Seize the Birthday #334

 

I am back today to share my card for the new Seize the Birthday challenge and as it so happens, I'm also the host of this challenge.  We choose our Toppings well in advance so Present Jules is very grateful that Past Jules chose something simple. What great timing she had!  *wink*

My Topping of choice is To Add a Sentiment Strip.  Given that this is a birthday challenge blog make sure it's some sort of birthday or celebratory greeting.  Here's my card for this fortnight.

There are so many things to love about North Carolina living.  The flora and fauna are so different from hot humid Florida and I am totally in for it all. The floral landscaping never ceases to amaze me but I have a special fondness for the precious hummingbirds that now gather just outside my kitchen window.  I set up two feeders earlier this summer as well as three little red swings. (One even has a camera so I can spy on the little guys.)  In the beginning they would flit in and out very quickly. Over the summer though they have gotten more comforable in their surroundings so they tend to hang around for quite awhile. I think the adults  began their migration last week but I still have a few juveniles hanging around, one male and two females. I made today's card in honor of Oliver, my male juvenile who just loves to swing and selfishly guard the nectar. 

The hummingbirds in my yard are the Ruby Throated species however only the males have the red on their necks.  They are also a bit more brilliant green in color compared to the females.  (I had to do a bit of die surgery to make the paper humminbird a bit closer in color/pattern as real life Oliver.  It's better but still not totally accurate, especially around the head/neck area.)  

Paper Oliver was assembled and adhered to an embossed, matted oval focal panel.  The stamped sentiment strip was popped up with foam tape and the oval added to an embossed card base.  A few brown gems were added to mimic movement.  

Supplies:

Honeybee Stamps - Hummingbird die 

MFT - Friends Like You stamp set

Spellbinders - Lined Corners embossing folder

Spellbinders - Modern Ovals die set

PaperTrey Ink - Linen embossing plate

We have Stacey and Chris both joining us on the blog today.  I invite you to play along by sharing your birthday cards in the gallery.  

Thanks so much for visiting!

Jules

Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers #278

 

Well, I'm back a week and I've already dropped the ball on my Sisterhood duties.  *sigh*  It's a darned good thing this is a month long challenge.

Marching Onward.....

Today I'm sharing my card for the September Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers blog challenge.  The prompt for the month is Leaves.  Autumn cards are going to be so much more fun now that I'm no longer living in the tropics.

I bought myself a new Cricut Joy almost a year ago but with all of the moving commotion it didn't see the light of day until yesterday.  My sole reason for the purchase was the ability to print custom texts on my card panels and I am not disappointed.  It was extremely easy to do and I'm going to have a lot of fun with my new tool.  

I die cut, embossed and assembled my cocoa/coffee mug, added some fall foliage, triple stacked my die cut sentiment and printed the sub-sentiment using the Cricut.  The panel is popped up with foam tape onto a brown card base.  

Supplies:

MFT - Hot Cocoa dies

Spellbinders - Envelope of Wonder dies

The Greetery - Slim Alphabet dies

Altenew - Deck Planks embossing folder

Cricut Joy - sentiment printing

I invite you to vist our blog for more snarky fall inspiration.  We would love to see your card in our gallery!

Thanks so much for visiting!

Jules

Color Hues #140

Long time, no "see" my crafty friends.  To say life has remained crazy hectic is an understatement.  We finally got moved (North Carolina from Florida) in mid May and I am just now getting my craft room back up and running.  It's going to be a process because while everything has a place....it's just not the "ideal" place if you know what I mean.  (I won't even begin to tell you how long it took to find the supplies to make my cards.  Yes, cards.  Because I am nothing if not an overachiever with lots of time to make up for.  So today you get a two-fer.)  

My North Carolina debut is for our Color Hues challenge.  Nancy is our host and she's chosen the wonderful combination of Dusty Blue and Brown.  This is my first creation since late January so be kind.  I'm definitely a bit rusty.  

Card 1

Card 2

The lighting on this one is turning my brown leaves a bit more

on the greenish side.  (It's Frayed Burlap Distress Oxide)  My 

photography station also needs a bit of tweaking.  

Card 1 started with blue and brown cardstocks.  The florals and stems were die cut and then shaded with shades of blue and brown Distress Oxides.  The brown panel was embossed, the sentiment die cut and stacked and a few gold pearls were thrown in for embellishments.  

Card 2 began by inking up a layered stencil in the same Distress Oxides as above.  The panel was die cut for a scalloped edge, the sentiment die cut and stacked and a few brown gems were applied to the floral centers.

Supplies:

CARD 1

Honeybee Stamps - Wildflowers Lovely Layers die set

Spellbinders - Vivid Script Sentiment dies

Spellbinders - All Wrapped Up embossing folder

CARD 2

Spellbinders - Heartfelt Thanks & Scallops die set

Spellbinders - Blossoming Flowers layering stencils

I am so happy to be back to creating.  I've missed my teammates as well as all of my crafty Insta friends.  Please bear with my while I get my supplies organized and find my crafty groove.  

I invite you to visit the Color Hues blog for more inspiration and hope you enter your Dusty Blue and Brown creations in our gallery!

Peace out!

Jules

Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers # 275

 

Hello my Snarky Friends!  Our June challenge is now up and we've chosen a  Rainbow Theme in honor of Pride Month.  I thought this sentiment was perfect for my design so no snark from me this month.

I die cut six birds from white cardstock.  I die cut the six wings from six different colors of the rainbow, adhered them to the birds and then lined them up on a "wire."  The sentiment was heat embossed in white onto a panel of black cardstock which was then adhered to an embossed card base.  

Supplies:

Fun Stampers Journey - Peaceful Birds die set

Altenew - Angled Mosaics embossing folder

MFT - Friends Like Us stamp set

I invite you to visit our blog for more colorful ideas from my fellow Sisters.  I hope we inspire you to play along.  Snark is preferred however any rainbow themed card works.  

My craft room is still in boxes after our out of state move so I am taking a hiatus from all of my design teams.  I'll see you later this summer.  Until then, thanks for visiting!

Jules

Seize the Birthday #327

Hello Crafty Friends.  I'm here to share my latest card for our Seize the Birthday challenge, hosted by Shirley.  Her chosen Topping is Sweet Treats.

As many of you may know, we recently moved from Florida to North Carolina and all of my cards were created in January before I packed up my craft room. My list of supplies is buried at the moment so forgive me for not providing the product names.  

In a nutshell I chose turquoise cardstock for the base, the panel (embossed) and the hot chocolate cup.  I'm fairly certain that the cocoa cup is from MFT.  The embossing folder is one from Spellbinders and the heat embossed text is from Ellen Hutson.  The assembly can easily be figured out from the design.

I will be taking a hiatus while I wade through my housefull of boxes.  Unfortunately my craft room set up is way down on the list so I'll most likely disappear until at least mid summer.  Until then, thanks so much for visiting!

Jules

Color Hues # 133

Hello Crafty Friends!  If you visited my blog a few days ago you will know that we are finally in North Carolina.  (Cue the Happy Dance!)  So while the Florida chaos is mostly over (still have to get the house on the market) the North Carolina chaos is just beginning.  There is far less stress on this end though, thank goodness.

Today I'm sharing a card I created for this challenge way back in January.  Tracey is our Color Hues host this time around and she's chosen Lime Green and (cough, cough, cough) Violet.  While this may seem like Christmas in May it was actually Christmas in January when I create it.  LOL!

I die cut the trees in variations of lime, violet and white and then clustered them onto an embossed die cut arch.  The arch and the card base were created with watercolor paper.  I stamped the greeting and added a few matte enamel dots for interest.

Supplies:

The Stamp Market - Merry Little Tree dies

Simon Says Stamp - Gifts of Love stamp set

A Jillian Vance Design - Stitched Dot Oval Backdrop die

Spellbinders - Diamond Plaid embossing folder

I invite you to visit our blog and join in on the gallery fun.  Thanks for visiting!

Jules

Seize the Birthday # 326

Hello from North Carolina, my Crafty Friends! After five months of planning, remodeling, packing, etc, etc, etc we are finally here.  I still have a few challenge cards to share before I go on a temporary leave.  It's going to take some time getting this house (and my craft room) up and ready.  

Nancy S. is our host this fortnight and she's chosen Focal Animal as her Topping.  I pulled out a really old die from PaperTrey Ink for my simple card.

The kitty was die cut in pink, white and designer textured black cardstocks.  I added three narrow strips of the black to ground the kitty, added a few flowers and a stamped sentiment.  The card base is watercolor paper.  

Supplies:

PaperTrey Ink - Kay's Cat die set

MFT - Housecats stamp set

I invite you to join us on our blog and in the gallery.  Animals are optional however birthday greetings are not.

Thanks for visiting!

Jules