The Paper Players #781

Jan at The Paper Players 'had me' when she included smoky slate for her color challenge!  AND I had the perfect guy for the job!  Have you seen this fun color challenge?

 

Marcia was kind enough to share her Spellbinders' Shipmates set and I took advantage of the time I had to spend with this salty fella...

I have to give Tom credit for thinking of this perfect sentiment -

I thought of using my handy Dymo label maker to make it happen!

Thank you, Jan at The Paper Players!

Tom also needed a retirement card for his long-time UPS driver...

I'm not sure if he has any water-related hobbies, but I couldn't resist

this sentiment...

It starts and ends with stamps from HoneyBee's Seas the Day sentiment set -

but I tucked in the middle 'overboard' part!

Thanks again, Marcia!  You are a lifesaver!  Thanks, Jan, for giving me the perfect time to use him!

=] Michele

Spring Playdate with Marcia!

Hello my friends!  Thanks for stopping by today!  Last week it didn't seem like Spring had sprung quite yet here in Michigan - at least in my Neck o' the Mitten.  But all it took was a long-awaited visit from my sweet friend Marcia to make it SEEM like it had finally arrived!

Marcia and I were back in my playroom after our long winter.  She brought Yana's gorgeous Tulips and Daffodils Betterpress plates from Spellbinders with her - and was even kind enough to bring me a few foiled images since she knows that my Glimmer doesn't glow any longer.  I took advantage of her coordinating stencils to color a few - and why wouldn't I?  Take a peek... this first is one that is foiled...

All of the sentiments today are made using my

Spellbinders/Yana's BP Bouquet of Hugs or Always You Timeless Sentiments.

Here is another pressed in VersaFine Claire Morning Mist ink.

It might be my favorite of the two.  I added a bit of watery sky using

Distress re-inkers in the color Salvaged Patina and popped on my BP'd

sentiment cut with one of those old - well-loved- PFS Label dies.

Next up - a gift from Marcia!  A suite of products she loved so much

she bought it twice!!  Knowing how much I love my butterflies it seemed quite

serendipitous to me!  Thanks, my friend!

I planted and perched them inside SSS Scalloped Rectangle Frames.

While I was stenciling those tulips and daffodils, Marcia borrowed my Waffle Flower

Peony stencils.  She started this one and gave up on it - I promptly took it out of

the recycle bin and finished it up... challenge met, my friend!

I'm more than happy with your purple peonies - all it took was a bit of pale lilac ink added to the background and over the top of what you had done. 

IMHO it is surely deserving of this Penny Black frame!

Alright.  Thanks so much for stopping by but I can't wait another second to see what Marcia has up her sleeve to share... let's goooo!

=] Michele

Freshly Made Sketches #732

Our second Michelle [with an extra L] is our Freshly Made Sketches #732 artist!  It's really beautifully designed... take a peek...

 

I wanted to make a birthday card for a friend - a few balloons...

... bring a bit of fun to the celebration! Mine are from Sizzix in a sweet 

set called Festive Sky Party - a gift from a friend in Maine! 

I tied a bit of white quilting thread onto my balloon but obviously

someone let go!   This sentiment is included in a PFS set called Wildflower Slimline.

I stamped it with black ink and cut it with one of Altenew's Featured Sentiments dies.

I used one of the many embossing folder techniques around where one adds ink to the debossing flat area of the folder [mine is ages old from Darice] before running it through my die-cut machine.  

That's it from me today - but I just know you'll find tons of fabulous inspiration from

my teammates at Freshly Made Sketches!

You have until April 20th at 3pm EST to share your take on Michelle's sketch!

Can't wait to see them!

=] Michele

Freshly Made Sketches #731

Donna is our sketch artist this week - I think it might be her first, but it's so good it feels like she's a pro already!  Take a look at Freshly Made Sketches #731:

In all fairness, I made my card from Donna's 'rough sketch' so I'm not sure what the three colors might represent - maybe we'll know when we see her card?  I can't wait!

Without further ado, here is how I interpreted Donna's artwork:

Oh, I know my sentiment is not in the right spot - but there wasn't a designated

spot on her rough sketch... I put it where it seemed 'at home' on my card.

These little lavender sprigs are from Altenew and I did pick up the

coordinating die for it, too.  My sentiment is from Concord & 9th's

Picked Posie Die set and the amazing embossing was made with the

Spellbinder's Summertime Waves - a gift from our sketch artist today!

Okay - enough chit chat... I'm heading over to FMS#731 to see what Donna did with her sketch - it will be incredible as always, as will my teammate's cards!  Join me, won't you?

=] Michele

The Paper Players Challenge #779 - JUGS #817

I haven't spent much time in my studio lately but had a few items front and center on my desk... I found they were just the ticket for The Paper Players #779 Tic Tac Toe board game - specifically the top left to bottom right diagonal line!

 

Die cut - flowers - and layers!

Hope they like it!

Concord & 9th's Just Picked was cut from some Scrapbook.com bright Joyful papers

and layered up inside SSS's Scalloped Arches and Frames die sets.

I do love scallops - and using a panel of white cardstock allowed

me to use the 'leftovers' which I've added texture by way of

SU! Subtle Texture.

Another new Betterpress-ed sentiment and my rainy day was made

to feel a bit sunny!  Thanks, Paper Players!  OH!  JUGS #817 wants us to play with

dies, too?  Happy to oblige!  I hope my blooms are Spring-y enough!

=] Michele 

Color Hues #130

Nancy is our hostess for Color Hues #130 and I just love her choices...

You all know by now I'm not a big fan of blue - but I LOVE navy!  

Combined with pink?

YES, please!

I had my Spellbinders Wonderful Tulips set out and decided to give it a go through

my Betterpress system - since I can't foil!  YAY! It worked using black Versafine ink!

Then I chose C&9th's Dragonfruit pink and The Stamp Market's Navy for

the layering stencils... I love how it turned out...

After die-cutting, I ran the 'leftover' through my Betterpress with an un-inked

Spellbinders by Lisa Horton Script Text plate and topped it off with one of

Yana's Bouquet of Hugs Betterpress-ed sentiments and a few 'dewdrops.'

You may notice a little added detail for depth using just two Prismacolor pencils.

Thanks, Nancy!

=] Michele

Freshly Made Sketches #730

No April Fools trick - there really is a new sketch over at Freshly Make Sketches and Judy is our designer this week!  Here is FMS#730: 

I had a little looky-loo in my snippets bin and found a beautiful flutterby who fit so nicely in Judy's tilted squares!

A Pinkfresh butterfly was foiled at Marcia's and stenciled while we gabbed.

Two die-cut Nesting Square frames from Waffle Flower were happily tilted!

Another Pinkfresh edge die cut the peachy panel with the pretty edge

all topped off with some of those PF gems and Better-pressed sentiment from my stash!

I try to use those snippets when I can - they're just too pretty to ignore!  I know you'll find something wonderful to fill Judy's squares!  Ready for more pretty from FMS - head over HERE!

=] Michele

Freshly Made Sketches #729

Amy is our wonderful Freshly Made Sketch #729 designer, and I knew in a moment which set I would reach for [again]! Take a look at FMS#729:

And here is my card!

Does it seem familiar?  I followed my friend Channin's lead a while back and today I brought out the same inks I used HERE - such a bright combination!  Do you see the oval shape on Amy's sketch? I think this bouquet had that shape built in!

Run don't walk to the Freshly Made Sketches blog! My teammates have made really wonderful cards to inspire you, too - so please come play along!

=] Michele

Just us Girls #815

The fabulous Ms. Carol M. has chosen a fabulous image for Just us Girls: Mood Board week...

 

I had this set from Concord & 9th on my desk for something else and

saw in an instant the 'fun and funky' florals painted on those stone 'eggs'

in Carol's photo inspiration!  I hope I've done them justice - and also

remember to add my card to their gallery this time OY!

My floral pieces from the C&9th Paper Posies die set were cut from scraps.

Some were embossed with the coordinating EF.

I also used another EF from JoAnn's Parklane to add

interest to the black card base.  Lastly, a sentiment from

Pinkfresh Studio's With Sympathy set and a rounded upper corner

to mimic the rounded shape of the stones! 

I'll wish you a happy weekend a bit early as I'll be prepping for company

for dinner tomorrow evening and a card game!  

Thanks for dropping by!

=] Michele

Freshly Made Sketches #728

Narelle is our sketch designer this week at Freshly Made Sketches #728 - her cards are always so cool, so I really wanted to push myself this week.  

This design came to me in the moments after waking up one morning!  I'll start with my closeup so you can see that I've used my VERY OLD DCWV Adhesive Fabric for the card panel and sentiment strip... sorry Susan - it seems that it is no longer available.

... plus a little more 'unraveled' twine!  The circles were cut with various sizes

from a few of the many embossed panels I have in my stash.  Some sent to me

from friends, some brought home from Marcia's - please don't ask me for

the folder names as I wouldn't have a clue!

Let's head over to the Freshly Made Sketches challenge post, shall we?  I can't wait to see Narelle's card and how the rest of the team have interpreted FMS#728!

=] Michele

Color Hues #129

My friend Marcia is the host at Color Hues #129, and she picked a wonderful color combo for us to play cards with...

Once again, I reached for my watercolors - this time my Distress reinkers, and a gorgeous SU! 3D Sunflower embossing folder!  It turned out just like I wanted it to with lots of dimension because I used watercolor paper!

I added just a touch of grey to the 'greenery' to stay within their rules.

Finishing it off with a sweet HELLO from The Stamp Market

tied with a little piece of linen thread from my friend LeAnne.

Thanks, Marcia for these pretty colors - I used Wilted Violet, Villainous Potion, and Dried Marigold inks.

Tom and I finally finished up the little renovation/update to my tiny little laundry room and I have to say it makes me a little bit happier to do that chore... what can I say - I'm a cheap date! lol

=] Michele

Time Out #308 and JUGS #814

I made a card!!  Ha!  Yes, I have been busy elsewhere these days but today the mood for crafting struck - you know what that means... look for inspiration from some of my favorite challenges!

Time Out is CASEing the marvelous Stef Perry and her lovely card - AND celebrating their 12th birthday, too!  Stef's featuring her wonderful Copic-coloring skills which I love so much.  I chose to watercolor, so out came my Altenew watercolor palette and their Craft your Life: Hello Beautiful set!  Please take a look at Stef's card:

 

You'll see I've CASE'd Stef's use of gold heat embossing, dry embossing too! which was swiped with a small gold ink pad as she had done.

Speaking of EMBOSSING - my friend Bobby is the host over at Just Us Girls word

challenge and her word is EMBOSS!  I think I've got that covered - in gold!

Thanks so much for stopping by today - have a wonderful, crafty weekend!

=] Michele

Freshly Made Sketches #727

Hello, friends!  It's once again that time of the week when we share our Freshly Made Sketch... #727 to be exact and I am your designer this week!  I hope you'll have fun with it!

It's a tiny bit early for Easter cards, but the way our USPS has been

these days I think it's safe to say: we'd better HOP to it!

I was so lucky to have a win at Time Out before Christmas that included a prize from

Poppy Stamps - it only took a heartbeat to put this darling Nordic Happy Bunny into my cart!

A frame from Penny Black, background paper from Scrapbook.com's

Noel Christmas paper - yeah, I know - CHRISTMAS never

looked so spring-like to me!

If you look behind the Altenew Dainty Leaves, you'll see that she's perched 

on top of a WF Nesting Egg die.

All finished up with a sweet sentiment from WF's Rejoice Rabbit set.

[I couldn't help but stage her with that natural cotton]

I just know my teammates will have lots more fun inspiration for you over at the Freshly Made Sketches blog ... I can't wait to see my sketch through YOUR eyes!  

=] Michele