A Beautiful Saturday and Cards for Some Challenges

Happy Saturday everyone!!

It is ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS today in good old CT. Sunny, in the 70's with very little humidity-a perfect day in my eyes!

Today I am popping in with some cards for some challenges. This post has a lot of photos in it so please forgive me!!

I created these cards for June's Twofer Card Challenge #28.

I decided to use circle stencils on my cards. I die cut the stencils myself using different sized circle dies and incorporated them into my card design.

The first card I created was a retirement card. I stenciled the circles in a rainbow of Distress Inks.  (Candied Apple, Carved Pumpkin, Squeezed Lemonade, Twisted Citron, Mermaid Lagoon and Wilted Violet)

I then used the Confetti Backgrounds Stencil from Honey Bee Stamps with some white Gina K. Glitz Glitter Gel to create a little more interest on my card.

The sentiment is from Waffle Flower's Happy Retirement set that I heat embossed in white on black cardstock.

This card was really fun and easy to create. I have to send this out this week to a male and I thought the color scheme was PERFECT.

My second card was inspired by two other challenges as well as the Twofer Challenge.

This weeks Freshly Made Sketch #439 was what inspired me for the layout of my card and The Card Concept #137 is what inspired me for the color scheme. I was actually drawn to the golden and brown blanket in the photo, as well as the rustic appearance of the camping stuff.

I started off by using making my flower using a heart stamp from CAS-ual Fridays Hearty Horse stamp set. I stamped these flowers using Simon Says Stamps Duckling Ink and Vintage Photo Distress Ink.

I stenciled the middles using the same circle stencils as my first card, Walnut Stain Distress Ink, and a retired stencil from Memory Box. I then distressed the entire panel using Vintage Photo Distress Ink.

The Stamplorations sentiment (retired) was heat embossed with Walnut Stain Distress Embossing Glaze onto kraft colored cardstock. I have never used this glaze before but will be buying it in other colors as I like that it was an exact match to the ink!!

The twine, the sequins and the CAS-Fridays chipboard heart were the last elements added to my card. I don't think I have had as fun creating a card like this in a long time!!

Before I go, I wanted to post some photos of my front gardens. I am NOT a gardener by any means but I love my front to have flowers blooming throughout the summer. Today was the BEST day to be out deadheading flowers and attaching my plants to different trellises I have in my yard to try to get my flowers to grow the way I would like.

I also have a small veggie garden in the back. I planted pickling cucumbers, tomatoes, one eggplant and a pepper plant that was labeled as a tomato plant. The cucumbers are my favorite but every year I get cucumber beetles so they rarely grow but I am trying once again. I hope the effort is not futile!!!

On one more note, my friend made Charlotte some cloth masks for work!! these go around her head and neck rather than her ears. Her poor little ears are so RAW!!

I know some people don't believe in them BUT it is a state mandate here right now and if this helps keep people healthy I am willing to do my part.

Have you had enough of me today? This is the end of my long post. I thank all of you for taking the time to stop by.

Have a GREAT night!!

My Homework for the Spring Card Camp 2

Happy Mother's Day everyone!! I hope you all had a wonderful day.

Charlotte had to work today so I didn't get to spend it with her. My husband made me a delicious Dutch Apple Pancake for breakfast, I went for a walk with my neighbor who I have been walking with throughout this whole shelter in place, brought a plant to my sister, who I have not seen in forever, and Chris made me a delicious dinner. It was a nice day all around. If you wondered, I did social distance at my sister's. Very windy day here and we all sat out in her driveway at a distance and talked. It was really nice

So now for my cards!! I have had a nice weekend watching the videos from the Spring Card Camp 2 from Online Card Classes. I have been behind in both the classes and the homework is I have had so much to do at work.

Day 1 of the card camp was all about masking.

I used Honey Bee Stamps "Zen Floral" stamps to stamp flowers around a circle that I had masked off in the center so I could put the sentiment. Not sure if this is what the teachers had in mind but I have to be different!

The colors were inspired by The Color Throwdown #592 and the Sketch is my interpretation of CASE this Sketch #371.

Not only did I mask the circle but when I stamped the Stamplorations "Be Somebody" sentiment, I masked off parts so I could stamp it first in gold, then in teal and the last in turquoise.

I will be honest, this is rather busy for me but I do like how it came out.

I wanted to utilize my smaller stamps again in a different way and I thought these would be fun.

My next card is homework for Day 4 of the Spring Card Camp 2. The challenge was to make a Statement with a Sentiment.

To be honest, I didn't have a ton sentiment sets to choose from. I have a lot of stamp sets AND sentiment strips sets but nothing out of the box like the sets that were used. SOOOO, I got a bit creative. I decided to use one large word and then use a phrase at the bottom. I used MY FAVORITE birthday set from CAS-ual Fridays Stamps,  "Shenanigans".

 In the lesson, the paper used was cardstock. I decided to go through my paper scraps and pulled out a mix of pattern paper and cardstock to use. I even used heat embossing because that is what was used in the video lesson-and heat embossing is not my favorite thing to do!!

Well, that is all from me today. I did do part of my homework from Day 2 but still need to finish my project. I also need to work on today's homework.

Before I go, I want to show you what Charlotte left me on the counter this morning so I could have it when I got up.

My FAVORITE chocolates, some "love mom" socks, a hydrangea candle and the most beautiful card. All I really cared about was the card. She writes the SWEETEST notes to me that melt my heart!!

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

CASEplorations April at STAMPlorations Blog

Was vacation really last week? I am ready for another!!

Today I am sharing a card that I created for a challenge on STAMPlorations. It was to use this card by Kimberly Wiener as your inspiration.

Since I am an ORANGE freak, I decided to attempt an orange background. I did more of an ombre effect on my background then Kimberly did. I used Ranger Distress Inks in Dried Marigold, Spiced Marmalade, Wild Honey and Ripe Persimmon, which I then spritzed with water.

I then layered a die cut frame, banner and sentiment over the background. Each of these was from the mess on my desk, as was the cup cake that I adhered using foam adhesive.

I then literally sprinkled sequins onto the card and then adhered them down where they landed. My last touch was to use a clear Wink of Stella pen and Stickles in "Cool Mint" and "Orange Slice" on the cup cake. Easiest card I have created in a long time!! I just adore orange too!!

Again, I am entering this into STAMPlorations CASEplorations challenge.

Thank you for stopping by! Have a wonderful day!!

Supplies:
Ink-Ranger Distress Inks-"Dried Marigold," "Spiced Marmalade," "Wild Honey," "Ripe Persimmon," Momento Ink-Tuxedo Black
Paper-Stampers Select White Paper from Paper Trey Ink, Scraps
Dies-Paper Trey Ink, My Favorite Things (banner)
Other-Big Shot, Sequins, "Cool Mint" and "Orange Slice" Stickles, Multi Matte Medium, Copic Markers, Wink of Stella Clear Glitter Pen
Stamps-Paper Trey Ink-"Baker's Dozen"