Doodlebugs Friday!

 

'Cut, layer, repeat... blend, glue, add a sentiment!'

Yes, my friends, that is my mantra for the next few weeks!  I am way behind considering I need to get my cards to the Bring Smiles to Seniors group very soon!

You all know by now that I don't often make more than one of any design I make, right?  I think you all feel the same way.  However, during the holidays?  I break my own mold but try to add just a little something different with color, sentiment, or even just a different card panel.

Here's a peek at the repeating design I've created for Doodlebugs this week:

                                              I appreciate it when you hop over!

=] Michele

Altenew October 2022 Inspiration Challenge

Jenny has a beautiful photo to inspire us to play at

Altenew October Inspiration Challenge.

I had a new set to play with and a tried-and-true label die...

Inside sentiment:

The other 364.5 days I just scratch my head.

Truth.

=] Michele

Altenew: Slimline Labels embossed with their Geo Steps EF; Craft your Life Project:  Casual Bouquets

thank you Altenew!!!

Color Hues #51 - Orange and Green that isn't Halloween!!

 

I missed playing cards at Color Hues last time, darn it!  But Cindy's choice of Orange and Green had me thinking outside the box with NO Halloween!!

I love this darling Berry Sprig stamp/die combo from Pigment Craft Co. and it was high time to use it again!!

Thanks, Cindy!

Oh! Memory Box makes this wonderful Gracious Leaves EF!  [thank you, Marcia] 

I think it is a great match for my berry branch!

=] Michele

CASology #408 Cozy

 

There is no doubt in my mind that my 'CAS' design teeth were cut making cards for a few CAS challenges here in our card making community.  Therefore, it is with sadness that today I say goodbye to CASology - thank you so very much for choosing a few of my newbie cards and encouraging me to keep trying!  Over the last few years, I haven't had as much time to play along - but please know that you have always been among my favorite challenges and taught me so much!

Without further ado - I had to add a cozy mitten [PTI?] cut then embossed [Spellbinders Tufted EF] from the backside to get that thumb in the right spot!  The little die-cut-floral [Spellbinder Holiday Blooms] indicates just where you can find me in the Mitten State!  You can find this cozy greeting among the many in the Spellbinders Glitter Wishes set.

Best of luck in your newest endeavor, Melissa!  and thank you so very much for all the fabulous inspiration from your team members over the years!

=] Michele

Thank you, CASology!

Fa la La FUN day!

 So, I have a new die in my stash - yes, I know.  I did need another! lol  See if you think so too...

These are as many as I could fit in a photo - there are a few more!  I found a few wonderful cardstock colors from The Stamp Market sampler pack and cut each with their FaLaLa cover die then found a few ways to make each unique - loving the fancy edges on the BACK side of the card base!  Hardly a scrap of paper was wasted because I turned the negative cut into the background where my letters were inlaid, then I accentuated the final a with Nuvo drops, glitter paper, or simple embossing.

With each order from The Stamp Market comes a thank you postcard - I couldn't resist turning one of them into a fa la la fun shaker!

This one will be hand-delivered so I can witness the shaking-up!

Hope you're having a fa la fun weekend!

=] Michele

Doodlebugs Friday!

 

I'm staying in Holiday mode today over on the Doodlebugs Blog!

I've added a new Poinsettia to my stash!

Here's your sneaky peek...

=] Michele

CAS Christmas cards!

I have lots of clean. simple. snow white Christmas cards glammed up with a touch of foil to share today!  If you're into that kinda card - lol!

Let's start with the card bases - I embossed the front of my card to keep the weight down for mailing.  Of course, I have the luxury of owning that Big Shot Plus which can accept a regular sized folder sideways - and those 3D half-sheet sized folders, too.  It does come in handy on occasion.

The stars of my cards today are these little tags cut from some little foiled pieces using Altenew's Tiny Festive Patterns hot foil plates.

Honey Bee's Tag builder set has the perfect sized die to cut them with a 

smidgen of extra at the bottom to add a little interest to.

I used a postage die above, and one of Pinkfresh Studios Lacy Edgers

on my first card.

My sentiments are from Spellbinders' Christmas Mailbox Greetings hot foil set.  Except for this cheeky little message to Santa - also Spellbinders but 

from the Glitter Wishes hot foil sentiment strips.

Last but not least, tucking those tiny trees foiled in red behind a window

makes for a cute place for these WF hamsters to hang out and a fun spot for

another Waffle Flower Crafts Merry Christmas duo hot foiled sentiment.

If it seems like I've gone off the grid just know that I'm waaay behind on my Christmas cards!  You'll be seeing multiples from now until December!!

=] Michele

Playing Cards with Friends! Halloween edition!!

Hello, sweet peeps!  I have such a wonderful guest for Playing Cards with Friends this month.  They are ALL wonderful, right?  This particular friend lives on the other side of the Earth and equator from me in New Zealand!

Shona Chambers of Twine Around and I started blogging around the same time and I immediately recognized her fabulous grasp of CAS design!  So did our card making community!  Soon, we were playing cards in the same challenges, AND THEN she fell in love with Monarch butterflies - need I say more?  Please say hello to Shona - she's been taking a little time off from cardmaking, so I was especially delighted when she accepted my invitation to Play!

There's one more thing we have in common: we both LOVE scary movies!  Yes, we do!  So of course, we had to have Halloween in the mix!  Here is our assignment:

• Make a Halloween card - scary as you'd like, but funny is good too!
• Must use a die 
• Must-have colors: black, green, purple, and orange + one color of your choice.
• Here's the TRICK: NO pumpkins!

There's no way I'm going to get this card delivered to New Zealand in time for Halloween in fact I'd better get her Christmas card in the mail!  

This one's just for you, my friend!!  See if you can guess the movie...

Inside sentiment:

R.I.P. = Recover in Peace my friend

I dug deep in my stash for lots of fun Halloween treats from a 

12 Kits of Occasions kit: the house die-cut which I backed with my color choice of yellow, and ribbon that compliments the lettering stamped with an ages old Mama Elephant set that I dug up called Sketchy Letters.

I got a little bit tricky for the headstone in my cemetery and used one of my 

 Slimline Altenew Label dies - cut in two!  

What I cannot seem to do is to capture the glow-in-the-dark elements: the little ghost and bones X so you'll have to take my word for that.   Just in case you can't tell, my embossed panel checks the purple box of those necessary colors.

Okay!  Let's all go to Shona's post to see if she captured a scary movie - based on her Instagram feed this week, I think we're in for a few tricks!!

Thanks so very much for Playing Cards, Shona!  It was such fun trying to portray one of my favorite scary movies:  PET CEMETERY!!  Stephen King does scary so well!

=] Michele

The Flower Challenge Reminder #73

 

I hope by now you've had a chance to join the party at The Flower Challenge!  If not, please do - if you have and haven't met the limit of entries, why not make another?  We'd love it if you did!  Remember there are prizes this month! Yay!

Here is my reminder card using a special sentiment for a special friend:

Don't we all have a special friend who would love to hear these words?

Thanks for stopping by!  Let's go see the lovely cards my teamies have made!

=] Michele

Altenew - Layered Ornate Frame die set, and Dotted Swirls debossing plate

Doodlebugs Friday!

Hello, my friends!  Here we are nearly mid-October already!

True to the saying time really did fly while I was having fun with this week's

Doodlebugs project!

Here's my sneaky peek - would you believe it started as a simple piece of yellow card?

I'd love it if you stopped by!

=] Michele

Doodlebugs Friday - with a Friend!

I recently had a play day/sleepover with my friend Bobby!  It had been two years since we'd seen each other so you can imagine how fun it was!  Sadly, Marcia wasn't able to make it - but there will be a 'makeup' playday soon, my friend [and there are plenty more bluegill in the freezer!]

My order from Doodlebugs had just arrived and inside was a very sweet die set from Concord & 9th called Friendly Florals.   Out came some patterned paper and colored cardstock and we were right back in craft-mode!

Here is the card I made with Bobby:

I just love getting those 'old' embossing folders out - this one was from Darice and I'm sure I picked it up at JoAnn's!  The pretty purple paper was a gift from a sweet California friend, curry and green paper from The Stamp Market, gingham from HoneyBee. A few enamel dots from Altenew and voila!

Of course, you'll love what Bobby did with hers - go see it here!

Now!  It can't be Doodlebugs Friday without sending you over to

the Doodlebugs Blog, right?  Here's my sneaky peek:

Thanks so much for coming, Bobby! x

=] Michele

The Flower Challenge #73

 

Hello, my friends!  Thanks so much for stopping by today!

The Flower Challenge is celebrating its 6th birthday this month! Yay!

  What kind of celebration would it be without YOU all and Prizes??

We'd like you to use a sentiment this month - but it doesn't have to be a birthday wish!  Choose your sentiment to match your card - we'll love them all as long

as you remember to make flowers the main feature of your card.

Here is my card...

I recently used another image from this SSS Black-eyed Susan set but was

only allowed to use brown and yellow!!  Aren't they even more lovely in

more traditional colors?  Here are the inks I used for my very loose water-coloring:

I did go back and add a smidge of Spiced Marmalade, and Villainous Potion using regular Distress ink to make them pop a little bit more.

We look forward to your cards in this special gallery!

Congratulations to my Flower Challenge family!

=] Michele

Pinkfresh October 2022 Challenge

 

It's not often that I have a card MADE that fits a challenge - those Songbirds on a Branch were calling again!  They flew right over to the Pinkfresh October 2022 Challenge!

If you have this set, you'll notice a few branches missing, right?  When there are leftovers this pretty one has no option but to make a second card!

These sentiments are from PF's Fancy Script hot foil set with coordinating dies!

I think I've ignored my dryer long enough ... thanks for dropping by!

=] Michele