Essentials by Ellen Mondo Hydrangea Card For a Special Mom

I belong to a Facebook group that supports chronically ill children with happy mail.  Most of the kids have multiple and very serious health issues.  Each month a mom is selected the "mum of the month" just as a way to support them too.  In fact, sometimes I think the group is as much for the parents as it is for the kids.  It must help a lot to know that complete strangers are willing to send your ill child some smiles and cheer.

I used the Essentials by Ellen Mondo Hydrangea stamps and dies for a card for the February mum of the month.  I've gotten to know her and her story a bit as one of her kids is my "monthly match" meaning I send her daughter a handmade card and a few small goodies every month.  This mom has three young kids, all with special needs.  Her struggles are mighty, but so is her unending love and devotion to her kids.   It's a great group to support, and it certainly puts things in perspective for me often.

I'm also entering this card in the Essentials by Ellen February Pin Sights Challenge.  The soft colors on the macaroons are so pretty.

Thanks for taking a look at my blog.  I hope you have a wonderful day!

 

 Supplies:

EBE Mondo Hydrangea stamp and die

AveryElle Beautiful Bow sentiment stamp

The Ton Double Stitched Large Square die

Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers:

045 Pale Green, 083 Lilac, 200 Sugared Almond Pink and 200 Shadow Mauve

EBE February Pin Sights Challenge Inspiration Board

Costa Rica Family Wedding and Card

My husband and I just returned from a week in Costa Rice for a family wedding.  Our niece's groom is from San Jose and their reception was held on his family's coffee plantation there.  The wedding and reception were so beautiful.  No detail was left undone, and everything was so elegant in such a gracious and comfortable way.  It was an event like no other we have attended, and their love for each other was radiated throughout the entire day and night.

The back side of their wedding invitation was a graphic of coffee plant leaves, so I used it as the background piece on their card.  I used Lux White A6 card and card stock from Paper Source, slightly textured and heavy, perfect for a wedding keepsake card.

 Supplies:

Altenew Bold Alphabet dies

MFT Ampersand and Slanted Sentiment Strip dies

Power Poppy Dream Wedding Congratulations stamp

 A gorgeous sunset for the cocktail hour on the coffee plantation.
The building in the background is where the coffee beans are roasted.

 The reception dinner and dancing was held under huge adjoining tents that over looked a pond.  

The little white spots in the trees by the pond's edge are white doves.  Magical!

The beautiful couple.

We spent of few days at Papagayo beach, northwest of San Jose,
before the wedding.  So beautiful!

Our daughter and her beau on a catamaran sunset excursion.

Thanks for stopping by.  Have a beautiful day!

MFT Sketch Challenge 373 second card - Monster Birthday

I made two cards for this week's challenge.  I wasn't sure I liked this one, so I made the floral card to enter, but this one has grown on me.

I'll send it to one of the boys from the FB Little Warriors Happy Mail FB group I belong to.

Thanks for stopping by!

MFT Supplies:

Monster Sized stamps and dies

Pierced Circle Frame die

Slanted Sentiment Strip die

Blueberry card stock

Daffodil card stock

Plaid Patterns 6x6 Paper Pack patterned paper

Images colored with Copic markers

MFT Sketch Challenge 373 - Birthday Garden

For this week's MFT Sketch Challenge I made another birthday card to have on hand.

MFT Supplies:

Sketchy Flowers stamps and dies

Cheeky Monkey stamp and die - bee

Cloud stencil

Picket Fence die

Blueprints 27 sentiment strip die

Beary Special Birthday sentiment stamp

Pierced Circle frame die

Wild Wisteria card stock

Images colored with Copic markers

Instagram Crafty Crew February 2018 Hard Challenge

This month's IGCC Hard Challenge was a tic tac toe board of options.  I chose the human, die cut and background stamp.  I was determined to use at least one stamp that I hadn't inked-up recently, and I wanted to make a birthday card.

I decided to use the cute Stampingbella Pamela the Poinsettia stamp in a non-holiday way.  I think she works perfectly as a springtime birthday girl.  I hadn't used the Tiny Birthday cling background stamp by The Ton for a couple of years, and it worked well for some detail behind Pamela.

I'll send this card to one of the girls from the Little Warriors Happy Mail FB group I belong to.  The group sends happy mail to kids with chronic health issues.

Thanks for stopping by!

Image colored with Copic markers

Supplies:

Stampingbella Pamela the Poinsettia stamp and die

The Ton Tiny Birthday cling background stamp

MFT Stitched Oval Frame die

MFT patterned papers

Lil' Inker banner die

MFT Sketch 370 and Color Challenge 86 - Oceans of Love

One last Valentine that I needed, and entries for MFT Sketch 370 and Color Challenge 86 are all covered with today's card.

I think the MFT Mermazing mermaids are so cute.  I wanted her to be blowing bubbles, and since it's a Valentine's Day card, I put glossy accents on some tiny hearts and placed them floating upward.  I'm not sure anyone else will know that's what they are, but I do :-).  I made the background waves on the heart by die cutting a Hit the Slopes hill out of an acetate sheet and used it to and blend Distress Ink on the heart.  The images are colored with Copic markers.

Thanks for stopping by.  Have a mermazing day!

 

 

MFT Supplies: 

Mermazing stamps and dies

Stitched Heart STAX die

Hit the Slopes die

Peach Bellini dye ink

Razzle Berry cardstock