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

For You From Me

Hello friends.  Told you I was getting back in the groove.  I have a card I made today, just for fun!

I love the images at Tiddly Inks.  They have a challenge right now to Distress, Emboss or Stitch and since I always stitch my cards this was not a problem!

 I used the very cute Wryn - Spring Bling.  I colored her on Kraft with my Prismacolor pencils.  I always forget how much I love the look of coloring on kraft until I do it again.  I need to get in the habit of using it more.

I used some yummy papers from Basic Grey called Lemonade.   The scallop border was a die from Die-namics.  The seam binding and flowers are from Wild Orchid.  The pearls are stash and the tiny cross charm (under the bow) I "borrowed" from my daughter.  She has some fun stash that she decided should live in my studio so I frequently help myself  ;)

 I have almost used up this paper pad!

I am entering my card in the following challenges:

Tiddly Inks - Distress, Emboss or Stitch

Papertake - Anything

City Crafter - Circle Die, Embossing or pearls

Cute Card Thursday - Something Borrowed

Sketchy Fridays - Sketch

Ribbon Carousel - Showers and Flowers

Top Tip Tuesday - Boy and/or Girl

Divas by Design - Spring Colors

Creative Inspirations - Kraft

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

Blessings & Hugs,

Michelle

April Calendar

Hello friends!  I haven't posted much lately and I think I figured out why.  I make my cards and other things because I love it.  It's my quiet time.  My "me" time.  I LOVE to sit and color.  I love poking through my stuff to find the right things to embellish with.  A while back I had people telling me what I "should" be making because people would buy those things....  Now, I have to admit the cards are piling up.  I can only use so many of them.  But honestly, my hobby supports itself.  I occasionally sell some of my cards and I use that money to buy more stuff.  I don't do this to make money.  I do it because this is how I was made.  I love to create!  It's my passion.  It's my escape.  And I forget to turn off the well-intentioned voices sometimes and just do what I love.  But, I am back!  I worked on this project last night til I hit a small roadblock.  On my run this morning the perfect solution came to me and I finished it up!  So here ya go:

I used the CUTEST new image from Mo.  If you've been here before you probably know how much I love her images!  LOVE her images.  And when I saw this cutie it took me about 2.5 seconds to buy her!  True story!  That face!!  Those chubby legs!!  She makes me smile every time I look at her!  I colored her with my Prisamcolor pencils and I loved it!

Then I really had fun and dug into my quilting stash!  I poked around til I found fabrics to match the colors then I got busy!  I cut small squares and pieced a small quilt.  I layered it with batting and backing and even hand-quilted part of it.  I have to admit the quilting was a bit difficult because the piece was way to small to put in a hoop and I couldn't quite get the motion right but I do love hand quilting as well as coloring!  I didn't finish quilting though.  I left the needle and thread in there because I thought that would look like my dear little fairy friend would be back to finish her work!  I struggled with what embellishments to add and settled on a few small flowers.

Here you can see the whole calendar.  The bottom section is what I was struggling with.  I didn't want to add paper or lace.  Running must be good for my creativity because that's when I came up with idea of digging through one more stash in my studio and finding these tiny wooden spools.  (Yes, I have many many stashes!)  I wrapped matching thread on them, leaving the white thread longer to reach across the bottom.  I kinda like how it all turned out!

So, there ya have it!  Loved working on this piece!

I am entering my calendar in the challenge over at:

Mo's - Add Fabric (check!!)

I thought you might like to see some of the quilts I have made, so here ya go!

 This "Trip Around the World" hangs in my foyer and is still one of my favorites.

 The "Double Irish Chain" hangs in my stairwell.  The outer border really should be removed, doesn't quite work.  However, the muslin squares are quilted in a cross-hatch and embellished with butterflies made with pearl cotton and seed beads.

I can't remember the name of this one.  I made it 17 years ago and I still love it.  It was probably beyond my skills at the time and I ripped out plenty of seams, but the perfectionist in me would not accept points being chopped off.  I am still proud of this quilt.

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

Blessings & Hugs,

Michelle

Shopping Our Stash #96

Happy Tuesday, dear friends!  It's Tuesday and time for another great challenge at Shopping Our Stash.  This week we want to see you use "Not Your Normal Paper".  It could be glitter paper, honeycomb paper, corrugated paper, canvas, cork or how about book pages, newspapers, wrapping paper or vellum.  You choose!  And this time our challenge is running for 2 weeks so you have plenty of time to join us!

I chose a sweet image from Pretty Little Stamps called Pretty Pumpkin.  I colored her with my Prismacolor pencils.

Now, I know this image and the papers aren't seasonally appropriate but I was inspired by the challenge and my "not normal paper".  When I went through my meager selection of different papers I found a sheet of gold vellum.  I have no idea where I bought it, when I bought it or why I bought it.  As I looked at it I realized it would make a great autumnal card.  I embossed a piece with a Tim Holtz "post card" embossing folder, then I inked the raised areas.  The papers are MME (some of my favorites).  The lace is from my stash as are the flowers.

 I copied the sketch for the writing panel.

I'm pleased with how this turned out.  I haven't colored in a while and I had fun with her.

So, there you have it.  Now, it's your turn to dig through your stash and find a different paper to use in our challenge and you have 2 weeks to do it!

I am entering my card in the following challenges:

CLP - Sketch

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

Blessings & Hugs,

Michelle