Another card kit, they really had me this time!

There is a humorous video on YouTube with a lady that explains why YouTube made her buy it. In this case, crafting supplies.

I can relate, because after the March Simon Says Stamp card kit, I was all "kitted" out and was not going to do another one.  Well, until the YouTube videos for the June 2019 kit starting hitting the Internet, that is.

So, I ordered the kit, which is called "Leafy Frames" and features the most lovely floral patterned paper "Botanical Garden" from Carta Bella. It also included a package of ephemera in the Botanical Garden design, also. I'll talk about that a bit more in the individual card descriptions.There is also a big stamp set called "Leafy Frames", which is the name of the kit as well. Oh, and some paper flowers and Ranger Rock Candy glitter with its own spray dispenser. Spray glitter, what could go wrong?

There are 3 closely arranged color groupings in the patterned paper provided, so I decided to see how far I could make one of the groupings go. Four cards, it seems.

This card was made by fussy cutting one of the large floral sprays from the paper pack. I popped it up over 2 strips of patterned paper on a pink panel, and added it to a cream colored card base. I added the greeting from the included stamp set in green ink  I embellished it with some of the bits from the March kit, from Buttons Galore and More.  I have not decorated the inside yet, but I will.

This card, which was actually the first one I made, features one of the tags that were in the ephemera collection. It needed separation from the busy print behind it, so I backed it with some solid green card stock from my stash. The floral panel was cut with a border zig-zag die from Kat Scrappiness. I added some tulle ribbon and gold-flecked twine from my stash also. I added some bits from the same embellishment pack from the March kit. It is also undecorated on the inside, but again, I'll get back to that one later.  I'm not sure who in my family is sentimental enough for that sentiment, but lucky for me, I give away some of my cards to someone who IS.

For this card, I used another of the frames from the ephemera pack, but the center just said "LOVE", so I used another sentiment from the included stamp set. I cut some sprigs from green, using some old Paper Smooches foliage dies, and a couple of rose buds from My Favorite Things.  The rose buds have an outline, so I darkened a duplicate die cut flower and inlaid the pieces.  It shows up better in real life. I added some big clear sequins.  I took the second flower outline and glued it to the inside for a little decoration. 

This last card used another frame from the ephemera pack, and again I dumped the sentiment from the inside, and I used a sentiment from My Favorite Things' Deepest Sympathy set. I need more sympathy cards because when I need one, I need it right away.  I backed this frame with green card stock and fussy cut around the shape of it. I added a strip of patterned paper behind it, which was also backed in green card stock. I added some green ribbon to the patterned strip, and added some big clear sequins and a couple of clear droplet dots.  I added a strip of stripped paper to the bottom of the inside for a simple embellishment. 

Well, I'll break into the second color grouping later today, as well as some of the frame images from the stamp set.

I probably won't be using most of the sentiments from the stamp set, as they are not in keeping with my card-sending style.  I won't even begin on the sentiments from the ephemera pack, which are not really sentiments, but little bits of philosophy which really don't make any sense for an actual card to mail.  But I could also change my mind. We'll see.

Eclipsing the card

My first eclipse card, featuring the blobs of watercolor over a white heat embossed background.  I used the Condensed Uppercase alphabet dies from Kat Scrappiness. I built the letters up with moss green card stock, and white heat embossed the tiny "you" that I added under the word "THANK".

I wanted to say "THANKS", but that last letter just wouldn't fit. You can see the top of the "S" die just above the card. I am attempting to build up my supply of cards without critters, so this is a start.

Feeling snarky, I won't deny it.

Why yes, I am feeling snarky.  I wanted the cat, and I wanted the fish bones, but I didn't have a sentiment that put the two together. Well heck, just go for it, right?

The cat is from Simon Says Stamp, and the fish skeletons are unbranded.  If anyone knows that the fish bones are a copied design, please let me know where I could get them legitimately.

The sentiments are from Simon Says and My Favorite Things.

On the next card I used a traditional sentiment, also from MFT. The brown cat's eyes are green, but they really disappear. I may go back and put Doodlebug Erie eyes on him.  Also, the back-facing cat should have more contrast, so I may change her up too. They had a lovely fish lunch, too

I used an old Amy Tangerine paper pad that I got at Tuesday Morning at least 4 years ago. Time to start using that stuff!

Edited to add:
I changed the contrast and enhanced the eyes on the forward facing cats:

Coffee themed cards, what could go wrong?

I fell into the alcohol ink fad and went a little crazy on this background.  I was determined to use it for the Spring Coffee Lover's Bloghop. But everything I did looked more like the fall to me. 

I used my coffee cup die from My Favorite Things, and the little fox was in my stash of colored critters. I think this one is from The Alleyway Stamps.

Next up, I used the cute little coffee cups from Simon Says Stamp, and a sentiment from Pretty Cute Stamps. I colored the inlaid bits with some more of the alcohol ink, or my Copic markers.

What could go wrong? Well for starters I didn't notice that this guy's arm fell out until I was editing the picture. What you can see is the backside of the washi tape that is supposed to hold these bits in place.  I  think maybe they are not sticky enough to do the job.

Secondly, the sentiment strip is covering the stamped and embossed sentiment that sort of disappeared into the background. 

Thirdly, my yellow Nuvo drops have gone funny on me.  The bottle is always clogged, and the drops are either too thick or spread too much by turns. I think it was the tapping that knocked the arm out of the coffee mug.

Do you see her crown? It's so tiny it disappears on her head. I do believe I need more coffee today.

Bee-lieving in you!

Three posts in one day.  I think I'm trying to set a record here.

This card is my second attempt to join the sketch challenge over at My Favorite Things. My first attempt to add my link didn't work, and I didn't want to fool around with it.

This is also using MFT's "Meant to Bee" stamp set, on 2 different MFT pattered papers. I think I like the little circles better than the "Hearts in a Row". I do not know why.

Now, back to my regularly scheduled activities. Carry on!

First attempt:

Crazy birds from the stash.

I'm sill avoiding any new coloring, but I have had these crazy birds from Tim Holtz in my critter cup for over a year now. I believe they were done with watercolor pencils.

Today's main lesson is buyer beware! I bought the "Happy Birthday" edge die thinking that the greeting would fit across the short edge of an A2 sized card. Nope, when you buy from the dealers directly in China you really need to read the descriptions and do the arithmetic from cm to inches.

Two things. First, now I know that this is probably a stolen design, since the store used photos of this greeting on finished cards that are clearly A2 sized. I hadn't actually seen this design on blogs or elsewhere so I thought I was safe. My bad. I should know that AliExpress dealers don't make their own card samples. We are lucky if they show a photo of the finished cut product if it is an original.

Second, I support artists and designers and would not buy something that I know to be a pirate copy. Now that I know it's a stolen design I won't use it again. Not that it was all that easy to use anyway, given its size.  I will post these cards on the unbranded Facebook group as a warning to others. I do buy dies of basic shapes from them, or designs I am pretty sure are originals (they DO exist, really).

Now I will slink back into my craft room to do something different.

Happy bee day!

Here is my entry into this week's sketch challenge at My Favorite Things. I had decided, based on the sketch, to use the "Hearts in a Row" die, like I did for a previous challenge. The previous one was a color challenge, though.

Here's the sketch:

Now, doesn't this look a a lot like this one from back in January?

Anyway, I used the Hearts in a Row die and the Meant to Bee stamp set. I did not do any coloring on this one. I don't know why I am avoiding coloring lately. I have another "Bee" idea for this sketch challenge, which I may slip in later.

Happy end of March, you all!