The Perfect Sunflower with Power Poppy

I do love the beauty of Sunflowers, and there are so many beautiful illustrations of them in stamping, but I don’t think there is any better one that this design from Marcy’s skilled hand at Power Poppy.  It’s called simply called Sunflower Power.  I haven’t coloured it in so long, and it was just the right season to pull it out.  

I started colouring the design with Copics, and finished up the detail work with Coloured Pencils.  This way you get the saturated colour start, with the fin lines of a sunflower petal and leaves.  After colouring I trimmed it carefully and placed it on some rich rust cardstock using an MFT framed die.  The background is created with a gorgeous pierced plate that I’m so taken with from The Greetery called Pierced Plaid Pierce Plate.  I’ve added deeper ink around the edges for more texture.  

I added in ink splashed die cut leaves from The Greetery using their Big Branches: Ruscus Die.  The sentiment is stamped with the polymer version of this sunflower stamp set, and I’ve splattered some gold paint over the design to make it shine.  

The perfect Sunflower, am I right?  :)   

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The Perfect Sunflower with Power Poppy

Inspired High Top Converse from MFT

 

I find inspiration to be such a fun topic!  A few weeks ago we happened to be in mall looking for a birthday present for our son, when I spied a new colour of Converse runners across the store - a beautiful soft blue green caught my eye!  TOO cute!  But I don’t love the high tops as much as the low ones so I passed on them (plus it wasn’t my Birthday!)

Then I keep coming back to inspiration with Converse runners where embroidery artists work magical little floral scenes on the shoes.  And hey - why not do it on paper shoes!  So, that’s where this card was born.  

Using these products from MFT:  LLD All-Star High Top Dienamics, and the Everything Wonderful card Kit dies (couldn’t find them in the store), with the Everything Wonderful Sentiments.  

Building this adorable shoe was so fun!  I did all the assembling first and then punched holes into the design to form some flowers (and I’m no expert at this), and then stitching with some embroidering floss.  

Then I created the background with a die from The Greetery Aida Cloth.  I creates texture and is a nod to the embroidery.  

Then I added in all the pretty stitchable flowers from the kit in coordinating colours, and the stamped sentiment.  

This gives you an idea of the kind of inspiration I’ve been influenced by, so great aren’t they?  

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Inspired High Top Converse from MFT

My Role Model with MFT

 

Hello!  Today I’m popping in with our kids’ Father’s Day card for their Dad.  Since he sometimes peeks at my cards, I didn’t want to post it before the day.  Our kids are beyond blessed to have a Dad who is so loving, supportive, wise, sacrifical and hardworking.  100% they know they are loved and he is proud of them.  He is a leader and a servant heart and loves the Lord.  I am so grateful for him, and I know they are too.  

So this superhero themed card and the role model sentiment were perfect for him.  I was using a new set to me from MFT called Super Human and the coordinating dies.  These little guys are so adorable!  I coloured this little guy dropping in to save the world with Copics in my husband’s favourite colour - purple.  It was his HS and College colour and he still gravitates toward it.  

The background city scene uses another MFT set (Birdie Brown - retired now). I embossed the city in silver, and ink blended the sky in purples, adding in sparkle pen for stars.  I’m also playing along with this week’s MFT Sketch Challenge.  

The foiling uses a Spellbinders Foil plate called Hypnotic (seems to be retired), and then added an interior frame with a scalloped rectangle die from MFT.  

The sentiment is embossed for more silver touches, and now it’s adorable and heart-felt!  

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My Role Model with MFT

Stitching Saturday - Angles

Hi!  I’m back with another stitching project that was a really easy one.  My hockey team was playing game 7 of the series they were in and I knew I would be anxious and fidgity, so I cut out a basic cross stitching layer (MFT) and took some fun threads to create an angular design that has such a nice effect.  

I started by counting out what type of squares would fit within the pattern, it turned out to be 8 x 8 count  and a single row border between the squares.  I started by taking a lighter tone of each colour square, stitching on the diagonal, then using a darker thread running the opposite direction with just half the triangle.  So, I finished the design in less than the time the hockey game took and even better we won the series.  Next up we’re up 1 game in the Conference Finals before the Stanley Cup Series.  Woo Hoo!

The letters are cut out with coordinating cardstock using and MFT die that has since retired, and a coordinating embossed sentiment.  I like the fun burst of colour!  Perfect for any happy occasion!  

 

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Stitching Saturday - Angles

Peaceful Lilacs with The Greetery

Happy Sunday evening!  For us in Canada its a long weekend, and I’m so grateful for the extra time of rest.  A friend asked if I had any cards for retirement, and I had to admit I didn’t!  But, hey I’m a card maker and I love to create, so I put some creative time into a few retirement cards this weeked.  This first design is a breath of fresh air from The Greetery, using the very lovely Lilac Botanicuts Die.  

 

I cut the lilacs on watercolour paper and pulled out my Daniel Smith watercolours and added pretty purples and pinks (Carbazole Violet and Quin Violet) to the blossoms.  This die set is great because you can get so much dimension with the extra single blossoms added to the main branch.  After adhering everything together I came back with my Zig Clear Real Brush markers to add some deeper colour and the centers to each blossom, as well as some definition on the leaves.  After everything was adhered together I added splatters of watered down white acrylic paint.  

The card background is ink blended and then texture is added with Waffle Flower’s Sweet Plaid Texture Plate.  A retired Ric Rack die added a little accent along the top and the purple foiled sentiment is from Spellbinders called Yana’s Sentiments Glimmer.  

A dreamy peaceful design!  Thanks for joining me today! 

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Peaceful Lilacs with The Greetery

Stitching Saturday - Spring Flowers

 

Hello!  Popping in late on this Saturday with another stitching card I worked on this week.  It’s not often I stitch a full panel, but this was an easy design to work with!  This seemed to me like a perfect Spring palette to work with.  So, despite that we’ve had snow all day, I’m designing for full on Spring.  

The main stitching die is from MFT, and then I’ve incorporated Rounded and Braided Rectangle Dies from Pinkfresh Studios in Vellum as a base for these pretty die cut flowers from Concord & 9th called Build a Bloom.   Rounded corners throughout the layers mirror the pretty vellum die.  

Then, to finish it off and to coordinate with the bits of metallic silver stitching in the design (vertical stitches), I’ve added some silver foiling with Spellbinders Yana’s Sentiments Hot Foil Plate.  

Thanks for joining me for another bit of stitching! 

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Stitching Saturday - Spring Flowers

Elephant Birthday Balloons with MFT

 Dropping in today with an elephant that never forgets Birthdays!  This sweet little dude is almost ready for the party, except he just lost one balloon!  This set from MFT is called Adorable Elephants, and they really are.   I’m also playing along with MFT”s Weekly Sketch and Colour Challenge.  

Colouring is done with Copics, and I’ve also used several stencils to ink blend the background sky and the Small Brick Wall walkway that grounds the image.  The patterned paper arch uses a retired MFT plaid that was perfect for the colours.  

Thanks for joining me today!  Hope you have a happy Monday!  

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Elephant Birthday Balloons with MFT

Stitching Saturday - Rosy Glow

Hello, happy Saturday!  It’s been a few weeks since I’ve done any stitching and I was missing it a bit, so I pulled out an old pattern from the web and revamped it a bit for the size of my die.  I have learned that I am not actually a good cross-stitcher, in that I’m terrible at following the pattern 100%!  Either I’m not counting properly (o brother), or I’m improvising something.  Probably not best practises for an actual cross stitching person :)  It still works for me though!  

This pretty rose looks so spring-like in golden tones of apricot and orange!  The sentiment die is my new favourite from Concord & 9th, Short and Sweet Dies. I love it’s petite size and sweet script.  I stacked it in a few layers, and added the vellum background to set it apart from the stitching.  

Such a pretty one, even with my creative improvisation!  

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Stitching Saturday - Rosy Glow

Red Dragon Flyby with MFT

 

Its the year of the Dragon in the Lunar New Year and it’s always fun to break out the rich reds, so today I’m playing along with the Lunar New Year Challenge on Instagram, and MFT’s weekly Sketch Challenge.  

I found a not so scary dragon from MFT called Magical Dragons to colour up with warm Copics in reds and oranges.  

The sketch is a really interesting one with an arched element and a radiating section, so I used embossing to create the radiating rays, which adds to the feeling of layers of different reds.   The detailed background uses a Pinkfresh Studios coverplate die.  

A very fun dragon baby for the next Birthday!  

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Red Dragon Flyby with MFT

Hogs and Kisses with MFT

 

Well since tomorrow is GroundHOG’s Day, I thought a punny piggy would be in order for a card today! I’m playing along with MFT’s Sketch Challenge this week, as well as Simon Say’s Stamp Monthly Challenge with Ink Blending. I pulled an adorable set from MFT called Piggy Pebbles illustrated by Stacey Yacula, stamped a number of images in the set and coloured them with Copics.  

I took inspiration from the rainbow of colours in the umbrella for the ink blended background that mimics a grass to sky background with a little misty rain falling, and then lined up the images to match the sketch.  The clouds in the centre panel are created with the Cloudy Double Card Front Die from Concord & 9th.  It ties in perfectly!

It’s perfect for a Valentine card, or a kid's birthday, lots of cute “Hog" themed possibilities!  

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Hogs and Kisses with MFT

Really Rosy with MFT

Hello friends!  I’m popping in today with a pretty floral from My Favorite Things. This week I’m playing along with their Colour Challenge  (of light and medium pink, red and lime green) and Sketch Challenge, with this lovely image called Fresh Cut Flowers, that has since been retired.  It’s got some really nice big petals to get into!  I started with Copics and finished with pencils to give more definition and soften the transitions nicely.  

The sketch called for a centre circle, which I cut out with an MFT Scalloped Edge Circle die.  Peeking through the background on the cardbase is ink blended base with some texture from an embossing plate.  

The pretty sentiment is from MFT’s Everyday Scripted Greetings.  It’s a great scripty handwriting sentiment set.  

Appreciate you dropping by!  

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Really Rosy with MFT

Stitching Saturday - Argyle Poinsettias

 

A little late in the day for my Saturday Stitching post, but it’s a gorgeous glitzy one for the Christmas Season!  When I was buying embroidery thread I spied these beautiful glimmery threads that needed to be part of my colletion.  For today’s design I created a shimmery gold and green argyle background for this stunning poinsettia from Spellbinders, this is a dreamy one from the De-Light-Ful Christmas Collection called Poinsettia Bloom Etched Die.  

After stitching that argyle pattern onto a cross stitched die from MFT (retired), I cut the poinsettia 3 x, in white, Evergreen (C & 9), and then shimmery gold paper, piecing it all together.  I added a wee little bit of ink blending in soft green to the poinsettia because the petals needed some differentiation from each other, and most poinsettias aren’t pure white.  

The beautiful foiled die is from The Greetery called Opposites Attract Hot Foil.  It all comes together so nicely for a very beautiful and festive Christmas card!  

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Stitching Saturday - Argyle Poinsettias

Rustic Bouquet with The Greetery

 

A friend of mine just had a major surgery that will mean recovery and physio for a while.  Along with a meal, I’m going to slip in this card to encourage her.  I purchased these beautiful dies and stamps from The Greetery called  Floral Sampler Stamp Set and the coordinating Floral Sampler Dies.  

I was totally inspired by the packaging that Betsy included in the set with this lovely palette of peach, crimson red, yellow and cool green.  So, I used the dies and stamps to create a pretty arrangement to overlay this rich warm grey background using The Greetery’s Herringbone Parquet Die .  A little ink blending on the edges gives it a bit more richness, and then I framed up the floral arrangement with the Hoopla Oval Die  also from The Greetery. 

The sentiment die is from an older retired MFT die that was perfect for the occasion.  

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Rustic Bouquet with The Greetery

Fox in Socks and Harvest Mice for WCMD

 

Hello!  I didn’t want to let World Card Making Day go by without creating something fun!  This hobby has given me such joy, a chance to create little canvases of love, connection to some beautiful people across the world that are now friends, and the chance to work for a number of companies that have been a real joy.  With it also being Thanksgiving for us in Canada this weekend, I count it one of my many blessings.  

This little mini slimline design uses a couple of adorable sets from My Favorite Things, both since retired.  Fox and Friends and Harvest Mice.  They’re coloured up with Copics and fussy cut.  

I created this scene with cardstock from Concord & 9th - Peacock and Spiced Cider.  The Slimline dies are from PinkFresh Studio, Essentials: Mini Slimline Dies, the cloud dies are from Concord & 9th - Cloudy Double Card Front Die, and the hill is a retired die from The Cat’s Pajamas.  I also drew in the sweaters and socks on the foxes - otherwise they’d be jealous of those mice.  

Since there was a lot going on on the outside of the card, I added the inked sentiment on the inside, with a few coloured leaves.  

A sweet harvest scene for Thanksgiving!  I hope you’ve had a chance to create today too!  Happy World Cardmaking Day!  

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Fox in Socks and Harvest Mice for WCMD

Stitching Saturday - Toadstool Cuties

 

Hello!  It’s been a minute since I’ve been able to do my regular stitching Saturday post.  Work travel and busy evenings have not given me as much time to get my thread and needle in action.  Plus I decided to do a bigger project with this card.  Who can resist the cutenes of a toadstool!  These Fairy Mushrooms make a great pattern to play with for a card design.  I decided to make up the pattern in my head based on some mushroom pictures I found.  

Some cute layers of grass ground the image, and help with that forest feel.  The sentiment is from Spellbinders Mini Everyday Sentiments foiled with red from the Christmas Sparkle Pack. 

Thanks for popping by today!  

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Stitching Saturday - Toadstool Cuties

MFT Coloring Superstar Entry

 

Hello!  Today I’m throwing my colouring utensils into the ring at My Favorite Things Card Design Superstar Challenge - Coloring Virtuoso.  I had a great time combining a number of MFT sets and adding in some of my own hand drawn details to create this cozy Autumn scene.  

I started with MFT’s Nobody Nose Me Like You Do - a since retired YUZU stamp set did some masking, and also added in the Scene Builder from Stacy Yakula. I hand drew the blanket and some of the hill line with a multi-liner pen, and then began colouring with Copics.  

To add in more details and depth of colour, I pulled out my Prismacolor Pencils and Faber Castell pencils and added in more colour.  Its great for adding in textures like the Corgi’s fur, the texture of the jeans, straw hat and tree trunk.  

Cutting the scene out with a Stitched Rectangle Scalloped Edge Frame die and a sweet sentiment strip finishes off the design.  It was so fun to create!  

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MFT Coloring Superstar Entry