Welcome to the Independent Easter Card Parade!

LOL - well, I did get to feeling better, but you know, there is always something trying to bring us down. Easter weekend and day are busy times - no? Busy busy. So when I saw a fellow blogger who shall remain nameless post a challenge to do an Easter card parade, I made a mental note to participate if I could get my cards finished and get some rest. Here it is 9:45 p.m. on Sunday and I'm writing my post, but that challenge done closed hours ago. I must have crossed a no-mo-shullbit line this past week, because there are so many challenges out there, I'm not gonna miss hers anymore. And since I already did a Valentine card parade, this isn't exactly an idea new to me, lol. I was probably going to do it anyway. Heck, she might have gotten the idea from moi! Well, that's ironic. lol

Note to you who host challenges: please put an end TIME along with the date. People lead busy lives and for some, if there wasn't a last minute, there'd be no minute at all. Oh, and if you come to read my blog to hear nothing but positivity, you should know one of my fave quotes is "If you can't say something nice, then come sit by me." What you get here is REAL. Warts and all. Haha - trust me it could be much worse. Just laugh - this is my way of venting, 'tis all.

Note to File: solve my problem about card recipients (often loved ones) who never even acknowledge they receive what I sweated 4-8 hours to make for them even if it includes a check, and how I'm thinking about an ultimatum, er, upbeat firm note requiring, er, requesting they let me know 1.) they received the card and 2). utter 1 little word: thanks. No gushing required!  Believe it or not, there are friends who practically BEG me to make them cards and I don't have time to because I'm making cards for people who obviously don't value them. Yup, that has gotta change...life is too short!

Anyhoo, now that that's done, on to the Easter Card Parade! A couple of these cards were made for challenges and I have to make sure to note that (Lord help me! lol). So, I will do those first, how is that for a plan?  :-)))

First one is a card made for the Fripperies and Butterflies Monthly Color Challenge, where she posts a 5-color palette and you have to use 2 of them. I use 3 - both greens and the light pink. I did not use the 2 purples. I used a free F&B image. The blue background is a piece of watercolor card sprayed with Sailor Blue Ranger Colorwash. I used a Spellbinders Botanical Swirls cover plate die to cut the green layer and the rest are paper scraps from my Black Hole of Stash (heretofore known as BHOS).  Oh, and the top pink strip was a Fiskars punch, I think. (I say that because I no longer see it on my punch wall and I'm thinking it was the one that kept sticking no matter what I did so I File 13'd it.)

Next up is a card I'm fixing to go share in my Technique Junkies yahoo group and link here (kind of like an open challenge - we share when we have used a technique). This technique is called Painted Pastel Embossing and is on the TJ Emboss Or Die CD. I used a Darice Bunny embossing folder, cloud punch, a Sweet n Sassy grass die. And yes, I'm using more ribbon! (The BHOS is full of it and has been procreating I suspect.)

Next up is a card featuring a sweet little collage sheet image from Twisted Papers, sentiment from EKS/Image Tree, Spellbinders Ribbon Tags Trio 2 label die and very old paper from Rusty Pickle. More stash-bashing ribbons! teehee! Two ribbons on one card, I'm on a ribbon roll. ;-)

Next up is a card using Tim's Rays embossing folder, a very old Clear Dollar Stamps cross stamp and sentiment, and Spellbinders Fancy Tags 1 and Labels 4 dies.

This card uses Spellbinders dies Crosses 2 and Lotus Pendant, and a Clear Dollar sentiment and die. I think the corner punch is by Paper Shapers (love those punches - old and reliable). The paper's from my BHOS. The collage sheet image is from Victorian Scrapworks. I seem to be using quite a bit of stuff from companies that are no longer in business... story of my life, lol.

This card uses another name blast from the past - Skipping Stones Designs rabbits and sentiment stamps, Spellbinders Labels 10 dies the old Rusty Pickle paper (and I cut the dies out of some 6x6 Kaisercraft Tea @ Elsies paper). Ribbon and flowers found in my BHOS.

The Spellbinder Lotus and Cross dies are getting a workout, as are the VS collage sheet images, as well as ---- this is pretty much the same supply list as the cross card above, and there is one more below this.

Right here. I think I have proved how many different ways you can use these dies, lol.

Ditto for the rabbit card supplies, with the exception of that great big green metal flower. I know I have several of them but I cannot remember where I got them or who makes. Sorry. Take comfort in the fact they probably no longer make them. Haha (my supplies are older than some of you reading this).

And bringing up the rear are 2 cards you have already seen in prior posts, but they signed up to be in the parade so what could I do? This card's deets are HERE.

And this card's deets are HERE.

Well, that about wraps it up. Thanks for staying for the parade (and the preamble - haha). The good news is, not another holiday until Mothers Day! The bad news is, no rest for the weary.... lol. Hope you had a blessed Easter and have a great week!