Double D Challenge - Things That Fly

Hello friends.  Playing along with the Things That Fly challenge over at Double D where they have a great mood board to inspire us.

Lots of wonderful inspiration from the DT too for this challenge, but I went a little rogue with my choice, and I may have disqualified myself, but this image from Penny Black was just too cute not to use!!  Take a look...

So obviously bunnies don't fly, but...isn't this image (Penny Black - flying by) with the bunny holding onto the flower and flying through the clouds just melt your heart?  And the sentiment that comes with the set seemed to be just perfect for this challenge too!  I colored the image with my Copics and then die cut it out.

 I used the Cloud Stencil from A Colorful Life with pink ink for my background, and then added a die cut Fancy Circles Die (PFS) over the cloud background before attaching my bunny image (with foam tape on the back).  I matted this layer with a piece of Sweet Sorbet cs from PTI to match the flower and then added both layers to a top folding white card base.  A few crystal gems from Trinity Stamps finished off this sweet card.

Only a few days left to play in this challenge, but check it all out right HERE and then play along if you have time.  This challenge is open till Sunday, April 30th @ 8:00PM.

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

Sharing Stencils & Lunch with My Friend

Hello friends.  Can you believe Michele and I had another play day so soon after our last one?!  We're making up for lost time, and as usual had a FABULOUS time talking, laughing, stamping, and sharing a meal together!  A play day with Michele is like a day full of sunshine and we just had the best time!  We even had a fun video chat with our sweet friend Birgit who so wanted to come play with us, but Maine is just too much of a drive from Michigan...dang it!!  Anyway, I have 3 cards to share with you today, so sit back and relax and let's get to it!!

Aren't these Wonderful Tulips sooooo pretty?!  Michele designs for Doodlebugs, and this hot foil plate and the coordinating stencils from Spellbinders she got from Doodlebugs is AMAZING!!  Michele had already foiled the image in black foil for me and then I just colored it in with the stencils using Gina K inks.  I love how there's a matching die that cuts around the right hand side of the tulips, and then the bottom and left side are straight so you can adhere them right to your card base edge.  

  I foiled my background too in PINK foil (Spellbinders) with the Geometric Optical Background Foil Plate (also Spellbinders) and then put foam strips on the back of the tulips for some dimension from the background.  The sentiment also comes from the Wonderful Tulips set and I finished with a few PFS Blush Glitter Drops.  I love, LOVE how this card turned out!!  I made a 2nd card with this tulip set, but you'll have to wait for an upcoming Color Hues Challenge to see that one!!

I also stamped and stenciled these next two cards using Michele's PFS's Poppy Mix set and love how these turned out too!  I didn't want to do too much to this and take away from all the beautiful stenciling, so I just added PFS's Simply Diamonds Cover Plate Die over top of it, and then added my stamped and die cut sentiment from the Perfect Sentiments set, and finished with a few Disco Ball Sequins from Gina K.

At first I wasn't sure I liked the way this one turned out after stenciling it, but after actually making it into a card, it's grown on me quite a bit!!  I cut off a portion of it on a diagonal and then added it to a layer I used PFS's Stitched Diamonds Cover Plate Die on.  I added a pink strip to ground the two layers and then added my sentiment (also from PFS's Perfect Sentiments) and one of the flowers from the lower half I cut off.  A few clear gems and this card was finished.

Michele always has the best toys to play with and we always have fun creating together!  Make sure you check out Michele's post HERE to see what she worked on while we were together...you know she'll knock your socks off as usual!!  Thanks so much for sharing Michele...I just LOVE our play times together!!  And thank you for the delicious lunch too...you can make that again ANYTIME!!!!!!!!!  :0)

 

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

Faux Inking Using Printed Papers

Hello friends.  I love watching Jennifer McGuire videos when I'm low on inspiration or just want to try new techniques, and one that caught my eye a few weeks back was Faux Inking Using Printed Papers.  This is basically using DSP in creative ways and even inking over the DSP.  Jennifer doesn't do short videos, but if you've got a spare 43 minutes, it's worth the time to see these ideas!  I have 4 cards to share as I couldn't just stop at one...they really are FUN and very easy to do!

 My first card starts with a piece of DSP from Brutus Monroe's Watercolor Galaxy 6x6 pad in blues and magenta's that I ran through with Honey Bee's Dogwood Blooms 3D embossing folder.  Next I used my sanding block and ran it lightly over the top of the DSP that left a white outline of the Dogwood Blooms and made them more prominent.  This was then layered to a white card base.  In my bin of un-used pieces I found a piece of very light silver glitter paper that I think I colored over with my blending brushes...it's been awhile so not totally sure.  But anyway, the colors matched beautifully with my DSP background, so I die cut my sentiment (Impression Obsession - Big WISHES) and placed it on the background.  The colors were so much the same that my sentiment blended right in...added a white strip behind the WISHES and that fixed that problem.

You can see the colors and the sparkle a bit better in this close up.  I also added a white die cut Berry Branch from SSS, and that finished off this easy peasy card!

My 2nd card uses more DSP from the same Brutus Monroe pad, and I just changed up the sentiment (Honey Bee - Bitty Buzzwords) and added a Olive Branch (SSS) that I die cut from silver mirror cs, a few silver metallic pearls (PFS) and a silver cording bow.  I also ran this DSP through with the same Honey Bee Dogwood Blooms ef and also the sanding process...I love, LOVE this look!!

My 3rd card uses DSP from Craft Consortium's Ink Drops - Dusk 6x6 pad and was just cut into strips and then layered diagonally across a card base that I added a white layer using PFS's Floral Grid Coverplate Die on.  I added a Penny Black Berry Sprig die cut from gold mirror cs (thanks Loll!!) and my sentiment is once again from Honey Bee's Bitty Buzzwords stamps and dies.  Another quick and easy card where the DSP does most of the work!

My 4th and last card started with another piece of DSP from the Craft Consortium's Ink Drops - Dusk paper pad and I stenciled over it using Honey Bee's Folk Art Daisy Stencil.  I also used a retired SU! background stamp called En Francais with light gray ink to add the very faint script in the background.  Here's a closer up so you can see it better...

This card was finished with a stamped and die cut sentiment from Gina K's Radiant Roses and also with a few yellow gems (PFS) to the flower centers.  Once again the DSP did a lot of the work and made this another very fun and easy card to do.  

I wish I could take credit for all these card ideas, but I basically CASE'd Jennifer's ideas with my own DSP, sentiments, and die cuts.  I'm going to share these cards over at Darnell's NBUS Challenge as there are quite a few things that had never been used before on these cards including the 2 DSP pads...I can't even remember how long I've had both of them, but they still had that clear circle sticker holding the pad closed that tells me I never even bothered to open up the pads when I received them to look at them!  Sometimes I think I like shopping even more than I like creating...yep, I'm a problem child!!  But I'm sure I'm not the only one out there!!  Bahahaha!!  

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

Peace On Earth Christmas Challenge #38

Hello friends.  I'm back with another Christmas card to keep my stash going and the Peace On Earth Challenge is helping with that.  They have a really FUN challenge this time around with GNOMES!

I love all four photos on the mood board, but took my inspiration from the bottom left photo in the red, black & white and came up with this card...

I had bought SSS's Gnome For The Holidays card kit a couple years back and didn't play with it this past Christmas, so figured it was time to get it out and show it some love!  The kit came with all kinds of dsp in blacks, grays, reds & white, so it matched up perfectly with the inspiration photo and was just a matter of mixing and matching all the fun prints for my 3 gnomies!  Hard to see in the photo, but the gray beards are cut from a shimmery gray/silver cardstock and make the gnomes even a bit more festive!  The sentiment came with the coordinating stamp set in the kit and I thought it was perfect to go along with the 3 gnomes.

For my background I used SSS's Forest Border ef and in this close up you can see a bit of the glitter I added to the trees for even a little more FUN and SPARKLE!  

The DT has some fabulous and FUN inspiration for you right HERE if you'd like to play along and get going on those Christmas cards now rather than later!  This challenge is open till May 4th @ 8:00PM.

I'm also entering this card into the Christmas Kickstart Challenge where they are also looking for GNOMES.  Their challenge is open till the end of this month (April 30th).

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

The Flower Challenge #79

Hello friends.  Today I'm playing along with The Flower Challenge where they want our focus to be on the background.

My background is stenciled rather than stamped, so I hope I didn't disqualify myself?!!  But anyway, I love, LOVE The Ton Stencils and how large they are...their floral images truly can cover the entire front of an A2 size panel.  I used the Darling Dahlia layering stencil and made it my WHOLE background!  Take a look...

Told ya!!  There's not much space left on this card front that isn't the Dahlia, and I even trimmed some of it off so I could mat the panel with a piece of black and still have a white border from the card base.

I used orange and pink inks (Gina K) to stencil all 3 layers, although the pink doesn't show up as much as I would have liked!

So as not to take away from the Dahlia background, I added a simple sentiment (Impression Obsession - Big Wishes Die) die cut in black and added a rhinestone for the dot above the "i".  A pretty simple card, but BIG & BOLD and perfect to celebrate our oldest daughter's birthday coming up in a few weeks.

Lots of beautiful cards from the DT to inspire you that you can check out right HERE, so check it out and play along!  This challenge is open till the 25th @ 5:00PM. 

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

Color Hues Challenge #62 - PURPLE & GREEN

Hello friends.  It's the middle of the month already and that means it's time for another Color Hues Challenge.  Take a look at the beautiful colors Cindy has chosen for us to work with...

These colors say FLOWERS to me, and that's exactly where I went!  I used The Greetery's BotaniCuts: Morning Glory dies and came up with this...

 First off, don't you LOVE that background die??!!  My sweet friend Michele brought it over on our last play date, and I wish now I had die cut a 100 of them instead of just 3!  It's from Waffleflower and is called Woven Pattern Die.  They offer it in a foil plate too.  But anyway, I think it made a perfect backdrop for my sweet Morning Glories!  I die cut them all from white cardstock and then used my blender brushes to add the shades of purple and green. (And just a touch of yellow for the centers.)  

I added a bit of Tim Holtz Rock Candy Glitter to a couple of the leaves and the flower centers and also a few Disco Ball sequins (Gina K) to add a bit of sparkle and shine to my card.  To finish I gold embossed my sentiment (Gina K - Radiant Roses) on black and die cut it with the coordinating die. (I die cut several more of the black sentiment pieces so I could stack the sentiment for some dimension.)  CAS and I think a beautiful card to celebrate a birthday!

The DT and our Special GD Amanda outdid themselves with this color combination, so make sure you check it all out HERE and then play along with us...we LOVE seeing you in the gallery!  This challenge is open till the 28th @ 9:00AM.

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

Double D Challenge - April Showers

Hello friends.  The Double D Challenge has a fun mood board with great images depicting what April Showers bring!

I loved all 4 images but decided to play with the whimsical upper left photo, using a few dies that haven't seen the light of day in ages!!  Here's what I came up with...

I've had this Rubbernecker Stamps set of Duck Dies for ages and I think I've only used them once!  High time to get them out and inked up!!  I die cut them all from white cardstock and then inked them up with orange and yellow inks (Gina K).  The Impression Obsession Checkered Frames Dies was also something I hadn't used in ages and worked great to frame out my piece of rainy sky from SU!'s Playing In The Rain DSP.

  I lined up my ducks (well except for the one escapee!!) inside the frame and then added an umbrella (Impression Obsession Die) to the last duck who is going after the escapee!  The umbrella is also DSP from SU!'s Playing In The Rain and the sentiment also comes from that stamp set.  Pretty simple card, but I like the way it turned out and sure had fun putting it together too!

Only a couple more days to play, but check out all the wonderful inspiration from the DT right HERE and then play along if you have time.  The challenge ends Sunday, April 16 @ 8:00PM.

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

Inspired By Friends

Hello friends.  I have a special post for you today...I am playing cards with Bonnie Klass,  Michele Ferguson, and Bobby Hagen!!  A while back, Bonnie sent each of us an envelope filled with some PFS Washi Tape die cuts and asked if we'd like to play cards with her...well duh!  Of course we all said YES!!  The die cuts were from the Dahlia Washi Tape and they are absolutely GORGEOUS and I had a blast making the two cards I'm going to share with you!

My first card uses PFS's Simply Diamonds Cover Plate die, Around the Shape: Circles, and the Circle: Florals stamp set along with the beautiful Dahlia Washi Tape die cuts Bonnie sent.  Take a look...

   Aren't those flowers GORGEOUS?!  I wish I could have picked up the gold around all the Dahlia's and the leaves...sooooo pretty!  I started by ink blending a light pink on my card base and then added the Simply Diamonds cover plate die over the front of the card base.  This cover plate die is so simple but really adds a beautiful touch to your backgrounds!  Next I stamped and gold embossed the circle and sentiment and then die cut it before attaching to the card base.  I added foam strips to the backs of the 3 florals and arranged them around the circle and then finished with a few gold metallic pearls (PFS).  Pretty simple card, but I think it's beautiful!

My 2nd card uses more of the Dahlia Washi Tape die cuts and these were placed on a card base that I used PFS's new Rounded & Braided Rectangle Dies.  I love the elegant touch they add to the card!  The smaller rectangle on top has foam strips behind it for some added dimension.  My sentiment is from Gina K and was gold embossed on black and then die cut.  My cousin gave me some new satin foil and the pink matched the light pink of the Dahlias, so I hot foiled one of the smaller butterflies from PFS's  Small Butterflies hot foil plate...once on cardstock and once on vellum.  The satin foil is SO pretty when the light catches it!!  I finished with a few clear gems also from PFS.

So here they both are...do you have a favorite??  I love how they both turned out, and now I want more Washi Tape florals too!!  Thanks so much Bonnie for asking me to play along, and I can't wait to see what you, Michele & Bobby did with these same die cuts!  I just know they're all going to be BEAUTIFUL!!

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

Peace On Earth #37

Hello friends.  Yesterday we celebrated Easter, so how about we celebrate Christmas today?!  I'm still playing along with the Peace On Earth Challenge to keep on top of my Christmas card stash and they have a fun one this time around with rainbow inspiration!

Don't you just LOVE all those rainbow colors?!  The top right photo with the colorful garland of ornaments inspired me to pull out a Taylored Expressions stamp set called Seasonal Sprig, and here's what I did to make it a rainbow sprig...

Yep, instead of coloring all the berries red, I colored them in the rainbow colors with my Copics!  Easy peasy and I think it still gives it a fun and festive Christmas feel!  

After coloring all the leaves and berries, I stamped the sentiment with one of the stamps included in the set and then die cut my panel using Gina K's Master Layouts #2 along with the black layer behind it.  Both were attached to a top folding white card base and a few silver metallic pearls (PFS) finished off this easy card.

There is LOTS of fun rainbow inspiration for you from the talented DT and you can find it all right HERE to check it out and play along!  This challenge is open till April 13th @ 8:00PM.

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

Happy Easter

Hello friends.  Did you make and mail out Easter cards this year?  Some years I do only a few and other years I can't seem to stop making them and this was one of those years!!  The ideas were there and I just went with it!!  So anyway, no challenges, just cards today...so sit back and just enjoy.  (These are all my FUN Easter cards...lots of bunnies!!)

This card went to my grandson and uses the new Anita Jeram Summer Garden background stamp.  Landon wouldn't eat a vegetable if his life depended on it, but I thought it was just too cute to not use it!  And he'll love the sentiment and bunny on the wobbler for a little interactive fun!

The sentiment and die cut bunny are from The Greetery's Bunny Hop set.

This card also uses the Bunny Hop stamp and stencil  and die set, and I used Distress Oxide inks for the colors.  A little more muted but I like the way it turned out!  I also die cut the center of the bunny wreath out and then used foam strips on the backside to give some dimension from the plaid dsp layer (PTI) that I stamped the sentiment on.

I also used a sun burst coverplate die (MB) over my top layer to add a little interest to all the white area.  I also added the die cut bunnies in white to the 4 corners of the top layer before running the coverplate die over it.  I finished this one off with just a few clear Disco Ball Sequins (Gina K).

While looking for a sentiment stamp in my PTI stash, I came across a die and stamp set I hadn't used in ages and just had to have a play with it!  It's called the Hugables: Bunny & Chick set.  

I made both the bunny and chick into mini slimline cards and basically just die cut all the pieces, sponged them up with coordinating ink and assembled them.  A little time consuming but definitely FUN!!

The scalloped layer on this chick card and the crimped layer on the bunny card are both from PFS, and the little flowers on this chick card are from Spellbinders...otherwise everything is from PTI.  I just LOVE the flappable arms on the chick and bunny!!  :0)

My last card was inspired by a card from my sweet friend Nancy (HERE) that I fell head over heels in LOVE with!  My bunny is from a Tim Holtz die set called Bunny Hop and I tried to ink him up like Nancy did her bunny...not totally successful, but not terrible!  I die cut 3 of them for a little added dimension.  My background uses the Elegant Arches background stamp from The Greetery and was inked with a couple shades of gray for an ombre look.  I added a few leaves and a Lily from the BotaniCuts: Lily dies (also from The Greetery), and then my die cut "Easter" is from a SSS die that I added a touch of pink ink blending to.

The "HAPPY" was heat embossed with white on a black strip, and then I finished with a few pink PFS gems.  I was pretty pleased with the way this one came out too!  Thanks for the awesome inspiration Nancy!!

So there you have some of my "bunny" Easter cards for this year...it sure was fun making them all!  And just so you know, I do realize that the true meaning of Easter is not about the bunny, but the amazing gift that was given to us on the cross.  He is our risen savior, and I know He lives...I just talked with Him this morning!  Wishing you all a happy and very blessed Easter!

 

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