Cottage Below: Fiskafriends

Welcome to our blog hop!

We are celebrating our First Anniversary with a Fiskafriend Blog Hop. You do not have to be a Fiskafriend to visit and comment on our bloggers' posts. This hop is open to everyone! International visitors included! The theme of the hop is Anything Goes, so be prepared to find a variety of creative projects and ideas.
Giveaway prizes? Of course! Everyone loves a giveaway! We will have an end of the hop giveaway with fabulous prizes. In addition to the end of the hop giveaway, some of our bloggers are offering giveaway prizes of their own on their posts. For the complete blog hop list and to be entered in the Fiskafriends' sponsored giveaways, leave a comment on any of the listed blogs and follow the sponsor giveaway entry directions at: http://fiskafriends.blogspot.com/

I am having my own giveaway too! Instructions to enter my separate giveaway are at the bottom of this post.

I have Easter cards to share with you on my hop stop.

I've been playing around lately with the idea of what impact color and simple patterns can have in card design. I used a fairly bright pink on my first card. The gingham gives it a sort of country look, even with the fancy, white, die-cut overlay.

I used the exact same design on my second card changing only the color and using a solid instead of a printed, oval layer. The second card is certainly more elegant than the first.

I had a heck of a time photographing this second card. Something about the flowers is reading wrong through my camera. I'm sharing it here anyway, so you can at least get a better idea of what I'm talking about. The flowers in 'real life' are a much better match with this light peach background.

>>>DESIGNER TIP<<< To get my heat-embossed sentiment to match the curve of my oval panel, I curved the clear stamp as I placed it on an acrylic block. Kind of gives an extra life to a lot of my stamps.

I want to show you the inside of my cards as well. I often don't put as much effort on the inside of the card, but I'm changing that. I like bringing a little something from the front to the inside - color and theme in this instance. I wish I had thought to put a piece of the die-cut vine on the inside to peak out from under the sentiment tag. Too late, the cards are already in the mail headed to their recipients.

For the complete blog hop list and to be entered in the Fiskafriends' sponsored giveaways, leave a comment on any of the listed blogs and follow the sponsor giveaway entry directions at: http://fiskafriends.blogspot.com/

Now, for my own giveaway. I have an e-book copy of my latest children's book, "Max, the Boy Raindrop" in which I created all the illustrations using only paper/cardstock and scrapbooking tools. I will also include a fun border punch from EK Success to send to one of my followers (US residents only). Join my blog and your name will go in the drawing. Let me know in your comment that you joined. If you are already a member of my blog, tell me so and your name will go in as well. I will draw a name for my personal giveaway on Wednesday, April 1st. Check back in to see if you are the winner. You'll have two weeks to contact me with mailing info.

Stacia #9314 is up next: http://www.stampzone.blogspot.com

Start here: http://fiskafriends.blogspot.com/

Jean Bullock, #8889, http://ez3dpopups.blogspot.com

Susan Slomski, #6150, http://sueinct.blogspot.com

Cindy deRosier, #4113, http://www.cindyderosier.com

Tifany DeGough, #5942, http://inkblotsbytrd.blogspot.com

Cheryl Waters, #002, http://blog.artsyfindings.com

Jean Marmo, #7358, http://pagesintime.blogspot.com/

Teresa Godines #6857 http://purplebunnypapercrafts.blogspot.com/

Michelle O'Driscoll #7586 http://scrapbookingsos.blogspot.ca/

Nancy Carroll #11488 http://nancecarroll.blogspot.com

Maya Oren-Dahan #351 http://mayadahan.blogspot.com