June Beautiful Blossoms Challenge : You Are My Shield

 Welcome back, stamping Friends! We're already into our June challenge! WOW!  This challenge I am really excited about, because the inspiration image is just So Beautiful!! I mean, how could you not just fall in love with a bouquet like that?!

Look at those beautiful colors and textures! Whew! What a bouquet!

I stamped out Colorado Craft's "Thinking of You Magnolias" and cut it out with the coordinating die, then colored it in with Copics. I cut out a "base" for my image and sentiment, using Papertrey Ink's "Scalloped Ovals" in Ivory cardstock, then stamped out my sentiment, also from Papertrey Ink called "Psalm 3:3". I cut out some design paper from Simple Stories "Front Porch", using Pink Fresh's "Stitched Rectangles", then more Ivory cardstock under the Stitched Rectangle diecut. I placed some foam popdots under the double matted Stitched Rectangles diecut to give it some lift off of the Bazzil "Aqua" cardstock base, and foam popdots under my Magnolia branch to lift it off the paper for dimension. I added some light green Pearls from Honey Bee Stamps "Pastel" collection to finish the look.

Thank you for joining us this month at Beautiful Blossoms Challenge. I hope you are as inspired as I am by this month's inspiration photo! We can't wait to see your inspired creations!

March : You Bake Me Happy

 Happy March, Ya'll!!! Is it spring yet?! Not so much here, but it hasn't been the worst winter, so I can deal.

This month, the Classic Design Team is featuring Dr. Digi's designs again. Dr. Digi has a huge selection of great images to choose from, and at a reasonable price, too. Take a look at the store here : Dr. Digi

I chose to use Bertha's Bread Baking Bonanza image. I chose it because I struggle and look as lost as Bertha, when I make homemade bread!!

I printed off the image and coloring it in with Copics. After coloring the image in, I taped off the edges of the image and sponged Antique Linen and Weathered Wood Distress Inks around the edges. I used Taylored Expressions Easy Edgers die to cut a pinking edge on some soft brown gingham paper from Simple Stories, from their "Gingham" collection. I adhered the gingham paper to a heavy Kraft cardstock, and added a ribbon from Maya Arts to the base. After tying the ribbon on the card, I placed the image over the front of the card base, then stamped my sentiment from Honey Bee stamps, then added three pearls from Honey Bees "Warm Pearls" collection.

I really had a hard time picking an image to color in, but I love how nice Bertha turned out!

I hope you're having a great spring and enjoying the warm weather!! Or I hope it's at least headed your way, soon! :) 

March Beautiful Blossoms Challenge : I Am Here For You

 It's March. No way, it's March already! Hopefully winter will be over soon... I hope!

Until then, it's more days inside for us to craft... right?! LOL! 

Well then, lets see this months Beautiful Blossoms Challenge photo and you can play along with us!

Pretty yellows and greens, right?! I love how springy it looks! It makes me excited for Easter to arrive!

I stamped out my image from Flourishes (store closed) "Botanical Bookplates" stamp collection, and colored it in using Copics. I cut out the image using MFT "Stitched Rectangles", and stamped my sentiment from Say It With Stamps "Thinking of You" stamp set. I cut a yellow piece of cardstock in Bazzil's "Cornmeal", again using MFT's "Stitched Rectangles" dies. Then I cut out my bottom "base" using MFT's "Double Stitched Rectangles" in Simple Stories "Warm White" design paper (it has little light yellow polka dots all over it).

I deliberately kept my card simple and pretty, like the image evokes. Uncomplicated, unfussy, and pretty. Just clean and simple like the bouquet. 

I hope the challenge photo and the team's examples inspire you as much as they did for me! I can't wait to see all of your creations, and until next month, keep crafting, Friends!

August Beautiful Blossoms Challenge: Be Joyful

 Welcome back to another Beautiful Blossoms monthly challenge!! Are you having fun and getting inspired? I know I am!

This month's photo inspiration is so cheery! I love sunflowers! I also love the color of blue this vase has. So pretty!

I chose to use the sunflower colors as my inspiration and play off those cheery yellows they have.

I chose to use a stamp from Flourishes, a company that went out of business years ago, and colored it in with Copics. I matted that over some Kraft Cardstock and rounded the Kraft paper's corners. I paired my image with some yellow design paper (I cannot seem to find it anywhere or I'd name it), and used a corner punch to clip the corners into a decorative design. I added some peachy orange grosgrain ribbon and bow, and then added a sentiment from Simple Stories.

I rather like how it turned out. Clean, simple, and cute. Just the way I like them. I like my cards with minimal fuss so the images can take center stage. But every now and then, I'll fancy it up for fun.

Thank you for stopping by and I'll see you here for next month's Beautiful Blossoms Challenge photo!

Hope Your Day is Sweet

 Good morning, Friends!

I have another card created from a challenge today. 

Color Throwdown : Pink, Brown & White

I chose to use Colorado Craft's Coffee House stamp and the coordinating dies, placed over a Distress Ink sponged background in Old Paper and Antique Linen.
I matted the main piece over some Kraft paper that I stitched together with Simple Stories Textured Cardstock in Mauve. Then I cut a banner using MFT's Skinny Strips die, and added my sentiment from Honey Bee Stamps "Mini Messages : Sweet" set.

I enjoyed the color challenge and I have a couple other ideas I might try with it.

But that is all I have for today. Until the next blog post, I hope you have a marvelous craft day!

Father's Day

 Hello and welcome back, Friends!

I have another blog challenged card to share with you, and as you can see, it's a Father's Day card. I know it is rather early to even think about Father's Day, but it fit in so well with some other blog challenges, it was too perfect to pass up.

I chose Flourishes "In Nature" stamp set that I colored in with Copics - choosing to predominantly use mainly blues and greens to keep it masculine. I cut out the image with My Favorite Thing's Double Stitched Rectangles, and then cut the paper under it with the same die. I added a small die cut and stamped out my sentiment from Crafter's Companion called "Sentiments" set. I then took Simple Stories "Teal" and used my Scor-Pal and embossed a "frame" a 1/4" from the edge, all around my cardstock. Then I put popdots under my darker green paper with my image, and centered it over my blue Simple Stories cardstock, for added interest and dimension. 

I love how this turned out. I kept it as CAS and masculine as I possibly could. My only wish is that I had a "Father's Day" stamp with a little less "fuss and frill" to it, so it really would be completely masculine.

I created this card for the following blog challenges :

~ A Cherry on Top (using their Card Sketch) : Card Sketch

~ Freshly Made Sketches : Card Sketch

~ Inspired By : Boys Room (Masculine/Blues/Greens)

~ Word Art Wednesday : Anything Goes

~ Krafty Chicks : Masculine

~ DL.Art : Anything Goes

~ Paper Funday Challenges : Anything Goes w/ Optional Monochrome Twist

That's all I have today Friends, but I hope to see you for another card post from blog challenges, soon!

Have a great Crafting Day!

Happy Birthday!

 Of all the kinds of cards I create, I love making Birthday cards the most! 

I realized I haven't made a nice, bold card with colors that POP! I wanted a card that just said summer, using some of my favorite "tart" vivid shades that invoke those summer vibes. 

So I created this card for my daughter's birthday last week, and she LOVED it.

I stamped out half of my (large!) image from Colorado Craft Company, called "Sweet Friend Cupcake" and colored it in with Copics, using some strong colors that would Pop off the card. Then I stamped my sentiment with a stamp set from Spellbinders called "Birthday Pennants". Then I matted my image using Doodle Bug Company's "Pistachio" cardstock, layering that over some really vivid patterned paper (no designer given on it). I placed the PP over some "Buttercup" yellow cardstock from Simple Stories and added some white cardstock under that that I punched out a "lace" edge using Fiskars "Swiss Dots" edger. I placed more Pistachio cardstock under the white Swiss Dot punched edge paper, but I popped that off the Pistachio using PopDots to offer depth and keep it from feeling "flat". I then added the image over the PP using more PopDots so there'd be some "lift" and life to the image.

This has to be one of my favorite cards I have made of recent. I love all the bright, bold and sassy colors! They just make me squeal with delight! I could make a hundred cards using these colors and they'd still make me smile. I don't know about you, but I'm just not ready for summer to end!

Delight in the Unexpected

 I'm back with a new card and a happy surprise.

This month's card is inspired by Power Poppy's challenge this month : Going Sentimental.

I've been playing around with an idea to make a black and gold card for quite sometime, and after I saw this month's challenge, I knew I had to try to combine my idea with it. 

Speaking of Power Poppy, I'm both stunned and thrilled to find out that I won last month's Blossom Challenge on their blog! I sincerely can't believe it, they have such beautiful stamps!

I stamped out my card and watercolored it, then matted it with Tim Holtz's Metal Cardstock. I placed some Popdots under the gold cardstock to pop it off the black and gold patterned paper background and give it depth. I added some lace and back striped paper from Simple Stories called "Vintage Lakeside" to the black and gold patterned paper. I matted it all in more black and gold cardstock and placed three small black pearls on the card to complete the look.

Every card is a fantastic journey into learning something new or creating a unique look, and I love the process! There are days I get stuck, but I refuse to re-invent the wheel. Rather, I like to find the beauty in an image and enhance it as best as I can while still making sense. I think many of us feel pressured to create something amazing every time, but there's no need because every card is beautiful.

I hope you all have a great day and I'll see you all next week with another card!