Happy Spring

Welcome to Friday, friends!

Do you have any big plans for the weekend? My husband has to work on Saturday so I'm looking at a whole day to myself. Every once in a while, I love to have quiet days like that where I can do as much or as little as I like. I think I'll work on my Project Life and try and get a little design work done. I am up-to-date on PL but have been lazy about photographing it. Maybe I'll do that on Saturday, too :)

Today I thought I'd share my creation for this week's Play Date Cafe Color Challenge. I was on the ball with playing along this week.

I have to admit that I felt like I struggled a bit with this one. Brown and black are usually two colors that I don't mix together. I love them both with cream or white separately, but I feel like they compete with each other. But the PDCC Design Team as well as the players so far really did a great job combining the colors, so goes to show what I know ;)

Here is the card that I made:

I was perusing my stamps and the bird's nest from C'est La Vie jumped out at me right away, so I had my heart set on using that. I stamped it in Coffee Archival Ink onto a Label Layers 2 die cut. The Happy Spring sentiment is from Spring Tags, and looking at it now I wish I would have stamped that in black. I added some shimmer to the eggs in the nest with my Sakura Stardust pen blended with an Aquapainter.

The harlequin pattern is from Heirloom Patterns and the medallion background is from French Country.

The bird was a last minute addition from Birds of a Feather. So what do you think? Are you going to play along with this week's challenge? I can't wait to see if you do.

I hope you have a great weekend - I'm sure I'll pop back in at some point, and I've got some fun news to share on Monday. So I'll see you around!

Anya

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Recipe
STAMPS: C'est La Vie, Spring Tags - Wplus9; Heirloom Patterns, French Country - Waltzingmouse Stamps; Birds of a Feather - Papertrey Ink
CARDSTOCK: True Black, White - Papertrey Ink
INK: Coffee Archival Ink, Antique Linen Distress Ink - Ranger Industries; Onyx Black Versafine - Tsukineko
OTHER: Label Layers 2 Die - Wplus9; True Black Party Plaid Ribbon, Classic Kraft Button - Papertrey Ink; Stardust Gelly Roll pen - Sakura; Sewing machine - Janome

Sweet Birthday Wishes

Hi there. I just wanted to pop in quick to share another birthday card that I made. I'm going to keep it short, I have this headache that just won't go away...

A friend of mine at work celebrated her birthday on Saturday. I made this card for her.

The background was stamped with the large chicken wire pattern from WMS. This is my first time using the flowers from Rosie Posie, and I do have to say I particularly love these roses.

I am so glad you stopped in. I'm heading to the couch to catch the rest of the hockey game with my hubs.

Anya

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Recipe
STAMPS: Chicken Wire, Compact Sentiments - Waltzingmouse Stamps; Rosie Posie - Papertrey Ink
CARDSTOCK: Lavender Lace - Stampin' Up!; Rustic White - Papertrey Ink
INK: Poppy Parade, Daffodil Delight, Lavender Lace, Lucky Limeade - Stampin' Up!; Pebble - Amuse|Studio; Antique Linen Distress Ink - Ranger Industries; Onyx Black Versafine - Tsukineko

Turning Two

Helllooo friends! How was your weekend? Raise your hand if you answer is 'not long enough!'

This weekend my sweet niece Tessa turned two. She is the youngest of our bunch of nieces and nephews and boy, she is a cutie.

This week's Play Date Cafe Color Challenge was perfect for the birthday card I needed to create. Bright, happy, birthday colors for a scrumptious little sweetie. Here is the color story.

I knew that I wanted to use the new Layered Butterfly Die from Wplus9 on my card. I built the rest around that.

The bottom layer of the butterfly was die cut from Purely Pomegranate cardstock. I cut the next two layers for the wings from a doily. Isn't that lacy look fun? The last piece is the body of the butterfly, which was again cut from PP cardstock. I topped it off with a rhinestone and some Diamond Stickles on the wings. The glitter made the paper curl a bit, which was perfect! Aren't they just adorable? Seriously love this super fun and creative die - lots of possibilities!

I also used images from Woodgrain Silhouettes and the Additions set as well as Very Vintage Greetings. These are staples of my collection!

Well that's it for me, I'm going to finish up watching the hockey game with my hubs then head to bed. Thanks for your visit - have a great night!

Anya

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Recipe:
STAMPS: Woodgrain Silhouettes, Woodgrain Silhouettes Additions, Very Vintage Greetings - Wplus9
CARDSTOCK: Purely Pomegranate, More Mustard - Stampin' Up!; White - Papertrey Ink
INK: Baja Breeze, More Mustard, Purely Pomegranate - Stampin' Up!; Antique Linen Distress Ink - Ranger Industries
OTHER: Layered Butterfly Die, Label Layers 3 Die - Wplus9; Doily - Wilton; Pink adhesive rhinestone - Recollections; Diamond Stickles - Ranger Industries

Big Day

Happy Thursday! How are you, chickies? Doing well here, looking forward to the weekend.

Today I have a sweet birthday card to share with you. A few weeks ago, Laurie Schmidlin shared a little about her daughter Alison and the struggles she is going through. Alison's 16th birthday is coming up and Laurie asked if we could send her a birthday card to help celebrate. I was happy to, and this little number is on its way to Ms. Alison now.

I combined Back in the Saddle and Heirloom Patterns for this card. Pink, brown, and cream is always such a yummy color combination, too.

Before I zip away, I wanted to give a little shout out. Heirloom Patterns is starting to show up in blog land and I wanted to share some of what I've seen! I think that maybe you guys like the houndstooth? ;)

Laurie rocked it with houndstooth shamrocks.

JJ wowed me with her CAS card - I think the large houndstooth pattern is the bomb, too! ;)

Cammie was inspired by menswear patterns for her card.

Ladies, you made me so happy inside - I love that you are enjoying this set. I can't wait to see it popping up elsewhere. Thank you for your support!

Have a great evening!

Anya

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Recipe
STAMPS: Back in the Saddle, Heirloom Patterns - Waltzingmouse Stamps
CARDSTOCK: Sweet Blush, Rustic Cream - Papertrey Ink
INK: Close to Cocoa, Pink Pirouette - Stampin' Up!; Antique Linen Distress Ink - Ranger Industries
OTHER: Deco Scallop punch - EK Success; Pink adhesive rhinestones - Recollections; Sewing machine - Janome

So Awesome

Phew! Sneaking in at the very last minute to share a creation for this week's Play Date Cafe challenge. Here is this week's fun and funky color story:

I have been busy putting together submissions for upcoming publications, but have finally crossed that task off my list. What a relief to be done! My time was my own, and I went right for one of my Wplus9 stamp sets for this card.

I handed this to Bill to look at (all my cards go through a thorough review process ;) and he said "I know I am, you really didn't have to make me a card.." What a stinker. But, he is kind of really awesome, so I'll let it slide.

This card uses images from the So 80's set from Wplus9. SUPER fun set, I just loved using it. Everything I stamped, aside from the sentiment, was stamped off once onto scratch paper. I wanted the colors to be a little muted since they were all layered on each other. I like the way it turned out and I can't wait to try this set again.

Thanks for stopping in, I think you're awesome, too!
Have a great night!

Anya

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Recipe
STAMPS: So 80's - Wplus9 Design Studio
CARDSTOCK: Night of Navy - Stampin' Up!; Soft Stone - Papertrey Ink
INK: Night of Navy, Kiwi Kiss, Tangerine Tango, Baja Breeze - Stampin' Up!; Pumice Stone Distress Ink - Ranger Industries
OTHER: Standard Circles Large - Spellbinders Paper Arts

Top o the Mornin!

Hello! Happy St. Patrick's Day!

It also happens to be Blog Party day at Waltzingmouse Stamps. This month's theme was to create something with an Irish or green theme in honor of St. Patrick's Day. Here is what I created, for the love of all things green!

I created my card by bringing together a bunch of different green strips. This was really fun to put together. I combined stamped bits (Celtic Heritage, Heirloom Patterns), patterned paper, a glittered strip, and a strip that was embossed with polka dots. I adhered the strips together on the back and then added it to my card base with dimensional tape.

This sentiment makes me smile each time I read it. Irish Blessings is full of a great mix of classic phrases and blessings.

Enjoy the rest of the blog party - if you would like to play along, you have until 1:30 pm Eastern tomorrow afternoon (March 18) to link your projects on the WMS Blog. If you don't have any St. Patrick's Day or Irish images, check out the Freebies section of the WMS store where you can download some digital images.

Top o' the mornin' to you!

Anya

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Recipe
STAMPS: Celtic Heritage, Heirloom Patterns, Irish Blessings - Waltzingmouse Stamps
CARDSTOCK: Pear Pizzazz, Wild Wasabi, Garden Green - Stampin' Up!
PATTERNED PAPER: Peppermint Collection - Crate Paper
INK: Garden Green - Stampin' Up!
OTHER: Polka Dots Embossing Folder - ProvoCraft; Peridot Glitter - Martha Stewart Crafts

Thanks for Being You

How about a little Wplus9 this morning? I have missed playing with my Wplus9 stamps, and once I get a handle on my to-do list, they will be one of the first things I break out! The Folk Art Florals set has not seen nearly enough of my stampy love.

For this card, I used the Flora & Fauna I set. My usual plan of action with this gorgeous dogwood branch is to color it, but this time I stamped it on colored cardstock instead. I cut it out and adhered it to a panel of patterned paper.

Then I added the butterfly as a little finishing touch - I can't wait for butterflies. It makes me so happy to hear the birds chipping and chirping, but we will really know we're out of the woods when the butterflies show up. The sentiment is from the Very Vintage Greetings set.

:)

Well I hope you have a beautiful day, its Friday and I can't wait for the weekend to get started.

Oh! Don't forget tomorrow is the monthly Waltzingmouse Blog Party! Won't you join us - we always have a blast! You can find the info you need here on the WMS Blog. See you then I hope!

Anya

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Recipe
STAMPS: Flora & Fauna I, Very Vintage Greetings - Wplus9 Design Studio
CARDSTOCK: Fine Linen, Vintage Cream, Sweet Blush - Papertrey Ink
PATTERNED PAPER: Daily News (Out of Print Collection) - Basic Grey
INK: Coffee Archival Ink, Antique Linen Distress Ink - Ranger Industries
OTHER: Sweet Blush Twill - Papertrey Ink; Sewing Machine - Janome

Sunny Yellow

Hi there, how is your week starting off?

Same old here - isn't it crazy what a difference the time change makes to waking up in the morning?

Well here's something a little sunny for you today. This is for this week's Play Date Cafe Challenge, a fun burst of color.

What a trendy color combination with the yellow and gray. I'm a big fan of these colors together.

I was extra excited because it was the perfect opportunity for me to try my houndstooth in yellow that I've been wanting to use. Here's what I made for this week's challenge.

I started with a background created using the medallion border from French Country and the large houndstooth from Heirloom Patterns. I stitched these two pieces together and added it to a dark gray card base.

The paper rosette was cut from Bo Bunny patterned paper and then layered onto a doily. The Eiffel Tower image is from the Paris Nouveau set and was stamped in gray and cut out. I added some adhesive pearls that were colored dark gray with a Copic marker. The sentiment is from Compact Sentiments. Really like this card - so thankful for the inspiration from PDCC.

I just wanted to give you a quick reminder that this Saturday (the 17th - St. Patrick's Day!) is the monthly WMS Blog Party. You can find all the details about it here on the WMS Blog. This month's theme is St. Patrick's Day/Irish/Green - now don't fret if you don't have anything in your stamping arsenal that fits the theme. Claire has offered free printable digi images that would fit the theme perfectly. So I hope you will play along with us!

Hope your week is shaping up to be a great one - our weather at least is going to be fantastic! Have a great day!

Anya

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Recipe
STAMPS: French Country, Heirloom Patterns, Paris Nouveau, Compact Sentiments - Waltzingmouse Stamps
CARDSTOCK: Going Gray - Stampin' Up!; Smokey Shadow, Rustic White - Papertrey Ink
PATTERNED PAPER: Country Garden - Bo Bunny
INK: Daffodil Delight - Stampin' Up!; Slate - Amuse|Studio; Pumic Stone Distress Ink - Ranger Industries; Onyx Black Versafine - Tsukineko
OTHER: Paper Rosette die - Tim Holtz Alterations; Doily - Wilton; Adhesive pearls - Recollections; BV29 Copic; Sewing Machine

Sweet Birthday Wishes

Hiya. How are things?

I'm in a slump - this week for some reason has been really rough. I have a sinus infection and finally got myself to the doctor to start treatment, so hopefully I will be feeling better soon. And everything seems to be so involved recently - do you ever start something thinking it will take you ten minutes and it takes you two hours? SO there this week. After much deliberation, I treated myself to a Silhouette Cameo. It arrived the other day and, let's just say I didn't hit the ground running quite like I'd hoped. I am going to try again tonight with hopefully better results.

But let's move on to happier things, shall we? I have a card I want to share.

I made this for my Sister-in-law's birthday. It was actually the first card I made with the new WMS sets. The yummy houndstooth label is from Very Vintage Labels No. 25 and the sentiment is from Compact Sentiments. Simple but pretty, don't you think?

I really like the look of black on cream, but I'm itching to try the houndstooth out in some other colors. Yellow, for starters... and it just so happens that this week's Play Date Cafe color challenge will be perfect. So look out for that in the next few days.

Thank you for stopping by this evening, I hope you are doing well. The weekend is almost here! Take care!

Anya

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Recipe
STAMPS: Very Vintage Labels No. 25, Compact Sentiments - Waltzingmouse Stamps; Rosie Posie - Papertrey Ink
CARDSTOCK: Melon Berry, Vintage Cream - Papertrey Ink
INK: Onyx Black VersaFine - Tsukineko; Groovy Guava, Lucky Limeade - Stampin' Up!; Antique Linen Distress Ink - Ranger Industries
OTHER: Edgers #3 Dies, Melon Berry Satin Ribbon - Papertrey Ink; Swiss Dots Embossing Folder - ProvoCraft

Bonjour!

Good evening, my dears. I hope you are well.

I felt like making a card today. I needed a few days after that packed-to-the-brim Waltzingmouse release.. a mojo recharge.. you never know how long it takes, but today I was ready.

I found this cute little Butterfly Delights die at my LSS this weekend (shopping is a good way to recharge your mojo, did you know that?) and had this idea while trying to fall back to sleep very early this morning.

I die cut the butterflies (all one strip, easy peasy) from Crumb Cake cardstock and then backed the openings with cardstock in colors inspired by this week's Play Date Cafe challenge.

I added some cream in there to help balance it - I love the colors peeking through. The sentiment is from the new French Country set from WMS.

I love Heirloom Patterns, but there is something so delicious about French Country that I think its my favorite of the release.

The WMS Blog Waltz winner was announced on the WMS Blog today, so if you haven't checked you might want to see if you're the lucky winner!

I'm a few weeks behind on my Project Life, but I'm dedicating time to it this week, so look for more of that coming up.

I hope you have a great evening, I'm off to catch up on Downton Abbey!

Anya

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Recipe
STAMPS: French Country - Waltzingmouse Stamps
CARDSTOCK: Crumb Cake, Soft Sky, Blush Blossom - Stampin' Up!; Vintage Cream - Papertrey Ink
INK: Coffee Archival Ink - Ranger Industries
OTHER: Butterfly Delights Die - Memory Box