Welcome, Spring!

Old Man Winter has slowly (oh so slowly!) been releasing his grip on the weather these past few days. It's still pretty chilly, but my daffodils are blooming and there's green sprouting up all over my flower beds. Yay! I'm so ready for spring and Sally-Ann has released the cutest little Easter/spring images just in time!

Isn't this spring chick the cutest? The layout for my card is based on this week's Sketch Challenge over at the Outlawz Challenge site. If you've never visited the site, I really recommend it. The ladies there are super nice and there are new challenges every day. There's always a challenge to inspire you!

Lisa

A Couple of Cards

Ack! I'm still plagued with camera problems after all but managed to get 2 cards done and photographed for today. First up, is a birthday card using these adorable images from Amber Ink:

This card is my entry for the March SFYTT sketch challenge. I can't wait for Jen to post the new sketch for April!

Come back tomorrow to see my other card, featuring a brand new image from DigiStamp Boutique! I can't show it to you yet because it's part of the April release. :)

Lisa

The Early Bird

I'm definitely not the early bird with this week's WWW card. Oh well, I don't like worms anyway. ;-) I'm lucky I managed to get this card photographed at all tonight. After many, many unsuccessful attempts, I finally had success using my daughter's SD card in my camera. The good news is that it's just a bad memory card and not a problem with the camera. Whew!

It took me forever to play around with the composition of this card until it felt right. Once I did, though, it came together really quickly thanks to TAC's Amerbeley Grace (V-840) paper. It looks like I spent a long time distressing the aqua background paper, but the awesome sponging technique is part of the paper's design. All I added was some stitching, edge distressing with my Heidi Swapp distressing  tool, and a quick swipe of Tea Dyed Distress Ink on the exposed white edges.

My image (this cute bird from the Sunflowers set) was stamped onto one of the tags that comes with the AG paper. I mounted the tag on a scalloped circle punched from some of TAC's Brown cardstock and added a bit of color with my Copics. Voila! I have a very detailed focal image with very little effort. I love how the tag coordinates with the background paper, too.

Lisa

Mojo. oh Mojo...

Mojo, oh mojo
Wherefore art thou, mojo?

I have been so uninspired lately. I haven't even been excited about the thought of playing with my Copics and coloring. Coloring is my absolute favorite thing about cardmaking, so when I don't even want to do that - I'm in a major slump. I think it's all this wretched weather (first day of spring break = 35 degrees and several inches of snow!) and too much stress at work. {blech}

I came across this Birthday Oscar image that I'd colored recently, though, and that inspired me to make today's DSB card. I just love Oscar (I love all of Sally-Ann's bears - Coco, the retiring Rosie & Russell, etc.) and I love the colors that I'd used on his present. I knew I had lots of papers in my stash to coordinate with the color scheme. I think of this as more of a "guy image", so I kept the embellishments simple.

One of the items on my "to do list" for spring break is to add more birthday cards to my stash. (My kids are always asking for birthday cards!) So, you'll be seeing more cards from me this week, I promise. :)

Lisa

Simply Betty Birthday

I've been a fan of Simply Betty stamps for a while. They're funky and fun - a nice mix of Goth, anime and cute. My 12 year old is a big fan, too, so I decided to purchase this cute Rio image and play along with the current SB challenge, Let's Celebrate.

I couldn't find just the right paper, and then I remembered buying this cute digital skull cupcake paper from Tiddly Inks. It was just perfect!

Lisa

A Digital WWW

I haven't had any cardmaking time this week, so I thought this was a good time to introduce a few digital "TAC-like" stamps.

First up is The Angel Company's own "Digi Design House" line. These are oldies but goodies, retired in rubber but brought back to life in digital form.

And, if like me, you're a fan of TAC's own Mabelle Ramirez-Ortiz, you can find her line of digital cuteness in her Etsy shop., Whimsy and Stars Studio. Mabelle has recently added some adorable new Easter images, just perfect for Easter cards, 3D projects, etc.

I hope to be back with an actual card soon. (I just have to survive this week. It's a rough one!)
Lisa

A face you just can't resist....

I haven't posted any pet pictures in a while, so here's one of our current foster dog, Whitman. He's a beagle/basset mix. Very cute and very sweet!

He does get a bit noisy if you don't give him the attention he thinks he deserves. Fortunately, he's so cute you can't help but spoil him. :)
Lisa

Saturday on a Sunday....

It's Sunday, which means it's time for another card featuring an image from DigiStamp Boutique! For today's card, I used this week's sketch from the Sketch Saturday challenge blog.

The charming mother to be is Blooming Lulabelle. She is lovely, isn't she? :)

Lisa

Springtime Basket

Welcome to Fab Friday! Recently, Gina K posted a link on Facebook for a video tutorial for springtime baskets.
Craft Segment-Springtime Baskets
 

You can download the template for the basket here:
Gina K downloads

These looked so simple that even yours truly could make them, so I decided to give it a try. I wanted something green to put out for St. Patrick's Day, so I used some green cardstock, some shamrock dp and a few green Prima flowers to make this decoration for my mantel:

I'm planning to make another one for Easter. It would look cute with some dyed Easter eggs, wouldn't it? And it would be even better with some Easter chocolate! :)

Lisa

WWW - FFF

No, the post title is not some kind of strange code. ;-) Today's Wednesday with Wings card features a stamp set from the current Four-Legged Friends and Flowers (FFF) promotion. Now through March 31st, any TAC stamp set that contains an animal and a flower is 25% off. I chose this adorable little bunny from the "Springtime Garden" set.

 

Supplies: Springtime Garden, Limeade and Petunia Bazzill cs, Little Whimsy dp, tag from Pop Rockz SWIC, Copics, lavender grosgrain ribbon (American Crafts), color staples (Making Memories). All supplies available from TAC unless otherwise noted.

Here are all of the images contained in this set. Aren't they beautiful?

Springtime Garden (T-3231) - on sale $14.96

I can't wait for spring to arrive on Sunday!

Lisa

DSB Sunday - Bella with Flowers

Whew, this has been one hectic weekend! I wish I'd had more time to play with all of the cute new images that Sally-Ann released this week over at DigiStamp Boutique. I did manage to make today's card with Bella with Flowers, one of the new images from the Bella and Oscar collection.

I'm overrun at the moment with paper scraps, so I'm really concentrating on making cards using only papers in my scrap stash. It's a fun way to challenge yourself and a good way to use up those scraps!

Lisa

Fab Friday

This week's Kraftin' Kimmie challenge was to use floss or twine on your card. I did the predictable thing and used some floss with buttons, but I found a few links to other ideas for using embroidery floss on your cards:
Stitching on Cards
Using Embroidery Floss on Scrapbooks and Cards.

And here's my card using Lavender the Quilter (Kraftin Kimmie) and some Garden Party paper (DCWV), along with some buttons and DMC embroidery floss.



Busy weekend ahead - book club tonight, crafters' garage sale tomorrow morning, possibly a scrapbook crop in the evening, and a visit from the in-laws on Sunday. Whew! Hope to get some stamping in there, too!

See you Sunday for my weekly card featuring a DigiStamp Boutique.
Lisa

Wednesday with Wings - Inspiration

This week's Angel Company card isn't mine. It's made by the uber talented Angel, Holly Mays.

See those beautiful roses on her card? Check out her post (Tuesday, March 8th) on the Savvy Projects blog. Holly gives directions on how to make these and other beautiful floral embellishments for your card.  Also be sure to check out the free Robyn digi paper on the Downloads page.  (Also used on Holly's card above.)

I'll be back on Fab Friday!
Lisa

Springy Sunday

This week's DSB card features Spring Chick from the adorable Spring animals collection.

I love the Spring animals collection because it is so versatile - the images would be perfect for thinking of you, Easter, baby or general spring cards. Be sure to head on over to the DigiStamp Boutique shop and check out the whole collection!

Lisa

Another KK Card! :)

I'm so glad that I included Eleanor in my last Kraftin Kimmie purchase - she's just so sweet! I had to pair her with some equally sweet paper, so I chose this piece of Basic Grey Lemonade that I've been hoarding.... er, I mean keeping for just the right card! ;-)

This little ribbon rose matched the paper so well. It's a leftover from the days when my girls were little and I would embellish their little socks, headbands, etc. (Back when I was allowed to do such things! lol!)

I used this week's Card Positioning Sketch (Sketch #207) for my card layout and I chose pink in part because "P is for Pink" challenge on the ABC Challenge blog. (And partly because it is my favorite color!) Both challenges are being sponsored by Kraftin' Kimmie, so I wanted to use a KK stamp. (Even when it's not required, I try to use a sponsor's stamps when I participate in challenges to show my support.)

I'm off to have a few friends over for Chinese takeout and a night of crafting. Can't wait!

Lisa

Seeing Shamrocks

There's a Seeing Shamrocks Blog Hop going on over at The Angel Company's Savvy Projects blog. I wanted to play along but I don't have any shamrocks or other St. Patrick's Day type images. Hmm.... what was an Angel to do? Then I remembered those cute little St. Patrick's Day candy bar wrappers over on the TAC Downloads page...

 Supplies: St. Patrick's Candy Bar Wrapper (TAC Downloads), Rustic Chic dp, light and dark green Bazzill cs, sheer green ribbon.

Be sure to check out the other projects on the hop. There are some very creative Angels out there!

Lisa

Scoopy Scallops

Whew! My Kraftin' Kimmie stamps have been getting a workout this month! I've been participating in all of the Kraftin Kimmie blog challenges as well as other KK challenges I've found on other sites. Tonight's card is for this week's KK challenge, Scoopy Scallops. I thought Lisette was the perfect image for this card - her braids make me think of scallops! :)

Coincidentally, I finished up this card while watching the show "DC Cupcakes". ;-)

Lisa

Fab Friday Freebies

I've rounded up several freebies for this week's Fab Friday.

First up, this cute little Whoopsi Daisy spring digi. I am more than ready for spring!
Spring free digi

And this cute little cupcake on the DigiStamp Boutique site. Sally-Ann offers a great new freebie every month!
DSB cupcake freebie

The Angel Company has several great freebies on their Downloads page, including this seasonal project:
St. Patty's Day candy wrapper
For more St. Patrick's Day ideas, be sure to visit the Savvy Projects blog here:
Seeing Shamrocks blog hop.

Lisa

Springtime Gardens

I am so very ready for spring to be here! In the spirit of warmer weather and Easter bunnies, I decided to use Springtime Gardens (T-3231) for this week's WWW card. I'm also submitting this card to Stamp Something's "Something with Flowers" challenge.

Supplies: Springtime Gardens, Bazzill Petunia cardstock, Catelyn dp, DCWV blue cardstock, Copics, sheer white ribbon.

For more card samples using this great TAC set, be sure to check out the TAC Savvy Projects blog.

Cute Card Thursday

Cute Card Thursday's Challenge 153 is being sponsored by Kraftin' Kimmie, so I just had to play along. This was the sketch for this week's card:

 

And, here's my card, using my new Arianna stamp. I just love her! I had to give her red hair like Arielle. :)

The background paper is actually some "snow" paper from Basic Grey's Blitzen line, but it made me think of bubbles.

Come back later today for my weekly Wednesday with Wings card, featuring a stamp from The Angel Company.

Lisa

Move Over Edward!

Forget Team Edward and Team Jacob. This Bella has an even cuter fella - Oscar!

They're part of the new March release over at DigiStamp Boutique. Check out the cool new floral images, too.

I thought the new Bella & Oscar images were so adorable, I just had to start making cards with them right away.

I'm submitting the Bella card to Challenge 8 (Anything Goes) over at the Do You Stack Up challenge blog and challenge FTR6 over at The Catered Crop. This week's Catered Crop recipe was:

Pattern Paper – Go Crazy with Patterns! plaid, stripe and heart/splattered - yep!

Colors – Anything Goes! Mix and match, try some black accents Easy one!

Stamps – Aprons, images from the kitchen or cupcakes cupcakes!

Color Mediums – Prisma Pencils, pens (like Sharpies or Jelly Roll), black ink, distress inks

Embellishments – pearls, ribbon, rickrack pearl accents and ribbon - check!

Misc. Supplies – Puff Paints, Glossy Accents, ModPodge

Tools – border punches or die cuts (or use paper trims) Martha Stewart border punch

Techniques – mixing patterns, coloring with Prisma pencils got that mix of patterns!

Theme – cooking or cupcakes Bella's cupcake

Shapes – Squares

Be sure to head on over to DigiStamp Boutique to check out the rest of the great March images!