Very Simple

Sometimes nothing seems to work & that's what happened as I tried to make a card for the Flourishes & Colour Me! challenges.  Not sure I'll have another chance, so this will have to do.  In the morning we go see the puppies one last time before we pick our boy & bring him home.  Gotta puppy-proof the house! I used a Cuttlebug embossing folder & heat embossed the flower from Flourishes Chrysanthamums.  The sentiment is from Life Lines & is stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.  
Hope you've had a great week.

Hello

I've told you I'm slow getting into trends.  I don't suppose felt is considered trendy now, but when I first started seeing it used in my magazines I really didn't like it.  
Finally decided it would be good for winter cards (snowflakes, trees) & now would you believe I have a pretty large collection of MFT felt which I often use for flowers & leaves as with today's card for the MFT Color Palette Challenge  & Freshly Made Sketches.  
I used MFT dies: Dizzy Doily & Hibiscus along with the Tag You're It & Peaceful Wildflowers stamp sets.  My kraft panel is the debossed side using a Cuttlebug folder.  I attached the 2 flowers to each other with foam tape & added a yellow pearl to the center.  

I'll also add this to SSS Wednesday pearl challenge. Thanks so much for taking time to check my card.

 

Christmas Card & Blogiversary Winner

I put the names in a basket & hubby drew Nat.  We became friends long ago through the Hero Arts Flickr group & she has faithfully followed my blog. I'll be sending her another card & a little gift to celebrate my first 2 years of blogging.  I appreciate all of you--the sweet comments you leave & the inspiration I get from your work.  By the way, I'm always up for exchanging cards.
Logically, one would make cards for challenges in the order they must be posted.  However, it doesn't always work that way for me.  It means deadlines are not always met, including last week's Merry Monday challenge.  I'm still making a holly card, but fortunately have mine done early for Merry Monday Sparkle & Shine with Aqua, White & Silver.  I used Penny Black stamps from yuletide greetings & christmas harmony.  The silvery embossing powder is an old favorite from Stampendous! called Pewter.  It has just a bit of sparkle & I love the shade of silver. For the aqua I used VersaMagic Turquoise Gem.  I wanted the sentiment embossed even though I wasn't using pigment ink.  It's not a problem if you quickly add the embossing powder.  Debated about using color for the sentiment mat & card front, but decided I like the white on white.  

Expected to add
ribbon or twine, but pearls seemed to be all that was needed. Snippets for the sentiment, so will also add this to Pixies Snippets Playground.  Hope your week is going well.
Edited to Add: SSS Wednesday challenge was made for me--LOL! Adding this card with pearls.

Sweet Spring!

Watched the PTI MIM video last night & then gave it a try for my PTI Blog Hop card.  I watercolored Distress Inks in spring colors on watercolor paper.  The sentiment is from PTI Year of Flowers Collection. I also stamped one of the flower images in white ink on the left side, but it's very subtle & doesn't show in the picture.  
Decided to leave it simple with the intricate Spellbinder die cut & a few gems being the only embellishment.  
It's a work day so I'll be checking the hop & your blogs later.  Glad you took time to come by.

Dye Ink Over Pigment Ink

I try not to miss PTI MIM challenges, so here's my last minute entry using the current challenge at Freshly Made Sketches. It's been a long time since I tried this technique.  Hero Arts flourish is stamped in white pigment ink on white cardstock.  When it

dried I stamped over it with the image from PTI Turning A New Leaf using Distress Ink evergreen bough. The horizontal strip is done with only the Distress Ink & a smaller image from the same set. I really like the sentiment which is from PTI Lovely Leaves, although a larger font would have been better for this card. Thanks for taking time to check out my blog.

Gold with Pastels

Pink is my favorite color & I've always loved gold. However, I didn't use them together until I started seeing the combo in blogland the last year or so. This card is based on Viva la Verve February week 2 sketch using the elements in Alexandra's challenge at Scrap RDV: metallic, doily, foliage, flower, stamp.

Alexandra's Inspiration Card

My stamps are Penny Black's Music Background & Stampendous! Simple Wishes.  The dies are 4EnScrap Feuillage & Jardinage & MFT Dizzy Doily, Fishtail Flags, Mini Rolled Roses.  The pink & green felt are also MFT.  Used a bit more of 2 Making Memories printed papers I've had a long time.  The background is stamped with Distress Ink antique linen & I inked a white cardstock scrap with Delicata Golden Glitz (my favorite!) before die-cutting the doily.  Finished off with various sized pink pearls--also a favorite.  I do enjoy trying new techniques & trends, but this card is really me.  

Di always tells us when she goofed, so I'll fess up. As I was about to add the big pearls last night, I realized the background was upside down!  The panel wasn't on the card yet, but everything else was glued down. Tried to talk myself into leaving it, but couldn't.  I carefully peeled back the piece enough to cut it out without ruining the layers--whew!  I'm also entering Pixies Snippets Playground.  Enjoy your day & thanks for visiting me.
Edited to Add: Also entering SSS Wednesday.

Soft Colors for a Birthday Card

My Mini Cards

I played along with Martha's Scramble at the Hero Arts Flickr Group today.  She had us make 2 miniature cards 1 1/2" x 4 1/4".  That may sound easy, but I found it very challenging. I need practice getting enough interest into such a small space, so I cut one apart & made it into a regular size card.  All my stamps are Hero Arts & the inks are VersaMagic with Memento for the sentiment.  
I matted the original piece with a blue scrap & added a soft green pearl to the bow. A piece of vellum was dry embossed & attached to the card front before the panel was popped up.
Final touch was this fun blue & green trim I've had a long time. I'm also entering the anything goes category at Hero Arts & Pixies Snippets Playground. Thanks for stopping by. Sunshine today & hubby even mowed the lawn. Enjoy your weekend.
Edited to add: Here's the link to the Colour Me! challenge I accidentally deleted when editing my post.

Monogram Note Card

I've always loved monograms, so as soon as I saw Flourishes Letters in Bloom set I knew it had to be in my collection.  I used the first February Viva la Verve sketch & since my double-sided printed paper has polka dots, I'm also entering Flourishes Timeless Tuesday challenge.  Several snippets, so will also take this to Pixies Snippets Playground. The monogram is black embossed on light pink cardstock & colored with Distress Markers & the world's best white gel pen--Uni-ball Signo.  I made the frame using Spellbinders dies. The circles in the sketch kind of threw me as I didn't want to detract from the monogram or cover up the polka dots.  Finally decided to just use vellum circles. Hard to tell, but the flower has a wonderful sparkle thanks to the gift of a Wink of Stella pen from my lovely blogging friend, Cat.  Pearls are still probably my favorite embellishment & I just love these tiny ones.
I'm catching up on your blogs--work does get in the way--LOL!  Thanks for all the well wishes as I begin my 3rd year of blogging.

It's Been Two Years!

2 years ago today I heeded my friend Rosemary's encouragement to start my blog & I'm so glad I did. It's so much fun to share my love of cardmaking with people around the world. I've also reached the milestone of having over 100 followers--109 as of today.  I'm grateful for all of you.  I had a couple of very unexpected highlights this year:  being chosen as a member of the first Penny Black Stamp Squad & being picked as a Guest Designer for Flourishes.  To celebrate I'd like to send one of my followers a card & little gift. I'll do a random drawing on 2/26/14 from comments on this post.

Lai-Yoke's Gorgeous Card

The challenge at ODBD is to case someone you admire or a card you've wanted to case. There's a huge list of people & cards I could choose.  Lai-Yoke was the first person to ask for my address & send me a card, which she has done many times since then.  I chose to case this gorgeous Valentine now on display in my home.  She knows pink is my favorite color & we both love to use vellum.  My card is made with 3 ODBD stamp sets: Vintage Border Background, Don't Worry & Quote Collection 1. You can't tell from the picture, but the butterflies are stamped in Versamark & colored with purple & green Pearl-Ex which gives a lovely iridescent shimmer.  I have trouble using ribbons that have a design--thanks for the help, Lai-Yoke!  I don't use my Satin embossing powder very often even though I love the look.  It's perfect for the subtle background on the card front. 

My Card

The corner punch is MS & the bottom of the vellum panel is die cut with MFT wavy edge.  Love this little resin flower (added a touch of Stickles) & with it my card qualifies for the inaugural Butterfly Challenge begun by Mrs. A--one of my newest blogging friends.  Can't get the glare on the embossing out of the picture, so here's what the quote from Helen Keller says: Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. Thank you so much for visiting my blog.

Just Because

The challenges at MFT & Dynamic Duos inspired my card & I used MFT stamps, dies & felt.  I stamped the card front with Distressed Diamonds & didn't press down evenly to get a more distressed look. The white panel is white embossed with another image from Distressed Diamonds. The Lemon Drop felt flower is cut with the Layered Rose die & the center & leaves are black cardstock cut with Prima Donna Petals.  The black flag is cut with Fishtail Flags. Glad to have another card ready to surprise a blogging friend.  Thanks so much for visiting my blog.

Birthday Flowers

Therese's Inspiration Card

Almost out of time to enter the birthday challenge at Impression Obsession.  When I saw Therese's card for the Muse Challenge I was inspired to use her "coloring outside the lines" technique with my IO Five Roses stamp, J2441.  I used a water brush with 3 different Gelatos.  It's Your Birthday, A6977, is embossed, punched out & matted with a black punched circle.  I wrapped the panel with 3 rows

Greta's Card

of fibers I saved from the tags on some items I bought & then popped up the sentiment circle & the panel. Need to find more of the peachy-pink cardstock as it's a great match for the Gelato.  Also entering SSS Monday. Several snippets on this card, so I'm also entering at Pixies Snippets Playground. So glad you took time to stop by. Wishing you a great week.

Happy Valentines Day

It's been a great 4 days off including my birthday & Valentines Day.  I wasn't happy with this PTI challenge card, but it didn't take much to make it better.  The sentiment is embossed, matted & popped up and Liquid Applique is added to the berries.  I changed it to a Thank You card for my cousin & his wife.  She always buys my birthday
present & this year she went overboard at Archivers, so I have lots of new goodies to play with.  Decided to enter Retro Sketches challenge for the first time.

Took awhile for me to figure out what to do for Merry Monday this week.  Finally last night I decided to use this cute Hero Arts Reindeer that was in a variety set I won in a drawing last Fall & hadn't opened.  The star & sentiment were included.

I missed this challenge at Freshly Made Sketches, but the drawing was on my table. I used my favorite MME holiday pad for the sweater & all my layers.  Finally used a jingle bell on a card--yah! Every year I want to & it never worked until now.  

Stickles add some sparkle to his antlers & sweater. I used snippets, so will also enter this at Pixies Snippets Playground.
We had a great Valentines Day as we saw the puppies again & boy have they grown in 2 weeks! We won't pick our boy until we go to take him home.  They're soft & cuddly & have started wagging their tails. Momma was a little concerned at first, but guess she decided we were OK & she even laid her head down for a nap. Oh how I love a Schnauzer face!
Snow is gone so I won't have hubby to chauffeur me to work this weekend.  Hope you're safe & warm.  I'll be visiting your blogs soon. 

PTI Building Blocks Challenge

PTI had an interesting challenge today.  I used a dice to determine my "building blocks" which are Pure Poppy, Orange Zest, Summer Sunrise, Soft Stone, Birthday, Inlaid Die Cuts, Buttons, Ribbon & Sketch #6.  I'm not positive if anything else is allowed, but hopefully also using white & black cardstock is OK along with floss to thread the button.  I would not have chosen to use gray with the other colors, so it's not my favorite card. PTI Linen & Canvas Impression Plate gives some texture to the black & a Cuttlebug embossing folder is used on the bottom of the card front.  My PTI stamps are The Sweet Life & Boutique Borders Birthday. I used some snippets, so I'm also entering this over at Pixie's Snippets Playground. Thanks so much for stopping by.

Our snow has melted & now it's warmed up with rain.  Quite the winter, but we haven't had nearly the problems many of you continue to deal with.  Stay safe & warm.

Birthday Card

Here's my card for today's PTI stripes challenge & one of the color & sketch inspirations.  I used PTI Harvest Berries & Heart to Heart 2.  The stripes are made with an old 8 1/2 x 11 stencil using these inks: Gathered Twigs, Toffee Crunch, Classic Kraft, Love Letter & Rhubarb Stalk.  The panel was embossed with PTI Linen & Canvas Impression Plate to give some texture. I'd like to use this for a guy's card if I can improve it a bit.  
I think the sentiment needs to be embossed or maybe add some twine. More storms coming for a lot of us--stay safe & warm. Your visit is always appreciated. Also entering SSS Monday.

Hugs

Lots of us playing along in the PTI challenges with such great prizes!  Wasn't sure I was going to make it today. Had to watch the Westminster Dog Show & finish yesterday's Olympics tapes.  Just sat at my table playing for a bit & finally came up with this card.  I used one of the sketch & color inspirations as well as today's challenge to make a large word the focal point.  

I used Summer Sunrise, Rhubarb Stalk, Turqoise Gem & Picked Raspberry inks with PTI stamps from Lovely Layers & Snowflake Flurries.  I have very few word dies so I used stickers.  The doily has been in my stash forever, the twine is DeNami & the button was part of the prize I won from my 
good friend Lisa.  
I would never have put these colors together, but they did make a cheery, fun card that will work for my goal of sending cards "just because" this year.  I'll catch up on blogs tomorrow.  I so appreciate your comments.
Edited to add: Entering SSS Monday.

Hexagons for a Birthday

My second card ever made with PTI Hexagon Cover Plate & Happy Hexagons stamp set.  The sentiment is from Trendy Tree Tops.  I'm entering 2 of the PTI 7th Anniversary contests: Today's Birthday Card challenge & one of the sketch & color recipe options.

My inks are PTI Simply Chartreuse, Summer Sunrise, Distress spiced marmalade, Memento Love Letter & Versafine Smokey Gray.  I left the twine lying over the card last night, not thinking it was going to work. However, this morning I decided I liked the look so attached it & tied the little bow.  
I don't know what took me so long to start using this set.  It is way fun to work with! Thanks so much for taking time to visit my blog.

Blessing from God

Click here for my DeNami Blog Hop card.

Down to the wire for the ODBD L-O-V-E recipe challenge.  I checked Dynamic Duos & found one of my favorite color combos: light green & soft pink.  Now I had the needed inspiration to create a card I really love.  It will be perfect for my college roommate who lives in the Midwest.  We've only seen each other a few times over the past 40 years, but I was overjoyed to get a lovely letter from her this past Christmas.  All the papers are snippets, so I'm also entering Pixies Snippets Playground.  

The stamps are ODBD Each Minute & Sweet William small.  The leaves are cut with a Penny Black die. I'm down to a small piece of this beautiful pink shimmer paper which was a great match for the flowers embossed on vellum using VersaMagic Pink Petunia. The vellum was attached over white cardstock & Liquid Pearls are added to the centers. Barely able to use the Cuttlebug embossing folder at the angle I wanted, but was able to stop just before it would have ruined the edge of the paper.  Gotta find more of this beautiful ribbon--only had a yard & it's almost gone now.  
L--layers, leaves O--ovals V--vellum E--embossing

Temps are above freezing, but socked in with no sun.  It's a good thing since we don't want 13 inches of snow to melt too quickly.  Had a wonderful treat this morning when I spotted a pair of Varied Thrush at the feeder.  Last time I had noted one was in 2008! The female flew away, but I managed to snap a picture of the male while he was in our apple tree (that's ice on the branches).  Hope you've had something nice happen today & thanks so much for stopping by.
Edited to Add: also entering Die Cut Divas, thanks to Dawn's reminder.

DeNami Blog Hop

I look forward to the monthly DeNami Blog Hops & really had fun making my polka dot card for this month. If you just enjoyed seeing Teenia's fabulous work, you're on track. All the hop details & line-up can be found on the DeNami Design Blog.  I stamped the butterfly from Fancy Flutters twice on each of 3 different Bo-Bunny Double Dot papers.  The wings & bodies were popped up & glittered & I used a matching Copic for the antennae & head.  The kraft circle is stamped in VersaMark Dazzle using Retro Borders 1. The rest of the circles are cut from the solid side of each paper.  

Hope you like my "touch of Spring" card.  Better keep going--next up is Tina who has the biggest DeNami collection outside DeNami!