Spring: Making New Card Discoveries

I don't know when it happened, but we are in the midst of Spring. I love it. I get excited when I see my first robin of the spring or find a few flowers breaking through the hard ground.   Look at this little cherry tree branch and think of all the stamps you've seen with just this motif on them. ( I am so ready for spring to be here, how about you?) Wow! We need to get out the pastel pinks, baby blues, soft yellows, lavenders and mints. I feel a shopping trip coming on.
    Our group, the Card Makin' Cuties, had our first field trip of the year. We wanted to see the Heirloom product show. We wanted to meet the stampers we've been reading about in our stamp magazines for years. This show had the folks from Our Daily Bread, Outlines Rubber Stamp Co., Prickley Pear, Lost Coast Designs, 100 Proof Press along with paper companies, products including ink supplies and we were going to be here. As I walked through the pavillon door, I was so thrilled I was like a kid in a candy store. It was great.
       Some of the most interesting styles, make and takes, and selection of stamps you could ever imagine. The vendors were so willing to answer some of our questions on their products and styles. Such nice people! Stampers are  friendly wonderful people.
       Our main emphasis remains with making better cards ( well-made) for our deployed soldiers. This month's Operation Write Home (www.operationwritehome.org)  has some new ideas for easel cards; a card project for a round format. Just click on our link above and then go on the Stars and Stripes button at the bottom of their homepage for more card making ideas, tutorials and information about the "easel" style card.
Also, here is another sketch ( OWH sketch #111) for you from

our friends. I think it would make a lovely spring design for a birthday card. Try the design and let us see it.

 Here is one from OWH's gallery  with a lovely spring theme. It uses the same dimensions as Sketch #111----Imagine, everything is worked out for you from the sketch#111 shown. Like I said, try this sketch pattern for your next card.  What if you don't own a tulip stamp? You can down load these crocuses as a picture centerpiece.

(Click onto the image and download the picture, or  click and when the image is loaded, print a print preview under your "file" app. ) Use the print and make a lovely spring card with  pastel cardstock in the OWH sketch#111. That's just  one change in the design if you don't have a tulip stamp.
          Then, look at this little adaptation--- what about a little card with a sheep stamp--and you have  A miss you-("ewe")- card. This is so sweet.  

I'm so totally excited about all the new products, Rangers has so many new pens and inks--Tim Holtz wasn't at the show in person, but he's made such an impact on this industry. No show would be complete without a mention of his style and product creations.
Well, I hope this has inspired you to take a look around at some of those store we saw and  click on to their websites for a little tour. This can be your own little sample for a spring product show. Happy carding! Let us know what you're doing and download our followers app. thanks. God bless---Gloria J