ocean themed cards...

 Hello!  Hope your week is off to a great start.  It looks like we will be having nice weather today, so that is a great start in my book!  I'm popping in with two ocean themed cards today.  Both cards were made with items from the Spellbinder May card kit of the month.  Sadly, this kit is sold out as a single subscription purchase, but you can still get it if you sign up for the Spellbinders value club kit that includes the card kit.  Just click here to see the options.  

For the first card I used patterned paper, cardstock, stickers, a sentiment strip and one of the dies to create my card.  Absolutely no stamping on this one!   I arranged all my elements per the sketch at Fab Friday (I will be posting it there) and adhered the panel to one of the cardstock bases that is included in the kit.  Super quick and easy!   I going to add this to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge too as I think this is rather feminine.

The second card features just stickers, a sentiment strip and these pretty gems that are included in the kit.  I simply arranged everything on another card base from the kit, adhered them and I was done.   As this one is very clean and simple I will be sending it off to the Less is More challenge of sea creatures.  

Thanks for stopping by and have a lovely day!

thinking of you...

 Hey there!  Hope you are having a great day!  Our rainy fall weather seems to have finally shown up in my neck of the woods.   That kind of weather makes it easy to stay inside and craft!  I made a card today for a couple of challenges:  Color Throwdown and Fab Friday.    Love the CTD combo this week, but was having a hard time coming up with an idea.  Thankfully the great sketch at Fab Friday came to my rescue!  I die cut some kraft cardstock with an AJVD stitched dot rectangle die and then the little scalloped border with a die from Spellbinders.  I adhered the piece with foam tape and then moved on to the branch.   That is a die from Penny Black and I cut it from watercolor paper and then used watercolors from Altenew and Kuretake to color it.  Two more were cut from scraps and then I adhered all three together.   I had been using my Glimmer hot foiling machine earlier for a several cards that I will be sharing in a few days so I decided to foil a couple of sentiments and see which one I liked best.  I foiled one in black and one in Polished Brass.  Both looked really nice, but I decided to go with black for my card.   I adhered the berry branch and then added my sentiment to finish the card.  Very clean and simple which was exactly what I was going for!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

have a beautiful day...

Hope everyone had a nice weekend.  I'm popping in with a card for a couple of challenges:  Color Throwdown and Fab Friday.  I finally created a card using the super sweet Sketched Florals stamp and die set from Reverse Confetti.   I stamped all the little floral images multiple times using VersaFine CLAIR Nocturne ink and then stamped all the solid parts of each image using inks from Catherine Pooler (Coral Cabana, Samba and Blue Suede).   Die cut everything with the matching dies.  I created a wreath using two circle dies from A Jillian Vance Design and then layered on all of the floral images.  I finished the wreath off with a little bow tied from white twine.  I was going to use the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches, but determined the wreath was a little too big and would have looked weird so I went with the layout from Fab Friday.  I stamped the sentiment from the stamp set in the Nocturne ink after diecutting the panel using the largest Stitched Dot rectangle die from AJVD.  The panel was popped up on a white cardstock base with foam tape and then I adhered the wreath using glue.  Ended up a little heavy on the blue, but I love how fresh and crisp the card looks!  Adding this to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge to use your favorite tool.   I used one of my favorite tools:  my stamp positioner!

Thanks for stopping by and have a lovely day!

hello there

Well... hello there!   Hope everyone had a lovely weekend!  I attended my niece's bridal shower and had a nice time.  She is will be getting married in early September and is fortunate that her venue is moving forward with her wedding.   I did get time this morning/afternoon to make a card for several different challenges:  Fab Friday (sketch), Sunday Stamps (colors) and Inspired  By (inspiration).   When I saw the inspiration photo at Inspired By I immediately thought of the pineapple themed stamp sets and settled on one from Simon Says Stamp (no longer available) called One Cool Pineapple.  This set also includes a watermelon slice making it perfect for the inspiration.   I stamped the pineapple and watermelon slice on watercolor paper with VersaFine CLAIR Nocturne ink.  I filled in some of the gabs with a little flower from the set, as well.  I then did simple watercoloring with distress inks.  I used Mowed Lawn, Squeezed Lemonade, Fossilized Amber and Spiced Marmalade for the pineapples.   The watermelon slices were colored with Mowed Lawn and Picked Raspberry.   The little flowers were colored with Mermaid Lagoon.  Once the piece was dry I die cut it with a rectangle die.  I didn't want to cover up all the coloring that I had done so in order to keep with the Fab Friday sketch I die cut the smaller rectangle directly from the main rectangle.  I then adhered the main rectangle flush on my card base and popped up the smaller rectangle with foam tape.  The sentiment is from the SSS set called Hello Darling.  I heat embossed it with black embossing powder from WOW Embossing on vellum and then die cut it with a fishtail flag die.  That was adhered using rolled up glue dot so that the adhesive wasn't as noticeable.   A simple take on the sketch, but I like how things turned out!

Thanks for stopping by!  Hope you have a great week!

wishing you sunshine...

Hello!  Popping in with a rainbow inspired card for a couple of challenges:  the Paper Players and Fab Friday.  The were no rainbows today in my part of the world even though there was a lot of rain!  But, that didn't stop me from creating this fun rainbow card!  I had made a card the other day and decided to use a stencil on it.  I went through all my stencils and found some rainbow themed stencils from PaperTrey Ink's Make it Market mini kits.  I paired a stencil with a heart in the center and the rays coming out from it with a stamp and die from the mini kit.   I started my card by masking off the rays on the stencil and inking up the heart with Candied Apple distress oxide ink.  I then determined how many rays I wanted to be each color and inked them up in rainbow order starting with orange.  I used the following distress oxide inks:  Spiced Marmalade, Squeezed Lemonade, Lucky Clover, Salty Ocean, Chipped Sapphire, and Wilted Violet.  When I was finished with the main rays I inked up the smaller rays in the same order.  I then die cut the piece with an AJVD basic rectangle and some dark gray cardstock with the same die so I could layer the two per the Fab Friday sketch.  I then die cut the word sunshine from patterned paper that is part of the mini kit four times and layering them together.  The rest of the sentiment was stamped in VersaMark watermark ink on vellum and embossed with black embossing powder from WOW!   I adhered the vellum strip to the main panel and then adhered the die cut word.   Popped everything up on a white cardstock base. 

Thanks for stopping by and have a wondeful day!

reverse confetti cards...

Hello!  Hope you are doing well and getting lots of crafty time in!  I'm popping in today with a couple of cards that I made using mostly products from Reverse Confetti.  First up is a card for the RC Stock Your Stash challenge, the Paper Players challenge and Fab Friday challenge.  When I finished the card the other day I wasn't too sure about it, but it is kind of growing on me.  Let me know what you think!  The RC Stock Your Stash challenge is to make a birthday card.  I have had this RC candles die for way too long and I have NEVER used it! Until now, lol!  I combined the die with the Rounded Stitched Window die and cut both from white cardstock.  I then cut thin strips of  white, pink and green glitter paper to fit behind the candles.  I die cut an additional frame with the Rounded Stitched Window die from woodgrain cardstock and then adhered that over the top.   The Snow Stars cover panel was die cut from Pool Party cardstock and adhered to a white cardstock base with foam dimensionals.  I adhered the candles piece and then added the sentiment from the RC Tulips stamp set that I stamped in black ink on a strip of cardstock.

The second card is for the Inspired by Challenge.  The inspiration photo was so intriguing and fun that I just had to play along with the challenge.   I used RC stamps and dies along with a rectangle die from A Jillian Advance Design.  The stamp set I used is called Tall Blooms and I used two images from the set that work well together.  I stamped an image that has flowers on it three times with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and then colored with Copic markers using pinks, purples and greens.  The leafy images were also stamped in Tuxedo Black and then colored with green Copic markers.  Die cut all the images and then arranged them on a panel of white cardstock die cut with the AJVD die.  I used another RC die to cut the little piece that my flowers are hanging from and cut it from some patterned paper with a woodgrain pattern on it.   Because of the die I used I was able to use the other end to adhere to the back of the first one to get it a little more strength.  That piece was adhere over the top of my flowers with foam tape and then I added a little twine bow.

Thanks for stopping by and have a lovely day!

whole lot of lovely...

A really quick post of a card that I finished up today.  I started coloring it a few days ago, got that part done and then had to wait for the matching die to arrive by FedEx.  That came today and this afternoon I got the card made.  I stamped the image in VersaFine CLAIR Acorn ink and then colored with ZIG markers.  Once the coloring was done deepened some of the shadows with a dark brown Polychromos color pencil.    The layout for my card is base loosely on the sketch from Fab Friday.  I used a MFT fishtail flag stax die for the banner and the MFT Mini Scallop Stitched rectangle die, along with an AJVD stitched dot rectangle.  I layered everything on a light gray cardstock base.  The sentiment is from an order MFT stamp set that I stamped and then trimmed into the sections.  I did have them originally arranged on the floral image pursuant to the sketch, but didn't like how that looked and placed them where they are now.   Super pleased with my coloring even if it did give me a horrendous stiff neck!  Going to also post this to the Inspired By challenge.  

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

thank you...

Hello!  Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas.  I did!  Can't believe we are in the final few days of 2019 and heading into a brand new decade!  Where did the time go?  I have a thank you card that I made for a couple of challenges:  Reverse Confetti stock your stash and Fab Friday.  Love the simple layout of the Fab Friday sketch and thought it was perfect to use with the Reverse Confetti Best Days and Thank You stamp sets.  I don't have the die that matches the Best Days stamp set (yet... I just ordered it!) so I decided to just heat emboss the bouquet on smooth Bristol cardstock and do some simple watercoloring with my ZIG markers.  Once it was done and dry I die cut it with a rectangle die from A Jillian Vance Designs.  The large thank you sentiment was stamp with watermark ink and heat embossed on vellum.  I then die cut it with the matching die.  The background is a cover die from Reverse Confetti called Snow Stars.  I die cut that from off white cardstock and adhered it to a bright yellow cardstock base with foam dimensionals.  I them adhered the image panel with more foam dimenstionals.  The vellum sentiment was adhered using rolled up glue dots that I placed behind the embossed letters.   Can't wait to get the matching Best Days dies so I can create some more with the pretty set!

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Guesting at Color Throwdown - week 2

Hello!  Hope you had a chance to play along with last week's Color Throwdown.  I'm stopping in with my card for this week's CTD.  The colors are the beautiful autumnal colors of red, yellow and brown.   Of course I went with a leaf theme, lol!   This time I used the dies from Concord & 9th Thankful Leaves bundle.   I had one panel I had created using alcohol inks and this one happened to have all the colors for this week's challenge!  YAY!  I die cut the leaf from the alcohol using the die that cuts the solid image along with the interior die that turns it into a skeleton-type leaf.  I then die cut a solid leaf from brown cardstock and then adhered the two leaves together slightly offset.  I die cut the thank you (C9 Bitty Thank You die set) from yellow cardstock several times and adhered them together.  I die cut some off white cardstock with a rectangle die and then adhered the leaf to the panel.   The words thank you was then adhered on top of the leaf.   I finished by adding a few red enamel dots.  I will be posting this to the current Fab Friday challenge as my layout is based on their fun sketch and to the Paper Players as their theme this week is grateful/thankful.  Below is all the information regarding playing along with this week's CTD challenge.  All die cutting was done with my Gemini Jr. die cutting machine.  (Compensated affiliate links used where possible at no cost to you.  I truly appreciate it if you do decide to use my links.)

Here is all the information regarding playing along with this week's Color Throwdown challenge:

Once you’ve finished your card or other paper-crafted project, add a direct link to your creation using the Inlinkz tool at the bottom of the Color Throwdown post. And, don’t forget to use the keyword CTD564 if you upload your project to an online gallery, or hashtag on social media with #ctd564 and/or #colorthrowdown.  

Challenge guidelines are in the right sidebar on the Color Throwdown Challenge Blog in case you have any questions.

The rest of the team...

Barbara Anders - Paper Pursuits

Broni Holcombe - Splashes of Watercolor

Lori Tecler - Inking Aloud

 Wanda Cullen - Cullen-ary Creations

 Jodi Collins- Stamping a Latte

Lynn Putt- The Queens Scene 

Lisa Henke- My Little Creative Escape

Amy Rysavy - Prairie Paper & Ink

 Amy Rohl - Ink About Me

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Happy Stamptember!!

Hello everyone and welcome to the Simon Says Stamp Stamptember 2019 blog celebration!  This isn't a traditional blog hop, but an opportunity for you to find lots and lots of inspiration and ways to use all of the newly released Stamptember products.  The complete list of all participants can be found on the Simon Says Stamp blog.   Each blog will also be offering a special code that you can use to get something fun from Simon Says Stamp!  The code is found in the banner on my blog and only good until August 34rd at 11:59 pm EDT so make sure you place your order by then if you want the free item!  Simon sent me the School Days Grow stamp set to create with and I just fell in love with the sweet little flower images in the set.  They have tiny faces.... so cute!!

My first card uses those sweet little flowers for a clean and simple design based on the sketch from Fab Friday so I will be posting my card there, as well as with the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge of anything goes.  I stamped the flowers in a row using VersaFine CLAIR Nocturne ink and then colored them very simply with Faber-Castell Polychromos pencils using the colors from Color Throwdown.  I think there is just enough time for me to add my card to their gallery, as well.   I then trimmed down my panel to fit my cardstock base.  I stamped the sentiment on SSS fog cardstock with VersaFine CLAIR Nocturne ink and then trimmed it down.  The polka dot strip is some patterned paper from Moda Scrap that came in a Simon Says Stamp card kit that I purchased several months ago (apologies, but I don't remember which month!).  I layered those on per the sketch and then added the little twine bow.  The panel was then adhered with foam dimensionals to the cardstock base.   Super clean and simple!

The second card is also pretty clean and simple.  This time I used another piece of Moda Scrap patterned paper (all the papers were just so beautiful and made creating my cards so easy!) that I trimmed down and die cut with the SSS Flower Cluster die. I have had the Flower Cluster die for quite sometime, but this is the first time I have used it!    I adhered the die cut patterned paper to a light pink cardstock base and stamped the sentiment using Memento Bamboo ink.   The flower cluster was die cut two more times from white cardstock, all the little bits removed and then placed back inside the negative space finishing with the patterned paper die cut on top.

Thanks for stopping by today.  Please make sure to check out all the blogs participating in this celebration and pick up some of the newly released products.  You can find all of them here.

Supplies:  Card #1:  Cardstock:  MFT white, SSS fog; Patterned paper:  Moda Scrap; Stamps:  Simon Says Stamp; Inks:  VersaFine CLAIR; Coloring medium:  Faber-Castell Polychromos color pencils

Card #2:  Cardstock:  Reverse Confetti pink; Patterned paper:  Moda Scrap; Stamps:  Simon Says Stamp; Die:  Simon Says Stamp; Ink: Memento Bamboo

enjoy...

Hey there!  popping in with a card that I made for a few of challenges:  Fab Friday, Time Out and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge to use a die cut. I don't know about you, but a fun beach scene always says relaxation to me! I did a lot of masking and ink blending on this one.   I started by creating a mask from Eclipse tape using a circle die from Jillian Vance Design.  I made sure to cut the piece of Eclipse tape to fit my card front as I would be ink blending several different times.  I first placed the circle on my smooth bristrol cardstock panel and then added a strip of Post-It tape cross the bottom of the circle.  I then blended Salty Ocean distress oxide ink around the circle and to the top of the Post It tape.  I then moved the Post It tape strip to cover part of the sky and used Tea Dye distress oxide to create my sand.  I didn't use a lot of the Tea Dye as I didn't really want that much sand.  I removed the circle mask, adhered the entire panel mask and blended the sun using Squeezed Lemonade and Fossilized Amber distress oxides.  I removed the mask and die cut the panel with a rectangle die from Jillian Vance Design.  The die cut deck chair and drink are from a Stampin Up! stamp and die set.  I stamped the drink and the orange slice using Stampin Up! inks and die cut with the matching dies.  They were adhered together with Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive.  The deck chair was die cut from kraft cardstock and then the two were adhered to the panel with foam dimensionals.   The sentiment is from the Concord & 9th Pop Art Pineapple stamp set.   Finished by adhering the panel to my off white cardstock base.  (I use a combination of affiliate links in the body of my post as well as the links listed below.)

Compensated affiliate links used where possible:

Dick Blick:

Strathmore Smooth Bristol cardstock 

Scrapbook.com:

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a wonderful day!

bloom and grow...

Wow!  I posted two days in a row!  Got a little crafting time in today and made a card for a few challenges:  Pinkfresh Studios monthly challenge, Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge (use stitching... mine is faux), the Paper Players (clean and simple w/plants) and Fab Friday (sketch).   I used papers and puffy stickers from the Pinkfresh Studios let your heart decide line and a sentiment from the Pinkfresh Studios Bloom & Grow stamp set.   The papers and stickers were part of a Simon Says Stamp monthly card kit and I won the stamp set and matching dies from a Pinkfresh Studios Instagram contest last December.   I used A Jillian Vance Design and My Favorite Things dies for all the stitched elements in the card.   I originally had a different piece of patterned paper die cut for the rectangle element, but it was too busy and the stickers got lost so I switched it out for another pattern that worked better.   Per the Paper Players challenge of clean and simple I layered everything on a plain white cardstock base.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Supplies:  Cardstock: PTI white; Stamps:  Pinkfresh Studios; Dies:  AJVD and MFT; Ink:  VersaFine CLAIR; Embellishments:  Pinkfresh Studios puffy sticker; Patterned paper:  Pinkfresh Studios