happy birthday dogwoods

Using that beehive die from SU (what's it called? Maybe honeycomb?) I created a card front that has holes in it. While you and I both ask "Where and how do you write anything inside and not have it show through?" I leave that hurdle to both of our creative abilities to get over! Ha! Did that sentence make sense?!
Below you see a close-up of my blossoms, which, by the way, are from an old die from a different company. (Again I don't have the name handy.) But what I DO have handy is the fact that you can easily use dies and punches from SU for the very exact same effect!

Now isn't that a fun springy card?

The Challenge Spark (Pop-up card)

Tara challenged Jane and me to do the absolute IMPOSSIBLE!!! She chose a pop-up card for our challenge spark this week. When I heard what she chose...well...my eyes got bigger and bigger and I yelled, "OH NO!!!" in my mind! (In case you're wondering just how animated I really am, well, not that much, anyway!) And so I googled it and this tutorial helped me tremendously with my pop-up box card.

Here it is! Hard to believe this summery bouquet full of butterflies and even a bird is a CARD!!! But yes, my friends, it is! And it was so much work I figured my dear MIL deserved it, since she's a marvelous lady and we love her! (Hi Mom!!)

I used DSP in coordinating design to make an envelope with SU's wonderful envelope punch board. (Tara and Jane, did you see that I actually used DSP TWICE for this card??? Did you SEE???!!!)

Now, my MIL is a smart lady, but I figured I'd pop a belly-band on my card to explain the why's and wherefore's of how to unfold this rather awkward looking package. Because if I got it in the mail, I just might say, "Hmmm, now WHAT is THIS and HOW do I unfold it?" And I'm smart, too...so....

 That's it for today folks. It's ready to pop in the mail as soon as I address it to my husband's dear mom!

The Challenge Spark (fun and fancy folds)

 This week it's my turn to choose the Challenge Spark and I chose to do Fun and Fancy Folds. Something out of the ordinary. I like trying a new size and shape other than the standard quarter-fold cards. So here's what I came up with for entries. Go to Tara's blog and visit Jane's as well to see what my other team players have created!

This card (above) uses the Label Card Thinlits die and I think it's the first card I've ever actually LIKED that I made with that die. The reason? I can't nicely wrap my head around decorating three faces of varying size and shape. So this time I took some of both current and retired product and decided to try using mostly only one color with just a few accents. And I was happy with it!

This card is really really simple. Just cut off part of the front face and decorate both the very front and the inside. I used Butterfly Basics and also the flower punches with their matching stampsets.