Peony Smiles

May is peony season here, though this year, I have a knockout rose that bloomed before the pink peonies did - it's been a weird spring!  We have old-fashioned peonies, transplants from a neighbor, in white, red (really dark pink), and pale pink, but I've seen pictures of yellow ones, so today I brought out an old favorite die set that is amazingly still available and made a card with them.

supplies: white, blue, yellows, and greens cardstock, blue gingham dp, Altenew Peony Dream dies, Pink Fresh Studio (retired) Phrase Builder Sending dies, Lawn Fawn Fancy Scalloped Rectangle dies

Peonies are one of God's miracles!  The amount of petals in a single flower blows my mind!  Here's a photo of one of our white ones.

Have a lovely day!

Flower Market Bouquet

 Here's a pretty set of layering stamps from The Greetery that has come and gone and I've only used them a few times......time to fix that!

supplies: white and periwinkle cardstock, pale yellow check patterned paper, The Greetery (retired) Flower Market Bouquet stamps and matching die, Simon Says Stamp Heather, Violet, and Iris inks, Altenew Warm Sunshine, Chamomile, and Grass Field inks, Simon Pretty Bows, sentiment from Waffle Flower Full Bloom Sentiments, Lawn Fawn Fancy Scallop Rectangle die

I've done this bouquet before in pinks, and wanted to try something else, and I really like this purple and yellow combo!  (The purples look a bit bluer here than they do in real life.)  I'm loving my new bows dies and garden sentiment set that I got recently, too.

Hope your spring is coming along where you live - this is my favorite time of year!

A Spring Hello

 I used some favorite little dies for today's card, and a mix of companies again.

supplies: white and dark green cardstock, Distress Grey Two-Tone Woodgrain cardstock, Lawn Fawn Magic Iris Floral Wreath Add-On, bird from Magic Iris Birdhouse, Fancy Scalloped Rectangle dies, Memory Box Pinpoint Leaf cover plate, My Favorite Things (retired) Home Tweet Home birdhouse, sentiment from Newton's Nook (retired) Woodland Spring stamp set, adhesive foam squares

This wreath has extra flowers and leaves to affix to the main image, but today I just used some markers to color a white cut of it, then added the birdhouse and bird popped above a bit.  And this time I set it against a subtle leafy background.

Are you seeing any signs of spring in your neck of the woods?  My husband put out our birdhouses last week and we couldn't believe the birds they attracted immediately!  

Blooming Circle

 Today I brought out a favorite Simon Says Stamp floral wreath die that is still current to make my card. 

supplies: white, black, and Surf Blue cardstock, Simon Blooming Circle die, Tri-Blend markers to color, Lawn Fawn Fancy Scallop Rectangle die, Spellbinders (retired) Pocketful of Spring die

This wreath die cuts out the flowers and leaves, so I cut it first from an A2 panel, saving all the bits and pieces that fell out, then cut that panel with the fancy scallop rectangle.  I used my markers to color in all the pieces in rainbow order, then reinserted them back into the design.  I toyed with adding a bow, but didn't want to cover up any of the colors, so I kept things clean and simple and added only this little die-cut sentiment.  

This card makes me happy - hope it does the same for you!  Thanks for coming by today!

Snow Friends

 Today's card was made using a favorite snowman set of dies.

supplies: white, black, pink cardstock, green plaid dp, Whimsy Stamps Blurry Flurries pink snowflake dp, Lawn Fawn Build a Snowman dies, Taylored Expressions Birch Tree cutting plate, sentiment from Simon Snowflake Season, adhesive foam squares

I thought it would be a bit different to use pinks and green this time.  

Thanks so much for stopping by today - have a lovely day!

Nordic Bird

 Happy New Year!  I trust you enjoyed a joyous holiday season.

Today's card features a set of dies from The Greetery called Nordic Bird.  It was released just before the holidays, but I plan to use these dies all year long.  They are 2 sizes of a bird, with separate wings, facing opposite directions.  Today I just used the bigger of the two.

supplies: white, blue, and green cardstock, branches from Simon Leafy Greens embossing folder and die bundle, Spellbinders (retired) Branching Out embossing folder, Lawn Fawn Fancy Scalloped Rectangle die, The Greetery Nordic Birds, Altenew Deep Blue Seas inks, ripe persimmon distress ink, sentiment from Altenew Watercolor Flowers Craft Your Life 

Here's the same bird cut from white and left uncolored to go onto a Christmas tree.  Here you can see the pretty incised details on the bird.

Thanks for stopping by - please come back again soon!

Just a Love Note

 It's February, which for me means the month of hearts!  Here's a card for Valentine's Day.

supplies: white and dark coral cardstock, Taylored Expressions Hearts in Bloom layering stencils, medium and dark coral and green inks, blending brushes, sentiment and teensy stamped hearts from (retired) Simon Says Stamp Just a Love Note stamps (2012), Lawn Fawn Fancy Scalloped Rectangle die

This was simple and fast to make, and this time I paired it with an old favorite Simon sentiment and a trio of tiny hearts from the same set.

Do you do many Valentine cards?  I'm cutting way down this year.

Happy Birthday

Today I'm playing with a floral stamp that is a favorite.  I don't think I've ever done it in purple before, but it's appropriate for a February birthday, since the birthstone is amethyst.

supplies: white and lavender cardstock, Simon Says Stamp (retired) You Have My Heart floral spray, Blossom Field embossing folder, Pink Fresh Studio Perfect Sentiments stamps and matching die, Lawn Fawn Fancy Scallop Rectangle die

I pulled the flowers and the sentiment into the center and embossed the background on a dainty scalloped rectangle.  

Thanks so much for coming by today - hope you're having a good one!

Merry Christmas Stencils

 One of my favorite products this year from Spellbinders was this layering stencil/die set called Merry Christmas Foliage.  The first time I used it, I did it in pinks and teals, but today, I'm using traditional Christmas colors.

supplies: white and bright green cardstock, Merry Christmas Foliage set, Altenew Just Green, Hunter Green, Crimson, Ruby Red, and Ocean Waves mini ink cubes, distress inks in evergreen bough and pine needles, Lawn Fawn Fancy Scallop Rectangle die

I am SO pleased to hear that Spellbinders is adding a Stencil club to it's monthly Club Kits!  I look forward to what they have in store for us in the New Year!

Spring Meadow

 These stencils and dies were released back in the spring, but somehow I missed them until I saw THIS card from Donna, and knew I "needed" them for myself!

Here are my 2 cards, 1 in warm colors and the other in cools.

On the first I stencilled onto an A2 white panel, then trimmed it with a Lawn Fawn scallop rectangle, stamped a sentiment, and popped on some extra die-cut flowers (which are included in the matching die set).

supplies: white and tangerine cardstock, The Greetery Spring Meadow layering stencils and matching dies, Altenew Golden Sunset, 2 greens, and mocha inks, Spellbinders (retired) Hello Sunflower sentiment, Lawn Fawn Fancy Scalloped Rectangle die

And for the 2nd card, I stencilled, cut out the entire bouquet with the matching die, then glued it and my sentiment to a white card front. 

supplies: white cardstock The Greetery Spring Meadow stencils and matching die, Altenew aqualicious, hydrangea,, enchanted sky, lime, and fresh leaf inks, Pink Fresh Studio Perfect Sentiments stamp and matching die

I like that Betsy added some extra flower dies to the die of the main image so that we could add some extra dimension.  And the stencil set has 3 different flower stencils so that you can have different colors or shades of a color - a nice option, also!

Entering these into the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge: Anything Goes.

Hope you're having a good week - thanks for stopping by!

Thinking of You

 Here's another card that started with the same Turnabout stamp set that I used HERE and HERE..

supplies: white and aqua cardstock, Concord & 9th Blooms Turnabout stamps, oxide inks in kitsch flamingo, mustard seed, salvaged patina, and carved pumpkin, Altenew inks in Lime and Fresh Leaf, Simon Thinking of You Line dies, Lawn Fawn Fancy Scallop Rectangle die

Thanks for stopping by today!  Have a great week!

Autumn Birdhouse

Today's card is a mix of lots of companies dies.  I love this Lawn Fawn Birdhouse, but I don't think I've ever made a fall card with it.  

supplies: white, aquas, reds, autumn colors, and 2 kraft woodgrain cardstock, Lawn Fawn Magic Iris Birdhouse Add-On dies, Spellbinders Tweet Cardinal, Sweet Birds on a Branch (branch),  PTI cloud die, Concord & 9th Playful Pumpkins maple leaf die, and sentiment from Spellbinders Fall Thoughtfulness stamp, Simon Cream embossing powder, adhesive foam squares to lift birdhouse

This was fun to put together, and I love it when I can mix and match supplies from lots of different companies.  That cloud die was the smallest in a set that is so old there are no release holes to get it out of the die!  Glad I've kept it all these years, though, as it comes in handy more than you'd think!

Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by for a visit! 

Brushstroke Blossoms

 I've been trying to use supplies that have been neglected.  Today's card uses some Tim Holtz Brushstroke Flowers dies, and I used solid cardstocks from some ancient 6" paper pads.

supplies: white, 2 yellows, 2 peaches, 2 greens cardstock, Lawn Fawn Rainbow Watercolor Wishes dotty patterned paper, Brushstroke Flowers 1 dies, a Tim Holtz Sentiments Label Sticker, Spellbinders Postage Edge Rectangle

This big fluffy flowers look like summer to me, and the dotty paper in the same colors makes a nice background for them. 

Thanks for stopping by today!

Daisy Layers - Spring, Summer, and Fall

 I fell in love with these Honey Bee Stamps Daisy Layers, and finally got them home to play with!

First I used the stamps and the matching stencils together.

supplies: white cardstock, Honey Bee Daisy Layers stamp set and matching layering stencils, Pink Fresh Studio Fairy Dust pinks and Rise and Shine yellow mini ink cubes, mowed lawn distress ink, sentiment from Tammy Tutterow/Spellbinders (retired) Happy Grams cling stamp and die, Lawn Fawn Fancy Scallop Rectangle die, adhesive foam squares

I like the combination of this pretty spring bouquet with the lacey edging!  

Next I switched to fall colors and used alcohol markers to color the stamped images.  There is a 2nd bouquet of fewer daisies, no greenery, that duplicates the larger image.  That can be cut out and lifted above the main image for dimension, so I did just that, lifting the layers with foam, then adding a simple birthday sentiment.  And I used a different edging die this time, too.

supplies: white and pumpkin cardstock, Honey Bee Stamps Daisy Layers stamp set, Pink Fresh Studio Folk Edge Rectangle die, sentiment from a retired Simon set called Birthday Flowers, adhesive foam squares

It's nice to have the stencils when you want a quickly colored design, but I also enjoyed the freedom of coloring the flowers and greenery with markers to get more colors into the design.

And one more time, really simple this time, making the daisies white for a summer card.

supplies: white and Audrey Blue cardstock, vellum, Daisy Layers flowers and sentiment, alcohol markers in various greens and a pale grey, yellow enamel dots, Simon (retired) Detail Ringlets cover plate

I used both floral stamps once again for this card, fussy-cutting them both so that I could add the bouquet to the pierced quilt pattern on a blue panel for my background.  The sentiment is one of many from the stamp set - I liked the mixed font.

No matter how you treat this, this is a gorgeous design!  Thanks for coming by today.

More Blues for Spring

Something I really enjoy about this time of year is being able to open our windows and enjoy all the sounds and smells from outside.  Judging by the birdsong I hear, they are just as excited to have Spring back as we are!  So today I pulled a bunch of some of my favorite things and mixed them up for my card.

supplies: white cardstock, Tim Holtz Grey Two-Tone Woodgrain cardstock, Lawn Fawn Floral Wreath and bird from Magic Iris Birdhouse dies, My Favorite Things Home Tweet Home Birdhouse die, Spectrum Noir Tri-Blend True Blue and Light Green markers, The Crafts Meow (retired) Happy as a Lark sentiment, Winnie & Walter  (retired) Noelle Scalloped Rectangle die, adhesive foam mini squares

All of these elements have stitching in them, so I went looking for a cover plate die that had stitching also.  I had a few things to choose from, but I liked the scallops on this old Winnie & Walter one.

As always, thanks so much for coming by - have a beautiful day!

Happy Spring!

Today is the first day of spring!  Here's a shaker card to celebrate!

supplies: white cardstock, a scrap of acetate, Lawn Fawn Floral Wreath die, alcohol markers to color, circle die, Simon Detail Ringlets cover plate, a scalloped die,  Disco Ball sequin mix, foam adhesive strips, sentiment from Newton's Nook Woodland Spring set

I added some of the same sequins to the centers of the largest flowers in the wreaths, too.  

Let's hope that we can get some warmer temps soon!

For a January Birthday

I loved this embossing folder with sweet posies, and paired it with a little wreath of flowers that I had previously colored and had in my scrap basket.

supplies: white cardstock, Spellbinders Flower Frenzy 3D embossing folder, Simon Violet ink pad, Lawn Fawn Floral Wreath die, sentiment from The Greetery Lovely Blossoms

After embossing the design on white, I gently rubbed on some violet ink with a large blending brush.

It's Saturday - hope your weekend is a fun one!  Thanks for stopping by.

Simon Says......Too Cute!

 

Welcome to our weekly challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge!

Our theme this week is "Too Cute!", and the team is playing with Lawn Fawn products!  You don't have to use this brand to play along, but we'd love to see you using it also if you have any!

I fell in love with their Build a Snowman dies, and I have 2 cards for you today.

supplies: white, black, Lipstick Red, Orange Peel, and brown cardstock, dotted paper from Sunny Studio Holiday Cheer paper pad, Lawn Fawn Build a Snowman dies, Taylored Expressions Birch Tree cutting plate, Simon Snowflake Season sentiment, Lipstick Red ink, adhesive foam

supplies: white, aqua, Green Apple, black, Orange Peel, and brown cardstock, Lawn Fawn Build a Snowman dies, pink snowflake paper from Sunny Studio Holiday Cheer paper pad, Simon Warmest Wishes sentiment, small snowflake dies, sequins, adhesive foam

These are so much fun to play with!  

Now it's your turn!  We have a $25.00 gift certificate 

to the amazing Simon Says Stamp store for 1 lucky random winner of this week's challenge!  

Too Early for a Snowman??

Maybe so, but this one is too cute not to share!  I've been waiting for ages for him, and was able to snag him last month! 

supplies: white, Surf Blue, Audrey Blue, Peacock, Lipstick Red, Green Leaf, Orange Peel, brown, and black cardstock, Lawn Fawn Build a Snowman dies, (retired) Snow Flurries embossing folder, Tim Holtz Tree Line die, (retired) PTI sentiment

There are 2 snowmen in this set - today I used the larger one.  My sentiment is from an old Papertrey Ink set - long gone, I'm sure, but isn't it perfect?  And that little bird is included in the set, too; one of the many reasons I've been wanting this set.

I always make note of the date of our first snow here every year -  when I quickly looked back, Oct 18 of 1992 was the earliest snow I could find.  And it snowed here for a few hours yesterday, though nothing stuck, so I guess it's not too early at all to be thinking about snowmen!

Thanks for stopping by!

Boughs & Holly

 Concord and 9th brought out another set of layering stencils, this time for Christmas, and I couldn't wait to get my hands on them!  Here are 4 cards resulting from my first play with them.  

supplies: white and Lipstick Red cardstock, Concord & 9th Boughs & Holly wreath stencils, twisted citron, mowed lawn, rustic wilderness, abandoned coral, and festive berries distress inks, (retired) Winnie & Walter In a Word Merry die, My Favorite Things Wonky Stitched Rectangle die, micro dot adhesive

On card #2, I attached my sentiment to a vellum circle

supplies: white,, dusty pink, and Audrey Blue card, vellum, Concord & 9th Boughs & Holly Wreath stencils, Sea Shore, and Floral pink inks, Penny Black Joy to the World die, Lawn Fawn Fancy Scalloped Rectangle die, 2 shades of pink pearls, micro dot adhesive

On my next card I stamped a sentiment in the center and cut it out, then popped it above a snowflake background.  

supplies: white card, Concord & 9th Boughs & Holly Wreath stencils, twisted citron, evergreen bough, rustic wilderness, abandoned coral and candied apple distress inks, (retired) Simon Merry & Bright sentiment, (retired) snowflake embossing folder, adhesive foam to raise wreath, enamel dots to match

There are 2 different designs in this stencil pack - I preferred the wreath which I used above, but here is the other design which, after finishing, is quite growing on me!  You just need to find a sentiment that will fit in the 3 areas that it creates, or use a really large sentiment to cover that area.  Here I used an old set of Tim Holtz sentiment dies.

supplies: white and Lipstick Red card, Concord & 9th Boughs & Holly background stencils, same ink colors as card #1, Tim Holtz Holiday Words dies, Pink Fresh Studio Folk Edge Rectangle die, red pearls, micro dot adhesive

These stencils fall into the turnabout category because you use each of 3 stencils twice, turning it 180 degrees to complete each area of the design.  As someone who is not skilled at coloring with markers, I much prefer these stencil or stamp turnabouts!  The fun is all about choosing ink colors!

Thanks for sticking with me for my long post today!