Thursday, March 28, 2024

Freshly Made Sketches #629 and STRIPES for Time Out #260

Here I am sharing one card to two challenges - the opportunity only just presented itself after reading my friend Bobby's post announcing that Time Out #260 is looking for stripes!  I hope this doesn't smell fishy... it was created for Freshly Made Sketches #629!


My card features that darling Fintastic set from The Stamp Market...
I don't know what it is about that guy that screams poisson [fish in French] but a striped 'shirt', beret, and kerchief suddenly seemed fitting!
My little hook is from my HoneyBee Rod & Reel set but the bait was right
there in that TSM set.

Okay... how about the stripes, you ask?
I have embossed dots in stripes, and the lower portion of my panel is 
embossed in stripes... you may see them better here...


Then there is his shirt - and EVEN scalloped stripes on his tailfin!

I think it works!


Your visits sure do help to overcome this cold Spring I'm experiencing - keep them coming please - and merci, Bobby!
=] Michele

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Spring Flowers!

No matter what the weather is like outside my window, inside my studio there WILL be flowers!  One older, one new [to me] BOTH from Waffle Flower Crafts!  Here's one little bloom that doesn't care one bit if it snows in Spring... Snow Drops!


An old favorite background cover plate from Wplus9 debossed my water-y-colored
backdrop to my Snowdrops.  Here's another sentiment from WF Rejoice Rabbit.
A few PF gems and my card is complete!


While TK was here, she and I worked on my Glimmer foiling ... and believe me it takes two to pull that platform off!  But I was so thankful to have her help - here you'll see the pretty foiled background plate from Alex Syberia Designs foiled in satin lilac foil and perfect for these lovely WF purple tulips that are water colored.

A Pinkfresh frame [popped up for dimension] and another Betterpress-ed sentiment 
completes my card.

A third card is a charm, right?  This time it all began with some more soothing stenciling with TK.  I think she might have been stenciling some bows while I worked on my orchids using WF Layered Orchid stencil... topped with their Layered Orchid dies and Circle Frames.


You might notice that my stenciled piece was given a touch of Subtle Texture with
that favorite SU embossing folder.  This sweet little sentiment is from
Spellbinders' Betterpress Sentiments of Wonder set.

ONE of these is being shared with Triple B - March 2024 even though there isn't a bit of pink or blue, pink+blue make purple, right?


That's it for me today!  Hope my flowers bring a little Spring to your day!
=] Michele

Monday, March 25, 2024

Just in time for Easter cards!

I received my Spellbinders Betterpress of the Month Club package on Friday.  I won't be continuing my subscription as there are many plates in their collection that I like better - but I couldn't resist getting this one inky right away... Easter is coming and this WF Bunny [Rejoice Rabbit] never fails to make me smile anywhere I tuck her...


I inked my Friendship Book Plate with a trio of Betterpress inks*, then I
fussy-cut the edges before tucking Miss Bunny [who was lovingly water colored with
CP inks] into the die-cut opening.

Here are a few cards made with just the Monthly Press Plate...


This month's plate came with the frame, and sentiment plates
and two dies - one cuts the oval, the other cuts the sentiment.
I also found that their Essential Stylish Ovals are a pretty good match.
Above, you can catch a peek of the slightly larger oval that I've
embossed with a HoneyBee Burlap embossing folder.


This beauty will be shared over at Word Power #3!

In the meantime, I'm delaying my Monday Fun Day duties to Thursday - it appears as if we might be taking a little drive next week!  hmmm I wonder where we'll end up?  Will YOU be seeing me on your doorstep?

=] Michele




*

Saturday, March 23, 2024

Christmas [weather] in March!

When Mother Nature changes her mind every other day, you ride the wave - what else is there to do?  So, when I woke up yesterday morning to 2" of snow, I decided it was the perfect day to add to my Christmas 2024 stash!

I set out to make one of my only Santa stamps [Pinkfresh Simple Joy] look a little vintage - but it might be a total fail... you tell me...


Something about the paper and colors makes them look 'aged' right?
But it certainly doesn't hold a candle to the gorgeousness found in their Peace on Earth #60
photo inspiration:


From there, it was just a bit of fun with my 'handwritten' letter to Santa:



One last card for today.  This one was created when TK was here visiting ... we were
practicing our 'loose' water coloring!  Colorado Crafts [Snowman and Bunnies] to the rescue every time!

Sentiment: CCC Teamwork; Cover plate: Waffle Flower Crafts: Dashed Snowflakes

Wherever you live, I do hope your weather feels and looks more like Spring!  Or if not, try to make the best of it!
=] Michele

Friday, March 22, 2024

A little PB [with no J] Day!

Do you have sets with images you just love to color?  That's how I feel about Penny Black!  I have a dozen or so 'every day' images and at least that many Christmas-y ones that I just never tire of!  So that's what today's makes are all about!

It all began when I made a birthday card for a friend - it's winging its way to her as I speak so I won't share that one YET!  But before the set got put away, another card was born... then another with a different PB set, then another!  You get the picture.

Let's start with one I CAN share: Penny Black's Friendship - in fact it's heading to Freshly Made Sketches #628 and made with Narelle's fun sketch in mind...


I have a friend in need of a little pick me up and these guys surely
do it for me when my spirits need lifting!


Okay... you know I'm all about the birds... this one from Peaceful Time will head to Time Out #259 for their 'Birds of a Feather' co-challenge with the JUGS gals.


My coloring panel of mixed media paper was a bit short of a full front panel, so I just added 
another under it... I ran them together through my machine
with one of my favorite debossing plates - sorry it isn't available any longer - sniff, sniff - and mopped up all the leftover inks on my glass mat.  I love the colors that resulted.
A sweet little postage stamp die from Wplus9 was a good place to tweet a greeting.


Card #3 is heading to the sweet gal that sent me this darling pink embossed panel... it came out a little differently than I'd planned during out chat, Lisa!


This bunny comes from the set, Special Friends, that got the ball rolling today.  
I'll share that birthday card as soon as I know it has been
delivered to the birthday girl!  I love it stamped in brown - and how
can a girl go wrong with brown + pink?  An inked embossing folder
gave this big Waffle Flower Crafts [Nesting] egg a very pretty chocolate pattern.
Miss Bunny brought her own little egg to the party, too.  It took a dip
in the leftover pink puddle and was also treated to that debossing - still love
that sweet little heart that shows up in this Lil Inker plate.

And with that, I don't need to say another thing!  Except thanks so much for stopping by, my friends!  Happy weekend!
=] Michele

Thursday, March 21, 2024

Altenew Inspiration Challenge - March 2024

 

Emily's husband brought her the most gorgeous bouquet that became her shared photo as host of Altenew's March 2024 Inspiration Challenge.  I was inspired indeed and thought it was the perfect opportunity to share another new addition to my Altenew stash!

I actually convinced my husband to come craft with me!  He was a natural with stenciling as long as I agreed to finish his card for him - deal!

Using the stamps, stencils, dies, and embossing folder, here is how I finished Tom's beautiful bouquet:


You'll see we used the same basic colors for stenciling - any difference is in the touch, or amount of pressure used.

I kept mine pretty CAS but instead of an embossed panel, I added extra Eucalyptus to my bouquet!


I will be entering Tom's card to the challenge - maybe he will have better luck than I have had lately!  lol

Thanks for stopping by - happy crafting!
=] Michele

Wednesday, March 20, 2024

Something[s] old, one thing new, for Color Hues in Cream and Blue!

I'm so glad you stopped by today - I have a trio of blue florals for you today!  Yeah, ME!  I was inspired by a little email from a favorite botanical garden in Pennsylvania - just so happens we visited it when we attended my friend LeAnne's yard sale!! lol

Here are their gorgeous flowers:



They provided just the 'kick in the plants' I needed to finally ink up
my Spellbinders' January Betterpress Club Poppies in Cosmic Sky ink:


No, they don't hold a candle to those real Himalayan Blue Poppies - I'd 
give anything to beam myself up to Longwood Gardens today!

Their Delphiniums are also calling my name - I used Altenew's Starry Flowers
to create something like theirs:




Are you seeing the color theme here?  Here's a final card for today - then it will be time to choose which card will head to Color Hues #83 for second helpings!



You may remember that I used this Layering Cosmos foiled for my first CH card.  This time I used the plate as it was meant to be used: as letterpress using their
gorgeous Coastal Betterpress ink.  I brought in the 'cream' using Antique Linen Distress ink for water coloring the blooms.  My sentiment is also Betterpress-ed
from their Four Petal Sunflower Frame set - more on that soon - I cut it
using an old set from Altenew: Speech Bubbles.

I'd say that was just about enough sharing for one day - thanks for spending a little of your precious time with me!
=] Michele