Happy Birthday Mom!

Very quick post to send Happy Birthday wishes to my sweet Mom today! I'll be celebrating with her and Dad later in the day - she wants a cake with yellow buttercream flowers on it. Yum!! I already ordered it and will pick it up shortly. Here's the card I made for her using a stamp set and matching dies that I bought last week.

Supplies: Paper - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; Poptone Black; Bazzill green;

DCWV Ms Sparkle lilac card; BoBunny dots

Stamps - Memory Box Sentimental Iris; Hero Arts It's Your Day

Dies - Memory Box Sentimental Iris Die Set; Hero Arts Infinity Ovals;

My Favorite Things various retired Blueprints

Other - Copic Markers; White gel pen; Tumbled Glass Distress Stain; Icy Stickles

I was surfing my friends' blogs and spotted Bonnie's beautiful card for the May Memory Box challenge. Since Mom's card has MB products, including a butterfly, I decided to enter. Lucky for me since the challenge ends today - thanks Bonnie! And thanks to you for stopping by!!

May 2018 Challenge - Insects/Butterflies/Dragonflies

Merry Monday #292 - Penguins!!

Hey everyone - Happy Memorial Day! Hope you're having a great holiday if you're celebrating. This week we're playing with penguins over at Merry Monday's Challenge #292. Can the trio in the inspiration photo be any cuter?!!

I seem to have accumulated quite a stock of penguin items over the years, but especially since I started playing at Merry Monday. Instead of going to my stash, though, I headed to the Silhouette and cut a penguin with wreath - so cute!

Supplies: Paper - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; Poptone Black Licorice

Paper Studio glitter; Pink & Main Jolly
Silhouette image - Design ID #35189 Penguin with Wreath by Jennifer Wambach
Stamps - Hero Arts CM100 Christmas Messages and CG698 Holiday Florals Bold Prints
Dies - Hero Arts DI364 Thank You Messages Frame Cuts (speech bubble);
My Favorite Things Blueprints 20 (retired) Lawn Fawn Stitched Hillside Borders
Other - Copic Markers, Joy foam squares; Hero Arts green ink; Fired Brick Distress Oxide ink

I cut the penguin pieces from black and white cardstock, then colored the ones I wanted yellow. Cut the wreath from white too, colored with a green Copic and stamped with the Bold Print. Cut the bow from red glitter paper and layered up Mr. Penguin using some ultra thin foam squares. Die cut two stitched rectangles - one patterned and one white. Cut a hill into the white and layered. LOL - the side I liked was the one without the stitches on the hill - oops. Made a top fold horizontal A2 card and added a snowflake printed mat, a strip of chevron pattern and the rectangle. Popped my penguin atop and added the sentiment speech bubble. Done!

Check out the penguin goodness by the amazing Design Team and all the challenge details HERE. Thanks for visiting!!

Merry Monday #291 - Sweets!!

Hi all - back with another Merry Monday challenge! Kelly hosts Challenge #291 this week and she wants candy canes, cookies or sweets on our Christmas cards. Yum - I can do that!!

Supplies: Paper - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White

Paper Studio kraft and brown; Basic Grey Aspen Frost
Studio Calico Magical (candy cane); Tim Holtz metallic kraft
Stamps - Pink and Main Cocoa Kisses (plus matching dies)
Dies - My Favorite Things Die-Namics Blueprints 20 (retired) & Oval Shadows
Hero Arts Tag Infinity Dies
Other - foam tape, Stickles, white enamel accents, Copic markers,
Memento Rich Cocoa ink; Fired Brick Distress Oxide ink

Went shopping at Pink and Main to get one of their new stamp sets (Pocket of Sunshine) and spotted the darling Cocoa Kisses set with plenty of sweets. Into my cart it went - I figured it would be perfect for this challenge! I diecut the sweets and the sentiment label, then stamped and colored them. Thought it would be fun to put the sweets on a cookie plate so used the versatile Oval Shadows dies to cut a gold metallic plate.

I arranged the plate and sweets on my counter and decided they'd look good on a tag. To get a wide enough tag, I used the largest of Hero Arts Infinity Tags but cut it to a shorter length to fit my A2 card. The candy canes on the paper were actually printed on a diagonal but I arranged my tag die to line the canes up vertically before I cut it. I found a fun Basic Grey patterned paper to put behind the tag. I cut it with a stitched rectangle and gave it a narrow brown mat before adhering to a scalloped rectangle, then the card.

As always, check Merry Monday for all the challenge details and great inspiration from the Design Team. I hope you'll have a chance to play along with us this week! Thanks for stopping!!

Twofer Challenge #5 - Butterflies!

Hey all - I'm playing along at this month's Twofer Challenge to use a butterfly stamp. You need to use it two different ways on cards for two separate occasions.

Decided to use a neglected Penny Black stamp set in my stash called Social Butterfly. Besides five butterflies and a sentiment "Wonderful", this set contains an art deco photo corner with a butterfly. I chose the photo corner as my butterfly image to use on both cards.

Supplies: Paper - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; Poptone Black; Momenta Marbled;

Paper Studio Teal A2 card; Authentique Latest & Greatest

Stamps - Penny Black 30-116 Social Butterfly; 

Hero Arts  CL342 Everyday Sayings (retired) & CL954 Many Everyday Messages

Dies - My Favorite Things Die-Namics Flutter of Butterflies Solid & Lace and Blueprints 20 (retired) & 13;

Hero Arts Nesting Oval Infinity Dies

Other - Hero Arts Ombre Ocean sequins; Copic Markers; 

Distress inks - Mermaid Lagoon & Blueprint Sketch

On the card at left, I stamped the photo corner twice for a tone on tone effect. Thought it would be fun to add diecut butterflies. Tried three but it seemed too many. Also need something to ground them so I used a patterned oval. Since two butterflies fit nicely, I decided to make this an anniversary card.

On the right, I stamped the photo corner twice close together to form a pyramid. It reminded me of a stained glass window so I made it into a sympathy card. Cut it into a stitched rectangle and matted over a black stitched rectangle on a white top fold A2 card. Very CAS for me!

I already needed the sympathy card since a chorus friend lost her brother last week. I'll save the anniversary card for some friends with an anniversary coming up in June. So glad to have this challenge to quickly get cards for two occasions done! Thanks for stopping by!!

CAS snowman

Hi all - just popping in with a card for the CAS Christmas challenge which is open until May 24th. Loll, Bonnie & company would like a snowman on your card - they made some beauties, wow!!

I have loads of snowman stuff in the stash (say that 3 times fast!) so what to choose? I went with an NBUS from Art Impressions (just love the happy snowman!). I have several of these "Windows to the World" stamps plus the window die - my goal is to actually use them all this year. Wish me luck!

Supplies: Paper - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White

Stamp - Art Impressions With Love Window

Die - My Favorite Things Die-Namics Blueprints 20 (retired)

Other - Copic Markers; Hero Arts black ink

I kept it super simple - just stamped the image on a white panel and colored with Copics. I cut the panel with a stitched rectangle and adhered it to a top fold A2 card. Done! Thanks for stopping and I hope you have a wonderful week!

Merry Monday #290 - Bells!

Welcome back for another Merry Monday challenge! This week, the delightful JoAnn would like us to use bells on a Christmas card for Challenge #290. What gorgeous gold bells in the inspiration photo!!

Supplies: Paper - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; Paper Studio Red; Poptone Black Licorice

Stamps - Hero Arts Wreath with Bells (retired), Holiday Florals Bold Prints, &

 Merry & Bright Tag Set by Lia - sentiment (retired)

Dies - My Favorite Things Blueprints 21 (retired); Spellbinders Ribbon Banners

Hero Arts Nesting Circle Infinity Dies

Other - Copic markers; Memento Tuxedo Black & Fired Brick Distress Oxide inks; 

Target Hot Spot gold sequins; foam tape; Faber Castell Metallic Gold PITT pen

I had to go with my favorite Hero Arts bell cling stamp. A stamping friend, Isha, sent it to me when she was my Secret Santa a few years ago. What a fun image to color and you can see two other examples of my cards using this stamp here and here. I was especially thrilled with the color of the bells this time! I used two new-to-me Copic colors Y26 Mustard & Y28 Lionet Gold. I colored the bell panel several weeks ago but finally had a chance to put a card together. By the time I did, I see that the wonderful Leanne also made a card with this bell stamp - oh well, great minds.... I just love her gorgeous blues!!

I started to make this a shaker card since I had a bag of yummy shaker mix. Alas - dismal failure - my acetate refused to cooperate (full of static & my anti-static activities failed to help...). So, I tossed my shaker panel and die cut a simple pierced rectangle panel with a circle opening. After gluing it over my bell panel, I decided to stamp on the window panel. Why do I do that?? Luckily I saved the die cut circle and popped it over my colored bells before stamping. Now I have a stamped circle for the future! After die cutting and embossing a banner, I decided to edge it with a metallic gold - so shimmery in real life. I popped the banner with foam tape, otherwise this would've been a nice flat card for mailing.

Thanks for visiting and I hope you can join us at Merry Monday! See all the challenge details and inspiration from the fabulous Design Team HERE. Have a great week!!

Happy Mother's Day!

Hey everyone - if you're celebrating Mother's Day today, hope you have a wonderful one!! Popping in for a quick post of the Mother's Day cards I made - just three this year: Mom, Aunt Carol (Mom's sister), and Mother Mary, the remaining Queen Mum (the other one passed away last summer).

Supplies: Paper - Poptone Snow Cone & Black, Tim Holtz Metallic Kraft; blue vellum;

various Bazzill colors; Authentique Wintery (stone pattern); BoBunny woodgrain
DCWV A2 and A7 blue cards

Stamps - Hero Arts (retired) & Paper Smooches All Year Cheer; 
Stampendous Fresh Peony

Die - Hunkydory Crafts Box Collection 3 Hanging Basket
My Favorite Things Flutter of Butterflies Solid and Lace and Blueprints 13

Other - foam tape; Michaels gems; Ranger Seafoam white embossing powder;
washi tape by unknown; punched butterfly; Crayola pencils

When I posted Heather's birthday card last Sunday, I mentioned thinking the basket diecut would be pretty on a Mother's Day card - yes, indeed! Made slightly different versions & was really happy with both of them. Then I masked the large peony and leaves for card 2 - colored with pencils and blended with Copics. It's such a large flower that I made the panel into an A7 card. Mailed cards 2 and 3 but card one is being delivered to my mom in person today. I also got her a basket of flowers for her front steps - she'll have fun making Dad water it all summer - LOL.

Thanks for stopping and I hope you'll be back tomorrow for another Merry Monday challenge!

Merry Monday #289 - Stars!

Merry Monday everyone! Debbie hosts Challenge #289 this week to use stars on your Christmas card.

I decided to show some love to a star with swag die that I bought last year (I think). Another NBUS item which are legion at my house! I thought about using a star embossing folder behind the swag, then I remembered some yummy BoBunny paper with several star patterns - used two of them here. The wood plank paper is from that same collection.

Supplies: Paper - DCWV A2 kraft card; Paper Studio glitter & brown;
BoBunny Christmas Collage 6x6; Tim Holtz kraft metallic; Michael's green
Dies - My Favorite Things Die-Namics Joy, Rectangle Peek-a-Boo Window,
Blueprints 20 (retired) & 13; 
Ultimate Crafts When you Wish (retired)
Other - Stickles; Doodlebug enamel dot 

I cut the star swag set from different colors and layered. The pine cones cut only in outline but I backed them with a glittery paper so they'd stand out more. The bow and JOY were cut from glitter paper too but it looked very dull. Jazzed them up with some Stickles, including an enamel dot for the bow's center. I cut multiple joys from plain red cardstock and layered them for dimension with the glittery one on top.

Please check out the challenge details and all the wonderful inspiration from the Design Team HERE. Would love to see your creation linked up to the challenge! Thanks for stopping and have a wonderful week!!

Happy Birthday Heather!!

Popping in to wish my friend Heather a Happy Birthday! Hope she has a fabulous day celebrating!! I was glad she received her card ahead of time since her birthday is on a weekend - no mail delivery today. Here's the card I sent:

Supplies: Paper - Poptone Snow Cone & Black, Tim Holtz Metallic Kraft

various Bazzill colors; Authentique Wintery (stone pattern)

Sentiment stamp - Simon Says Stamp Friendship Blooms

Die - Hunkydory Crafts Box Collection 3 Hanging Basket

Other - foam tape; Michaels gems

This was my first play with the hanging basket die set. Heather sent it to me for my birthday back in February (thanks again, Heather!!) and I got started with it right away. I just loved cutting all the various papers so I could layer and arrange the basket pieces (it took me a while). I cut the vines multiple times and had fun filling the basket. Then I popped the flowers on top and added a gem to each center. I had a panel of stone paper that I thought would be fun as a wall from which to hang the basket. Can you believe it's from a Christmas paper pad??! After adhering the panel to the card, it needed something so I added a thin black strip, then the hanger bracket and the basket. The SSS stamp set had the perfect sentiment.

I'm thinking the hanging basket diecut would be fantastic on a Mother's Day card - I'd better get busy, eh? Thanks for stopping and I hope you'll be back tomorrow for another Merry Monday challenge!!