Blue Snowflakes

I put this card together with leftovers! I've had this snowflake embossed silver paper floating around in my Christmas papers folder forever! When I got this Impression Obsession snowflake cutouts die set I knew just how I was going to use it with this paper.

I used just the inside die to cut the snowflakes out of the silver piece (Cuttlebug Snowdots embossing folder). I matted with a piece of royal blue cardstock from my scrap basket, so I'm not sure what the brand is. I added some SU rhinestones (thank you gift from my SU rep-yeah) to the cutout snowflakes. I used a sentiment sticker, put it on a scrap of white cs and cut it out with SU word window punch and matted it on a piece of the blue punched with SU Modern Label punch.

I will enter this in the following challenges:
Time Out challenge #19 -Embossing with the optional twist of sparkleThe Paper Plunge# 9- Keep it Simple
Scrapyland #6-Add Texture PLUS use any brand of die Scrapy Land sells

Shopping Our Stash #179-Free Is good

Gold Poinsettias

I love poinsettias-no matter what the color. And today I'm using gold ones-so pretty. I'm using the Verve November sketch & photo inspiration challenge week 3 for this card.

I used Our Daily Bread Designs poinsettia dies and gold shimmer cardstock to cut and emboss the flowers. I formed them slightly with a bone folder and a foam pad and stylus. I layered them together with glue dots and added a rhinestone to the center. The patterned papers are from The Paper Studio Antiquity pack. The gold strip on the side is some holographic paper full of stars-it's so pretty in real life, but I had a hard time capturing it on camera. I added some rhinestone swirls (Recollections) to he strip/ I cut some ferns from the same paper pack with Tattered Lace Ornate Leaves die set (love this set). I stamped the sentiment (Verve Glad Tidings stamp set) on a scrap of  Very Vanilla cardstock with Versa Mark and heat embossed with Hampton Art gold embossing powder. This will be a hand delivered card, so I could use lots of bling and layers.

I will also enter this card in the following challenges:
Our Daily Bread Designs-Blessings Word Challenge-use at least four of the letters in the word Blessings as your recipe (B-bling; e- embossing; I- ink, G-gold; S-swirls used here)
Creative Knockouts-Bling is the Thing
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards-Your Favorite Holiday (That would be Christmas:)

Hope you like. Please leave a message-I like hearing from other crafters!

Christmas Lamppost

This card I will enter in the Addicted to Stamps Challenge #122 Make your Mark.

I used a digi image for the focal, and colored it with Copic markers. I mounted it on a mat of bright blue cardstock from my scrap basket. The pattern paper is from The Paper Studio, matted on a piece of dark green cardstock. The sentiment is shiny sticker letters. The snowflake is from my 'left overs' box, but I think it is a Spellbinder die. A little Stickles on the snow on the trees, lamppost and background, and ribbon remnant finish the card off.

Sympathy 2

Good morning! A gloomy day here in the Upper Peninsula after 3 days of sunshine! Will it snow today? Probably;) 

'Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.'  Psalm 119:105

I am in love with this lighthouse image! Even tho I know a lighthouse's purpose is to guide mariners through treacherous waters, this image seems so serene. I've lived most of my life within 6 miles of Lake Superior,  most of the first 25 years with a view of the lake. I know she can be a very angry lady. But on calm clear days she is so beautiful! So to me a lighthouse promises hope and calm after a difficult time.

I will enter this card today in the Paper Plunge Challenge #9-Clean & Simple.  

I stamped the lighthouse (CTMH Seaside Greetings) on SU Very Vanilla with SU Night of Navy ink, then added a bit of color with Pebbles Chalks. The sentiment is from Stampendous 'Encouraging Words' clear stamp set, stamped in Night of Navy. The birds are from CTMH Summer Breeze set. I matted the panel on Night of Navy cardstock, rounding the two corners with an EK Success corner rounder punch. On the base layer I used a stamp from Stampendous Tim Holtz Bitty Grunge set with Night of Navy, then embossed with Sizzix Diamond folder and rounded off the corners. Matted on Night of Navy cardstock. I used dimensional foam dots to mount the top panel.

Stamps: Close to My Heart 'Seaside Greetings' and 'Summer Breeze'; Stampendous 'Encouraging Words' & 'Bitty Grunge'.
Ink: Stampin' Up 'Night of Navy'
Cardstock: Stampin' Up Night of Navy, Very Vanilla
Accessories: Sizzix Diamond embossing folder, EK Success 1" Corner rounder punch, Pebbles Pastel Pearlescent chalks, foam dot dimensionals

lighthouse sympathy

A month again since I posted-and a very busy month with not a lot of crafting done. Last post it was raining, and now we have about 2 feet of snow on the ground, although we have had sunshine the last couple days, but bitter cold. AND IT'S ONLY THE MIDDLE OF NOVEMBER! Might be a longggggggggggg winter ;)

Today I had need of a sympathy card. They are never easy to make for me-or, indeed,  for anyone. I like to use lighthouse images for sympathy cards. Not sure why, they just seem to work.

  

For my first card today I used sketch #163 from Freshly Made Sketch challenge, and the colors from Verve Stamps November Inspiration challenge-Navy and Natural . I love this lighthouse image from CTMH, it's so versatile. 

I stamped the lighthouse image & sentiment on SU very vanilla cardstock using SU Night of Navy Ink and rounded off two of the corners. I then matted it on Night of Navy cardstock. The card base is also SU Night of Navy  & very vanilla cs. I stamped the ledger image in Night of Navy and embossed with Sizzix Diamonds embossing folder. Then I tied a simple knot in the ribbon around the card.

Items used:

Stamps: Verve 'Forever in Our Hearts' (sentiment); Close to My Heart Seaside Greetings(lighthouse); SU The Open Sea (ledger)

Cardstock: SU Very Vanilla & Night of Navy

Ink: SU Night of Navy

Accessories: Sizzix Diamonds embossing folder, EK Success corner rounder punch, Cuttlebug, navy ribbon 

Autumn Birdhouse

More rain today-I think we are all going to develop  webbed feet here pretty soon. But as I said yesterday, at least it isn't snow!!!!
Today I have a card for my sister-in-law's birthday. I love this birdhouse image, but then I'm a sucker for birdhouses of any kind.

I stamped the image (Stampendous Sunny Birdhouse) with Momento Tuxedo Black on Neenah Solar white cardstock and colored it with Copic markers. I cut a frame from SU chocolate chip cardstock with Spellbinders labels 4. While the die was still in the paper I traced around it with a gold gel pen. I popped that layer up with some very thin foam mounting tape. The base for the card was a leftover from last year I found in my fall papers, and I think the cardstock is Stampin' Up, and the design paper Die cuts with a View. Not positive, tho.
The little pumpkins were stamped with black ink on a scrap of K & Co. paper, sprinkled with SU Black embossing powder and heat embossed, then fussy cut. The leaf, a leftover from another project, was made by sponging inks onto a scrap of white cardstock, then cutting out with Impression Obsession leaf die. I cut the happy birthday using DCWV metallic cardstock in copper and Tattered Lace Words dies. I added a bit of yellow Stickles to the center of the asters.
I will enter this in the following challenges:
Cards in Envy-Autumn Leaves
Crafting from the Heart-Anything Goes
House of Cards-Use a punch or die
Seize the Birthday-Anything goes
Impression Obsession-Shades of Fall

Fall Mushrooms Birthday

Cool weather and rain. Again. We have received 3 1/2 inches of rain in the past 48 hours. But at least it isn't snow! That will come soon enough.

Today my card uses the sketch from   Sketch Saturday U.K. , and I substituted the square for the circle. I will also enter it in the Addicted to stamps -Anything goes;  and Seize the Birthday-Anything goes.

I so love this stamp from North Coast Creations. I't so 'woodsy', and I think mushrooms are soooo cool, I had to have it :) I stamped with Momento Rich Cocoa on SU Very Vanilla cardstock, colored with Copic markers and cut it out with Spellbinder square die, leaving some of the image outside the die. I mounted it on a square of Bazzil Saltillo cardstock, then on a SB Leafy Squares cut from SU Chocolate Chip cs, and popped the stack up with foam dots. The design papers are Die Cuts with a View Autumn papers. I colored a gold Happy b-day sticker with a dark brown copic. The butterfly is punched (Martha Stewart) from a scrap of DCWV and I glued it to a scrap of choc. chip and fussy cut around it. I added some bling to the flowers and butterflies. 

Enjoy-and please leave a comment, I'd love to have your opinion.

Leafy Birthday

Looks so nice outside with all the beautiful colors of fall. But i'ts COLD! Only about 40 here today-nice strong north west wind off Lake Superior. Brrrrrrrrrr! At least no snow yet:)

Today's card uses the sketch at Fab Friday #51. So much possibility with this sketch.
             

                        

The patterned paper is from Die Cuts with a View and K&Co-scraps from my fall tote. The base is Bazzil Basics Capers. I sponged Momento Rich Cocoa ink around the edges of all the pieces. The leaf sticker is also from K& Co. I stamped the Happy Birthday sentiment (The Craft's Meow-Lovely Labels 18) with SU Chocolate Chip and heat embossed with clear powder.

Sailing birthday

Today we have rain-hope it lets up by this evening. Grandson's Flag Football games to go to-was so pleasant last week. Not sure will go if it's still raining:)

 

The challenge over at Shopping our Stash #170 was to use your shower curtain for inspiration. Well my shower curtain is very simple-exactly like the background of this card. My bathroom is done in a nautical/beachy theme. So I decided to continue on with that them on my card.
I used the Darice Plaid embossing folder on Bazzil white linen texture cardstock, mounted on base of blue shimmer cardstock. The boat is die cut from shimmer blue cardstock with Die-versions Sailing By die, mounted with foam dimensionals. Impression Obsession Sea Birds cut from silver shimmer cardstock. Sentiment stamped in Momento Paris Dusk, punched out with SU oval punch, matted on silver shimmer scallop oval punch shape. Popped with foam dimensionals.

Will also enter this in the challenges at:
addicted to Stamps challenge-114-cas.html Clean & Simple
Sweet Stamping challenge-Just for Men

Friendship Gardens

Well, it looks like our pleasant weather is heading out. Was warm and beautiful this morning, but now the clouds are rolling in, but it is still warm, but we know what is coming!!!!!!!!!

The image from another retired Stampin' Up set-Friendship Gardens. Don't you just love this cheerful lady? I stamped her in Momento Tuxedo Black and colored with Copic markers. I cut her out with SB Labels 17, and the mat is SB Decorative labels 18 cut from some Bazzil cardstock, the words are cut with Cheery Lynn word dies from SU Always Artichoke. Card base is SU Calypso Coral, patterned papers are from the SU Park Lane and Lullaby paper packs. The twine is from American Crafts. 

Will enter this in the Cards in Envy challenge 'Entwined'.

Back again

    I'm back again, Can't believe it's been a month again. Where do the days go. Have had a busy fall-grandsons football, garden producing some yummy veggies to take care of, and company. Seems the whole month of Sept. has been go, go, go........ Hope it slows down some now. We have finally had a week of 'summer' weather here. It has been nicer this week than it was all summer, and the leaves are just hitting their peak. Beautiful days..........

    This card today uses an old Stampin' Up set called 'Thankful Thoughts'. I love this pumpkin patchwork image.

 

    I stamped the image with Momento Tuxedo Black on SU Whisper White cardstock and colored it with Copic Markers. I used a copper shimmer pen to add a bit of sparkle to the images (but it doesn't show up well on the pic-darn it!). Trust me, it's there! I stamped the sentiment from the set with MTB also. 

    I cut the panel out with Spellbinders Distressed Edges A2 die and mounted on a base of SU Always Artichoke cardstock. I added 3 little copper squares (Mark Richardson Mosaics) to finish it off. 

      I will enter this in the Shabby Tea Room Challenge #236-Autumn Bliss use the image as inspiration and include a pumpkin; The House that Stamps Built Designers Choice Challenge- Fall; and the Operation Write Home Midmonth Throwdown- Fall Colors.

Hope you are having a good weekend and enjoying some nice fall weather. Take time to watch the leaves change!!!! They are so vibrant-can't help but feel cheerful. I love to have you comment on my work.

   

Peaceful Petals Love

Wow, can't believe its been so long since I posted. Been a super busy month, what with company and holding a garage sale, and the garden starting to produce, and blueberry picking. Yowser-and it's almost the end of August already. And we still haven't had much summer like weather. Not that I'm complaining. I'm not a fan of hot, humid sticky days. Don't mind these cooler days one single bit:)
So, on to my card. I used the sketch from Sketch Frenzy Friday .

I stamped the flower from Stampin' Up's Peaceful Petals set  twice with Tuxedo Black Ink and  I stamped the leaf five times and  colored them with Copic markers. I then fussy cut one out and just the center of the second one and popped them up with foam dimensionals. The Pink background banner I just cut the end with  Spellbinders Labels 16 die, and embossed it with the Sizzix Tim Holtz Brick Wall embossing folder. I sponged a bit of SU Pink Pirouette ink around the edges. The design papers are from K&Co., using both sides of the paper. The sentiment is a Recollections stamp, stamped with Momento Tuxedo black ink.  

 Hope everyone has a safe and fun Labor Day weekend in the states, or just a fun day wherever you are. Please leave a comment, I love hearing from you all. 

Summertime shabbiness!

This missing you card is bright and cheery and will be perfect for a youngster. I will enter this in the Shabby Tea Room Week #227 challenge Fun in the Sun: include at least three colors from the photo and one OR MORE of these items: vellum/acetate, polka dots, ribbon; and the Fab 'n' Funky Challenge #223 - 'Feels like Summer'-anything summer themed or with a bright summery feel to it.

 

I actually started this card for a sketch challenge a couple weeks ago, and didn't get beyond the pretty paper layer. The card base is a ready-made card from a box, but ties in perfectly with these papers. I had gone through my die-cut reject box and found this green piece (Spellbinders Labels 11), but wasn't sure what to put on it. Well, I was going through some stuff in my sewing room, and come across these iron-ons I bought years ago-no idea what the brand is-this cute ice cream cone and some adorable little bunnies. Now, I don't have any little girls to sew for anymore, so decided to re-purpose them into my cards. This ice cream cone just says summer, don't you think? I ironed the cone onto the die cut and mounted it with dimensional foamies. The sentiment is from Sweet 'n' Sassy stamped on CTMH white cardstock with Rose bud ink, punched wiht SU Word Window Punch, mat punched with SU Modern Label punch. Added some sequins from Micheal's for some fun.

If it wasn't so cold and gloomy today, I might have been tempted to have an ice cream cone! Sure is a crazy summer!

R, W & B for MOJO Monday

It's been a long time since I played along with the MOJO sketch challenges! I really like their sketches & don't know why I don't play more often. Have to remedy that, I think. This one is for MOJO sketch 353, and I will also enter this in the Cards In Envy Challenge-Stars & Stripes.

  

Papers: Paper Pizzaz 'Boys to Men' paper pad (star dp and stripe dp), DCWV Summer Dreams Pad

Cardstock: Red & Blue are SU, but not sure color names, CTMH White Daisy

Stamps: HOTP Tiny Words and Images

Ink: Momento Luxe Danube Blue

Accessories: Spellbinders Anemone flower topper (blue & white part of flower), SU Filigree brads, Stampendous Detail clear embossing powder

Fusion Card Challenge Red white & Blue

Nearing the end of my patriotic cards. It's been fun doing them, but I am so ready to move on to something else.

This card is for the Fusion Card Challenge Red, White & Blue challenge, using both the colors from the photo and the sketch.

Design paper: DCWV Summer Dreams pad

Cardstock: Stampin' Up

Accessories: Tattered Lace Everyday Sentiments; Lifestyle crafts Embossing folder-Chain Fence; I'm not sure what the flower die was-this flower was made a year ago! Woo Hoo- using my stash!

Red White Blue Love

The Red, white and blue theme goes forward..............Past Independence day!

This card is for the Crazy 4 Challenges #293-Red, White & Blue.
I've used a simple go to sketch that I use a lot, especially when I need a fast card.

Papers: Die Cuts With a View 'Summer Dreams' paper pad, Co'ordinations Foundations blue cardstock, SU Red & White cardstock

Accessories: Memory Box Whimsy Circle die, Tattered Lace Everyday Words die, Various other dies, Recollections rhinestones & brad(?) 

R, W & B Love You

This card uses the color challenge at Our Daily Bread Designs Shining the Light Challenge-Red White & Blue, and the sketch at Sketch Frenzy Friday SFF062714, a nice CAS sketch. I am still using up the leftover R,W & B flowers! Only a couple more, I promise! I have had rather a lot of fun with these colors-they aren't ones I normally go to. I'm liking what I've come up with so far :)

This will be another one for Operation Write Home. Our soldiers are, after all, the real stars of this country and why we have the freedoms we have.

Rather simple card, came together quickly.

Papers: Paper Pizzaz 'Boys to Men' DP; SU Red & blue cardstock, CTMH White (in flower) and Canson Iced Gold shimmer paper for the sentiment.
Stamp: Our Daily Bread Designs Mini Tags 1
Ink: Momento Luxe Danube Blue
Accessories: SU metal element & brad, SU foam dimensionals

More red, white and blue

Card number 2 for today, another one made with those red, white and blue 'flowers' from a year ago.
For this card I used the sketch from Clean and Simple Stamps 207. I will also enter this in the Shopping Our Stash challenge #158, to use Red, White and Blue.

The card shows much better in real-life. It did not brighten up very much with my office photo program. I miss my HP photo program-but somehow it was lost when work was done on my computer and I haven't been able to re-install the program. Anyway, as I said I used some of last years flowers, and puched the small flowers iwth the SU 'Build a Flower' punch. I cut the narrow strip with MFT Bracket border Die-namics die.

Papers: DCWV Summer Stack, Beckett Expressions Cover cardstock Vanilla, SU Real Red, and SU Blue.

Stamps: Woodware 'Casting the Bait'

Momento Love Letter Ink and Marker

Accessories: Recollections red rhinestones, SU Clear rhinestones, various dies and punches, silver star brad

Stars and stripes Birthday

            Hope everyone had a nice holiday weekend. We had a beautiful day here in the U.P of Michigan. Watched the parade, then went out to the lake where my daughter and family were camping for a very relaxing afternoon. Bugs weren't even too bad:) Saturday wasn't too bad. But Sunday-Yikes! We had some heavy downpours in the morning, and again late in the evening, and gloomy all day. Total of 3 1/2 inches of rain.

            First I have to apologize for not publishing the comments on my last post sooner. My computer was out of commission and off to be fixed. And then the holiday, well.....you know how it goes.....

           So for my first card today I have used up some red, white and blue 'things' that I punched or die cut a year ago at one of my craft night gatherings. One of the gals had us all bring all of our flower-like and star dies and punches and red, white and blue papers because she had a project for us to do. It was a pretty centerpiece using the cut-outs to make layered 'flowers' and attach them to sticks and arrange in a vase like flowers. Well, I cut the pieces out &  put some of them together, but never did finish it up-company cut into my craft time^0^. So, when there were so many 'red, white & blue' challenges this last week, I pulled them all out and used some for cards.
I will enter this card in the Cute Card Thursday challenge- REACH FOR THE STARS; the Seize the Birthday challenge STARS AND/OR STRIPES; and the Tuesday Throwdown-Anything goes.

          I used the Spellbinders star dies to cut out the stars.  I stamped the sentiment from Verve 'Big Wish' set, with Momento Blue Danube ink on Close to My Heart white cardstock. I then embossed the white cardstock with the Stampin' Up Stripes embossing folder then mounted it on a base of SU Real Red CS. The stars are cut from SU cardstock, too. The big star was just too plain, so I embossed it with the Sizzix Stars and Swirls embossing folder and added the little metal star brad.

Rose thank you

Today I have a card for Hand Stamped Sentiments Challenge #188. I really like this sketch, and I am sure I will be using it a lot as I work on another box of cards for Operation Write Home.

                 

I don't have a whole lot of information for this card:) I found the image piece in my 'reject' box-it didn't work out for something else-but it did for this rose sticker. The background for the rose is stamped, I just don't know which stamp or what ink. I do know it is cut with Spellbinders Labels One. The background DP is SU Blushing Bride from a 6x6 pad, mounted on Blushing Bride cardstock. I believe the green mat is DCWV. I stamped the butterflies (SU Papillon Potpouri) with Momento Northern Pine ink, and colored them in with Copics R0000, R000, and R01. I didn't like how the butterfly punch took too much of the green border off the butterflies, so I fussy cut them out. The sentiment is from Sweet N' Sassy Christmas Tags stamp set stamped in Northern Pine, cut out with My Favorite Things Fishtail Flags. I popped the image panel with SU dimensional foamies. Added the silver border stickers and 3 Recollections rhinestones.

A Micey Nice Day OLS

I have wanted to play along with the One Layer Simplicity challenge all month. The challenge is to "Frame It". As I thought about it I was planning to emboss a die as the frame. That is until I was going through my stamps looking for something to stamp and color inside the frame. I came across these adorable Penny Black mice, and out the window flew the original idea :) So here is what I came up with..........after about 4 aborted starts (smudges, crooked stamping, dropped the stamp in middle of paper...you know how it goes)..........and 2 days later....right under the wire....

I am not happy with this photo of my card. I do not have access to my HP Photosmart printer and software, and the photo edit program on the PrintMaster program is sadly inferior to the HP program from which I can lighten up the picture considerably. I have to take my whole system into the 'puter doc'....

The stamp is from the Micey Nice Day PB stamp set. I stamped in Momento Rich Cocoa on Gina K. Pure Luxury White cardstock. I colored the mice and flowers with Copic Markers.  I used Prisma Colored Pencils to add the grass under the mice. 

Now, the butterfly was not in my plans. But I was replacing the ink cartridge in my adding machine, and somehow I got a smudge of ink on the card front. Go figure! So, I wanted to add a bumble bee over the smudge. I know I have a tiny bumble bee stamp. But could I find it? Of course not. Tons of tiny butterflies, but no tiny bee (I'll find it tomorrow, of course). So I settle for the little butterfly from JustRite Botanical Butterfly set. I stamped him in Brilliance Pearlescent Chocolate ink. I stamped the tiny mice feet for the border/frame and the sentiment with the Moment RC ink.  And I had to add bling, didn't I? So some Recollections brown rhinestones for the flower centers. Such darling little mice, don't you think?

Don't you just love Penny Black critter stamps? I sure do. Hope you like my happy little card. 

Open Sea

Big gap in my posts again. Busy, busy time of year. Garden all in, most of flowers planted, still a couple flower beds to spruce up. On top of all that we are getting ready to install a new furnace and central air. Really, really need to clean and organize the basement. And then there are the grandson's little league games. Doesn't leave a whole lot of time to craft :( But we press on......

This simple card today fits into several challenges: The Paper Players-color challenge; Clean and Simple sketch #294; Creative Knockouts-Die cuts/ Punch Frenzy- use die cuts or puches; CAS-ual Friday, Create a Guy card with the following catch...you can't use kraft as a color at all, AND you have to include some sort of ribbon; and Crazy for Challenges #239 a masculine card.

   









I have had fun with this simple layout. It lends itself well to using up a lot of those 12 x 12 papers I have (so I can get more?!:).  I've made 6 of these cards for Operation WRite Home, which is unusual for me-I don't normally make more than one of a card. But I really want to get another box out to OWH, so I'mass producing a few styles. I stamped the ship image from  SU's Open Sea set on CTMH Colonial White cardstock with SU Night of Navy ink, cut it out with Spellbinders Classic Ovals. I sponged Night of  Navy ink around it in the die, and went around the edge with N.O.N. marker. I cut SU Real Red cardstock with SB Big Scallop Ovals die for the mat. Same treatment for the sentiment.

Items used:
Cardstock: Stampin Up Real Red, Close to My Heart Colonial White
Background paper: Boxer by Basic Grey
Sentiment stamp: Close to My Heart 'Say it in Style
Ink: Stampin' Up Night of Navy
Dies: Spellbinders Big Scalloped Ovals, Classic Ovals and Basic Labels
Navy  Blue ribbon (a sample I received with an order from Ellen Hudson)

Luv Bugs

Well, again it has been a couple weeks since I posted. Busy with spring cleaning, spring yard cleanup, grandson's baseball games, etc., etc., ....... You know how it goes sometimes. Hope you are all having a great weekend. We finally have some nice summer weather-mid 80's and a nice breeze today (seems we skipped spring-remember we had snow here 2 weeks ago ^U^).


            

                            

(Edit: There seems to be some confusion. I didn't color the bugs-I whish I could find stamps like these. The images were already colored when  I bought them. I did stamp the sentiment, though.)

I couldn't believe when I saw the inspiration challenge at Our Daily Bread Designs. I had just started laying out the elements for this card with these cute card toppers from 'The Hobby House-Silver Fairy". It has all the colors of the second inspiration image - and I was even using a ODBD sentiment on it! Now, I'd rather stamp an image and color it myself (these images were already colored, I didn't color them) but I was putting an order into Jo-Anns and needed a couple dollars to meet the free shipping. I saw this sheet of images (2 each of 3 designs) and I couldn't resist! They are so stinking cute! I would love to have these images as stamps!
Anyway, I am working on another box for Operation Write Home, and they are in need of love and miss you cards. What better love you than these cute little bugs? So love when things come together like this.
It's graduation weekend here in my neck of the woods. 2 graduation parties today, 1 tomorrow and 1 next weekend, all friends kids or grandkids:)

Ingredients:
Papers: SU Old Olive cardstock and some retired design papers (I still love the design of these papers-am not liking their current design papers, not that I need paper anyway!)
Stamp: Our Daily Bread Designs Mini Tags
Ink: Brilliance Pearl Purple
Accessories: Spellbinders Lace Doily Motif, Recollections purple raindots, scissors, paper cutter

Fish On!

I recently re-discovered this neat stamp from Blue Ridge Impressions. So masculine!? Hmmm, but looking at it now-I think it would lend itself to paper piecing in a feminine way-will have to try that next.
Owwwwww! It's thundering! First thunder of this spring, I think. And here comes the rain. So much for hanging blankets and quilts outside today!
Anyway-back to the challenge. This is for the sketch challenge over at Seize the Sketch.

As I said, the stamp is Going Fishin' from Blue Ridge Impressions. I stamped it in Momento Black onto Crafters Companion white cardstock and colored with Copic Markers. The sentiment is from Inkadinkadoo Round Sentiments, stamped in Momento Northern Pine. I cut out the image and sentiment with Spellbinders Deckled Ovals, and sponged TH Distress Iced Spruce around them in the die. The green cardstock is Bazzil. The patterned papers are MME Home mat stack.

Pretty Butterfly

I have a card today for the crafty cardmakers #115 It’s A Bug’s Life – INSECT as your MAIN FOCAL point

I started this card using a sketch from another challenge a few weeks ago, but never got beyond the background papers. It just wasn't clicking for me. When I was straightening up my work area yesterday and came across this lovely K&Co. butterfly. Perfect for this card and the challenge. Other than that, it's pretty simple. Design papers are also K&Co. I ran the tan pieces through the cuttlebug with Darice Embossing folder-basket weave.

Time for Tea

I have been playing around with this cute little tea time die set from My Favorite Things. So many possibilities, so cute.

For this card I used the sketch from Sketch Frenzy Friday challenge SFF041814.

I die cut the tea pot from CTMH Colonial White cardstock and then the accent pieces and cup & saucer from a scrap of light lavender cardstock. I ran a Momento Grape Jelly marker around the edge of all the pieces after I assembled themit. The DPs are both from an old Provo Craft paper pad-cover is long gone, so I don't know the name. I love these papers now as much as I did when I first got them eons ago-way back when I first started in this mad craft.The dark purple is some Bazzil cardstock. The border is punched from the CTMH Colonial White. The sentiment is from Sweet N Sassy's Christmas Tags stamp set. The flower on the teapot is a sticker from 'Special Moments'. I added a strip of rhinestones to the lid of the teapot and on the cup for some pretty blingyness!

 Love this sketch. I am sure I will use it again and again.

Dragonfly birthday wishes

Second post today! Yeah!
A card using things laying on my work table-again! Someday I will get to the bottom of this pile;)

I stamped this floral stem from the SU Fast and Fabulous set a few weeks ago and kept moving it around from pile to pile. I finally made myself use it and sat there until an idea came. Sometimes lately it takes awhile. I think it's a bit of cabin fever (okay, a lot of cabin fever-after staring at so much white stuff for soooooooooooo long it doesn't inspire any longer). 

Anyway, it is stamped with Momento Tuxedo black and colored with my Copic markers. I also colored the butterfly button (shank removed) with Copics. The background panel is something I did way back last fall, inking the Cuttlebug embossing folder then inserting paper and embossing, leaving the design highlighted. The technique has a name, but I can't remember what it is called. The scrap of desighn paper is from Provocraft and the cardstock is Bazzil. The sentiment is cut from white cardstock with the Top Dog Words die and colored with a Copic marker. I distressed the edges of the panels before I put them together. 

I will enter this in the challenges at:

Addicted to Stamps and More challenge#92, Make Your Mark

Creative Knockouts #34-anything goes
Seize the Birthday - anything goes

Lantern

 A masculine card today! I really need to do more of these. Don't know why I find it so hard, but it seems I always end up making pretty, flowery cards.
I will enter this card in the Shopping Our Stash Weekly Challenge #148, Happy Earth Day-recycle or upcycle something; and the House That Stamps Built Designers Choice Challenge DCC423-For the Guys.

I stamped the Our Daily Bread Designs 'Lantern' image on Very Vanilla cardstock with Brilliance Pearl Beige ink. I cut the image out with Spellbinders label 18, and sponged SU Cherry Cobbler ink around it while still in the die. Card base is SU Chocolate Chip, mat is The Paper Studio 'Mirabelle'. I peeled apart a piece of cardboard and tore a scrap of that for the accent piece, and inked the edges with the cherry cobbler. I attached the image panel with foam dimensionals. 

I love the way the image shimmers with the Brilliance ink, tho of course it doesn't show up in the pictures. I left it without a sentiment so it can be used for any occasion.

As always, I'd love to have you leave a comment. Hope spring has arrived where ever you are and you can open windows and let in some fresh spring air-that's what I'm off to do:)