Egg-Cellent!

Hello Ai fans!

Today I am working on a couple Easter cards.  I wanted to use my Mini Bunny Spinner Set.  I picked it up a while ago but I wanted to wait until closer to Easter to use it. Well ... it is getting closer to Easter, so what better time than now.

I knew I wanted to try and add three circles, but I also knew that I am not good at lining this up so I figured I would stagger the circles in case there were boo boo's.  The circles were from the Circle Double Stitched Dies. I really like how they turned out.

As you can see I die cut from both my card base and my pattern paper so they would line up once adhered together.  What I like to do when adding my thread I glue the thread to the inside of one image and then attach the matching image to the other.  From there I use double sided tape and place on both ends of the circle to attach my thread to, as you can see above.  From there I add glue all over and around the thread so I know it will be secure once all put together. Another trick I like to do is tape my card base down where the fold is so there is no reason for any slack with the thread.

 I finish it off by adding my card front to the panel.  Not hard at all, right?? And from here I decorate my card with all of the finishing touches. As you will see below I added some purple card stock to my image.  I stamped the sentiment "Happy Easter" from the Sweet Easter Set.

I thought it looked to plain with just the white strip with the sentiment on it so I Added some more purple to it.  I cut a very thin strip of purple, centered it ant framed out the phrase.  Don't you agree it adds to the sentiment?

'I made two so I could send them to my Mom and my Mother in Law.  I can't tell if I like the one that is more pink or the one that has more blue in it.  Which one do you like better? I know they are both the "same" but sometimes the shades of color matter ... I think I am going with the more blue card! You?

Here they are side by side again.  Happy Wednesday everyone!

Until next time ... Hugs & inky fingers!

Copics used:
BG000, BG01
BV000, BV00
RV10, RV11
Y0000, Y000, Y00

Meowy Christmas by Jil Lebel

Hello Ai fans!

We're getting down to the wire for Christmas cards.  I've been trying to come up with some faster cards that I can make up in batches.  I sat down and made a few of these the other night.  I combined the Christmas Wreath Set with the Mini Cat Spinner Set.  Both stamp sets came with matching dies. The only thing I had to do was color them while watching a movie and die cut them before I added them to the card.  I found the perfect paper 6x6 paper pad at Michael's a few weeks ago called Christmas Pets and it had both dog and cat images in it.  It even had the perfect sayings for me to cut out and add to my cards.  

The images were stamped onto Spetrum Noir Ultra Smooth paper with My Favorite Things Extreme Black Ink and colored with Copic markers.  The colors used are listed at the end of this post. The cat and wreath were cut out using their matching dies. Several layers of the patterned paper were cut and edged with a Pilot Medium Tip Gold Marker.  The center panel, cat and wreath were attached with foam tape.  The sentiment and the bow were added with another layer of foam tape.  The bow and berries were covered with a layer of the Spectrum Noir Crystal Glitter Marker. 

Copic Colors Used:

Cat - Coo, C1, C3, C5, RV10
Wreath - YG61, YG63, YG67
Bow/Balls - R81, R83, R85

Thanks for stopping by and Have a Great Day!

Squirrel Spinner Flip Card by Jil Lebel

Hello Ai fans!

For today's card I wanted to put a fun twist on a spinner card, so I added it to a flip card.   I used the Mini Squirrel Spinner Set. I just love this chubby little squirrel that's spinning around. I didn't add the acorn to the spinner.  I just hid it in some flowers off to the side of the card.

I used the Crafter's Companion Die'Sire Diamond Swirl Dies to cut the flip card and the layers.  It comes as one set. The layers are cut from the Pebbles Woodland Forest 6'x6' paper pad.

The spinner element is easy to put together.  All of the directions are in the package.  I Just cut both sides of the squirrel and colored them.  I sandwiched both squirrel images facing outward around a piece of gold thread using Ranger multi matte medium. I attached the squirrel to the center of the card using Ranger multi matte medium to sandwich the string between the layer of the card and a layer of decorative paper. The greeting is stamped with an Onyx Black VersaFine inkpad onto a piece of paper cut from a Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels Three.

My images were all stamped onto Strathmore 140 Lb. watercolor paper with a Jet Black Archival ink pad. I used Peerless Watercolors to color these images with my #4 watercolor brush. I just used two colors, ecru and warm sepia.

It's very hard to show the spinner element, but here it was spinning. They are tons of fun to send and receive.  I hope you give one a try! 

Thanks for stopping by and Have a Great Day!

Mini Raccoon Spinner by Karen Day

Hello Ai fans!

I haven't made a spinner card in a little while, and I had these cute fall papers sitting on my craft desk - so I thought they'd go well with the Mini Raccoon Spinner Set (Sku # 4733):

 I stamped and coloured my images with Copic markers, then used the matching dies that come in the set to cut them out!  I used an oval die to make a cutout through all my layers.  I glued my front & back images together, sandwiching a piece of thread down the middle as I went along, and I attached the thread between my layers so that my raccoon and his cupcake would be suspended in the opening.  I finished off the inside of my card by adding a frame to the opening, and put some warm yellow cardstock behind the opening for some colour.

 The set comes with the three images, one sentiment and the two dies - everything you need to make a cute spinner.  Before I put the card in an envelope, I'll wind each of the images a few times so they'll spin around when the recipient opens it!
Copics used: E57, E55, E53, E51, E50, W5, W3, W1, BG07, BG05, BG02, B00, RV17, RV14, RV13, V06, V04, YG03, Y35

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I'm nuts about you by Sharon Caudle

Hello AI Fans!!

Happy Saturday everyone!! Hope you're having an amazing weekend and enjoying life!!  I have a fun card today featuring #4735 Mini Squirrel Spinner from Art Impressions.  These mini spinners are so much fun!! I used my new tree dies to put the acorn in, 

Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit today and hope to see you back again soon! 

copics used:

E33, E35, E37, E51, E53, E70, E71

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Challenge 183 Creative Critters WEEK 2

Hello, Ai Fans!

Have you had the chance to take our challenge for a whirl? Our Creative Critters challenge is welcoming in our new Mini Spinner release!

The designers are all here to show their creative critter creations! Visit their personal blogs by clicking the designers name to learn more about the card, and check out the set they used on our brand new website! Cheri with Mini Cat Spinner Set  Dana with Mini Cat Spinner Set  Diane with Mini Raccoon Spinner Set  Karen with Mini Bunny Spinner Set and Mini Cake Spinner Set  Kerry with Mini Bear Spinner Set  Renee with Mini Cat Spinner Set Sharon with Mini Bear Spinner Set  Inspired? Join our challenge for a chance to win Art Impressions stamps! We want to see cards that use animals in a creative way! Maybe it's an interactive card structure or some crazy creative coloring! Let's see it!

Here are the challenge rules …

✻ Please make a new card or creation. You can make any crafty item you wish; this is not limited to cards!

✻ Limit two submissions per person. You will receive extra votes if you use Art Impressions stamps!
✻ The Ai Challenge is open to everyone, international submissions are welcome!
✻ Include a link back to the Ai Blog or grab our button on the top right of our sidebar!
✻ Share the Ai love by clicking and commenting your fellow crafters.
✻ Make sure to get your link up by Wednesday, May 11 at 5:00 p.m. PST to enter your creations.
✻ Good luck and happy stamping!

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