Another Design Team Friday at JustWordz...

I can't believe it's August already and Friday to boot!  And this means it's time for another Design Team Friday at JustWordz Stamps.  In case you're just now finding out about this, every Friday between now and August 21st, the JustWordz Design team is creating projects that showcase the versatility of Kim's awesome mix 'n' match stamps set, Everyday Sentiments.  In conjunction with this, Kim is going to choose one visitor from all the comments collected on her blog and the design team's Friday posts to receive a complimentary set of her stamps!  How awesome is that?!  Visit the JustWordz blog to find out how to get multiple chances to win.

Now, for my project!  The theme Kim gave us to work with this week is birthdays, my favorite theme next to Christmas.  I created a card with another of the lovely digi stamps created by one of my teamies at The Outlawz, Sandi Huggett.  There's a little story behind my decision to use this image so bear with me just a moment longer and I'll show you the card.  I live in the house I grew up in and when my parents were alive, they had a gorgeous garden full of bearded irises in every color of the rainbow.  My dad loved tending to his garden and my mom and youngest brother selected the best blossoms every year and entered them into the Fort Worth Iris Society's annual show.  They got so into it that they actually cross-pollinated them to create hybrid strains.  If you get a chance to peruse my blog, I have lots of pictures of the gardens that I took a couple of years ago when they were especially beautiful.  The past two years haven't produced as many blossoms for some reason.  If you love irises like I do, you should really enjoy those pictures.

Okay, here's the card.  I colored the image with Copics, using the colors from one of the variations that grow in my backyard garden.  This particular one has golden yellow standards (the part of the blossom that stands up), reddish violet falls (the parts that drape downward) and golden beards.  They are just stunning when they bloom in numbers.

Here's a picture of the real thing.  I think this one is called Country Charm but I'm not 100% sure as there are several varieties that look very similar.  I made the falls on mine a little more on the violet side and less red but I think it's a fair likeness.

The deets:

Greeting on tag - JustWordz Everyday Sentiments stamps
Image - freebie digi stamp by Sandi Huggett (paper pieced and popped up)
Card base - Core'dinations cardstock in a sort of deep eggplant color
Mats - Core'dinations cardstock in a dusty plum color
DP - K & Company Jubilee
Die cut border -
Ribbon - white rayon seam binding dyed with Forever Violet Perfect Pearls
Image die cut - Nestabilities Labels 11 (largest one)
pearls and crystal - Recollections
Sentiment tag - heidi grace
Butterfly - K & Company
Inside white mats - Recollections
Double Arches Punch Around the Page by Martha Stewart
purple flowers - Flora Doodles
leaves - Martha Stewart Rose Leaf punch (colored with Copics)
Gold ink accents - Jellyroll gel pen
I have not included a sentiment on the inside yet but I'll add one when I decide who will receive the card.

Well, that's it.  I hope you think the pictures were worth the wait.  This was so much fun to make and I was so pleased with the results that I know that I'll be making many more cards with this image in different colors. Tomorrow brings a new challenge at The Outlawz Paper a la Mode and I have not even started my project for that one yet.  Yikes!  I had better get started, huh?  Don't forget to visit the other JustWordz Design Team members to see what pretties they have created.  You can find links to each of their personal blogs in my left sidebar if you need them or you can access them through the JustWordz blog.  I still haven't gotten to post my mini album but I will... eventually!  I made the card to go with it today and I still need to take pictures of the 2 items together so maybe I'll have time to do that tomorrow.  No promises, but I'll try.  Have a great weekend and until next time...

Happy crafting!
Anniebee

Spring Eye Candy!

It was so warm today that I thought I was going to have to turn the air conditioner on!  But I'm glad I didn't because a cold front has now descended upon us and the temperature has dropped about 20 degrees in the past hour and a half.  Such is springtime in Texas!  My beautiful bearded irises have just begun to bloom so I thought I would take a short break from paper crafting and share some pictures of my garden that I took a couple of years ago.  If the irises bloom as profusely this year as they did then, I'll be out snapping pictures again in about a week.  Some varieties don't bloom every year so it's always a surprise to see which ones will put on their spectacular show for me.  I hope those of you who live in northern states will feel inspired to create and that you'll rest assured that warmth and color are on their way to you soon too.

Aren't they just gorgeous?  This is only a few of the different ones that may make an appearance this spring.  Every year when they start to show their colors, I think what a wonderful work of art they are... one of God's masterpieces as far as I'm concerned.  As always, I appreciate your popping by.  I hope you enjoyed this kaleidoscope of color.

Happy crafting,

Anniebee