dahlhouse designs

[11.13.2014] CAS(E) this Sketch hits #100

Congrats CAS(E) this Sketch

I can’t believe CAS(E) this Sketch has hit challenge #100.  I was thrilled when Chrissy invited me back to help celebrate this milestone.  I was lucky to be apart of CTS’s beginning and I’m beyond excited to see that it still is going strong.  So, tet’s take a look at the sketch and get started.

CTS_100

dahlhouse designs | birthday 10.2014

When I saw the sketch, I immediately reached for patterned paper.  I knew I wanted that to be the major focal point for this card to mimic the bottom feature of the sketch.  Surprisingly, the first paper pad I grabbed was perfect.  I trimmed out this flourish from the paper and glued it down.  Next, I found the flower and circle stamps to mimic a similar pattern from the paper to accent and blend the trimmed out portion into the card.  I love how it was almost made to go together.  Yay.  Last, I added my birthday sentiment and some sequins to finish everything off.

I hope you’ll play along and celebrate the 100th sketch too.

2014sig

2014supplies

other: cupped coffee sequins (Simon Says Stamp)


[7.31.14] tag you’re it!

Tag You’re It!

Let’s get ready, it is time for our next challenge with Tag You’re It!.  To play along, just create a TAG or TAG containing project inspired by this sketch provided by CAS(E) this Sketch.  I’m so excited we are joining up with CAS(E) this Sketch for this round.  I started as part of the first design team for them and now for the inaugural Tag You’re It design team too!  Kinda like a family reunion.

Inspiration:  I immediately noticed the two different backgrounds in the sketch.  I knew that had to happen somehow on my tag and then I decided to combine all the other little icons into one more small tag element.

IMG_2843_dahlhouse

Oh new babies… so fun to design tags and cards for these celebrations.  I started with a regular utilitarian shipping tag and covered it with two different patterned papers to mimic the sketch.  Next, I grabbed some matching die cuts to the paper and found two adorable ones to combine.  I slipped that diaper pin into the top of the little celebrate tag and popped it up.  Next.  I wanted one more cute little element and created the grey tag with the heart center.  Too adorbs, right?  Gotta love baby things.

TYIC_Player_Badge_zpsd484d2b0

Now it is YOUR turn… Tag You’re It!  Visit the Challenge blog to see all the inspiration projects and how to play along.  It is all about fun and tags!!!

2014sig

2014supplies


[7.4.2014] tag you’re it

Tag You’re It!

Happy Fourth to all my US friends.  We are going to be finding some fireworks to watch tonight with some visiting friends.  It has been years since we did this, hopefully we’ll survive.  heehee

Let’s get ready, it is time for our next challenge with Tag You’re It!.  To play along, just create a TAG or TAG containing project inspired by this tag project.  We have an amazing, extra special guest designer.  Please give a warm welcome to the fabulous Virginia Lu. *clap, clap, clap*

Inspiration: Virginia’s tags contain simple stamping, bold colors and minimal decoration.  I do not do bold colors very often.  I’m more of a soft, pastel palette kind of girl.  I was bound and determined to be bold this time around.  I love her off the edge stamping, so I wanted to mimic that effect as well, but in card form.

IMG_2850_dahlhouse

Holy Hannah, is that ever bold!!!  My mini Distress Inks cubes arrived recently and you can’t get any bolder than that.  I pick three of my favorite colors and directly applied the ink to the watercolor paper tag (created by trimming of the top corners of a rectangle), spritzed with water and letting it dry naturally.  Once dry, I heat embossed the sentiment.  You will want to make sure that the tag is EXTRA dry because the embossing powder will stick to if just freshly dried.  You’ll notice a few stray white dots, I painstakingly removed an enormous amount of stray embossing powder.  Yuck, don’t recommend it.

While my tag was drying, I stamped the background stars (also on watercolor paper) using the same inks.  I practiced on some scrap paper this time.  My watercolor paper is precious and I didn’t want to have to throw it away and try again.  Then, I just slapped that big tag on my card and called it done.

TYIC_Player_Badge_zpsd484d2b0

Now it is YOUR turn… Tag You’re It!  Visit the Challenge blog to see all the inspiration projects and how to play along.  It is all about fun and tags!!!

2014sig

2014supplies


[6.15.2014] wanna sketch no. 17

Wanna Sketch no. 17

Happy Father’s Day!  Hope you’ll be celebrating with your family and with your father today.  We are lucky to be spending the day with my dad and will be honoring my husband’s in our hearts.

I hope you have tons of fun with the newest Wanna Sketch.  Lots of possibilities with this one, so let’s get creative.

2013wanna-sketch

DDWS17

IMG_1068_dahlhouse

I decided to go with a landscape card with this sketch.  You are more than welcome to adjust the sketch to your ideas.  It is just a starting point, flip it, turn it, widen it, it is all good.  Just so long as we can still see the basic sketch in your design.  It is all about having a jumping off point to forge ahead in our creative process.

I had this idea of the feathers floating on the wind and just went with it.  The cloud panel is popped up from the card and the velum is wrapped around and secured from behind to hide the adhesive.  I stamped on the velum before adding to the card.  Those fun little feathers were cut with my Silhouette Cameo and the little bow was glued on at the end.

Are you ready to take this sketch on???  The linky will stay open until Friday, July 18, 2014 {11:55pm PT}.
Can’t wait to see what you come up with!

2014linkup

2014sig

2014supplies


[6.1.2014] Unity Stamp Co and the Curtain Call Challenge

Unity Stamp Co and the Curtain Call Challenge

Unity Stamp Co is sponsoring the Curtain Call Challenge this week and asked if our design team would like to play along.  Well, yeah, of course!!!  Super fun.

IMG_2782_dahlhouse.jpg

The Curtain Call inspiration photo includes lots of white rocks, with a clean and simple look.  It made me think of something with lots of white space and a simple design.  So, I decided to “rock” out a clean and simple card.  Haha, corny, I know.  So sorry.

I went with a really clean color palette and I haven’t used the Dreams Set Sail stamp set yet, so broke that baby out.  My new Lil’ Inker Designs dies arrived, so they were put to good use.  I layered the glitter paper and hand cut the wavy top before adhering to the tag.    I stamped the sailboat and stars directly onto the tag and then popped up a second one at the end.  I really like how this one turned out.  Perfect timing for graduation cards or maybe  a birthday.

Hope you’ll join in on the fun with the Curtain Call Challenge.  You could win a pretty fabulous prize from Unity as well.  Check out their blog for all the challenge deets.

I’m also submitting this to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge since anything goes and they are featuring Lil’ Inker Dies (and I just so happened to break my new ones in this week).

2014sig

2014supplies