Floral Thank You Card!

Hi there crafty peeps!  I wanted to share with you today a card I created with some of the supplies from the March Simon Says Stamp Card Kit and some fabulous ribbons from Really Reasonable Ribbon.

I layered a few of the papers that came in the kit together on top of some yellow shimmer cardstock. The kit came with a die that punches a row of holes and I used that on the top and bottom of the card. I wove Metal Gray Swiss Dots Grosgrain Ribbon through the holes.  I then stamped the sentiment onto a journal card from the paper collection.  I stamped flowers and leaves from the included stamp set with two different shades of yellow ink and a light gray ink.  I fussy cut them all out and layered them onto the card.  Finally, I created a double layered bow with the same Metal Gray Swiss Dots Grosgrain Ribbon and Lemon Delicate Stitched Satin Ribbon.

I hope you enjoy my sun-shiny Thank You card and it inspires you to make something cheerful as well today.  Thanks for stopping by!

Really Reasonable Ribbon Bright Spring Colors Challenge

Hi there crafty peeps!  I am back today to share with you my inspiration for the new challenge that is up on the Really Reasonable Ribbon blog.  The theme for this challenge is "Bright Spring Colors".

I was really excited to be able to use a new stamp set I purchased not too long ago from Stampin Up called Indescribable Gift.  I stamped the image on Tim Holtz watercolor paper with archival black ink and watercolored it with Tombow markers.  I then made a shaker card with the image in the background using Blueprints dies from My Favorite Things and sequins from Pretty Pink Posh.  The sentiment was die cut from a new Pretty Pink Posh die as well.  I wrapped Lemon Delicate Stitched Satin Ribbon and also created a triple loop bow with my Bow It All tool.  Both of these can be found in the Really Reasonable Ribbon Store.  I hope you enjoy this bright springtime card, and it inspires you too.  Head on over to the blog to see the rest of the inspiration and to join in the challenge.  Have a wonderful day!

Bokeh Card With A Twist

Hi there crafty peeps! I am back today to share a card I created with a fun technique I have wanted to try out for a while now.  I have seen so many tutorials on creating a "Bokeh effect" on card backgrounds using watercolors and white pigment ink.  This is a common technique used in modern photography, that has been showing up in card making lately.  It looked like a lot of fun, so I thought why not give it a try?  Even better though, I wanted to give it a twist for St. Patrick's Day.

The tutorials I have seen online used stencils made from different sized circles, but I used a stencil from Gourmet Rubber Stamps called Shamrocks.  It has three different sized shamrocks on the stencil, so it was perfect for this technique.

I first created a green watercolored background with Tim Holtz watercolor paper and Distress inks in Mowed Lawn, Peeled Paint, Pine Needles, and Bundled Sage.  I then dried the background with my heat gun.  After it was dry, I took the stencil and randomly stenciled different sizes of the shamrocks all over the paper in different intensities with Memento Luxe Wedding Dress Pigment Ink.  This makes the shamrocks look like they are on all different visual planes of view.  When this was dry, I matted it onto white cardstock.  I then wrapped a small band of vellum around the panel with the word happy stamped and embossed onto it.  I cut the "St Patrick's Day" sentiment and arrow in gold glitter paper from my Silhouette Cameo, and attached that under the vellum.  I created a bow and wrap for the card with Gold Metallic String from the Really Reasonable Ribbon Store. I then finished the card with a few sequins from Pretty Pink Posh.

I hope you enjoy this artistic take on a modern photography technique.  Have a wonderful day filled with a little bit of your own Irish luck!

Really Reasonable Ribbon March Blog Hop

Hey there!  Today is the day for the March Blog Hop at Really Reasonable Ribbon.  The design team and I have cooked up some beautiful projects with the new Spring Rainbow Assortment .

If you are following along you should have come here from Ginny's Blog.  If not, head over to the Really Reasonable Ribbon Blog to start at the beginning.

For my card I used a new stamp set I purchased from Stampin Up called "Sheltering Tree".  This stamp set is so fun! You piece together the tree and accents in the colors and arrangement you want.  I made a spring "blooming" tree to match the fun colorful spring ribbon included in the assortment.  I inked up each of the elements in the stamp set with Stampin Up ink.  Before I stamped it on my watercolor paper, I sprayed it lightly 3 times with water to give it a watercolored look.  The sentiment is stamped in Versafine Onyx Black ink to stand out.  The patterned paper is from My Minds Eye and the Cardstock is Strawberry Slush Cardstock from Stampin Up.  I wrapped Delicate Stitched Satin Tropic and 3/8" Funky Flowers on Coral Rose Grosgrain around the center of the card and then created a bow with my Bow-It-All Tool and more Delicate Stitched Satin Tropic ribbon.

I hope you enjoy this bright springtime card. Now head on over to Bonnie's Blog which is the next on our hop. Have a wonderful crafty day!

Go Green Challenge

Hi there Crafty Peeps!  I am back this month for a new challenge over at the Craft Hoarders Anonymous Challenge Blog.  Gloria is challenging us to "Go Green" with our challenge this month.

Go Green
Use this color board (see color board on challenge blog) as inspiration for your green challenge. Make a challenge which has green as the predominate color. Use the other colors in this color board as your accent colors. You may make any type or theme of project that you wish. You do NOT have to use all of the colors represented here, but green must be the star of your project! There must be some green in your vast hoard...dig it out!

I am very sad to say that this is our last challenge for the challenge blog.  It has been a wonderful 15 months and I am so grateful for the people I have met along the way!  The support and kind words mean more than I can ever express in words.  I really hope to keep in touch with all of you through other crafty venues.  If you aren't a follower of my blog already, please click on the follow button to the right and I will make sure to follow your blog as well!

I decided to create a card for my inspiration with the materials that I received in the fabulous St Patrick's Day Creativity Kit from Polly's Paper Studio.  This company is owned by my crafty friend and fellow DT partner Ginny Nemchak.  She makes the best vintage inspired kits for cards and home decor projects.  You should definitely check her Etsy store out if you haven't already.  I added some sparkle with some Art Institute glitter.  I also added some Mulberry Flowers from Really Reasonable Ribbon.  I hope you enjoy the card and it inspires you to join in our last challenge. Head on over to the other DT members blogs and leave some love for them as well.  Have a wonderful and creative day!

Christy Butters

Debbie Seyer

Donna Idlet

Ginny Nemchak

Glenda Brooks

Gloria Stengel

Kathy Clement

Pam Bray

Teresa Horner

Wendi Robinson

Flowers and Ribbon

Hi there crafty peeps!  I am back today to share with you my inspiration for the new challenge that is up on the Really Reasonable Ribbon blog.  The theme for this challenge is "Flowers and Ribbon".  It is the perfect theme to get us all into the mood for spring which is just around the corner.

I was really excited to be able to use a new stamp set I purchased not too long ago from the Heartfelt Creations Birds and Blooms collection.  I stamped the images twice with Memento New Sprout Ink and then colored them with my Distress Markers.  I layered the blossoms to make them look 3D.  I also added white flatback pearls to the center of the blossoms.  The patterned paper and the sentiment is from Graphic 45's Botanical Tea Collection.

I wrapped 1.5" Pink Netting around the left side of the card and then wrapped Aqua Diamond Satin ribbon over the top of that.  I then created a double layer bow with the same Aqua ribbon with my Bow-It-All tool to go on top.  I hope you enjoy this springtime card, and it inspires you too.  Head on over to the blog to see the rest of the inspiration and to join in the challenge.  Have a wonderful day!

Easter Wishes

Hi there crafty peeps!  I am back today to share with you a card I made with some gorgeous ribbon and lace from the Really Reasonable Ribbon Store.  There is a great sale going on right now through Friday 3/6, so now is a  great time to stock up!  I decided to get a bit of a head start on my Easter cards for this year.

I used an image from the "Easter Wishes" stamp set by Flourishes.  I colored it with my Copic markers.  The papers are from Websters Pages "New Beginnings Collection".  I matted the paper with Lemon Chiffon cardstock from My Favorite Things.  I added a few yellow pearls from BoBunny as an accent.

I wrapped the blue ribbon from the Pastel Diamond Satin Assortment around the card.  I then wrapped Sandra White Crochet Lace on the top of that.  I wanted it to reflect the ribbon tied around the egg in the stamped image.  I then added an assortment of spring colored Mulberry flowers as an accent to the bow I created with the same blue ribbon and my Bow-It-All tool.  I hope this inspires you to pull out your spring crafting supplies and whip up some fun Easter/Spring creations of your own.  Have a wonderful day!