Party Hats and Butterflies

Might seem like a funny combination, Party Hats and Butterflies but that is what is represented on my cards for this post.

 I just received a new Cricut cartridge, Simply Charmed and so I had to play with it a bit. This is the cutest cartridge. I get most of mine on ebay, I can usually find some great prices. I wanted to use the color combo at Colour Q for this week.  I also used the Cas-ual Friday challenge to use DOTS. One of my favorite things about using the Cricut is that I can cut the image in about any size I want and the images in this cartridge come with a little smile on each image.

 Notice my backgrounds here. Both of the backgrounds are Hero Arts stamps. I used the dot background and stamped it in white on white and embossed it with clear. I wanted the dots to be very subtle. The zig zags are another background stamp. I stamped it in a turquoise on turquoise and red on red, then but along the zig zag lines.

 Here is the great color combo for this week at Colour Q.

This next card uses some of my favorite supplies, a Spellbinder Nestabilities, some Distress Stain, a couple Hero Arts stamps.That Spellbinder square ornate frame is soooooo pretty and it was fun to use it color on color with it being gray and the card base being gray.

I stamped the background in silver and embossed with silver and then colored the entire piece with a yellow Distress Stain. The embossed image serves as a resist. I also added some accents of silver Liquid Pearls. The butterfly was stamped with a gray stamp pad. I thought that black might be to harse the the grays and silvers. It is slightly colored with Copic markers and accented with Glossy Accents.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Dies and Digi's

First off, I have to tell you about some dies.

 Sizzix is the sponsor for Card Positioning Systems sketch blog this week. I picked a die and stamp set from Sizzix and Stephanie Barnard. I have a new love!!!! This set has a number of slightly different shapes that are designed to stack on top of each other or use separately. They are so easy to use.

 I used a border stamp and a sentiment stamp and three different label shapes. See how fun these labels stack?

 Here is the CPS sketch

 Next up, I used an adorable digital stamp on a card to go along with The Play Date Cafe color combo and  I used the retro sketch for the layout. 

 This super cute little girl wiht her bunny and balloon is a digital stamp by A Day for Daisies. I just love using digital stamps. I printed her out in the size I wanted and then colored her with Copic markers. The doily is by Martha Stewart and the zig zag stamp is by Paper Smooches.

 I paper pieced the balloon with a piece of digital paper I had printed out. AND...see my irridescent sequins? I just thought the look of the card and the little girl just needed that finishing touch.

 Here is The Play Date Cafe color combo for this week.

The retro sketch I used.

And guess what???? I picked this tomato today! The first one of the season to get ripe. I also ate a couple apricots and I need to pick blackberries! How fun.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

I know it is just about Summer!

I wanted to play along with the Colour Q challenge this week, so my first card is for that. 

 You can tell I just received a brand new package in the mail, a set of Hexagon dies from Life Style Crafts.  And, yes, I did use a winter theme for it, it just seemed it needed snowflakes!

 There are soooooo many different sizes of dies in this set, the creating is unlimited. I loved the color on color of the blue snowflakes.

 Here is the Colour Q combo

 Since I am on a winter theme, I have another card to share.  I am playing a whole lot lately with digital papers and stamps.  The background here is a digital stamp by Hero Arts available at 2 Peas in a Bucket.

 The little snowman is from a digital kit and so is the sentiment. I layered the snowman right over the background and printed them both out at once.

 Gotta share some photos using my brand new lens and film for my Histamatic camera on my iPhone. It is soooo much fun. The frames are kind of funky and you never know what frame you will get with your photo.  I walked around my yard for my pics.

This is along one of our fences.  I took the same view a few times to show you some of the frames. The photos seem to have a watercolor look to them.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Warm Wishes and Spring Flowers

I have mixed up the seasons here.

 I put the retro sketch to use for my card that has a winter theme to it. I used a digital kit by Cosmo Cricket, the papers and the elements.

 The rub-on is by EAD Designs/Paper Smooches.

 Here is the sketch that I used.

 Now for the spring side of my post, this fun card with flowers.  The black dot piece is a stamp by Paper Smooches.

 The woodgrain print and the herringbone are both digital prints. I love the look of punched out shapes so I was able to use some circles here.

Gotta share this pic of an amazing flower that we found blooming on a recent zoo trip.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Winter or Summer

I know we are facing summer and sun and warmth, etc  but my first card that I want to share has a winter/Christmas theme to it.

 When I saw The Play Date Cafe color combo for this week, my thoughts went to my brand new stamp set by wplus9 Designs. The red/white/blue and the cozy sweater looking images just seem to go together.

 I used three different stamps from the set to create my little pattern. LOVE the look, love these colors for Winter.

 Here is a photo of The Play Date color combo.

 Next up, my Card Positioning Systems card for this week.

 I turned to some digital kits that I have purchased.  It is from the For The Record set by Echo Park.

 There are two different patterned papers, a label with a bird placed on that. The sentiment is from The Wax Fruit Co.

And for a couple photos...

 Guess what we did today, Memorial Day!  Does anything beat a photo of a little cutie in googles?

You can tell there is a whole lot of joy in this face.
Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Card Patterns Guest

What a fun surprise!

 I got to be the guest designer at Card Patterns sketch blog today. Since I love sketches, this was right up my alley.

 I wanted a girly, new baby card.  I don't create a whole lot of baby related cards so I thought it was time to try one.

I, of course, went to my Cricut cartridges to find just the right look. This is from the Paper Lace 2 cartridge. The sentiment is a stamp by Pink Persimmon and the pink patterned paper is by Bella Blvd.
And for a few photos...I was walking around my yard this morning and I wanted to share some glimpses!

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Playful and Elegant

Let's start off with a playful card.

 I just bought this digital paper kit from Design House Digital and had to put it to use. My lauching pad is the Card Patterns sketch and the color combo at Colour Q.

 I opened four pieces of the papers in the kit to fit on one page along with a portion of another piece with the banners in it. I could then cut these pieces to fit the sketch.  I love kits where the prints coordinate so nicely.  Do you totally love that little bike! It is a stamp from a set by Hero Arts. The label is cut with my Cricut Expression. 

 This banner portion is cut from the top portion of a patterned paper piece.

 Here is the Card Patterns sketch.

 And the Colour Q combo. I did miss getting that kraft color in my card, I just couldn't seem to make it fit.

 Next I wanted to play along with the Lawnscaping challenge to use heat embossing or dry embossing plus this set of stamps has a playful look to them. Since I love both kinds of embossing, this was a challenge I had to give a try.

 I pulled out this numbers embossing folder, I thought it had a kid like look to it to go along with the cute paper airplane. I added color by rubbing with a Distress stamp pad and sprayed it with some Chalkboard spray.

 Now for a more elegant look, I wanted to play along with the Moxie Fab challenge to use a damask design.

 I cut the two piece damask shape with my Cricut Expression.  The background piece is a digital paper printed on white textured paper.

Remember that funny passion fruit flower I showed you the other day? Well, glory be, we finally have some fruit setting. We were so excited to find several of these cuties!

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)