Happy Spring! Happy Mother's Day!

Hi everyone - hope you're enjoying Mother's Day if you're celebrating today! My mom's been gone two years already so it's a low key day; Dad & I are watching baseball - no surprise.

Today I'm playing along at the current Day of the Month Card Club Challenge #63 where they're celebrating Vappu, the Finnish version of May Day. So, that means spring flowers and I was lucky enough to find a UK magazine the other day with freebie stamps featuring daffodils. I love daffodils and fondly remember the Cancer Society fundraiser selling bunches of those sweet flowers. The stems would be bundled up by the dozen - just buds which would gradually open to a gorgeous bouquet. Before I retired, we'd go out of the office on our lunch break & come back with several bunches for our desktop. Here's my card:

Supplies: Paper - Poptone oatmeal & black; 

Authentique plaid; Paper Studio A2 cqrd

Stamps - Crafter's Companion Springtime Wishes

(freebie with Issue 132 of Creative Stamping magazine)

Dies - A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set

Other - Creative Expressions Wordies Sentiment Sheets Hello Spring;

Copic Markers; foam tape

I stamped the daffodil swag twice and colored with Copics. Trimmed the panel with a stitched rectangle and matted in black; added to a panel of plaid, then to an A2 card. I stamped a couple extra single flowers from the set and used them to cover up Easter eggs within the daffodil swag. Colored the eggs green so anything peeking out would look like a leaf. Popped a pre-printed sentiment onto the center with foam tape - done!

I'll also add my card to Darnell's May NBUS Challenge #62 since the stamps are newly used and to Inkspirational #315 where they're celebrating Seasonal. This makes my first time playing at the latter, although I have been inspired by their DT members, especially Pia (Pias Papir og Perler) and Julia (Create with Me). Also, my friend Hilary (Fiddling About) has inspired me to play at the We Love Stamping May Challenge; theme is Vintage or Anything Goes (I chose the latter).

Remembering Mom on Mother's Day: My mom had quite the green thumb and her garden still has some beautiful flowers. We've always had bleeding hearts and lilacs at our family homes; sadly, I have a brown thumb and can't grow either! Here's a couple of photos I took at Dad's this afternoon:

That's it for today, friends! Enjoy the rest of the weekend!!

Craft Roulette 214 - Retiform Appreciation

Happy Saturday everone!! I watched Craft Roulette Episode #214 live last night (replay HERE) but was also monitoring the Twins/Blue Jays baseball game on television (we won!). That kept me from crafting along with host Mary Gunn FUNN and her guests Lauren & Abi Taylor but I finished a card this morning. 

Supplies: Paper - BoBunny Double Dot;

Poptone Black; Paper Studio A2 card; Neenah white;

Betterpress Porcelain

Stamps - Hero Arts Wish You Were Here (c2011 retired)

Betterpress plate w/Die - Spellbinders You Are Everything Sentiments

Dies - A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set

Other - Copic Markers; Distress Oxide inks; orange fineliner

I'll bet you can guess at least one of the parameters the roulette wheel spun! Here they are (screen shot during LIVE):

Project: Appreciation is pretty obvious; I used a Betterpressed thanks sentiment from the stash. Colors: Candlelight, it was agreed, were yellows and oranges. Element: Leave it to...  caused some consternation but most decided you could leave it to almost anything. I decided to leave it to chance! I took a chance and reached into a bin of stamps, using whatever came out! I did make sure I didn't have the box with a ton of alphabet stamps since I wanted images. I lifted out an old Hero Arts set with several chairs that I've used in the past. Random: Retiform - I've watched videos on this technique (basically inking or using paper blocks to create a background of shapes) but hadn't tried it until now.

I masked areas of a piece of Neenah and inked the shapes; trimmed with a stitched rectangle. Adhered to a black mat, then a dotted background & the A2 card. Stamped and colored a chair image, fussy cut it & added to the card with foam tape in an area looking like a floor. Popped a sentiment with foam tape and doodled some dots with a fineliner. Done!

I mailed this card to my aunt as a Mother's Day card. Yeah, I'm late; she won't get it by tomorrow. Oh well....at least I didn't totally forget.

That's it for today - hope you're having a great one!

Here Comes Santa!

Hi all - it's been a while! We had our Sweet Adelines Regional contest last weekend so I was very busy with chorus stuff, plus we have a show coming up on the 18th. Lots of work but fun too!

I'm here with a card for the current Christmas Kickstart Challenge #86 where the theme is Playing with Plaid. Besides plaid paper from the stash, I just got a new texture die from Waffle Flower - perfect for CKC!! Here's my card:

Supplies: Paper - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White;

Betterpress Porcelain; Paper Studio Red A2 card; 

Authentique A Magical Christmas (plaid); scraps

Stamps with Dies - ECD Santa Claus (dies HERE)

Dies - Waffle Flower Sweet Plaid Texture Die

 Betterpress Plate with Dies- Spellbinders Poinsettia Corner (sentiment) &

Merry and Bright Sentiment Strips

Other - Copic Markers; foam tape; Paper Studio gel stickers

I started by texturizing an A2 card with the WF die - it's gorgeous! Added a panel of plaid paper trimmed in black to anchor my Santa head. Santa was already colored and leftover from previous cards (here & here). A couple Betterpressed sentiments from the stash & some gel poinsettia stickers finished the card.

I'll also link up to the current Merry Little Christmas Challenge #56 where anything goes & to Darnell's May NBUS Challenge (celebrating 11 years!) since my plaid texture die is getting first play here.

Thanks for stopping and have a crafty weekend!!

April 2024 Card Chain Reveal

Hi all - it's the 2nd so that means another Card Chain reveal. In April, thirty-two people participated; you can see the full reveal HERE. My card went to dear Imke (My Crafty Place) in Germany:

Supplies: Paper - Anchor Paper marbled green; lots of scraps;

Paper Studio Holiday; Spellbinders Betterpress Porcelain

Dies - Poppystamps Fern and Daisy Pop Up Easel Set;

Spellbinders Floral Reflection (white flowers) & 

Betterpress with die - Spellbinders Always and Forever Sentiment Strips

Other - white gel pen; Betterpress Cosmic Sky ink

We had the following options in creating our April cards:

Color Palette Option

Sketch Option

Theme Options: Spring / Food and drink / Friendship

Product / Technique Options:  Something You Were Given / Pop Up

I used a couple of the colors but wasn't feeling the silver. My brain just couldn't wrap itself around the sketch this time. So, I went with the theme of friendship & technique of Pop Up. I have loads of pop up die sets & since I'd been sick for quite awhile in late March/early April, I was under a time crunch to get this card made and out. Luckily I'd recovered and was able to put this pop-up card together quickly! Basic die cutting and I had a Betterpressed sentiment on hand. If it looks familiar, this card was made before one I did for a Craft Roulette episode & posted HERE. Just happened to have the die set handy and used it for CR but I prefer this CCC version. 

The first photo was of the card popped up; here are a couple other views:

I received this darling card from Joanne (Slices of Life) in Connecticut - love her use of the colors!

That's it for today, friends! If you'd like to join in the May Card Chain (make one card, receive one card), you can still sign up HERE by May 6th.

Last Day for our Die Cut Diva Spring Challenge

Welcome everyone - I'm part of a last-day-of-the-month Diva post today. We have some last minute inspiration for our April Die Cut Diva Challenge - Make a Spring Card! 

RAM Stamps is our fabulous sponsor this month - yay! Rachelle Anne Miller designs such adorable images - so fun to color!! 

First, here's the card I shared on the Divas post:

Supplies: Paper - Paper Studio pastel A2 card; Neenah white;

Michael's yellow & lilac

Digi Stamp - RAM Stamps Friendship Mouse

Dies - Kat Scrappiness Never Ending Square Dies

Embossing Folder - Spellbinders 3D Stylized Floral (3EOM-Aug23)

Other - Creative Expressions Wordies Hello Spring;

Copic Markers; foam tape

RAM Stamps is offering a prize of a $10 gift certificate for our 

random winner drawn from eligible April entries.

The sweet mouse digi (thanks Arlene for printing it!) was colored with Copics, die cut with a square and matted with another square. I decided to layer it onto an embossed panel with foam tape and adhered to an A2 card with a trio of preprinted Spring sentiment strips. This is the first use of the floral embossing folder so I'll add my card to Darnell's April NBUS Challenge. If you missed it, I used a larger print of the mouse image HERE.

Next, a bonus using a smaller print of the mouse (thanks again Arlene):

Supplies: Paper - Paper Studio A2 card; Neenah white;

Anchor Paper marbled green; DCWV pastels; scraps

Digi Stamp - RAM Stamps Friendship Mouse

Stamps - Hero Arts Raindrops (retired)

Dies - Spellbinders Be Bold Blooms;

A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set

Other - Creative Expressions Wordies Hello Spring;

Copic Markers

After coloring the mouse image, I layered it atop a couple stitched rectangles. Stamped the A2 card with a raindrops background and added a striped strip. Adhered the rectangles & added some die cut flowers and a printed sentiment.

Finally, here's another version of the sweet Storytime image which Arlene also printed for me (see my first version at the same post as the larger mouse image):

Supplies: Paper - Recollections card; 

DCWV pastel cardstock; 

Digi Stamp - RAM Stamps Storytime

Dies - Elizabeth Craft Designs Stitched Rectangles (retired);

A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set;

Sizzix Intricate Floral Easter Egg

Other - Creative Expressions Wordies Hello Spring;

Copic Markers; foam tape

Arlene had cut the printed image with a stitched rectangle. I colored it with Copics and matted onto a striped dot stitched rectangle, then added to an A2 card. Popped a sentiment strip onto it with foam tape and added some die cut flowers. I got a nice surprise last week with a prize from my friend Gundi (papierelle) that I won during their recent Day of the Month Card Club 5th birthday celebration. Here's what she sent - thanks again, Gundi!! The bitty flowers on the card above were cut using a die in the Easter Egg set - so fun!! And I love Gundi's panda card (I made three for that challenge at DotMCC)!

We hope to see you in the April Diva gallery with your Spring creation! Just remember to include a die cut or use an embossing folder in your design &, if it's not obvious, share why your project evokes Spring. You have until 9pm Pacific Time today to upload your creation.

That's it, friends. Thanks for stopping & happy crafting!!

S is for Stencil and So Sorry!

Happy Monday everyone! This year, April has 5 Mondays so the S in Darnell's IDEAS program comes into play - S is for Stencil. Darnell posted her inspiration yesterday along with her Group of Seven post, a cool technique with a stencil and Elegant Writers. My card has more pedestrian stenciling - just used a coordinating stencil on a stamped image:

Supplies: Paper - Neenah White; Poptone Black;

Paper Studio A2 Card

Stamp/Stencil/Die/Embossing Bundle - Altenew Dynamic Blossoms

Betterpress Plate w/Die - Spellbinders You Are Everything Sentiments

Die - Poppystamps Double Stitch Scalloped Rectangle Frames (retired)

Other - Copic Markers; foam tape; Hero Arts and Memento inks

Back in November I bought a bunch of Altenew so I had options when making my December Die Cut Diva cards. The wonderful Dynamic Blossoms set didn't get used then but I thought it would make a great first outing for IDEAS & for Darnell's April NBUS Challenge. It also fits at Just Us Girls Challenge #724 to use a stencil & at Tic Tac Toe Challenge #246. I went with the diagonal Flowers-Free-Die Cut.

I stamped the flower image and used the coordinating stencils to ink the base layer. Next, there are detail stamps to add dimension so I stamped the flower ones. I didn't really analyze the whole stamp set; I think there are some detail stamps for the leaves too, oh well. Added some Copic shading then glued the panel behind a stack of scalloped frames. Adhered to an A2 card & popped on a pressed sentiment - done!

Here's a photo of the image stamp with the stencils and inks I used:

I talked about my accident prone friends, well - I no more than finished this card & sister Tami texted me that she'd fallen while out walking. Got a huge cut on her forehead that the Mayo dr glued shut (then steri-striped). She says she feels like Bride of Frankenstein - ugh! Anyway, now I had a place for this card - I had only used the So Sorry sentiment because I liked the size. Really mean it now!!

That's it for today. I'm off to a funeral, taking one of the cards I made last week. Sad occasion but always good to visit my hometown and see some relatives.

Thanks for stopping! I'm back tomorrow with an end-of-the-month Diva post.

Pair of Flower Cards

Happy Sunday - hope you haven't been affected by the horrible spring storms this weekend! My heart goes out to all those suffering from the aftermath! We got some rain and wind but that's it. Perfect time to stay in and craft.

First up, a card for this week's Just Us Girls Challenge #724 to use a stencil.

Supplies: Paper - Neenah white; DCWV pastels;

Michael's Recollections A2 card

Stencil - My Favorite Things Smart Mask Diagonal HighLow Strip

Stamps - Hero Arts Cupcakes (c2008) & Watercolor Petals (c2010) both retired

Dies - A Jillian Vance Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set

Other - Hero Arts heart gem; Hero Arts & Memento inks

MFT recently offered one of their new High/Low Diagonal stencils with a purchase. I jumped at the chance to try one. Hopefully you can see the diagonal white space where I stamped the sentiment! I went with very soft colors, fading off the green a lot. Didn't have any stencil tape at Dad's so I was trying to hold it down - that bottom part was tricky w/out tape.

I stamped a retired HA wildflower, then die cut the panel with a stitched rectangle. Matted with another stitched rectangle & added to an A2 card. Found a heart gem in the stash at the satellite studio and thought it would work for the flower center - done!

Next, I made a card for my neighbors' anniversary using a Frantic Stamper die set that I hadn't used until now. Such a fun one to work with and I thought the stem portion would work with many other brands' flowers.

Supplies: Paper - Ms Sparkle A2 card; Neenah white;

Poptone Spearmint; Paper Studio Holiday; scrap of pink

Dies - Spellbinders Fancy Edged Ovals (retired);

Frantic Stamper Bouquet Builder

Betterpress w/Die - Spellbinders You Are Everything Sentiments

Other - various gems; Copic Markers;

Hero Arts Sparkle Lacquer; Betterpress Black ink

I die cut all the flowers (single die) in white and colored with Copics. Die cut the stem piece in spearmint cardstock and adhered to green oval. Adhered to an A2 card. Arranged flowers on the stems and added gems where needed. Die cut the bow from a pink scrap & added a pearl for the knot. The baby's breath has sparkle lacquer over the blossoms. A pressed sentiment finished the card. Since the bouquet die set got first play here, I'll add this card to Darnell's April NBUS Challenge. This card also fits at Tic Tac Toe Challenge #246 - I went with the diagonal Flowers-Free-Die Cut.

That's it for today - thanks for stopping & happy crafting!