March CCC

It has been a few months since I played in Deborah's Card Chain Challenge. Each participant makes a card, sends it and gets one.  I love that she published all the options for sketches, colors and theme's for the entire year in January, it is posted here.

For March, I chose to use watercolors for my card. I am definitely in flower mode now that we are getting a bit more light each day and the temps are not so cold.  This card is going to Stacy in NV.

Spellbinders Deckled Edge Lg Rectangle, Simon Says Stamp Springtime Flowers, Mama Elephant Labeled Messages

You can still sign up for April, here.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

California Poppies

Over at Addicted to Stamps this week the challenge is:

I chose to use copic markers on this project. My stamp is an old but much loved stamp from Hero Arts called Delicate Blossom. I tried some no line coloring by stamping the image in a very light gray ink and then coloring it with copic markers.   My card base also has a very light tone on tone stamping with Hero Arts Envelope background.  The oval frame die cut is from MFT.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Muse 159 Poppy

 Muse # 159 is provided by Jenni Murray, a beautiful poppy card.

Click photo for link to challenge

I love the bit of dark border around her image, and I have an old poppy stamp that I haven't used in quite a while. This time I tried something completely different for me with the stamp.  First the stamp is Delicate Blossom by Hero Arts. It has two poppy bunches, and their petals are lined.  I wanted to try this as a no line coloring experiment.  I learned two things for my style.  1) Each section or petal had to be colored separately, or I would lose the line shape of the petal.  2. It wasn't a fluke the first time I colored it, the second one turned out just as nice. YEA!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Awesome

A blogging friend has purchased a new home, and I wanted to send her a little card to commemorate the occasion.  

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Muse 158

Tracey McNeely posted a beauty for us over at Muse Card Club Challenge #158.



 I have been thinking a lot about what to do. In the end I chose the same Mondo Hydrangea stamp from Ellen's Essentials and did a similar coloring profile with copic markers and a touch of Spectrum Noir Sparkle maker in pink.  My sentiment came from Winnie and Walter...I have 8 April birthday's to stock up for. 

I wanted almost a no line look as Tracey achieved with her white embossing on the white card front, so I stamped my image in memento angel pink.  I think if I did it over my sentiment would be stamped in smokey grey instead, but all that coloring...not starting that over.  I added a few doodle bug sprinkles just to add a little texture to the card.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Easter

Here are the last of the very few Easter cards I made this year.

Thanks so much for stopping by. Have a most joyous Easter.

A lil something

for the crafty gals I meet with most weeks.  I am so blessed to have found these lovely ladies to share this crafting passion we all have. They are all fabulous paper crafters, so I try to do something different.  These are crochet baskets with a flower on the side. They have been filled with some miniature chocolates--Crafting and Chocolate...right?

The pattern is very quick, these were made over the course of a few evening's television watching. I modified the original pattern shown here You Tube. 

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Mini Easter Basket

5mm hook

Round 1

Slip knot

Chain 4, single stitch to join

Chain 2

9 ½ double crochets in rings center

Slip stitch to close the round

Round 2

Chain 2 1^st Stitch 1 ½ double crochet

Remainder of stitches 2 ½ double crochets

Slip stitch to close the round

Rounds 3, 4, 5

Chain 2,  1 ½ double crochet in each stitch

After each round close with slip stitch.

Handle

Chain 15,  turn back and 1/2 double crochet all the chain

Slip stitch to close.  Attach handle to other basket side

With yarn and needle.

Flower

Slip Knot, chain 5, slip stitch to close circle

5 petals, each petal is a chain of 2 single crochets, 2 double crochets and a slip stitch into the middle of the ring. Start the petal with the chain of two single crochets.

Make 5 petals

Close with slip stitch to join.  Either fill center with a button or contrasting yarn stitching.

Hello

I recently picked up this crocus stamp from Technique Tuesday.  I took it with me for crafty Tuesday with the ladies.  I didn't get much done, but had a good time.   I am still on my colored pencil coloring kick, and I love how this turned out.

I am going to link this up at Words 2 Craft by, the theme is Spring/Easter and the quote is:

Just when the caterpillar thought her life was over she began to fly.

                                                                                                                                - Anon.


While there is no caterpillar or butterfly here...the crocus always reminds me of Easter and Springtime. And just like many of the spring bulb flowers that die and go to ground in the fall, they rise up each spring to bloom anew.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Addicted to Stamps and More

At Addicted to Stamps and More it is a photo inspiration this week. 

I was inspired by the large sentiment on the right side.  I decided to go with bold flowers and a longer sentiment for my card.  Making cards with flowers on it makes me Happy!

I used Penny Black's Divine and a sentiment from Stampendous.  A bit of blue inking around where I estimated my flower stamp would land.  Then the flower was stamped, the sentiment next, and then the coloring work began.  I am still playing with colored pencils (Artist's Loft) and gamsol.  I love the blend that achieves.  I finished the whole thing off with some sequins and itty bitty bling.  I mounted the card front on to a similarly colored card base.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Freshly Made Sketches 228

I am rushing to get this posted.  I looked at my list of challenges, and this one closes in less than 2 hours. (It's almost like a scramble over at the Hero Arts Flickr group!)

Of course I have had a whole week to work on it, but somehow I never got to it. Here is the sketch for Freshly Made Sketches # 228.

I pulled out an un-inked stamp set from Stampin Up - Best Thoughts.  I love hydrangeas.  I must have 5 different stamps.  This mophead is fabulously drawn.  For the card base I added a bit of tone on tone with the Stamping Up Hardwood stamp for some texture.

I took out my colored pencils (Artist's loft 48 pk) and went to work with 3 pinks and 3 greens.  A bit of gamsol to blend it at the end and it was time to fuss with the sentiment.  For the second time in a row, I had to cover a boo boo...but again it looks better with the bit of white on black for additional contrast.

Thanks so much for stopping by!