Old and new

I just got this new Poppy Stamps die called Meadow Leaf, and it looks enough like a little tree that I thought I'd use it with an old Hero Arts Spring stamp for the CAS-ual Fridays challenge this week:

supplies: white and green cardstock, Hero Arts E3373 Spring Memories, peeled paint distress ink, poppy stamps "meadow leaf" die

And once again entering this into the Simon Says Stamp challenge: Anything Goes:

CAS-ual Fridays challenge

This week the challenge at CAS-ual Fridays is to make a CAS card and use either flowers or trees.  Since you see flowers from me every day, I thought I'd go looking for a tree stamp just to change things up.  I've hardly used this Palm Tree, but it makes me think of Florida.  We spend the winter months there and one of the best things that I enjoy is the beautiful vegation, so different from what I'm used to.  And since our weather here has changed to cold again, this palm tree and what it represents is looking pretty good!  Another thing I connect with Florida is the clear blue skies almost every day.  So I decided to sponge on some sky using a Nestie label negative die-cut as a mask.

supplies: white cardstock, Hero Arts K5401 Palm Tree, CL272 All Occasion Messages, VersaFine onyx black ink for sentiment, and tea dye and peeled paint, spritzed with water, for tree, Nesties Labels Eight as a mask to sponge on tumbled glass distress ink

And I'll be entering this into the Simon Says Stamp "Anything Goes" challenge this week:

90-minute Scramble

At the Hero Arts flickr group, we have a little game that we play about twice a month or so: you get challenged by your hostess, in this case, Lucille, and then make a card to her specifications, photograph it, and upload it, all in a 90-minute time frame.  I usually just make it by the skin of my teeth, and I don't seem to be improving time-wise.

Today, Lucille wanted us to use patterned paper and put something over the edge of the card, and use at least 1 Hero Arts stamp.  Here is my card:

supplies: white and gold cardstocks, dps from MME Six  by Six Everyday Flair and Echo Park Country Drive, Hero Arts CL530 Florentine Message Border, CL443 Good Thoughts, CL266 Mix & Match, CL497 Find Joy, CL377, Be Happy, VersaFine onyx black ink

Fun was had by all - I hope you'll join us next time!  I'm entering this into Simon Says Stamp's Anything Goes challenge.

Rainy challenge

It's that time again for the Simon Says Stamp sponsored challenge at Lily Pad Cards!  This month our theme is "RAINY", and here's the card I made for it:

supplies: white and kraft cardstock, BoBunny double dots papers in mint, powder blue and violet, Memory Box Petite Umbrella Die, Impression Obsession WP25 Spring (sentiment), Our Craft Lounge CCM080 Sunshine Cheer (clouds and raindrops), Hero Arts LL935 Garden Blooms, VersaFine onyx black ink

As usual, there's a gift certificate to Simon Says Stamp up for grabs!  What will you do with this theme?  Please visit Lily Pad Cards to see what the other DTs did.

I'll be entering this into the Simon Says Stamp "Anything Goes" challenge for this week:

Chevrons

I just got some chevron dies from Die-Namics, and wanted to give them a test run.  How nice of Embellish Magazine to have a challenge that calls for chevrons! 

And here is my card for the challenge:

supplies: white and grey cardstock, PTI Aqua Mist, Plum Pudding, and Lavender Moon cardstocks, MFT Die-Namics Chevron Stripes dies, Hero Arts CL267 Card Messages, dusty concord distress ink, crochet flower, aqua button, and white twine

And since the Simon Says Stamp challenge is "Anything Goes" this week, I'm entering this into that also:

CAS-ual Fridays

We have a sketch challenge this time at CAS-ual Fridays:

Not much stamping on this one; I decided to let the papers and dies do most of the work:

supplies: white cardstock, dps from My Mind's Eye Howdy Doody paper pad, PTI Beautiful Blooms II #1 flower die, Memory Box Meadow Leaf die, Hero Arts CL490 Sending Smiles, yellow button

Wish

Simon Says Stamp has a sketch challenge this week:

I'm jumping in at the last minute, so I used a previously colored digital image from A Day for Daisies, and then found papers to match it:

supplies: white cardtock, dps from Cosmo Cricket and My Mind's Eye, A Day for Daisies digital image: "Morning Dew Fairy", Prismacolor pencils, PTI tiny tags and sentiment, peach ribbon

Need hugs?

The challenge at the Play Date Cafe this week is to use hot pink, orange, and white:

I decided to play with this Purple Onion Designs stamp called Hearts on a String.  It is so fun to paper-piece!

supplies: white and hot pink cardstock, dps from Doodlebug Designs Sweet Cakes (pinks), and oranges: Echo Park A Walk in the Park and Crate Paper Farmhouse, POD Hearts on a String, Hero Arts CL586 XO, versfine onyx black ink, Signo white pen for accents on hearts, Sizzix embossing folder, pink baker's twine

Beautiful Roses

.......that's the title of the challenge at the Shabby Tea Room.  Here's the lovely photo inspiration:

And, still playing with this new rose spray stamp, this is my submission:

supplies: white cardstock, BoBunny Gabrielle dp, Hero Arts CG434 Floral Blossoms, Brilliance coral ink, B3664 Happy Spring, unknown (borrowed) bird, Versafine onyx black ink, and pink colored pencil, Sizzix Caged Bird die, pink gingham ribbon, white twine, Martha Stewart paper rose, 3d foam squares

Watercolor Butterflies

Here's the new Tuesday Trigger at Moxie Fab World:

LOVE these colors!  I looked around for a butterfly to use, then inked up an acrylic block with spiced marmalade, worn lipstick, and barn door distress inks, spritzed them liberally with water, and dragged it through the inks, stamping it numerous times on watercolor paper.  Reminds me of a Hawaian shirt!  And so the sentiment seemed perfect to go with it.

supplies: white cardstock, watercolor paper, Hero Arts CL513 Lauderdale Floral, CL520 Live & Laugh, worn lipstick, spiced marmalade, and barn door distress inks, water, Nesties Labels Eighteen, 3D foam adhesives

The butterfly and sentiment were stamped with "straight" barn door ink, no water.

Virginia's View with Letraset markers

Hi!  It's time for another of Virginia's Views over at Lily Pad Cards, and Virginia has given us another gorgeous photo inspiration, hasn't she?
.  

This time we are being sponsored by Letraset Markers, and they were so kind to send us some sets of their Flexmarkers.  This is my first experience with alcohol markers, so I had a little learning curve, but with some tips from Kathy Racoosin, I'm pleased with the card I made for you today:

supplies: white cardstock, Core'dinations orange and dark brown cardstock, Hero Arts CG291 Three Dotted Flowers, Letraset alcohol markers vermillion, mandarin, sunflower, and bright green, CL449 Delicate Blossoms, VersaFine onyx black ink, CL497 Find Joy, Memories Artprint Brown ink,Nesties Labels Eight, various brown buttns, natural jute twine


I borrowed an idea from Shari Carroll at the Hero Arts Blog: mixing 2 sets of stamps together for a whole different look.  Here I used the stems and buds from the tall poppy stamp from the Delicate Blossoms clear set, and superimposed the flowers from Three Dotted Flowers on top of them.  I used these Letraset Flexmarkers from Set 1: vermillion, mandarin, sunflower, and bright green.

Thanks for stopping today.  I hope you'll hop on over to the Lily Pad Cards Blog and see what my teamies did with Virginia's inspiration and their markers.  I know you won't be disappointed!  

Sunshine Roses

I just won this beautiful stamp set from a 90-minute scramble that Tina hosted awhile ago, and chose it because of these beautiful roses.  The Hero Arts challenge this month is "Sunshine and Showers", so I decided to stamp these roses in the new Butter Bar mid-tone ink.  I love how it turned out!

supplies: white cardstock, Stampin Up Top Notch die, Hero Arts CG434 Floral Blossoms, S5208 Designer Woodgrain, CL491 Made with Love, AF207 Butter Bar mid-tone ink, VersaFine onyx black ink

To see some more beautiful cards using this stamp, please visit our Hero Arts flickr group.

On a bird binge?

I appear to be in my bird phase :))  It happens every year - being able to open the windows and hear the birds busy with their nests is a sure sign of spring to me.

supplies: white and spring green cardstock, Hero Arts S5050 Wavy Leaf Pattern, stamped twice using peeled paint and shabby shutters distress inks, LP169 Bird Trio, colored with Prismacolor pencils, CL342 Everyday Sayings, stamped in Memories Artprint Brown ink, Nesties Labels Four, and stamped inside is Great Impressions E580, again colored with pencils, then shaded with tumbled glass distress ink

I made this card to enter the 2nd challenge over at A Blog Named Hero.  We're to make a window card. I pulled out some of my older Hero Arts stamps and paired them up with a newer sentiment.  

Sing a New Song

I want to thank you all for the lovely comments you've left for me at Moxie Fab World and here on my blog yesterday - your kind words mean the world to me - sending you all hugs!  Now on to the regularly scheduled program......

I had such fun with these colors from CR84FN:

I'm still playing with this adorable die set from W Plus 9 called Folk Art Florals:

supplies: kraft, cream, and rose cardstock, BoBunny passion fruit, avocado, and decaf double dot dps, Sizzix embossing folder, WPlus 9 Folk Art Florals die cuts,  Unity Sing a New Song, Memories Art Print brown ink

You Make My Heart Sing

This week's Tuesday Trigger at the Moxie FabWorld is adorable - I love everything about it!

And thanks to Barb's gift to me of these wonderful Amuse dots and a delivery yesterday of this die set from W plus 9, I cased it completely, just giving it my spin with all the dots:

supplies: white cardstock, Sizzix swiss dots embossing folder, DCWV Brown #1 and aqua cardstock, Amuse dots in 2 greens and an aqua, W plus 9 Folk Art Florals die, skepping stones sentiment from Heartsong clear set, VersaMark ink and white embossing powder

Primary colors

Look at the fun photo inspiration from the Play Date Cafe challenge this week:

I just loved the bright happy colors and the retro look of many of the images.  So I made a pinwheel card:

supplies: blue and white cardstock, dps from October Afternoon and unknown (green), red, yellow and green buttons and baker's twine, wood skewer, Hero Arts CG211 Magical Background, Adirondack Stonewash ink, CL456 Big Hugs, VersaFine onyx black ink

My pinwheels started out as 2" squares of double-sided papers.  HERE's a tutorial by Tami Hartley at the Hero Arts Blog showing how to make them.

for the Book Worm

Flourishes is unveiling their new stamps for this month, and you can win the entire gorgeous release by entering their noon-time challenges.  Today's is entitled "the Book Worm challenge", and we're to make a bookmark or something that has to do with books.  The challenge ends tomorrow, so I had to work fast!  I don't have many Flourishes stamps but I thought this Sweet Violet set with the tiny violet image would be perfect on a bookmark.  This is the first time I've inked this diminutive image, but it stamped beautifully and clearly.   Thankfully I had ribbon and papers that matched my colored pencils.  Here is my bookmark:

supplies: dark lavender and white cardstocks, unknown lavender striped dp, Flourishes Sweet Violets, VersaFine onyx black ink, prismacolor pencils, Nesties ovals and scalloped ovals dies, Martha Stewart doily lace punch, lavender gingham ribbon, white twine

The challenge at Simon Says Stamp is "April Showers Bring Spring Flowers" - since these violets are popping up everywhere in my gardens and lawn, I'm entering this there, too.

Lovely in Lace

The challenge at Flourishes is to use some type of lace on our project.  I chose a paper doily.  The challenge at Simon Says Stamp is "April Showers Bring Spring Flowers"

sujpplies: white yellow and black cardstock, Teresa Collins Carolina Breeze dp, Flourishes Sweet Days of Summer, Versafine onyx black ink, yellow colored pencil, paper doily, black and white gingham ribbon, yellow button, Nesties scalloped circles and circles

Flower Pot card

I've made a card for the April challenge at the Hero Arts Blog.  There are many ways to enter; one of them is to make a shaped card.  I was cleaning out some of my files and came across this pattern for making a flower pot card.

supplies: rust and kraft cardstock, various BoBunny and doodllebug designs dp, Hero Arts flowers stamps and sentiment stamps, twine, buttons

The pot is hinged at the bottom; it has a separate rim, and it's held together with wrapped twine.  There is an insert which pulls out with another sentiment inside.  Here are a couple other photos to show you how it looks separated from the insert:

If you'd like the exact stamps I used, please visit my flickr photostream where I listed them all.  Here is the downloadable template from Andrea Walford that I used for my flowerpot.

I'll also enter this into the Simon Says Stamp challenge: "April Showers Bring Spring Flowers", and also into A Blog Named Hero's "Play Favorites" challenge, as I love all of Hero Arts' flowers..

Pink, peach and light blue

Here is the beautiful photo inspiration at CR84FN

:

Here's my take on it:

supplies: white cardstock, dp from Pink Paislee Sweetness, Die-Namics doily diecut (thanks, Carol!), Hero Arts CL 596 Pattern Hearts & Flowers, VersaMark ink and white embossing powder, watercolored with distress inks, sentiment from CG320 Daisy Frame, VersaFine onyx black ink, peach ribbon and button


I'm also entering this card into The Simon Says Stamp challenge: "April Showers Bring Spring Flowers".

Motherly Love challenge

Flourishes' current challenge is to make a card for Mom.  I instantly knew which of the Flourishes stamps I would use, as I associate lilacs with Mother's Day.  As long as I can remember, my Mom puts a big bouquet of lilacs on her Mother's grave.  They're a favorite of my Mom's and mine, too.  There is nothing like their fragrance!

supplies: Hero Arts lilac card, Amuse gingham, Core'dinations Asparagus cardstock, white cardstock, Flourishes Lilac stamp, Hero Arts CG119 Flourish Background, CL498 Celebrate Everyday, Versafine onyx black and Hero Arts soft lilac shadow inks, Nesties Labels Four, Martha Stewart monarch butterfly punch, We R Memory Keepers lemonade baker's twine, yellow button

Blue Mist, Grey Wool, and Avocado

Here is the photo inspiration for the challenge at the Play Date Cafe this week:

I love blues and greens together, and the addition of this medium grey works nicely, too.  Here is my card:

supplies: aqua and grey cardstock, dp from Teresa collins Carolina Breeze, Hero Arts CL596 Pattern Hearts & Flowers, CL476 With Sympathy, VersaFine onyx black ink, watercolored with broken china and peeled paint distress inks, cuttlebug textile embossing folder, Fiskar's edge punch, aqua and green pearls

The Ribbon Reel Challenge #25

Here's the photo inspiration at The Ribbon Reel Challenge:

And here's my card:

supplies: white cardstock, Dollar Tree blue dp, cuttlebug birds & swirls embossing folder, Flourishes Spring is Sprung, The Craft's Meow Fly Free, Versafine onyx black ink, prismacolor watercolor pencils, Hero Arts white art flowers, blue buttons, Michael's blue gingham ribbon


And again adding this to the Simon Says Stamp challenge: Use Your Favorite Tool.  That would be my cuttlebug, which I used to emboss the background, and cut out and emboss the shape around the stamped image.

Flutter By

It's another of Kathy's color challenges at Lily Pad Cards!  Here's our palette for this month:

 

We all were so lucky to get some Lawn Fawn Stamps!  My set is called Flutter By, and it's jam-packed with cute flowers, and butterflies, plus 2 sentiments!  Here's what I did with it:

supplies: white cardstock, variopus pink, green and yellow design paper scraps, Lawn Fawn Flutter By, VersaFine onyx black ink, hot pink gemstones

You're going to love what my other teamies did with their sets!  Please visit Lily Pad Cards to see, and then use Kathy's colors to make something of your own to win some Lawn Fawn stamps!

How Green is Your Spring?

My friend Marcy is hosting the Our Creative Corner challenge this week: to make something for spring and use green as the predominant color.  Here's the photo inspiration:

As we were driving home earlier this week, we noticed dogwoods just barely coming into bloom; they were hard to pick out because they start out as a creamy green color, then turn to cream and then to white as they mature.  I decided to feature this lovely Hero Arts dogwood sprig and use bundled sage distress ink to stamp it on ivory cardstock.  Then I found some papers to match that particular soft green to finish off my card:

supplies: ivory cardstock, design papers from pink paislee Nantucket and imaginations Debbie Mumm Grass Stripe, Hero Arts 657773 Antique Flowers & Butterflies, The Craft's Meow Fly Free sentiment, bundled sage distress ink, ivory seam binding, Nesties labels eighteen, Scrapbook Adhesives 3D adhesive squares to pop flowers, EKSuccess sticko dimensional stickers for centers of flowers


Also entering this again into the Simon Says Stamp challenge, to use your favorite tool - I love my cuttlebug and diecuts or framecuts - sure does beat the old-fashioned way of fussy-cutting out stamped images!

DIY Embellishments

Moxie Fab World is having a challenge to make a hand-made embellishment as the focal point of your project. They have several challenges going on to highlight their newest publication called "Practical Solutions", featuring lots of ideas how to craft on a budget.  I'm all for that!   I've been cleaning out some closets, and came across this pretty lace, so I made a big flower out of it, centered with this pretty button, from a bunch that I won from a challenge that Elise hosted.  Thank you, Elise, it's perfect with the lace!

supplies: cream parchment card stock, Hero Arts 5042 Leaf Flourish, AR137 Script Messages, VersaMark ink and Ranger super fine detail gold embossing powder, lace, button

Because of the gold around the rim of the button, I embossed the flourishes and the sentiment with gold, and thought this could be a card for an engagement or wedding.  

I'm also entering this into Simon Says Stamp's "Use Your Favorite Tool" challenge, clear ink and embossing powder being some of my favorite tools; it is still magic when you heat the image and it appears!