Purple Birthday Flowers

 Happy Tuesday All!  

I'm off to take care of a couple appointments but wanted to quickly share with you a card I created yesterday that was inspired by the sketch challenge over on the Sweet Sketch Wednesday blog where you have the choice of a couple different sketches ... I chose this one.

 Sketch #320

And here's what I've created . . . 

Products used are:

Precious Marieke - Romantic Roses paper pack
The Paper Boutique - Lavender Fields A4 colored card collection (solid colors)
Altenew 'Build-A-Garden: Glowing Gardenias' Stamp and Die sets 
Iron On Ribbon Bow (RAK)
Nuvo Crystal Drops (Violet Galaxy)
 Dimensional Tape
Tombow Markers (#098, #665, #623)
Endless Creations Sentiment Stamp

The delicate lavender ribbon bow is an iron on that Kay Squires (crafty friend) sent to me years ago!  Sadly I've lost touch with her but 'if you're out there Kay ... thanks for your kindness'.  

Coloring was done using Tombow markers and I took the liberty of using the shape of my focus flowers for the center circular shape in the sketch.  

 

 I haven't used any of these products in a very long time and it was great fun to 'blow the dust' off them and create something beautiful to share with you today.  I don't make square cards as I find it difficult to sell them at my annual craft show.  With the postage already so high in price and square cards cost more to send, I stick with my A6 size cards so tweaked the sketch to fit rectangular vs square.

* CONFESSION TIME *

I must confess, I thought I had my card done & ready to photograph and share ... then while writing up my post I realized I had forgotten the 'little ribbon' embellishment ... SO, I added the ribbon, took another photo, edited the photo and re-added it to my write up.  

THEN . . .

looking at the sketch again, I realized I had also forgotten the 'corner dots' ... What the heck!!!  SO, once again, I added the dots, took another photo, edited the photo and re-added it to my write up!  Geesh!  I hope I have everything now!  LOL

 
Challenges to share in:

All About Papercraft Challenge #2 - Stamps

We Love Stamping February Challenge - Hearts or ATG (2/28)
C.R.A.F.T. Challenge #773 - Love or ATG (2/28)

 I hope you enjoyed today's card share!  I am off now to my mammogram (VERY IMPORTANT), then to my sister's shop for my monthly hair cut and to my friend Jodi's shop for my monthly pedicure.  Yes, I treat myself to these appointments once a month ... well, NOT the mammogram lol.  That would be crazy!!
Once a year is often enough for that one!! 😂

 Thanks for stopping by and as always . . .

Birthday in Pink

 Happy Monday ... 
Welcome to a New Week!

I have a card to share today that was inspired by the Freshly Made Sketches challenge.  Here is the sketch we're playing with today ...

 And, here's what I've created . . .

 I knew my scraps would come in handy for this design and I chose these three strips.  I wanted to make it a birthday card, especially since I had this Tutti Designs 'Happy Birthday' already die cut and on the work table just waiting for the right card.  

I felt I needed a 'focal point' and up on my accessory pegboard this pretty pink rose from the Paper Studio 'la petites' jumped out at me.  And, a precut ivy branch is all that was needed to finish my design vision.    What do you think?

 

 Challenges to share in:

 AAA Colourful Challenge #24 - see mood board

 

 Lil Patch of Crafty Friends February Challenge #271  - ATG (2/14)
Addicted to CAS Challenge #301 - Pink

 

 CAS on Friday Challenge #327 - ATG (2/18)
Krafty Chicks Challenge #806 - Birthday

 

 Thanks for stopping by ... hope you  have a FABULOUS week ahead!

As always . . .

Fun Technique . . .

 Happy Sunday Everyone!!

I had some time today to just play around and I spotted a card online the other day that I just had to try and replicate ... but of course put my own spin on it.  I'm sorry I didn't write down the artist who created this card but whoever you are, BEAUTIFUL job and you have truly inspired me.  Here is the card that inspired me today . . .

 

 Here are a couple versions of this card that I created . . .

Card #1 

 For my first attempt, I basically copied the inspiration card.  However, I didn't have the same embossing folder but I did have this pretty Lisa Horton 3D 'Floral Frenzy' folder (sadly discontinued) that I thought would work and I'm very happy with the outcome.   The die cut I chose to use for this design is from Frantic Stamper 'Elementals #20' (FRA-DIE-10170).

    

After embossing the front of a white card base, I then die cut my frame from a panel of light moss colored cardstock.  Since the center pops out of the frame, I then embossed that popped out panel using the same folder.  I have the coordinating 'Floral Frenzy Layering Stencils' so used small sponge daubers & TH distress oxide inks to color the center embossed panel.

I'm very happy with this first attempt ... what do you think?

 Card #2

 For my second card, I used the same embossing folder & frame die.  But, this time after embossing the front panel of my card base, I adhered the white die cut frame to the front of my card then temporarily adhered the center (cut out) panel in the middle and proceeded to sponge the outside edge and frame using TH 'Wilted Violet' distress oxide ink.  Then removed the center panel.  

I needed one more card for a 20 Get Well card order, so went with this sentiment flag & small Prima flower.  White Nuvo crystal drops was used for the flower center. 

 Basically the SAME but yet very DIFFERENT one to the other.
Needless to say, Card #2 was the quickest card of the two.

Challenges to share in:

 Cut It Up Challenge #349 - This Makes Me Happy (2/16)  [being inspired by others]
Craft Rocket Challenge #133 - Flowers (2/28) 
Creative Inspiration Challenge #35 - ATG (2/28)
Elliebelle's Garden Party #11 - ATG in/from a garden (2/9)
 The Paper Funday Challenge #84 - ATG (didn't use the option) (2/28)

Thanks for stopping by and as always . . .

 

Love Those Pretty Papers February 2026 Challenge

 Hello Dear Friends

It's a new month and that means it's time for a new challenge over on our
LOVE THOSE PRETTY PAPERS blog.

Today, our OPTIONAL theme is

POLKA DOTS

 Diane & I will be sharing a Themed pretty paper card as well as an Anything Goes card.

 Here's my card using today's THEME:

 

 I decided to use polka dot papers from both the Echo Park Dots & Stripes (yellow) pack and the Scrapbookcustoms.com Rainbow Plaid (blue ) paper pack to create the background, after choosing to use this pretty hummingbird topper from the Hearty Crafts 'Hummingbirds (HC12970)' 3D Topper pack. 

 

 Here's a peek at the inside:

A Tutti Designs 'Scalloped Stitched Rectangle' die was used as the matting panel behind this pretty topper.  The sentiment is a stamp & die set from the TON.
 

 

Now for my 2nd card (anything goes) ... 

I don't like finding lady bugs in my house but I sure had fun creating this cute Z-fold card using the lady bug papers from Echo Park called 'Little ladybug'.   Tutti Designs 'Stitched Scallop Rectangle' dies used for inside panel.  I make so many 'regular' cards that 'It Makes Me Happy' to create something 'off the beaten path' such as this z-fold card.  I should do more like this.

 

 

Challenges to enter: 

 Alphabet Challenge  - U is for Up-Lifting (2/20)
Creative Creases #112 - 2/6 thru 3/5
Cut It Up Challenge #349 - This Makes Me Happy (2/16) [something other than the normal fold design]
Craft Rocket Challenge #133 - Flowers (2/28) 
Dragonfly Dreams February Challenge - Fun Fold or Shaped Card (2/28)

 I hope you've enjoyed what I created to inspire you today!  Please come join our fun and show us what you have created using pretty patterned papers.

Thanks for stopping by and as always . . .

 

Simply Clean & Simple (2/2026) - Greenery

 

Hello my friends and welcome to my blog!

Today I have a card to share for our challenge blog using the CAS (clean & simple) design style. 
Our blog is called Simply Clean & Simple and today's OPTIONAL theme is:

 

 Greenery

 

 Here's what I have to share with you today . . .

 

 These beautiful stamp/die sets are from Heartfelt Creations.

My N.C. friend Sandy LOVES Heartfelt and when they were going out of business, she bought a TON of stuff and was kind enough to share a few with me when she came to visit last year.  There are two different stamps used here ... one is just the greenery and the other has the hollyhock flowers on it.  I decided to put a stem of each together and pop up the one with the flowers.  Coloring was done with Tombow markers. 

 

Hollyhocks was one of my grandmothers favorite flowers.
Here's a photo of her in her flower garden  . . .

 

Remember, our challenge is Anything Goes CLEAN & SIMPLE but we do offer an OPTIONAL theme.  You have until the 28th to share your CAS design into our challenge blog.

Hope to see you at SIMPLY CLEAN & SIMPLE!

As always . . .