Tuesday, May 31, 2016

RAIN RAIN RAIN

As some of you know, we were visiting our son and his wife and their sweet little daughter for two weeks in North Carolina in May. It rained almost every day we were there -- even at the beach! And then we came home, and they got sunshine, and it has rained almost every day here since. It's great for the grass and I love summertime rain! And I know a week from now, when we haven't had ANY rain, I will be wishing for it! 

Anyway, who cannot be cheered by this little Duckie Rain? He just brings a smile to my face! He is a retired digital image from The Greeting Farm. With all our rain, I just thought he would be cute to see again and he is so fun to color!

He knows how to stay dry! And -- when you are on the beach, with a view like this, who cares if it's raining anyway??? :)


Have a great week! 



Don't miss it!! June 1-7 it's GIRAFFE WEEK!
Cards, a little Show and Tell, and maybe even a prize or two thrown in there!

Stamps: Duckie Rain digital image by The Greeting Farm 
Ink: Copic Markers 
Paper: Blue Bayou, Soft Sky, It's Raining It's Pouring DP (Nikki Sivils), Whisper White 
Accessories and Tools: Cuttlebug EF, buttons, twine, sentiment sticker (Heidi Grace)

Challenges: 
Crafting from the Heart - Always Anything Goes 
Craft Your Passion - Always Anything Goes 
MarkerPOP Challenge - Summertime

Monday, May 30, 2016

Waving Hello on This Memorial Day

Perfect colors for a project today! I am playing along with the Color Throwdown Challenge 394. My card is made with images from Paper Smooches and designer paper from Echo Park and American Crafts.
I stamped my bird, boat, and sentiment from Wicked Nauticool in Memento Black Ink, and then colored in my boat using Copic markers. I used the Nauticool Die to cut out the boat. The Cherry Baker's Twine and Cherries Jubilee button are from Really Reasonable Ribbon.

And to all in the U.S. -- a blessed Memorial Day.

Sunday, May 29, 2016

Amazing!

The last time my sister came to visit, I taught her the Wrinkle Free Distress technique, and we made a LOT of backgrounds. We did Gelli prints as well, and had a lot of fun with that. 
One of the distress ink backgrounds I made is the background for the card I am sharing today. If you are unfamiliar with this technique, there is a tutorial on Splitcoaststampers that explains it very well!
I chose dies and stamps from My Favorite Things (Amazing and Doubly Amazing) and some flowers from Prima for my card. The texture in the gold die cut was already on the paper, so it made it easy! There is a dot for the "i" in amazing, but I decided to leave it off on purpose with this design. I added some Jute String from Really Reasonable Ribbon behind the flowers (I think that was the hardest part - getting it to lay like I wanted! Thank heavens for glue dots!) and layered it on the card base and it was done! A WOW look for an easy card! The part I love best is that you never know what your background will look like! Give it a try!

Stamps: My Favorite Things
Paper: watercolor, Barely Banana, Cameo Coral, Metallic Embossed Gold (MPS)
Paper Size: 5.5 SQ
Ink: Lipstick, Honey, and Carved Pumpkin Distress Inks, Archival Black (SU!)
Accessories: Prima flowers, Scor-Tape and Jute String (RRR), Amazing die cut (MFT) 

Challenges: 
Crazy 4 Challenges - Teacher Thank You Card 
Fussy and Fancy - Dies and/or Punches 
Aud Sentiments Challenge - Anything Goes + A Sentiment

Saturday, May 28, 2016

Shake Shake Shake & Go Wild!

Many of you know that I collect giraffes (since college and I am OLD), and love them, and like feeding them, and photographing them, and watching them, and making cards with them! In fact, Starting June 1, it's GIRAFFE WEEK on my blog! I have SO many giraffe stamps, that I thought I would make a card a day for a week with different ones I have.

Anyway, this is my first ever shaker card. I know, hard to believe, right? I didn't follow any instructions, and probably should have, as I learned some things the hard way. Like make sure your Wink of Stella is DRY before you put your sequins in and seal everything up. Because one of them is in a DUMB place and is stuck there. Like right on top of that cute pink cupcake.....Live and learn! haha~

It was tons of fun and I think I will try again. This is laying flat, not standing up.

Stamps: Lift Me Up (Reverse Confetti)
Paper: Pink Passion, Yoyo Yellow, Doodlebug Hello Sunshine DP
Ink: Archival Black, Zig Clean Color Markers, Wink of Stella Clear
Accessories: Lift Me Up Dies (RC), Doodlebug Sequins, Speech Bubble Dies (SNSS), window sheet (SU!), Baker's Twine (RRR), Embossing Folder (Cuttlebug) 

Challenges: 

Friday, May 27, 2016

Green Thumb Or Not?


I love seeing flowers come up in the spring and summer. Although I am not the best green thumb, I do love trying! This pretty image from Crafter's Companion is part of Sheena's Floral Fantasy Violets set. Stamped on Ultrasmooth White CS and colored in with Copic markers, I would love to be able to grow violets. My mom was so good at it. Did you see the little pearls (Kaisercraft) on the leaves? My favorite embellishment :)

Have a great weekend!

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Thoughts of You

Stamping is such therapy for all sorts of ills. It doesn't "fix" things, but it certainly allows whatever I am feeling to take its course and allows a calmness to return. Yesterday a dear friend passed away and making this sympathy card for his wife helped me with all the emotions I was feeling. Does creating something do that for you? It's a blessing and a help, I think!

This was a simple card to make. I used the Reverse Masking Technique by cutting a circle frame and then sponging on the inside with Spun Sugar Distress Ink. I kept the frame intact and stamped my group of flowers from Long Stemmed Silhouettes from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps, then removed the frame and stamped the sentiment so it would be part way out of the sponged circle. I added some Pink Pearl Bling and a little Butterfly Brad from Eyelet Outlet for embellishments.

I hope that whatever you create today brings you joy -- and peace!




Wednesday, May 25, 2016

He is Risen

Today I am sharing a Bible Journaling page that I did the week after Easter this year. Yes, it's a little late, but the message is always timely! We just returned from a two week vacation with our granddaughter and I am catching up!

I made the background of my page with Tim Holtz Distress Inks and Markers, and did the lettering by hand. I painted the inside of the lettering with a Sharpie Paint Pen. The sun and clouds are also hand drawn, inspired by Kristen Wolbach, and then painted with watercolor paints. The "Hallelujah" stamp is from Note This by Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps.

I like how this turned out, and especially how you can still read the Bible text underneath the art.
Bible Journaling is art from the heart!

Monday, May 9, 2016

Thank You

Sometimes it's nice to just have a flat, simple, clean design. I rarely do it, as I love adding layers and embellishments, and all sorts of stuff to my cards. Today I felt like just coloring. So I pulled out my Copics and my Prismacolors, and combined the two on this CAS design.
My images are from Flourishes' Dahlias set. I stamped on Ultrasmooth White CS with Memento Tuxedo Black ink, and then colored in using a combination of Copics and Prismacolor pencils. I scored three lines across the top and one along the bottom for some simple dimension. Layers are adhered using ISP Red Line Tape.
I love how this turned out!
 

Friday, May 6, 2016

Ah....giraffes!

Ok, seriously. These companies need to all quit making giraffe stamps all the sudden. They know I am weak. They know I have to have them ALL. A giant garage sale is going to have to happen this summer if I am to keep up! And another release of a cutie giraffe on Sunday!

Well.... this is my newest addition. And I absolutely LOVE the set (Sweet Safari) and the matching dies, and papers, and companion foliage sets.......$$$. But a girl's gotta have her giraffes.
This one is by My Favorite Things. CUTE!! And there are a lot more jungle animals in the set.
I watercolored the heart background, and then cut it out using a Spellbinders die. The giraffe was stamped in VersaFine Onyx Black and then colored with Prismacolor pencils. The background paper is glittery and is from The Paper Studio Safari Stack. A few Doodlebug sequins, and all done!

GIRAFFE WEEK is coming in June......stay tuned!

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Make A Splash

Two weeks from today I will be on the beaches of North Carolina with my 8 month old granddaughter. She lives 1327 miles from me, so this is going to be a real treat. When I saw the Crown Flatback Resin in the Eyelet Outlet Store, I knew I wanted to make a card to send her (and her parents). She is definitely my little princess!
I chose the hot pink crown - what fits a little mermaid princess better? I used Pink Checked Washi Tape on the back panel of the card above my ric rac border, along with the Blue Round Sticky Back Jewels from Pink/Blue pack.
I think she turned out pretty cute, all decked out in her crown!