Butterfly, Tulip and Ribbon Rose

This week we are doing another sketch review challenge.  You can choose between sketches 7 - 12.  I look forward to these reviews... I enjoy choosing my favorite sketches and using them again.

I used the tulip stamp from the digi set Bee-loved.   I colored it with copics, cut it out with Spellbinders and added a little bling.  The color is a little more vibrant in real life but for some reason I just couldn't get the true colors to come out in the photos... but that's ok, it's close enough.

The patterned paper that I used was from Spring is Here.  I cute out two of the butterflies from the printed paper and adhered them near the tulip.  In the photo below you can see a little more of the layered butterfly. 

I had a piece of ribbon left over from the bow so I made this little rose.  I've seen tutorials on how to make it and I have been wanting to try it but I didn't really want to do a search for a tutorial so I just winged it.  I first ties a knot at the end of the ribbon and began twisting the ribbon as I wrapped it around the knot.  I realized that I didn't have anything to support it and I remembered seeing a tutorial where they glued it to a round paper while twisting and rolling the ribbon.  I didn't have enough ribbon to make a very large rose and I didn't really want a very large one anyway so I just glued it right where I wanted it on the card as I made it.  I was fortunate to not get glue all over my card but I sure got glue on my fingertips!  Next time I will plan ahead and have a cardstock circle ready for the glue and the ribbon.  edited to add:  I found a great rolled ribbon flower tutorial here.  It looks like a fun one.  If you use it please come back here and let me know so I can go to your blog or photo site to see it!  

This little flower only measures about 5/8".  Cute, huh?

I used MTME Pretty Pattern sketch #12 (MTMEPPS12)  

To see the sketches and play along please go here: My Time Made Easy Blog.  I would love to see your entry this week!

Other challenges:

Stampy Land Challenges: make a square card
Papertake Weekly: use die cuts

MTME Pretty Patterns sketch #23

Today I'm happy to share a card I made with My Time Made Easy's acrylic set:  Singing Silhouette I had fun using an acrylic set from MTME ... a little change of pace from using the digi sets.  

I stamped the birdcage first then the base of the next (light brown) and then stamped the twigs in a darker brown.  It was easy to stamp the birds and nest exactly where I wanted on the cage because the acrylic is clear and I could see exactly where to place them. 

I used the digi papers: Fresh Cut Expressions collection #1 and Fresh Cut Expressions collection #2 .  I made the flowers and swirls and added some lace and pearls.  (and even made it rhyme)  lol  

Here's a side view to show the layers.

Thank you for stopping by!  Every visit and comment are greatly appreciated.  Don't forget to stop by the MTME Pretty Patterns blog to see what the other design team members have prepared for you and to enter into the fun challenge!

Here is the sketch:

Have fun with it!

  

More Challenges:

Make it Monday 

TE's Blast from the Past Blog Hop

This month's challenge is "Collectors Anonymous".  We are to use things on our project that uses things that we collect.  Of course my collections border on hoarding as most crafters do but I digress.  I collect things that I like the most which include: paper, lace, ribbon, buttons, bling, dies, punches and stamps... so many stamps!  My most favorite stamps are of flowers, girly stamps and butterflies  I decided to use my most favorite things on this month's card.  The song from the Sound of Music kept running through my head, "My Favorite Things" as I made this fun card.  My daughter loved butterflies, the color pink, flowers and anything shiny.

I used TE's CreativiTEA for the flower and New Beginnings for the butterflies and frame and  Discover Your Wings for the sentiment.

I did a technique called "kissing" with three of the butterflies.  I inked up a couple of the designs from Miniature Motifs melon mambo ink and then touched a un-inked butterfly to the inked design... after that I stamped the butterfly onto cardstock.  I loved how they turned out.  The light butterfly on the frame (by the flower) was first stamped once onto scrap paper and then stamped onto the cardstock.  That made the butterfly color much lighter... such a soft touch. 

I folded the wings away from the center a little and attached them to the card only in the center... that way the wings are not flat and help it give movement to the butterflies.  I added some "bling" on the butterflies as well as below them to also help give them movement.

I used a banner from Spellbinder's Nested Lacey Pennents for the sentiment.

A bow, a button, some lace and a background punched with Martha Stewart "punch around the page - Monarch butterfly".  Below is an angle I like to use to show the 3-D effects of all the little details and layers.

Here you can see that I added a 2nd layer to the flower center and added some bling to it after coloring it with copics.  Love that flower!  

This is how the card opens up.  The pink background with the butterflies punched out is behind the card.

Here's the alternative sketch which I actually used this time!  Instead of using 3 brads on the left-hand side of the sketch, I used butterflies.  I added a little extra to the sketch but I like how it turned out.  

I hope you enjoyed my card today and hope you will click on the links below and see what all the other participants made for us today.  Thank you for stopping by - I appreciate every visit and comment.


Other challenges:
Simon Says Stamp and Show - show us some bling


Flourishes - recipe challenge: Use the color pink, one button, ribbon, and lace on your creation. Other than that anything else is a go.

MTME Pretty Patterns sketch #22

Today I am sharing a card I made using one of my favorite MTME’s digi stamps.  Underwater Wonderment.

    I took the photo at an angle so you can see the shimmers that I added on the mermaid's fins and headband.  I used shimmers angel wings.  I also wanted to make the bubbles look a little more realistic so after I colored them with my copics I added a white highlight with a white gel pen.  I then used Crystal Effects (by SU) on top of the bubbles.  After letting it dry it shines and give is a water effect.  I colored some pearls with my RV2 copic and put them on her ears for earrings.  I had colored the earrings with that same copic but the pearls add so much more.

I printed the mermaid and the seahorses onto MTME's pattern paper Fresh Fabric.  I shaded the images with copics and cut them out.  I then applies the shimmers angel wings to the mermaids fins.

I hope you can see the bubbles a little better in the picture below. It was hard to get the lighting just right.

I hope you come and play along with us.  I really like this week's sketch. 

 Isn't it fun?  I didn't make a square card so the sketch might look a little different on my card. I put two seahorses instead of brads and added decorative corners. The sketches aren't there to hold you back... they are a jump-off point to get you started and then you can be as creative as you like!  

Stop on by the Pretty Patterns blog post and see what the other amazing design team members have made for you today.  (ps: I was late getting my card done and my post up so if my card doesn't show up right now, it should be up later today).

Thank you for stopping by!  Every visit and comment is so appreciated! 
More challenges: Stampyland - Pink & Green 
Embellish blog - use color techniques on your card - copics

MTME Pretty Patterns sketch #21

My goodness, we're at sketch #21 already?  My how the time flies when you're having fun!  ... and I really am having fun being on this design team. 

This week we're doing something new.  Since My Time Made Easy has a HUGE variety of images that you can use to make your own backgrounds and some fabby quotes!  Sooooooo, this week we want you to make your own background paper and use a quote as your focal image!  Feel free to use our sketch on any project you want, we encourage you to get creative!  And of course you can combine challenges.  While participation with products from My Time Made Easy ™ LLC is appreciated, it is not required to participate. You can use products from ANY company.  Sketch Keyword will be MTMEPPS21. 



Here is my card for this week.  I was so nervous to try to make my own background paper but I did it!  
(as always, click on images to enlarge)  

The butterflies that are on the background paper are from the Be Dazzled digi stamp set.  They started out black.  I then used my software to colorize the different parts and placed them onto a blank document where I wanted them.  I use Photoshop Elements 5.0 but there is a FREE program called GIMP.  Either click onto the link to go to their website to download or there's another place you can download here.  Both links are to the same free program.  There's tutorials and other information.  Using these programs is easier than one would think!  I should know because I'm not the techie geek I wish I were!  

Here is what the background looked like before I turned it into a card.  I printed onto light purple cardstock otherwise my background would be white.  I didn't see the point in using ink to colorize the background when I can just put the color of cardstock I want into my printer.  The color of the paper will effect the color of your image(s) so what I did was print two butterflies onto a piece of light purple cardstock and when I didn't love it I moved the images down, tweeked the colors and reprinted onto the same piece of paper.  Having the butterflies print right under the previous ones helped me to see what the difference was.  I was able to get them to print exactly like I wanted them to.  While in my Photoshop program I added more butterflies, placed them where I wanted them and when I was ready to print, I  turned the paper I had been using over and printed the whole page.  Printer ink doesn't bleed through the back of cardstock (at least mine doesn't) so I just used the same paper and didn't waste it.  Checking the colors of my butterflies just two at a time also saved on ink instead of printing the whole page of them not knowing if I would like it.  (ok, ok... you caught me.  I actually had a completely different background and printed it onto a whole paper... I didn't love it so I decided to try again and only print 2 butterflies at a time.  LOL  Hopefully you can learn from my mistakes!)

The sentiment is from the digi stamp set My little friends.  Oh boy... guess what I just noticed?  I totally forgot to color in the hearts on the word FRIEND.  LOL  Just imagine that the hearts are pink, ok?  I'm going to color them in pink when I get to it.  LOL

Rose, swirls and "greenery".  lol  I punched the foliage in coordinating colors to the paper, not what nature usually provides.

Here is this week's sketch.  Remember to stamp your own background paper using either digital or traditional stamps and use a sentiment as the focal point.  Be sure and link up to the blog right here: 

My Time Made Easy blog

Thank you for your visit and comments.  I truly appreciate each one!

Ingredients:

stamps: MTME digi stamps: Be Dazzled , My little friends

dies: Spellbinders Parisian Motifs and Parisian Accents, MFT small curled rose, Magnolia Doohickies Vintage flowers and leaves & Doohickies leaf and swirl die.  Martha Stewart punch (one of the leaves... can't seem to find the name of it - sorry).  

embellishments: purple rhinestones from Michael's and ribbon from my stash.

Saying Hello from the French Riviera

Ok, so I'm not really relaxing on the French Riviera but this card helps me feel like I am.

This week on MTME Pretty Pattern challenge, you can choose from sketches 1 - 6.  You can find those sketches here.  I used sketch # 5.    The stamps are from the digi collection, A Lil' Cafe.  

The paper is from the digi packs Dainty Damask and the pink & white stripe is one of my favorites from Serenity.  The post card is actually a free extra from the digi pack Warm Serenity.  

I colored the images with copics and used distressed inks to give it an antique look.  I couldn't help but add some little pearls to the centers of the daisy silhouettes and a little pink butterfly.

I lowered the circle in the sketch and put a flower near the bottom.  I added some netting behind it, diamond stickles to the petals and a pearl in the center.  

Thank you for visiting!  I appreciate every message so please don't be shy.  

Also, don't forget to stop by MTME's Pretty Pattern challenge and join in the fun!  

Happy 50th Anniversary to my Mom and Dad!

I apologize that my MTME post is so very late.  I had a crazy-busy week getting ready for my parent's 50th anniversary celebration which was Saturday night.  It was a wonderful event - all 6 of my parent's children, their spouses, 22 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren were in attendance.  Two of the 22 grandchildren were represented with a photo of the two of them since they have passed on.. my nephew, Marcus, at the age of 17 in 2008 from brain cancer and my own sweet Jessica just last Oct (2010) from the heart, lung and GI defects she was born with - she was 22 yrs old when she died.  I'm sure that Jessica and Marcus were there in spirit.  Some of my parent's siblings were able to attend too as well as my mom's cousin and her daughter.  It was an event to remember!

Here is the card that I made that we had every family member sign:

I used MTME's digi paper Wistful Wonder.  I love this set!

  

I used Martha Stewart punch for the butterfly and then applied Diamond Stickles on the top and added little pearls down the center. 

I bought the lace at Michael's in a spool... can you believe how gorgeous it is?

The sentiment came from a couple of different digi stamps: I used the "happy" and Anniversary" from Sentimental Occasions and used the 5 and 0 from Harriet Hop-Along Birthday. 

Silly me... I forgot to take a photo of the inside of the card.  I printed the sentiment from So Sentimental that says, 

"Family - Our family is a circle of strength and love.  With every birth and union it grows.  Every crisis faced together makes the circle stronger."

Guess what was inside the card?  ...  keys to a CAR!  My siblings and I as well as a few of my parent's siblings pitched in and bought my parents a car.  They were shocked!  It was great!  We had it all decorated and at a friend's house so while they were inside my brother-in-law drove it to the church and had it parked outside.  

I also made a large display board that said, "Family - all because two people fell in love".  Below it I had their wedding picture from 1961 and a recent (beautiful!) photo they had taken a few months ago.  The remainder of the board was covered in photos of their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  I'll have to take some photos of it and share it here.  

I'm exhausted from all the activity from this past week.  Thank you for being so patient with me on getting this post out late.  

I'll be back on Thursday with another card and another sketch.  

I'm entering this card at: Make it Monday

Guest Designer spot with Tilda

I'm so excited to be a guest designer for Paper Crafting Journey today.  {If you are looking for my weekly post for My Time Made Easy's Pretty Patterns post, I'm afraid it will be late.  Between internet problems, photoshop problems (needed for the digi stamps) and not feeling well, I'm running behind schedule.  Thank you for your patience.}  In the meantime, let's talk about this fun card I made for Paper Crafting Journey's challenge!   This week's challenge is a sketch and a theme:  Go Girly!  Do you think my card is girly enough?  lol

(click on images to enlarge)

I used Tilda with Hawaiian flower.  I love the flower in her hair and all the butterflies around her.  My daughter loved butterflies too so this stamp makes me think of her and feel closer to her.   I stamped the dress onto the patterned paper, paper pieced it and adhered it to the image.  The rest of the image is colored with copics.  I added Diamond stickes on the dress, butterflies and flowers.  The photo below shows all the shiny goodness.

Lots of layers and embellishments on this card, which I love to use!

Thank you for stopping by!  Don't forget to check out the other designers on Paper Crafting Journey and join in the fun! 
Here's the sketch and remember, the theme is GO GIRLY!  

Other challenges I'm entering this card in:Make it MondayReally Reasonable Ribbon - cool it! 

I'll have another post for you later today (hopefully) with MTME's Pretty Patterns sketch challenge.

TE's Blast from the Past Blog Hop

Good morning!  I have a fun card for you today.  The theme of TE's July's Blast from the Past Blog Hop is: Sending You Sunshine.  I have plenty of sunshine to share here from AZ!  By the time July comes around we're all ready to welcome any clouds to give us a break from the furnace that many call "At least it's a dry heat"...  at 110 degrees it doesn't matter... just give us a break from the heat!  lol  My card is inspired by the massive amounts of sunshine we get here in AZ... as you can see, my whole card is sunshine!

I used the tree branch and the sentiment from Branching Out and used the nest with the birds inside from Wreath of Love.  

I first cut out a circle from the yellow cardstock.  I then measured and marked where I wanted the sun rays and then cut out about 1/8" slivers so the blue background could show through.  I had a hard time getting the picture just right with the dark background... but as you can see, I numbered the sun rays so I wouldn't get mixed up as to where they went.

I sponged Daffodil delight around the edges of the yellow cardstock and then adhered it to the blue cardstock.  I then cut the extra off.

Thank you for joining me today as we hop our way through the TE's Blast From the Past Blog Hop.

Join me tomorrow as I have TWO posts with TWO cards to show you.  I'm guest designer for Paper Crafting Journey!  What an honor!

This card is being entered in Simon Says Stamp = ANYTHING GOES!

Love is Like a Butterfly

Today's card is one that I made for this week's MTME Pretty Patterns sketch - we are on week 18 already!  I love the sentiment, "Love is like a butterfly - it goes where it pleases and pleases whereever it goes."  My daughter loved butterflies and told me that she would send me butterflies from heaven so now I think of her every time I see one.

The butterflies on this card are from Tending the Garden digi set.

I took the butterfly and flipped it and saved it as a separate image so I can print them up going in either direction.  I then colored them with copics and cut them out.

The sentiment is from Chase Your Dreams digi set.  I cut it out using Spellbinders Beaded Ovals and sponged the openings using 'spun sugar' distressed ink.

I used paper from the following digi paper packs: Serenity, Cheerful Chirps and Fresh Flowers. 

I used Borders, Fanciful Flourishes by Cheery Lynn Designs and Magnolia DooHickeys Leaf and Swirls for the white swirls and leaves. 

The flowers were made using My Favorite Things Dienamics Mini Rolled Roses.  I love making these cute little flowers.

Here's this week's sketch - I hope you will play along!

Thank you for stopping by!  Don't forget to check out the rest of the design team's creations at the My Time Made Easy blog.

This card is also being entered in the following challenges:

The Shabby Tea Room:

    inspiration photo, colors: pinks, reds & neutrals and flowers

CR84FN color challenge:

Simon Says Stamp = anything goes!