Easter cards

I made some pretty cute cards for Easter this year for my grandsons using some recycled packaging.  I recently bought a package of 3 rolls of American Crafts Amy Tangerine mix tape and kept the blister pack they came in.  I used it on these cards to include some Jelly Bellys for my grandsons.  After all, what is Easter without jelly beans?  In fact, today was such a typical, stressful Monday ar work that I came home and ate two handfuls of these cute little jelly beans....one at a time to savor the flavor.  And you know what?  I swear I feel much better!

The Friday challenge over at Frosted Designs is to recycle or upcyle something so these cards are a perfect entry.  There is plenty of time to enter the challenge....look around.   What can you recyle or upcycle on one of your projects?

The Paper Variety Card and Coordinating Envie Challenge

Wow, we have an awesome sponsor and prize for our current challenge -- Paper and Such.  They very generously gave each design team member their choice of stamp sets to work with on this challenge.  It was a hard choice for me since their stamp sets are amazing but after much thinking I decided on the Bitty Love set:

Don't you just love the punny little sentiments and cute illustrations??  I went with a school theme and whipped out a couple of cards and matching envelopes that I will be sending to my grandsons to congratulate them for a job well done when school ends in a couple of months.

For this challenge, you must create a card with a matching envelope and your envelope must contain two different elements....stamping, die cuts, matching patterned paper, stickles....well you get the idea.  One entry per person and you have until April 13th to enter.  This is a great challenge and a great prize so I would like to see TONS of entries!

Bo Bunny Card sketch challenge -- You Rock!

I love bright graphic whimsical patterns and colors which is why I was drawn to Bo

Bunny's Ad Lib collection and decided to use it for this card and envelope.  The stamp set is my newest and it is from Paper and Such and called the Bitty Love collection.  Isn't it adorable?

I know I will get a great deal of use out of it as I have 2 grandchildren who are already school age with my 4 year old granddaughter quickly approaching kindergarten.  I used Bo Bunny's card sketch:

Well I have a busy weekend ahead of me finishing up Easter cards and crafts.  With my grandchildren out of town, I need to get everything mailed on Monday.  I am sure I will be back with more to share later today and/or tomorrow.

Lucky in Love

I love my husband.  He keeps me grounded and calm and has an incredible talent to make me laugh. He is strong and wise and kind (and very tolerant of my love of pretty paper) but enough of all that.  I also really dig this picture of us taken by Dave's brother while we were visiting them in Raleigh last December.  Most of the pictures of Dave and I are self-portraits and it is nice to have one from a different perspective.

I used my new Authentiqe collection "Loyal" for this layout as well as this sketch of theirs:

Great sketch, huh?  Why don't you try your hand at it too?  Just use Authentique product and upload by March 31 for your chance at a cool prize.  You can see the details HERE.

I am also entering my layout in Lasting Memories How Do You Layer Up? challenge.  I layered my banner and I layered a sticker on top of my rosette.  I so admire those layered projects but for me it is a hard thing to pull off.

Fun Times -- Abby turns 4

I know I already did a layout of Abby's birthday but I just couldn't resist a page with pictures from both of her celebrations.  I was inspired by the 200th sketch from Creative Scrappers:

I put my banner on the bottom of my page and loved adding those spatters from my new Tim Holtz distress stain.  I love the sketches over there and do not get to participate as often as I would like.  Congratulations Kristine on over 200 inspirational sketches.

I am also entering this page in Frosted Designs grid design challenge....there is still plenty of time to enter this challenge.  Check out the details HERE.

Guitar Man

For the first several years of our nearly 9 year marriage, my husband Dave showed no interest in his 3-4 guitars that he owned.  Most of them were stowed in their cases in his closet.  I often mentioned to him that I would like to hear him play and even bought him a cool Dean flying V acoustic.  It wasn't until a couple of years ago that his interest in his music was renewed and the guitars came out of mothballs.  He really is quite good and I love watching him practice and hear him play.  Last night while we were watching the Chicago Bulls game, he was strumming out a Joe Satriani tune on his acoustic.  I took this picture recently from across the room while he was practicing and liked it so much I wanted to scrap it. I hand cut the guitar at the top of the page since I do not have a die-cutting machine.  The background paper is from Echo Park.  I just used scraps from my scrap bin for the rest of the paper. I think the guitar paper is from an older My Mind's Eye collection.  I also used my new Amy Tangerine orange chevron mix tape.

I used this Page Maps sketch from their March Imaginisce sketch contest:

The prize is the new collection from Imaginisce called "Makin' Waves"....living in Florida, that is a must have collection!

I am also entering my page in The Burlaps and Buttercups No Kid's Allowed challenge.

Spring Favorites card

Spring does not last long here in Florida but I enjoy it while it lasts.   I love the mild temps and all the flowers and freshness spring has and love...isn't love a wonderful thing in the spring?

 I made an Easter card today to enter into a few challenges.  First off is the Glue Arts /Tsukineko challenge on the Glue Arts blog.  I used my favorite ink pad to stamp the "Happy Easter" sentiment -- Memento's Tuxedo Black ink pad by Tsukineko. It stamps so even and crisply. I also LOVE their little finger tip daubers.

I also am entering this card in the Lawnscaping inspiration challenge.  I was inspired by the chevron background on this card created by Lawnscaping design team member Lynette:

I really need to get a chevron background stamp (I have the one by Lawn Fawn on my wish list) but since I didn't have one I used a chevron patterned paper from the American Crafts Amy Tangerine collection.  I don't know about you but I am all about chevrons right now....I even bought a cool top today with a brown and turquoise chevron pattern.

I am also entering this card in:

My Craft Spot Challenge #49 -- Spring Scallops

Cosmo Cricket Tiny Type challenge