Spring Time Flowers

I think some of my most favorite flower stamps are from PaperTrey, Inc.  I have used these particular stamps several times and still love using them.

I was playing with these flowers and the leaves that go with them and made them fit the retro sketch for this week.   I had stamped the leaves many times on plain white cardstock, not reinking each time so that I had clearer leaves and more subtle leaves.  I then added a little bit of color with some Copic markers.  When I was finished with this piece, it was easy to cut it up to go along with the sketch.

 The most fun aspect of the flowers and leaf piece to me was playing with the Stephanie Barnard Clearsnap sprays. I love these things. I did do some simple coloring with Copic markers but wanted the spray colors to really show off.

Here is the retro sketch.
Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

That's what little girls are made of

When I see these three little cuties sitting and talking, I think of that phrase, "That's what little girls are made of"!

 This week, the Flower Soft blog and the Flower Soft Facebook page are featuring all of the Mabel Lucie Attwell products on sale.  There are stamps and card toppers, I picked this cute topper to work with. The toppers are so neat because they come already colored plus you get a few different layers so you can put your project together, 3D.

 I took this close-up from the side view so you could see the layers, I used two on top of the original print. The Kool Tak foam tapes really helped me with the layers since they come in more then one size.  I used the 1/8" and the 1/16" so my layers were different depths.

I added a tiny drop of Glossy Accents to each of their cheeks where there was a little white dot for a cute little accent and added color to all of the outside, cut edges with some Chestnut Roan Fluid chalk ink.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

All about Roses

First off, I have a movie review I just have to share!!! We went to see The Croods! SOOOO much fun. This movie is so hilarious. We came out saying we weren't sure we had laughed this much during a movie as this one. That makes it really fun for the adults as well as the kids.

I recently received an adorable little set of stamps from Wplus9 Designs and I just knew I needed to play with it this weekend.

 First off, I wanted something super simple so I could use the cute sketch from CAS(E) this sketch.  The sentiment is from another set from the same company.

 I stamped one rose, masked that to stamp two leaves and then finished it with this neat sentiment. I cut it out with a Hero Arts die.  LOVE that chicken wire embossing folder.

 Here is the CAS(E) this sketch!

 While I had the stamps out, I played some more. I pulled out some of my Stephanie Barnard Clearsnap stamp pads, I just love the shades.  I partially embossed my red card base.

This was so easy because all I did was to repeatedly stamp the rose and the leaves. I didn't ink the rose every time, that makes for a variety of shades of the same color ink.  Another neat sentiment from the sentiment set.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

New Spray colors!

Can I say that the weather around my parts is beyond perfect and amazing!!! We are having spring weather that is just plain wonderful and it makes me so happy. I'm of the camp who think that the weather should always be perfect, at least I can marvel at the days that are.  I was able to get out in the yard and get a bunch of clean up work done. We had so many plants that really needed some serious trimming before they get out of hand. It sure feels good. 

And now for the card I want to share with you today...

 I love the color combination at Colour Q so I needed to get a card together using that combo.  I started by creating my background.  I just received some wonderful sprays from Clearsnap.  They are from a new collection by Stephanie Barnard and I am so in love with them already. I love that they are solid colors, most sprays have a sparkle look to them which is fine, just not always the look I want. I first sprayed the cardstock with the Banana yellow and then placed a stencil over that that is circles and sprayed again. I really liked the resulting layers.

 My accent pieces are cut with the Cricut. I have so much fun discovering new shapes that are on the cartridges that I own.  I loved making it fit the color combo too. The black pearl-looking accents are Liquid Pearls.

Here is the Colour Q combo.
I also used the CAS-ual Fridays challenge that is "no stamps".  I have been using stamps so much lately that I knew this was going to be a challenge for sure but with the help of my Cricut, I did it!!

Here is that challenge.
Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Stamps and Punches

I wanted to use a couple challenges, but what else is new!!!

 First up, I used the color combination at Dynamic Duos. The combo of the black and yellow with some white makes me so happy!

 I wanted to create my own pattern of the black and yellow so I use a set from Wplus9 Designs that I so love and some Clearsnap inks.  The black design is cut with the Cricut and the word "hope" is a die cut from Wplus9 Designs.

 Here is this weeks Dynamic Duos challenge.

Lately I have seen talk regarding Ombre coloring and it was fun to give it a try.  Moxie Fab has issued a challenge to create a card with an Ombre look.  For my card it was pretty easy after I pulled out a set of cardstocks that were of the same family but each piece was a little darker then the other.

I then accented my strips of cardstock with punched flowers using all of the same shades.  The punch is from Martha Stewart. I thought it was so fun what a simple look this created.

 This card fits with the Avery Elle photo inspiration challenge.  I was taken with the simplicity of the photo yet the neat dynamic to that photo.  With that, I also went with a simple look and I thought the color combination gave my card a similar dynamic.

 I stamped two of the flowers from a set of stamps by Avery Elle and cut both out.  When I placed them on my card, I layered them with some foam tape between the layers. The cardstock comes with that embossed design on it already and the sentiment is from Simon Says.

Here is the Avery Elle inspiration photo.
Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Yummy color combinations

I so love color challenges! It is so fun to get that little boost in my creative endeavors.

 I love to turn to Colour Q for inspiration. That is what prompted my first card for this post.

 I went to this flower stamp and matching die set from PaperTrey, Inc. I so love these flowers. In order to work with the colors, I pulled out various Clearsnap stamp pads. I love that these pads come in so many great colors.  The sentiment is from Layers of Color that does not exist anymore but since that artist is creating for Penny Black, I am hoping it will be released there soon.

 Here is the Colour Q combo, isn't it wonderful!!!

 Next up, I went to The Play Date Cafe color combination.  The cut border is cut with the Cricut as is the sentiment.

 I stamped the bottom edge with the Tweed background stamp from Hero Arts, inking it with a black, Clearsnap stamp pad. I then sprayed it with a bit of Smooch spray. 

This is The Play Date Cafe combination.

 

It also fits A Blog Named Hero challenge for Freestyle.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Butterflies and Bicycles

A couple fun cards to share with you today.

 First up, Moxie Fab has a challenge to USE WASHI TAPE or paper tape. I love paper tape so I went to this retro sketch that I wasn't able to use and put it to use with this great wooden butterfly that I picked up at Micheals. When I saw this laser cut butterfly, I knew it would be fun with this particular sketch.

 The background is a Hero Arts stamp stamped with a gray stamp pad (the white portion is the stamp pattern). I then took my paper tape which is Recollections and made a frame around the stamped piece. Talk about easy and fast!!! I accented the butterfly with a cute American Crafts button I just picked up at Target.

 I went back to this older retro sketch for my inspiration.

 Next up, I used the CASE this sketch for my inspiration plus the Masculine challenge at Addicted To CAS challenge.

 Do you see my new, yummy woodgrain stamp from Hero Arts? Can I say I am madly in love with this one and I know I will use it often. I used a soft, Fluid Chalk sandy colored stamp pad. It was so easy to finish the card with this little wood bicycle and the little banner stamp, also from Hero Arts.

 Here is the CASE this sketch.

And the Addicted to CAS challenge.
Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)