Watercolor Butterflies Spring Card

Making my own Spring!

Challenges!  I love them.  Every once in a while, one really seems as though it was made just for you.  That's the case for me with this Tuesday Trigger Challenge on the Moxie Fab blog . 

I'm drawn to bright, cheery colors, and this challenge just drew me in.  All that delicious color, literally dripping from the page.....I LOVE IT.  This is the trigger picture. Aren't those butterflies and colors just gorgeous?  I want that dress!!

As I poked around in some of my other favorite blogs, I noticed the  Penny Black Saturday Challenge was to use no patterned paper.  Easy-peasy, as I already knew I was going to make my own background paper using my Penny Black butterflies in those gorgeous pinks, oranges, and purples!  I inked up three different butterflies with the colors from the dress, then spritzed them with lots of water and stamped onto card stock that I had also spritzed with water.  Then I 'flicked' on some splotches with a wet paint brush dipped into ink.  I inked up the Penny Black tulips with the same colors and used those for my focal point.

Then I checked out Card Patterns challenge on their blog and really liked the sketch.  I decided to turn it vertically and pretty much followed the way they had it laid out.  I used one of my favorite Martha Stewart punches for the borders on each side of the hand made butterfly panel.  I added some 'scrunching' to the ribbon, and used my Bow-Easy to make the bow. 

Finally, I headed over to the Play Date Cafe blog  and found this unbelievably scrumptious color challenge.....using the same colors!! 


So, I headed to my craft room and couldn't wait to get started.  I pulled out my inks, spritzer, stamps, papers, and ribbon and got to work.  Here's my card:

It was a dreary, rainy day all day long.  After going for coffee with hubby, and making some goodies for a party tomorrow, I got to play in my room, and made my own spring!  Aren't we stampers lucky!  Enjoy.

Blessings,

lynda

My Favorite Flourishes Stamp Set

Hello friends!  It's a lovely springy-type day here, and I got out for a bit at lunch time to enjoy the sunshine.  Home from work now, and just finished dinner.  I wanted to get this card up on the blog, so here I am at the computer.

I made this for a dear friend who is going through a troubling time right now, so I chose a soothing blue card stock, with my favorite springtime stamp set from Flourishes.  It just so happens that this week's Timeless Tuesday challenge from Flourishes HERE is to use your favorite Flourishes stamp set.  So, here is the favorite set.  Isn't it so lovely with the beautiful calla lilies and comforting phrases and pretty mixed scripts? 

I wanted the card to be a little different, to vary from the usual focus on the flower filling most of the card.  I tried to think of a different way to use this stamp.  I thought of using it in pieces, and while I was scrolling the web for another challenge to incorporate with my idea, I came across this great sketch from the Mojo Monday blog challenge HERE. 

Here's the sketch.  It's fun, yet I chose to make it a little more formal.  It could be used in so many ways.  I chose to dress it up a bit, with some lace, and rhinestones....and, of course, a bit of glitter.  Some embossing on the blue on blue panel with a bit of distress ink sponged on gives it a more formal background.

I'm already thinking of so many other stamps that would lend themselves well to this technique and sketch!  Can't wait to get in my room to play.....maybe tomorrow!

Here are some close ups of the card's details:

That's it for tonight.  Now I'm going to make a cup of tea, and do a little reading, perhaps some knitting, and call it an early evening.

I hope my friend likes her card.  She's a non-stamper (yes, there are some people who don't stamp), so she won't be seeing it on the blog.  Can't wait to get it out.

Enjoy your evening, and the rest of the week.

Blessings,

lynda

Rubber stamps, inks, die cuts and ....feathers!

I made these cards on Saturday.  I looked forward to the day all week long, knowing I was finally going to have a day to myself (well, after having breakfast with hubby, and doing some errands in the morning).  I brewed a pot of coffee and headed up to my craft room, ready to create in ignorant bliss.  Sounds great, right?  Well, not so much.


I had nothing....nothing!!!  I looked through my stamps, put some stamp sets on my desk, pulled some of my favorite papers out,  and checked out the current challenges on my favorite blogs.  STILL nothing was coming....no mojo/  So, I decided to catch up on some phone calls.  And while I chatted, I moved my 'stuff' around on my desk, straightened, fingered through my ribbons and gems, and started matching up fibers, gems and ribbons with papers.  Then I saw it......the feather drawer!  Ahhh, I LOVE feathers.  So I pulled some of those out as well,  And, as luck would have it, I found a challenge that called for using..wait for it......yep, feathers on your project.  That was it....I was in business.  My mojo was coming back (of course, by then it was dinner time).  Then, finally, I got to stamping, cutting, mixing and matching, and having FUN!  Alas, I was feeling great, and enjoying what was left of my day and night of creating! 
     Here are some challenges these cards are in:

Card Patterns (sketch above) here http://www.cardpatterns.blogspot.com/ .

Moxie Fab Fascination with Feathers challenge here http://www.moxiefabworld.com/2012/03/fascination-with-feathers-challenge.html  
and their Tuesday Trigger challenge here http://www.moxiefabworld.com/2012/03/tuesday-trigger-happy-happy-joy-joy.html
using this inspiration picture: 

 Here are some up-close details......

Hat pin with clear beads with the feathers

I colored the aqua feather with Copics

White and brown feathers with Hat pin and beads

Background stamped with white pigment ink

 








 
Feathers, stamps, pins, beads....and spring!  What can be more fun!
Blessings,
lynda