WHAT'S IN YOUR LEFT-OVERS' DRAWER?

I've got two cards to show today, but first, let me share something with you about a very special lady and friend! As some of you know, I have been experiencing difficulties uploading my photos from Picasa to Blogger over the past few days. (BTW, thanks to those who replied to my appeal for help - much appreciated. The problem isn't fixed, but there is apparently a problem with Picasa). 

Yesterday, this wonderful lady, Donna Ellis, had me e.mail my photos to her, and she was able to insert them in my blog - I know, genius right! She blogged for me during Sandy too, when we were without power, keeping us in touch with my worried family in Scotland.  An incredible lady, who even with her own debilitating health issues and her own never-ending to-do list, always finds time to help others out. Thank you Donna, from the bottom of my heart! You make me ........

So, Donna and I are here today, with a couple of cards that I put together using bits and pieces that I found in my left-overs' drawer.

If you're anything like me, then you have a drawer assigned to bits and pieces that didn't quite make the first cut for a card, but weren't quite "ugly" enough to be thrown out? I've a lot of personal birthday cards to make in March, so rather than starting from scratch, I like to tip out that drawer onto a big table (it's a big drawer!) and sift through the contents. The other time I like to do this is when I feel like the mojo isn't quite there.  It always amazes me how a couple of elements will fall together, and spark off an idea to make a lovely card.

Today, I've got two cards to share with you, that I put together quickly yesterday afternoon, using some of my "scraps"!

A piece of yellow card, embossed with the Darice Flower embossing folder and a yellow and orange outlined rose were the beginnings to this one.  

I inked the raised pattern of the background with Memento Lady Bug ink, which highlighted the petals of the flowers. I had just received my order from Paper and Stones yesterday, (use Coupon Code FRIENDS50 for a 50% discount on everything in the store). The owner Lynne is moving from New Jersey to Florida. One of my purchases was the Spellbinders Ornamental Tags One - look at the little flower in the center of the label and how well it mimics the flowers in the background. "Smile" (from Set 520: Flourishes 2) was stamped on the label.

I punched out the little flowers from the background (putting the extras back in that drawer!) but attached one of them with a sparkly black brad to the label. I felt the rose needed some spark, so  I covered it in Versamark and heat embossed it with Velvet Sparkle (EP437) - yep, that's much better!

I layered the background to a black card base, added the rose and the label with dimensionals and added three little rhinestones to the centers of the spiky flowers and it was complete!

I'd like to enter this card in the following Challenges: 
Love to Scrap Challenge: Back It Up (Create Your Own Background)
Crafting from the Heart Challenge: (Using your favorite colors)
The Crafter's Cafe Challenge: (Use Flowers)

So on to card No. 2:

The two pieces that jumped out at me, were another dry embossed background (which because the raised pattern had been sanded - looked like it had been bleached) and an oval piece that had been stamped with an image and sentiment from Set 493: Silhouettes and heat embossed with Belgian Cream and then really had been bleached!

I cut the background into five pieces and laid it back down on to a piece of Sticker Paper, leaving sticky surfaces in between the tiles and around the edges, to which I added Peruvian Lily Velvet Glitter. Again I added this piece to a black card base. I added another three little rhinestones to the centers of the flower and popped the focal image up on dimensionals.

Hope I've inspired you to go sift through your left-overs - you never know what treasures await!

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenge:
Paper Minutes: Glittery Browns 

Thanks again Donna. Hope everyone has a great day,

Hugs,

Shona

My List of Challenges is shown inside this blog post, highlighted in white.