A little time for play

This Sunday afternoon, I am in my craft room while hubs takes a nap. I am looking out he window for spring, but will be disappointed. It is going to rain shortly, then turn into snow...actually as I begin write this I am seeing flakes, not rain.  I wonder what that'll do the the 3-6 in snow projections?  So I am taking some time to just play in challenges, have not had time this week to just play, everything has been homework.

Warning, this is a longer than usual post, several challenges on one post a total of  5 cards.

When I read about this challenge, I immediately thought of a piece of paper that had been included in my Simon Says Stamp February Stamp kit.  Its is a lovely watercolor-like thunderstorm is coming grayness.

 I paired it with my one and only Casual Fridays stamp set Big Thanks along with some Hero Arts silver embossing powder.
 
I love the look and it is perfect for Casual Friday's  Shades of Gray.

 

My next card is for Shopping our Stash #142 Sentiments only.  I have a new Hero Arts sentiment stamp that is HUGE, and is perfect for this challenge.  I really shopped my stash on this one; my stash of card kits.  I really don't have that many, but I take them out of the box and store each one is a 6X9 inch zip-lock type bag. Most of the papers are 6x6, but I cut about an inch off one side so they will fit inside.  The 8-1/2 by 11 are cut to make card bases 4 1/4 inches wide so they fit nicely too. The point being I have lots of 1 inch strips of patterned papers.  These particular ones are from the Simon Says Stamp February kit, as is the card base.  The matting paper and the sentiment were stamped on paper in the August 2012 kit also from SSS.

I just had fun laying those strips down, I didn't plan, just cut some thinner, and then laid them out as I grabbed them -no thinking, no considering, just fun.  I think the background turned out just fine, and makes a great backdrop for that fun sentiment stamp!

My last challenge card to share today is for Muse#58 based on the inspiration from Muse Theresa Calvrid. I had a wood veneer bicycle and some red card stock, I thought back to my childhood and how I loved those tall banner holding bike poles, they made the most wonderful noise flapping behind you when riding very fast!

Muse- Theresa Calvrid

 

My last two cards were sent out to family for St. Patrick's Day. The die cuts are from Paper Smooches as is the second's card's sentiment. The embossing folder is Darice, and the sentiment on the first card is from Stamps of Life. Have a wonderful week, I will be back Tuesday with more homework!

 Thanks for stopping by.