4 of a Kind- California Style

We are finally back!  Our four of a kind group has changed from every month to every three months now with a few changes.  Renee Lynch is super busy concentrating on her responsibilities as a member of Waltzingmouse Stamps Design team and although we miss her, we will enjoy seeing all the wonderful projects she comes up with during Waltzingmouse release time.   Joining our group is another great card maker...Marybeth Lopez.  Marybeth always makes such beautiful cards and I know she will be a great addition to our 4 of a Kind challenge group.  With this change, we also realized that there are now all "California Girls" in our group, so that was a fun coincidence too.

This month our hostess is Kim Heggins of Cupcakes, Cards & Kim.  Kim has such a sweet and cheery personality, it was no surprise when I opened up my kit and saw a package full of bright, happy and Springy ingredients.  Here's a picture of all the goodies Kim sent us.

Aren't all those papers and ribbons pretty?  Don't they make you happy just looking at them?  Here are the cards I made with Kim's great April kit.

Anyone who knows me won't be surprised by this card...I have a special fondness for that window die and when I saw the pretty stamped butterfly from Paper Smooches, I knew it would look so pretty fluttering by my window.  I added a little greenery using a Lil Inker scalloped die and just for fun (and because I have hardly used it) a little floor lamp with a gingham lamp shade.

My second card makes use of the tiny little strips of paper that bordered each patterned paper sheet (Pebbles by Family Ties).  It seemed such a waste not to use those little pieces which had such a pretty pattern on them.

See the little strips at the top?

I cut each strip into a little banner and added some buttons, a frame, sentiment and little butterfly, all ingredients from our kit.

My third card makes use of some of the pretty ribbons Kim gave us.  I have had a card pinned for a long time featuring a similar bunch of cinched ribbons and wanted to give that a try.  The original card is from Kristie at My Bliss.  Isn't that cute patterned paper?  I think this card will be a good birthday card for just about any relative I have.

My last card is my favorite.  I LOVE the birdhouse patterned paper.  I loved it so much I almost didn't even use it because I could hardly stand to cut into it.  I also wanted to use the yellow die cut (My Favorite Things Sentimental Flourish) and decided to hang it from a brad on my card.  I also used some new stamps from Waltzingmouse Stamps 

(A Good Egg) and a few of the cute little die cut birds that Kim sent us in our kit.  I am not sure if I am going to use this card for a new baby or a new house, but either way, I love how it turned out.

I want to thank Kim for a great start to our new 4 of a Kind challenge and I hope you all will visit Kim, Joyce and Marybeth to see what they have made with their April kits.

Kim

Joyce

Marybeth

Ribbon Reel #46 and Mojo Monday #279

Ribbon Reel #46

It seems like everyone has the flu these days...thank goodness it has already run it's course at our house, but I do want to send a few Get Well cards to some family members who are just now feeling poorly.  My absolute favorite stamp set for a Get Well card is PTI's On My Couch.  I love the typewriter font on the sentiments and the adorable couch and love seat look so cute when they are paper pieced.  Today's card design is based on Mojo Monday Challenge #279 and the colors for the Ribbon Reel Challenge #46 Spring Roses.  Together I was able to create a pretty card with a cute design and very pretty colors.

Mojo Monday #279

I love how pretty that rose cake looks, and what a coincidence that I just bought the exact same cake plate to use at my daughter-in-law's bridal shower this coming Saturday.

Here's my card:

Ribbon Reel Challenge #46 is to use pink and yellow and to use either roses, twine or ribbon on the card.  I used some rose floral paper (Crate Paper, Little Bo Peep Collection) and also made a throw pillow using twine as well as wrapped some additional twine around the focal point.  That cute little cat die is from Impression Obsession and is called Sitting Cat.  Who doesn't love sitting on a comfy couch with your sweet cat there to make you feel all better?  I am hoping everyone is healthy and well at your house, and if not, "hoping you're fully Re-covered soon!"

WMSC#95-Roses in Bloom Get Well

I needed a Get Well card for my aunt and this weeks Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge #95 has a wonderful sketch by Karin Akesdotter.  Here is her great sketch:

The flower on the sketch stood out to me right away and since my aunt loves roses, Waltzingmouse Roses In Bloom stamp set seemed to be the right choice for this card.

I have always wanted to try stamping an embossed pattern on an entire front of my card, and finally got around to it today.  It does take a while since I stamped and then embossed each flower, masking each one off before continuing with the next flower.  It does give a very pretty effect with the shiny white embossing.  I  diecut a PTI Tag Sale #3 and stamped it with a Waltzingmouse Fancy Phrases sentiment in Sweet Blush ink.  I added a lace and pearl trim onto the tag and another rose stamped and cut in four layers and popped up with dimensionals.  For the top of the card I used more lace and some saddle-stitch ribbon to match.  The last touch, and one I LOVE is the new jute twine I got from the Ribbon Carousel.  Doesn't it match the Sweet Blush cardstock nicely?  I love the look of twine and now I have a ton of colors that matche my cardstock.  Thaks for taking a look at my Get Well card.