30 years? Really?

 I'm not sure how my son is getting any older when I'm not aging, but here we are. I'm not really sure the big 3-0 is the milestone it used to be, but it seems like a big deal to me. 

 To create the card, I computer-generated the sentiment on white card stock. I selected a range of snippets in different colors and die-cut balloons. To attach the strings, I wrapped the string around the balloon, put a glue dot on the back,  and pressed one end of the string into the glue dot. 

The confetti is stamped in a variety of colors that are close to the balloon colors. (Anyone want to take my bet that he asks "what are all those squiggles?")

After getting that far, I realized my sentiment said "welcome to the big 30" instead of big "3-0". So, printed it out again, cut it with circle die, and cut another snippet into a circle so I could cover up the mistake. No one will ever know.

This card is for these challenges:

Die-cut Divas -- celebration

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday -- colorful

The Paper Funday #87 -- anything goes

Word Art Wednesday #750 -- anything goes

Pammie's inky Pinkies #2619 -- anything goes

Snippets Playground # 532  -- use Snippets

Polkadoodles Challenge -- anything goes

Digi Chooseday-- Challenge anything goes 

 

 

So many die-cuts

 I rarely think to include scoring on my card, but SCS showcased a scoring technique that allows you to create a shaped scored area. (I used washi to hold the larger of the label dies in place, scored the white panel, then used two sizes of dies to create the frame and adhered it so the scoring showed through the frame.)

To decorate the frame, it was run through a Swiss dot EF to give more texture. Many flowers were die-cut from snippets of yellow, lavender, pink and green cardstock, then layered on top of each other to create the flowers and leaves. Snippets were also used for the blue frame and mat under the sentiment. The white panel was attached to a blue base card.

This card is entered in these challenges:

Double Trouble #215 -- 3 layers, 2 shapes, 1 dry-embossed element + option of flowers + entered in Beautiful Blossoms Challenge 

Beautiful Blossoms #40 -- floral

The Paper Funday #86 -- die-cuts or punches

A Cut Above -- pastels/die cuts

Snippets Playground 531-- use snippets (all the elements from colored card stock are cut from snippets)

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2617 -- anything goes

Word Art Wednesday #750   -- anything goes

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday  -- anything goes 

 

What cat isn't quirky?

One of my favorite techniques is paper piecing, demonstrated here with this cute cat. I stamped the image on cream card stock, then again on striped paper.  The cat's body, minus the tail, was cut from the striped paper and applied to the main image. Also stamped the mouse and sentiment. The floorboards were dran by hand. The Try a Sketch On Tuesday sketch provided a chance to add some more funky patterned papers to the mix. The main panel is cut with Stamplorations funky stitching die for just another layer of quirky. 

This card is entered in these challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - quirky

Double Trouble #214 -- 3 patterned papers, two colors, 1 image + TSOT 

Try a sketch on Tuseday  #693 - use sketch

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2615 -- anything goes

Word Art Wednesday #748   -- anything goes

Pattie's Creations #241 -- use an image

Digi Choosday  -- anything goes

Gem of a Challenge  -- anything goes

Polkadoodles challenge  -- anything goes 

Tulip birithday

 My MIL's birthday is coming up, and I was inspired to make this card for her by the Inspiration Station prompt photo this month, with pink flowers and a touch of yellow. The flower image is from Taylored Expressions, and it's colored with pencils. The "happy" die-cut is from Stamplorations, and the with-embossed "birthday" is from Smartworks.

The embossed panel is on foam tape -- not sure why it looks so flat on the lower right corner. Tricks of photography, I suppose.

This card is for these challenges:

Inspiration Station #84 -- inspired by flowers and colors in inspo photo

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday -- birthday

Die Cut Divas --Birthday 

The Paper FunDay #86 -- die cuts

Double Trouble #213 -- something anything (3 colors, 2 die-cuts, 1 image)

Word Art Wednesday #746  -- anything goes

Pammies Inky Pinkies #2614 -- anything goes

Pattie's Creations #241  -- use an image 

CAS Hyacinths

 Celebrating spring with some grape hyacinths, loosely watercolored. (The mats are dark purple, not black). 

This card is entered in these challenges

Beautiful Blossoms -- anything floral

Simon Says Stamp Monday -- Beautiful blooms

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday -- clean and simple

Winter Wonderland

 

 

 

Does the silhouette deer look odd next to the detailed tree? I had planned to use a die-cut tree outline, until I discovered this previously stamped and die-cut tree and decided to use it. The tree has white Stickles on it for the snow. I can't decide how I feel about the flatness of the scene (although the tree is on foam tape and I did sponge around the edges of the blue panel, but the ink is too similar to the paper I used for the sky.)

 

This card is entered in these challenges:

Christmas Kickstart #108 -- out of the woods

ABC  Christmas -- F is for foliage (tree)

The Paper Funday #85 -- fur or feathers

Double Trouble #212-- 3 colors, 2 images, 1 sentiment + optional 4-legged animal 

Word Art Wednesday #744 -- anything goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2611  -- anything goes

Pattie's Creations #240 -- anything goes 

 

Almost hummingbird season

 

The weather here has been crazy -- record-setting warm one day, freezing the next. Daffodils and flowering trees are starting to bud, and I'm afraid a hard freeze is going to come along and spoil all that spring beauty.

Since spring might be on the way, my thoughts turned to birds. I haven't used this IO hummingbird image in a long time, so I brought it out. At first I tried doing a marker-spritz version, to get a watercolored look, but it just wasn't working. In the end, I stamped it on watercolor paper and colored it with watercolors. For the background panel, I used the technique where you ink up the EF, run the paper through, and get color on the debossed areas. (I'm sure there's a name for it.)

All the papers used on this card are snippets, mostly in shades of green that seem more harmonious IRL.

This card is entered in these challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday -- a bit of green

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday -- a bit of green

Double Trouble #211 -- 3 layers, 2 colors, 1 image

The Paper Funday #85-- fur or feathers

Triple B -- bird

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2610 -- anything goes

Word Art Wednesday #742 -- anything goes

Snippets playground #527 -- use snippets (everything on the card)