Stamping Smiles Designs Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge #17

Happy September 1st!!! As this is a scheduled post, I am back to work and I wish it was still summer!!! I am such a homebody and just love to be home cleaning, doing laundry, being in my craft room-does not matter what endeavor I choose, I just like to nest.

Today I am sharing my card that I created for Stamping Smiles Designs Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge #17.

I chose to use the top row across-window card, critter and sequins. This was a really hard choice, though, because I could have done all of them!!

Here is my card:

The jumping off point for this card was the "critter." I had all the elements stamped, die cut and colored from My Favorite Things "Hog Heaven" set on my desk just waiting for me to use.

I die cut a square using My Favorite Things "Inside Out Stitched Rounded Square Stax" out of the front of a white, top folding, A2 sized card, as well as a piece of white card stock for the inside of my card that measured 5 1/2 by 4 1/4". Then I started to put my card together.

First, I shaded some "Twisted Citron" Distress Ink around the bottom of the square cut outs for both the inside and outside of the card.

I thought it looked a little flat so blended some "Mowed Lawn" Distress Ink over the top, making the darkest part of this darker green around the frame.

For the "sky," I used "Tumbled Glass" Distress Ink to shade some blue over the top part of the frame. I did the same for the inside piece as well.

I then cut a piece of acetate for a "window" and adhered it to the back of the front panel. I then adhered the shaded, white panel over the top.

Next, I used a sentiment from the "Hog Heaven" stamp set and some PTI "Smokey Shadow" ink and stamped it on the front of the card.

I then adhered all my colored images that I had on my desk into a little scene. I used foam adhesive for the pig head and the flowers to give them a bit of dimension.

Isn't he cute? I almost made him a girl but decided that this particular pig looked like a boy.

This is what the inside looks like. The fence is a mirror image and the stamp set has the back of the pig so I thought this was too cute not to use.

My last step was to adhere some "sequins" onto the front of the card, as well as use some "Diamond" Stickles.

It all came together rather quickly, which is rare for me!! Please hop on over to Stamping Smiles Designs Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge Blog to join us. I cannot wait to see what YOU create!

Toodles!

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Sunday Stamps #134, Simon Says Stamps Work it Wednesday August 2016 and NBUS Challenge #7

Happy Hump Day!! Just a quick post for a few challenges.

I am officially back to work as of yesterday. Today was the first official day of school for the high school where I work and it went pretty well. If my schedule remains the same, this year will be good.

Today I sharing a card that I created using Hero Arts "Marianne's Flowers" set that I had gotten this past spring but did not ink it up at all. It has the prettiest flowers on it!! I used the Sunday Stamps Sketch #134 as my inspiration.

Here is the sketch:

I began by stamping the lilies on a piece of A2 sized Copic Marker paper with Memento "Tuxedo Black" ink. I then colored the flowers in with Copic markers.

I mounted the panel on an A2 sized, white, top folding card. I then added a piece of green/white twine across the top.

Using the My Favorite Things "Stitched Banner Alphabet," I die cut the sentiment out of green and yellow card stock. I took the green letters out of the green banners and adhered them into the yellow banner pieces.

I then used foam adhesive to pop the alphabet over the twine on the card.

I completed the card by creating two bows out of the twine and using Ranger Multi-Matte Adhesive to adhere them to the card.

I have to admit that this card is extremely simple but I LOVE how it came out. The coloring of the lilies was an experiment. I had looked up a photo and tried to get the colors from there. The greens are really dark but I like it.

I am entering this into Darnell's "NBUS" challenge and Simon Says Stamps August 2016 "Work it Wednesday" theme-stamping.

I thank you for stopping by!!

CAS(E) This Sketch #187 and Paper Smooches

This is my second post for today. I just wanted to pop in and share another card I created yesterday during my creative afternoon.

I used CAS(E) This Sketch #187. Here is the card I came up with:

Here is the sketch that I used as my inspiration.

My card was very deliberate in how I constructed it. I used Paper Smooches "First Aid Kit" stamp set to stamp the heart "band aids" with "Jet Black" Ranger Archival Ink onto some patterned paper by Craft Smith. I was making this card for my Uncle who had a stent put in his heart on Wednesday. These hearts were PERFECT to use and using patterned paper made it quick to create!

I fussy cut each heart out and mounted them onto some gray paper that I had stenciled a chevron pattern onto with WPlus9's "Fairy Dust" ink. I stamped the sentiment with My Favorite Things "Red Hot" ink using Paper Smooches "Sentiment Sampler." I then mounted it on matching "Red Hot" card stock.

I covered each heart with my new Spectrum Noir Clear Sparkle Marker and then with Glossy Accents. I am so excited with how this card came out as at first glance, I hadn't a clue on what kind of card I was going to create for this challenge!!

That is all for now. I thank you for stopping by today to peek at my card. Have a great day!!

Stamping Smiles Design Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge Inspiration #16

Happy Sunday everyone!! It is my turn for some inspiration over at the Stamping Smiles Design Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge Blog for some more inspiration for Challenge #16.

Here is a sneak peek of my creation:

Hop on over to the blog to see how I created it!!

Thanks for stopping by today!!

Gratitude Cards and a VERY Busy August!

Happy Saturday everyone!! I have not posted much this month. August has been busier then I predicted and since it was super hot, I didn't feel like crafting much. I also didn't buy any craft supplies, either. Now THAT is a miracle that needs to be repeated for the rest of the year!!

I spent all day in my craft room today. I had some cards I required myself to make to get out on Monday and I needed some regenerative time due to a memorial I went to today. A woman died unexpectedly that I worked with last week. Her kids (whom were 30 and 34) gave a eulogy that was just heart wrenching. It made me think about my own death and losing my mother at 23. Anytime someone loses a mother, it always makes me reflect.

One thing I learned from my mother dying young is to do the things I want to do now rather then waiting for "someday." We are not promised that someday. If you want to do something, do it. Laundry can wait. Your house can wait. Spend time with who you love and live your life to the fullest. Some can say they can not afford to do what they want but you don't have to have money to be present in others life and take pleasure in the little things.

That being said, I created some gratitude cards today. I totally CASEd Betsy Veldman's design she created ages ago using the PaperTrey Ink "Beautiful Butterflies" set. I really was not in the mood to think so copying Betsy's basic design helped me get what I needed to get done.

I stamped different butterflies in a sort of rainbow along the edge of the card of a white piece of card stock measuring 4 1/4" by 5 1/2." I then stamped the sentiment in black.

I die cut each panel using the My Favorite Things "Blueprints #13" die and mounted the stamped card front onto different colored A2 sized card stock.

I tried to match the colored card stock to a different corresponding butterfly for each card. 

I left the card rather plain and flat, very unlike me, because I just wanted something simple to send out. Sometimes flat cards are better. It kills me NOT to put sequins on it or add some mist spray but I talked myself out of it each time I was tempted to. 

I also stamped an envelope for each card with a red butterfly in the bottom left hand corner.

I created two other cards today as well but they are drying so I cannot photograph them yet. One was a challenge so I want to get it up before the challenge passes. Maybe tomorrow!!

Thank you for stopping by tonight. Have a fabulous night!!

Supplies:
Paper-PaperTrey Ink "Orange Zest" and "Aqua Mist,", My Favorite Things "Red Hot," Simon Says Stamp "Duckling," Recollections White Card Stock
Ink-My Favorite Things "Red Hot" PaperTrey Ink "Orange Zest," Simon Says Stamp "Duckling," Hero Arts "Soft Pool," Umbrella Crafts "Amethyst," and Ranger Archival Ink "Black"
Stamps-PaperTrey Ink "Beautiful Butterflies"
Dies-My Favorite Things "Blueprints 13"
Other-Big Shot, MISTI, Scotch ATG Gun