Weekend Pretties...

Wednesday turned out to be a wonderful day. First stop was the eye doctor, where I learned I didn't need a new prescription this year (yay!).  After they called the lab on my behalf,  I was happily informed that, yes, they actually *can* fix this particular brand of titanium "frameless" frames, and the cost will be about 1/4 the price of new frames (yay! again). So they're on their way to the lab for repair now. 

Then  it was off to a delicious birthday lunch at McCormicks & Schmicks. After some fun furniture shopping with my husband, we arrived home to a delivery of beautiful flowers from my mom, and a gift my husband had ordered but didn't think was going to arrive on time. Gotta love nice birthdays like that!

I'm ending the week on a sparkly note with the two cards I'm sharing today.  I had already completed this first card when I saw the "soft and sweet" challenge at The Shabby Tea Room, so you can see I was already in the "soft color" mode.  I seem to run in spurts with my color combos these days. :)

Here's "just a note"...

there's a birdcage preprinted on the patterned paper, so I added just a light touch of clear glitter to the lines to accent it, then left the little rose and leaves in a "natural" state as a contrast to the glitter...

 the paper also has a butterfly printed on it, and the die cut butterfly in the ephemera packet is exactly the same, so I layered the diecut over the matching printed butterfly (after adorning it with mini pearls)...

Supplies:

Patterned papers & die cut: Pink Paislee Butterfly Gardens collection

Edge punch: EK Success Dotted Scallop      Pearls: Prima and Queen & Co.

Paper flower: Prima     Lace: local craft store

After working on a couple softly colored cards, I changed up to brighter palette (well, just a little bit brighter).

Here's an all-occasion card that will most likely end up becoming a birthday card with the addition of a sentiment tag.  I often make cards with no sentiments so I can decide how to use it as the need arises later. I'm not sure how deep the color looks on your screen, but the "oranges" in the cardstocks and papers are all a soft coral shade IRL...

 I wanted to use this gem-heavy Prima flower center, so I adhered it first to the back of a cream colored button to give it support over the center of the bows...the pearl "loops" are pearl sprays (you can find these in the wedding section at most craft stores) that I took apart, then bent and hot-glued the ends to form the loops...

and a peek at the inside...

Supplies:

Patterned papers: Glitz French Kiss collection, Graphic45 Once Upon a Springtime collection

Embossing folder: Cuttlebug Kassie's Brocade     Edge Punch: Martha Stewart Double Arches

Pearl & crystal flourishes, gem flower center: Prima      Pearl strip: Queen & Co.

Lace: TheFunkieJunkie on Zibbet      Hug Snug seam binding      Pearl loops: local craft store

Digi collage elements: The Feathered Nest (rose); Vintage Workshop blog (postcard)

Thank you for visiting...have a wonderful weekend!