Congratulations Graduate Card

This is the card I made to go with the Grad Cap jars. It's based on the new sketch from Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge. 

I used the May Special Happy Times papers for this graduation card. I wanted something more girlie than I've been doing with this sweet grad set. I trimmed the flowers from that gorgeous floral paper. I stitched a lot on this card, all around the edges, on the center sentiment, and that little corner detail. 

I just love this diagonal wood grain! I wish I hadn't been so sick this month, because I didn't get to play with  Happy Times nearly enough. I hope you got your packet - it'll be gone in just two more days!

Graduation Hat Gift Jar

It's graduation season, and I wanted to make something a little more special than just a card. I got this jar from the dollar store, and built a little graduation hat for it. I filled it with a bit of sparkly fill and bills rolled into little diplomas. 

The hat is just a 1 inch band of black cardstock topped with 3 1/2 inch squares of black cardstock. I layered three squares together to give it a bit more heft. I pierced a large hole in the center of the square to attach the tassel I made of red embroidery thread. I topped that hole off with a big brad to make it pretty again. Then I glued the circle onto the square with Liquid Glass so it can slide on and off the jar lid easily. 

Of course, I made a card, too. We can't wait to go celebrate the new graduates!

Real Sweet Happy Times Card

Hi, Stampin' Friends! I've been a little absent lately, partly because I've been sick with the allergies (boo!), and partly because I've been finishing up my stamp studio(yay!!). I'll have a post on the space later after I finish up the last bit here, and then I plan to get my craft on more often again!

Today I'm sharing my take on the new sketch over at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge. This is the first time I cut into this adorable Happy Times paper, and I already want more! The stamps from my card are also part of the Happy Times special. I inked, rolled, and stamped the individual flower pieces, then assembled using thin foam tape. It was a good sick-on-the-couch project!

I added a giant gold glitter dot to my center flower and dabbed some tiny gold glitter gel dots around the completed floral spray. It would be real Sweet if you hopped over to AHSC to play along this week!

You Are My Home Layout

It's time for another Sketchy Friday over at Scrap Much?.  

I grabbed one of my favs, Simple Stories You and Me to play with this week's sketch. I wanted to use that heart print as a background because it's just so pretty. I splattered on a bit of watercolor before layering on the pretty papers and my big doily. I stitched around the edges with silver thread for some shimmery definition.

My title is a combo of the coordinating Simple Stories stickers and leftover grey Webster's stickers. I added a lot of the Simple Stories stickers, a couple types of washi, and a sprinkling of silver sequins, sparkly rhinestones and bitty sparkles to finish my layout. I hope you'll hop over to Scrap Much? to play along this week! 

Sending Laughs and Love on Mother's Day

True confession time...I'm almost incapable of mailing anything on time. I'm trying to be a better person about going to the Post Office. Does anyone else here struggle with that particular experience? I make cards all the time, but can't mail them on time to save my life. I'm fabulous at email and texting. I love getting snail mail. Yet I seem to lose all adulting function when I have to mail a package. 

This year I've got my Mother's Day cards done early, thanks to the fab sketch over at Retro Sketches. I used the adorable new stamp set from this month's Happy Times special (plus the two sentiments from a retired camera set, but seriously, do you blame me?). I still had the bit and pieces from my next Scrap Much? layout on my desk (it'll post on Friday), so the paper is Bazzill cardstock and a teensy bit of Simple Stories You & Me.

I stamped the flowers and fussy cut all the shapes, putting them together with thin foam tape. I added red acrylic hearts and some tiny red glitter dots, so the Post Office will super love me this week. Cross your fingers for me that these will arrive (mostly) on time!

Celebrate National Scrapbooking Month!

Happy National Scrapbooking Month, Stamping Friends! There are so many fun things happening in May! There's the new May SOTM, a brand new Seasonal Expressions Idea book out, and the fabulous new Happy Times special kit and papers. Can you feel the creative mojo?

I decided to start off the month of May with this happy card based on the new Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge this week. I splattered the card base with a bunch of watercolors to coordinate with the new Calypso PML card I cut up for my background squares. I just love the colors in this new kit! I think that that stripey zip strip might be one of my favorite little bits of the new patterns.

I stamped the May Stamp of the Month cake pieces on more bits of Calypso paper/PML cards, then pieced the cake together. When I first saw these stripey Calypso sequins I literally squealed SQUEEEE! The new self-adhesive sequin packs are all in the small 6mm size. Then I topped off my adorable sequins and cake with some dots of gold glitter gel, and added some hand drawn black outlines.  

I'm linking this card up to the Seize the Birthday Anything Goes Challenge. Don't forget to pop over to Atlantic Hearts to play along with this week's sketch!