A Bright Flower in the Garden

I've always liked this flower because it is so versatile   I also sent this card to my partner, Lucille through the Card Chain Challenge over at Society of Stampaholics.  Deborah Nolan started this challenge a number of years ago and I love participating.  It's wonderful receiving your own card in the post from fellow crafters.

This is also my sample of the month for the Die Cut Divas' challenge for April.  Save the best for last?  I do love the bright and cheery card.

Hero Arts Hand Drawn Flower I can't find the cling version, which is what I have.  There is a wood version at Hero Arts.  This flower is actually stamped three times and cut out to make layers.  Depending on how you stamp this, the flower can be simple to complex.  Using this Hero Arts note card from the boxed cards set, I adhered it to the upper left and stamped "Hello" in the pre-designed space.

Hero Arts Hand Drawn Flower

Hero Arts Hello Flowers CL774

Clear sequins in center of flower as well as dotted randomly on the card with dots of Xmas Red Stickles in the centers.

Copic Markers R24, R27 and R29

Obsession Impression butterfly die from a set of 4

Glue-dotted the butterfly to the flower

Close-up

I colored the three layers separately and I really like the depth of color three shades of red markers gives this.

Hello Flowers

April has come again and so too has Die Cut Divas' wonderful sponsor Hero Arts!

Hero Arts is always on the cutting edge and I love their flowers.  Here's my sample for the Die Cut Divas blog.

Hero Arts Hello Flowers CL774

Blossom Cuts DI096 

Hero Arts You're a Rainbow OWH CL765

Patterned background

Copic Markers

BoBunny Jewels 

Close up of the die cut flowers

Instead of a single flower, I doubled the flowers and the flower suddenly has a great depth to it and actually makes me think there must be more flowers hiding behind the first flower.

I love the matching dies that go with this stamp set.  I'm not spending so much time cutting out.

Thank you for visiting.

Glitzy and Fun

My butterfly is crawling up the stem of the flower to say "Have a FABULOUS Day" to you all.  I overdid the sparkle, but I was in a mood to bring sparkle into my life.  It's spring and the flowers are popping up here.

Hero Arts Butterfly and Flower CL750

Hero Arts Tropical Background CG659

Hero Arts Flower and Butterfly Set dies DI090

Elizabeth Craft Designs die-cut from Beach Edges 981

Copic Markers

Stickles

Gem in middle of flower with Stickles

Close-up of the sparkly butterfly

Some clear gems make the body of the butterfly and don't you love the flower background?

You're Pretty Sweet

Hero Arts makes me color more.  Yes, it's all their fault.  I guess it's a fruity day, some apples from the orchard and let's pick some sweet cherries too.  I colored some fruit and plants at my monthly Copic Marker get-together at  The Stamp Art Shoppe.  We meet every last Tuesday of the month.

I also went to the Stamp Convention in Sacramento, California this past Saturday with a couple of friends from the Copic Marker get-togethers.  We went wild for a couple hours, going from vendor to vendor.  I'm NOT telling how much I spent, but it was certainly FUN.  I got a new die from The Stamp Doctor, An Outpatient Clinic for Stampaholics.  This is a Side Step Card Die.

I chose YELLOW, yes, really bright yellow because I thought that if I made a mistake, I wouldn't care if it came out wrong... you heard me.  I don't like yellow, my least favorite color, especially very YELLOW yellow.  I was so surprised because I found some orange, yes, ORANGE, zigzag paper to use with it.  Next some green paper to go under the orange zigzag.

Completely out of my comfort zone, but here's my card.  The first shot is a straight on view of the card, yellow, green and orange stripes.... not as bad as it sound, well, I hope not.

The Stamp Doctor (side step card die)

Hero Arts "Stamp Your Own Fruit" CL835

Copic Markers

 I separated the stamp sentiment "You're Pretty Sweet" and I like the way it turned out.

I did a lot of blending to make this apple appear somewhat real.  I finally just had to say,  I also hand-cut the apple and cherries, yes, tedious, but someone had to do it. 

"THAT'S IT"

I hope you enjoy this card.  There's a contest over at Die Cut Divas "In the Garden", so check it out.  Hero Arts is the sponsor and you won't be able to stop coloring either.

I'd like to enter this card into "Virginia's View Challenge" which is going two months long this time.  The challenge is "Layers and Dimension"  

Have FUN!

The Pear of Us

 I love the new Stamp Your Own Fruit set and I had to match the pear with a cheery background.  I found some marvelous papers I didn't even know I had.  This is one of my favorite cards - sort of charming, sort of fun, sort of wonderful curvy shapes.

Close-up of the sparkly background - The strawberries are perfectly bright and fun.  They're like little bright embellishments you'd add to a card.  

 Close-up of the pear - I dotted the darker marker on top of the blended pear and did a little blending.  I used R01 and some crazy greens to make a mottled pear that's just turning lighter.

I do like the way the pear turned out.  Loving the fruity.

Hero Arts Butterfly and Flower CL750

Hero Arts Flower and Butterfly Set dies DI090

Hero Arts Stamp your own Fruit CL835

Copic Markers

Die-Namics Stitched Square Stax

QuicKutz Nesting Scallop Squares

Small Green Gems

Hope you like my card.  Arlene

Plants in Glass Houses

Samples for the Die Cut Divas challenge this month.
Visit Die Cut Divas to enter the challenge today!

I really like the plants Hero Arts created for their spring catalog this year.  I hope you like them too.  I've planted my own succulent garden.  At least these will live longer than the ones in my house.  When I look at these plants, I think of glass houses, hence the title of this post. Anything for fun!

Enjoy

Hero Arts Stamp Your Own Succulents CL839 

Die-Namics Stitched Rec Stax

Die-Namics Stitched Square Stax

BoBunny Jewels - Pale green gems

Red multicolored panel are from a tissue box

Hero Arts Stamp Your Own Succulents CL839

Die-Namics Stitched Rec Stax

Die-Namics Stitched Square Stax 

BoBunny Jews Green

Red multicolored panels are from a tissue box

An Apple a Day

A Hero Arts "healthy treat for you."  

I love the fruit in this set. You can make your own juicy fruit and the sentiments are so "sweet".  I wanted a sparkly background and a little goes a long way. I do so like this, so much fun and really says what you want it to.  Yes, you're so sweet.

My sample for Die Cut Divas

Hero Arts Stamp your own Fruiet CL835

Copic Markers

Patterned paper

I think this is a Spellbinders oval tag - one of a number of tags in one metal plate.

A Close-up of the background so you can see all the glitter.  The apple is adhered by glue-dots which allow the image to float a little above the surface of the card.  It doesn't add a lot of bulk, yet doesn't appear flat.  It gives some depth without popping an image up and paying extra for mailing.

Remember that this is a new month and new challenge at Die Cut Divas.  Check it out.