Spring Gift Set

I love to make card sets for little special gifts. Here is one I made a few months ago for a spring birthday. I like to keep gift set cards simple and one-layered for easy mailing and I always try to do a little something special with the envelopes.

I had fun coloring these cute images from one of my all-time favorite Hero Arts stamp sets (CL153). Embellished from my extensive stash.

I plan to enter this in Cath's Moxie Fab World Challenge for card sets. It is in celebration of the publication of "350 Cards & Gifts", which looks like it's just full of great ideas.

I'll also enter this is the current Simon Says Stamp "Anything Goes" Challenge. There will be many hundreds of entrants, but why not give it a shot?

Have a great weekend - we are heading out early for a long one in the wine country!

Thanks for the visit.

Soon to be Tomato Time

Every summer we give bags of Gary's home-grown tomatoes to friends and neighbors. I've always said it would be fun to make some special tags. A couple of current challenges spurred me into action. And my blogger buddy Dawn inspired me to dust off my Faber Castell Gelotos, which are perfect for colorful backgrounds.

This weeks paper Smooches SPARKS Picture
Perfect Challenge is this great photo. I wish I had more time to play with this great inspiration.

I made a colorful set of four tomato tags, two of each style. They will be perfect to tie onto a bag of yummy red jewels.

My other source of inspiration is Cath's current Moxie Fab World gift tag challenge in celebration of the publication of "350 cards & Gifts". How fun does this look?

I guess I'd better get out and do some weeding, or there will be no gifting!

Thanks for the sweet visit!


Stamps: Paper Smooches Geo-Graphic, Vegtastic, He Said, She Said
Dies: Paper Smooches Grocery Cart, Alphawhimsy
Other: Faber Castell Gelatos, Office Depot tags

One more with a bow

I had a wild and crazy day yesterday, but I had so much fun coloring up this Art Impressions stamp that I did it again! This pool girl  just loves this stamp and can't seem to put it away.

I used a slightly different design, but I still used the bow so that I can enter it into the Art Impression "Show Your Bow" challenge.

Thanks for the visit! Have a good one.






Stamp: Ai "Mrs. Ed" Um1888
Dies: Die-Namics Dainty Bows, Spellbinders Labels 18
Paper: Stampin' Up

"Officially" Summer

With Memorial Day behind us, they say it is now summer and I am ready.

I have recently become a fan of Art Impression stamps and this one is the perfect start to initiate the summer season. I spend many hours in the pool, so this funny gal is dear to my heart.

This is "Mrs. Ed" (Um1888), colored with Copic pens. I also used Spellbinders Labels 18, Die-Namics Dainty Bows, Sizzix embossing folder and papers from Lawn Fawn's Bright Side Collection.

I am entering this into the Ai Blog  "Show Your Bow" challenge. Check it out and play along!

Happy summer! Thanks for the peek and have a great week!

Memorial Day!

I am taking a break from cards and stopping in to commemorate today - a special one in the USA. Thinking of all who have served for the values we hold dear. While I do not support war, I do support our troops and their families. I'm so grateful for my many freedoms, many of which I take for granted.

On another brief note, yesterday I performed in the South
Bay Musical Theatre's amazing production of Funny Girl. I had such great fun, thanks to the wonderful support of the talented director, cast and crew.
Thanks to all!

One more smile!

I have one more quick entry for the current Simon Says Stamp Blog Challenge, "Take a Picture". I'm determined to win this someday!

I was inspired by this card at "In Touch" done by the super-talented Julie Ebersole. Ain't she somethin'?

I used Hero Arts CG454 and CL302. The dies are the Memory Box Parker Alphaet Set and LifeSstyle Crafts Layered Stars.

It was fun to color up that background.

Hope you are having a great weekend! Thanks for checking in.

Nifty Gifty

You all know that I am a huge fan of Paper Smooches stamps - they simply make me smile. Today I took advantage of the SPARKS Cool Shades challenge to make a fun gift card holder for a special young man at my YMCA.


 This is a wacky and fun-shaped card - a
modification of one I learned in a class I took several months ago. I like it because it is different, yet it fits into a standard A2 envelope.

The Paper Smooches stamps are "Sentiment Sampler" and Space Cadet", the patterned paper is from a great 8" x 8" pad called Rocket Age from October Afternoon. The die is Spellbinders "Banner Basics Three".

There is a perfect little pocket for the gift card on the inside.


I made this card with the current Moxie Fab World Challenge for Gift Cards in mind. Cath always has something super-creative up her adorable sleeve! This is to celebrate the release of "350 Cards & Gifts, Volume 2" . How cool is that?!

A great way to wrap up the week, I'd say. Hope you all have a good weekend.

Thanks for the visit!


 

Cheese!

Some of you know that I attended the Hero Arts Warehouse Sale last weekend in
Richmond, CA. It is about an hour away from where we live, and we were headed in that direction, so it was perfect.

There were lots of goodies and everything was super-organized. One of the (many) stamp sets that I bought is "Cheese" (CL681). How perfect foe the current Simon Says Stamp challenge, Take A Picture!

I also used Die-Namics Chevron Stripes dies, vintage sequins and some metallic paper from my stash. The light isn't good this morning, but this paper really shines.

Thanks for the sweet visit. And smile!

Garden Set

I had so much fun the other day coloring up some images from the  Lockhart Stamp Company that I decided to make a little gift set of garden note cards. I was inspired by the Card Set Challenge over at Moxie Fab World. I haven't joined up with one of Cath's challenges for quite some time.

All the stamps are Lockhart colored with Prismacolor pencils, the patterned paper is Bo Bunny's "Country Garden" and the dots are Candi. For the simple packaging, I decided to keep with the grocery/kitchen theme and use a brown bag and a Sizzix embossing folder with some twine.

I particularly love this artichoke. When we first moved to California, there was a plant in the backyard and my parents had no idea what it was - they had to ask the neighbors! They are kind of crazy, but one of my favorite veggies. Dad always said that it is the one thing that, after you eat it, you have more than before you started!

There is still time for you to enter this fun challenge - do check it out! I can't wait for the Farmer's Markets to get into full swing so we can actually taste these garden delights.

Thanks for the visit!

Lockhart Flowers - Sweet and Simple

It has been some time since I colored up some Lockhart and Company stamps. They are so sweet and Karen Lockhart (I've had the pleasure of taking several classes from her) is such a talent and a very dear soul.

I love coloring up these images with Prismacolor colored pencils. It is so therapeutic! I keep the card designs simple because the stamped images are so detailed.

I wish the light had been a little better on this photo, but it is overcast here this morning.

I plan to enter this in this week's Simon Says Stamp challenge, Flower Power. I'm not sure if Simon carries Lockhart stamps, but he should!


We are heading to wine country for a long weekend. Sure hope your weekend is great. Thanks for the visit and I'll catch up with you next week.

Water Birds

I have been spending so much time out in the yard - the green things and my roses have really gotten carried away out there!  I wanted to take advantage of the good weather to get things trimmed up, cut back and fed. But that means not much time in the studio or on the computer. Hope to catch up soon.

I was inspired by the Designer Drafts Challenge at Paper Smooches SPARKS this week. My Distress Stains had been calling my name and this was the perfect chance to use them (and some Perfect Pearls) for a fun background. This card doesn't look like something I would normally make, but I guess that is what challenges are all about.

I turned the sketch upside down and used Paper Smooches "Surf and Turf" and "Geo-Graphic".

Sure wish I had more time to play with this - I really like this sketch.

Hope you are having a good one! Take care and thanks for the visit.

Bold and Funky

Happy Monday, everyone!

I needed a bold and fun card for a friend - this is it.

A wild color combination and lots going on!  I used my standard "glamor" stamp (Inky Antics H2-0865-F) and some bold papers to put it together.

That is the Simon Says Stamp Folded Banner die and coordinating stamps - LOVE it!

I added a butterfly with an ek success triple layer punch (but only 2 of the layers work). Doing so qualifies this for an entry (my second) into the current Simon Says Stamp "Things with Wings" challenge.

Thanks for the peek - have a great week!

So Swell!

 My dear brother-in-law and his wife are amazing sailors, so the current Trend Watch Challenge at Paper Smooches SPARKS, with a nautical theme, is just perfect.  I loved creating this fun ocean scene (if you want to see some seriously amazing card scenes, check out my pal Robin's website).


Paper Smooches stamps used include: Surf

and Turf; He Said, She Said; Vegtastic; Spiffy Scooters and the Sailboat Wise Die. The yummy patterned paper is from My Mind's Eye, Indie Chic - Nutmeg and the water is torm vellum colored with Copics.

Thanks for the visit - have a great weekend. No sailing for me - I get sea-sick!

Happy Mother's Day to all who qualify (I do not).

A little homage to my wonderful Mom, who I miss every single day. She was my best pal, an amazing Mother, a spectacular RN - so full of talent, fun, & unconditional love. Oh, yeah - she sure had great legs!