Autumn Blessings Cloche

Hello friends ~ 

Today's card was made using the colors from Color Hues.  I couldn't resist letting these colors go by without making something, as I love orange and green together.  It makes me think of all things fall, so here you go!

 

 

 I pulled out the cloche die set from Honeybee Stamps and the mushroom stencil and die set from Pinkfresh Studio.  They seem to pair nicely together.

 

The mushrooms look a little more yellow than orange, but in real life they're orange.  I used Dried Marigold and Spiced Marmalade DOX inks for the caps and Mowed Lawn and Pine Needles DOX inks for the leaves.

 

I used a glue pen to add dots, which I then sprinkled with saffron Silk Micro-fine Glitter to, to add a little sparkle.

 

Ready or not, fall is on it's way.  I'm saying goodbye to all the beautiful blooms in the gardens and starting to pull up some of the veggies that have stopped producing.  

I'll be adding this card to the following challenges:

Color Hues ~ Orange & Green

 

Word Art Wednesday ~ Anything Goes

 

Thanks for stopping by!

A Jar Full of Garden Joy ~ Double D Challenge

Good morning friends!  I'm here today with a fun shaped card I made for the new challenge starting up over at Double D Challenges.  This week the theme is "Butterflies".  

 

When I started making this card, I knew I wanted to use this sweet Mason Jar Card die from Honeybee Stamps.  I went searching through my stamps and stencils and found these oldies but goodies that seems to fit in the jar nicely.

 

  The stamped flowers are PTI "Flower Favorites", while the stenciled greens and smaller yellow flowers are PinkFresh Studio "With Love".

 

I was delighted when I found a vellum butterfly sticker in my stash from Spellbinders, adding the finishing touch to this card, and making it fit the requirements of today's challenge.

 

Flutter on over to Double D Challenges to see more amazing creations from the talented design team.  

 

Here is the inspiration tile to help get your creative juices flowing:

 

And here is what you could win when you play along.

Thanks for stopping by!

Simple Designer Paper Cards

Hello friends.  I've been keeping quite busy working outside in the gardens and haven't spent a whole lot of time indoors, let alone in my craft room.  We recently had a couple of rainy days that kept me inside, so I set to work in my craft space to add a few cards to my stash and perhaps put a small dent in the massive pile of design paper I've held on to for years.

I also recently purchased a few dies from Honeybee Stamps.  This Lovely Layers Birdbath was one of them.  I love feeding the birds and was quite taken by this recent release.

 

 The embossed details on the birdbath, and the layered details give this a wonderfully realistic feel.  

 

 

The printed papers came from various packs.  I went through and pulled out papers that I thought complimented each other and made up a few backgrounds and then added the die cuts to the card fronts.

 

This Lovely Layers Topiary somehow made it into my cart as well.  Funny how that happens.  It's hard to see on the vase, but there's a pretty embossed detail.  I used a textured cardstock to cut the vase out of, so it lost some of the detail.  On smooth cardstock, the design really stands out well as you'll see in the photo below. 

 

 

 The sentiments were also pulled from various sets from PTI and Pinkfresh Studio.

 

I believe this sentiment is from an older Sweet N' Sassy Stamps set.

 I'm happy to have put a small dent in my patterned papers and added a few cards to my stash at the same time.

 

I'll be entering one of these cards into the following challenges:

Word Art Wednesday ~ Anything Goes

A Cut Above ~ Anything Goes

Love Those Pretty Papers ~ (I did not use the option of "Wedding")

Thanks for stopping by!

Avian Field Notes ~ Double D Challenges

Are you a bird lover?  I sure am!  I enjoy watching the birds (and pesky squirrels) eating at our feeders every day.  The DD Challenges duo, Darlene and Diane have a fantastic challenge for you this next two weeks, with the theme of "Birds".

 

I'm all in on this one!  I pulled out Honeybee Stamps Lovely Layers Winter Birds to create a vintage style card.  One that you might find in a book of Avian Field Notes. 

 

 

I've tucked in some leaves and berries from Spellbinders Be Bold Blooms.  This is all nestled on top of a wonderful numeric embossing folder from Carabelle Studios.  I rubbed a bit of Walnut Stain DOX Ink over the numbers to give it a time worn look.

 

A couple of Tim Holtz Field Notes stamps are included to finish this entry.

 

I do hope you'll visit DD Challenge to see more avian inspired designs from our gifted team.

Here's the inspiration tile to help you get started:

 

And here's what you could win when you play along.

Thanks for stopping by!

A New Tiny Blessing

Hello dearies!  My heart is overflowing with gratefulness and joy as I share this exciting news that we have a tiny little blessing added to our family recently.  

 

 

Lachlann Rhŷs entered this world weighing a healthy 5 pounds 12 ounces.  He is so incredibly precious!

  

His brother "Mr. C" thinks he's pretty special too.  The family is doing well and settling in at home.  My heart is overjoyed that he's healthy and a good size.

 

 

Since Valentine's Day is coming right up, I just had to make him a card to let him know how much he is loved.

 

The stamp set was a freebie from Papertrey ink.

The darling Nursery die set is from HoneyBee Stamps.  Lachlann's bassinet looks just like this one, canopy and all!

 

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

A Cut Above ~ Anything Goes 

AAA Cards ~ Color Challenge

 

Word Art Wednesday ~ Anything Goes

Just Us Girls ~ Die Week

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Guest Designing for Cut It Up Challenge

Cheerio friends!  Today, I'm happy to be sharing a card as guest designer on the Cut It Up Challenge Blog.  My project was chosen as one of the "Top Cuts" back in September and thus gave me the opportunity to guest design for a future challenge.  So, here I am today, creating for the newest challenge #323, "This Makes Me Smile".  

 

 

 Well, the simple answer to "what makes me smile", is that I love working with dies!  Especially vintage-y ones!

This darling, retro looking Lovely Layers Vintage Reindeer from Honeybee Stamps most certainly brings a smile to my face.  I purchased the dies just before Christmas and made up a few of them, but they never made it to a card front until now.

The Greetery's Boxwood Heart framed this deer nicely, with some added flowers from Spellbinders.  A layered pair of hearts adds to the sentiment.

Thanks so much to Larelyn and the Cut It Up team for inviting me to guest design for them.  I enjoy playing along with your challenges!

I do hope you'll all stop by Cut It Up and join in on their challenge.  I'd love to know what makes you smile!

Thanks for stopping by!

Special Boo

Good morning crafty friends~  I'm popping in with a card I made using Honeybee Stamps Scaredy Cat set.  

 

The moment I saw this cat, I knew I wanted to add this set to my stash.

 

The stenciled background was inspired by my dear friend Marcia and her card found here.  

I sent this card to my sweet "P" in California, with a kitty outfit for Halloween.  I hope she likes it.

I'll be adding this card to the following challenges:

Krafty Chicks Challenge ~ All Occasion

Word Art Wednesday ~ Anything Goes

Two Old Bats Halloween 

My inspiration is the kitty and pumpkin in the top left corner.

Thanks for stopping by!

To Spook or Not To Spook ~ Double D Challenge

Hello friends!  It's the first Wednesday of the month and that means that Double D Challenge is starting a new challenge, with the theme "To Spook or Not To Spook" or October Breast Cancer Awareness Month (pink)".

I chose to spook, but not too much, with this retired ol' ghost from Elizabeth Craft Design. 

 It's a little hard to tell in the picture, but he's cut out of pink cardstock to honor Breast Cancer Awareness month, with a bit of pink distress ink around his edges.  He's placed over a slightly larger vellum ghost.

This "not so spooky" ghost floats above the giant Patchwork Pumpkin from Honeybee Stamps.  I've added a spider from Frantic Stamper and a pair of batty friends from ECD.  

Here is a little inspiration for you, put together by Diane.

You can probably see I drew inspiration from a few of these tiles.

Float on over to Double D Challenge for more amazing inspiration from our amazing team.  I can't wait to see your projects in the linky line up! 

Here's the prize that you could win when you play along.

Thanks for stopping by!

Bluebirds

Hello friends ~ Happy Saturday!  For the past several weeks we've had a pair of bluebirds nesting in a decorative birdhouse just outside our front door.  They're the sweetest little couple! 

 When I saw the Triple B Challenge for June, I just had to play along, especially since I had also recently received this sweet set of Spring Birds dies from Honeybee stamps.

I had also ordered the Cherry Blossoms at the same time.  They make the perfect pair!

Each morning I would open our front door and the mama and papa bluebirds would fly out of the birdhouse into the maple tree, not too far from their home, while I filled the tray feeder with some mixed birdseed.  Once I was back inside with the door closed, they would both fly down to the tray feeder to eat some breakfast.  This became our morning routine for a few weeks.  

They've now flown the nest, I expect with their little brood of babies.  I was happy to have a small part in their family's upbringing.

I'll be entering this card into the following challenges:

Triple B June Challenge ~ 

Word Art Wednesday ~ Anything Goes

Hope you have a great weekend!

Thanks for stopping by!