Fusion: Rainbow Birds

The oldest birdie in our family turned 94 this month!  Gram  still does well physically - takes no medication at all -  but having a conversation with her is like falling down the rabbit hole - you never know what to expect.  On the plus side she is very chipper and happy most of the time. In this photo she is looking at her favorite gift - a photo album of Will.  Every time she opens it is like the first time. She reads all the captions and oohs and ahhhs over that cute little face.  It is the first thing she shows me now when I visit every day- I have the book memorized - but I am delighted that she enjoys it so much!

Fun sketch and fun colors this week at Fusion - hope you join us!

Global Design Project is having a Birds, Bees and Butterflies challenge this week!

Stamp Sets:  Swirly Frames, Bird Banter

Ink: Highland Heather, Balmy Blue, Memento Black, Copics

Paper: Whisper White,  Highland Heather

Proud of You.....FMS390

I know what you are thinking....will these graduation cards ever stop?!?!?!  Not yet.....lol....

Have fun with Judy's sweet sketch this week at Freshly Made Sketches....and you don't have to make a graduation card!

Stamp Set:  Animal Signs (Pretty Pink Posh)
Paper:  Whisper White, Daffodil Delight, Follow Your Art DSP
Ink:  Memento Black, Calypso Coral, Copics, SU Blends

Awesome!

The retro sketches at Cas(e) this Sketch are such fun - especially if you have already made a card using it waaaaay back when!  I am still on my journey to 35 graduation cards for my daughter and this sketch worked perfectly for a rainbow of tossed caps!   I managed two of these so I have  ONLY 23 to go!  

It has been a beautiful Memorial Day weekend - two parades, cookouts and lots of time in the sunshine.  Miss E walked in a parade with her T-Ball team and then settled in to watch the rest of it from the sidelines.

Here is my card from the original sketch post back in October of 2015.

And the sketch.....

Addicted to CAS has a graduation theme this week.

Stamp:  Congrats Grad (Pretty Pink Posh)

Die Cut:  Awesome (Neat and Tangled)

Ink:  Distress, Copics, Versafine

Paper:  Whisper White, Peach Parfait

Time to Shine......FMS389

Oh that new little grandson of mine shines for sure!  That little Willy Bear is a charmer and this photo makes me laugh every time I look at it.......but not because of him.  Does anyone else think that E.T. has snuck up behind him and is ready to poke him with that magic shining finger?  What else could it be?  Honest my thumb is not that long.......still laughing...

These sweet flowers and sentiment are from a soon to be available set from Stampin' Up! called Daisy Lane.  Worked perfectly for Narelle's great sketch this week at Freshly Made Sketches! Hope you join us! 

The Paper Players is having a CAS plant challenge this week.

Stamp Sets:  Daisy Lane, Kinda Eclectic

Ink:  Balmy Blue, Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight

Paper:  Whisper White, Balmy Blue, Granny Apple Green

Stamp Review Crew: Lilypad Lake

The Stamp Review Crew is featuring Lilypad Lake this week.  My plan was to make a soft card of white with shades of blue.  But there sat my folder of Mango Melody still on my desk from the graduation cards I made earlier this week.  It seemed to be screaming "Pick me...pick me"  like  my third graders used to when they absolutely had to be the first one picked in a game or activity!  I just couldn't ignore it!  I think I may have a new favorite color.....

I am sandwiched between two of my best stamping buddies this week!  They are both fabulous stampers and are very entertaining to hang out with!  So don't miss either stop.....head back to Dawn Tidd or forward to Heidi Baks - enjoy!

The sketch from Cas(e) this Sketch was the basis of my design.

Stamp Set:  Lilypad Lake

Paper:  Whisper White, Mango Melody

Ink:  Memento, Balmy Blue, Blends:  Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Soft Sky, Pool Party, Crumb Cake,Night of Navy

Fusion: Hedgehog Scooter

My favorite way to do the Fusion challenge is to use both the sketch and the picture.  But I knew I was in trouble this week when I saw the photo.  I don't have one hedgehog image anywhere....so then I thought I must have a scooter image somewhere....anywhere in my craft room.....nope nope nope!  

And then I remembered my daughter needs 35 graduation cards in three weeks so I decided to use the sketch to get them started.  I am terrible at making multiples (unless it's cookies) - easily bored - or easily distracted - but I did make two of these!  Time to think of a new design for the next "batch.....



Hope you join us at Fusion this week!

                                 

Stamps: Wavy Sayings (Lawn Fawn), Bravo Grad (FSJ)
Paper:  Mango Melody, Whisper White, Gray Granite, Best Route DSP
Ink:  Blueberry Bushel, Copics
Cloud Embossing Folder (SU!)

The Final Detail....FMS388

I love these sweet pots of flowers and decided to use them as the "circles" of the sketch.  And it wasn't until I put the card on my bookcase to photograph that I realized I hadn't included a sentiment. So I embossed a tiny hello on a scrap of Rococo Rose - one of new in colors from Stampin Up!  And just like that the tiny sentiment banner with its happy pop of pink became my favorite part of the card!

Karren has a fun sketch for us this week at Freshly Made Sketches!  I overlapped my "circles" a bit differently and you can too if you want! Put your own spin on it!

Stamps Sets: Hero Arts Monthly Kit,  Sending Sunshine (Wplus9)

Paper:  Grey Granite, Mellow Moss, Festive Farmhouse DSP, Whisper White

Ink:  Memento Black,  Copics

The Creative Process......FMS387

I can't ever think of a time when I have created a card with no errors and put it all together perfectly first time through.  I usually stamp a few images, try a few color combos and experiment with paper and borders.  A card finally emerges with all the the "rejected" images and pieces all over my desk.  Honestly I usually just sweep them all into the trash - I broke that habit of keeping scraps "just in case" a few years ago. But once in a while fortune smiles and I can piece together a second card from the scraps on my desk.  And that's just what happened yesterday - a super clean version of this card seemed to magically appear in the rubble....so I went with it!  I love when that happens!

I love Cecile's sweet sketch this week at Freshly Made Sketches! Hope you join us!

Stamp Set:  Tropical Chic
Ink:  Shaded Spruce, Flirty Flamingo, Granny Apple Green
Paper:  Whisper White, Tropical Escape DSP

A Latte Layers

My friend Brian King is the featured designer this week at Global Design Project.  If you follow Brian's Blog (Stamp with Brian) you know his style is CAS but his cards often have many layers and fabulous color combinations.  His blog is one of my go-to resources for beautiful color combos!  So I used lots of layers and colors from a new Designer Series Paper called Mosaic Mood.  Brian's cards often have one little special element in them somewhere.....perhaps an altered sentiment, an unexpected image, a pop of color or an interesting technique.  So I added a tiny heart of Terracotta Tile......just for him!

Here is his design to CASE for this week's challenge.

I went with a coffee theme so I could link to the 2019 Spring/Summer Coffee Lovers Bloghop - always a wonderful hop!

Stamp Set:  Coffee Cafe

Ink:  Terracotta Tile, Soft Suede, Garden Green

Paper:  Very Vanilla, Garden Green, Mint Macaron, Mosaic Mood DSP

Fusion: Butterfly Wreath

Not quite butterfly season here yet but I'm happy with these paper ones!  The trees are budding.....the grass is greening.....and T-Ball practice has begun.  The Big Guy is helping to coach Miss Emma's team and they are both having a great time.  Her mom played softball back in the day.  I had a Scottie named Pudge back then that used to come to the games and sit on the bleachers next to me.  During one game a gal hit a foul ball into the bleachers and knocked Pudge right off the bleachers into the grass underneath.  Luckily I wasn't too high up and she was not hurt.  But the game was temporarily halted when girls from both teams rushed into the bleachers to make sure the dog was ok.........thankful for an understanding umpire.....gotta love small town life!

Use the photo or sketch or both like I did at Fusion!  Hope you join us!

Stamp Set:  Blissful Butterflies (Pretty Pink Posh)

Ink:  Memento Black, Bermuda Bay, Copics

Paper:  Whisper White, Woodgrain DSP, Follow Your Art DSP

Hello Bluebirds! FMS386

Here's another sneak peek at soon to be released products from Stampin' Up!  I love these birds from Free As A Bird along with that stylish DSP called Bird Ballard.  The birds are finally back in upstate NY.......and with a bit of luck the trees will be blooming this week.  I am ready for spring!

I love Jen Brum's sketch this week!  Have fun with it at Freshly Made Sketches!

Stamp Set:  Free As A Bird

Paper:  Whisper White, Balmy Blue, Bird Ballard DSP

Ink:  Memento Black, Copics, Stampin' Blends