CSS Spring Has Sprung Hop

Spring has sprung -- at least according the calendar! I'm not sure that is true here where I live! Spring is definitely in the air for our blog hop today. Our challenge was to make cards that showed signs of spring. If you came to my blog by way of Karen's, you've already seen some fun spring-themed cards. If you arrived here by some other path and want to start the hop from the beginning, head back over to  Stamp TV for a full list of participants in the hop.

Here is my spring card. I took inspiration from this video by Gina K. I loved how she created her background for the card in this video, so I made a similar one for my card and then carried it over onto the focal image panel as well.

I used Gina K Designs Pure Luxury Turquoise Sea card stock for the base. I layered that with PL Black Onyx and White Layering weight on which I stamped the background. The focal panel is Black Onyx, Wild Dandelion and White Layering weight. I stamped the background with Gina K Ocean Mist and Fresh Asparagus ink and Memento Dandelion and Tangelo. I used the same inks on the focal image panel. I used the "rock and roll" technique on the dragonflies by stamping first into ocean mist ink and then rolling the stamp edges in fresh asparagus to get the two toned dragonfly. I added a piece of turquoise sea ribbon (from the Spring Parade Stamp TV kit) and some dots in the center of the flowers with a Sakura Gelly Roll Stardust pen.

Now head on over to see what is waiting for you over at Lori's blog and think spring!

CSS Sketch Blog Hop

It is CSS blog hop time again and this time it is a sketch hop! I hope you came here from Linda's blog, but if you didn't and would like to see what you missed earlier in the hop just head back over to Stamp TV to find the full list of blog hop participants.

This is the sketch Brenda created and challenged us to use as the inspiration for our cards.

Here's what I was inspired to created from this sketch.

I'm (im)patiently waiting for Spring to arrive here in Wisconsin, so I had to do something that was very spring-like for my first card. These colors just shout warm weather to me as does this "Day at the Park Diva" from the Diva Collection at Gina K Designs.  I used GKD Pure Luxury card stock in Bubblegum Pink, Key Lime, and Wild Dandelion. The patterned paper is from the GKD patterned paper pack "Petals and Wings." I stamped the Diva, her kite and the sentiment in Memento Tuxedo Black and the clouds in Memento Grey Flannel. Colored areas were done with Copics. The ribbon, buttons and brads are all from my stash. Just a note: the sheer ribbon and bow are actually lime green like the paper, but came out looking yellow in the photo. :(

Here's the second card I made using the new "Spring Parade" Stamp TV Kit. Can I just say that I love, love this kit?? Love the colors, the stamps, the patterned paper . . . well, OK, everything in it is fabulous!

This card is made using the Gina K Pure Luxury card stocks Tomato Soup and Turquoise Sea. The patterned paper is from the Spring Parade pack. The cute birdie, the flowers and cloud are all stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black and colored with Copics. I don't have a Silhouette so I hand cut the cloud and raindrops and popped them up with pop dots. The sheer ribbon is from the STV kit also. 

I hope you enjoyed seeing my cards. Make sure to leave a comment here and on all the blogs as you go along because we will choose a random comment and that stamper will win a grab bag of Gina K. Designs products! Look for the announcement of the winner on Tuesday, April 16. Now hop on over to see what Joy has waiting for you.