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, April 17, 2025

Left Over Pieces + New Pieces = Finally-Finished Cards

Welcome, Blogging friends! I have missed you!


Still plugging along in my "unfinished stuff" boxes, these creations have been in the works for the last 6 weeks. I came across some pink and white Spellbinders decorative squares elements already cut out - probably 15 years ago - they were crying out to put put on a project! So I added some Impression Obsession butterflies and Tattered Lace flowers, enjoying designing The Old dies with The Virginal dies. The designing was fun, too - especially with the addition of sparkle in one of my favorite colors PINK!

Here are some of the pieces I started with before adding the whimsy:


Because the bottom layers overlapped in some places, shims were needed:


With the shims prepared and glued in place, the diagonal square in the middle could be added:



Next... to adhere the fun die cuts:


To shade some of the pink areas (included the pink glitter paper), Worn Lipstick DI was applied. See the difference?


The vellum "butterfly shadow" is pearly, so it picked up the pink tones without coloring. The other butterflies with pink frames around them were "inked" with Worn Lipstick atop pale pink cardstock. The die cut sentiments were cut from pink glitter paper, darkened with Copic Marker RV32, and shadowed with a pale slate blue cardstock:


Two more cards, one using Ana Griffin's sentiment set:


Upon finishing the cards, I decided some pop up elements on the inside would be fun. It sure would have been easier had that been done before adhering all the layers! Front facing:


Top facing - notice the notched element under the butterfly to minimize the popup feature:


Thanks for visiting my little blog! Your encouragement and friendship means so much. I am permanently homebound, leaving only for medical appointments. Each excursion takes tremendous toll on my body, but I'm still able to do "small things with great love".  I'm so grateful to still be living in this wonderful world, surrounded by beautiful people!

Products: Anna Griffin "You Are" sentiment stamps (set of 9), Inks: VersaFine Clair Nocturne, Distress Worn Lipstick, Dies: Tattered Lace Michaelmas Daisy, Imp Obs Butterfly DIE059-N, SB Marvelous Squares, SB Adorning Squares, LifeStyle Nesting Frames 7, MS Floral Crochet PAP, MS lace heart edge punch, Die-Versions Express Banners "Happy Day" and "Make a Wish", Cardstock: pink glitter, pink, white, white glitter, slate blue (shadow on sentiment) Other: Gold Detail EP, Copic RV32, 

May I please play in the following challenges?

  1. Seize the Birthday #303 Layer it Up Birthday 4/2 (each card has multiple layers inside and out)
  2. Triple B Challenge (April 3) inspiration board for birds butterflies blooms 5-1
  3. Crafting A Cut Above (April 7) Spring Time with Dies 5/1 (Dies used: Tattered Lace Michaelmas Daisy, Imp Obs Butterfly DIE059-N, SB Marvelous Squares, SB Adorning Squares, LifeStyle Nesting Frames 7, MS Floral Crochet PAP, MS lace heart edge punch, Die-Versions Express Banners "Happy Day" and "Make a Wish")
  4. Colorful Options (April 1) choose color(s) from the inspiration photo. I chose pink. 5/1
  5. The Four Seasons Challenge (April 1) Anything Goes Spring 5/1
  6. Craft Rocket Challenges #124 "Layer it Up" 4/28 (each card has multiple layers inside and out)
  7. As You Like It Challenge (April 17) Fussy & Fancy and Why 4/30 (while CAS are amazing, I have trouble keeping it simple. It's always satisfying to add more layers, more sparkle, unexpected details, and products to cards, and see the faces of the recipients - or to hear their sweet voices - exclaiming "how did you do that?" giggle)
Thanks for stopping by!


Sunday, February 23, 2025

Remember Those Cute Bugaboo Characters?

Hello, my friends! Another post from me! (giggle)

Today's cards are doubly sweet - made with fond thoughts of Jodie (former owner of Bugaboo Stamps), and also for a dear friend who loves her little white mischievous puppies! Her birthday is drawing near, so it was the perfect opportunity to showcase Jodie's silly images for a person who will appreciate them. 

Copics, inks, paper-piecing techniques, and recycled ribbon comprise this 5 inch square card. 


Does anyone know the name of this fun fold card? 

I think it might be called the Triple Panel Pop Out Fold?

Anne Buckingham taught me the mechanics in making the fun fold last year, but I don't know the name of the fold. It's really simple to make. Cut a piece of cardstock that matches the card base - 4 inches wide by however tall your card is (in this case, it is 6" tall). Score the piece at one, two and three inches. Fold into a "square tube". Apply adhesive to the two ends of the "tube" - first and last segments - and adhere both on either side of the card base fold. Be sure to fold the card while your glue is drying to make sure you have placed it perfectly on either side of the card fold. NOTE: It was easier adhering the sentiments after the tube was in place. Decorate with all sorts of ephemera, images, sentiments, die cuts - so cute ~ !




Thanks for popping by!


Products: Baxter Puppy from Bugaboo, digital sentiments, Dies: Darice Nested Ornate Rectangles, Surprise Creations Large stitched rectangles, Tutti Stitched Rectangles, LaLaLand Flag Banner, Spellbinders Fleur de Lis, Embossing Folder: We R Memory Keepers Next Level Woven 2, Coloring: Copics and Distress inks, Patterned Papers and cardstock from stash, Glitter, Ribbon

ALWAYS THANKFUL FOR THE DESIGN TEAMS AND HOSTS OF ON-LINE CHALLENGES:

  1. Critter Crazy Challenges #95 (final challenge SOB!) AG with Featured Critter 2/25
  2. Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2508 AG 11/25
  3. CD Sunday Plus #152 Anything Goes (3 digital images, several digital sentiments as shown on the fun fold card - I hope it fits the rules of your challenge). 2/25
  4. Snippet's Playground Challenge #500 CELEBRATE 500! (in the fun fold card I used snippets for interest in the bottom portion of card front, and lots of snippets from scraps of designer papers in the flags/banners. The yellow glitter border is the "negative" left over portion of a die cut. The interior also uses several snippets of left over lengths of cardstock and pattern paper - thanks for the fun challenge! 2/25 (playing JFF for top 3 spot)
  5. Love those Pretty Papers (a D&D challenge) Feb 1 Use pattern papers 3/1
  6. Creative Fingers Challenge #295 Anything Goes 3/8 (products I used are listed above - hybrid layering. Thank you!)
  7. Heart's Quest Celebrations of Love Challenges Blog #2 (Feb2) BEWAS - using birthday cards, one is pop out. 3/2
  8. Halloween & Other Occasions Crafts Year Round (Feb 1) Birthdays and Dogs 2/28
Stamping Hugs,

Thursday, February 13, 2025

You OTTER love this set! {Dare 2B Artzy)

Surprise! A post from me! (giggle)


Even though I cannot leave many comments, or post to my own blog, it doesn't mean I'm not thinking fondly of my blogging buddies. I hope you are all well! Today's card share is a Valentine for my Jacky, AND using stuff from my unfinished box. Five or Six years ago, my friend Ana brought her Otterly Awesome set to share. I did manage to color these cuties in with Prismacolor Pencils, but was unable to finish in the allotted time. I like how it came out all these years later, and was the perfect sweetheart card from my Most Favorite Person in the whole wide world.

Using LifeStyle QuicKutz heart dies, a frame was created to complement the Martha Stewart lacy heart punch. Papers and dies are older than 2015.

The interior was customized a bit to match the Valentine theme:




Products: Quickutz Nesting Lacy Hearts and Plain Hearts dies, Martha Stewart Lacy Heart border, Walnut & Spun Sugar distress inks, Prismacolor Pencils,

May I please play in the following fine challenges?
  1. Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2506 AG 02-16
  2. Crafty Animals #91 AG with animals 3/1
  3. Coloring With Pencils Kleuren met Potloden (Feb 10) AG with pencils 3-6
  4. Unicorn Challenge #106 Dots and/or Stripes 2/26
  5. **NEW** Neglected Stuff Challenge #1 3/1 (stamped images were in my unfinished by from at least 5 years ago, papers, dies, punches from past life - giggle - at least 10 years old. D&D, thank you for establishing another fun challenge! 
  6. Christmas or NOT Bingo #11 Used Column "I" with Square, Layers, Free, Stamped Images 3/1
  7. Halloween Crafts (and Valentine's Day in February) #23 3/1
  8. Critter Crazy Challenges #95 AG with a Critter (SOB! LAST CHALLENGE!) 3/1
  9. Sunday Stamps SSC353 Pretty Frames Sketch Challenge 2/15

Stamping Hugs,
de