Christmas Kickstart #36

With mere hours to go, I finally put all the pieces together for my Christmas Kickstart #36 Christmas Birds!  Actually all the pieces were just waiting for me in the Wplus9 Woodland Basics set!  I love this set and just knew these sweet doves, cut from some recycled paper, would be the perfect stand-in for two turtle doves - the next most famous Christmas birds of all!  I'll start with a closeup of the doves... and also so you can see all the wonderful detail in the
SSS Shimmer Oval [a gift from a friend].   On the first pass through my die cutting machine, I could see not all of those bits and pieces cut through.  Instead of fighting with it, I just added a solid oval of paper behind it, and glued it well to keep all of the pieces intact.

 
I kept it sentiment-free - you know, just in case I had a need for a Christmas wedding card! 

Hope your week is off to a great start!  Your visit has started mine off perfectly!

=]  Michele

Colorado Craft Company's Lovely Legs

You guys!  Thanks for your sweet comments on my Colorado Craft Company's birds I colored recently … those BIG, BOLD stamp sets are so much fun to color!

Today, I'm lucky enough to have two of their newest Lovely Legs sets:  Sky Lantern Sympathy, and Baby Congrats!  Here are my cards in that order:

I've always wanted to, but have never launched one of these paper lanterns.

Have you?

These lovely paper lanterns are for sending wishes, and messages in the most magical way, aren't they?  The sentiments in this Sky Lantern Sympathy set are really wonderful for sending condolences - as my card indicates, I'm sending wishes of hope, and peace to a friend in need.

My second card is all about celebrating a NEW life … Baby Congrats covers all the bases for a girl, or a boy - and borrows a line from a favorite old song:  they grow up in the most delightful way!   Of course I've 'decorated' the nursery in my favorite colors... and made the new addition the star of my card!

Thanks for stopping by today... hope you have a wonderful weekend planned!  I have a special day planned for my special guy's birthday tomorrow!  shhhh!  it's our secret!  lol

=]  Michele

CAS[E] this Sketch #387

I feel guilty [sometimes] that I don't create Sketches for CTS anymore... but let's face it:  Donna does it SO GOOD!!  This week's Sketch #387 for instance:

Endless possibilities, right?!   I reached for my boxful of new to me sets for my card this week:  The Stamp Market's Ready to Bloom:

 

I am LOVING the new C&9th inks! 

Here are the ones I've used this week:

Be sure to thank Donna for another in her long line of fabulous Sketches … you'll find her/it here... that is, after you create a card using said Sketch... thanks!

=]  Michele

Just because day!

Happy Just Because Day!   Ellen is having a sale just because she can, and I'm sharing it with you - well, just because I really like you!  Let's face it, you've probably all had your fill of watermelon by now, right?

Now, be sure to use that code, and read the fine print - but have fun...  here's a link [with my affiliate code, please and thank you] to get you started!  Ellen Hutson, LLC.

Have a wonderful day - just because you deserve one!  xo
=]  Michele

Inspired By #139 ... give a dog a bone

 

 

Could you just die seeing these adorable wiener dogs in all their colors?  That was my initial inspiration from IB139 ... then my weird brain took over... give this girl a title like that!?  Come ON!

 

 

A little custom sentiment using Word, and a favorite nursery song, and voila!  the perfect retirement card.  Okay.  So my friend didn't own a knick knack shop, but she'll get it just the same!

 

 

I can hardly wait to see all your fun cards in our IB139 gallery!  Let the fun begin by taking inspiration from the entire, fantastic, IB team...

 

=] Michele

 

Card deets:

The words were all mine but EH provided all the sets, and coordinating dies, needed to make this card come true:  Clever Sausage, Dog Lady, and So Matcha for the knick knack kitty!  The wiener dog's ears were elongated using his party hat die with the pom removed... all the papers are from SU's Brights 6x6 dsp collection. EXCEPT my background paper which was created using C&9th new inks, and Positive Print turnabout stamp - cut with W&W Audrey die.



Day of the Month Card Club #18

 

I just love that the folks at the Day of the Month Club keep us abreast of all of these National Holidays

we'd be missing out on!  

 

Today, in honor of National Watermelon Day!  I'm pleased to introduce a new guy in my world:

 

 

I have had such luck recently with giveaways on Instagram, and a huge win from Kathy Racoosin's blog … all thanks to Simon Says Stamp today!  I am so happy to welcome Chillin' Gnomes to my growing collection of all things Gnome!  Since this guy had such a small slice of melon, I decided to just melon-ize every single bit of stamping today!  lol 

 

=] Michele

 

I received the honor of 3rd place for

my little melon-ized gnome-y! 

Thanks Day of the Month Club!

 





Fusion Dragonfly!

You tell me... how could I resist this Dragonfly challenge?

or more specifically their gorgeous photo:

 

 

Lucky for me, I still had my little hitchhiker on my desk!

 

Here's where he took me today - a true Fusion design:

 

 

 

 

Altenew did all the work really.  Their Inked Lotus provided the flower, but their Rustic Linen stamp worked the charm to provide all the gorgeous texture to my

Memory Box Meadow Dragonfly, and pond, by heat-embossing with Reflections pearl embossing powder.

The watery coloring was achieved by using

Distress Inks in wilted violet, broken china, pine needles, blueprint sketch, chipped sapphire, and a wet brush. 

 

Hope the upcoming weekend finds you enjoying

the last dregs of Summer!  From outside, or through a car window, that sun will be soaked up by this Michigan girl...

 

=]  Michele

CAS[E] this Sketch #386

A really simple, simply fun Sketch for this week - I had just the 'banner' in mind... think 'we are the world' style...

 

 My 'banner' was created with the Dare2BArtzy contribution to The Stamping Village's We Stand With You set.

Because of that, I think it deserves a closeup:

 

Keeping it simple today friends... come play!

=]  Michele

Inspired By #138 ... punny sentiments

Did you read that title... let me repeat myself:  PUNNY sentiments!  Anybody that knows me even a little bit knows I can't resist a good pun!  Here's our IB138 graphic - we're hoping YOU won't be able to resist it either!

All of my favorite stamps, and stamp companies have at least one designer who shares my sense of humor … Alma, at The Cat's Pajamas tickles my funny bone quite often!
Here's my kit-tea pun for today:

... get OOLONG!!!  Kit-tea?  Is this thing on?? did you see the fish is still talking?

Okay... that is pretty pun-y you have to admit!  You all will do much better than I did.  Let's go see if the IB team has put their pun-y caps on, shall we? 

=]  Michele

The Cat's Pajamas:  S-6852 This could be Vodka! and that 'c'mon' comes from K-5838 CL

Wonky Stitched Rectangles from MFT

Altenew: Speech Bubbles dies



Something to Squawk about! from Colorado Crafts Co.

Colorado Craft Company has just released a new brood of birds that really are Big &Bold, beautiful, and truly something to squawk about!

May I introduce Tickled Pink Flamingo, Hope Sings Peacock and Hummingbird Delight?

My Copics came out for this fabulous Flamingo...

My base panel is one I created

by embossing with a stencil.

Coloring is easier for me when I have an actual photo of

the subject - it's easy to find one online.

Don't you love sentiments created with an outlined word that

can be colored to match?

 

If you've ever met a Peacock irl?  You'll never forget that plumage, or their call that sounds just like they need help!!  Seventeen Copics later …

 

I love what Ms. Dickinson has to say here.

Peacock, colored using Pointillism is so much fun.

That eye?  all you Moms will appreciate that one! 

 

Their Hummingbird is so gorgeous, I had to water-color it twice... yes, our Ruby Throats are capable of this maneuver. ..

 

A slimline card was the only way to go!

Oh, I do love these 'little things!'  Here I've depicted

an Anna's Hummingbird - we don't have them in Michigan!

Another time when those photos help, since I don't

have personal knowledge.

 

 

Colorado Craft Company, thank you so much for these gorgeous sets … I have more to come, soon - from their Lovely Legs collection! 

 

=]  Michele





CAS Mix Up August 2020 at the Beach!

Anytime I am asked to take my craft room to the beach, I'm IN!!  Thanks, Loll, for giving me the opportunity to pull out my all time favorite beachy set again - the Waffle Flower Crafts Sandy Toes combo set!

I won't keep you ... here is my card for the August 2020 CAS Mix Up Beach challenge:

 

My panel started out as a 4 x 5.25" inch piece of water color card stock.  But, after stamping, clear embossing, and water-coloring, I wasn't feeling the CAS look they look for. 

The answer?  Cut away a bit of the background to leave the star of the show the star of the show!!

 

Hope you are having as much fun this weekend as this guy is!
=]  Michele

CAS Christmas August 2020

Are you the guest that always gets invited back … you know who you are:  walks right in ready to lend a helping hand; the first one to the sink for the clean-up; brings one, or six dishes to pass.  This little gal? definitely one of those...

Inside:

With a friend like you, who needs a gaggle?

Hope you'll come for Christmas!

 

Always like to give credit where it's due … who needs six geese, when one does the work of six?  Sending her over to CAS Christmas August 2020... or 2021?  I have to wonder if this was wishful thinking … I hear you!!

 

 

=]  Michele

 

SugarPea Designs Twelve Days of Christmas, white heat embossed onto water color card, colored with distress inks.

Spellbinder Candlewick oval dies - more about those soon!

and  an ancient set of MFT number/punctuation dies, cut from C&9th Parsley card stock

 



CAS[E] this Sketch #385

Chrissy Larsen created Sketch #385  ... I see tons of possibilities, can't you?

I took advantage of this great Sketch to create a card that can be shared with Altenew's August Inspiration Challenge: 

That 'fairy' brings back a wonderful memory of finding a 'fairy wing' in my garden.  It was then cradled in cotton, and sent to my granddaughter who shared my belief that fairies do indeed exist, and one just shed her wings in our garden! 

Here's where my card began, with a very old circa 2012 Memory Box Meadow Dragonfly die, and a quick swipe of Altenew's Frayed Leaf for the wings, and Silver Stone for the body, onto a scrap of white:

 

It provided the perfect 'gossamer' feel I was aiming for:

 

 

The trio of leaves for its landing zone come from

Altenew's Beautiful Heart stamped in Evergreen, and layered with Frayed Leaf, and Forest Glades inks, then cut using the coordinating dies.

 

 

I love Altenew's Dotted Swirls debossing cover plate to add a bit of interest to my EBE Essential Circle - notice I only debossed the inner circle and left the

slim frame untouched. 

This tiny hello is from Altenew again - Fresh Freesia - and cut from a snippet [it had a bit of the EBE stitched details on it] with an MFT Pierced Circle Stax.

 

NOW!  It's time for me to say thanks for the visit!  Then send you on your way to CTS#385 to see all the

wonderful ways our DT have represented Chrissy's

wonderful Sketch!

=]  Michele

 

The Stamp Market: Sea glass color crush card stock for card base.

Inspired By #137 ... critter six pack

Ha!  That 'critter six pack' title evokes some pretty fun images in my crazy brain … Danni sees it much better, and cuter:

It will come as NO SURPRISE which of the six I chose …  I was inspired by his hat, his color, and rosey cheeks - did you guess?

I do love me a SugarPea bear!

Hey Winter! is the name of this set from SugarPea Designs

My Spellbinder Hemstitch dies [sans hemstitching] came in handy once again.



Today I'm not forgetting to share our optional Sketch... I can't wait to see how you all will fill in those six spaces for IB137!

=]  Michele

Snailed it! The Flower Challenge #47 add Sparkle!

Hi, my name is Michele, and I am definitely not a girl that sparkles, or adds glitter to my cards - well, maybe at Christmas?  Please don't hate me.  I am, however, a girl who loves to play cards at The Flower Challenge - when in Rome?

 

I am so happy to share another freebie from my friend Rachelle from RedCre8s … this little image from Nature works perfectly for my Sparkle-y card!  Somehow I just know that my friend won't mind that I combined her sweet drawing with a fave little guy from Ellen Hutson's Julie E. set called Snailed It!  His trail of sparkle deserves the spotlight for just a moment:

 

 I even managed to find him a set of sparkly eyes!

 

 

Laundry calls, and so does the gallery at The Flower Challenge … I know those little flowering ferns , and garden mushrooms aren't much of a flower, but I'm fine being a rebel ... happy trails, my friends!

=]  Michele

Take note:  before anyone asks me about this paper!!  It is a recycled cover from Strathmore Bristol paper - yeah, I know!!