Brown Bags

I've noticed that Brown Bags are a favourite among crafters and that there's a variety of small and big sacks around the internet.

I've always seens brown bags here too so when I read the theme for this week's challenge at Broken Box Stock I thought it was super easy.

It's about incorporating a brown bag into your card or project so I decided to go shopping.

I bought some fresh bread from the baker's and... it came in a white paper bag. I headed to the greengrocer's and bought some fruit and veggies and... they all came in white bags! I then bought some tiny pizzas in a bar for my daughter and again, white paper bags...

I was really worried that no brown bags were still available when, one day, I stopped at the grocer's I have close to my house and bought some peaches... voilà, a brown bag!

I cut parts of it and assembled them in this card:

I then printed this cute set of girl's faces available here at Broken Box Stock (it's a freebie so you cannot miss it!), colored them with Copics, cut them and glued them with 3D dots on the brown bag panel.

A simple ivory card, some pink and white baker's twine and an apple charm add a special touch.

Please, read full instructions for this challenge here and let's start creating! I'm sure you'll have less trouble in finding a brown bag!

Back to School? No, not yet, please!

Well... no, not yet!

Our region is one of the last to start school: Sept. 17! There's still plenty of time to think about it and it's still hot and sunny... for us it's still summer!

But it seems that things are a bit different around the world and school themed projects and cards seem to be the trend at this time of the year.

One of the things I love most while papercrafting is to create little notebooks and journals.

This time I've thought about something a bit different: instead of altering an existing plain notebook, I've created tiny post-it note holders:

I've used the Believe in You set of clear stamps by There She Goes. I colored each kid with Copics, cut them and glued them on the cover made with some DCWV patterned papers.

I'll enter There She Goes Challenge # 169 where the theme is Back To School.

I think I'll hide one of these little notes holders in my daughter's school bag!

It's a Sweet Summer at Broken Box Stock!

It's time for Challenge # 7 at Broken Box Stock!

The theme for this challenge is super-sweet: Summer Pastels!

It's been a bit difficult for me to choose pastel colors: we are having such a hot and dry summer that the colors I'd associate to it were mainly primary colors.

But I LOVE pastels, they are MY colors so I finally came up with this card:

I used Fairy Toodle digi stamp which you can find here in the shop, my Copics and a bright patterned paper (I'm sorry, but there was no clue of the manufacturer on the sheet).

Now, here are the directions for the Challenge:

Use a graphic from Broken Box Stock to create a card or paper craft featuring a soft, summery pastel color palette.

Feel free to use broken Box Freebies (you can view the entire freebie collection here).

Deadline is Thursday, August 23, 2012 @ 5:00 pm

Prize is $5.00 Gift Certificate to Broken Box Stock

Challenge Rules:
1) Use a Broken box clipart/digital stamp as the main design element.
2) Follow the challenge's specific design criteria above.
3) To enter your project in the challenge, use the "inlinkz" link tool in the Challenge page.
4) No back linking.
5) Up to 3 entries per person.
6) Subscribe to Broken Box blog so you know if you win (and claim your prize)!
7) We must have at least 5 entries to award a prize.

Have a look here to see full directions, links to freebies and, of course, the wonderful inspiring projects from the DT.
And don't forget to see the winner of Challenge # 6 - Free for All here

Another Card by My Daughter

My daughter is not one of those kids who cannot live without going to the park each day. On the contrary, I often struggle to go out and do something outside.

She loves to stay at home: she plays, she reads and she creates.

I guess that such busy winters with school, plus swimming and dance lessons leave the place to lazy summers when she can live at her own pace.

The fact that she loves creating is a pleasure for me because we create together and now she needs less help (but more supplies...) to finish her projects. We chat together and generally she asks for advice but she doesn't show me her creation until the very end.

Last week she had a great fun creating her Piggy Bank card so she wanted another challenge and I found one for the kids with a perfect theme.

She made this card:

The theme of the Challenge isSUMMER and she had a look among my digis from The Stamping Boutique and chose this one.

The only suggestions I gave her were the sentiment and to add some details in 3D.

I printed the digi and cut the card, that's all.

I love her coloring and the detail she adds: she now has her own rhinestones and glitter so she can use plenty of them without listening to my mumble mumble...

She drew a motorcycle and added a piece of cord as if the motorcycle pulled the sign.

This card is for the following challenges:

Little Hands Challenge # 17 - SUMMER

and

The Stamping Boutique Challenge # 44 - ANYTHING GOES

Piggy Bank Love

Yesterday, I decided to treat myself with some Meljen's Designs digi stamps: there was a 50% discount and, being a fan of her digis, I decided to have a look and choose 4.

Three were already in the cart but the fourth...? Oh, it was SO difficult to choose just one so I asked my daughter for advice.

Then, I let her have a look around in the shop and she fell in love with a digi stamp.

The day before, she had helped me while I was cleaning the kitchen and she had played quietly by herself the whole day while I was cleaning windows, oven, drawers, etc. etc.

So, I decided she could have her own digi stamp and in the afternoon she made this card:

I love her coloring, soft and shaded and with that touch of glitter that makes everything shine. She then had this idea to punch little stars and butterflies and write the symbol of Euro, as if the money "flew" into the piggy bank.

She was so excited with her new digi and her new card!

Of course, she will enter Meljen's Designs Challenge # 120: the theme is Anything Goes so this card is perfect!