Time Out Challenge #322

It's easy to be inspired by what I see outside my door this time of year, but I thank Time Out #322 for giving me a reason to craft about it! 

Soon enough we'll be surrounded by yellow, orange, and gold BUT I'm doing my best to keep a few flowers going for our little Monarch friends who are very grateful, I'm sure!

This lovely Altenew Flutter and Bloom EF was just part of a gift from

a friend.  I embossed a panel of Bristol card and went about turning

this butterfly into a Monarch with Copic markers... so even though

the shape isn't quite right the colors are taken quite seriously!

We even had a view of two mating that we never thought we'd see!

The real flower that keeps the Monarch's hanging around this year is a pot

of Ageratum - they are CRAZY about it, and I can often find 5-7 feeding there.

Tom has plans to have six or more pots next year! ha!

We still have around 40 yet to 'bloom' before our porch goes back to normal.

I'll be sad to see the butterflies and our hummingbirds go but know they'll be back!

Thank YOU all for stopping by - and thanks for leaving me such kindness!

=] Michele

Color Hues #141 + PBSC

Oh, Sheri!  I cannot thank you enough for choosing green in your beautiful duo colors for Color Hues #141!  Flowers are often my favorite, and it's tough to do flowers without green! lol

I had a birthday card to make for my daughter who is 49 tomorrow!  How did this happen???  Aren't I only 45??  Okay, maybe not... but this one will be appreciated when she gets home from a fabulous trip to NYC with her family!

Inside: make that CHEERS for many many more happy, healthy years!

I'm sure Penny Black won't mind my turning their 

Winter Berry Branch into 'grapes.'  SB Stylish Ovals for the aperture,

SU! Exposed Brick for the top embossing and the sentiment is from 

Penny Black's Joy and Warmth set. The background was stamped with

a set from W+9's Vintage Ephemera - no longer available...sorry!

The Stamp Market's MOSSY ink gave me the artichoke I was looking for along with Villainous Potion for my grapes!

I also borrowed Jill Foster's wonderful sketch from her recent Easy Christmas Card

series on Penny Black's YouTube channel!

I substituted some things from my stash but can see this working 

with so many things!  Thanks, Jill!

I'll be sharing this card with Penny Black on Saturday Challenge, too!

I used the optional use of a die!

It was so much fun to do a little water coloring today!

=] Michele

A doe, a deer, and a photo bomb!

Hi, my friends! Glad you've told me that it's okay to post more than once a day!  I have two cards for two challenges for you.

Jo, and Elf Loll, are looking for reindeer at Christmas Kickstart #114 - I didn't think I had any 'fun' ones until I remembered this guy who couldn't resist a Photo Bomb!

You'll no doubt notice the embossed panel: SB's Adorning the Tree.  

The sentiment is one of many in Pinkfresh's Holiday Large Sentiments set.

Peace on Earth September 2026 challenge has a wonderful mood board - I spied with my little eye the perfect opportunity to bring out those lovely buck and doe from PTI's Deer to Me and 'Tis the Season Sentiments again...

You'll have to take my word that there is a bit of frosty snow here and there.

Penny Black's Frame It, and an old Darice sheet music EF did the trick to

capture that found in the top left photo:

Okay.  I promise that's it for me today! But there's always tomorrow!

=] Michele   

Freshly Made Sketches #754

Judy has a real zinger for her design at Freshly Made Sketches #754... you'll see what I mean...

She has included some instructions for us and I did my best

to 'stick to the rules!'  But I couldn't help but create a die-cut 

edge using a Friend die from Waffle Flower Crafts.

The pretty patterned papers were part of Scrapbook.com's Snow Days

collection... talk about 'untraditional' colors for winter - I love them!

I went a little rogue and added three die cut flowers from The Stamp Market

topped with the sentiment 'what's up?' from an old SSS set.

So, what do you think YOU might create at the bottom of Judy's Sketch?

We can't wait to see!

=] Michele

The Paper Players #803

LeAnne's colors could have been found in my last card - at least 'shades' of them.  But they're so pretty I couldn't wait to use them again...

I came across an older set from The Stamp Market that hadn't been given

an inking in a long time - I remedied that today.

These are called Petal Perfection but were only available during a Color Crush class - sorry!

Their black stamen took me in the direction of this dotted paper from EH - sorry again as it is long gone!  In fact, the last time I used this paper it was for Halloween... remember THIS =/

A Betterpress-ed sentiment from Yana's Bouquet of Hugs set finished it

off perfectly IMHO.  And off she goes to The Paper Players gallery!

=] Michele

Just us Girls #840

Ina has chosen a perfect word and mood for Just us Girls this week...

and I was definitely in the mood for some bold Autumn colors:

Random cardstocks from my stash each embossed with a different EF

then touched with ink and stacked and topped with another branch

from PFS Fall Leaf die.

The EFs are from the back:

SB Distress Mix

SB Urban Grid and

HoneyBee Falling Leaves

You might remember that cute little banner from 

Concord & 9th's Autumn Splendor die and stamp combo.

What do you think?  Bold enough? LOL

=] Michele

I guess Ina thought it was! Thanks Ina!

September 2026 Altenew Inspiration Challenge

I was creating my FMS card when this inspiration popped into my inbox:

While reading about the inspiration from Carrie Sheridan for Altenew's September 2026 Inspiration Challenge, I discovered that she is a Michigan gal!  How could I not play along?  Besides I'm seeing so much inspiration from all the orchards in our area of West Michigan.  [you may recognize the FMS#753 sketch, too!]

Altenew's Chestnut Tree was turned into a mighty Apple tree with

a few dozen 'apples' added!  You can bet I treated each with a bit of glossy accents!

My sentiment is stamped in brown and is from their Flourished Flora set

and my trio of panels were embossed using their Geo Steps EF - always a

good choice in my book!

Now I'm wondering if Carrie lives close by? 

Thanks for the inspiration, Carrie!

=] Michele