May Beautiful Blossoms Challenge : Birthday Wishes

 Welcome back again to another fun Beautiful Blossoms Challenge! I really do look forward to these every month, and this month is another good one!

Our challenge photo is :

Look at those beautiful flowers and lovely blue color of fine china! So inspiring! I was inspired by the blue and the details on this photo. I love the clean white flowers and on the china, so I left a lot of white space on my card, and added a few hints of blue here and there. I was also inspired by the details of the vessel, so I added a few details to inspire the eye.

I stamped out tulips in a bucket from Flourishes (gone out of business) "Tulips for Friends" stamp set, cut it out, and colored it in with Copics. I cut the main "base" under the tulips in white cardstock that I stamped some decorative edges around (I decided to leave them unconnected because it was more interesting that way, and I wanted the main focus on the tulip bucket) the outer edges. I used Echo Parks "Stitched Squares" die set for my main "base" on top. I stamped a sentiment from Simon Says Stamp from their "Tiny Words" set, on the base after I'd stamped the corner decorative images. Then I cut out a blue cardstock using MFT "Scalloped Squares" die set, after that, I cut out another white square from Echo Parks "Stitched Squares" die set, as my "bottom base". As I added each "layer", I placed 1/8" foam tape under them, to give "lift" and spacing so the card wouldn't seem "flat" and uninteresting. Then I put my main image on last, with more popdots under it to pop it off the card even more.

As you may have noticed the challenge photo is both small and detailed, so I kept the idea of that scale and detail in mind when I created my card. It is both small (3 1/2 x 3 1/2) and detailed. I know there isn't any yellow in the photo, but remember, it's for inspiration only. You can be inspired by the colors, subject, details, size, theme, or anything else you find inspiration in!

I hope this month's photo, and our design team's examples have given you plenty of ideas to create something. We're looking forward to seeing your submissions and lovely inspirations, and I'll see you next month, Crafty Friends!

Thinking of You

 Hello and welcome back, Friends! I'm back with another creation.

I created this card out of combining a few online challenges. And as always as of late, keeping it simple, choosing to focus on the image instead of accessories.

I stamped out my image and colored it in with Copics, and cut it down to my desired size. Then, I ran a metallic gold sharpie pen along my edges, just to make them pop a little off my background and stand out a bit. It's barely noticeable but it creates depth so the images stands out and the edges don't get lost in the background matting.
I chose my favorite MFT Dienamic matting die, Stitched Scalloped Rectangles and cut out some Bazzil cardstock in Pale Rose; offering a breath of color but still a neutral enough to be a subtle background note.
I placed some popdots under my floral image so it would pop off the scalloped edge Bazzil cardstock, and placed it in the center of the card.

I truly love how it turned out! So simple, clean and pretty! Love it!

I'm entering it in the following Blog Challenges :

Color Throwdown - Teal, Pink & Lime

Polkadoodles - Anything Goes

Inspired By... - Spring Colors

Just Add Ink - Pick Two (Colors & Thinking of You)

Sprinkled with Love

 Hello again crafty Friends! I'm back with another fun card created from two blog challenges that I found online.  The first blog is : Inspired By with their "Inspired By ... Gnomes". Though I wasn't inspired by the gnomes or the colors themselves, I was definitely inspired by the Sketch they offered. The second blog challenge I am combining with my card is : Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge. This is also a new blog challenge that I found recently that I wanted to try out. This weeks challenge is : "Something New".

As you remember, this year I am challenging myself to create and participate more. And though we're only 11 days into the new year, I've found a few challenges and really enjoyed the crafting push.

I created this card using some new stamps that I bought.

I stamped my image from Kokorosa using their stamp set & dies, called "Cake Making", and a sentiment from MFT, called "Sugar Coated Sentiments", stamped on a MFT "Skinny Strips" pennant die. I cut out an oval with Spellbinders "Oval" and sponged "Old Paper" Distress Ink gently around the edges to help bring the focus on the main stamped image. Then I die cut a scalloped rectangle with a buff colored cardstock and an old piece of Cosmo Cricket "Sofie" DP, using Taylored Expressions "Petite Scalloped Mini Slim Stacklets" & Stitched Mini Slim Stacklets" dies. I added a unique Spellbinders decorative element cut from Tim Holtz's Metallic Paper collection, in Gold, and added some Nuvo Pure Sheen Sequin in "Cannoli Cream" with gem stickers from Honey Bee Stamps from their "Farm Fresh Holiday" collection.

It looks more complicated than it was to make, but I love it. It all came together so quickly! My only regret was that I didn't have any of those "springs" that you can put under images that let them move back and forth!! Next time I put an order in, I need to grab a couple of those and experiment with them!

Well, until next time Friends, stay crafty!