Life is Good

Today I'm sharing a card that I have worked on for several days.  It just wasn't coming together for the longest time, but I finally got it finished this morning.  I just couldn't decide on which of the dps I wanted to use and which embellishmentss.  I used this week's Mojo Monday sketch for my layout.  Check out this great sketch from Julee.

My colors were inspired from The Shabby Tea Room's inspiration photo.  Aren't these spring colors just lovely?  I was also inspired by the eggs themselves - more on that in a bit.

I'm also playing along with the Let's Get Shabby Challenge which is drawing inspiration from Beatrix Potter's illustrations.  I knew that the Graphic 45 "Once Upon a Springtime" paper had several different Beatrix Potter images in it.  I finally decided to use this little die cut tag with the rabbits.  As a child, I loved reading her stories about Peter Cottontail, singing "Here comes Peter Cottontail hopping down the bunny trail, hippity hoppity Easter's on its way!  Bringing every girl and boy baskets full of Easter joy, hippity hoppity Happy Easter Day!"  So with the dp and song in mind, the Easter egg inspiration photo from TSTR was just what I needed.

Here's my card.

Here's a closeup of the tag with Mother Rabbit, Flopsy, Mopsy, and Peter Cottontail.  The tag had a huge hole punched in it, so I added a big eyelet and some twine.  The bloom is from Webster's Pages.

Here's the inside of the card.  I used a different dp from the same collection with more of those delightful bunnies. 

Recipe:
Stamp:  Verve "Artful Elegance"
Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black and Vintage Photo Distress Ink
Papers:  ivory, dp from Graphic 45 "Once Upon a Springtime"
Other:  ivory ribbon, Bow Easy, trim from stash, EK Success Abstract Flower border punch, Webster's Pages bloomer, Tim Holtz distressing tool, sewing machine, twine, eyelet, Recollections adhesive backed pearls

Thanks for stopping by!
Blessings,
Sarah

On Eagle's Wings

For the Shining the Light Challenge at ODBD, we were challenged to incorporate birds into our creations.  I decided to use the ODBD set "On Eagle's Wings" for both my image and sentiment.

If you are interested in seeing some real eagles, check out this link to see 24/7 coverage of a pair of eagles and their three hatched eaglets.  We have enjoyed watching them over the past few weeks.  Aren't they simply magnificent creatures?

Recipe:
Stamps:  ODBD "On Eagle's Wings"
Paper:  white, kraft, brown, Basic Grey "Capella" (The main background panel was a plain sheet in the 6 x 6 pad that I embossed with a Cuttlebug folder and then sponged the raised embossed areas with Vintage Photo Distress Ink).
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Onyx Black, Vintage Photo Distress Ink
Other:  Copics, Nestabilities Labels 10, Cuttlebug embossing folder, Recollections adhesive backed gold balls

Thanks for stopping by!
Blessings,
Sarah

Mini Cards

This week's color challenge for CR84FN was green, kraft, and brown.  I made a set of mini cards for the WMSC.  The green one is my CR84FN entry and as I looked at my pile of scraps, I decided to make 4 different colored cards so I could make at least a tiny dent in the scrap pile!

Here's the sketch from Waltzingmouse.

I used Waltzingmouse's "Victorian Frippery" for all four of my mini cards.  I just changed the sentiment.  I love the flexibility that this set gives you.

Here's the one for CR84FN:

The other 3 cards are just done in different spring colors.

Here's the entire group of mini cards I made.  They are 3.5" square.

Recipe:
Stamps:  Waltzingmouse Stamps "Victorian Frippery"
Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black, Vintage Photo Distress Ink (layered on to achieve kraft and brown colors)
Paper:  white, scraps of pink, yellow, purple, green
Other:  Seam binding in various colors, Bow Easy, Recollections mini roses, adhesive backed pearls, sponge, and Nestabilities dies:  circles, petite scalloped circles, labels 1

Thanks for stopping by!
Blessings,
Sarah

Praise God ODBDSLC54

I'm back with one last challenge entry for today.  This card is for the Shining the Light Challenge at Our Daily Bread Designs.  The challenge was "Frame It" either making a frame or stamping a framed border.  I used one of the border stamps from ODBD called "Baroque Borders" and the corresponding die.

All in all, this is a pretty clean and simple card.  I stamped the Baroque Borders and the sentiment from "Blessings" using Versafine Onyx Black ink and then sponged the edges with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.  I was going to use the Midnight Madness sketch for this week, but I couldn't get the panels to work, so I just made a little mat using the reverse side of the dp and added a few roses.

Recipe:
Stamps:  ODBD "Baroque Borders" and "Blessings"
Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black, Vintage Photo Distress Ink
Papers:  white, dp from K & Co. "McKenna"
Other:  Recollections roses, knitting needle to curl wire ends, sponge

Thanks for stopping by!
Blessings,
Sarah

VLV cards

For the week 2 VLV challenge, Charmaine gave us this great sketch.  I combined this sketch with this week's CR84FN color challenge.

                                                  

  

I found some dp from K & Co. with a floral pattern that I could use as the garnet color and a print that I could use for the chartreuse. 

I used a Marianne die for the cream colored doily.  I cut the doily twice and then off set them .  You can see this design a little more clearly on the inside of the card.  The border was the edge from the floral print paper that I used for the partial circle on the front.  I thought it would make a nice edging on the inside.  I cut the cream circle with the smallest of the grand circle Nesties.  I love those larger Nesties for 6 x 6 cards!

Recipe:
Stamps:  Verve "Bountiful Harvest"
Papers:  Black, cream, dp from K & Co. Brenda Walton "Evergreen"
Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black
Other:  May Arts ivory silk ribbon, Bow Easy, Recollections rose and gold balls, Marianne doily die, gold trim from stash, knitting needle to curl wire, Grand Circle Nestabilities


For the week 5 VLV challenge, Sankari provided this fun sketch.

I wanted to use the K & Co. "Sweet Nectar" dp that I just picked up on sale at Michael's, so I made a really bright and springy card.  I'm also using this card for the Diva Dare from the Verve blog.

I made some more rolled roses using the same Sizzix die that I used on this card.  I added a little bit of bling to this one, too, along with some yellow velvet ric rac trim that I have had for ages in my stash. 

Recipe:
Stamps:  Verve Plain Jane "To Risk"
Papers:  white, pink, K & Co. "Sweet Nectar"
Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black
Other:  Sizzix "Flowers 3-D" die, velvet ric rac trim (from stash, came in a kit from All That Scraps), Recollections rhinestone flourishes

Thanks for stopping by!  I'll be back with one more card today as soon as I get it finished.  Oh how I am loving Spring Break week and having time to stamp at my leisure today!  : )

Blessings,
Sarah

Moments that Take Our Breath

For this week's challenge at The Shabby Tea Room, we were given a lovely inspiration photo and the direction to use flowers.  From the inspiration photo, I'm using the pink flowers and the idea of layers.

I used Maureen's fabulous VLV week 3 challenge sketch for my layout.

I tried to create a shabby vintage look for my card.  I made the rolled rose using a Sizzix die.  I added a button with a little thread bow in place of the ribbon bow on the sketch. 

Recipe:
Stamps:  Verve "Beautiful You"
Papers:  Basic Grey "Lily Kate", white cards stock for base
Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black, Vintage Photo Distress Ink
Other:  Sizzix die "Flowers 3-D" for rolled rose, brown pleated ribbon and crocheted trim both from Making Memories "Trim Card Brun Antique Reverie," Recollections pearls, Tim Holtz distress tool, sewing machine, sponge, button from stash, linen thread

Thanks for stopping by!  I'll be back in a bit with three more cards.  Today is the deadline for a couple of challenges that I wanted to enter.
Blessings,
Sarah

SNTODBD31 and TSTR54

After a really long week, it is finally the weekend, and I had some time to stamp!  Always a great stress reliever.  I made a card for ODBD's Stamping in Time Challenge "New to You" and Challenge #54 for The Shabby Tea Room.  The hardest part was deciding which three in a  row I should use.

I decided to use gems, flowers, and a new MS punch (my something new for ODBD), but as I worked, I also added lace and I dry embossed the Spellbinders labels 8.  I sponged around the label shape while it was still in the die to make a border.

Recipe:
Stamps:  ODBD "Let Us Begin"
Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black, Vintage Photo Distress Ink
Papers:  ivory, dps all from Graphic 45's "Once Upon A Springtime"
Other:  Lace (scrunched up to make a rosette), Prima flowers, Recollections pearl swirls, MS Garden Gate punch, Spellbinders Labels 8, sponge

Thanks for stopping by!
Blessings,
Sarah