He's baaaaaaaaack!

Oh, my goodness friends!  My sweet Sugar Pea Hey Honey Bear is back and is ready for Easter thanks to a new set of Bunny Ears from Waffle Flower!  I've been wanting these ears since they released so how happy do you think I was to find them in the 'sale aisle' during their big sale recently?  Just as I thought, they are a perfect fit!

Ready - enough chit chat!  

The Bunny Ears die set comes complete with 'headband' and bow!

My sentiment is from the WF Rejoice Rabbit set.

Since I included stenciling, I'm sharing this one as second helpings for

Just Us Girls #720:

Happy Easter! some bunny really does love you!  

=] Michele

Also used:

WF Layered Bows stencils, and Nesting Square Frames

EH pink felt

Mama Elephant Peek a Frame for stitched edge

Just us Girls #720 - Stenciling!

Thanks, JUGS, for giving me another reason to bring out my favorite flower of the season!  Spellbinders' Wonderful Tulips foil plate, die, and stencils came out to play today! I was beyond delighted how well it played with that gorgeous tulip embossing folder from Altenew... tell me if you agree...

My foil is that lovely Aura Glimmer foil - which likes to hide...

here's how this girl wrangled that shine today...

SO pretty, right?

The color came from The Stamp Market inks: salmon, papaya, and cherry with leafy and mossy for the greenery.  I think that embossed background makes my design just a little extra pretty.  Hope you like it!

=] Michele

Double D: Green and Paper Players #682

On my way to making a card with lots of green, and a little luck, for Double D's Green challenge, I found a prize that they so kindly sent me a few months ago!  BUT while coloring my prize, I remembered a different challenge that might get a chuckle out of how I used their 'squares!'   Just for you, LeAnne, and Paper Players #682.

This is the only set I have from Darcie's Heart & Home... I love how they color their packaging!

There was another little green guy [Concord & 9th: Snail Mail] who is making his way to those lovely Double D gals... slowly but surely...

I love this sentiment set from Altenew - but I sure wish it

read: You've got this!  I know [according to the interwebs] that both

are acceptable but somehow it just seems wrong to my eyes!

What I find very pleasing to my eyes is this embossing - the result of shopping for Lisa's little flowers... both found at JoAnn's... from Park Lane.

Hope your Easter weekend is wonderful! 

=] Michele

Freshly Made Sketches #629 and STRIPES for Time Out #260

Here I am sharing one card to two challenges - the opportunity only just presented itself after reading my friend Bobby's post announcing that Time Out #260 is looking for stripes!  I hope this doesn't smell fishy... it was created for Freshly Made Sketches #629!

My card features that darling Fintastic set from The Stamp Market...

I don't know what it is about that guy that screams poisson [fish in French] but a striped 'shirt', beret, and kerchief suddenly seemed fitting!

My little hook is from my HoneyBee Rod & Reel set but the bait was right

there in that TSM set.

Okay... how about the stripes, you ask?

I have embossed dots in stripes, and the lower portion of my panel is 

embossed in stripes... you may see them better here...

Then there is his shirt - and EVEN scalloped stripes on his tailfin!

I think it works!

Your visits sure do help to overcome this cold Spring weather we're experiencing - keep them coming please - and merci, Bobby!

=] Michele

Spring Flowers!

No matter what the weather is like outside my window, inside my studio there WILL be flowers!  One older, one new [to me] BOTH from Waffle Flower Crafts!  Here's one little bloom that doesn't care one bit if it snows in Spring... Snow Drops!

An old favorite background cover plate from Wplus9 debossed my water-y-colored

backdrop to my Snowdrops.  Here's another sentiment from WF Rejoice Rabbit.

A few PF gems and my card is complete!

While TK was here, she and I worked on my Glimmer foiling ... and believe me it takes two to pull that platform off!  But I was so thankful to have her help - here you'll see the pretty foiled background plate from Alex Syberia Designs foiled in satin lilac foil and perfect for these lovely WF purple tulips that are water colored.

A Pinkfresh frame [popped up for dimension] and another Betterpress-ed sentiment 

completes my card.

A third card is a charm, right?  This time it all began with some more soothing stenciling with TK.  I think she might have been stenciling some bows while I worked on my orchids using WF Layered Orchid stencil... topped with their Layered Orchid dies and Circle Frames.

You might notice that my stenciled piece was given a touch of Subtle Texture with

that favorite SU embossing folder.  This sweet little sentiment is from

Spellbinders' Betterpress Sentiments of Wonder set.

ONE of these is being shared with Triple B - March 2024 even though there isn't a bit of pink or blue, pink+blue make purple, right?

That's it for me today!  Hope my flowers bring a little Spring to your day!

=] Michele

Just in time for Easter cards!

I received my Spellbinders Betterpress of the Month Club package on Friday.  I won't be continuing my subscription as there are many plates in their collection that I like better - but I couldn't resist getting this one inky right away... Easter is coming and this WF Bunny [Rejoice Rabbit] never fails to make me smile anywhere I tuck her...

I inked my Friendship Book Plate with a trio of Betterpress inks*, then I

fussy-cut the edges before tucking Miss Bunny [who was lovingly water colored with

CP inks] into the die-cut opening.

Here are a few cards made with just the Monthly Press Plate...

This month's plate came with the frame, and sentiment plates

and two dies - one cuts the oval, the other cuts the sentiment.

I also found that their Essential Stylish Ovals are a pretty good match.

Above, you can catch a peek of the slightly larger oval that I've

embossed with a HoneyBee Burlap embossing folder.

This beauty will be shared over at Word Power #3!

In the meantime, I'm delaying my Monday Fun Day duties to Thursday - it appears as if we might be taking a little drive next week!  hmmm I wonder where we'll end up?  Will YOU be seeing me on your doorstep?

=] Michele

*

Christmas [weather] in March!

When Mother Nature changes her mind every other day, you ride the wave - what else is there to do?  So, when I woke up yesterday morning to 2" of snow, I decided it was the perfect day to add to my Christmas 2024 stash!

I set out to make one of my only Santa stamps [Pinkfresh Simple Joy] look a little vintage - but it might be a total fail... you tell me...

Something about the paper and colors makes them look 'aged' right?

But it certainly doesn't hold a candle to the gorgeousness found in their Peace on Earth #60

photo inspiration:

From there, it was just a bit of fun with my 'handwritten' letter to Santa:

One last card for today.  This one was created when TK was here visiting ... we were

practicing our 'loose' water coloring!  Colorado Crafts [Snowman and Bunnies] to the rescue every time!

Sentiment: CCC Teamwork; Cover plate: Waffle Flower Crafts: Dashed Snowflakes

Wherever you live, I do hope your weather feels and looks more like Spring!  Or if not, try to make the best of it!

=] Michele

A little PB [with no J] Day!

Do you have sets with images you just love to color?  That's how I feel about Penny Black!  I have a dozen or so 'every day' images and at least that many Christmas-y ones that I just never tire of!  So that's what today's makes are all about!

It all began when I made a birthday card for a friend - it's winging its way to her as I speak so I won't share that one YET!  But before the set got put away, another card was born... then another with a different PB set, then another!  You get the picture.

Let's start with one I CAN share: Penny Black's Friendship - in fact it's heading to Freshly Made Sketches #628 and made with Narelle's fun sketch in mind...

I have a friend in need of a little pick me up and these guys surely

do it for me when my spirits need lifting!

Okay... you know I'm all about the birds... this one from Peaceful Time will head to Time Out #259 for their 'Birds of a Feather' co-challenge with the JUGS gals.

My coloring panel of mixed media paper was a bit short of a full front panel, so I just added 

another under it... I ran them together through my machine

with one of my favorite debossing plates - sorry it isn't available any longer - sniff, sniff - and mopped up all the leftover inks on my glass mat.  I love the colors that resulted.

A sweet little postage stamp die from Wplus9 was a good place to tweet a greeting.

Card #3 is heading to the sweet gal that sent me this darling pink embossed panel... it came out a little differently than I'd planned during out chat, Lisa!

This bunny comes from the set, Special Friends, that got the ball rolling today.  

I'll share that birthday card as soon as I know it has been

delivered to the birthday girl!  I love it stamped in brown - and how

can a girl go wrong with brown + pink?  An inked embossing folder

gave this big Waffle Flower Crafts [Nesting] egg a very pretty chocolate pattern.

Miss Bunny brought her own little egg to the party, too.  It took a dip

in the leftover pink puddle and was also treated to that debossing - still love

that sweet little heart that shows up in this Lil Inker plate.

And with that, I don't need to say another thing!  Except thanks so much for stopping by, my friends!  Happy weekend!

=] Michele

Altenew Inspiration Challenge - March 2024

 

Emily's husband brought her the most gorgeous bouquet that became her shared photo as host of Altenew's March 2024 Inspiration Challenge.  I was inspired indeed and thought it was the perfect opportunity to share another new addition to my Altenew stash!

I actually convinced my husband to come craft with me!  He was a natural with stenciling as long as I agreed to finish his card for him - deal!

Using the stamps, stencils, dies, and embossing folder, here is how I finished Tom's beautiful bouquet:

You'll see we used the same basic colors for stenciling - any difference is in the touch, or amount of pressure used.

I kept mine pretty CAS but instead of an embossed panel, I added extra Eucalyptus to my bouquet!

I will be entering Tom's card to the challenge - maybe he will have better luck than I have had lately!  lol

Thanks for stopping by - happy crafting!

=] Michele

Something[s] old, one thing new, for Color Hues in Cream and Blue!

I'm so glad you stopped by today - I have a trio of blue florals for you today!  Yeah, ME!  I was inspired by a little email from a favorite botanical garden in Pennsylvania - just so happens we visited it when we attended my friend LeAnne's yard sale!! lol

Here are their gorgeous flowers:

They provided just the 'kick in the plants' I needed to finally ink up

my Spellbinders' January Betterpress Club Poppies in Cosmic Sky ink:

No, they don't hold a candle to those real Himalayan Blue Poppies - I'd 

give anything to beam myself up to Longwood Gardens today!

Their Delphiniums are also calling my name - I used Altenew's Starry Flowers

to create something like theirs:

Are you seeing the color theme here?  Here's a final card for today - then it will be time to choose which card will head to Color Hues #83 for second helpings!

You may remember that I used this Layering Cosmos foiled for my first CH card.  This time I used the plate as it was meant to be used: as letterpress using their

gorgeous Coastal Betterpress ink.  I brought in the 'cream' using Antique Linen Distress ink for water coloring the blooms.  My sentiment is also Betterpress-ed

from their Four Petal Sunflower Frame set - more on that soon - I cut it

using an old set from Altenew: Speech Bubbles.

I'd say that was just about enough sharing for one day - thanks for spending a little of your precious time with me!

=] Michele

Playing Cards with Friends - for reals!

Having not one, but two of my crafty friends in my studio together was just the best - sorry we were too busy having fun to take photos!  But rest assured the chatting and crafting [and eating] was abundant!

As is the norm from my generous friend, Marcia brought goodies to share!  This darling Penny Black Winged Wreath was all stamped, clear-embossed, and ready to color as we chose ... she even included a card base! 

I chose to watercolor mine while we chatted using inks - lavender and pale green, and a bit of washy-blue sky.  I found this wonderful PTI Just Sentiments: Spring Blessing sentiment that I had stamped at Marcia's a long time ago was the perfect choice for this card.  I cut it with an MFT stitched circle die, then layered it up over top of a Spellbinder Hemstitched circle.  A mat of embossed PTI Spring Moss and a little corner chomping, a few scattered PF gems and it was ready for that card base!

All three of us find stenciling is like meditation - and allows for plenty of chatting in the process!  I shared my Altenew Build-a-Garden: Pristine Peonies and the blending began!

I found the image fell a little flat, so I added lift and texture by embossing

a panel of woodgrain cardstock with a Spellbinders Leafy embossing folder.

Another Betterpress-ed sentiment and my card was ready for her closeup!

Honestly you will love TK and Marcia's Peonies more - I stuck with shades of only two colors - what a difference a third and fourth can make!  [I may go back for a revisit!]  

One more to share today that uses a few of the goodies TK brought to share with me and Marcia ... thanks TK!

I loved receiving this sweet SSS clover stencil - and I can never

have too many tulips!!!  Pixie Dust Designs is a new company to me. I cut

all the pieces from white card and used Altenew inks and brushes to add color.

Spellbinders' Four Petal die was used to cut my stenciled panel, and

to make my little frame.  Another Betterpress-ed sentiment - surprise!

Watch for more of the cards TK and I made together in the next few weeks!

If you come to my house, you will be fed - it was a CHILI Day!  White Bean Chicken Chili to be exact with Queso dip and lime chips.  Apple Muffin cake for dessert and back to crafting!

It was such a fun day shared with cherished friends - I feel so blessed to have you both in my life - and to have TK here for a four-day visit! 

Thanks, ladies! 

And thanks to all who stop by - I appreciate you ALL so much!  I've linked both of the girls above so you can see their cards as well - I know I can't wait another minute and am heading there now!

=] Michele

Second Helpings FMS #627

When Karren said we could use ANY size card for her great sketch at Freshly Made Sketches, I knew I'd have second helpings ... this time a normal A2 size but I gave Karren's sketch a little flip...

A beautiful Build-a-Flower Narcissus layering stamp set from Altenew 

over top of lots of white and texture!  Works for me!  Hope it works for them!

=] Michele

Worth the wait!

I've been waiting and toe-tapping for quite a while for this Spellbinders' Layered Cosmos Betterpress plate and stencil set to be available again - anywhere!  So, when it arrived in my hands on Saturday, I jumped at the chance to use it for the first time with those gorgeous colors at Color Hues challenge #83: Cream and Blue!  The only way I could find to use the cream was to start with a panel of Vintage Cream cardstock from PTI, foil the image in silver, and stencil with two shades of blue.  Here's how it turned out:

Two shades of blue inks:  Distress Oxide - stormy sky and CP Stone Blue... just as I thought might happen the Stone Blue has a more 'aqua' tone to it.  But it does provide a contrast which was my intention.  I brought in just a touch of gray for shading on my leaves and foiled

a pretty sentiment using Altenew's Dainty Flower Garden press plate set.

That dratted foil tried to hide from the camera... here's another look:

Thank you, Color Hues!

Since Winter revisited today in my area, I decided a few Christmas cards were in order.  A big sale at Sizzix recently introduced a few new sets to my stash - also worth waiting a few extra weeks shipping time for!

Any surprise that one features a Poinsettia*?  You know me TOO well!

Here are my inks... and if you look closely at the stamping, you'll see that I used

a silhouette stamp or two with the Oxide inks - stamped on PHOTO glossy paper!

I have the gals at the former CAS Christmas Challenge for this baby wipe technique!

After the Poinsettia is placed over top nobody would ever know how easy these

were to make!  You know my rule - three were done in no time at all!

I do hope that by the time the first day of Spring arrives better weather will stick!  Thanks for stopping by today!  Here's hoping you had nothing but warmth and sunshine in your neighborhood!

=] Michele

Sizzix: 664212