Sunflowers by the Water

I have visitors this weekend so needed to make a late night post. I wanted to play this week with a new challenge, For Your Inspiration #1. They have a wonderful photo to be inspired with. I thought of my sunflowers as reaching for the sky as are The Dubai Towers. The towers were on the water so I added that, also.

I'm using a custom large sunflower die that coordinates with the Harvest Blessings set from Our Daily Bread Designs. I colored the flowers with Copics and sponged the sky and a bit of sun. Added the fence, sand (Flower Soft), and the water (designer paper).

I don't do many scenes but I rather like this one with those wonderful flowers rising up....after a long winter.

I'm entering my card into these challenges:
Simply Create #38-Flowers
Little Claire's Designs #2-Flowers
The Pixie Cottage #59-Sketch and /or Spring-Flowers

I also got inspiration this week from EtsyInspired#129. They are giving us inspiration this week from Desired Things shop. My inspiration came from the seeded flower on this wonderful journal:

It is really beautiful and reminded me of the seeded centers of my sunflowers.

Recipe:
Stamps: Our Daily Bread Designs-Harvest Blessings set
Paper: Stampin'Up! Chocolate Chip, PTI white cardstock, My Mind's Eye-My Journey, The Paper Studio-Textured Waves
Ink: Memento Dandelion, Cantaloupe, and Danube Blue
Accessories: Martha Stewart fence border punch, sponges, copics, Flower Soft Sand

My Favorite Flower-Tulips

Today on SCS, the Queen for the Day #50 is Kim aka Luv Flowers. I chose to case this card of hers.
It is a really simple card and I don't think there is much explanation needed. I stamped my tulips three times and cut out the bloom and popped up twice. Of course, there is some paper tearing.

I am entering my card into the challenges:
Aud Sentiments Challenge Blog  #23-Birthday Wishes
Cute Card Thursday #154-Signs of Spring
Scrapbook Sisters #25-Spring

Recipe: Stamps: Heartfelt Creations-Semper Augustus Tulips, Stampin'Up! Well Scripted
Paper: K&CO Hannah 6 x 6 paper pad PTI white cardstock
Ink: StazOn jet black
Accessories: EK Success rick rack punch

My Sunny Friend

I am just a bit sad this morning. I was expecting my son, dil, and little 2 year old munchkin to come from Georgia for a visit this weekend, but due to an accident in my dil's family and a surgery this morning, they will not be coming. Maybe they will get to come in a couple weeks. Life takes many turns and the plans of men are sometimes interrupted.

Onto my card...is this not a large sentiment? My sis gave me this stamp last week. I think it is really fun and love the flowers on the same stamp. She said it came from Michael's $ bin. I thought it would be good for the color splash at The Play Date Cafe this week. We are to use black and white with a  splash of another color found in this photo:

It was a really easy card with just scoring at the top, added some rhinestones to the flower and a ribbon. Finished!

My card is also being entered into these challenges:
Little Red Wagon #70-sentiment or greeting only (the flowers are part of the sentiment stamp)
Dream Valley Challenges #1-Anything Goes
Papertake Weekly Challenge-Anything Goes
Clear It Out Challenge-Anything Goes

Recipe:
Stamp-unknown name-Michael's $ bin
Paper: PTI white cardstock, black cardstock from Hobby Lobby
Ink: StazOn jet black
Accessories: Queen and Company rhinestones-Out to Sea, crinkled ribbon

The Magic of Music

The Magic of Music Warms the Heart and Soothes the Soul......

How nice to find out this card is featured on SCS Facebook today.

Joanne/Jojot is hostess this week for the Stampin B's Design Team blog challenge #100  and she asked that we do something music related. I first thought of a musical instrument but didn't have an image for that. I remembered this stamp I've had for a long time and have used only once. I think it is perfect.  This card kind of reminds me of a white tie affair or black tie for dress. I feel my hubby and I should be getting dressed for some formal affair.
Hope you'll join us this week for 'music' challenge. Just link your card with the inlinkz tool on our blog.

I'm entering this card into the EtsyInspired Challenge EIC128. What wonderful and interesting inspiration came from The Hidden Alphabet.  I was inspired by these three letters. The letter 'U' reminds me of a heart and the heart image I used on my card reminds me of an 'M'. The letter 'G' looks like part of the clef  on my image. Now, that is a lot of inspiration!!!!

Recipe:
Stamp: Stamps Happen, Inc-The Magic of Music
Paper: PTI white cardstock
Ink: StazOn jet black
Accessories: Say It With Studs from Hobby Lobby , satin ribbon from Hobby Lobby

Lollipops Frosty Pink

Just a quick upload of a card I did almost 2 weeks ago and never got it on my blog. I made this card for QFTD challenge #48 on Splitcoaststampers. It was for 'Queen' Becky aka bigfootbecky. I cased this card of Becky's. I'm not adding it into any other challenges as it was made a bit ago.
Hope everyone is having a happy day of crafting! I will be uploading my Stampin' B's Design Team card later tonight. Stay tuned.

Recipe: 
Stamp: Stampology-unknown name (sentiment, bird, and flourish are all one stamp
Paper: PTI white cardstock, unknown other
Ink: Memento rhubarb stalk
Accessories: Trimmer with wavy blade, Sticky Stitches by Colorbok, Lollipops Frosty Pink by Prima given to me by my friend, Debzi333/SCS

Dilapidated Birdhouses

I'm using the colors from The Play Date Cafe challenge #70. And, what bright, cheerful colors they are!!

 I watercolored my houses and had a bit of a time trying to get the green. Every time I took a picture, it turned yellow. Went back and tweaked the watercoloring and I hope it is close enough. I painted the birdhouses as if they were worn and in need of a paint job. I really love this stamp and haven't used it in a while.

I used my new Spellbinder's Decorative Window Scene die cut (exclusive to Heartfelt Creations)  and removed  the window panes for this one.
I cut my birdhouses away from the sentiment which encircled the card and barely painted the wood and trees with a sandy color. My leaves are from Kraft paper .
No, I did not make the zipper flower I used, although I have seen a tutorial showing how to make it. I was in Wal-Mart looking at ribbon one day and just a bit down the aisle, there it was. I rather like it.

I distressed my paper with a Distressed embossing folder to match the old birdhouses.

I'm entering this card into these challenges:
Crazy4Challenges C4C76-With Spring coming, they want flowers (well, I have one and it's rather large so just count it as two or more. LOL)
Fussy and Fancy-Embossing and /or paper piecing (I dry embossed my paper and frame).
Paper Cutz Challenge #80-Spring (I think my cards SAYS spring all over)

Recipe:
Stamps: Art Impressions (no name)
Paper: PTI white cardstock, unknown dp given to me, Stampin'Up! Kraft, Canson watercolor paper
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Spellbinders Decorative Window Scene die made exclusively for Heartfelt Creations, Tombows, watercolor brush, zipper flower, Sizzix branches with leaves, Cuttlebug Distressed embossing folder

Stampin B's Design Team--Funky Vintage

This week, Vicki Dutcher gave the Stampin B's challenge to use a flower. So, we'd like to see those beautiful blooms. Just use the inlinkz tool to upload your card. My card was very simple this week but I rather like it. I am using some paper called Funky Vintage and added my flower. I had to cut a good bit on my flower because the outer petals were really large and wouldn't fit the card. I stamped my sentiment on a die cut shape from Iron Orchid Designs, Creative Imaginations called 'Beloved' and I think it is so pretty. Then, I added pearls and I'm through..easy peasy.

I'm entering my card into these challenges:
A Spoon Full of Sugar-#140-Birthday Wishes
If the Shoe Fits...Scrap It!- #67- Happy Birthday challenge


Recipe:
Stamps: Mark's Finest Papers-Hearts, Hearts, Hearts
Paper: Stampin'Up! Baja Breeze and Chocolate Chip, Making Memories Embellishment Paper-Funky Vintage-Lizzie Collection (Geometric Flower)
Accessories: Iron Orchid Designs-Creative Imaginations'Beloved' die cut shapes, blue pearls

Pottery

I love pottery so when I started to do the EtsyInspired Challenge, EIC127 and looked for inspiration
from the Claylicious shop, I immediately knew what I wanted to do. Look at this pretty pottery:

This was so much fun. I stamped my images (which are unknown-if anyone knows the info on these stamps, I would love to hear from you) by stamping the two on each side and masking those to stamp the middle pot.  Then, I stamped again, sponged and put those on top. I sponged the pots, masking all but the middle of the left one so I could sponge the rim darker.
I  distressed the middle section of the card with a background, distress stamp and sponged the two colors in golds and blues. The folder was Herringbone by Cuttlebug. Added a piece of twine.

I am entering this card into these challenges, also:
Craft Your Passion #46-Male card or project
ECP Challenges #32-Something for the Boys

Recipe:
Stamps: unknown
Paper: Stampin'Up! Chocolate Chip and Baja Breeze, PTI white cardstock, Coredinations core color- unknown color
Ink: Memento Summer Sky, Stazon Saddle Brown, ColorBox fluid chalk inkpad (yellow ochre), Cuttlebug herringbone embossing folder, ribbon SU Baja Breeze and unknown multi-gold, twine

Bird Among the Ferns

What a day! Drove home from visiting my sister and needed to get this uploaded before the challenge is over at The Play Date Cafe PDCC69  challenge using green, red, and black and Case Study Challenge Blog #27 using the below inspiration. This is the 'Combined Grind' challenge this week between the two challenges.

 I have to do this quickly because I have choir practice tonight and am so stressed.  I had a round with Gimp and my watermark and finally decided to leave it off. Ugh! Ever have a day when absolutely nothing goes right?? Of course, that is when you are in a hurry.

I used my new Grand Nestabilitie to make my card, adding assorted  papers, ferns, bird/bird cage , and flowers. I stamped and masked the bird and stamped the bird cage over it. I sewed a trio of stitches for my flower stem, punched the flower and added a sentiment using  Cuttlebug Fanciful Labels.

My card is also entered into these challenges:  Party Time Tuesday's challenge-Anything Goes
Woodware USA-Shape card
One Stitch at a Time #50-Anything but a square
Recipe:
Stamps: Stampin'Up! Picture This, All Night Media (music stamp) Anna Griffin, Bird is Bo Bunny
Paper: Stampin'Up! Kraft, PTI cream cardstock, stamped background music, misc.designer paper
Accessories: Big Shot for the Grand Nestabilitie, Marcella Floral for flowers on left, Martha Stewart flower punch, Sew Easy, Cuttlebug Embossing Plus fanciful tag, Grand Nestabilitie Labels Four, ferns unknown, gemstone, Memento ink

A Bird in the Flower Garden

Yes, I'm using another bird! I have really been into bird cards lately. I just adore them.

I was so unhappy with a card I made a couple days ago I decided to do another for one of the challenges I had entered. Flourishes Timeless Tuesday challenge #105 calls for using three patterned papers. Mine are all matching papers from a Mirabelle paper pack/The Paper Studio. I have used paper from this pad on my last two cards and I can't wait to use more of it. I think it's gorgeous.

I used a Flourishes stamp, Home Tweet Home. I stamped in Always Artichoke and embossed with Zing clear embossing opaque powder. I stamped, colored, cut out, and popped up the little bird.

I am using a sketch from Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge #34.

I added some crinkled ribbon, die cut leaves, and a rose button. I popped my sentiment and it is all done.

I'm entering The Pixie Cottage challenge #57-sketch and/or embossing. I embossed my bird house and sentiment.

Recipe:
Stamps: Flourishes-Home Tweet Home
Paper: Stampin'Up! Always Artichoke, PTI cream cardstock, Mirabelle paper pack by The Paper Studio
Ink: Stampin'Up! Always Artichoke, Memento Desert Sand
Accessories: crinkled ribbon, rose button by La Mode Buttons, Spellbinders oval nestabilitie, QuicKutz leaves, Martha Stewart calling card label (cut in half) for sentiment