Three Birdhouses

Hello, friends!  I'm here today with a card I made for the current Less Is More challenge using the following sketch:

My initial response was to think about what I could do with three circles, but I decided I couldn't really do anything new that others haven't probably already done (and done very well!).  SO, I decided to interpret the sketch a little more loosely...and here is what I came up with:

Materials Used:  Stampendous (P026) "Home Tweet Home;"

Hero Arts (S5215) "Clouds;"

colored pencils

I interpreted the branch and leaves as the "grey" section of the sketch, with the three yellow bird houses as the three "circles."  I stamped the clouds first, then stamped the image and colored with colored pencils.  A simple one-layer card...my favorite kind.

I'm happy to be able to play again at Less Is More...it's been a while because of the wrap up of school and work (and now the clean up from both!).  I hope to be able to start leaving some comments again...thanks for being patient with me!  Sometimes I have to get in line to get on a computer around here ... it's tough competing with four computer-literate kids!

Have a great day...thanks for stopping by!
Judy

EDIT TO POST:  I apologize...I realize now I stamped a background and the challenge requires white space...therefore I am withdrawing this entry from the current Less Is More challenge.  Sorry for the inconvenience!

Getting Edgy with Slate Blue, Barn Red and Grey (CFC#8, PDCC87)

Hello, friends!  Today I made a card with two challenges in mind.  The first is the current CAS-ual Fridays Challenge #8 to make a card with a fun "edge" (e.g., using punches, tearing card stock, etc.).

The second is the current Play Date Cafe Challenge #87 to use the colors slate blue, brick red and grey.

 

I started by using a slate blue card onto which I stamped the Hero Arts Designer Woodgrain using Weathered Wood distress ink.  Next I stamped the Hero Arts Flower Plate cling using grey pigment ink onto white card stock and cut out.  I stamped the sentiment from the Anytime Messages set using cranberry ink.  I mounted it onto brick red card stock onto which I had stamped the Hero Arts Friend Definition using cranberry ink.  The border of the red card stock was made using the Martha Stewart "Daisy" border punch, while I punched the Fiskars "Threading Water" border punch along the bottom of the card.  I finished off the card using some Prima flowers and grey pearl accents.

I hope you are all having a great weekend.  Thanks for stopping by!
Take care,
Judy

Sending Birthday Wishes

Hello, friends!  Just stopping by with a set of birthday cards I made using two simple Studio G stamps along with some of my favorite ribbons and Hero Arts background stamps.

In the past two weekends my kids have gone to four birthday parties...needless to say, we go through a LOT of birthday cards!  For these one-layer cards, I embossed the cupcakes using black embossing powder, then painted them with watercolors.  The sentiment and cupcake are both Studio G stamps I found at Michael's.  I added backgrounds on two cards, but left the other two white and added ribbon instead. 

Materials Used: Studio G sentiment and cupcake; Hero Arts Designer Woodgrain, Cling Dots;

Glossy Accents; watercolor paints; ribbon; black pearls.

Here is a close-up of the embossed cupcakes and the cherries covered with Glossy Accents...

Guess what?  Today I got a package from my recent order at Two Peas In A Bucket...I got some great sale items and I can't wait to play with them!

Finally, I have to share a picture of a birds nest my DH and I stumbled upon the other day while doing some yard work.  Momma robin had flown away momentarily so I grabbed my camera, stuck my arm up blindly into the tree and aimed down, hoping to find something in the nest.  Here is what I found... 

Gotta love nature!  Needless to say, we now check on the nest every day.  I'll see if I can get more pics as the days and weeks go on. 

Did I ever mention that my favorite color is robin's egg blue? 

OK, that's it for now.  Have a good one!
Judy

A Few Cards and Father's Day 2011

Hello, friends!  I'm so happy to be back in blog-land!  I've been gone for a while due to the final weeks of work, school, baseball, softball, Brownies, etc.!  The kids finished school on Friday and we are still cleaning up the aftermath of back packs, books, papers, folders, uniforms, projects, report cards, and so on.  I think it may take me a week or so to dig out of this mess!

In the meantime, I figured I'd share a few cards I've made in the past few weeks.  I used this set of cards as thank you notes for the kids' teachers (along with their gifts).  I do love the Hero Arts Four Apples set!  All the backgrounds are Hero Arts stamped in Poppy Chalk Ink on Sunshine folded note cards.  The sentiment is also Hero Arts from the Sending Smiles Message set. 

I made this little monster card for a birthday party my six-year-old son went to the other day...I love the monsters in this Michael's Recollections My Little Monsters set, and the eyes are the perfect size for plastic google eyes.  Cute!  I also used some favorite Hero Arts stamps including the Friend Definition and Dots and Flowers as well as some ribbon and a Fiskars border punch.

Finally, in honor of Father's Day this year I want to share a few Father's Day pictures, both past and present.  This is my father's Army picture, followed by a picture of him with me and my four siblings on Easter Sunday, about a month before he passed away in 1976.  (I'm in the white dress up front).  What can I say, my dad was a wonderful man.

Then there is the other wonderful man in my life, my best friend and high school sweetheart... my husband!  Here he is fooling around with the kids before the annual "Father's Day" posed picture.  I think he and my dad would have gotten along swimmingly...so sorry they never got to meet.

Happy Father's Day...hope to be back often and soon!
(Yay, Summer!!)
Judy

No Card Today...Just Flowers!

Hi friends,

No card to share today...just wanted to share some pictures I took at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania last weekend (check out their website here if interested).  My awesome girlfriend Andrea and I spent the day together and it could not have been more beautiful...so I thought I would share!  (Side note: don't feel obliged to look if you are looking for card posts!)  Maybe some of these flowers will inspire you when making your next card...who knows!

There were so many beautiful colors, I decided to break my pics down into categories (yes, I know, a bit OCD but organization makes me happy!).  I am only posting the best...I probably took three times as many pictures that day!

Here is one to get it started...lots of pretty colors...

Check out this vivid yellow...

These reds were so vibrant!  Poppies and hibiscus...fabulous!

The blues were gorgeous, too.  (I do love hydrangeas!)

(When I took this photo I purposely left the left corner open so I could possibly use it for a card and add a sentiment there...do you ever think that when you take pictures?)

 

Next up...pink!  Doesn't it look like there are pearls on these flowers?

Then there was white...wouldn't these be perfect bouquets for a wedding?  I LOVE how they folded down and bound the leaves...

Check out this gorgeous peach rose...there were SO many roses, I took tons of rose pics! 

Next up...the lovely fountains amid green gardens ...

How about some cool purple flowers?

Finally, it was a special week for lilies at Longwood Gardens...they had lovely displays of lilies in pots and vases inside.  Check out these orange lovelies...

Yes, this little retreat was just what the doctor ordered...rejuvenating and refreshing!  What a wonderful way to spend some much-needed quality time with my best girlfriend...a true gift.

One more little thing...THANK YOU to all who have signed on as followers...I have had my blog for 6 months now and I am at 30 followers!  I'm so flattered, you have no idea!

Have a great day!
Judy   

Less Is More "Pick a Square" Challenge

Hello, friends!  Just stopping by today with a last minute card I made for the current challenge at Less Is More (Week 17 Recipe) to make a card using just one square from the following sketch:

I decided to focus on the center square of the design above.  I made a very simple birthday card using a Studio G cupcake cling stamp and a Happy Birthday sentiment from Hero Arts.  I colored the image with colored pencils and added red Stickles to the cherry for some sparkle.

Here is a close-up of the sparkly cherry...

On a personal note, I have to say I will be SO glad when the next three weeks are over...we will finish up with an extremely busy school, work, and sports season all at once!  (C'mon June 17th!!)  I think I have permanent dark circles under my eyes from pulling way too many late nights followed by early mornings!!  (There are days I think I could fall asleep sitting at a red light on my ride home from work!)  In the meantime, I am sorry I do not have the free time to visit your blogs and leave some love...I miss you all and look forward to summer vacation so I can get back into it again! 

Thanks for stopping by...and thanks for taking the time to comment.  I do appreciate it!
Judy