Coloring Down the Lines - Build a Bouquet

Hi everyone.  It's Coloring Down the Lines blog hop day and I'm so glad you've come back to visit.  This week was a fun week - the colors are lively happy, and I decided just to make something simple.  Sometimes simple is all you need.

Let's first start with the photograph and color pallet.  Take a look at these, and then see what I've made for you this week.

When looking at the photograph, I wanted to make something fun.  It reminds me of birthday, happy, celebrate, and confetti.  Well, this is what I made - keeping with the happy theme.

Recipe

Paper:  elegant eggplant, whisper white, tangelo twist

Ink:  tangelo twist, elegant eggplant, crushed curry, melon mambo, garden green

Stamp Sets:  build a bouquet, painted petals

Accessories:  large pearls, tangelo twist twine

If you've arrived here from Amanda's blog, don't forget to hop on over to Joni's blog and see what she made as well.  Fun, Fun, Fun.

Thanks for stopping by!

Coloring Down the Lines with Painted Petals

Hello everyone.  It's been a week since my last posting.  I've been traveling, and lo and behold, when I returned, I ended up with a nasty upper respiratory infection, along with a horrible head cold.  Needless to say, I haven't felt much like posting or creating, for that matter.  I hope this infection finds its way out soon, as it totally has a hold on me.  I've been spiking fevers for the past 3 days, and trust me, this is getting old.

Anyway, I managed to create a card for the blog hop today, and it's all I could muster for the day.  If you've arrived here from Our Crafty Playdate, then you got a real treat.  Please don't forget to hop on over to Joni in the Spotlight Stamping after your visit here, as she never disappoints.

For this week's challenge, this is the photo and color pallet we used.

I would have loved to do something fun, but I just didn't have it in me this week.  So instead, this is what I created for you.

Recipe

Paper:  pink pirouette, whisper white

Ink:  real red, melon mambo, blushing bride, blackberry bliss, pear pizzazz

Stamp Set:  painted petals

Accessories:  spring flowers EF, ovals framelits, basic pearls, white jute ribbon

I hope you enjoyed the hop this week, and of course, we look forward to seeing you next week as well.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by.  I appreciate you!

Coloring Down the Lines - Sweet Bouquet

It's that time again ... yep, Coloring Down the Lines Blog Hop.  I prepared my card early because by now, I'm in Birmingham, Alabama at a function for one of my customers at work.

This week's challenge really focused on two color schemes:  yellow and greens.  At first I was wondering how I come up with a card that I had in mind and although it doesn't quite fit the idea I had in mind, I rather like the way it turned out.

If you've arrived here from Robbie's blog, you sure got some great inspiration there.  I hope mine will also inspire you to use just the simple colors we used, and see what you can create.  I'm sure you'll also find a lot of inspiration over at Joni's blog as well.  She's next on the tour.  Please don't forget to hop on over.

Here's the color photograph we used this week, as well as the color pallet.

So as you can see, there's not a lot of any other color to work with, but the sky is the limit with the possibilities.  Here's what I created for you:

Recipe

Paper:  always artichoke, whisper white

Ink:  so saffron, crushed curry, hello honey, always artichoke, garden green, wild wasabi

Stamp Sets:  butterfly basics, flower patch, best of flowers, beautiful bunch, flower shop,

 petal potpourri

Accessories:  pansy punch, flower medallion punch, 7/8" scallop punch, flower fair framelits, 

white jute ribbon

For the background, I used wild wasabi, crushed curry, hello honey, always artichoke and garden green using the bokeh method.  When I was putting the card together, it was such a start background so I figured, why not try blending all those colors together and seeing what happens.  It was just what the card needed.

Thanks for stopping by this week.  See you soon.

TJ and Ashley's First Place

My son Tj and his girlfriend, Ashley, just moved into their first apartment together.  It's a brand new apartment complex that has everything you could want, and is located in a prime spot that you can get to just about anywhere you need to go.

Yesterday was moving day.  My sister and I stopped in later in the evening after dinner to see how they were making out, and they are moving their things in slowly so they can put everything just where they want it.  I believe today, Tj will moving the rest of his furniture from his previous apartment into the new one, so I'm sure they will be looking for some added touches to make it theirs.

Of course, I made a new home card for them and gave it to them last night.  I also made the "hello life" project kit and presented it to them as well, and it worked out well, since their colors are black and white, and the project was done in black, white, silver, and a touch of yellow.  It should go nicely in their new place.

Here's the card I made, along with the finished "hello life" project:

I used the holiday home stamp set above, along with Sheltering Tree for just that touch of color for the flowers.  I popped out the middle house so that would be the focal point of the card.  It's mounted in soft suede, which matches one of their walls in their new apartment.  

I finally finished the Hello Life project yesterday, right before I presented it to them.  They will add their pictures to the frame, and I'm sure it will look fabulous.

I wish them much luck in their new home, and looking forward to the best to come.

Ciao for now.

Best Day Ever Team Swap

Last Sunday was our April team swap.  I wanted to make something light and airy, so I sat down and tried to figure out what would be easy and fun to make.  Well, sometimes easy and fun don't work out, especially when I never make things easy.  What's the fun in that!

So I saw some cards on Pinterest using the Petal Potpourri stamp set and thought I would like to use that since I haven't used it yet.  I played around with a few different designs and came up with this one...

Of course, the cards themselves always look better in person, but I really enjoyed making this card.  I've made a few other cards using the Petal Potpourri stamp set, but you will see them a little later on, as one I made for another long-distance swap and they usually don't get published until mid month, and the other I made for Brian King's one for one swap, so I can't share that until he's ready to post the ones he receives.  Stay tuned ... I know you're going to LOVE them.  I'm crazy about both of them and can't wait to share them with you.

Until tomorrow, may you be inspired at every corner of your life and may you create till your heart's content.

The Paper Plunge #32 - Mother Dearest

May flowers always make me think of Mother's Day and my wonderful mother.  She loved flowers so much, and I take after her in that way.  My younger sister does as well.  I could have flowers in my house 24x7, 365 days a year and never tire of them.

It's always hard for me to make Mother's Day cards, especially since I lost my mother 11 years ago this June.  I stopped making the cards a while back, and then I thought it wouldn't be fair to those who want to make cards for their mother's - so I usually design at least one to share.  This particular card I made for the Paper Plunge is one I'm using at my Library class tomorrow.  When I designed the card, I was thinking of my mother, and it turned out beautiful.  I just wish she was here to see it.  So instead, I'll go to her grave and place flowers on it and make it lovely, as she would have wanted it.  I'll stay a bit, talk to her, and tell her all about things that are going on, and then bid her farewell until I visit again.  I'll also make sure I'm there for her birthday, as you see, I share the same birthday as my mother.  That makes it so difficult for me sometimes.  Celebrating my birthday just isn't the same since she passed away.  If it weren't for her, I wouldn't be here ... so although I celebrate my birthday, I'm missing something as well.

So, having shared my story, I think it's time for you to see what I've made.  Here it is.

I simply used the petite petals stamp set for this one, and cut out a heart in the card using the heart framelits.  Topping it off with the ruffled crisp cantaloupe ribbon added a sweet touch.  Just a few little itty bitty flowers punched out for the centers of every other flower finished it off.

Please make sure you hop on over and take the plunge at The Paper Plunge.  We'd love to see what you've made, whether it's for your mother or for a loved one that is close to you.  As we appreciate our mothers, we appreciate you and your creativity.  

Create happy!