Never Give Up. (And some fun news!)

Hello Everyone!

Thanks for visiting me today! I have exciting news: I have been invited to join the design team over at Brown Sugar Challenges! Today is my first challenge with them and our theme as always is "Anything Goes." We are sponsored this week by Robyn's Fetish. I chose the adorable hearts with tulips digi stamp to create this card. I printed it out on a piece of Neenah solar white 80lb and then colored it in with my Prismacolor pencils. The sentiment is from Altenew "You are" set. I chose this sentiment because I gave this card to my daughter, who is 16....and well...16!! We all remember what that was like, right?! So I just wanted to give her something to encourage her to keep working hard!

I do have a very busy day ahead of me, so that is all for me today! Be sure to come back on Sunday! I have another announcement!

A few additional challenges:

Aud Sentiments   Anything Goes with a Sentiment
Crafty Girls:  Anything Goes (2nd Entry)
Color Crazy Craft Challenge: Anything Goes
Crafting with Friends: Anything Goes
PDE Linky Party: Anything Goes
Polkadoodles: Anything Goes

Clearly Besotted: Thinking of You

Hello everyone,

I hope you're all having a good week so far. Thanks for visiting with me today! Don't forget to enter the 2nd PCC Challenge: Show Me Your Patterns.   I am loving all the entries so far. 

For today's card, I decided to use Clearly Besotted Eastern Delights set to create a border on the top and bottom of card. I started with a card base of  #110 Neenah Solar White and stamped the border images in Carribean Blue, Willow inks from Simon Says Stamp, and Rusty Hinge Distress Inks. I embossed the center panel with Swiss Dots folder and then inked the edges with Sparrow Ink. I stamped the sentiment with Rusty Hinge ink and inked the edges with Caribbean Blue ink.  

Finally, I added a couple of small flowers to finish the card. 

Busy day so that is all for me today! Enjoy the rest of your day and I'll see you again on Friday! 

Challenges:

1. Lemon Shortbread Challenge: Anything Goes

2. Sunny Day Crafting: Anything Goes

3. TTCRD: Anything Goes

4. Simon Says Stamp: Anything Goes

Hello! What's Brewing?

Hi Everyone!

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend. Mine was good. Fall Ball Baseball season has started for both of my boys and it was a beautiful weekend for a couple of games. I was able to find a little block of time to do some crafting, however which made my weekend just about perfect!

There is still plenty of time to link up the new PCC Challenge: Show me Your Patterns! 

For today's card, I chose the "What's Brewing" stamp set from Simon Says Stamp. This is a set from an older card kit (October 2014) and it's been a long time since I've inked it up, so I thought....why not? I had the smoky shadow (PTI) card base with a circle cut out in the front already.

*Here's a tip:* If I need to die cut a circle from a piece of paper that is already a card base size (5 1/2 x 4 1/4), I try to cut the circle from the front center or from an area of the base, that I can then use the base with the negative space for another card. I had originally cut the Smoky Shadow circle with the the intention of using it on the Beautiful Best Wishes card that I posted last week. (I ended up not using it..) but I still made sure that when I cut the circle, I cut it knowing I could use the base later.

Ok...now back to regular programming! I also decided to use some of the scraps that I had left over from the card kit that the stamp kit came in. Tip 2 of the day: store your papers and stamps from a kit together and that way you'll always have them for coordinating on projects. I chose the flower pattern paper and put it as the background behind the circle window. Then I took some yellow card stock and two circle dies from SSS to make a circle frame for the outside of the circle.

I stamped the mug from the stamp set in archival black ink and then used by Prismacolor pencils to color it in and then used a bit of baby oil on a blending stump to soften the hard edges of the pencil lines.  I stamped the bottom curved edge in dusty concord distress ink. I think if I were to do this again, I would stamp this part first and maybe mask it and then do the color pencil and the baby oil after because it ended up smudging a bit when I cut it out. Then I stamped the "hello" sentiment in black ink in the middle.

I white heat embossed the "What's Brewing?" sentiment  in the corner. I decided that the mug just against the floral background wasn't quite working, so I handed a small piece of plain pink card stock behind the mug.

I added a few other details with some pink stickles, the black dashed line around the yellow circle and then the solid white gel pen line around the outer edge.

So, that is all for me today. Have a fabulous Monday and I will see you all again with another card on Wednesday!

Challenges:

1. The Pencil Case: Anything Goes
2. Penny Black and More: Add a Sentiment (2nd Entry)
3. Little Patch of Crafty Friends: Anything Goes
4. Artistic Impressions: Anything Goes
5. Crafting From the Heart: Anything Goes
6. Craft Your Passion: Anything Goes

PCC Challenge 2: Show Me Your Patterns!

Hello Everyone!

Welcome back for another challenge! Thank you so much for all the fabulous entries in the first challenge, Stamp it! I had such a great time visiting some awesome blogs. I think I got around to see all the entries, if I didn't, I apologize and I will get there as soon as I can.

So, are you all ready for a new challenge? For this challenge, let's see those Patterns. You can make your own patterned paper, you can use pattern paper, you can use washi tape (like I did) Be creative and have fun! I can't wait to see what you come up with. Don't forget to review the rules at the top of the page. You have two weeks to add your linky at the bottom!

I'm still looking for 2 more people to be part of a Design Team. This is just to provide inspiration for each challenge. If you are interested please put DT next to your name in your linky submission. If you responded last week, thank you! I will be in contact with you as soon as I get a couple more people!

To inspire you this week, I created a simple card featuring strips of washi tape from Snap and Simple Stories. I just alternated them in a pattern on a piece of scrap white card stock and then layered the card as shown. I wanted the focus to be on the pattern, so I just added a simple sentiment which is from PTI "Framed Out #1" set. I added a bit of ribbon and twine as well. Finally, I added some paper piercing around the Cream frame for a bit of added interest. I realized when I took this picture, I should have chosen something other than the white background because it makes it difficult to deter
mine the base color of the card. The card was made using Neenah Dessert Storm card stock.

This is my last post for this week. I have some projects to work on, so I won't be blogging again until Monday. Have a great weekend and I'll see you again soon!

I am also linking this up to a few other challenges as well:

1. Crafty Girls: Antyhing Goes
2. Creative Knockouts: Washi Wonders
3. Simply Papercraft: Anything Goes
4. Polkadoodles Crafts: Anything Goes
5. Jo's Scrap ShackAnything Goes
6. Creative Fingers: Anything Goes
7. Crafting with Friends: Anything Goes

An InLinkz Link-up

Beautiful Best Wishes.

Hello Everyone!

Thanks for joining me again today. I hope you are all having a great week so far. The card I shared on Monday is probably one of my favorites that I've done in a while. Is that ok to admit?! However, there was a lot of detail going on in that card, so I wanted to "slow things" down a bit with today's card. I decided to use a bold image as my focal point and just leave the base and background fairly simple. I have always loved this set from Altenew (Beautiful Day) The way it layers together just creates a stunning image. It's a fun image to use for experimenting with color combinations. I made a chart a while back with my favorite color combinations for the layers of flowers.

I used the other have of the SSS Fog card base from Monday's card for the base of this card. One of my favorite colors to pair with grey is yellow. I just think it's such an elegant color combination, so I used Goldenlocks for the bottom layer of the flower, followed by Scattered Straw, Wild Honey and finally Rusty Hinge. I fussy cut the flower out and then stamped the leaves with Beanstalk, Green Leaf and Forest Moss and then fussy cut them out as well, anchoring them behind the flower.
In order to provide a little contrast between the two lighter colored elements, I die cut a circle from PTI Smoky Shadow card stock and framed the circle I cut out from the card base. I adhered the flower over the frame with dimensional adhesive and then added some paper piercing along with faux stitching. I put a simple sentiment in the corner and then added the sequins for a bit of final bling.
Even though you can't really see it in the photo, I did add some Wink of Stella to the flower as well.

Have a great day and I'll see you back again tomorrow for a brand new challenge!!

Challenges:

Lemon Shortbread Challenges: Anything Goes
Through the Craft Room Door: Anything Goes
Sunny Day Crafting: Anything Goes

Supplies:

Fiskars SureCut Personal 12 Fiskars SureCut Personal 12 SCBK Mini Misti Stamp Tool - The Most Incredible Stamp Tool Invented RESERVE MINI MISTI PRECISION STAMPER Stamping Tool Kit mistimini Martha Stewart Crafts Mini Scoring Board *Martha Stewart MINI SCORING BOARD Score Craft Tool 42-05013 New 2012 Tombow Stamp Runner Dot Adhesive Applicator + Refill, Clear, Value-Pack *Tombow Adhesive Craft Stamp DISPENSER & REFILL Dot Pattern Runner 62143 Permanent Altenew BEAUTIFUL DAY Clear Stamp Set Simon Says Stamp Premium Dye Ink GOLDENLOCKS Ink029 Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad SCATTERED STRAW Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad WILD HONEY Ranger TIM27201 Ranger DIS-27201 Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad, Wild Honey Rusty Hinge Ranger DIS-27157 Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad, Rusty Hinge Simon Says Stamp Premium Dye Ink Pad BEANSTALK GREEN Ink028 *Simon Says Stamp Premium Dye Ink Pad GREEN LEAF ink011 Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad FOREST MOSS Ranger TIM27133 Ranger DIS-27133 Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad, Forest Moss SSS Nested Circle Wafer Dies Uni-Ball Gel Impact UM-153 White [Pack of 3] Broad 1.0mm Rollerball Uni-Ball Pen Signo Gel WHITE UM-153 Neenah Classic Crest 80 LB SMOOTH SOLAR WHITE Paper Pack 25 Sheets Classic Crest Cover Solar White 8-1/2x11 110lb 250/pkg Simon Says Stamp Card Stock 100# 3 SHADES OF GRAY 592csGray Simon Says Clear Stamps BEST HUGS sss101552 STAMPtember

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Butterfly Dreams

Hello Everyone!

I hope you all had a great weekend! Welcome back to my little corner of the blogosphere, thank you for visiting with me especially if this is your first time here!

I am playing along with 2 Verve Challenges with this card: the second VLV sketch for September and the new September Diva Inspiration Challenge. I really loved the colors in the inspiration photo. I also found lots of elements that were easy to replicate in a card.

The bed inspired me first...not sure if that's a good thing to admit or not! Haha!! It made me immediately think of this sentiment from Verve's "Blue Skies"
I also loved the wallpaper in the background and decided the Hero Arts "Classic Fabric Design" background stamp would be perfect.
Finally, I also found inspiration in the pattern on the bed spread by using the blooms and dots embossing folder on the large circle.

The color palette was also rather easy to choose for this card and layout as well. I chose Cobblestone and Twirrling Tutu from Simon Says Stamp, along with Seedless Preserves, Broken China, and Walnut Stain Distress Inks.

To me, this picture had a lot of "fancy" elements; but I also felt like it had a rustic theme as well. I wanted to make sure I incorporated that as well into my design. For the tilted color panel behind the circles, I "pounced" my piece of white cardstock into my Twirling Tutu ink pad and then used my ink blenders to blend in some Seedless Preserves and Broken China ink around the edges.

I stamped the small butterfly in cobblestone ink and then used the coordinating die to cut it out. I colored it in with Copic markers (R20, BG53 and V12) I finished it off by adding some Wink of Stella clear glitter pen

I distressed the edges of the large background piece and then also added some Twirling Tutu ink and also added some broken China ink to the edge of the scalloped circle with the sentiment. Finally, I added a few silver stickles to the embossed circle of add a bit of sparkle.

Have a great day; and I will see you all again soon!

Challenges:

Come and Get it Challenges: Lots of Layers
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends: Anything Goes
Penny Black: Add a stamped sentiment
Crafting from the Heart: Anything Goes
Craft Your Passion: Anything Goes
Love to Scrap Challenge Blog:: Anything Goes

Supplies: the following are affiliate links, which means if you decide to purchase any of these items through these links, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Fiskars SureCut Personal 12 Fiskars SureCut Personal 12 SCBK Tombow Stamp Runner Dot Adhesive Applicator + Refill, Clear, Value-Pack *Tombow Adhesive Craft Stamp DISPENSER & REFILL Dot Pattern Runner 62143 Permanent Mini Misti Stamp Tool - The Most Incredible Stamp Tool Invented RESERVE MINI MISTI PRECISION STAMPER Stamping Tool Kit mistimini *Martha Stewart MINI SCORING BOARD Score Craft Tool 42-05013 New 2012 Martha Stewart Crafts Mini Scoring Board *Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad SEEDLESS PRESERVES Ranger Fall TIM32847 Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad, Seedless Preserves Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad, Broken China Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad BROKEN CHINA Ranger TIM21414 Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad WALNUT STAIN Ranger TIM19534 Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad, Walnut Stain SSS Simon Says Stamp Premium Dye Ink Pad TWIRLING TUTU ink057 Splash of Color Blooms and Dots Embossing Folder: Provo Craft Cuttlebug Embosser and Die Cutter SSS Nested Circle Wafer Dies Petite Scallop Circles Spellbinders Zig Wink of Stella Brush with Individual Paper Box, Glitter Clear Wink of Stella Clear Silver Stickles Hero Arts Cling Stamp CLASSIC FABRIC DESIGN CG245

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