Free Digi Friday: Violets (& an Enabler Alert!)

Roses are red, 

Violets are blue...

What will you make

With this digi for you?

The wild violets overrunning my boyfriend's lawn were the muse for today's free Violets digi.  Those of course are not the elegant long-stemmed version I drew, but they did put the thought in my head..it's funny where you find your creative inspiration!

**EDITED**

Friday Free Digis are free for one week. This digital stamp is now available for purchase. To order, go to the side bar, enter the stamp name shown below and click 'buy now' to pay via Pay Pal.

Cost: $2.00

Stamp Name: Violets

I will email you the file within 24 hours of receiving payment.

Enabler Alert: 45% off & Giveaway

Just wanted to share a few things going on at Scrapalicous USA right now. First off, Cindy is offering a 20% discount on everything in the store. Scrapalicous's everyday prices are 25% off retail so this means 45% off everything in the store!!! Use code Clearance20%

Also, sign up for the newsletter HERE to stay up to date on latest sales/new items.

Like Scrapalicous USA on Facebook for a chance to win a Spellbinder's Grand Calibur Machine! We're only about 350 fans away from the drawing...so spread the word!

Life is Beautiful

Remember the Bunny Box I created from a Laughing Cow box?  Well, if you do, you know that I wasn't 100% satisfied with that project, but I'm LOVING this one!  My mom and sister, Jenny, sparked the creative juices when they told me about some Easter ornaments they saw at a craft store.  They said that they looked like they were made from these little boxes...except that they were oval.  Oval, smoval...I can work with round!  So I printed this gorgeous daffodil from the Graphics Fairy that I'd pinned a few weeks ago and gave it another go.

The Details:

• Instead of keeping it as a box, I focused on the ornament idea, taping the top and bottom together with tissue tape, and adding crochet ribbon and a twine hanger.

• I colored the box with Distress Inks and a foam blender to coordinate with my background paper, then layered on my paper, the fussy-cut daffodil image, and a vellum quote using Matte Multi-Medium.
• Glossy Accents on just the daffodil blossom gives it some "pop".

• I used a pop-up Glue Dot to adhere the heart locket and added crystal glitter to the opening to "unsticky" the exposed glue dot.  It also adds a little sparkly something special.
• The ribbon is hand-dyed seam binding.

Isn't it great how you learn something from each project...even if it's what not to do?  You don't have to like them all, just learn a lesson and make the next one better.  Well now, that motto certainly applies to more than crafting, doesn't it?!

Challenges:
The Graphics Fairy:  Brag Monday #133
Always Crafting: Creative Monday Challenge #6 - Yellow and Sunshine
Love to Create: Challenge #12 - Anything Goes
Make It Monday #86
The Pink Elephant: Challenge TPE 145 - Hello Sunshine (use yellow)
Stamp, Scrap & Doodle Saturdays: Recycle
Recycle, Re-Purpose & Re-invent: Anything Goes (use at least one recycled object)

Supplies:
Cardstock:	Stampin’ Up! ‘So Saffron’ (back of ornament)
Patterned Paper:	My Mind’s Eye Lost & Found Two ‘Sunshine’
Image:	The Graphics Fairy
Inks:	Distress Ink ‘Wild Honey’, ‘Old Paper’, ‘Vintage Photo’
Embellishments:	K&Co. Sentiment Vellum Quotes; Tim Holtz tissue tape ‘Symphony’; Hug Snug seam binding; lace ribbon; Papertrey Ink rustic button twine; Bead Landing Found Objects locket; Martha Stewart glitter ‘Crystal Fine’; button; Glossy Accents
Tools:	Foam ink blender; Matte Multi-Medium; Glue Dots pop-up; Wondertape; 3M Spray Adhesive; heat gun; Coluzzle
Misc:	Laughing Cow cheese box

Free Digi Friday: Crazy Daisy

April showers are supposed to bring May  flowers, but around here, the spring bulb flowers and trees have been flowering for weeks! Today's free digi is inspired by nature with a bit a funky twist. Enjoy!

**EDITED**

Friday Free Digis are free for one week. This digital stamp is now available for purchase. To order, go to the side bar, enter the stamp name shown below and click 'buy now' to pay via Pay Pal.

Cost: $2.00

Stamp Name: Crazy Daisy

I will email you the file within 24 hours of receiving payment.

Have you *liked* the ScrapaliciousUSA Facebook page yet? Be sure to get on over there so that you can be entered to win a Spellbinders Grand Calibur. Tell all your friends...the sooner we get to 1000 Fans, the sooner someone wins! Please tell them Victoria sent you.

Spring Flowers

My sister, Jenny, gifted me with some kraft tags that she coffee-stained herself.  Not only do they look good, but they smell pretty good as well!  (She also gave me some stained twill tape, but a little orange feline apparently thought it smelled...and tasted...pretty good too, and left me with only a couple inches...sigh.)

Using the tag was my only objective for this project.  I just started grabbing scraps of this and that and eventually it all came together to make this Spring Flowers tag.

Some Details:

• I started by randomly layering up some "Journeyman" tissue tape, then adding a strip of scalloped pink polka dot paper toward the bottom.  Tattered Rose Distress Ink "pinked" things up, then light strokes of Snow Cap paint dabber lightened the colors a bit.  On top of all that, I applied a thin layer of Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint.  The white paint was still a bit wet and the crackle paint blended this and the Tattered Rose beautifully.  Because I just couldn't stop there, I sprinkled some crystal fine glitter on the wet crackle paint.  You don't get credit for it in the photo, but this adds a lovely bit of sparkle to random areas of the tag's background.

• The flower images and "Spring" are Tim Holtz Seasonal Salvage stickers.  I mounted the flowers on patterned paper, tattered the edges and outlined the images in Tattered Rose Distress Stickles.  "Spring" received a generous coating of Rock Candy Distress Stickles.  (It looked a tad too grungy and dark...I wanted to lighten it up.)
• The bottom (and probably my favorite part) is accented with random buttons in various sizes and colors.

Supplies:
Patterned Paper:	My Mind’s Eye Lost & Found ‘Market Street’
Inks:	Distress Ink ‘Tattered Rose’; Distress Crackle Paint ‘Rock Candy’; Adirondack Paint Dabber ‘Snow Cap’
Embellishments:	Tim Holtz Salvage Stickers ‘Seasonal’; Distress Stickles ‘Tattered Rose’, ‘Rock Candy’; Papertrey Ink rustic button twine; TH tissue tape ‘Journeyman’; crochet lace ribbon; assorted ribbons; vintage buttons; Close to My Heart buttons; thread; Martha Stewart glitter ‘Crystal Fine’
Tools:	Foam ink blender; deckle scissors; scallop scissors; foam tape; TH paper distresser; Zots
Misc:	Coffee-stained kraft tag

Happy Easter!

He is Risen!

And the angel answered and said unto the women, 

Fear not: for I know that you seek Jesus, who was crucified.  

He is not here: for he is risen, as he said.

Matthew 28:5-6

Easter Blessings, dear followers!  Today, I'm sharing the last of my Easter cards; another made with the Karen Foster Designs "Vintage Easter" stickers.  Four cards made and still a few stickers left for next year or a scrapbook layout...quite an economical purchase!  And bonus points to me for using them the same year I bought them.  No withering away in the ever-increasing stash!

Just a Few Details:

• I scalloped just the bottom of my patterned papers, layering them with about 1/4" reveal of the bottom paper.  I wanted my scallops to align, so I made sure to start the cut at the same point on both papers.  Three baby pearl accents adorn the ribbon under the adorable bunny sticker.

• Have you tried dying your own seam binding?  I admit, I'm addicted to it.  I have TONS of ribbon and I always go to the ready-made stash first (because I have TONS of ribbon...), but if I can't find the right color, I can always dye my ivory seam binding to match.  I love making it distressed looking with more dye in some places than others.  This scrumptious bow is accented with a pearl corsage pin.

Hope you're enjoying this special day with loved ones!

Supplies:
Cardstock:	Papertrey Ink ‘Kraft’
Patterned Paper:	My Mind’s Eye Lost & Found ‘Market Street’
Stamps:	Stampin’ Up! ‘The Gifts of Spring’
Inks:	StazOn ‘Timber Brown’; Stampin’ Up! classic ‘Rose Romance’, ‘Cameo Coral’; Distress Ink ‘Old Paper’; Perfect Pearls Mist ‘Perfect Pearl’, ‘Heirloom Gold’
Embellishments:	Karne Foster Design cardstock stickers ‘Vintage Easter’; Hug Snug seam binding; pearl corsage pin; pearl accents
Tools:	Scallop scissors; heat gun; Stamp-a-ma-jig

Bunny Box

Do you recognize this?

If you're a fan of Laughing Cow cheese, you probably have one of these boxes in your refrigerator right now.  I usually eat a cheese wedge as part of lunch and before I'd toss each box away, I'd stare at it for a while...just knowing that I could do something crafty with it.

Well, I finally gave in to my inner squirrel and stashed one away.  It wasn't in the stash for long (thank goodness!) before I created this little bunny box with it.  I'm about 80% liking this box.  I know I can do better, so plan on seeing more experimentation with this surface...I do eat one little cheese wedge a day, so I can build up a stash pretty quickly!

A Couple Details:

• Tissue tape makes dealing with oddly shaped edges soooo much simplier!  I applied a couple of layers...one wrapping the bottom edge and one wrapping the top edge for both the top and bottom of the box.  

• My Coluzzle (you could also use an electronic cutting machine) made quick work of cutting circles to cover the top and bottom.

• The adorable bunny image is from The Graphics Fairy.  I colored him with Distress Inks and a water pen, then added several layers of UTEE to give him some thickness.
• Some Tim Holtz adornments make our bunny royal and heavenly (it is an Easter box).  And layered flowers, seam binding, buttons, and an edging of Liquid Pearls finish things off.

Challenges:

Simply Create Too: Challenge #10 - Eggs / Bunnies

CRAFT Challenge: #149 - Easter / Spring

Craft Us Crazy: Challenge #24 - Altered Item / Anything But a Card

Rainbow Lady's: Challenge #199 - Happy Easter

Papercraft Star: Challenge #91 - Anything Goes

The Sisterhood of Crafters: Celebrating Easter

Recycle, Re-Purpose & Re-invent: Anything Goes

The Graphics Fairy - Brag Monday #131

Supplies:
Patterned Paper:	K & Co Classic K ‘Bailey’
Image:	Graphics Fairy; Crafty Secrets Heartwarming Vintage
Inks:	Distress Ink ‘Old Paper’, ‘Tattered Rose’, ‘Frayed Burlap’, ‘Vintage Photo’, ‘Evergreen Bough’; Versamark; Distress Stain ‘Victorian Velvet’; Perfect Pearls Mist ‘Perfect Pearl’, ‘Heirloom Gold’; Alcohol Ink ‘Mushroom’, ‘Pearl Mixative’, ‘Blending Solution’
Embellishments:	Darice flowers; Prima flowers; vintage buttons; Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel (UTEE); Tim Holtz adornments; TH tissue tape ‘Nostalgic’; Hug Snug seam binding; Liquid Pearls ‘Bisque’
Tools:	Foam and felt ink blenders; Glossy Accents; Matte Multi-Medium; Glue Dots pop up; Coluzzle; heat tool; TH paper distresser; tweezers; Wondertape; water pen
Misc:	Laughing Cow cheese box

Spring is Here!

Another card today featuring the "Vintage Easter" cardstock stickers from Karen Foster Design.  Also another monochromatic card, but this time in yellows / golds with the "Spring is Here!" sticker adding the only other colors to the palette.

Some Details:

• The vintage-y background paper is from Cosmo Cricket's "Circa 1934" line.  It's so perfectly retro!  On top of that, I layered a creamy punched paper border that was spritzed with Perfect Pearl mist, a length of caramel velvet ribbon, and a line of bisque Liquid Pearls.
• I made a daffodil from two paper flowers, accented the center with more Liquid Pearls and arranged it with a hand-dyed seam binding bow.

Challenges:

Creative Card Crew: #7 - Spring

Ribbon Carousel Challenge: RCC47 - Spring is in the Air
Stamp and Create: April Monthly Challenge - Spring

Supplies:
Cardstock:	Stampin’ Up! ‘So Saffron’, ‘Naturals Ivory’
Patterned Paper:	Cosmo Cricket ‘Circa 1934’
Inks:	SU! classic ‘So Saffron’, ‘More Mustard’, ‘Apricot Appeal’; Distress Ink ‘Old Paper’; Perfect Pearls Mist ‘Perfect Pearl’
Embellishments:	Karen Foster Design cardstock sticker ‘Vintage Easter’; Hug Snug seam binding; velvet ribbon; Darice paper flowers; Liquid Pearls ‘Bisque’
Tools:	EK Success border punch; 3M foam tape; Fiskars punch corner rounder; heat gun; Glue Dots pop up; Wondertape

Jelly Bean Jar

I've got another altered spice container to show you today.  This time it's a simple glass jar that once held organic cinnamon.  I just purchased the Tim Holtz Idea-ology Seasonal Salvage Stickers from Blitsy and whipped up a quick project to play around with the Easter stickers.  Seriously...this is really quick and, filled with jelly beans or some other little candies, would make the cutest little Easter gift.

Here's the top.  The "cinnamon" label wouldn't come off easily, so I just covered it up with layered flowers and a button.  No details needed on this project!

Challenges:
The Cheerful Stamp Pad: Challenge #39 - Anything Goes
Always Crafting: Creative Monday Challenge #5 - Anything But a Card
Make It Monday: MIM #83
Simon Says Stamp Challenge: Simon Says..."Anything Goes"
Craft Us Crazy:  Altered Items / Anything But a Card

Supplies:
Cardstock:	Stampin’ Up! ‘Positively Pink’
Patterned Paper:	Fancy Pants ‘It’s the Little Things’
Inks:	Distress Ink ‘Old Paper’
Embellishments:	Tim Holtz Idea-ology Salvage Stickers ‘Seasonal’; ribbon; Papertrey Ink rustic button twine; Darice flower; button
Tools:	Scallop scissors; glue dots; 3M spray adhesive; SU! punch ‘Flower’; TH paper distresser; 3M foam tape; foam ink blender; nail polish remover (pure acetone)
Misc:	Spice jar

Birth of the Easter Bunny

Who knew that the Easter bunny was hatched from an egg?! Well, at least that's how this vintage image depicts it.  I'm loving these "Vintage Easter" cardstock stickers from Karen Foster Designs. They make whipping up beautiful Easter cards a breeze.

A Couple Details:

• I kept the color palette very neutral with just a touch of gold and violet. The Easter bunny is framed with a ring of flowers stamp from Glitz Design, popped up with foam tape and accented with Rock Candy Distress Stickles. I also used violet and gold metallic markers to add touches of colors to the floral frame.

• These gold outline stickers were a recent purchase. I used Alcohol Inks to tone down the bright gold and antique them a bit. I also used a metallic marker to bring the accent color down to the bottom lacy border.

• Creamy hydrangea blossoms with violet glass beads centers and hand-dyed seam binding form a little bouquet accent.

Challenges:

Simply Create Too: Challenge #10 - Eggs or Bunnies

Totally Papercrafts: Challenge #110 - Easter

4 Crafty Chicks: Challenge #83 - Easter

Paper Play: Week 13 - Easter

Fab 'n' Funky Challenges: #114 - Easter

Simon Says Stamp Challenge: Simon Says "Anything Goes"

The Sisterhood of Crafters: Celebrating Easter

Supplies:
Cardstock:	Stampin’ Up! ‘Naturals Ivory’
Patterned Paper:	My Mind’s Eye Lost & Found Two ‘Blush’
Stamps:	Glitz Design ‘Beautiful Dreamer’
Inks:	Distress Ink ‘Old Paper’, ‘Frayed Burlap’; StazOn ‘Timber Brown’; American Crafts metallic marker ‘Violet’; EK Success Zig Writer ‘Gold’; Alcohol Ink ‘Mushroom’, ‘Silver Mixative’, ‘Caramel’, ‘Blending Solution’
Embellishments:	Karen Foster Design cardstock stickers ‘Vintage Easter’; Prima flowers; Hug Snug seam binding; Starform outline stickers; velvet ribbon; glass beads; Distress Stickles ‘Rock Candy’
Tools:	Foam and felt ink blenders; heat gun; 3M foam tape; Wondertape; Glossy Accents; scallop scissors