A Trio of Purple Blooms

My Saturday morning was spent playing along with the Papertrey Ink Create Along with Us April Challenge and the latest Sparkle and Shine Challenge. I was inspired by the layout of Lizzie Jone's second card here, and the purple hues in the inspiration photo.

Using my favorite set from them, In Bloom, (again, I know), I started by stamping the trio of leaves and the small leaf from the set onto a white linen cardstock base. Instead of the faded inking as in the inspiration photo, I colored the outside of the leaves with a soft blue. I then added a strip of black and white wash tape to border the left side.

Then I stamped, colored and fussy cut three blooms, as well as a stamped sentiment banner and arranged them over the leaves, adhering some with foam dimensional adhesive. I added some "sparkle and shine" to the card by coloring lightly each of the blooms with a glitter pen and finished the card with a spattering of black rhinestones.

I am wishing that the April Showers do Bring May Flowers (the them of Simon Says Stamp Monday's Challenge).

Tie Dye Birthday Bear

I tried a new to me technique with Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers, and the end result reminded me of the tie-dyed shirts that I used to make growing up. I was inspired by the Butterfly Reflections Ink April Mood Board...especially the colors and the bottom middle picture, with all the paint blobs.

I started by stamping and white embossing the bear and balloon, and then added clean water to the area around the bear, and colored with the Zigs. I then colored the bear and balloon with a mixture of Copics and Prismacolor Pencils, and added a touch of glitter to the balloon.

I finished the card by adding a sentiment. I stamped the bold word onto a banner that was cut around the bear, and the other half right onto the tie-dye panel. To tie in the glitter from the balloon, I tied the panel with some silver string.

I don't often work with more than one pastel color, but wanted to try for Simon Says Stamp Work It Wednesday Challenge: Pastels.

Cole said this card is pretty, and I make pretty cards, so that made me feel really good! This card took a lot of twists and turns, but if he likes it, I'm happy!

Gold Blooms

I woke up this spring morning to big white flakes falling from the sky. I guess spring is coming in like a lion, so hopefully here in Wisconsin we will have nice, warm weather when my boys' little league baseball games start.

I'm playing along with Papertrey Ink's Make it Monday Challenge #244: Score Lines and The Card Concept Challenge #52.

 

I was inspired by the cream and black from the picture as well as the overall elegance. I started by stamping the two largest blooms twice with alcohol-marker friendly black ink onto antique linen paper, and did a wash with gold colored texture spray. After letting the gold dry, I fussy cut each bloom, inked the edges with distress ink, and then layered the pieces with foam tape. These were attached to an distress ink card base, that had been scored vertically five times towards the left edge and stamped with a few leaf sets. I used one of these scored lines as a guide to affix some black thread, and then added some black rhinestones. I finished the card with a stamped sentiment. I think the end result is a mix of classy & elegant and clean & layered?

 

I'm also entering this in the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes.

Supplies Used:
MISTI 
Papertrey Ink Antique Linen Paper
Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Glue 
Best Creation Small Foam Squares
Vintage Photo Distress Ink 
Ranger Foam Blending Tool 
Papertrey Ink In Bloom Stamp Set 
Papertrey Ink Fillable Frames #2 Stamp Set
Bo Bunny Tuxedo Jewels
Imagine Crafts Irresistable Gold Texture 
Hero Arts Intense Black Ink Pad
Fiskars Paper Trimmer
Martha Steward Mini Scoring Board
Black Embroidery Thread
*affiliate links used when applicable

Cotton Candy

Do you remember the first time you had cotton candy? It was magical, I didn't know how it melted in my mouth so quickly and left such a sweet taste behind...

I'm playing along with the Lawnscaping Challenge: Sweet. I started by masking out the Ferris Wheel from Admit One and inked a soft blue background. I then stamped the ferris wheel, and some tickets and cotton candy that were fussy cut out. I added some May Arts Fuzzy Pom ribbon to the top of the cotton candy wand. I finished the card with a stamped sentiment, a baker's twine bow and some pink pearls.

Supplies Used:
MISTI 
Neenah Solar White Cardstock
Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Glue 
Peacock Feathers Distress Ink
Memento Gray Flannel Ink
Lawn Fawn Admit One Stamp Set 
Lawn Fawn Happy Everything Stamp Set

Ranger Ink Blending Tool
Hero Arts Blushed Mix AccentsFiskars Paper Trimmer
May Arts Fuzzy Pom Poms in Pink
Gray Baker's Twine

*affiliate links used when applicable

Content

 

It is a cold, rainy Saturday morning and as I sit here sipping my coffee and writing up this post, I feel that my heart is full. My boys are back and sleeping in, the dog is hogging the space by the heater and everything just seems content...

I'm playing along with Papertrey Ink's Make It Monday #243: Ink Blending Over Heat Embossing. Since I already had the In Bloom Stamp Set out from the PTI Blog Hop, I challenged myself to use the images in a way that I haven't. I stamped and heat embossed in white the blooms only (with a bit of masking) onto a Stone Gray Cardstock panel, then added purple and blue ink over the top. I mounted this onto a white linen panel, and it all then went on a light purple card base. I finished the card with a heat embossed sentiment from Communique Curves, a staple and some silver rhinestones.

Here's a regular shot of the card...

Supplies Used:
MISTI 
Papertrey Ink Fresh Snow Linen Cardstock
Versamark Ink
Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Glue 
Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher and Staples
Simon Says Stamp Cardstock 
Peacock Feathers Distress Ink
Dusty Concord Distress Ink
Ranger Ink Blending Tool
Papertrey Ink In Bloom Stamp Set 
Papertrey Ink Communique Curves Mini Stamp Set
WOW Embossing Powder Bright White Super Fine
Fiskars Paper Trimmer
Bo Bunny Tuxedo Jewels
*affiliate links used when applicable

Papertrey March Blog Hop Challenge

Papertrey Ink showcased some works of art by Izziyana Suhaimi, who merges the art of embroidery with paper, to be inspired by for the Papertrey March Blog Hop Challenge.  I kinda went a different route and didn't use a stitch of thread-because my supply consists of white and black, but was inspired none the less.

I started by embossing various blooms and leaves from In Bloom with primary colored embossing powder onto white cardstock, then filled in some areas with shades of gray. I fussy cut and mounted the flowers onto a black cardstock panel (impressed with the Linen & Canvas Impression Plate) and white embossed a stamped sentiment from Lovely Layers, this panel was then mounted to a white card base.

Even though there is no stitching, I feel like I was still able to capture the uniqueness in the artist's original work. We are all inspired differently, eh?

Supplies Used:
MISTI 
Neenah Solar White 110lb Cardstock 
Versamark Ink
Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Glue 
Simon Says Stamp Black Cardstock
Papertrey Ink In Bloom Stamp Set 
Papertrey Ink Linen & Canvas Impression PlateWOW Embossing Powder Bright White Super Fine
Fiskars Paper Trimmer
Close to My Heart Olive, Red and Dutch Blue Embossing Powders
Various Copic Markers (Grey)

*affiliate links used when applicable

The Ribbon Resource:: Graphic 45 Hop

For the past couple of years, The Ribbon Resource has swapped with Graphic 45 for a fun week of hopping. I always am giddy to participate because it is a challenge for me to work with the beautiful, vintage styled paper and embellishments. This year, I decided to stay true to my roots and created two clean and simple projects featuring May Arts Ribbon available at The Ribbon Resource and the Graphic 45 paper pack, Children's Hour. (I do love it so, and the smell of the paper is soooo good!)

This first card features a patterned paper panel bordered by two pieces of 7/8" Ivory Crocheted Lace. I simply trimmed one piece that was 4.25" long, and then separated the piece right down the middle with scissors. I stamped a sentiment, added a few paper embellishments and pearls and then finished the card with a double bow made from my favorite trim for cardmaking- Natural Burlap String.

My next card features many of the same elements, so the two could be packaged together for a card pack. I cut out a few patterned paper strips from Graphic 45's Children's Hour and bordered it with the 7/8" Ivory Crocheted Lace, Natural Burlap String, as well as 1/4" Moss Silk. I finished the card with a few other cut paper images and pearls.

There are so many ribbons and trims at The Ribbon Resource that are a perfect match for any vintage project!

Please be sure to stop by The Ribbon Resource Blog to enter for your chance to win! There is three $25 gift cards to The Ribbon Resource up for grabs!

Here's the complete line-up for the week:

Monday

Amy Rysavy

Christina Colón

DeeDee Catron

Tuesday

Gini Williams Cagle

Jen Shears

Jenifer Cowles

Wednesday

Jennifer Davey

Karen Baker

Karen Hanson

Thursday

Latrice Murphy

Lori Williams

Michele Kosciolek

Friday

Rebecca VanDeMark

Tami Mayberry

Terri Burson

Tracy McLennon

A Coffee Bear

 

My coffee of choice is flavored, black, and strong. I usually do have a bit of leftovers that end up getting dumped the next morning, but today I decided to use the wonderfully fragrant (coconut caramel), wonderfully black leftovers to paint my soft and cuddly bear. I have (what I think is) my last card for the Spring Coffee Lover's Blog Hop.

  

I started with a light wash of coffee onto watercolor paper. I had attempted this a couple of time, until I realized that the coffee couldn't touch the ink so the ink wouldn't bleed. I dried the coffee between layers, building up the caramel color.

  

 

I finished the card design by coloring some balloons with Zig Markers based on the MFT Color Challenge 41, and a sentiment. I popped the bear panel with foam dots and adhered to an embossed card base that had been wrapped with a light yellow silk ribbon. 

And yep! The card does smell deliciously like Coconut Caramel Coffee!

I'm joining Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Cute and Cuddly.

Carrot Cake Coffee

 

Carrot Cake Coffee...I would drink that! Does any place sell it?

Joining in on the Spring Coffee Lover's Bloghop. Wow, so much inspiration! I started my card by stamping some coffee cups with white ink onto a kraft panel and then adhered that to a white card base and wrapped some Natural Burlap String on one side. The MISTI is a must have tool, I say! I then die cut and created another coffee cup and adhered that to the card with some die cut and stamped greenery. I finished the card with some orange rhinestones and a stamped sentiment.

I was inspired by the colors and textures in the picture over at Sparkle & Shine Challenge #26.

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenges
just announced their new challenge for this week: Food and Drink!

 
Supplies:
MISTI
Neenah Solar White 110lb Cardstock
Tombow Mono Multi Adhesive
Simon Says Cardstock

Lil' Inker Designs Coffee Talk Stamp Set
Lil' Inker Designs Fancy Feathers Stamp Set
Lil' Inker Designs Coffee Cozy Stamp Set
Lil' Inker Designs Coffee Cozy Die Set
Lil' Inker Designs Fresh Cut Flowers Stamp Set
Lil' Inker Designs Fresh Cut Flowers Die Set

Hero Arts Pigment Ink Pad Unicorn White

May Arts Natural Burlap String

Papertrey Ink Kraft Ink
Rhinestones

*affiliate links used if possible 

A Rainbow Thank You

As I was waiting for an appointment, there was a bin outside the office where someone placed pages of a past inspirational calendar. I ruffled through these pages and one struck a cord with it's design and I tried to replicate it on my card.

A Blog Named Hero is having a Rainbow Challenge and I used my new Thank You Die from Hero Arts to create a much need thank you card.

I die cut the word in black, red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple cardstock and arranged and adhered the "you" in a cascading fashion on a white embossed panel. After affixing the panel to a black border panel and blue card base, I finished by adding one layer of black "thanks."

I'm linking this up to Right at Home's National Craft Month Celebration too...so happy that I got to play with a new and fun product!

Supplies Used:
MISTI
Neenah Solar White 110lb Cardstock
Tombow Mono Multi Adhesive
Simon Says Cardstock
Hero Arts Fancy Thank You Die
Papertrey Ink Polka Dot Impression Plate

*affiliate links when available