Superstar - Cupcake Inspirations Challenge #547 - Week One

 Good Morning!

I have some exciting news today!

I've become a Cupcake Inspirations Sweetie!  I've had some time off from design teams and Sandy asked if I would be interested in coming back to Cupcake Inspirations and I said yes.

This is my first post/week on the team.  I'm thrilled to be here!  And so, to get on with the actual business at hand, here is our challenge for the next two weeks, a theme challenge of stars!

And here is my card...

Our nephew graduated high school earlier this month and so I decided to incorporate his graduation card with this challenge of stars.  I started my design off with the star confetti cover plate by Hero Arts, cutting it in half and leaving the "confetti" in.  I then cut the star dies and Super word die, all by Catherine Pooler Designs, out in gold foil cardstock and hollographic cardstock by Lawn Fawn.  The stamped words are also by Catherine Pooler Designs and finished off my design along with a gold trim down the middle. 

Be sure and stop over at the Cupcake Inspirations blog and check out more inspiration for our Oh My Stars challenge.

Starry Blessings!

Fish Dad

 Well hello! It's been quite some time since I've been here!

The past three months have been a dizzying array of travel, guests and to do's for me. If you follow me on Instagram you will see a smattering of all that I've been up to lately.  Trips to Richmond, VA to visit our youngest and then to dog sit for him, trip to Greenville, SC to see my inlaws finally (thanks pandemic for delaying it 2-1/2 years).  Within a 21 day period, I was home about a third of them mostly to do laundry and prepare to travel again. 

I thought it would calm down this week after I had to have some routine tests but then the Hubs(Dave), tested positive for Covid on Wed.  After 2-1/2 years of caring for Covid patients in the ER he now is the patient.  He's been in quarantine away from the rest of us and not feeling well at all.  Each day he seems a little better in one way and worse another.  So we're just taking it a day at a time.  We feel like on lockdown all over again and I guess we really are.  No one else has gone anywhere except to do curbside grocery pickups.

Even with all of that, I have been creating some here and there.  I actually took the most recent Spring Card Class at Online Card Classes with Jennifer McGuire.  I wasn't able to pull them into cards in time to share in the galleries so I'll be sharing them here and Instagram.  Below is one of them finished:

The technique for the background was to cut out the background and then ink up each separate piece in preferred colors and inlay them back into the die cut.  Next, take an embossing folder and run the whole die cut panel through.  Take a second die cut panel without the pieces and glue on top.  Easy peasy! 

For Following Challenges:

#298 - Father's Day - U.S. & U.K.

Card Supplies:

Sentiment stamp - Stamplorations

Neenah Solar White 110 lb

Inks - Midnight, Wintergreen, Apricot, Ginger, Seaglass - Catherine Pooler

Background die - Capture the Flag Cover Die by Catherine Pooler

Fish Dies - Fly Daddy Coordinating dies by Catherine Pooler

Thank you for visiting. I hope you return soon!

Belated Father's Day Blessings!

Bunnies and Chicks

Some final Easter cards - - -

Card #1

Mostly die cuts --- Chick from Lawn Fawn (Spring Critter Hugger); Eggs - Memory Box perhaps; Background dies from Catherine Pooler Designs; Grass - Taylored Expressions maybe? Sentiment stamp/die by Honey Bee Stamps. Patterned Paper: Spring Parade (Fun Stampers Journey).

For Following Challenges:  

Four Seasons Challenge: April/Spring 

Little Red Wagon-3 of Something

Card #2

Mostly die cuts --- Chick from Lawn Fawn (Spring Critter Hugger); Background dies from Catherine Pooler Designs; Basket and eggs - Simon Says; Frame stitched die - Lil Inker Designs; Sentiment stamp/die by Honey Bee Stamps. Patterned Paper - Blush and Mint (Recollections).

Card #3

Die Cutes - Spring Critter Huggers (Lawn Fawn); Eggs -  Memory Box; Stitched Frame die (Lil Inker Designs); Patterned Paper: Blush & Mint (Recollections).  Sentiment stamp/die by Honey Bee Stamps.                                  

Easter Critter Blessings!

Easter Peace

May Peace be all of our gifts this season!

Peace & Easter Blessings!

Happy Easter

 Happy Easter!

Easter Blessings!

Hippity Hoppity

 Happy Easter!  

Happy Belated Passover! 

Hope everyone has had a lovely holiday weekend.  I'm coming in late I know. The Hubs and I spent the weekend in Richmond, Va visiting our youngest son for his birthday. They just moved there in late January and it was our first trip up to see their place and some of the city. I find it a bit ironic that our son and girlfriend chose to live in a city that I lived and loved for four years as a child, 54 years ago.  I have many vivid memories of the city where my dad attended seminary and we lived.  It was fun going back to see how much things have changed.  The seminary is still there and the same, but the apartments we lived in are long gone, replaced by modern ones.  I remember I was sad to move after my dad graduated.

Anyway, I did get some Easter cards made but, just not much time to share them. AND then, I neglected to get them off in the mail on time before going out of town. SMH. What are you going to do but keep them for next year? 

 

I colored this cute gnome "bunny" from Stamping Bella with Copics.  I also colored the flower dies with Copics to match the flowers in the image. The flower dies are by Lil' Inker Designs.  The stitched round die is by Catherine Pooler Designs.   The embossing folder is from Sizzix I believe.  I've had it quite a while. I finished the card with a little bling around the circle die and also a little glimmer on the bunny ears. 

For Following Challenges:

Can You Handle The Pressure - Anything Goes Embossing Folder with Easter Twist

Hippity Hoppity Blessings!

Golden Eggs

Good Evening!

A quick post of another Easter card.  I've been busy creating this week trying to get a few last minute Easter cards done and Mother's Day cards.  This one is Easter and scooting in the Just Us Girls Challenge and the Four Seasons Challenge!

For Following Challenges:

Four Seasons Challenge - Spring

Double D Challenge- Easter

Easter Egg Blessings!

 

Sweet Chocolate Bunny

Good Evening!

An Easter card tonight to share...

I colored this adorable image by Stamping Bella, Bundle Girl with Chocolate Bunny with Copics. I kept the rest of the card simple using some plaid patterned paper from My Favorite Things.

For Following Challenges:

I used the 2nd row - Pastel, Rabbit, Coloring

Addicted To Stamps and More - #426

Chocolate Bunny Blessings!

 

Tropical Birthday

TGIF! 

It's a beautiful sunny, pollinating Carolina day! 

One post today.  A tropical birthday card....

I am playing in The Paper Players challenge with this card.  I had these cut up stamped panels in my stash just waiting to be put together and their sketch challenge this week was perfect for it!

For Following Challenges:

Thanks for visiting and come again soon!

Tropical Birthday Blessings!

 

Butterflies and Ink Layering

Hello! Happy Thursday!

It's a little gloomy here in Cary today.  I'm hoping the storms that are coming will wash some of the pollen away.  There's been a yellow tint to the air for days and I've stayed tucked inside, protecting my sinuses as much as possible!

Yet, my cards I have to share this morning should brighten up anyone's day.  I finally tried the Negative Layering Technique, a technique shown by Jennifer McGuire a couple years ago.  If you're part of the group, Sharing Handmade Kindness on FB, it was the March Challenge there.  I don't know how I hadn't seen that technique before this month.  I love it!  And I love how my cards turned out!

For these cards I I used colors from the current Sunday Stamps Challenge, which is a color challenge.  Colors used for the backgrounds are all Catherine Pooler Inks: Martini, Glitz,  Party Dress and Cranberry Fizz. 

On the first card, above,  I chose butterfly stamps from Happy Butterflies, (Catherine Pooler Designs), stamped in Midnight ink.  I then masked them off using their coordinating dies and ink blended the background.   After ink blending and drying this one, I stamped the Hero Arts Fancy Script background stamp in Cranberry Fizz over the whole panel (butterflies still masked). I ran a heat tool over it to dry quicker again. Next, I placed a stencil, Flourishes & Wimsy over the whole panel and tapped Unicorn White pigment ink by Hero Arts in places with a small sponge dauber.  The sentiment I stamped in Midnight ink several times and then with WOW embossing ink and embossed with clear embossing powder.

The same technique was done for the card above except after ink blending, I stenciled over the panel using the same colors with a Scribbled Circles stencil (Catherine Pooler).  The butterfly stamps are from the set, Take Flight (Catherine Pooler). Then, I left the stencil on top and stamped through it with the Pine Forest background stamp (Catherine Pooler) with Unicorn White pigment ink by Hero Arts. The sentiment is from two different sets.  The YOU I die cut three times from black cardstock and glued together for dimension.  

For Following Challenges:

Thanks for visiting my blog! I hope you stop by again soon.

Inky Blessings!

 

Swinging Spring Bunny

Hello.  One more post for tonight...

I just love this swinging bunny die, one of this month's clubs from Spellbinders.  So when it came in the mail this past week I had to play with it!  It comes with all the bunny parts, the swing, a small and large cloud, and three balloon dies as well. Who doesn't love a bunny on a swing?  Better than in the garden for sure! LOL.

 I started out using an ivory cardbase and used the same for the background panel.  I used a cloud embossing folder on the background to add some depth and more interest.  I inked up some cardstock using Rose Petals and Sage dye inks by Catherine Pooler and then cut the bunny, grass and flowers from them.  That bunny as cute as it is, is a little bugger to glue together.  hahaha  The grass die I've had for a very long time and the flowers are a die for a wreath that I cut and then added white gel pen to the middle of each one.  The sentiment is from Stampendous.

For Following Challenges:

Little Red Wagon - #646 - Emboss Everything

NBUS Challenge #36

My NBUS was the bunny, swing and cloud dies.

I'm so glad you stopped by for a visit.  See you again soon!

Swinging Bunny Blessings!🐇

Hoppy Birthday

A "Hoppy" Birthday card this time.  

This panel was in my UFO pile as well, all watercolored and ready! I raised it using postal dies for more interest and layered effect.  I love how it turned out!   

For Following Challenges:

Krafty Chicks Challenge #604- All Occasions

I'm so glad you stopped by for a visit.  Please come back again soon!

"Hoppy" Blessings!

Card Supplies: 

Stamps: Frog/lily pads/sentiment-Hoppy Day(Hero Arts)

Paper: White cardstock (Neenah); Watercolor (Strathmore)

Ink: Watercolor pens (Zigs); Midnight Archival ink (Catherine Pooler)

Extras: Postal dies (Catherine Pooler Designs).