Shopping Our Stash #137

Welcome friends!  I'm glad you are here today.  It's Tuesday so that means it's time for another challenge at Shopping Our Stash.  This week our theme is Love Me Tender.  We want to see your projects that show off love or Valentine's Day.

Our emphasis at SOS is to use your stash and that is exactly what I did with this card.

 First off, I had 3 full sheets and lots of strips left from a 6x6 MME pad.  I used several of the strips and a portion of one sheet for the front.  The lace you see is vintage.  I used a border punch that I bought years ago.  The flowers and seam binding are all from Wild Orchid but I have had for over a year, maybe two.  The rhinestone swirl is about a year old.  The sewing is a bit hard to see because the thread blends so well with my papers but it was an old Styrofoam spool (does anyone else still have any of those??) and I literally used the last few inches on my card.

 On the inside left (and on the back, below) I used the last half sheet of this great paper.  The right side has another sheet from the MME pad.  I also used two scraps and Spellbinders Labels 14 to make my writing panel.

Here's another look at the front.

I hope you are inspired to play along with us this week!

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

Blessings & Hugs,

Michelle

Dream of Flying

I have missed making my cards and blogging!  I haven't made a card for fun in so long!  I woke up Monday morning wanting to color and make one of my many-layered cards.  It took until Wednesday to actually get to it!

I have always loved the images by Mo Manning.  I was determined to use one of her many images I already own, but my muse had different ideas!  So, we bought Dream and I am so glad we did!!  I had the perfect paper from MME to go with this image!

 I colored this adorable guy with my Prismacolor pencils as usual.  Its been so long since I colored but I think I did ok.

 Do you see the DP?  With vintage planes on it?  How perfect is that?  I also used the dotted paper from the same collection (Portobello Road) because the challenge at Mo's challenge Blog is Spots and Dots.  Perfect!  I used the sketch from Papertake Weekly which was just what this image and card needed!  It's hard to tell but the really dark vertical lines are actually steel grey vintage seam binding.  I bought old packages (they are labels 19cents…no lie!) for a song at an antique shop.  The cool thing is since they are so old the colors are naturally vintage!  Fits perfectly with this paper!  I used a great trim behind the image that I've used before.  It's wired and you can pull it apart as you can tell on the right side and you can also shape it.  I added 4 matte silver brads to the corners of the image.

 Here's where you can see how everything really came together!  I had remembered the DP with the planes but I didn't remember the page with the plane pulling the banner…just like the banner shape under the image on the sketch!  I decided not to use this part of the paper on the front since it would be covered by my image.  Instead I cut it in half and used it inside.  I love how it looks!

 More spots and dots on the back!

Here you can see my stitching.  I purposely sewed crooked and added zig zag stitches in various widths.  I even sewed around the edge twice, going over the stitches already there.  The quilter in me was rebelling but the artist was having a great time!

I am entering my card in the following challenges:

Mo's Challenge Blog - Spots and Dots

Papertake Weekly - Sketch

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

Blessings & Hugs,

Michelle

Shopping Our Stash #136

Happy hello to you friends!  It's Tuesday and that means it's time for another great challenge at Shopping Our Stash.  Our theme this week is "Cabin Fever" - something "outdoors-y".  Right about now I do not want to be outdoors.  It has been single digits most days for the last couple of weeks.  We heat with a coal stove and many days I plant myself on the couch closest to it and conduct school from there.  In fact that is exactly where I am sitting right now.  I decided to paint my toenails and I am not moving from this spot til I can put socks back on!

I whipped up a quick and, again this week, CAS card for me.  My fingers are starting to whisper they would like to color and embellish again, I may be back to my "normal" cards soon.

 (Sorry for the shadow on my card.  Its too chilly to set everything up in the kitchen and take another picture.)  Anyway, this card is another departure from my usual cards.  First, no coloring, second NO embellishments what-so-ever, third, it's not square.  I really did make this one!  I needed a card for my "babies'" twelfth birthday this week.  He is so excited about being able to hunt with dad and big brother, Ben.  I will be getting him….well, I'm not sure what I am getting him, but a gift card will fit in here nicely.  I used three embossing folders on this card as well as all scraps.  No new card stock was cut in the making of this card!  The trees are simply triangles and the snow was ripped from white card stock.  I did not take any other pictures because it's really simple and, well, any more pictures would probably get boring.

So there you have it.  If you are suffering from Cabin Fever as well why don't you dip in to your stash and join us this week?

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

Blessings & Hugs,

Michelle

Shopping Our Stash #135

Hello again friends!  It's time for a new challenge at Shopping Our Stash.  Our theme this week is "Winter Blues".  The key word here is "blue".  We want to see your creation with blue as the main color.  That doesn't mean you can't use another color, but when we see your card we want to say "that's a blue card!!"  Got it?

Here's what I did:

Now I know there isn't a huge amount of blue, but blue and white are the only colors I used on this CAS (at least for me it is) card.  The sentiment is from a Becca Feeken set from JustRite Stamps.  The gingham ribbon is from my stash and is well aged I believe.

A short post for me today.  Won't you dip into your stash and join us for this fun challenge this week?

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

Blessings & Hugs,

Michelle

Shopping Our Stash #133

Hello again friends!  Its time for another fun challenge at Shopping Our Stash.  Celebrating the new year we want to see you use something NEW on your card.  New is always fun right??

I used 2 new die sets, one from Tim Holtz (the letters) and one from Spellbinders (Vintage Lace Doily).

I chose to make a Valentine medallion ornament.  I used a piece of DP and red card stock from my stash.  This went together really quick.  I'm not sure why my last 2 posts have been Valentines.  Sometimes you just have to go with the flow!

Dig into your new stash and play along with us this week won't you?

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

Blessings & Hugs,

Michelle

Shopping Our Stash #132

Happy New Year's Eve!  We are on the brink of a new year.  How exciting is that?  I have been busy cleaning out every nook and crannie in my home and that includes my studio.  And that fits right in with our challenge this week at Shopping Our Stash.  This week we want you to use the last of something.  The last paper from a collection, the end of a ribbon spool, the last sticker on a sheet.  You get the picture.  Time to clean out the old and welcome in the new!!

 I chose to make a Valentine card.  Why?  I'm not sure.  But when inspiration strikes you go with it right?  I used a sweet digital image and some paper I picked up at Hobby Lobby.  The pearls, lace, seam binding, doily and flourish were all from my stash.  The black pearls, DP and lace were the last of their kind in my stash.  The lace was exactly the size you see in the photo  It was meant to be!

 The heart DP was also the last of its kind.  I did pretty good using up some odd bits from my stash.  I'd love to say I used the last of the doilies but it was a pack of 28 and I think I have 25 left...

I think this card turned out pretty sweet.

Now it's your turn to use something up and share it with us this week.

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

Blessings & Hugs,

Michelle

Shopping Our Stash #131 - Use One Color

Hello friends!  Is it cold where you are?  It's cold and snowy here!  My son was making a snow fort with the piles of snow!  

I have stayed inside and played in my studio.  This week we have a new challenge at Shopping Our Stash; and since we know how busy most of you are this challenge will run for 2 weeks!  We want to see cards featuring just one color (plus neutrals or skin tones where appropriate).

My card came together pretty easily.

 I used navy and white card stock.  I embossed the big layer with snowflakes.  I punched the snowflake from the small blue layer then layered a blue and white snowflake on top of the outline.  I added a small blue rhinestone to the center.

 The inside is simple with another small white snowflake.

Here you can see the embossing and the dimension in the die cut snowflakes.

Easy this week!  Now it's your turn!  Dig into your stash and join us for our One-Color Challenge won't you?

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

Blessings & Hugs,

Michelle