Anything But Cute June Challenge - The Birds and the Bees

Happy Sunday!! I hope you are having a wonderful weekend!! It's time for a new challenge at Anything But Cute!! The sweet and fabulous Niki of Pawsitively Creative is our hostess and she's chosen the theme "The Birds and the Bees". Here's what she has to say about the challenge:

With the lovely warm weather in my neck of the woods, I am seeing so many wonderful birds and bees, so I would love to see those in your mixed media makes! Pull out those bird stamps, think of feathers and maybe some honeycomb. Or you could even go for a non-traditional interpretation like a family crest that has a bird emblem on it. The sky is the limit but NO BUTTERFLIES please!

When I sat down to work on my project, I was totally positive I was going to create a card with birds...imagine my surprise when it ended up being all about bees instead :)

I started with a background created with various colors of brushos. I then used Liquitex Texture Paste through a honeycomb stencil...okay, it's actually a reverse chicken wire stencil, but I thought it looked like a honeycomb :)

I then used a TCW Chicken Wire stencil with DecoArt Crackle Paste for the strip of paper behind the sentiment. I used the same stencil with with Squeezed Lemonade and Mustard Seed Distress Inks on the label.

The bees are a Spellbinders die. I masked off the tail and inked it with Squeezed Lemonade Distrss Ink and then Mustard Seed towards the end of the wings for a subtle ombre effect. I then masked the body and Inked the tail with Black Soot Distress Ink.

The bee was then covered with DecoArt Crackle Glaze. I cut a black base layer and attached them with foam tape for added dimension.

There are several layers to the card. The edges of the papers were distressed with a Zutter DIA.

I had to give a nod to our feathered friends by adding a feather among the Wild Orchid Crafts flowers and ribbon from DL.ART.

Now it's your turn!! Head on over to Anything But Cute to see the amazing projects my design team sisters have created for today's challenge...I guarantee they will inspire you!! Then link up your mixed media Birds and Bees project (remember, no butterflies and no cute images)!! I can't wait to see what you create :)

Scrapy Land Challenge #43 - Anything Goes

This is my second post of the day...for the DL.ART June Linky post, click HERE.

Happy Wednesday!! The first Wednesday of the month means a new challenge at Scrapy Land!! The theme for challenge #43 is Anything Goes plus a brand of die that Scrapy Land carries...there are over 40 to choose from!! You could win a $15 gift certificate to shop at Scrapy Land.

My cards today are ones I promised a few weeks ago :) My regular followers might remember the box I created for Jo's Scrap Shack's Blog Hop. The theme for the hop was Anything But a Card, but I thought I'd make some cards to go with the box, so here they are :)

Just to refresh your memories, here is the box.

And the matching card. Again I used papers from Lemoncraft's Neverending Summer stack. The edges were inked with Tim Holtz Gathered Twigs Distress Ink. Texture paste was applied through a stencil (and just like the box, I am completely blanking on which one I used).

A Cheery Lynn French Pastry Doily was used behind a Memory Box Stitched Nested Squares die.

Behind the Wild Orchid Crafts flowers are Memory Box Chloe Stems, Cherry Lynn Mini Fanciful Flourish dies and Sue Wilson Mosiac Leaves. The banner is a LaLa Land Stitched Elements die. The butterflies are Memory Box Isabella and Impression Obsession Butterfly dies.

Scrapy Land Products Used

I'm entering this in the following challenges:

1) Word Art Wednesday - Anything Goes
2) Pause, Dream Enjoy Linky - Anything Goes
3) 2 Creative Chicks - Anything Goes
4) Little Scrap Pieces Show it Off Saturday - Anything Goes
5) Jo's Scrap Shack Funday Friday - Anything Goes

Now it's your turn!! Head on over to Scrapy Land to see the amazing projects my design team sisters have created for today's challenge!! Then link up your project using a brand of die that Scrapy Land carries!! I can't wait to see what you create :)

DL.ART June Linky

Happy Wednesday and happy first day of June!! Wow, how did that happen?? May just flew by!! A new month means it's time for a new month-long linky at DL.ART. As always, the theme is anything goes. Diana is having a special on all of the Coffee Bundles...15% off with no coupon necessary. Hurry, the sale ends at midnight on June 16, so hurry and get your Coffee Bundles while they're on sale HERE.

I had a custom request for two sympathy cards based on this card. I kept the design pretty close to the original card.

The papers are from Maja Designs. The edges were distressed with a Zutter DIA and bottom piece was stitched to the base of the paper.

The next layer was covered with Liquitex Texture Paste through a The Crafter's Workshop Art Is stencil. The one on top was covered with texture paste through a Prima Flourish stencil.

The butterfly is from Impression Obsession. The top layer was covered with Sparkle N Sprinkle Crystal Ice.

This beautiful crinkle ribbon is Baby Blue from The Baby Bundle. You can see a tutorial for the flowers HERE. Tucked under the flowers are Memory Box Chloe Stems and Tender Leaves, Cherry Lynn Dandelion Stems and Impression Obsession Curly Leaves. The resin light post is from The Paper Studio.

This beautiful crinkle ribbon is Baby Pink from The Baby Bundle. The cherub fountain is air dry clay and a Prima Baroque Mould #5. It was then covered with white paint. I'm entering this in the following challenges:

1) Word Art Wednesday - Anything Goes
2) Pause, Dream Enjoy Linky - Anything Goes
3) 2 Creative Chicks - Anything Goes
4) Jo's Scrap Shack Funday Friday - Anything Goes

Now it's your turn!! Head on over to DL.ART to see the amazing projects my design team sisters have created for today's challenge!! Then link up your project!! I can't wait to see what you create :)

DL.ART Challenge #181 - Boys or Men

Happy Thursday!! I hope you are having a wonderful week!! It's almost Memorial Day weekend here in the USA, a time to remember those who gave all in service to our country. And in Indiana, that also means the Indianapolis 500 :) It's time for another Thankful Thursday challenge at DL.ART, and for Challenge #181, the theme is Boys or Men. If you use the code l01210, you'll get 10% off your order at DL.ART.

I do so few masculine cards, I truly struggle. For these cards I used heavyweight black cardstock for the base and then I added a layer of tulle for some texture. The papers are from Maja Designs Vintage Summer Basics stack.

I added Liquitex Modeling Paste through a The Crafters Workshop Clock stencil and then added a Tim Holtz Weathered Clock die.

The 'Happy' die is from My Creative Time, as is the 'father's day' stamp. They were embossed with Sparkle N Sprinkle Copper Flame embossing powder. The banners are from Taylored Expressions Banner Stacklets One dies. The circle is a Memory Box Stitched Circle die, embossed with Copper Flame, and the button is a Poppystamps Stitched Button die, also embossed with Copper Flame. The beautiful crinkle ribbon is Granite from The Galaxy Bundle. The Black and White Twine is also from the DL.ART shop. I finished them up with some spatters of black paint with a Tim Holtz Splatter brush.

I am entering this in the following challenges:

1) Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
2) Word Art Wednesday - Anything Goes
3) Pause, Dream Enjoy Linky - Anything Goes
4) 2 Creative Chicks - Anything Goes
5) Little Scrap Pieces Show it Off Saturday - Anything Goes

Now it's your turn!! Head on over to DL.ART to see the amazing projects my design team sisters have created for today's challenge!! Then link up your Boys or Men project!! I can't wait to see what you create :)

I had to share this picture with you after showing you the beautiful pictures of the turkeys all puffed up on my last post. I heard a loud noise outside and I looked out the window to see these two locked in a death match!! They were banging into things all over the yard. I was even able to sneak outside to snap their picture...they were so engrossed in their battle, they didn't even hear me. Sadly, they were moving around so much, the pictures were blurry. This is the best of the lot and it's not the sharpest. I was afraid one of them would snap the others neck, but thankfully they broke apart after a few minutes and went their respective ways :)

  

Thanks so much for stopping by!! Have a wonderful weekend and Happy Memorial Day to all my friends in the USA!!