Inspired By #189C

Welcome, friends!  It's a special day at Inspired By today, as we

celebrate National Love People Day and invite some of our best crafty friends to play along with us this week.  Guess what?  

We want YOU to invite a friend to play along with you, too!!

One of the best things about being friends with another crafter, is the bounty of supplies you have at hand!  I mean, come on, we can't OWN it all!!

Last month, my friend Marcia brought along her Geranium dies from The Greetery - the moment I set eyes on them, I knew they'd be perfect for this week's 

Christmas #IB189C at Inspired By...

tell me if you agree...

I used a good ol' favorite die from W&W for the panel, and for cutting

that little napkin from a scrap of dp.  

PTI is responsible for the Christmas greenery, and the greeting, stamped on a little 

Altenew Apothecary label - a perfect fit, if you ask me!

Here's her closeup:

You may or may not have noticed the 'swipe' of silver ink on this pot.

Thanks, Marcia, for lending me that die set - it's going to be hard to add color to the others!  I love them so much in white!   And thanks for hanging out with me and our friends at IB today!

I hope you are inspired to play along this week!  For even more inspiration for IB189 please come see what my teammates have made - absolutely gorgeous cards, as usual! and all our other friends have blown our minds with theirs, too!  

=]  Michele

Freshly Made Sketches #505

I just happened to be stamping, coloring, and die cutting a few of my favorite Halloween characters from Waffle Flower Craft Co.'s BOO when this Freshly Made Sketches from Narelle popped into my inbox - I think these friends are perfect for the job!

I better get them in that FMS#505 gallery, with a layover at Waffle Flower Crafts Week 4 Halloween Challenge, too!

=]  Michele 

A fun Monday!

 

What's a little stenciling between loads?  A fun Monday, that's what!

New goodies arrived with moments to spare before the

Altenew September Inspiration Challenge gallery door closes.

What perfect timing, I say... take a look at my first take on 

Impressionist Bouquet stencil and dies:

I thought those inks were perfectly in tune with the pots on Laurie's deck!

Geo Steps really does provide so much embossed texture to my 

slimline card base, too.

One more load to dry and fold - I better get it done, and this card posted,

 before dinner!

Thanks for dropping in!

=]  Michele

Inspired By #188 AND 188C!

I found myself unable to choose from the gorgeous photo options at Inspired By this week!  What's a girl to do, but make two cards??  BTW you, too,  can make two, three, or more if you'd like! 

First up, our Colorful Fall #IB188 photo:

I had another play with my favorite of all Fall leaves from Lawn Fawn, and some new sprays to my craft room from Tim Holtz... Distress Mica Stain in Jack O Lantern, and Flickering Candle.  I had already blended the card stock with Distress Oxide inks - which may have hindered the Mica from showing its true glow, but I love it just the same.  Here's her closeup:

That scripty hello die is from Mama Elephant - ages old!

My oval was cut using a Spellbinders oval from my Hemstitch set, but the 'movement' comes from the cover plate from Stamplorations - Wonky Stitched Grid Texture plate.

Next:  the Christmas version, #IB188C:

I took it quite literally, since I was on a 'shaped card' roll!  I created my own plaid using a Waffle Flower Plaid Play set, and a few wonderful Christmas shades of Catherine Pooler inks: Spruce, Rockin' Red, and Sand Castle.  It's been killing me not to share this one with Colleen at CAS Christmas Challenge - sneaking it in there today, Colleen!

JOY is another oldie from PTI, and so is the Holly and Berries!

Okay, there you go, my work play here is done - now let's go see which version my teammates made, shall we?   OH and there's a Sketch option, too!!  Oy!  Come PLAY!

Thanks so much for stopping by! 

=]  Michele

A Plethora of plaids!

My friends over at CAS Christmas card challenge may have caused a frenzy of crafting in my studio... I'm MAD for PLAID!!  and mittens- remember, I do live in the Mitten State!

source

Therefore, each Christmas card-making session must include a few Mittens - why not plaid ones??  You'll have to run by the CAS Christmas challenge to see which of these is shared there - oh, and play along while you're at it!!  

While searching through my patterned paper stash, I came across

this lovely set of Holiday Plaids from PTI - very old, still gorgeous, and the Mitten die is from PTI, too - sadly neither is still available, but there are plenty more where those came from.  Seems I've used many products that are no longer available, like 

this J.O.Y is from an older MFT die set but we all have old favorites that are timeless - I'll bet you have a few of your own that would do the trick!  

However, I did find the perfect sentiment from Pigment Craft Co. from These Hands: Warm Easily!  and this inside one from Colorado Craft Co. - fits like a ... mitten?! lol  From Merry Merry Mini

Now, if you looked closely at that photo of the State of Michigan from outer space, you'll quickly notice that the thumb on that first card is facing the wrong way - easily fixed!

Just give it a flip, and emboss if that cut edge bothers you - it was the perfect time

to bring out another favorite embossing folder!  Just look at that detail!

AND that sweet little PLAID heart!

Could this darling Colorado Craft Co. sentiment be more appropriate?

From Kittens and Mittens.

Another golden oldie set from MFT will remain in my arsenal of mitten sets...  and this PTI table-cloth plaid continues to be among my favorite, too... first her closeup:

Pinkfresh Studio: Braided Circles for a spotlight!

I loved that this set comes complete with the necessary loss-protection device:

mitten strings!

Last, but not least... now if you are totally disgusted by non-matchy-matchy plaids, I give you permission to walk away!  But there were SO many plaids in that collection to use!

Pigment Craft Co. These Hands: Warm Easily layering dies 

another perfect sentiment, and another very old embossing folder.

Have you taken a guess at which plaid card has made it over to CAS Christmas Challenge yet?  You'll have to go see if you're right! [I let Tom choose his fave!]

Thanks, Colleen for such a fun challenge!

=]  Michele

Two for Thursday!

Hello again, my friends - hope you don't mind my dropping into your space again today - I have a fun FALL card with the cutest critters doing what they do in Fall...

 Can you find those little squirrels from Home Sweet Home?  Maybe this will help...

Oh those little stinkers do find the darnedest spots to bury their treasures, don't they?

In this case it was right in the middle of this gorgeous Jumbo Flower Pot window planter full

of end-of-the-season blooms! 

This card was made with love for three of my former 12 Kits of Occasions teamies, who came together for Waffle Flower Crafts FALL Favorites Challenge week 2:

Fall Critters, of course!!

Sure wish we could all gather together for reals, ladies!

Until we can, it's wonderful playing cards with you, and Waffle Flower! 

Did you spot the bit of stenciled brick?  I'm so excited about the 

new Waffle Flower Stencil mats -

I'm thinking one [or both] would be a wonderful birthday gift - 

just in case Tom's reading?

LOve using JJ's scripty Sentiment Additions, with or without the dies!

Okay... I promise I won't be back - until tomorrow, wink!

=]  Michele

Inspired By #187 - hello, fall!

 

Our weather is still feeling quite Summer-like but I sure do love all the end-of-summer colors, and vibe of our Inspired By #187 hello fall  photo this week!

It was the perfect time to use my gourd - pardon my pun - from Pigment Craft Co. again!  Also, a lovely gift from a darling friend from Connecticut sure did come in handy for my Gingko leaves... here's a peek of the inking I did on those gourds, using Citrine ink from The Stamp Market, and a few greens, and blue-greens from Catherine Pooler.

An old favorite die from Altenew came in handy for the frame, cut from a 

discontinued MFT card stock.

The wood grain paper has been distressed just a tiny bit in order to 

play nicely with the colors on my leaves.  

Remember we have a Christmas version this week, too - and I mean it is GORGEOUS!!  Have a look-see HERE!  While you're there, say hello to all the beauty of Fall from my teammates!

=]  Michele

Pigment Craft Co.: Pumpkin Patch, stamps & dies and Latte Heart Elements, stamps & dies

Papertrey Ink: Leave it be, stamps & dies

Altenew: Rounded Rectangles Dies

Craft Consortium Wood Textures patterned paper - distressed

Catherine Pooler inks: Spruce + Sage, Mint to be + Seafoam

The Stamp Market Citrine ink

The Flower Challenge #60 - reminder!

Have you played along with The Flower Challenge #60 yet?  There's still time and we have a fun color challenge this month:  Turquoise!!   Our team has really featured this color beautifully, and we have a wonderful Guest Designer this month, too!  You don't want to miss Kailash's beautiful creations!  

I found myself reaching for my Distress inks, and little slip of acetate, for my reminder card... hope it sparks a little creative mess in YOUR craft studio, too!  

After smooshing a bit of Oxide ink onto my craft mat, I spritz it with water, and pick up the water-y ink with a piece of acetate from packaging, and adding it to a panel of water color card stock.  LOTS of Oxide ink first, then dried, and repeated the process with original Distress Inks - it will be seen as darker, more intense color here...

After it was completely dry, I reached for a favorite die from The Stamp Market - Ready to Bloom!  It does ALL the work, all I had to do was arrange the blooms, lifting some, and leaving room for a sweet little sentiment - no longer available, sorry!  Since we're celebrating turquoise, I even stamped my sentiment in a darker shade of it:  Jade - also from The Stamp Market!

I sprinkled a few of those blooms' centers around for embellishment -

is it awful I find I can't waste a thing?  Simple, but they work on my very CAS card.

Okay, it's time for me to send you over to see all the beautiful reminders at The Flower Challenge!  It's also time for you to play along, don't you think?   We love seeing your gorgeous cards in our gallery!

=]  Michele

Playing Cards with Friends - September 2021 Edition!

My guest this month is familiar to most of you, I'm sure - she has the most wonderful way with CAS, and I just know she'll knock my socks off with every card she makes as a designer at any of the CAS family of challenges - currently CAS Christmas.  Please welcome my September guest:  Hideko from Papercraft Boutique!   A darling friend who lives so far away from me in California - no, we haven't met YET!  But it is a shared dream between us!  [Look out Matt, and Tom!]

Today is National Coloring Day!  To celebrate it, and our shared love of Altenew florals, our parameters were very simple:

Color an Altenew image, using any medium at all!

There was an image I had saved in my phone to try another day.  Playing Cards with Hideko, and National Coloring Day, was the perfect time to attempt it.  Here is the image I had saved to my phone:

Enterprise Times UK 2018

Now I have a limited number of pinks in my Copics collection - so please keep that in mind.  It was this dark pond that I was really trying to capture - don't ask how many layers of Copics,  and Prismacolor pencils were used!  I think my paper had absorbed as much ink as was possible!

Altenew's Inked Lotus to the rescue - with the hint of a few leaves from an older Altenew Lotus set.  Ready? 

Hideko, you always leave the sweetest compliments [and always see

things about my cards that no one else does] - thanks for being a wonderful 

friend, and for playing cards with me today!  

I cannot wait another second to see your card my friend - hope you ALL join me, please!  Oh and do color a little something today in your own studios in honor of National Coloring Day!

=]  Michele

p.s. This sweet sentiment is from The Stamp Market, but heat embossed with Altenew Rose Gold!

CAS Mix Up September 2021

 

Leslie! you've chosen the most wonderful challenge for September 2021!  I agree, the colors in Fall are  the most wonderful colors of all!

I found the perfect flowers to water color for your challenge:

Altenew Fashion Monger Dahlias - yes, they are real!  I found a beautiful representative of this variety of Dahlia on the interweb ...

photo courtesy of White Flower Farms

... and then, had my way

with them using a few Autumn colors, compliments of Distress inks...

Inks: 

Blooms: Fired Brick, Spiced Marmalade, Wilted Violet, Mustard Seed

Leaves:  Crushed Olive, and Forest Moss

Shadow wash: Pumice Stone

I stamped this image onto this scrap of Neenah Solar white cardstock - I liked it just the way it was so I just mounted it onto a kraft card base!

Have a happy Saturday, my friends.  Thanks for sharing a bit of your weekend with me.  Now off I go to deliver my card to the CAS Mix Up Challenge!  Thanks, Leslie - you made it fun, and colorful!

=]  Michele

ps  I have been staying off my computer for a bit - pinched something in my neck, which has made typing quite painful - crafting impossible!  So glad I got this card made, and photographed before!  Thank you to all who have been so kind to leave me some love in the comments!  If I don't respond, this is why - my apologies!

Inspired By #186C

I only wish I had the time and energy to make a tree skirt like this one - but I'm happy to borrow its colors for my Inspired By card this week with my IB186C - Cool Holiday Christmas card! 

Remember this sweet Christmas angel from Penny Black?

Angel Swing stamped in Memento Ink; Pine boughs from Wplus9 Winter Greenery.

Peace + Joy from Pinkfresh Festive Llama.  

That old favorite EF came out for the first time this Holiday card making Season!

Here are all the Copics that I used today:

Now it's your turn - need more inspiration?  Check out all you'll need at the Inspired By blog!  There's also a Back to School inspiration if you need one!

=]  Michele

Altenew Inspiration Challenge September 2021

 

Laurie Willison is the host with the most this month at 

Altenew's Inspiration Challenge  She is a mighty wonderful host IRL, too!

I am a very lucky girl to have actually VISITED Laurie - it's been 

a few years, but an evening we'll remember forever!

I had a little fun with the Altenew Statement Flower today -

THEN remembered this challenge!  My colors might have 

been a little brighter to match up with Laurie's potted plants, but I 

love how it turned out.

Here you go, Laurie!  Now let's start planning our

crafty weekend on our Island already!!

Turns out there IS a die for this Statement Flower.   But it was easy enough to cut out.

I gave it a little lift with a SB die cut, and a sentiment from my snippets bin.

I used Distress inks to water color my flowers today.

=]  Michele