Easter and Birthday

The March challenge for Poppystamps is Mixed Media.  I've moved one set of my Lindy's Magicals to their shaker bottles and wanted to try them out. 

I die cut a Poppystamps Tunnel Tag from watercolor paper and used Ponderosa Pines Olive and Tibetan Poppy Teal.  Wish I hadn't blended them together so much, but it did make a beautifully shimmery tag.  A smaller tag in the set was die cut from SSS Champagne glitter cardstock and Poppystamps Serene Rabbit was die cut from the tag.

Before attaching the little tag with foam tape, I stamped the Winnie and Walter words in Versafine Clair Nocturne.  I found a piece of green cardstock that went well with my Magicals mixture of colors and used SSS 3D embossing folder called Leaf Tumble.  I added a touch of gold ink to the small leaves and a "junk bow" a la Melissa Phillips to the tags.  You can see the sparkle and shimmer in a short video in my IG post.   

The Pinkfresh Studio March challenge theme is Frame it Up.  I missed last month's challenge and since I have PFS Fancy Oval Frame, couldn't let that happen again!  PFS Sweet Friend Floral is one of my favorites and the images are a great size to use with the frame.  

Matching stencils are a lifesaver for me, as coloring is at the bottom of my list of skills!  The CN9 inks are Sweet Pea, Dragonfruit, Parsley, Evergreen, Buttercup and Sunflower.  I added yellow Stickles over the yellow inks before arranging the flower stems on the side of the gold metallic frame.  Love the contrast of the pinks with the black background, but it was too stark to suit me until I added gold watercolor splatters.  

I love the font and the sentiments in PFS Perfect Sentiments.  It's a one piece stamp with a one piece die.  I tried many times to get the die lined up.  A couple sentiments would be good and the rest were not centered close enough to use.  Plus, I've wished I could stamp directly onto cards.  So...I decided to cut the sentiment stamps apart and I'm so glad I did!  Now I can cut a small piece of paper to cover the part of the die I need or cut them all to have extras for layering.  I do the usual method of lining up the stamped sentiment using the negative, pop in the diecut and stamp.  That's how I did the celebrate for this card.  I'm feeling so smart--haha!  Always so rewarding to be happy with a creation and I do love this card.  I'm also entering Seize the Birthday without the topping, Snippets Playground with white/gold/black snippets, SSS Wednesday and Word Art Wednesday.

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.

MFT & FMS

I am certainly not a super star designer, but I did have a CAS design in mind for my MFT Layered Leaves die set.  Figured I may as well enter this year's MFT Card Design Super Star Clean & Simple Genius category.

I began by scribbling Deep, May & Light Green Zig Clean Color Real Brush markers on a small rectangle acrylic block.  I spritzed lightly & "stamped" onto a panel of Bristol cardstock.  I repeated the process a couple times to get the look I wanted.  I die cut the smallest detail leaf in the set from cork paper & laid them in place to see where I wanted the sentiment.  Then I removed the leaves & stamped the sentiment from MFT Thankful Leaves in Versafine Clair Acorn.  The leaves were glued in place & it was done.  It's going to my cousin & his wife, so I decided against any embellishments.  The leaf dies are still available, but the stamp set is retired.  I'm also entering Allsorts & SSS Monday.


I really like the current challenge at FMS.  It made me want to open the IO Berry Branches die set I got in my last order.

I had fun picking out the PTI paper & some green ribbon to go with the branches die cut from a red scrap.  I splattered the card front with watered down Graphite Tattered Angels mist & added Christmas Red Stickles to the berries.  The sentiment from W&W Snowy Holiday was stamped in Versafine Clair Morning Mist.  I'm also entering ABC Christmas & WAW.

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.

Mixed Up Bird!

For the first time in 3 years we had a beautiful, male Evening Grosbeak at the feeder this morning.  Hubby joked about it being here in the morning instead of the evening.  

Couldn't get a very good picture through the window & I was afraid it'd be gone if I opened the door.  
I've been trying to come up with something for the Winnie & Walter May Color Combo, but couldn't figure out how to work in the lavender.  Finally decided to follow Heather's example of using designer paper & I found exactly what I needed!  

The gorgeous Graphic 45 Secret Garden was a gift several years ago from a blogging friend & I've barely used it.  Glad I rescued the doily from under a soup bowl!  I applied glue around the center, leaving the edge loose.  The little word from Big, Bold, Seasons was stamped in Adirondack Mushroom.  I happened to have one sheet of textured cardstock that was almost a perfect match, so I used it for 3 layers of the die cut word.  

Stardust Stickles was added to the butterflies & the word was covered with Crystal Lacquer.  After tying on the hemp & adding a pearl, the panel was attached to a Vintage Cream card.  So rewarding to make a card I love!  I'm also entering Allsorts, Butterfly Challenge & Word Art Wednesday.

Thought I'd also show you how I added the gift card holder for the Poppystamps challenge onto a card before sending it off. Really love the WRMK's 3D embossing folder!  Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.