Sea Shell Wreath

This is much prettier IRL . I could not get a good picture.  I cut the wreath  using two circle dies and the wrapped it with some mesh ribbon.  I had this  piece or wood paneling left from another project and thought it made a good backdrop for the wreath. I will enter this into IO Summer Fun  Here

I used the following dies from IO.

 DIE077-W
DIE184-L
DIE047-J
DIE176-E

Wishing you Happiness

I used the Cardabilities sketch for this card. The beautiful paper is from ODB, the circle dies and leaves are Spellbinders, the doily and rose buds are Cheery Lynn and the fish tail and flourish are MTF.  The sentiment is from Gina K. I made the roses from a EK success punch. This is the video I used.Here  I prefer to start with white card and sponge my colors rather than using colored card stock.

This shows a bit of the rose process. 

Cherry Lynn Roses Challenge Here

Scrapyland Anything Goes Here

DRU Anniversery  Here

Happy Mother's Day

This is a card that I made for the diversions Mother's Day Challenge.  I used Stampendous stamps and matching dies, Spellbinders cover plate, Spellbinder's leaves, and DieNamites leafy branch.  The flowers were colored with Spectrum Noir Markers and the jar and stems with prisma colored pencils. 

Die Version's  Mother's Day card challenge HERE

Scrapyland  Anything Goes HERE

Dogwood Blossom

The new sketch by Karen Gerber is on the Cardabilities blog.  I have found I really enjoy working with dies and so these sketches are perfect for me.  I sprayed some card with Perfect Pearls mist in the daffodil color that really looks more like gold. You can't see all the shimmer in the photo.  I used a strip from Spellbinders lattice die on top of  the card . and then popped up the  the Spellbinders lotus die, a MFT clock piece and  the lacy circle die.  The leaves are Spellbinders and the dog wood is a die from Susan's Gardens.  The arrow is MTF and the Celebrate is from Cherry Lynn.  I love their sentiment dies.  The cut so nicely and you get each word in two different sizes.

Cardabilites Sketch  challenge   Here

Cheery Lynn Anything Goes  Here
Simon Says Anything Goes Here
DRU Anniversary Here

Spring Breezes

When I think of spring I am reminded of lovely afternoons and evenings spent at Whiskytown Lake in Northern California.  We loved our pontoon boat because we wanted to relax not work and besides we had no sailing experience; however, we enjoyed watching the numerous sailboats on the lake  pitch and yaw. I also loved the sketch at Cardabilites so much I decided to take it out for a third spin!  This time I made a more masculine card using some scraps from other projects. I used the  Marina Sailboat die by Poppy Stamps for this card and some MFT nautical dies. I also used a Spellbinders fir die(I thought it looked like sea weed and the IO hydrangea to look like sea grass.   I will enter this at the Poppy Stamps Challenge Here . and Cardabilities Here


         
                                                                                                         

White Die Cuts on White with a Pop of Color

The challenge at PTI this week is a fun idea. You can see the video an look at the amazing gallery Here.  It really comes together quickly easily and you get a great CAS look.  I used PTI Up Up and Away (one of my favorite songs) stamp set and matching die for this card.  I will enter this in three challenges.

PTI  White Die Cuts on White with a Pop of Color http://nicholeheady.typepad.com/capture_the_moment/2015/04/make-it-monday-209-white-on-white-die-cuts-with-a-pop-of-color-.html
Mod Squad Encouragement  http://modsquadchallenge.blogspot.com/2015/04/encouragement.html
Simon Says CAS http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/simon-says-clean-and-simple/

Sending Mother's Day Hugs

I made a card Friday using the latest sketch from Cardabilities and intended to enter it into the challenge ($20 Dies R US gift certificate that is randomly drawn) but by the time I got to their blog to enter I had already entered six challenges and when I read the rules it said you could only enter it into three challenges so I decided to take that sketch out for another spin. I loved using my embossing folders to make background papers so I did that again. I used tea die ink and then liberally sprayed it with yellow perfect pearls mist.  It is so pretty and shimmery in person.  I matched two different designs for the main part of the card.  I layered some white card cut with a Martha Stewart punch on the back of the floral print. Then I took a Spellbinder's lotus blossom die cut that I had it in my stash and misted it with the perfect pearls mist. I layered  a Mona Pendleton clock from MTF and cut it with the matching die. I used the Spellbinder poinsettia for the flower and sponged it with tea die ink. To fill in the background I used IO Hydrangea base that I added little circles to, an MTF leafy flourish, and a few of the hydrangeas without the circles.  The sentiment is a Cheery Lynn die layered on a MFT fishtail die. This is a 5x7 card for my Mother.

I will enter this in

Cardabilities Sketch Here

Cheery Lynn Mother's Day  Here

Dies R Us  April Showers Bring May Flowers  Here

Simon Says Make Your Own Background Here


Pictures of the different papers I made and how I made the hydrangea look different.

Shades of Purple

The new sketch from Cardabilities was posted yesterday and it was so pretty I had to give it a try.  I  made some background paper the other day after watching a video on using your embossing folders as ink pads.  You just sponge colors of distress ink on your embossing folder(the result will vary according to witch side you ink) spritz the folder with water and lay your paper on  the embossing folder, remove carefully and you have used your embossing folder in a brand new way.  The popularity of stencils and background stamps seem to have taken over the world of the embossing folder(not in my world) so this is a way to get the same effect.  The first layer was stamped with Milled lavendar on some lavender card with a wood grained stamp by IO.  I then stamped lacy borders from Gina K with Versamark and white embossing powder.  I did not get good coverage the first time but with my new Misti I just stamped and embossed again.  The center piece is the piece I stamped with the embossing folder.  You can't see it well in the photo, but instead of water I used some shimmer spray..  The rose is one of the spellbinder bitty blossoms.  I also used a flourish from MTF and Leafy Branches from Die Namites.
The Amazing is a Cheery Lynn die which is placed on a MTF fishtail.

 I will enter this in the following challenges

Cardabilities Sketch Here


Here
Simon Says Make Background Paper Here
Scrapland Use pearls or lace  Here
Die R Us Make your own flowers Here
Cheery Lynn  Purple Here
Mod Squad Color   I used a monochromatic scheme (hope this works) Here

Spotlight Die Cutting

I watched a Jennifer McQuire video called Spotlight Die Cutting HERE and decided to give it a try.  I really like the CAS look of this card and it was easy to do. The sentiment is IO, the feather is Spellbinders and the bird is PTI. 

I will enter this in the Simon Says Monday challenge.  In the Middle  My feather is in the middle.  http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/?p=2600

Retirement Card

The Challenge at IO is You Did IT.
http://mitrafriant.typepad.com/impression_obsession_news/2015/04/new-io-challenge-you-did-it.html





 I needed a retirement card so I tried to create a scene that suggested rest and relaxation.
I used the following IO products
CL342
Die 177K
Silhouette 7 - B5557

Black, White, Red All Over

I wanted to play with my new Misti so I decided to try triple stamping.  So many times I don't get a bright image when I just stamp once so I decided to test it.  My friend, Donna, was hosting a challenge at Stamp TV... Riddle This... based on what is black, white and red all over riddle, and the Mod Squad Challenge was to use a butterfly as the focal image, I got the card done yesterday but got interrupted and did not get a picture taken to enter in the STV  challenge.  I realized later that it did not matter because the sentiment is not Gina K it is IO so it would not have counted for a prize.   I wish someone would tell these companies that insist on only THEIR products for challenge wins does not make most of us buy more of their products.  Instead, we go looking for challenges that allow us to use our creativity as we choose.  To ask for one of their products is reasonable but only theirs???? Then I realized that the butterfly is not the focal image the sentiment is. I was so fascinated with how the Misti let me stamp and restamp and  put images on clear acetate to see exactly where it would be on the card that I did not notice that I had not stamped the sentiment straight.  I am not sure, but I think I am brain dead.  I decided to spend the day practicing coloring.... since it is practice,I am learning I can't screw up as long as I get better..... I'll let you know how that goes.


I will enter this in the following challenges

Lilac Roses

My Mo and Jo have not been playing well together this week so I dug up a sketch that I liked by Tonya Gibbs that I have used before to get me started.  It is such a pretty sketch that it is easy to create a design around it. I used the Cheery Lynn doily and leaves.  I also used Die Namites leafy Flourish and Spellbinders Bitty Blossoms.  The butterflies are from a Martha Stewart punch.


 I will enter this in the following challenges.

Cheery Lynn   Flowers (must be handmade)http://cheerylynndesigns.blogspot.com/2015/04/cheery-lynn-designs-challenge-179.html

Scrapy Land  http://www.scrapyland-blog.com/

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge  http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/simon-says-april-showers-andor-spring-flowers/

You Did It

The challenge at IO is You Did It.  I got the inspiration for this card from Stephanie Kluck on the MFT blog.  She used embossing paste for her ice cream and I loved the look she got.  I bought some embossing past a few months back.  I used it one time(one of those supplies you just have to get but never use) and forgot about it. It was fun to use on this card.  I sprinkled some glitter on the paste before it dried so it looks like specks of fruit. I did not have any stamps that say YOU DID IT so I used You are an Inspiration.  I think that works. I will enter this at the IO Challenge http://mitrafriant.typepad.com/impression_obsession_news/2015/04/new-io-challenge-you-did-it.html

I used the following IO products

CL43 stamp set

Cover a card gingham CC006

Ice Cream Cone Set - DIE070-F

Earl's Birthday

One of the things I've learned in the five years I have been making cards is how much  my male family members and friends appreciate a hand made card.  According to their wives, they display them and show them off to family and friends.  That was a real eye opener.  Anyway my favorite brother-in-law has a Birthday in May.  He is fun to make cards for because he appreciates them and he has so many hobbies, but fishing is his favorite.  I made this card for him using Theresa Momber's Gone Fishing set available at Gina K Designs.  I stamped the fish with versamark on kraft  card stock and embossed with black embossing powder. The front is a Darce embossing folder and a cattail die from Die Namites. Since fishing would not fit for the words on the inside I used a fish and added the ING.  I did some sponging with tea die ink on all the Kraft panels. The Birthday Message is on the back of the front panel.  

I will enter this in Dies R Us One for the Boys 

 http://diesruschallenge.blogspot.com/2015/04/challenge-23-one-for-boys.html

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge

http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/

Butterfly Dreams

This was more like a night mare than a dream.  I started putting it together and did not like it so I kept doing things praying for happy accident. Alas,there were lots of accidents but none were happy.  I kept thinking it would grow on me but it never did.  I am sure all of you have had this experience at one time or another.  Since I had a couple of challenges I had in mind when I made it, I will enter it in them. The butterfly is the medium Cheery Lynn.  I made some from gold CS and gold glitter for Christmas ornaments.  They turned out really cute. 

Cheery Lynn http://cheerylynndesigns.blogspot.com/2015/03/cheery-lynn-designs-challenge-178-back.html

Simon Says Monday http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/?p=2568

Peek a Boo

I am the hostess at the Mod Squad Challenge Blog this week where we are playing a game of  

tic  tack toe. If you want to join in the fun, you can check out the details HERE 

For the challenge, I made an interactive peekaboo card. When you open the card, a panel moves to reveal an inside sentiment or image. It is one of those cards that the recipient will ask " How did she do that?"  The video  explaining the details of this fun card can be seen  HERE . For the tic tack toe, I chose piercing, coloring and pearls. I colored the lily with Spectrum Noir markers and used a Spellbinder die that does the piercing for you and I  used some pearls from my stash. 

I already mailed this to my daughter for her birthday.  

Front 

                                                                           Inside        

Front

Inside

Supplies

Gina K Designs stamp sets     Elegant Florals and My Most Favorite

Spellbinders   Radiant Rectangles 

Heartfelt Creations   Sunny Day Paper Pack

Cherry Lynn   Butterfly

Die-Namites  Leafy Flourish

Martha Stewart      Punch

Celebrate Your Birthday

Outside





When I think of spring, I think yellow and orange and flowers and butterflies so I tried  to incorporate those in this spring BD card.  I saw a video on this type of card and have been wanting to try making one.  It is not difficult, but it is time consuming  and you need a good paper cutter. If you want to give it a try,you can see the how to video HERE . The flowers from IO are basically flat except the spiral ones, but they are small enough that I will be able to mail this with a sheet of heavy card stock on top to protect it.













Inside

I will enter this in he following challenges.

IO Happy Flowers

http://mitrafriant.typepad.com/impression_obsession_news/2015/03/new-io-challenge-happy-flowers.html


Scrappyland Spring/Easter
http://www.scrapyland-blog.com/2015/03/challenge-14.html


Simon Says Wednesday Anything Goes. 
http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/simon-says-anything-goes-14/

I used the following IO dies and stamps
DIE085-X
 DIE042-I
 DIE047-J

DIE139-I

C8589

DIE003-A

DIE055-N
Silhouette 7 - B5557

 D5642

C8589
DIE055-N

Spring Green

I just got this zinna die from Spellbinders so, of course, I had to make a flower. I used yellow card tha I sponged with marigold distress ink,  This is going to be a hand carried card or mailed in a box. The butterfly and doily are from Cheery Lynn, the lady bug is from Elizabeth Crafts and the leafy braches are Die-namites. The greeting is from Gina K Designs which is stamped on a Spellbinders Label.

Challenges
Scrapy Land Spring/Easter
http://www.scrapyland-blog.com/

Dies R Us Green
http://diesruschallenge.blogspot.com/2015/03/challenge-22-shades-of-green.html

Anything Goes
http://cheerylynndesigns.blogspot.com/2015/03/cheery-lynn-designs-challenge-177.html

Simon Says Wednesday Anything Goes
http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/simon-says-anything-goes-14/

Screen Divider Gold

This is the first of the screen divider cards  I have tried.  Mine is not as fancy as some, but it turned out ok for a first effort. I used Gina K gold card for he base and used Labels 4 Spellbinders die to cut the legs. I could not get a good picture of this card to show the shimmer of it.  The Cherry Blossoms is a stamp from Flourishes illustrated by Marcella Hawley. I stamped with Versamark and embossed with gold embossing powder and colored with Spectrum Noir markers then I cut he panel into four sections,layered on black and put it on the base card. The different sentiments came from a variety of stamp sets.

I will enter this in the following challenges

Power Poppy Give it a little shimmer with gold.
http://powerpoppy.blogspot.com/2015/03/march-challenge-give-it-little-shimmer.html

 

http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/simon-says-spring-pinterest-inspiration-challenge/

Simon Says Work it Wednesday
http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/blog/category/events/work-it-wednesday/

Easter Eggs

When I was a kid, I remember dying Easter eggs as a family. It was so much fun to use the wax crayon on the egg to make designs before you dipped them into the die.  Of course, that was before I knew the term RESIST. Later they introduced a type of die that speckled the eggs instead of making them  a solid color which I thought that was soo cool.   I tried to recreate that memory with some water color paper which I smooshed and then cut with Spellbinder classic ovals.  I used some scrap pieces of paper that I had around to add to the layout.   One of them was a piece of gingham that I had stamped with IO gingham cover a card stamp. I used it for the cute little bucket. I tore some branches from the Bird on a Branch and used the top of the the hydrangea die to mimic some grass, added a few eggs and a mini butterfly and wallah... I was done.  I had no idea where I was going when I started but ... I like how it turned out. 

I used the following IO products

Insect Die  DIE139-I

And matching stamp

 D5642

Lg. Bird on Branch - DIE161-N

Pail - DIE164-A  

Hydrangea Set - DIE044-Y

I am entering this in the 

Impression Obsession Think Spring Challenge

http://mitrafriant.typepad.com/impression_obsession_news/2015/03/new-challenge-think-spring.ht

Scrappyland Anything Goes   http://www.scrapyland-blog.com/2015/03/challenge-13.html

Happy Birthday Wreath

I decided I wanted to enter PTI  Watercolor Smooshing challenge so earlier this week I experimented with some different colors and used the techniques that BetsyVeldman showed on the video. here
I have used the happy from Phrase Play 5 several times but I had never used the whole die on a card so I chose a piece of the smooshed paper cut it with the phrase play. I stamped the sentiment from the matching Phrase Play stamp set. Then I remembered that I had just gotten this die from Die-Namites and thought they would work together and they did.  I cut the happy part a second time so I could glue them together and have the second cut sit on the top of the wreath. My Swiss dot  embossing folder was still on my desk sooo why not.  I am trying to use some of my dies more often so I dug out this Spellbinder die to finish the bottom of the card.

I will enter this in the following challenges.

http://nicholeheady.typepad.com/capture_the_moment/2015/03/make-it-monday-204-smooshing-with-watercolors.html


http://www.die-namitesblog.com/2015/03/marchs-sketch-and-challenge.html

http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/simon-says-things-that-fly/

 Die-Namites Bird Wreath
http://www.die-namites.com/Bird-Wreath_p_10.html

Sunflower

I used the sketch from Die-namites Sketch and Dare Challenge for this card.  The Dare part was to add a cut out. The focal image is a Sunflower from Melanie Muenchinger's Stately Flowers Five. I colored it with Spectrum Noir markers and fussy cut it.  I used some water color paper to cut out an oval and backed it with the lattice cover plate die by Spellbinders.  The sentiment is from Gina K  I cut the swirly butterfly apart and used it on opposite corners. 

Die-namites Sketch and Dare
http://www.die-namitesblog.com/2015/03/marchs-sketch-and-challenge.html

I used the die=namites swirly butterfly.
http://www.die-namites.com/Swirly-Butterfly_p_39.html

Mod Squad Flower challenge
http://modsquadchallenge.blogspot.com/2015/03/flowers.html

Scrappyland Any Thing Goes
http://www.scrapyland-blog.com/2015/03/challenge-13.html

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge Things that Fly
http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/simon-says-things-that-fly/


Stamp TV  Color and Emboss  http://stamptv.ning.com/photo/photo/listTagged?tag=STV15MON10

Friends are Flowers 2

I cut the parts for this card yesterday when I was making Yesterday's card so that is why they are so similar.  I love this large sentiment with the frilly font and  the Bird With Branches die from IO.  I water colored three of them, tore them apart and made and arrangement around the sentiment.  The flowers are a gift from a friend. Thanks, Judy. Nothing fancy, but I like the results.

I will enter this in the Think Spring challenge at IO
 http://mitrafriant.typepad.com/impression_obsession_news/2015/03/new-challenge-think-spring.ht
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge  Things That Fly
 http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/simon-says-things-that-fly/

IO Products

Lg. Bird on Branch - DIE161-N  

Friends are Flowers - F4157

Happy Easter

I used Spellbinders Classic ovals to cut the main pieces.  The butterfly and Happy Easter are Cheery Lynn the leaves are from Die-Namites and the little flowers are from IO.

I will enter this in the following challenges

Cheery Lynn easterhttp://cheerylynndesigns.blogspot.com/2015/03/cheery-lynn-designs-challenge-175-easter.html

Dies are Us Monochromatic http://diesruschallenge.blogspot.com/2015/03/challenge-21-monochromatic.html

Scrappy Land  Anything Goes http://www.scrapyland-blog.com/2015/03/challenge-13.html

Simon Says Monday Challenge The Letter B I used a butterfly.

 http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/?p=2488

Carol's Birthday

I love purple and so does a special friend of mine so I made this for her birthday.  The paper is from ODB.  the sentiment is IO and flower dies are Spellbinders bitty blossoms the leafy flourishes are from Die-Namites. Tucked in the corner is part of the hydrandgia die from IO.  I really like how it worked and will use this idea again.  It make a nice filler and it gives me another way to use the die. 

I will enter this in the following challenges Dies R Us Monochromatic

http://diesruschallenge.blogspot.com/2015/03/challenge-21-monochromatic.html

Simon Says Lady/ Girly http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/simon-says-special-ladygirly-challenge/

Scrappy Land  Anything Goes   http://www.scrapyland-blog.com/2015/03/challenge-13.html