Happy Easter!

And how I wish I could send along some of our sunshine and lovely blossoms to all of you.

I just had to buy this cute Inky Antics Easter set (Easter Millie 11094SC). So darn cute and fun to color! I hadn't made an easel card in ages, so I used that technique to highlight this little mouse.  The design is simple, using Spellbinders Labels 4, Hero Arts Frame Cuts DI006, Viva Pearl Pen, MS Glitter Pens and a Culltebug embossing folder.

This is heading to the current Simon Says Stamp challenge for Easter/Spring.

I am suffering a bit of burnout here in the "rubber room"! I've made lots of birthday and Easter cards this month, I've been taking two online card classes and I had a "live" class this weekend. I also prepared four large boxes of stamps and supplies for the annual used stamp sale at my local store. Way too many hours in the craft studio!

So, I am pulling the plug for about a week! I plan to catch up on all of your lovely blogs and photos, but I will not be posting. I am going to prepare for Easter and we will be heading out of town for several days.

Thank you for your visits and and your sweet comments. You make it such fun! I can't wait to catch up with all of you. Wishing you a beautiful Spring/Easter! Enjoy!

A Quick Sunday Post

I'm just breezing in for a quick post for the current Paper Smooches SPARKS Cool Shades Challenge. The gumdrop (or jelly bean) colors are so bright and fun!

I love my brand new Paper Smooches "Get Well Word" die, so I had to incorporate it with this card. I know it will become an all-time favorite. I decided to keep it simple. I used a trick from Jennifer McGuire about adding a tiny strip of patterned paper to anchor things.

This little guy is from the "Space Cadet" set (don't you think he looks a bit under the weather?) and the star was cut with the Lifestyle Crafts Nesting Stars dies.

Have a great Sunday!

2 fer 2

I am usually not around on weekends, but I'm simultaneously taking two amazing online card classes - Lisa's Studio Calico "You've Got Mail" and Jennifer and Kristina's "Pattern Play". For these two cards I used lessons and techniques from BOTH classes.

I used Shari Carroll's lesson and inspiration (You've Got Mail) to incorporate banners and letter tiles in different layers and Jennifer's (Day 4, Pattern Play) tips on altering patterned paper for these two cards. I was having so much fun that I couldn't stop at only one. For more details, you'll need to take the classes - both are fantastic!

I tried to keep the softness of the colors in the papers (My Mind's Eye, The Sweetest Thing) by toning things (including the bright pink plastic letters) down with my Copic pens. The layered banner on the first card is Spellbinders Basics Banners Three.

 

For this birthday card for my elephant-loving niece I used some enamel dots that coordinate with the patterned paper - I am struggling with random placement of these things! "Random" is not consistent with my need to control!

I also used Hero Arts CL382, Die-Manics Mini-Pennant dies, October Afternoon (Mini-Market Cream & Red) letter stickers and a Viva Pearl Pen.

I hope you are having a glorious weekend! Now that I am almost caught up on my homework I may get to go out and play in the sunshine! I also have an "in person" card class this weekend - eeek!

Thanks for checking in!

Pattern Play - Day 3

Yep, I can't believe the cards and the blog posts I am cranking out this week. This class really has me stretching - and I love it! Today's card is inspired by a lesson and card done by Kristina Werner, one of the most amazing cardmakers ever.

We learned how to use bold paper in unique ways that seriously work. I LOVE this card! I made it for the current challenge at CASology, which is about songs. I don't often do this challenge because clean and simple styles are so difficult for me, but I am ALL about songs. I am always singing and dancing......

I had to laugh at the challenge page because it warned that they may be able to guess our "approximate age" by our music choice. Ha! You all know that I am a child of the 1950's and I came of age in the marvelous and crazy 1960's - and I'm proud of it. My music choices reflect it. I simply don't know any new tunes!

So, I made this card to reflect a sign of my times - Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In, sung  by the 5th Dimension! Love it - I've been singing it all day. Here it is.

I made the embellishment from the paper and the sentiment is from "Bring on the Sun" by Ali Edwards, Technique Tuesday.

Thanks for the visit - enjoy the day; the weekend is well on its way!

Pattern Play - Day Two

I'm still running a tad behind, but loving this class. I was inspired by a lesson and card presented by the super-talented Jennifer Rzasa. Another very cool and talented gal who specializes in CAS cards.

I used a favorite Hero Arts stamp (CL596) for this. I had never done it up with patterned paper or with three (yep, 3!) layers of cardstock! I even curled the leaves a little. The paper is from the cute Lawn Fawn "Bright Side" collection. I even added a matching strip of the flower paper to the right side of the card, which I trimmed off. Cool! The sentiment is HA CL140. I'm not crazy about how the banner turned out, but I don't have time to change it right now.

  This is going into the Hero Arts monthly contest and also into the current Simon Says Stamp challenge,  since both are for Spring projects.


Thanks for dropping by and have a good one!

Pattern Play Class - Day One

It is actually day three of class, but I am just getting to post my homework for day one. Jennifer showed us four ways to combine several patterned papers without too much conflict and using dies. I found I liked one way the best (I tried them all), and I modified the technique slightly.

I used my Lifestyle Craft Nesting Star dies to make some cards for the stars of our local theater group. I found that my dies are much closer in size than the ones Jennifer used, so I had to adjust.

I made 4.25" square cards using papers from a 6" x 6" Lawn Fawn pad called the Bright Side Collection - love it! My favorite one is here on the right.

I used a silver Sharpie Pen to separate the patterns and to color in the center star. The sentiment is a cut from a cool SSS die which I highlighted with glitter pen. I added some gemstone stars, too.

This is sooooo not my style, but I do like it and will probably use this technique again.

Thanks for the peek - hope you're having a great week!

Sending Smiles

I am in the third week of the online Studio Calico class, "You've Got Mail". Loving it. For the second week Lisa asked us to make some all-occasion cards and gave us lots to think about.

This card was inspired by the lesson and card prepared by Maile Belles. She is so amazing! If you don't know her, you need to!

Since this card is late (I've been out enjoying our weather!), I'm keeping this short. I Stamped my plain acrylic block onto water color paper with Distress Ink and used Hero Arts CL490. Since I am also taking the "Paper Play" class, I dug out some funky coordinating paper (Basic Grey's Infuse) which I hexagon-textured with an embossing folder.

Here are those vintage sequins again!

Thanks for the look-see and have a great day.

Pre-Play

I have signed up for Jennifer and Kristina's online class "Pattern Play" - it starts tomorrow. I'm not sure how I am going to balance 2 classes (I'm still in the amazing "You've Got Mail" Studio Calico class which runs all month) with my normally hectic (yet happy) life. I see take-out in our future.

I'm excited about "Pattern Play" to get some new ideas for using patterned paper - I have way too much and I hardly ever use it, usually reaching instead for background stamps.

While thinking about all of this I pulled out a sheet of paper that I have been hoarding for months. You all know how I love retro stuff. This looks just like a party that I attended in the 1950's. Do you recognize me in the group? After cake we just might play "Pin the Tail on the Donkey"!


This paper is called "Cake Walk" from October Afternoon. I matted the main image onto a background to give it some extra punch and coupled it with a sentiment using Hero Arts CL588 and DI008. Added some Stickles and we are party ready.

Just gotta grab my Pee-Chee (remember those?) and my book bag and I'll be ready for classes to start tomorrow.

I'm heading out to water yoga class and to enjoy some beautiful weather here in the SF Bay Area. We are so blessed!

Thanks for the weekend visit and I'll see you next week. Unless, of course, I have to stay after class.

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Long Hugs!

My giraffe-loving pal is under the weather, so I decided to make her a card. I used the sketch from the current Paper Smooches SPARKS Designer Draft Challenge, but it kind of got "massaged" along the way. You know how that goes!

 I used a Cuttlebug embossing folder with Distress Ink for a faux letterpress texture. I think it goes great with the long-necked guy.

Not much more to say. Hope this brings some smiles.

Take care and thanks for the peek.  Have a glorious weekend!

You've got Birthdays!

Hello and happy Spring! It is happening, isn't it? The weather is so nice here that I've been out enjoying it and not in my craft studio.

I will get to your lovely blogs later today - promise! I don't want to miss any new inspiration.

One last birthday card for my class by Lisa Spangler, "You've Got Mail". This week will we will be focusing on everyday cards.

This is outside of my comfort zone......dripping color on the card - not something I've ever done. I like more control!!! But this is fun.

I love the font on the "happy" (Studio Calico/Hero Arts), which I highlighted with a silver colored pencil.

Thanks to my blogger buddy, Lisa, I am also going to link this up for the Fun Friday Birthday Challenge.  Thanks, Lisa!

Have a great day and get outside, if you can! Thanks for the visit.

What's Cookin', Good Lookin'?

That is something my Dad always said - it makes me smile!

I just have time to share with you this card that I made for the Paper Smooches SPARKS Trend Watch challenge.  What a great photo, eh? Makes me grin!

Some of you know that I love & collect vintage cookbooks (but hate to cook!). The first card that I ever posted, before I even had a blog, used one from my collection. How time flies!

This photo reminded me of a page in this cookbook that was written for 4-H kids in the early 1060's. It is hilarious - it even gives instructions on how to scrape and wash the dishes. Seriously!

Anyway, I had fun with one of my very favorite paper Smooches sets and some vintage-kitchen patterned papers.I decided not to embellish (a tough choice) to keep the design simple, like the graphic from the cookbook.

With all the green going on in this kitchen, I am also submitting this to the current challenge over at Simon Says Stamp for "A Bit O' Green".

Thanks for stopping in and wishing you a great week! I love Daylight Savings Time and it is finally here!

Take the Cake!

On more card this week for the Studio Calico "You've Got Mail" online class taught by the amazing Lisa Spangler. This week is birthday cards - always good to have on hand. The lesson is full of great tips from several wonderful designers.

Here is a take on some of what we've learned. I used the stamp set and the printables from the class and, since I don't have an electronic cutter (& don't want one!), I improvised with some Spellbinders and Die-Namics dies.

I love the ribbon stamps - so versatile! I have learned that this great Studio Calico/Hero Arts set is an exclusive, available only to the class members - so sorry because it rocks!

Sequins are a new cardmaking trend; funny, I've been crafting with them for decades. These are probably over 25 years old!

Have a great weekend! We are headed to our wonderful Calistoga, in the Napa Valley.

Round About

Another card from Lisa Spangler's Studio Calico online class. The weekend challenge included making a round card. Without an electronic cutter, I used my nifty ek success circle cutter (love!).

I made background paper with the arrow stamp included in the Studio Calico/Hero Arts class stamp set. The labels are from the class printables and I stamped with Momento inks. The arrow die is Hero Arts. Candi dots and a Basic Grey wooden button.

This is such a different style for me. That makes it extra fun.

Thanks for the visit!