You Make Me Happy

Hello friends! I hope you're all doing well and I'm so glad you've stopped by! I have a bright and cheery card to share with you today that will hopefully bring some sunshine to your day!

When using stencils, I have a tendency of just creating panels with the stencil design completely covering it; for today, I decided to switch things up a bit.

I wanted to create the illusion of depth and dimension, but without any additional bulk. To begin this card, I cut an A2 panel of white cardstock (I did eventually trim it down). I added a strip of washi tape to the left side, leaving the white border as you can see. I layered the smaller of the two stencils included in the Dotted Hexagon Stencil Collection and added Harvest Gold ink centralized near the washi tape and then let it fade out. I removed the stencil and then added some Summer Sunrise ink over the top of the stencil, using a lighter hand as it fades out.

I kept the washi tape in place, but also added some post-it notes to cover the white space so I could add black and Summer Sunrise paint splatter. Once that was done, I removed the post-it notes and the washi tape and set it aside.

I had some daisies already cut out from a previous project, so I just added a little bit of Harvest Gold ink to the center of each layer as well as the centers of each flower and then glued them together with the final layer added with foam squares. The leaves are colored using Spring Moss and Ripe Avocado ink. 

I stamped the sentiment, which is from the Just Sentiments: Quotes Mini Stamp Set, in black and then added the flowers and leaves. I cut and folded a top-folding A2 card base and then added the stripes using the Show Your Stripes Stencil Collection. I cut the hexagon panel down to 3 3/4 by 5 inches and layered it over the top using foam squares. I added the daisies, sequins and shimmer spray and called it done! Thanks for fluttering by!

 

Happy Thoughts to Brighten Your Life

I'm popping in today to share a bright floral card to help usher in spring! I used the Always in Bloom Stamp Set that was released last year. This has become one of my favorite floral sets and is perfect for all kinds of occasions. I feel like I get in color ruts quite often, so I tried to stamp some of the flowers and leaves in different color combinations to achieve something out of the norm for myself.

I was inspired by a watercolor piece I saw on Pinterest, which was super helpful to help change my perspective. I definitely should try it more often to keep things fresh and eliminate those ruts! I cut all of the pieces from white cardstock using the Always in Bloom Die and then stamped them using the Always in Bloom Stamp Set. I actually stamped all of the pieces twice so I can use them on another project. I did add some details to some of the flowers and leaves using colored pencils.

The background was created by cutting a panel of Vintage Cream cardstock using the Love to Layer: Torn Edges Die. I have really been enjoying this die lately because it adds automatic interest to an otherwise plain background. I also like the pop of color on the edges: this card uses Tropical Teal cardstock.

I added the watercolor portion using the Watercolor Wonderful Stencil Collection in yellow tones to balance the cool tones in some of the flowers and leaves. Once that was done, I die cut the chain border from gold cardstock and added it around the stenciled panel using liquid glue. (I'm having trouble finding the link for the chain border. I'm sorry)

I stamped the sentiment, which is from the Just Sentiments: Spring Blessings Mini Stamp, in black ink. Once that was done, I arranged the flowers and leaves until I was satisfied with the arrangement.

I added a trio of sparkling clear sequins around the sentiment and also added a spritz of shimmer spray. I added the entire panel to a top-folding A2 white card base using liquid glue. I had fun creating this springtime card! Thanks for fluttering by!

 

April Showers and Bunny Tales

Thanks for stopping by today! I'm having the best time creating all kinds of spring and Easter cards this year! I sat down to make ONE card and ended up making three! It reminded me of my springtime crafty session from last year when I made THESE cards and tags. I have so many leftover goodies from recent projects that are just begging to be used! That being said, I wasn't planning on mixing companies and products, but that is where my creative juices flowed! ha ha!

I originally sat down to create with some Honey Bee Stamps products because I bought them last year and just HAD to have them and only made THIS card. I've been itching to use them again, so that is where my starting point began. When it was all said and done, I actually NEVER used the bunny last year that is shown on this card, so I was happy to use it!

Also, I fell in love with Melissa's darling gingham chicks she made for the recent Bunnies and Bows release from The Greetery so I ordered 2 pads of gingham paper only for them to arrive being this LARGE gingham rather than the petite gingham I was hoping for (so I could make my own gingham chicks)! ha ha! Anyway, I was feeling irritated, but then I fell in love with this Vintage Gingham Paper as I was using it for these cards, so it all worked out!

To begin, I die cut all of the pieces for the bunny using the Honey Bee Stamps Lovely Layers: Rabbit Die from white cardstock. I used distress oxide inks and finger sponge daubers to color the pieces. I used liquid glue to adhere them together. To make the eyes look a little more realistic, I added a dot of white get pen to the centers and I also used a pale pink colored pencil to add pink to the inside of the ears, the nose, and the cheeks.

Once the bunny was complete, I was going to use him with some other Honey Bee Stamps pieces (I ended up using them on the other two cards), but as I was looking at the leftover pieces on my desk, I just casually picked up the extra Bunny Tales sentiment left over from the release and thought it looked so cute with this sweet bunny! In an instant, all of my crafty plans changed and I was on a new mission! I grabbed the gingham paper and adhered it to a top-folding A2 card base, added a leftover frame that was also on my desk and started building my card. I had leftover clusters of flowers from the Bitty Botanicals Stamp + Stencil, so those got tucked around the frame as well as a few Forget-Me-Nots.

I used a few leaves from the Lovely Layers: April Showers Die to tuck around the Forget-Me-Not. As I mentioned earlier, I was only planning on making one card and it was going to features the boots, umbrella, and bunny. So.....that meant I still had boots and an umbrella leftover, but funny story....these are not the boots OR the umbrella! ha ha! I will save that story for my FINAL card for today! 

As you can see, the large gingham paper was the clear winner for these spring cards. This card ended up being tough to photograph for some reason and the gingham is coming off as more peach than yellow, but it is yellow. 

I rummaged around in my stash of 5 by 5 paper pads and found this charming floral print from an ancient Making Memories pad, but with the petite print, it was perfect for the umbrella. All of the pieces for this card, with the exception of the pink flowers and sentiment are from the Lovely Layers: Spring Showers die. 

The sentiment is from the Honey Bee Stamps Blessings of Spring Stamp Set and I stamped it in black and then die cut it using the coordinating Blessings of Spring Die. 

All of the flowers are die cut from white cardstock and then colored with distress oxide ink and finger sponge daubers. I also added some details with colored pencils for added depth. 

And here is the final card for today. This was the first umbrella I made (once again using Making Memories pattern paper) and the original boots. I had put this card together second after the bunny card and was going to call it a day, but decided to use this particular sentiment. I didn't have any "dirt" on the boots or the background so I thought it might seem weird to use that sentiment, but it was already stuck down! ha ha! I REALLY should have decided on the sentiment AHEAD of time so I could make better design decisions, but I didn't! ha ha!

It was easy to add rain with some Blueberry Sky ink, but deciding about how to add dirt was giving me fits! Lightbulb moment....I remembered I bought some Art Glitter Sediment  a few years back for one of The Greetery releases!

I enlisted my daughter's help and we brainstormed on how to make the dirt look more organic rather than just stuck to a line of glue. I used an old frayed paintbrush dipped in glue to add glue here and there and then I poured the glitter/dirt. I felt immediate regret once I added the glitter and I thought I'd ruined the card.  

I came back the next day with fresh eyes and I thought the dirt looked much better, especially since the sentiment REQUIRES dirt, right? ha ha! Anyway, since I thought I'd ruined this card, I made more boots and another umbrella for the second card! LOL! Needless to say, it was a fun crafty session and I'm pleased with the results (even the dirt when it was all said and done)! Thanks for fluttering by!

Project Inspiration {Love and Happiness on Easter}

It's my turn for this week's Project Inspiration from Papertrey Ink (actually last week) so I wanted to share it here with more detailed steps and instructions.

This card was a joy to create and came together quite quickly once I figured everything out. It should go a lot quicker if I were to recreate it or for those of you who'd like to give it a try.

To begin, I created the background using the watercolor stencils included in the Elegant Notes Stationery Kit using Aqua Mist, Pale Peony, and Lilac Grace ink. I trimmed it down to measure 4 by 5 1/4 inches.

I used the Elegant Eggs Die to create the eggs. I cut everything from white cardstock and then used ink and blender brushes to add the color. I adhered them together with liquid glue.

I used the Bows Galore Die to create all of the bows. Once again, everything was cut from white cardstock and then I colored them with ink and blender brushes.

I stamped one of the Easter verses included in the Thoughts of Easter Stamp Set with black ink.

I arranged all of the eggs, bows, and butterflies using foam squares and liquid glue.

I added the Rejoice portion of the sentiment, added the panel to a top-folding A2 Pale Peony card base using foam squares.

I added a generous spritz or two of shimmer spray and some glitter to finish it off!

This was such a fun card to create and I've added it to my growing stash of Easter cards!

Thanks for fluttering by!

 

Rejoice! {Easter Wishes}

Hello and welcome, friends! I'm happy to be here today sharing an Easter card using some of my favorite springtime products!  My project for today features the beautiful Into the Blooms: Spring Nest Die that was released last year and continues to be a favorite of mine. I use the flowers and foliage for all kinds of floral projects year-round!

To begin this card, I die cut the large pieces for the nest once, but all of the other pieces I cut four times so I would have a lot of options once I started "building" the nest! I die cut everything from white cardstock and then colored the pieces with PTI inks and blender brushes. I used liquid glue to assemble the flowers and the stems on the leaves. The nest was also put together with liquid glue. I have used foam squares in the past to give the next depth, but I didn't do it this time and I think it turned out fine.

The eggs are also colored with ink and then I used the old SU! color spritzing tool and a brown marker to add the splatter to the eggs, which I think adds realism to the eggs. 

I used the largest and middle sized flowers to stack together to create a fuller looking bloom and added interest. I used a stylus and a foam mat to give the flowers the cupped shape and then carefully added the small centers using liquid glue. For the smallest flower centers, I colored them with a green marker for ease.

I cut a panel of Spring Moss cardstock measuring 4 by 5 1/4 inches and then used the Simple Stitch Crochet: Large stencil collection for the pattern. I only used one of the stencils to give the appearance of leaves rather than crochet. I used a light hand with Ripe Avocado ink and then added some additional ink around the edges for dimension. I also die cut one of the beautiful scalloped borders included in the On the Edges: Scallops Collection Die and secured it to the stenciled panel using 1/8 inch ScorTape.

I used the largest die included in the Love to Layer: Arches Die set, blended a hint of speckled egg distress oxide ink around the edges, and then stamped the sentiment from the Thoughts of Easter Sentiments Stamp Set in black at the bottom.

The Rejoice! sentiment is from the same set and I used the coordinating Thoughts of Easter Sentiments Die to cut it out. I used small pieces of foam squares to add it to the nest. 

I used a piece of pattern paper from a retired collection called Pretty Pastels and adhered it near the bottom and then layered the arch over the top using foam squares. 

I glued the entire background onto a top-folding A2 card base using liquid glue and then added the He is Risen sentiment to the inside (not shown) with a few additional eggs. I gave it a few spritzes of Shimmer Spray and called it done! Thanks for fluttering by!

 

The Greetery {Bunnies & Bows Collection}

Hello and welcome, friends! I'm thrilled to be here today sharing projects made with the oh, so sweet Bunnies and Bows Collection from The Greetery! This is such a fabulous collection of products to usher in spring and even use year-round! Before I dive into the details of my projects, you'll want to be aware of a few details; first, you can read all about each of the new products on The Greetery Blog for the official "meet and greet". Next, make sure to leave a comment here, and on each of the designers' blogs for a chance to win one of 2 $50 gift certificates to the shop! The new release will be available for purchase on Friday, March 21st at 10 am EDT.

My first card for today features the adorable new Bunny Tales stamp/die set. Half of the designers chose to use this set with a non-book theme and the other half will be showcasing it with the previously released Have a Spine Die, etc. to show how cute it is to create a storybook type card. As you can see, I'm part of the non-book half and I've chosen to create an Easter card just bursting with springtime joy!

My oldest son was born in April, so Peter Rabbit has been a part of his/our life since day 1. This sweet Bunny Tales stamp/die set reminds me so much of those precious Peter Rabbit days. 

To begin this card, I die cut all of the pieces included in the Bunny Tales Die and got to work stamping everything with the Bunny Tales stamp set. I knew I would be making an Easter or spring card, so I only stamped a few of the smaller sentiments and the large Bunny Tales image. 

I'm obsessed with the cute line-art bunny pair; I stamped it in Classic Kraft ink and then added a bit of shading using the same ink and a blender brush. Each bunny got a pom-pom tail that will be available for purchase with the rest of the Bunnies and Bows Collection. The frame was stamped in Certainly Celery ink and adhered to one of the arches included in the A2 Arches Die.

I die cut the background using the A2 Stitched Scallops Die and then added the gingham pattern using the Scalloped Gingham Stencil. I used speckled egg distress oxide ink and then twisted citron for the border. I layered it onto a top-folding A2 card base using foam squares.

I placed the Bunny Tales sentiment at the top and then added the focal arch . The bow at the top and the flowers are included in a new suite of products that I'll be showcasing after the next project.

Cheep, cheep! How cute is this Hey Honeycomb Chick? I just can't get over her! And, Mr. Bunny is trying to steal the show over in the corner! ha ha! This project is a basket/box with a handle, but it's a little tricky to tell from the photos. I have a few close-ups later on that will hopefully allow you to see it a little bit better. That being said, if you're not a 3D project kind of person, the front of this box is A2 sized so you could use this same idea for a card!

This cute chick is just like the other Hey Honeycomb products. I die cut her from Lemon Tart cardstock and then added some ink around the edges for some depth and dimension. Since this is a basket/box, I opened up the honeycomb for maximum cuteness, but there is a coordinating Hey Honeycomb Spring stamp set that features all kinds of cute sentiments so you can let the recipient know how to open and stick the honeycomb if you're going that route. I used one of the sentiments from the set and then die cut it using the Sentiment Suite Basics Die.

For the handle, I used the Ribbon Maker: Petite Scallops Die and then secured it to the sides of the box/basket using brads. I knew it would be important to be able to swing the handle forward or backward to fill the basket or to take goodies/gifts out.

This gives you a side view; it measures 4 1/4 inches wide by 5 1/2 inches long with a 1 inch side. I was using an 8 1/2 by 11 inch piece of cardstock, so I was limited with the measurements. You could definitely use larger cardstock to make a bigger size, but this would be perfect for a set of notecards, treats, and small Easter gifts.

I added some spring color with clusters of flowers using the BotaniCuts Forget-Me-Nots Die. I haven't used this die in quite some time, so it was fun to get it out and create these cute little bouquets. I thought the Winter Medley die deserved a much needed break! ha ha!

I pulled out the Ribbon Frame Die and coordinating Ribbon Frame Stencil to frame this cute chick.

As I mentioned before, Mr. Bunny is trying to steal the show; he is equally cute and is part of the Bunnies and Bows release! I can't wait to see how the team has used this cute suite of products!

My next project features the new Bitty Botanicals and Diamond Ribbons paired with a few things from Bunny Tales because it's just too cute! To begin this card, I used the new Diamond Ribbons stencil on a panel of Powder Green cardstock. I blended some Mint Julep ink to give each of the diamonds some shading for depth.

I used the Diamond Ribbons Die and glued it over the top using liquid glue. I added the little dots at each of the joints using liquid glue. The bows that I used on this card and on the Bunny Tales card is also from this Die. It comes with an assortment of different shapes and sizes.

The flowers were created using the new Bitty Botanicals Rubber Cling stamp and the Bitty Botanicals stencil. You stamp the stems and then add the blooms using the stencil; this creates a lovely panel that can be used as a background, or you can use the coordinating die that cuts them all out at once and use them individually as I've shown here.

I added some details with colored pencils and then popped them up all around the focal panel created using the Bunny Tales Stamp/Die.

If you snip the dies apart that are for the frame, you can use it a few different ways; I die cut the frames first, then snipped them apart to create a "backer", but it will be easy to use washi tape to line them back up for future projects.

I left the bunnies bare....no shading so you can see how cute they look just left alone, too! They did both get a pom-pom tail, though...just too cute to resist!

The sentiment is also from the Bunny Tales stamp set.

My final projects for today feature the beautiful new Spring Crest Stamp/Die set paired with the Hymn Sing products....I just can't get over how elegant these new products are!

This is the direction that the new Spring Crest Stamp/Die was designed to go, but my other card shows it the other direction for options.

The Lilies are upside down, but I don't think it looks out of place! This card uses the Hymn Sing background stamp, but I omitted the title of the song by covering it up with a post-it note so I could stamp one of the arched sentiments from the Hymn Sing stamp set.

The "Happy Easter" sentiment is included in the Spring Crest Stamp/Die set.

The sentiments and sheet music are stamped using Stampabilities Gold pigment ink.

The background is stamped in Pale Peony and the focal sentiment is also stamped in gold.

Please note: the focal sentiment piece is die cut using the Crest No 3 die and doesn't necessarily need to be used with the Spring Crest stamp/die.

Well friends, this concludes my post for today! Everything will be available for purchase tomorrow at 10 am EDT. Don't forget to leave a comment here, and on each of the designers' blogs, for a chance to win one of two $50 gift certificates. Thanks for fluttering by!

Angelica Conrad

Dana Kirby

Dawn McVey

Kelly Lunceford (you are here)

Laura Bassen

Laurie Willison

Leanne West

Melissa Phillips

Wanda Guess