Prickley Pear Spring Chicks

Happy Monday!  How was your weekend?  I started mine out with some continuing education for work and then came home and started spring cleaning!  I have this spot in the house where I tend to throw things when company comes and it was time I took care of it once and for all!  I just need to take photos of all the kids' art work that's been piling up there and then I'll be done!  So excited!

Today it's time for more Prickley Pear inspiration!  With spring supposedly arriving (Mother Nature is not currently providing any clues that would support the idea), I went with a chick theme.

These little chicks are just the cutest!  I colored them with Copic markers and then added some sparkle with a Wink of Stella brush marker.  The sentiment is from the Circles Set - Sentiments clear set.

It's on into the new week!  With a 4-day spring break coming up, DH and I are trying to decide what to do as a family.  It's not really warm enough yet to go visit any outdoor attractions, so that narrows down our choices a bit for now!

Have a marvelous Monday!

Happy Spring from Prickley Pear!

 

Spring has officially sprung!  A little snow is visiting us, but since it's March, it won't last long!  I'm longing for green in the landscape.  I see a few buds here and there, but no color yet!  Soon...

Stamps:  Prickley Pear (Dragonflies clear set, Happy Spring, Dragonfly Die Set)

I was thinking thoughts of spring when creating a card for today's Prickley Pear inspiration, so went with a dragonfly because I just love the shimmery green a dragonfly often shows off when flying by in the warmer days of the year!  I added a little sparkle to this dragonfly's wings with a Wink of Stella brush marker.  The trail was created with a black marker.

We had a wonderful weekend filled with a visit from some of my family.  So fun to get together and let the cousins play!

Have a marvelous Monday!

A Prickley Pear Father's Day

Happy Monday! What a beautiful weekend we had here!  We spent time outdoors just drinking in the feeling of spring!  I'm beginning to think Mother Nature is being kind and is really giving us spring!

Today, I wanted to share a Father's Day card which uses Prickley Pear stamps.  You may have noticed kraft cardstock is back on my creative radar and I've been reaching for it quite a bit lately!

I used a black and kraft color scheme and kept the main image monochromatic.  DH's father has a windmill on his property and this image reminds me of him!

Be sure and check out the Prickley Pear blog for more inspiration from the design team!

I hope you had a good weekend!  Now it's on into a new week for me with more mild weather!

Have a marvelous Monday!

A Prickley Pear Merci

Happy Monday! For those of you who observe Daylight Savings Time, did you remember to set your clocks ahead or did you forget and show up late somewhere?

Today is Prickley Pear inspiration day and I have a thank you card to share.

I have had this glittery chevron paper stashed away for quite some time.  I thought it might go well with a black and white color scheme sometime and today was the day!  The Eiffel Tower image is actaully part of a larger, more detailed image in the Flourished Oval Sentiments clear set.  I simple colored the tower with a black marker and stamped it by itself.  I then die cut the flourish and adhered it to the main panel.  I stamped the simple sentiment (also from the Flourished Oval Sentiments set) last.  Three black gemstones were added as embellishments and the entire main panel was layered on a piece of black cardstock before being popped up over the decorative paper with foam dots.  The tower has some sparkle to it as I used a Wink of Stella brush marker on it.

I love trying to figure out ways to stretch my stamps beyond their obvious use.  By singling out the tower, I was able to create a completely different look than if I'd used the image as it is in the set.

I hope you had a good weekend!  DH finished the basement bathroom, so I no longer have to run upstairs while crafting!  It's the little things in life, you know!

Have a marvelous Monday!

Prickley Pear Bird Greetings

It's Monday and time for more Prickley Pear inspiration!  I think most of us are feeling the need for spring's arrival about now.  I, for one, am hoping for an early spring this year, but not letting my hopes get too high.  Mother Nature always seems to have a mind of her own!

I went with a spring looking image for today's card.  It's the cute new Singing Bluebirds image!

I used a sentiment from the Butterflies Clear set since it goes along with this image well.  The image was colored with Copic markers & a touch of sparkle was added to the blossoms using a Wink of Stella brush marker.

Be sure and check out the Prickley Pear blog for more Monday inspiration from the design team!

Have a marvelous Monday!

Prickley Pear Masculine Birthday

Monday has arrived again and it's time for more Prickley Pear inspiration!  This week, I wanted to make a simple, one layer birthday design.  Using one of the new classic car images in the store, I created a masculine card.

Stamps:  Prickley Pear (Ambulance, Circles Set Sentiments Clear Set - sentiment)

I used Soft Suede ink from SU as I love how it looks on kraft cardstock!  This card is so simple, but perfect for those men in your life who prefer to-the-point greetings without a lot of extra fluff!

If you haven't already, you'll want to go check out the new release in the store!  I don't know about you, but I'm ready for spring and the new release is full of spring themed images!

I hope you had a good weekend!  Mine was filled with a visit from family which meant lots of cousin fun for the kids!  There really is nothing like cousins when you're a child!  The giggling, the games, the noise...good times!

Have a marvelous Monday!

Prickley Pear Bird Fun

Happy Monday!  How was your weekend?  Mine was decent.  DH arrived home safely from his business trip and we all settled in together for the weekend.  After eating our fill of chocolate from Valentine's Day, it's time to head into a new week!

Prickley Pear has just released brand new spring stamps and I used a fun one for today's card!

Aren't these birds cute?!  I just love the expression on the face of the bird at the bottom of the pile!  I stamped the Stacked Robins image and then colored with Copic markers.  The sentiment was stamped alongside the main image.

Have a marvelous Monday!

Prickley Pear New Release Blog Hop: Day Three

It's the final day of the Prickley Pear new release blog hop!  I hope you've had fun hopping along so far!  Remember to leave comments on each stop for all three days of the hop to be eligible for the grand prize!  The winner will be announced February 23.

If you've arrived here from Angie's blog, you're on the right track!  If not, you may want to hop back to the Prickley Pear blog to start from the beginning!

For today, I used a sentiment from the new release and paired it with some watercoloring!
 

I watercolored a circular rainbow and then stamped the You Are My Sunshine sentiment in the center.  Three tiny, clear gemstones were added for embellishments.  The entire layered panel was popped up with foam dots for dimension.

Now head on over to Rita's blog for even more wonderful inspiration for the new release!  Have fun and good luck!

Prickley Pear New Release Blog Hop: Day Two

Happy Valentine's Day!  It's day two of the New Release Blog Hop over at Prickley Pear!  Hopefully, you've come from Barb's blog!  If not, you can go back and start from the beginning of today's hop over on the Prickley Pear blog!

Did you hop along yesterday for day one?  If not, be sure and do so after finishing up today's commenting as you'll need to comment at each stop all three days to be eligible for the grand prize (see photo below)!

Since today is Valentine's Day, I created a card to go along with a friendship/love theme!

I stamped the new Ladybug Love image and then colored it with Copic Markers.  The fantastic sentiment (from the new Circles Set - Sentiments) was stamped above the main image and then the entire panel was popped up with foam dots after being mounted on a piece of black cardstock.  I added a little sparkle to the heart spots using a clear Wink of Stella brush marker.

Now head on over to Heidi's blog for more fantastic new release inspiration!  Tomorrow will be day three, so be sure and stop back for one more round of inspiration!

Have a super Saturday!

Prickley Pear New Release Blog Hop: Day One

Excitement is brewing over at Prickley Pear! Today is the beginning of a three-day new release blog hop!  Brand new stamps and dies are in the store and there are prizes to be won by those who leave comments on all of the blogs in the hop each of the three days!  This is what you could win:

The winner will be announced on the Prickley Pear blog on February 23!

If you arrived here from Heidi's blog, you're on the right track!  If not, you can go back and start at the beginning over on the Prickley Pear Blog.

I decided to create a card using Flourished Oval Sentiments, one of the beautiful new clear sets.

I used the coordinating Flourished Oval Die Set to cut out the carnival themed image.  I used kraft cardstock and sponged a mix of orange and yellow inks onto it.  The finished imaged was popped up with foam dots for dimension and the sentiment was stamped last.

Now hop on over to Angie's blog for more beautiful inspiration from the new release!

Have fun hopping along and good luck!

Prickley Pear Zebra Love

It's Prickley Pear Monday and I've got a unique valentine to show you!  As I mentioned last week, DS3 loves zebras right now and I made this card with him in mind!

I used a simple white main panel and popped it up with foam dots on a black card base.  I just love the zebra image!  The sentiment is a fun font that I think fits perfectly on a child's card!

After a weekend filled with basement project happenings, it's on into a brand new week of daily routines and a visit from grandma!

Have a marvelous Monday!

Prickley Pear Penguin Friendship

Time for more Prickley Pear inspiration and today I wanted to share a friendship card I made using a cute little penguin from the Pumpkin & Snowman Clear Set!

Aren't those penguins cute?!  The nice thing is that there is a coordinating die set that contains a penguin shape to match!  No fussy cutting this time!  I used a stencil to create the background and added heart shaped glitter in a random fashion.  The penguins & the entire middle panel are both popped up with foam dots.  The "FRIENDS" sentiment is from the Blobby Flowers Clear Set.  Be sure and stop by the Prickley Pear blog for more inspiration from the design team!  The team has a great mix of design styles!

How was your weekend?  Mine was filled with fresh snow.  Literally.  We got over a foot of snow Saturday night through Sunday!  Talk about excitement in our house!  School has been cancelled today, so you can guess what the boys are going to be doing all day!  I do have cookie decorating on the agenda, so they'll be inside doing that at some point, but I'm betting they'll be outside digging and sledding most of the day!  Hot chocolate will be served!

Have a marvelous Monday!

Prickley Pear Birdcage Inspiration

Well, what do you know?!  Monday is here again!  How was your weekend?  Mine was quiet, but full.  Painting of woodwork and doors is happening now and that means that before long, there will be some serious craft room organizing needing to be done!

Today I'm sharing a simple card using some of those fabulous stamps from Prickley Pear Rubber Stamps!

White on white was on my mind and I went with it to design this clean and simple card!  Black, white and a pop of red.  Classic and effective!  The birdcage is a die that coordinates with both the Birdcage and Birdcage Winter 2 clear sets.  The sentiment is from a set called Heart Key Crown, another clear set in the store.  I have so much fun combining images and sentiments from sets!  It opens a whole new world of possibilities when I don't limit myself to what is in a single set!

Onward and forward this week!  Another busy start here in my little world.  Then, the possibility of meeting up with a wonderful friend as the week comes to a close!

Have a marvelous Monday!

Prickley Pear Glittered Tutorial

Happy Monday a little late!  I wanted to share a card I made for a fun tutorial over on the Prickley Pear blog!  It uses glitter and a dryer sheet for some awesome sparkle!  Take a look at this!

I apologize for the silence here on the blog!  I have a lot on my plate right now, but hope by next week, things will be a bit calmer around here!

Until next time, happy stamping!

Prickley Pear Dandelion Birthday Wishes

Happy Monday! It's time for more Prickley Pear inspiration and this time, I'm sharing a simple birthday card!

Using the beautiful Flourished Oval Die, I die cut a frame in the center of the main panel.  I then die cut a flourished oval out of black cardstock and stamped the main image (Dandelions) in white for a bit of a chalkboard look.  Love the look of negative die cuts! The sentiment was stamped last and is from the Spring Flourished Oval clear set.

I hope you had a wonderful weekend!  We've had my mom visiting us since last Thursday.  She's heading home today and we're all going to miss her!  There's nothing like a grandmother's love!

Now it's on into the new week!  Plenty to do and I have lots of "hope to do's" in my planner for the week, so I need to keep focused!

Have a marvelous Monday!

Just a Note from Prickley Pear

Here I am trying hard to start out this new year with more regular blog posts after finishing up 2014 with some rather quiet days! Today is Prickley Pear inspiration day, so I'm sharing a simple Just a Note card I created as last week was winding down.

Stamps:  Spring Flourished Oval Clear Set (Prickley Pear)
Accessories:  Flourished Oval Die (Prickley Pear), heart pearl, Spica markers, Copic markers, foam dots

I die cut a frame using a Flourished Oval Die from Prickley Pear.  Then, the image was stamped and colored with Copic markers, including Spica pens to add some sparkle.  I hand drew the music note and embellished with a heart pearl.  The entire framed image was popped up using foam dots.  The simple sentiment was stamped last.  The stamps in this particular set are so pretty!  Valentine's Day up next and this image would be perfect!

Being the first Monday of the new year and with everyone getting back to the usual daily routines, I'm ready to dig in and do some brainstorming for goals to set.  I'm not much one for setting big, flashy ones.  Just heartfelt, personal goals that I feel will make a difference not only in my own little life, but in the lives of those I am a part of.  Life is, after all, not only about me.

Have a marvelous Monday!

Prickley Pear Monday Mother's Day Inspiration

Happy Monday!  It's time for more Prickley Pear inspiration and this week I'm sharing a quick Mother's Day card!

This card uses the Vases clear stamp set, one with multiple options for flower and vase combinations!

I stamped the vase on Brushed Silver (SU) cardstock using purple ink and the flower on white cardstock, coloring it with a Copic marker.  Both were fussy cut and then some shimmer was added using Heidi Swapp Color Shine sprays.  I lined up the images and popped them up on the main, layered panel using foam dots.  The sentiment is from the Spring Scalloped Circles clear set.

I hope you had a wonderful holiday and are now ready to enter a new year!  How quickly time marches on!

Have a marvelous Monday!

Prickley Pear Monday Inspiration

It's time for some more Prickley Pear holiday inspiration!

Stamps:  Prickley Pear (Patridge & Snowflake Tree, Victorian Ornaments clear set - sentiment)

I've been loving a black and white color scheme for cards lately.  Perhaps because I'm trying to keep things as simple as possible in all aspects of life right now?!

Life is full here in my household.  Between house projects, the beginning of winter break and travel plans to be made and implemented, time really does seem to be getting away from me.  I hope you can pardon my silence for a bit longer here on the blog!  First things first!

I hope you've had a marvelous Monday!

Prickley Pear Monday Inspiration

 

Happy Monday!  It's time for some more Prickley Pear inspiration!

I decided to try a one layer holiday card.  This image made it so easy!  I used my Spica Copic markers on everything in the main image to give it some festive sparkle.

Don't forget that today is the last day of the holiday sale over in the store!  Now is the time to get those images you need to update your current stash!  A brand new year is coming and, with it, a year's worth of holidays!  You'll find beautiful stamps in the store to celebrate each one!

Have a marvelous Monday!