My blog is called "Creative Smiles" because my designs are the result of incorporating mistakes. With fumble fingers that drop whatever they are holding - repeatedly, it takes a lot of giggles, smiles and creative patience during my crafting process. xx

Thursday, November 23, 2017

Cardz 4 Galz - Cupcakes

Hello, dear Blogging Friends!
Today is Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. and I am very thankful for the kind, generous Beauty you each share with the rest of us - and especially, how I've grown just by knowing you. You never know whose life you are touching with your words and artwork!

I have two questions below which I'm hopeful you can answer in your comments, but first, let's take care of "business" (giggle)


There's a new challenge at Cardz 4 Galz Challenges today!


Badges are awarded for the Spotlight Winner and Top Picks.

Challenge #61 is chosen by designer Amy - and the theme is:

  CUPCAKES!  

show us your Paper Crafting projects using any technique and medium, 
AS LONG AS IT FEATURES A YUMMY CUPCAKE DELIGHT!
Challenge ends on DECEMBER 6th.

First I stamped this darling little flying lover of cupcakes with the Stamp Platform currently on sale.
I stamped 3 times until the gray ink was just dark enough:

This card is for my granddaughter, so My Copic Markers naturally gravitated to a more sophisticated color palette suitable to her age (giggle).
Isn't it amusing how we enjoy certain colors as children, outgrow those colors, and slowly gravitate back to those fun colors as we age?


Surrounded by glittery happiness,
the sentiment is left OH-SO-PLAIN, with a tad of yellow ink, and a gray Copic Marker on the edge.

The Balloons are stamped twice so that one could be colored, and dredged with Starfire Ultrafine Glitter. After the glue for the glitter dried, I fussy cut one balloon, distressed the glitter with Black Memento ink, and popped it up for some dimension.

Starfire Ultrafine Glitter is fantastic for "shading" after it has been applied - with alcohol-solvent markers, or water-based products.


TIP:


In fact,
speaking of "distressing" glitter,
(isn't that an oxymoron?),
all three of the die cut balloons have been colored with Copic Markers, then dredged with Sunny Daze Ultrafine Glitter  and Sassy Silver Ultrafine Glitter, and THEN colored again with darker Copic Markers, to add a little more depth to the balloons.
You can even "change" the shade or color of many glitters (both microfine and ultrafine) by coloring with inks and markers.

I created the border by using Abby's Birthday Party digital stamp set. The tiny cupcake was cropped, and then flipped and copy and pasted a number of times to create a fun border. Later it was colored with coordinating markers. I RESISTED THE URGE to glitterfy them by sparkling up the frame instead. It's popped up with a piece of fun foam and attached using SNS Tear-ific Tape 1". They look like they are dancing:



Cute card! Now, it's your turn to create some cupcake fun for the challenge!




QUESTION #1
Do you completely change your project 3 or 4 times during the creative process before finally seeing a possibility? Sometimes, as with this card, I have an idea, which morphs into another, which then morphs into yet another, and finally ends up being completely different from what I started with!


QUESTION #2
Recently, I learned that Windows users cannot "see" the "You might like" widget that is at the bottom of each post (just above where you write a comment). I have learned people with an Apple device (iPad, MacBook, iMac, etc) can see the 5 thumbnails, but apparently Windows users cannot. Will you please advise in your comment if you can see it, and which Platform (Windows or Apple) that you are using? Thank you! I'd like to contact the widget maker.

Products Used:

Challenges I'd like to play in:
  1. A Bit More Time to Craft #56 Anything Goes 11/29 (sep post 11/30)
  2. Allsorts Challenge Blog #442 "Glitter" 11/25
  3. Craftaholics R Us #46 "Girly" 11/28
  4. Crafting with Friends #55 Anything Goes 11/29
  5. Crafty Girls Creations #41 Anything Goes 12/1
  6. Crafty Friends Challenge #71 Add A Sentiment 12/1
  7. Cute as a Button Challenge #39 Anything Goes Cute! 12/1
  8. Retro Rubber Stamps Challenge #76 "Anything Goes" (my flying girl rubber set with sentiment are circa 2013 by SNS - I love this stamp set!) (C10) 12/1 (sep post 12/4)
  9. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge (11-22) "Food Or Drink" 11/29
  10. Sweet Stampin' (Nov 18) "It's Our 8th Birthday" 11/25 (Birthday Cards)
Thanks for dropping by today.
Sending you cupcake hugs,

47 comments:

Jackie T said...

Hi Donna this is a stunning card it is delightful I love it. Happy Thanksgiving. Take care. Hugs Jackie

brenda said...

This is just stunning Donna, it's like walking into a Spring morning with the soft colours and those lovely sunrays beaming down onto the sweet image, a real joy to see.

B x

Chris said...

Hi Donna, what a wonderful, happy sparkling card this is! Fab design, beautiful fresh palette and loads of lovely sparkle...never thought of colouring on top of glitter...so thanks for the tip!
In answer to your questions- 1-it's very rare for a card (or anything else) I make to to end up as I originally intended.
2 I use Windows and I can see the 'you might likes'.
Happy Thanksgiving my friend
hugs
Chris
x

Donna Ellis said...

Thanks, Chris! You are the first person using Windows who has been able to see that "you might like".

Bunny said...

We have a MAC and can definitely see them.

Happy Thanksgiving. It's going to be a wet one for the both of us, eh? We are traveling to Orlando in the rain. Yikes! Rain, rain and more rain.

Your card is just so beautiful. I love the glittery beautiful balloons, the dies, the colors and coloring. Everything about is fabulous. [Bunny]

Paper Creations by Shirley said...

Hi Donna, gorgeous card and so is your photography. As always I love all the glitter and the whimsical images. The creative process is just that I think.... one step leads to another, even a 'mistake' leads to something else... it evolves. So yes I change directions often... :) and Yes I can see you 'might also like' at the bottom of this post and I use a Windows platform... I think it's 7, but not sure... :( bad me. Take care, Shirleyxx

KarinsArtScrap said...

sweet and gorgeous card Donna, love the glitter.
I was surprise if anyone saw that the pearls where indeed the colour of the circle, you have seen that.

Gr Karin

Shona Erlenborn said...

Now that's strange - I now see "You might also like" at the bottom!

As for your card - this is so pretty and full of fun from your flying girl in the sunrays with her sparkly balloons to the dancing cupcakes. Truly whimsical! Beautiful work dear friend!

Donna Ellis said...

Shona, how funny that is! I'm glad you can see it now. I wondered - it just seemed so strange to me. And then I pondered that maybe the security apps needed on Windows perhaps prevented people from seeing the little thumbnails. THANK YOU! Happy Thanksgiving, sweet friend.

Linda Simpson said...

Happy Thanksgiving Donna! Another gorgeous card, love the image and beautiful colours. The sparkle on the balloons is gorgeous too.
Hugs
Linda xxx

Jessica K said...

I change my projects so many times as I creAte! I still can’t see the “you might like” :( BUT I LOVE your card!!

Lisa said...

Oh wow, this is so sweet and gorgeous, Donna!! I love every single detail!! The flying cupcake fairy is adorable!! I love the rays behind her!! The dancing cupcakes along the bottom are so cute!! The glittery balloons are fabulous!! The texture, the design, everything is amazing!! I just love, love this!! It's so whimsical and beautiful!!

I change my projects so many times throughout the process. It's why I have a hard time doing tutorials...I have ideas in my head but I always end up changing them. I never really know where a project is headed :)

I can see your five "You might also like" thumbnails and I use a Windows 10 computer and Firefox browser. I hope you and your family have a very happy Thanksgiving, sweet friend!! Big hugs :)

Lisa
A Mermaid's Crafts

KraftyKoolKat said...

So delightful Donna, your Granddaughter will adore it. I usually lay my creation out before doing it to the sticking stage and don't alter it but then mine are not as gorgeous and intricate as yours. I can see your your might likes and I am using Windows 10 on a desk top computer.
Hugs
Cathy
xxxxx

Janis Lewis said...

Thanks for joining us at Craftaholics R Us.
Janis, Owner and Design Team Member

Sue said...

Hi Donna, I use Linux and can see the You may also like and the photos.

Lovely card.

I don't usually change a project once I started putting it together, as I tend to get everything ready before putting it together.

Hope you are having a nice week. Sue

Ann Greenspan's Crafts said...

Happy Thanksgiving, Donna!

Your card is so pretty with the black and yellow. I was glad to see you joining along at Simon Says Stamp's Challenge. And yes, I can see the "you might also like" and I use Windows. Have a wonderful weekend.

crafty-stamper said...

Hi Donna I am on windows and cannot see you "you may like" or thumbnails but I am able to see them on other blogs-weird--yes I have ofen started with an idea and image then look for a B.paper then find one that I think ooh that would look good with another image and completely different idea.
Fabulous easel card love the cute image,background and colour ways,beautiful dies,sparkly balloons and cupcake border
Carol x

Beebeebabs said...

Such a beautiful card - love the stamp - great job as always - Happy Thanksgiving my friend!!!

Silvis Kreativstube said...

Hallo liebe Donna,

deine Karte ist wunderschön gestaltet. So viele liebevolle Details und so schön viel Glitter hast du eingesetzt. Die Karte gefällt mir sehr gut. Deine Enkeltochter wird begeistert sein. Ich finde die Karte super. Hugs Silvi

Puppy Kisses and Paper Dreams said...

This cupcake card is Ah-May-Zing!!!! Wow! Your granddaughter is so lucky to have you as a Grammy!! I bet you make her the most gorgeous things. I love this card! Bright, happy, fun, and so adorable!! I have never (cough, cough) gravitated away from these colors. I have always loved them.

And, to answer your questions:
#1: YES! Very rarely do I actually make a card like I envisioned it. Usually I morph several times during design so, yep, I get it!

#2: on my Android phone, I do not see any additional cards or projects to look at.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. You spread so much light and cheer. I am very grateful to YOU!

Kathleen said...

Super images and a lovely colour combo, love the row of cupcakes.
I have Apple and can see the "you may also like images"
Thank you for joining our 'Glitter' challenge this week at Allsorts.

Kath x

pam said...

Hi De, what a beautiful card for your Granddaughter, love your colours and wonderful image, pretty boarder and glittery ballons.
1. Yes a hundred times!!I cut more die and try more layouts to make one card! takes sooo long!.
2. Yes I see your 5 thumbnails..I use Windows 7 PC.
Funny I did`nt notice before on your blog.
And funny I do not have these on mine? is it something I have to set up De.
Hugs Pam x

Verna Angerhofer said...

I love the card you made and all the fantastic layers and those pretty balloons. I am not sure I know what you are referring to but I do see "You might also like" followed by five little photos of other projects and I use Windows 10 which originally was a Windows 7. So I do believe it is working okay for me.

aussie aNNie said...

Fabulous creative and gorgeous. Love the sparkly balloons De, very nice indeed.
When I create a card I just put it all on once and that's it.xx
[aNNie]🎄

CherylQuilts said...

Oh, Happy Thanksgiving, precious Donna! I am so thankful for many things, and I am thankful for our friendship and the ability to share our love for artwork. What a joy! This is an absolutely darling card, and your granddaughter will certainly love it! Yes, their color palettes change over the years...for sure! I love how you "dredged" the balloons for the glitter! Haha! Question #1 - YES, I nearly always change my direction with my cards. And it can be many times. Haha! Question #2 - I have a MacBook Pro with High Sierra running on it, and I see the "You might like" widget below. So there! Hehe! I will say that I had some problems yesterday with another program after upgrading to High Sierra...not a fun day!!! But today is a new day and a beautiful day to give thanks to the Lord for all things...for He is our God!! Hugs and love!! xoxo

DIANA L. said...

What a beautiful and happy card. I love the sparkle, hope you are having a wonderful Thanksgiving my friend
The balloons are fantastic

Debbie Mageed said...

Whoa! You took the cupcake challenge and FLEW with it, Donna! Your granddaughter will certainly cherish this card. As always, I found some gems of creative genius to try to CASE. To answer your questions, I find my creativity is best when I am not trying to make it "fit" into a challenge. When I can just play, my project will morph quite a bit before I start the process of putting it together with adhesive. For your second question, I have Windows and can see the "you might also like" suggestions - and believe me, I really do love seeing those gorgeous suggestions! Happy Thanksgiving!

Ina G said...

Another beeeeeeeeeeeeeeautiful card Donna. Love the fantastic layout and those amazing balloons. Beautiful colouring. Always a pleasure to visit as you explain your process in making your cards so well. Love it and that sweet image!
A lot of times my card turns out differently to what I had planned.
It seem like most of us using Window's can see your 5 You might also likes at the bottom.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Donna Phelan said...

Oooh weeeeee These colors are fabulous! Love the balloons and all of that sparkle! Love the yummy cupcakes and easel style card! This card is FANTASTIC on every level, every accent, every little speck of glitter! YUM!

Pamellia said...

Oh Donna, this is such an uplifting card! The colours are so bright and cheery, and that image makes me smile! The silver is wonderful, love the back panel with the embossing!! So elegant and whimsical!

#1 - I usually have a pretty good idea of how I want a card to look before I start piecing it together. I may make small changes, and the end result is never exactly as I envisioned it, but it's usually fairly close. Probably my OCD at work there. lol

#2 - I'm on a desktop using Windows and I see 5 thumbnails. The people who can't see the thumbnails should check the settings on their ad-blockers. Suggest they turn the ad-blocker off and refresh the page, see what happens.

So I had to build a barricade to keep Big Kate off of the balcony. Raccoons and baby squirrels just do not mix well together and I was losing sleep trying to watch over Zippy and Dolly P. It was a little heartbreaking to see the look on Kate's face when she realized she couldn't get in, but I passed her up lots of treats, so I hope she will forgive me. Sending hugs and wishes for a great holiday weekend :)

Mia said...

Donna, I am a windows uses (office 2016) and I see the "you might like" button. To your second question, of course I change 3 and 4, and maybe more, times my project until I feel happy with the result. As for your card, I tell you that it is beautiful and cute. I love the pretty colours, the glitter and the lovely girl! Kisses, my friend.

Leslie Miller said...

Wow, wow, WOW! First of all, I love the flying cupcake girl stamp and all the glitter and fantastic details. You did an amazing job on the background, too. The cupcake border looks like it was made for this image with the fluffy frosting matching the fluffy clouds. I shake my head at the perfection. It's so true how we come around to loving certain color combos all over again. A second childhood? Letting our hair down? As for Question #1, even as simple as my projects generally are, I do frequently end up with something completely different from the original plan. Question #2: I use Windows 10 and I can see your thumbnails. However, I cannot get this feature to show on my blog and it's very frustrating. I had it on TypePad, but not on Blogger. I love the feature and many times I'll click on the thumbnails when visiting a blog. I've been all over Google trying to figure out how to fix my problem, but to no avail, boo hoo. Happy day after Thanksgiving!

Janice said...

Love your cupcake card Donna and all the glitter!
Janice x

Sammy said...

this is such a cute card! Thank you for joining us at Sweet Stampin' this week. Sammy-x

Tammy said...

Oh What a stunning card Donna, I love this color combo!! Such a sweet image and fun design and all of the sparkle is sooo beautiful! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I usually make a slight change or two to my cards... and I can see the widgets.
Big hugs, Tammy

CdeBaca Crafts Gallery said...

Ooh I am a fan of those balloons!! 🎈🎊🎈🎊🎈

Deb said...

Beautiful card Donna. Absolutely adore your technique on the balloons

Thanks for joining us at Craftaholics R Us

~DT Deb

Debbie Mageed said...

Yay! I got to come back to tell you once again - in an official capacity - that this card is absolutely stunning! I love your color choices and the details are perfectly done. Thank you for playing with us at Retro Rubber and hope you will join us again soon.

Ellibelle said...

Fabulous card and love all the glitter! Thanks so much for sharing at Allsorts challenge. If you're up for a new challenge, come join us at Allsorts again, we just posted a new theme - inspired by a Christmas Carol.

Diane said...

FABULOUS card Donna!! I love the colors (colors of my bedroom)..so soft and pretty , yet so vibrant with the glitters! I color on my glitters too, and love the results, so these are 'fab' tips!! A beautiful card for your granddaughter...those balloons are stunning!
Now to the questions...when I make a card I rarely have an idea and just start in and then if lucky it all flows together...other days nothing works lol....as for seeing your thumb nails, guess what, I have windows and came see them all...maybe it was a bad internet day last week and things weren't working properly...that happens..lol....have a wonderful day of rest today!!

Creaine said...

wow...... Very nice. Thanks for joining us at Crafty Friends.
Bye, Groetjes van Ine (DT)
http://creaine-cards.blogspot.nl/

MaryH said...

It's delightful and very 'decorator' in the colors. My DD loves green & gray, even when it's not 'in fad'. We looked forever when doing her old bathroom which she wanted gray & yellow. Of course we're always either behind or ahead of fads. Love the way you've done the balloons, tfs the tips. Like the embossing and all the little special touches you've added to make it so beautiful. (1)on many cards, what I post is never what started - OR what I had envisioned. (usually due to boo-boos!) (2)Windows user and I _can_ see the little you may like icons. TFS & Hugs. Hope Tksgiving was just wonderful at your house.

NanaConnie said...

I love your coloring, Donna, and all the fabulous cupcakes but I'm totally enamored with the sparkly balloons! Gorgeous framing of that cute image and wonderful die cuts. I love it all! :-D

Conniecrafter said...

Oh here we go again, another post I missed, This card is just darling and with all that lovely sparkle she is going to just LOVE IT!! That is so cool how you did the balloons and adding the extra shading really does give it an extra pop! Gorgeous layers of framing and love the sunshine you have there too! I have certainly learned many things from you, and so glad we were brought together :)
Oh yes I usually have an idea I start with and it hardly ever ends up the way I had planned, it just morphs as I go.
Right now I am on my Windows 10 computer and I can see the You might like widget :)

Claire Grantham said...

OMG how beautiful is this!! Are you in the market for a 'spare' Granddaughter? I totes want to get this in the post. The colours are beautiful..I am gravitating back to Pink after a LONG hiatus, following my 'Pink Phase' (that is what my Momma calls it). Thanks for joining us this time at Retro Rubber. Claire DT (oh and I can see the thumbnails and I am on a mac)

Katy McGloin said...

Donna, this card is fantastic! I know your granddaughter will love it. The fold, the coloring, the glittering and the sweet image is delightful. Thanks so much for sharing with Retro Rubber this challenge. Hope to see you in our gallery often!!

Shirley said...

Your granddaughter must have fallen in love with your card Donna it is utterly cute and very girly girly.

I change direction with my makes all the time and I definitely can't see the thumbnails of you might like.

Warm crafty hugs from Shirl x x x
ShirlsCards.