Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Bravo

This card has some real "star" power...
 Using the Bravo and Gorgeous Grunge stamp sets, I CASEd (Copy And Share Everything) this card from the Stampin' Success quarterly magazine from Stampin' Up!  A few punches, a couple of stamps, and a little bit of bling makes this card a real WOW!
With graduations coming up, a stash of cards is going to be necessary.
It's going to be fun sending these out ~ hope you get inky today.

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Springy Flower Patch

In the mood to see a springy Flower Patch?  I created one today using the Flower Patch stamp set.
The Pals Paper Arts challenge presented the springlike colors, and the As You See It Challenge had a crazy, inspiring, fun layout.
PPA-293-Mar24AYSIChallenge129
I had to start over with this card four times.  The first time, the flowers just wouldn't work - I was using Blushing Bride and So Saffron both for the flowers, and something was just "off".  The second time, I was attempting to have the base of the card be the So Saffron yellow.  It just didn't work either.  and so on and so on.  Do you do that sometimes - start with one idea and end up with something very different at the end? 

 No worries - getting out of the comfort zone helps you grow creatively.  Cannot wait to pop these in the post...

Thanks so much for stopping by ~ remember, inky fingers = a good day!


Monday, March 28, 2016

Rainbows

Just last week, I was seeing rainbows outside and also in my craft room.  Today, I'm seeing rainbows in a totally different way...
The Sunday Stamps challenge this week is "Rainbow Fun!"
I envisioned this colorful card immediately and could hardly wait to see what it would look like.

 










Bright and cheery - and a rainbow of fun!  I saw some similar cards by Bibi Cameron and have wanted to CASE (Copy And Share Everything) them ever since.

Thanks so much for stopping by ~ hope you have a chance to get inky today...


Friday, March 25, 2016

Hello





Hello...LOL.  Instead of an Adele song, it's my
stamp set - Hello.  How are you?


I looked to the CAS(E) this Sketch challenge since they were sharing such a great sketch.  My mind immediately went to the Chalk Lines stamp set with oodles of ideas for cards with this sketch.  Love it!!


The colors are so fresh on this card, too.  I have two people I'm sending these off to today.




Thanks for stopping by ~ try to take some time
to get inky today!








Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Over The Rainbow

When I look at this card, I smile.  The stamp set is Over The Rainbow, and a new one for me to use.  I'm looking forward to sending it off in the mail to my Aunt who is still not recovering well from the procedure she had.  I hope the card gives her a smile, too!

The two challenges I'm entering are The Paper Players and "Less is More".  For The Paper Players, the challenge is to celebrate spring; the "Less is More" challenge is to look and see What's Outside Your Window
(you can use your imagination & dreams!). 
Nice!  This card really used more ink than anything since almost everything was sponged on.  I used a super large Post-It note when making the rainbow.

With all the crazy weather we've been having (warm, cold, snow, rain, warm again), I've already seen one rainbow that was absolutely gorgeous on my way home from work, stretching all the way from one end of the open sky to the other.  Simply breathtaking.  And a joy to see...
Thanks for stopping by ~ hope you get inky today!




Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Celebrate Today

Every day is a special day.  I truly believe that.  
Every day should be savored in some 
way - after all, we woke up, and that's 
not a given.  I had a stroke before I even 
hit 40 years old, and ever since, 
I feel the need to "Celebrate Today".  
Right after having the stroke, 
I would wake up in the morning and tentatively 
crack one eye open - yep - still alive.  Great!!
Now, not every day is the best.  
And it shouldn't be.  If every day was the best 
day ever, then what would we have for 
comparison?  LOL
If it's your birthday, then you REALLY want to
 be sure to Celebrate Today.  Joining in with 
the Sunday Stamps and Fusion Card challenges, 
I had a fun sketch and great colors.  The patterns and variety of colors were invigorating!  The circles were a blast to figure out - I even covered a piece of scrap paper with Washi Tape and punched circles out with that.
I can't wait to celebrate someone's birthday 
by sending these off in the mail...

Thanks so very much for stopping by ~ be sure 
to get inky today!


Monday, March 21, 2016

Truly A Challenge

Do you look at a challenge you're given sometimes 
and find it to be truly a challenge?

That's how I felt with the Create With Connie 
and Mary color challenge.  As soon as I saw it, 
I thought, "Oh, okay.  I can do this one" and 
began to gather all my supplies.
CCMC398
And then after beginning my crafting, I had the 
darndest time figuring out how to get the 
Watermelon Wonder into the mix.  I finally figured
 it out by sponge daubing a sweet little flower edge 
in the bright, springy color.
I made a few of the cards, and decorated the inside, too.
Hope you're able to take the time to get 
inky today ~ Thanks for stopping by!


Thursday, March 17, 2016

Just For You

I've got two cards to mail out today - one to my Card Angel and one 
to my Aunt who is recovering from a procedure that did not go well.  
These are "cheer up" cards saying, "Just For You" to them!  
They work for St. Patrick's Day since there's Green in 'em - at
 least that's my line of thought!
The card angel program is one I've been in for over four years now.  
You can read about it here and it's actually called Chemo Angel, and
 I'd encourage anyone who is interested in participating.  It's rewarding 
and very different.  The Chemo Angels program offers support to
 those who find themselves in the most challenging situation of their lives – battling 
a cancer diagnosis and undergoing IV chemo treatment. 
     The volunteers support their “buddy” throughout their journey with cards,
 uplifting messages, supportive words and lots of positive energy. The encouragement
 the Angels provide helps give patients the comfort and confidence 
of knowing they are not alone in their fight. 
     The goal of Chemo Angels is to help fuel a positive attitude and 
aid in the road to recovery. Volunteers find that providing emotional
 support is a most rewarding experience.

Thanks for stopping by ~ May you have an inky St. Patrick's Day!

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

What I Love

What I Love is a beautiful three-step stamp set available during 
Stampin' Up!'s Sale-A-Bration event.  It's one I hadn't 
broken out yet - so when our younger son asked 
me to create some thank-you cards for him, I decided "it was time".  
After all, when your mom makes your cards all the time, you 
don't even think about going to the store to get one - you 
simply ask mom to mail some to you at college!!  Oh, I love that he asked 
me to make them...then there's the interesting challenge of making cards
 that are "masculine" enough that a 19-year-old male will 
feel okay sending them.

 was absolutely perfect for his thank-you cards!  I chose Cajun Craze,
 Basic Black, and Hello Honey with the neutral color of Very Vanilla 
thrown in to keep it clean and simple.  After all, not too many 
guys want lots of frills and embellishments.

I made two of the cards, included envelopes (as well as two postage 
stamps), and mailed them off to his dorm room.  He's going to 
enjoy getting some "happy mail" from mom this week, don't you think?

Thanks for stopping by ~ hope you get inky today.

Monday, March 14, 2016

Loads of Thanks

I've got Loads of Thanks to send out, so I figured I'd make 
a few cards to help out...
 Thanks to Sketch Saturday and The Paper Players, I've got the sketch 
and colors to use, which always helps the creativity flow 
and come together quickly!  
 It was so much fun to piece together these flowers and the adorable flower cart.
I like to use toothpicks to help me put the glue precisely 
where it's needed - and to finish off the whole thing, a little bit 
of sparkle on the center of the flowers and the wheel.  
Easy and so sweet, I made four!
And, of course, no two are alike!


Hope you're able to take the time to get inky today!

Sunday, March 13, 2016

You're Sublime with Freshly Made Sketches


Over the weekend, I had a wonderful time creating some cards with the fabulous Freshly Made Sketches sketch for the week using the You're Sublime stamp set.
And, don't you know, the computer refuses to recognize the disk from my camera.  In desperation, I took a quick photo with my iPad so I would be able to upload this fun card to the sketch challenge.

I thought the Going Places Designer paper had such a "watery" feel to it and could hardly wait to piece this card together - even the little fishies were cut out and pieced together. 
Whew!  At least my entry into the sketch challenge got in there - just in time, too!  

Computers...can't live with 'em - can't live without 'em...and these bugs may have to wait until our sons are home from college and spring break!!  Ha, ha!  Oh, my - I'm not sure I want to wait that long, even if it's just until this next weekend.  

Thanks for stopping by ~ hope you have a wonderful day and get a chance to get inky.