Sunshine and Happiness Part 2

Continuing with my theme of sunshine and gardening, these using the image from MFT Green Pastures. All these scene cards were part of the first batch produced and sent. 

I'm generally not much of a scene builder. Though, if you ever snuck a look at my pinboard, you'd think it was all I was interested in producing.  I absolutely love the look and admire anyone with the talent and patience to pull it off. Me, I lack patience. A little cloud and grass producing is my limit. I was actually surprised to find a cloud stencil in my supplies. It harkens back to the day right before scrapbooking became a real thing. Even if you don't have a cloud or grass stencil in your stash they are 2 of the easiest things to pull off using a bit of scrap paper as masks. Of course, having the right tools on hand always makes things faster and easier and these came together very quickly.  So quickly I ended up making a total of 6 cards. 

I adore this image. Definitely more me in the garden. Though to be an accurate representation I'd need to give this gal some dirty knees and a healthy dose of dirt smudged across the face. I garden like I craft...with enthusiasm. 

Sunshine and Happiness

This seems like a silly title with all we've been tackling, some more than others. The past two months have been a whirlwind of emotions, bouts of intense activity, and periods when it's been a struggle to pull myself off the couch.  My family members are all in isolation, most working and schooling from home, and a few deemed essential workers. We're located in an area that is shut down through May and likely longer. Mom and I have spent many, many hours making and distributing masks. And even more, writing letters to friends and family. We're sending anywhere from 10 to 30 cards out a week. Lots of batch cardmaking on my end. You would have thought I'd have been a bit more energetic about posting. I'm going to consider it a win that I'm finally posting now ... and having at least gathered the energy earlier to photographed. 

I was super fortunate to receive an MFT order before the shelter in place order came down in our area. I adore these images. It makes me think of my Mom who is heavy into gardening. 

I combined several MFT sets. The sentiment is from Sunflower Sweetheart, the girl from Bring Out the Sunshine, and, my favorite, the little dancing ducks from the Rain or Sunshine. At a time when everyone could use a little lift of happiness, those dancing ducks radiate some joy. They are definitely my favorite part of the card. 

Girlfriends

Quick birthday card to share today. As usual, I'm combining different sets and manufacturers. This card is using Mama Elephants Girlfriends and Up & Away sets along with sentiment and stencil from MFT. I'm behind this year on building up my birthday card stash, but that's about to change. I just acquired some new items and set some goals: one related to using older products and another focussing on incorporating dies. With some determination, there will be lots to share soon.

Altenew Peony Dream 3D Valentine

It's Monday. Lots of errands and getting set up for the week ahead. Just now getting to my computer to check emails and post. On the bright side, and I do mean it literally, we had another day of sunshine. Finally getting some vitamin D fixes.

I completed several Valentine cards this weekend, including this card. Had so much fun with the Altenew Peony dies, I ended up creating 4 of the same card. I've neglected this die set for a while, so it was high time I put it to good use. The leaf die is from Stamp Market. The background stamps are from MFT Distressed Patterns. If you're like me, impatient and/or not always comfortable creating a distressed background with watercolors or smooshing, this is a set for you. It's one of my all-time favorite sets, instant distressed background without the wait or mess. It created the perfect backdrop to show off the beautiful peony flowers.

I shimmer spritzed the background for lots of sparkle and added some reflective confetti. The photo doesn't do the card justice, so you're just going to have to trust me, in person, there is a lot of razzle-dazzle to make the recipients feel extra special. So very happy how these cards turned out.

Friendly Valentine

With Valentine's Day fast approaching, I've been busy putting together some greeting cards. Typically cards for this holiday go out to friends and family, so I'm less focussed on romantic sentiments and more on friendly reminders on how much their friendship is valued. Of course, being told you're appreciated never goes out of season. Am I right?!

This first card I'm sharing is using non-typical valentine colors, perfect for your guy friends or co-workers. The images are from the Silhouette library. I print and cut several images, some with borders and some without so I could layer.

A window was cut using one of the MFT Peek-a-boo die-namics. The square and the rectangle Peek-a-boos are definitely one of my favorite dies.

A little stenciling to create the window backdrop and washi tape trim, which surprisingly matched up with the colors in the hearts pretty well. In my world, this seems to rarely happen despite my large stash of washi. Card one and done.

Happy Easter

A few little Easter treats for the family. Bits and pieces from the stash make for quick and easy spring-inspired tags.

WF Enveloper Stamps

Quick post this morning to share a recent birthday card created with Waffle Flower Enveloper stamps. Big fan of enveloper stamp sets; sophisticated, contemporary designs that are fun without being too cutesy. Lots of masking, ink blending and a bit of fussy cutting went into this card.