Smiles for The Flower Challenge

Welcome flower lovers! Our mid-month inspiration is up on The Flower Blog to inspire your card making in honor of our 7th birthday!

 

My card features gingham and floral prints from Honeybee Stamps. I've been holding off using them, as I wanted the luscious pattern and colors to shine. I applied strips of the floral over the gingham background, using flower dies and a sentiment from Penny Black for the focal point. Adding color to the leaves with watercolors and a damp brush, I also used Copic markers to add a bit of shading to the flower centers. I love the sense of movement these blooms give, and you will see them again! I wondered if the papers for the background made this too busy, but I went with it!

Please have a look at the DT inspiration and come play along! 

Be yourself

          Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful! 

Color Hues #66 Yellow and Green

Hi there friends!

 It's that time again! Mid month means a new challenge at Color Hues #66 where Karen is choosing yellow and green for us to create with. What a great combo! I colored and fussy cut the florals, banner and sentiments from Simply Stated by Honeybee.

The kraft background was deeply embossed and then I gently slid the white craft stamp pad over it and blended for a softening effect. 

How will you use these shades? Please be sure to check out our amazing DT samples HERE, and join us to play along! 

I'm glad to be home from some traveling and back in the craft room! Thanks so much for your visit! 

Be yourself

          Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!  

VROOM! VROOM!

Hello, how's it going for you today?  I'm driving by with a new post and a card for you at Color Hues #64. Julie B chose a delightful combo of Orange and Slate Gray for us to feature. It had me stumped for awhile, but I remembered this fun auto stamp in time to make a card for our son's birthday. 

I used a mix of papers from my stash, and the stamps and dies from Honey Bee stamps - Car Show and You're a Classic. 

The DT team has a wonderful line up of projects for you. Hope you will check it out for inspiration and  join us!

 Be yourself

          Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!  

 

Stellar Snowflake

 Hello again, I'm popping in to share my second card for this first week of the new year. I was hoping to get into creating more often but it's not happening quite that way. Am I the only one? I am caught up in 'new' outlooks and daily habit changes. I'd almost rather clean out my pantry than stamp. I know, that does sound crazy! Hopefully my mojo will kick in again soon. 

Although the sun is warm and the weather is breezy today, I pulled out the Stellar Snowflake stencil from GinaK that is new to my stash. Using Transfer Gel from Thermo-web and a laminator,  I foiled the design onto white card stock. Backing the panel with a black mat, I added bright blue card stock over the card base. 

The darling sentiments are from Honey Bee stamps. I love that they include the outline for the larger words, which I cut from vellum. 

There have been some recent changes happening that affect this stamping hobby of mine. I had to back up and completely move all my files onto a new computer as the old one was dying. In doing so my Photoshop Editor has become obsolete. Also, a new light box and lamp are challenging me to take better photos more consistently.  All these things are on quite a learning curve. If you have editing software that you love, I'd be happy if you'd share it with me!

I am off to clean and organize the pantry which involves getting on the floor but not having to think too much, HA! Hope you have a wonderful weekend! 

Please know that your comments mean so much to me. They keep me going!

Be yourself

          Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!  

 

I will be joining the following challenges: 

SIMON SAYS Something New

And with the lovely Jingle Belles: What did Santa bring you? My answer - a brand new snowflake stencil!

TGIF  Technique Challenge 

Spring is in the Air The Paper Players #581

Hello. and welcome to another great theme challenge at The Paper Players! Yes, spring is in the air here, and flowers are blooming everywhere! This week the daffodils popped out, the forsythia and cherry trees are in full bloom. Next to come will be the azaleas and dogwoods that are so plentiful in my state.

I'm inspired by the bluebirds that we see in our yard, they will soon be nesting! 

My card features that very spring scene. 

I'm using stamps from Honeybee called Love is in the Air.  The images were colored with Copics and fussy cut. I often don't mind fussy cutting, this time I outlined each image with black marker to hide any white paper bits peeking out.

The bird house was intended to look old and worn, like the one we have. I'm pleased with how it turned out.

Will you chose the tulips, butterflies, or cherry blossoms? I can't wait to see what you will make. I'm so glad that you came by to visit today, hope it made you smile! 

 Be yourself

          Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful! 

 

Love is in the Air

 Hello, it's Sunday. Welcome! Time for a new challenge at The Paper Players and we hope you will join us! Laurie has chosen the perfect theme challenge for this week, Friendship and Love. 

I thought these two love birds would make a great card for my dear man. They were colored simply with Copic markers, fussy cut and arranged in scene. Deciding against a busy background, I chose a soft soft gray panel. 

The Love is in the Air and Bitty Buzzwords stamps (and dies) from Honey Bee stamps provided the fun images and sentiment. It's the first time using the birds and flowers images, so I'm entering this at Darnell's fun NBUS Challenge.

Thanks so much for your visit today, I hope we will see your cards in our challenge gallery!

 Be yourself          

      Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!  

My Friends are Flakes!

 Hi! Have things begun to warm up where you are? 

It's been a chilly weekend here and we even got a bit of snow under a bit of ice. Perfect time to pull out these new supplies and make a winter card to say thanks. 

I am someone who thinks you can never have too many snow people stamps, so I was ready for these adorable images of snow families and friends from Honeybee stamps (Snow Family Like Ours)  to come to my house when they had their recent sale. 

I loved the the sentiments that come with this set too! I inked the snow-couple and colored them with Zig markers and  a blender pen, then fussy cut them.

Blending the background in Oxide inks using Dried Marigold and Picked Raspberry was my first step. Next I used the Cute Hearts Stencil (SugarPea Designs) and went over the inking adding a second layer to darken the hearts. 

I added splatters of white gouache and a spritz of Glimmer Mist. I really enjoyed including special touches with Nuvo drops, a shimmer pen and clear drops on the snowman's hat. 

Creating a white snowflake background to match the sentiment with  Honeybee (Falling Snow Background) embossed on black card stock added a bold contrast.  Since all these supplies linked are new to me, I will be entering this in the NBUS Challenge. The snowflakes are from an assortment of dies from my stash. 

All in all, this is the kind of card I love to make! Taking cute images and using a variety of mediums and techniques to highlight them has been totally satisfying for me today.

I hope you're glad you've come by! I know I have really enjoyed sharing with you. Stay warm and stay well. 

 Be yourself

          Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!  

Inspired By...All the Peels and many friends!

 Hello crafty friends, it's a special day! It's Thursday and we have a new challenge at Inspired By! And don't you love surprises? Each member of the Design Team has invited a friend to be a guest designer and share their cards along with ours this week. 

I am thrilled to have Nancy Leppek joining me today, she is a dear friend who always inspires me with her fun and beautiful cards! Welcome, Nancy!

Nancy's card is a gorgeous take from our Christmas prompt this week. I love the pops of those white berries and bow on this country style wreath.  You can find all the details on Nancy's card at her blog HERE.  

For my card I went with the All the Peels theme and brought my apple stamps and dies to the game! I made a shorter version of the basket and used large white brads to add detail and dimension to the basket rim. 

 I will list my supplies below and keep this short. Be sure to head to the site to see all the samples and guest designers this week. 

I hope you will join us and enter your own projects to the gallery.

 Thanks so much for your visit today, hope you have been inspired to create!

Be yourself

          Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!  

Supplies used: 

Stamps: Honey Bee stamps - Bushel and a Peck, Bitty Buzzwords***

Accessories - Paper from MFT, large brads, MFT - Stitched scallop rectangle frames

** this set has a permanent spot on my table. I grab it often!

Make Mine TALL

Good morning all! It is the middle of the week and officially fall. Cooler temps today and I'm in frisky spirits. Just in time for another card with the bushel and a peck theme! 

The opportunity to create a tall card was perfect for this large image. I stamped the bushel basket on woodgrain patterned paper, and added shading details with Copics and clear jewel drops for dimension. This card measures 3.5" x 7". I constructed two panels and adhered one flap over the back. 

Happy to be sharing this at The Paper Players today.
Enjoy your day!

Be yourself

     Delight in your craft 

        Make something beautiful!

Supplies used:

Stamps: Honey Bee Stamps - Bushel and a Peck and matching dies

Paper: SU - Very Vanilla, and retired DSP "Color Me Autumn" still one of my absolute favorite papers!

INK:Simon Says Stamp - Intense Black

Accessories: Nuvo Crystal Drops - Morning Dew, Cotton Ribbon - SU, twine