Cheers & Wishes

Hello there!   Today's two cards were fun to put together, using up scraps from around my work desk. It's my favorite type of card-making challenge! 

The grape stencil looking stamp is an old one from Stampin' Up!, but I sold the set and can't remember the name of it.  I colored the stamp with markers so I could achieve a three-tone look to it.  I stacked it on top of green, light brown, and shimmery gold squares.

The next card is, well, not exactly a 'Colleen' card, but the scraps were calling to be put together, and this was the resulting design.  Both stars are golden, punched from mirrored cardstock.

Before I sign off, I want to share a quote from Mother Teresa that I recently found.  It's thought-provoking. 

“These are the few ways we can practice humility:

To speak as little as possible of one's self.

To mind one's own business.

Not to want to manage other people's affairs.

To avoid curiosity.

To accept contradictions and correction cheerfully.

To pass over the mistakes of others.

To accept insults and injuries.

To accept being slighted, forgotten and disliked.

To be kind and gentle even under provocation.

Never to stand on one's dignity.

To choose always the hardest.” 

― Mother Teresa, The Joy in Loving: A Guide to Daily Living

Vintage Tulip

Hi there!  It's been a little while since I've posted a card. Life has been very, very busy, and it's got me running around doing other things. Today I have a bit of free time to share some cards with you.

I built this card around the piece of a book page, which I stamped with flourishes from Fiskars' Vintage Farmhouse stamp set. The tulip is from Anna Griffin (set unknown), and is brightly colored with pops of spring in fuchsia and green.

There's a sprinkling of sequins and topaz gem stones, and a taupe seam binding bow to top it all off.

Thanks for taking a peek today. I'll be sharing more soon!

Chickens

Hello! We've got temps in the 80s today, unusual for April here. I am not looking forward to this, because I favor cooler temps...in April.  Not ready to put on shorts...in April. Or turn on the air conditioner...in April. (Can you tell I'm having a bit of a problem with this? LOL)

I'm sharing a card I made last summer, and it's all about chickens.

These cute little dies are from Papertrey Ink's On The Farm set. I set them upon green gingham grass, against an orange sunset. Under the grass is a bit of white tulle, rolled up and tied with vintage thread bows on either end.

The background is a natural cardstock base, topped with a white Chicken Wire diecut from My Favorite Things Dienamics. The sentiment is from an older Fiskars stamp set.

I've even stamped a rooster inside (Inspired by Stamping French Country).

Be well, stay cool (if you're in a hot zone today), and be blessed!  Thanks for coming by!

Golden Cross, Lilies on a Cross

Happy Monday! Easter is fast approaching, so here are a couple more seasonal cards to share. They're available at Arts Plus Gallery in Collingswood, New Jersey.

A golden cross....

...and a lily-bedecked cross from He Is Risen by Flourishes Stamps (retired).

Thank you for coming by today, I hope you have a wonderful day!

For flower-lovers only

This is a three-fer, folks! There are three cards to share here today.
I was playing with old-but-new-to-me Flourishes Stamps sets (all illustrated by the fabulous Marcella Hawley) and this is what I came up with:

The next one uses skinny strips of patterned paper, which I just could not throw away:

If you're a crafter or cardmaker, too, isn't it a wonderful feeling to lose yourself in the art?  Often, I don't have any preconceived ideas of what to design...it just comes to me as I begin to pull out the supplies. I think that's the part I love best about the whole process. It's organic and natural and soooooo satisfying.

Thank you ever so much for joining me here today!  God bless you!

French Country Rooster

If you're into French Country style, you must be familiar with rooster images, and sunflowers, too.

This Graphic 45 patterned paper (I don't know the name, sorry!) was the jumping-off point for the card's design. I bought a pack of the paper at Tuesday Morning, and it's got like 24 sheets in the pack...and all the same design.  Ha ha. It's going to last me a while!

The rooster image is from Fiskars' Vintage Farmhouse.  I used the script stamp from Stampin' Up!'s Rustic Rooster behind the little guy, in a light ink. The yellow die cuts behind the rooster panel were created with a die (cut twice) from this Spellbinders set, Fleur De Lis Motifs (right column, second one down):

There is a sprinkling of Espresso sequins, surrounding the focal point, as well as some jute braid, crocheted trim, and a teeny tiny tag with a Tiny Tag sentiment (Papertrey Ink).

I also dressed up the patterned paper with a couple of postmark stamps, in dark brown ink, near the bottom left corner of the card (Pink Paislee London Market / Vintage Impressions). The pattern of the paper is quite busy already, but I felt it needed something subtle.  Kind of like a, "Where's Waldo?" thing. ;-)

Thanks for coming by! You're wonderful and don't you forget it!  

He will bring you through it

I've got a sweet little encouragement card to share today. My inspiration was this pretty piece of rose-filled patterned paper from Stampin' Up! 

Though it's subtle, the top half of the card is stamped with Vintage Farmhouse by Fiskars in a pale, pale pink. The encouraging sentiment is from Inspired By Stamping. 

Those gorgeous resin roses - how about that color matching?? - are from Anna Griffin.

There is a bit of white lace along the bottom, too.  It's rather tough to see in the photo, but in real life, it brings a gentle, textural touch to the card.

I'm so glad you came by. Perhaps you needed to read a message like the one on this card today, and I pray it brings you a measure of inspiration and hope!

Stamps: Vintage Farmhouse - Fiskars; Words of Inspiration - Inspired By Stamping Paper: floral patter, Riding Hood Red - Stampin' Up!; white - Papertrey Ink Ink: Pink Pirhouette, Kiwi Kiss - Stampin' Up! Fibers: white lace - fabric store Accessories & Tools: Scalloped Rectangle die - Spellbinders; Sparkling Crystal sequins - Pretty Pink Posh; resin roses - Anna Griffin; pearls

Hello, Teal

Hi there!  One of my not-so-fave retired colors from Stampin' Up! is Taken With Teal. Always kind of avoided using it, but I do hate waste.   I made a few cards with the teal cardstock, and this is one of them:

And you know, it kind of grew on me.  :-)  It ain't so bad after all.

The sentiment from Fiskars' All Year Greetings says "hello," but this is actually a birthday card.  I like being able to stretch my stamps as much as I can.  A Spellbinders' Corner Flourish die cut in black -- times 2, placed end-to-end -- helped create the central focal point.

Thank you so much for coming by today!

Stamps: All Year Greetings - Fiskars Paper: Taken With Teal - SU; True Black, white - PTI Fibers: black seam binding - Hug Snug - The Zipper Stop Accessories & Tools: Corner Flourish die - Spellbinders; blue gems - Michaels

A Trio of Sympathies

Welcome!  I make so many sympathy cards to sell in the shop that I thought it best to lump a few into one post.

I had to have the Penny Black Botanical Notes stamp after seeing it on others' blogs, and found it makes a lovely background in gray.  The sentiment is from my oft-used Hero Arts set, With Sympathy.

I stamped the image twice on pale gray cardstock, and cut out one butterfly to place on top.  I used a white shimmer Smooch ink to paint the butterfly, but I couldn't adequately capture that in a photo.

Stamps: Botanical Notes - Penny Black; With Sympathy - Hero Arts Paper: Going Gray - SU Ink: Going Gray - SU; Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko Fibers: Mushroom seam binding - Hug Snug - The Zipper Stop Accessories & Tools: pearls; doily - Wilton; white shimmer Smooch ink

The next card is one I've made many times over.  It's a CASE of a card by Susan Raihala of Simplicity.  She's got such a way with the clean and simple style.

Stamps: All Year Greetings - Fiskars; Happy Harmony - SU Paper: True Black, white - PTI Ink: Going Gray - SU; Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko Fibers: gray velvet ribbon - May Arts Accessories & Tools: Lacy Brocade embossing folder - SU

The last involves subtle sponging, and a stamping-off technique:  stamp an image full-strength on scrap paper, then stamp on your card panel to get a softer appearance.

Stamps: Large Agapanthus - Stampendous; Kind Words - Verve Paper: Elegant Eggplant, Basic Black, Whisper White - SU Ink: Orchid Opulence, Sahara Sand, Elegant Eggplant - SU; Milled Lavender - Ranger; Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko Fibers: black seam binding - Hug Snug - The Zipper Stop Accessories & Tools: Glossy Accents - Ranger; Ornate Flourish embossing folder - The Paper Studio 

Blessings to you,

Roses for Baby

Oh, yeah, baby girl cards are sooooo much more fun to do than for the little guys!  I played with some retired Girls' Paperie patterned papers for this sweet card.

The sentiment is by Fiskars / All Year Greetings.  It nestled just perfectly inside that circle punch.

I'm so glad you dropped in today.  Till next time!

Stamps: All Year Greetings - Fiskars Paper: pale peachy pink; patterns - Girls' Paperie Ink: Frayed Burlap - Ranger; Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko Fibers: Cameo Beige - Hug Snug - Zipper Stop Accessories & Tools: circle, scalloped circle punches; paper flowers - Inspired By Stamping; pearls - Queen & Co.; Large Scallop die - MFT/Dienamics

Blue Butterfly Sympathy

Hello friends!  I'm back with another card that was passed up for publication a while back.  Actually, I suppose it was meant to be, because I wound up sending this to a good friend of ours who just lost his father.

This beautiful blue butterfly is from the Lost Coast Designs set, Butterflies.

I used a Labels Eighteen die to cut an opening in the stamped-script panel (Hero Arts Manuscript Background). On the opposite side of the die cut, I stamped the sentiment and set it aside.  After popping up the script panel, I laid the sentiment piece inside and secured to the card base.

I'm so glad you dropped by today!

Stamps: Butterflies - Lost Coast Designs; sentiment - All Year Greetings - Fiskars; Manuscript Background - Hero Arts; flowers - Nature's Wonders - Practicing Creativity Paper: white - PTI; Crumb Cake - SU Ink: Crumb Cake - SU; Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko Fibers: twine - Creative Impressions Accessories & Tools: Labels Eighteen die - Spellbinders; pearls - Queen & Co.; Copic markers