Bonjour.

Ever have one of those days when you just can't string two words together?  Well, that's the kind of day I am having today.  It's not that things are any more crazier than usual, but I just can't seem to kick it into gear so to speak, as does happen to the best of us from time to time so I hear.  Therefore, I think it most prudent to keep my post fairy brief as not to disgrace myself any further.  *wink*

This is a card I quietly crafted with  this week's Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge in mind.  The featured stamp set used on this card is Waltzingmouse Stamps' French Country (sentiment and background stamping) and it's such a charming set. It's just another of Waltzingmouse Stamps many exquisitely crafted sets.  Which reminds me that soon there will be another release.  So exciting!


Thank you so much for cruising by.  Here's to a stellar day for us all! 

A Vision Of Loveliness.

It was a case of love at first sight when I saw this week's inspiration photo from The Shabby Tea Room.  Talk about going gaga. It's beyond beautiful.  I hadn't thought to join in this week's challenge prior to spotting this vision of loveliness, but I just had to use it on my blog.  Seeing that I'd feel a goose for just pinching the picture with no card to share (I did consider it though), I whipped up this shabby little cuppie shaped card only so I could post the picture to my blog.   Bit tragic, hey?

I guess I'd better go through the motions and tell you that the challenge was to use Aqua, Pink, Neutrals, and Flowers.  My aqua is a tad more turbo charged than that of the inspiration photo (a bit swimming pool isn't it?) but still rather fetching.  I had fun getting my corrugated cardboard on the go for the cupcake wrapper which I finger painted with Tim Holtz Distressed Crackle Paint in Broken China, Rock Candy, Picket Fences, and Tattered Rose.  For the cakey bit of the cupcake (apologies for not knowing the correct anatomical name for the bits that make up these yummy treats) I used a fun Hero Arts/Basic Grey stamp called Tartan Background and embossed it with Detail White.  I then set off with my Tim Holtz Distress Inks to infuse this section with color.  What fun.  The icing was shaped by cutting some scraps of DP with Papertrey Ink's Edgers #4 die.   The single embossed layer was done so by using Gauchi Script Embossing Folder by Provocraft.  I really adore this particular folder and use it often.  It's a definite must have.  The flower topping the cupcake is a swatch of Ocean Tides felt from Papertrey Ink cut with My Favorite Things Rolled Rose die.  I adhered the rose with my favorite glue to use for any fabric (felt especially) and it is Helmars 450 Quick Dry Adhesive.  Well worth the search for this glue, as it's really amazing and sticks like no body's business. As for the other bits and bobs used, they've been around for a while and more than likely already in your crafting arsenal.  If not, do let me know.

I don't know about you, but I am off to stare at that fantastic bucket of roses sitting on that Shabby-licious chair.  So so lovely!  Thanks for stopping by as it is always such a treat.  Here's to an inspired day for us all! 

The Not So Clean Simpleton.

Look, I am not going to lie...I stink at Clean And Simple (CAS) cardmaking.  So much so that it's kind of funny.  I try and I try to stick to the pristine hand required to effectively execute the CAS style, but no cigar.  This card base started life as piece of Papertrey Ink's Vintage Cream card stock and look at it now. This base has successfully integrated into the Witness Protection Program for paper.   It is definitely going to be at the courthouse on the day to testify and I'm going down.  

I used a mélange of Tim Holtz Distress Stains, Distress Inks, a few unwieldy squirts of Tattered Angels Glimmer and Chalkboard Mists and Mister Huey's Calico White.  I am sure the "less is more" mantra should have been more prominent in my thoughts when I took my hand at attempting to go CAS, but my evil crafting twin took over and the more grubby, stain-loving crafter in me was away.

Seeing that I had already gone off the rails as far as keeping things clean, I figured what the heck...I might as well add another layer seeing my chances of this being a truly CAS card has clearly gone to hell in a handbasket. The sentiment is from Embellishments stamp set from Papertrey Ink and the die-cut and the white embossed die-cut frame are both from Papertrey Ink's Photo Finishers stamp and die sets.   The real hero of this card though is the Bahama Blue dye ink from Memento.  What a killer color.  Without it, I am not so sure those wonderful butterfly stamps from Darkroom Door would have remained so crisp and vibrant post the onslaught of the "too many to name" mists and stains used.   But all in all, I had fun trying.  I, somehow, suspect that true CAS is not on the cards for this crafter.  But that's okay.  I'll just have to live vicariously through you crazy cool CAS gals and enjoy your beautifully executed projects all the more. *wink*

Thanks a huge heap for stopping by.  I enjoy your visits so.  Here's to a great day!

To Good Times And Synchronicities!

Here is my rather Larry offering to this week's The Play Date Cafe Color Challenge featuring Daffodil, Hydrangea, Kiwi, and Cherry.  For some reason, October Afternoon's Boarding Pass DPs just came screeching to mind when I saw the week's inspiration collage and I knew exactly where I was going to find something perky to use.

While I was in the midst of crafting this card for this challenge, prior to even conceiving the idea to add flowers (actually, at this point, I think I was rather captivated by those bathing beauties pictured, to be honest), my beautiful 17 year old daughter came home with a delightful posy for me.  I adore how wonderfully thoughtful she is as she collects and arranges the wildflowers she plucks (best not to think of from where as we live in the inner city) for me as she makes her way home from school or her other adventures each day.  When she passed them to me, two of the flowers fell out and landed on my craft space next to the die cut October Afternoon layer and the Tim Holtz embossed base of Spring Moss cardstock I had crafted thus far.  Talk about a light bulb moment, because the delicately dropped flowers were the sweetest daisies and they looked as if they totally belonged as part of this papercraftng picture all along and I just hadn't known it.  Don't you just love life's little synchronicites?  I sure do.  So off I went on a mission to craft some daisies for my card.  So cool.  Wouldn't you know it, I fossicked out my My Favorite Things Rolled Daisy die and off I cranked.  The centre of the daisies were just some random clear rhinestones I colored up with a Tria marker and glued down.  Nice.  You have no idea how chuffed I was to achieve a rather daisy-esque looking pair of blooms.  You might have to squint a bit though but hey,  I reckon they'll pass.  Needless to say, this card just pretty much took off from there and quasi-artishly mirrors the vision I saw before me.  I couldn't think of a better sentiment to use than the "Good Times" from Papertrey Ink's Road Trip set.   The sentiment mat is just one of the many fabulous labels from Waltzingmouse Stamps.

So there you have it folks.  Thank you for allowing me to share with you just another of my many musings in papercrafting.  To good times (daisies) and synchronicities!  


Edited to add:  Although I am not a stranger to Simon Says Stamp (love that place), I have only just found their challenge blog dedicated to all things Vintage: Simon Says Stamp And Show.  Am I as happy as a pig in poop or what?!  So I have linked this card there too.  

Hot Stuff!

I know I have used this image a fair few times to date, but I just love these little quippy Crafty Secrets delights from their Coffee and Tea set.  I am not Queen Copic by any stretch, but I do enjoy a wee scribble every now and again.  Plus, I also wanted to try and make dent in this momma beef sized pack of Pinefeather cardstock by Papertrey Ink that is gathering dust and hits me with a few pangs of guilt as to why on earth I actually bought it each time I pass it by? It's a lovely green, that is for sure, but not one I use very often without a hardcore prompt outside of maybe The Festive Season.   So, I thought, why not?  Let's give the old Pinefeather a go and see what happens.  Low and behold, I think I kind of like myself some Pinefeather now, especially when stamped with this Hero Arts Cling Background stamp called Asian Flower Pattern and when given some sooty edges.  This cling stamp seems to transcend the Christmassy vibe that I have always gotten when I see this particular green cardstock.   It's not a bad vintage green, eh?  I like that, when I can see my supplies in a new light and hopefully now it will sprout some legs and get itself used more often.  Buyer's remorse, no more.  Most excellent.

Thanks so much for popping by.  (Not that I can do too much popping myself (outside of literally) from all the wonderful Easter festivities of late though. Yum.)  Here's to a blessed day for us all!

A Cherubic Love Note.

(Click photo for more of an eyeful.)

The colors for this fortnight's CR84FN Color Challenge are Pink, Peach, and Light Blue and are so very ethereal and angelic and seemed the perfect driving force for this card.  Is that not the cutest post carrier you have ever seen, I mean really? I was instantly smitten with this darling cherub from the moment I laid eyes on it.  It comes from a small clear stamp set from Crafty Secrets called French Mail.  Adore.  This card was also made with my latest die crush from Spellbinders.  In order not to embarrass myself with how much I love the shape of this die, I will just leave you with the name and a warning that you can absolutely look forward to seeing Spellbinders Grand Labels 23 and all its permutations a heck of a lot more for the foreseeable future, that's for sure.  Bliss.  Seeing that there is so much love in the air with this card, I had to craft it into a love note.  Of course, of course.  The stamped chevrons are from a fun background building set from Waltzingmouse Stamps, called Offbeat Backgrounds.  The sentiment is from Papertrey Ink called Paper Trey.  This sentiment only set is so rarely seen across any of the crafty blogs I frequent, which makes me wonder if it looks a lot more garish to others than it does me?  I love this set for its quirky font size and nifty use of upper and lower case.  I do often wonder why its sightings are a bit like hen's teeth though?  And yes, that's my favorite of all time script text stamp from Hero Arts peeking out from behind the postage edged focal image. I've talked you ear off about that one before.  Yep, that's the one...again.  *wink*  

I am off to run a few errands now and hopefully be able to sneak in some crafty time today.  Wish me luck.  Our beloved craft is such a life force, isn't it?  Good stuff.  Thank you so much for stopping by.  Here's to an inspired day for us all!   

ETA:  I stumbled across Crafty Secrets 1st Linky Party on their blog and included my card.  Perhaps you might like to join in the fun too.