Happy Bird-Day

Hope you all had a Happy Easter!  We had glorious weather here in NJ.  Temps were in the 70s, with plenty of sunshine.   Great for an egg hunt!

Just sharing a couple of birthday cards that were made in February:

Don't these colors remind you of sunny days?  They are so cheerful!  I took full advantage of some beautiful (retired) papers from Stampin' Up!, and added a birdcage from the set, Happy Moments.  After stamping, I sponged on yellow and rose inks to create a glow.

Also on both cards, I stamped a flourish from Verve's Blessings near the bird cages and further down to fill 'empty' areas.

My family and I saw The Phantom Of The Opera at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia recently.  It was the first time for all of us.  It was a neat experience.  To avoid high costs, we bought tickets in the 'nosebleed' section.  Now, I have a bit of a fear of heights in certain circumstances.  The top section, right near the ceiling as you can see here, is VERY steep.  I admit to having a small panic attack there!

I brought a small pair of child's binoculars that fit in my purse, and they were a great help.  The show was terrific, and the music so beautiful.  Our kids didn't really like it much, but we're trying to give them different experiences.  Our youngest, 12 years old, tried to fall asleep during the performance, but there are gunshots and explosions that happen during the show, so sleeping just wasn't happening.  ;-)

We weren't allowed to take pictures during the show, but my phone's camera wouldn't have done justice anyway.

Thanks for coming by today!

Stamps: flourishes - Blessings - Verve; sentiment - A Lovely Birthday - Inspired By Stamping; bird cage - Happy Moments - SU Paper: Summer Sun, patterns - SU Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko; Scattered Straw, Tattered Rose - Ranger; Regal Rose - SU Fibers: white seam binding - Hug Snug; pink sheer ribbon Accessories & Tools: butterfly button; Petal Pink Liquid Pearls - Ranger

Bella Toile Sympathy

Hello everyone!  I am feeling a little rusty with making cards AND with blogging right now.   And so....here's a card made back in January ;) --

Bella Toile background stamp (Stampin' Up!) is one of those treasures I'll always keep.  I stamped it in white on a navy background, and love how it looks.

The Verve sentiment (Blessings) was stamped on a scalloped oval, and matted on a piece of a Hallmark card that was just too pretty to throw away.  It's got a damask pattern, and I am a sucker for damask.

I finished my temp job at an accounting firm the other day.  What a wild ride that two months was!!  I helped process and assemble tax returns (plus answering phones, making copies, doing the mail, etc.), and am grateful to have learned a lot.  It's good on the ol' resume.  That was THE most exhausting job I've ever had, due to the pace.  Sooooo glad the kids have their Spring Break this week, so our pace at home is nice and easy.  Just what I need!

Stamps: Bella Toile - SU; sentiment - Blessings - Verve Paper: Not Quite Navy - SU; white - PTI; green damask - Hallmark card (shhh...) Ink: white opaque, Antique Linen - Ranger; Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko Fibers: Mushroom seam binding - Hug Snug Accessories & Tools: Scalloped Oval punch - SU; oval die - Spellbinders

The Easter Collection - Part 4...last one!

The grand finale of my Easter collection is here.  :-)  Five cards in this post, and it's been fun sharing Easter all week long with you!

Up first, an oldie-but-goodie stained glass lily stamp from Stampin' Up!  I bought it at a garage sale years ago, and it was all by itself, so I'm not sure of the set name.

The sentiment is from Wplus9's Easter Blessings set, which has a great assortment of Easter sentiments.

Stamps: lily stained glass - SU; sentiment - Easter Blessings - Wplus9 Paper: white - PTI; patterns - SU Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko Fibers: Ash Pink seam binding - Hug Snug Accessories & Tools: pearls; Copic markers; corner rounder punch - Fiskars

On the rest of the cards, I used the same sweet bunny from SU's Tender Toile set in different variations.

Stamps: sentiment - Fresh Cut Wreaths - Wplus9; bunny - Tender Toile - SU Paper: patterns - K & Co. Ink: Always Artichoke, Mellow Moss - SU; Frayed Burlap, Antique Linen - Ranger; Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko Fibers: green twine - American Crafts Accessories & Tools: tag punch - Martha Stewart; oval die - Spellbinders; 1/16" hole punch - Fiskars; pearls

On the next card, I stamped the bunny image in Pale Plum, then used Copic markers to color in.  It gives a much different, softer effect than a deeper color of ink would.

One of the problems with making a card, then not blogging about it until a good month later, is that you forget the names of things you've used.  Like this patterned paper, for instance.  I have NO idea which pack it came from.

Stamps: bunny - Tender Toile - SU Paper: Vintage Cream - PTI; Sahara Sand - SU; pattern - ? Ink: Pale Plum - SU; Antique Linen, Tea Dye - Ranger Fibers: lace, vintage thread Accessories & Tools: Parisian Motifs, Fleur de Lis Motifs, oval dies - Spellbinders; pearls; Copic markers

This card is almost identical to the green version up above, but this time done in shades of purple.

And finally, last but not least, and my very favorite...

I stamped a cream base with Vintage Wallpaper background (Market Street Stamps) in Going Gray.  Oh, it makes my heart go pitter-patter with all the damask goodness!  I added some cream crochet lace, and gray velvet ribbon by May Arts.

I'm keeping this one.  :-D

Stamps: Fresh Cut Wreaths (sentiment) - Wplus9; bunny - Tender Toile - SU; Vintage Wallpaper - Market Street Stamps Paper: Vintage Cream - PTI; Going Gray - SU Ink: Going Gray - SU; Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko; Antique Linen - Ranger Fibers: vintage thread; gray velvet ribbon - May Arts; crochet trim - IBS Accessories & Tools: tag punch - Martha Stewart; oval, scalloped oval dies - Spellbinders; pearls

I hope you enjoyed the week-long share, and I'll see you soon!  Thanks so much for coming by.

The Easter Collection - Part 3

Welcome!  Sharing more Easter cards with you all today...and we begin with a CASE of Wplus9 owner Dawn Woleslage's card:

I received this Easter Blessings set for my birthday, and think it's the cutest thing ever!  Just had to CASE Dawn's card, 'cause it totally made me smile.  :-)

Stamps: Easter Blessings - Wplus9 Paper: Vintage Cream - PTI; Pale Plum - SU Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko Accessories & Tools: Copic markers; white paint pen (for the tail); pearls

Used the same set for the next card, but it's soooooo much paler....in fact, it was hard to photograph and photo-edit this one.  It looks much too gray in the pics, but in real life it's got touches of very pastel pink throughout.

I used pale gray ink to stamp everything, to keep the look soft.

Stamps: Easter Blessings - Wplus9 Paper: white - PTI; digital patterned paper - IBS Ink: Going Gray - SU; Frayed Burlap, Antique Linen - Ranger Accessories & Tools: White Opal Liquid Pearls - Ranger; pearls; corner rounder punch - Fiskars; Copic markers; doily - Wilton

The next one is also fairly pale, using patterned papers from K & Co., a sentiment from Stampin' Up!, and more new Hug Snug seam binding.

This seam binding is called Violet.  I topped it with a flower petal, which had been completely white, but I tipped the edges with a pale plum Copic marker, then added a button.

Stamps: Something to Celebrate - SU Paper: patterns - K & Co. Ink: Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko; Milled Lavender - Ranger Fibers: Violet seam binding - Hug Snug Accessories & Tools: flower petal; Copic marker; button; pearls

I've got another installment of Easter cards to share....think I'll post it for Friday, then take the weekend off. Hope you have a great day!

The Easter Collection - Part 2

Welcome to Part 2 of my Easter Collection!  This week, I'm sharing all the Easter cards I've made over the last month.  Many of them went to Arts Plus Gallery for sale, and I kept a few to send out to loved ones.

This sweet bunnies-and-tulips stamp is an older Stampin' Up! image, but I have no idea what set it came from.  Does anyone know the name?  I'd stamped and colored this a few years ago, and it felt nice to finally put it on a card.

For my birthday, I received some more rolls of Hug Snug seam binding.  This one is Pansy Purple, and oh is it a luscious color!  The sentiment and tag are also birthday gifts; both are by Papertrey Ink.

Stamps: 'joy' - Tag-Its #8 - PTI; image - Stampin' Up! Paper: Orchid Opulence, Mellow Moss - SU; white - PTI Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko; Antique Linen - Ranger; Ballet Blue, Old Olive - SU Fibers: Pansy Purple seam binding - Hug Snug; vintage thread Accessories & Tools: Pearls - Queen & Co; Copic markers; Tiny Tags die - PTI

Same spring image, same layout, but in a different colorway this time:

Stamps: sentiment - Something To Celebrate; image - SU Paper: Pretty In Pink, Sage Shadow, Whisper White - SU Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko; Sage Shadow - SU Fibers: Metal Green - Hug Snug Accessories & Tools: Copic markers; pink gems - Queen & Co.

The next one really makes me happy.  It's bright and fun!

The sentiment and bunny are from Stampin' Up!, and all those flowers are from Wplus9's Fresh Cut Florals, another birthday gift.

Stamps: flowers - Fresh Cut Florals - Wplus9; sentiment - All Holidays - SU; bunny - SU Paper: polka dot, yellow floral, Summer Sun - SU; white - PTI Ink: Summer Sun, Green Galore, Gable Green, Pink Passion, Pixie Pink, Pink Pirhouette, Rose Red - SU; Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko Accessories & Tools: circle punch, Summer Sun marker - SU; White Opal, Petal Pink Liquid Pearls - Ranger

I'll be back with more tomorrow!  Thanks for popping in.  :-D

The Easter Collection - Part 1

Hello!  I'm batching together some Easter cards I made during the last month or so, and will share these with you this week.  Here's Part 1 of the collection.

Up first, a gold and purple card using a stamp from Inspired By Stamping's Easter Labels.  

I used a pretty piece of shimmery paper from DCWV Chateau Lavender stack, a golden oval die cut (from a $1 Scrap Bag), and a stamped purple label.

Stamps: Easter Labels - Inspired By Stamping Paper: white, Vintage Cream - PTI; pattern - Chateau Lavender - DCWV; gold - SU Ink: Purple Hydrangea - Tsukineko Fibers: Cameo Beige - Hug Snug Accessories & Tools: purple gems - Queen & Co.; oval die - Spellbinders

I made the next card while the supplies from the above card were still out on my desk.

Stamps: Easter Labels - Inspired By Stamping Paper: kraft, white - PTI; patterns - Chateau Lavender - DCWV Ink: Purple Hydrangea - Tsukineko; Walnut Stain - Ranger Fibers: Mottle Brown seam binding - Hug Snug; crochet trim - Hero Arts; twine - Creative Impressions; vintage thread; cream twine - American Crafts Accessories & Tools: purple gems - Queen & Co.; vintage buttons

The next one uses papers from Girls' Paperie, and a freebie egg wreath stamp from Verve.  "Joy" is from IBS's Elegant Christmas Sentiments.  The pink patterned paper was from a large piece of shaped paper, not your standard 12 x 12 square sheet.  I trimmed off one corner of it and kept those fancy

I added some subtle pink shading around the egg wreath while the die was still in place, and after coloring the eggs, added some Liquid Pearls.

Stamps: 'joy; - Elegant Christmas Sentiments - IBS; egg wreath - Easter Joy - Verve  Paper: white - PTI; patterns - Girls' Paperie Ink: Tattered Rose - Ranger; Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko Fibers: white seam binding - Hug Snug; white crochet trim Accessories & Tools: circle die - Spellbinders; Petal Pink, Lemon Yellow Liquid Pearls - Ranger; Copic markers; pearls - Queen & Co.

Thanks for checking out my Easter cards today.  I really appreciate your visit!

So, a frog, a rabbit and a dragonfly walked into a blog...

Nope, I don't have a punchline for that set-up, but I do have a couple of "un-Colleen-like" cards to share, and a frog, a rabbit and a dragonfly are making an appearance here.  :-D

This elongated card, featuring a frog and dragonfly from Stampin' Up!'s Unfrogettable, was sent to my nephew for his birthday.  He's 11 now, and I know this might seem a bit 'juvenile' for a tweenager.  After the Masculine category of cards, Kid cards are my second-least-favorite to make.  I'm just no good at them.

I had a large scalloped-circle die cut in my Bits & Pieces stash, and it made a good tree canopy.  I just added some cartoonish foliage, and cut brown cardstock to make a tree trunk.

I'm entering this card in a challenge which is new to me, and sadly, is already closing soon - for good.  It's called Just Punch It.  The theme is 'Free For All.'

Also entering at A Blog Named Hero, where the challenge is 'Build a Background.'  I hope this counts, creating a background scene for my critters.

The next card using skinny strips from the ol' stash, and a bunny and sentiment from Lawn Fawn's My Silly Valentine.  This was sent to my niece for her birthday a few months back.  She turned 9.

I'm entering this at Seize The Birthday, where the theme is 'Anything Goes.'

Let's pretend that I meant to place this bunny on a 'rug', when really it was to cover a stamping mistake. Ooops!

I'm skipping the usual supply list on this post.  I am waaaay behind on photo-editing all the things I've made in the last month or so, as well as preparing blog posts.  I worked SIX days this week, and it looks like next week will be the same.  For this homebody, 6 days is a LOT to be away from my nest.

I'm rather anxious for the tax deadline of April 15th to roll around so life can get back to somewhat normal for me.  Looking forward, though,  to whatever job the temp service will have for me next.  Earning regular paychecks is a wonderful thing!

A Christening Card

The bridal shop owner suggested I make a christening card, since she sells a few christening gowns.  This is the one I delivered back in January.  It hasn't sold yet, but the shop is just getting into a busier season now, so we'll see.

Used lots of white (of course), with just a hint of gray in the cross (Verve Notes Of Prayer), and a signature pearl.

I tied in the religious theme with a fleur de lis embossing folder, and the Parisian Motif round die-cut has a similar element along its edges.

When I attended my niece's christening several years ago, I was really struck by the priest's stole.  It was so beautiful, with lots of gold, blue and fleurs de lis.  It so inspired me, I made a card based on it.  You can see it HERE.

ETA:  I'm entering this at Verve's April Diva Dare:  the theme is Little Things...make a card for a child or baby.

Thanks for your visit today!  Be well.  :-)

Stamps: Notes of Prayer - Verve Paper: white - PTI Ink: London Fog - Tsukineko Fibers: white satin ribbon Accessories & Tools: pearl - Queen & Co.; Fleur de lis embossing folder - Cuttlebug; corner rounder punch - Fiskars; Parisian Motifs die, Labels Four die - Spellbinders

A Tiffany-Style Wedding Card

Tiffany Blue is so pretty, isn't it?  Like the hue of a robin's egg, it speaks of elegance and new beginnings.

I found a piece of cardstock in my stash that is a close match to that blue.  I have NO idea where I got it. I'd like more!  LOL  Now that I think of it, it might be from Mark's Finest Papers, when I was on their team years ago.  Anyway, I also happened to have ribbon in the same color, and this card was born:

I heat-embossed some Hampton Art Wedding rings in silver near the Hero Arts sentiment, and added rhinestones in the top corner.

Less than two weeks to go at my temp job, at an accounting firm.  With the April 15th deadline looming, we're busier than ever.  I have the utmost respect for anyone who is in this line of work full-time.  Tax season is grueling for accountants and their staff.  The partners at the firm where I temp are working 6-7 days a week, for months on end, and their days are really, really long.  Well, at least they get to come up for air pretty soon, on April 16th.  :-D

Stamps: rings - Wedding - Hampton Arts; sentiment - Best Wishes - Hero Arts Paper: robin's egg blue (?) Ink: Versamark, Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko Fibers: robin's egg blue satin ribbon - Offray Accessories & Tools: silver embossing powder - SU; Diamonds & Dots embossing folder - Lifestyle Crafts; rhinestones - Queen & Co.