Celebrate You!

My favorite challenges are sketch challenges, for some reason that is what gets my creative juices flowing. I have been wanting to work with the MFT Small Brick stencil. I maybe should have used the center portion rather than the end but... I also love these cute little Birthday Chicks stamps also from MFT.   

I am entering this card in the following challenge:
MFT Sketch #396
SSS Wild Things - because chicks are wild aren't they? 

Smile!

Color challenges do often challenge me the most and somehow this one really took me a while to come up with something. Lately I have been really enjoying "playing with" my alcohol inks so I tried to use the colors in the challenge for behind the word Smile (I love this die). Then I colored the cute owls using the colors. There just wasn't enough room on that branch for all 23 owls so the inside is also decorated with an owl - so is the back. I think it turned out okay but not one on my favorites. 

I am entering this card in the following challenge:
MFT Color Challenge #98
SSS Wild Things

Party!

I love this sketch from the Sketch Challenge at MFT! There will probably be another card coming soon and here it is! I am working at (practicing) water coloring. Kristina Werner and Jennifer McGuire sure make it look easy! For my previous card I worked on using water colors for the background, for this card I used the water colors to paint the birds from the Toucan Do It stamp set. My last name is Flach - pronounced "flock". I HAD to have this stamp set since there are a slew of us Flachs! I also used the Moroccan die and cut it out of an alcohol inked background that didn't turn out the way I had planned but worked perfect for this. 

I am entering this card in the following challenge:
MFT Sketch Challenge - #395
SSS Anything Goes

Anniversary Card

I love this sketch from the Sketch Challenge at MFT! There will probably be another card coming soon. I am working at (practicing) water coloring. Kristina Werner and Jennifer McGuire sure make it look easy! So I was watching a video by Jennifer McGuire on ink lifting with alcohol inks. I did that with the flower but my background got kind of wrecked. So on the Kristina Werner and her video on water color backgrounds. It didn't turn out like hers but I am working on it. I do love the sketch! The beautiful laced background is from MFT called Moroccan Die. I love this die and will be using it again. This card is for my sister and her husband. 

I am entering this card in the following challenge:
MFT Sketch Challenge
SSS Anything Goes

Confetti Fun

Confetti Fun! I made this for one of my young grandsons. I thought he would think this is a fun card. I thought these cute elephants were from MFT but I was wrong although they have a set with elephants very similar to these. It is called Adorable Elephants 

I am entering this card in the following challenge:
MFT Birthday Project

Watercolor Flower

I really do like to use watercolors. It is a nice change from Copic coloring and colored pencils. It is also not quite as exacting. I created the background with some distress inks and the Waves Stencil from SSS. The flower is from GKD called A Year of Flowers 2 and the sentiment is also from GKD called Wealth of Wishes.

I am entering this card in the following challenge:
SSS Anything Goes
SSS Work it Wednesday

Birthday Fun

I totally had fun with this card. It shines and sparkles and shakes and turned out better than I had hoped. I used some paper that I had foiled as the background for the shaker and for the bow. The Birthday Chicks stamps from MFT was just too cute to pass up for this card. I made this for my friend who will totally appreciate this. I used the Gift Shaker also from MFT and filled it with some sparkly gold and silver foil hearts. 

This card is being submitted to the following challenge:

MFT - Birthday Challenge

MFT - Sketch Challenge #394

SSS - Monday Sparkle Challenge

Yay - it's Your Day

Yay is such a fun die from My Favorite Things, I find myself reaching for it often. This is perfect for a teen birthday card. I used an alcohol ink background that had some silver foil added to it. 

This card is being submitted to the following challenge:

Simon Says - Use Die or Punch

MFT Color #97

These colors were a bit of a challenge for me. I am more of a bright colors than the soft and muted colors especially since I chose to go with one of the adorable Toucans and my brand new balloons. This is just a fun card and no idea who I am going to mail it to, yet. 

I used the following adorable stamp set from MFT. 
Stamps: Toucan Do It

The word die is from Happy Greetings
The balloons coordinate with the I Heart Celebrating
The Hello came from a Simon Says Stamp set. I love that script.

This card is being submitted to the following challenge:

MFT Color #97: MFT Color

MFT Sketch

I am going to be a grandma - again. Yeah!!! The shower is next week and they do NOT want to know if they are having a boy or a girl. So this is the card I came up with. I also made it work for my second entry for the Sketch challenge over on the MFT blog. 

I used the following adorable stamp set from MFT. 

Stamps: Welcome Baby
The die called Clothesline (I think). 

This card is being submitted to the following challenge:

MFT Sketch #392: MFT Sketch

MFT Sketch Challenge

Sometimes a challenge can throw me for a loop, this sketch really stumped me for a while. In my family I have many birthdays, especially grandchildren, so making a birthday card usually gets me out of a slump. I also love playing with alcohol inks. So the background piece helped me out with this one. And who can resist this shark?!?!

I used the following adorable stamp set from MFT. 

Stamps: Beach Buds
The die was one I had. 

This card is being submitted to the following challenge:

MFT Sketch #392: MFT Sketch

SSS Color Challenge

Yeah - I am back again - this time with a Red White Blue thank you card. I made this card for friends who hosted the 4th of July gathering this year.

I used some adorable stamps and dies from MFT. 

Stamps: A Tweet Hello
Die: Birdbath

This card is being submitted to the following challenge:

SSS - Color Challenge

MFT - Summer School

I have been struggling with making the time to get back into doing challenges and keeping up my blog. So once again I am restarting this blog. I have updated some aspects of it and I am re-committed! 

I discovered My Favorite Things recently and decided to participate in some of their challenges - the Summer School week has been really fun! I only have a few of their stamp sets (so far!) so a few are a little limited in variety. Thank goodness my sister is a new card making recruit and we are sharing some stamp sets. 

This card is for today's entry focusing on symmetry. 

I used the Doodled Blooms stamp sets from MFT. The sentiment is GKD. I colored the flowers quickly with my Copics and added some GKD crystalline drops for the center of the flowers.

This card is being submitted to the following challenge:

MFT - Summer School - Symmetry

Bridal Shower Invitation

In my wonderfully large family there are always special events coming around. This year one of our son's is getting married and I am making the invitations for the bridal shower. My future daughter-in-law is delightful and we are so happy to welcome her into the family. This is the invitation I made so that my other daughters-in-law and daughters do not have to worry about this part of it. 

I used some of the GinaK Decofoil for the lower portion - it is nice and sparkly! The die and stamp set I got from Simon Says Stamp. I added a few Nuvo Dots and some plain white ribbon. 

This card is being submitted to the following challenges:
SimonSaysBlog - Anything Goes

Happy 13th

Well, I see it has been a long time since I I have posted - several years to be a little more precise. I have not stopped making cards, in fact I make quite a few. I just had to prioritize - keep up with the blog or make cards. Making cards won. Anyway, I will be trying to post a few now and then. Here is a card I made for my grandson. 

This was a lot of fun! I used some dies and and foil and embossing. I used Decofoil transfer gel on an alphabet stencil for the name. Such fun! 

This card is being submitted to the following challenges:
SimonSaysBlog - Seeing Stars 

Daydream Designs Spring Blog Hop - April 2014

Welcome to the Spring Has Sprung Blog Hop sponsored by Daydream Designs! We are so glad you are joining us! We hope you’ll join us each day since some of our design team will be posting each day of the blog hop with new projects to inspire your spring crafting. 

This is a unique blog hop because EVERYONE WINS! There will be free digi stamps on each DT blog available only for the duration of the blog hop. So grab them while you can. Other prizes for qualifying participants: 3 winners get 3 FREE stamp sets, 2 winners get 2 FREE stamp sets, and 1 person will win 1 FREE stamp set...all from Diane’s Daydream Designs Stores.

To qualify, comment on each DT blog (one time for each DT is sufficient even if they post each day). Start the blog hop at Diane’s blog and continue through this list:

Diane Noble

Amy Almeida
Carole Robb Bisson
Elizabeth Hart
Gail Scott
Helen Phelps
Jerusha Borden
Karen Letchworth
Margaret Ashby
MariLynn DeGroot
Marsha Drain
Miesje Flach
Mynnette Kitchen
Pam Phelps
Vickie Yeakley
Katlyn Traxler
Tricia Traxler

You should have arrived from Marsha's blog and I am quite certain you were suitably impressed by her work! I absolutely love the Spring Has Sprung sets. This first card was made with the Cup of Tulips set. This has such vibrant colors. I just added a couple of ribbons and some pearls.

This next card uses the adorable Bouquet of Daisies. I love daisies and I just took a few of the daisies image - used the copy and paste command and placed them in a bunch. Then I added a ribbon and a few yellow brads. This card screams, SPRING! I also used a strip of the coordinating papers from this set and the sentiment.

For those of you who know me just a little bit you know I LOVE tulips! Perhaps it is the Dutch in me!  So this card uses the set called Pot of Tulips. I used the digi paper called Pink Grid Paper which coordinated so perfectly with this image. I also used a sentiment and the butterfly is from a punch.  

Now hop on over to visit Mynnette - she is so talented I just know you are going to love her eye candy. 

I hope you enjoyed the hop as much as we enjoyed creating for it. 

God Bless You!

Irish Blessings to You!

Here are a couple of St. Patrick's Day cards I made for a few of my Irish friends! I made both of these with the Irish Blessings set from Daydream Designs. I even remembered to mail them! Yeah me! 

So Irish Blessings to all of you!

God Bless,

Happy Birthday

Today is one of my grandchildren's birthday - this is one of 3 this month alone! I used the same wonderful digital stamp set from Daydream Designs called Birthday Bash. 

I really love the little animal images and the digital paper that comes with it work great with it too! This is great for all of the younger grandkids - it's the pre-teens and teens that are tough! I have never given any of them a store brought card so I am always looking for versatile sets, this one was perfect. 

I really had a lot of fun making these and it is the perfect set when you have 19 grandchildren! 

I hope you enjoyed these. To see more really fun images hop on over to Diane's Daydream Designs and have a look. 

Until next time.....

Thanks!

I always have the absolute best intentions to send out cards that say "Thanks!". Thanks for the kind words, thanks for the prayers, thanks for listening, thanks for the gift. I am not real good at sending the cards although I do make them. I even forget to post them. So here are three "Thanks! cards; to Pam and Sue-Ellen and Shannon. They know why! Love you - one is a sister through marriage another is a sister in my heart and the third is an amazing new addition to my heart! 

Tweethearts by Daydream Designs

These three card were made with an adorable digital image by Daydream Designs called Tweethearts. It is a valentine set but can be used for so much more. As you can see I used basically the same colors and images and just re-sized - popped up - changed layouts- added some embellishments and had an incredibly fun time playing with these heart flowers. The little blue bird in the bottom card was added at the last minute. I saw it laying on my craft table as a discard due to bad cutting, it had lost the attached envelope. It is from the same digital stamp set. 

I hope you enjoyed these. To see more really fun images hop on over to Daydream Designs and have a look. 

Until next time.....

I have to go mail my cards now - excuse the poinsettia stamps - I never sent out my Christmas cards either. {sigh}

Daydream Designs Blog Hop - January 2014

Join the Fun—It Begins Today!

January 15 –January 19

Welcome to the Daydream Designs BLOG HOP!  We have tons of inspiration for you and lots of FREEBIES and giveaways.  You will visit 10 Dream Team designers’ blogs.  Follow the linked list below to move through the blog hop in order, so you don’t miss one. 

**Three winners will win their choice of THREE FREE SETS**

 from our Daydream Designs Store. 

(Excludes KD-Kits)

**One winner will win the BIG BLOG HOP CANDY**

(see Diane’s blog for pictures)

**EVERYONE WINS!**

Collect FREE DIGIS as you go!  There will be a free digi waiting on each designer’s blog!

• 1.       Visit every blog on the list.
• 2.       Leave a comment saying you were here.
• 3.       For an extra chance to win, subscribe to our newsletter (Diane’s blog, first stop on the hop).
• 4.       When you get to the last blog on the list, Jerusha’s blog, you will have the choice to end the hop or continue to Deedee Anderson’s blog to start another round with her team for more prizes and Freebies!  Let’s get started!

Diane 
Elizabeth
Gail
Gemiel
Helen
Jill
Karen
MariLynn
Miesje
Jerusha
Deedee

You should have arrived from MariLynn blog and I am quite certain you were suitably impressed by her work, I know that I always am! I made both of my cards using the Sending You Love set. It has so much variety - I just love it! Although it was the same set look at the 2 very different cards that were created with it.

I really liked using the black ribbon on this one and I hope you can tell that the bird with the envelope are popped up. One of nice things about digital images is that they can be layered. I added the sentiments on top of the images and I just did that in Word. Very simple to do. 

Now hop on over to visit Jerusha - she is so talented I just know you are going to love her eye candy. And here is the free digi that I used in the first card courtesy of Diane!