Happy Birthday Spring Birds

Yayyyy to Spring and warm weather around the corner...

 

stamps: Papertrey Ink Brushed Birds, My Favorite Things Anything But Basic Birthday Wishes  dies: Winnie & Walter In a Word: Happy Cutaway, My Favorite Things Stitched Dome Frames/Die-namics Stitched Oval Word Windows

When I saw the following photo, I grabbed some purple and yellow patterned paper scraps to start with.

 

 

The birds were sitting on my desk, ready to be inked up for the first time.

 

I wanted to give them a go, diving in with the layers and allowing myself mistakes if need be.

If I don't try it, I won't know how to fix my mistakes, right?

I'm happy to report everything turned out decent~first shot. ;)

That doesn't happen often for me.

 

Simon Says Stamp (Wednesday): Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping in today~

 

Love You To the Core Modern Pineapple

I'm craving color these days...

 

stamps: Essentials by Ellen Abstract Paint Strokes/Stay Golden  dies: My Favorite Things Square Frames  other: We R Enamel Dots and Shapes



When I saw Essentials by Ellen's Pin-Sights Challenge, I zoomed in on the vase flowers. 

I love the contrast of aqua and pink so I pulled those colors in to my card, along with purples and blues.

I kept it chunky and contrasting, marrying Abstract Paint Stroke's speckled stamp with
the delightful pineapple image from Stay Golden.

Thanks for stopping by~

You Were Made

You were made for amazing things.


There is no one quite like you~don't ever forget that.

The fact that you're an original means that you are valuable.


I bet you needed to hear that today. ;)

stamps: Papertrey Ink Winter Woods bird/Diddlie-do, Verve Beautiful Things  dies: Papertrey Ink Winter Woods/Diddlie-do/Brushed Off: Rectangle Die

Thank you for stopping by today friend~
 

Happy Birthday Tag

I. Love. Ikea.

I grabbed these cool animal head tags in the stationary~just because. ;)

stamp: Winnie & Walter Happy Birthday to You  die: Winnie & Walter In a Word: Happy Cutaway

When I saw the heads in this challenge~

and the theme of this challenge~

w&w 4th Birthday Bash/Anything But a Card Challenge with Kate

I was inspired to tower a birthday tag I plan on using soon.

 I layered the happy die cut twice for a little more pop~they fit perfectly in my Xyron sticker maker.

Loosy goosy and abstract, this uses the delicious patterned scraps I had laying around.

 Now I can justify more Ikea stationary purchases. :)

 Thanks for visiting me today!

 

Papertrey Ink February Blog Hop Challenge

Since I've been tinkering with Winter Woods...I can't seem to put it down.

Even the silhouette of the cardinal inspires~

stamps: Papertrey Ink Winter Woods/Brushed Birds sentiments  dies: Papertrey Ink Winter Woods, My Favorite Things sentiment strip

 Check out the hop at Papertrey:

 Papertrey Ink February 2018 Blog Hop

 The clear bunny in a subtlety of color inspired me...why not a white bird?

Simple and low key was the way to go...hints of spring~with black and white vs green (just because I can't walk away from stripes at the moment).

Thanks for stopping by~

 

Make It Monday Framed Sentiment

I love Winter Woods...those dramatic birds are wonderful layered, but they can also be effective in black
 (this is just the first layer stamped).

stamps: Papertrey Ink Winter Woods bird/Diddlie-do  dies: Papertrey Ink Winter Woods/Brushed Off: Rectangle Die


 This week's Make It Monday focuses on framing sentiment and/or images.

I used both sizes of the Brushed Off Rectangles to create a wonky frame.

Although the sentiment from Doodlie-do is small, it's mighty!

Since it's already corralled with a border, the die cut frame looks like matting.


Make It Monday #312: Framing Sentiments & Images 

hosted by Laurie Schmidlin

 I love that you can go abstract and loose with a frame...it doesn't have to look perfectly straight and centered.

Thanks for stopping by today!
 

With Love to You from Me

I'm a huge fan of architecture, which is probably why I love to work with shapes.

 

 

Building blocks is super fun to work with, especially with my Misti and Creative Corners magnets.

 

 

I wish I had taken pics while I worked on the lineup...I'll have to remember next time.

 

The Handmade Tags sentiments fit in the blocks~LOVE THAT.

 

stamps: Altenew Building Blocks/Handmade Tags  other:Heidi Swapp pp,free ribbon from Verve~thankyou!!!

 Here's this month's Altenew challenge...

 I know right~gorgeous colors!!!

I'm so thirsty for colors~it's been a loooong winter.

Thanks for stopping by to visit~

 

Choose How to Dance

I happened upon a free stamp set in a magazine that I worked my card around...

stamps: WPlus9 Ink Splats, Altenew Halftone Circles, Papertrey Ink Inspired:Hope,Practical Publishing  free Music & Dance Collection by Sheena Douglass  dies: Avery Elle Wonky Stitches,Papertrey Ink Brushed Off Rectangle

When I saw the following grunge challenge...

Simon Says (Monday): Grunge It Up

I grabbed for distress inks, my dauber, and splatter stamps.

 My daughter's dance teacher is due for a card. ;)


Thanks for stopping by~


 

Birthday Cake & Flowers

I love pinning cakes on Pinterest...

for no reason whatsoever. ;)

No wonder I always crave cake!  hahaha

Hey, I did some embossing today...

 

stamps: Winnie & Walter Happy Birthday to You/In Bloom Shirley's Blooms

Here's the inspirational photo with its party going on~I love the colors with touches of gold streamers!

 

The cake stamp set was sitting on the Bloom stamp set on my messy desk and I thought "Hey, I should stamp those together!".

Long and short...that's how many of my cards are born~

from a messy desk with its pilings~

Modern Patterns With a Sketch

I'm not a huge paper person...but I am smitten with Reverse Confetti's Forever My Love and Every Little Bit.

These modern patterns have me like...

stamps: Verve Beautiful You  dies:Spellbinders Deckled Rectangles,My Favorite Things Wonky Stitches,Papertrey Ink Brushed Off Rectangle

I leaned abstract with this gorgeous sketch by Julee~

 

Thank you for stopping by!

Happy Birthdays Look Great On You

The temps are all over the place...is it spring

..is it winter

...who knows judging just by the weather. 

   

Either way, it's another day to get the opportunity to craft.

dies:Winnie & Walter In a World Happy,My Favorite Things Stitched Oval Word Windows   stamps: My Favorite Things
Anything but Basic Birthday Wishes

w&w 4th Birthday Bash/Comeback Challenge with Taheerah

I don't know which talent created the following card...

I love the simplicity of the card...with the cutaway taking center stage, in agreement with a smaller sentiment.

 I replicated the concept with my CAS creation, using patterned paper as white space instead.

The following sketch challenge inspired the foundation of my card~

I leaned the smaller panel and sentiment strip closer to the east boundary of the card.

That's it for me today~thanks for stopping in ;)

Happy Birthday Dots & Stripes

Another birthday card for my stash:

 stamps: Winnie & Walter Happy Birthday to You/In Bloom Shirley's Blooms  die:Winnie & Walter In a World Happy, Circle Punches  other: Reverse Confetti Forever My Love

with a new paper pack I treated myself to :).

w&w 4th Birthday Bash/Die Challenge with Lydia

Simon Says (Wednesday): Add a Die Cut

 Thanks for stopping in!

Speed Cardmaking

The challenge is a 20 minute card...

I had 1 minute and 12 seconds left and I didn't pass out. :)

stamps: My Favorite Things Party Balloons/The Rainbow Will Come

 I saved time drawing in the balloon strings and speckling the rain~

Thanks for visiting~

Party Balloons

I had balloons cut from my previous post and whipped up another card~

stamps: My Favorite Things Party Balloons/Anything but Basic Birthday Wishes 

 dies: My Favorite Things Party Balloons

Yesss to crafting on a Saturday :) :) :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Crafty Biathlon Card Holder

Another original sentiment from the Anything but Basic made an appearance:

stamps: My Favorite Things Party Balloons/Anything but Basic Birthday Wishes 

 dies: My Favorite Things Party Balloons/Die-namics Gift Card Grooves/Stitched Oval Word Windows
 other: My Favorite Things Painted Prints Citrus 6X6 Paper Pack

The following challenge requires a technique and card type:

I went with Inlaid Die-Cutting & Gift Card Holder~

Simon Says (Wednesday): Add a Die Cut

It's crafty day...praying I get to make lots and lots of creations~

Masculine & 3 Sets

Anytime I whip up a masculine card...the crowd should go wild!!!

Not saying it will go to a male, but the option is there. ;)
 

stamps: My Favorite Things Sketchy Flowers/Anything but Basic Birthday Wishes/Bokeh Building  other: My Favorite Things Painted Prints Citrus 6X6 Paper Pack

 My Favorite Things

 

(one card, three different stamp sets)

 Love the sentiment set I just got recently...I'll want to use just about every single one of the witty originals. ;)

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Snail Mail One Layer

Here's another one-layer~

stamps: Pinkfresh Studio Semi Circle Patterns, The Craft's Meow Welcome to the Office paperclip, Studio G sentiment

 I saw this inspiration photo and the team's projects from Inspired by (helpful to see what they came up with)~and inked up a new set I treated myself to recently.

I say treated myself, because whenever I buy pattern stamps (like this one from Pinkfresh)...I have no one in mind BUT ME.

:)

I wanna stamp patterns all day!

 Time Out's theme challenge had me rooting through my loose wooden stamps my girlies gave me.

I knew there would be one I could use!

My hobby is creating snail mail in my spare time 

(as I'm sure is yours if you're here-unless you're mom or sis).

:)

I also had a paperclip image from a retired company~I have a friend that loves stationary and such and I think this would be perfect for an any day note I want to send.

Simon Says Stamp (Monday): Take Note

 

 As for a one layer...happy accident folks.

That's the magic of one layer.

You don't even know you're heading in that direction until it starts to form...much like that magical moment when liquid turns to gravy. :)

Thanks for stopping by to see me today!

Stripes Masculine Card

I stamped stripes today with my Misti.

Before the Misti, my stripes would hang off of my largest acrylic block.

I LOVE that they can stretch out now, and I can stamp 3 times for a perfect, saturated line.

stamps: Papertrey Ink Background Basics Super Stripes/Boy Basics: Game On sentiment/Grunge Me

 Papertrey Ink Stripes Challenge

 These colors are gorgeous together!

I felt they were perfect for a masculine card.

One of those rare guy cards to throw in my stash~yay!!

Thanks for stopping in~

Beauty for Ashes Dancer

Ah, this sweet dancer~

 

stamp: Verve Beautiful Things  dies: Memory Box Lady Dancing,My Favorite Things Stitched Dome Frame,Ephemera floral

Some of the most beautiful testimonies come from disaster, disappointment, pain ....the list goes on~

 the most touching art comes from those dancers.

I've been blessed to have daughters that dance~and the quality and depth of choreographed pieces over the years is too much to list.

Many tears were shed on the stage~and not because of lack of perfection.

No, the tears flowed because of beautiful dances drawn from imperfect and painful stories.

 He truly gives beauty for ashes~especially in the strength and character drawn!

 

Simon Says (Wednesday): Add a Die Cut

Thank you for stopping by~

 

One Layer Color Challenge

I haven't treated myself to a one layered creation in awhile...

stamps: Papertrey Ink Pedal Pusher

This image is wonderful on it's own~

Papertrey Ink's Color Challenge

 I picked Amy's colors to work with:

 

Glad I got to start my week with stamping ;)

 

Critter Love

I'm somewhat of a hoarder.

I don't like to break into kits (I rarely treat myself)~I used to be a collector of whatever back in the day. :)

However,Papertrey Ink's

 Use Only Dies-No Stamps! Challenge 

motivated me to cut into my

Make it Market Mini Kit:Valentine Pin-Ups .

 

I've used the dies and stamps before...but to actually cut those beautifully printed critters...

you have no idea how fast my eye was twitching!

I know I know... I'm happy I did.

dies: Papertrey Ink Make It Market Mini Kit:Valentine Pin-Ups/Tinsel and Tags banner/Layerz Mat Stack 3/Mat Stack 3

 Look at the cutie pie critter here....

 

 of course, if this were real...I'd  be screaming 

"LEAVE MY HAPPY MAIL ALONE!!!!"

;)

Just sayin'

Speaking of happy mail...how many of you have been treating yourself to the valentine sales all about???

I'm still waiting on birthday orders I gifted myself (my family says here's the money-get what you want :))...so I'm trying to stay strong...

Have a good one~

 

Color Drops Birthday

I love creating patterns with my stamps~

stamps: My Favorite Things Color Drops/Pretty Poppies

here are the colors which steered my card~

I don't have many words...being Monday and all.... :)


only~hang in there!!!!


 

Those Who Hope in the Lord

stamps: Papertrey Ink Winter Woods/Inspired: Hope  dies: Papertrey Ink Winter Woods, Spellbinders Hearts

The following inspirational picture steered the branches toward pink~

 

I kept the colors red, pink, and grey~

I appreciate your visit!