A New Fold

I nearly forgot to check for the Flourishes May Release challenge! How did that happen??? I guess I've been pretty distracted lately and not too interested in crafty pursuits. Anyway, I caught the Colorful Creations Challenge just in time to play along this morning before the challenge ends tomorrow. It's a challenge to use at least three colors from the combo shown in this graphic:

I used the brand-new, beautifully stippled Bees & Blooms stamp set from Flourishes. I won it last month from the super-sweet Silke Ledlow (thanks SO much, Silke!), and this is my first time inking it up. I'm not sure that linen-textured paper was the best choice for this image (I think I lost some of the stamp's fine detail), but I think this will pass if you look at it from the "worn, faded look" angle. The sentiment is from Flourishes' Tag Lines.

The fold style of this card is something new and different for me. My daughter received a thank you note yesterday from a friend that looked like this:

My inspiration!

We thought it looked pretty cool and sophisticated, so my daughter eagerly agreed to let me keep it for inspiration. I couldn't wait to try out a similar fold! I think this would work wonderfully as an all-occasion note card OR a gift card holder, don't you?

Thanks for sharing a little slice of bliss with me this morning!
Emily

Wreath Gift Card Holder

Happy Saturday!! I needed a gift card holder for the gift card we will be giving my Aunt Jay and Uncle Bill for Christmas. This is what I came up with:

{outside}
{inside}

I was inspired by this beautiful holly wreath ornament from Bronner's Christmas Wonderland:
I used a 1-inch scalloped circle punch (with a 1/2-inch circle punched out of the center of each one) for the little wreaths on the front. Some red glitter glue dots became the holly berries. The wreath image on the inside was from the $1 bin at A.C. Moore. The sentiments are both from Mark's Finest Papers.

I incorporated these challenges into my project:

• Caardvarks: Gift Card/Money Holder
• Crafty Creations: Gift Card Holder
• Get Sketchy: Sketch #67

Thanks for stopping by!

Card Recipe:
Stamps: Mark's Finest Papers Bells on Bobtail (sentiments), Studio G
Paper: The Paper Company CS
Ink: Palette jardin moss, Marvy LePlume II black marker
Accessories: EK 1" scallop circle punch, SU 1/2" circle punch, MS modern garland edge punch, SU 2-3/8" scallop circle punch, scoring tool, Studio G red Sparkle Writer, Prismcolor pencils, red photo turn, brad
Techniques: punch art

Another Flap Card

OK, I am officially hooked on making these flap cards!! Here's another quick one to share with you.
I incorporated these challenges:

• Flourishes Timeless Tuesday Challenge: FTTC89, focus on the sentiment. I used this great sentiment "Live the Sweet Life" from Flourishes' Peaches and Cherries set.
• The Play Date Cafe: PDCC52, to be inspired by the colors in this photo collage:
• Card Positioning Systems: Sketch 189
• today's Splitcoast Inspiration Challenge IC255: to be inspired by one of the posters on the website Poster Cabaret. I was inspired by the oval shape in this poster.

My little slice of bliss today? While DH and DS were away today on a Cub Scout outing (they went to tour a radio station~~WBUR, Boston's NPR News Station), DD and I went to do some produce shopping at a new little produce store in our town called The Purple Plum. It is so quaint!! We picked up some tomatoes and lettuce for tonight's tacos for supper, plus some cantaloupe for breakfasts and red peppers for DD's school lunches next week. Then the two of us went out for lunch!! We capped with off with some card-making this afternoon for a fun day of togetherness. :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Card Recipe:
Stamps: Flourishes Peaches and Cherries
Paper: SU DP scraps, SU pretty in pink CS, SU pumpkin pike CS, SU regal rose CS, SU summer sun CS
Ink: Versamark
Accessories: SU punches: large oval, scallop oval, wide oval; CM oval cutting system, MS chrysanthemum punch, brads, photo turn, sewing machine, scoring tool, rhinestones, Stampin' Pastels, sponge applicator, hairspray
Techniques: Poppin' Pastels, machine stitching

A Flock of Flap Cards

Happy Saturday to all of you!! Yesterday's Free for All challenge on Splitcoast Stampers was to make a card that incorporates a flap in some way. I've never made a card with a flap before, so I cruised the SCS tutorials and found instructions for making an awesome flap card. I couldn't believe how easy these are! I was inspired to make a whole flock of these fun flap cards. I am hosting the SCS Gallery Comment Contest again this month and in just a little over a week will be sending out prize packages to the winners. I will need enclosure cards to send with the prizes and discovered that these will be perfect for that. And I won't even need envelopes for them since I've found ways to secure the flaps!!

Green Sparrow Flap Card

The SCS tutorial suggested using magnetic snaps as the closure for a flap card. Having nothing like this, I devised a little string clasp closure using baker's twine instead. I watercolored this adorable bird image from a Mark's Finest Papers stamp set called Speedy the Cat's Friends. I'm entering this in the Caardvarks challenge to create a new stamped card that is decorated inside and out! I paid special attention ;) to the inside of this flap card. The color combo comes from this week's Off the Wall Craftiness challenge.

Tangerine Kite Flap Card

This flying-high flap card takes its colors from one of the two current ColourQ #55 palettes and its layout from the current Repeat Impressions' What If Wednesday sketch. That cute little kite image is from Repeat Impressions. I decided to use a photo turn as my flap closure for this card.

Pink and Black Fleur de Lis Flap Card

This girly pink and black card takes its colors from the second of the two ColourQ #55 palettes. I used another little photo turn for securing the flap on this. That sweet fleur de lis image comes from the Mark's Finest Papers Regal & Proud set. This is the first time I've used this fleur de lis but it won't be the last. I love it!! I can't believe how detailed it is.

After all this crafting fun yesterday, I was ready to cap off the day with some autumn fun. After school, the kids and I visited a local orchard as a treat. Once DD and DS had each chosen a small Halloween pumpkin, we picked up a half dozen apple cider donuts and a gallon jug of orchard-made apple cider. It was quite chilly, so we couldn't have our snack at the picnic tables near the orchard (without freezing off our fingers!), so we sat in the car to munch our donuts with swigs of fresh apple cider. The kids saved the rest of the donuts (plus one for Dad!) for breakfast this morning. Fun!

The October Gallery Comment Contest is still going strong--right up until 11:59 p.m. on October 31. Anyone is welcome to join in at any time!! I'd love for you to play along. You can find all of the details right HERE.

Thanks for stopping by to check out my little slice of bliss for today!! I love to see you here. :)

Card Details:
Green Sparrow Flap Card
Stamps: MFP Speedy the Cat's Friends, MFP Tweet Blessings (sentiment)
Paper: Mark's Finest Papers spring leaft CS, SU chocolate chip CS, SU DP, Canson watercolor paper
Ink: Palette burnt umber
Accessories: SU scallop circle punch, EK 1.5" circle punch, SU scallop trim border punch, SU scallop border punch, CM petal multi-maker, watercolor brush, brad, button baker's twine, rhinestones
Techniques: watercolor painting

Tangerine Kite Flap Card
Stamps: Repeat Impressions
Paper: SU DP, SU basic black, assorted CS from The Paper Company
Ink: Palette noir black
Accessories: SU scallop circle punch, EK 1.5" circle punch, SU scallop border punch, brad, photo turn, fibers, scissors
Techniques: paper piecing

Pink Fleur de Lis Card
Stamps: Mark's Finest Papers Regal & Proud
Paper: SU regal rose, Su pretty in pink, SU basic black, SU whisper white, Miss Elizabeth's DP
Ink: Palette noir black
Accessories: SU scallop circle punch, EK 1.5" circle punch, EK 1.25" circle punch, SU 1" circle punch, EK chain of hearts punch, CM corner rounder punch, brad, photo turn, pink grograin ribbon, Bow-Easy