Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Essence of Spring & some candy!!!

I adore spring time...flowers blooming, birds singing, me sneezing. ;) No, honestly I truly love springtime and this card is a perfect reflection of how I felt yesterday. I was driving around town with my mom just looking at flowers, appreciating all the beauty that we tend to pass by in this crazy world. The simple things....flowers. I immediately came home and ran to my stamp room, I knew I just had to ink up this stamp.

I used Regal Rose for the card base and at first I had just a plain piece of Apricot for the background layer, but I knew I wanted to have texture to it so I swapped it out for a piece of patterned Apricot paper. Because it has a white core I was able to sand the edges and scratch up the paper a bit, love that look! I stamped the flower image using Versamark and then chalked the vines and flowers with matching SU chalks. I did wipe over the entire image with a swiffer cloth when I was done (works great!). Next I ran it through my bug using my Nestabilities and layered onto Certainly Celery. I roughed up the edges a bit more so that it tied in with my textured background. I used my friend Joanne's slot punch ribbon trick and then added some paper piercing around the bottom. The greeting is from the new PTI Pond Life that I got this week, I stamped it first in Regal Rose and then moved the stamp just ever so slightly and stamped again (without reinking) to give it a 3-D look. Lastly, I popped up the main image with dimensionals and was done!

Please note my fluttery watermark on the photo, a bit softer than the polkadot one. Would you like to have a watermark of your own? Well today is your lucky day! I am offering up some tasty blog candy in the form of a custom watermark made just for you! Just drop a comment on this post letting me know your favorite thing about Spring. The winner will be selected on Monday, April 28th at 12:00pm PST (thanks to my number picking hubby Scott) I'm a pick-a-number-between kinda gal, random.org just ain't my style...I won't let robots rule the world! *lol* ;) So drop me a note and share with me your Spring tales.

32 comments:

Raquel said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Raquel said...

I love walking through a garden or just through the park where flowers and trees are blooming and smelling all the different smells that they give off. It's great to enjoy, especially when you don't have allergies, sorry! But yea I love the smells and all the different colors, spring is my favorite, but summer has to be the best, even if its hot!!

Anonymous said...

I love Spring because of the Thunderstorms (we even had one last night) and for the hydration it brings to the air after a dry-skin winter. It's so refreshing!

Thanks for the candy. I have been meaning to put a watermark on my pictures, but I never got around to it. I played a little with them on my computer, but never got them to look very nice! Have a great day!

Gretchen said...

My favorite thing about spring is being able to open up the windows after the long cold winter! This weekend I'm taking the plastic off the bedroom windows to let in all the fresh air! (hopefully we're done witht he snow and cold here in MN!!)

Gretchen

Dottie K. said...

I love tulips and we have this house on the corner that an elderly couple live in that you have to pass to get to ours. Well they have along fence the most beautiful tulips every year. Matter of fact they change their flowers often and it's stunning up until winter. I so enjoy seeing their flowers. Maybe I'll drop a card to them and tell them how much they brighten my day. I don't know them but I bet they would enjoy that. Thanks for the inspiration. Also love the watermark and thanks for the chance to win one. I just starting blogging. :)

Pegg S said...

I love Spring because I get to put away sweaters and jackets and put on "new" clothes! I get so sick of my winter clothing by the end of the season! And shoes with no socks! I am easy to please I guess ;) Enjoy the weather - it's beautiful in Boston this week!

Susan said...

I LUV spring--the birds singing is so strong & happy sounding,like they don't have a worry in the world. "I can fly higher cause you're the wind beneath my wings".

mnhyrkas said...

I love the nice spring weekend when everyone in the neighborhood comes out of hibernation and comes out to work in the yards, go for walks or play outside. The entire place comes alive again in the warmth of the sun shining.

CricketPE said...

I love the flowers! We just bought a house in January, so we're just finding out what flowers the previous owners had; so far we see lilies, tulips, a rose bush, and some others. It's so fun!

Anonymous said...

Oh, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the flowers and flowering trees! My landscape is blooming away, and soon I'll have bearded iris' all over...I can't wait! My poppies are up, and the lilies...it's just wonderful!
I'd love to have that watermark, I'm not savvy enough to make it! :D

Anonymous said...

I love that it gets darker later so I feel like I am getting more out of my day and I LOVE street fairs like the farmers markets and stuff like that. They are all starting this month where I live and it is SOOOO much fun :)

Jean Cross said...

Okay, I'm glad I broke my rule over on SCS about skipping to a blog. I love your blog and your work. I'm going to pop this into my Google Reader now. I also love that you were so inspired by spring and told the story you did about coming home and inking up. The wildflowers here in west central florida are just beautiful. I'm used to the tropical oleanders and the hibiscus of the Beach coasts but this is the first year I have really noticed the pinks and purples and reds of the wildflowers. It's just been such a beautiful spring. Thanks for "making" me take a look.

Jean
Naturecoastcrafter on SCS

JenMarie said...

I just love the seen the flowers on the trees!!!
Not loving the pollen though, ha!

Cynthia said...

I'm not a huge spring fan. I'm more of a fall girl. I have fibromalgia and I have so much pain in the Spring. So i guess my favorite part is that I get to take it easy and take lots of hot baths and advil. Make the best of it. Right? Cynthia

Cassie said...

My favorite thing about spring - I think it's the fact that I can wear flip flops and my toes don't freeze anymore!!
Such a treat - thanks for offering such a fun blog candy!

Lastel said...

The things I like about spring are all the gorgeous flowers in bloom and that the weather is not too hot and not too cold . Pretty card by the way !

Unknown said...

Thanks for the opportunity of this wonderful blog candy! First of all, I have to say I have not liked this stamp at all until now!! I didn't even imagine it with spring colors until I saw your card! What was I thinking?? I am putting this stamp set on my order today!! Thank you for brightening my thoughts on this stamp set! Second, I would have to say that I love spring because it means we get to go outside and play! I have a 4 year old and it's so nice when the weather cooperates and we get to go outside and play. Other than that I hate spring because I've got the serious allergy thing but it's all worth it when my son is smiling in the spring sun. We're in Fremont, CA, about 2 hours from you and it's raining right now, (4:30 am) so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for that sun to start shining through today! Have a wonderful day!
Lorraine
www.lorrainerowe.blogspot.com

Sandy Knecht said...

I love spring because of the tapestry of color created by God. Beautiful card.

Bon Bon Towne said...

Jullian, besides the flowers and trees blooming I really just love the spring weather. It has a little chill in the air but warm enough that you don't need a jacket. It is not humid yet either. I live in the North-west corner of CT, USA.
Bonnie

Kraftin' Kimmie said...

My favourite thing about spring is the smell of the flowers!! I LOVE the smell of my lilac bush when it blooms!!!

Lois E. said...

Some of my favorite things about spring are the warmth of the air, the pretty blooming flowers and the weeping cherry tree we have in the front of the house that blooms so beautiful.

Dawn said...

I love spring because I can stop shivering! (hate to be cold) But more importantly, the kids can play outside more. Pretty card! Would love to have a custom made watermark! Thanks.

Charmaine (CharmWarm) said...

Jillian, this is GORGEOUS! Oh my goodness! LOVE how you colored that image! And my favorite thing about Spring is that fresh smell in the air.

Anonymous said...

Oh my goodness! This is a breath of fresh air! Gorgeous!! Elizabeth (cupcake enabler)

Kelly said...

My favorite thing about spring is it's finally getting warm!! I have Reynaud's and winter is hard when you have bad circulation!! So I LOVE it when spring comes and it starts to get warmer!!

Love your beautiful card, too. It's very springy!!

Jessie/knightrone said...

I love your card, it is so sweet!!! I love spring because it is a very elusive season here in Southern Illinois, we don't usually get one, so the thought of spring is nice!!

Stephanie Hargis said...

My favorite thing about spring is definitely the warm weather! I love not having the burden of wearing a coat! :D Thanks so much for the great blog candy! :D

Anonymous said...

I love the tulips and flowers that bloom and how the neighborhood comes alive after the snow and cold disappears.

Carissa said...

Spring is my favorite time of the year because it's baseball season! I also love to break out the self tanner!

Anonymous said...

Spring, ahhh yes... Spending more time outdoors ('cause the days are longer and the weather is nicer!)... Gotta love all the spring smells, too -- like freshcut grass and food on the grill! And I love your card! Thanks for sharing...

Raz said...

Hmm. Well, aside from my birthday (so exciting!!), my fave thing about spring would be the return of chirping birds and sweet flowery sights and sounds. I live in an area of Canada where we have these gorgeous Cherry Blossoms to enjoy for a few weeks each spring. Truly makes life slow down as you drink it in!!

Anonymous said...

I love seeing the flowers finally making their way thru the ground and bursting into bloom. I also love that in the spring I get to open my windows for the first time in months and let the smells and sounds of spring into our house.