Sunday, March 29, 2015

Hop into Easter!

                                                               

I was busy all this morning making a few more Easter cards.  I used the Sweet Sentiments collection from Graphic 45 for two of the cards, and was inspired by Polly's Paper Studio on the other two.  My personal preference would have been to add embellishments like flowers and bows to these cards, but since I'm mailing them in plain envelopes, I didn't see the practicality in it and was afraid the condition the cards would be in when received. I think I'm going to have to invest in some small boxes for future cards!     
                                                  
                                                  
                                                                
This card and the one below were made from Graphic 45 papers.  My personal touches are the gold sticker corners.                 
                                   

The tiny lace doilies are from a Cherry Designs die cut called French Pastry that is only 2" x 2". I just cut it in half and used one on top and the other on the bottom.

                                                 

I used a combination of Graphic 45 papers and a collage postcard designed by Sally's Studio. I stamped "time to celebrate" on the front of it. 

I wish everyone a very happy Easter!

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Spring into Easter

                                                             

It seems that hats are on display during Easter more than any other time of the year, and with this in mind, I decided to use two of Rick St Dennis' hat model designs that I had colored some time ago.  For those that are into hats, I can't think of anyone better than Rick St Dennis, as he has a wide variety of digital stamps, available from his online Zibbet shop.

For the layout of the cards, I was inspired by Polly's Paper Studio, and went for a eclectic collage look that I think works very well no matter the theme.  I like keys, and have an assortment of flat-backed keys that are perfect for cards.  I also used bits of ephemera, flowers, buttons, and ribbons. 
                                             

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

It's a Girl Thing

                                                                 

Hello everyone and welcome to my new card collection "It's a Girl Thing".  Frankly, I decided on this name after discarding several others.  These are relatively simple cards that can be used for different things, but I think of them as more "just because" cards.  I used Tim Holtz' new stamp collection called "Runway", and then stamped sentiments on each one - most are from his collections, but I had some others that I wanted to use. The background papers are from the Timeless Memories collection by Prima Marketing.  In a sense, each of these cards tells a story. 

I love the above "Short Stroll" card and I think deep down we all have this fantasy of an ordinary day turning into an extraordinary day.
                                                            

A friend of mine was recently diagnosed with cancer, and this sentiment is not only about keeping the faith, but also rising above your fears no matter the obstacles in your path.

                                                     

I look at this one as making the best of a bad situation... kind of making lemonade when life gives you lemons.
                                                      

To me, this one is about being flexible and open to something other than what one may have planned. As we all know, not all plans come out the way we may want.
                                   

Here's another one that is also about flexibility and being open minded to new things. It also means redefining what perfection is to each one of us.
                                                  

Life is made up of many little moments that can total a full life... this sentiment says it all.
                                                

This sentiment reminds us to take chances in life and live for the moment.
                                                           

No explanation needed, as this says it all!
                                                    

I love this sentiment.... no matter how old we get, our inner self is always young.  I think this is why romance novels are read by so many women....they help remind us that we really are ageless.

To conclude.... I named these cards "It's a Girl Thing" because each of us has friends, and even sisters and mothers who make us feel better with homilies similar to these sentiments.  In fact, this was the purpose behind these cards, to send to those I think may need a lift and to let them know I am thinking of them.