenew
Accessories: water color paints, brush, water, Stitched Rainbow Die - MFT, Crimped Frame Die - The Greetery, heart punch - Marvy Uchida

Courage Card
Paper:  True Black, White - PTI, Kraft Stock Metallic Paper - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology
Ink: Emboss It Dabber Clear - Ranger
Accessories:  Courage Die, Noted: Scalloped A2 die -PTI, Bird In Window Stencil - Stencil Girl, Gold Embossing Powder, heat tool.