Happy Mail!

It has been a rainy Tuesday so what better way to brighten it up than with a card!!! 

I had fun coloring some Lawn Fawn squirrels this weekend from the Let's Go Nuts stamp set and then cut them out with the matching dies. They sat in a pile on my desk until I saw a couple of challenges to inspire my card. 

I used the Library Challenge #69 book cover and the Lawn Fawnatics Challenge #86 as inspiration to create my card. The tree and squirrel in the book cover inspired mine and the colorful leaves from the photo badge I duplicated on my card. 

Instead of making my squirrel red or brown like a lot of the cards I have seen using the Let's Go Nuts stamp set, I chose to color my little critter in gray like the squirrels in my area. They have been quite a nuisance this fall, running in front of my car but so far I have not harmed any.

The background was done with ink smooshing Ranger Scattered Straw Distress Ink with Tiki Torch and Tutti Frutti inks from Catherine Pooler Designs onto watercolor paper.

The tree is from the Lawn Fawn Lift the Flap Tree Backdrop die. This die was a bit pricey but I LOVE that I can cut it out of the backdrop and use it on its own!! I colored the trunk in by blending Walnut Stain and Ground Espresso Distress Ink with a touch of spritzed water and layered this over a My Favorite Things Wonky Circle die cut. 

The Taylored Expressions Simple Strip Friendship sentiment was popped up with foam adhesive. The last little touch was to cover the leaves with some Nuvo Aqua Shimmer. 

That is all from today. I want to thank you for taking the time to stop by tonight. 

Sending Strength

Happy Monday!! 

I have had the day off and since I a finally feeling better after a week of being sick I have given myself some creative time. I had my eyes dilated today and found out that I need a stronger prescription for reading glasses. For someone who has always had stronger than 20/20 vision, this has been a bit disappointing for me. However, new glasses will help with the headaches I have been getting.

Today is also a sad day for me every year. I am actually glad that Columbus Day fell on this date. It is the 27th anniversary of my mother's death. I miss her each and every day but this day is always bittersweet.

Onto something happy!! Today I am posting a card that I created using the sketch from the Paper Craft Crew. I adore their challenges but alway am finishing up my projects after they close. 

The sketch below is what inspired my card. 

Instead of the circle, I decided to do a leaf that was die cut using Lawn Fawn Stitched Leaves dies out of paper that I had done some ink smooshing on World Card Making Day. 

I paired the leaf with Feathered Friends Mini 1 from Ink to Paper. The sentiment is Simple Strips Sympathy by Taylored Expressions. 

I paired these with some pattern paper that I die cut using The Greetery's  Crimped Frame dies. I have been trying to use more patterns in my cards as of late because I have SO MUCH PAPER and I just keep buying more. A nice pattern paper is my weakness!!!

The paper I used is Crunchy Leaves by Prima and Full of Joy by American Crafts. I popped these up on a kraft card base that was embossed using the Sunny Studios Woodgrain Embossing Folder. I just LOVE how this card came out and will be sending it to a friend that I know is having a rough time of it right now.

Fall is my FAVORITE time of year and I did a bit of decorating a couple weeks ago but am just downloading my photos now. I created a wreath for my door.

I put my old scarecrow out with some mums. I don't decorate for Halloween anymore as we don't tend to get trick or treaters.

Above is my kitchen door and below is my front door.

I try to cover up my front stoop as we don't really use that door that much. I would rather people use the kitchen door because I can talk through the screen door!!

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

Thinking of You

 Happy Sunday!! Just a quick jump in with a post for a couple of challenges. 

I used two challenges as the inspiration for my card. I used this weeks Freshly Made Sketches #456 and the Inspired By Challenge: Pumpkin Spice. 

As you can see, I flipped the sketch for my card design. I was inspired by the gray gingham from the badge and the yellow/gold accents.

Everything is from The Greetery, with the exception of the paper. The gingham is from Lawn Fawn and the strip on the side is a scrap.

I really love how this came out but wish the gingham was a brown gray rather than a blue gray. I think it came out really nice, though.

I added some Nuvo clear shimmer pen on the leaves and some Glossy Accents on the berries.

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

A CAS-ual Fridays Spooky Halloween Card

 Happy hump day everyone!! Today I am over on the CAS-ual Fridays Blog with a Halloween card created from the new Spooky stamp set. Below is a sneak peek of the card I created:

I used a dot technique to make the sentiment POP off the background. Hop on over to the blog post to see how I created this card!!!

Let Your Light Shine

 Hi everyone!! Just a quick pop in tonight with a card I created today for two challenges. I wanted to make sure I got in under the wire!!!

I used this weeks CASE this Sketch #392 and The Color Challenge #613 as inspiration for my card.

I used five shades of Distress Ink on this card-Milled Lavender, Seedless Preserves, Fired Brick, Carved Pumpkin and Dried Marigold on the background. I know, I know, it doesn't look like it BUT I would not have been able to get the depth of color otherwise. I then covered the blended background with Hero Arts White Iridescent Shimmer Spray.

I used the Penny Black Delicate Silhouettes stamp set with black Versafine ink to stamp the botanicals and the sentiment is from Taylored Expressions Simple Strips Friendship. 

I used the Pinkfresh Studio Slimline Lacy Edgers to die cut the purple border from a piece of scrap paper.

I LOVE how this card came out and have another piece of shaded cardstock that I plan to use to make an identical card.

That is it for me tonight. I want to thank you for taking the time to stop by. Have a FABULOUS night!

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner and a Couple Cards for World Card Making Day

Happy Sunday everyone!!! Yesterday FLEW by and I only was able to make three cards, and one is sitting on my desk half finished. My mojo is just GONE and I was so disappointed because I set aside the whole day yesterday just to play. Don't you hate when that happens?

Now onto some FUN news!!! The two winners of the new products I collaborated on with CAS-ual Fridays  are.....

Sue D. you were randomly picked to win the Pinked Slimline Fri-dies and Lisa Elton for the Everyday Dragonflies Stamp and Fri-dies!!! Congratulations!! I cannot wait to see what you create!!! 

Onto my lame attempt at making cards for World Card Making Day. My first card I created for the Pinkfresh Studio Challenge #12 hosted by Arjita. It was to create a card using florals. Here is what I created.

I stamped the Modern Layered Florals with Pinkfresh Dye Inks. (I used the ink cubes from Over the Hills for the leaves and Heartbeat for the flowers.) I have had this stamp set for ages and this was the first time I inked it up and I LOVED it!! I layered my florals over a panel of pattern paper from the Celebrate 6" by 6" paper pack. 

The whole layout design was inspired by this weeks Freshly Made Sketches #455. The sketch was a square card but I changed it to a rectangle.

I added some Buttermilk Nuvo Crystal Drops in the center of the red florals to create the floral centers. I popped the sentiment, from the same stamp set, using some foam adhesive and then added some pink pearls around the edges. 

I really liked how this card came out!!! I even stamped and die cut a couple more florals using different colors to use on some future cards.

For my second card, I pulled out my PLETHORA of pre-made ephemera from Pinkfresh Studio to create my card. I used the Pinkfresh Challenge #6 and Challenge #12 hosted by Anne (6) and Artija (12). The challenges were to create a card with no stamping and florals. Here is what I came up with.

None of the stuff on this card is out there anymore. I am a paper and ephemera WHORE that buys it and then NEVER uses it!! It is terrible!! For this card, I combined Pinkfresh paper and Stitched Frames from the "Simple and Sweet" collection, along with flowers and die cuts from "Joyful Day." I then threw in a typed sentiment strip from the "Indigo Hills" set.

Not one stamped image in sight!!! I need to do things like this more often because it is fun to sit and layer things on top of each other. I added some Clear Wink of Stella over the flowers to give them a bit of shine, as well as some Nuvo Fresh Snow Glitter Accents in the middle of the flowers. 

For my final touch, I added some gold sequins across the card. I am so happy with how this came out!! 

Well, that is all from me today! I hope you all have a FABULOUS afternoon!!

Happy World Card Making Day!!

 Hello everyone!! I am popping in for a super QUICK post!! I will be posting more cards hopefully (with my fingers crossed!) tomorrow as I plan to spend the day in my craft room!!!

CAS-ual Fridays has a NEW Halloween stamp set-"Spooky," which I received in the mail yesterday, along with some glow in the dark Wow! embossing powder so I just HAD to make a card!!!

I had an idea when I saw this set to make a SUPER SIMPLE shaker card. I stamped the boo sentiment with Catherine Pooler "Midnight" ink on white cardstock. I then die cut the panel using the Pinked Slimline Fri-dies.

I then stamped the cob webs with Versamark ink and heat embossed with the WOW! "Glow in the Dark" powder. 

I then made an envelope out of a clear notebook pocket and added some sequins to make a shaker card. I didn't have just black sequins so I had to pick each of them out individually from a color mix!! Talk about dedication to an idea!!! I adhered the shaker part to the front of a white, slimline card.

I used the Pinked Slimline Fri-dies once again to die cut a black frame, which I adhered around the shaker using foam adhesive. My last step was to adhere a few sequins on the outside of the shaker as well.

CAS-ual Fridays is having a HUGE CLEARANCE sale, as well as a free giveaway with a purchase of over $35.

You can use my code, NORASENTME, to get an extra 15% off your total order!!!

Also, don't forget to post on my Day 1 and Day 2 September Release Blog posts to be in the running to win the new Pinked Slimline Fri-dies and the new Everyday Dragonflies stamp set, with matching Fri-dies. The random drawing will be on Sunday, October 4!!!

I thank you for taking the time to stop by. Have a FABULOUS day!!!

Day 4 and the Final Day of the CAS-ual Fridays September 2020 Release

Happy Thursday everyone!! I hope you have enjoyed the last three days of the September 2020 CAS-ual Friday release. I know I have loved playing with all the new products!!

Today I am showcasing the last new product release-Happy Birthday Fri-dies. This die goes FABULOUSLY with the previously released Happy Birthday stamp set. 

I started off this card by masking off a circle on a piece of white cardstock and blending Peacock Feathers, Evergreen Bough and Tumbled Glass Distress Ink together. I then spritzed a bit of water and let it dry.

I die cut the panel using a rectangle die and then adhered the "Happy Birthday" sentiment over the colored circle. I used the new Happy Birthday Fri-die to cut the sentiment from pattern paper that matched the colors of the Distress Ink.

Next I adhered the white panel to an aqua, A2, top folding card base. I took a white gel pen and dotted the edges of the blended circle.

To finish off my card, I used some Washi tape that complimented the color scheme. I LOVE the way this came out!! You don't have to do too much on the background when you have a fancy die cut like this. Who doesn't LOVE easy????

The Happy Birthday Fri-dies are available NOW, along with all the other new releases, in the NEW section of the CAS-ual Fridays Stamps Store. Don't forget to use my code, NORASENTME to get an extra 15% off your total order-including the new release!!!

I want to thank you for taking the time to stop by today. Please be sure to hop on over to the CAS-Friday Blog to see what the other members of the design team created!!!

Have a FABULOUS day!!