Sunflower

 I made this card with a Simon Says Stamp sunflower die and put it on a script background, adding a stitched die-cut tag with an older Verve sentiment, twine bow, and a yellow gemstone. I die cut the flower using 4 different colors of cardstock and backed it with white. I know Mother's day is in May but that sentiment just seemed to go well with the image.

I'm sharing this with the Double D Sunflowers Challenge.

Also adding to the Triple B September 2024 Challenge -

use birds, blooms, and butterflies (use 1,3 or all 3)

Thanks for stopping by on this Wednesday and I hope it's a great day for you!

Carol

A Recycled Card

I saved this stamped/colored image from a card someone sent me some time ago and decided it was time to repurpose it into another card for someone else. I backed it with an inked 3D embossed panel that didn't turn out well,  but I hung onto it figuring I'd use it some day. Since most of it is covered up, it works perfectly for this card. I love this old stove that reminds me of yesteryear when folks cooked on these home-warming stoves. To finish the card, I added a tiny charm that says "Made with Love" because when our ancestors cooked on these stoves, everything was made with love.

 I attached the charm with a mini white brad.

I'm going to share this with the the Double D Challenge which is

Pick 3 of Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue

Old is the charm - I've had it for years

Borrowed is the stamped image from a received card

Blue is the embossed panel behind the image.

Since June is the typical month for weddings, that's what the photo inspiration is all about but I went in a completely different direction LOL

I'm still having blogging issues. While writing this post, some lines double spaced and I'm unable to correct that; while some lines have no spaces at all?? 😒 Some bloggers have mentioned they cannot resize their photos. For me that hasn't been an issue, but linking to the challenge blog is still a frustrating issue that doesn't work the way it used to. I suppose I'll just have to get used to doing things a different way now. but it was much easier before.

OK, I'm off my soapbox now and stepping down to thank you for stopping by and to wish you a fantastic Friday! Make it a great weekend while you're at it!

Carol

Birthday Butterfly

 I found a sketch I wanted to play along with and brought out my Memory Box Vivienne and Darla Butterfly dies along with some polka dot papers to make this card. I die-cut the butterfly from white as well as all the polka dot paper colors and swapped the negatives for a colorful butterfly. I've learned that I'm not as good with swapping those tiny pieces anymore like I once was, and had a difficult time with doing my favorite technique, but I'm OK with the results and hopefully no one will look too closely to see the oopsies! LOL

I used a Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder for the center panel in keeping with the polka-dot theme and added a pre-printed Simon Says Stamp sentiment and called this one finished.

I'll share this card with the following challenges:

Freshly Made Sketches #636

the Double D challenges - Polka Dots

the Triple B May 2024 challenge - use birds, blooms and/or butterflies

(use one, two, or all three)

Can You Handle the Pressure? May 11, 2024 - A/G using an embossing folder with an optional twist of using flowers.

The Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - use Patterned Paper

Thanks for stopping by and make it a great day whatever you're doing.

Carol

Mother's Day Card

We celebrate Mother's day here in the US on May 12th so I made a few cards to send to my friends for the occasion. This one was done with a silver heat-embossed image panel using some very old Verve stamps that I've had for years. I added a tiny pink paper flower and put a rhinestone gem in the center for a little sparkle. The background was done with a Cuttlebug Geometric Rings embossing folder and I dotted the centers with some silver Stickles dots. The pink panel was die-cut with a Gina Marie Designs Venetian Label die.

I'm sharing this card with these challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - make it feminine

The Double D challenge - Pretty Florals for Mom

Shopping our Stash SOS520 - Make a Mother's day Card

Can you Handle the Pressure? Embossing Challenge - A/G using an embossing folder with an optional twist of "feminine."

I need to get my Mother's day cards addressed and mailed as this notable day for Mom is right around the corner! Thanks for the visit and have a fabulous day!

Carol

Lucky Horseshoe

 I have been trying to use items I've had in my stash for ages, and with this card I've used an embossing folder by Darice along with a Kitchen Sink Stamps horseshoe stamp that I don't think has ever seen ink although I've had it for years. I stamped the image with 3 different green inks on white, then cut it along with a mirror green panel with MFT stitched circles. I added 8 tiny gold brads to indicate the nails in a horseshoe, then added a gold mirror shamrock to the top for a little extra luck. The sentiment panel was done with a TE stamped sentiment along with 2 layered panels using old and retired SU! punches, adding green brads to the ends. The diagonal panel was done with a Lawn Fawn plaid strip of paper and a MFT diagonal stitched die. We used to have horses years ago which is why I bought the stamp set and embossing folder in the first place, but I have no explanation for why they've been sitting unused for so long.

I'm sharing this card with the Double D Challenge -

Green/Clover/Shamrocks/Luck

also sharing with Can You Handle the Pressure? Challenge -

A/G using an embossing folder with an optional twist of "birds"

And also sharing with NBUS Challenge #60 - use never before used schtuff

(Horseshoe stamp)

Thanks so much for the visit and as always I wish you all a wonderful day.

Carol

Spring Has Sprung (almost)

 I recently unearthed a little pack of Penny Black stamped images I've had for a long time so I decided it was time to make cards with them. This cow image is too much fun and I added a SNSS sentiment that works perfectly for the cow springing into the air LOL I stenciled a little blue sky in and added some pale green grass with a Copic marker. I added a stamped butterfly and tiny bee image from SNSS just for fun. The sentiment panel was a snippet of watercolored paper that was leftover from a previous project and I added another flower and another little bee to it just for fun. It's all on a spring green card base. Spring is almost here where I live, but we're not quite there yet. It's just around the corner though hopefully. I'm really weary from all the rainy days we've had since the beginning of the year.

Sharing this with the following challenges:

The Double D Challenge - first signs of spring

the Penny Black Saturday March Challenge - use a PB image/sentiment - A/G

optional "Easter"

The Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Add a Sentiment

the March 2024 Stencil Fun Challenge - A/G using a stencil

optional "Easter / Spring theme"

Thanks for taking the time to visit and I wish you all the best possible day!

Carol

Thinking of You

 I had some remnants of a Pebbles paper pad I wanted to use up, so I created this thinking of you card. The sentiment was a printed one that came with the paper pad, so I die-cut it with a stitched square and placed another stitched square behind it. The vertical panel was made with strips of papers from the pack placed side-by-side and I added a die-cut scalloped border on the side. The background was embossed with a Cuttlebug Swiss Dots ef and I added 2 matching enamel dots from Taylored Expressions to complete this card.

I'm sharing with:

Can You Handle the Pressure Embossing Folder Challenge -

A/G Embossing with a twist of squares and/or circles

the Allsorts Challenge #796 - Things that Fly or A/G

I went with the A/G option

the Double D Challenge - use Patterned Paper

Thanks for taking the time to visit. I wish everyone a great weekend!

Keep smiling 😊

Carol

Sending Hugs

 I made this card recently with a Lawn Fawn image and some strips of designer paper. I added a die-cut stitched sentiment panel to send hugs and added 3 tiny die cut hearts in black and red for accents. I think that's all this card needs to send hugs.

Sharing with the Double D Challenge to use patterned paper

Thanks for stopping by and I wish you all a wonderful day!

Carol

Happy Valentine's Day

Here are a couple Valentine cards I made and sent this year sitting side by side. They're slightly different with coloring and placement of that little pink heart on the sentiments.

The backgrounds were done with a Kat Scrappiness stitched heart cover plate die and the big white heart was cut with a Simon Says Stamp die. The Gerda Steiner mouse image was stamped, colored with Copics and a red glaze pen, then fussy cut and added to the large heart. The sentiment is also made by Gerda Steiner. Those little pink heart stickers are from Taylored Expressions. I put one on the right side....

and one on the left. This little mouse has a little more grey color than the one above but I think he's a cutie in any color.

I will enter this card in the following challenges:

The Sisterhood of Crafters February 14, 2024 - LOVE

The Critter Crazy Challenge #83 - A/G featuring a Critter

We Love Stamping February Challenge 2024 - Romance or A/G

the Color Hues Challenge #80 - Red & Pink

the Little Red Wagon Challenge #743 - Show Us Some Love

the Double D Challenge - Heartfelt

That's going to do it for me today but thanks for stopping by and I wish you all a very happy Valentine's Day filled with lots of love!

Carol

 

Valentine's Recipe Card

 Sorry for the wonky photo, I took this photo on a cloudy day and couldn't seem to get rid of the shadows. This 5x7 card began with a herringbone background that was made with strips of SU! retired designer papers. I stamped the Penny Black Valentine recipe card along with the little mug and pot as well as a Unity Alfie stamped image, coloring with Copics and a red glaze pen. I fussy cut the mug and pot and placed them on die-cut stitched circles of silver mirri card. I backed the 2 images with light grey and dark grey cardstock and added a few glittered punched hearts done with 2 SU! mini punches. The heart borders were done with a Martha Stewart punch and I added pink hearts in the negative spaces. I added some silver sparkly washi tape and embossed the top and bottom of the card base with a (r) mini hearts embossing folder from SU!. This Valentine took a while to put together but it's worth it because it's been sent to a couple who will soon be celebrating their 50th anniversary.

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

Cardz4Guyz #340 - Love

Try it on Tuesday - Hearts and/or Flowers

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Love is in the Air

the Male Room Challenge #183 - Valentine or use a Heart

the Double D Challenge - Heartfelt

The PBSC February Penny Black Saturday Challenge - A/G *optional wings

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a wonderful day today filled with sunshine and lots of love!

Carol

Sweet Birthday

 I pulled out my Sunny Studio paper pad and found a few small snippets of brightly colored designer paper that I thought would work perfectly for a sketch challenge I wanted to play with. I stenciled the card base lightly with a data dots stencil and some white craft ink, then placed the 3 bits of designer paper on top. I found a snippet of lavender cardstock that I layered the pre-printed SSS stamp sentiment on, then added a tiny cupcake that was cut with a die and some very tiny snippets of white and green designer paper. I added wink of stella glitter to the frosting and colored the cherry with Copics. The final touch was adding 3 purple gemstones and I'm pleased with how this turned out. I just love the color purple and always have.

I'm sharing this with the following challenges:

The Snippets Playground Challenge #471 - any celebration theme

(They're celebrating 12 years of the Snippets Playground)

The Freshy Made Sketch Challenge #617

the Double D's 8th Challenge - Birthday/Anniversary

(You can use a birthday/anniversary theme and/or use the color bronze as it's the color for an 8th anniversary)

The January 2024 Stencil Fun Challenge - use a stencil

*Optional - Feed the Birds. {Birds, Birdhouses, Birdfeeders, etc.}

Congrats to those challenges celebrating birthdays and thanks for all you do to keep us challenged to make cards all year long. Where would we be without you?

Thanks for stopping by and have a fantastic Monday!

Carol

Bah Humbug!

 I pulled out one of the Tim Holtz crazy cat images to make this card. I added a Santa hat with some liquid applique on the fur parts and used some retired SU! papers to put this card together. The Bah Humbug die is by Crafters Companion and I cut it with red and kraft cardstock to match the dsp. 

I'll share this with these challenges:

The Little Red Wagon Challenge #734 - animal or human

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Use craft dies

Critter Crazy Challenge #81 - A/G featuring a critter

Double D Challenge - Christmas Animals

Four Seasons December 2023 Challenge - A/G winter

Thanks so much for stopping by and do have yourself a wonderful day!

Carol

Dasher Christmas

 I'm moving right along after Halloween right into Christmas with my card today. This is a very old SU! image called "Dasher" that I heat-embossed with Versamark and some gold embossing powder. I colored the die-cut stitched circle with a Copic marker and added a few dabs of red stickles to the antlers, adding some diamond stickles to the ground beneath the deer. I die cut the green circle with a Spellbinders scalloped die and embossed the background with a Sizzix Snow Globe embossing folder, adding a strip of red glitter paper. The sentiment was done with a retired SU! Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp, embossed with gold, and placed on a combination of punched layers.

I'll share this with the following challenges:

The Double D Challenge - Oh DEER!

the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Emboss it!

The Peace on Earth Christmas challenge #50 - A/G Christmas

Thanks for stopping by to visit today. Here's wishing you a great day whatever you do!

Carol

Autumn Cards

  I used a Brutus Monroe stamp set to create these cards and used 2 different sentiments in the center of each wreath. I stamped everything with Versamark and then gold embossed before coloring with assorted markers.

Here's another version that was done on PTI soft stone cardstock for a softer color card base than plain white.

 

I'll enter the first card into these challenges:

The Four Seasons October 2023 challenge - A/G fall

The Sisterhood of Crafters challenge - pumpkins

The Double D Challenges - pumpkins

Craft Rocket Challenge #108 - Autumn and/or Halloween

The Alphabet Challenge Blog - "N" is for nature

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your autumn day is a great one!

Carol

Anniversary Birds

I made this card some time ago and never posted it, so today it finally gets it's outing. I placed a circle on some cardstock, then sponged orange and yellow colors around it to create a full moon. The Birds were done with a SU! punch, adding snippets of plaid material as their "suits." I used a Memory Box woodland branch die to create something for them to sit on and added an anniversary stamped sentiment. The tiny birds were done with Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps.

I'll share this with the following challenges:

The Simon Says stamp Wednesday Challenge - make it cute

the Double D challenge - fall plaids

The Triple B September Challenge - birds, blooms, butterflies (any or all)

Wishing you a wonderful day today and I hope you'll make it your best yet!

Thanks for stopping by!

Carol

Sunflower Birthday Card

 This birthday card has been sent and received so it's time to share it. I used a SSS sunflower die, adding some color with Copics to the colored cardstock, and embossing the center with a swiss dots ef. The scalloped curvy border die is from SSS and the papers are (r) from SU!. The little dragonfly and butterfly were done with Sweet n Sassy Stamps and I added a couple gemstones just for fun.

I'll enter this card into the following challenges:

the Four Seasons August 2023 Challenge - A/G summer

The Beautiful Blossoms Challenge - A/G with flowers *optional mood board

The Triple B August Challenge - Birds, Blooms, Butterflies, 1, 2 or all 3

the Double D Challenge - Sunflowers

Thanks for stopping by and may you have a great day filled with lots of fun things to do.

Carol

Heartfelt Sympathy

 I used a set of Altenew Dahlia layering stencils to create this sympathy card using lavender and purple inks. I created a border with coordinating cardstock and a Martha Stewart doily border punch, and added a panel with the sympathy sentiment stamped in purple along with some random purple and lavender gemstones. The stencils pretty much did all the work for me on this one!

I'll share this with the following challenges:

The Allsorts Challenge Week # 739/40 - Anything but Square

the Double D challenge Collaboration with Altenew stencils - A/G

August Stencil Fun Challenge - A/G *optional butterflies

Thanks for stopping by and I wish you all the best possible day!

Carol

Christmas Poinsettia

 Here's one more Christmas card for July I have to share. I've had this embossed panel that I made at a friend's house perhaps 7-8 years ago and it's high time to use it after keeping it that long! I wrote on the back that it's a Sissix Brushed Poinsettia embossing folder. In keeping with the poinsettia theme, I dug out my trusty (and very old) Spellbinders Shapeability Poinsettia layered dies and cut the flower and leaves, layering it with glue dots after curling the leaves around a pencil. While the pieces were in the die, I used a gold paint pen to add highlights, adding a gemstone to the center and a pre-printed SSS sentiment panel. For the finishing touch, I added 3 random pale yellow sparkly gemstones.

Sharing this card with....

the July Rudolph day Challenge - A/G Christmas

the Double D Challenge - Christmas in July

the Peace on Earth Christmas Challenge #44 - A/G Christmas

the Happy Little Stampers July Christmas Challenge - A/G Christmas

optional *Twinkle

Thanks for spending a few moments here with me and I hope you all have a wonderful day! Keep smiling 😊

Carol

Planted with Love

 A very generous and thoughtful friend sent me this adorable Inkadinkado stamp set a while ago and I was completely baffled as to how to use it, because my brain somehow only connects gnomes with Christmas. I finally bit the bullet and challenged myself to make a card with it and I'm pleased with how it turned out!

I colored the garden gnomes with Copics and glaze pens, adding some clear W.O.S. glitter pen to the fur around one gnome's cap. I added a tiny Lil Inker die-cut sun along with a tiny die-cut butterfly dotted with yellow glaze pens. The sentiment is from Mark's Finest Papers, heat-embossed with white ep on a black die-cut stitched sentiment panel (first time I used the stitched sentiment die) and I stamped and colored a crow from the MFP stamp set and fussy cut him and placed him right on the sentiment panel. The background was created with 4 colorful strips of cardstock that were embossed with a retired SU! ef and I finally put this cute stamp set to use for a summer garden theme. The inside says "Sending you Sunshine."

I'll share this with the following challenges:

The Double D Great Outdoors Challenge - A/G with the great outdoors

The Four Seasons Summer July 2023 Challenge - A/G summer related

The Triple B July Challenge - Blooms, Birds, Butterflies (1, 2, or all 3)

The Sisterhood of Crafters - In the Garden

NBUS Challenge #52 - Never Before Used Schtuff (the stamped image and die-cut sentiment panel)

Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope your garden is growing well this year. Have a great day!

Carol

It's a Bird; It's a Plane; It's a DOG?!

 I found this older Art Impressions stamped image in my stash and decided to finally color it and make a card with it. I die-cut all the panels with Li'l Inker stitched rectangles, and the darker blue panel was stamped and heat embossed with with white ep and a Brutus Monroe cloud background stamp. Someone gifted that stamp to me a long time ago and this is the first time I've used it. The fussy cut clouds are also from A.I. and while covering them with Wink of Stella glitter, they turned reddish brown for some reason, so I covered them with a white paint pen to hide the boo-boo. I colored the image with Copics and some glaze pens, and the sentiment is also from A.I.

I'm entering this into the Double D challenge - things that fly

(I'm aware we don't normally see dogs fly, but in this case we do!) 

😁😊😉

Also entering this into the NBUS #49 since it's the first outing for that cloud stamped background  - even though I covered most of it up 😏😕

Wishing everyone a very happy Monday and thanks for taking the time to stop by! Make it a great day and always remember to keep smiling!

Carol