Ears to You for Color Hues

Hello friends!  Today I'm sharing my card for the latest challenge at Color Hues!  The delightful and talented Nancy will be our host for the next two weeks and she has chosen a beautiful color combination.

Color Hues

I'm also popping in at the last minute to join the Word challenge at Just Us Girls, using the word you.

JUGS 770

I love this soft color pairing and decided to make a cute and simple Easter card.

I adore that big bunny and used it a couple of years ago to create shaped Easter cards for the grands, but this time I wanted to use her on a card front.  Because of her size, the card ended up being A7.

Starting with the background, I randomly ink blended Shaded Lilac and Salvaged Patina over a panel of mixed media paper.  When the ink dried the panel was embossed with tiny polka dots and then trimmed down. 

The bunny, flowers and leaves were die cut in white, then ink blended with the same colors.  The bunny was adhered to the blended background, added to the card front and decorate with one flower and the leafy branches.  The sentiment was stamped, fussy cut and added to the card with thin foam squares.  I decided it still looked a little bare, so the remaining flower and two leaves were adhered in the corner.  The last touch was to add Glossy accent to the bunny's gray eye and Stardust Stickles to the white flower centers.  

For more inspiration be sure to visit the challenge blog and check out the fabulous variety of cards created by my talented teammates and our Guest Designer Caroline!  I hope you'll join us for this challenge, it will remain open until Tuesday, April 29th at 3pm EDT.

Thanks for visiting and take care!

Stef

• Ellen Hutson Essentials by Ellen Sew Cute Bunny dies and Ears to You stamp set
• Spellbinders Tiny Dots embossing folder
• Salvage Patina and Shaded Lilac Distress Inks
• Simon Says Stamp Earl dye ink

Hello for The Flower Challenge

Hello friends!  I'm back with my reminder post for The Flower Challenge.  This month the theme is to use spring colors.

The Flower Challenge

At the first of the month I used purple and green here so this time I went with more peachy/orange colors.  

I started by coloring the flowers with Copic markers and the leaves with Olo markers.  I was trying to achieve a peachy color for the flowers but in the end it appears to lean more toward orange, and I was fine with that.  After die cutting, I used a black glaze pen to color in the stamen.

For the background I used the SSS Whirl Diamond Plate in white on a piece of Spellbinders Bellini cardstock, which I though complimented the color of the flowers without competing with it.  I placed the floral image up a little higher on the panel than I wanted, so I found a large die cut hello that helped balance things out.  Black enamel dots finished things off.

Can you believe it's mid-April already?  Time flies, that's for sure, but if you haven't joined us yet this month, or you have another floral with spring colors, there's still time to share.  The challenge will be open until Friday, April 25th. Please take a moment to visit the challenge blog, my amazing teammates have some more inspiration for you.  

Thanks for visiting and take care!

Stef

PS - come on back tomorrow when I'll be sharing my DT card for our new Color Hues challenge!

• Simon Says Stamp/Alex Syberia Close at Heart stamp and die (Stamptember 2024)
• SSS Whirl Diamond Plate
• Altenew Timeless Sentiment dies
• Altenew Essential Black Enamel Dots
• Sakura Black Glaze pen
• Copics - YR68, 02, 00
• Olos - YG 1.6, 1.4, 1.2

Butterfly Blossoms for the Paper Players

Hello friends!  It's color week over at the Paper Players and I'm hosting.  I chose some Spring-like colors.

Paper Players

I'm also joining in over at the Time Out Challenge.  This time we are to Pick Two, so I'm choosing floral and stencil.

TOC #286

As you could tell from the blog title, I chose to use flowers. I debated about making an Easter card because I think the colors would work equally well for that occasion, but the flowers won out.

The stamp set has three dainty flower stamps and four butterflies, so lots of variety.  I used the coordinating stencils to color the images and the dies to cut them out as well as the sentiment.

I lightly ink blended Salvage Patina Distress ink on a white panel the cut it down with a postage edge rectangle die.  The shorter flowers were adhered directly to the panel except for the largest flower in the group to which I added thin foam squares.  The remaining floral image along with the sentiment and large butterfly were layered on two additional die cuts before adding to the panel.  The right wing of the wee little butterfly was glued down and a small piece of foam tape added a little dimension to the left wing.  It's not visible in the photos but I used an aqua shimmer pen to add glitter to all the images, then finished things off using a white gel pen for the flower stamen.

What do these colors inspire you to create?  I hope you'll show us this week, we'd love to see what you come up with.  Do take a moment to pop over to the PP blog as my teammates have some lovely cards to provide further inspiration.  The challenge remains open until Friday, April 18th at 3pm EDT.  

Thanks for visiting and take care!

Stef

• Simon Says Stamp Butterfly Blossoms stamps, dies and stencils
• SSS Postage Edge die
• Altenew Lemon Ice, Honeydew Glow and Lemonade Stand inks
• SSS Sprout, Fairway, Field, Lilac, Orchid, Amethyst and Mocha inks

Hello Friend for The Paper Players

Hello friends!  I'm here to share my card for the latest challenge at the Paper Players.  This time, the lovely Jan is hosting our theme week and she has chosen Travel.

The Paper Players

For my card, I used an older stamp set from Waffle Flower.  It is whimsical and it made me smile, which I hope it does as well for the recipient.  I had fun creating it and also coming up with a silly little back story for the scene.

Our little bear buddy, Fred, has been at the local Farmer's Market and is now traveling home, accompanied by his friends Bert the Bee and Veronica the Birdie, where he'll plant all the flowers he bought.  Fred is very fond of flowers and fills his yard with them every year. ;-)  

Do you ever create stories about cards as you're making them?  I don't always but this time it seemed so fitting.   

Aren't those images delightful? They were all colored with Copic markers then die cut with the coordinating dies.  I created a simple background for the scene by ink blending on a panel of Bristol, which is sized at 4" x 6".  It was mounted on a mat of Balmy Blue, then adhered to an A7 card base.  All the critters and the sentiment were added with thin foam squares.  For a scene card it was exceptionally easy to make.

As you see with my card, travel can take many forms, and we'd love to see what you come up with!  Before you head off to your crafty space, I encourage you to visit the PP blog where my teammates have some wonderful and varied ideas for this theme.  The challenge will remain open until Friday, April 11th at 3pm EDT.

Thanks for visiting and take care!

Stef

• Waffle Flower Happy Day stamps and dies
• Honey Bee Stamps March 2023 "Free Bee" sentiment stamp
• Simon Says Stamp Marine, Sprout and Cappuccino inks
• Copics - Bear - E37, 35, 33, 31, R22; Wagon, Bike and Hat - B28, 26, 24, 21; Butterflies - B02, 00, 000, RV04, 02, FRV1; Bird & Bee - YR23, Y15, 11, R21; Flowers and Leaves - RV04, 02, FRV1, YG09, 05, 01

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Tulip Bouquet for The Flower Challenge

Hello friends!  Today is the start of a new challenge at The Flowers Challenge where this month we are to use Spring colors, along with the usual floral image.  Couldn't be more perfect for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere!

The Flower Challenge

I had a delightful tulip set from Hero Arts gathering dust and thought it was high time to put it to use.

I debated about what the color of the tulips should be and ended up with this pretty violet/purple, courtesy of my Olo Markers.  After coloring the image it was die cut with the matching die.  

Next a Pinkfresh Studio cover die was used to create a subtle pattern on a panel of green cardstock.  I have quite a bit of green cardstock and was happy to find one that was very close to the green Olo marker color. The panel was trimmed down and added to a white card base.  

I tried to use a different shape behind the bouquet but the circle worked best.  After adhering it to the card front, the flowers and sentiment were added with foam tape, and I used a little bit of hemp twine around the flower stems, like they had to be held together lol!

April brings Spring flowers and we would love to see yours in Spring colors this month!  In case you'd like more inspiration, my lovely, talented teammates have plenty to share over on the challenge blog.  The challenge will remain open until April 25th and I'll be back on the 15th with a new card for my reminder post.  

Thanks for stopping by and take care!

Stef

• Hero Arts Tulip Bouquet stamp and die
• Waffle Flower Elegant Sentiment stamp and die
• Pinkfresh Studios Fold Edge Circle and Floral Tiles Cover Plate dies
• Olos - G1.7, YG1.6, 1.4, 1.2, V2.6, 2.4, 2.3, 1.1

Thinking of You for Color Hues

Hello friends!  No fooling, the first of April has rolled around and we have a new challenge at Color Hues! (I apologize for the old groaner, I just couldn't resist.) ;-)  

This time the amazing Jules is hosting and has chosen a delicious color combination.

Color Hues

After enjoying using an older Emily Midgett illustration for our first challenge this year here, I decided to use another one for this challenge.

I started by shading the white flowers with cool grays then moved on to the remainder of the panel.  I can't tell you how much I love this color combination.  I could have used darker orange colors for a little more drama but I went with something a bit lighter, maybe because it's Spring?  I don't know but I like how it all turned out.  I used a lighter shade of teal to color the background, the trimmed down the panel.

Some gold metallic paint was used around the edges of the panel, and lest you think my hands have gotten shaky, the imperfection was intentional.  I followed that up with some splatter and after it dried mounted it onto an orange panel adhered to a white card base.  I used a white gel pen for the stamen then finished things off with the foiled sentiment from my stash.

Thanks for visiting and I encourage you to head over to the challenge blog where my wonderfully talented teammates and Guest Designer Renate have some spectacular inspiration to share with you.  The challenge will remain open until 9 am EDT Monday 4/14 and we'd love to see YOUR card in the gallery!

Take care!

Stef

• Emily Midgett Illustrated panel
• Poppystamps Your Are Amazing Foil & Cut set
• Gansi Tambi Starry Colors Metallic paint
• Copics - 
•    Flowers - YR69, 65, 01, 00 and C02, 0
•    Berries - YR07, 16, Y17
•    Leaves - BG78, 49, 45, 01
•    Background - BG000

Chicken Chatter for the Paper Players

Hello friends!  I am so happy Spring is here, although after having 3 days of glorious 70+ degrees, we're back to cold and rainy March.  It was a nice taste though and I look forward to better weather soon!

But that's not why you're here, so let's get to the card and the latest Paper Players challenge.  Since this is the fifth Sunday of the month, it's time for Tic Tac Toe and the lovely LeAnne has created a great grid with lots of options.

Paper Players

 

I was definitely thinking of the top row or left column (flowers, you know), but I ended up choosing the middle column - diecut, animal, green.

I have to say, I was smiling the entire time I was putting together those chickens.  Aren't they cute?  When this set was released I realized I didn't have anything like that in my crafty collection and I was totally smitten with these cute chickens.  There is a coordinating stamp set with layered images and sentiments, one of which says "still a spring chicken" and was used on the inside of the card.  

The chickens and the chick are all pretty easy to put together, using the packaging for guidance, then I added black enamel dots for the eyes of the two larger ones.  Once that was done, I ink blended a simple background for them to land on, along with die cut the sentiment from Simon Says Stamp.  The card ended up being an A6, 4.5" x 6" size.  

I hope you'll join us this week, there are lots of fun ways to use the TTT options!  In the meantime, I encourage you to pop over to the challenge blog to see what my talented teammates came up with.  The challenge ends Friday, April 4th at 3pm EST.  Come play along!

Stef

• Concord & 9th Chicken Chatter die and stamp set
• SSS Happy Birthday Brush Script dies
• MFT Grassy Edges stencil
• Altenew Black Enamel Dot
• Salvaged Patina Distress Ink
• Altenew Grassy Fields ink