Cards, Cards, Cards

There are times (but luckily not too many) when I see a single card and have to have a stamp set. When I spotted this oh-so-cute card on Charmaine's Oodabug Alley blog, Bugs and Blooms became one of those sets. The ladybug really got to me. In one word - cute!!!

Materials & Tools: White Daisy and Sweet Leaf cardstock; Black, Sunflower, Sweet Leaf, Chocolate, and Topiary ink pads; Holiday Red marker; Memory Box Bugs and Blooms and Verve Visual Filigree Fantasy stamp sets; Ribbon from Walmart; Corner rounder.

Cute as the ladybug was, I couldn't base my decision to purchase a stamp set on one stamp. Then, I saw the bee. I didn't have a bee stamp but needed one. I also like cute bees as opposed to, for the most part, realistic bees. While I have a true appreciation for the important work done by bees, I'm scared to death of them, and even real-looking bee stamps kind of give me the creeps. What you can't see in the photo are my cute bee's vellum wings.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Black, and Sweet Leaf cardstock; Vellum; Black ink pad; Memory Box Bugs and Blooms and Verve Visual Thoughtful Florals stamp sets; Black Bitty Brads; Black gingham ribbon; Paper piercing tool; Stampin' Up Horizontal Slot punch.

In addition to the cute bugs, the set includes lots of cute flowers. Who can have too many flowers? This card was inspired by the Be Inspired challenge on Beate's Fresh & Fun blog.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Cranberry, and Buttercup cardstock; Cranberry, Buttercup, Crystal Blue, Garden Green, and Black ink pads; Heavenly Blue marker; Memory Box Bugs and Blooms and Papertrey Ink Birthday Basics stamp sets; CTMH retired Speckled Backgrounds stamp; EK Success corner rounder.

If I had to pick my favorite flower in this set, it would be the one I saw on that first card. It's just so darned sweet and makes for such a cheerful looking lineup. I saw the background stamp as one I would use again and again, too.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy and Topiary cardstock; Black, Cranberry, Topiary, and Buttercup ink pads; Memory Box Bugs and Blooms and Verve Visual Thoughtful Florals stamp sets; Topiary My Accents; EK Success corner rounder; Stampin' Up Word Window punch.

Amongst all the little flowers in this set is one that's a bit larger. It's a sweet one, too. For this card, I used my Prismacolor colored pencils, Gamsol mineral spirits and a blending stump to color them. The result was a fun-to-make, simple card.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Garden Green, and Black cardstock; Black and Garden Green ink pads; Prismacolor colored pencils; Gamsol mineral spirits; Blending stump; Memory Box Bugs and Blooms and Papertrey Ink Mixed Messages stamp sets; Ribbon from Michael's; White Bitty Brads; Stampin' Up Ticket punch; 1 and 1-1/4 inch circle punches.

So, with several stamps in the set that have yet to touch an ink pad, I will say I love this set. I will also say that it took longer to write this post than it did to make the cards this morning. Furthermore, I bought Bugs and Blooms (along with the Impression Obsession Cupcakes set featured a couple of posts ago) from Stamper's Dream. I didn't link you there earlier, because I bought the last Bugs and Blooms set they had (Yes, seeing one of something left in stock is a motivator to place an order). Back to Stampers Dream, service was first-class, which seems to be the way with a lot of online companies. And . . . it all started with a ladybug . . .

My husband thinks I'm crazy but, nonetheless, seems to realize that stamping is my therapy. I know for a fact that stamping is cheaper than a shrink. It's more fun, too. Unfortunately, health care coverage does not cover stamps but would be wise (and money ahead) if it did. Now, that I've stamped a little, I'm going to go get on with the business of the day. Thanks for stopping. I hope your day is a good one!