Bird Sympathy

Sadly, it seems like I have needed sympathy cards more often lately.  While I lost my parents quite a few years ago, I am getting to the age where more of my friends seem to be losing a parent.

These two use an image from Memory Box and let the Copic makers doing the color layering work.  The sentiment is from Amuse and the papers are from a variety of 6x6 pads I had in my stash.  I chose the blues, khaki, and yellow for the calming hues.

I realized I have had this and a few others from this line of bird silhouette scenes, so I went back through my posts and found a bunch of Memory Box birds from over the years.  Click here to see more!

Hope this inspired you today!

Autumn Sunset for a Birthday

My mojo has gone AWOL of late. :(  I decided the lift a couple of my previous creations that I really enjoyed. :)

The image is a favorite of mine from Memory Box and I decided to use a favorite technique to go with it.  I used a variety of Copics and blended them together after stamping the image with Tuxedo Black Memento ink.  This was so easy to make that I made something like more versions, but since I didn't have anymore of the orange ribbon or navy paper they each have different bottoms.  With 8 birthdays and 4 anniversaries coming up in the next 6 weeks these will be great to have in the stash!!

I'm in the process of cleaning out my studio for a garage sale happening at the end of the month at Ink About It in Westford MA.  Stop by for AMAZING deals- I'll be practically giving stamps and paper away.  Fingers crossed that the clean sweep of my space will help me find my inspiration again. :)

For a tutorial on this technique, pop over here.

My birdies and I have flown here to tweet greetings:
Moxie Fab Challenge: Tuesday Trigger Apache Tears in Shades of Autumn (I saw the image and thought of this card's colors)

All Aboard!

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All aboard the Top Tip Tuesday Express!  Whoo-whoo!  This week we have "deck-the-sketch" kinda challenge, so you'll want to head over to see your choices, but don't go yet you haven't seen the whole card! :)

I went little boy birthday with my theme and used paper from BG on the new(ish) Memory Box card bases.  This August I'm (eeeek!!!) going to get to take another class from Dave at Memory Box and can't wait to tell him how much I'm crushing on these new card bases.  Ya know 'cause he created them just for me- as if!!!  LOL!

It's a double team tip week at TTT, so my team (Go Team Red!) got together with Team Blue to provide lots of inspiration and tips for ya'll.

I mentioned that I used BG and MB for my papers, here are the copics I used and the image is Choo Choo Charlie from Robin's Fetish (disclosure time-she gave everyone on the DT an image).  Charlie was my Grandpa Ah-boo's name and he loved trains, so this one really spoke to me!

Hope you find a sketch that speaks to you, ut the only way that can happen is if you chugga-chugga your way over to TTT and join the fun!  Let me know if you do!

Cat Tails

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This yet another card made for the "tweet basket".  More goods from that yummy kit like in this and this are what I used to make this little goodie. :)

 

I've been trying to get better about deets, so here they are:

Ink- memento- rich cocoa

Markers- spica

Paper- crate paper restoration collection

Ribbon and Die cuts- PTI
Stamps- memory box- cat o nine tails

Sorry I haven't been posting much this week.  I got picked for a jury and have been serving this week and will be continuing into next week.  Wow, it really puts your life in perspective.  It's very stressful to have someone's fate in your hands.  That being said, I'd much rather be on a jury than have to be in the situation where I need a jury!

I miss my students and hope they are practicing their reading!  We have a big standardized test coming up and I've had to leave them on their own to get ready these past few days.  Please keep your fingers crossed for my little gang. :)

I've "perched" this card for viewing here:

Moxie Fab World- Tuesday Trigger Image (the colors and flowery shapes of the ppr)

E.A.D.- Color Challenge
The Kraft Journal- Spring Fling
Really Reasonable Ribbon- Use Green
DYSU- Layers

Bling It On at TTT

So I'm kinda addicted to creating these gift sets.  They are so much fun!!  This was made using the Crate Paper kit my LSS sells in their monthly kit club.  Just the burst of warm weather color I have been craving this time of year. :)

Since it's Tuesday, I thought why not share this with my Top Tip Tuesday Teamies!!!

This week's challenge is Bling It On.  This set has some subtle bling on the Memory Box images and the thank you message (AMuse I think).

PSA time- Don't let your cards suffer from "Naked Envelopes".  Make sure you "clothe" up the envies with fun images, sentiments, or any 'ole detailing.  Bring some joy to the giver, the receiver, and even the mail carrier.  LOL!  Seriously, when you have the time to add this detail it is lots of fun to look at decorated envies. :)

Crate Paper (Restoration Collection), Bo Bunny (Ocean Dot), Dear Lizzy (Comfort & Joy), a die from Papertrey Ink, and my Marvy punches helped make the layered covers to both the memo pad and the note cards.

Here is everything in the box.  These are like happiness in a box!  They really are so much fun. :)

Officially this is blinged with Spica pens and Stickles, but one might argue that the ribbons on the memo pad help too (I know excuses, excuses hee-hee).  Seriously though, stop by Top Tip Tuesday and enter your "Bling It On" creation or a tip.  You could win fabulous prizes from these companies:

Don't forget the rules.  They are pretty easy though. :)  It has to be a new post (no back dating), you can only enter 3 times, and you have to link back to TTT on your post.

I've packaged this all up and headed over here:
Incy Wincy Designs- Use punches or dies
Ooh La La- Pink, Pink, Pink
Stamps R Us- For the girls
The Ribbon Girl- Pink Brown Cream
Alota Rubber Stamps- Using punches
Crafts and Me- Things with Wings 

More birds!

It's pretty stormy here, but it seems to be rain and not snow, for now.  In New England we all know nothing lasts for too long. :)

 

My Unitarian church hosts a huge (no really it's something to behold) Country Fair every September and participates in the town Holiday Bazaar in December.  I've been "blessed" ;) with being the chair for the Country Store booth at the Country Fair for the last couple of years.  It is a blast, but it's a huge amount of work.  In the past, the crafting work has fallen on a small group of crafters within the church.  This past January, I helped launch Crafting Hands to help get new crafters involved and ease some of the last minute production burden for these events.  We had our second workshop this past Friday and Saturday and these cardinals were among the many fantastic items created!  (I'll post other crafty goodies later).

These are going to be sold as pins for the Holiday Bazaar and we have 20 others that have flown to homes to be sew together and brought back for painting in May.  One of the helpers found a pattern at home to make a dove pin in the style of the cardinal (that should be a fun flock too!).  I thought these fine feathered friends would make for some fun card inspiration!

I used Bird and Nest from Memory Box, then stamped it with Cardinal Red Archival Ink and Timber Brown StazOn ink.  Technically the bird isn't a cardinal, but he's so darn cute!  The papers of from my scraps and are Basic Grey, Bo Bunny, and Pink Paislee.

I added Stickles to the berries on the bird's nest twig and to the "dots" on the sentiment.  You can barely see it in the photo, but I also freehand "stitched" around the edge of the background paper with a marker.  The layout is from Sparkles Sketch on her Christmas Challenge blog.  I send a crazy number of Christmas cards, so every motivation to get them done early helps! :)

What gets you motivated when the weather is yucko?

Patterned Thoughts

Thanks to folks for sharing some of their Valentine traditions! It's so interesting to hear, and be inspired by, the traditions of folks everywhere. Day One of Curious Cupid is over and I need to hurry up and get the gift for Day Two ready! In the meantime I thought I would post a fun card that I taught a little bit ago and finally got around to snapping shots.
I just came across a lovely blog called Lucy's Cards and she is hosting a polka dots challenge, gosh then I saw Pollycraft was doing a challenge with a things with wings theme and finally Kaboodle Doodle is doing a spots and stripes challenge. Well, I was so excited to see these challenges because this card was a stretch for me. I tend to stamp only on white paper, color the image and then mount it on pattern paper. I've seen other fabulous creations that are stamped on patterned paper and so I stepped outside of my box and created this (I think) fun card.I used StazOn timber brown to stamp this birds and tree image. I'm pretty sure it is Memory Box, but I just finished cleaning my little studio and this stamp is buried in my "Fauna" bin of stamps. (If I'm wrong, please let me know!) The paper is from the orange scrap bag.
The sentiment is from Hero Arts and is also stamped with StazOn timber brown on paper from the green scrap bag (cause it happens to have mostly green on it :) ). I added red Stickles to the flowers and a couple of dots that were stamped along with the sentiment.

I'm kinda proud of myself for stepping outside of my comfort zone. My friend Isabelle and I used to joke that I used so much brown, white, and other earth tones that to me exciting cards were ones that I would "punch up with a little beige". I think I've come a long way since those days. :) What "personal craft challenge" have you "overcome"? I'd love to hear from all of you!

Three french hens?

I love when I can use a non-Christmas stamp in a Christmas card! I used a gorgeous Memory Box stamp and inked it with Staz-on timber brown. Then I just had to add patina Stickles (everything should sparkle at Christmas!) and a bow made from Amuse ribbon. I couldn't leave the envie and insides naked, so I used a fabulous greeting from Papertrey Ink. I'm so happy about how soothing and also festive these cards turned out!

Thanks for stopping by!

Moriah