Spring and Dogwoods

What says spring to me?  Dogwoods in North Carolina.

I am so happy that MFP Stamps has this Dogwood set.

It has become a favorite because it reminds me of NC and those beautiful trees.

Our theme this week is CAS and spring.

I love these images on vellum and thought I would send you a cheery hello

Hope you will join us at the MFP Stamps Blog challenge this week.

Think spring!

CAS Rain Challenge

It's CAS time at the MFP Stamps blog.

The theme is rain and we'd like to have you join in on the fun.

Maybe the April rains will mean beautiful summer flowers!

Hop On By!

March is here and it's time to think of

spring colors and images.

Today, I have a bunny card for you.

I slipped the images and sentiment

into an embossed frame.

So if you're thinking CAS and bunnies,

play along with us
at MFPSS.

Second Post Today: Hello Happy Flowers

Hello again, Bloggers and Followers!  My second post today and my second card from the "basket" is a card I'm calling Hello Happy Flowers.    The Inspiration challenge at Speedy TV this week is From the Garden and these little happy flowers all lined up fit the theme.  The stripes even pick up the pattern in another of Lois's photos and cards.  It seemed like a cheery card to offer to you today.  Hope you like it.

Check out the challenge at http://mfpspeedytv.ning.com/page/inspiration-challenge-3-in-the-garden-3-21-13      Be sure to leave a comment so I will know you stopped by.

Paper Piecing

Paper-Pieced Birdie Looking for Spring

Paper piecing is something I often forget to do.  There's another challenge on Mark's Finest Papers/Speedy Fox and Friends so I tried a bird.  I like to do a CAS card for this technique so the patterns of the paper really "pop"!  Wonder how I link it to this blog post?  Angels, guide me!

Bicycle Masculine Birthday Card

Bicycle All-Occasions Card

I'm having a memorial service today for my embossing heat tool,  "Gunner" as I fondly called him.  No amount of coaxing will bring him back to life and my intentions of making a Cracked Glass card for another challenge are dashed.  Instead, I turned my energies to a masculine birthday card for the Speedy Fox & Friends challenge.  No cars or tools for this one, but I love this bike stamp that I thought might bring back childhood memories to a guy.  Kind of brings Easy Rider to mind, doesn't it?  With a manual varoom, varoom required.  Five days of 50% chance of rain are headed my way so maybe I can come up with a sketch card for MFP.

Masculine LAAT Card

Lovely As a Tree, Woodgrain Embossing Folder, TAC Sentiment

Where did the time go?  We had guests for 4 days and rain every day.  Then all those errands and chores to catch up on and Santas to finish.  So it's been a while since I've had time to play in the studio.  Here is a CAS tree card inspired by the Simple Salutations challenge at MFP.  I had to make since I received my woodgrain embossing folder. It uses an old favorite-- the oak tree from the Lovely As a Tree set.  It's one of my go-to ten minute card ideas for guys.

Lucky Us

We are so lucky to be in NC this summer.  I was speaking to someone in Texas and she is excited when the temperatures drop down into the 90's.  It's such a hot summer!  It's hot here in the sun so we're staying cool in the shade.  Hey!  I need that Cool Breeze sentiment in one of the MFP stamps sets.  Today I am trying to finish up some Santas to take to the craft co-op.  I am also entering a card in the MFP/Speedy TV challenge.  It's a CAS challenge called Simple Salutations so my SU tulip border embossing folder, the cute little TAC hedgehog with flowers, and the MFP hospitality sentiment will do the trick.  I "did" it--"deemed it done".

Happy July 3rd and 4th!

I've had a busy two days making Santa leggings and socks.  A day without a glue gun burn is a good crafting day!  While waiting for the hot glue gun to get hot, I've been making cards for MFP/Speedy TV challenges.  I can't seem to stop myself.  I will make one card and soon I am on to the next one.  Unfortunately, the glue gun does eventually get hot enough and I have to get back to the "job".  Now the difficulty will be to decide which I think I should post on the site.  I love this image and it is special to me because my Mom had a sewing machine just like this one.  You are sure to see me use it often.  And what's happening at MFP/Speedy TV?  Lots of interesting challenges and the cards are amazing.  I find myself thinking, I wish I had thought of that.  I am enjoying seeing what other ladies are coming up with.

Using Metal

At MFP there is a challenge to use metal on a card.  Because all my metal embells are elsewhere, I will have to try some new approaches.  Luckily I do have my alc reinkers so I can play with color a little.  Here is one attempt.  I think I will try more cards to see what I can come up with.  These challenges are certainly getting me to try some new things.  Who knew I would become a blogger again and who knew I would enter challenges.  This is a new experience for me.

Homespun July 4th

While the Santa eyes are drying, I had time to play with my limited number of stamps I managed to pack to bring north.  I found a jar stamp and filled it with hearts.  That started the idea forming.  Use up strips of red, white, and blue cs to create a herringbone quilt background.  Add a USA heart and mount them all on a white-striped background.  I like the end result and it makes me feel patriotic in a homey sort of way. Smile!

Catching Up

I will have to do a few posts to catch up with what I've been doing these past few days.  Here is a card for a MFP tutorial challenge on heat embossing.  I missed the Summer-themed challenge while I painted Santas, but I combined a summery image with heat embossing and Twinkling H2O's with one of my favorite summer stamps for this one.  The background paper is hand-painted.  We were in Asheville all day running errands and I have just enough energy to post these cards.  I wish my completed cards weren't 500 miles away!  Who knew I would have so much fun doing a blog and entering challenges at MFP!

Button Challenge

I am calling this card a corner-folded pocket card since it has a tag inside.  The tag reads Wishing You a Sunny Day!  This card originally had a ribbon bellyband, but it just didn't work well.  I like the lace SO much better!  I also was able to use one of my favorite corner punch designs.  Read more about another card...