Picking Flowers

Wow, winter is back! After a week of extreme temps for March, with highs reaching the 80s, it is back to reality here in Upper Michigan! We had snow on our roofs this morning-none stuck to the ground, but it was there never the less. And temps are back in the 30s. So I really should be working on those inside chores, right? Hmm, will have to consider that :)

This is a card I made for CR84FN50 color challenge-to use pink, orange and yellow. 

The little girl image is from a clear stamp from Stapmavie. I love this little girl, she reminds me of my Meg when she was little! I've had the stamp for some time but had not inked it up. My craft group had a 'Craft Weekend' last week, and this was one of the stamps I brought to work with. I like this stamp so much it sent me on a search for more Stampavie stamps. I found some, but have to wait until next month to order some more-I've spent my allowence for this month :))

I stamped with Memento Rich cocoa and colored with Copic markers. I cut the image out with Spellbinders and matted it wiht a narrow edge mat by tracing around the die and hand cutting it. I added some Stardust Stickles to the flowers and ribbon on her hat. The Cardstock and DP are from this mmonths Gina K. Stamp TV Kit. The corner flourishes are also cut with the Spellbinders. I added 3 teeny tiny butterflies cut with SU Butterfly embosslit. Hope you like!

Spring Crocus

Here I am again with another spring flower card. I have 2 crocus just like these blooming outside on the south side of my house, and it's only the middle of March! I really have to plant some new ones out there this fall.
This card I made using the sketch from The Sweet Stop Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Sketch challenge SSS149 . I am still working with the purple and aqua color scheme. So cheerful.

 

I used the crocus image from Flourishes 'A Year in Flowers 1". Stamped on white cardstock with Memento Black ink and colored with Copic markers. I cut it out with Spellbinders Classic circles. I used Pebbles chalk around the circle while it was still in the die.  I used Scrappyland Spellbinders Fluted Labels and cut it from DCVW white core cardstock for the mat for the flower circle. I distressed the label with a sanding block. All except the white cardstock are DCWV, the DP is from DCWV Summer Dream paper pack. I used the SU Finial Press embossing folder on the back ground piece and sanded it, too. The sentiment is from SU Abundant Hope stamp set, stamped in SU marvelous magenta ink. For the butterflies I used stamps from a Martha Steward set-I no longer have the packaging, so I don't know what the name of the set is. I stamped them in Memento Tuxedo black and colored them with Copic markers. Then I cut them out by hand. I used Versmark ink and clear embossing poweder, layering the embossing powder until I had a thick layer on them. The flower panel is attached with foam dimentionals. I added some Stardust Stickles to the flowers-gotta have the shine!

Second Pansy card

Here is the second card I made with the Taylored Expression Sketch  and the Flourishes Corlor challenge

I loved the colors in the flourishes challenge, and this sketch from Taylored Expressions. So I had to make the second card, cause I couldn't quite decide which design paper to use, so I made a card with both of them!  Here is the second card.

I changed the background paper, used pearls, and used a different colored border on this one. Otherwise everything is the same as the first card. They turned out so pretty.



Pansies times 2

Okay, so I saw this challenge over at Flourishes using a color pallet from Pinter~inspiration, gorgeous color combo,
                       

so I had to give it a try. I also saw the sketch challenge over at Taylored Expressions, which works really good with these colors. So here is what I came up with-X 2! 

I had these patterned papers from Die cuts with a View Summer Dreams stack already out in the from of my paper file, and they were perfect for the color combo. I dug around and found some matching cardstock, also DCWV. I love pansies, especially purple ones. So when I was looking through my Flourishes stamps for someting to use, this Pansy stamp from a Year in Flowers 1 was perfect. I couldn't quite decide which DP to use, so I made a card with both of the pieces I had out (second card to follow in seperate post). I stamped the images with Memento Tuxedo Black, and colored them with Copic markers (V15, V17, V22, Y18, G24, G94, YG61, C01 and W01). They are both colored with the same markers, however, I added purple Stickles to one, and Stardust Stickles to the other, and yellow Stickles the the centers of the pansies on both. I think I may also have added more of the darker violet to the first image. Anyway, they are both colored with the same colors, but look so different. I cut the images out with Spellbinders Classic circles Small (#6), and used Spellbinders Floral Doily Motifs to mat them. I used some SU Pastels around the edges of the image panel. I used Cuttlebug embossing folders for the pointed cardstock accent. I used Spellbinders Floral Doily accents for the border strip. On the first card I used some  Basic Grey Bling It On square rhinstones. For the butterfly on the first card I used a Stampendous sticker that was silver and I colored it with a copic marker from the color I used in the flowers.  Hope you like!

ODBD Praise God

I made this card for the 'Shining the Light' challenge ODBDSLC100  over at Our Daily Bread Designs which was to use aqua or topaz (blue) with your favorite scripture, sentiment, or quote. Now, I'm not sure about this color. It's blue, but am not really sure what they mean by blue topaz (I thought topaz was a gold color-but, hey, I'm always into different colors!). Anyway, I had these SU blue papers and cardstock sitting on my work table, and I just received this new ODBD label stamp 'Flower Border', and I could see the Morning Glories all done in this soft blue combo. The bling was also laying there, and the ribbon. So it was just meant to be!

I stamped the image for the label on white cardstock with Memento Tuxedo Black, and colored it in with Copic markers (G24, G29, B21, B24, B26, and Y19). I then stamped the quote from ODBD Blessings stamp set on white cardstock with Memento Blue Danube ink. I cut the quote and blue mat out with Spellbinders classic circles dies, and layered them together. I distressed the edges of the DP and layered it on the blue background cardstock. I added the blue ribbon, and a bow made with the 'Bow Easy', and used a button from my button box and attached it to the bow with some blue pearl cotton floss (older than the hills! I have had this tin box full of embroidery floss since I was probably in my teens-so that makes it 'antique floss'8). The label is mounted with foam dots, and the circles are  also mountedon the label with foam dots. I cut the flourish (from Michaels) in pieces and mounted it on opposite corners. Such a cheery card, don't you think?
Thanks for looking today-leave  some love!!!!

More Daffodils!

I absolutly love this stamp. Soooo many ways to use it. The challenge over at 'Flutterby Wednesday#193'  this week was to use the theme Spring Time! And what says spring more than daffodils! It will be some time before we see and daffodils, or any other flowers around here (after 24" of snow over the weekend-it is raining today!) I do have some green things popping their heads up on the south side of my house. Actually, they looked perkier before the snow, but this rain will get them going again. I usually have some crocus blooming there by the end of March, but I think I need to plant some new ones this fall.
Anyway, here is the card I made for the challenge:

The daffodil and sentiment stamp are from Stampin' Up "Abundant Hope' . I stamped the daffodils on white cardstock with Memento Tuxedo Black and colored them with Copic markers. The DP is also from SU. I cut the floral image and mat out with Spellbinders labels 4, large and small sets. I stamped the sentiment with Versa Magic 'Aloe Vera' on white cardstock and cut it out then matted it on a green cut out with Spellbinders Ribbon Banners. I matted both pieces of DP on Pink cardstock, and added some white borders cut with a Martha Steward Punch. I mounted the focal and sentiment banner with foam dots. I added some Stardust Stickles to the flowers,  some Recollection jewel swirls and some Butterfly Dazzles. Very Easter-y!
 I love comments, please leave one!

Pink Daffy's!

Today I have a card I made for the Repeat Impressions DCC229 Designer’s Choice Challenge over at their blog 'The House that Stamps Built'. The challenge this go around was to create a spring card using pastel colors. I absolutly love daffodils, especially the 'non-traditional' colored ones. So I used this set from Stampin' Up 'Abundant Hope', to create my first entry.

I stamped the image on White cardstock with Memento Tuxedo Black and colored it with copic markers. I cut it out with Spellbinders classic rectangles, added some pink chalk around it while it was still in the die and then matted it on a frame of pink cut with Spellbinders Fluer de Lis rectangles. I added some SU pearls to the focal image. For the background I used the Cuttlebug embossing folder 'Tiffany' to emboss the white cardstock and mounted it on a mat of pink. I added some pink ribbon and a bow. I stamped the sentiment from the same set with Tsukineko Brillance Pearlescent Ivy ink.  Very Spring-y!

Card #2

Card 2 for today is again with the color challenge from CR84FN 49, to use Kraft, Yellow and Gray on your project. I used the sketch from My Favorite Things Wednesday Stamp Club MFTWSC61, and will also enter this one over at Flutterby Wednesday #192.

        

The grey and yellow patterned DP are from Stampin' Up. The Gray and yellow cardstock are Bazzil, and the Kraft is from a pack of paper I bought at a yardsale! I used the EK Success Gothic Arches border punch for the strip across the middle. The focal is a Penny Black Stamp (Flowers and Wishes), stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black, and colored with Copic markers. I cut it out by hand and matted it on a yellow mat cut with Spellbinders Deckled Rectangles. The sentiment is from Impression Obsession Vertical Sentiments, stamped with Tsukineko Brilliance Starlight black. The butterfly I made with a flower stamp from SU Stamp set Mixed Bunch, stamped with SU Creamy Caramel and heat embossed wtih clear embossing powder.I then punched the flower out with the SU Blossom Punch and cut out 2 of the petels to make the butterfly. I added antanea made with some craft wire, and added some black stickles for the body.  I added some distressing to the edges of the layers with SU Creamy Caramel ink and a piece sponge. I also added some starlight Stickles to the flowers. Quite pretty! The focal image is popped up with foam dots. I enjoy hearing from you-Leave some love!

Cotton Candy Snow!

Hello all, This is the scene I woke up to this morning! It's waking up to views like this in the winter that makes me trully appreciate where I live. We have received at least 24" of snow over the last 48 hours. It is light and fluffy just like cotton candy. Soooo pretty! It amazes me how it can pile up so high on a little object, like this solar light on my back porch, the tree limbs, and even on the clothes lines! My DH is out plowing for the 4th time in 2 days. He could wait until it stopped snowing to plow, but you have to understand. We have not had much snow this winter, he hasn't had to plow very often and I think he truly loves any excuse to get out on that tractor! Temp is supposed to be up in the mid 40s by midweek, so all this fluff will settle and it will still look like we haven't had much snow this winter.

So on to my cards for today. I have 2 to share with you today.  The first one I made using the sketch from MOJO Monday # 230 using the color challenge from CR84FN49-to use yellow, kraft and gray. I sturgled at first witht the color combo, but after much searching through my papers, I ended up hitting on some really cool combos.   

 

Card #1:

The design paper is SU (yellow) and K&co. (kraft), the yellow cardstock is Bazzil, the kraft is SU, white is Wausau Brite White and the silver is Martha Stewart. I stamped the flowers (Verve Great Friends)  on the WBW with Tsukineko Sunflower Brilliance Yellow, and the outline with SU Creamy Caramel and then cut them out. I used  Copic marker E55 Caramel to add some shading to the flowers.  I  stamped the outline a second time and added some green with Copic G99 Olive, and then cut out the centers and popped them up with foam dots. I stamped the sentiment and frame (Verve-Love Story) with Versamark ink and added Silver embossing powder. I cut out the sentiment and mat with Spellbinders Labels Eleven. I stamped the border flowers on the kraft DP with SU Creamy Caramel and added some silver stickles to the centers. I cut the border strip with an EK Success punch-I believe it's called Gothic Arches. I added some dimension to the strip with a Cuttlebug border embossing folder, and added some silver stickles for interest. To finish it off I added the greenery made with the McGill Pine branch punch and a scrap of green cardstock.

Enjoy!

Cheery Morning Glory

Hi everyone! As yesterday was quite stormy here, snowing and blowing, it was a good day to hide in my craft area and look at the challenges for this week. I've been looking at the challenge over at  'Crazy 4 Challenges C4C125 ', to create a card using only 2 layers. Don't know why I found it so hard, after I got started it was really quite easy! I love morning glories, even tho I don't have much luck growing them. It's so cool how there is just that hint of pink on the bud before it unfurls, but there is no pink in the open flowers. I hope I caught the true colors in this picture .

I embossed the bottom layer (dark blue) with the Cuttlebug  Paisley Embossing folder from the Cindy Lou set. The floral image stamp is from the CTMH 'Enjoy Every Moment' stamp set. I stamped it on Wausau Brite White cardstock with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored it with Copic markers (B21, B24, B29, YG61, G99, Y19, RV91, 0 & C0). I added some Stardust Stickles to the flowers. I cut the image out with Spellbinders Lacey Ovals, and while the image was still in the die I added some blue Pebbles Pearlesent chalk just around the edge. I added some SU mini pearls around the scallop points. I mounted it to the base with foam dimensionals. The sentiment is from the Vertical Sentiments from Impression Obsession stamped in Tuxedo Black. I punched the butterfly from the white cardstock and from vellum with the EK Success Layering Butterfly punch. I added Stardust Stickles to the vellum butterfly (quite a feat-it just wanted to curl up on me-had to sit and hold it until it was dry). I used a bone folder to curl the wings of the white butterfly then glued the vellum cut out on the top of the white one & added some Waterfall Stickles to the open areas and some black Stickles to the body.

Just a whiff of Spring in the air today? My DH is talking about tapping trees-it's almost Maple Syrup time! I'll have to look and see if my crocus are up on the south side of the house yet-always a welcome site this time of year! Enjoy!