Happy NSD Day!!

So today is National Scrapbook Day and for the first time in years, I did not scrapbook today. Instead, I went for a long walk with my friend, visited my father and went to Costco with Chris for our bi-weekly visit. Then I came home and finished a card set I told my friend I would make her mother for Mother's Day. Did anyone do any scrapbooking today?

I decided to share what I did create, though. Guess where most of the stuff came from? The mess on my desk!! I know, I know, I have been doing this challenge for a while but I have to say, it is whittling down all my "extras" and I am able to make some quick cards. (Okay, not really "quick" for anyone else but quick for me!!)

The first card took me all of ten minutes to create. I had created this flower using the no line watercolor technique a few nights ago. I used Distress Inks/markers in Brick Red, Festive Berries and Mowed Lawn to "paint" the flower from Jane's Doodles. I die cut the element into a square and then stamped the Hero Arts sentiment.

I then tied some Doodlebug twine around the square and tied it into a bow. Next I adhered the panel using foam adhesive over two Doodlebug Mini Doilies that I had adhered to a red top folding card.

I just noticed that I used four doilies on this project. These stick together and I didn't notice until I was looking at the card as I am posting.

Oh, and the leaves on the tulip are freehand. Not wonderful but they were kind of fun to create.

My next two cards are very similar. They will I will be including them in the card set I made for my friend's mother.

My first card I embossed and then die cut a piece of white card stock. I spritzed some Squeezed Lemonade Distress Spray and let it dry. I then layered images that I die cut and stamped from WPlus9's "Fresh Cut Florals" set.

I think this is the most versatile set of stamps that I own. I have used this for a ton of cards!

I enhanced the blue berries and the yellow flower with some Stickles in Sea Glass and Diamond. My last step was to adhere a few blue sequins. I am kind of addicted to them as of late!!

My last card is the same design but much more simple. I die cut a piece of white card stock and stamped some leaves in two different greens. Next I stamped the sympathy sentiment from PTI's ""Words of Comfort" set. Then I layered the panel over a blue top folding card.

I layered the florals over the leaves and added clear sequins to this. The Stickles were added last.

I am hoping that my friend's mother will like them.

Okay, I need to cut this short and go spend some time with the family. I also need to put my hand on ice. I burned it while cleaning up the mess my dog made while we were at dinner. I am praying he doesn't get sick as he ate a few starburst candies and twenty pixie sticks!!!

Thank you for stopping by. I really appreciate your visit.

Life Lessons and a Couple of Cards

Hello Everyone!! I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend.

I did not have a super jam packed weekend so it was heaven. I cleaned my downstairs, deep cleaned my kitchen and scrubbed my kitchen floor, which was so needed. We are not shoes off people, though I have thought about instituting that rule. I would be the first one to break it, though, because I have to have something on my feet at all times. It is one of my "quirks."

Last week my daughter Charlotte learned a few life's lessons. The robot team made nationals and she wanted to take the trip to St. Louis to compete. However, her grades have NOT been stellar this year and we had to tell her no. I would have been a bad mother if I let her go. Every time she has been out this year, she does not hand in the work she has missed. Char was a bit peeved, to say the least. However, between a school meeting with all her teachers a month ago and this "consequence," I believe that Charlotte has finally gotten the hint that she needs to do better in school. (Not that we have not been trying to get her to understand this all year, but that is a whole different story!!) Freshman year has been tough and I am looking forward to summer. June cannot come fast enough.

Charlotte also got the disappointing news that she was not being moved up to the next level in her jazz/hip hop class. The studio we go to does not have a competition dance team so the regular class standards sometimes can be tough. The owner is not my favorite person either and some of the things she does irk me. That said, Charlotte is the one that insists on continuing at this place and she knows how this woman is. Charlotte has come to the conclusion that she will no longer be taking this genre of dance next year. She doesn't want to dance with eleven year olds when she will be turning fifteen. For once I support the decision because this class is on Saturday and now we won't have to worry about it when she has a robot competition.

Enough about how tough it is to grow up. We have all been a teen!!

I want to share a couple of cards I created from the mess on  my desk. Like I have said before, I often die cut and stamp a plethora of images when I make a card. Then I have a ton of left overs when I am done. I tend to tuck them away and often throw them out when I do a large cleaning. I am trying not to do that anymore. Below is a card that was totally designed around the "extra" WPlus9 Flowers I had made.

I just picked a piece of patterned paper to match the flowers first and then layered them over each other using a combination of dot and foam adhesive.

It was so simple that I created another but used a different sentiment.

I like this on better the first, I must admit. I had this scrap of pink paper and it was perfect for the background.

On both cards I used Stickles to give the flowers a little "sparkle" and "shine."

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

Supplies:

Stamps-WPlus9, Paper Trey Ink, and Lawn Fawn

A Few Birthday Cards using Mama Elephant

I go through stages on what kinds of stamps I like. Right now I am obsessed with the company Mama Elephant. This company makes the CUTEST stamps sets and dies. I have had fun coloring some little guys from the "Just Hatched" and using the mess on my desk to complete two adorable birthday cards.

The first one I created I used an orange color scheme. Did I tell you I am obsessed with orange? I believe I have said that a time or two!! Anyway, the first thing I did was to die cut a piece of Simple Stories "Color Vibe" paper with a My Favorite Things "In and Out Diagonal Stitched Rectangle" die and layered it over a white top folding card.

Next I stamped a strip of white card stock with a sentiment from the WPlus9 "Unforgettable" stamp set, layered it over a strip of orange card stock and adhered it to the card front. I then arranged and adhered the little animals over the front.

The little chick and the blue bird I used foam adhesive to pop them up a bit. I added tickles to the top of the chick's party hat and some green dots to the dinosaur. My last step was to adhere sequins randomly around the focal point. I also used a Wink of Stella on the balloon and the blue bird to give them a little zing.

I liked this card so much that I created another one utilizing the same animals but I colored them in different colors. I often do this because I often color things in big batches. I get bored using the same colors all the time!!

I used a little less bling on this one too. No Stickles anywhere!!

Aren't they cute? Totally fun and easy card from the mess on my desk!!

Thank you for stopping by today. I hope your day is fabulous!!

Supplies:
Stamps-Mama Elephant-"Just Hatched," WPlus9-"Unforgettable," My Favorite Things-"Sweet Birthday Wishes," Paper Smooches-"Sentimental Sampler"
Papers-Scraps, Stamper's Select White Card Stock from Paper Trey Ink
Other-Copic Markers, Big Shot, Sequins, Foam Adhesive, Momento Ink-Tuxedo Black

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"

A Creative Sort of Mood

Hello, hello, hello!! I hope you are all having a wonderful day.

It was back to the old grind after having a FABULOUS week off last week. We didn't go anywhere but sometimes those are the best vacations. I spent time reading, doing laundry, cleaning, getting a pedicure and then shopping a bit with my daughter-it was just wonderful. I so needed it and am looking forward to being off for the summer. I just have to make it through nine more weeks.

Today I am sharing some of my "experiments" that I did using Altenew's "Vintage Roses" stamp set. 

If you browse through Pinterest, there are some STUNNING cards using this set. However, I had a really tough time with it. I even watched several videos on how to layer them and I still had a difficult time. I am not a novice at stamping by any means but sometimes stamps need to be played with a bit to get comfortable and I think this is one of them. 

The first technique I attempted was to use three colors of distress ink and a watercolor brush to create my flowers.

As you can see, this did not go very well. The flowers are very impressionistic. I do not usually stamp with distress inks and I think this is one of the problems with using them with these stamps. I do like the red, though.

I then tried using different colors of melon ink to the layered roses.

Again, I did not like the look. I did not get the stamping "perfect" and it bugged me.

My last try was to use the same ink but in first, second and third generation stamping.

First I stamped the lightest color. I inked up the stamp and then stamped off twice to get the lighter pink. Next I stamped the medium color, only stamping off once. The detail stamping was inking and stamping. I did not love this technique that well either. I also messed up on the top rose, not placing it where it went at all. This was my last attempt and I was VERY frustrated by then.

I just bought a MISTI last week and think that I need to play with this set using this tool. Then at least the layers will be straight. I also need to test inks together to see if they "go" with each other. All in all, I am so disappointed by my results because I wanted these stamp set so bad and I know it is user error.

If anyone has any great advice about using this particular stamp set, I would love to hear it. Thank you for stopping by.