Time for a taste of Spring

I don't know about you, but I've had just about enough of winter!  The weather here has been brutally cold the past week with lows that have broken 100+ year-old records.  Add to that a sinus infection that just doesn't want to let go and I need a good dose of Spring!
Today I have a project I designed for my Blendabilities Club this month.  They are receiving the Soft Sky set, so I thought it would be perfect to colour some soft blue eggs...

Shabby chic card featuring the Backyard Basics (retired) stamp set with sentiment from the Crazy About You set.

I decided to go with a Shabby chic look for this one.  The eggs, from the (retired) Backyard Basics stamp set,  are stamped in Crumb Cake ink and coloured using the Soft Sky Blendabilities.  I die-cut them using the coordinating Backyard Basics Framelits (also retired) and arranged them on a nest of Hemp twine I have been hoarding saving for years.  I adhered the nest to a doily from the Artisan Embellishments Kit and layered that on a Sahara Sand card base, stamped using the Hardwood background stamp in Whisper White Craft ink.

The sentiment banner is die-cut using the Label Card Thinlits.  This little banner is actually supposed to pop up, but I found that when I ran it through my Big Shot with Whisper White card stock I only got the cut banner without the score lines, which made it perfect for this project.  I stamped the sentiments from the Crazy About You set in Blushing Bride ink, bending the photopolymer stamps slightly so that they would follow the shape of the banner.  I adhered the banner over the nest using dimensionals.  I added a little rosette and a button from the Artisan Embellishments Kit, as well as a little bow tied from Venetian Crochet Trim.

Inside view with sentiment from the Indescribable Gift set.

On the inside I stamped a sentiment from the Indescribable Gift stamp set in Sahara Sand ink and added a little vellum butterfly, punched with the Bitty Butterfly punch and sponged lightly with Blushing Bride ink, and embellished with three little pearls.


Here's hoping we'll really be able to say "Hello Spring"  sooner than later!

Now for this week's Weekly Deals.  Some great prices on punches!  Remember, these sale prices are only good until Monday at midnight :)

2014-2016 In Color Backgrounds Designer Series Paper Stack Price: $26.95   Sale: $20.21	Amped Up Ampersands Kit - Digital Download Price: $10.95   Sale: $6.57	Celebration Basics Kit Price: $18.95  Sale: $14.21	Daffodil Delight 1/4" Cotton Ribbon Price: $7.25   Sale: $5.44
Mosaic Punch Price: $21.95  Sale: $16.46	Pansy Punch Price: $21.95  Sale: $16.46	Pumpkin Pie 1/4" Cotton Ribbon Price: $7.25 Sale: $5.44	What's Up Punch Price: $22.95  Sale: $17.21

Shaving Cream Eggs

Well, long time no see, huh?  The past few days have been a whirlwind.  My DH's aunt passed away early last week and we had the visitation and funeral this weekend.  I have had little time to think about stamping, but I do want to show you another project I did for this week's challenge at The Technique Twist.  We are all about the shaving cream background technique this time around and I decided it was the perfect look for Easter Eggs.  Check them out:

Easter treat holder made using the Scalloped Tag Topper punch and featuring the Shaving Cream background technique.

Aren't those eggs fabulous??  I love the marbled effect achieved with the Shaving Cream technique!  I created the look following the steps I outlined HERE and then stamped the egg from the Backyard Basics stamp set in Versamark and heat embossed in white.  I then die cut the eggs using the coordinating Backyard Basics Framelits.  Perfect Easter Eggs! 

I added a little strip of Pistachio Pudding grass that I fringed with my paper snips (my Fringe Scissors are on their way!) and nestled the eggs amongst it.

The little tag is stamped with the Eggstra Spectacular stamp set and then die cut using the Window Frames and Bitty Banners Framelits.  I tied the treat holder closed with a piece of Wild Wasabi stitched grosgrain ribbon.  A quick and easy treat holder sure to make anyone smile.  I think I may just do one for each of the teachers at my son's school just to let them know how much they are appreciated!

I'm sorry I've been neglecting my blog of late.  Sometimes life just gets in the way of the things we want to do.  Between flooded stamp spaces and dying relatives there hasn't been a whole lot of time for fun!  Hopefully this week will be much less eventful and I can get back to putting rubber to ink.  In the meantime, have a great week!

Mom's Birthday Card

So, I a couple of weeks ago I mentioned that it was my mother's 71st birthday and promised to show you the card I had made for her.  Well, today is the day!  Here it is...

Birthday card featuring the Backyard Basics stamp set with sentiment from Simply Sketched (Hostess) stamp set.

My mom is a HUGE gardener and loves orchids.  I thought this image, from the Backyard Basics set, looked like some of the orchids in my mom's collection, so I thought it would be the perfect focal image for her card.

She is also an avid reader, so I thought the Pretty Print TIEF would be a suitable way to add some texture.  Here is a quick rundown of how I put it all together:

• I stamped the floral image on watercolour paper using Staz On ink and then coloured it using a blender pen and markers.  Colours I used were:  Perfect Plum, Elegant Eggplant, Crushed Curry, Old Olive and Always Artichoke
• I die cut the coloured image using the coordinating Backyard Basics Framelits.
• The background is a piece of Crumb Cake card stock that I embossed using the Pretty Print TIEF and then lightly sponged using Soft Suede ink.
• The label is die cut using the Apothecary Accents Framelits.
• The sentiment is from the Simply Sketched hostess set and is stamped in Soft Suede.  The floral image on the label is stamped in Crumb Cake ink.
• I used Crumb Cake seam binding ribbon and a Vintage Trinket brad for the bow.
• The card base is Soft Suede

Inside view with sentiment from Full of Life (retired)

A special card for a special lady!  Have a great Monday, everyone!!