Happy Sunday with a Couple of Cards

 Hello everyone!! Just popping in with a couple of cards that I created this weekend. 

I had to get all my creative fun in as we are taking my daughter to DC this week to set up her new apartment. She will be a SENIOR!!! The time went by so fast!!!

Since our dogs are crazy, we are having a house sitter come for the week. Thank goodness for family!!

My first card I created with inspiration from some challenges.

I used some new Pinkfresh Studio products for this. I bought the Happy Blooms Stamps, Dies and matching stencils. They were so FUN to use!!!

The two challenges that inspired me to create this card are Freshly Made Sketches #498, the Color Hues Challenge #23-use Pink and Yellow and The Flower Challenge #59-use dies. Of course I was late with Color Hues!!

I used a stencil and Twisted Citron Distress Ink to create the foliage in the frame. The frame I die cut using Pinkfresh Studios Braided Oval. 

My sentiment is from my sentiment strip stash. I added some gold pearls randomly around the card.

The colors I used for the stencil are Mowed Lawn, Twisted Citron, Squeezed Lemonade, Mustard Seed, Kitsch Flamingo and Worn Lipstick Distress Ink.

For my next card I used Simple Stories Simple Vintage Lemon Twist Paper and ephemera.

I started by using Antique Linen and Walnut Stain Distress Ink to ink the edges of my white A2 Neenah White cardstock. 

I took pieces of ephemera to embellish the card.

I added a sentiment I created on my computer. I just LOVE this paper set and had so much fun making my card!!

Well that is all for today. I thank you for taking the time to stop by today!!

Popping in With Some Cards

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Happy Sunday!! Just popping in with some cards I created this weekend with some cards I created using some challenges. 

My first card I created for Freshly Made Sketches #491.  

I have been trying to have my own internal challenge to use some of the supplies I have. I have SO MUCH pattern paper that I decided the sketch was perfect to use some up. Below is the sketch that inspired my card.

I also have some stickers that I needed to use. Do you ever used stickers on your cards? I decided when I created some of my cards that I would add them to some of my cards.

I used paper from a 12" by 12" paper pad I bought from Michael's. The little frame was even fussy cut from a piece.

The watering can is a Carta Bella element sticker sheet from the Flower Market collection. The yellow flower is from Carta Bell's Spring Market element stickers. 

The watering can had light polka dots that I decided to emphasize by adding some White Nuvo Crystal Drops. The sentiment was from my stash that is stamped and die cut. I am not sure who created it.

For my second card, I created a card for a CAS Colours and Sketches Challenge #425.

I had so much fun making this card!! Again, I used a combination of stickers from the same sticker sheets. The pattern paper used is from 49 and Market Vintage Artistry Vintage Sage paper collection.

The sentiment is from My Favorite Things Bitty Birthday Wishes sentiment set. The greenery was die cut using Altenew Branches and Berries dies that were die cut from Neenah Solar White cardstock and shaded with two shades of Distress Ink-Mowed Lawn and Rustic Wilderness.

I die cut the circles using a retired Shaker Die from My Favorite Things and a Lawn Fawn Large Stitched Rectangle die for the background paper. 

I am so in love with how this card came out!! I am not sure it is up to a CAS design because I used pattern paper but it is a card that I have in my stash. I am notorious for not getting birthday cards out in time. My daughter makes fun of me for this. A card maker who forgets to send out cards.

On another note, I have been having a FABULOUS summer. I am trying to go on a few "adventures" a couple times a week. This past week I went walking with a friend, out to lunch and then to a fun antique store. I love old things and the younger generation does not appreciate them as much as my generation does.

Well that is all from me tonight. I thank you for taking the time to stop by. Have a FABULOUS night!

 

Happy Father's Day!!!

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there!! I know not many read my blog but just throwing it out there!! 

My daughter had to work so my husband and I went out to breakfast this morning. Then we went to Home Depot and ripped some boards with a table saw for our deck. It was quite scary as in order to cut them, my husband had to take the safety cover off. I thought he was going to cut his hand off!!! He didn't, though, and he worked on our deck the rest of the day while I cleaned the living room and then cleaned out all the clothes in my closet. This took hours and I gave away a lot but also have a lot. No shopping for me any time soon!!

Today I am popping in to post a card I created for this weeks Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #490.

I created a Father's Day card for my father. I used Waffle Flower's Home Brew Combo set. I LOVE this set because it is great for masculine cards.

I did take some liberty with the sketch. I used an oval instead of a circle. I also added two rectangle borders. I was inspired to double the border by FMS's DT member's, Narelle Farrugia's. She added double the border to the card she made for this sketch.

The plaid paper is by Lawn Fawn. I have made a goal for the summer to try and use pattern paper on my cards. I have SO MUCH and I keep buying more. I know some people don't love it but pattern paper is a weakness of mine.

I used Wild Honey Distress Ink for the beer color. To make it look like "bubbles," I spritzed it with a fine mister and then blotted the water off with a towel. The "foam" I created by altering a CAS-ual Fridays Stamps cloud die from the Raindrop Duo set. 

It is hard to tell in the photos but I added some Gloss White Nuvo Crystal Drops to the foam to give it some dimension. I also did a bit of distressing around the edges with a Tim Holtz Paper Distressor. I used to do this a lot and then fell out of it. However, I love the look and think I will be bringing it back!!

Well, that is all from me today. I want to thank you for taking the time to stop by tonight. Have a fabulous night!!

A Couple of Cards using New Supplies

Hi everyone!! I hope you are all having a great Monday morning.

I am planning on cleaning out a wardrobe in my bedroom today so that I can get rid of it. I am trying to clean out at least one closet/room a day while I am off for the summer. My craft room is LAST on the list though!!

I need to clean out the computer room upstairs first because my husband said I could move my craft room to this room because it bigger! I am so excited because I get to PAINT it too! Unfortunately, that is the catch all room and it holds more stuff than I even want to think about. I tried to clean out a corner yesterday and had to stop as it overwhelmed me.

Today I have a couple of cards for some challenges. I love challenges to jump start my creativity!! I also always try to comment on the DT's of these challenge blogs when I join because I think it is the right thing to do. I know people don't have a ton of time but I figure if I have the time to post a card, I need to leave some love for them. What do you think?

My first card I was inspired by this week's Freshly Made Sketches #440.

Here is the FMS440 Sketch that inspired this card:

I used my new Pinwheel Party Stencil and Die from The Greetery to create the fun colored pinwheels on my card. I used Distress Ink that would match the pattern paper I chose to use.

The die cut alphabet is Pink Fresh Studio's Adore Alphabet the label die is Papertrey Ink.

This is not my favorite card but I don't hate it. I really struggled with the sketch, though I am not sure why. I was determined to do it, though!!

For my second card, I made a birthday card. I should have looked at some color challenges BUT I wanted to keep the card CAS so I chose to use basically red and white.

I had so much fun using the Birthday Palooza Stamp and Die set from Simon Says Stamp to create the candle border and the sentiment. I bought this set after the Online Card Class Spring Card Camp 2 after seeing some really stunning cards using this set.

The streamers are The Greetery's Twisted Crepe Dies. These are SO FUN and I can so see me using these on a TON of different cards.

I am going to enter this into Seize the Birthday Challenge-Anything Goes, WWD276-Anything Goes with a Twist and the NBUS Challenge, as this is the first time I have used these products.

That is all from me today. I want to thank you for taking the time to stop by. I am always happy when people see what I create. 

Have a FABULOUS day!!

Freshly Made Sketch Challenge #437 and Some More Homework

Happy Sunday everyone!! I hope you are all doing well. 

It is a PERFECT day in Connecticut today-mid 60's, low humidity with the sun shining. I spent some time outside watering my plants and planting some basil seeds in my skimpy veggie garden. We only are ever successful with tomatoes. Every time I have planted any kind of cucumber or squash, cucumber beetles kill my plants no matter what I do. 

I was busy in my craft room yesterday. I created a card for Freshly Made Sketches #437.

Below is the sketch that inspired this card:

Instead of having the design at the top, I kind of "flipped" the sketch to have it at the bottom. I also could NOT have my rectangle images not be uniform. 

I have been trying to use more of the stamps that I own so I dug out this old PaperTrey Ink set, "Building Blocks" to use on this card. I used five different shades of purple ink to stamp each of the five images.

I added a white die cut flower from MFT and Eucalyptus Leaves from Simon Says Stamp.

Supplies:

Paper: Neenah Solar White, Purple Rain

Stamps: PaperTrey Ink Building Blocks

Dies: Simon Says Stamps Eucalyptus Leaves, MFT Stitched Flowers

Ink: MFT Boysenberry, Purple Rain, Lavender Fields, Wild Wisteria and Egglplant (retired), Memento London Fog and Hero Arts Soft Granite

Now for some cards for the Online Card Class Spring Stamp Camp 2. I still have not done all of my "homework" but I have worked on some.  I have not created cards with everything I have made, though.

My first card is my homework from Day 6.

I stamped the Pinkfresh Studio "Enchanted Blooms" with Hero Arts Unicorn White pigment ink on some pink cardstock. 

I cut up the cardstock and layered it on the bottom of my white card base. I then added a MFT diecut sentiment and sentiment strip at the bottom.

I die cut a ton of sentiments last weekend and glued three of them together to give them a little lift. I usually do this as I make my cards but I have been trying to be more efficient and have some die cuts pre-made to add to my cards.

Smile Card:

Paper: PTI Pale Peony, Raspberry Fizz, Neenah Solar White, Lawn Fawn Black Licorice Cardstock

Ink: Hero Arts Unicorn Pigment Ink

Dies: MFT Smile

Stamps: MFT Smiles, Pink Fresh Studio Enchanted Blooms

Other: Gemini Jr., Ranger Multi Matte, Scotch Dot Adhesive Roller, Foam Adhesive, MISTI, Wagner Heat Tool, Ranger Super Fine White Embossing Powder

For my next three cards, I used a really cool technique by Dawn Woleslagle from WPlus9. We learned this on Day 19. Instead of making my embellishments for these cards, I embellished some pre-made die cuts from Pink Paislee.

I actually never do this type of thing but love designers like Jeanne Jachna that use pre-made embellishments on their projects. I have a TON left over from my scrapbook days and I recently bought these because I fell in love with them at the store. They make me HAPPY!!!

Dawn taught us how to do mono printing with Ranger Distress Oxides. I cannot say that I was that successful BUT it was fun to try!!

I embellished my my die cuts with some Aqua Shimmer Pen and Glossy Accents. 

The sequins were added in purple and silver. The sentiment is from Reverse Confetti. 

Wonderful Supplies:

Paper: Neenah Solar White, SSS Lavender Purple, Lawn Fawn Black Licorice Cardstock

Stamps: WPlus9 Winter Greenery, Reverse Confetti So Many Sentiments,

Dies: MFT Blueprints 13, Stampin Up Doily Builders

Ink: Wilted Violet Distress Oxide Ink, Shaded Lilac Distress Oxide Ink, 

Die Cuts: Pink Paislee Bloom Street Ephemera

Other: Nuvo Aqua Shimmer Pen, Glossy Accents, Foam Adhesive, Gemini Jr., Ranger Multi Matte, Scotch Dot Adhesive Roller, Wagner Heat Tool, Ranger Super Fine White Embossing Powder, Gelli Plate

My second card used the printing part of the technique.

This was my FAVORITE card of the bunch. I think the background is so cool. Most of my examples did not come out like this, though. 

On this card I added a Stampin Up doily die cut with the pre-made die cuts. 

I also added some purple Nuvo drops instead of sequins on this card. 

Bloom Supplies:

Paper: Neenah Solar White, Pink Paislee Bloom Swatchbook, Stamps: WPlus9 Winter Greenery, Reverse Confetti So Many Sentiments,

Dies: MFT Blueprints 13

Die Cuts: Pink Paislee Bloom Street Ephemera

Ink: Wilted Violet Distress Ink, Shaded Lilac Distress Oxide Ink, Lawn Fawn Jet Black Ink

Other: Nuvo Aqua Shimmer Pen, Glossy Accents, Foam Adhesive, Gemini Jr., Ranger Multi Matte, Scotch Dot Adhesive Roller, Crushed Grape Nuvo Drops, Gelli Plate

My last card I used the same technique but used green and pink oxide ink.

Again I used the pre-made die cuts for the card. I added an MFT smile die cut for the sentiment.

I added some Aqua Shimmer and Glossy Accents over the top of it to make it SHINE.

I altered the sentiment strip to say what I wanted it to say. I used some foam adhesive to pop it up off the card. 

Using these pre-made die cuts was a lot of fun and I have a TON left over to make more cards at a later date!!

Smile, Laugh, Be Happy Supplies:

Paper: Neenah Solar White, PTI Vintage Jadeite

Stamps: WPlus9 Winter Greenery, Reverse Confetti So Many Sentiments,

Dies: Stampin Up Doily Builders, MFT Blueprints 13, MFT Smile Die

Ink: Cracked Pistachio Distress Oxide Ink, Spun Sugar Distress Oxide Ink, Lawn Fawn Jet Black Ink

Die Cuts: Pink Paislee Bloom Street Ephemera

Other: Nuvo Aqua Shimmer Pen, Glossy Accents, Foam Adhesive, Gemini Jr., Ranger Multi Matte, Scotch Dot Adhesive Roller, Gelli Plate

I think that is all from me today. I could add a ton more but won't. This class was a BLAST and even though it isn't live anymore, I would recommend for others to take. 

I thank you for stopping by. Have a FABULOUS night!!