A Chevron Thanks

Have you had a minute to check out the newest collection from Catherine Pooler, Zen Garden? Not only were fabulous stamps, dies a stencil released, but eight fabulous new ink colors as well

(affiliate links used)! I have a new card showcasing a couple of the products, and a technique I saw showcased by the talented Danielle on one of her Instagram stories.

I applied Rosewood Nuvo Jewel Drops over the Split Chevron Stencil onto the best white cardstock ever, Catherine Pooler's Premium Ultra Smooth White Cardstock. After letting the panel dry, I matted that onto some Smoke Cardstock, then onto a white card base. I finished the card with three, stacked, Thanks cut from Smoke Cardstock and a few Nuvo Jewel Drops.

Watercolored Petals for Where Creativity Meets C9

I have a card up on the Where Creativity Meets C9 Challenge Blog for Challenge #18: Watercoloring. Please stop by there to see the full card!

The current challenge ends on January 29th, I hope you have a chance to play along! Check out Where Creativity Meets C9 on Facebook and Instagram!

MFT Olympics Events 3 & 4

Back today with my final enteries for the MFT 2018 Crafty Olympics!

Today I have Event 3 - Crafty Biathalon. I chose to work with Masking and Slider.

I started by die cutting a white cardstock panel with the A2 Rectangle Stax Set 1 Die-Namics.

 I masked some puppies from Lucky Dog onto stumps and logs from Happy Hedgehogs. I added some Copic dot colored grass and sky.

The corgi dog slides across the bottom log like he is running. I really like the MFT Slider Elements to help create the sliders!

And one last card to round out my entries. This next one is for Event 4 - Speed Cardmaking. I ran right under the wire with this one, clocking in at 19:04, and if it weren't for pre-stamped elements, I probably would have went over.

I started with a white cardbase, which I inked a turquoise sky and added some turquoise splatters. I then colored some stamped and die-cut images from You're Raw-some with Copic Markers and white gel pen details. I then die cut some grass from Grassy Edges and adhered that with the palm tree and dinosaur onto the card base.

I finished with a stamped sentiment from Big Birthday Sentiments and a little banner to match stamped with a sentiment from You're Raw-some.

MFT Olympics Events 1 & 2

I love a good crafty challenge and I love the Olympics. MFT has combined both with their MFT 2018 Crafty Olympics! I have two cards today for Events 1 & 2.

The first event is Stamping Slalom - to use three different MFT Stamps in your creation. I combined stamped, die cut and Copic colored dogs from Lucky Dog with birthday items from Happy Hippos and a sentiment from More Essential Sentiments.

The birthday items and one pup were adhered directly to the light green card base, and the other dogs were adhered with dimensional adhesive.

Even 2 is the Freestyle Card - a card with a winter theme.

I started with a Sno-Cone card base, stamping a cute yeti from Beast Friends, then masking it and a snow base, and inking some blue around him. I then colored the yeti with colored pencils, stamped a sentiment from Essential Sentiments, and finished the card by adding some white paint splatters for snow and rounded corners.

Celebrate Your Inner Coolness

It seems that I get asked for masculine cards and/or boy cards more than anything! I pulled out the cute Bunny Buddies Stamp Set from Lil' Inker Designs (affiliate links used) and created a few of these cards to have on hand.

I stamped, heat embossed, watercolored and die-cut the cool bunny from Bunny Buddies. Then I die cut a sentiment from the Happy Birthday Border Die in dark gray paper, and added some patterned paper from the Tribal Chic Patterned Paper Pack. I finished the card with a stamped sentiment from Bunny Buddies and some Nuvo Drops.

Lil' Inker Designs is also having one awesome sale too!

Catherine Pooler Designs:: Zen Garden Release:: Eat Sleep Create & Doodle Garden

Have you enjoyed hopping along and seeing the awesome inspiration showcasing the Zen Garden Collection (affiliate links used) available from Catherine Pooler Designs!? This collection features eight new inks (Zen Garden Ink Pads) along with stamps, dies, a stencil and cover plate! Today is the third day of the four day hop, so much inspiration can be found.

Today, the Creative Team is showcasing the new stamp set, Eat Sleep Create! I started my card by creating a pale card base and then cut a panel with Ultra Smooth White Cardstock. I then stamped the short brushstroke stamp from Eat Sleep Create with a variety of yellow hued inks (Shea Butter, Tiara, Sauna, and Tiki Torch.) I added a sentiment with Midnight Ink from Eat Sleep Create and then a layered sentiment word from the Create Die. I finished the card with a stamped strip from Eat Sleep Create.

My next card might be my favorite I created from the Zen Garden Collection. It features the beautiful Faithful Flutterings Stamp Set combined with Eat Sleep Create.

I started with a white panel of Ultra Smooth White Cardstock and stamped a series of the bold stripes in Skylight, Seafoam and Mint to Be. I then stamped the shadow stamp of the smaller butterfly from Faithful Flutterings with Spruce and finished the card with stamped sentiment from Faithful Flutterings.

The Zen Garden Collection is seriously awesome, from the colors to the designs! I'll be back hopping tomorrow as well. Please be sure to hop and comment, as there are prizes! Two sets of Zen Garden Ink Pads for each day of the hop (or a $45 gift certificate if you already own them!)

Here is the complete list of the Creative Team that are hopping today:

Catherine Pooler

Jen Carter

Tracie Pond

Melissa Miller

Susan Powell

Karen Baker -- you are here!

Ardyth Percy-Robb

Laurel Beard

Allison Cope

Taheerah Atchia

Catherine Pooler Designs:: Zen Garden Release:: Love Grows

The day is finally here to show you some projects I made with the absolutely love Zen Garden Collection (affiliate links used) available from Catherine Pooler Designs! This collection features eight new inks (Zen Garden Ink Pads) along with stamps, dies, a stencil and cover plate!

Today, the Creative Team is showcasing the new stamp set, Love Grows! I started my card by creating a white card base with Ultra Smooth White Cardstock. I then stamped a pattern onto a white panel (that I had die cut with the Postage Stamp Dies from the most recent SOA colleciton) with the leaves from Love Grows using new ink colors: Spruce, Seafoam, and my most favorite color from this release- Shea Butter. I bordered the cut panel with two stripes from the Eat Sleep Create Stamp Set stamped in Shea Butter.

I finished the card with a stamped sentiment from Love Grows in Spruce, and then a die cut sentiment from the Thanks Die that I had die cut from White Cardstock and covered with Spruce ink. 

My next card features the awesome Doodle Garden Background Stamp and Love Grows!

I stamped the background Spruce ink onto watercolor paper, and then watercolored some areas with Spruce, Shea Butter and Stone Blue Ink. I then added two rows of "scallops" made from a flower bottom from the Love Grows with Spruce ink. I finished the card with die cut sentiments from the Thanks Die and You Word Die.

The Zen Garden Collection is seriously awesome, from the colors to the designs! I'll be back hopping tomorrow as well. Please be sure to hop and comment, as there are prizes! Two sets of Zen Garden Ink Pads for each day of the hop (or a $45 gift certificate if you already own them!)

Here is the complete list of the Creative Team that are hopping today:

Catherine Pooler

Laurel Beard

Chrissie Tobas

Jenny Colacicco

Ashlea Cornell

Melissa Miller

Tracie Pond

Karen Baker --you are here!

Lydia Evans

Ingrid Blackburn

Where Creativity Meets C9 #18:: Watercolor

There's a new Where Creativity Meets C9 Challenge and it's all about watercolor, featuring amazing Concord & 9th products, as this challenge is dedicated to the innovative stamp company and their products!

I absolutely love to watercolor. It allows for so much creative freedom, and there are so many great stamps and dies at Concord & 9th that work so well with this medium! I started with the innovate and trendy Stuck on You Stamp Set, doing some stamping and masking with black ink. I colored loosely with watercolors and finished with a sentiment from Many Mandalas.

The challenge is sponsored by the fabulous Concord & 9th and one lucky random entry will receive a $25 gift certificate for a Concord & 9th shopping spree. The favorite entry will be asked to guest design for a future challenge! The challenge runs until February 28th, so there is plenty of time to pull out your favorite Concord & 9th stamps and die and create Plus, new Concord & 9th products were released TODAY and they are fantastic! 

You can find Where Creativity Meets C9 Challenge on Facebook here, and their Instagram here!

After the Valentine

I've been seeing and admiring the vast array of cards celebrating Valentine's Day. Today I'm featuring a set of cards that utilize lovey products outside or after Valentine's Day. Getting more miles out of stamps and dies is always a goal of mine.

I started this card by die cutting the largest heart from Lil' Inker Designs Dual Dotted Hearts Dies from light blue cardstock and used embroidery floss to "connect the dots". I die cut smaller hearts from the Floating Hearts Die and the word sentiment from the Doodled Love Word Die, both from glitter paper, and then finished with a sentiment banner that had been stamped with Sending You Stamp Set.

This next card uses the negative of the heart from the above card. I started with a white card base and adhered a series of washi tape, solid cardstock and glitter paper banners. I then added the heart with dimensional adhesive, some glitter hearts, the Love word die, and some Nuvo Drops.

Lil' Inker Designs has a ton of Valentine's Day products, please check them out and remember, you can use them all year round!