Friday, April 17, 2020

I love upcycling!

It’s Friday, so time for another challenge at QKR Stampede!  Stop by the challenge, which is always “Anything Goes” and several prizes are awarded. Maybe you’ll be inspired to enter a card or two yourself? This week, this hilarious digi named “What eggs?” inspired me to make a card with a “week after Easter” theme. Even though we were isolated at home… my sweet hubby did pick up some treats on his last grocery run for “essentials”!  So, I do have to admit that several of them were sacrificed for the making of this card. (PS- they were YUMMY!)
I’m entering this card into several challenges including Simon Says Monday Challenge- “E is for…” (Easter Bunny) and Incy Wincy Designs- Footwear (I love that this bunny is wearing old fashioned tennis shoes like the ones that I wore most of my childhood. Actually, I did a bit of google research and tennis shoes were actually created in the 1830s when  “...vulcanized rubber soles [were] introduced by Charles Goodyear…”  So tennis shoes are nearly 200 years old? How knew?

 
Supplies: 
·    Digi Image- QKR Stampede (What Eggs)
·    Colored with Spectrum Noir alcohol markers and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen
·    Sentiments- Computer Generated
·    Assorted background papers from my stash
·    Hersheys Kisses wrappers- from my pantry (I love upcycling… especially when there is chocolate in the deal!)
Entered into:  
Simon Says Monday Challenge- “E is for…”                                          
Incy Wincy Designs- Footwear                                                              
Scribbles Designs Challenge- #88 B is for Birds or Bunnies  
Crafty Hazelnut’s Patterned Paper Challenge- April                                

My final card is special to me because it features petite flowers from the first flower garden I ever planted. Back in 1998 my hubby and I purchased a little home in South Dakota and I had such fun planting a garden. The vegetable harvest was not great (mainly because I discovered that I really didn’t like weeding it!) But my wildflower garden was glorious. I love that it was packed full of prairie wildflowers, which great no matter what I did… or didn’t do.. to them! My mom and I picked bunches of them and carefully pressed them in a half dozen old phonebooks. A few months later we had fun creating cards with them. We discovered that very carefully layering them between squares of acetate and packing tape preserved them beautifully. We created dozens of these clear pressed flower packets that fall. Over 20 years later, the blooms and greenery have retained much of their lovely color. For this card, I made a lovely oval frame with delicate patterned paper.  An upcycled sentiment and ornate die-cut finish of the card front. I love this card… mainly because it reminds me of my sweet mom! I inherited my love of all things crafting from her.  
I'm entering this card into several challenges including Path Of Positivity's Challenge #79- Style (I often use unusual items on my cards... like these pressed flowers. In this case, the items also have special meaning to me. I actually made several cards made with pressed flowers that I'll be sending to my sisters and sister-in-law that will appreciate that Mom helped in their creation) and The Butterfly Challenge (Color- Wisteria and Theme- Butterflies.)


  
Supplies: 
·    Pressed Flowers- From my flower garden in South Dakota
·    Front Sentiment and ornate swirled die-cut are upcycled from an old card
·    Inside Sentiment- Computer Generated
·    Oval template from my Scrapbook stash
·    Assorted background papers from my stash
Entered into:  
Double D’s Challenge- Showers & Flowers               
Outlawz Challenge- Saturday Paper Ala Mode- Romantic Garden     
Path Of Positivity Challenge- Challenge #79 (Optional Twist- Style)
Butterfly Challenge- #140 W for Waterfall Card  

These days, with all that is going on in the world, having anything that helps things to feel “normal” is so important. Morning coffee is one of my favorite “normal” happenings. I’m blessed to be married to a sweet hubby who always wakes before me and starts the coffee. Ahh… the aroma of coffee brewing is truly heavenly in the early morning! A friend who knows that I love all things coffee gave me a packet of these wonderful B&W beverage napkins a few years ago. I made this card by separating the layers of one of the napkins, which leaves the coffee cup slightly translucent.  I gently tore around the edges of the coffee cup image and slipped a scrap of patterned paper behind the cup. I love how the subtle color and patterns show through.  I added a computer-generated sentiment, plus accents of vellum, puffy heart stickers and B&W washi tape to finish off the card. (I am sending it to the friend that gave me the napkins. I can’t wait until we can share a cup of coffee- in person- after this season of isolation is over!)
Supplies: 
·    Beverage napkin, vellum scraps, washi tape and assorted papers from my stash.
·    Sentiment- Computer Generated
·    Puffy Heart Stickers- Sticko’s from Walmart (The pack contains 113 assorted puffy hearts for just 99 cents!)
Entered into:  
Word Art Wednesday Challenge- #434-435 Anything Goes                   
Crafty Catz Challenge- Anything Goes #502 (Optional twist- Paper Piecing)  
Polkadoodles Challenge-Week #16 Anything Goes                                

10 comments:

  1. Hi Kathy this is a gorgeous card. I love it. I like upcycling too. Take care. Hugs Jackie

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  2. Hi Kathy, I am so happy you entered your gorgeous card in the challege at CraftyCatz this week, I also love the cards made with the dried flowers you picked with your mum, what a wonderful memory for you and your family to share.
    Take care and stay safe.xx

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  3. All beautifully created cards! I used to press flowers but haven't for years, but I have a framed print with pressed flowers and a verse that was my Mom's and I treasure it dearly!
    Thank you for joining our challenge at Double D!
    Diane DD DT {Nellies Nest}

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  4. Thank you for that trivia on tennis shoes. That was very interesting. Also, thank you for sharing your creation with us @ Incy Wincy Designs Footwear Challenge. Good luck!

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  5. Hello Kathy! Today I'm commenting on your dried wildflower card, and what a glorious card it is! I love that you picked and pressed the flowers over 20 years ago with your mom. What memories they must hold for you - I can only imagine! Your sister and sister in law will be delighted to receive such a special card.
    Thank you for sharing your project at the Path of Positivity Challenge. Thank you also for using our Style option. We hope you'll continue to visit us often. Stay safe and well.
    Carole DT x

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  6. What a beautiful creation! Thanks so much for joining in the fun at our Double D ‘Showers & Flowers’ challenge! Good Luck and we hope you’ll come back often.
    Darlene
    DOUBLE D Challenge Blog
    DAR’S CRAFTY CREATIONS
    Please stop in for a visit!

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  7. What a lovely spring time card! Just perfect for our challenge. Thanks for linking up to the Double D "Showers & Flowers" challenge. Best of luck to you!

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  8. Great projects! Thank you for play with us at Polkadoodles craft challenge blog. Good luck with your entry.

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  9. Wow, what a fabulous idea to use real pressed flowers. This is stunning. Great take on the Mood Board, thanks so much for playing along with us over at the Double D Challenge. Hope we see you back again soon!!
    Judy~ DD DT
    {Judy's Happy Place} Stop by and see me!!!!


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  10. Great image and sentiment!

    Thanks for joining us at the Scribbles Designs Challenge.

    Helen x

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Thanks you for your comments. They bring joy to my day!