Pink Flowers

I've got two cards for today, and they both have pink flowers.  Kind of a coincidence, but I guess it does show that I like pink.

My first card was inspired by this card by Susan.  I loved the way she masked off a rectangle and kept all her stamping in that space.  After masking off my rectangle, I stamped some of the images from Friends till the End within the rectangle.  Then, because the challenge at One Layer Simplicity is blending, I used 2 different green Distress inks and 2 different pink Distress inks and blended to color the flowers and leaves.  After stamping my sentiment, I used the Canvas/Linen Impression Plate on the card front.

I am entering this card at One Layer Simplicity You Blend.

My next card was inspired by this card by Marybeth.  I was admiring the flowers she used, and was pleasantly surprised to learn that they were from Frilly Flowers, a set I bought but forgot all about.  I combined Frilly Flowers with Layered Banner Banter, a brand new set, to make this card.

I am entering this card at PTI 8th Anniversary Celebration Challenge #5--to use a set that hasn't seen ink (Layered Banner Banter) or a set that hasn't seen enough ink (Frilly Flowers).  I am also celebrating along with the gals at Less is More, where they are celebrating 4 years with a pink and grey color challenge.  My card uses 2 different shades of pink and 2 shades of grey.

I am also entering both cards at the following challenges:  Addicted to Stamps Anything Goes, Inkspirational Challenge #75 Rose Colors and Simon Says Monday Red or Pink.

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One Layer Cards

Hi there and happy Thursday.  I've got 4 one layer cards to share today.

First up is a card inspired by the pink flowers at The Card Concept's One Year Anniversary celebration and uses the technique at this week's Make it Monday #196:  Colorful Card Corners.  I am putting my card into the Clean and Simple category.

I am also linking this card up at Simon Says Wednesday Something New because my Garden Grace stamps are new to me, and at Simon Says Monday new and old--my old are the SU inks I used (Pretty in Pink and Strawberry Slush).

I started playing around yesterday with my very newest stamp set, Tumbleweed Houses by Unity, trying to create something for this month's One-Layer Simplicity Challenge of Attractive Opposites.

I think this one is my favorite--the opposite is colored and not colored.

This one features black and white as well as colored and not colored.

My last card is black and white as well as hearts and no hearts.

I'd like to come back to this challenge sometime before it ends with some better opposites.  This session kind of morphed into an excuse to play around with my little houses.  I really like these stamps, but getting them lined up was kind of a bear, as they are cling, not clear.

Well, that's it for me today.  I am heading up to Orange County to meet Cathy Weber (Empty Nest Crafter) for coffee and a bit of stamping chat.  I'll post a picture tomorrow.

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Seven Cards, Really?

Hello there.  I am popping in with a mid-week post with some cards for a few different challenges and 2 different card drives.

My first two cards are for the Anything Goes challenge over at Paper Smooches Sparks this week, and I am also sending them off to MD Anderson Cancer Center for the HYCCT challenge--this one is to create a sweetly romantic card.

I used the Lattice Frame die by WPlus9 and the Blossoming Buds stamps by Paper Smooches.  I love that the flowers are already arranged in this stamp set.  All I have to do is just color them in.


My next card is also for the HYCCT challenge--this one is to use music, birds or hearts.

While I had my Little Bitty Bird and LBB Additions stamps out, I decided to make another card for the same HYCCT challenge, but this time, I made it a one layer card featuring some bird houses.  I am entering this card into the One Layer Simplicity Challenge #11 Home, Sweet Home and CAS on Sunday #45 One Layer Wonder.  

As one thing leads to another...since I was now thinking of one layer cards, I made another card for the One Layer Simplicity Challenge #11 Home, Sweet Home.  This card uses a ghost stamping technique that I saw here on the Caring Hearts blog hop.  Of course, my card will also be sent along to the Caring Hearts card drive.   I am also playing along with Festive Friday , Colour Me #45 and  CAS on Sunday #45 One Layer Wonder.  

One more card for the  One Layer Simplicity Challenge #11 Home, Sweet Home challenge, CAS on Sunday #45 One Layer Wonder challenge and Caring Hearts, using the Winter Wishes stamps.

And, last for today is a card for this week's ColourQ cQc #266  and Caring Hearts.

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Halfway through the Week

I just said goodbye to one batch of houseguests, and my next batch arrives tomorrow.  One of those things about living in San Diego--the guest room is never vacant for long.  I managed to squeeze a bit of crafting in during the past week by setting up a large table in the downstairs hallway, bringing down a bunch of supplies, and helping my MIL and SIL make cards, envelopes and gift bags.  A bit frustrating, as I am not a natural teacher, but anything to get a little crafting time.

I used my first set of stamps and dies ever from Clearly Besotted to make this very fun ice cream birthday card using the sketch from this week's CAS(E) this Sketch.  I am also entering this card at Virginia's View Challenge #5.

A pair of one layer cards for this month's One-Layer Simplicity Challenge--using this very fun surfboard set I first saw on Susan's blog.  I'm not 100% convinced that these cards work--it's a little difficult to read the sentiments on top of the right surfboard, but I'm going with them anyway.

I made this next card just for fun--I was trying to get some stamping done in between requests for help.  I have seen something like this design done with this stamp before, but cannot remember where--if it was you, please let me know so I can give you credit.  The sentiment is Mama Elephant and the images are poppies from Verve Poppy Birthday.  The card needed a little something, so I put some color coordinated sequins on.  I'm entering it into Seize the Birthday without toppings.

My last card was inspired by this very cool birthday card I saw at Darnell's birthday party by Sharon's Creative Essence.  Sharon used embossing but I was lazy and used die cuts to achieve my black and white look.  This card was supposed to be my first entry at The Cutting Room, a new challenge using die cuts, but I missed the deadline to post.  I will definitely try to enter that challenge again, as I really do love my die cuts.  I used the 'rock and roll' inking technique on my sentiment--Pure Poppy, Summer Sunrise and Orange Zest, and then used little spongers to ink the edges of my card base to match.  I am entering this card at Virginia's View Challenge #5.

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Two One Layer Cards

I am playing along with this month's One Layer Simplicity Challenge #7:  Wave the Flag.  My first entry is so super simple and CAS, and I really like how it came out, although it is nothing like what I had envisioned in my head when I started out.  But, after trial and error, playing around with different stamps and placement, I ended up with something that is very simple, and I could probably make 50 more just like it in an hour.  Kind of the definition of CAS, right?  I think this card would be perfect for Operation Write Home.

Stamps are PTI Boy Basics Simple Circles and Square Prints, sentiment is from Desktop Design and inks are SU Night of Navy and Real Red.  I am also entering this card at Simon Says Monday:  W is for White.  Lots of white space on this card.

Here is another one layer card that also fits the criteria of One Layer Simplicity--I used this week's Make it Monday #170:  Masking with Die Cuts to duplicate the card I made for Darnell's birthday yesterday.

I like this one OK, but I don't think it quite has the punch of the original (card on right)

That's it for me today. 

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Retro Sketches, Make it Monday, One Layer Simplicity, Simon Says Monday and Less is More

This is my second post today.  Please click here if you are looking for my CASology post.

I had some crafty time today and I was lucky enough that my cards came together quickly, so I was able to make three cards today.  First up is my card for this week's Retro Sketches rs#114, where my bestie Kim is Headliner all month (yay Kim!!).

I used three of the dies from PTI Sweet Speech to make this little Thank You card.  I pulled out Memento Luxe inks in Rhubarb Stalk and Pear Tart for these stamps--the pigment really does give much better coverage with these stamps.  I used Waltzingmouse Off Beat Backgrounds to stamp a plaid behind the die cut speech bubble.

I could not help myself--I made another card for Make it Monday #164:  Cluster Stamped Sentiments.  I used a variety of flower images from Flower Fusion (I store them all together in a TH folder, so I never know which set I am using), a sentiment from Wet Paint, and white embossing powder.

I am also entering this card at Simon Says Monday:  M, since my card uses a Make it Monday technique, One Layer Simplicity Challenge #5:  Fabulous Flowers, and Less is More #171:  One Layer Thank You.


My last card is also for Simon Says Monday:  M, since my card uses a Memory Box Modern Flower Power stencil, One Layer Simplicity Challenge #5:  Fabulous Flowers, and Less is More #171:  One Layer Thank You.  I decided to break out one of my new stencils and some new Distress Inks, too. 

I masked off an area for the sentiment using a piece of computer paper cut with the Photo Finishers die.  Then, I sponged Distress Inks (Dusty Concord, Shaded Lilac, Crushed Olive and Peacock Feathers) over the stencil and mask.  I stamped the sentiment after removing the stencil and mask, and then put the die back over the sentiment area and embossed the die into the card.  I was surprised how quick and easy stencils are to use.  I will definitely do this again.

That's it for me today.  Off to pull something together for dinner.

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