~ Nina.B.Designs Blog-Hop #2 ~ and a Challenge

Welcome to the NinaB Designs's 2nd blog hop! We had a great time last month and we just want to thank you for your enthusiasm and encouraging words. The NBD team has new projects to show you today featuring NinaB Designs Spellbinders™ Paper Arts (Home Sweet Home and Sewing Elements), The Craft's Meow Stamps, and Want2Scrap bling. We have added a new twist to our hop. Not only do we have tons of inspiration for you, but we also are joining in the Crafty Friends' challenge that you can participate in. And of course, there will be prizes up for grabs! You will find more info below.

For my project, I used Spellbinders™ Sewing Elements for the scissor die-cut, Want2Scrap Classy Corners rhinestone embellishments, and The Craft's Meow Sew Lovely stamp set.

I die-cut two of the cute little scissors: one in cream and one in kraft, then cut the kraft one in half and layered it over the cream piece. A little rhinestone embellishment finishes off the scissor joint.

The rhinestone swirl embellishment was originally part of a frame, but I cut it to fit, as the entire piece was a bit too heavy for the whole effect of the card. Also, I can save the rest of the frame for another card next time!

Sorry for the visual-details-overload...

THE CHALLENGE: If you choose to participate in the challenge, create a new project that uses two die cuts. They don't have to come from two different die cut sets. Then, link it to the Crafty Friends' challenge blog. One participant will win the Sewing Elements dies. You can enter as many as you want. THE RULES: Leave a comment on as many blog hop stops as possible. FOUR commenters left on the NinaB Designs team blogs will be picked to win prizes. One comment per blog please. This is open to our international friends. Here are the links to the NBD team:

NinaB Designs * Beate Johns * Beatriz Jennings * Clare Buswell * Heather Jensen * Jennie Harper * Lea Lawson * Linda Lucas * Mona Pendleton * Viola Mahr (you are here) * Crafty Friends' Challenge Blog

THE PRIZES: There are several prizes to be won. One Crafty Friends' challenge blog participant will be randomly picked to get the Spellbinders' Sewing Elements dies

Four commenters left on the NinaB Designs team blogs will be picked to receive the following:

 Spellbinders Home Sweet Home

The Craft's Meow's Thanks Bee to Thee stamp set

The Craft's Meow's Lovely Birds set

Finally, please consider liking the following Facebook pages that are represented on today's hop:

NinaB Designs

Spellbinders Paper Arts

The Craft's Meow

Want2Scrap

We hope you enjoy the projects we're sharing with you today and enter the Crafty Friends challenge as well!

Thank you for visiting.

~Vi

~ Nina.B.Designs ~ Paper Piecing

This fun card was created with stamps and dies designed by Nina Brackett...........(she is one  talented and lovely woman).

The leafy stems were stamped with Happiness Is... and for dimension, I stamped a few extra stems, trimmed out the leaves, and adhered them with foam dots.

By the way, I know my stamping is not perfect. I can almost never achieve perfectly crisp images. Somehow they invariably end up with lighter patches or something wrong... =(
However, I am always inspired by artists who can do perfect stamping, and I will keep practicing and improving (and maybe invest in better inks). One day I will be a real stamper!
For now, I like to comfort myself with the idea that the imperfect stamping somehow lends a nice, soft effect to the final product ;)

PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU AGREE.



The lovely sentiment is also from the Happiness Is... stamp set.



And the cute, cute little hearts were die-cut from Nina Brackett's Home Sweet Home by Spellbinders™ ... these come with the tiny eyes punched out after die-cutting, so it was super easy to thread it on a length of thin twine.

The other bits on the card are patterned paper by K & Co as well as MME, a couple of cute blossoms by Prima, and some pretty trim.



Hope your weekend is a verrrah good one ;)

hugs,
~Vi