Butterflies and Summer Time

It's Wednesday and that means it is time for another Flutterby Challenge. After this challenge the Flutterby team will be taking the month of July off, but we will be back more fun challenges come August. This week is all about Butterflies/Fairies and Summer Time. Summer time for me is getting to wear flip-flops and what are cuter than flip-flops with butterflies right!

I die-cutted the cute little shoes from PTI's Flipping Out die and used the matching stamp set for the strips and the sentiment. The sweet little blue butterflies are from a MS punch and the blue floss along the top brought some color to the top of my card creating a nice triangle of blue. Can't wait to see what you will come up with.

Red, White, and Blue Summer

It's the 17th and that means it's waltzing time! WMS is having it's monthly waltz and the theme is Summertime Fun. I love to play the WMS's stamp set My Island, but I figured I would try my hand at creating a summertime card WITHOUT using that stamp set this time. I had lots of fun creating last months cards for teachers without using typical teacher themed stamps that I just had to try it again.

I must admit though that time got away from me this month and I almost forgot about the waltz, so I may have cheated just a little. Living in America means celebrating July 4th, which just happens to be in the middle of summer, so I used that as inspiration. Ya'll know Bitty Banners is one of my favorites so of course that was my go to stamp set.

For the bottom banner I white embossed the polka dot strip from WMS's Off Beat Background and then sponged red on top and blue on the bottom. After I layered them on the white cardstock I decided it needed something else. I decided to use the same sponged look for the background of the card. I simply sponged red in on the top part and blue on the bottom making sure I left some white in the middle. The sentiment is from PTI's Flipping Out set and was white embossed. Once I had everything like I wanted I still decided that it needed something more, so I trimmed the sponged c/s to allow for a frame and layered it on top of a new white card base. Much better.

Teachers + Summer = Breathe

It's that time of the month again where we get to waltz our way through some wonderful projects using Waltzingmouse Stamps. This month's theme is teachers. To waltz along with us be sure to check out the WMS blog. Being a teacher myself I knew I had to play along. Now, I'll be honest here, when I first heard this theme I went an entirely different way because this time of year for most teachers means SUMMER VACATION. Many teachers, myself included, do work over the summer, but it isn't as taxing and does allow us to breathe and recoup a little before the next year begins. By the end of a school year many start counting down with the kids to the end of the year. I could have been a good year or a bad one but when the end comes we are ready for a breather after all of the hard work that was put in on a daily basis. What better way to recharge than with a little R & R tropic style.

I have a few coworkers that have had a tough year and summer time is looking really bright right now. To give one a little encouragement I created a summer vacation. I loved the sunset look Anya had used in the past and thought I would create my own tropical paradise. For this relaxing look I used one of my favorite WMS stamp set: My Island. I used Spiced Marmalade, Worn Lipstick, Barn Door, Weathered Wood, Dusty Concord, and a touch of Black Soot for the sunset. For the sand I tore some sticky paper and sponged some black soot and then stamped the images and sentiment using the same black ink. I will admit, this has been one of my better years student-wise, but I am still looking forward to June 7th when my summer vacation beings.

Stretch Your Stamps: Day 5

Last Friday was day 5 for the SYS online card class and I wasn't able to play along until Sunday (my birthday) because of a wedding. My brother gave me one of the greatest gifts: a new sister (in-law) and as a bonus two more sisters and two more newphews (one of her sisters has two boys close in age to my two). His new bride has an amazing family and we all get together often. Ok, back to SYS. The focus for day 5 was all about sentiments. I LOVE playing with senitments and having them play off of the colors and/or images on the cards. In fact, just recently I even used two sentiments and pieced them together to great a new one with a hidden on highlighted (you can see the card here). That being said I really wanted to try something different and one is even new to me.

Left card: This is the card where I tried something new to me. I used images from three different sets for an equation: sun (+) rain cloud (=) rainbows. I colored in the sun and rainbow with my copics and then coated them with glossy accent. (I messed up the first time and so created it again for a piece that I could pop up from the base covering my mistake in the process, lol) Underneath the last image I added only the first part of a sentiment from a fourth stampset and completed the sentiment on the inside. Both the picture equation and the split inside/outside sentiment is new to me. I really liked how this turned out too. I can see me doing this more too (in fact in my next post you will see that I did, lol). This sketch is from the CAS sketch challenge.

Right card: I am loving this new My Island stamp set from WMS and couldn't wait to make another card with it. With the beach theme I decided to use sentiments from LOTS of different stamp sets from at least three different stamp companies that delt with saying hello to create a sentiment collage. I have done this one or two ther times but this is the first time I really like how it turned out. All of the sentiments were stamped in the same color except from "hello sunshine". I wanted that sentient to stand out so I masked it with a darker color. I sponged the edges to give the middle part a sort of sun glow effect. This is such a fun technique with sentiments to create a fun background for a card. The sketch is from WMS's sketch challenge and I thought the strip that goes accross the middle would look great for the water. To achieve it I sponged several shades of blue onto white c/s and then flicked water on it. I stamped the sun rays from the My Island set and then embossed in black a frame over it on the angled piece to really work with my theme. To make sure the ray reached the edges (b/c it was a little short) I sponged the edges. The focal frame was embossed in black and then sponged it to continue my little island theme. I black embossed the trees onto white c/s and then cut it out. Once cut out I sponged it the same way I did the center frame. As I was pieceing the card together I thought it looked a littel empty so I embossed Aloha (since it is Hawaiian for hello) from the stamp set. I am also putting this card in for the Moxie Fab Stamp it: Hello challenge.

Market Street Block Party

I am joining in on my first Market Street Block Party. I don't have any of their stamps yet but have many on my wish list, lol. However, they are providing a FREE digi for those withough once you join their Neighborhood. I had so much fun putting this little card together.

This was my inspiration for my card.

Once I saw it was off and stamping. I scaled and printed the image three times (with one being on some red pattern paper). On the red paper I sponged Festive Berries and Barn Door to get the color to what I liked, on one of the white images I used my scored board and scored the stripes. I then took my copics and gave the white some shading to give it more depth. The third one was where I colored the silver/grey parts and then I masked the parts that I didn't what stamped/sponged and created the scene. The grass is from a PTI's Peaceful Garden that I stamped in two different greens and then on some scrap paper that I then punched out with my grass puncher. The camper was then pieced together with the punched grass layered on top. I then gave the grey parts a coat of Glossy Accent to some added texture and depth. The rays were created on another sheet using Mustered Seed and Wild Honey. The whole thing was put on a white c/s base with the sentiment pieced together from PTI's Think Big Fav #15 & Flipping Out. To achor everything a bit more I added stitch lines using a black copic multiliner and rounded the bottom corner with my corner chomper.

You're So Cool

It has been a long while since I last joined in on a Mojo Monday sketch challenge. The mojo has come back for the moment and I have taken advantage of it too. I pulled out my Verve Happy Days. The pattern paper I used was from my stash (love it but don't remember the brand). The sentiment/frame was created by white embossing it onto white c/s and then I sponged Broken China and Faded Jeans DI to it. To tie in the orange of the main background I stamped the flowers onto white c/s and then colored with my copics (Y17, YR01, YR04, YR07, G99, YG17, YG67). To tie the white of the focal sentiment/frame to the rest of the card I used a border punch that was more wave-y on white c/s and then found some white thread to wrap around the top place. I really liked how it made me think of swim trunks so I opted to leave of the embellishment & bow that was to go with it. My favorite part might have been the use of some old paper b/c I have quite the supply of it. Guess I should start scrapping again too. I hear that might help my paper problem, lol.

Hello Sunshine

With summer comes sunshine and flip-flops and for my two boys LOTS of outdoors (although mommy is so NOT an outdoor person). That being said I do love my flip-flops and the sun isn't so bad either. I decided to play along with PTI's Make-It-Mondays (MIM) challenge this week using sunshine and flips-flops as my theme. Nichole gave several sketches we could choose from and I foudn that (that I tweaked just slightly):

With last month's release I had gotten several things and two of them were the flip-flop stamps (with dies) and the Farm & Barn set. I had already stamped and embossed the big sentiment onto vellum from another project and decided that this was the time to use it. I trimed the width of the card down to 3.75" so that I could have the vellum wrap around one side of the card and hang off of the other side. I knew I wanted some sunshine color behind the sentiment but didn't want the whole card that color so I got my thinking cap on. After several minutes went by (ok, I was watching PBS's Sherlock Homes - oh my gosh that is a great show - and got hooked) it came to me: wooden decks! These lovely decks are outside in the sunshine. Wouldn't that be great (yes, I am not the first to come up with the idea and that's ok) but how to impliment it when I still  want my yellow/orange color behind the sentiment. Did I mention that I was trying to achieve a card with as little layers as possible? Here's how I achieved the look: sticky notes and two scored lines. I scored where I wanted my sunshine color to be and then masked it off with thin sticky backed paper (think large sticky note). I sponged on Distress Ink's Old Paper and then used Frayed Burlap for the wooden beams (I am loving this background). Once that was dried I used sticky notes to mask the "deck" and sponged on Distress Ink's Mustered Seed and Spice Marmalade for my color behind the sentiment. What I really liked about this sponging technique is that the rised embossed lines stayed white so it worked as a great frame for the veleum sentiment banner. For the smaller sentiment undernead I just heat embossed it in white (the small sentiment is from TSG's Day & Night set). Once I got the background the rest came together quickly. The flip-flops were die cut out, stamped, and put together. The color of choice was DI's Festive Berries (again, I really need to get the newest seasonal colors). For the flower I swiped the pad on some scrap white c/s and then die cut the flowers out using small pearls for the center.

Summer Fun

Here's some summer fun. Not much to say about this card as it's rather clean and simple. I wanted to try a shape card using my nesties even though it would it would be a smaller card. The "wave" I did on the red base is from a stamp set that maybe the company is known for matching their stamps to their paper (I really am not sure who and have started to use the set more - guess I really need to find out). It would have looked better on a blue background, but I already had the red cut so it kinda looks like flames (that's a good idea for another project though) but is suppose to be waves. I wish I could have embossed the "waves" but I couldn't find my clear embossing powder. The image from from Tiddly Inks (I think I have become addicted to these really cute digital images - even the ones without mouths and I normal don't care for mouthless images). I love how vintage this image is with the swim cap and the style of the swimsuit.


Challenges used:
Simon Says - photo inspiration
Whimsical Wednesday - photo inspiration
Digital Tuesday - red, white, & blue
Stampin' Sisters in Christ - red and/or blue
The Secret Crafter - water theme
Tiddly Inks Challenge - summer fun with water, sand, and toys
Easy Craft Projects - summer theme
Cute Card Thursday - summer theme
Fab 'n' Funky Challenges - shape card
Cinema Sat - shape card

Brown for Summer?

So does brown really work for a summer card? I decided to play with it and see what I could come up with. The first card is using my first WaltingzMouse Stamp set. I was so excited to see that I had won a set of choice. I picked Free Spirit-Boy stamp set as I have noticted that I needed more stamps that I could use for male cards. Bonus are these great flowers that I can use for girls too. I can't wait to get some more sets from here. I colored the flowers on kraft cardstock with copics, a first for me. It may take some getting use to with the coloring but it was fun and I can see me doing it again. I then painted the flowers with some Shimmerz paint.The quote was found on-line. I added some faux stitching and distressed the edges of all of the colors with some distress ink too.

Challenges used:
Waltzing Mouse sketch
Cupcake Inspirations
Secret Crafter - include a quote
Copic Creations - color on something other than white cardstock
Whimsical Wed - summer inspiration
Our Creative Corner - corners (I used the flowers)


For my second card I used one of Mo's Digital fairies images. I just love how she is reflecting in a puddle of water. LOTS of shimmerz paint was used on this card as I just thought that she must be all blinged out :) After doing these two card I decided that brown can indeed work for summer.

Challenges used:
Whimsical Wed - summer inspiration
The Shabby Tea Room - summer fun
Sentimental Sunday - summertime
Pile it On - summer showers (she's kneeling in the water)
A spoonful of sugar - enjoying the sunshine
Color Cue challenge - color inspiration
Lord Have Mercy - sketch
Charisma Card - bling
JUGS - use a digi image or paper (the image is a digi)
Stamp Something - summer

Aloha summer

I can't believe it took me so long to finish a rather simple card. Time wasn't the issue; it was the fact that I have been so tired lately even though I'm in bed before 10 pm most nights. I'm NOT preggers but haven't been eating right as of late nor taking any vitamens. I'm praying that is the problem and nothing medical. I am going to the health store tomorrow for the vitamens and most likely setting a check up with my doc too. I am also sending out some applications to some store for DT as it is something I would really like to expand in. Wish me luck :)

This card uses Hula from Sassy Studio Designs. She is from Lindsay's first release last year. She's so much fun and I decided to pair her up with some fringe ribbon to go with this week's Sassy Challenge. The stamped flouish is from a random stamp set I have and the Aloha stamp is from Our Craft Lounge's Kona set.

Challenges used:

Whimsical Wednesdays - summer inspiration

Sassy Studio Designs - use ribbon

Truly Scrumptious - sketch

Fab 'n' Funky - summer inspiration

Surfer Girl

Can you beleive I'm back so soon with another card? It is Summer Break now, so I am going to have a little more time for my crafts. This one uses another Sassy Studio Designs image and I thought it was perfect for lots of the summer challenges out there. I discovered while coloring her that I need to work on my water/ocean coloring with copics. For her surfboard I colored it with copics and then went over it with some CE that I had poured some glitter in it (to give anything I coat with it a sutble bling). The sentiment was an after thought as I had wanted a flower to go there that matched the one on her surfboard but I didn't have a stamp like it.

Challenges used:

Etsy Inspired - I used these earrings as my color inspiration.

The Diedrich Dare - inspiration

Cardvarks - wet/dry embossing (I dry embossed the cardbase)

PaperTake Weekly - summer themed

Tuesday Taggers - texture (the dry emboss on the cardbase and the CE on the surfboard) The winner of this challenge will get something from Tanda Stamps.

Creative Inspiration - beach themed

Stamp Something - use a digi image

Stampin' for the Weekend - summer/travel theme

Oh, Alice - what's my muchness (I love to color with my copics)

Sketch Saturday - sketch

Our Creative Corner - summer inspiration

My first Mermaid card

I love mermaids and it all started with Disney's Ariel from The Little Mermaid. I think what did it for me was her red hair. She was the first Disney princess to have that hair color and as a red head myself I was hooked. Since then I have developed a love for them. Sassy Studio Designs has a mermaid and she brought back memories of that movie. Mermaids also get me thinking about summer time I think because then I start to think about beaches. For this particular card I chose to go with the layered scallops that I've been seeing lately. From the moment I've seen this look it as reminded me of scales. To help add to the effect I sprayed the scales with Shimmerz Baby's Breath. This particular Sassy image is going to be retired soon so you'll want to get her while you still can. Also, don't forget that SSD is having a DT call that ends of June 12th. Be sure you get your application in :)

Challenges used:
Whimsical Wednesday - inspiration piece
Cupcake Craft Challenges - summertime
CPS - sketch