Autumn Biirthday

I love this Autumn Splendor Stamp Set from Sunny Studios! The coordinating dies make it super easy to create many die cuts very quickly. Adhered a variety of leaves on a background that was made by inking up an embossing folder then running it through my die cut machine. The sentiment was popped up with fun foam for added dimension. 

Supplies Used:

Stamps: Sunny Studio: Autumn Splendor, Simon Says Stamp: You Matter

Dies: Sunny Studio: Autumn Splendor, Simon Says Stamp: You

Embossing Folder: Darice: Wood Grain

Inks: Various

Thinking of You

Sending another cheery Thinking of You card to brighten someone's day. Hope it brings a smile her way!

Supplies used: 

Paper: Making Memories GIGGLE kids

Stamps: TSOL Back2Basics

Dies: Nestabilities Scalloped Circles

Ink: Stampin' Up Real Red

Other: Making Memories Ribbon

Summer Mode #2

Here is my second card for the Fusion Challenge.  This time I used Crystal Drops in Morning Dew...love this stamp/die set from My Favorite Things! TFL!

SUPPLIES: 

Inks: Distress Oxide Inks: Broken China, Distress Inks: Picked Raspberry

Stamps: My Favorite Things: You're The Sweetest

Dies: My Favorite Things: You're The Sweetest, Sunny Studio: Fishtail Banner, Nestabilities Circles

Paper: My Favorite Things: Sweet Celebration

Other: Nuvo Crystal Drops in Morning Dew

Still in Summer Mode

Yes the kids are back in school and yes, Halloween is right around the corner, but I am still in Summer Mode! Love the sketch at Fusion but I'm following sketch only - just can't get my Halloween stuff out yet. I was able to squeeze in two cards for this challenge. I was able to use some Nuvo Crystal Drops that I made awhile ago. This has saved me as I am usually so very last minute that I don't have time to wait for those drops to dry before I have to get my card in the mail. I'm so happy I made a whole bunch ahead of time! TFL!

SUPPLIES: 

Inks: Distress Oxide Inks: Broken China & Spiced Marmalade, Distress Inks: Squeezed Lemonade & Twisted Citron, Altenew Rocky Shore

Stamps: My Favorite Things: You're The Sweetest

Dies: My Favorite Things: You're The Sweetest, Sunny Studio: Fishtail Banner, Nestabilities Circles

Paper: My Favorite Things: Sweet Celebration

Other: Nuvo Crystal Drops in Ripened Pumpkin, Apple Green and Caribbean Ocean

Distress Oxide Galaxy

Created this card using a combination of distress inks, distress oxide inks and perfect pearls, along with a striped stencil. Can't believe how easy this was! The hardest part was cutting down the striped panel and then covering part of the galaxy background! I used Wilted Violet and Broken China Distress Oxide Inks as well as Distress Black Soot. Entering this in FMS300. Thanks for looking!

Supplies Used:
Inks: Distress Oxide: Wilted Violet, Broken China, Distress: Black Soot, Memento Tuxedo Black 
Stamps: TSOL: happyBday2you (balloons), My Favorite Things: You're the Sweetest (sentiment)
Dies: Spellbinders:Twisted Metal Tags & Accents
Other: Simon Says Stamp Diagonal Stripe Stencil, Perfect Pearls

shimmer on galaxy panel

Shimmery Striped Panel

Supplies Used:

CTS #232

Used the sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch! to create this quick birthday card. It's hard for me to make such simple cards but these sketches really help! Colored the balloons with Copics using the technique I found here to make the balloons look transparent.Couldn't just have a white background, so I embossed some yellow cardstock with a stars ef which added some interest. Immediately after embossing though, I realized I should have stamped the sentiment first. Ugh. Actually, this turned out to be a good mistake because I really like how the blue strip added another pop of color. Added faux stitching to the sentiment and popped up the balloons and put this card in the mail! TFL!

SUPPLIES USED:

Stamps: Stampendous: Party Balloons, My Favorite Things: You're the Sweetest

Ink: Copics, Memento Tuxedo Black, SU Tangerine Tango, White Gel Pen

Paper: DCWV: The Birthday Wishes Stack

EF: Darice: Assorted Stars

CTS #230

While my daughter is away at camp, I get an excuse to make more cards! Getting a lot of use from this Happy Campers paper pad and the dies I picked up on clearance. That skinny arrow fits perfectly to add a little something extra. And happily I had matching enamel dots! Adding this to CAS(E) this sketch #230. TFL!

Supplies Used:

Paper: We R Memory Keepers: Happy Camper

Dies: Momenta: Happy Camper

Ink: Distress: Walnut Stain, Fired Brick

Bold Colors for my Wild Child

A clean and simple card inspired by the wild child with the turquoise hair who is away at camp for the next two weeks. I do love this color combo, though my personal preference is to see it on cards rather than my daughter's hair! 

I am proud to say I was able to create those enamel dots using Nuvo Crystal Drops. Even the teeny tiny ones came out perfectly. I picked up several bottles when Joann's had them half off AND free shipping - I paid less than $1.75 for each bottle! Wish I would've purchased one in every color!!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: TSOL flower2doodle
Ink: SU Tempting Turquoise, Memento Tuxedo Black
Accents: Nuvo Crystal Drops in Ebony Black

Clean Happy Camper

Linking this card to Freshly Made Sketches #295. My older daughter is off to Horse Camp and she is so excited! I picked up the 'Happy Camper' Dies on clearance and knew it would come in handy for Camp Cards. She will be gone for two weeks, so I hope to be posting several more cards in the coming days. This card was fun to make even though it was a challenge for me to make it 'clean'. When I try for clean cards, they usually end up being boring, but I think I managed to add enough detail to keep it interesting. I embossed the heart with a woodgrain ef, and added a scrap strip that was leftover from last year's camp cards. The horses sticker is actually puffy, so that also adds some interest. I didn't want the background to just be plain, so I found an old border stamp and used my MISTI to line it up. Love that the sketch just begged me to use enamel dots (my favorite)! TFL!

Supplies Used:

Paper: We R memory keepers: Happy Campers

Stamps: The Paper Studio: Dots & Stripes

Ink: Distress Walnut Stain

Dies: Momenta: Happy Camper

Sailboat with Vivid Sunset

Made this card for my dear father-in-law for Father's Day. First, I colored the sailboats and water swirl stamped images with Copics. I then used distress inks to ink up the water using the stencil that came with the Sailboat Stamps. I then masked off the stenciled water, created a circle mask for the setting sun and inked up the background using distress inks. I fussy-cut the sailboats and water swirls and glued them to the panel which was then mounted on brown cardstock which really made the colors pop. I just love how the copics blend to create such beautiful variations of color. TFL!

Supplies Used:

Inks: Copics, Memento Tuxedo Black, Distress

Stamps/Stencil: Stampendous Cling Sailboats & Stencil Set

Distress Oxide Double Rainbow

Pretty Pink Treats

Made this sweet card today using Sunny Studio's Sweet Shoppe Stamps. Love using the mint and pink papers with these stamps! I tried something rather new for me when making the mint scallop edge: The large image only fit inside the largest label die, but I still wanted to mat it. So, I only partially cut the mint background paper, then moved the die and cut a second time, thus extending the label. I know you can't see the side edges, but they actually are perfectly lined up! Oh - I guess that means I could have just die cut the whole label then cut it in two to reposition it so that just the edges extended...duh! Oh well, now I know I can actually do the fancy extended cut which may come in handy another time! I colored the image with my copics, but I still need lots more practice. I like how I was able to get a really light pink by using the colorless blender to pick up RV21 that I scribbled onto an acrylic block. I don't know why I left the cupcake unfrosted, and I still have to work on the highlights, but overall I don't think it's too bad. 

Supplies Used:

Stamps: Sunny Studio Sweet Shoppe

Dies: Nestabilities Labels Eleven

Paper: DCWV Sweet Matstack, MFT Sweet Celebration, Recollections Blue Ombre

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics, White Gel Pen, Wink of Stella

A Pop of Purple

Another entry for hMOJO491. Love that sketch! Used more papers from my ancient stash (but I still love the vibrant colors) and was at a loss as to what to put in the circle until I dug through my old binder of stickers....so happy to find one that actually matches! TFL!

Mojo Monday #491

Created this using the layout from Mojo Monday's Sketch Challenge #491. I love this sketch because it really inspires me to use some of the many dps I have accumulated but haven't used in awhile. To coordinate with the star dp, I embossed a white-core cardstock panel, sanded it, and distressed the edges. I stamped and embossed the cake, then colored it with copics. For the sentiment, I created a shadow by using the MISTI and stamping it first with black ink, then stamping a second time, slightly offset, with VersaMark and heat embossed with Leaf Green embossing powder. For a final touch, I added three star brads - one was a little too pink, so I colored it with a copic.  Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies Used:

Stamps: WeRMemoryKeepers (sentiment), Hampton Art (Cake)

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, VersaMark, Copics

Other: Darice stars ef, Nestabilities Circle Die, star brads, Zing! ep

Vintage Roses

I absolutely love Altenew's layered stamps, but every time I use them, I struggle with lining them up just right. After watching a recent Jennifer McGuire video (which you can find here), I took her suggestion to use vellum to help line up the stamps. This made it so much easier!!! Thank you, Jennifer for yet another super tip!! I was so happy with the results after using the vellum, that I decided to finally stamp directly onto my card. (In the past, because it took so much effort to line up my stamps, I would make a whole bunch of each flower & die cut them then I would layer the die cuts onto my card.)

I started out using just blue inks here, but I only have two or three that go together well, so I decided to add some purple to the mix.  Ironically, after I started, Kathy Racoosin posted this beautiful card of purple/blue flowers at The Daily Marker. So pretty!!

It did take me quite a long time to complete this card because of all the masking and layered stamping. And even though I messed up on one leaf image, considering I stamped over twenty layered images here, messing up on one isn't too bad. I'm excited to use these stamps more in the (hopefully near) future. TFL!

Supplies:

Stamps: Altenew Vintage Roses

Dies: Spellbinders Sentiments One

Ink: Altenew Shades of Purple & Green Fields, Colorbox Sky & Royal Blues

Other: Pretty Pink Posh Sequins

Valentine

Wasn't sure about using Black in a Valentine, especially for the hearts, but I think the red/white/black color combo is actually perfect for this card. Used paper and stickers from my Valentines Stash as well as the heart stamp from Hero Arts Brush Strokes. After cutting the heart paper with the Scalloped Squares Die, I added an outline stamp (TSOLmonogram2build) and matted it in black. Embossed the heart in black, punched several hearts and adhered some black and white twine. Entering it in the following challenges: Cupcake Inspirations CIC394 and Mojo Monday MOJO484. TFL!

Spring Hello

Adding a second card for the challenge at Cupcake Inspirations. Used a few scrap pieces from the lovely Hello Pastel paper pad. Made a saucer using another old Original Sizzix Die (Birthday Cake). This die contains a cake platter that was too long for my tea cup, so I cut it once, then shifted the die cut, trimming it down to size. That was a little tricky, but I was happy with the final size. Added some shading with my Copics. I think I will use that shortened platter again for future saucers. I adhered several strips of dp to a cardstock base and adhered that to the upper corner. Popped up the Hello embellishment with craft foam. So easy to add a little dimension that way! And couldn't resist adding a few pretty clear sequins for a bit of sparkle. TFL!

Supplies Used:

Paper: Prima: Hello Pastel

Stamps: Heartfelt Creations China Fragments

Dies: Spellbinders: Nested Tea Cups, Twisted Metal Tags & Accents, Classic Edges One, Sizzix: Birthday Cake and Scallop Frame

Ink: Memento: Tuxedo Black, Copics 

Other: Pretty Pink Posh Clear Sequins

Spring Cheer

As soon as I saw the colors for Cupcake Inspirations, I knew just what paper pad to go to: Prima's Hello Pastel. It was so fun to be using pretty Spring Colors in the midst of winter! I cut the background using an old ORIGINAL Sizzix die. Colored the tea cup with Copics and added a circle/scalloped circle 'saucer' to ground it. Wish the die set came with a saucer. Cut the banner with Sunny Stuido's Fishtail banners dies, and added a pretty green button - the ONE button out of the gazillion in my stash that matched. Really?! Then I added a few clear sequins (they are very tiny, I think they were meant for shaker cards...but they added just a hint of sparkle which is what I was looking for). The card was designed using the sketch at Fusion. TFL!

Supplies Used:

Paper: Prima: Hello Pastel

Stamps: Heartfelt Creations China Fragments

Dies: Shapeabilities: Nested Tea Cups, Sunny Studio: Fishtail Banners, Sizzix Scallop Frame, Nestabilities: Scalloped & Standard Circles

Ink: Memento: London Fog, Copics 

Sweet Thanks

Today's card will be entered in the  MFT Sketch Challenge #318 as well as Cupcake Inspiration Challenge #392 (plaid). 

Supplies Used:

Stamps & Dies: My Favorite Things: Your'e The Sweetest

Simon Says Stamp: Thanks Die

Sunny Studios: Fishtail Banner Dies

Paper: My Favorite Things: Sweet Celebrations

Ink: Colorbox: Pink, Orange & Lime and Mama Elephant: Brown Sugar

Recollections Enamel Dots

Triple Play

I am the most inefficient card maker out there; I can't seem to make a decision and stick to it. In order to produce more in less time, I again tried to make duplicate cards. I came pretty close this time, but I still ended up changing my mind and using different things on each card. 

I started things off by using the sketch from this week's MFT's Sketch Challenge:

Stamped a baseball image three times and colored all with Copics (more or less all are the same at this point). Then I had to choose what size circle to mount the image on....chose two sizes and embossed them both. For Card #1, I popped up them main image and the banner, but the star paper ended up making the banner a bit uneven, so I didn't pop up anything on the other two cards. Since Card #2 was larger, I changed the sentiment and added the Banner Stamp. The blank white was begging for embellishment, so Card #1 got stamped Stars while Card #2 got die cuts. Card #3 got an embossed background panel with ticket-punched corners and a white circle. I think Card #3 is my favorite, so I am posting my photos in reverse order. 

While it still took me forever to create these cards, at least I managed to complete them, put away all the supplies used, AND post the blog entry all within 24 hours. I think that's a record for me! Maybe 2017 will be my year for efficiency....or at least a year for making lots more cards!! Thanks much for sharing my trials and tribulations. Happy Crafting!

Card #3

Card #1

Card #2

Supplies Used:

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics, VersaMark, White EP

Stamps: Power Poppy Play Ball

Dies: Nestabilities Circles, Stars EF, Star Punch, Sizzix Doodle Dots, Tonic Ticket Punch

Freshly Made for You

I'm still recovering from the holidays, but while there are still a few things left to do to put my house back in order, I sorely needed to kick back and create! I followed the sketch at Freshly Made Sketches #270 and created an ombre look using distress inks for the Less Is More #310 - Colour Challenge - for which I JUST missed the deadline. UGH! Oh well, it was fun to do:

I applied the various blue inks through a stencil, then paired the blues with a range of purples for an accent. These are my two favorite colors, I tend to use them often! Added some black foam to the 'You' for shadow and extra dimension. Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies Used:

Inks: Distress in Tumbled Glass, Broken China, Mermaid Lagoon, Milled Lavender, Wilted Violet and Dusty Concord, Memento Tuxedo Black

Dies: Simon Says Stamp: You, Nestabilities: Rose Creations

Stamps: Simon Says Stamp: You Matter, Heartfelt Creations: Botanical Floral 2

Stencil: Tim Holtz Latticework