God Bless the USA

Hello friends!  It has been a gorgeous day here.  I spent some time in my neglected flower beds.  I hope you have had a marvelous day as well!  Today I have a card I made to join in the challenge over at Mo's Challenge Blog.  This week the challenge is Red, White & Blue.  Since I love all things patriotic this was perfect for me!

 Quite honestly I love pretty much all of Mo's images.  I love looking through her shop and picking one out.  This one was already in my stash.  She is called Waiting for the Parade and I just love her.  I especially love the doll next to her as I was a huge Raggedy Ann fan when I was little.  In fact, I still have all my dolls and random other things including a metal waste basket that sits under my stamping table.  Ann is on one side and Andy is on the other.  I colored this sweet image with my Prismacolor pencils.  I added a tiny rhinestone to the center of the pinwheel.

 I used some wonderful patriotic paper I picked up at Hobby Lobby.  I inked all the edges with TH Vintage Photo.The vintage lace is from my stash.  Behind the image I added a piece of needlework fabric from my scrap stash.  The paper with text I actually created on my computer.  I used the words from the Lee Greenwood song "God Bless the U.S.A.".  I have always loved that song and decided it would be great on my card.  I made my own pinwheel and added a rhinestone to the center and some feathers behind it.

 Look at this great paper!!!  I love it!  I used the same sketch on the writing panel.  On the other side I printed the sentiment from my computer.  I used a MS border punch to make the frame and sized the text to fit with a small mat.

 The back shows off this great paper.

Here you can see my pinwheel a bit better.

I am entering my card in the following challenges:

Mo's Challenge Blog - Red, White & Blue

CLP Challenge Blog - Sketch

I am also entering my card in the challenge at Mo's Dream Team for the design team call.

I think that's about it.  Thanks for taking a peek!

Blessings & Hugs,

Michelle

Shopping Our Stash #101

Good morning, friends!  It's Tuesday and that means another great challenge at Shopping Our Stash.  This week our theme is "Scrap Attack".  We want to see you dive into you scrap pile (we know you all have them!) and use only scraps on your card this week.  No cutting into new paper (except for your card base).

I certainly have a vast supply of scraps so I went digging and this is what I came up with:

 Now I promise that every bit of paper in this card came from my scraps.  I have a large bag with my scraps that are less than 3" in either direction.  Anything over 3" and under 6"x6" in each direction go in a box sorted by color or pattern.  When I cut into a full sheet of card stock or DP I always cut the leftovers down to 6x6 (or about that) and file it in my box.  So, all the mats in this card were in that box, I didn't have to cut any of them.  The small squares were from a few scraps that I cut down to fit.  I inked the edges for a more vintage look.  I used paper and porcelain floors as well as seam binding and pearls for my embellishments.  The die cut was also in my scrap bag I simply added the small oval sentiment to it.

 On the inside I copied the sketch from the front and used more mats from my box.

I'm not sure what I will use this card for, but the DP is one of my favs  :)

So, there you have it.  Time for you to dive into your stash and get busy making a "scrappy" card to share with us!

I think that's about it.  Thanks for taking a peek!

Blessings & Hugs,

Michelle

May Calendar

Yes, I have been absent again.  Must be the beautiful weather that has finally decided to arrive!  I finally have a piece for the challenge over at Mo's.  I have missed coloring her sweet images!  The challenge is "Anything Goes" with a Mo's image this week.  And, since it's the beginning of the month it's time for another page on my calendar!

 I used the super cute Teen Fairy Mia again.    I colored her with my Prismacolor pencils in some spring-y colors.

 I made and printed the calendar on my computer.  The DP and card stock were all from my recently organized scrap box.  That was the last bit of the floral piece.  I added rhinestones in various sizes and textures to the corners.

Here you can see the gorgeous holder a friend's husband made me for my calendar pages.

I am entering my calendar in the following challenges:

Mo's Challenge Blog - Anything Goes

Divas by Design - Add a Number (I hope my calendar numbers count)

Cute Card Thursday - Come Fly With Me

I think that's about it.  Thanks for taking a peek!

Blessings & Hugs,

Michelle

Shopping Our Stash #99

Happy Tuesday, dear friends!  Thanks for stopping by.  It's time for another fun challenge over at Shopping Our Stash.  This week we want to see "Numbers".  It can be paper with numbers, stickers, metal numbers, stamps, whatever you have with numbers on it.  And as you know, we are all about using our stash so be sure to dig into our stash and use it on your card (be sure to let us know in your post what you found in your stash).

I had a special card to make this week.  A very special person was turning 21 and I needed a card for him, very appropriate for this challenge I think.

I actually printed my sentiment from my computer.  I used DP from MME and I inked all the edges.  I used some "screw" brads and a spiral clip from my stash.  The ribbon is actually wired and you can shape it how you want.

 I love the cowboy image from the DP so I used it on the inside.  I used a great stamp from Tim Holtz on the writing panel.  It's vintage looking tickets.  I also stamped it on the bottom layer of the front.

I hope you dig into your stash this week and join us for our challenge.

I am entering my card in the challenge at:

Sketch & Stash - Sketch

I think that's about it.  Thanks for taking a peek!

Blessings & Hugs,

Michelle

Shopping Our Stash #97

Hello and happy Tuesday!  It's time for a great new challenge at Shopping Our Stash!  This week we want you to use your best $1 or bargain bin deal.  You know you love those bins near the checkout where everything is $1.  Why not use one of those fun finds on your project and share it with us this week?

I needed to make a baby card and while I was poking through my stash I found some fun stickers I had forgotten about!

First off I used this adorable vintage image from Saturday Finds.  It comes from the collection New Baby No. 11.  I just love vintage images and this one was perfect for the baby shower card I wanted to make.  I fussy cut the image around the eyelet border.

I inked the edges of the layers (including the image) with a dark burgundy ink.  I also stamped small flowers around the edges of the layers with the same color.  The rhinestone hands and feet are the sweet $1 find I snagged at Michaels probably 2 or 3 years ago.  The flowers are from Wild Orchid.  The beautiful pink rose trim is from Joanns and I added the pearl beads to the middle of each flower (also from my stash).

 The sticker set also included the word "BABY" which I added to the inside.  I used the same sketch as the front for the writing panel.

 All papers, including this one, are from MME.

I really love how this card turned out.  I hope the new mama does too!

I am entering my card in the challenge at:

CLP Challenge Blog - Sketch

I think that's about it.  Thanks for taking a peek!

Blessings & Hugs,

Michelle

Shopping Our Stash #97

Happy Tuesday dear friends!  It's time for another fun challenge at Shopping Our Stash.  This week we want to see "Text or Letters".  You can use script-themed images,  text-themed papers, stamp some letters for a border, abc's, use part of an old book or a dictionary.

I had to make another baby card and I used a small text paper in my background.

 I chose to use one of the sweet images from New Baby No. 11.  It's in a sweet shop on etsy called Saturday Finds.  My papers are all MME.  I inked and sewed my layers and added buttons to the "straps" of my "overalls".

The script is all in French which is very appropriate because the mama-to-be is French Canadian.  I'm sure she'll tell me the script is not at all baby-like, but I still like it!

Now it's your turn.  Pull out your text-themed stash and join us this week.

I think that's about it.  Thanks for taking a peek!

Blessings & Hugs,

Michelle

A Little Green To Go With My Pink

Hello friends.  I was so proud of myself earlier this week, getting on track with my cards.  And I haven't posted since Tuesday.  Ah well.  Keeps me humble I guess  ;)

Today I have a card for the challenge at Mo's Challenge Blog.  This week they want to see "Things With Wings".  Well yeah for me!  Because my most favorite images from Mo are her fairies!  And they all have wings!  

This cutie is from the set 3 baby fairies.  She is "baby with ladybug" and I think she is my favorite.  I love her belly!  I colored her with my Prismacolor pencils and added some pink Stickles to her wings.  I also added some tiny rhinestones to the corners of the image.

The DP papers are all from stash.  I didn't have much left of either paper, but there was enough for this great sketch from Sketch & Stash.  I inked the edges of the layers.  I also used a beautiful butterfly stamp from an old set from Close to My Heart and stamped on the striped paper.  I used some tulle I reclaimed from a baby shower favor under the image.  The corners are embellished with these cute "Twinkle Goosebumps" from Queen & Co. that I picked up at AC Moore.  They are so fun!  The beads, ribbon, flowers and stick pins are all from my stash.

I used the same sketch on the inside and repeated the butterfly stamp on the writing panel.

(There are so many shadows in my pictures because the sun finally decided to come out!!)

I am entering my card in the following challenges:

Mo's Challenge Blog - Things With Wings

Sketch & Stash - Sketch

Creative Inspirations - Anything Goes

Papertake Weekly - Bingo (I used the bottom row:Blooms, Ribbons, Gems

Divas By Design - Flowers

Cute Card Thursday - Butterflies

I think that's about it.  Thanks for taking a peek!

Blessings & Hugs,

Michelle