Mother's Day Blooms

Just a few Mother's Day creations using Papertrey Ink's lovely Bloomin' Cute stamps/dies.... and so very pretty on the Sweet Blush background. Although both cards are pretty clean and simple, the first is more 'mail friendly' as it is relatively flat, save for the sentiment banner and tiny pearls. 

These are surely some colors that I would not think to throw together, (Pure Poppy, Berry  Sorbet, Ocean Tides, Pinefeather, Enchanted Evening), but I was feeling like experimenting a bit. 

My second card is identical, but with a different color mix (Sweet Blush, Autumn Rose, Scarlett Jewel, Winter Wisteria, Ocean Tides, Weathervane, Pinefeather) and a bit more dimension on the Bloomin' Cute florals. Which do you prefer??

I've made my own envelopes, using the WeRMemory Keepers Envelope Punch Board, as I love that I can color match to my card. As an added bonus, it creates a more substantial envelope, helping to protect all of those lovely dimensional flowers and pearls!

Thanks so much for taking a peek.  Wishing you a lovely Mother's Day!

CAS(E) this Sketch #321

Happy Thursday and welcome to CAS(E) this Sketch #321! It's another fabulous design from Brian King - with SO many possibilities and some really beautiful DT interpretations that we hope will inspire.
I've gone totally CAS with a glittered up Studio Calico sentiment, lots of glorious white space and a classic b/w stripe. Can you see/appreciate all of that sparkle? 
We hope that you'll find the time to get creative.....can't wait to see your addition to the CTS gallery!
P.S. A warm welcome to GD, Nancy!

Papertrey Ink - Design Team Tips

                       PAPERTREY INK - DESIGN TEAM TIPS

Happy Fri-yay!! I'm here today on the Papertrey Ink Blog to share my DT Tips. And.... it's all about all of those fabulous alphabet dies and how they can be enhanced in such a lovely way by using any of your pretty petite florals and greenery! 

This little trio of 4.25 x 5.5" (A2) cards all start with a good helping of Classic Kraft.  All of the color (Pure Poppy, Summer Sunrise, Blueberry Sky) is provided by the petite blooms/leaves from the Fancy Foliage Dies and a few Nuvo glossy dot accents.

There are so many pretty PTI flower stamps and/or dies that would work so beautifully here...... a good example would be the Nesting dies, as there are four different sized leaves AND an assortment of pretty flowers. However, there are many lovely sets that have smaller accent stamps/dies that would work so well too, many of which you may have as part of your PTI collection. 

I've kept things very CAS, with identical layering (Noted: Pinked A2 Vertical/Pierced Feature Frames  dies) and sentiment (Keep It Simple: Friendship), for quick and easy duplication. My thinking is.... if you're going to make one card, might as well two or three more and add to the card stash!

I'm hoping that this will inspire you to break out your basic alphas, a few petite florals and a versatile sentiment to create your own set of greetings!

Fusion Card Challenge - 'Butterfly Wreath'

 

Thanks for joining us for the newest Fusion Card Challenge - 'Butterfly Wreath'. The amazing inspiration photo is a wonderful starting point. But that sketch is pretty great too! So, which will you try?
The fabulous photo and the great sketch helped with this design. With lots of wonderfully textured white space, a rainbow of petite butterflies and pretty sentiment, this spring inspired greeting is almost ready to take flight!

The DT has provided some amazing inspiration, so be sure to hop on over and join the party!
When playing along you may use the sketch OR the photo as you jumping off point. OR, if you are feeling super duper clever, you can fuse 'em together!

We hope that you'll join in at the Fusion Card Challenge and will enjoy all of the loveliness from the DT and the always amazing gallery!

Barb Ghigliotty

Jeanne Jachna

Jen Mitchell

Karren Johnson
Linda Callahan
Lyndal Higgins 

Michelle Lupton
Wanda Cullen

PROCEDURES:

1. Play with just the sketch challenge.
2. Play with just the inspiration photo challenge.
3. Or you can create FUSION by combining BOTH challenges into one card.
4. Use the challenge graphic and link back to Fusion in your post.

The 12 Kits of Occasions - April 2019

Welcome to The 12 Kits of Occasions - the April 2019 edition!! Kara Pogreba is our wonderful hostess with the most-est and she has assembled her very first kit, 'For the Graduate', which celebrates this momentous occasion/achievement. Whether you are celebrating a kindergarten, high school or college milestone, it's always great to be prepared for the upcoming season!
Lots of beautiful patterned papers, lovely die cuts, perfectly coordinating sentiments and a few adorable tassels are all included in Kara's fabulous kit!! 
Surely the lovely projects from the talented 12 Kits Team will inspire, so please hop around to see ALL of the crafty creations! You can find a complete list of everything that's included in the kit by clicking here.
Thanks so much for joining us today, and many thanks to our hostess, Kara!

My apologies .....  only two cards this morning because I'm off on an impromptu visit to VT. Please stay tuned for a few more projects later tomorrow! In the meantime, be sure to take a peek at of the lovelies created by the 12 Kits crew!!

Papertrey Ink - Throwback Thursday

                     THROWBACK THURSDAY - be happy

It's time for the latest 'Throwback Thursday' feature over on the Papertrey Ink Blog.  The sweet and cheerful Be Happy, designed by the lovely Melissa Bickford, has me thinking SPRING! This 4" x 5.25" trio, in lovely hues of yellow and blue, all share a vellum backed/scallop edged striped frame, pretty little butterflies and blooms and the addition of a few Nuvo drop/sequin embellishments, allowing you to send the perfect spring-infused birthday greeting!

This pretty little Be Happy set was originally released in February of 2014, and had been on my wish list/Pinterest gallery for quite awhile. When the stamps and dies became part of the April Sale Madness,  they were happily added to my Papertrey Ink collection (along with the 2008 Bitty Box Basics and Sheer Basics Vellum collection patterned papers!).

In shades of Harvest Gold, Summer Sunrise, Spring Rain and Blueberry Sky, there are some little details (petite/scalloped frame, Nuvo dotted flowers and butterfly, gridded patterned paper background, lovely Sale Tag #3) that add welcome dimension to this simple, but layered, birthday card.

I hope that you'll be inspired to search out, and create with, a few of your Papertrey Ink 'classics'. 

Be Happy, with it's crisp clean lines, lovely diagonal patterns, perfect petite sentiments and pretty scallops, certainly fits into that category and provides oodles of design possiblities!

Papertrey Ink's Saturday Showcase - Bloomin' Cute

Happy weekend to you, friends! I am joining in today for the Saturday Showcase over on the Papertrey Ink Blog. This week we are creating projects with the lovely stamps and dies from 'Bloomin' Cute'!  The fun floral images, in combination with the pretty scripted font and crisp companion sentiments, help to create the most beautiful projects. For additional Bloomin Cute inspiration, please take a peek at what Ashley and Kelly have created!

The lovely Black & White All Over patterned papers were the jumping off point for this little quartet of 4.24 x 5.5" all occasion cards.  With a Fresh Snow Linen background and shades of Weathervane/Enchanted Evening/Ocean Tides/Autumn Rose/Sweet Blush/Smokey Shadow, these would be appropriate for any season/occasion.

  

The crisp Fresh Snow Linen stitched base and Smokey Shadow layering provide definition to each card, while the dimensional flowers and petite pearls add a bit of additional interest.

And.... another use for those oh-so-versatile (AND an incredible bargain at $2) Black & White All Over patterned papers? Be sure to line your envelopes for a coordinated and professional finish!

Each of the delicate Bloomin' Cute Sentiment dies are triple layered to give them a bit of weight and dimension. AND.... they look lovely in combination with the Bloomin' Cute sentiments OR can be mixed and matched with many others in your collection.

Many thanks for joining me today, and wishing you a lovely holiday weekend!

And...... I'm off to prepare a lovely brunch feast for tomorrow!