Wednesday, April 29, 2015

STAMPlorations Stencil Fest...Happy Little Stampers April Challenge~Stenciling, Just Us Girls #290~Photo Week, CASology #144~Flight, Simon Says Wednesday Challenge~CAS, Simon Says Monday Challenge~Anything Goes

Hello,

Wednesday already...time's a flying! On Monday, 'someone' received some STAMPlorations happy mail that 'may' have included a stencil (or seven, and maybe a stamp set, or five) and I set about playing with them. As you know, I'm pathetic when it comes to water-coloured, or gessoed, or other-stuff backgrounds. I'm also still very amateur with layering images; although I am aspiring to make a 'real' collage card in the near future. Given my, shall we say, 'talents' *ahem* I decided to let those lovely stencils speak for themselves.

I'm so delighted with these...they're simple and, in 'person,' rather pretty. Gotta love it when fabulous products do most of the work!

First, a butterfly stencil (or course *grin*)


Second, a butterfly stencil (yep....)


Third, a marvelous happy-making flower stencil:


The trio...

We're off to galleries:

Happy Little Stampers April Challenge~Stenciling (all three)


Just Us Girls #290~Photo Week  (the happy flowers)


CASology #144~Flight (the butterflies)






Simon Says Monday Challenge~Anything Goes (all three)


Hope your day is marvelous! Thanks so much for dropping by; your visit and comments add sparkle to my day!
Hugs,


Monday, April 27, 2015

The Pink Elephant Guest Designer...TPE #296 Theme Challenge~Anything Goes, House of Cards April Challenge, ShowCASE Your Style, TIME OUT #29~Inspired by Words, Uniko Challenge #20~Things with Wings

Hello, 

Wow, the past two months have absolutely flown by! Being the Guest Designer for The Pink Elephant for March and April: definitely a dream come true!  Today is my wrap up post: bittersweet indeed!  This week,  over at The Pink Elephant #296, the team and I are tempting you with a technique challenge...


The Pink Elephant #296~



ANYTHING GOES


Guess what arrived in my mailbox recently...something I've had my eye on for a long time! Altenew's Painted Butterflies!  Oh my....they are AH-MAZING!  I experienced a bit of a learning curve in working with them (as Mr. Recycle can attest to!), but after a few practices, I arrived at layers that made me happy.  Guaranteed you'll be seeing more of these lovelies...swooning!!

My cards are really simple, allowing the butterflies take center stage on my debut-of-this-set duo, which reflect the colours of the rainbow...





Down the road, I may consider other techniques with them, as I've seen many designers do, however, for now..."just as they are" works for me!  Still a few in the set awaiting ink....

Please head over (or if you've already been, THANK YOU for coming my way) to see the photo inspired delights designed by


I'm looking forward to seeing your ANYTHING GOES creations in The Pink Elephant gallery!

THANK YOU to The Pink Elephant team for inviting me to play alongside you these past two months.  I'm ever so grateful!  You'll definitely be seeing *my* cards in the gallery! 


Sharing my cards over at: 
House of Cards April Challenge~Add a Butterfly or Colour Inspiration


ShowCASE Your Style #13~Thank You






Thanks so much for dropping by; your visit and comments add sparkle to my day!
Hugs,

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Happy Birthday Flower Blocks...The Card Concept #33

Hello!

We've had a busy Sunday spent in the 'big city,' (left at 7am and returned just now at 8pm) with my husband teaching a cycling coaching course and I hanging about with him for the morning session, before heading off to a nearby mall for some retail therapy.  I didn't buy anything, but oh, there's plenty on the wish list!

Best news:  my technology issues seem to be resolving themselves! Yayyy!  I'll be catching up on comments, emails and FB messages this week (fingers crossed the resolution remains stable!).

Since I'm madly dashing about doing my sous chef duties, my post is a quick-draw quick share for
The Card Concept #33


My clean and layered flower blocks (Clearly Besotted...love CB!) are meant to mirror the solid of the lamp shade, the lines of the grey wall and the polka dots of the ottoman.  Such a fun stamp and die set...


Must dash but before I go: THANK YOU for continuing to visit me and leave sweet comments, even when I'm in the midst of 'seeming' to be MIA!  As I mentioned...some techie techniques have been put into play, so...I should be good to go soon!

Wishing you a marvelous Sunday evening; thank you for dropping by and adding sparkle to my day!
Hugs,

Friday, April 24, 2015

Starry Birthday...Inkspirational Challenge #81~Word Prompt: Space, TIME OUT #29~Inspired by Words

Hello!

Welcome to Inspirational Challenge #81 where, for the next two weeks, we're inviting you to draw inspiration from this word prompt! *Space, the final frontier...to boldly go where no man has gone before*. Oops, sorry, went all Star Trek for a moment.... I love Star Trek. Anyway. We'd like you 'to boldly go' to wherever this word prompt draws you...outer space, home space, small space, white space...a universe of possibilities.

Joining us on this space odyssey is talented Guest Designer, Sue T  who has worked wonders in her space-interpretation.  My team-mates - an inspiring, talented and oh-so-sweet group of gals - also have a plenty of explorations that I know you'll thoroughly enjoy! Please rocket over to visit and leave them some love, which I know they'll so appreciate:
Pia 
Kim 
As for me, I didn't venture into far and away galaxies, preferring instead to play with my L'il Inkers Star dies that haven't had a chance to shine for light years (are you tired of my attempted space puns?), Okay. I'll stop. Anyway, a simple series of die cut stars, rainbow-colour sponged, slightly offset on the popped-up panel cut outs, and paired with W&W sentiments.


Hope I've offered a bit of inspiration to encourage you to go on your own space mission and a card/project to share in the Ink gallery. You may be the one we choose as a future Guest Designer!

NOTE: I'm sneaking in with a second card...inspired by my Sunburst stamps, I created a trio of mini galaxies (ombre purples, greens and blues), paired with a W&W Adventure and go-see-do sentiment. Space...adventure...explore. Connection? Hope so.


NOTE #2 to the CASology team: THIS is the card I mean to upload!  Gahhh...



I'm sharing my cards at:


TIME OUT #29~Inspired by Words (my stars are rainbow coloured)

CASology #143~Ombre (fingers crossed I'm CAS enough and ombre enough to be here)




ETA: I'm also heading to a new-to-me challenges: 
That's Crafty Challenge~Keep it Simple
Cute Card Thursday #370~Clean and Simple

Looking forward to seeing you in the gallery over at Inkspirational Challenge #81!  We;ll be choosing a winner to Guest Designer for a future challenge; I'd love if you're the one to join us.

Thanks so much for dropping by; your visit and comments add sparkle to my day!
Hugs,

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Rainbow Butterfly...TIME OUT Challenge #29~Inspired by Words, CAS(E) this Sketch #119, So Suzy Stamps April Challenge~Birthday

Hello!

I'm beginning with an apology, not because I'm subjecting you to yet another butterfly stamp *grin*, but on account of the 'internet greeblies' that have been tampering with my commenting AND (to my surprise) my FB messages AND to my emails!  Comments are being eaten, FB message notifications are being received, however, no text appears, and my emails are making their own decisions as to what is/isn't spam.  Grrrr to the hooligans!  Anyway, some notes (random selection) appeared that were sent several days ago, which means that I owe responses to some of you! Bear with me....though you may think I've been ignoring you, such is not the case at all!  I've just been *ignorant* of the missing messages. Mega-apologies...and I hope, please, I'll be forgiven!  Goal #1: catching up. Goal #2: resolving the mystery!

Oh yes, add to that the extraordinarily long time for mail delivery I've been experiencing!  A pre-Easter sent card arrived just today, while other cards/orders, have been taking up to a month to arrive!  Snail mail...oh yes!

Anyway, in hopes that this post will arrive safely, I'll put on my 'tout suite' suit...

Introducing my rainbow inked "newish' butterfly (So Suzy Stamps)...had to give it another play date,,,posing this way...


and that way.  I should have used darker green, but...in real life, it's more showy, as is the Wink of Stella-ing.


Off to CAS(E) this Sketch #119 (a bit of a stretch, I suspect...)


TIME OUT Challenge #29~Inspired by Words  'You can't make a Rainbow without a little Rain'




NOTE: Absolutely honoured and delighted to be selected the winner over at So Suzy Stamps. THANK YOU ever so much!

Thanks so much for dropping by; your visit and comments add sparkle to my day!
Hugs,

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Dragonflies Happy...ATSM #141~Anything Goes, Winnie and Walter~Join in to Win, So Suzy Stamps April~Birthday, Uniko Studio Challenge #20~Things with Wings

Hello,

Welcome to
Addicted to Stamps and More #141 where my fabulous design team and I are inviting you to join us in showcasing cards that are *Anything Goes*.  

As you well know, I love my butterflies, but I also have a fascination with dragonflies (the images of them...the real ones are scary, all that random flittering and fluttering!).  I discovered a sweet new dragonfly image over at So Suzy Stamps that I *had* to order and *had* to ink up.  Aren't those swirls and twirls so pretty! I went with a 'first time simple' approach, using three colours of Memento dew drops, as well as a heaping helping of stickles to create shimmer and a Winnie and Walter die cut and sentiment.  I have plans to colour them with my chameleon pens at some point...lots of possibilities...




  For extra 'join us' incentive, the winner will receive 4 digis from Sweet Pea Stamps.


http://www.sweetpeastamps.com/

Prize is 4 digis from the store

After visiting my wonderfully talented team mates' creations, which are guaranteed to dazzle and delight, design  your Anything Goes card/project to share in the ATSM gallery.  I'm looking forward to being inspired by your creativity!

I'm also adding my card  to:


 



Thanks so much for dropping by; your visit and comments add sparkle to my day!
Hugs,

Monday, April 20, 2015

Congrats and Happy...Winnie & Walter's The Gossip Column with Taheerah Atchia | No. 1 Colour Crushes

Hello,

Back on April 3rd,  a fabulous new challenge appeared on the horizon:  Winnie & Walter's The Gossip Column with Taheerah Atchia | No. 1 Colour Crushes.

I knew that Taheerah was a card designer par excellence, but the craftsmanship in her writing...oh my! Impressive, engaging and enlightening! Her article on Pantone colours, and its widespread influence in pretty much anything *colour* related - paint, fashion, make-up, home decor - was eye-opening for me.  In addition to sharing the pervasiveness of Pantone, she created a set of cards showcasing a selection of colours from the 2015 Palette; each one is nothing short of inspired and inspiring.
 
                   

Of course, she also invited us to play along with her:  to design a project drawn from our own combination of colours from the palette.  Thinking cap firmly fastened, puzzling and musing face donned (complete with quizzically-raised eyebrows, at times), and inks and dies rummaged through several times (and Mr. Recycle also well fed!), I finally arrived at two cards that I *hope* capture the essence of Taheerah's challenge.

My first card borrows from the following four colours (as close as I could get with my Memento Dewdrops)

 

used on my new So Suzy Stamps butterfly and sponged on my W&W *Congrats' cutaway....



My second card, featuring these four colours, comes from my paint-chip stash...




Thanks to Taheerah and the wonderful Winnie and Walter gals for this learning and stretching opportunity.  I'm excited to see what amazing inspiration will be revealed in Gossip Column 2!

Thanks so much for dropping by; your visit and comments add sparkle to my day!
Hugs,

The Pink Elephant Guest Designer...TPE #295~Sketch


Hello!

Wow, but Monday appeared quickly! Back to work (sighhh), but it's also time for another fabulous challenge (yayy...) over at The Pink Elephant #295, where once again, I have the honour to be the April Guest Designer.  This week, the team and I are tempting you with a technique challenge...




SKETCH CHALLENGE


Only one card to share today...but I have another made, so stay tuned for later in the week!  I haven't played with my CAS-ual Friday notes for a while, and since a new Taylored Expressions embossing folder (I've had it for a while) needed some attention, well...I went to work.  I did a 'wee' bit of adapting, of course, as I often do *grin*.... 


Please head over (or if you've already been, THANK YOU for coming my way) to see the photo inspired delights designed by


Lori (returning very, very soon)

I'm looking forward to seeing your Sketch Inspired Card in The Pink Elephant gallery! 

Thanks so much for dropping by; your visit and comments add sparkle to my day!
Hugs,