Oh, for the love of neutrals!

There has been a fair amount of color around this blog lately - it's time I got back to my love of neutrals ... hope you like them, too!

I find my inspiration in some of the darnedest places - this one comes from a grainy camera shot of a commercial for I-don't-know what!! 

Those are my favorite colors of all ... and here is how I brought them to my cards today using those wonderful Fresh Picked Anemones from Spellbinders!

A much-loved debossing plate, a simple frame, and love - what more could it need?

OH!  That gorgeous sage-y paper is an older 12x12" pad from Craft Smith at Michael's.

Color blocking anyone?  After debossing two A2 panels of cardstock with 

Altenew's Dotted Starburst die, I split them in two and put them back together

in a two-tone color blocked way.  

You MAY have noticed that I managed to insert a little grey into my card, too?  I'm sneaky that way!  Don't you love how those stems are intertwine-able?

I had a lovely day with Marcia yesterday!  We'll share soon, promise!

=] Michele

The Flower Challenge #91 - Reminder

Time for a reminder to play cards with us at The Flower Challenge - tell me you haven't colored flowers at least once this week!

I had a blast water coloring that tulip from The Ton for my first card this month - it was just as fun to Copic color it!  This time in deep moody oranges...

I repeated the process of embossing the negative after die-cutting my bloom - this Woodgrain from Sunny Studios adds such a wonderful texture behind my simple tulip, don't you think?  The sentiment - by now you probably recognize it's one of those Betterpress-ed that I keep on hand at all times.

Thanks so much for stopping over - I hope you'll have time to color one or two more flowers to share with us at The Flower Challenge!

=] Michele

Charming Delight

I know I should be gathering my supplies for my visit to Marcia's tomorrow, but I couldn't resist putting ink to paper with my newest stencil set: Charming Delight!  I watched Altenew's Lydia Evans put them to paper in a very clever way so that you end up with TWO panels - I do love time-saving tips.  You can find her wonderful video HERE.  My friend Therese used hers beautifully, too - you'll find her video HERE where she has lots of tips and a video for us as well!

I gathered some Altenew inks and my brushes and went to town!  Take a look at the two panels I ended up with:

 I added a spritz of Wplus9's Pure Color Shimmer spray!

There was also a newly acquired embossing folder in my order - Organic Linen... I've been on the list for Altenew's restock for months!  It was worth the wait... anyone else seeing seersucker here?

I kept the other quite simple - both have an Apothecary Label stamped

sentiment from Altenew's Fresh Freesia stamp set.

These shades are pretty close to Nathalie's May Inspiration Challenge!  I 

think I'll send one over to her!

Gee, I wonder if Marcia will be adding this one to her playlist? lol

Thanks, for stopping by!

=] Michele

Meadow Reflections

Have any of you admired a set but for some unknown reason just resisted buying it?  I don't have any reason at all for resisting this Meadow Reflections set from Altenew - it's wonderful!

Tom joined his fellow astrophotographers at our observatory Saturday evening, so I quickly turned my attention to the package that arrived in the mail that morning! 

Here are my first stampings - on Altenew Reflections patterned paper that was given some texture with dry embossing after stamping ...

A beautiful sky and the idea of a pond where this little butterfly 

might rest for a few on this lovely bamboo!  I've stamped right on the

dsp with Concord & 9th's Parsley ink, then shadows of The Stamp Market's Greenery.

We planted Siberian blue iris around our pond at our last home - I wonder if it's still there.

This gorgeous blue is Catherine Pooler's Queen for a Day and next in

CP Black Jack ink...

What is still present in our lives is our love for butterflies, and each other!

Happy anniversary, babe!  29 years have sure fluttered by!

All of the sentiments today are from a great little set from Waffle Flower Crafts - Label Maker Sentiments.  

Okay, I guess I don't get a day off from laundry - off I go... have a great day!

=] Michele

A day to remember Mom

To all the moms: young ones, old ones, and bless those moms who are no longer with us, and those of you who are lucky enough to still have a mom, or to be a mom-like presence in somebody's life ...

 

... happy Mother's Day!

Who wouldn't love to have these lovely roses growing in their garden?

I'm sending them to Just us Girls - Garden!

=] Michele

Altenew: Penned Roses

Spellbinders: Scrolled Punch and Pierce Plate and Betterpress sentiment

Drumroll please.........

 Thanks so very much for celebrating with me, my friends!  I had 19 comments that qualified for the prize.  I had fun reading your comments and found a few of them very clever...

Lisa E. knew I made the first in my last home, and 

TK even noticed I had used the 'tail end' of the fish platter for my photo!!

But NOBODY noticed that the 'h' had been clipped off of those three die-cut hellos!

Without further ado...

Jeanne H. come on down!

You are the winner of this lovely Beautiful Lady:

Congratulations!  

Here's to the next 10 years [yikes!]

=] Michele

Altenew Inspiration Challenge - May 2024

I wasn't going to try to resist playing along with Nathalie's tulips this month at Altenew's Inspiration Challenge!

Nathalie used my most favorite layered tulip from Altenew on her GORGEOUS card - so I brought out my SECOND favorite... Exotic Tulips layering stamps and a few inks...

I started with the base layer of each by swiping the stamp from top to

bottom with Buttercream ink.  Then I used just the detail layer to add color

in much the same way until I was happy.

The Floral Lace Die for her 'arch' and a sentiment from Beautiful Lady [cut with their Framed Sentiments Dies] to make this a Mother's Day card for my daughter!

The winner of my Blog-a-versary prize will be announced tomorrow!  So excited!

=] Michele

Freshly Made Sketches #635 P.O.E. #63

My friends, our Spring was a little hokey pokey arriving - but it's turned itself around!  Yesterday, I spent a fair amount of time coloring but then I just had to go outside... so many friends stopped by...

They are hard to count but you'll trust me - there are ELEVEN with their Mallard mama!!

Here's one that sat still for his closeup:

Along with a thousand bees, there were several Red Admiral butterflies - this one posed!

As many of my cousins sets that were gifted, there were a few that just wanted to stay here with me.  This one from Crafters Companion called Hello You.  For Freshly Made Sketches #635:

I feel quite bad about his tail getting clipped - you should have heard that

balloon when the same happened to it!

I also managed to make 5 more Christmas cards for my Seniors!  Here's one in pink for Peace on Earth Christmas #63...

This is a Gemini stamp called Festive Poinsettias - also from my cousin. 

Waffle Flower Craft Snowflake cover plate added a little texture to my kraft card.

Now. Before I leave you, I have to share one more sign of Spring - from our walk in the State Park near our home.  We've discovered a family of Barred Owls!  We've been greeted to the park by Dad, watched Mom fly from tree to tree and even spotted her with her little one several times now.  See if you can find the baby of the family ...

Maybe now...

Hope you have a lovely Spring-y day today!

=] Michele

Word Power #5

Hello again, my friends!  There is still time to leave a comment on my 10th 

Blog-a-versary post for a chance to win that prize!  Find all the details here.  One comment per visitor, thanks! 

I have been busy for weeks going through 10 years of supplies, and deciding it was time to let go of a few things when BAM!  I was given a huge stash of supplies from a sweet cousin who decided it just wasn't for her!

Among her supplies was a big supply of sentiment sets!  Today, this one called my name:

This will come in handy one day, I'm sure of it... and whose day wouldn't be

brightened by this Anita Jeram bunny?

I stamped and clear heat-embossed the sentiment on a sweet journal card cut with an

Elizabeth Crafts die that a friend just traded me for a few sets from my cousins' stash.  

The embossed panel in the back is from another crafty friend - and

added the prettiest texture for my CAS card.

I used a barely damp brush to add a little inky color to the bunny and his 'brolly' -

with a few added 'raindrops' my card was done!

Even though that bunny is a cute distraction, I feel it's the words that represent my heart - perfect for my friends at the Word Power #5 challenge!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

=] Michele

The Flower Challenge #91

Oh, I am so pleased you stopped by today!  If you are here to celebrate my 10th Blog-aversary, please scroll down one post!

May I introduce you all to the May 2024 edition of The Flower Challenge!  I think I may speak for all of us: coloring our flowers is the most fun of all!

Take note of the graphic... we're open for all coloring mediums!  For this month, I've used the same flower and have colored it two ways.  Today I offer you a water-colored version of this lovely Lucky Tulip from The Ton... I'm sorry to say they discontinued this one - I'm scratching my head over that decision!

I started by stamping the image onto Fabriano Hot press watercolor paper

with GinaK Amalgam ink.  I used various inks for water coloring - sadly, this is the one time I forgot to photograph my inks - my bad.

After the coloring was done and dried, I used the coordinating die to

cut it, then embossed the negative cut with my SU Tasteful Textile embossing folder.

A few artistic splats with the leftover ink from my palette, a sweet little 

Altenew label stamped with one of the sentiments from the set, and a few

pretty HoneyBee pearls and my card was complete.

Now you know by now you'll find plenty of inspiration from my teammates over at The Flower Challenge blog!  We can't wait to see how you will color your flowers this month!

=] Michele

10th Blog-aversary!

TEN YEARS!  I hope you agree that is a celebration-worthy feat!  A whole LOT of fun challenges I've had to play in, friends to play cards with, and you all have brought such joy to my days, weeks, and years!  Thanks, from the bottom of my heart for every kind word you've left for me along the way, dear friends!

I couldn't wait to recreate my very first shared card.  You'll find the original HERE if you are curious.  Keeping things fun and using my words have been a constant over the years.  Today's card is no exception... and the rewrite of my INSIDE sentiment is still relevant!

Inside: Sorry to yell ... I didn't think you caught my wave!

The wave die is from Memory Box c. 2012!  Now, I had to do a little digging to find three different hello dies but find them I did!  The first from MFT [a freebie] the second from a HoneyBee Slimline Sentiment/Eyelet frame set, and that last one?  WHO KNOWS!  I found it in with the SSS Boat - safe to say they made the hello die, too.  

What is a party without a prize??  Since Altenew is also celebrating their 10th year, I have chosen one of their sets as my prize.  You might already own it, so please tell me that in your comment - I'll find a replacement if you win! 

 

c. 2015

HOW do you win, you ask?  Leave a comment, tell me one other thing that is different from the original - most importantly: be sure I can reach you!  If you are a no-reply commenter, it is impossible to contact you!

Good luck!  I'll have Tom choose a winner on May 11th!  

Thanks for stopping by and for all the love over the years!

=] Michele

'Professional' staging! LOL

Two fun cards for two fun challenges!

I did indeed have that playday in my studio yesterday... it didn't take long to find the perfect inspiration!

First up, for Color Hues - they always make reaching for colors easier for me!  Julie B. has chosen Lilac and Lime for her combo!  Since I just had used my lilacs, I took those colors in a different direction.  I love stenciling and this Magnolia Pattern from Pinkfresh was calling my name... I took that in a different direction, too!  

Take note of the illustration from the package ... notice that some of the florals and leaves are meant to be left as black on white line drawings?  Now take a look at my card on the right - since their stencils didn't color ALL of the florals, I brought out my Copics and finished the job ...

Here are the stenciled florals and inks used:

then, I colored the 'black and white' florals with a few Copics and Ohuhu markers...

Yes, I did add a touch of grey in the background to add to the 'mood.'

After cropping the panel down with a stitched rectangle die, it was mounted on my card base and a simple [Betterpress-ed] sentiment finished my card.  Thanks, Julie!

Thank you, Julie!

My friend Bobby has chosen lilac, peach, and GRAY for their color challenge at Just us Girls #725... thank you, Bobby!  I couldn't imagine how pretty these colors would be together until I saw what you and your team did with them... then this CAS card happened...

The Stamp Market's Bloomin' Cute die set, and a sentiment from ASD's Tulips Treasure white heat-embossed on grey, cut with an ancient, pierced circle die from MFT that could be one of the first essential sets I ever purchased!

[That woodgrain paper is from Ellen Hutson - no longer available, but I think Altenew has some like it.]

Before you go!!! I have a fun celebration to share tomorrow! Don't forget to come back!!  There could be a prize!!!  Just sayin'!

=] Michele

Hey, hi, HELLO!!!

I have had such a week - I won't bore you with the details, but let's just say it didn't involve much time in my studio!  BOO!

Well, I remedied that last evening while Tom was watching hockey playoffs - Yay!

Kim has an interesting Sketch this week at Freshly Made Sketches.  Once again, I might have thought to take a second look at it, but she won't care one bit!

I had lunch this week with one of my granddaughters who just completed her first year of college!  She worked so hard this year!  Since she is a girl after my own heart, she will love that I made her a fishing card as she spends a fair amount of time fishing the beautiful lake that they live on. 

 

I think the pink in this wonderful paper from SU [thanks again, Cat!] works

a charm for a fisher-girl!  But that glittering fish [HoneyBee Lovely Layers: Rod & Reel] might just be the cutest finishing touch...

HoneyBee [Hooked on You] has just the words Lola needs to hear!

Hey, I needed that, too... it might just be a stay-in-my-pjs-stamping day today!  Hope you have one, too!

=] Michele