Spring Showers Bring Flowers and Rainbows

Hello, Friends!  Now that it is April, I hope you are seeing signs of spring.  In FL, that last cool front has passed through, so very late this year that it caught us by surprise.  We will welcome some spring showers and hope yours will bring you rainbows and flowers--simple things that will bring us joy each day.  Today's card reflects the simplicity and joy of spring.  Hope you enjoy it!  Challenges:  MFP/Inspirational Challenge--rainbows; The Paper Girls--April Showers Bring May Flowers;   Word Play Saturday--Spring;   Penny Black--Spring into Spring;  Word Art Wednesday; Celebrate the Occasion --umbrella,  Cuttin' and Stampin' --showers, Cuttlebug Mania--April Showers, Papertake Weekly --Anything Goes,  Sweet Stamps--Spring Pastels, MFP/Speedy TV/Simple Salutations --Anything Goes, MFP/FOSTV--fave movie/song--"Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head", Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid--Newman AND Redford, SIGH!

A is for Abundance

Think back to when the book Simple Abundance first hit the shelves.  I remember it well.  It is always good to revisit the "what's good about this" idea daily to keep your focus from a book that became one of my all-time favorites.  Today's card celebrates Abundance and meets several challenges.  But, best of all, it's a reminder to myself that no matter who or what in life might disappoint you temporarily, each day brings a multitude of blessings to celebrate.  Today, celebrate your blessings as  well!  Make a card that reminds you of your blessings and prop it up in a place where you will see it often.
Challenges:  MFP/Speedy TV Tutorial --Scrap Attack;  MFP/Speedy TV Inspirational -- Rainbows;   Speedy Fox and Friends --the Letter A;   MFP/FOSTV--favorite book, movie, or song;  Speedy TV Simple Salutations 38;  Make It Monday--Anything Goes;   Word Art Wednesday.

Spring Has Sprung Daisy

Hello, friends.   We think in Florida that spring has sprung and then another "cool" front will come through to prove us wrong.   I have some crotons that have traveled miles in and out of the cold.

The card I chose to share with you today brings to mind the lovely colors of spring.  The background paper is an acrylic paint wash technique and the image is heat embossed and colored with H2O's for shimmer.  I know you will recognize the tag die and the sentiment is from Mark's Finest Papers.  Check out the Simple Salutations challenge at MFP/SpeedyTV this week for cards related to spring.    Maybe spring will be in your area soon!

Little Easter Bunny

My second card today is a seasonal card.  Who can resist a little Easter bunny?  This image and sentiment is from Stampin' Up! and the flower is SU as well.  I am entering this card in the Speedy Fox and Friends challenge that calls for a bunny or Easter card and I think this one does both.  It will also be entered in a challenge at Word Art Wednesday.   Hope you like it!

A Non-Traditional Valentine's Day Card

You Are My Life Preserver, Valentine!

Aqua?  Beach scene? 

 My card, You Are My Life Preserver, is for the non-traditional Valentine's Day card 

at Friends of Speedy TV 

http://mfpspeedytv.ning.com/page/friends-of-speedy-tv-challenge-59-february-11th

Lots of Love

Three Hearts, MS Border Punch, and Lots of Love!

Setting up an Inspiration Station is such a good idea!  I assembled all my heart and love-themed stamps, dies, and embells, and found out that I have quite a collection of hearts.  Amazing!  So, needless to say, I have been on a mission to use some of them.  I am thinking of purchasing a special photo box to put them all in so I can access them easily.  Of course, I will be decorating that box with lots of hearts, LOL.  I hope you enjoy this card that I made for a challenge at Speedy Fox and Friends at http://marksfinestpapers.blogspot.com/

It's a Love Thing!

Two Hearts, Sizzix Embossing Folder, and It's a Love Thing!

Mark's Finest Papers has a challenge going at the Friends of Speedy TV  site.  The keyword is love and Valentine's Day so I made this card called It's a Love Thing.  Using dies, dp, an embossing folder, and a clear stamp sentiment, it all came together with the baker's twine.  Check out the challenge at http://mfpspeedytv.ning.com/page/friends-of-speedytv-challenge-58-02-04-13.

Valentine's Day Card Challenge--Simple Heart

Cbug Embossing Folder, MS Border Punch, Spellbinder Heart, and Simple Heart is created!

Today's card is called Simple Heart.  I used a Spellbinders scalloped heart, a MS heart border punch, a Cuttlebug heart embossing folder, and a ribbon.   The Tiny Tidbits sentiment is from The Angel Company.   A CAS card that was fun to make!  Go over to the MFT site to see the Simple Sentiments challenge at http://mfpspeedytv.ning.com/page/simple-salutations-challenge-31-02-06-13

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.

B/W/Y At the Beach

The flowers are in bloom, the birds are singing, the stream is roaring, and our friends are at the beach.  In honor of their beach trip for the holiday weekend, I made a black/white/yellow card.  Yellow for the sun, white because they will start off pale without a tan, and black because blue seemed too predictable.  I challenged myself to use a die and gingham ribbon so you will see those elements.  I found a white heart button and a great sentiment from MFP.  So this card is off to the Sketch with a Twist challenge and I am off to run an estate errand.