Grateful for it all!

Hi ya'll!

What are you grateful or thankful for?  I have so many things on my list, we'd be here for days!  I am thankful for each and everyone of you that visit my little ole' site here.  I truly enjoy creating and sharing what I do, asking for advise, and lovin' on each of you as well!

I decided to participate in the Addicted to Stamps challenge this week, Clean and Simple.  I CASED a design by Charlet Mallett for the layout of this card. I liked the simplicity of her layout, but the colors were a challenge for me!....I don't know why....  I think I'll create another one with these colors and see if I can come up with something else for this.  I like pushing myself so hopefully I can break that mind barrier I have going on today.

I used some of my old trusty PTI sets, Gran's Garden and Half & Half and their wood grain embossing plate. It's been so long since I've used the latter stamps, I forgot what a great set it was.  I just used some of my old supplies, love using those up so I can get fresh new ones!

I did get a new photo box for my photos, but the whites are still not coming out as I would like...any suggestions??  What do you use?

Hello London

Hi y'all!

Up for another challenge!  I decided to follow the CAS(E) This Sketch #325 for this week.  My oldest is obsessed with all things London.....Harry Potter, Dr. Who, Sherlock Holmes.....  She still talks about the trip we made there when she was 13.  I got this set from MFT years ago after our trip and have only just now been able to use it....have I mentioned I LOVE my new art studio?....

The London Mouse set definitely takes some effort, lots of Copic coloring involved, but it is quite adorable!  I like that the little mice could be bears too.  I added the 'hello' from the Paper Smooches Word Salad set.  I didn't really have much room for anything else!  If I were to do it again, I would have embossed the sentiment in white, but I still haven't located my static bag for embossing yet...

Supplies:
Stamps: MFT London Mouse; Paper Smooches Houndstooth and Word Salad
Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black; SU! Real Red
Markers: Copics
Dies: MFT London Mouse

NYC toast

Hi ya'll!

I spent this last week in NYC with my oldest on a school theatre trip!  It was amazing!  My cutie patootie is quite the theatre buff....like her mama....and is involved with the productions at school.  My BFF and her daughter also went so we had an fun filled time.  During the trip, cutie got to meet her MOST favorite Broadway actor, George Salazar, and she broke into happy tears! It was too cute, I got the whole thing on video, but here's a little sneek of her reaction.  You can see the whole video here....its too cute!....



Now that I'm home, I can get back to creating!  I made this card for 2 challenges.  First, the Paper Smooches photo inspiration challenge for June is this photo.  I love the pink and the yellow together.  I didn't have anything pineapple, but I do love pineapple in my drinks!  I am also using the Just Add Ink challenge, Embossing Resist.  With those 2 things for  inspiration, I got my craftin' party on!

 I used PS Free Spirits and Wine Sampler stamp sets, along with their Drink Glasses die set.  For the background, I stamped the cocktail stamps with Versamark on glossy paper then embossed them with white embossing powder.  I sponged over it with SU! Melon Mambo and Daffodil Delight, then spritzed it with rubbing alcohol.  I added the sentiment and diecut cocktail, added some garish with a little sparkle and its good enough to drink!

I think?

I think I still got it?  I had 2 shout out this week on my craftiness...It really makes me so happy!

Thanks to the Paper Smooches DT for the shout out on this tropical card:

and to the ladies at Shopping Our Stash for the top 3 kuddos on their flower challenge!

I'm feeling the love!!!!

Hey FOXY

Good morning peeps!

Hope you are all staying dry, it's been raining here for the entire month....I thought APRIL showers brought May flowers....and we don't even have the worst of it! 

Any how, I had to FINALLY use this adorable set from My Favorite Things.  I picked it up years ago and until now, haven't had a crafting space to use it.  The fox and the squirrel are so stinkin' cute!  my youngest made a birthday card for one of her friends using the fox and I had to try it out after that.  I tried to find it on the MFT store site, but couldn't so it must be retired?  Too bad...I guess that's what happens when you're away from the paper crafting world for 5 years!

I decided to use the Late May MFT Color Challenge  for this.  Not traditional fox colors, but I love it!  I'm also adding it to the Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes Challenge since I know they carry the Carta Bella papers, although the one I used is from 2013.

Supplies:
Paper: Stampin Up Going Grey and Very Vanilla; Follow your Heart Be Happy; Carta Bella Cool Summer
Inks: Stampin Up Basic Grey
Stamps: MFT Cute Critters
Dies: MFT Cute Critters
Embellies: buttons; Tattered Angels Glitter Mist Granite

Thank you doily

Hi ya'll!

I'm super excited!  My TEENAGE daughter just agreed to come and get crafty with me!  You know teenagers...they like video games....boys....talking on the phone....boys....makeup....boys.  She loves to come in the studio and paint occasionally, but paper craft?  Never.  It's a treat!  I'll post our creations later today.

In the mean time, while she is finishing her phone chat with the girls, I thought I'd quickly post this.  This layout was inspired by Freshly Made Sketch #390.  I love the banner strips at the bottom.  Right up my alley.  I also just enrolled in the Simon Says Stamp monthly card club and the adorable tags from the kit HAVE to be used.  I'm excited about the kit club, It will help re-introduce me into the swing of what is relevant in the paper crafting world!....I'm also a sucker for Simon Says Stamp, they're good peeps!.....  I'll use them more in the next few days for sure.  Until then, I'm also adding this to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, Anything Goes.

I'll be saving this card for my pseudo mom, I grew up next to her and she's fabulous!  She owns an embroidery company and is quite the crafter herself!

Does anyone have a suggestion for a photo editing program or site?  I have a new photo box for taking pictures, but they are turning out blue...

Supplies:

Paper: (from my old stash); Hambly Screen Prints

Embellies: fabric doily; Carta Bella Frames and Tags Botanical Garden; buttons; corsage pins; ruler washi tape

A simple hello...

Good morning peeps!

I decided to pull out my 'new' PTI Gran's Garden set....well, I ordered them 3 years ago and have only just now been able to use them.....  I do love this set, I'm still trying to get the hang of doing some cool color combos like Dawn McVey does.  I think I need to invest in the Misti stamper.  It would be so helpful with sets like this.  I was inspired by the Color Throwdown Challenge this week.  I used to visit them a ton back in the day, their color stories are so fun!  I've also decided to add this card to the Watercolor Wednesday Challenge this week - Anything Goes.

I'm debating on investing in new stamp pads.  I've had most my Stampin up ones for over 10 years and I can't get any more refills for them.  Any recommendations?  Hybrid...dye...pigment?

Supplies:
Stamps:  PTI Gran's Garden
Inks: Stampin Up Melon Mambo, Pear Pizzaz, Crumb Cake, Certainly Celery, Perfect Plum
Dies: PTI Gran's Garden and scalloped card dies; PinkFresh Classic Words Die Set
Paper: Stampin Up Kraft, Whisper White; old gingham paper from my stash

Hello Lemonade

Hi y'all!

Another super quick one for you today....can you tell I'm REALLY enjoying my new studio???....  I have recently been introduced to the loveliness of PinkFresh stamps and dies.  So much variety, I had to pace myself when I made a purchase with them last week.  Just a little at a time....such discipline is hard....  I did however pick up a few things, like the FANTASTIC Classic Words Die Set....oh how I adore thee.....and the Sweet Lemonade stamp set with dies.  They are so stinkin' cute!  I was very excited to see the box on the kitchen counter when I got home from the holiday weekend, it arrived so fast!  I knew I had to use them on their challenge they have going on. 

Now, when you have an open ended challenge, I find those the hardest!  It took me a little while to get my craft for this challenge, but after I found some old patterned paper with the word 'lemonade' on it in the color story, it was easy to go from there.  I also have a TON of left over paper doilies so I added one of those to it too.  It's a sweet little card to send off to someone special.

Supplies:
Stamps: PinkFresh Sweet Lemonade
Ink: Stampin Up Regal Rose, Pirouette Pink, Daffodil Delight, Wild Wasabi, Certainly Celery, Basic Black
Dies: Classic Words Die Set, Sweet Lemonade
Paper: Vellum. Stampin Up Whisper White, retired patterned paper

Glitter Shots

Hi y'all!

How was your holiday weekend?  I had a wonderful time down in South Carolina at a besties wedding.  She was stunning and they couldn't be more in love!  I loved every minute of it!

I'm back in the studio today....trying to recover from a FUN weekend....and was pleased to find my order from Paper Smooches arrived while I was gone!....I think the subject matter of this card, pretty much sums up my weekend....  I tried to use my old Heat and Stick powder from Stampin Up, but I didn't find that it worked as well as it used to?  Perhaps sitting in a hot storage unit for 5 years has taken it's toll.  It took quite a bit ....more than a bit....of trial and error to create what was supposed to be a very simple CAS(E) Sketch Challenge project.  I also used the color from the inspiration photo from Just Us Girls blog.  I used to do their challenges back in the day and I'm super pleased to see them still around 5 years later!

I got a new photo box for taking photos, and I'm still tweaking the process!  These photos are a little over exposed...

Rainbow Joy

Good morning peeps!

Just a quick post today.  I'm leaving for the holiday weekend for one of my besties wedding and I have much to do!

I have found a fun challenge blog called the Rainbow Card Challenge.  It's a monthly challenge blog where you use a specified color or inspiration photo as your guideline.  Easy peezy!

I do like the look of a monochromatic card and green is one of my favorite colors, so I had to join in.  I had this fabulous 'joy' embellie in my stash....actually I have a dozen of them.... and thought I would put it to use.  I think I will come back and make another one for my bestie's wedding.  Her colors are lavender and green, so I'll switch it up a bit.

CAS(E) Woody life

I thought I would join this week's CAS(E) challenge!  Here is the sketch they provided:

A little back story...

My husband's dream car is a Jeep Grand Wagoneer.  While we were dating, we were driving down the highway the day after Thanksgiving.  A man driving his dream car was ahead of us.  Beloved sped up to drive next to the guy, and while driving 60mph on the road, convinced the man to pull over so we could have our photo taken with his car....the man is a natural sales man.... Here is the photo:

1 year later, and we were getting married.  What do you get the man that has everything?  His dream car.  I found one close to home for a STEAL!...and it looks almost identical to the one he spotted on the highway!....  Granted it has become the biggest money pit ever, but that man's eye's lit up when I gave it to him!  We used it as our 'get-away car' for our wedding.  The car is currently undergoing a full on renovation.  Beloved is drooling every week when he visits the shop to see the progress.  I'm just glad he's enjoying it!

On to the sketch...  When I saw this set from PTI, I knew I had to have it! A perfect stamp set to make cards for my Beloved.  It's been sitting in a box for 3 years, just waiting for me to have all my art supplies unpacked.  This is a set that will need some practice, that's for sure.  I made this card this evening, but I had to make 3 cars to get one even close to perfect.  I think I will also need to get hybrid inks.  The Stampin' Up! waterbased inks bubble up on the surface, even after rubbing them down with an eraser.

Supplies:
Stamps:  PTI On the Wagon
Inks: Stampin Up Soft Sky, Crumb Cake, Pear Pizzaz, Old Olive, Soft Suede, Basic Gray, Soft Gray
Paper: Stampin Up Soft Suede, Whisper White; Vellum
Embellies: green buttons, silver cording
Dies:  PTI  On the Wagon and stitched set 1

Color cheers

I have to just say... I LOVE MY NEW ART STUDIO!!!  I'm so incredibly lucky to have this space.  it just makes my heart happy.  This is a photo my hubby took on Saturday as I was getting ready for a painting class I was hosting.  Isn't it dreamy??  I love the floor...I love the lighting...I love the haint blue ceiling...I love EVERYTHING!  Sorry to brag, but it's just been wonderful being able to be creative again!

Speaking of being creative, I decided to participate in the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday blog challenge and the Shopping Our Stash - Get Your Drink On challenge.  I had actually planned on doing the SSS one from last week, but realized this morning I had missed it....it is Wednesday after all....  No worries!  I LOVE color and drinks so these are right up my alley.  I didn't have any recent Doodlebug designs sticker sheets....I did find one from 2003....so I used a layered sticker like the ones some of the SSS Design Team used.  I am trying to use up my old supplies before I update my stashes, so I pulled out some patterned papers by Lilybee Design from about 5 years ago.  I thought the patterned paper looked like a picnic blanket and I loved the colors!  I added the sentiment from Paper Smooches Birthday Sampler since it went with the cocktail so perfectly.  I'm still working on my photo skills so please forgive the photo quality!

Supplies:
Paper: LilyBee Designs, PTI Hawaiian Shores
Stamps: PTI Fruit Fusion Strawberry; Paper Smooches Birthday Sampler
Ink: Stampin Up  Soft Sky and Basic Black
Embellies: Sticker (no idea); blue and greet buttons; red and white bakers twine; pink seam binding ribbon

French Aloha Kisses

Hi ya'll!  Or should I say aloha!  I'm here with today's creation for the Paper Smooches May Challenge...Flowers.  WAY back in 2016, I was a guest designer with PS and knew upon my return I needed to get back to working with Kim's awesome images!  Bummer is, the only flower set from PS I own is the Bold Blooms set.  I don't have the die cutters....but after today's challenge, they're on my list!....  I struggled with this challenge.  I love the large images, but struggled with how to create something that was a little different, but that still showed off the image.  I tried water colors, creating a background paper with them stamps, I even tried just a single flower layout.  Nothing tickled my fancy.  I went thru all my flower embellies, which I surprisingly have very little of!  I then opened my new glitter/embossing drawer....how could I resist this drawer?....and found the perfect embossing powder to use.  Ranger brand Verdigris.  I've had this powder for about 8 years, so I'm not sure they sell it anymore.  I'm glad I hung onto it during the move, because I kinda dig it.

Since tropical leaves are all the rage in decorating right now, I thought I would use that as my inspiration.  I decided to use it to create the background with layers of Versamark, the Verdigris embossing powder and white embossing powder.  I added some gold Stickles to the centers of the flowers to match the sentiment.  Simple and fun card!

What do you use to inspire your creations?