Copper Layering Leaves Birthday

Hello, and thank you for popping in -

I know it has been a while!

My computer was in a repair shop for about a month, which made posting impossible (and in some cases, commenting on all the lovely blogs I follow, for which I apologize!). There's only a limited amount of stuff I can do on my work computer during the day ;-)

So without further delay, I wanted to post one of the many cards I've made using the very lovely Concord & 9th Layering Leaves die set, which I couldn't wait to get my hands on as soon as it was released.

I picked up the new Copper Foil sheets recently released in the Stampin' Up Holiday Mini catalogue. Can you say "G O R G E O U S" ??? Unfortunately, you'll just have to imagine that rich, coppery colour as my photography skills definitely do NOT do this card justice!

I didn't expect this card to take on such a masculine "feel" to it, but I'm happy with how it turned out.

Sending this over to a couple of challenges that it fits in with -

Muse Challenge #186, where Anita's beautiful card inspired me to use 3 leaf dies and a Birthday theme

and Pinterest Inspired Lawnscaping Challenge (sponsored by Ellen Hutson):

With those gorgeous, coppery orange colours & all those lovely leaf images, it's not hard to see where I got the inspiration for my card :-)

Thanks for your visit - have a crafty day!

Painted Flowers "Thanks" - Freshly Made Sketches #250

This is my second post today, so if you stopped in to have a peek at my CAS(E) This Sketch card, click on this link.

I happened to have a bit more time to play today so decided to give this week's sketch by Cecile over at Freshly Made Sketches a try.

Since I was also inspired by this month's challenge over at Altenew that featured this lovely photo/colour combo, I took out one of my favourite floral stamp sets - Altenew's Painted Flowers - for my card.

.

Some lovely DP by Echo Park (Be Mine Collection) completes the look -

With such amazing inspiration as that, my card was quick & easy.

If you have a bit of time, why not check out the lovely posts on these two fabulous challenge blogs - you're sure to be inspired by all the amazing talent.

Cheers!

Welcome Baby - CAS(E) This Sketch #186

I had so much fun playing over at CAS(E) This Sketch last week, I just had to do it again!

As soon as I saw this week's sketch, my mind started going in different directions - literally! Those arrow images made me immediately think of flight for some strange reason. Hey, when Mr. Mojo drops in unexpectedly after being away for a while, you just have to go with it if you ask me LOL

Here's the sketch, designed by the talented N@ Ali:

and here's my take on the sketch -

It seems I may have to hang onto this card for a while longer as most babies being born around me tend to be darling little girls. But at least I'm ready when a handsome baby boy comes along!

Happy, crafty weekend & thanks for joining me again today.

Without a Little Rain - CAS(E) This Sketch #185 & colourQ challenge #354

This is my second post today - squeal!!! I can't believe it either.

A rainy weekend definitely worked miracles - both for my garden, as well as my (missing) mojo :-)

I'm again combining 2 great challenges with my card: CAS(E) This Sketch #185 and colourQ #354

And as you can see by my card, I was definitely influenced by our rainy weather ;-)

Thank you again for your lovely visit! Links are provided above for you to check out the creative galleries for each challenge if you need inspiration to join in.

Until the next time, take care!

Freshly Made Sketches #249 - Bring on the Cake

Yesterday provided the perfect opportunity to stay indoors and play in my craft room - we finally got some much needed rain in our neck of the woods, but it came down hard and fast. I'm thankful for the free watering that my garden enjoyed!

Today's card was inspired by this wonderful sketch over on the Freshly Made Sketches blog

My card uses some lovely Sugar Pea Design stamps & dies that I picked up a while back, after I fell head-over-heels for that funky cake design.

I added some clear embossed star cluster images on my white panel, then scattered some single star images stamped in Rose Red along with a few Pretty Pink Posh iridescent sequins for interest. The top tier of the cake was also stamped with tone-on-tone grey with the same star cluster image. The cake and candle are popped up for dimension.

Here's a picture of a winter-hardy Hibiscus in my front garden - it's a lovely 2-toned pink-hot pink Dinner Plate sized variety that provided some colour inspiration for my card above :-)

Hope you're having a crafty weekend as well & thanks for dropping by.

The Heart Desires Challenge #3 - Hello Tag Card

Thanks for joining me today!

Just wanted to play along with the new The Heart Desires Challenge #3, with this inspirational photo as a jump start:

What "spoke" to me was the gold accents and purple flowers, as you can see by my card here:

I used a mix of some new crafty purchases with some old for my card. At first I gold embossed the diamond pattern several times on a cream cardstock base (thank you, Misti!), then cut out my tag from it, keeping the base and centre sections, and inlaying the purple scalloped "frame" section. This provided the perfect backdrop for my watering can filled with purple blooms. The tag was finished off with a bit of green string.

The base of my card was created with Papertrey Ink's Noted: Scalloped A2 card base die, then layered with the purple and green cardstock. The green layer was first run through my Cuttlebug with Papertrey Ink's Linen & Canvas Impression plate to give it some subtle texture.

To add a bit more gold accenting, I diecut the lovely "Hello" sentiment in gold mirror cardstock, which matches the gold embossing perfectly.

The tag, the flowers/watering can and sentiment were all adhered with dimensionals

I've been struggling with my lack of mojo for a while, but challenges like this one definitely help. Now if only I could enter every wonderful challenge I always have good intentions of entering more often :-) I may need to quit my day job LOL

Thank you for your visit today - it's been a treat knowing you were here!

Supplies:
Stamps: PTI Background Basics: Retro; PTI Bitty Bouquets
Dies: PTI Noted: A2 Scalloped dies; PTI Tag Sale #10; PTI Bitty Bouquets die set; MFT Spring Garden Die-namics; MFT Hello There Die-namics
Accessories: Gold Embossing Powder; Green String; Dimensionals

Life is Better with Friends

Today I'm posting one of my favourite types of cards ...

Not Birthday cards (although I do tend to make more of these than any other cards).

A "just because" card. Sent for no other reason than to just say "hello; I'm thinking about you and want to let you know how much I appreciate you".

Nothing makes me smile more than when I receive them, or send them. We always expect to receive lovely creations from our cardmaking pals on our special days (Birthdays, Anniversaries, etc.), but those that arrive out of the blue are truly Happy Mail, aren't they?

I have been itching to use this stamp set that I ordered from Close To My Heart, but wanted to use it along with the Tropical Leaves set from Simon Says Stamp. Unfortunately I didn't order the SSS set as soon as it was released, but my order is in and I'm waiting for it to be back in stock soon.

So I had to search my stamp stash to see if I could find another set with leafy greenery that would work and settled on a PTI set.

I think it turned out just fine!

I love how this CTMH set has 2 Flamingo images that face each other. And it also allows you to stamp the beak, body, legs, and wings separately. The sweet sentiment is also from this set. So adorable!

The wing diecut on the left was brushed with Wink of Stella clear glitter while the wing diecut on the right was accented with stickles to add a bit of bling to my card.

This was a fun card to put together!

Thanks for dropping in - have yourself an amazing day.

Supplies:
Stamps: Close to My Heart Tickled Pink; Papertrey Ink Willow; Papertrey Ink Sand Swatch
Dies: Close to My Heart Tickled Pink Thin Cuts; Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangle Die Set
Ink: Simon Says Stamp Teeny Bikini; Stampin' Up Sahara Sand + Garden Green; Distress Broken China Ink

Summer Lovin' - Time Out Challenge #63

This week's Time Out challenge seemed to "speak" to me :-)

When I saw what the challenge's theme was, and with our unusually hot temps and the fact that I've been on holidays, this card basically made itself! All I had to do was glue it together.

OK, maybe I had to do a bit more, but not much!

So, here's the challenge:

'Holidays with the Optional Twist of No Stamping' (stamped sentiments allowed)

Obviously I went with the "Summer Holidays" theme, and this is what I came up with:

Flip Flops and a Summer Hat ... does it get any better than that??? Not in my books.

Pop on over to see the other lovely cards entered in the challenge (use the link above) and play along!

Supplies:
dies: Papertrey Ink Flipping Out; Joy Crafts Summer Hat; My Favorite Things Inside & Out Rounded Rectangle STAX Die-namics
Stamps: Papertrey Ink Sand Swatch; Joy Crafts Summer Lovin'

CAS(E) This Sketch #183 meets colourQ #353 - You Color My World

Phew!

It's been so darn hot and dry lately, and it looks like there's no end in sight for the next little while too. I've actually been on holidays so this wonderful weather has been both a blessing and a curse. Too hot to spend a lot of time outdoors, but trying to spend as much time outside enjoying it as I can too.

As I've been in a bit of a card funk lately, the heat has managed to force me indoors to spend more time in my craft room, so that has been fun.

I found some inspiration in several challenge blogs this week, and one of them was this easy-peasy sketch on the CAS(E) This Sketch blog, which I paired with the fabulous colour combination in this week's colourQ #353:

Doesn't that sketch just get the mind going in all sorts of directions??? And those colours? What a fab combination!

Well, all you have to do is check out what the amazing DTs have done with these challenges to help you play along, as I did, and came up with this card:

Hoping that you're enjoying the weather in your neck of the woods! Thanks for dropping by.

Supplies:
Dies: Taylored Expressions Little Bits: Crayon; Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangle Die Set
Stamps: Papertrey Ink Happy Trails

Papertrey Ink SAF 2016 - Gilded in Gold with Danielle Flanders

Happy Monday!

Stamp-a-Faire continues with yet another wonderful tutorial (catch it here) by Danielle Flanders that encourages us to use gold on our projects, and in particular, Liquid Leaf Gold, which unfortunately I didn't have available.

So I substituted a product called Inka Gold by Viva Decor, which works in the same way. Inka Gold is a waxy product that you rub onto your paper die cuts. Once dry (it dries very quickly), you rub the surface with a soft paper cloth/tissue, which brings out its luxurious shine. However, I actually added a bit of water to the "pot" and mixed the medium with a paintbrush until I achieved the right consistency to paint it onto my die cut in order to get the "brushed" affect.

I started with a piece of black cardstock, which I diecut with my Splits: Celebrate die. Love how the brushstrokes didn't completely cover the cardstock and allowed the black to come through in some areas.

Once dried, I shined it up and added the "celebrate" diecut to the centre and adhered it with dimensionals to my black cardstock, which I cut with a stitched rectangle die and mounted it on a panel of shiny gold cardstock, then again on a final panel of black. Of course, I had to add gold ink spots to my top black panel too!

A white cardstock strip was also painted with the Inka Gold for the remainder of my sentiment, but this time I used black embossing powder. A quick trim, a few adhesive dots placed behind, and the panel was added to the base of my card. The last finishing touch was the addition of a few sparkly gold sequins and my card was a 'fait accompli' :-)

Thanks for joining me today - hope you get time to join in the SAF fun!

Supplies:
Stamps & Dies: PTI Wet Paint Cuts III

Papertrey Ink - 2016 SAF, Starry Night Sky Technique with Amy Sheffer

The start of Papertrey Ink's 2016 edition of Stamp-a-Faire is finally here!

They have an amazing line-up of tutorials, and one in particular I've been very much looking forward to is Amy Sheffer's Night Sky Tutorial.

Of course, I wasn't quite sure I could pull off this awesome technique once I saw Amy's feature card, but watching her easy-to-follow video was not only inspiring, but shows just how easy this technique is.

Check out this wonderful video here to see for yourself.

Oh sure, I may not have the perfect result this time around, but I found this technique so forgiving that I'm sure that each time I attempt it, my card will end up with a different look. But that's the beauty of a night sky, isn't it? It looks different all the time.

My card has a scattering of Pretty Pink Posh Iridescent Mini Star Sequins as well as ink splatters in silver that add some lovely sparkle to it (you may not be able to see that in the photo).

A big "Thank You" to Amy, as well as the Papertrey Ink DT, for sharing their wonderful knowledge and proving yet again how amazingly generous the stamping community is.

I will definitely use this technique again and again!

Supplies:
Stamps: PTI Through the Trees
Dies: PTI Wet Paint Cuts III

Giraffe Birthday Wishes - colourQ challenge #346

Wow ... I'm motoring gliding along with cards, aren't I?

May as well strike while the mojo "iron" is hot! :-) (did you see that segue coming? LOL)

This week's colourQ challenge was a great opportunity for me to add some boy birthday cards to my collection:

Great colours, aren't they? So many ways to go with this ... and so much inspiration to check out on the challenge blog. Here's mine:

I guess I'm on an Avery Elle kick lately as this giraffe balloon image is from one of their sets, and I've paired it with the "Birthday Wishes" sentiment again. I guess you can say, "a match made in card heaven".

Hmmm ... I better quit while I'm ahead. I seem to be in a cliche kinda mood today. Happy Sunday!

Supplies:
Stamps: Avery Elle Balloon Giraffe; Simon Says Stamp Birthday Messages
Inks: See Above
Dies: MFT Stitched Rectangle Scallop Frame Die-namics; Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangle die set
Accessories: Dimensional foam dots

Ellie's Birthday Wishes - CAS(E) this Sketch #177 + Time Out Challenge #59

Combining 2 challenges with my card today -

CAS(E) This Sketch #177, which I flipped

as well as this week's Time Out Challenge #59, which is "Masculine with a optional twist of mixed media".

Fun, right?

And today happens to be my DH's birthday :-)

I asked his opinion on my last card post, and sure it had "MASCULINE" written all over it (not to mention my love for him). But, he has already seen it ... so what surprise is there in that???

So I had to get hopping today while he was at work as we're celebrating his special day tonight, and this is the card I came up with:

Avery Elle's adorable Ellie is helping me wish him a very Happy Birthday.

I broke out my Primsacolor Watercolor Pencils for this special occasion - it's been AGES since I've coloured an image with them, but this little darling made it quick & easy. A bit of DP for the heart balloon and a sponged sky helped me with my "scene", and of course, for those who know me, you know how much I love my flowers, so I added some Flower Soft to the tops of my grass image to create my wildflower "garden" (is this considered a "mixed media" product? I think so).

Thanks for joining me today - I'm off to finish up the "pièce de résistance" ... birthday cake, of course! :-)

Wild For You - CASology Week #202 + Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge (Animal Magic)

This week's challenge over at CASology is rather simple ... Masculine!

If you're a bit like me, your inside voice just said "yeah, right!". Masculine cards are definitely a challenge for me!

But that didn't stop me from wanting to play along this week, so as soon as I got home I rummaged through my stamp collection and immediately focused on this Deep Red image. Well, that's fine & dandy, but then I had to go on another search & destroy mission to find an appropriate sentiment (you should see my craft room now - ha!). This little gem was hidden away in an old bin of stamps I purchased back when I began this little hobby, and my card idea took hold. I also reacquainted myself with some fabulous stamps I own that I've completely forgotten about :-)

A strip of Basic Grey leopard print DP coordinates with the embossing folder I used on the kraft panel to form the base of my card.

I inked up my stamp image with Distress Vintage Photo, then added black ink lightly with a sponge dauber. The image was then cut with a stitched square die and mounted on black cardstock. The sentiment panel was accented top & bottom with a stitch design to give it a bit of interest.

This week's Simon Says Stamp Challenge also fits the bill for this card: Animal Magic. And since my leopard definitely plays nice, I'm going to send him over there to play along with all the other "animal" creations ;-)

This is the perfect card for my DH this weekend as he celebrates both his Birthday as well as Father's Day!

Cheers!

Supplies:
Stamps: Deep Red Leopard; Michael's Dollar stamp sentiment
Dies: Simon Says Stamp Stitched Square Dies; My Favorite Things Basic Stitch Lines Die-namics

Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge #11 - Celebrate!

Thanks for popping in!

Finally managed to join in on the fun over at the Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge blog, as well as put ink to a stamp set that I ADORE considering the flowers are now blooming in my garden in 3 different colours.

Here are the challenge parameters:

I chose one of the diagonal lines - Yellow, Ink Splatters, Scalloped Border - and created this card:

The ink splatters were added once the image was stamped using Inka Gold Beeswax Polish mixed with water. It has a lovely shine that matches the gold cardstock I used for the scalloped border, but it's hard to see in this photo.

Alas, my yellow peony has almost finished showing off it's gorgeous fragrant flowers, so I must settle for trying to recreate its loveliness on paper until it blooms again next year - an impossible task as Mother Nature does it so much better!

Pop on over to see all the amazing creations on the challenge blog - guaranteed you'll be inspired (and maybe decide to join in?) :-)

Supplies:
Stamps: Altenew Peony Bouquet; Altenew Painted Greetings
Dies: MFT Stitched Rectangle Scallop Frame Die-namics; Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangles
Accessories: Viva Decor Inka Gold

My First Watercolour Card - Less Is More Week #278 (Sketch Challenge)

Hello!

I want to send out a special "thank you" to Debby Hughes, of Lime Doodle Designs, who recently shared some advice regarding watercolouring and gave me the courage to finally take the plunge!

There are so many amazing "artists" out there in blog land - including Debby - who make it look so easy and effortless. Seeing their beautiful work only makes me look at my own attempts critically. I can't tell you how many "fails" ended up in my paper recycling bin!

So, even though I'm a bit late to the (watercolour) party, I'll definitely be taking Debby's advice to practise, practise, practise!

When I saw the sketch challenge over at Less is More, I knew I wanted to create a watercolour card, and I had one specific stamp image come to mind immediately.

Here's the lovely sketch:

And here's my very first watercolour card (that didn't end up in the trash LOL):

The image was heat embossed in black on Strathmore Cold Pressed Watercolor Paper, then coloured with my Zig Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolours. Once dried, I then diecut the panel with a stitched rectangle die, added my sentiment in Versafine Onyx Black ink, then mounted it on coordinating solid coloured cardstock.

I'm looking forward to playing around with my watercolour mediums and developing more of a comfort zone with them. This card definitely isn't a game changer, but I'm pleased with the way it turned out.

Appreciate you stopping by to take a look!

Supplies:
Stamps: Penny Black Delightful; Simon Says Stamps Scripty Greetings

Card making "funk" - And Sharing Some Garden Pics

Well, it's happened again ....

I've developed a temporary allergy to stamps, ink and glue! LOL

OK, well of course I'm exaggerating, but the truth is that with all this gorgeous weather finally here, I've been spending more time playing with dirt than I have with paper & ink.

I'm not lucky enough to live in an area where I get to plant to my heart's content year-round, or see beautiful blooms all the time. So Spring is always a busy time for me to re-arrange plants, buy new ones, and plant annuals to add instant colour to my landscape. I also tackle "mini" landscape jobs to add more "space" for me to plant more flowers - currently, I'm laying a small flagstone walkway from our back iron gate, curving around to the basement entrance.

So this means that making cards has taken a back seat - for now! And that means that this little ole blog gets neglected - again!

So I thought I'd share some pics of my recent "visitors" to my garden ... those flowers currently in bloom that are hoarding all my free time on weekends and when I get home from work.

My roses, irises and Veronicas are not yet blooming - while my rhododendrons & azaleas are almost done!

My only wish is that your screen could have a "scratch & sniff" option for my yellow tree peony - the scent is A-MAZING!!!

Is there anything prettier than a beautiful flower in full bloom?

:-)

Thanks for your visit today!

Father's Day Card

Today I have a card to share that would suit a masculine theme (like the Father's Day one I chose for my card), or even to send to avid campers/cottagers as it definitely has an outdoorsy feel to it:

This card was inspired by another card made by a good friend while away for a weekend at a lovely cottage about 2 hours north of Toronto - a very fitting card considering the gorgeous surroundings we enjoyed during our stay.

The good thing about going so early in the season is that we weren't "food" for mosquitoes and deer/black flies :-)

Thanks for dropping by & have a lovely weekend!

Supplies:
Stamps: Stampin' Up Hardwood; Tim Holtz Tree Line; Papertrey Ink World's Greatest
Dies: Impression Obsession Beach Chairs; Embossing Folder; Lawn Fawn Stitched Hillside Border dies

Sending Lots of Love

Still posting cards made at a recent cottage get-away with gal pals, this one mixing up some Papertrey Ink with some Simon Says Stamp products.

The "Sending" diecut was inlaid, while the flower bouquets were popped up using dimensional foam adhesive dots.

Once finished, I added some iridescent sequins and placed the panel on black cardstock (once again, not visible as when taking the picture, I placed my card against a black backdrop. I definitely did NOT take Photography 101, but I'm learning) :-)

Thanks for your visit & have a crafty day!

Supplies:
Stamps: Papertrey Ink Fresh Floral Wrap-ups; Simon Says Stamp Sending Happy Thoughts
Dies: Papertrey Ink Fresh Floral Wrap-ups; Simon Says Stamp "Sending" die
Accessories: Clear Scraps 6X6 Chevron Stencil; iridescent sequins; pop dots

Botanicals for You Meets Brushstrokes

Happy Monday!

Time was running out to purchase from Stampin' Up's Sale-A-Bration catty, and I've been pondering the Botanicals for You stamp set for a while as I love the font of the large sentiment.

Large sentiments seem all the rage lately, don't you think?

Miraculously, it ended up in my "cart" while I was picking up some retiring cardstock colours recently and honestly, who can resist "free" crafty goodies? Not me :-)

Paired this new (for me) stamp set with Stampin' Up's Brushstrokes BG stamp, inked up in alternating pink & grey colours, and came up with this CAS creation:

As I didn't feel like fussy cutting a bunch of the floral images from this set, I decided to use the Martha Stewart Hydrangea punch that is almost an exact replica of the stamps and added them around the sentiment with adhesive pop dots for dimension, accented by the little sprigs in the stamp set stamped in Smoky Slate ink, and some grey pearl centers.

My MISTI was a huge help in horizontally lining up the alternating brushstroke images. After stamping the BG, I added shimmery silver splotches using a bit of Viva Decor Beeswax Polish mixed with some water on a paintbrush (not visible in the photo - sorry). A very easy, CAS card that can be used for many different occasions (birthday, "just because", thank you, celebrations, etc.).

Hope you're enjoying a fab day and thank you for your visit!

Supplies:
Stamps: Stampin' Up Botanicals for You; Stampin' Up Brushstrokes
Ink: Stampin' Up Smoky Slate, Pink Pirouette; Versafine Black
Cardstock: Stampin' Up Smoky Slate, Melon Mambo
Accessories: Martha Stewart 3-in-1 Hydrangea Punch; Silver-Grey & Pink Flatback Pearls; Viva Decor Silver Inka Gold Beeswax Polish

A Day Wrapped in Happiness

Thanks for dropping in ...

A while ago I posted a "Window Frame" card made with diecuts using My Favorite Things Spring Garden Die-namic set. If you missed that post, you can see my card here.

I actually ended up making quite a few of these "bouquets", and finally got around to using more of them on this card:

I sponged my sky on white cardstock with my "go to" ink colour for this purpose, Stampin' Up's Soft Sky. The double layer of grass was adhered directly on the bottom of this panel. After diecutting the Wheelbarrow, I sponged the edges lightly with Distress Pumice Stone to soften the edges, inserted my ready-made bouquets through the "slit" provided by the diecut, and popped the whole thing up on dimensionals before placing on the grass.

Finally, I stamped the sentiment in black and layered the card onto a black cardstock panel (which you can't see because of the black BG). The sentiment is from a Penny Black set that has some lovely sayings with a beautiful font.

And, lets face it, happiness is definitely what an avid gardener (like me) feels when one has a wheelbarrow full of flowers at the ready to plant! :-)

Hoping your day - whatever you're doing - is "wrapped in happiness" too!

Supplies:
Stamps: Penny Black Sprinkles & Smiles
Ink: Distress Ink Pumice Stone; Versafine Black; Stampin' Up Blue Sky
Dies: Impression Obsession Wheelbarrow; MFT Die-namics Fresh Cut Grass; MFT Spring Garden Die-namic set
Cardstock: White & Black cardstock; Stampin' Up Garden Green, Crisp Canteloupe, Calypso Coral, Poppy Parade, Smokey Slate cardstock
Accessories: Stickles; Adhesive Pop Dots

Celebrate - Painted Flowers (again)

Hello to my crafty blog readers!

Last weekend my card-making gal pals and I headed up north to a cottage, where we go twice a year, and spent 3 wonderful days crafting paper goodness and enjoying each other's company. Oh yeah ... and eating & drinking! :-)

But back to the cottage ... it's about 2 hours north, so it wasn't much of a surprise to still see snow on the ground in the woods. In fact, the lake the cottage is on was still frozen. The weekend was our best yet weather-wise, so by the time we left, there were pockets on the ice that had melted, and within the largest melted "pool" off to the left, I saw my first Loon of the season. LOVE hearing their haunting calls while at the cottage!

Here's a couple of pics of this gorgeous setting - one of the frozen lake off the patio, and one of our mess of crafty goodness on the table and spread around the dining area, which overlooks the lake:

Looks like there's quite the shortage of craft supplies, right? LOL We ALWAYS end up bringing way too much, and this time around we "scaled down" (believe it or not).

There's nothing like spending time with crafty friends to re-ignite my creativity!

Which brings me to one of the cards I made while on our weekend get-away - and since there was a beverage or two consumed while said weekend, please don't be too critical of my "off" angles. In my defense, the lighting at night wasn't exactly the greatest for my poor ole eyes ;-)

Altenew's Painted Flowers (yes ... again!), combined with WPlus9's Pretty Peonies leaves & fillers.

I started by sponging a white cardstock panel with Soft Sky ink, then stamped my leafy images in Versafine Black and Old Olive and the floral clusters in Black/Stampin' Up's Poppy Parade. I trimmed this panel down to fit behind the negative space at the top of the stitched frame, then adhered the Painted Flowers diecuts with dimensionals.

I stacked 3 of the sentiment diecuts and glued them right down in the center of the white space of the frame, and used a coordinating (poppy coloured) DP from my stash (MME) to place behind the bottom negative space of the frame diecut.

Stay tuned ... more cottage creations to come. Thanks for dropping by today.

Supplies:
Stamps: Altenew's Painted Flowers; WPlus9 Pretty Peonies
Ink: Versafine Black; Stampin' Up's Cameo Coral, Poppy Parade, Pool Party, Bermuda Bay, Old Olive, Lucky Limeade, Soft Sky; Simon Says Stamp Fog
Dies: Frantic Stamper Diagonal Card Sketcher; Papertrey Ink Wet Paint Cuts III; Altenew Painted Flowers Die set
Cardstock: White & Black cardstock; MME 6X6 DP

Painted Flowers - Take 3

It is coming down to the wire ...

I have promised to return this lovely stamp set to a friend this weekend.

Yet there is good news as it is back in stock in the Altenew shop, and my order has been placed!

So today I'm sharing yet another card I created with the Painted Flowers stamp set - a simple, CAS creation that didn't take long to put together.

In hindsight, I wish I had rounded the outside corners of this card to match the sentiment panel, but I was too excited and glued the panels down too fast :-)

I used my Inside/Outside Rounded Stitched Square dies to cut out a section in the middle of my card, and replaced it instead with a black panel on which I white embossed the "hello" sentiment (which was applied using dimensional dots). A few sequins here and there and voila! Another Painted Flowers card for my stash!

Happy weekend!

Supplies:
Stamps: Altenew Painted Flowers; PTI Bitty Bouquets
Ink: Stampin' Up Soft Sky, Bordering Blue, Pretty in Pink, Melon Mambo, Old Olive; PTI Hibiscus Burst; Versafine Black
Dies: MFT Inside & Out Stitched Rounded Square Stax Die-namics
Accessories: Adhesive Pop Dots; White Embossing Powder; Sequins

Painted Flowers "Hello" card - Muse Challenge #160

I am involved in a love affair ...

with a stamp set!

I can't seem to get enough of the Altenew stamp set "Painted Flowers" that I borrowed from a friend in order to create a card for a challenge with a blogging friend (previous post). I spent most of my weekend crafting with it, as I know that, too soon, I will have to give it back.

I wonder if she'll accept my "excuse" that one of my dogs ate it?? Ahhh, memories of school ... LOL

Seems that this set is sold out in many of my favourite crafting haunts (no surprise there). So I guess for now, I'll enjoy my limited time with this set until I can get my inky fingers on my own set.

I used the sketch/inspiration card over at Muse Challenge as a jump start for my card, creating a similar LO with a framed panel and sentiment located at the bottom as seen on Michele's beautiful card here (couldn't resist playing along with my friend over at I Card Everyone) - :-)

And this is the card I came up with:

I kept the sentiment general so that I can use this card for any occasion, and used a lovely frame die set that I ordered recently (and love!).

The floral panel is popped up on the embossed panel. I glued together 3 of the sentiment diecuts and adhered it to the floral panel with pop dots as well. A few iridescent sequins finish the card off.

I'll have more Altenew Painted Flowers cards coming ... I hope you don't tire of them (as I know I won't tire of making cards with this lovely set!)

Happy Monday & enjoy your week.

Supplies:
Stamps: Altenew Painted Flowers
Dies: Papertrey Ink Wet Paint Cuts; My Favorite Things Stitched Rectangle Scallop Frame Die-namics
Ink: Stampin' Up Soft Sky, Baja Breeze, Mellow Moss; Versafine Black
Cardstock: White & Black cardstock; Stampin' Up Baja Breeze cardstock
Accessories: Sizzix EF; Pop Dots; Iridescent Sequins