Happy weekend eve! JUGS #768

For me, every day is Saturday - but I do look forward to having my working sidekick home on the weekend - but I thought I'd better get one more post in today before the 'games begin!'

It's stencil week over at Just us Girls #768 - wow, it seems like I've shared quite a bit of stenciling lately but I have one more to share today.  In fact, I recently made a card using this stencil - you'll see it HERE... but I splurged and added the Altenew Blossoming Bouquet press plate.  I'm not one bit sorry about it either...

... would you look at that gorgeous line art?  I never could have achieved this

look using those pencils!  I applied the color using the coordinating stencils and

voila!  A beautiful thank you ready to go out the door!

Now, before I go - you KNOW I can't just make one card per session.  Carol M. used a pierced paper for her card - see it HERE.  In fact, Marcia showed me a card she made [hint, hint] using the same paper.  It got me thinking about all the 'pierced' cover plates I have - could I stencil over those to get a similar look?  I think it worked pretty well!

Lil' Inkers: woodgrain plate - sorry it's no longer available.

PTI sentiment: Happy Mail

I often will add texture to these 'one layer' stenciled panels.  I never thought of going over the top of it - that's not to say I won't be adding that pierced paper to 

my yard-long wish list! lol

Okay, my friends.  The boss is home early, and we're going to enjoy our time together and listen to the wonderful Springtime rain we're having - fingers crossed for a little thunder!  Hope you have just the weather you wanted this weekend, too!

=] Michele

A 'long awaited' play day with Marcia!

Between my car issues, the unpredictable Michigan weather, and illness, it took Marcia and I many trips to our calendars to reschedule our first crafty day of 2025 - believe me it is really hard not to see her 'for reals' for this long!  But we finally DID IT!  And I'm here to share what I made when I got home.  Hey, we're having way too much fun to actually MAKE cards while together! lol

Marcia has so many sets that I adore.  I reached for this one: Pretty Blossoms from Pinkfresh Studios that stamps an entire card front which is stenciled and then die cut... hello, gorgeous garden!

A fun stamped, embossed, and die cut hello from Honeybee's Thinking of You Big Time

Backed by an embossed piece from Spellbinders Leafy.

Marcia's generosity blows me away - when I arrived, she had a nice little gift bag of goodies from Penny Black's Brushstroke style red-rubber cling stamps AND a set of Tombow's watercolor markers - they've been on my radar for ages!  

Now, I have a LONG way to go, and lots of practice to do but here are my very first two cards!  [as always, Jill Foster's videos on YouTube really helped - getting the perfect amount of water misted is so hard!]  My husband said this one is a keeper - who am I to argue?  I have just the perfect friend for it, too!  Meet The Sweetest Sound...

Waffle Flower Crafts: Rectangle Frames that I've painted with Tambi gold

Here's another that was inspired by the Double D Bird Challenge and mood board:

Penny Black: Alight, Loving Friend sentiment, Linked embossing and Frame It frame die!

Between Distress minis and the new markers, I was very happy with this one!

Of course, we had to have one image stamped for us each to have our way with!  This is PFS Heart of Gold - I've turned my lemons into LIMES!

When I went to remove the image, I realized that it hadn't die cut 

properly - oh well.  I rather like the unintended results!

I love this pretty Powder blue card from Concord & 9th - especially embossed

with my old go-to EF from SU: Tasteful Textile.  A few PFS gems and it was complete!

Marcia had a pot of Taco soup brewing for lunch - delish!  The butterscotch cheesecake was pretty delectable, too!  [Wasn't Tom nice to share? LOL of course I let him think I made it for him!]

Getting to spend time with my sweet friend is always worth the wait - however, I hope we don't have to wait that long for the next time, Marcia!  Thanks so much for your wonderful hospitality and friendship!  I am hurrying over to see what you created 'behind my back!'

=] Michele

Seconds for JUGS #767 and a first for Freshly Made Sketches #679

I'm going to make this quick as I have a deadline for second helpings in that JUGS#767 gallery!  and I must thank Karren for her fabulous Freshly Made Sketch #679 - it couldn't have arrived at a better moment!  I think this is the very first time I've been so quick to make a card for FMS!

Let me reacquaint you to Lisa's gorgeous mood board:

Thanks so much for the Shoutout, Lisa!

In particular, that upper right corner where I found my inspiration:

Using Karren's Sketch:

They were a match made in card maker's Heaven, IMHO!

HoneyBee: Cherry Blossoms and My Favorite Flower sentiment;

 PTI Love to Layer: Delightful Brackets; SU Subtle Texture EF for 'ribbon.'

Happy 'hump' day!

=] Michele

oopsy daisy... me again!

I have a card for Just us Girls that I forgot to share with you in my last post!  Sorry to barge into your space again! =\  But I missed last week - or maybe two?  Wait 'til you see Lisa's gorgeous mood board.  You'll understand why I had to play along...

It won't be long before we'll start our seeds sprouting indoors!

I only wish I could grow peas - but they are not on the 'Tom approved veggie list.' 

What?  No peas in the mood board either?  I think that little lamb ate them.

Alright, I know that little lambs eat ivy - a kid'll eat ivy too, wouldn't you?

PS: Green Thumb; Fab Frames and HoneyBee's Over the Rainbow dsp

What's not to love about this old set from Paper Smooches?

=] Michele

SSS Wednesday Challenge - Fun with Stencils: PFS

While I had my blending brushes, inks, and mojo out [more on that tomorrow] I pulled out one of my favorite Pinkfresh Studio stencils: Magnolia Pattern.  SSS Wednesday Challenge is looking for PFS stenciled cards this week!

Now if you look at the next photo, you'll see that the stencil set was designed to leave

lots of line-art left black and white.  I love it.  But...

I found a few Copic markers that were a pretty good match to the inks I used to stencil

this beautiful design.  It didn't take long before all those lovely magnolias were colored!

Another little walk through my supplies and I found just the die-cut-style

of sentiment I wanted to finish it off...

I was so delighted to see the sunshine this morning - and have all that white stuff

completely gone, too!  Okay, I'd better get this into that SSS gallery - I have a

wish list a mile long - fingers crossed!

=] Michele

Freshly Made Sketches #678

I had already made my card for this week's Freshly Made Sketch by Cécile but when I went to add it to her gallery another had also used the same die as I had.  Back to the drawing board and I think I like my second card even better!  I hope Cécile has her sense of humor primed... 

I had the inspiration for my card for breakfast this morning with 

plenty of freshly-ground pepper:

Inside sentiment:

... make any day start sunny side up!"

Are you curious about the other?  Here you go...

A thank you for a very sweet gift from a friend - it's already in the mail! 

Happy Saturday, everyone!

=] Michele

The Paper Players #729

I have to make this quick as I'm packing up a travel bag for a trip to Marcia's tomorrow - we had to delay our playdate for a bit, but it's all systems go this time!  

Joanne has a fun challenge for us over at The Paper Players and I am taking it literally - use ONE stamp and keep it CAS! 

Here's where her challenge took me... hope it's not too buzzy for a CAS card!

Waffle Flower Crafts: Happy Bee Day stamp and die set and cover die/stencil

I may have been inspired by the Butterscotch Cheesecake I baked for our dessert tomorrow!

Okay, back to packing!  Hope you're having a fun week of crafting!

=] Michele