Floral Tag-Cards...Retro sketches #103, The Card Concep #4t: Use a Floral Theme

One more post this evening to share two card tags inspired by The Card Concept Challenge #4, where we're invited to use flowers (I am so ready for flowers. NOW!   Time for Spring, please),

and Retro sketches #103, where Wanda has a delightful tag-sized design:

 I created two tag-cards, with my PS Scallop Tag die, paired with the Thanks from the Quotes die.  The left sports MCT's Flower Petals die, while its partner wears a little cluster of flowers from PS Reflections flower dies and stamps...

Thanks so much for dropping by; your visit and comments make my day!

A Little Celebration...Unscripted Sketches #245, Simply Create Too Challenge #56

Friday already! After another crazy, hectic week at work, the weekend is especially welcome.

I'm doing a wee bit of cheering today:
1. My husband was supposed to travel - again - to work another biathlon competition, in Hinton, just east of the scenic mountain town of Jasper, this weekend.  Frigid weather forecasts, however, compelled the organizers to reschedule the event, so my husband will be staying home.  It's been a while since he's had a weekend off.  Yayyy....

2.  The same Arctic-like temperatures (okay, slight exaggeration) are predicted for here, as well. We're expecting -37C tonight and tomorrow night, with highs reaching to a balmy -25C during the day. Ick, BUT freezing cold outside gives me a perfect excuse to craft.  Yayyy x 2....

3. My now-staying-at-home husband has a paper to write for a Leadership course he's taking, which means he'll be soooo focused on writing, revising, more writing for submission Saturday by midnight (yes, we do share similar last minute tendencies...) that I'll have no one distracting me while crafting.  Yayyy x 3....

Those little causes for celebration made me think of four-leaf clovers, and since I have a teeny one in my stash, I got to creating...

My mini's layout was inspired by Unscripted Sketches #245,

and since I'm using NBUS, I'm entering into Simply Create Too Challenge #56:  Shop In Your Stash.

Thanks so much for dropping by; your visit and comments make my day!

Just a Note in Pink&Grey...TAWS BE Inspired #48, Just Us Girls #229

Hello...how did it come to be Thursday already, not to mention the eve of the last day of February?

Again, I'm here with a nearly last minute entry to TAWS BE Inspired Challenge #48

Aren't these pinwheel-sporting treat boxes adorable!!

As you'll see, my cards are *really* basic, focusing on the colours, combined with inspiration drawn from the eye-catching, yet simple designs found on the current Just Us Girls Challenge #229: 

Marissa's card, in particular, 

really caught my attention, so my second card is a 'sort of' reflection of her interpretation.  To the wonderful JUGS ladies:  hope it's okay my tree is grey and bird pink.  If not, let me know and I'll take 'er away.

Here's my take...hoping that those pink blossoms of spring will be making an appearance soon!

Sigh... photographing is pa-thet-ic...they really are much more vibrant for reals...

Once again, I was hesitant about adding my cards - they're simple (yet took me ages to make, as is par for the course), and I really wanted to create something more 'pinwheel' like.  Alas, no such stamps of that ilk are in my collection.  HOWEVER, I do have 'pinwheel creation' as part of my crafting repertoire, so if you have a moment, I'll tell you a wee tale...

My dad and sister-in-law share the same April birthday, so two years ago - which upon reflection, was my 'first step' into the world of crafting - I tried to figure out something that my niece and I could 'sort of'create together as a combined birthday gift; something a 'little girl' would like to share.  A bunch of thinking and searching later, I found instructions for some pinwheels; instructions that, as I quickly learned, were well beyond my capabilities (hint: eyelets required - and I didn't have an eyelet clamper-on-er thing, so the hammer had to come out.  Dowels to be sawed to size...oh, the production).  I also decided, given the labour intensity (for me, anyway), that two pinwheels might as well become more, so the grand total was six or seven.  

I prepared all the pieces, then took them to my brother and sister-in-laws to assemble with "high hopes" that Ms. Niece would help out.  She did (she was 2 at the time) kind of - mainly playing with glue, and not necessarily applying it to pinwheel construction.  My #1 helper turned out to be my brother; he tackled the assembly like nobody's business, and in fairly short order, we had pinwheels ready for my niece to hand out at the birthday supper. Even now, two years later, my sister-in-law has her vase of 'wheels on the kitchen island, and the kids play with them often.  

Here's a couple of photos....still can't believe *I* made them...with handy-man brother's help...(I should make more - with paper that's patterned on both sides.  Clueless at the time - and little did I know this would be the 'gateway' to my pp 'addiction'...)

Thanks so much for dropping by; your visit and comments make my day!

Couple o' Cards...Seize the Sketch #14, A Blog Named here: Roy. G. Biv, Butterfly Challenge #1: Butterflies and Flowers

Huffing and puffing my way, arms flailing, legs churning to get my cards posted before the link for Butterfly Challenge #1 closes on me...

Consider this a super CAS post... I'll make up for the brevity later *grin*

Both cards are heading to Seize the Sketch #14:

The first one is also off to Mrs. A's Butterflies Challenge #1, where we're invited to combine butterflies and flowers (excited to see what she has in store next go-round...love my butterflies!).

 The doily is from MCT; the butterfly from Uniko

This mini - all 3" x 3" of it - is going to A Blog Named Hero Challenge #38:  Roy G. Biv

 The speech bubble and Thank (I didn't ink the S...nothing like elaborating on the obvious...)

 are PS; *you* is Simon Says

And here are my inspired by Seize the Sketch twosome side-by-side...

thanks so much for dropping by; your visit and comments make my day!

Mini Butterfly Many Thanks (and Envelopes!)...Clearly Besotted Challenge #8, Fusion #4

Hello...well, another whirlwind weekend visit to see my family - we've just walked in the door - and to stave off the inevitable missing for a few minutes more, I'm popping in with some cards to share. Before I do, let me just say: oodles upon oodles upon oodles of fun with my niece and nephew!  Stories definitely on the agenda for later this week, but I'll share one highlight (of the zillion that happened).  Picture: almost four year old niece clamped to one of my legs; almost two year old nephew clamped to the other.  "Small" battle being waged (thankfully, pulling me apart like a wishbone wasn't 'quite' part of the kafuffle), at rather high volume. Their sibling rivalry issue?

 "My Aunty C"!  

"No, MY Aunty C"!! 

" NO. MY AUNTY C!!"

And no, I didn't intervene...I was basking in the joy of feeling mighty darn special.  Winner of that round?   Me! Oh, how I love those two munchkins!!

Today, I'm sharing a set of four little notecards, featuring the lovely butterflies from Clearly Besotted, inspired by CB Challenge #8 

and Fusion #4

Again, another round of simple and little...(the butterflies on the envelopes, also CB, were from something that didn't work quite as I envisioned, so they were rescued and transformed toenvelope decor)

Time to unpack...

Thanks so much for dropping by; your visits and comments make my day!

Frame and Flower Thank You...Cure for the Monday Blues

Hi all....super quick post. My brother and sister-in-law are picking up my mom and I; we're heading to a  birthday party for one of my niece and nephew daycare friends.  Little kids' birthday party...woo hoooo.  After that, time to head back home.  Why do weekends with my family pass in a flash!

My card is for Cure for the Monday Blues #5...love the frames, the flowers, the blues/reds/greys...

with sketch inspiration from Laura, over at The Paper Poppy 

 A simple thank you...with a flower I haven't used for quite a long time.

Taheerah: awesome photo inspiration; Laura, awesome sketch inspiration! Thank you, thank you!!!

Thanks so much for dropping by; your visit and comments make my day!

THX x 2...Sweet Sunday Sketch #207

Hi again,

Quick post to share two more of my just-for-fun, matchy-match die+paper cards (I chatted about their origin in my previous post).

These two were inspired by Sweet Sunday Sketch #207

Love this sketch...so many possibilities.

Thanks so much for dropping by; your visit and comments make my day (and thank you especially for indulging my dabble into campy...)

Cameras and a 'Stache'...Retro sketches #102

Hello!

Wednesday evening. Already!  My week off is zipping by, but only two more sleeps until I go see my family! Woo hoooo!  It’s been far too long since I’ve been Aunty C (I say that after 15 minutes away from the kiddos), and I am so ready!   Let the shenanigans begin!

A while back, when I was all googly-eyed and ‘desperate’ about creating a ‘stash’ (wait…nothing’s really changed, now that I think of it), I ordered dies, upon dies, upon dies.  Wise choices, most; a couple duds, some; and curious choices, a few.  Curious, I guess, because at the time, I had no clue what I’d do with several of them; they were sort of like the ‘old days’ when we’d have to buy a full record…er, 8-track…er, tape…okay, CD…for only one song.  That’s what happened with me: loved one die or one sentiment, but the whole kit-and-caboodle had to come along as well. That’s how I ended up with some of the ‘curiosities’; specifically, a trio of mustaches, pair of glasses, a tie, a grad cap, tickets, camera….You know what I mean.   Such dies would be showcased brilliantly through the incredible ingenuity of others, but moi?  Not so much. Up until recently, these dies have been sadly neglected; in the case of the ‘staches, totally neglected.   Naughty me!

Fast forward  to one of my recent paper pad purchases. On Monday, two of them caught my eye – Doodlebug’s Day by Day, and Simple Stories’ Daily Grind.  Guess what I found…

I’ll let the cards do the talking.  The group of  little note cards posted here, and the duo in the post following, are completely  ‘for fun’ – not fancy, not jazzy with a new technique.  Just for fun.  They’ll be added to the stash of Thank You/Thinking of You/Just Because cards I’m making for my sister-in-law for her staff and volunteers.  The bonus: they have envelopes!

I am AD-DICT-ED to my envelope punch die.  Completely. LOVE it!!  Fancy-dancy envelopes are on the agenda for down the road.  For now, I'm just tickled with how cute they are.  One of my best sale purchases ever!!

My cards are heading to Retrosketches #102

Ready? Some matchy-matchy dies + papers...using my NBUS camera and mustaches (one of three), 

The next one occupies the stage alone because...ta dahhhhhh...my first EVER (and last, trust me) shaker card! Yes, yes, I made one! Yes, it only has 5 sequins, but still - did it! Mission accomplished! I'm smiling!

That weensy shaker tapped into my patience quite enough, thank you!  Anything larger 

would throw me into a complete tizz (thank you, Sian - awesome word!!).

And the gang...

Hope you enjoyed my kitchy crew.

Thanks so much for dropping by; your visit and comments make my day!

Flower Notecards...Muse #5

I'm back...

Therese Calvird's squiggly, scribbly flower card, the inspiration for Muse Challenge #5, makes me happy.

 I absolutely love it! I also absolutely love my new Uniko stamps, Flower Power  #1, 2 and 3.

Playing time!!
My first card is for Muse, and the other three are 'just because.' Each card has a matchy-matchy envelope (add envelope punch board to the love list...), although I think the blue flower's envelope needs a make-over. I'll get on that...

Yes, the inked + outline images are a bit offset...not because I'm lousy at lining up the full-cover (I can't recall the more technical term for this kind of stamp. Yeesh!) and outline stamps (which, I am...), but because I *wanted* them off-kilter, following Therese's example (that's my story and I'm sticking with it...)

And the rest of the crew:

Thanks so much for dropping by; your visit and comments make my day!

Pattern Playing...Cure for the Monday Blues #4, CASology Week 82: Bold, Simon Says Monday Challenge: We Love Stamps

Hello!

I have a couple quick posts to share, then I'm embarking on another editing/revision project that's come my way. This time, the paper comes from a student in Archeology, who is studying a little known culture - the Oromo - and their tuber-crop domestication processes, as revealed through their ceramic pottery.  Seriously:  how cool is that!!  My dendrites are already tingling in anticipation, because this will be fascinating! I remember taking two classes back in my university days (many, many  years ago), on Ancient Greece and Rome, and the professors taught them in a narrative style, with plenty of slides (back in the days before internet, smart boards, videos, youtube...). Three times a week for the duration of the semesters, I was transported to the past, and oh, what discoveries I made.  Fabulous classes.

Traveling 'back in time' is part of the theme of the two cards I'm sharing in this post.  Last week, I made another delightful discovery: the Cure for the Monday  Blues challenges, designed and hostessed by the phenomenally talented Taheerah.  I've followed her blog "Fill your Paper with the Breathings of your {heart}" and, in turn, her 'rise to stardom' in the card-making world for a few months, and wow...her creativity is limitless. This challenge alone, is evidence of that; each Monday she shares a photo to inspire us to lift up from the Monday duldrums and get our creative sparks firing. I saw, but didn't play, in the first two challenges (feeling a bit daunted), and nearly went the same route when Challenge #3 came around. 

This challenge, in turn, lead me another discovery, or rather, a reminder, of a stamp set that I won a while back, from Annabelle stamps; one I had yet to ink because the fun, trendy, artsy, yet 'out of my crafting terrain', series of images had me stymied.  

The combination of Taheerah's challenge and the stamps ignited a 'ping'...and a card was born.  Unfortunately, because I'm time-zone challenged, I missed entering.  You'd think I'd pay closer attention to 'link closes in "x" days" info and work from there... 

ANYWAY...when Taheerah's Challenge #4 came about (candies...licorice sticks...yummmm),

I decided my previous un-entered card, with the previously un-used stamps, warranted a companion. This time around, I combined the 'image' inspiration from Challenge #3, Pattern-tastic, with the colours from Challenge #4, Sugar Rush (purple, blue, pink, lilac) to create my card.

Taheerah, hope this card fits your challenge criteria. I'm not sure if mixing-and-matching is allowed, but I'm hoping so, because your challenges have certainly caught my attention!  

Here's my Pattern-tastic inspired Sugar Rush card: 

Just for a lark, here's the first one that didn't squeeze in on time,

And here they are together...

Two more, and I'll have a set...I'm going for it!

Since this is certainly a 'bold' new style I've explored, I'm also entering into CASology Week 82: Bold, 

as well as Simon Monday Challenge: We Love Stamps

Thanks so much for dropping by; your visit and comments make my day!

Cityscape in Pink...Paper Smooches SPARKS: Picture Perfect,CAS(E) this Sketch #64, The Card Concept #3: Monochromatic Pink

Hello! Hope you're having a most wonderful Saturday!

My day has been devoted exclusively to catching up on blogs (still running behind a few...) and making cards, because I'm on my own-some for the weekend, as my husband has traveled west to visit his family for a few days.  Our usual Saturday evening pizza will be shifted to Monday, when he returns, and perhaps, if my 'baking skills' make an appearance, I'll add a home-made chocolate cake for dessert. Won't he be surprised (as will I!!).  While I don't "mind" the time alone to craft or whatever (oh, who am I kidding; there's no 'whatever' on my schedule beyond dabbling with papers, dies and stamps), the evenings/nights aren't exactly fun.  Anxiety...don't like it, so we won't discuss it any further, except to say, grrrr...

When the Paper Smooches Picture Perfect inspiration appeared last Sunday,

I hastily decided, nope. No Valentine or love-themed cards left in me; my capacity had been stretched to the max with the Valentine-athon. Besides, I'd already showcased nearly all my PS 'love' products, so done deal. Decision final. That is, until I remembered a PS NBUS, and my final decision waffled...

My card inventories as monochromatic pink cityscape paired with a gold heart, presented through a clean and graphic concept, with the sentiment placed just beneath the image.  This means I'm linking up to Paper Smooches SPARKS: Picture Perfect

The Card Concept #3: Use monochromatic pink

CAS(E) this Sketch #64

See...simple. I'm into simple these days. I cut the die three times - a base layer of white, a slightly offset layer of deep pink patterned paper, and two lighter shades of pink patterned papers - added some dimensional foam and...done.  

I was thinking of my family while making this, which is perhaps why the city scene 'spoke' to me.  Small town life is wonderful - especially the scenery that surrounds us - but missing my family happens. Often.  So, if my dad happens to be reading my blog *Hi, Pa* (he does, on occasion...) just know that I'm thinking of all of you!! Big hugs!!

NOTE: I'm absolutely honoured that my card was selected as a PS Pro winner.  THANK YOU to everyone who played a role in this card's creation: the DT, the other entries in the gallery, and all my wonderful 'blog' friends who offered encouragement.  So appreciated!!

Also delighted to be selected as a winner over at the Card Concept Challenge #3: Use Monochromatic Pink.  Thank you again so very much!