St. Patrick's Day Flower Basket.

Hello everyone: I hope you and your families are doing well, keeping each other healthy and safe.

It's been a while since I posted anything on my blog, I think my subconscious and my hubby being retired, has a lot to do with this, I don't know if any of you are experiencing this too, if you do, I know you'd understand what I'm talking about.

But anyway, I have a card I want to share with you today that is just in time for St. Patrick's Day, hope you like it.

The stamp set I used is called "Blossoming Basket" from Stampin' Up! (2018)

This is a very versatile image; this basket of flowers is just perfect for any kind of celebration.

The sentiment is from another Stampin' Up! set called "Free as a Bird" (2019-2020).

This is the inside.

I want to play with these challenges.

Inspired By......

I was inspired by the green little shamrock.

Well, my friends, it took me a while to remember how to put my watermark on the card, it's amazing how quickly things get pushed to the back of your mind if you don't use them often.

Anyway, thank you for stopping by today and for your comments, have a wonderful day.

XO

Maria.

LENTEN ROSE........

 Hello everyone: It feels really good to be back in my craft room making my cards again.  I took a bit of a brake over the Holidays and through January, in which time I was able to clean up my craft room, reorganize my stamps, papers, dies, Etc., I'm sure you know about this little problem most of us face after making all those Christmas cards for family and friends.

I have a card to share today that I hope you like.

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This is the inside.

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This image is from a 2011 Flou rishes stamp set called "Lenten Rose", illustrated by Marcella Howley.

I stamped the image on Ninah Solar White cardstock with Versafine black ink and clear heat embossed it, then colored it with Prismacolor pencils and blended the colors with Gamsol and paper stumps.

The sentiment in front a 2013-2014 called "Wet Lands", the sentiment inside is from a 2019-2020 SU set called "Free as a Bird".

The beautiful gold and rose cardstock is from Stampin' Up!, called "DRY BRUSHED METALLIC SPECIALTY DSP.

I just fell in love with it, I don't usually buy DSP but this one captured me as soon as I saw it.

I want to play with these challenges.

Tic Tac Toe

I played with the vertical/middle row "Gold, Friendship and Flowers".

I had a hard time photographing the gold embossed image, this one is the "best" of 4 taken.

I also want to play with:

Festive Friday

I picked "Pink, Flowers and Something Shiny"

Thank you for visiting me today and for your comments, I love reading them and I always appreciate them.

Until next time, stay healthy and safe.

Maria.

 

You Are My Favorite "Purrrson".......

 Hello everyone: February has started and I have this sweet card created with one of my favorite Stampin' Up! stamp sets, "Peace Within" (2009-2010).

I stamped this image on gray card stock, I had forgotten how pretty the Prismacolor pencils look with this background, especially the white, I love how the chair where the kitty is taking a nap, looks as if it's been whitewashed.

This is the inside.

I left the inside without a sentiment just so I can adjust it to any occasion, it saves a lot of time.

The sentiment in front and the little flower inside are from another beautiful SU set called "Free as a Bird" from the 2019-2010 SU catalog.

Thank you for visiting me today and for your comments, I always love reading them.

              Until next time, stay healthy and safe.

XO
Maria.

Orchids......

                                           Hello everyone: I hope you and your families are doing well, keeping each other healthy and safe.

I have a card to share with you today created with one of my oldest stamp sets from Flourishes.  Those of you who've been stamping for a while will remember this brand of gorgeous flower images illustrated by the amazing Marcella Howley.

This is the inside.

This is what I used.

Flourishes "Orchids" (2011)

Prismacolor pencils.

Gamsol.

Paper stumps.

Thank you for stopping by today and for your comments, they are greatly appreciated.

Until next time, stay healthy and safe.

XO

Maria.

                                          

You Totally Rock!!!!!!

 Hello everyone: I've neglected my blog for a long time, this cold weather and some family issues, are part of it but I realized that creating my cards and sharing them with my friends on my blog are essential for having balance in my life so, here's the first card of many I will be posting, and I hope you like it and enjoy it.

Does anybody remember these portable record players? I sure do and this image brings fond memories of simpler and fun times listening to my Beatles records in my bedroom, singing along and dreaming of meeting Paul McCartney💓

This is the inside.

This is what I used.

Power Poppy "Well Played" (2015)

DSP (Tulips) Stampin' Up!

Thank you for stopping by and for your comments, they always make my day.

Take care, stay healthy and safe.

XO
Maria.

Teatime Friends......

 Hello everyone: I hope you and your families are doing well, keeping each other healthy and safe.

This sweet and beautiful image is from a very old 1999 Stampin' Up! set called "Mice Messages". 

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This is the inside.

This is what I used:

SU "Mice Messaages" (1999)

SU "Morning Cup" (2010-2011)

Prismacolor pencils.

I want to play with:

TGIF Challenges #403

Thank you for visiting me today.

Stay healthy and safe.

XO

Maria.

Give Me a Ring!!!!!!

Hello everyone: I've been taking a rather long leave of absence since the last weeks of November of last year.  My husband retired and we've been adjusting to this new life in the Rodriguez household.

I'm sure you guys who have a retired hubby can relate.

But now I'm back in my craft room and I'm here today to share my first card of 2023 and also to participate in a few challenges.

                                                     This is the inside.

                               

I want to play with:

Inspired By......

I was inspired by the warm and beautiful brown shades of the inspiration photo.

The image I used is from a 2013 Flourishes set called "Call Me", it's one of my favorite sets, all 3 phones on it are so vintage and I recall having one of them in my house when I was about 9 years old, I'm sure some of you remember these types of phones from your childhood, personally, I really missed those times a lot.

The trim is from the bargain bin at Hobby Lobby, I just love the texture and it worked wonderfully for this card.

Thank you for stopping by and for your comments, I hope you have a great week can find some time to create!! 

 Stay healthy and safe.

XO

Maria.

A Note of Thanksgiving.

Hello everyone: As always, I hope you and your families are doing well, staying healthy and safe.

 

Hello everyone and welcome to another fun challenge over at RETRO RUBBER.  This time is a color challenge so check out the great color choices on our inspiration photo.

And here's my card that I hope inspires you to play along with us.

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This is the inside.

And this is what I used.

Flourishes "A Season of Thanks" (2009)

Stampin' Up! inks.

DSP from my stash.

I invite you to hop over the RETRO RUBBER challenge page and check out my teammates' fabulous creations for more inspiration and then, come and join us at our gallery.

Until next time, stay healthy and safe.

Maria.

SOS, googly eyes on Frankie.

 Hello everyone: As always, I hope you and your families are doing well, staying healthy and safe.

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Welcome to another challenge over at SHOPPING OUR STASH, the theme for the next 10 days is "GOOGLY EYES", so we want to see those funny and cute little embellishments on your cards.

Here's my card and I hope it inspires you to come and play along with us in our gallery.

This is what I used.

Stampin' Up! "Best Friends" (2006)

Spider web embossing folder from Sizzix.

Ghosts are from "Impression Obsession"

Prismacolor pencils.

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I hope you come and play along with us in our SHOPPING OUR STASH gallery, we can't wait to see what you create.

Until next time, please stay healthy and safe.

Maria.

Our 6th. Anniversary Reminder 🎂🎉

 Hello everyone: As always, I hope you and your families are doing well, staying healthy and safe.

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THE FLOWER CHALLENGE is celebrating its 6th anniversary and we couldn't be more grateful to all of you who have been participating and sharing your wonderful creations with us since day one.

This is the halfway point for our challenge so I'm inviting you to join my teammates and I in our gallery, we have wonderful prizes for you to win so come and celebrate with us our 6th. Anniversary.

This is the card I created to inspire you to come and celebrate with us, we can't wait to see what you create.

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This is the inside.

And this is what I used.

Stampin' Up "Lovely Lattice" (2019.)

Stampin' Up! "Perfectly Penned" (2011-2012)

Power Poppy "Short Stacks" (2015)

Tim Holtz "Pearlescent Embossing Powder"

Prismacolor pencils.

The strip of beautiful flower paper was cut from 

a pad from "The Paper Studio" that was a gift

from my dear friend Lisa Poe.

I hope you stop by THE FLOWER CHALLENGE blog and check out my teammates lovely creations and celebrate with us 6 amazing years of creativity and fun.

Don't forget we have fabulous prizes for our participants, we hope to see you in our gallery.

Until next time, stay healthy and safe.

Maria.

Hattie and Horace❤️

 Hello everyone: as always, I hope you and your families are doing well, keeping each other healthy and safe.

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Welcome to the reminder post for "2 old bats halloween challenge", I hope my card inspires you to come and play along with us.

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this is the inside.

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this is what I used.

Kraftin' kimmie "hattie and horace"

flourishes "witching you a happy halloween"

stampin' up! "etched in nature" (inside sentiment)

DsP from Hobby Lobby.

Thank you for visiting me today and for your comments, they always make my day.

please, stay healthy and safe.

Maria.

A Couple of Fun Fold Christmas Cards......🎄

 Hello, everyone: As always, I hope you and your families are doing well, keeping each other healthy and safe.

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It's time for another RETRO RUBBER challenge and this one is a favorite to all of our participants.

The other day I watched THIS VIDEO TUTORIAL by Connie Stewart (Simply Simple Stamping) and I decided to give it a try for the RETRO RUBBER "Anything Goes" Challenge.  I added some bling in the form of glitter paper and embossing glitter, but the rest is exactly as Connie made it and, I really love the results.  This is a really Fun Fold that will be fabulous on all kinds of occasions.

This is how it looks when it's open.

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Second Card.

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And this is what I used for both cards.

My Favorite Things "Santa's Elves"

Flourishes "Christmas Classics" (2010)

Prismacolor pencils.

I hope you give this super Fun Fold Card a try, it's very easy following Connie's video and I think the recipient of this fun fold will be very happy to display it on the mantel or anywhere in their home.

Thank you for visiting me today and for your comments, they always make my day

Please stay healthy and safe.

Maria.

Love Bites!!!!!!😶‍🌫️

 Hello everyone: as always, I hope you and your families are doing well, keeping each other healthy and safe.

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hello and welcome to another "SHOPPING OUR STASH" challenge. 

the theme is "frightfully delightful", and this is the card I created to inspire you to play along with us.

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this is the inside.

and this is what i used.

kraftin' kimmie "I'm batty for you"

the inside sentiment is from "inkadinkado"

prismacolor pencils.

please hop over to the SHOPPING OUR STASH challenge blog for more inspiration from my awesome teammates.

thank you for stopping by and for your comments, they always make me smile.

stay healthy and safe.

maria.

WE ARE TURNING 6!!!!!!!!!!🎉🎂

 Hello everyone: As always, I hope you and your family are doing well, keeping each other healthy and safe.

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Well, time sure flies when you're having fun and I can say that, for the past 6 years, I've been having a really good time with my teammates over at THE FLOWER CHALLENGE

I'm so fortunate and grateful to belong to this awesome group of fabulous, talented, caring and sweet crafters, that I can call friends besides being my teammates.

So come and celebrate our 6th. Birthday with us!!

Here's the card I created to inspire you to join my teammates and I at THE FLOWER CHALLENGE gallery, remember, it's our 6th. Birthday and we have lots of prizes to help you celebrate with us.

This is the card I created to inspire you to join the party.

This is the inside.

And this is what I used.

Stampin' Up! "Climbing Roses" (2019 Mini)

Stampin' Up! "Quite Curvy" dies.

The sentiment in front is cut with a Cricut

Stampin' Up! 3D "Dainty Diamonds" EF.

Flourishes "Short Stacks" (205)

Thank you for stopping by today, make sure you hop over to THE FLOWER CHALLENGE blog to check out my teammates awesome creations and I hope you decide to participate in celebrating our 6th. Birthday where the gifts will be all for you!!

Please stay healthy and safe.

Maria.