Fab Friday: Happy Easter

I wanted to play along with the colors at Fab Friday. Two of the three colors were colors I really haven't used.  I'm not a big pink person although Blushing Bride has a softer look than most pinks.  Nor have I used Bumblebee. As a matter of fact, I was even surprised that I had the ink in my collection. I hadn't planned to get it because it seemed very close to other Stampin' Up colors.  But I do have it - so it seemed meant to be that I used the color combo.

I love that embossing folder.  It's so delicate and I love that the bulk of the pattern is to the side but some dots and leaves spread further across the card.  I was inspired by the current sketch at Freshly Made Sketches because the simple stripes let so much of that embossing show. I didn't use this card for my design team post yesterday because I moved the sentiment from where it was identified in the sketch but you can clearly see that I was inspired!

I didn't set out to create an Easter card but the sentiments from Arrange a Wreath were the right weight and look for this card and looking at them made me realize that this was just right for Easter.

Thanks to Fab Friday for the inspiration! 

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: Stampin' Up Pretty Perennials, Arrange a Wreath (sentiment)

Dies: Stampin' Up Perennial Petals, Stitched Labels (for the little "x" detail on the Bumblebee stripe)

Paper: Stampin' Up 2020-2022 In Color 6x6 dsp, Bumblebee CS

Ink: Stampin' Up Just Jade, Blushing Bride, Bumblebee

Other: Stampin' Up Meadow Moments Embossing Folder, 2020-2022 In Color Enamel Dots

Freshly Made Sketches: Hugs

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

My first reaction to this sketch was "hmmm..what do I do with just two little stripes?" but I ended up having so many ideas. I'm using this card today because it closely follows the sketch but I have another card that varies a bit that I'm finishing up for tomorrow!! 

I went through my stash looking for big flowers. I ended up with this set from Concord & 9th because of the fine lines - I knew the sentiment would stand out. I stamped part of it in the upper corner and another part in the lower corner.  The stripes are washi tape from Altenew that just jumped into my cart one day (even though I think this is my second ever use of washi tape with the first being just a month ago.)  It was such a unique color combo and I loved the golden panels (which don't show well in the photo). I matched the ink and the cardstock to the washi colors. The sentiment is new-to-me from Simon Says Stamp.  "Hugs" card are currently my most used cards.

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

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: Concord & 9th Fine Line Florals

Dies: Simon Says Stamp Hugs

Paper: Stampin' Up Calypso Coral and Early Espresso

Other: Altenew Allium Palette Washi Tape, Studio Katia Gold Foil Pearls 

CAS Colours & Sketches: Christmas Joy

I typically take January off from making Christmas cards but now it's February.  I dreaded it a bit after the made rush in December but I have to admit, with a little help from the colors at CAS Colours & Sketches, I thoroughly enjoyed this and am ready to start building my stash!

The big sentiment is Sending Christmas Joy from My Favorite Things. I've seen so many cardmakers build cardstock stripes behind big sentiments. I thought these colors would work if I accented with a few snowflakes and a poinsettia.  My original plan was a trio at the bottom - a blue snowflake, a red poinsettia and a green Christmas tree but even with my stash, I couldn't find three that worked together in size and style. So I ended up with my favorite poinsettia, backed with holly leaves and a few tiny snowflakes as accents.

Thank you to CAS Colours & Sketches!!

SUPPLY LIST

Dies: My Favorite Things Sending Christmas Joy, Flora & Fauna Poinsettia, Reverse Confetti Holly, Lawn Fawn Mini Snowflakes

Cardstock: Stampin' Up Pacific Point, Just Jade, Poppy Parade

Other: Trinity Stamps Rainbow Reflections Rhinestones

Poppystamps: Love and Floral Stems

 It's my day on the Poppystamps blog. It's the month of love so I had to go with a love theme but I am done with all of my Valentines. So I used non-traditional colors for a card I can send anytime to my lonely friends and family who are still social distancing.

There are lots more pictures and details on the Poppystamps blog - be sure to check it out!

SUPPLY LIST

Dies: Poppystamps Floral Stem Collage, Love Outline and Little Hummingbirds

Paper: Memory Box Cottage Stripes and Dots (the polka dot)

The Card Concept: Love You

 It's time for a new challenge at The Card Concept. Check out this luscious image!!

I was inspired by the colors and I started planning on being very literal with a cupcake. As I was flipping through my stash, I saw this set of hearts with the open one saying "i adore you" that reminded me of the open heart on the cupcake.  When I had the hearts cut, it needed a background - I looked at the inspiration and saw the cooling rack and that inspired me to pull out this particular background cutting plate. It all came together for my Clean and Layered Valentine.

My hearts are retired products. Sorry!!  Another company came out with the cutest set of hearts this year (looking at you Pretty Pink Posh). I had it in my cart ready to hit the checkout button when reality struck.  Last week, I posted that I didn't buy many Valentine products. So before I hit the checkout button, I checked my stash and sure enough, I had a nice stash of hearts.  Yes, it's retired but stamps come and go so quickly these days that I just have to keep using my favorites.

This is going to my 16-year old niece so it just had to have sparkle. I had these crystal hearts that pulled in the colors of the stamped images.

I hope to see you playing along with us this week at The Card Concept!

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: Simon Says Stamp Lots of Hearts (retired)

Dies: Simon Says Stamp Large Hearts (retired) and Small Love You, Lil' Inker Designs Quilted Stitched Pattern (store closed), Taylored Expressions Petite Scallop Rectangle

Paper: Stampin' Up Poppy Parade

Ink: Stampin' Up Poppy Parade and Flirty Flamingo, Papertrey Ink Dark Chocolate

Other: Buttons Galore Crystal Hearts

Freshly Made Sketches: Monkey Hugs

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

 

I had some new products that were just crying out to be used with this sketch - starting with the Poppystamps Whittle Circle Frames!!  Given it was from the whittle line of dies, I also pulled out the Whittle Hearts and the Whittle Monkey because they had the same look.  It needed some leaves to I used the Orchard Leaves.  My plan was to make this a Valentine, but the new Big Hugs Posh Script die by Memory Box uses such fun fonts I think it really added to the cheerful look of this card.

I hope to see you playing along with us this week!

SUPPLY LIST

Dies: Poppystamps Whittle Circle Frames, Whittle Hearts, Whittle Monkey, and Orchard Leaves, Memory Box Big Hugs Posh Script and Wrapped Stitch Rectangles

Paper: Stampin' Up Crumb Cake, Sahara Sand, Granny Apple Green and Flirty Flamingo, old Sahara Sand dsp

CAS(E) this Sketch: For the Last Time

 It's the final sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch.  I thank them for the inspiration from all 405 challenges!! For the final sketch, they are doing a throwback to a sketch by the creator of the challenge, Jackie Rockwell.  BTW - she's also the designer of my blog!! Here's what I did the last sketch.

 

And here's the sketch.

I wanted to go bright and cheerful.  I also needed a Valentine's card for my 13-year old niece.  That can be hard age - my niece is definitely thinking she's grown up but she still has an impish child in her. I started with the idea of the two speech bubbles and a heart as the middle element but it just didn't pop.  So I browsed my stash for a critter of some type and settled on this owl mostly because it was sweet but also because of its bold lines.

Just for fun - here's what I did with the sketch the first time it came around almost seven years ago when I was on the CtS design team.

Thanks to CtS for all of the inspiration over the years! You've been a resource for hundreds of my cards. I will miss you.

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: Impress Valentine Words, Taylored Expressions Hoot Hoot Hooray Stamp & Die Combo

Dies: WPlus9 Hey Hi Hello

Paper: Stampin' Up Pumpkin Pie and Melon Mambo, Taylored Expressions Candy Corn and Strawberry Milkshake, My Favorite Things Black & White Stripes 6x6 Paper Pack