Fluttering by butterfly birthday card

How's the weather over your way? We're fortunate that we have a nice balcony with a view over the green space of our apartments as we shelter at home. The trees are leafing out and fruit trees starting to bloom. My neighbor on the ground floor has a lovely garden, too, with bright yellow daffodils and purple hyacinths popping up.

I think it was the hyacinths that inspired my color choice for this card, a spring look birthday card, featuring a digi and sentiment from Imagine That Digistamps – Goin' Buggy. I don't use purple on cards that often, but I always like it when I do, like this purple tulip thank you card.

I've had the little no-brand butterfly border die a while now and never used it. I was glad to finally put it to use (confession – I forgot I had it). The papers on this card, with the exception of the purple gingham, are from my scrap file. I don't even know where they originally came from. I'm trying to use up bits and pieces left over from other projects; it gives me such a warm, thrifty feeling when I do.

Supply List
Paper – cardstock, patterned paper
Digital Stamp – Imagine That Digistamps Goin' Buggy
Color – Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 pencils
Dies – No-brand stitched circle dies and butterfly border
Embellishment – buttons

I'm linking up with: Little Red Wagon #542 – Leftovers, Crafts Galore Encore #73 – ATG, Crafty Friends #132 – Spring colour pallet, Gem of a Challenge Week 7 – ATG, and Love to Scrap Challenge Blog #131 – ATG.

Egg shaped Easter cupcake card

I've made three Easter cards this year: today's, this Eggceptional Hedgehog already posted, and  another yet to post. I'd planned to try and do a few more, but I think I'll leave it at that. As I explained in my last St. Patrick's Day post, we're not supposed to be leaving our homes right now except for exceptional circumstances and as 'Mailing Easter cards' isn't one of them (we don't have home pickup and my nearest mailbox is a ways away), my Easter greetings will probably be limited to Skype calls this year.

This card features my DOcrafts Xcut egg die set, my Easter go to fav (retired). Out of curiosity, I searched the blog and I've done eight posts featuring it. It was interesting to see the different ways I've used it. These Your Egg-cellent and Bite me cards are two I especially like.

The Digital Delights March Cupcake digi/Easter Sentiment image was printed out a few years ago and I just hadn't got around to coloring it. In the spirit of thriftiness, I thought it time to do so.

Paper is Dovecraft Back to Basics Bright Spark 6x6 paperpack. Ribbons and a flower dress it up.

Supply List

Paper – cardstock, Dovecraft Back to Basics Bright Spark

Digital Stamp – Digital Delights March Cupcake digi and Easter Sentiment

Color – Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 pencils

Dies – Xcut Egg dies

Embellishments – ribbons, flower

I linking up with: Sweet Stampers #42 – Easter or Spring, Sparkles Monthly Challenge #126 – Easter, Let's Craft and Create #157 – AG + Opt. Easter, Use Your Stuff #394 – Spring, and Crafty Cardmakers #253 – Spring.

St. Patrick's Day card with freebie digital image

Normally, I 'd start this off with a chirpy 'Happy St. Pat's Day!', but given what's going on in the world that doesn't seem appropriate. As you might know by now, France has taken new measures against the spread of COVID-19. As of 12:00 noon today, France is in lock down. We're required to stay home with five exceptions: grocery shopping, pharmacy/medical appointments, family reasons (to care for a vulnerable family member/childcare), quick in and out such as walks for the dog or to do individual sport (no group sports), and work (if you can not work at home). Given that all shops, restaurants, malls, schools, beauty salons, etc., etc. are already closed, there aren't many people still working. Glaring exception being overworked healthcare professionals for whom I have the utmost respect...bless them all!

These exceptions require a document called  an attestation sur l'honneur.  It's basically a form swearing that you're going out for X reason (tick the appropriate exception box). We are required to print out and fill in this form any time we walk out the door. Anyone controlled by police who does not have an attestation is fined. Our borders with neighboring Switzerland are closed as well (open only to Swiss citizens who live in the country or frontaliers – French residents who work in Switzerland). European borders are still open for the transport of goods.

It's so quiet outside it's eerie; very few cars on the roads, very few planes taking off from the local airport, the main thing I heard today was birdsong.

I've been going through my creative stash of late; re-familiarizing myself with creative supplies, re-discovering things I'd forgotten about, planning projects. It's a good way to occupy the time.

I don't make many St. Patrick's day cards. In fact, in searching the blog I've posted a whopping total of three, the latest being 2015. Of those three my favorite is this one from 2014.

The image on this card is a free coloring page from 'I Should Be Mopping the Floor' blog (is that a great name or what?!). I sized down the hat and instead of coloring went with paper piecing. The paper is digital and retired. A felt shamrock tops it all off.

Supply List
Paper – cardstock, digital paper
Digital stamps – digital freebie
Color – Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 pencils
Dies – Die-namics circle stax
Embellishments – felt shamrock

I'm linking up with: International Art & Soul #79 – Use Green as Your Main Color, The Cutie Pie Challenge #145 – Gorgeous Greens, Crafty Cardmakers #252 – Green, Crafting Happiness #50 – ATG, and Digi Chooseday Challenge Wk 11 – ATG.

Easter card featuring Di's Digital Stamps Eggceptional Hedgehog Easter stamp

So how's your Easter cardmaking going? I've got a few done, but not as many as I'd like. March and April are busy birthday months for me and if I have to choose I go for the Birthdays. Of course, the thing about making our own cards is that we can add a line to the birthday card saying, '...and have a Happy Easter, too!'. But, it's not quite the same thing as an Easter card itself.

I've used Di's Digital Stamps Eggceptional Hedgehog Easter stamp as the focal point on this card. I have to say that Di's digis are my hands down Easter favorites. I like them so much that I reuse them! Something I rarely do with digistamps. I love this Easter Bunny image, as seen on this 2017 Easter Bunny card (one of my all time favorites) and again on this 2019 egg shaped card. Her The Ears are the Best Bit (retired) stamp is another fav, here in 2019 and its debut the year before in 2018.

Paper for this card is from Dovecraft's Blooming Lovely 6 x 6 paper pack (I believe it's retired – like most of my paper packs – but still available on the internet). Embellishments are some little metal flowers I've had forever and a day and that I'm glad to finally use. I like the green stalks of them; they have a sort of picket fence effect here. Sentiment was created with Amelie font.

Supply List
Paper – cardstock, Dovecraft's Blooming Lovely paper pack
Digital stamps – Di's Digi Stamps Eggceptional Hedgehog Easter
Color – Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 pencils
Dies – Die-namics circle stax, Xcut Egg dies, no-brand bow die
Embellishments – ribbon, button, enamel dots
Font – Amelie

I'm linking up with: Di's Digi Challenge 28/02 – Show Some Green, Creative Moments #186 – ATG, Little Red Wagon #540 – Three of Something, The Sisterhood of Crafters 11/03 – Easter, and Watercooler Wednesday Challenge #262 – All About Occasions.

Say Cheese! gender neutral birthday card

So tell me...do you think this is a rat or a mouse? To me it's a rat. The QKR Stampede digi title is Mr. Innocent and he does look a bit cheeky, doesn't he?! The unconventional look of QKR Stampede stamps appeals to me. Search the blog by QKR Stampede and you'll see what I mean. I like that the characters aren't all cutesy, are adult oriented, gender neutral, and some are downright funny (as on this Sunbathing Potato Happy Summer card).

I used paper I've had for so long I don't even remember when/where I got it. It's called Residence and it's from the French brand Kesi'Art. It's retired, but still available online in France (si vous en tombez amoureuse, je l'ai trouvé encore en vente sur le net).

I used no-brand stitched rectangle and square dies. These inexpensive Chinese dies cut great, I just don't use them often as there aren't enough dies in each set to layer with smaller borders, and as you've probably noticed, layering's kinda my thing. The sentiment was created with Mister Sirloin BTN font. Enamel dots give texture and color.

Supply List
Paper – cardstock,  Kesi'Art Residence
Digital stamp – QKR Stampede Mr. Innocent
Color – Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 pencils
Dies – no-brand stitched square and circle dies
Embellishment – enamel dots
Font – Mister Sirloin BTN

I'm linking up with: QKR Stampede #388 – ATG, Crafty Creations #407 – ATG, Colour Crazy Challenge Week 9 – ATG, Creative Fingers #181 – ATG, and Pattie's Creations #168 – ATG.

You're Soy Amazing! Sushi birthday card

Today's sushi birthday card features a digital sentiment and stamps from Pretty Grafik's Kawaii Sushi set (my personalized birthday greeting is on the inside). I noticed when getting the link that it's now on sale for only $0.99. Considering the fact that there are 15 digis in this set – 12 images and three sentiments – that's a very good buy indeed!

Pretty Grafik sets contain several stamps and I like that. You can layer the PNG images and create scenes, as I've done here. On this card I used four of the stamps to create my main image (this Alpaca birthday card is another example of PNG image layering).  If you're not familiar with PNG images and how to use them, this PNG stamp tutorial is for you.

I hadn't made a gate card in a while, so I decided to do one here. Gate cards look great 'live', but in photographing the card I was reminded why it's been so long since I've done one...they do not photograph easily. Papers here are digital freebies from Pixel Scrapper – Sushi Paper set by Kayl Turesson. I used some of my favorite crinkled paper ribbon and enamel dots for embellishment.

Supply List
Paper – cardstock, freebie Sushi Paper set by Kayl Turesson
Digital stamps – Pretty Grafik's Kawaii Sushi set
Color – Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 pencils
Dies – Die-namics circle stax
Embellishments – paper ribbon, enamel dots

I'm linking up with: Brown Sugar #298 – ATG, Colour Crazy Challenge Week 8 – ATG, Creative Fingers #180 – ATG, Polka Doodles Wk 9 – ATG, and QKR Stampede #387 – ATG.

Masculine cowboy birthday card featuring Di's Digi Stamps Siesta Time digital stamp

This birthday card is for a Swiss male friend of ours who's a former equestrian and longtime country music fan. I've used English on the outside of the card and saved my French greetings for the inside (he speaks both languages). I thought this Di's Digi Stamps Siesta Time digi was perfect for him!

At first glance, you might not think Di's website caters to masculine stamps, but I have found she's great for guys! I've used her Kick Off Ted foot (soccer) image on cards for both for my father-in-law and husband, using the colors of the French team. And this Gibson Bear stamp made the perfect card for my guitar pickin' cousin.

The digital paper is by the former Tactile Studio and is called Toy Box. I was so sorry when she went out of business; she had some lovely digital papers. I've used the heck out of this particular pack (e.g. this Cowboy Snowman Christmas card). Andy font was used for the sentiment. Embellishments are simple stars and buttons.

Supply List
Paper – cardstock, patterned paper
Digital stamp – Di's Digi Stamps Siesta Time
Color – Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 pencils
Dies – Die-namics rectangle stax
Embellishments – stars, buttons
Font – Andy

I'm linking up with: Di's Digi Challenge 14/02 – Use a digi image, Addicted to Stamps #377 – Make your mark, Always Fun Challenge #150 – Animals, Aud Sentiments #245 – ATG, Gem of a Challenge Wk 4 – ATG.

Whimsie Doodle's You're the Mac to my Cheese Valentine's Day card

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! Voila! My husband's Valentine this year. I've had this digistamp from the now defunct Whimsie Doodles for years and never used it. I'd even gone so far as to print it out, I just hadn't colored it. I thought it was time to color this baby up and put it to use.

It's a shame Whimsie Doodles shut down (sigh); I really liked her stamps. Funny stamps and sentiments are hard to find and she had some real zingers, like this Thong Wearing Donkey card, this Christmas Underwear card, or one of my all time favorites this Let's Get Basted Thanksgiving card.

The digital papers are freebies from the Comfort Food Papers pack by Jessica Dunn on Pixel Scrapper. The ribbon is upcycled from a Christmas chocolate box. The little wooden lips embellishment is one from a pack of same I've had lying around for a while. Glad to finally use one, but I'll need to use one each on about 10 more cards if I truly want to make a dent.

Supply List
Paper – cardstock, Comfort Food Papers digital paper pack by Jessica Dunn
Digital stamp – Whimsie Doodles Mac and Cheese
Color – Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 pencils
Dies – Die-Namics square stax
Embellishment – upcycled chocolate box ribbon, wooden lips embellishment

I'm linking up with:
Aud Sentiments #244 – Love/Valentine sentiment, Always Fun Challenges #149 – Love/Valentine's Day, Through the Purple Haze #164 – ATG, Addicted to Stamps #376 – ATG, and Fab 'n' Funky #468 – Love, Love, Love.

Just BEEcause card

I had thought to use this card as a Just Because card, and I still might, but I'm thinking that if I don't get all the Easter cards done I'd like, this could easily serve for Easter, too.

The digital stamp and sentiment are from the former From the Heart digital stamp line by Faith Skrdla – Bee Happy Birdbrain. Ms. Skrdla passed away a few years back. I have several of her stamps. I especially liked these quirky Birdbrain stamps and sentiments (this No Snow Birdbrain is one of my favorites). I think she would like that her creative legacy lives on, that her stamps are still being used, and that they're still bringing smiles to the faces of the people who receive cards made with them.

Remember my January 12 post about using up existing supplies instead of buying more? This card is an example of that. In addition to the oldie-but-goodie stamp, the paper, bee strip and flower are all part of a freebie set I received with 2013's issue #55 of Creative Cardmaking magazine (no longer in publication). What fantastic freebies this magazine had! There were several pieces with this set and I have used the heck out of it. In addition to today's card, I've made a 2013 Sweet as a Honeybee card, a 2017 Hap-BEE Birthday card, and a 2018 Hap-BEE Mother's Day card! The bee embellishments are little plastic buttons with the shanks cut off, my favorite way to use shank style buttons!

By the way, did you know there is a tool especially made to cut off button shanks? It's Blumenthal Lansing's 550000700 Button Shank Remover Tool. I've had mine for years and use it all the time. I don't think it'd work for a hard metal shank, but for plastic it works great! I haven't supplied a link, but if you're interested, google it and you'll find it available on eBay, Amazon, and Wal-mart, among others.

Blumenthal Lansing's Button Shank Remover Tool

Supply List
Paper – cardstock, freebie magazine patterned paper
Digital stamp – From the Heart Bee Happy Birdbrain stamp and sentiment
Color – Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 pencils
Dies – Die-Namics circle and rectangle stax
Embellishment – bee buttons with the shanks cut off

I'm linking up with: Always Fun Challenges #148 – ATG, Craft Rocket Challenges #67 – Bows and/or buttons, Cute Card Thursday #620 – ATG, Crafty Creations #406 – ATG, and Use Your Stuff #391 – Critters.

Christmas cupcake card idea featuring Di's Digital Stamps Christmas Cupcake Mice & a crafty tip

This sweet cupcake Christmas card features the Christmas Cupcake Mice digital stamp from Di's Digital Stamps, one of my favorite digital stamp sites. Seems like every time I use one of her stamps I'm pleased with how it turns out (nothing worse than spending hours coloring a stamp and not liking the final result). Her stamps work well for guys, too, like this Gentleman Ted birthday card for my father-in-law. 

Patterned paper is a pre-Christmas grocery store find. Embellishments are a wooden Christmas tree and some twine. The sentiment was created with Annie BNT font.

*Crafty Tip* (I haven't done one of these in a while) – how to glue your embellishment flat against the knot of a bow? When you place an embellishment against the bow knot behind it, it can be hard to glue it in place flat. What I do is make the bow and then glue the embellishment to it BEFORE I glue the bow/embellishment to the card. I use a non-stick craft sheet, put a drop of Aleene's Turbo Tacky Glue on the bow knot, place two toothpicks on either side of the knot (but not touching the glue!), and then place the embellishment on the glue, balanced by the two toothpicks to help it dry flat. If it's a big ribbon knot (unlike the thin twine here) and I need something thicker than toothpicks, I'll use whatever I can find that's the right height – birthday candles, pencils, Q-tips, coins – whatever works.

When the  bow/embellishment is dry, I place something on the back of the embellishment ends that surpass the knot in the center. These will help keep the embellishment flat when I glue the bow to the card and prevent wobbling. My favorite thing to use are several glue dots that I wad up together and put on either end, they're clear so you can't see them, they support the ends AND they help glue. If transparency isn't an issue, you might stack some little black 3D mousse pads behind it, or even use a flat-backed pearl and some glue, anything that will prop up the embellishment ends at the proper height to keep it even. After this, I glue the  bow/embellishment to the card.

Supply List
Paper – cardstock, patterned paper
Digital stamp – Di's Digital Stamps Christmas Cupcake Mice
Color – Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 pencils
Die – Die-namics circle stax
Embellishments – twine, wooden Christmas tree
Font – Annie BTN

I'm linking up with: Di's Digi Challenge – Winter and/or Snow, ABC Christmas Challenge – A is for Anything Christmas Goes, Watercooler Wednesday #256 – All About Occasions, Crafty Creations #405 – ATG, and Crafty Gals Corner #203 – Winter Fun.