Valentine Birds

Hi Everyone,

I'm hosting the IC this weekend and for the inspiration website, I found an awesome webstore called "An Angel at My Table".  Very charming, vintage style items that I just loved!  I decided to make a Valentine for my parents. 

I chose this gorgeous "St. Lucia White Bird Cage" as my inspiration piece.  ("Lucia" is my sister's name - how appropriate, right?!)   For my card, I started by punching the bottom border with a MS "Garden Trellis" Deep Edge border punch and embossing the floral "frame" right above it with a Sizzix EF.  I die cut a white Tim Holtz bird and birdcage using the Movers and Shapers dies.  I pulled out the "old reliable"  SU! Watercolor Minis" to create the stamped roses in the background.  Then I punched a smaller pink bird using a MS punch, and sponged a little bit of Crumb Cake ink onto all 3 of the punched pieces.  I adhered the cage and the birds to my card and stamped a SU! Valentine sentiment that says "Valentine Be Mine."  I raised the "V" in the word Valentine and the white bird with some dimensional tape pieces.

The finishing touches were Star Dust Stickles on the roses, gold gems on the bird's eye and the top of the bird cage, and a Peel-Offs gold sticker chain connected to the top of the cage.



Here's the final product!

TFL, I'm so glad you stopped by!
 

Garden in My Pocket Card

Working the Challenges here friends!!

This is a pocket card for Flourishes Look Who’s 3 Challenge -- make a birthday card honoring Flourishes;   Flourishes Bring Back Beauty Challenge -- go with a "Rustic" theme, The Flower Soft Blog Hop Challenge -- use your fav color(s) Flower soft, and Our Daily Bread Designs Challenge -- Forgotten Embellishments: Buttons, Brads or Eyelets

The pocket card houses a book mark clip which I now think I should have made a refrigerator magnet.  But oh well.  I made the flower with Sizzix Flowers Die #2 and used a canvas brad by Recollections to hold them together.  I added a few fern branches made with a Punch Bunch fern punch for some greenery.

For my "rustic" theme, I chose the watering can image from ODBD Happy Birthday set, colored it with Copics and embellished with Flower Soft and Stickles. The little butterfly was punched from MS Butterfly trio punch in blue CS and covered with blue glitter.



I used "Heather" Flower Soft which is not only my fav FS combo so far, but it matched perfectly!





And finally, I also punched out a Trelis border across the back of the pocket card along with some more fern branches, which I attached to the trellis, to kind of give it a garden-style look. 

TFL, I'm so glad you stopped by!

Stamping For Fun

Just stamping for fun, even though I should be getting a few masculine birthday cards done that I need to finish today!!  Ok ok, I'll go do that after I finish this post!!

This first card was actually started last weekend when I was  working on the Midnight Madness sketch.  I never uploaded it and now it's too late!  :(  So I changed up the colors a bit so it would qualify for this week's "Just for Fun" color challenge.   First time I'm trying this challenge out.  Looks like a fun one!


Then I did this one for the weekend IC and FS over on Splitcoast.

The IC website was "Amy Atlas Events" and the FS this week is Nikki (aka NCSUnikki).  The background is made with SU's Paint Prints retired set. For the main image, I punched out the cupcakes with a Martha punch in Summer Sun and More Mustard cs. Crimped the cupcake cups and added a little copic dimension to the indentations. Also glittered up the "frosting" on the cupcakes and topped them off with a half pearl.

And finally, here's a card featuring Woodware stamps -- the set used here is Floral Frames.  The DP is Basic Grey Max and Whiskers 6x6 paper pad and the lacy border across the top of the image panel is BG ribbon doilies paper ribbon. 

The flowers are colored in with Spica glitter pens and I added a little rhinestone to the centers. 

TFL, I'm so glad you stopped by!

Lacy Card

This week the featured stamper over on SCS is Cathleen Torina (aka CTorina)!  I'm really happy to see her on the throne this week, she is super duper talented and even more so, a sweetheart to boot!! Congrats Cathleen!

I chose to case her amazing "Illionois Wildflower" card.  I had it in my "Favorites" from the first time I saw it so this was a great chance to Case her card!!  Yay!!

The lace is made with a Martha Stewart Deep Edger Garden Trellis border punch.  The flowers are made with MCGill  1 3/16" Daisy punch, the leaves are EK success Rock Fern, and the sentiment is Crate Paper Design Rubons Blue Hill.


Congrats again to Cathleen!!  

All my fun stoof comes from Frantic Stamper!!  Go see what Fran has in her store -- you will find everything and anything, seriously!!

TFL, I'm so glad you stopped by!

Hedge Hugs -- More New Basic Grey

Quickly posting today...not much time to stamp so I'm just gonna put these up and go back to crafting!

This card is made using BG Green at Heart DP and Chipboard stickers.  Used an EK Success border punch on the cardstock base cover.

The Chipboard stickers are really fun, some you can use as charms (see the little butterfly hanging from the "u").  Love this line!!


Everything on this card is available through the Frantic Stamper website!!

Next up:   Mojo Monday Card which I finished early this week but hadn't posted yet!   

Used BG Kioshi DP, SU! Beautiful Wings Embosslits and Nesties Fancy Tags. Sentiment is Impression Obsession.

And finally, this is my card for the Featured Stamper Challenge over on SCS.  This week the FS Crown goes to Brandi (aka Beedubya).  I chose her card called "WSC #66". 

The basket with eggs in the center and surrounding split-eggs were made using these two punches that I got from the daily "Crafty Steal".





The basket layers are popped with the eggs in between. A tiny raffia bow was glued to the handle.




The end result doesn't exactly follow her layout, but I hope you can see that it was clearly inspired by her creativity!  Congrats Brandi!!

TFL, I'm so glad you stopped by!

Fun Cards, Sad Endings

Quick post to get some blogging done this week!!

This first card was created a couple of weeks ago for my DBIL's BD.   Charlene to make a card/project around a quote you find from this website and incorporate some representation of time in your design.  So, I found the perfect sentiment for the inside of the card from there that says "Just Remember, Once You're Over The Hill, You Begin to Pick Up Speed".  Cute, huh?  There's tons of quotes to choose from on that site -- thanks so much Charlene!!

And, the sad part....this card is also is the last card I'm doing for my beloved DoubleDog Dare Challenge Group.  We took a pulse of the group and determined that we all were ready to move on.  So alas, it is bittersweet, but such good friendships were formed during that time!!  How lucky and honored I always felt to be in your presence: Bev, Julia, Charlene, Joan, JoAnne, Fran, Anne and (for a time) Michelle. Love ya ladies!!  Big hugs Always!!

This card is one I made recently playing around with chipboard letters:

I am currently obsessed with chipboard sticker shapes and alphas.  So lots coming soon using them -- (thanks to FRAN from Frantic Stamper!!)  The ones on this card by KI Memories are soooo cute!!   And -- I snagged them through the daily "Crafty Steals" web special!! If you aren't familiar, get on board quick - each day a different "steal" is made available, and some of them are insane!!  Be sure to check it out!!  This came as part of a package of matching DP pack, epoxy brads and the gummie stickers from the BD above.

TFL, I'm so glad you stopped by!

Treehouse Stamps Thursday Challenge!

Supplies: THS Simple Wishes, Mesh by Inkadinkad. StazOn Black, SU Blue Bayou innk. Martha Stewart Loopy Border punch, SU Oval and Scalloped Oval punch. SU Floral EF. Misc ribbon, button, and clear jewels.

This week's THS Challenge on the Treehouse Blog is to create a Get Well Themed card! I used the two-step branchy things from the Simple Wishes set. The sentiment is also part of the set. The Blue Bayou panel is embossed with a SU embossing folder. The white panel is stamped with a mesh background stamp. Next I stamped the solid branch image from the Simple Wishes set in Blue Bayou a couple of times and the outline of the branch in StazOn black. I doodled some faux stitching around two of the edges, and used my Martha Stewart Loopy Border punch to create an edge along the other two sides. The sentiment is popped up using dimensionals.

The ribbon and button treatment finish off this simple card. Join in the challenge and grab the new "Treehouse Stamps Thursday Challenge" badge for your own Blog! Post your creation using Mr. Linky on THS Blog! Be sure to use keyword THS033 when uploading to on-line galleries! TFL, I'm so glad you stopped by!

Birthday Blessings

Supplies: ODBD Happy Birthday set. Prima Vintage flowers, Martha Stewart Deep Edge Garden Trellis, Sizzix Blossom Party die. SU Parisian Breeze DP. SU Chocolate Chip felt ribbon. Paper Studio Neutral Cordory Brads. Misc. brads.

This card is for a challenge hosted by Our Daily Bread Designs as part of their celebration for becoming a member company on SCS. Their challenge is to use the color Brown and Punches and/or Dies. I love punches and dies!! So this was a joy to make. It is also Mojo Madness week over on the Mojo Sketch Blog!! So the layout I went with is Mojo Monday Sketch #120 found here. (They've got a giveaway going on too!!) The beautiful neutral colored paper flowers are from a package of Prima Nursery Tales Collection Vintage Style flowers. These beauties came as part of a bundle of blog candy I won last year. I just love them!! (Thanks again Chrissy!!) TFL, I'm so glad you stopped by!

Twelve Cardinals

Supplies: SU Peaceful Wishes, Verve Poinsettia (sentiment). VersaMark ink and SU Real Red classic. Marcos paper Red, Black, and white. Martha Stewart bird punch, Black Copic, Gold Krylon pen.

This card is made with the Martha Stewart bird punch that gives you the bird plus a wing for the body. It's just too cute!! I'm thinking in the Spring it can be a Blue Jay, right??! I used SU's Peaceful Wishes with Versa Mark and silver embossing powder for the branches. Punched my cardinals in Marcos Papers red. Then edged the pieces in black and drew on a mask. Then added a beak of gold with my Gold Krylon pen. Added a little glue to the bird and attached their wings. Assembled and ready for duty. TFL, I'm so glad you stopped by!

Pearl Snowmen and Double Bow Cheating Tip!

Supplies: SU Textured CS in Blue Bayou, Soft Sky. Ink: SU Black, Blue Bayou (for sponging). Nestabilities, SU Pretties Kit, SU 5/8" DS ribbon, Martha Stewart Fern Punch

This is a little 3-1/2 by 4-3/4 sized card. The little snowman is made using graduating sized half-backed pearls from my SU Pretties kit. I punched a MS Fern from dark brown paper and snipped off a couple of the branches to make the arms of the snowman. I drew on his hat with a .003 fine point marker. Added the bow and a sentiment tag and adhered all the layers to a cuttlebug embossed snowflake base. Originally the bow was floppy and too big for the card, I didn't like it at all. I played around with it some and indented each of the loops so I could see what it would look like with shorter loops. The way I had indented it ended up making it appear to be a double bow. So I ran my ATG tape gun down the folds of the indents and it now is a faux double bow! The result uses far less ribbon than a normal double bow and it's easier to manipulate. TFL, I'm so glad you stopped by!