Double D - Pretty Florals for Mom

Hello friends.  Playing along with the ladies at the Double D Challenge where they're looking for Pretty Florals for Mom.  

 How could I pass up a pretty floral mood board like that?!!  I couldn't, although I did take my inspiration right from my front yard.  I have planted tulip bulbs for many years, but have never had any actual tulips bloom because of the rabbits...they bite off the bud before it even blooms and then don't even eat it, but just leave it laying next to the leaves.  Grrrrr!!  So this year I was very surprised to have not one, but 3 tulips bloom, and one of them one that I don't ever remember planting! But anyway, take a look at this gorgeous yellow & red tulip...

   I was blown away by this lovely 2 colored bloom and had to try my hand at duplicating it on a card!  Here's what I came up with using Spellbinders Wonderful Tulips Hot Foil Plate & Die set...

The colors aren't a perfect match, but I was still pretty pleased with the way they came out!  I started by hot foiling the tulips in gold, and then used the coordinating stencils to color them using shades of yellow, red and green.

Here's a closer up shot so you can see the blending a bit better.  After I finished coloring, I used the coordinating die to cut the tulip bunch out, leaving a border of white on the left hand side and then scoring it so I had a tab to attach it to the 4 x 5 1/4 panel that I used PTI's Cover Plate: Cross Stitched Die on.  

This view lets you see that the stenciled portion can open and close like a card.  I did use the die to cut a 2nd tulip panel to give a bit more sturdiness to this layer.  My "Have A Wonderful Day" sentiment is also hot foiled in gold and came with the tulip set and I put tiny pieces of foam tape behind it to give a bit of dimension to it.

This shot gives you a better idea of how this card really looks, and how I had room for 3 actual sentiments.  I embossed in gold on the inside flap of the tulips, and then also on the actual inside of the card.  I had already made a Mother's Day card for my mom, so this card will be used for a special friends birthday that is coming up at the end of the month and she LOVES tulips.

Not to overload you with photos in this post, but here's one last shot of my actual inspiration!  Don't you just love it when inspiration hits and you can hardly wait to get started making your card?!!  I had so much fun making this one!!  Even more beautiful inspiration from the talented DT that you can find right HERE, so check it out and play along!  This challenge is open till Sunday, May 12th @ 8:00PM.

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

The Flower Challenge #91 - Color Your Flower

Hello friends.  Welcome back to The Flower Challenge where this month we'd like for you to Color Your Flower.  Markers, colored pencils, watercolors, stencils, etc. - we'd love to see it all!

I inked up a better press plate from Spellbinders called A Friend Like You Bouquet and came up with this card...

Just a simple bouquet, but I had fun coloring it up with my Copics and then ran the panel through with SU!'s Old World Paper embossing folder to give a bit of texture to my card. 

After attaching my panel to a top folding card base, I added a strip of black cs to the left side and then finished the card with a bit of black & white bakers twine and a few black enamel dots.  The HELLO was a press plate that was included with the set.

We know there's a LOT of you out there with some pretty mad coloring skills, and we can't wait to see what YOU create this month.  There is a lot of inspiration from the DT to get you inspired too, so check it all out right HERE and then play along with us.  This challenge is open till Saturday, May 25th @ 5:00PM.

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

Rainbow Fun

Hello friends.  Just a fun post today sharing a couple rainbow cards I made from panels my sweet friend Lisa Elton sent me after seeing her sweet card HERE.

Lisa sent me all the die cut pieces from Poppystamps Hearts Shining Arch and Rainbow Arch and on this 1st card I used pastel colors to fill in all the heart and dots.

 My photo makes it look like I pieced all those hearts and dots together when actually I ink blended the die cut arches and then placed them behind the heart and dot die cut panel.  

 I added a little Purple Onion Designs bunny that I colored with my Copics and fussy cut out towards the bottom of the heart panel, and then stamped my sentiment (Gina K) above.  I did add a bit of WOS to all the hearts to give some shimmer to this colorful rainbow card.

My 2nd card was done the same way with coloring the arches first (with Copics in bright primary colors), and then adding acetate and foam strips behind the heart and dot die cut panel to make a shaker card. (Sorry, all the sequins for the shaker are at the bottom of the card because I photographed it standing upright.)

I added a PFS scalloped frame and one of those sweet paper mouses from Anita Jeram and CCC (Be Creative) that I colored once again with Copics.  The sentiment is from The Greetery's All Occasion Script Sentiments.  

Hope I infused some color and smiles into the start of your weekend today, and a BIG thanks to sweet Lisa for sharing these die cuts with me...I had so much fun coloring up these rainbows and creating the two cards!  Stamping friends truly are the best!! :0) 

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

Color Hues Challenge #86 - Lilac & Lime

Hello friends.  Time for a new challenge at Color Hues and our sweet hostess Julie is looking for LILAC & LIME on our cards.

Couldn't resist playing with my BotaniCuts: Lilacs dies again (The Greetery) and because postage collage cards and postcard cards are so popular right now, I turned my card into a vintage postcard.  Here's what I came up with...

I started by using Penny Black's Vintage Postcard stamp and Soft Suede ink (SU!) on a cream colored panel.  I inked around the edges with the Soft Suede ink (and also the card base) to continue with that vintage vibe.  I also used The Greetery's Pretty Postmarks stamp set to add some background text, the happy birthday with love, the stamp, & and the cancelation marks.

Next I went to work on the actual Lilacs, die cutting them first from white cs, and then ink blending with Gina K's Light, Medium, & Dark Lilac inks for the flowers and Lemon Lime Twist (SU!) for the leaves.  I also added some glitter to the centers of the flowers.

I went pretty traditional with these colors, but the sky's the limit and we can't wait to see what YOU create with hues of these two colors!  Check out what our DT and Special GD Sue came up with to inspire you right HERE and then play along with us.  This challenge is open till Tuesday, May 14th @ 9:00AM.

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

Peace On Earth Challenge #62

Hello friends.  Playing along with the gals over at the Peace On Earth Christmas challenge where they once again have a beautiful mood board to inspire us.

I was inspired by all the greenery, the pinecones, and the berries, and came up with this very CAS card...

Spellbinders was having a big warehouse sale a few weeks back and I was able to pick up this Merriest Christmas press plate for $5...my photo doesn't do justice to the depth these press plates leave on cotton cardstock!  I almost didn't want to add anything else to this card as the sentiment was so pretty on its own!  I used the pine sprig from an older SU! set called Ornamental Pine and using my MISTI and Peeled Paint Distress Ink, stamped it several times in the two corners.  At first I didn't care for the inking as it didn't seem to take real well to the cotton cardstock, but the more I looked at it, it reminded me of a water color look and it grew on me!  The pinecone is also from the same stamp set, and after inking it up and using a white gel pen on it, I also added a bit of glitter to give the illusion of snow.  I finished with 3 red gems from PFS and called it good.  I wanted the sentiment to be the star, and I think I accomplished that!

Lots of beautiful inspiration from the DT and you can find it all right HERE if you'd like to play along.  This challenge is open till Thursday, May 2nd @ 8:00PM.

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

Double D - Water Related

Hello friends.  Playing along with the Double D Challenge today where they are looking for Water Related cards (ie: ocean, rain, waterfall, etc.).

Such a beautiful mood board!!  Growing up in Michigan where we are surrounded by water AND lighthouses, it was a pretty easy choice for me!  I did some ink blending and silhouette stamping and came up with this...

I started by stamping my lighthouse (Gina K's By The Sea 1) in black and then starting at the bottom of my panel, I ink blended with Sandy Beach, Ocean Mist, Bubblegum Pink, Blue Jean, & In the Navy inks (Gina K).  Masking off the Sandy Beach and Bubblegum Pink, I splattered a few water droplets and then sprayed with Sheer Shimmer Mist to give the look of sparkling diamonds on the water.  

Hopefully you can see the water droplets and a tiny bit of the shimmer in this close-up photo.  Next I used an old red rubber stamp with splattered dots and Sandy beach ink to give that bottom ink blended layer the illusion of sand.  I finished with a few more silhouettes from the By The Sea 1 and By The Sea 2 stamp sets  and mounted my finished panel to a white top folding card base.  I left a sentiment off as I'm not sure if I'll use this for a masculine birthday card this Summer or a "Thinking of You" or "With Sympathy" if I need it.  Always good to have a few cards that you can add a greeting to in a hurry when you need it!

The DT has lots of beautiful inspiration to inspire you to play along and you can check it all out right HERE.  This challenge is open till Sunday, April 28th @ 8:00PM.

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

Triple B Challenge April 2024

Hello friends.  Haven't played with the Triple B Challenge in quite some time, but just made a card that I thought fit beautifully with the blooms and birds theme (no butterfly).

Pinkfresh Studio had released a set called Pure Joy a few months ago and I finally got around to playing with it!  Here's what I came up with...

 That Hummer caught my eye and I had to have it!  Hummers have always been a favorite of mine and I just put my feeder out this past week.  I think it's still a bit cold at night for them, but those in the know said that April 15th was a safe date to start hanging them, so that's exactly what I did!!  I embossed my images in Altenew's Rose Gold embossing powder and then ink blended with the coordinating stencils before die cutting all the pieces.  

Hard to tell in my photo, but I die cut all the images multiple times in plain white cardstock to put behind the ink blended images for added dimension.  I used PFS's Dotted Chevron Coverplate Die for my background and attached that to a top folding card base from Ocean Mist cs (Gina K).  The sentiment is also from the Pure Joy stamp set.  Before I attached the Hummer, I sprayed it quite liberally with Sheer Shimmer Mist spray, so in real life he really shimmers!  I finished with just a few of PFS's new Gems: Clear with Gold Dust...they are SOOOOO pretty!!

I will also be adding this card to Darnell's NBUS Challenge since this is the first time I've used this set.

The Triple B Challenge is open till April 30th @ 8:00PM and the NBUS Challenge is open till April 30th @ 10:00PM.  

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