Color Hues #112

Stef has a gorgeous color combo for us at Color Hues #112!  It offered me the chance to use a new-to-me set from Altenew: Oxeye Daisy.  Armed with its stencils and these inks, these colors came together beautifully - I was pleasantly surprised that I liked the blue leaves!

oopsie daisies - that's Sapphire I've placed upside down!

Backed with a partial panel of 'seersucker' and I think this a very

'summery' way to say hello to a friend!

I've embraced this blue just for you, Stef! and think it's just peachy!

=] Michele

The Paper Players - Fresh and Fruity

Claire has asked for a CAS, Fresh and Fruity card for The Paper Players #742 - I'm adding Funny to the list... who better to cause a spontaneous LOL than Julie Ebersole for Ellen Hutson... is miss her so!

Claire, I don't think it gets more CAS than this! IMHO

=] Michele

Freshly Made Sketches #691

Hey you guys!!  It's my turn to create a sketch for Freshly Made Sketches - I sure hope you like it - I'm pretty excited as it is my very first!  

I often wondered 'which comes first?  The card or the Sketch?' 

In my own case, it was the card!  I knew if I liked the card, the sketch

could be drawn pretty easily - it is my first time, okay! lol

Ready for the card?

I had been 'savoring' this little Woodland Tales Floral die from Spellbinders' for some time- I cut the layers from the same watercolor card as my card panel and blended a bit of lilac ink on the petals, yellow for the center, and greens for the leaves.  I just love this soft lavender - don't you?  An old friend from Lil' Inkers

came to the party to provide that wonderful, debossed texture on my card panel and

I think the die-cut sentiment from Concord & 9th makes it seem fresh and new.

I know my teammates will have fun with it - after all, they always make our Sketches shine!  I just can't wait to see what YOU will create!  Are those ideas percolating that I hear?

=] Michele

The Flower Challenge #103 Reminder

I'd bet if you looked at the cards you made this week, you'll find one that includes

flowers AND some form of heat or dry embossing.  No?  Well you still have plenty of time to make one or two for The Flower Challenge #103!

Here's another way to add dry embossing to make those florals POP!

See what I did there?  I used the coordinating die to this Altenew Wild Geranium to

add embossed detail around my stamped images adding dimension without the need for additional postage!  Yes, I am frugal that way! lol

I love that the die set included one for the hello!

I also love that you stopped by for a visit today - have you entered one of 

your beautifully embossed floral cards to our gallery yet?  You have plenty

of time to make one or three!  My teammates made seconds for your viewing pleasure right HERE!

=] Michele

Concord & 9th Color Club: Plumberry

Concord & 9th started their Color Club as a way to introduce their new colors to those of us who love their inks and colored cardstock.  I love getting those emails which included an invitation for all of us to play along in their first color challenge.  

Plumberry is the challenge color and just one of the new colors for 2025:

#PLUMBERRYC9COLORCHALLENGE

As much as I loved the color palettes they've suggested, I loved combining

Plumberry with a few of my favorites of all their papers using their 

Friendly Florals die set and these papers starting from the top left flower:

Plumberry

Fig

Lemongrass - flower center and panel

Artichoke - stems and leaves

Cobblestone - for banner

Pebble - shadow layer of 'smile' [from C&9th's Potpourri die set]

You'll be seeing lots of these stitch lines in the future - made 

using Concord & 9th's Kristina's Finishing Touches dies.

[it's almost as wonderful as that old MFT stitching set I've had for years!]

If you feel like I haven't been around much lately you're right - I've re-embraced my 'chef-y' side and dove headfirst into the art of pasta making.  It was briefly touched during my training at culinary school but nothing like the lessons I'm learning from watching Pasta Grannies on YouTube!  If you want to get lost for an hour or twelve watch these wonderful Italian women - the youngest I've watched so far is 87!  Pasta Grammar and Helen Rennie are two others that have taken some of the mystery out of pasta making and shaping and introduced me to many I wasn't familiar with, too.  

If you're in the neighborhood I'm happy to make you a plate of Potato Gnocchi - to die for!  

Until next time - take care, enjoy life, and thanks so much for stopping by today!

=] Michele

Freshly Made Sketches #690

It's a very fun Sketch #690 from my teamie Karren J. today!  While the possibilities are endless for that circle or any shape at all, I have a sweet PB Birthday Bundles bear that a dear friend stamped and sent to me to color - he was very happy to be the star of Karren's Sketch!

I do have a fondness for big bears... let's start with his closeup...

He must have been a very good boy to get all those presents!

I remember a bear and his little buddy BooBoo who spent a good deal

of their time swiping pic-a-nic baskets from campers - this fun

Summer Camp collection of papers from PTI just seemed perfect -

[shhh I'll be saving this one for my in-house star gazer's birthday!]

My FMS teammates may think I'm a bit early when I add my cards to the team blog post - but it allows all of the fabulous cards THEY make to be a big surprise to me on Wednesday when they go live!  Let's go - I can't wait another moment!

=] Michele

A duo of cards for a trio of challenges!

I don't normally combine challenges in one post but one of today's cards is for two challenges and both challenges are color challenges!  Are you curious?  Read on!

Sheri's pretty coral and green challenge at Color Hues kept calling me back for a floral and I found just the stamp for it - inspired by these incredible Sweet Peas on the interweb:

... and a stamp set that a very sweet friend gifted me quite some time ago...

Stamped onto Canson wc paper and colored with Distress reinkers in

Abandoned Coral, Crushed Olive and Peeled Paint. Cut with an old MFT Wonky Rectangle die.

That fun sentiment die is from Pinkfresh Studio: Take Care stand-alone die

but I simply used the outline portion - cut twice and layered for stability.

A sprinkle of PF gems and all layered on a card base.

Next up: a card for The Paper Players #741 and JUGS #778 -

Cover panel embossed with Simon Hurley's Bark EF

Another gift from a friend: The Stamp Market's Pencil Box cut from C&9th cardstock.

along with Spring Tulip - colored with Copics.

Each one of those teensy colored pencils has 5 pieces that come together

so realistically! 

Thanks, Ina, for the shoutout!

I hope you're having a wonderful weekend!  I appreciate your visit!

=] Michele