Harbinger of Spring

Do you agree that seeing birds getting more active in spite of the snow is a harbinger of spring? I do. Unfortunately we've gotten at least 12 inches of snow in the last few days and there's nary a bird in sight. Rats!

I colored up this image from PaperTrey's Through the Trees set. The trees are one stamp and the birds are separate. Makes it easy to color them any way you want. I chose this Memento Cantaloupe color just for it's cheeriness.

Using a dark brown DP on the card base and kraft for the matting gives alot of contrast, that highlites the image.

We're headed up north for the weekend so I'm setting this post up ahead of time.

Hope you have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to This Card

A funny thing happened on the way to making this card. I had this image stamped out, from JustRite's Beautiful Blossoms and Borders. I had it all colored up (Copics) and had cut out matting's with Nestabilities. I was going to mount on this same paper but on the other side (don't you just love two sided DP's). It's the orange of the flower centers with white polka dots. Luckily I flipped over (accidentally) and found this side I liked even better.

I really like when an accident turns out to be a good thing.

Hope you like it and thanks for stopping by.

A Tilda Birthday

I had stamped off this Magnolia image quite awhile ago and since I had some time to play she became a birthday card.

I colored her up with Copics and cut her out with Deckled Rectangular Nestabilities. The DP is from two different paper packs, the matting for is from DCWV Green Stack, and the card base is from Basic Grey's Lemonade paper pack.

The sentiment is from a very old Hero Arts set, Wavy Wishes.

This particular Tilda is really a dress up doll. You get the basic Tilda then she has several outfits you can dress her in.

Takes me back to my days playing with my dress up dolls.

I really loved to get the cut outs and play dress up. Unfortunately for me most of the kids in my neighborhood were boys and we all know what boys do with dolls. Target practice!

Oh well I hope you like my Tilda. Thanks for stopping by.

A Really Simple Card

I'm trying out the minimalist look. What do you think?

I have this On My Couch set from PaperTrey, and I've been having fun playing around with it.

When I was up on the Clean and Simple site, I decided these images could work very well.

I got out a bunch of patterned paper scraps and started stamping. After cutting them out I just did a little high lighting on them then mounted them onto Nestabilities Labels 9. Keeping it simple I just slapped them onto the front of the card base and added the sentiment. A very quick card, that allows me to say it with a few words. What do you think. Thanks for stopping by.

A Birthday Day Card for Bea

This card is a two-fer. I was up on the Just Rite Inspiration blog and saw they were having a challenge and since I wanted to make my sister's birthday card I chose this image, it's from the Beautiful Blossoms & Borders set.(you can find it here ) There are four great images in this set.

On this image I trimmed around the scallops and then matted it on pink and then a pale green using Nestabilities Oval.

(By the way on the Just Rite site they have a punch and die compatibility chart that you can find here).

I colored with Copics Leaves-YG03,G21 and G40. Flowers B0000 just around the edges and V000 just in the centers, I wanted a very delicate look.

The DP is DCWV Mariposa Matstack. Using my Bow Easy I added the ribbon and then stamped the sentiment (Stampendous) and I was done. Hope you like it and thanks for stopping by.

A JustRite Wedding

JustRite Inspirations is having a challenge using Beautiful Botanicals.

I picked up this set of Beautiful Blossoms and Centers last week at Stamp Therapy (formerly Stamp On It) in Grand Rapids last week.

It is a gorgeous set. I stamped all of the images out and started coloring. On this one I used Prismas and Gamsol. I wanted a very delicate look and I think I achieved that very well. There is a Die/Punch compatibility cart available for download on the JustRite site, that gives you what to use when cutting out these images.

For this one I used Classic Ovals. The Sentiment is from Stampendous and I used a corner punch to give it a bit of a scalloped look. The DP is from BasicGrey's Bittersweet Paper Pad.

I really like how this turned out. Hope you do too and thanks for stopping by.

A Birthday Picnic

This image from PaperTrey's Vintage Picnic Set just makes me think of summer.

I colored it up with Copics than went through my stash of paper and picked out some coordinating papers. The yellow matches the flower centers almost exactly and the brown dotted DP matches the darker brown on the basket.

I use basket even though they aren't baskets. I can't remember what they are called. They are metal and so cool.
I should go up on Ebay and check it. I'll do that later.

Anyway I matted the image using Nestabilities Labels 5.

The sentiment is from the Through the Trees set, also PaperTrey.

Hope you like it and thanks for stopping by.

A Clean and Simple Card

If you like to make quick cards, simple but elegant cards, great cards you MUST check out this site Clean and Simple Stamping. Every week there is a new sketch to follow. Always easy, always beautiful and always lots of inspiration. I've been watching this site for awhile now and I finally decided to jump in and post my card.

I chose this image and sentiment from PaperTrey's On My Couch set. I colored with Copics and used my blender to give it a distressed leather/faux suede look. You decide.

I cut it out using Nestabilities and then mounted it on a scrap of fuzzy textured paper. The sentiment is stamped on some handmade paper and mounted onto a kraft card base. Very organic. I think this might end up being my nephew's Fathers Day card. He's about to become a Dad for the first time and life as he knows it is about to end. Hehe.

Hope you like my take on this sketch and thanks for stopping by.

A rustic Easter and A Simple Easter

These two cards use another of the images from the Inkadinkado Spiritual Sketches set that I picked up at Michael's last week.

In the first card I stamped directly onto hand made DP with Memento Rich Cocoa and mounted directly onto the card base.

In the second card I stamped directly onto the card base, using the same ink. The card base has a linen texture that I just love. Each card was so easy to make, probably not more than a minute or two for each. Fast cards, got to love them.

Hope you like them and thanks for stopping by.

Something for Michelle

This is a digital image from Bugaboo stamps. It's one of the JJ Pregnancy line. When I first saw this image I immediately thought of my niece, my nephew Steve's wife, she's expecting their first child this September. I understand that her first tri-mester is going as usual with all the wonderful things that women go through during pregnancy. We are the weaker sex you know.

Anyway I thought this image was one she could appreciate. I really think there should be a whole line of Maternity tops with Pregnant JJ.

I colored with Prisma pencils and Gamsol. Then I mounted onto this navy dotted DP. I wanted it to be sturdy so I backe it with chip board and created an easel backing for it. Thought Michelle might be able to stand it up somewhere either at home or at work.

I hope she likes it, and that you do also. Thanks for stopping by.

Easter Blessings

I was in Michael's the other day trying to find something to use my 50% off coupon on and as usual everything I wanted was already on sale.

But I bought this Spiritual Sketches set by Inkadinkado anyway.

Since Easter is coming I thought I'd whip out some cards to send out. This is one of them. I stamped the Bible image with Memento Rich Cocoa on this rustic looking DP and simply tore around the edges. Just mounting right onto the card base and it was done.

Very plain and simple but gets the message across very well. Hope you like it and thanks for stopping by.

P.S. I could use the Bible and the other images from this set for First Communion and Confirmation cards also. Very versatile set--- love it!

Leftover Hearts

Leftover Hearts, sounds like a steamy romance novel title doesn't it.

When I was working on cards this week I was trying to use up the bits and pieces left over from other projects. These hearts were left over from the Valentines cards.

They looked good for an Anniversary card so I put them together with this card base I had on hand. I just added the sentiment and a couple of rhinestones and hey presto a card is born.

Hope you like it and thanks for stopping by.

Mummu Dancing

I wanted to participate in the current Mo Manning challenge, so I made this card.

I'm not sure it qualifies since it says no layers, but the only thing I have is the image on the card base so I have hopes.

Even if it doesn't qualify I love this image of Mummu. I would dearly love to spend time with this lady, wouldn't you?

I colored with Copics and cut her out with a Mega Curved Nestabilities.

The ribbon is Martha Stewart which doubles as the sentiment, cool huh?

Hope you like it and thanks for stopping by.

Hey there, Chickadee

Everyday Button Bits from Papertrey is fast becoming one of my favorite go to sets

.

The Papertrey sets not only come with images but also sentiments to use with them. All you need to add is some buttons.

Well I added some grass using an Art Impressions stamp. Chickies got to have grass for their delicate feet right????

The DP is some more paper I've had forever and who knows where it came from.

Hope you like it and thanks for stopping by.

Oops!

I have been wanting to work with this Mo Manning image for awhile and just haven't had the time. It was printed out quite a few weeks ago and finally it was colored and made into a card.

Every time I looked at this image I kept seeing Oops. Luckily I have a stamp with that sentiment.

I colored with Copics and cut him out with Nestabilities Label One. The matting is the back side of core'Dinations Black Magic that has been run through CuttleBug's Divine Swirls folder.

The DP is something I've had for several years and have no idea who's it is.

Hope you like it and thanks for stopping by.

I'm Baaaaack

Taxes are DONE!!! Filed and accepted by the Feds. If anyone out there is using Turbo Tax, beware. It's not an easy one to use this year if you are using Microsoft and have to download .Net 3.5 SP1. I took me 4 days to find the correct fix for my system.

Now on to happier subjects. I made this card originally as a birthday card and then turned it into a Valentines card for my husband. We are both retired telephone workers and it seemed appropriate to use this Art Impressions of and English phone Booth.

I water colored this image and mounted it on a dark blue DP and then added to the card base.

Bruce liked it, what do you think? Thanks for stopping by.

Taxes, Taxes,Taxes

I don't have a card to post today, I may not have a card to post tomorrow. Possibly not in the foreseeable future. I'm in the dark dank hole of doing my taxes. I hate this more than cleaning my bathroom (you don't want to know how much I hate doing that).

I'm trying to load my Turbo Tax program and it keeps rejecting due to a "fatal error". When I get that window I always want to know who died. Maybe it's me and I just don't know it??

Anyway---I'm struggling with the computer and while I'm doing that my creative juices are drying up (can you hear that suction noise--it's my brain leaking out of my ears). So I'll be back in a day or so with some new cards.

See Ya!

Through the Trees

This is another set I got from Papertrey. I'm really loving the releases from them. I've gotten several sets these last few months. I really, really need to buckle down and have some serious play time. (Is that an oxymoron or what???)

Anyway, this set is Through the Trees and it really has some terrific stamps and sentiments.

I stamped this image and sentiment on some handmade paper using Memento Rich Cocoa.

Then I just tore the edges and mounted it to the

card base.

Just Because

Don't you just love this vintage Picnic Baskets. Well they aren't baskets at all but those old metal picnic boxes. I remember a red plaid one when I was a lot younger.

When I saw this set on Papertrey Ink I WANTED it soooo bad. I had to wait til my ship came in to get it (it sank, so I got it any way).

I've had it for a few weeks and didn't have time to play with it and then I decided to get the sentiments to go with it. These are a really versatile set. The Picnic set has some sentiments in it of course but the sentiments set give it more dimension.

I need to send a card to a friend who lost her husband this year and just wanted to say Hi and let her know we're thinking of her.

I colored with Copics, cut it out with Nesties and matted it and stamped the sentiment right onto the card base.

Just keeping it simple.

Hope you like it and thanks for stopping by.

An Embossed Anniversary Card

This Anniversary card was made for the Church sale (it didn't sell but I still like it.)

I embossed with the Sizzix Textured Impressions Embossing folder from the Floral Flourishes and Vines set.

I'm not quite sure why they call this a Vines folder, looks like hearts to me. So that is the way I interpret it. My fingers were the paint brush on this one, rubbing on metallic colors (reminds me of finger painting in kindergarten).

I used silver first over all of it, then went back and added red to the "hearts".

The sentiment was cut out with a Nestabilities Tag and gray rhinestone finished off.

How do you like it? Thanks for stopping by.

Ride'em Cowboy Birthday

For the last few days I've been working on cards.

It is for a sale we are having at church and I wanted to contribute a few for the fund raiser.

What is funny is that I had been playing over the last week or so stamping and coloring images for later use. Comes in handy when I get on a binge like that.

I had stamped off a bunch of these Magnolia images and had them sitting there. So I colored them and then found some card bases that I had made up and put away months ago and put them together.

I think this one came out pretty well. What do you think? Thanks for stopping by.

A Get Well Card

I was looking for something new for a card and decided to wander through some of my stash for ideas.

I found this sticker and decided it would work for a get well card. It is an old Magenta Sticker I've had for years. I pulled it out and put it on a scrap of card stock and colored with Copics.

I then double matted it and mounted on the card stock embossed with a Sizzix folder that I used for the first time.

So something old something new and if there was blue I'd have to make it a wedding card. LOL.

Anyway I like it, what do you think.

Thanks for stopping by.

Traditional Valentines

I decided to post one last Valentines card, so I chose this one since it seems to be more of a traditional style card.

I found this DP at Archiver's it's called Love Potion from Doodlebug Designs. It makes me smile just to look at it.

It is topped it with a Nestabilities Heart that I used my Copic air brush system to add a little pink around the edges . The sentiment was stamped before cutting out the heart.

A simple but sweet card for a loved one on Valentines.

What do you think? Thanks for stopping by.

A Chocolate Valentine

This is another Valentine's card I made the other day. I used my Heart Nestabilities to cut out the hearts. The white is the core-dinations Whitewashed with a pink core, that I ran through the CuttleBug with the Divine Swirls embossing folder and then sanded, the second is a very dark brown embossed with Swiss Dots and the last is pink just cut out with the scalloped heart Nestie.

The card base DP is from
Basic Grey Bittersweet paper pad that I got from PaperTrey Ink.

I then just stamped the sentiment on a scrap of pink card stock and cut it out with the deckled rectangle Nestie.

It's a little different but I like it, what do you think?

Thanks for stopping by.

A Sanded Valentine

I don't normally do Valentines cards. ( I guess I don't like commercial holidays (except of course Mother's Day and Father's Day). But we are having a Bake sale at church and our Card Ministry will have a table to sell our cards to raise money for postage. So I decided to make a few cards to add to the sale.

I found this card stock at Archiver's, my friend Sandy told me about the new Whitewash Color Core paper from Core'dinations. Really neat stuff. I ran half of it through the CuttleBug with the Swiss Dots folder and the other half with the Divine Swirls folder. I then sanded it and added the dotted ribbon.

The stamp I picked up in the dollar bin at Michael's and cut out with a Nestie.

All in all I think it turned out really well. What do you think?

Thanks for stopping by.

A Birthday in Black & White

I was wandering through the photos of the cards I've made and came across this one.

It struck me as one of my favorite ones and it was so simple to put together. Talk about a 10 minute card on steroids. This one couldn't have taken more than 3 minutes tops.

I used a really good card stock for the base, Gina K 120 lb. pure luxury white and embossed it with the QuicKutz Vines folder. After adding the fabric flower (I've used these so often), I was done.

Hope you like it and thanks for stopping by.