Many Thanks

Hello.  Today I'm playing along with two challenges, one sketch, one color.  The sketch is this weeks sketch from Freshly Made Sketches #370.  For far to long, I've been collecting stamps, punches, dies, paper, etc.  So, now that I am settled in my new craft room, I'm challenging myself to use what I've been collecting.  The Six-Sided Sampler from Stampin' Up is one of those sets.

 I love the color combination for this weeks Color Challenge with My Favorite Things.  I really wanted to give it a try.  Alas, I apparently don't have a light blue ink, so I got as close as I could with what I had on hand.  I needed a few "thank you" cards, so I pulled out the All Occasion Sentiments from My Favorite Things.

Here is my card:

Supplies Used:
Stamps:  Six-Sided Sampler - Stampin' Up!
All Occasion Sentiments - My Favorite Things
Hexagon Punch - Stampin' Up!
Inks:  Sky, Breeze, Brown Bag, Citrus Leaf - Close to My Heart
Memento Tuxedo Black

Born to Ride

Hello, today I am playing along with this weeks Color Throwdown #525.  The colors this week are white, black, and brown.

This combination made me think of a stamp set I've been wanting to breakout to make a card for my dad.  I opted to use Kraft cardstock for the brown color.  The banner is die cut from the Stampin' Up! Bunch of Banners Framelits die set, the sentiment is stamped with Versamark and heat embossed with white embossing powder.  I adhered it to the card using foam dots to give it some dimension.  The motorcycle is stamped with Versamark ink and heat embossed with black embossing powder to give it some shine, dimension, and greater interest.  Here is the card I created:

Supplies Used:
Stamps: One Wild Ride - Stampin' Up!
Dies: Bunch of Banners - Stampin' Up!
Ink: Versamark, Memento Tuxedo Black
Cardstock: Stampin' Up!

Happy Beeday

Today I'm playing along with the newest Cupcake Inspirations CIC #461 Sparkle N Sprinkle.  The challenge was also Something New, so we needed to use a new stamp, technique, idea.

 I ordered some new stamps from Honey Bee Stamps just before Christmas.  I'm excited that I finally get to use some of them, the Bee Hive set is adorable.  I noticed that the challenge image had some sparkle and black in it, so I tried to incorporate those elements into my creation.

I die cut "happy" from black cardstock.  The cute little bee hive and bees were die cut from white cardstock.  I colored them using Copic markers.  "Beeday" is stamped with versa mark and heat embossed using black embossing powder.  I touched the wings of the bees with a Glaze pen to give them a touch of shimmer and dimension.  The polka dot paper has copper dots for some additional shine.

Supplies Used:
Stamp Sets:  Bee Hive and Hi Honey - Honey Bee Stamps
Dies: Beehive Honey Cuts - Honey Bee Stamps
          Happy - Taylored Expressions
Paper: Spring Time Foils - Stampin Up!

Unicorn Celebrate

Hello, it's been a long time since I've posted.  We bought my husbands grandparents house on the farm and have spent the past year remodeling it.  I just moved into my new craft room this last week, so I was excited to create something in my new space.  My daughter had a recent birthday, now that the kids are back in school, we needed to pass out invitations for her party.  She wants a unicorn themed party.  I decided to create a quick, post card style card for her to hand out at school.  I used this weeks CAS(E) this Sketch #303 as the pattern, its a retro sketch #251.  Here's the sketch:

Here is the invitation:

Supplies used:
Cardstock: Ocean Mist and white - Gina K.
Embossing Folder:  Cloudy Day - Stampin' Up!
Stamps and Die:  Dreamer - Tailored Expressions
                             Say it in Style - Close to My Heart
Punch: XL Curly Label - Stampin' Up!
Ink: Tuxedo Black - Memento
Jelly Roll and Glaze Pens

Farewell Mojo Monday

Hello!  I needed to create Father's Day cards this week, so I eagerly went to the Mojo Monday site to print off the new sketch.  When I read the post, my heart sank.  This is their final sketch, they won't be continuing.  As a mom of young children, I understand why Julee is simplifying and ending Mojo Monday.  However, as a paper crafter, I am sad.  Mojo Monday has been my favorite challenge,  I've been playing along since I started my blog.  I could always count on a sketch to get the creative juices flowing, and when I needed a place to start, Mojo Monday was my go to.  Here is the final sketch:

I used Stampin' Up's Crumb Cake to make a card base, and cardstock and some old patterned paper from Close to My Heart on the card.  I thought I had a fun Father's Day stamp set, but I must not have purchased it and only thought about it (a great excuse to go shopping!).  So I ended up combining two stamp sets for the sentiment, which I stamped in Close to My Hearts Chocolate ink.  I stamped "Happy" from Concord & 9th's Happy Words set, and "Father's Day" from Close to My Hearts June Word Puzzle.  

Thank you Julee for all of your hard work and wonderful sketches!  You have made me stretch and grow as a paper crafter.  Best of luck!

Peony Thank You

Hello!  When I saw this weeks sketch for Freshly Made Sketches, I just had to use another peony flower.  They were also the perfect color for this weeks Color Throwdown, using purple, aqua, light pink, and white.  Here are the inspiration pictures:

I ordered the Peony Bouquet stamp and die bundle from Altenew a few weeks ago.  I was so excited to try it out that I made a bunch of flowers all at once.  So these flowers are from that crafting spree.  I stamped the peonies with Blush, Hollyhock, Tulip, and Vineyard Berry inks from Close to My Heart. The sentiment stamp and die are the Itty Bitty Banners set from Stampin' Up, I stamped it with Petal ink from Close to My Heart.  I used  a pretty aqua glitter and aqua, pink, and gold stripe washi tape from Recollections under the sentiment and flower.  The cardstock base is Winter Wisteria from Papertrey Ink.  

Many Thanks

Hello.  I took a break from crafting last week, it wasn't a restful break, it was more of a keep my sanity break.  We had a large auction last Thursday and Friday here at the farm.  We are no longer dairy farmers, we are now crop farmers.  It was a super hard decision, I still walk around our empty farm crying.  I wanted to get back to creating, so today I decided to participate in this weeks CAS(E) this Sketch and the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge, which was anything goes.  We had so many of our friends to help us through last weeks emotional rollercoaster that I need to start making thank you cards to send to them.  Here is this weeks sketch:

I was excited to use some new stamps for my card.  I love the Altenew Peony Bouquet stamps and dies, especially since some of my fondest memories of my grandmother growing up include her and the peony bushes at her house.  

 I layered four different Close to My Heart inks using the four different layer stamps for the flowers, they were Blush, Hollyhock, Tulip, and Vineyard Berry.  For the leaves, I layered 3 Close to My Heart inks, Sweet Leaf, Topiary, and New England Ivy.  I made a card base using Papertrey Inks Pale Peony cardstock. I matted it with a white cardstock that I embossed using the Honeycomb embossing folder from Stampin' Up!  The sentiment from Lawn Fawn I stamped with Close to My Hearts Archival Black ink and cut it out using a scissors.  I hope this card conveys to my dear friend who came and made sure we had food to eat during our action and days following how much we appreciated everything she did for us.

Lovely

Hi!  I'm so excited for today's card.  I was able to use so many of my newer crafty supplies.  I received my first order from Concord & 9th, and just had to try them out.  I had been thinking about getting a banner die set for a while now because every time I go to add a banner to anything, I end up cutting the bottom lopsided (please tell me I'm not alone).  I was cruising around the crafty blogs and found Concord & 9th.  While I was checking out their latest release, I found their Select-A-Size Edge Dies set that cut not one, but 7 different bottom edges for banners - and because of the tabs on the bottom each die can be used for multiple sizes.  Yes PLEASE!!!  So I ordered myself a set, and a few other goodies, and qualified for their customer appreciation promotion, the Lovely stamp set.

To make this card, I cut a banner that would fit my new stamp with one of the Select-A-Size Edge Dies from watercolor paper.  I decided to do an emboss resist technique, so I stamped the sentiment with Versamark and heat embossed with black embossing powder from Close to My Heart.  Then I used my Tim Holtz Distress Inks (which to me are new, I'm a late bloomer) and smeared them on a silicone mat and spritzed with water.  I swooshed my watercolor paper banner over the ink.  Once it was dry, I colored the flowers and leaves with my new gel pens (from Walmart, I went economical).  The green pen I used for the leaves was a glitter pen, so they have a shine to them.  I layered Vintage Cream and Plum Pudding cardstock from Papertrey Ink to create some depth.  I embossed the top layer of Vintage Cream with the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder from Stampin' Up for some interest and texture.

I'm entering this in the weekly Simon Say Stamp Monday challenge, this week the theme is Splash It On.  I used the watercolor paper, distress inks, and water to create the background of the banner.

Magical Day

Hello.  Today, I wanted to use this weeks sketch from CAS(E) this Sketch.  I just couldn't decide on a theme for it.  However, when I saw the cupcakes for this weeks Cupcake Inspirations, I knew exactly which stamp set I was reaching for.  Here are the pictures for the inspiration:

I just loved the unicorn cupcakes, they are so fun!  I used my stamps and die combo called Dreamer from Taylored Expressions to stamp and cut out my unicorn. I colored using Copic markers, then I brushed her with Wink of Stella for some extra shimmer.  I decided to put her on a hill that I cut out using the Sleigh Ride Edgelits from Stampin' Up and Sweet Leaf cardstock from Close to My Heart.  I embossed the cloud background using the Cloudy Day embossing folder from Stampin' Up.  

For You CAS(E)

Hello!  I sat down this afternoon after church to create this card from this weeks CAS(E) this Sketch challenge.

Sometimes when I look at a sketch, it makes me think of a stamp that I need to use for creating the card.  This sketch made me think of a set (Field Flowers) that I was given as a surprise hostess gift by my Stampin' Up! consultant.  She knew that I loved this set, and ordered it for me as an extra surprise.  She is so good to me.  Here is the card I created:

Supplies Used:

Stamps:  Bitty Banners, Field Flowers - Stampin' Up!

Inks:  Blush, Hollyhock, Tulip, Black - Close to My Heart

Paper:  Hollyhock - Close to My Heart, First Edition DSP - Stampin' Up!

Simple Christmas Wishes

Hi there.  I was so excited to combine 2 challenges for today's card.  I'll start with the sketch from CAS(E) this Sketch!, it was perfect for showcasing a textured paper as the base.  I chose to use a new embossing folder that I hadn't even taken out of the package called Cable Knit.  I lightly misted the cardstock with water before I ran it through my Big Shot, the paper is deeply embossed with a sweater pattern with no cracking of the cardstock.  

Since I used the Cable Knit dynamic folder, I decided to combine the sketch with this weeks Merry Monday Christmas Challenge to use red, green, and white.  I cut the New England Ivy with my new die set from Papertrey Ink, I love the stitched border it adds.  I stamped the sentiment with Versamark and heat embossed it with Real Red Glitter Embossing Powder for some color and sparkle.  

I had a hard time capturing the sentiment, so here is a close up:

On a different note, I'm surprised how much of a difference cameras made in these photos.  I have an older point and shoot Canon that I keep in my craft desk for taking pictures for my blog.  I was having a hard time with it focusing on the sentiment, so I switched the memory card to my new camera that my husband got me for Christmas.  What a huge difference in photo quality.  I'm going to retire the Canon and let the girls use it when they go to church camp this summer.  

Supplies Used:

Stamps: Cozy Christmas - Stampin' Up!

Ink:  Versamark

Real Red Glitter Embossing Powder, Real Red Cardstock, Cable Knit Dynamic - Stampin' Up!

New England Ivy Cardstock - Close to My Heart

Neenah Solar White Cardstock

Double Ups: Rectangle Die Collection - Papertrey Ink

Strong Coffee

Hello!  I so badly wanted to create a card using this weeks sketch challenge at Split Coast Stampers, it took me a few days of pondering to figure out all of the layers in the sketch.  I'm so happy with how this card turned out.

I used this cute, free digital set from Verve Stamps called Rise and Shine.  I touched the open loops on the sentiment with some color, and colored the mug with Copic markers.  After they were colored, I brushed the sun on the mug and the lines on the sentiment with Wink of Stella for some shimmer.

Supplies Used:
Rise and Shine - Verve Stamps
Cardstock - Aqua Mist - Papertrey Ink, Sorbet - Close to My Heart, Solar White - Neenah, Kraft - Stampin' Up!
Sweet Sorbet DSP - Stampin' Up!
Copic Markers
Ribbon - Close to My Heart and Maya Road
Wink of Stella

Pink, Grey, and Purple Mojo Birthday

I loved the idea of the color challenge at "Just Us Girls" this week, it's pink, grey, and purple.

I combined it with this week's Mojo Monday 489 sketch.

I wanted to dress up the Pansy Purple medallion I cut out, so I decided to use my brand new Distress Oxide ink to stamp a background.  After stamping, I spritzed it so it would oxidize, and quickly dried it with my heat gun.  After that, I stamped the butterfly over it with platinum pigment ink.  

The Wednesday challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Challenge Blog is to use more than one die or punch.  I opted to make a pink ombre panel using a loop punch that I layered.  I stamped the sentiment and used the corresponding die to cut the banners, and I cut the purple medallion out with a Spellbinders die.

Supplies Used:

Stamps:  Itty Bitty Banners, Bliss - Stampin' Up!

Inks:  Smokey Plum - Close to My Heart, Worn Lipstick Distress Oxide - Ranger, Platinum Planet - Brilliance

Cardstock - Soft Stone, Smokey Shadow, Sweet Blush - Paper Trey Ink, Pansy Purple, Blush, Hollyhock. Petal - Close to My Heart

Embossing Folder and Banner Die:  Honeycomb and Bitty Banners - Stampin' Up!

Ironworks Motifs - Spellbinders

Language of Friendship CASE

The newest challenge from Time Out Challenges #79 is a CASE challenge.  I thought the birdhouses hanging from the tree with the sentiment that said "Happy New Home" was adorable.  It reminded me that I had the Language of Friendship stamp set and the corresponding punch.  I stamped the branch on Kraft and Sweet Leaf cardstock, punched them out, cut off the leaves and glued them on the Kraft branch.  I used my Cloudy Day embossing folder on the background card stock and decided to break out my new distressing ink to give the clouds a blue tinge.

Supplies Used:
Stamps:  Language of Friendship - Stampin' Up!
Ink:  Rich Cocoa - Memento, Desert Sand and Garden Green - Close to My Heart, Tumbled Glass Distress Ink - Ranger
Cardstock:  Kraft - Stampin Up!, Sweet Leaf, Crystal Blue- Close to My Heart
Cloudy Day embossing folder and bird punch - Stampin' Up!

Dino-rrific Mojo Monday 488

I really liked this weeks Mojo Monday sketch.  I had envisioned something soft and feminine with washi tape for the long thin panel.  However, that's not how it turned out.  When I went to select a stamp, the No Bones About It from Stampin' Up! jumped out at me.  So I ended up making a kids birthday card instead.

Supplies Used:
Stamps:  No Bones About It - Stampin' Up!
Inks: Grey Wool, Lagoon, Pear, and Sunset - Close to My Heart
Paper:  Hooligans - Close to My Heart

Keep Calm Color Throwdown #433

I was poking around the internet trying to find a color challenge.  I found the challenge at The Color Throwdown, this week it was to use the colors cornflower blue, green and white.  I immediately knew that I had to try that challenge. The first stamp that came to mind when I saw this challenge was the Watercolor Wash stamp from Stampin' Up!

Also this week at Split Coast Stampers, the clean and simple challenge (CAS419) is to create a card with green, Irish, or lucky.  This is my first attempt at a clean and simple card.  While I like the look that other people create in this style, I myself have a hard time executing it.  I still was unsure about it, then my 10 year old found it and gushed about it.

Supplies used:
Stamps:  Watercolor Wash and Carry On - Stampin' Up!
Ink:  Sweet Leaf and Pacifica - CTMH
Cardstock - Stampin' Up!
Embellishments:  Sparkles - CTMH. Sequins - Target

Sparkly Nature's Peace

For the Merry Monday challenge this week, we are to have a creation with shimmer and sparkle.  I've been enjoying using up paper that I've had for a number of years and pulling out stamps and other supplies that I haven't even used yet.  This week, the stamp set was Nature's Peace from Stampin' Up!.  I also had iridescent ice embossing powder from Stampin' Up! that I hadn't opened yet.  For some reason, I was thinking the embossing powder was white with glitter mixed in, so my first creation came out like this:

Not exactly what I was hoping for.  I wanted the shimmer from the powder, but something that was easier to read, so I decided to try using a white pigment ink pad to stamp the image and then top it with the iridescent ice embossing powder.  I also decided to change the cardstock color, attempt number 2 came out looking like this:

I liked the changes on take #2 better.  However, once I got that far, it occurred to me that I should try silver embossing powder (and of course a darker blue cardstock).  So here's take #3:

After playing around with all 3 takes, I decided to cut them out using a Spellbinders die, and to add bitty sparkles to the centers of the snowflakes for some added sparkle.  Which one is your favorite?

Supplies Used:
Stampset:  Nature's Peace - Stampin' Up!
Inks:  White Daisy Pigment - Close to My Heart, Versamark
Cardstock:  Cherry Cobbler - Stampin' Up!, Twilight Blue, Outdoor Denim - Close to My Heart
Embossing Powder - Iridescent Ice - Stampin' Up!, Silver - Close to My Heart
Embellishments - Bitty Sparkles - Close to My Heart
Paper - Good Cheer paper pad - October Afternoon
Diecut - Spellbinders

Season's Greetings Stocking

I just love sending out my homemade Christmas cards.  However, I have a confession, for the past year or two (maybe 3, I can't remember), November rolls around and I give up.  I have great intentions of sitting down and making a stack of Christmas cards, some matching, some not, it depends of my mood.  That time never comes.  So, November comes and I decide to order picture cards online.  Not this year.  I'm starting early.  I'm going to participate in a few Christmas card challenges to get a head start.  Today, this card is for the Merry Monday challenge, we had to have a stocking on our card.  I'm also participating in the Split Coast Stampers 2017 Christmas Card Challenge.  They have it for 11 months, with December being off.  The months and themes are posted on the forum, we can work on them through out the year.  My goal is 1 Christmas card per month (I'm starting slow).  April's card needs to have a creature on it.

I thought this little reindeer stocking from Stampin Up's Gift Givers set was adorable.  I decided that instead of coloring the stocking in, I was going to paper piece it.  So I stamped the stocking image on Cherry Cobbler cardstock, Kraft cardstock, and a patterned paper from October Afternoon's Good Cheer Paper pad.  Then I did some fussy cutting and glued the little pieces to the main stocking.  I'm very pleased with how it turned out.  I decided to make a hanger for it by folding a piece of Cherry Cobbler seam binding in half the long ways and folding it over to create a loop.  

Supplies Used:

Stamp set - Gift Givers and Happy Scenes - Stampin Up!

Ink - Tuxedo Black - Memento

Paper - Cherry Cobbler, Kraft - Stampin Up!, Good Cheer Paper Pad - October Afternoon

Seam Binding - Cherry Cobbler - Stampin Up!

Watermelon & Mints Live Simply

I played along with the color combination challenge at Split Coast Stampers.  This weeks is called Watermelon & Mints at Night.  The colors were Stampin Up! colors of Watermelon Wonder, Mint Macaron, and Night of Navy.  I just had to try that combination.  I don't have any of those colors, so I had to improvise from my stash.  The Market Street paper pad from My Mind's Eye matched up pretty close when I held it up to the computer screen, so I started there.  I added in Close to My Hearts Outdoor Denim card stock and ink to take the place of Night of Navy.

Supplies Used:
Stamp - Trust God - Stampin Up!
Paper - Market Street - My Mind's Eye, Outdoor Denim - Close to My Heart
Ink - Outdoor Denim - Close to My Heart
Dies - Spellbinders
Ribbon - Maya Road

Deepest Sympathy

A friend recently lost her sister, I want to send her a card, here it is.  I used the current fabulous Cardabilities sketch.  I rotated it so I could fit the sentiment on it. 

Also, this week it's Anything Goes at Use it Tuesday.  I've had this stampset for almost a year and I finally used it.  Also, I purchased this lace a few weeks ago and hadn't found the perfect paper to pair it with.  The flower is a coffee filter flower that I made last week for The Shabby Tea Room's challenge to make handmade flowers.  I didn't use this particular one, I just love the glitter on it.

Supplies Used:
Sunkiss Paper Collection - Prima
Cardstock:  Colonial White, Chocolate - Close to My Heart (CTMH)
Ink:  Chocolate - CTMH
Stampset:  Thanks for Caring - Stampin' Up!
Embosslits Beautiful Wings - Stampin' Up!
Lace - Girls Paperie
Mocha Opaques, Rhinestone Brad - CTMH
Cinnamon Stickles, Rock Candy Distress Paint - Ranger
Glimmer Mist - Tattered Angels