Birthday Bunch

Hi!  It's Wednesday evening, April 8, 2020.  My work day is over, so I get to share some things with you now. 😊

I had this post mostly prepared, but then I threw in some silver baby cup pics at the end.

Here are the birthday cards that I made within the last several months, and are/were at Arts Plus Gallery shop for sale.  They are open by appointment these days, if you interested in a visit there. 

Lost Coast Designs Butterflies butterfly stamp; Altenew Label Love sentiment; crochet lace; Gina Marie Designs blue dots

Avery Elle Winter Wreath wreath, berries stamps and matching dies; orange rhinestones; Impression Obsession Birds dies; L'il Inker Designs Stitched Rectangle die; Papertrey Ink Keep It Simple: Birthday III sentiment stamp

Papertrey Ink Tiny Tags sentiment, tag; pearls; vintage thread; Stampin' Up! Wonderfully Worn background stamp, Kindness Matters butterfly stamp; Stampendous Charm Collection 'carte postale' stamp (stamped over patterned paper)

Impression Obsession Birds dies; Memory Box / Poppystamps Breezy Wreath die; Papertrey Ink Tiny Tags tag die and sentiment; pearls; Stampin' Up! rose die cut border (from a scrap bag), Sanded background stamp, Flower Trio punch; crochet lace; vintage thread

Stampin' Up! Bella Toile background stamp, floral and striped patterned paper scraps, Hip Hip Hooray card kit sentiment stamp; vintage thread; embossed gold scrap from a store-bought card

I mentioned in a post very early today that I had been polishing some silver baby cups.  And some of you have also been polishing silver, as well!  I took some quick pictures today with my iPhone to show you.

"Warren"

My daughter's monogram (and my fingers in the reflection 😆)

One of my faves, a tin cup that says 'Baby'

'E.M.' - such beautiful cursive initials

The other side of the 'E.M.' cup.  Isn't that an exquisitely detailed image??

My husband's cup on the right and the one that started my interest in collecting these is on the left.  It's a Wallace cup, and the silver has all but worn off over the years, showing copper beneath.

Hope your day was a good one, and I so appreciate your visits!
God bless you!

Bits & Pieces Make For A HUGE Post!

Okay, so about a month ago, before I started the new job, I was on a ROLL with my cards.  The creative juices just burst forth, and I was cranking them out.

Believe it or not, all the cards you are about to see were created in the span of less than a week.  AND, I used TONS of 'Bits & Pieces' that were cast-offs from other projects.  I am so proud that I was able to successfully work them into new creations.

Bits & Pieces used:

•  a panel stamped with Market Street Stamps' Vintage Wallpaper (brown ink on white cardstock).  It looked too stark, so I inked up a piece of waxed paper from the kitchen with Tattered Rose Distress Ink.  I let the ink bead up, then wiped the cardstock through the ink.
• a hand-trimmed banner stamped with a Hero Arts sentiment. 

 Bits & Pieces used: 

• panel of white cardstock stamped with Market Street Stamps' Grace background, in navy.
• a scalloped square punch, stamped with a Stampin' Up! image/sentiment.  I don't know the name of this set, because this little piece was in a Scrap Bag from my SU demo.

Bits & Pieces used: 

• the Verve Joy For The Journey sentiment, already stamped on an oval die cut
• a butterfly from Lost Coast Designs' Butterflies that was colored and trimmed

Bits & Pieces used: 

• Stampin' Up!'s Eiffel Tower from Artistic Etchings, already trimmed.
• clouds from Inspired By Stamping's The Sky's The Limit.
• a bit of twill tape - I stamped a sentiment from IBS's Celebrating Two Years.
• shimmery aqua cardstock from California Paper Goods.  It was sent as a sample with an envelope order years ago.  I used an oval die to cut it and made it part of the background.
• a manilla tag from one of my daughters' clothing.

Bits & Pieces used: 

• a flower from Stampin' Up!'s Sweet Summer, already stamped and colored.  I added a sentiment from Wplus9's Fresh Cut Florals, surrounded by a Darice Doily Lace embossed background.

Bits & Pieces used: 

• a cream-colored panel, stamped with I think a Stampin' Up! flower spray.  I cannot recall where this came from!
• the sentiment from Verve's Joy For The Journey, done up on two sizes of oval punches.
• a bit of burlap ribbon, which I had hacked up for use on another project.  The ribbon had French wire along the edges.  On the other project, I did not want the wire, so I cut out the center portion of the ribbon only.  I was left with a raggedy edge of burlap with wire.  I wound it around and around to make a nest.  Pearls became eggs. 

Bits & Pieces used: 

• a pale yellow die cut tag from Stampin' Up! from a LONG time ago, stamped with a Verve Joy For The Journey sentiment.
• white Lattice / EK Success strips to use as edging.
• K & Co. photo mat paper, already cut up from another project.

Bits & Pieces used: 

• another bit of twill tape, again stamped with the same IBS sentiment mentioned up above.
• the vellum flower with gem, lifted from a store-bought card that was sent to my daughter a few years ago.

Bits & Pieces used: 

• an embossed panel of cardstock from a Stampin' Up! Scrap Bag.  I added iridescent Stickles to parts of the snowflakes.
• a piece of shimmery mint cardstock, sent as a sample from California Paper Goods years ago.

Bits & Pieces used: 

• a red die cut, made with Spellbinders' Persian Motifs.
• pipe clean candy canes, lifted from a store-bought Christmas card we received.
• a scrap of floral Real Red patterned paper (SU).

Bits & Pieces used: 

• pretty much the whole front panel!  LOL  A thoughtful friend, unwilling to throw away the Christmas card I made for her, asked if I would like it back so I could use parts of it for a future card.  I cut off the back of the card, trimmed the front panel a bit, and mounted it onto a Soft Suede card base.  I added a few red gems to the corners. 

Bits & Pieces used: 

• a sliver of fancy black striped Stampin' Up! designer paper.
• a scrap of white cardstock that had been stamped in black with Market Street Stamps' Vintage Wallpaper.
• a black panel, featuring a poinsettia image from Mark's Finest Papers, which had been stamped and embossed in gold.  I added a little gold bow. 

Whew!  Because of the quantity of cards in this one post, I am not going to list all supplies used.  If you're wondering about any particular item, please leave a comment with your question (and a way to reach you), and I'd be happy to answer!

Blue Butterfly Sympathy

Hello friends!  I'm back with another card that was passed up for publication a while back.  Actually, I suppose it was meant to be, because I wound up sending this to a good friend of ours who just lost his father.

This beautiful blue butterfly is from the Lost Coast Designs set, Butterflies.

I used a Labels Eighteen die to cut an opening in the stamped-script panel (Hero Arts Manuscript Background). On the opposite side of the die cut, I stamped the sentiment and set it aside.  After popping up the script panel, I laid the sentiment piece inside and secured to the card base.

I'm so glad you dropped by today!

Stamps: Butterflies - Lost Coast Designs; sentiment - All Year Greetings - Fiskars; Manuscript Background - Hero Arts; flowers - Nature's Wonders - Practicing Creativity Paper: white - PTI; Crumb Cake - SU Ink: Crumb Cake - SU; Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko Fibers: twine - Creative Impressions Accessories & Tools: Labels Eighteen die - Spellbinders; pearls - Queen & Co.; Copic markers

Clean, Simple, Glittery Butterfly

I'm preparing some cards to give as a birthday gift to a loved one.  A special request from this birthday girl is to have some simple birthday cards that don't require special postage or padded envelopes.  This card fits the bill:

Had to add some iridescent glitter to the Lost Coast Designs butterfly.  It looked too plain without it.  The sentiment is from Inspired By Stamping's Fancy Sentiments.

Sorry to bombard you with a lot of posts lately.  I have SO many creations to share.  And the Inspired By Stamping October release happens in a couple of days, so lots more posting there.

So glad you dropped by today!



Stamps: Butterflies - Lost Coast Designs; Fancy Sentiments - IBS Paper: white - PTI Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko Accessories & Tools: Copic markers; iridescent glitter

Inspired By A Magazine Tableau

It's been ages since I created an "Inspired By..." card.  I love to be inspired by things around me, like signs on the road, a little girl's bathing suit, a tissue box, framed butterflies and so much more.  I'm at it again with another framed butterfly.  I'll show you the inspiration, which came from maybe Better Homes & Gardens (saw so many magazines during my initial recovery after surgery, I just don't know!)  in just a moment.

I used a sentiment from Hero Arts, and a butterfly from Lost Coast Designs, one of the best sets I received when I worked on the design team at Blockheads.   

After coloring and trimming the butterfly, I applied Glossy Accents liberally to it.  

Gonna play along with the Simon Says Stamp challenge:  'Anything Goes' and at CASology's 'Book' challenge.

When my 11 YO was younger, she was fascinated by the whole series of these I Spy books, including this one about butterflies.

For my U.S. friends, enjoy your Labor Day weekend!  And for those of you around the rest of the world, enjoy your weekend, too.  :-)



Stamps: Butterflies - Lost Coast Designs; With Sympathy - Hero Arts Paper: Vintage Cream, white - PTI Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko Accessories & Tools: Copic markers; Glossy Accents - Ranger; Rectangle die - Spellbinders