Beautiful Blooms I Miss - Hellebore

I love that I don't live where it snows any more, but there are some beautiful blooms that don't grow well in the desert that I miss... the wonderful Hellebore is one of them!  This image from Stampendous was so much fun to color up!  I decided on purple and it's made me realize again how little purple there is in the crafting world!  I was so happy to find that purple plaid in the Summer Plaid paper pad from Your Next Stamp!  It was exactly right! 

I picked up this beautiful bloom, the Small Hellebore by Stampendous over in the White Rose Crafts Shop with my winnings from their monthly sketch challenge so I thought I'd use it to play along with the July Challenge:

Sketch challenges can be the most... well... challenging challenges for me.  I'm rarely able to be a purist about it, but I'd say I came pretty close this time!  And I'm quite happy with the results!

This "small" Hellebore is really the perfect size... I'd say not to small but large enough to be able to have fun coloring it and take up just the right amount of space on a card.

The Celebrate Die-Namic from MFT was also just the ticket... I was excited to get a couple of those leaves to stick out of the sentiment.  So happy I finally got my hands on that awesome word die!  And I decided to play on the green in the leaves with a strip of green CTMH Shimmer Trim... not sure if the green is available any more... I may have to hoard what I have left!!

I finished off with some clear sequins from Pretty Pink Posh... I love those great big ones!  So much fun!

I hope you'll head on over to White Rose Crafts and play along this month!  If there are at least three participants, there is a $15 prize to the shop!  You just need to use any item(s) that's available in the White Rose shop to play along... and there are lots of items you may have in your stash!  Just create and share in the White Rose Crafts Gallery on Facebook to enter!  And there is a free shipping event going on through July 5th!

Happy Holiday!

Krafty Chicks Challenge #461 - Anything But A Card

Welcome to my last post as Guest DT over at the Krafty Chick's Challenge!  This week the challenge is Anything But A Card so I decided to create this mixed media canvas for my Craft Room!

I picked up this awesome chipboard saying from White Rose Crafts with my winnings from their monthly challenge.. along with a few other things... you can find that here!

I used Acrylic Paints, some Gold Texture paste (along with an awesome stencil from Stamplorations!), that cool chipboard cup from Southern Ridge Trading Company and some flowers and gems from my stash.

Oh... and did I mention that beautiful gold heart??  That's from Spellbinders/FSJ and I just picked some more up on clearance... LOVE them!

I'm playing along over at Simon Says Stamp's Anything Goes Wednesday Challenge!  And I'm also playing along over at Stamplorations Mixed Media Challenge which is Anything Goes (Must use a stencil)!  Check them both out!

So thank you so much for stopping by... I apologize if you stopped by earlier and my post was incomplete... I think my canvas says it all.. "Adulting IS Hard!!"  but I've had my coffee and here we are!

Huge thanks to the gals over at Krafty Chicks for having me this month!  It's been a blast!  Be sure to continue to check out these fun weekly challenges... I know I will!

Doodles Paper Playground April Sparkle Blends Release!

Hello Sparkle Blends fans!  It's time for the Doodles Paper Playground April Sparkle Blends Release Blog Hop and I'm so excited to be hopping along as a Guest Designer this month!

There are six beautiful spring-y blends to share with you: Easter Basket, Springtime, Sunshine, Cafe Au Lait, Birthstone Collection: April-Diamond and Birthstone Collection: May-Emerald!  If you love soft pastel shades and budding greens, you're going to love this release!  I know I do!

You will find descriptions and closeups of each of the gorgeous Sparkle Blends from the April Release in the detailed Release Blog Post here!  There are six beautiful new blends to choose from... or just order them all!  And be sure to head over to the Doodles Paper Playground post after you hop; leave a comment stating your favorite blend from the New Release and you could win a packet of that blend!  AND for a chance to win a set of all 6 of the new Sparkle Blends, make sure you leave some comment love on each leg of the hop!  You receive one entry for each comment and don't forget to share with your friends!  You have until April 21st at 11:59pm EST to comment!  Good luck!

Also, just a reminder that the limited edition April Release is available for purchase while supplies last and exclusively at White Rose Crafts!  So if you fall in love, make sure you order now or you might just miss out!

Without further ado, here's how I was inspired:

I love all of these blends... and the Sunshine Blend is no exception!  I love this fun mix of yellows, clear and gold.  What I love about these beautiful blends is all of the different shapes and sizes of sequins and other sparkly bits you find in them!

It was fun to use this Sunshine cover die from RC and make it into a shaker for this blend.  I added a couple layers and shades of yellow.  I used alcohol inks with some orange and yellow and added a bit of gold foil to it and then cut that great Couture Creations phrase die that I got in the White Rose shop out of it for the center of my shaker (I think it might be sold out... so glad I picked it up when it was on sale!)  Oh!  See that butterfly and the gold flower??  Those are the kinds of surprises that are in these blends... love them!  I chose to save a few of them to add to the outside of the shaker as I always like to do.

Just look at all of that lovely!!

Next I decided to create a shaped shaker using one of the cuts from the Easter Shaker Cards file over at the Cutting Cafe!  I thought that Birthstone Collection: Diamond Blend would be perfect for the bunny tail on this one!

Was I right??  Gosh I love this sweet blend... I really must get more... this one could be used so often and in so many projects!  And that sweet Delicate Flower that I got in the White Rose Crafts shop was perfect for this sweet card.  For the sentiment I colored a chipboard tag with my Copic and used a stamp from the Heffy Doodle Honey Bunny Boo set I purchased at WRC too!

And speaking of Honey Bunny Boo:

I LOVE this sweet stamp set!  And it was perfect to go along with the equally sweet Springtime Blend!  Those pretty flowers and bunny shapes are perfect for this playful scene!

I used some CDD grass dies and then colored and cut out (why oh why did I not get the coordinating dies???) all of my images and using various thicknesses of foam tape to place them.  Between shakers and layers, I'd say foam tape is one of the most important tools in my craft room!

And I created my sentiment using the Bunny Boo set along with that great Easter word die from Heffy Doodle!

I think my very favorite sequin in this blend is that large plaid circle!!!  Awesome!

I'm playing along with the Spring Mood Board over at Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday Challenge!

So that's me for today!  I had so much fun playing with these blends!  I've been playing with them for a couple weeks now and I'll be sharing more makes coming soon!  But for today, you should start (or keep on) a hoppin'!  Be sure to leave some love at each stop along the way for more chances to win!  Here is the entire hop list:

Doodles Paper Playground

Alison Heikilla

Kelli Sanchez Green

Annie Collins

EK Gorman

Fawn Kuehne

Carolyn Labille

Lisa Bzibziak (You Are Here!)

Meghan Kennihan

Katrina Howe

Berina Febin

Doodles Paper Playground

Caffeine Fueled Paper Play - White Rose Crafts LLC

I'm up on the Coffee Loving Cardmakers Blog today and playing along with a Sketch Challenge at White Rose Crafts LLC!  Find out who won the Gina K stamp set from my last post and have a chance to win some beautiful sequins from new Super Sponsor Doodles Paper Playground!  Hope you'll "Hop" on over there and check it out!  Here's a sneak peek!