A Kind Heart Trio...

Note: My May Blog Candy is at the bottom of the Beach post.

Warm Greetings to everyone, and a special welcome to my newest followers.

But first...

Before sharing my card, I'd like to share a VERY HAPPY experience with an outstanding manufacturer. Spellbinders Grand Calibur has been my favored die cutting machine from the very beginning, when they first came out. My dear machine broke last week.

There is a happy ending, though.

Spellbinders offers a one year warranty on its machine, but mine is nearly 4 years old. I phoned their home office and spoke to Miss Fabulous Customer Service Karen Haas. After asking if I could purchase the parts so my husband could repair the GC, Karen kindly asked me to e-mail photos so she could determine if the correct parts were available. Three days later the parts were in our mailbox - mailed at no charge - in fact, the parts were completely at no charge. Spellbinders could not have given me a better gift than to back their product long after the warranty had expired. FABULOUS CUSTOMER SERVICE, SPELLBINDERS.

Today's card shares feature the birds on K and Company's pretty designer papers by Brenda Walton.

When piecing together card, I always look through my pads of DPs and think, "No, that needs to be for a card on its own". Then the papers are promptly forgotten until the next time I peruse for DPs.

Do you inadvertently save items for a special project, and then forget about them, so that they end up being in a stash of hoarded supplies?

This week I made 3 cards using the 3 sheets with birds in the bottom right corner. Each card is similar.

The card above is made with vellum edging from Spellbinders Fleur de Lis Squares, distressed and pieced together with stitching on the card. White flowers by Irene's Garden helped this card go together more quickly. One sentiment is popped up; the other is stamped direct to DP.

My second card is flat for regular mailing and uses 2 Spellbinders dies for the sentiments, two from Heartfelt creations. (the decorative corner is with vellum under all the tiny flowers. The flowers are embellished with Prills. And Memory Box's lovely Fuchsia Sprig die cut.

Less than 1/4" thick, the Prills still provide texture and dimension. The two images in this sentiment panel are from Impression Obsession (listed at the bottom of this post).

Interior sentiment is the same on each card, however, the edging is different on each card:

 Crafty Bloggers Network has a fabulous Tic Tac Toe Challenge going on.

The top card satisfies the row of "Flowers-Stamps-Stitching".

The second card has "vellum doily, stamps, sentiment".

The third card below has "Gems, 2 Vellum Doilies, punch/die cuts".

Over at Delightful Sketches, they, too are featuring a Bingo Card:

My first card features: Stitching, Glitter (right side beneath border bunch) and Flowers.

The second card features: Flowers, Punches/Die Cuts, Pattern Paper

The two Velvet glitters are on the inside panel; a strip each of Luau Green and Orchid Rose. They can just be seen through the Laurel Leaf border punch, but look fabulous on the inside. The Orchid Rose Velvet Glitter was also used between the jeweled flourishes for added bling.

Memory Box Tender Leaves Die Cuts were used to embellish the flowers on this card.

Gratefully Submitted to the following Lovely Challenges:

• Crafty Bloggers Network Challenge #11 Tic Tac Toe: Please see the special paragraph just for the Crafty Bloggers Network Challenge describing all three cards and how they use the grid.
• Delightful Challenges - Bingo: Please see the special paragraph just for the Delightful Challenges Challenge describing how two of these card follow the bingo card.
• Through the Craft Room Door - "Anything Goes"
• Nana Vic's Lady Anne's Challenge - #4 "Anything Goes"
• Use It Tuesday - #55 "You Can't Touch This" (designer paper, flowers, bling flourishes)
• Cup Cake Craft - #242 - Lots of Layers
• Fashionista - #15 - Vintage or Shabby
• Love to Create - #65 Lots of Flowers
• Songbird Challenges - #20 Bloom and Grow Flowers

The Following Products were used in creating my cards:

Sparkle N Sprinkle Velvet Glitters: **new** Orchid Rose, Luau Green
Sparkle N Sprinkle 1/2" and 1/4" Double Sided Tear-ific Tapes
Paper: K and Company Designer Paper by Brenda Walton, SU Eggplant, Pale Plum, White, Vellum
Spellbinders: Labels Thirteen, Fleur de Lis Squares, Fancy Tags Two
Martha Stewart Laurel Leaf PATP
Heartfelt Creations: Layered Scalloped Posy die, Decorative Blossom Corner Die
Lace, Fabric Softener Sheet, Cheese cloth, skeleton leaves, flowers by Irene's Garden
Memory Box: Fuchsia Sprig, Tender Leaves
USArtQuest: Prills Lemon Chiffon, PPA
Inks: Peeled Paint, Milled Lavender, Eggplant, Pumice Stone dye base, Imperial Purple VersaFine, VersaMark
Other Adhesives: Aileen's Quick Dry, Dimensionals
Images: SU Floral Friendship, IO Thinking of You Days, IO Sm. Flourish Four

Thanks for stopping by today! I always appreciate the time you have spent here, and for leaving your sweet comments.

hugs always and always,

The Hibiscus Are Blooming!

Update: May 11 -- "At the Beach" blog hop winners are posted at the SNS blog HERE.

Note: My May Blog Candy is at the bottom of the Beach post.

I have a really fun card to share today. 

In fact, I am excited because it was made specifically with the following ten challenges in mind! All Right -- Confession Time -- Usually I create a card for a particular project or for ONE challenge, and then hope to submit it to several other challenges if the theme is suitable. 

(hanging head low in shame...)

With that in mind... 

Thank you, Challenge Hostesses, for fresh inspiration.

It was especially beneficial since I used lots of "old virginal stuff" in my stash (some which was decades old), and also brand new items which had not been used, too.

Oh yes! And even "normal" other stuff which is used all the time (smile).

I found some pretty green Rick Rack in my stash. It must be from the 1950s because it was from JC Penney and was 13¢. The wrapper said it is "color-fast and is suitable for boiling" hahaha. I don't even recall that my mom ever boiled clothing - do you?

Not sure if the Rick Rack was my Mom's or my Great Aunt Agnes'. Did you inherit "stash" from previous generations, too?

After adhering the rick rack, a little SNS Dimensional Glue was dotted helter-skelter above and below the green trim and Green Iris Glitter was applied. It's an icy transparent clear glitter which has tints of green in it.

The wrapper was FINALLY taken off many years' old Cranberry Crisp Grosgrain ribbon to trim the panel on the base.



This card was also the first use for the Spellbinders Adorning Squares and IO lace border dies.



Below are listed five of the challenge photos:

Sparkle N Sprinkle's May Color Challenge:

Each of those colors was utilized!

Have you tried USArtquest's Prills yet? Those are relatively new to my stash, and I used them as the stamen in the hibiscus blooms. Jack liked that particular adorno (that's what he calls embellishments).

At Beccy's Place - the May challenge is an "Anything Goes" as long as you use a Beccy Image. With over 40 fabulous freebies available, that was easy! I chose her gorgeous hibiscus flower branch. It has been printed whole, and then partially four more times to fussy cut flowers for the base of the easel card.

Beccy's hibiscus is available uncolored, and also in two beautifully shaded color motifs. To grab all 3 versions of this freebie click here: Beccy Muir digital image Hibiscus


For All Beautiful Cards 'tic tac toe', 

I played diagonally with:

Designer Paper
Flowers
Glitter

And a "grid" by Crafty Bloggers Network -

In more than one direction:

• Die Cut, Flowers, Ribbon; 
• AND Ribbon, Stamps, Gems-Bling; 
• AND Flowers, Stamps, Stitching

Cupcake Craft Challenges' interesting Sketcharific.

My card is 5.5" square, and is an easel card using their awesome sketch.

There are more fabulous, inspiring challenges I was inspired by grocery listed at the bottom of my blog post.

And now... 

A Fumble Fingers Moment brought to you fondly by...

Moi!

A fumble fingers moment: After dropping both the Antique Linen AND Willow ink pads (at different times, mind you) on the base sentiment, I decided to texturize to cover up the messes. Since this is a common occurrence, I am a pro at fixing these types of boo boos, by smooshing a little VersaMark on the affected area and then embossing with Sparkle embossing powder to cover the blunder. Can you see the booboo? The same EP is used around the edges of both images. 

It's a great way of "distressing" with bling 

(is that contradictory? to distress with bling?)

 Here is the closed card:

Close up using the Mango Prills and "Sparkle" Distressing:

Products Used:

• Sparkle N Sprinkle "Sparkle" embossing powder
• Sparkle N Sprinkle Green Iris Glitter G1068
• Sparkle N Sprinkle Rosy Red Glitter G1036
• Sparkle N Sprinkle Dimensional Glue
• Sparkle N Sprinkle 3/4" Double Sided Tear-ific Tape

Beccy Muir digital image Hibiscus

Dies:

• Spellbinders Adorning Squares S4-389
• Spellbinders Labels Thirteen
• Impression Obsession Lace Border DIE018V
• Memory Box Tender Leaves

Ribbon-Trim-Embellishments:

• Recollections Ivory trim on clearance 
• 1950s Green Rick Rack from JC Penneys for 13¢ (LOL from my mom or great aunt), 
• SU Cranberry Crisp Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon
• EK Tear Drop Jewel-Gem Brads
• USArtquest Prills Mango

Additional Adhesives: Aileen's Quick Dry Tacky Glue, Dimensionals, Xyron, USArtquest PPA
Cardstock: KandCompany Classic K Margo, Ivory, White, Cherry Cobbler
For Color Swatch "Seeds" Copics: R35, RV32, RV29 (flowers), E00, YG03, YG06 (leaves)
Ink: Salmon, Willow, Antique Linen Dye Base, VersaMark
Computer-generated sentiments

Fabulous Challenges this card is submitted to:

ABC - #27 Tic Tac Toe (DPs by K&Company, Flowers by Beccy Muir, Glitter by SNS)
Cupcake Craft Challenges - #241 Sketcharific
Sparkle N Sprinkle - May Color Challenge (used all the colors)
Lady Anne's Challenge - May - Easel Card Challenge (5.5" square)
Marker Pop Challenge - #22 May Flowers (all flowers were colored with Copic Markers)
Beccy's Place - May Challenge - Anything Goes (Beccy's Hibiscus flowers)
Created with Love Challenges - #40 Mothers Day (feminine card per Chris at CWLC)
Clear It Out Challenges - Use Two designer papers (3 were used)
Mema's Crafts - May Flowers
Crafty Bloggers Network - #11 Tic Tac Toe In more than one direction:

• Die Cut, Flowers, Ribbon; 
• AND Ribbon, Stamps, Gems-Bling; 
• AND Flowers, Stamps, Stitching

Thanks for stopping by today! Your visits and comments are always appreciated.
Hugs Always,

Sparkle N Sprinkle's AT THE BEACH blog hop!

Update: May 11 -- winners are posted at the SNS blog HERE.


Note: May's Blog Candy question is at the VERY bottom of this post.

Warm cyber hugs and a VERY special welcome to 

Sparkle N Sprinkle's fabulous 

"At the Beach" 

blog hop!

 If you arrived here directly from SNS Home blog, then you are in the right place. Otherwise, you may wish to start at the beginning by clicking here.

If you like sparkle, 
if you love the sea,
this Hop is for YOU!
Sparkle N Sprinkle has its roots in Southern California, and is currently based in central Florida by the Gulf of Mexico, so we are celebrating with an "At The Beach" theme this month!

The hop will run for two days. All the fine SNS products, like Stamps, Glitters, Embossing Powders, Flocking, etc., will be lavished upon our hoppers in artwork, and also shared as prizes at the end of the blog hop. To become eligible for Sparkle N Sprinkle's outstanding prizes, leave a comment on each designer's blog during the hop. Three of the prizes are "hidden" on three Design Team Members' blogs. Even the designers don't know which blogs contain the prizes, so try not to miss any.

Winners will be announced on the Sparkle N Sprinkle Blog on Saturday, May 11th.

Your blog hostesses are: 

Donna (that's me - smile) ** Marie Berquist ** Cindy Keogh 
Barbara Bruder  ** Keri Brown ** Cammy Vietzke 

 Karin Martin ** Brigita Skopas ** Jackie Smith ** Dawn Bennett

Karalee Ingram ** Anne Temple ** April Williams ** Shona Erlenborn ** Brenda Smalle

My Card Shares

My first card is FAST AND EASY - seriously.

If I had inked the inside of the embossing folder or used dark cardstock to begin with, the effect would have been more dramatic. But with the white base, the embossing powder photographs better, so that is why white was used.

Back to FAST AND EASY:

1. Run your cardstock through your embossing folder.
2. Smoosh VersaMark pad all over the embossed piece.
3. Choose 4 colors of Sparkle N Sprinkle Tuscany STARS embossing powders and apply them in various places of your inked panel.
4. Heat set. Easy for a spectacular look, isn't it?

For complete directions to make this card, please click here.

I moved the camera just a hair, so that the light would reflect a little differently and capture the beautiful colors - as each embossing powder contains more than one color "shimmer" to it.

Here is a close up of the textures:

Fibers
Gold Leaf Pen
Charm
Tuscany STARS Embossing Powder 

My card is being submitted in the following challenges:

Love to Scrap - #5 Anything Goes!
ABC Challenges - M for Make It Sparkle (every surface of this card is covered with glitter or embossing powder which contains glitter)

My Second Card Share

MEMORIES: This was a fun card to make as it brought back fond childhood memories (nostalgia) of making large sand castles at the beach in southern California. As we dug the "moats" around our castles, we invariably ended up with moister sand and found all kinds of those little rolie-polie sand crabs. They tickled our hands, and caused us to laugh delightedly.

The castle was stamped with Memento Ink, and colored with copics, on top of Cloud Nine Velvet Glitter.

The backdrop is painted with watercolors. The yellow flag is embellished with dimensional glue and Lemonade Ultrafine Glitter.

The Tear Drop circle framing the castle is smooshed with VersaMark ink and then heat embossed with very glittery Mediterranean Sea Star embossing powder.

NOTE:  (all the embossing powders on this project contain glitter, and are very sparkly in person).

I especially like the mix-and-match capability of this delightful stamp set (#403).

The circles fit most dies, and the set is really great for Scrapbookers.

This happy dolphin is an old, old, OLD Spellbinders die, back with their very first release. He is smooshed with VersaMark and embossed with Silver Lightning EP.

The following tutorials found on the SNS Tips and Techniques page were used:

• Stamping on Velvet Glitter
• Copics on Velvet Glitter
• Watercoloring on Velvet Glitter
• Glitter Puzzle (landscaping with glitters and embossing powders)
• Copic Marker Basics

The Sun Rosette tutorial can be seen on Barbara Bruder's video here.

The rosette sun is embossed with Dandy Dandelion EP.

It is my first attempt at creating a "rosette". Even with fumble fingers it was not that difficult.

It is scored and folded at 3/8" increments.

The same border punch was used on the sun's rays, as was used around the card's border.

The white panel border is "distressed" with matching water color blue as in the sky.

TIP: Try distressing with embossing powders and/or glitter, instead of "just ink". It provides dimension and an element of The Unexpected.

A complete list of products is shown below, and detailed directions are shown here.

Sparkle N Sprinkle products used on this card:

Stamps (on sale this month):

• Sandy Castle 316-403N
• Also from set 403 

Adhesives:

• Brushable Glue #540
• Dimensional Glue #539
• Super Adhesive Sheets #SAS02
• 1/4” Double Sided Tear-ific Tape SAT01
• 3/4" Double Sided Tear-ific Tape SAT05

Inks:

• VersaMark Pad #712353310018
• Memento Ink - Tuxedo Black #712353259003

Markers:

• Dove Blender Pen #99535
• Copic Markers (assorted)

Embossing Powders:

• Mediterranean Star Sparkling embossing powder #EP429
• Silver Lightning Sparkling embossing powder #EP262
• Dandy Dandelion Sparkling embossing powder #EP178

Glitters:

• Cloud Nine Velvet Glitter (microfine) GM2000
• Waterfall Ultrafine Glitter G1071  (On Sale this Month)
• Flesh Ultrafine Glitter G1067
• Lemonade Ultrafine Glitter #G1091

Other Products:

Cardstock: Lemonade, Kraft, White, Dark Teal

Punches: MS Deco Fans Punch Around the Page, EKS 1” circle, 

Dies: SB porpoise (very old, one of the originals, retired years ago - sorry)

SB Tear Drop Circles S4-344

SB Standard Circle-Small S4-116

Lyra Water Color Crayons

To enjoy more inspirational card shares, please hop on over to the incredible Marie Berquist's blog!

This card is submitted to the following awesome challenges:

• Ooh La La Creations - Nostalgia (memories of my childhood in Southern California as we built massive sand castles and roasted hot dogs, marshmallows, and popped dried kelp in the bon fire at night)
• Crafty Catz Challenges - #181 - Inspired by a Song - ("Beach Baby, Beach Baby" by First Class a 1960's song about spending the summer days on the beach - I'm showing my age - smile)
• Inspire Me Fridays - #101 Anything Goes
• Sister Act Card Challenge - #5 Anything Goes
• Stampin for the Weekend - Die cuts and/or punches (3 punches, 3 die cuts)
• ABC Challenges - M for Make It Sparkle (every surface of this card is covered with glitter or embossing powder which contains glitter)

Now... Onto May's Blog Candy Question. My gift to visitors in 2013 is to have monthly blog candy. You do not have to "follow" my blog to be eligible to win (though I love it if you do). On June 1, I will make every attempt to contact you should you be May's winner, as long as blogger contains your e-mail addy or you leave it in the comment. Because I still have not figured out Random.org, my husband pulls a name out of the basket.

For three SNS Flocking Colors, just include a brief mention in your comment below about how you might use SNS flocking on a project.

Stamping hugs always,

Blog Candy Winner - And a glimpse of Spring

Greetings from Sunny Central Florida!  

While I don't have a card share today, I do have glimpses of my "back yard". We live rurally in central Florida. Ordinarily it does freeze here, but we experienced fewer freezes than normal, and warmer than usual temperatures most of the Winter.

Hence, my Geraniums did pretty well, despite being covered during frosty nights.

The photos are befores-and-afters. The before photos are during an overcast rainy day.

Below, one more "before" photo, just as the rain was dispersing at the end of the day. Doesn't it almost look magical with the "new" green shooting forth so quickly after Mother Nature's shower? I am always amazed at how different colors-shades change on cloudy moist days compared to sun-shiny days.

The after photos are the same flowers the day after, when the sun was shining his brightest!

Does anyone know the name of the pink flowering shrub? It is huge, despite the fact that I prune it often. The leaves fall off in May, and return the same week. They are a dark-green-to-burgundy color once in June until the first freeze when they return to a drab green.

Now the important stuff - our WINNER! The prize is a Limited Edition clear stamp set from Papertrey ink, featuring 24 images. It is called "The Round and Round" stamp set.

This month, participating commenters had more than one opportunity to play, giving them more chances to win (so some of your names were entered multiple times):

Silvis Kreativstube

Carol (Gingerbeary8)

Shona Erlenborn

Dawn

Wendy H

Ivana Camdzic

Sian Ridley

Glenda Atkins

Leslie Miller

Glo

Sandy Cimbaro

Karen - Stamping in Pink

Amy#8546

Julie Z

Cammy404

Patricia Davis

Berni Cuttino

Anne-Marie

Sue from Oregon

Stampsnob (Lis)

Leslie Miller

Cheryl

Verna Angerhofer

NanaConnie
Sandye (scg)
Dawn Lancaster

And the winner is...

Julie Z of

Back to Basics and Beyond!

Congratulations, Julie!

I hope you will enjoy this beautiful stamp set.

Thanks to all of you, followers and non-followers. 

May's blog candy will soon be revealed.

Stamping Hugs,