Stamping Smiles Designs Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge #18

Happy Thursday!! It is the 15th of September and I am here with you with another Stamping Smiles Designs Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge.

There are a TON of fun things on this card and I had a hard time choosing. I chose to do the diagonal from the top left to the bottom right with stencil, blues and greens and texture.

I decided that I was going to dig out a stencil from Heidi Swapp and do a plastic wrap technique to get a faux textured look.

I began this card by using painters tape and masking off a piece of white card stock that was cut to 4 1/4" by 5 1/2."

Next I crumpled up a piece of plastic wrap, dipped it in "Cracked Pistachio" Distress Ink (green) and blotted it over the stencil.

I then used "Mermaid Lagoon" Distress Ink (blue) and repeated the process.

Hint-if there is too much white around your stenciled image, just go over it a second time with your colors until you get it the way you would like.

 I took the stencil off and trimmed my card stock on each side so the panel measured 3 3/4" by 5 1/2."

I wanted the heart and the sentiment to pop a little off the card but since it was only one layer, I needed to figure out how I was going to emphasize it. I decided to use a dry embossing technique and outlined the heart and the "happy" with a stylus.

I flipped the paper over and went over the opposite areas on the back. This popped the edges of the heart out just enough to give it a bit of dimension.

I then embossed (texture) a piece of Paper Trey Ink "Hawaiian Shores" card stock with a We R Memory Keepers Embossing folder. I adhered the folder to a top folding, white, A2 sized card base.

I then adhered the white stenciled panel over the embossed card stock with adhesive foam.

I used foam adhesive to adhere the "birthday" sentiment that I had stamped with Simon Says Stamps "Island Blue" dye ink from Mama Elephants "Happy Everything" set.

To complete the card, I used "Mermaid Green" and "Varsity Sequin Mix"  from SpiegelMom Scraps for a little extra oomph to the front of the card.

This card was so easy and a lot of fun to make. I urge you to give the plastic wrap technique a try!! For more fun inspiration, please go to Stamping Smiles Designs Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge Blog #18.

I thank you for stopping by today.

My Reading Obsession and a Book Recommendation

Besides crafting, one of my favorite hobbies is reading. When I am off in the summer, I probably read five books a week. I do a lot of my reading while I am doing cardio at the gym (and yes, my sister always tells me that I don't work HARD enough when I do this. HOWEVER, I make up for it in length. If I am engrossed in a book, I can do cardio for a long time!!) or I read until the wee hours at night when my eyes cannot take it anymore.

My choice of books? Anything that will take my mind off of today's reality. With the exception of self help books, I will read anything. Nothing is like being engrossed in a book that you cannot put down.

Right now I am obsessed with romance. I do not like the smutty, graphic stuff like Fifty Shades of Gray but the books where relationships are MORE THAN SEX. Trust. Caring for someone else. Seeing something in someone that others don't see. Being in love with someone for themselves and not for what you can get from them. Stuff that seems to be empty from society today.

I finished a book on on Friday that I just cannot get off my mind. The book is The Memory of Us by Camille Di Maio, which is more in the Historical Fiction/Romance genre.

I am not going to rehash a plot or give you spoilers. If you want that, you can read the reviews. However, I will say that Di Maio's characters are well thought out and not one dimensional. They have flaws, make hard and sometimes horrible choices and reap the consequences of those choices.

I have a Kindle and pay for Kindle Unlimited from Amazon so I selected this book because a) it was free, b) because the plot sounded interesting and c) it is the author's first book. I find that I tend to like author's first books more then the ones they write after. I am not sure why this is but it is something I have only recently realized about myself.

I even wrote a review for this book, something I NEVER do. I will say that this book is NOT heart warming but it is beautifully written. I am holding back my tears as I am typing, remembering a harrowing choice the main character made-one I could see myself making in the same circumstance, even though it could be seen as extremely selfish.

Anyway, if you like to read, I urge you to read this book. I don't think you will regret. I thank you for stopping by.

Make It Monday #260 Challenge

Long time no post. I knew that once I went back to work my blog would be the first thing to be neglected. I think I am going to have to start scheduling stuff ahead, which I hate to do. However, if I don't, then it seems like this place just echoes.

I have not been crafting much BUT while I am relaxing with my family in front of the television after a long day, I have been doing some coloring. I decided that this weeks PaperTrey Ink "Make It Monday #236" challenge "From Black and White to Color" would be perfect for me to join in this week. 

I started off by stamping and masking images from PaperTrey Ink's "Doodlie-Do" set with Memento Tuxedo Black dye ink onto a white piece of card stock measuring 4" by 5 1/4." I then cut apart the left edge of the with the most stamping.

Next I used my Copic markers to color in the flowers on the largest piece of card stock. I accented the dots on some of the flowers with clear Wink of Stella to give them some shine. I also used a white gel pen on the dots on the leaves.

I mounted the panels onto a Kraft, A2, top folding card, popping the colored panel up with foam adhesive. I added a sentiment from the same stamp set which had been stamped with Versamark onto a blue card stock and heat embossed with clear embossing powder.

I completed the card by adhering blue sequins randomly over the card front.

I apologize for these photos. I love this cake plate BUT it makes the lighting all wonky in my light box. I should have retaken the photos but I was a bit lazy this morning. I would rather craft then edit photos!

I thank you for stopping by today. Have a fabulous Saturday!!

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!!