Coneflowers!

Finally a bit warmer here today. Not that I'm complaining about the cooler weather-I'm not a fan of heat. It's just been so gloomy lately. Sunshine for at least part of the day today-then more rain. Good time to craft, and that's just what I'm going to do. Our craft group is having an 'overnighter' this Friday-Saturday at our church. Not that we sleep over (too old for sleeping on the floor anymore), we all live close enough to just go home when we get tired and return in the morning.

Today's card used the Challenge over at Addicted to stamps challenge #107-Bingo, using the chart below. I'm using the center vertical-Flowers, stamped image, punches/dies. I am also entering this in the Friday Mash-up #214-using the monocromatic theme part of the challenge; the Pink Gem-Challenge #124-Summertime; and the Deep Ocean Challenge #106-Monocrome. Also the Simon Says Stamp challenge this week is anything goes-showcasing Simon Says Products.

Stamped image is from Sweet N' Sassy 'Flowers in Bloom' set, stamped with Momento Black on Gina K Pure Luxury white cardstock, colored with Copics, then die cut with the matching Flowers in bloom die. One of the coneflowers in my garden I thought'd I'd lost to either the rabbits or the deer, but I see it is coming back-darn critters! But I love to see them, too, so I guess as long as they didn't destroy the plant it's all okay;0.

The DP is from  American Crafts-Everyday paper pad. Sentiment from My Favorite Things 'Essential Sentiments' stamped with Versa Color Raspberry on Canson Iced Gold Shimmer cardstock and cut out with Simon Says Stamp's small folded banners. Background mat is SU Strawberry Slush cardstock. Border is the Canson  gold shimmer punched with MS scalloped border punch. I added some tiny CTMH rhinestones to the center of the border flowers. 

Hope you like! Please leave a comment-I love hearing from you all.

Hello Friend

I thought I posted this card already, but hadn't-good thing I checked!

The theme at One Layer Simplicity this month is 'Round and Round'-use 2 circles only. I don't do clean and simple usually as I don't do it well. But I like how this card turned out. 

I diecut 2 circles overlapped out of a piece of copy paper, then placed it over my card base and sponged Momento Sky Blue ink onto the base. I stamped the Iris image from Penny Black 'Allegro' clear stamp set with Momento Luxe Blue Danube.  The sentiment and dragonfly are from Clear Art Stamps-Wildflowers set. The sentiment stamped in Mom. Black Tuxedo, the dragonfly with Brilliance Galaxy Gold. Border punched the edge of the card with M.S. scalloped border punch. The border stamp (It's either Inkadinkadoo or Fiskars) is stamped in Galaxy Gold.

Will also enter this in the following challenge: Addicted to Stamps and More - Clean and Simple

Doe & Fawn

As I mentioned in my last post, I need a new camera-the background colors for the deer image is no where's near as bright as this, I tried to lighten it out a bit, but then the rest of the colors were too washed out. It really is much nicer in person. Next time I go to town I am getting a new camera!

The image is from Repeat Impressions-doe & fawn, stamped on Neenah cardstock with Momento Rich Cocoa and colored with Copic markers. I stamped the sentiment, from an old Stampin' Up set, with Tuxedo black on white cardstock and colored it with a cream Copic and trimmed around it with scissors. I used a piece of cardboard that I peeled apart for the kraft background. The border strip is from an old Paper Pizazz paper pack.

I rounded two corners of the panels with a corner punch (the sketch is a sketch frenzy Friday from a couple weeks ago, I reversed the rounded corners to fit my image).  

I will enter this in the following challenges: 

Sunday Stamps-#103 Neutrals

Crazy 4 Challenges #290-Make it Masculine

Loves Rubber Stamps Challenge-Challenge #156 - Masculine Theme 
Inspiration Destination-Anything Goes #38

For Dad

I am working on my last box of cards for Operation Write Home, as they are winding down and will not accept any more cards after August 1st. While I'm glad our soldiers are being brought home and fewer troops are being deployed 'over there', I NOW NEED TO FIND A NEW PLACE TO SEND MY CARDS!!!!!!!!!! Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Today my card if for a 'Dad'. I've used the sketch from CAS Colours and Sketches #128.  I will also enter this in the Creative Knockouts challenge#93-use your stash (the papers-I've had them forEVER!); and the Crazy 4 Challenges C4C290-a masculine card.

All of the papers for this card were already on my table as I had been cleaning out one of my paper holders. When I saw this sketch I knew just what I was going to do with them. Although it is hard to see the colors on these papers (I need a new camera-this one does not capture the colors very well), the patterns on the background papers are copper foils, from the DCWV Naturals stack. Bright, shiny copper foils, and no matter how I turned the camera I could no capture that pretty shine. 'Sigh'. The brown paper is Co'ordinations Foundations Coffee. The speckled papers are from an old Provo Craft pad. I cut the letters out with Lawn Fawn Finlay's Alphabet Capitols. This is a funny set, all the letters except the 'i' are capitols. The i is a dotted i, lower case-what's up with that?  

Anyway, I like the simplicity of this card, and I have a very hard time with simple cards-always want to add more-but this one is okay just as it is.

A Graduation card

Time seems to slip away from me and by the time I get around to posting a card I make for a challenge it's already ended. Thus no cards for the last few weeks. Crazy busy with graduation, vacations, and following grandsons to Little League games. Fun, but sure tires this ole gal out!

My first card today uses the sketch from Fusion Card Challenge.  I flipped the sketch on it's side for this card. It also has the dark blue color of the shutter and the gold of the star from the sketch.
This card is for a great-nephew of my husbands. I went on the school web sight to find the school colors, which simply said blue and gold. So my first attempt was just that! Then my daughter said no, the colors are navy blue and gold (not the yellow I had used.) So on to take 2, which I actually like better.

I saw this sentiment (from SU Word Play set) on so many cards on Pinterest, and of course it was no longer available from SU. So I went on eBay looking. The first couple listings had multiple bids and price was already over what original price was. Then there was the next listing-no bids yet, closing in 22 minutes. Decided to watch it. I GOT the whole set for $5 + shipping (which was $5.50, but hey- still cheaper that the others and cheaper that original by far). Meant to be mine, right?

Anyway........This stamp is so appropriate for graduation cards. Such a positive statement.  Hope you enjoy. Leave some love. I always appreciate what others think of my work.

Will also enter this in the following challenge:  

http://pinkgemchallengeblog.blogspot.ca/2015/06/challenge-146-something-blue.htmlhttp://pinkgemchallengeblog.blogspot.ca/2015/06/challenge-146-something-blue.html-Something Blue

Recipe:

Stamps: SU Word Play, Sweet 'n Sassy Congrats Grad, Lawn Fawn Starry Backdrops

Paper: SU Whisper White, Bazzil Navy, Recollections Metallic gold

Ink; Momento Tuxedo Black, Versa Color Neptune.

Accessories: Sweet N Sassy Mortarboard die, Spellbinders Deckled Rectangles, Copic Markers, Ranger Clear Detail Embossing powder, Sizzix Diamonds embossing folder.

At the beach

I made this card for my husband's brother who has recently been moved to a Home for Veterans. He is in his 80's and his health is failing. He is half way across the country from us, so we don't get to see him often. Hope this card cheers him up a bit when he receives it.

The image is Impression Obsession Boat & Lighthouse. This is my favorite of all the lighthouse image stamps I own. I return to it over and over again for masculine cards. It's stamped with Momento Tuxedo Black on Gina K Pure Luxury cardstock, and colored with Copic Markers.

I simply cut it out and rounded the corners with a corner punch. The background mat is a piece of 12x12 from my scraps-but no idea what brand. It's double sided with white core. I embossed the piece with Darice Beach Waves embossing folder and distressed with a sanding block to bring out the waves. The sentiment is cut with Impression Obsession Greetings dies and the anchor is a Memory Box die. I popped the image up with foam dimensionals.

Will enter this in the following challenges:
Cards In Envy - When Nature Calls! -cards featuring things found in "nature" either living or inanimate objects.
Crafty Cardmakers and more- Make your own background-no designer papers
Papertake Weekly challenge Anything Goes-optional is No designer papers
Creative Knockouts-#88 Distressing
Just Us Girls Trend Week #292-Embossing

Get well for Try Stampin' on Tuesday Challenge

I have a cousin who has not been feeling well. I made this little card for her, sure hope she feels better soon. Been tough for her the last couple years.

I used the sketch from 'Try Stamping on Tuesday' #217.   This is a 5" x 5" card.

The image is a digi image from Bug-a-boo stamps called 'Tulips & Bugs'. I colored it with Copic markers and cut it out with Spellbinders hexagon dies. I cut a mat for it from green and then white cut with SB scalloped hexagons. I ran a purple marker around the edge of the scalloped layer to make it stand out. Polka-dot paper is from a 6x6 Recollections Bright & Basics pad. The flowered base layer is from an old DCWV 8x8 pad from a longgggggg time ago. Seems like this might have been one of the first papers I bought when I started this mad venture in papercrafting. Two purple solid matting cardstocks are from Bazzil.

I added some star dust and lavender stickles to the image. Stamped the sentiment (from Our Daily Bread Designs Mini Tags) with Momento Lux Tuxedo Black and embossed with black embossing powder. Colored a couple SU rhinestones with purple Copic and added for a little more sparkle. Cause, face it, you can never  have too much sparkle!!

I just went out in the kitchen to open the dishwasher so the dishes could air dry and there was a great BIG hanging basket on the counter, Multi-colored mini petunias (caleobrachea [sp.]) from my husband for Mother's Day. Too bad it is too cold out today(40) to hang it out for the poor hummingbirds. Hard to believe it was 84 day before yesterday!! We did need the rain, but it could be a bit warmer.

Will also enter this in the following challenges:

613 Avenue Create: Anything Goes but this weeks optional twist is: Create Something Feminine
Addicted to Stamps #103: Flowers
Tuesday Throwdown #243: Flowers for her
Fab N Funky Challenge #258: May Flowers
Coffee, Chocolate & Cards #90 ~ Spring has sprung!
The Paper Plunge #33 May Flowers