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April Tour de Freaks!

Wow…another month has gone by and it is time for the April Tour de Freaks!  You've probably just come from Lynn Put's Blog…weren't her projects fantastic?  You can continue around the tour to see everyone's projects, we have 14 stops this time!  The theme this month is FLOWERS!  I know you'll see great ideas to help you enjoy Spring a little more!

My first project uses different sizes of circles to make some punch art flowers!  I used the 1 3/4 circle punch and Regal Rose cardstock, 1 3/8 circle punch and Pretty in Pink cardstock and the 1" circle punch and So Saffron cardstock.  I cut slits around each of the circles, then sponged them all with Regal Rose Classic Ink.  I adhered them together and added a White Flower Button to the centers.  The leaves are the wing from the Bird Punch (do you have that punch yet?) out of Certainly Celery and sponged around the edges with Certainly Celery Classic Ink.  I used Tea Party Designer Paper in the background and cut it into strips (using the Bloggers' Challenge sketch from last week!)  I added Happy Birthday from Stampin' Up!'s Well Scripted stamp set.  LOVE how this turned out!  The base of the card is Pretty in Pink cardstock.

I first saw this project over on Becky Robert's blog, but I adapted it to fit 4×4 cards instead of the tags she had used.  I created the bottom of the box from So Saffron cardstock, then lined the inside with Chocolate Chip cardstock for the divider.  Over the front is a piece of Medium Window Sheet that slides off to open.  I wrapped the Belly Band of Chocolate Chip cardstock that I punched with the Scallop Edge Punch and Sweet Pea Designer Paper around the Window Sheet and then wrapped Very Vanilla Taffeta Ribbon and tied it in a bow.

Inside I made six 4×4 sized thank you cards from a base of So Saffron cardstock.  I added the Stripe Pattern from Sweet Pea Designer Paper on top.  In the center is Very Vanilla cardstock layered on Chocolate Chip.  I used the Extra Large Fancy Flower punch and more Sweet Pea Designer Paper to punch the large flowers for the front.  The inside is a punched 3/4 circle from Taken with Teal or So Saffron to coordinate.  I added leaves punched from Sahara Sand with the 5 Petal Punch.  I used Thank You Kindly stamp set with Taken with Teal Classic Ink in various thank you greetings.  Although I didn't do it yet, I'll also include some 4×4 envelopes that I'll make to fit the cards. 

Wouldn't it make a nice present for someone special?  Here is a close up of a couple of the cards inside. 

Next stop  on the Tour de Freaks is Mary Brown's blog.  I KNOW she has some marvelous projects to show you!  She was telling me about it this past Sunday at our meeting!  Thanks for stopping by and taking the tour!  Hope you enjoyed my projects! 

A Rose is a Rose…

I love roses, and especially this color…Apricot Appeal with a touch of Cameo Coral on the edges.  I think they are called the Peace Rose?  I used to have a beautiful rose bush with these colors!  Gorgeous!  These are the two colors that I will definitely stock up on before they retire. 

This challenge is also for No Time To Stamp's 3D Flower challenge (ssnotime137)!  What a great idea!  I've seen some beautiful 3D flowers out there and I'm always anxious to learn more ways to craft them. 

I knew when I saw MOJO Monday's sketch #134 that I wanted to use one of the roses I made when teaching "everyone" how to do them at the stamping retreat in March!  They have just been sitting in my studio waiting to be used.  I use the XL Fancy Flower Punch to make mine.  Last session, I did a little tutorial on how to make them over on Create with Connie and Julie, too!  They are LOTS of fun and look so different when you use different colors!

I started with a base of Apricot Appeal cardstock and added a layer of Cameo Coral.  On top of that I used the Kaleidoscope Designer Paper in both the green bubble print and the apricot stripe pattern.  I added the Scallop Edge punches to the bottom of the stripe design pieces.

I made the Apricot Appeal Rose using the XL Fancy Flower punch in the Occasions Mini and layering it.  I inked up the edges with a sponge dauber and Cameo Coral.  The leaves are made with the 5 Petal Punch and Garden Green cardstock, then crimped with the Crimper Tool.  I  adhered the Rose to the card with Stampin' Dimensionals.

Finally, I stamped Happy Mother's Day stamp from Stampin' Up!'s All Holidays Stamp Set in Garden Green on Whisper White and layered it on Garden Green cardstock.  I used my Piercing Tool and Mat to make the piercing decorations in the two corners.  

I love how this turned out and think I'll give it to my mom for Mother's Day, since I can hand it to her with her gift.

Lots to do today.  I need to work on my Control Freaks swap for the Summer Mini!  I want to get that mailed out tomorrow.  Have a great day!

If you haven't checked out the Create with Connie and Mary site yet now is the time to do it!  There will be a new project using Summer Edition products posted every day and there will be a minimum of two fabulous tutorials each and every week. We like to have lots of fun so we have challenges and prizes for our subscribers. Our sites stay up long after the session is done so you will have access to the site and the tutorials. For more information and to see our Early Bird Preview projects, please visit at Create with Connie and Mary!

Bloggers’ Challenge – Sketch

This week, Lisa challenged us with a sketch for Bloggers' Challenge.  Of course, you know I can't resist a sketch challenge! 

I knew I wanted to use the new XL Flower Punch for my focal piece.  I punched it twice from So Saffron, added some Close to Cocoa Classic Ink around the edges, crumpled it up and then layered them together with a large Corduroy Button in the center.  I punched the leaves from the new Bird Punch three times from Old Olive.

The yummy paper is the Sweet Pea Designer Paper (I LOVE it!).  I used the Old Olive polka dots in the background, then a slice of the brown stripe in the front, layered on So Saffron.  The base of the card is Confetti White cardstock.  I added a Chocolate Cihp Jumbo Brad at the top and bottom and the words "Easter Blessings" from Stampin' Up!'s Abundant Hope Stamp Set.

Pretty easy card to put together with the Sketch figured out already!  Photographing it actually took longer!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend.  Come back tomorrow for the Tour de Freaks Blog Tour AND the Create with Connie and Julie Challenge!  Busy day!