Thanks A Bunch...Cupcake Inspiration Challenges #358~Lilac, Apricot and Grey

Hello,

Sunday morning...and  an invitation to join the DT  over at Cupcake Inspirations Challenge #358, with this gorgeous palette!  Seriously oh-so-pretty! The tantalizing strawberry-lime cupcakes are incredibly lovely and paired with the slate gray plate and flowers...my word!

Source
If you have time, do check out the source blog, Hint of Vanilla:  magical! If you love rhubarb,
you will be blown away with what she does with it. And the strawberry and mint scones...and the layercakes...and eclairs  and COFFEE donuts!  Decadent and delicious. Her photography is stellar, too!  Works of art!! (Bonus: she's Canadian *grin*)

Anyway, I digress...(my tastebuds made me stray...)

I had zero clue what to do with this luscious lilac, apricot and grey scheme that would do justice to both the colours and the inspiration photo.  Then, like magic, I saw Karolyn's card here. And so, I set about creating a case of her lovely roses that transformed into this...

I *think* I achieved my colours + image goal. What do you think?

Next steps:  all yours!  Pull out your lilacs, apricots, grays and join us in the gallery! 

Excited to see what you create this week!

Thank you for spending time with me today; your visit brings me immense joy!

You are my Sunshine x 2...CAS(E) this Sketch #169, Little Tangles Challenge #67~Die-Cutting, Simon Says Wednesday Challenge~Anything Goes, Tuesday Throwdown #291~Anything Goes, Words 2 Craft By~April Suns and April Shadows

Hello!

Okay, how did it get to be Wednesday evening so quickly? More important, how is it that April is rapidly coming to a close? I need time to sloooowwwww down!

Speaking of being slow: pick me! Again! I'm dashing in with a card I made earlier today -  crafting therapy required after my 'long day at the office' - and one made some other day. Can't remember (see...time goes so fast my thinking can't keep up!).  The "when" doesn't matter, but the "who for" does...and these are heading to the two little *sunshines* in my life, Ms. Niece and Mr. Nephew.

My first card was inspired by CAS(E) this Sketch #169, which had me 'nearly' not playing until some new Neat & Tangled goodies (a very small order of three must haves) arrived yesterday. Timely, right!

Of course, new N&T also means heading over to Little Tangles Challenge #67~Die-Cutting

Here they are...more rainbows and sunshine...

NOTE: Thrilled and honoured to be selected as a CTS #169 Favourite. THANK YOU!!

NOTE: Doubly thrilled to be Noticed by Neat and Tangled! THANK YOU! 

NOTE: Incredibly thrilled to be the Challenge Winner at Words 2 Craft By

Anything Goes over at Simon Says Wednesday Challenge, so I'm making an appearance in their gallery,

/as well as at Tuesday Throwdown #291, with the same theme.  Words 2 Craft By is inviting us to join in their April Suns and April Shadows challenge, so I'm bringing my suns over to their place.

Thanks so much for spending time with me today; your visit brings me immense joy!

Birthday and Thank You Butterflies...Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge #191~Anything Goes, Seize the Birthday~Anything Goes

Hello!

The low grey clouds, gusty winds and sprinkles of rain over the weekend, have given away to puffy clouds, interspersed with glimpses of blue sky and the promise of sunshine. As much as I want the warm temperatures to appear, we do need rain...and I'd welcome a day or three of steady drizzle. Good for the plants and wildlife; good for crafting *grin*

Today, I'm delighted to join my DT in welcoming you to Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge #191

Perfect challenge to bring out my lovely Painted Butterflies (they've so happy to have a couple more Atlenew sets for companionship!) for some flittering and fluttering.  I made the first card for my sister-in-law, who celebrated her birthday last week, the same day as my dad's was. Joy in the sadness...

The second will find a home at some point (hopefully).  As I mentioned in an earlier post, my mom and her volunteer group are hostessing a Strawberry Tea on May 14th at the seniors' residence in her neighbourhood, so I'm planning to bring some cards to donate as part of a fund-raiser.  I don't have *too* many, but the stash is growing...

This week, we're sponsored by

who are offering a $10 gift certificate to the challenge winner.  How to win? Easy...just create a something and share. Anything Goes suits everyone's style! 

See you in the gallery!

Also sharing at:

TIME OUT Challenge #55~Celebrations with optional twist of die cutting/fussy cutting

Seize the Birthday~Anything Goes

Thank you for spending time with me today; your visit brings me immense joy!

Flowers...CASology Week #194~Mom, Pinterest April 2016 Challenge, Just Add Ink #308~"Just add M", Crazy 4 Challenge #333~Flowers

Hello,

Okay, so I pretty much turned around and the weekend has vanished! In fact, I made but one...ONE!...card!  Pent-up creativity happening, I tell you!

Anyway, two cards to share quickly today.  The first features my brand spanking new Layered Lily from Altenew. In love!  Warmly welcomed into my collection (along with two other sets, ordered from a local crafting gal I recently found...woo hooooo!) and showcased for this week's CASology Week #194~Mom

Nothing brand-spanking-new about my design, but oh, what a pretty lily it is!

NOTE:  Honoured and delighted that my card received a CASology Honourable Mention. Thank you, Ardyth!!

My second is my non-water-coloured (tried, epic failures. epic not doing this!) card for the Pinterest April 2016 Challenge

I used a trio of floral rubber stamps from So Suzy, stamped them in the inspiration image colours, added a fabulous N&T Hello...and called it done.  Makes me inky happy (as compared to water-colour wailing!)

Also sending my cards to various challenges, where they fit:

Just Add Ink #308~"Just add M"

Crazy 4 Challenge #333~Flowers

We've had a blustery, cloudy, rainy cool weekend...and I don't mind.  Rain needed...and then, the rainbows will come!

Thank you so much for spending time with me today; your visit brings me immense joy!

Wheely Fun...Inkspirational Challenge #107~Designer's Choice (Vehicles), Cute Card Thursday #422~Add a Quotation,

Hello,

Welcome to Inkspirational Challenge #107~Designer's Choice, where I, as the designer choosing, opted for *VEHICLE* as this round's inspiration.

Planes, trains and automobiles...and buses, scooters, skateboards, helicopters...plenty of possibilities!  Wonderfully talented Tanja is joining us this week, along with my stellar teammates:  Pia, Sandie, Shauna, Marina, Kim, Nonni.  Their vehicle-themed cards are sheer delights!

In two week's time, the cycling racing season will begin in our province, and I'll be standing road-side or in follow-cars behind the peleton, clipboard and stop watch in hand, ready to take on my officiating role. I'm  ready!  That said: just makes sense that my inspiration cards feature a bike....

This is a digi image (which I don't have talent for showcasing in any other fashion beyond 'print, colour and mount') from Pink Petticoat, before the business closed.  The images are coloured with polychromos pencils and covered with Glossy Accents.  The set, in total, has eight different sentiments, including one sentiment-free, which I used for the "Thanks A Bunch" card (sentiment from Altenew).  In real life, they're quite cute (so says my husband...although *this* bike is a far cry from his streamlined, under 14 lbs, fancy-dancy road bikes (and no way would he be seen on a bike with a basket *grin*)...

Here they are...hope you *wheely* like them....Oh yes, the papers are from Lawn Fawn...

Your turn!

Looking forward to seeing your *Vehicle*-themed cards in the Inkspirational gallery!

Also sharing at
Cute Card Thursday #422~Add A Quotation (specifically with card #3, which is a play on the "Live Life in the Fast Lane" quotation)

Thanks so much for spending time with me today; your visit brings me immense joy!

Birthday Butterfly...Just Us Girls Challenge #339~Peach, Lavender and Ivory, Simon Says Monday Challenge~Butterflies, Make My Monday Challenge~Butterflies, AAA Cards Challenge #62~Anything Goes, Happy Little Stampers~Anything Goes

Hello,

Somebody in this little family-of-two is out riding *his* bike (yes, the epic training adventures have started...), and the other somebody is now taking over the supper duties a bit more often. This particular somebody is not well-versed in cooking (I'm much better a sous chef!), which is evidenced by the fact that I've spent the duration of what 'should' be food prep time making cards. Fortunately,  ribs are in the oven (forethought...yayyyy me!) and they're nearly at the 'what happens next' stage (seriously: I do NOT cook!).  I'd best post quickly and consult the recipe; the other somebody will be back very soon, likely ravenous after three hours of interval training. I need some interval training in supper making...

As for my card: BUTTERFLY! (warned you earlier...they're out in full force *grin*)

Inspiration from Just Us Girls Challenge #339~Peach, Lavender and Ivory, the DT's lovely cards and Lisa's gorgeous card/tag combination, in particular.

My Happy Little Stampers Butterfly, coloured with ONE lavender polychromos pencil (just added layers for 'depth'), and sentiment, with a TH stencil background, plus three ivory pearls...

My simple, pretty butterfly (this image is a favourite!) is joining the galleries at:

Simon Says Monday Challenge~Butterflies

Make My Monday Challenge~Butterflies

AAA Cards Challenge #62~Anything Goes

Happy Little Stampers~Anything Goes

Okay...off to deal with these ribs.  Hope I can find some BBQ sauce in the fridge...

Thank you for spending time with me today; your visit brings me immense joy!

Just Because and Thanks...City Crafters' Challenge Blog~CASE ME IF YOU CAN 6th Birthday Challenge, FUSION April Showers

Hello,

As I mentioned in my previous post: I'm being blog oinky once again! Fourth post!

A special celebration is happening in our fabulous community: City Crafters' Challenge Blog~CASE ME IF YOU CAN 6th Birthday Challenge.

Hooray!!!

To mark this milestone, we've been invited to CASE any one - or all four - of the DT cards, so...I plunged right in and have two cased cards to share.

My first draws inspiration from this striking striped + sentiment + heart number, aka Case #1:

My connections:  the stripes, the umbrella standing in for the wee heart on the original (I had my supplies out and decided to make a couple rainbow umbrellas, as you can see in my previous post) and a simple sentiment.  Hopefully, I didn't stretch the interpretation tooooo far, but here's the scoop: without this card to spark ideas, my card would not have happened. I added my own twists, but kept the essential elements...

My second card was prompted by delicate, pretty Case #3:

The inked background, the text stamp, wee pearls, a bold sentiment and one big ol' scribbly circle as my focal point: those are my 'take-aways'.   If I had leaf or die fronds, trust me, they'd make an appearance, but I don't. That's why I went with the circles, that sort of 'extend' into the white space in a fashion similar to the Case card (and that's my story and I'm sticking with it).  Again, my card showcases some of the key elements found in the original...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CCCB...

Wishing you and your amazing DT many, many more years of fabulous, inspiring challenges!

Your site is a most inviting, welcoming, fun place to play!

Also linking my first card to FUSION~April Showers

Thank you for spending time with me today; your visit brings me immense joy!

Swirly Happy Birthday...CASology #193~Pink

Hello once again,

CAS post for my incredibly simple CASology #193~Pink card...

PTI die cut, 'ombre' inked, and some light background stenciling (again....).

And that's  it!!

COMMENT MODERATION (my version):  Because I'm hogging the blog-o-sphere today, please know that while I super appreciate your visit and LOVE your comments, this card is ultra simple, so one word in response will make me ultra happy. Hopefully that word won't be *Ewwww...* (grin)

NOTE; Thrilled to be Jen's Honourable Mention selection over at CASology! THANK YOU!! Feeling special!

Thank you for spending time with me today; your visit brings me joy!

Hello, You Make Me Happy...STAMPlorations ARTplorations April 2016 Flash Stencil Linky Party, FUSION~April Showers,Addicted to CAS Challenge #86~Rain, STAMPlorations Anything Goes

Hello!

My husband is away (again...) at an Olympic Committee conference, which has meant crafting time a-plenty for me over the past couple of days (except for work and a very necessary date with the vacuum!).  I should have more to show for the hours spent at my 'creativity corner', however, I'm so easily distracted, especially when so many of YOUR gorgeous cards are calling for my attention.

Anyway, I'm going on a bit of a post-palooza because sure as shootin', linkies will close before I get my foot in the door.

Two stencil cards (yes, more stencils. I'm smitten stencils even though I don't do anything mixed media flashy with them.  Making inky patterns = happy me) that were inspired first by the  STAMPlorations ARTplorations April 2016 Flash Stencil Linky Party, as well as a variety of other challenges that you'll see below.

First up...my 'stenciled' interpretation of rain (STAMPlorations ARTplorations Bubble stencil), paired with my rainbow sponged and perfect pearled MFT umbrella.  This one will be heading off to FUSION, Addicted to CAS, and STAMPlorations Anything Goes (links below).  Big bubbly raindrops...we could use some of those here...

NOTE:  Honoured and thrilled to be selected as a CAS Challenge #86 Top 3 Favourite! THANK YOU!!

My second card features a light-touch Cracked Pistachio inking of the ARTplorations Flourishes stencil, a Uniko butterfly that I water-coloured (GASP...it's not as vibrant as I wanted, so I perfect pearled the heck out of it. That baby really shimmers!) and an Altenew sentiment.  Because I stenciled, stamped and water-coloured, my butterfly is fluttering to Loll and Bonnie's CAS Mix Up Card challenge (link below).

Please be warned: the butterflies are on the loose again. Repeat: the butterflies are on the loose!  Have to; I love them...

Okay, off for a quick second date with the vacuum, then I'm ditching it for the washing machine. My husband should be home late afternoon and I wouldn't want him to think I've just been lolly-gagging around (he's smart...he's well-aware of what I'm up to *grin*)

Joining the galleries at:

CAS Mix Up Card Challenge April 2016 (stamping, stenciling and water-colour...)

FUSION~April Showers

STAMPlorations Anything Goes

Addicted to CAS Challenge #86~Rain

Thank you for spending time with me today; your visit brings me immense joy!