Sending Big Hugs and a new DT Gig at the Cupcake Inspiration Challenge Blog

Happy Monday everyone!! Today I finally get to share that I have a new DT gig at Cupcake Inspirations Challenge Blog!!! I am an official "Sweetie." I am beyond EXCITED!!! 

The challenge will be a two week challenge and my first card ever for the Design Team is below.

My photo inspiration is from Cupcake Inspirations Challenge #522 badge. Aren't those little chicks cute?

(Source)

 

I know, I know-you are probably thinking how did I get from those little chicks to my card? Well, I did. When I think of birds, I think of spring. When I think of spring, I think of flowers. So I decided to get out my WPLUS9 stamp sets out and create a little scene. If you notice, the little bird on my card is yellow like the ones in that nest!

I used WPlus9's The Little Things stamps and dies, Spring Blessings stamps and dies, and the bird is from the Winter Greenery stamp set.

I made sure to add some brown in my little scene, another ode to the inspiration photo. I also used a shaded oval in the background with the color blue, like a robin's egg. See how I did that?

The sentiment on my card is from The Ton. The little orange flowers on the "ground" were in my "extra" pile of stamped images. I am not sure from where. I am so excited at the way this card came out. 

I hope you come on over to the blog and play along with me and the other Sweeties this week. I cannot wait to see what you create!!!

Popping in With Some Cards

(Disclaimer: This post has some affiliate links at no extra cost to you.)

Happy Sunday!! Just popping in with some cards I created this weekend with some cards I created using some challenges. 

My first card I created for Freshly Made Sketches #491.  

I have been trying to have my own internal challenge to use some of the supplies I have. I have SO MUCH pattern paper that I decided the sketch was perfect to use some up. Below is the sketch that inspired my card.

I also have some stickers that I needed to use. Do you ever used stickers on your cards? I decided when I created some of my cards that I would add them to some of my cards.

I used paper from a 12" by 12" paper pad I bought from Michael's. The little frame was even fussy cut from a piece.

The watering can is a Carta Bella element sticker sheet from the Flower Market collection. The yellow flower is from Carta Bell's Spring Market element stickers. 

The watering can had light polka dots that I decided to emphasize by adding some White Nuvo Crystal Drops. The sentiment was from my stash that is stamped and die cut. I am not sure who created it.

For my second card, I created a card for a CAS Colours and Sketches Challenge #425.

I had so much fun making this card!! Again, I used a combination of stickers from the same sticker sheets. The pattern paper used is from 49 and Market Vintage Artistry Vintage Sage paper collection.

The sentiment is from My Favorite Things Bitty Birthday Wishes sentiment set. The greenery was die cut using Altenew Branches and Berries dies that were die cut from Neenah Solar White cardstock and shaded with two shades of Distress Ink-Mowed Lawn and Rustic Wilderness.

I die cut the circles using a retired Shaker Die from My Favorite Things and a Lawn Fawn Large Stitched Rectangle die for the background paper. 

I am so in love with how this card came out!! I am not sure it is up to a CAS design because I used pattern paper but it is a card that I have in my stash. I am notorious for not getting birthday cards out in time. My daughter makes fun of me for this. A card maker who forgets to send out cards.

On another note, I have been having a FABULOUS summer. I am trying to go on a few "adventures" a couple times a week. This past week I went walking with a friend, out to lunch and then to a fun antique store. I love old things and the younger generation does not appreciate them as much as my generation does.

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

 

My Turn on the CAS-ual Fridays Blog with a Rainbow of Flowers

 Happy Monday everyone!! I hope you all had a FABULOUS weekend!!! We spent it finishing off our deck...or I should say that Chris did. I helped with little things but he did most of the heavy lifting!!!

Today I am on the CAS-ual Fridays Stamps Blog with a card that I created a fun background with the Flowerburst Stencil. 

The idea came to me when I was lying awake in the middle of the night last week. Does that every happen to you???? Below is a sneak peek of my card.

I have to admit that this was A LOT of fun to make. I can just imagine a field of flowers 

when I see it!!!

Hop on over to THIS POST to see a pictorial step-by-step to see how I created this card!!! Let me know what you think.

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

Happy Father's Day!!!

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there!! I know not many read my blog but just throwing it out there!! 

My daughter had to work so my husband and I went out to breakfast this morning. Then we went to Home Depot and ripped some boards with a table saw for our deck. It was quite scary as in order to cut them, my husband had to take the safety cover off. I thought he was going to cut his hand off!!! He didn't, though, and he worked on our deck the rest of the day while I cleaned the living room and then cleaned out all the clothes in my closet. This took hours and I gave away a lot but also have a lot. No shopping for me any time soon!!

Today I am popping in to post a card I created for this weeks Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #490.

I created a Father's Day card for my father. I used Waffle Flower's Home Brew Combo set. I LOVE this set because it is great for masculine cards.

I did take some liberty with the sketch. I used an oval instead of a circle. I also added two rectangle borders. I was inspired to double the border by FMS's DT member's, Narelle Farrugia's. She added double the border to the card she made for this sketch.

The plaid paper is by Lawn Fawn. I have made a goal for the summer to try and use pattern paper on my cards. I have SO MUCH and I keep buying more. I know some people don't love it but pattern paper is a weakness of mine.

I used Wild Honey Distress Ink for the beer color. To make it look like "bubbles," I spritzed it with a fine mister and then blotted the water off with a towel. The "foam" I created by altering a CAS-ual Fridays Stamps cloud die from the Raindrop Duo set. 

It is hard to tell in the photos but I added some Gloss White Nuvo Crystal Drops to the foam to give it some dimension. I also did a bit of distressing around the edges with a Tim Holtz Paper Distressor. I used to do this a lot and then fell out of it. However, I love the look and think I will be bringing it back!!

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

Birthday Wishes

 Happy Friday everyone!! 

I am popping in today with a card I created for some challenges. I have had some time now that I am off and have been having a TON of fun making cards for challenges!!

I made this cards using this weeks Global Design Projects Challenge #296. I am also entering these cards into the Watercooler Wednesday Challenge WWC318: Kath's All About Occasions and Seize the Birthday #216-no topping.

I had a ton of fun using the CAS-Fridays Flowery Background stamp to start off my cards. I then cut the panel into two different rectangles so I could make two cards. I have been trying to do more of this!!! 

On my first panel, I used a PTI die, black cardstock and heat embossed my sentiment that I stamped using WPlus9 the That is All stamp set. This was inspired by the photo from the Global Design Project.

I added some rainbow striped cardstock from Honeybee Stamps Over the Rainbow paper pad and a vellum butterfly that I die cut using Altenew Mix and Match Mariposa Butterfly die set. I used Distress Ink in Squeezed Lemonade and Carved Pumpkin to shade the vellum butterfly. 

For my second card, I used most of the same products as the first but added a die cut flower that was cut using the My Favorite Things Stitched Flower Die-namics, a stem from the MFT Stitched Blooms Die-namics and some red twine. 

I added some yellow enamel dots as accents. I LOVE how these cards came out and they were so easy to make!! I also was able to use some supplies that I had forever but have not used yet. I have been a HUGE collector and I am trying not to buy this summer. HOWEVER, last week was a bad week and I ordered a TON of things I do not need!!!

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

Disclaimer: 

Some (not all) of the links used in this post are affiliate links. They are used at no extra cost to you. 

Some Cards for Challenges

 Hi everyone!! I hope you are all doing well. 

I am FINALLY on summer vacation!! I have been super busy-visiting a park to see the rose garden in bloom, going out to eat with friends, walking with other friends and hanging out with family. It is such a relief after this difficult school year!!

I have also been able to get to my craft room. I am still working on moving my craft room from one floor to the next. It has been a long process. I have been doing a little more now that I have time. It is a HUGE deal and my desk is a mess because in between, I have been making cards.

Today I am posting some cards for some challenges. My first card was inspired by this weeks AAA Card Challenge #192. It was to create a card using one corner, with the optional twist of using the inspiration of a childhood memory. Here is what I created.

I created a retirement card for this challenge. I used a SB.com Domed Blending Tool with Distress Ink in Tumbled Glass to shade in my sky, and a combination of Mermaid Lagoon and Salty Ocean for the ocean.

I combined two die sets for the light house scene. I used Cottage Cutz Lighthouse and Lighthouse with Clouds. I used to paper-piece long ago and these dies reminded me how much I enjoyed doing that!!

I shaded the light house slightly with gray Copic markers and the "sand" was done by shading Distress Ink in Vintage Photo and Gathered Twigs. The sentiment was done with the Keep it Simple: Retirement Stamp Set from PaperTrey Ink.

I chose the light house theme for two reasons. First, it reminded me of going to Cape Cod when I was little. I always went with a friend's family. My parents could not afford to go on vacation so going here was a treat. Second, it reminds me of summer. 

I am also entering this card into this weeks Watercooler Wednesday Challenge WWC318 by Kath. The theme is All About Occasions. My occasion is retirement!! (do I need to even write this???)

For my second card, I created two cards for this month's Rainbow Card Challenge.

I chose to use some products that were on my desk. Do you over stamp things and then have extra?

I had stamped these envelopes from the Simon Says Stamp Sending Happy Thoughts stamp set on pieces of scrap paper YEARS ago. I had cut each of them out and they have been sitting in a container on my desk. I figured it would be fun to use them on some cards and the Rainbow Challenge was perfect!!!

The sentiment on the "slimline" envelopes card is from My Favorite Things (cannot find it right now or I would post the name of the set. I think it is retired) that I had heat embossed with white embossing powder.

I thought it was perfect for this card!! The sentiment on my second card is from Reverse Confetti's So Many Sentiments stamp set.

I know the rainbow is a stretch on my second card but I liked how it came out so I am posting it as well. 

Since I had a TON of envelopes left over, I made a bonus card. 

I tried to use a ton of pink and red envelopes on this one. The die cut hello sentiment is from the Say Hello die set from Concord and 9th. I believe it is retired.

I had die cut it out of white cardstock three times, adhered the layers together and colored it with a black marker. Sometimes I just layer sentiments like this together when I have a creativity block so I have them to use for a later date.

I believe the embossed sentiment is from My Favorite Things? I cannot find the set I used. 

Well, that is all from me today. I rarely post this many cards but I have been busy!! I actually am going to post some more tomorrow that I have created!!!

I want to thank you for taking the time to stop by. I hope you all have a fabulous night!!

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post (not all) are affiliate links. If you use them I get a percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you.

A Simple Thank You

Happy Friday everyone!! It is my turn over at the CAS-ual Fridays Stamps Blog with a simple card that was inspired by a hike I took last weekend. Below is a sneak peek of my project.

Hop on over to MY POST to find out what I was inspired by and to see a step-by-step on how I created this card.

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