The Card Concept: Easter Blessings

There’s a new inspiration challenge at The Card Concept: Easter Blessings! My Clean and Layered card was inspired by the various patterns, the "Easter Blessings" sign, and the colors.

The Impression Obsession Bunny Buddies has eight bunnies!  But I got the set for this particular bunny (and one other sweetie who is looking up). Then when I went looking for carrots, I saw the older Spellbinders Hop Into Spring Small Die of the Month set. It had the carrots and the flowers - and it has also absolutely charming bunnies.  I probably should have switched my bunnies to stick with one set (I tend to obsessively stick with one company (or a couple) on each card) but the little guy that I used had my heart.

I used a bold sentiment from Kat Scrappiness inspired by the sign in the inspiration. I put it on woodgrain (just like the sign). The buffalo check in the background came from the bunny next to the sign. 

There's so much to be inspired by in the photo! I hope to see you playing along with us at The Card Concept.

SUPPLY LIST

Dies: Kat Scrappiness Easter Blessings, Impressions Obsession Bunny Buddies, Spellbinders Hop Into Spring - Small Die of the Month (carrots "grass" and flowers)

Paper: Doodlebug Designs Buffalo Check-Woodgrain Rainbow Petite Prints, Taylored Expressions Candy Corn, Peapod, Granny Apple Green, Sprinkles, Sea Salt

Other: Studio Katia Champagne Pearls

Freshly Made Sketches: Hugs and Butterflies

It's time for a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches! Today we have a sketch by Jen Timko and here’s what I did with it!

 

I happened to be organizing my flower dies (I think I like organizing my stuff as much as I love creating with my stuff!)  I had the Hero Arts Flower Garden background die out on my desk and it occurred to me that I could use a piece of it for the gray section of the sketch. A happy accident! 

I tried a number of sentiments but I ended up liking the look of the Hugs (by PhotoPlay) with the Flower Garden. Then I had used this little butterfly by Birch Press on last week's card but he really seemed to fit on this week's card too. (There's a bigger butterfly in the set but this little guy is a great accent.)

My husband is heading out today to be with his mother through another surgery.  That's three times that he's been there since November plus his sister-in-law had to help her through an emergency problem. There's so little I can do, but I do inundate her with cards - at least twice a month and often weekly since she went into hard lock down during COVID.  I've known her for a long time and it's possible the sheer number of cards might even be a little annoying to her; I'm sure she rolls her eyes and thinks that I should have better things to do (like clean my house!)  I'm betting a lot of you can relate to our relationship! But I also know these cards fill her mantle so she sees them every day. I figure this cheerful "hugs" card will go out soon after this surgery. (I sent a number of "feel better" cards with my husband to use as needed over the next week.)

I hope to see you playing along with us at Freshly Made Sketches.

SUPPLY LIST

Dies: Hero Arts Flower Garden, Photoplay Say It With Stamps Hug/Hugs, Birch Press Simple Butterfly Contoured Layered

Paper: Doodlebug Designs Buffalo Check-Woodgrain-Rainbow Petite Prints, Stampin' Up Groovy Guava

Poppystamps: Farm Fresh Eggs for Easter

 I'm on the Poppystamps blog today with this fresh and clean Easter card.

I used the Farm Fresh Eggs with a splattering of different colors. Then I tucked them behind the Flower Field Corner and added a sweet little bunny from the Spring Bunnies set cut from felt.

I love this grouping but it was a bit too small for a full card front so I added Double Scalloped Stitched Frame. I love the accent and it gave me a smaller space to fill (so made the eggs and the bunny a more prominent focal point). I love that the Splendid Happy Easter fit perfectly. And I topped it all off with a Grosgrain Bow.

There are more picture and more details on the Poppystamps blog. Be sure to check it out!

SUPPLY LIST

Dies: Poppystamps Splendid Happy Easter, Spring Bunnies, Farm Fresh Eggs, Flower Field corner, Double Scalloped Stitched Frames, Grosgrain Bow

Paper: Memory Box Vibrant Violet and Sunny Orange paper packs

Other: Open Studio Pastel Jewels

Freshly Made Sketches: Spring is in the Air

It's time for a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches! Today we have a sketch by Jacquie and here’s what I did with it!

   

I went to the Impress website to order their Spring Words set. I have some of their other word sets and really like the mix. While I was browsing, I noticed this Birch Press butterfly - and then I grabbed an embossing folder that worked with it all!  I didn't actually plan to use it specifically for this sketch, but I love how it came together!  

I pulled out some of my favorite colors to do the three strips. Then I used the yellow and orange on the butterfly - he has a sparkly white body but that doesn't show up well in my pictures. I liked the embossing folder with the butterfly because it has a fun and chunky look just like the butterfly.  I kept the background white for a fresh look.

This will be one of my weekly cards to my mother-in-law. She prefers cute or funny cards but I think this is cheerful enough, it will still be a bright spot in her mailbox!

I hope to see you playing along with us this week at Freshy Made Sketches.

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: Impress Spring Words

Dies: Birch Press Simple Butterfly Contour Layers

Cardstock: Stampin' Up Mango Melody, Daffodil Delight, Granny Apple Green

Other: Darice Wild Flower Embossing Folder

Christmas Card Throwdown: Holly & Joy

 I was thrilled to be a winner at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown with this card for their masculine card challenge. Now I am honored to be their guest for the current challenge: Holly andor Ivy.  Here's how I was inspired.

After I decided on the Holly Ring, I happened to have the pad of mirrored pastel cardstock out on my desk for another card. It was a happy coincidence because it got me thinking that maybe I'd take my card in a slightly different color direction than red and green. I went with soft pastels and a variety of neutrals - white, ivory and that soft plaid in the background. 

I experimented with a variety of sentiments for this card.  I thought about stamping but I didn't want it in black and white embossing wouldn't show up well on that light colored background and I didn't want to add cardstock back into the center (I like the dainty look of the Holly Ring without filling it in.)  So then I looked at sentiment dies. I'm a "rule-follower" so I started looking at dies that fit inside the frame - because that's what a frame is, right?!   I don't really know what made me try the big "joy" but I knew right away I liked it even though it didn't fit and should have made me a little twitchy! I found some regular cardstock that matched the mirrored berries, then I added the mirrored ivory on the edges to accent it.

Thank you so much to the group at the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown for giving me this opportunity. I love the challenge they give me each week and I love inspiration that I get from their design team.

SUPPLY LIST

Dies: Poppystamps Holly Ring and Double Joy

Paper: Memory Box Vintage Pastel Mirror pad, Lush Green Collection and Garden Folly (for the background), Stampin' Up Petal Pink

Dragonfly Birthday

While I was working on this card, I was experimenting with colors and made a variety of dragonflies in other colors.  As I was cleaning up from that card, I saw three of the dragonflies that I rather liked together. I just couldn't let those little guys go to waste so here is another dragonfly card.

I love their fun look, although as I mentioned on Wednesday's post, I got them intending to color them especially that little guy in the upper right. He's just begging to be full of colors. I'll keep the set in the front of my stash and will definitely get him colored at some point. Although they really aren't half bad simply embossed in white - here are the two cards together.

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: Catherine Pooler Flight of the Dragonfly + does, Waffle Flower Elegant Sentiments + dies

Paper: Stampin' Up Bermuda Bay, Pool Party, Magenta Madness, My Favorite Things Black & White

Other: Buttons Galore Caribbean Sea Doodadz

Christmas Card Throwdown: Merry Days

 The current challenge at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown is a color challenge which includes the color purple.  I have a work friend who adores purple and I usually need a push (or a throwdown) to play with purples!  Here's what I did with the bold colors.

This card started with the idea that I had snowflakes in those colors. So I added some trees, a little snow on the ground and a wonderful bold sentiment.  The trees are from two sets by Alexandra Renke - the Pine Trees and the Pine Trees Little. I love that they are slightly different shapes and some are open. For interest, I used polka dot paper for the green tree and I added sparkle to the teal tree.

A big thank you to the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown for pushing me into the purples!

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: Waffle Flower Wonderful Christmas

Dies: Alexandra Renke 5 Pine Trees and 5 Pine Trees Little

Paper: Stampin' Up Gorgeous Grape, Granny Apple Green and Bermuda Bay

Other: Kat Scrappiness Rainbow Snowflakes