Blue Birds

We have bluebirds nesting in a birdhouse near our back deck. I can see them flying in and out of the birdhouse when I am eating breakfast. They inspired my card today.

The birds are cut from SU's Bird Ballad paper. I fussy cut two of the birds and perched them on a couple of die cut leaf branches. The stripe remind me of the patio canopy. It is from the same paper set. The sentiment is an old one, unlabled.

I used the sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches

Coffee with Friends

It is hard these days not being allowed to meet friends for coffee. So I made a cheery card for a coffee pal.

I have been getting inspired the last few days with my Pintrest saves, some sketches, and my pile of scraps. While rummaging through by scrap box, I found this pre-printed tag. No recollection where it came from. I just knew it would make a cheerful card. The polka dots paper is by Bazzill. The others are scraps. The sentiment is SU. To add a little more of the aqua color, I found 3 sequins in the same color.
This sketch is the current one from Tuesday Morning Sketches

Ribbon Trims

The new challenge at Let's Craft and Create is Lace, Ribbon, Twine.
My husband made a craft desk for me a few years ago with special ribbon storage area.

It is so nicely sorted by color and right out in open view. But I have not been using it often. So this is a great challenge to use up some them.
I have a long way to go as this card did not use much of that stash.

The base and polka dot layer are Bazzil. The pattern paper is actually the front of a note card I received from a friend yesterday. It is too pretty to toss so here it is upcycled. The sentiment and label are from SU. The ribbon is secured with mini glue dots and the label popped up with foam tape.

Grad Card

This is a weird and difficult year for seniors. Just because there will not be ceremonies and maybe not open houses, I still want to honor the seniors I know.

Remember the old painter's tape technique? My tape is really wide so i thought (light bulb going on), I wonder if Washi tape would work. Well it does. If you are not familiar with this technique, tear off a strip of washi tape longer than the size of the card. Lay the tape over the ink pad and gently press it into the ink. Pull the tape away and apply to the paper.
The local high school colors are red, white, blue and the team mascot is stars. The grad cap is a sticker. The sentiment is from SU!
This uses the sketch from CAS(E) this Sketch!

Another old technique I tried today is wrapping rubber bands around a large clear block and applying ink with it.

I did the sentiment on the computer and die cut with SU! die.

Flower Garden

My second card today is for 3 challenges

This gorgeous flower garden is by Hampton Arts colored with SU Blender pens. I used Soft Sea Foam and Highland Heather SU card stock. And every flower garden needs a little butterfly--this one fussy cut from SU paper.

Entering in The Library Craft Challenge whose book this time is 

The design is sketch at Freshly Made Sketches

Also putting this in my stash for Send A Smile 4 Kids. Their challenge is anything goes or Moms but due to the isolation policies, most hospitals are not accepting cards at this time. I know when they do get back to normal, there will be a lot of need for thank you cards.

Butterflies

Taking today to catch up on some challenges. First up is CAS(E) this Sketch!

My interpretation:

I fussy cut 3 butterflies from a SU paper. The butterflies alone looked too plain so I anchored them with the strip from the same paper set. The sentiment is also SU.
Stay tuned for 1 more today.

Umbrella Twofer

Darnell's Twofer challenge this time is all about umbrellas.

My two cards

The first is the traditional use of an umbrella

This poor little guy is from American Art Stamp. Nothing sadder looking than a wet dog sitting in a puddle. He got caught out in the rain and didn't get his umbrella (Hampton Art) hooked well enough on his ear.  See how you can make the story fit your little boo-boo. The clouds are punched out and sponged with blue and gray inks. The raindrops are puffy stickers that have been in my stash for a waaaay looong time! The sentiment is my own and done on the computer.
The rest of the story:

This is a pre-colored digi from WinkWink Ink. Again, the sentiment is my own.
The twofer:

I turned the umbrella upside down and made some terra cotta pots with a scrap of orange. I stamped the umbrella on the back side so the lines don't show, and fussy cut them. The succulents are different stamps and die cuts from SU. The sentiment is an old unlabled one. Aren't they cute lined up on that Kraft paper shelf? The "wallpaper" is an Old Olive ombre print from SU.

Pile of Eggs

I thought I was done with Easter cards but with the recent isolation going on I decided I would send some to the nursing home residents and the older ladies from the church--who am I kidding, I am one of those older ladies who is confined to home.
So here is one for The Library Challenge #56 titled Egg Drop. Here is the book cover.

I am not familiar with this book but here is my card with all the eggs "dropped" into the corner. Amazing, none of them broke.

The eggs are fussy cut from patterned paper--just a scrap so I don't know who made it. I inked the circle at the top with colors to mimic the eggs. The bunny is salvaged from an Easter card I received a few years ago. The EF is from Cuttlebug. Looks a bit like eggs dropping from the sky? I cut a scrap of green with grass making shears from SU. The sentiment is also from SU.

Tulips

Yea! The tulips are blooming here. This one is right outside my front door and I can also see it from the craft room window. The approaching spring weather makes it much harder to stay home but we are persevering and only walking around the neighborhood to view everyone's flowers and blooming trees.

I used it as an inspiration for my card for Let's Craft and Create challenge with the option of through a window.

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The tulip stamp is an old unbranded one, colored with SU blender pens. I cut a window in the pink print from my scrap box. To frame the window, I used a nested circle die. One the sky background, I rubbed a white inkpad across it  to look like wispy clouds. The sentiment from Unity Stamps is on a scrap of white and anchored with pink gems.
Also playing for the prize at Pixie's Crafty Workshop Snippet Challenge #375

Water Lily

I'm loving the water color look of the papers in Lily Impressions by SU.
I think this one has the softness suitable for sympathy card. Further softening the look is the textured vellum that was available during Sale-A-Bration.

The flower is from Positive Thoughts. And 2 pieces of "seaweed" are from the Oh So Succulent set now retired.  The sentiment is also an old one from SU.
The layout is the sketch from CAS(E) this Sketch