It's a Soft Pencil Customer/Design Team Blog Hop!!!

Yep, another Anniversary Blog Hop, for your entertainment and inspiration! Yay! Everyone needs ideas and inspiration. So, onward. If you wish to follow along with the blog-hop, the order and starting point can be found on the Soft Pencil Blog, which you can find here. If you are following along in the right order you should be arriving here from Betty's blog.

Now, we Design Team members were asked to use one of the new images this week called "Michu and the Big Flowers". It is super cute!!!! I got a new set of Spellbinder's dies a few weeks ago for Mother's day, and it is called "Label's Six", so I am finally putting them to use! Love, Love, Love them!!! Awesome Mother's Day gift! I printed my image out, to what looked like a good size for a standard size card, but then noticed that the largest die in the set was going to cut off one of my flower petals in the image. Oops! No worries though, I remembered a tutorial that I saw once (sorry I forget who and where), that would solve this problem. So, I put together a short photo tutorial for you. First notice the taller flower petals curled up just a bit. Then scroll down for the instructions.

What I did was to cut out the part of the image that was going to be effected by the die-cut with my x-acto knife. Yes, I know, tedious, but I studied Architecture in college so I am used to and enjoy detailed and tedious work.

Notice in this next photo, the flower petals are cut and can be lifted up.

So, in the next photo below, I laid my die-cut onto the image where I wanted it, taped it down with blue painters tape (removes easily and doesn't damage). This way the die-cut doesn't shift while moving through the die-cut machine. Then simply lift the cut portions of the image over the edge of the die-cut. In this case it doesn't overlap by very much, but there are times, when a digi or stamped image can overlap by more.


Well, as you remember from the finished project photo above, all of the flower petals were cut and curled up. Well, I got on a roll and thought it would be fun to trim around all of the petals and curl them up just a bit. The center of the flower is anchored down with a small piece of Extra Tacky tape (find it at Stampin Up or Michael's), as cutting all of the petals left it hanging by a thread of card stock. That is all on the mini tutorial, if you have any questions, please feel free to email me from the link on my sidebar.

Now, as some of you may recall, on the first blog hop I chose to make a couple of cards with two animals from the "Animal's Collection". I made two cards, one with Michu the cat, and one with the Bunny, and if you browse my older soft pencil posts, you will see one made with Ratiny. Today, I decided to make one with the Giraffe. I thought it would make a great birthday card for a 2-4 year old child, they always seem to like zoo animals. So, here is what I came up with:



I really need to finish up this post as it is getting late, so if you have any questions about this second card as well, please feel free to email me.

Next on the blog hop is Soft Pencil DT Coordinator Kerry, who's blog can be found right here.

Until Next time.................. Blessings, Lisa

Soft Pencil Thursday!

Hello everyone! It is my favorite day of the week again. This week, we DT members get to show off a brand new digi image that Elizabeth owner of Soft Pencil Designs has created, and it is called Happy Sailors! It is sooooooo cute! Hey Elizabeth, I would so love to have a set of Sea Creatures to go along with it!!!!! Maybe a seahorse, starfish, bloat fish, any other kinds of fish, etc.. Think what cute scrapbook pages for a beach vacation that would make. Love it!!!!! I do know that Elizabeth has some other images that she is getting ready to release as well, and we DT members don't even know what they are yet! Ok, I am impatiently waiting. While we wait, here is the image and the card that I made with it:

There is also a color challenge over on Paper Craft Planet Website this week (link over on my sidebar), to use only Red, Blue and Yellow. I can't remember when it ends, but I thought what the heck I will play along even if I am too late to enter. If you want to check that out, follow the link over on my sidebar, click on groups, then look for Soft Pencil Designs, click on that link, and scroll down and read for information on it. They usually give out a prize when they issue challenges over there. The colors that I used above are all Stampin Up,and they are Real Red, Brilliant Blue, Ballet Blue, Yoyo Yellow, Crushed Curry, and of course Whisper White.

Until Next Time...........Blessings, Lisa

Soft Pencil Thursday!!!!!!

Hello everyone, it is my favorite day of the week, Thursday!!! Yay... I get to post something made with a Soft Pencil Digi image. I was drawing a blank on what to do, so I got out things in my favorite color, purple (lavender today), and I guess I truly am "Inspired by Purple", because an idea just hit me. I got out my relatively new border and corner punch combo from Stampin Up. I have only used them a couple of times, so I thought I should put them to work. I also decided to be probably the last person on Earth to try Copic markers, Marco's Paper in Dayton Ohio had the Caio version of them on sale for $3.89 ea. Of course I bought 2 purple and one blender pen, just so I could be able to say that I tried them out! OMG, I am in love........why do they have to be so expensive? If you think $3.89 is a good deal on them, and want to check it out, Marco's has a website that you can order from and you can find it here. They also have phone numbers listed on the main page, if you need them. Dayton is about an hour away from where I live, so I don't get up there very often, so the nice lady there told me that they would be more than happy to take phone orders and ship it to me. Oh yay, someone else willing to feed my obssesive hobby. LOL. So, here is my purple/lavender creation for today!

I have adopted the clean and simple look with my card making and scrap booking for that matter. I love to look at the more embellished projects, but it is just not in me to create with that style. I have come to the conclusion that when it comes to anything creative or artistic, we all have to develop/find our own style, and not try to be someone that we are not! The card stock that I used for the card base is SU's Barely Banana and the matting for the image is Almost Amethyst. The designer paper is a retired SU designer series paper. The image was colored with a combination of markers. Everything lavender is Copic, the rest is Stampin Up. The sentiment is from a Stampin Up set that I commonly use called Teeny Tiny Wishes. Of course the pearls are from Michael's craft store. I have also decided that I can't finish a card off without adding pearls, bling or buttons. LOL.

If you missed the Soft Pencil Blog Hop last week, just scroll down on my blog a little bit, and there is a list of blogs and links attached to them, so you just click the first one and start hopping. The contests are over, but you can still get some great inspiration from all of us DT girls.

Until next time.........................Blessings, Lisa

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all of the mothers and mothers-to-be out there! I am getting the finest treatment today from my daughter and my husband! My daughter made me the most beautiful card with a totally sweet letter inside telling me all the reasons that I am the best mother in the world. My husband bought me a delicious ice cream cake from Dairy Queen. So yummy, I can't wait to taste it after dinner later today! I have some very last minute Mother's Day cards to show you, sorry I am so late with them. However, the layouts could be used for other cards as well, just change the stamps you use to fit whatever the occasion may be.

This first one was made with a stamp from a set made by Just Rite Stamp Company. I love their stamps, such cute designs. The sketch is an old sketch from Splitcoast Stampers, it is SC29. I added the little buttons to the sketch though. The buttons could be replaced with sticky Gems, pearls, many different embellishment options out there. I used Stampin Up markers to color the image, Spellbinder's Nestibilities to cut out the image and it's matting, the card stock is SU Pretty in Pink, and Rose Red, and the Designer paper is also from Stampin Up. The buttons are from an adorable little container filled with buttons that I found a the Michael's dollar bin.

This next card I cased from Lee Ann Gref's blog, which you can find here. I used a 3/4" square punch, then a corner rounder to round the corners of only 2 of each square. The centers are rhinestone brads from Stampin Up, the border was made with the new Stampin Up Scalloped Border punch, the ribbon is 1/4" Celery Grosgrain ribbon from Stampin Up, and the sentiment is from the SU stamp set Teeny Tiny Wishes. Just think of the color combos you could use with this design, and the several different occasions that the layout could be used for. Love versatile, and simple cards!

This next card design was also cased from Lee Ann Greff. Her blog; Flowerbug's Inkspot, is an awesome place for great ideas! I have tons of Designer Paper laying around, most of which was a gift from a couple of friends that I have that are way too sweet. The DSP that I used on this card is from DCWV Baby Boy 8x8 stack that I won as pat of some Blog candy over on Becca Feeken's blog "Amazing Paper Grace". She is the first one listed on my favorite blogs list over on my sidebar, take a peek at her wonderful creations when you are done here. She is one of the most talented people that I have ever met and soooooo sweet too. Oh, and when she gives away blog candy, she gives away some awesome stuff! Anyways, I changed the right bottom corner element on my version of this card. I used the Stampin UP/Sizzix sisslet di-cut called Floral Fusion to create the embellishment. The di-cut has 3 different sized flowers on it, and I cut 2 of it, curled it a bit with a stylus, and layered them together with an SU rhinestone brad in the center holding them all together. Then I adhered it with a stampin foam dimensional. The other three corners were punched out with my Stampin Up Scalloped Corner punch, the ribbon is from Stampin Up's last years Sale-a-bration promotion, and again the sentiment is from SU's Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set.

Now, please remember that I am running a sale on all retiring color products from Stampin Up until the end of June, see this post here.

Also, to see the Soft Pencil Designs blog hop, and to enter to win Free digi images from them, see the post before this one, scroll down. The blog hop lasts until This evening, Sunday, at 8pm. I believe that after that all of us DT members will draw a name from our comments on the blog hop posts and give away the digi images that we each used on our blog hop projects.

Until Next Time...........Blessings, Lisa

It's an Anniversary Blog Hop!!!!!!!!

Yay! I love Blog Hops! I love to see all of the creative stuff people make! Well, Soft Pencil Designs, digital images turned one year old in May, so we are celebrating by having a blog hop and free digi images are being given away on each blog. To win my digi image, simply leave a comment, and I will draw a name and announce it on Sunday here on my blog. Why Sunday? Because the Blog Hop last until Sunday at 8pm! So, on with the fun. If you want to follow along in the "hop order", go over to the Soft Pencil Blog first. To get there, click here. Here is the order of the blog hop:

Cat

Michelle

Anne-Marije

Catherine

Audrey

Melissa

Lisa (Me)

Jodi

Betty

Kerry

back to Soft Pencil blog

So, if you are arriving her from Melissa's blog, you are going in the correct order, if not, please start with the Soft Pencil blog.

We were asked to use our favorite Soft Pencil Image, and I chose the Animals collection. I actually chose two images from this collection to make cards with, Michu the cat, and the bunny. I have a previous post where I showcased Ratiny the mouse, click here to see that.

The bunny image is so versatile, it can be used on baby cards, Easter cards, friendship cards, thank you cards, thinking of you cards, or just a card to cheer someone up. You get the point. So, here is a baby bunny card:

Michu the Cat image is also very versatile, and can be used for all of the ideas above except maybe Easter. LOL. Although Elizabeth owner of Soft Pencil Designs, made an image with Michu and put some bunny ears on him, and I used him on the following card here. Here is a friendship card that I created with Michu:

I hope you visit the other Design Team girls, and don't forget to leave me a comment for a chance to win the Animals Collection digital image. Your next stop should be Jodi's blog.

I would also like to congratulate Jodi on returning to Soft Pencil DT for the Month of May and to also welcome our other May Guest Designer Betty! Yes, I was asked to first return for a guest spot for the month of April, but surprise I got an Email from Elizabeth asking me to stay on a bit longer as a regular Dt member! Yay! I love her absolutely adorable images! Thanks Elizabeth!

Since I promised you some Mother's day cards, and haven't posted them yet, come back Friday to see three, yes THREE mother's day card samples. All very clean and simple layouts that you can case for your last minute mom card!

Also, come back on Sunday to see who won the Digi images on each blog!

Until Friday...................................Blessings, Lisa