Happy Friday!
How has your week been? Do anything super fun for St. Patrick's Day??
It was super chill here at our house. I threw a corned beef brisket in the crock pot and let it do it's thing for the day. So stinkin delicious!! Plus, it was a gorgeous day here yesterday so I was able to get out into the yard a bit, which felt wonderful! I love it when the sun shines!
So today we have another super adorable release from Sami Stamps to share with you. It's called Chicks and Eggs..total cuteness!
I've used the image Easter in Roses.
This image is so gorgeous! I loved coloring in those sweet little roses and the egg was the perfect frame for a sentiment. I chose one that fit from Create with TLC and printed them off together. I wanted to keep the egg white, so I did some light grey shading around the edges, and then colored in my roses to be a reddish pink.
My background was created using Pretty in Pink Stampin Up ink through a chevron stencil. I first inked up the whole background panel, then did a second layer through the chevron stencil. Then I shifted the stencil and applied some white pigment ink to make the whole thing look like there are 3 different shades of pink on the background. I absolutely love how it turned out!! It's soft and subtle for the background, which is exactly what I wanted.
I paired that with a light blue patterned paper from Lawn Fawn and cut the pink chevron paper to fit on an angle in the corner. I took some jute that I had on my desk and pulled out one of the strands. Usually jute has about 3 strands wrapped together, so I pulled one out to make it just 2 strands and then wrapped that around the card to tie it into a bow.
To finish the card off, I added shimmer brush to the roses and a few glossy accents around the image to add some more shine. Funny thing about those dots...don't put a card in the sun to dry...the glossy accents turn cloudy! I had no idea that would happen! So they don't sparkle...but they still look cool on the card.
Anyhow, be sure to check the rest of this release out at Sami Stamps!!! You don't want to miss it!!
I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
AAA Cards #60-Easter
Artistic Inspirations #152-Anything Goes/Easter
Share Joy Challenge #27-Sketch & Tic Tac Toe (I used chevron, pink, twine)
The Crazy Challenge #218-Flowers
Word Art Wednesday #222-Anything Goes
Thanks so much for stopping by! <3
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Happy Friday!!
I hope your week has been fabulous and you are ready for the weekend! We had a crazy day here yesterday. Apparently a large wind storm blew through Washington Wednesday night. We weren't aware of it...until Thursday morning around 6:30 when our neighbors giant tree cracked out of the ground and knocked over the power lines! I'm not sure I've ever jumped out of bed that quick...ok maybe one other time because of a super large spider...
Needless to say, we were without power for about 15 hours...which made for a pretty boring day yesterday since it rained most of the day too so I couldn't work outside. I'm so happy and thankful for our electric crews that I'm sure had an insanely busy day yesterday. So very glad to have power back :)
With that, I wanted to share a card I created with an image from our most recent release with Sami Stamps!
I started my card by creating my background. I had originally created this background on black paper with soft colored embossing paste. It turned out okay, but the colors were much more muted than I wanted so I switched to a white background and sponged the colors on.
I've used Broken China, Squeezed Lemonade, and Spun Sugar to get that fabulous spring colored background. It turned out so super cute, I just adore it!
After printing off my Easter Pile image, I sent it through my die cut machine to cut it into a tag shape. Then colored it up with my markers. I used chalk to get the blue sky since my super light blue ShinHan markers have dried up and I haven't had the chance to replace them. I framed the tag with a scallop cut piece of vellum and then tied a few ribbons through the top. I white heat embossed a fun sentiment on some black cardstock and added a die cut stitch along the top and bottom with the Lawn Fawn Stitched Borders dies.
A few Sparkling Clear sequins from Pretty Pink Posh and the card was done! So super sweet! I hope you will check out this release from Sami Stamps! It just makes me smile :)
I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge #164-Spring
Artistic Inspirations #151-Anything Goes
Caseology #188-Laugh
Thanks so much for visiting! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!! <3
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Hi Everyone!
We have an awesome new release at Sami Stamps and we are starting a fun new challenge!
I am currently on a blogging/crafting break so this post is scheduled.
Hopefully it pops up correctly!!
This fun new release is all about Easter!
I have chosen to use the Tulip Easter Egg image for my card.
This was such a gorgeous image to work with, I knew I had to put a cross on the card somehow. Little side placements didn't seem to fit the image well, so I figured why not just put the cross right through the middle. I love how it looks!!
I also decided to do some simple watercoloring on the background in some pale yellows. Over top of that I stamped some white circles and embossed those with some clear sparkly embossing powder. It just helps to add a little texture and detail to the card, without too much distraction.
Since our new challenge is paper piecing, I did my best to stick with that for the tulip egg. I printed the whole thing off onto some blue patterned paper and framed that with a piece of scallop cut vellum.
Then I set to work on the tulips. Those are printed onto some really cool watercolory type purple paper. I added a little shading at the base of each petal and then cut them all apart so I could add little bits of dimension behind each individual petal. It was lots of work, but it looks so amazing that it was totally worth it!!
I stamped the sentiment below the flowers, and then went back in later with some black embossing powder to help separate it a little from the image (something my wonderful husband pointed out to me. Love it when his eye catches something mine doesn't :) ).
So be sure to stop by Sami Stamps to see the rest of this amazing release and what the design team has done with it!! And then join in our paper piecing challenge!!
Thanks for visiting! <3
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This post is a really sad one for me to write...today we start our last challenge at Meljen's Designs. I have loved this team from the moment I joined and it's so hard to see this wonderful business close. But I know that whatever Melissa decides to do, she will smash it! She's just an incredible woman and I'm so thankful that I had the chance to be a part of her team full of amazingly talented ladies!
Our theme this week is Easter.
I was asked by a very supportive family member to make up some Easter cards for her. I don't normally do anything for this holiday because it can be a little tricky...and I get a little torn on what to make. But I have had this Easter Cross image for so long and have been dying to put it on a card. So I printed it off and set to work.
The background was inspired by a really cool background die that I saw from Taylored Expressions called the Ray of Sunshine. I loved that it had divides between each section and wanted to replicate that for the background of this card. So I went to my sunray cut file in my Silhouette Studio and tried a few things out. I ended up just doing a little offset option which adds a frame around the cut lines, and did a lot of piecing together. To make it easier on myself, I left everything on my cutting mat while I added the colors. That way it was all stuck in place and I didn't get their placement mixed up when I went to assemble it all.
Since the background was so vibrant, I kept the rest of the card simple. I cut the cross image out with an oval die cut and added a scallop frame behind it for some extra detail that wasn't distracting. Printed off and die cut a fitting sentiment and it was all done! I really love this card! The background is so awesome and it's perfect matched with this sweet cross image!!
Be sure to stop by and join in this challenge! And remember there is a 50% off sale going on at the shop until the end of March before the store closes. So run on over and pick up all of Melissa's crazy adorable images!!!
I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Artistic Inspirations #128-Anything Goes/Easter
Creative Fingers #72-Anything Goes
Inky Impressions #202-Bold and Bright
Our Daily Bread #231-Easter/Spring Religious Inspiration
Simon Says Stamp-Anything Goes
Thanks for stopping by! <3
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Happy Monday!
It's nice to see that spring has arrived...for the next few hours. Apparently we're supposed to get snow again tonight?? Seriously...I have been loving the super warm temps, the sun shining in my house with the nice cool breeze. The smell of the world coming alive and the major sneeze attacks that come with it. So really, it's okay if the snow just never shows up again :)
But it's time to start a new challenge at Paper Makeup and we want to see anything Easter! I have a hard time making Easter cards. It's like the one holiday I can never really form any ideas for...so I normally skip over it in the card department and move right on to something else. But I tried this week :)
I thought this sentiment was so super funny, I just had to use it :)
It's part of the Easter Bunny collection from Paper Makeup, though I can't seem to find it in the store right now. But it was perfect for a fun simple card this week.
Trying to stick with an Easter theme still, I chose some pastel colored papers and did a bunch of different length flags beneath the image. I also scored some lines along the outside for a simple border. But that was it...very simple and still makes me chuckle!
I hope you will join us this week!
Thanks for stopping by! <3
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Good day my crafty friends!
I hope all is well in your part of the world. We are on day 2 of a gusty snow storm.
I'm sharing with you today an Easter card. I decided to try 2 different layouts for this card...mostly because I love the image and wanted to make multiple cards with it :)
Aren't they darling!? This sweetie is Murray from Saturated Canary. I bought her probably last Easter and never colored her up! So I broke out my pencils and got to work.
The first card I made followed the sketch for challenge #195 at There She Goes this week. I've found that my paper collection is starting to lack in the pastel eastery colored papers, but I found this multi-colored purple one and figured it would work well enough. And I paired it with a soft green pattern.
I used my Cameo to cut out a doily and then trimmed off a small part of the bottom so it was flush with the edge of the card. The butterflies are from a MS border punch I got for Christmas. I just trimmed around the ones I wanted and stuck them onto my card. There are small liquid pearl dots down the centers and 2 of them are covered with blue stickles. The last touch was to add little pearl trails for 2 of the butterflies.
This next card turned out better in my opinion. I love them both, but I think the layout worked a little better on this card.
For this card, I followed the sketch #22 at Graphicat Sketches. And found an Easter ribbon that I purchased...yup! Last year! Maybe these were like after Easter clearance items or something...not sure why I would buy something and then not use it at all...
I didn't add any stickles to the butterflies this time, but I did add a small pearl trail and pearls to all the corners.
As I said, I love both of the cards and think they both turned out fabulous. What do you think? Do you like one of them better than the other...and why?
Thanks for stopping by!
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Happy Tuesday!
That means it's time for another fun challenge at Tuesday Throwdown!!
This week we are challenging you to make a window card! I admit...I always struggle with these. The cuts never line up, I always have to trim stuff, and then I end up with little fuzzies and frayed ends...
But I dove into it anyhow this week :)
I think it turned out pretty darn cute! Our wonderful sponsor this week is MyGrafico who has provided the DT with some fabulous images! I used the adorable little bunny, colored in with my colored pencils and then added a little punched out heart to it's paws :)
The window frame is cut from the Cricut Lacy Labels cartridge. I added little blue paint dots around the whole frame and in the corners. Dug into my stash and found some matching roses that I had quilled up in the past and never used. I thought they matched my paper colors pretty well, so added some green leafing to them and stuck them in the corner.
The sentiment is actually from Tiddly Inks :) It was the right size and shape for my window! I had to use it :)
Be sure to stop by and enter your window card at Tuesday Throwdown! We'd love to have you :)
This card is entered in the following challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge #48-Sketch
Forever Friends #38-Anything Goes
Digi Design-Spots and Dots
Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to hop on over and "Like" my Facebook page!
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Hello and welcome to my blog!
Today's card is such a cutie!
Isn't that image absolutely adorable!? I loved coloring it and cutting it out...so so cute! The image is from Sans Designs, but I can't seem to find the link for it now :( I printed it 3 times, then cut out the ruffle frame on 2 of the copies, glued them together and then popped them up on the full image so it created sort of a frame shadow box effect. I think it worked out pretty good!
The larger paper in the background is from Designs by Krista for a spring blog train. I loved this paper and have been dying to use it on a card! The striped paper is from Eye Inspire, which was also involved in that same spring blog train :) I really love using digital papers. There are so many freebies on the net and it makes it easier choosing what I want instead of sifting through bins at a craft store (which there aren't very many craft stores in Montreal...so digital paper for me is a lifesaver :) ). My only problem with printing these digital backgrounds is they never turn out as nice, clear and crisp as they appear on the screen, or the way designer paper is from the store...
Do you have any suggestions on how to get these papers to print better? I know I don't have the greatest printer in the world to print papers with, but I can't afford a really nice one right now. I've also tried researching if using different card stock would work...but I couldn't really find any information on that either...
So if you print digital papers, what card stock do you use? Do you set up specific settings on your computer so they print at a better quality? Any advice in this area is appreciated :)
Ok back to the card :)
I layered everything on cream card stock with purple as the final frame. There are 2 pieces of ribbon stacked on top of each other and run under the image. I tied a small bow with the purple ribbon and stuck it at the top of the framed image. Then I cut out a banner in purple, added some purple stitching and placed that on top of the ribbons.
I took some shimmery 3D paint and added varying sized dots to all the corners. Put some final touches of glitter on the image and it was done!
This card is entered in the following challenges:
The Sweet Stop Sketch #151
The Crafter's Cafe #2-Ribbon or Lace
Lexi's Creations #61-Easter
Totally Stamplicious-Critters
Paper Crafting Journey #5-Pretty Pastels
Stamp, Scrap & Doodle-Bunnies
The Squirrel and the Fox #14-Easter
Dream Valley #28-Easter
Thanks for stopping by!!!
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Happy Wednesday to everyone. I hope you all had a great Valentine's Day.
My card today is one that initially I was not very fond of...it's always disappointing when I make a card and don't like it...all that hard work! But as I played a little more with the elements and added some things, it grew on me :)
I'm really happy with how the basket turned out. It was so cute, and yet it seemed like anything I put behind it just didn't mesh very well...but I kept trying! I think the blue dots and the banner are what really pulled it all together for me.
The basket and all it's details are cut from the Cricut Easter cartridge. I embossed the white behind the bunny with my Swiss Dots folder and the bottom of the basket with the peacock folder in the Animal Prints bundle. The background frame is cut from the Lacy Labels cartridge and then embossed with D'vine Swirls. I then inked some blue on top of it to help the swirls stand out and not be so flat...otherwise it just didn't have much pop to it...
This card is entered in the following challenges:
Sketches by Carly Sketch #49
Totally Stampalicious-Texture
Ladybug Crafts-Spring is in the Air (Easter counts as Spring right? :) )
CES Challenge #72-3 or More Layers
Thanks for stopping by!
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Finally a post! I have been busy all week with a wonderfully large purchase from Etsy so I haven't had much time to make any other cards or posts! But that order is finally done, so I'm back!
This card turned out so fabulous! I just can't stop looking at it, it's so pretty :)
I was really sketchy on how the pink, black, and gray colors would work together but I think it is all fabulous! I followed the sketch at Mojo Monday for this week. Originally I had a whole different idea for a Valentine card...but I just couldn't get the image of the cross out of my head! So I changed gears and went with the cross :)
I embossed the pink background with my D'vine Swirls embossing folder and the white frame around the cross with the Swiss Dots folder. The frames around the cross are cut from my trusty Lacy Labels cartridge! I had planned on putting sunburst type accents around the cross but I think this frame worked pretty well since it has a spiked edge.
The cross is cut from the Wedding Solutions cartridge. The top layer is a white glitter paper. I really wanted the cross to shine, so that was the point of the glitter paper. Then I cut out a pink heart, added some glossy accents and clear glitter so it also sparkled, and placed it in the middle of the cross.
On to the flowers! Those lilies gave me such a headache!
I made so many of them trying to get them right...I still don't think they are great but better than before! The first few I made didn't stick together at all! The next few just totally crumbled in my fingers...seemed like my paper just completely soaked up my glue and became mush...but alas, I finally figured out a few things that made them sturdy and was able to get them put together! (I watched a few tutorials :) )
The roses are dusted with some pink chalk and then glittered.
As I said before, I just love this card!!
I've entered this card in the following challenges:
Mojo Monday #227
Fantabulous Cricut #97-Love is in the Air
Kaboodle Doodles #105-Hearts and Flowers
Lexi's Creations #58-Love
The Pink Elephant #134-Pink
Ruby's Rainbow #21-Flowers with a bit of Sparkle
Delicious Doodles #12-All Loved Up
Stampin Sisters in Christ #125-A Project That Shows Love
Some of these challenges are for "Love" projects, which at this time of year would represent Valentine's Day. But to me the cross represents the greatest love of all! So even though it is Valentine's Day soon, the cross will always be the greatest symbol of LOVE in my life!
Thanks for stopping by!
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