Doodlebugs Friday!

 

Spring has finally arrived in my neighborhood!  I'm enjoying the first peeks of those lilacs we planted last Spring... celebrated them with a few 'stamped' variety from a new to me company!  Hope you have a moment to check them out over at the 

Doodlebugs blog!  

[You're always welcome to stop by to see the real things, too!] 

=] Michele

Doodlebugs Friday!

 

SO glad it's Friday especially since I'm happy to have added to my Altenew Paint-a-Flower stash - and I get to share it with YOU!  Here's a peek, but I hope you stop by the Doodlebugs Blog to see the whole thing!  Thanks, in advance - you guys are the best!

=]  Michele

Freshly Made Sketches #536

 

Karren's Sketch [and adorable card] made it impossible to resist playing along at Freshly Made Sketches this week!  

I have a set of circle dies from Wplus9 - could be my very first die purchase of all!  I picked three and went to work filling the spaces... MFT's You Keep me Afloat bunnies worked their charm!  [and their dies are on sale right now!]

The outside sentiment is a piece from this MFT set that I snipped from the original.

I had my way with the inside sentiment...

Thanks, Karren, for the fabulous Sketch!  It's been far too long since I've played along at FMS!  The design team has a gallery-full of inspiration, too - come play!

=] Michele

Color Hues #41 - Red and Aqua

The colors for Color Hues #41 are a favorite at Christmas, for sure - but today, I brought red and aqua together for a first-time play with a new to me set from PTI!  I must give credit for my design today to the one and only Kelly Lunceford!  I bought this set [after waiting for ages for it to be back in stock] based on her gorgeous card which you can find here.  Thank you, Kelly!  You know you had me at grey!

I loved the drama of Kelly's dark grey card base and frames, so I found a few from my own stash to accommodate my feathered family...

New baby, or new nest?  Could be either, right?

Who knows?  I might just be back with a Christmas card, too!

=] Michele

Altenew Leaf Frame Cover Die

Pinkfresh Studio Braided Oval

Both cut from MFT Gravel Grey cardstock

Papertrey Ink Feathered Friends Mini 18

PTI Communique Curves sentiment

CP inks: Black Jack, Twilight, Rockin' Red

Sea Glass from The Stamp Market

Altenew - May 2022 Inspiration Challenge

A weekend of potting plants made me take a second look at Altenew's May 2022 Inspiration Challenge - isn't that a gorgeous bloom?  Terri Koszler is our host - she took this photo at the Botanical Gardens in Bristol, UK.  It brought my mind to one of Altenew's Paint-A-Flower sets:  African Daisy!

Simply stamped with WOW embossing ink, and clear heat embossed made simple water coloring even simpler.  It was easy to find all the right shades of color in my Altenew 36 Pan set of watercolors: Puffy Heart, Bamboo, and Forest Glades to be exact. The sentiment is also from the African Daisy set.  These embossed pieces [SU] were here waiting for me in my snippets!

Hope your week has gotten off to a colorful start!

=] Michele

Fusion - at the Movies

 With Covid came changes - especially in the way we watched movies!  We are regular movie-goers and even buy the re-fillable 'bucket' for free popcorn!  Oh they don't make any money on us!

Today's card is my take on this fabulous photo inspiration from Fusion's at the Movies challenge...

I was in need of a 'get well' card - who doesn't love to wrap up on the couch for naps and movies when not feeling well? 

  

This image is from Colorado Craft Co. appropriately called 'get well.'

Of course, the couch could only be red!

Here's my inside sentiment:

"Let's replace that tea with a bucket of popcorn soon -

but keep the tissues - you know we'll choose a sappy rom-com!"

I got a jump start with laundry last night - yay for having playtime on Monday!

=]  Michele

Thank  you, Fusion!

The Flower Challenge #68 - Reminder!

 

I'm back with a little reminder and another way to use a number for 

The Flower Challenge #68 ... this one for my darling granddaughter!  shhh!

What?  This old thing?? A friend reminded me how much I love these doodling 

blooms from Wplu9 - Doodle Buds.  The birthday sentiment is also Wplus9 but 

the th is a Concord & 9th set called Sophisticated Script.    

Today I found a fun way to color Lola's age with more paper from my stash in her current favorite color ... wish I could still get this one! Still missing you Lil' Inkers!

We're loving all the ways you have added numbers on your cards - there is still time to add more as we count down to the 25th!  Let's go see how my teamies have used numbers on their reminders!

=] Michele

Doodle Bugs Friday

 

I'm away celebrating our wedding day with my sweetheart of 27 years, but I hope you'll check out my card over at Doodle Bugs - thanks!  

=] Michele

Second Helpings - Color Hues #40

 

I received a few new goodies from Doodlebugs today - since my Friday post was pre-scheduled, I decided I just couldn't wait to share!

Color Hues #40 to the rescue - they never turn down second helpings!

A little foiling with Pinkfresh Songbirds on Branches, followed by stencil-coloring using the coordinating stencils... [in blue and tan of course =] After stenciling,

I cut it with Wplus9's postage die set and mounted it on my card base.  I sure wish I could describe the foil - it's from an un-named variety pack and reminds me of mercury glass!

A sweet little hello from The Stamp Market's Sardine Greetings,

and my card is done!

Thanks for stopping in - I'd sure love it if Blogger would send all those sweet comments left here right to my email inbox.  But, if you leave a little kindness here, you can be sure I'll do my best to deliver some right back to you - thanks tons!

=] Michele

Thank you, Color Hues!

Doodlebugs Friday!

 

Tulips may not be blooming in my yard, but they did in my craft room!

Hope you'll hop over to the Doodlebugs Blog to see them

 in full bloom!

=] Michele

Color Hues #40

 

We have been elbow-deep in painting/retiling our master bathroom - but I found a few free hours to play today and couldn't resist embracing the blues, and tans from Color Hues #40!

The fabulous DT used a variety of blues so i thought my favorites would be totally acceptable ... see what you think:

I just love the look of these Altenew Impressionist Bouquet blooms and can't get over how pretty they are - they're stenciled!

I reached for their Geo Steps embossing folder [don't be fooled by that dimension: it's a simple piece of grey cardstock and the shadows cast by the light!]  

Apothecary Labels again and a sentiment from an Altenew mini set, a few tiny pearls, and my work is done!

=] Michele

The Flower Challenge #68

 

Now I know what you might be thinking - how in the world will I add a number to my card?  You can find many fun ways - here's just one of them:

Pretty tricky, eh?  See what I did here?  used numbers TWO ways!

this sentiment is from The Stamp Market's Kindness Matters set -

I'm giving it an 11!

Also, a fun trick to use some of that gorgeous, patterned paper 

I save - oh, you all do it so don't think you're keeping that secret!

This pretty bloom is an Altenew Craft-a-Flower Poppy that I've cut 

from a few more of those sweet Honey Bee papers.  

The die that cuts all of these numerals is no longer available - 

but The Cat's Pajamas provided it.  You'll be seeing the cutouts next time!

Make sure you visit The Flower Challenge team members, and our wonderful guest, Kailash!  They've all made beautiful cards with lots of ways to use numbers on your cards - so no excuses!  I'll be COUNTING on you to fill our gallery with your loveliness - lol!

=] Michele

Playing Cards with Friends! May 2022

Hello, my friends - thanks for stopping by today!  I'm so happy to be Playing Cards with another of my blogging friends today:  TK Watson from Time 4 Cards!  

TK happens to be one of a handful of people I surprised with a phone call many years ago.  She and I have had lots of chats since the first - and even have crafted together over the phone - without FACETIME!  Good thing we both have very good imaginations, right? lol

Okay.  Here was our assignment for May 2022:

• There MUST be flowers
• Remember Mom
• also use embossing [dry or heat]

My mom has been gone longer than I want to remember, but she is in my heart always - my card says it perfectly:

• My flowers come in the form of washi tape today - Pinkfresh Studio's Rainbow Floral washi and coordinating die.  I've arranged them over an oval of white from which I had cut a label frame.
• the negative space provides a positively perfect place to tuck in this sentiment [Altenew] that says it all when it comes to my mom.
• My embossing was achieved using a Stampin' Up folder called Tasteful Textile 

I'll have Tom give this one to his mom on Mother's Day!

Okay, TK - here I come!  I can't wait to see how you've remembered Mom today!  Thanks so very much for accepting my invitation to Play Cards - we really need to get that Facetime date planned!

=] Michele

Big Beautiful Butterfly, who's your mama?

My friend Nancy sent me a wonderful gift and kindly named me the butterfly Mama!  I'm so pleased by both!  

This gorgeous Picket Fence Big Beautiful Butterfly die takes up a lot of real estate on a card - all I had to do was add a bit of interest to my card panel, and a few pretty blooms to tempt her to stick around! lol

Reverse Confetti cover plate, Pinkfresh Hydrangea and Rose washi/die combo, 

& Fancy Script hot foiled words/dies

My 2-piece butterfly was cut from white and vellum, and even though I snipped one of its wings, she looks perfectly happy here on this buttery yellow!

Thank you, Nancy for this beautiful gift - I'm definitely looking forward to blooming more butterflies on my front porch soon!  Wish you could join me!   I'm fluttering over to see how your butterfly bloomed...

=] Michele