Floral Basket

Hello to you all!  Are you sick of winter or are you lucky (like me) and are experiencing some Spring-type weather?  Today I am excited to show you a card that I made using both CropStop's challenge of using 3 flowers or more AND MTME's Pretty Pattern challenge.  I took the following photo outside on my front porch.  My husband built me a potting bench quite a few years ago and although I haven't done much gardening recently, I keep some cute pots that I've painted as well as some other decorative things on it.  I love the little ceramic watering can below so I took a picture of my card next to it.  Notice the reflections on the tile.  :)

I cropped the watering can out of the picture so you can see the card a little better.  I love this paper from MTME called Gardening Greats.

I was running out of daylight so I didn't get an angel view photo taken outside so we'll just have to settle with the one below.  I used some white shiny flowers that were left over from my son's wedding.  I just might have to go into the Wedding isle at Michael's the next time I go and get some more.  They are perfect for this basket.

Thank you for stopping by.  I truly appreciate each visit and comment.  I would like to invite you to visit both the CropStop Blog and the MTME Pretty Patterns blog to see what amazing projects these designers have in store for you.  

Don't forget to use the CropStop DISCOUNT code: NJCT-02 to receive 10% off - No minimum purchase required! 

Other Challenges:

Joan's Garden: color scheme- green & white, use a basket, pattern paper & get well

Die-ing For A Challenge - anything goes - use punches or dies

What's in it:

Score-Tape 1/4" wide, Spellbinders Classic Bracket , Spellbinders Labels Sixteen, Sizzix Sizzlit Branch w/leaves, ....  and

Marianne Craftables basket #CR1206, Big Shot impression folder by Stampin' Up! - Elegant Bouquet , Cheery Lynn Lace Rose and Flourishes die

Congratulations on Your Happy News!

This weeks challenge at CropStop is to make a baby card.  I thought about it a little and decided to make it a "congrats on your pregnancy" card as it's part of the same theme.  

I'll list the supplies at the end of this post but I just wanted to point out that the stamp set I used is Moka Jen by Taylored Expressions.  Isn't she cute?  I also love the color scheme of this paper and of course love all the pretty butterflies.

For this card I used this week's sketch at the Taylored Expressions sketch challenge.  I love all the layers.  

I used copics to color the image and also to add shading to the pattern paper that I fussy-cut (paper pieced) for the clothing.  I love doing that to tie the image in with the rest of the card.

In the image below you can see the border and little light pink butterflies and gems. Funny story... I found this self-adhesive butterfly border in my stash and laid it across the die cut border.  I likes it so I cut off the piece, took off the backing and placed it onto the card.  As I was looking at it I decided that it was too busy but when I tried to gently lift it off , the first butterfly decided to take some of the paper with it.  I guess the butterfly liked being on the card so I left it there.  lol  

See the pretty butterflies?

This is the first time I've used my new Spellbinders Spiral Blossom One.  I love making rolled flowers but I tend to have OCD about them and it takes me more time than usual because of it.  lol  I use a tool kit and craft molding mat to mold the flower edges outward.  I used to do it with my fingers but I like the tools and mat better.  The link to find them is in the list below.

Here's a shot of the card showing the layers... how I love my layers!

Other challenges: TE Sketch Challnege #152

Thank you so much for your visit and comments... they mean so much to me!

Please stop by the CropStop blog and check out all the other wonderful Baby creations they have in store for you.  Please play along and don't forget to use the  CropStop DISCOUNT code: NJCT-02 to receive 10% off - No minimum purchase required!  Now that's a great deal.  

What's in it:

 

Spellbinders Parisian Accents , Spellbinders Spiral Blossom One , Spellbinders Classic Ovals Small, Score-Tape 1/4" wide , Moka Jen by Taylored Expressions, Die-namics Oval decorative, flower making tool kit and mat at Joan's Garden, embellishments: local Michael's store.  

Keep Strong

I made this card for a wonderful friend of mine whose daughter is very ill and is fighting cancer on top of her congenital heart defects.  (I won't mention names here because I want to surprise her with the card and I don't know if she would want me to.)  The mom and I have been friends for several years online and she helped me through some very difficult times when my own daughter was so ill and passed away.  I desperately hope that her daughter is able to keep up the fight.  Our daughter's stories are so similar as far as the heart defects, strokes and even their names but instead of developing a terminal GI disease like my daughter did, hers developed leukemia.  I know that the mom is brave and strong but everyone has their hard days.  I hope this card cheers her up.

I love this digi paper set so much!  I love roses and the color palette is exactly my style especially since my daughter's favorite flower was the rose and her favorite colors were pink and yellow. The paper pack is called Parade of Patterns. 

Instead of using a rectangle as part of the sketch I decided to use a heart doily.  I found some shimmer vellum in yellow as I was looking through my stash of specialty papers and I think it worked quite well.  I just wish I remembered where I got it so I can buy some more!  lol  I think it may have been at JoAnn's so if you are looking for it you can check there or it could have been from "The Paper Temptress".  She has tons of gorgeous specialty paper too.  

You may be able to see the shimmer on the vellum in the photo below.  

For the sentiment I used Keep Strong which has quite a few really great sentiments.

I hope my friend likes this card.  I'm sure she it will help her to know that she is loved and isn't alone.  If you are the praying type please keep her and her daughter in your prayers. 

Thank you so much for your visit and comments... they mean so much to me!  Please stop by the My Time Made Easy blog and play along in our Pretty Patterns Challenge.   

Wedding Wishes

If you are looking for My Time Made Easy's Pretty Pattern sketch please scroll down to the next post.  I'll be posting two cards every Thursday now that both of my awesome design positions post on Thursdays.  The more the merrier, right?

This week's challenge at CropStop is to make a Wedding project!  Love is in the air.... in fact, my husband and I went on our first official date on Superbowl Sunday 27 years ago!  The Superbowl was in January back then and we were attending the same church and were getting to know each other... so to let Karl know that I was interested in a date, I invited him over to watch the Superbowl with my brother & his wife (who I was living with at the time.)  What's funny is that neither my husband nor I are big sports fans so it's very ironic that our first date was for a major sports event.  hehe!  Four months later (yes, that's 4 months) we were married and we are more in love now than every before.  

I wanted to make this card a little extra special.  I have quite a few embossing folder which I have been neglecting so I pulled out my favorite Cuttlebug Embossing folder - Textile and embossed some shiny blue paper with it.

The pink background paper is also shimmery, the roses on the pattern paper is glittery goodness as well as the light pink design behind the decorative dark burgundy heart.  And if that wasn't enough shininess, I added some swirly bling just for fun.   

The list of fun tools I used is listed below.   Thank you for your visit and I LOVE comments!  They make my late nights crafting even more fun!  By the way, if you have any questions about how I made this card, I will be happy to post a tutorial.  I took pictures along the way but am posting pretty late (or early considering is 4am) so I can post a tutorial later on if you like.  Please let me know if you would like me to do it!  

What's in it:

Score Tape, Spellbinders Classic Triple Scallop, Spellbinders Classic Bracket, Memory Box Cupid Heart die, Memory box Serafina Heart die, Cuttlebug Embossing folder - Textile 

Cupcake Party

My in-laws had their 50th anniversary party last September and instead of a wedding cake they had a cupcake display similar to the one I have posted below.  The cupcakes weren't quite as colorful as on my card but they were very tasty!

I used the digi stamp set Sweet Treats and digitally set up the yummy treats below onto the three tiered display.  

I colored the image with copics and added a little shimmer and shine with my Sakura clear start pen.   You can see more of the shimmer in the photo below.  Now who could resist that?  Yummmmm!  

I cut and embossed the aqua-green frame using Spellbinders Classic Frame and sponged the dark parts with a little darker ink.  I cut out three doilies one each out of light pink, dark pink and aqua-green for the 1/2 circles found in the sketch.  I cut them off and adhered them to the backside of the frame.  

I put a fushia pink ribbon around the bottom and tied a bow - it added just the right touch.  I fussy-cut out the image and popped it up on pop-dots to add that 3-D effect that I love so much.

Before I forget, the background paper is new - isn't it great?  It's from Wind My Girly Gears.  I digitally enhanced the purple background so it's a bigger contrast to the banners.  It's very pretty just the way it is but I wanted a brighter contrast for this card.

Thank you for stopping by.  I truly appreciate every visit and comment.  I LOVE comments!  I mean... who doesn't, right?  *big grin!*

I have to admit that I'm late on my post and therefore have entered it as a submission in the sketch challenge.  You know how life goes... sometimes it gets in the way of creativeness, right?  hehe!  I hope you will stop by the MTME Pretty Patterns blog and join in the fun!  This sketch was so fun to work with!  I think you'll love it too!  Thanks again for stopping by!

My First CropStop Card - FUN!

updated:

This is my 2nd post for the day!  If you are looking for MTME's Pretty Pattern's sketch scroll down to the next post.  Can you believe that I have TWO cards for you today?  I'm so excited to be on CropStop's Design Team and am posting my first card as such.  This is also the first month that the CropStop Design team are using a theme AND a sketch!  The sketch is provided by Becky Fleck of the ever popular Page Maps.  The first Thursday of the month our challenge will have a theme and a sketch.  Becky Fleck has also joined up with Spellbinders and has her very own die set and she has chosen only a hand-full of stores to carry - and CropStop is one of them.  To see the new die set hop on over to CropStop's store here.
So without further adieu, here's my card!:

I was trying to figure out how to incorporate numbers into my card and then it hit me - the number can be spelled out!  "You're one in a million" just seemed like the right touch.  I used the most gorgeous designer paper:  DCWV's "The French Country Stash"

I love the other sentiment that I used:  "When I want to see Love defined, I look at you!"  I wanted it to look like it was part of the paper so I stamped it lightly in pink.  

I love butterflies so I just had to use Tim Holt's butterflies.  I only inked up one butterfly at a time and punched them out with my postage stamp punch.  I distressed the postage stamps and the note with distress inks for a vintage look.

More seam binding!  This time I used some that was only slightly crinkled.  I fussed and fiddled until I had it just like I wanted.  I put a gold heart charm on top of the center of the bow.

Lovely dimensions!

Thank you for your visit.  I appreciate all visits and lovely comments so much!  It always makes my day to read them.

Please stop by CropStop's blog and see what the other team members made for your enjoyment.  I hope you will play along with us!

Other Challenges:

digi doodle shop challenges: Love is in the Air!

Party Time Tuesdays: Anything Goes!

Flutterby Wednesday: use a fairy or butterlfly

What's in it:

Stamps: Tim Holtz Cling Rubber Stamps PAPILLON, Tim Holtz Rubber Stamp FLORAL SWIRL Flower Stampers Anonymous,Tim Holtz Rubber Stamp PARIS MARK Post Stampers Anonymous, 

Adhesives: Score Tape, Zots singles medium

Dies: Spellbinder's Classic Triple Scallop, 

punches: I used both Stampin' Up's and Creative Memorie's postage stamp punches, Stampin' Up's ticket punch

Embellishments: seam binding (from my stash), zva pearls, 

inks: Tim Holtz Distress Inks: Tea Dye and antique linen. 

MTME Pretty Patterns sketch #46

WOWZA!  I can't believe we are on sketch #46!  Time flies when you're having fun!  Sometimes I use that sentence sarcastically but today it's sooo true!  I enjoy getting crafty and making fun pretties.  We're also now in February of 2012 which means that Valentine's day is just around the corner.  I thought it would be fitting to make a Valentine's card.  

I used the "Be My Valentine" heart stamp from MTME's digi set Sweet Sentiments.  The gorgeous paper is MTME's digi set s"Candy Kisses" and Amour.

The rose die (above) and swirls (below) are a part of one die which is "Lace Rose and Flourishes" from Cherry Lynn Designs. Not many companies carry this brand of dies but Joan does and that's where I bought mine.  (Joan is wonderful and through her online store I've become friends with her.)

Yummm.... crinkled seam binding!  I have had people ask how I make my bows and I'll post a tutorial sometime.  I just want you to know that it may look like I threw it together quickly but to be honest, I usually fiddle with my bows... twisting, turning and using either mini glue dots or other adhesive to hold parts of it in place.  If you get frustrated with your bows... just keep working at it.  I have a neighbor who helped us with my son's & his bride's wedding flowers.  Now that's someone who can make gorgeous bows in no time!   She said that it's easy... after the first thousand.  lol

The red doily is from Lifestyle Crafts called "Nesting Doily Hearts".  

You can see the layers on the card below.  

Thank you for your visit.  I appreciate all visits and comments so much!  It always makes my day to read your lovely comments.

Please stop by My Time Made Easy's blog and see what the other team members made.  I hope you will stop by and play along with us!

Other Challenges:

digi doodle shop challenges: Love is in the Air!

Belli Challenge: Hearts/Valentines

Hooked On Craft: Try Something new - new flower & swirls die

Digital Tuesday Challenge: red, white and black