Welcome Spring

This weekend was so nice.  My daughter is on spring break and just came home and the weather is so lovely.  You know Spring is just around the corner.  It is hard to believe that Easter is in just a few weeks.  I can hardly wait!!  I am definitely in the mood to make some spring cards.

This card used the new set, Happy Spring.  This frolicking bunny is stamped and heat embossed with black detail EP and colored with markers and a dove blender.  I layered her on a sparkly Doily Circle die cut from Tear-ific Tape.  Cloud NineVelvet Glitter was added to the die and the edges sponged with yellow ink to give it the bright yellow coloring.

The sparkly border is created by punching sticker paper with two different border punches.  A combination of more Cloud Nine Velvet Glitter and the new Mountain Mint Velvet Glitter was added using the Masking on Velvet Glitter technique.  Full details of this card can be found in the gallery here.

Make sure you come back on Thursday to join the Sparkle N Sprinkle “My Favorite Technique” blog hop.

Have a wonderful week and make sure you have turned those clocks ahead!!

E. Marie

This card is entered in the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamps Challenge – A Bit O' Green

Totally Papercrafts Challenge #157 - Punch It!

Allsorts Challenge Week 197 – Springtime

CatchThe Bug Theme Challenge – Green Thumb

Clearly Inspired Challenge #70 (CIC70) – Die Cuts

Corrosive Challenge #168 – All That Glitters

4 Crafty Chicks Crazy Egg Challenge #132 {4CCC-132} – Die for Dies

Fussy and Fancy Challenge 84 – Flowers

MAWTT Challenge 173 – The Birds and the Bees!

Oldie But A Goodie Challenge – Feeling Floral (Border Punches)

One Stop Craft Challenge 219 – Spring

Ooh La La Challenge #125 – Four Legged Friends

Sparkle N Sprinkle March Creative Challenge SNSSC17

March has arrived and it is time for a new challenge at the Sparkle N Sprinkle Creative Challenges Blog.  This month the theme is “Anything Goes - WITH GLITTER”.  You can use any colors as long as you use glitter!!  Make sure you check the challenge blog for all the details, along with the winner of the February challenge.

I love the look of glitter so I took full advantage of this theme.  I used the single pansy image from the new Pansy set, along with the sentiment All Things Grow.

The pansies were heat embossed with Cerulean EP on top of Jasper Blue Velvet Glitter and additional color added with alcohol markers.  I cut them out and layered them.  The small dark blue flowers are die cut from dark blue cardstock covered with Cloud Nine Velvet Glitter, colored with a dark blue alcohol marker, then layered and small silver blue pearls added to the centers.  The flowers are all arranged on a glittery flourish die cut and added to a lovely elegant card front covered with Bridal glitter and embossed with an embossing folder.  Even the sentiment is layered on glitter covered die cuts.

Your card doesn’t need quite this much glitter, but it does need a little sparkle.  You have until 8: oo p.m. EST on March 31^st to link your project at the SNS Creative Challenges Blog for a chance at a stamp set of your choice.  We can’t wait to see what you create!!

E. Marie

This card is entered in the following challenges:

Bunny Zoe's Crafts Monthly Challenge #33 – Flowers and Pearls

Cheery Lynn Designs Challenge 69 - Die Cut Flowers (used Fanciful Flourish and Miniature Rose Dies)

Spectrum Noir February/March 2013 Challenge – Bling

Simon Says Stamps Challenge – Anything Goes

Crafts and Me Challenge #122 – Dies or Punches

Crazy 4 Challenges C4C174 – Texture, Texture, Texture

CCW February Mini Challenge – Anything Goes/Smaller Than 12x12

CI Paint Inspired By: Anything Goes

Cute Card Thursday Challenge #258 – Something Old (Have had all the dies for quite a while)

Flourishes TimelessTuesday #209 (FTTC 209) – All That

Kaboodle Doodles Challenge #160 – Use Any Bling

Ooh La La Challenge #124 - Sparkle & Shine

Warmest Sympathy

As much as I enjoy making cards, it is always hard when you need to make a sympathy card.  My future son-in-law’s grandfather has been very ill for quite a while and this last week my daughter called to let me know that he had passed away.  I had met his grandmother and was very touched by her sweet and kind personality.  She holds a very special place in my heart for opening her home to my daughter, after she had surgery, and taking such wonderful care of her.  I knew I wanted to make her a very special card to let her know she was in my prayers.

I decided to give the card a very delicate look by combining vellum with mulberry paper.  I heat embossed the image from the new Pansy set with white detail EP and colored from the back.  I layered it on die cut sticker paper covered with Purple Potion Velvet Glitter, and added it to a wispy piece of mulberry paper on an embossed card front.

I needed several more cards for other family members and made this card using a simple embossed resist technique.  The image is Spiked Blossoms Rectangle, embossed with Velvet Sparkle Embossing Powder and sponged over it with Sweet Plum Memento Ink. 

Head on over to the Sparkle N Sprinkle Blog for more details on these cards.

E. Marie

These cards are entered in the following challenges:

Pansy Sympathy

Totally Papercrafts Challenge #155 - Hope for Spring

Crafty Catz Challenge #171 – Dies and Punches

Craft Your Passion Challenge #150 – All That Glitters
Bunny Zoe's Crafts Monthly Challenge #33 - Flowers and Pearls

Spiked Blossoms Rectangle Resist

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge 85 – Blooming Images

Cute Card Thursday Challenge 257 – Simplify

Sparkle N Sprinkle Monochromatic Blog Hop

Happy Valentine’s Day and welcome to the Sparkle N Sprinkle Monochromatic Blog Hop.  If you came here by Jackie Smith’s wonderful blog you are in the right place.  If you just came by to visit, you might want to start back at the Sparkle N Sprinkle Blog to get all the details.  By visiting each designer’s blog and leaving loving comments, you have the chance to win one of 5 different prizes.

The hop runs through Friday, February 15 so if you have a special Valentine date, you will still have time to finish the hop.  Winners will be announced on Saturday, Feb. 16^th.  Here is the line up in case you get lost:

April Williams

Barbara Bruder

Shanna Shands

Jackie Smith

Marie Berquist (You are here)  

Dawn Bennett

Julie Zippel

Keri Brown

Brigita Skopas

Karalee Ingram

Cammy Vietzke

Anne Temple

Shona Erlenborn

Karin Martin  

Brenda Smalle

I have several cards to share with you, starting with the sweet Fiona the Little Irish Lass, designed by Michelle Perkett.  She is now available in rubber as part of the new Irish Shamrocks set.

I colored this image with markers and a dove blender and cut it out with a Spellbinder label die.  After adding Shamrock glitter with a glue pen, I popped it up on the front of the card with dimensionals.  To get more details on this card, visit the SNS gallery here.

My next card uses the beautiful bird house image from the new Shabby Chic Birdhouse set, from designer Beccy Muir.  I stamped this image in Peacock Feathers Distress Ink and colored it with the same ink and a dove blender.  I distressed the edges and sponged ink on all the layers.  

The lovely floral flourishes on both sides of the image are die cut from "Tear-ificTape" on white cardstock and covered with Priceless Peacock glitter.  I used more of the Peacock Feather ink to color the floral ribbon along the bottom.  This card can be found herein the gallery. 

It is time to head over to Dawn Bennett’s beautiful blog.  I know you will love what she has to share.  Don’t forget to leave a comment so you have the chance to win.

 

A reminder that through the end of the month St. Patricks, Valentine’s/Romance & Easter/Spring categories are on special – 15% off.  You can find all the specials here. 

Thank you so much for hopping by and have a wonderful Valentine’s Day!! 

These cards are entered in the following challenges:

Fiona

Basic Grey Challenge #87 – Your Favorites (Spellbinder Dies are my favorite – used Basic Grey Sun Rays cardstock from the Lauderdale Collection)

Beautiful

Clearly Inspired Challenge #68 (CIC68) – Let's Get Inky / creative ways for using ink

Anything Goes Challenge 86 - Vintage/Shabby Chic