Trendy Tuesday – Frogs & Toads

Trendy Tuesday – Frogs & Toads
by Katherine Elliot

One of the first signs of spring around my neck of the woods is the sound of tree frogs chattering away in the morning, waking up and thawing out from a long, cold winter.  If it doesn”t yet look like spring where you are, let me just say, it looks like it”s on the way!  Let me admit now,  it”s hard to separate frogs and toads in the paper craft world, so these little creatures will share the spotlight this week.

Birthday card by Jana Millen, image source This Little Card of Mine

Jan Millen”s adorable birthday card shown above features a very cute frog from the Paper Smooches stamp set, Little Fellas.  You may notice many of the projects and products featured are biased towards the frog variety.  Maybe the famous Muppett, Kermit the Frog, has influenced mainstream culture over the years, I really cannot say, but hey, they are both cute.

Want a little information on the official differences between a frog and toad?  Just do a search to find fun facts like the link here.  Luckily, there will be no science quiz at the end of this post, so just enjoy these projects and the “toadily unfrogettable” puns you can find to match them!

Card by Gretchen McElveen featuring Bella Blvd Toadily Cool stamp  image source Bella Blvd.

Unity Stamp branded with Bella Blvd, image source Scrapbook.com

Card by Kecia Waters featuring Frog Eating Fly stamp from Rubbernecker Stamps, image source Stamping Deets

Vicki Parson did a terrific job coloring her digital stamp image, Frog Boy from Hambo Stamps on her beautifully embellished card.  The digital image download comes with a few phrases, too, including the cute one she used.  I love this fun take on a get well card.

 Get Well card by Vicki Parson, image source StampSmiles.com

“Hello, Ma Baby, Hello My Darling….” Anyone else remember the singing frog from the old Looney Tunes show?  This DRS Designs Singing Frog stamp captures that childhood memory for me.  Now if I can only get that song outta my head…

Wonderful Day card by Jennifer E, image source Ink n” Scrap Habits

A smiling frog looks so cheerful on a card.  Papertrey Ink has a stamp set and matching dies for their Boy Basics Frog Hop Mini Stamp set.  The stamp and another sweet punny greeting was used in the project below. 

Card featuring Frog Hop Mini Stamp by Debbie Olson, image source Papertrey Ink

Inky Antics” line of “Honey Pop” stamps are designed to go with unique honeycomb papers, to allow you to insert a surprise pop-up on the inside of a card.  Of course they have a frog/toad theme set that includes cute images and sentiments.

Frog Honeypop Clear stamp from Inky Antics, image source Stuff4Scrapbooking

The honeycomb paper pop-ups look like a lot of fun.  Check out the pop-up honeycomb toadstool in the card below created by Michelle Pearson.

  

Card by Michelle Pearson featuring honeycomb pop-up using Honey Pop stamp, image source Inspiration Blooms

 And now, for the more serious minded toad lover…  

Sir Toad stamp from Stampendous

Stampendous” Sir Toad stamp has a vintage vibe that looks great in the project featured below.

Sir Toad Muchas Gracias, image source Stampendous.com

Of course nothing beats the cute and simple for sweet CAS projects.  The images from Hero Arts may suit the occasion you”re looking for.  Hero Arts” Adorable Creatures digital download includes this cutie…

Card by Shari Carroll featuring Lily Pad Greetings stamps from Hero Arts

Digital stamps, Adorable Creatures from Hero Arts, image source Two Peas in a Bucket 

Looking for something other than a stamp?  Lifestyle Crafts offers this sweet Frog die.

 QuicKutz Leap Frog die from Lifestyle Crafts

Froggy embellishments are fun, too.  Eyelet Outlet offers some of the largest variety of brads, eyelets and “quicklets” I”ve seen (quicklets are like eyelets, just even easier to use).  Check out their frog brads and lily pad quicklets…

Frog brads and Lily Pad Quicklets from Eyelet Outlet

The unique shape of a frog or toad makes it a great creature to recreate by “Punch Art.”  A selection of punched circles, ovals, and small flowers created this lily pad posed frog on Josee Smuck”s card featured here…

Punch art frog card by Josee Smuck, image source Stamping Jo.com

A layer of patterned paper on this next punch art frog offers another option for this technique.  And if you ask me, I”d have a hard time not adding a couple dimensional googly eyes to a funny fella like this…

Punch, die shape art Frog Box from Fiskars.com

 For an interactive, “fun for the whole family” paper craft project of the week, check out these origami frogs.  Do you remember making these in school?  I do!

Origami Jumping Frogs, image source CreativeJewishMom.com

Check out a quick visual tutorial for how to make Origami Jumping Frogs at Nice Hobbies.org.

Now I must be hopping right along preparing for another trendy topic that I hope you”ll find ribbit-ing!
(I know, groan….)   😉

Happy crafting, everyone.