Crop Chocolate Challenges are Back !!!

Just a quick post, but I wanted to spread the good news that the Weekly Challenges are back at Crop Chocolate.  Since there is no retail at Crop Chocolate the prizes will vary but the first one is a $25 gift card to the on line retailer of your choice.  I am so excited to see the challenges again and this time there is no requirement for 50% Crop Chocolate product.  Go check it out, the first one is easy, create a birthday card.  Personally I like to have some on hand for when I need them but for this one I have a special little girl who is turning 4 so I want to make it extra special.

DYI Shadow Box

Our May theme for the Crop Chocolate DT was switcheroo.  I was on the Cards/Layout team and I decided to make a chipboard shadow box.  I had a lot of fun making this and my daughter has it proudly displayed in her room.  This is definetely something different for me but I love how it turned out.

Supplies used: EP Be Mine, Spellbinders Lacey Squares, Washi Tape, Acetate

Mini Pizza iGram

 I posted the easel card that I put in this pizza box and then I realized I never posted the actual pizza box and tutorial to go with it.  I made this box to hold my easel card, they are the perfect size.  I also created an iGram to go with it, follow this link if you want to learn how to make one.  THey are called pizza style boxes but they are much too small for pizza, but they are the perfect size for easel cards

 

 

Sliding Card Pocket

I have been recently organizing my craft space and one of the things I realized is that I have too much paper. I also know how much my daughter loves getting cards from me so what I have been doing is making her some simple cards.  I have been taking some scraps and papers that I have lots of and making her cards for her lunch.  She loves getting them and I get the satisfaction of using some paper.  I have a long way to go but its part of my plan to make a dent in the stash.

I also made an iGram if you are interested in seeing how I made it.

I am being Gossiped about :)

Normally that is not a good thing but my Quad Easel Card is being featured on the Stamping Craft Gossip site.  They were doing a review of Instructagram and decided to use my Quad Easel Card.

http://stamping.craftgossip.com/project-quad-card/2013/01/17/

Crop Chocolate Challenge # 41

The current challenge at Crop Chocolate is to create something using three different hearts.  I am currently working on a mini album as a Christmas gift, and when I saw this I figured I could make something for it.  This is a journalling tag to go in my album and after Christmas I will upload a video and pictures of the finished project.

 

 

Supplies used:

• FP Winterland Paper
• Spellbinders Hearts
• Spellbinders Ornate Artisan Tags and Accents

Washi Tape Holder

I made this washi tape holder for an instructagram contest at Crop Chocolate.  I have been wanting to make one for awhile but since I didn't have an empty box of tin foil I created one (I am sure I will get questioned on the roll in the drawer with no box lol)

I also created an igram at instructagram showing the steps to make one of your own.

Supplies used:

-MME Lush Flocked Paper
-MS Lattice Punch
-Tin Foil Box
-Snake Tape
-Scotch Quick Dry Adhesive

Crop Chocolate Announcement

I am so excited that I get to share some great news, I have been accepted to the next Crop Chocolate design team.  My new term will start on January 1st so I won't be able to share any DT projects for a while but I am excited to be back on the team.  I love Crop Chocolate, they have the best customer service I have ever seen and the community is so helpful and welcoming that you really need to check it out yourself.  For the DT Application we had to do two projects, one that reflected us as a crafter and one that was outside your box.  For my outside of the box project I made a candle holder that fellow DT member Karen made here, to be honest this was a huge struggle for me.  Several times I was sure this would be the next pinstrosity but I had too much time invested to start over.  I thought once I got the candle holder made I was in the clear but the flower was very frustrating and took a long while to get looking right.

Supplies used:

• Stella and Rose Hazel 6x6
• Silhouette Cameo (flower)
• Spellbinders Rose Creations
• Bling
• Twine

Candy Holder

I made this candy holder for the Trick or Treat challenge at Crop Chocolate.  The challenge was to create something as a gift and use the color of your favorite candy somewhere on the project.  My daughter's birthday is coming up and I am going to make a bunch of these candy holders for her birthday.  My favorite candy is cinamon hearts, every valentines I stock up so that I have then all year round.  I filled this one with those since that is my daughter's favorite as well.  I stamped the cupcake with festive berries distress ink.  Next to all the pink it looks like dark pink but on its own it is red and I topped the cupcake with a bit of bling.  I am sure this won't last long around my daughter because she loves things like this.

Supplies used:

• MME Lush
• Festive berries distress ink
• Hampton Arts Birthday Stamps
• Spellbinders lacey circles
• Spellbinders standard circles large
• Bling

OWH-Blog Challenges

I have been busy getting some cards done for the OWH blog hop that CC is hosting.  With the exception of one card that used the EP Be Mine paper they were all made using EP Life is Good paper collection.  I got a few sheets in a CC grab bag on my last order and after seeing Nina's challenge to use one collection I decided to make the majority of cards with that collection (except for Chris's card at the bottom).  It made it easy to mix and match patterns and scraps, as a result I have none left which is a good thing.  Another decision I made was to use one main card style and stamp.  I wanted to make sure the cards had lots of room to write in and because I couldn't use some of my usual embellishments I thought a gate fold card would be nice.

Belle

Brenna

*you can see it in the card but I put an embossed transparency over top the paper for a clear embossed feel

Brittany

 Jenni

 Julie

 Kathy

 Miwa

 Nina

Chris

Products used

• EP Life is good paper
• EP Be mine paper
• Spellbinders ovals
• Spellbinders Jumbo Scallop Ovals large
• Spellbinders Scallop Squares
• Cherrylynn dies butterflies
• Prima daisy flowers

Operation Write Home-Amber's Challenge

Go check out the latest blog hop at Crop Chocolate, they are hosting a Operation Write Home blog hop (OWH).  I will be posting cards for the blog hop throughout the week as time permits but its a great cause and I encourage everyone to try and do just a little something.  I remember when I was pregnant with my son, so many of the pregnant mom's had their husbands overseas for a deployment and it broke my heart to imagine what they were going through on their own.  The families make such a sacrifice and a nice handmade card from their loved one is a small thing for me to do.  Here is the first challenge I am entering at Amber's blog.  We had to use this sketch and here is what I came up with.

Supplies used:

EP Goodlife Paper

Spellbinders lacey circles

Doodle Bug Birthday Stamps

Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink

Quad Easel Card

The recent challenge at Crop Chocolate was to create a easel card, and I love these cards and made one which everyone called sexy.  I will post that one soon (I may make some changes), but I saw a really cool quad easel card, and while I don't normally make such dimensional cards I really liked how it looked and decided to try one.  I really like how this turned out and hope the recipient likes it as well (didn't seem right to give her the "sexy" card).  This is one of those cards that is hard to get a good picture of so that is why I made a collage to show the different angles of the card.

Supplies used:

• MME Portabello Road Paper
• Cherry Lynn Dies
• Inkadinkado Stamp
• Stickles

Frist Day of School Card

We just got back from a trip so its been a bit crazy, I have a few things in the works but until then I just realized I forgot to post this card.  I made it for a crop chocolate challenge but it was also for my daughter's first day of grade one.  The challenge was to create something with only one color (black did not count).  I made this quick card for her and put it with her lunch, she was really excited when she got home.  She loves getting cards, and I wanted to remind her to have fun at school since she was so nervous. 

Products used:

• MME Lush
• EP Springtime
• MM Glitter Alpha
• Spellbinders Lacey Circles

Spread your wings and fly

I made this for the CropChocolate challenge #24, this challenge was to do what ever we wanted.  I had these great pictures taken of my kids at Easter and I have been wanting to use them and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.  First I have to give kudos to the great photographer, I think she has seen my stash because she colored some of the pictures to match my Lost and Found Paper.  They were taken by the very talented  Julie Nicole Photography, I can't say enough great things about her.  She is great with kids and has a fantastic eye.  I have some more waiting to be scrapped and I can't wait to get them done as the recent ones she did were even better.  My kids love going to see her and even though my son is a two year old and doesn't want to cooperate she manages to get some good ones of him.

Closeup of the pleated heart and pullout journalling

Supplies used

MME Market Street

MME Madison Ave

Spellbinders Small Circles

Spellbinders Tiny Tabs

Spellbinders Heirloom Ornaments

Lace

Crop Chocolate Challenge Card

I made this for a crop chocolate challenge a couple weeks ago, the challenge was to use something you wouldn't normally use, bling, and card stock.  I decided to create a stamped background which is something I haven't done in years, and I made some rolled flowers and some MM bling to create this simple birthday card  I needed something that wasn't kiddie and I think this did the trick.

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer I know we have been busy and that is why its been a bit quiet.  I recently received some new storage binders so watch out for a post on my new storage method.

Supplied used:
Bazzill Cardstock
Bo Bunny Sunburst Stamps
MM Bling
MFT Flower dies

Crop Chocolate Grand Challenge: The Kiss

For this Crop Chocolate challenge we were required to buy a wooden kiss from OMC and decorate it however we wanted. This was another project way out of my comfort zone but I am happy with how this turned out. It sits in my bedroom and my husband really likes it (so does my daughter but she gets enough of my crafty goodies). I used the Sincerely Your paper collection from Trinity arts to make this and I love the romantic feel of the paper and felt it fit the theme well. I cut the "Hugs and Kisses" then after trial and error used spray adhesive for the glitter. I even used perfect pearls mist to give the wooden parts a pearlescent effect. I also added it to the flowers and they look almost glittery (it's like the franks red hot sauce of my craft room I put it on everything). The flourish was made with a Viva Decor Black Pearl Pen (I really like how well they go on).

Supplies Used:
Sincerely Yours paper by Trinity Arts
Spellbinders Rose Creations
MS Black Glitter
Viva Decor Black Pearl Pen
Perfect Pearls Mist
Prima Pearls
Felt

Crop Chocolate Challenge Grand Send Off

I was inspired to create this box by a fellow DT member Scrappy Canuck.  She made a beautiful box and filled it with notes and inspirational quotes for her daughter.  For this challenge we needed to buy a Bravisimo product and use it in a project. I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to make my own box for my daughter.  When ever she would see these boxes she always wanted to buy them but I always resisted because I have never done anything like this.  I actually had to buy a decoupage glue just for it.  I painted the box first because I wasn't sure how the paper was going to go on and I didn't want the wood to show through.  Next I carefully cut and glued the paper down and then added the final bravissimo embellishments.  At first my daughter wanted to decorate the white box with paint and was not happy with my plans to cover it in paper.  However when she saw the finished box she loved it and put the bravisimo embellishment on herself.  I came downstairs and she was so proud of herself, I couldn't help but smile and be proud (even if she didn't quite do it the way I would have).  I started off with a note and made some more to go inside.  Every morning she checks the box for another note and is so happy when she finds one.  I am so happy I decided to take this challenge on, even though it was outside my comfort zone.  The joy that it has brought to my daughter is priceless, she truly cherishes this.

Products used:

MM Pitter Patter Paper

MM Bravissimo Rosette

MM Bravissimo Sentiment

Ribbon

Crop Chocolate Challenge # 8

Crop Chocolate is running an online crop and you have till May 13th to enter. This is for the Honeymoon challenge, you have to create a mini album for a trip you have taken or one you plan to take.  I made this for our Disney World trip, and its called an envelope mini album.

Supplies used:
MME Lush paper
MME Lush ribbon
Spellbinders Scallop Circles
EK Success Micky punch

Happy Mother's Day

I made two of these Mother's day cards as part of the focus group challenge.  We were challenged to make a project with fabric.  I had been wanting to try felt flowers for a while, (I had been collecting it for a few months), and this gave me the perfect excuse to try it.  Both my mother and mother in law loved the cards, and I really like how the flowers came out so I will try this again (I have enough felt for a lot of flowers).