It's a TWO Post Day

I'm posting twice today to show you that snow fell here on April 30.  It isn't a lot but I don't think it did much for our fruit trees and the lights John hung probably didn't help much last night.  In the background you can see our new garden sections.  The darker plot next to the shed has been planted but the more snow-covered section has "only" been tilled and soil supplements worked in.  I surely hope that April showers bring May flowers because if it's so, we should have a town full of color!  Wonder what April snowfalls bring?!?

Doily Again

I'm safe in showing this card which I made for my mother for Mother's Day because she doesn't have anything to do with computers and won't see it posted here.  This doily is a stamp from Mostly Animals so I've obviously had it for quite a few years.  The flowers and leaves are all punches.  The butterfly is two layers from a Sizzix Stampin' Up die cut/embossing folder.  And the border is one of the blades that goes with my Fiskars rotary cutter.  I've also had that for many years.  I trimmed the edge of the front of the card then cut the same design from white cardstock, offset it and added it to the back.  Last I added a plain strip of dark green cardstock to the edge.  I added satin ribbon and a bow for softness.

Long Forgotten

I'm working my way through a 100 Theme art challenge and I chose to do digital artist trading cards.  It has given me an opportunity to learn more about Photoshop Elements and more of the techniques available in that program.  I have completed about 40 of the themes and hope to have all 100 done by the end of the year.

The theme for this card is "abandoned."  I started with a photo of an old building in Nine Mile Canyon UT and did the "Orton" technique to blur it.  It made a unique look and wasn't particularly difficult to do.

Magnolia

This beauty was growing locally and I didn't even know they would be happy in our climate.  It's just a small bush but was blooming like crazy.  How pretty is that?!

Textured Flower

I really liked the addition of the embossing (Stampin' Up) to the punched flower (Punch Bunch).  I also pinched the ends of the petals for more dimension.  The background is from a tissue box and I added part of a circular piece for both the black and white mat.  The white piece was stamped with a Hot Off The Press border stamp and I used a Fiskars punch for the corners.

Mostly Black and White

Recognize this punch from yesterday?  I traded out a few things for a more casual look.  The background is a Stampin Up embossing folder.  I added gingham ribbon and buttons.  The flower is stamped and then cut using a diet cut.  Black and white with just a touch of color - always a good recipe.

Slightly Elegant

I got a new Martha Stewart punch which I thought would be good for both cards and scrapbooking.  I added white satin ribbon to this punchout and then used the same ribbon and twisted it to create the rose.  I used patterned paper for the background, added some small silk flowers and a couple of rhinestones.

Happy Easter!

I cut the label with my electronic cutter and embossed it using a folder .  I added gingham ribbon and narrow burgundy ribbon.  The image is  a PSX  image which I stamped, drew an oval around,  and cut out.  For the final touch I added a tiny pom pon for the tail.

The Bunny Is Coming!

Hope you have those eggs dyed and baskets ready to fill.  Have a nice Easter.

The background for this card was folder embossed.  I used a Martha Stewart punch for the doily.  The bird and branch are a Stampin' Up punch and the flowers are punched and have rhinestone centers.

Leftover Are Good

I used the two labels left from yesterday's card to create this look.  To add interest, I cut the purple label into three sections.  I white embossed the text and the embossed corners are a Fiskars punch.  I added satin ribbon and a few rhinestones.

Framed

Lily Pad had a challenge to make a frame and turn it into a card and I gave it a try.  I used my electronic cutter to cut the Stampin' Up designer paper and then used the same cut in a smaller size to cut the purple.  I used foam tape to pop it up.  I used a Hot Off The Press border stamp to fill the "window".  The flourishes are a die cut, the butterfly is a Stampin Up die cut/embossing folder and the flowers are Prima.  I added a purple bow and a few rhinestones.

Can't Wait For Those Juicy Morsels

If freezing or other adverse conditions don't interfere, these pretty blossoms will amazingly grow into the sweetest cherries.  Each year our little trees seem to produce more than the year before and I hope that holds true this year.

The cherries remind me of my childhood when we went to Paonia CO for their July 4 festivities.  I haven't attended for many years but they used to hand out free bags of delicious, sweet cherries.  What a great memory and one I'm reminded of every year when the cherries become available.

Sandstone Formations

Our community is surrounded by some unusual geological formations.  To the southwest are sandstone formations like these, many of which are preserved by the Colorado National Monument which is an interesting and scenic place to spend some time.

Whooooo

I don't do many "simple" cards but I'd put this one in that category.  The owl is an image from Inkadinkado stamped on cream cardstock matted on black.  I added a piece of thin satin ribbon to the text circle.

Brown, Teal and Black

I stamped this Inkadinkado flower on a page from an old dictionary and added lines of color with colored pencils.  I spritz with iridescent spray.  I added a teal mat and two strands of narrow ribbon and embellished with a bow.

Split Label

This card was inspired by a sketch in the current issue of Paper Crafts.  The label is a stamped Waltzing Mouse image, the paper is from a DCWV paper pack, the flowers are punched and the flourish is a die cut.  I added some rhinestones for embellishment.

White On White

My friend Judy got a birthday card similar to this and I thought it was wonderful.  Later I saw it online and gave it a try.  The borders are Martha Stewart and EK Succes punches which I mitered at the corner (cut to 45 degrees).  The background is folder embossed and the flower is punched out.  The center is a long strip that I fringed, rolled up and then flattened.  The leaves are punched out.

You Decide

I made this card but in the end thought it had a little too much going on.  I couldn't literally undo it but I was able to manipulate it digitally.  Below is a simplified version which I prefer.

Which is your preference?

The border punches are EK Success.  The doily die cut is from Cherry Lynn Designs.  The small flowers are a McGill punch and I added dark blue rhinestones to the center.

I haven't done navy and yellow for a while and I like that aspect of both cards.

Doily Card Three

Here's the third color doily and this time I used the entire thing.  The card is just under 5" square, the max I can do with the envelopes I have on hand.  The flowers are Prima with a fancy brad center.  I thought it needed a little something for balance so I looped a length of ribbon to put between the flower and doily. The background paper is liner from a security envelope.  There was a request to recycle it, so I did!

Doily Card Two

This is the same doily die cut that I used yesterday but this time I used almost all of it.  The flowers and leaves are Hero Arts images that I powder embossed on patterned paper.  I added touches of chalk and marker and since I didn't have dark green brads for the centers, I dipped gold brads into embossing powder and heated them.  The small flowers are a McGill punch and the scallop border is EK Success.  For a little different bow I doubled the ribbon before tying. 

Doily Card

Doilies are popping up all over the the cardmaking world.  I got a die cut from Cherry Lynn Designs so had to try it out.  I'll be showing you a series of cards that I made.  This one uses just half of the doily that I cut with my Big Shot.  The flower and butterfly images are Hero Arts.  I colored the flower with a sponge applicator and Distress Ink and the butterfly was black embossed on brown paper and cut out.  The scallop border is an EK Success punch.

"Quilting"

One of the cards we did at stamp club last week was a quilt card.  Start with one-inch squares in two patterns/colors and build your blocks. When it's together, add some embossing to it using an embossing folder.  Then layer it as desired and add embellishment.  I added a bow and a little safety pin brad to this one.  The border is a Martha Stewart punch.

One More Tree In Bloom

The peach blossom is such a pretty pink and when you see an entire orchard of them, it's an incredible sight.  There's just two more trees yet to bloom in our yard - the pear and apple.  Stay tuned.

Spring Is Popping Up All Over!

One of the berry bushes (shown left) and the little grape hyacinth (shown right) are now in bloom in our yard.  You'd think I'd have figured out what type of berry bush that is but it doesn't really matter since it keeps growing pretty much on it's own.  The grape hyacinth bloom is about 2" tall but they are still a nice, bright spot, especially contrasted with the daffodils which are in the same bed.

Notice A Recurring Theme Here?

Yes, I like flowers, almost any kind of flower.  These flowers are Hero Arts images colored with Bic markers.  I thought they needed a big, fuzzy center and I didn't have any brads like that so I dipped white brads into glue and then into flocking to make my own.  The leaf is a Marvy punch and the border is by EK Success.  I white embossed the tag and added touches of ribbon.

Backgrounds From Unexpected Places

I created an scrapbook page recently where I wiped black paint off some foil tape.  I used a paper towel and realized that there were some nice areas of color transferred to the towel.   I spritzed some iridescent mists in the white spots using three colors and thought it was great for a background.  After it dried, I separated the layers and got a second background paper!  It's quite different than the first but obviously related.  Watch for both in upcoming projects - and watch for the unexpected.

Nestie Frame

I embossed this card in such a way as to keep the center flat for stamping.  The image is from a clear set by Inkadinkado.  The flowers were punched.  I added rhinestones for the flower centers. The frame is made from two Nestabilities die cuts and I adhered it with foam tape to add some dimension.  

Dream

You gotta love those stamps in the $1 bin.  There's all kinds with lots of different images.  I thought I'd do a very simple card with this one but it turned out not exactly simple.  I had already made the lacy border with a Martha Stewart corner and border punch so at least that part of it was easy!  The flowers are punched and have rhinestone centers.  The butterfly is punched and has tiny beads for the body.  I colored "Dream" with colored pencils.

Another Sign of Spring

Here's another sign of spring in our yard.  The plum tree is filling with blossoms.  We'll be harvesting plums in June if all goes well.  We had a record-breaking high of 80 yesterday but we'll be doing well to reach 60 today.  And those mighty gusts of wind returned last night.  It's all an indication that spring has arrived in the Grand Valley.

Decorative Birdhouse

When I saw the little wooden birdhouses in the $1 bin at Michaels, I said to myself, "Something cute should be made with that."  So I brought one home to play. I painted the bottom.   I made a pattern and put patterned paper on the roof.  Then I punched a bunch of flowers and layered them on the sides.  I didn't add a bird because the recipient doesn't care for birds but when she received it, she thought a butterfly would go nicely with it.  Perfect idea!  Happy birthday, Judy!

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Sidewalk Art In My Imagination

I played with the sidewalk photo posted below and came up with this.  It isn't at all where I thought my mind was taking me, but I liked it so went with it.  Sometimes I wonder where my mind goes to come up with these things, but mostly I just experiment and play.