Gardener's Delight

Don't you just love summer....the long days, especially when you wake up at 5:30 thinking it must be time to get up! (lol)  One would think that would give more time to get things done, but somehow that is never the case.  It's a long weekend coming up for both Canada and the USA as we celebrate our national holidays.....take care everyone, as it also means a lot more traffic on the roads.  We are hoping for a nice peaceful uneventful weekend, after a couple of very busy weeks.

Something a little different today, with a stamp that has been waiting for ink for some time!  I've played with water colours this time, for a change, and a pink and green combo for the entire card.  Once again, I've used the 'out of the box' cutting technique....something I really enjoy doing, plus, I had some fun with a bit of doodling.

Supplies used:
Stamp from Stampotique - Cabbage Rose
Paper from Echo Park - Victoria Gardens 6x6 pad
Spellbinders die - Labels Twenty Three
Cheery Lynn die - Fanciful Flourish
Martha Stewart punch - Doily Lace Edge

Thanks so much for visiting, and have a wonderful day!

Some challenges for my card and your viewing pleasure:

Stampotique Designers Challenge - #57 Think outside the box

2 Sisters Challenge - #97 ANYTHING GOES

Allsorts Challenge - #160 Any die will do

Sentimental Sundays - #108 Cute and Girly

Love to Create - #21 Anything Goes

Incy Wincy Designs - Anything Goes

Party Time Tuesdays - #74 Anything Goes

Bearly Mine Challenges - #41 Anything Goes

Joanna Sheen - Summer Daze

Lollipop Crafts - #83 Flowers in Bloom

Fashionable Stamping - #24 Nature

Penny Black and More - All my Favourite Things

Midsummer nights.....

Good morning, and I do hope you are having a wonderful weekend!  Ours is doing good too, much better than last....when hubby ended up in hospital with pneumonia again.  I did a bit of gardening yesterday, and it's amazing how fast those weeds can grow when you don't look at them for a few days!  Quite sneaky how they masquerade as flowers for a while!

So how about this for a nice fun Anniversary card, using the Love Cats image from Just Inklined.  Soooo romantic, and it definitely speaks of summer.  Some fancy cutting and a couple of dies help create the scene, along with some distress inks and a few stars.  The DP is an oldie from my stash, and that pattern was already there.  Just a corner punch and a couple of gems to add some interest to the corners, and a Stampabilities sentiment stamp to finish it off.  Nice and simple....no?

Dies used:  

Fresh Cut Grass from My Favourite Things, and 

Spellbinders Inverted Scalloped Circles

Have yourselves a wonderful crafty day, and hopefully some lovely summer weather.  Enjoy!

Some fun challenges....be sure to have a peek:

Cute Card Thursday - #222 Here Comes Summer

ABC Challenge - R for Romance

Divas by Design - #40 To "die" for

PaperPlay Challenges  - #25 Use a Die

Creative Card Crew - #13 Easy as 1-2-3 (1 image, 2 gems, 3 stars)

Red, White and Blue

Good morning all....and a warm welcome to summer!  What a heat wave we've been having, but I think it is to cool down a wee bit now.  Might actually be able to sit outside again!

I've gone with the 'out of the box technique' for this little cutie from Saturated Canary.  It just so happens to fit their challenge theme this week, but I actually made it for their Guest DT call.  I'm sure I don't stand a chance, but what the heck...nothing ventured, nothing gained, and I just adore Krista's images!

Coloured with copics, I've matted it up with a number of layers, adding some white rub-ons to dress up the blue card blank.  I really must choose my papers before I do my colouring.....it took me ages to actually decide on this design!  I went through my entire stash of papers, and even tried making my own DP, but nothing worked.

Products used:
Freebie Image from Saturated Canary -  Canary Love
Spellbinders dies - Fleur de Lis Squares and Beaded Circles
Fiskars - corner punch

Thanks for visiting, and now for some challenges I'll be entering.
 

Saturated Canary Challenge - #20 Red, White, and Blue

Crafts and Me Challenges - #89 Anything Goes

Sassy Cheryl's - #120 Celebrate Red, White & Blue

Inky Impressions - Red, White, and Blue

Lexi's Creations - #67 Happy Birthday

The Crazy Challenge - #122 A Recipe

Copic Oz - Birthday

Moving Along with the Times - Happy Birthday

PaperPlay Challenges - #25 Use a Die

Keeping cool.....

What a scorcher!  We're having an intense heat wave right now, and it's only June....what will the rest of the summer be like!  Definitely crafting weather.....housework, gardening...all that can wait!  So how about a new challenge at Charisma Cardz, this time with a SUMMER theme.

This could be me....'cool, calm and collected'....ha ha ha!  Not these days, and the bikini is definitely a thing of the past....but I can wish. (lol)  Coloured with copics, then just some pretty ribbon, a few gems, and some perfect pearls for the finishing touches.

Products used:
Stamp by Sparkle Creations – Swimming Lucy
Paper from Cosmo Cricket - Delovely Pad
Spellbinders die - Fleur de Lis Rectangles

So if we can tempt you to join in with us this week, here are the deets on what you could win from this week's wonderful sponsors.

and

with a £10 Voucher

And don't forget to look see what the rest of the DT has been up to!  Thanks for visiting, and hope to see your creations this week.  Stay cool!

Now for some challenges for my card:

Sweet Stampin - Summer fun

Sentimental Sundays - #107 Summer FUN

Sparkle Creations - #82 Beach Challenge

Victorine Challenge - #36 Anything Goes

Divas by Design - #40 To "die" for

The Paper Shelter - #69 The Great Outdoors

Totally Gorjuss - #136 Holiday

Love to Create - #20 Summertime Fun

Deep Ocean Challenge - #28 Welcome Summer

The Crazy Challenge - #122 A Recipe

Hanging in there....

'Tis the weekend, and it's going well and the weather is wonderful too!  We had fresh lobster yesterday...Father's Day special at the supermarket!  Friday, we were able to get together with my parents, taking them out to lunch and then to my daughter's for a visit.  Today, we are sure to have company, and then Monday we head to Toronto for a consult with another specialist.   All being well, we hope to make a day of it with lunch and supper out.  We are on a roll.....maybe!

So now for a card with this little cutie (Pole Dance) from Just Inklined.  I can think of a number of uses, but I chose to go with an encouragement card.  Once again I've coloured with copics and then most everything is distressed with a bit of DI.  I found the DP in my stash of scrapbooking papers, and then added some interest with some black stencil/doodling.  Added some coloured string to enhance the theme, and those circles are acrylic stickers that I've dressed up with stickles.

Dies used:  Nestabilities Labels Eighteen and Romantic Rectangles.

So if things are going a little rough for you right now, take heart from this card.....hopefully it will make you smile.  Thanks for visiting.

A few fun challenges:

Tuesday Throwdown - #102 Critters

PaperPlay Challenges - #24 For a Man (with twine)

Do You Stack Up - #76 Boys/Men

Crafting For All Seasons - #29 For Men

Creatalicious Challenges - #35 Anything Goes

Paper Crafting Journey - #11 Colour It Up

That kind of day....

Good morning, and I do hope your day will be good!  Lots of appointments again today, but the sun is shining and things aren't going too bad.  My card though, is another matter.....it was supposed to be a one layer card, except I stamped it upside down!  Oh well, add a few layers and I'll go with clean and simple.

Although my craft room is full of things I've purchased, often times its those little things that you come by in other ways that prove most delightful.  This stamp, Just Buzzin' By is one of those.  By Penny Black, it is at least 9 years old, in that my youngest daughter bought it to make thank you cards for her wedding!  As she isn't into crafts....its now mine!  How cool is that!

The colouring is done with copics and a bit of prisma pencil for shading.  I had to keep the embellishments to a minimum as it is for Father's Day!

Some fun challenges, with lots of inspiration:

Penny Black and More - All my Favourite Things

Stamp and Create - Bold and Bright

Lollipop Crafts - #83 Flowers in Bloom

Forever Friends - Anything Goes

Southern Girls Challenge - #46 Things with Wings

My Mums Craft Shop - #61 Clean & Simple

Fab 'n' Funky - #125 Fathers Day

The Paper Shelter - #68 Anything goes

Divas by Design - #39 Summer Theme

Crafty Sentiments - Father's Day

Make My Monday - #53 Father's Day

Sentimental Sundays - #106 For a Special Guy

C.R.A.F.T. Challenge - #159 Fathers' Day J and C Creations - #2 Animal Antics

Awareness!

Good morning all, and here's hoping everything is well with you.  It's raining today, which is good for my gardens and good for crafting....and I believe it is sunshine again tomorrow.  Actually, here in Ontario, we've been having a lovely spring...just hoping the summer isn't going to be too hot!

My card today uses an image from Saturated Canary, which Krista offered as a freebie a while back.  Called Boobie Love, it's a reminder to keep getting those mammograms, and to see your doctor if something doesn't seem right.  That last part is from me, from past personal experience....be aware!

I've played with the traditional pinks, pairing it up with brown and cream, which results in a nice bright combination.  Can you see the pink highlites in her hair?  I've used an MS punch for the lace border, a Cheery Lynn die for the flourish and butterfly, and a Spellbinder die for behind the image...all of which have been inked with DI.    A bit of doodling, a piece of ribbon, and a few flowers and gems finish it off.

I found some wonderful challenges for my card, be sure to check them out.

Saturated Canary Challenge - #19 Anything Goes!

Crafter's Companion - #25 Time to Embellish

Paper Crafting Journey - #11 COLOUR It Up

Fussy and Fancy - #64 Swirls and Flourishes

Totally Papercrafts - Doodle on it

Craft Your Days Away - #47 Bingo (flowers/ribbon/gems)

Bunny Zoes Crafts - #25 Girls, Girls, Girls

The Crazy Challenge - #122 A Recipe (ribbon,gems,dies)

Allsorts Challenge - #158 Ice cream colours

Truly Scrumptious - #82 Flower Power

Divas by Design - #38 Chocolate

Bearly Mine Challenges - #39 Tic,Tac,Toe (dies/flowers/sentiment)

Donald Where's Yer Trousers....

Good morning everyone!  Father's Day is just around the corner and I wanted a card with a bit of humour for my husband.  He's going through a really bad stretch right now, so I wanted a card to bring a smile.  Back when he was working, all he would seem to wear were plaid shirts....and I got sick of them!  I didn't think they would ever wear out....so this card is for him.

This is another cute image from Just Inklined called Dougal McDougall...isn't he a snazzy chap?  He was very lucky that the weather was fine and not too windy. (lol)  It does bring to mind that old song 'Donald Where's Yer Trousers', does anyone else remember that one?   He's been coloured with copics, then cut out and framed with my Spellbinders Lacey Ovals die.  The plaid ribbon strip has been coloured to match with distress stain, and I played with an Edgeability die to make the fancy black piece.  Some peel off stickers for a bit of bling, some faux stitching and a hand printed sentiment make up the finishing touches.

Now for a few fun challenges:

Love to Create -  Father's Day or Special Guy

Saturday Challenge - Happy Father's Day

Cards for Men -  Father's Day

Creative Card Crew - Song Inspired

Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes

Creative Inspirations - Card For A Male!

C.R.A.F.T. Challenge - Male Card

Card Makin' Mamas - Father's Day

Digital Tuesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Sweet Stampin - All Stitched Up

Get on your bike and ride....

Time for another challenge at Charisma Cardz, and this time the theme is Travel.  We would love to see your take on this theme, so hopefully you can find some time for crafting and have some fun.  Be sure to check out the rest of the DT's creations for added inspiration.

Remember..... the days when you rode a bike for fun, not exercise, and your body didn't complain for three days afterwards! (lol)  Today I've stamped up Rosalie's Bicycle from Sarah Kay, and she definitely looks like she's enjoying her ride.  A nice simple one layer card which really lets this sweet image shine.  I've coloured with my copics, punched the lower corners with my newest MS punch, added the corner element...cut on my Silhouette, and finally some doodling and DI for the edges.  All done!

Our  generous sponsors this week are:

with a $20 voucher 

and

with 5 digis of the winner's choice

 Hope you have a wonderful day, and thanks for visiting.

Some more inspiration with challenges I'm entering...

Sweet Stampin - Use your favourite stamp

Oldie but a Goodie Challenge - Anything Goes

The Crazy Challenge - #121 Childhood Memories

Challenge up Your Life - #70 One Layer Card

Penny Black and More - All my Favourite Things

Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes 7 Kids College Fund - #49 School's Out For Summer

June Blog Hop at Just Inkined

Can you believe it's June already....where did May go.  As today is the first Monday of the month, it is also time for another fun hop with the Just Inlined DT.  Karen is our charming hostess today, and she's chosen EMBOSSING as our theme.   Now, you should have arrived here from the talented Jeni's blog, but if you are just starting out, be sure to head back over to Karen's blog....where all the fun begins!  Once again, remember to leave some comments along the way, for your chance at the mystery spotlight prizes.

I've gone with a Christmas image this time, after all.....we're nearly half way there!  This one is called Letter to Santa, and is available with either a boy or a girl.  I've coloured with copics, inking the background with DI and adding some sparkle for the snow.  The gold sparkly circle is actually a sticker....something I picked up on my travels, and my embossing can be found on the layer beneath that.  I've used it in reverse, so that the dots are inverted.  This allowed me to sponge DI over the paper, leaving the dots white to simulate falling snow.  For the final layer, I cut a circle from some DP, and then removed the center using my Nestie die.

And now you go on to see what lovely creation Jak will be sharing with us today.   I do hope you enjoyed your visit, and all your other stops along the way.  Here's wishing you a lovely crafty day!

A few challenges for my card...

Craft Your Days Away - #46 Red, White & Blue

Hooked on Craft - #21 All That Glitters

Party Time Tuesdays - #70 Anything Goes

ABC Christmas Challenge - K is for Keep it Simple

Saturday Challenge - #188 Anything Goes

Divas by Design - #37 Anything Goes

Moving Along with the Times - Red, White & Blue

Summer Fun

Not quite the weekend that I had in mind.  Grey skies and lots of rain, and then I was under the weather too.  Some sort of bug that kept me in bed, where I slept nearly 20 hours.  I've not done that before, and hopefully it's moving right along.