Belated Birthday Wishes

What a surprise this morning to find more snow - and a bit of it! We were just having 57 degree days earlier this week! But - I am SO ready for spring and warmer weather, and my card today is hopeful for that.

I love this sentiment from Stamp Simply. While it would be perfect for the inside of a card, I decided to flip it for the outside. The inside actually says "to a dear friend" - and is also available in the same stamp set.

I blended Twisted Citron, Squeezed Lemonade and Spun Sugar DOX inks and splattered with a few water droplets from a paint brush. Then I stamped the daffodils and sentiment. It would have been perfectly lovely just like that, but I love metallic thread/string and also rhinestones for sparkle, so they got added. The rhinestones are actually a very light pink - the light hits them and makes them look dark! They match the ink and cardstock (link below).

Here's hoping the snow melts quickly. Oh wait - it's going to be 70 on Thursday! Yay!

You can find out more about the products I used on the Stamp Simply Blog today.

Stamp Simply Supplies:

• He Lives
• Birthday Sentiments
• VersaFine Clair Nocturne ink
• Distress Watercolor Cardstock
• Light Pink Rhinestones - Kaisercraft

Other Supplies:

• pink cardstock
• pink metallic string
• Twisted Citron, Squeezed Lemonade, Spun Sugar DOX ink
• distressing tool (for cardstock edges)
• liquid glue
• foam tape

Freshly Made Sketches #578

Hello! Happy new sketch day from Freshly Made Sketches! Our talented and creative hostess this week is Jacquie! Lots of room to play and fill the main area for this week!

I have always had a thing for sheep. When I was a little girl (about ten), my grandfather gave me a motherless lamb to take care of for the summer. I remember feeding it from a 7-up bottle (glass then) with a big nipple on it. I named my lamb Charlie. Since then, there is something about seeing sheep roam the hills -- of Utah, Nebraska, Wales, Norway... all over the world I look for them. So I loved this image from Woodware. My sister sent it to me as a gift, and I haven't inked it until today. It was perfect for the sketch. I didn't shade or color it as I love it just stamped in black on white! I used a piece of Echo Park patterned paper behind the main panel and tied blue metallic thread around the paper. The sentiment is from the same stamp set (Lino Cut Sheep).

I hope you will join our sketch challenge, and add your creations to our gallery. We would love to see what you make! 

This challenge will end at 3:00 EDT time on Monday, March 27. Be sure to take a peek at the gorgeous cards my teammates have created on the FMS blog to inspire you. There are some beautiful and very creative designs there! Have fun with the sketch!

Stars & Stripes Forever

Happy Sunday, all! This week at Stamp Simply, we have been sharing patriotic cards. I love red, white, and blue together - do you?

This was a pretty easy and quick make. My background layer was made by blending Blueprint Sketch, and a combination of Candied Apple and Festive Berries. I used Post It Tape to mask off the middle section of the white cardstock. I splattered each section with water and removed the tape. The sentiment from Patriotic Sentiments was stamped with VersaFine Clair Nocturne - my favorite black!

I cut the stars from shimmery white cardstock and popped them up with foam tape. You can see more about this card and the products I used on the Stamp Simply Blog today!

Stamp Simply Supplies:

• Patriotic Sentiments
• Spellbinders Stars Five
• VersaFine Clair Nocturne ink

Other Supplies:

• blue, white, white shimmer cardstock
• Festive Berries, Candied Apple, Blueprint Sketch DOX ink
• foam tape

Freshly Made Sketches #577

Hello! Happy new sketch day from Freshly Made Sketches! It is my pleasure to be the hostess and sketch designer this week. I have chosen a trio of shapes (shown in the sketch as circles) for you to play with. I hope you will join us!

I have had this stamp and die set (SB) forever and have never used it. And per my usual, by the time I get around to using things, they are retired, as is the case with this set. But I thought it was perfect for the sketch, and a fun, quirky greeting!

I used a cover plate from Reverse Confetti for the background, and a bit of designer paper from Honey Bee Stamps. I colored both images with Copics, and then added salt to my pretzel with a Posca Paint Pen. A trio of sequins for bling!

I hope you will join our sketch challenge, and add your creations to our gallery. We would love to see what you make! 

This challenge will end at 3:00 EDT time on Monday, March 20. Be sure to take a peek at the gorgeous cards my teammates have created on the FMS blog to inspire you. There are some beautiful and very creative designs there! Have fun with the sketch!

Thinking of You Bunny

Today I'm sharing a sweet Easter card using products available at Stamp Simply. 

I stamped the daffodils from He is Risen with VersaFine Clair Nocturne ink, and embossed with Clear EP, then colored with Copic markers. I splattered the bottom half, and when dry, tied gold metallic thread around the top half. I stamped the bunny from Easter is for Jesus, embossed with Clear EP, and again colored with Copics. The sentiment is from Farmhouse All Occasion Greetings. I love the springtime feel!

You can see more about the products I used on the Stamp Simply blog today!

Stamp Simply Supplies:

• He Lives
• Easter is For Jesus
• Farmhouse All Occasion Greetings
• Spellbinders Nestabilities Circles Standard LG
• VersaFine Clair Nocturne ink

Other Supplies:

• amethyst, lavender, white cardstock
• Copic markers
• Clear Embossing Powder
• Gold Metallic Thread
• Clear Iridescent Sequins
• black acrylic paint
• foam tape
• liquid glue

Freshly Made Sketches #576

Hello! Happy new sketch day from Freshly Made Sketches! Our hostess this week is the incredibly talented Amy! I love her style, and I think you will have fun playing with ideas for her sketch.

I started by stamping my large background stamp (SB) with embossing ink, and then embossing with Alabaster White EP (Brutus Monroe). My background color was made by blending three Distress Oxide inks (Twisted Citron, Mowed Lawn, Lucky Clover) on TH Distress Watercolor Cardstock. I splattered with water and let dry. I cut two clovers (Lawn Fawn), the Birthday die (SB/Yana), and the word "happy" (SSS) and adhered to my background using Connect Glue (GKD). 

I hope you will join our sketch challenge, and add your creations to our gallery. We would love to see what you make! 

This challenge will end at 3:00 EST time on Monday, March 13. Be sure to take a peek at the gorgeous cards my teammates have created on the FMS blog to inspire you. There are some beautiful and very creative designs there! Have fun with the sketch!

I am also entering this in The Card Concept Lucky Charm #190 challenge. I was inspired by all of the green and the little clover for my Mixed Media card.

Rejoice in the Lord

Today I'm sharing a CAS (Clean and Simple) Easter card using products available at Stamp Simply. The cross was made by using the negative of the die cut as a stencil. I chose Shaded Lilac Distress Oxide Ink  and used my blending brush to apply the ink.

The sentiment was stamped in VersaFine Clair Nocturne. I chose a pretty floral from the Wild & Bloom 6x6 for a pretty spring background. Easy and quick to make, and a pretty result!

You can see more about the products I used on the Stamp Simply blog today!

Stamp Simply Supplies:

• He Has Risen
• Crosses Steel Dies
• Spellbinders Nestabilities Rectangles Standard SM
• Craft Consortium Bloom & Wild 6x6
• VersaFine Clair Nocturne ink

Other Supplies:

• amethyst, lavender, white cardstock
• Shaded Lilac DOX ink
• foam tape
• liquid glue

Freshly Made Sketches #575

Hello! Happy new sketch day from Freshly Made Sketches! Our hostess this week is the lovely and talented Karren! 

I have been subscribing to the Echo Park Club, and several months back received the adorable Homemade Kit. I decided to pull it out and profess my love for all chickens! I would love to live in a country house where I could have some sheep, ducks, and chickens. Maybe someday!

All products used (with the exception of the twine) are in the kit! Stamps, paper (both large and small), chipboard, stickers - I love it. 

I hope you will join our sketch challenge, and add your creations to our gallery. We would love to see what you make! 

This challenge will end at 3:00 EST time on Monday, March 6. Be sure to take a peek at the gorgeous cards my teammates have created on the FMS blog to inspire you. There are some beautiful and very creative designs there! Have fun with the sketch!

Blessings and Beatitudes

Blessings to you this Sunday! 

Today's card was made with a special woman in mind - a dear friend who passed away last month, and was a wonderful mother. I will be sending it to her daughter, who is also a wonderful mother and dear friend. The scripture is perfect and that font is beautiful!

All products are available at Stamp Simply.

I love the Greenery dies, and I added a sweet little pink rosette - I love the vintage look of the rosette with the modern look of the dies. You can read more about the products I used on the Stamp Simply Blog today!

Stamp Simply Supplies:

• Blessings/Beatitudes 2
• Darice Embossing Folder - Wire Fence
• May Arts Vintage Sample - Pink & White w/ Rosettes
• Spellbinders Nestabilities Standard Ovals SM
• Sizzix Thinlits Dies by Tim Holtz - Garden Greens
• VersaFine Clair Nocturne ink

Other Supplies:

• various greens, light & dark pink, white cardstock
• foam tape
• liquid glue

Take advantage of the Flash Sale happening the rest of this month! 20% off Stamp Simply stamps and dies!

Oh Please - Spring be in the Air!

Happy Sunday!

To start this week off right, I am sending a little spring to all of you! We have had a lot of snow this year, and with each day closer to March, it's coming! 

All products used today are available at Stamp Simply.

This design was an easy one to make, because I used most of the elements from the beautiful Echo Park My Favorite Spring 6x6. Layers of pretty spring papers, a cute bunny die, and some delicate trim make up the most of the card.

And as always, some bling and sparkle for fun. I have two rhinestones on the sentiment panel, and three hiding in the flowers above. Easy for mailing too!

You can see more about the products I used on the Stamp Simply Blog today!

Stamp Simply Supplies:

• Tim Holtz Carrot Bunny
• Echo Park - My Favorite Spring 6x6
• May Arts Sampler - Pink & White with Rosettes
• Kaisercraft Lilac Rhinestones

Other Supplies:

• Pink, Lavender, White, Light Brown (face) cardstock
• foam tape
• liquid glue

Freshly Made Sketches #573

Hello! Happy new sketch day from Freshly Made Sketches! Our hostess this week is the incredible creative Kim! I think you will have a lot of fun with this one!

I begin by freely painting stripes in various Distress Oxide greens across my TH watercolor paper. I dried each layer with my Ranger Heat It craft tool, and splattered with Gold Perfect Pearls. My sentiment (GKD) is stamped with VersaFine Clair Nocturne. I added a "leftover" leaf (Stamp Market) and tied it all with gold metallic thread. a trio of flat sequins finished it off.

I hope you will join our sketch challenge, and add your creations to our gallery. I would love to see what you make! 

This challenge will end at 3:00 EST time on Monday, February 20. Be sure to take a peek at the gorgeous cards my teammates have created on the FMS blog to inspire you. There are some beautiful and very creative designs there! Have fun with the sketch!

Graduations Will Be Here Soon!

The Stamp Simply team has been sharing graduation inspiration all week, and this is mine!

Having the perfect designer paper makes creating so easy for graduation! I am not a fan of mass producing, but I love having similar ideas and the supplies close. This Graduation pad from Echo Park makes that so easy. I decided to make this one more feminine, and added that gorgeous Venise lace (one of my favorites)!

You can find out more about the products I used, and see beautiful inspiration from the rest of the team on the Stamp Simply Blog!

Stamp Simply Supplies:

• Echo Park Graduation 6x6
• Fishtail Sentiment Banners
• Valentina Venise Lace 1.75 White
• Spellbinders Nestabilities Standard Circles LG
• Luxury Pearlescent Metallic Cardstock Gold

Other Supplies:

• Black cardstock
• gold metallic thread
• foam tape
• liquid glue

Designer Paper Makes It Easy!

Looking for your mojo? Let some gorgeous designer paper find it! The Graphic 45 8x8 paper pads make it easy to create beautiful cards by just using a paper cutter!

While I love all of the G45 designs, Bird Watcher is a favorite. It has gorgeous florals, as well as coordinating patterns, and some beautiful birds! 

I added some fun embellishments, popped up the two main panels, and voila! Even the inside was easy with the ephemera cards that match.

You can see more about this project and the supplies I used on the Stamp Simply Blog today - AND all in stock Graphic 45 products are on sale through Monday! 

Stamp Simply Supplies:

• Graphic 45 Bird Watcher 8x8
• Graphic 45 Bird Watcher Ephemera Cards
• Katarina Venise Lace .75 Ivory
• Floral Cluster and Sprigs Dies

Other Supplies:

• Blue, Olive cardstock
• sequins
• paper doily
• blue metallic thread
• foam tape
• liquid glue

Freshly Made Sketches #571

Hello! Happy new sketch day from Freshly Made Sketches! Our New England Jen is the hostess this week, with a wonderful sketch for all slimline lovers. As she says on the blog, however, you can make any shape that you would like. I stayed with A2 horizontal/landscape, because I don't make those very often.

Another pink one this week! I used the new X's and O's from Impression Obsession/Nola Chandler. It's such a cute set. I have a working 1957 Royal typewriter in my office, and that was my inspiration for the pink typewriter.

I embossed the XOXO with WOW! Embossing Glitter and colored the typewriter in with Copic markers. That cute heart stencil in the background is from Taylored Expressions.

I hope you will join our sketch challenge, and add your creations to our gallery. I would love to see what you make! 

This challenge will end at 3:00 EST time on Monday, February 6. Be sure to take a peek at the gorgeous cards my teammates have created on the FMS blog to inspire you. There are some beautiful and very creative designs there! Have fun with the sketch!

Miss You

Brrrrr! Is it snowy cold in your part of the world? We have had single digit temps with below zero wind chill this week, and I have been wearing my warm scarf, hat and gloves. Cozy - just like this little bunny!

This cute and fluffy bun is from the Warm Winter Friends set from Sweet 'N Sassy Stamps. I stamped the sentiment and bunny in VersaFine Clair Nocturne ink, and then colored in with Copic markers. I embossed the image in Clear EP before coloring, and then cut out with the coordinating dies. The beautiful tree in the background is the Bare Tree Die, cut from white cardstock. 

The background is made from ink blending three different Distress Oxides, spattering with water, and then applying White Paper Glaze (PFS) through a snowflake stencil (Honey Bee Stamps). The stitched edger dies are from Whimsy Stamps. I love combining so many different products to create something cute!

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you are staying warm!

Hope

Today's share shows off one of my favorite techniques: ink blending. Specifically ink blending with Distress Oxides inks (Did you check out the new color just released?!)

I am using products available at Stamp Simply. I first embossed the daffodils, using embossing ink and Bright White opaque embossing powder (WOW!). The background was made by blending the three oxide inks, then wiping with a cloth to bring out the white embossed flowers. Finished with a spattering of water and Gold Perfect Pearls. The uncolored daffodils are stamped with VersaFine Clair Nocturne and then embossed with clear powder.

You can see more about this project and the products I used on the Stamp Simply blog today!

Stamp Simply Supplies:

• Hope
• He Lives Bundle
• VersaFine Clair Nocturne  Ink
• Spellbinders Hemstitch Circles
• Spellbinders Nestabilities Standard Circles SM

Other Supplies:

• White, Black, Pink cardstock
• white and clear embossing powder
• embossing pad
• Distress Oxides: Spiced Marmalade, Picked Raspberry, Spun Sugar
• Ranger Perfect Pearls - Perfect Gold
• gold metallic thread
• foam tape
• liquid glue

All stamps are dies (including TH and Spellbinders!) are ON SALE through the end of the month! GREAT deals! 

Freshly Made Sketches #570

It's time for a new sketch from Freshly Made Sketches! Beautiful Jen Timko is our hostess this week. Even though Reverse Confetti has closed, they will always remain one of my favorite companies and I will continue to use what adorable products I have! Today I am highlighting Love Bugs.

I love pink, so pink clouds were the choice for the background. I used a stencil from MFT and Spun Sugar DOX. The stitched cloud die is also from MFT. That cute bee is colored with Copics, and the sentiment is stamped with VersaFine Clair Nocturne. Sequins by Pretty Pink Posh.

I hope you will join our sketch challenge, and add your creations to our gallery! I would love to see what you make! 

This challenge will end at 3:00 EST time on Monday, January 30. Be sure to take a peek at the gorgeous cards my teammates have created on the FMS blog to inspire you! There are some beautiful and very creative designs there!

Happy Together

Happy Sunday! Today it's a coffee loving valentine kind of day! 

I love pink and red together, and I love coffee and me together! All products are available at Stamp Simply.

The tall cup is stamped with VersaFine Clair Nocturne, and then embossed with Clear EP. I colored it with Copic markers to match the My Valentine hearts paper. All panels are popped up with foam tape (3 layers popped up). I adore this paper! You can see more about this card and the products I used on the Stamp Simply blog today!

Stamp Simply Supplies:

• Have a Cup On Us Bundle
• Carta Bella My Valentine 6x6
• Square Die - Smilar to these
• Versamark Watermark Pad
• VersaFine Clair Nocturne

Other Supplies:

• White, Light Pink, Red cardstock
• alcohol markers (Copics)
• clear embossing powder
• paper doily
• foam tape
• liquid glue

Freshly Made Sketches #569

It's Wednesday and time for a new sketch from Freshly Made Sketches! The talented and creative Jacquie is our hostess this week, and her sketch has lots of play room!

My background was made with the plastic wrap technique of twisting and drying on a panel of Infusions (scrunching up the  plastic wrap in a clockwise fashion on a wet Infusions panel and letting it dry, then removing the plastic wrap). I cut it out with Stampin' Up!'s big floral from the Artistic Dies. The embossing folder is also from Stampin' Up!, and the word die is from Altenew. I added Latte pearls (Kaisercraft) and gold metallic thread (to help keep with the sketch across the bottom) for sparkle.

I hope you will join our sketch challenge, and add your creations to our gallery! I would love to see what you make! 

This challenge will end at 3:00 EST time on Monday, January 23. Be sure to take a peek at the gorgeous cards my teammates have created on the FMS blog to inspire you! There are some beautiful and very creative designs there!