Happy Spring-time To You!

Good Morning All! And let me extend a warm welcome to my latest follower, Isbel. It is a pleasure to have someone new, and a delight to know that someone out there likes my work enough to 'follow' me. You have surely made my day! Thank you.

So, here is my latest card. Yes, its an Easel Card. The traditional take on this. No fancy-shamancy folds, twists, or turns. Just regular. I am entering this card in two different challenges. Our Creative Corner, is hosting a card type challenge. Make an Easel Card. No limits. How wonderful, and easy to work with. Color Q (cQc #81) color challenge is to use these wonderfully soft colors: Pink Pirouette, So Saffron, Old Olive, Soft Sky, and white. Now don't those colors say 'Easter or springtime' to you? They do to me. In theory, this card should have been a walk in the park. However, my park is still covered with some snow, if you know what I mean. I made about three different cards with different colors of card bases. I used different stamps for my image. I even tried using a wedding cake image. I struggled. Then, I found this left over image from Crafty Secrets I had laying on my crafting table. And Viola! It all started to flow.

The card base is Soft Sky. My stash of this retired cardstock is getting pretty low. So, there is no room for error. The first matted piece is actually Presto DSP. I just sponged Soft Sky classic ink onto it. I love that paper. I used the regular scallop trim border punch and punched some old DSP and stacked them together. I used some other really old retired DSP to make the heart. I used the Beautiful Wings embosslit to create my butterfly. I made my leaves with the leaves embosslit and cut them apart to have leaves poking out behind the heart in all directions. I used my Lots of Tags die to create my label for the inside and stamped one of the saying from the Blessed Mother stamp set in Old Olive classic ink. The final touches were simple: distress the edges with White craft ink and add a few rhinestone jewels to give the card some bling.

The thing that strikes me about my card, is that there is no ribbon or buttons. Believe me, I tried. But, I couldn't get those elements on, and still love the card.

Have a wonderful Easter weekend. Share this time with your family and friends. If you have a moment, share with me your favorite Easter activity. Mine, doing an Easter egg hunt with my grandchildren. I can still see my kids in their faces. God bless.

Happy Birthday Daughter & CR84FN24

Cupcake's Creations, has posted a wonderfully elegant color challenge: Light Blue, Aqua, and Cream. And, my daughter is celebrating a birthday this week, so...I combined the two. I stamped the bird in Basic Brown classic ink and colored her with chalks. I masked the birds head to stamp the crown. I really wanted it to look as if the bird is wearing the crown and not just randomly over the birds head. Know what I mean? The scallop piece is actually box pleated. I'm not sure if you can tell, but I wanted to let you know. I scrunched up some blue seam binding and tied it around the box pleat. I put the pearl brad all the way through the seam binding and pleated scallop trim. The roses I hand rolled, and added a half pearl to each of the centers. The butterfly is die cut from felted wool. I finished the card off with a few spritzes of Vanilla smooch. And I have yet to figure out how to photograph a card with smooch on it, so you can tell. :(
Thank you for looking. I'm now off to decorate her cake!

Bunco/Bunko

I play Bunco/Bunko, and I have a wonderful time. If you aren't familiar with this game, it is a dice game that requires 12 people (usually women) to play. I just so happen to play with an awesome group of ladies. And, as you all know, Mother's Day is right around the corner. So, I have made each lady a 'Happy Mother's Day' card, and a book mark.

I made the book marks out of mega paper clips, and in a variety of colors. That way, each lady could select their favorite color. (I also included a close-up). At the centers of the flowers on the book marks, there is a silver brad to hold all the layers of card stock (petals) together. Some of the centers have clear rhinestones on top of the silver brads, and others have half-pearls. Just in case you wanted some bling, or not.

All the Mother's Day cards are the same -its easier when mass producing. However, one lady we play with doesn't have children. I didn't want her to feel left out, so her card say 'for you'. So she knows that she is valued and loved, even if she's not a mom.

All products used are stampin' up! I used Pale Plum & Mellow Moss card stock and classic inks. The flower for the cards, is from the 5th Ave. Floral stamp set. I did the 'water wash' technique on them. If you have any questions, please post it here, or email me.

February Birthday Card

When I make a card, I typically make a minimum of two. However, if it is for an event, I typically make 12. I have two card clubs, with wonderfully talented women in them. So, on their birthday month, they receive a birthday card in the mail from me (because, come on, who doesn't like to get a little snail mail?) and in it, they receive a gift certificate for $10 for Stampin' Up! And each month, the b-day card changes. I also know three demonstrators who are celebrating birthdays this month, so I figured that I would just make half a dozen cards, and send them all out today!

Here is February's Birthday Card! All products used are from Stampin' Up! The card base is pumpkin pie card stock. I layered 'taken with teal' card stock on top of that. I used the new scallop trim border punch and the new Happy Moments stamp set (SAB). I cut a super thin piece of scrap of 'taken with teal' card stock and strung it through the button. I used pumpkin pie 1/4" grosgrain ribbon and did a 'baby shower' knot at the top of the birthday cake tag. My tags always look crazy. If anyone has a trick they would like to share on how to make nice looking tags, I'm all ears!

Thanks for looking! Enjoy your day, and have a wonderful weekend!