Double D Challenge - EASTER/CHURCH/CROSS

Hello friends.  Playing along with the current DD Challenge where they are looking for EASTER/CHURCH/CROSS cards.

 I used a new SB's PRESS & FOIL plate called Tulips & Dafodill's designed by Yana Smakula to come up with 2 cards.  The first one was foiled with gold and the 2nd one with silver.  I was extremely inspired by Nichol Spohr's cards that you can find HERE.

   I started by foiling the image in gold and then used the coordinating stencils to color and blend the daffodil's and tulips. I stamped over the top of the image with an older (and retired) SU! background stamp called En Francais and then cut the panel down to fit on The Greetery's Postage Die set.  Before adding to the postage panel, I did do some light ink blending around the edges with Antique Linen DI.

 I wrapped twine around the postage panel and then added foam tape behind before attaching to the card base for some dimension.  My sentiment was die cut 3 times for a little more dimension (Poppystamps - Easter Wishes), and then called it finished.

My 2nd card is basically the same except for different colored tulips and no foam tape for added dimension.  I also used a different sentiment (IO - DIE257-D) and cut it from silver mirror cs and then finished with a couple silver gems (PFS).  

I do like this silver one, but I think I like the gold one a bit better...it seems warmer!  But anyway, they were both so much fun to do and I have a feeling that this press & foil plate & stencil bundle is going to be a staple each Spring...I love it!!  Make sure you check out all BEAUTIFUL inspiration from the DT and then play along right HERE.  This challenge is open till Sunday, March 29th @ 8:00PM. 

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!

Freshly Made Sketches #728 and JUGS #815

Hello friends.  Playing along with a couple challenges today...Freshly Made Sketches and Just Us Girls, where Narelle has a wonderful sketch at Freshly Made Sketches and where JUGS has a BEAUTIFUL Mood Board to follow!

And here's what I came up with using both...

I used an older PTI die set of tea cups in place of the circles in Narelle's sketch and in place of the painted flowers on the rocks in the photo for JUGS.  I ink blended a sheet of white cs with rainbow colors and then die cut the tea cups. I also die cut the Leafy Branch (PFS) from a scrap of bright green cs to go along with the sketch.  My background is black that I embossed with Altenew's Organic Linen 3D ef.

I finished with a strip sentiment from Gina K's All At Once Greetings and called it good!  With all the color I didn't think it needed any bling like I usually add.

Check out all the awesome inspiration from both Design Teams and then play along with one or both of them!

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!

Peace on Earth Christmas Challenge #108

Hello friends. Trying to behave and keep up with my Christmas card making, so Peace On Earth Christmas Challenge  to the rescue!!  A beautiful mood board featuring skating and sledding for inspiration this time around...

I have an older PB sledding bear that worked perfect for this challenge...

After coloring up the bear (heart be light) with Copics and then fussy cutting him out, I set him aside while I stamped the background which is also a PB stamp (traverse). I used Smokey Slate ink (SU!) to keep the background a little more muted and then lightly added glitter to the trees and snowy areas.

I added foam dots to the back of my sledding bear to lift him away from the background a bit, and then simply finished with a sentiment from PTI (Think Big Favorites: #20) in Real Red (SU!) ink. 

Lots of inspiration from the DT that you can find right HERE, so check it out and play along!  This challenge is open till Thursday, April 2nd @ 8:00PM.

Also going to add this card to the Christmas Kickstart Challenge where the theme is Out of the Woods...I think a bear and the woods definitely go together here!!

  

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!

Color Hues #129 - PURPLE & MARIGOLD

Hello friends.  Welcome to another Color Hues Challenge where I am the hostess this time, and I would like to celebrate Spring with the colors of PURPLE & MARIGOLD!

These colors remind me of the first flowers that come up in my front garden...CROCUS!!  I never planted them, but they just showed up one year and have come back every year since!  They were definitely a welcome gift and I so enjoy that first POP of color each Spring!  

I actually have a twofer for you first...both basically the same with the colors reversed.  

I used The Greetery's BotaniCuts: Crocus dies and die cut 4 of the smallest Crocus and 2 of the medium size Crocus from white cs and then ink blended them with Highland Heather & Mango Melody inks from SU!.

Although it's a little hard to see, I stenciled the backgrounds using stencils from PTI's Pro Stamper's Box: March and then embossed the background with Altenew's Organic Linen ef before adding to a Mango Melody card base.  The little frame was die cut 3 times for some dimension and then glued to stenciled background. The 3 Crocus were then added along with a SB's pressplate sentiment and a few gems.

    And here's the reverse one using more Highland Heather.  I love the way these both turned out so CAS and SPRING like!

And because I was on a roll with these colors, I have a 3rd card for you...

 I apologize that my light wasn't so great the day I took this photo, but I think you can get the gist of it.  I had 5 of the small Crocus left over from the first 2 cards and a new die from WF (Basketful Base Die) that I put together and then filled with the Crocus. My white embossed background uses SSS's Springtime Bunnies ef.  The polka dotted dsp for the basket liner is from PTI. 

So there you have my 3 Spring-y cards using PURPLE & MARIGOLD for inspiration and the DT and our Special GD Chris have even more that you can check out right HERE.  We can't wait to see what YOU come up with to brighten up our gallery!! Remember to only use these 2 colors (or hues of these colors), and of course neutrals are acceptable too...most importantly though, just have FUN!!  This challenge is open till Sunday, March 29th @ 9:00AM.

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!

Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #727

Hello friends.  Sweet Michele has a new sketch for us to follow over at the Freshly Made Sketches Challenge...

I may not have hit the CAS mark with this card, but I think I used the sketch pretty well.  Take a look...

Been working on some of my Easter cards this week, and pulled out Tim Holtz Bunny Hop dies and used one of the 3 in the set to start my card.  Next I stenciled a background using PPP's Layered Eggs in a rainbow pattern (from top left to bottom right).  I used a couple smaller arch dies (SB) as per Michele's sketch on the stenciled background (along with a few plain arch die cuts for dimension) so I would have an opening for Mr. Bunny.  I also added a piece of clear acetate behind the arch opening so I could make this a shaker card. 

 

To finish I added a sentiment (The Greetery - Bunny Tales), grass instead of the leaf branches Michele used (Gina Marie Designs dies), some pink & white bakers twine, and added the bunny to the front of the "window" along with a stenciled egg for him to hold.  This will probably be going to one of the older grands as the one- and two-year-old would probably try to take it apart to get to the shaker bits (I've learned a few things over the years in this grandparenting gig!!)!

Lots of different ways to interpret this sketch as you'll see from the DT, so check it all out right HERE and then play along!  This challenge is open till Monday, March 16th @ 3:00PM.

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!

Double D Challenge - Books/Bookmark & Postal/Postage

Hello friends. When I saw the new DD Challenge, I knew I had to play!  If you've followed me for any length of time, you know I LOVE postal themed stamps, dies & stencils!  The only real challenge was what one to use...I do have a few!  Haha!

Obviously the bottom two photos inspired me with all the floral postage stamps pictured, and so I went with a stencil set from The Ton called Wildflowers. Here's what I came up with...

The directions on the packaging suggest using 3 shades of pink for ALL the flowers, but I am so hungry for Spring that I used multiple colors...did a bit of easy masking so I could use multiple colors, and it turned out beautifully IMHO.

I added the postage amounts using WF's Postage Collage mini stamp set and then attached the panel to a Highland Heather (SU!) panel and a white card base.  I finished with a die cut sentiment from MB Just A Note Posh Script in black and then finished with a few Disco Ball Sequins from Gina K.

I have a twofer for you today as I actually didn't line my first stencils up too well and only half of the stamps looked good to me.  I cut them apart and used 3 that still looked good and made this card...

I used SSS's Floral Butterfly Bouquets ef for my background and then added the stamps, a vellum butterfly (Poppystamps) and 2 little gold butterflies from SU!. The sentiment is the same as on the first card. Two Spring cards that are totally making me happy!!  Now if only the weather would actually cooperate!  (Although I do have Snowdrops blooming and my Daffodil's are just starting to poke up through the ground!!)

The DT as usual have FABULOUS inspiration for you, so check it all out right HERE and then play along.  This challenge is open till Sunday, March 15th @ 8:00PM.

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!

Freshly Made Sketches - #726

Hello friends.  Playing along with the sketch over at the Freshly Made Sketches challenge and DT member Karren has a fun and easy one to follow:

Last year I bought SB's Shipmates dies because, well, I HAD to have it!  First time using it today! Haha!!  Oh well, better late than never and it will make a cute card for my oldest grandson who will be 9 in May.  I followed Karren's sketch to a "t" and here's what I came up with...

Can you see why I HAD to have him??  I think he's ADORABLE and was quite easy to put together too.  I used scraps to die cut all the pieces and then glued him together before adding him to a MFT's tag die that I stamped lightly with SU!'s En Francais background stamp and also ink blended around the tag too.

For my background, I used a scrap of lighter blue cs that I embossed with SB's Cast Away ef and then ink blended over it with Misty Moonlight (SU!) ink. I attached the skinny red strip next to the blue and then attached the tag and Mr. Wally with foam tape on an angle to the card base.  A small greeting from The Greetery was added at the bottom. Finished and I'm ahead of the game for his May birthday...YAY!!!

This challenge is only open till this afternoon (March 9th @ 3:00PM), so be quick and play along.  You can find the DT's inspiration right HERE to play along.

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!