12 Kits Of Occasions July 2019 - Best Summer Ever

Hello friends.  It's the end of another month and that means it's time for the 12 Kits Of Occasions post where Marybeth is our hostess this month, and we're celebrating the Best Summer Ever!!

Look at all the fun papers (Echo Park), die cuts, images, and sweet sentiments Marybeth gave us to work with!!  And doesn't Lindsey do such a fabulous job of photographing all these goodies for us each month?!!  Most of my cards this month are EXTREMELY SIMPLE as a nod to Marybeth, who in my humble opinion is the Queen of elegant CAS cards.  Lots of people can do CAS, but Marybeth makes CAS always look like perfection!  It's hard to explain, but I am always blown away how BEAUTIFUL her cards are and yet still so simple!  Anyway, let's get on with it shall we??!!

I used the white frame (from the tulip die cut) and backed it with some of the Echo Park DSP, and then simply added the die cut HELLO and the ice cream cone.  A little bit of pink baker's twine finished off this card.  Definitely feels like Summer, doesn't it?!!

This card was so simple to put together as Marybeth did all the work having stamped and die cut the flowers (Filled In Florals by Concord & 9th) and Mason jar (Just Mason Around by The Greetery).

I did a little bit of ink blending on this Cool Treats (Concord & 9th) and then added to a background that I dry embossed and added more of that fun Echo Park DSP to.  I doubled up on the pop dots that I added to the center back of the ice cream treat to give it some dimension...looks good enough to eat, doesn't it?!

I think this is probably my favorite card...it's a bit larger than a normal A2 card (6" across) so that I could fit the whole sentiment A Flamingo A Day Keeps The Winter Away on the card.  It was part of the DSP and I just trimmed a strip to fit along the bottom of my card and then stamped a Flamingo from PTI's Some Like It Hot stamp set.  Marybeth had also added some really cool Flamingo washi tape with our kits and I added that to the inside...

Isn't that just too cute?!!

I just LOVED this Garden Poppy Stitched Frame die cut (Poppystamps) that Marybeth included in her kit, and did just a simple blended background using Abandoned Coral, Spiced Marmalade, & Wild Honey DOX inks.  The sentiment is from SSS's Sketched Flowers.

And last but not least, I had to make a shaker with the lovely sequin mix Marybeth included in the kit!  I ended up using a Copic on the rinds of the watermelon slices in the DSP so that it matched the color of the sequins better, but otherwise, this was another really quick and simple card.

And here they are all together!  Such a FUN kit Marybeth!!  I truly had a blast playing with all the goodies and cannot wait to see what all my teamies came up with using the same items!  You can check out what the rest of the DT came up with and a list of all the supplies we used right HERE.

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!

Rudolph Days Challenge - July 2019

Hello friends.  Playing along with the July Rudolph Days Challenge today and sharing a card I made a few weeks back when Michele and I got together to do Christmas cards in July.  I never finished this card because I had used my MISTI to stamp opposite corners of the Mistletoe, but for some reason when I flipped my cardstock, the 2nd image didn't line up and I almost threw the piece away.  I was looking at it again this weekend and got to thinking that maybe if I cut the image in half and just used the good side, it might be salvageable.  Here's what I came up with:

The image is from Altenew's Majestic Mistletoe and I used Altenew's Green Fields ink cubes for the Mistletoe and Gina K's Cherry Red ink for the berries.  Before attaching my half panel to the card base, I ran it though the big shot with SU!'s Subtle embossing folder to give some texture.  Here's a closer up so you can see the texture better...

After adding my stamped panel to the card base, I added a thin strip of Real Red cardstock, and then finished with the sentiment (also Majestic Mistletoe), a few gold sequins, and some gold cording at the top.  Pretty CAS but considering it almost ended up in the trash, I really like the way it turned out!

How is YOUR Christmas card stash coming along??  I'm getting there, and challenges like July Rudolph Days help me stay on track.  This challenge is open from the 25th - 31st, so play along and get a head start on those Christmas cards!!

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!

Tag You're It Challenge #92

Hello friends.  On a bit of a Christmas kick lately (the weather has been SOOOOO HOT lately that it actually feels good to be making Christmas cards and tags!!), and the current Tag You're It Challenge has a BEAUTIFUL Christmas inspiration photo!!

Isn't it a beautiful photo with all the greenery and berries...so FUN and FESTIVE!!  I used a Penny Black stamp (Christmas Arrangement) and came up with this vintage looking Christmas tag...

I stamped my tag (MFT) with the PB image in black and then heat embossed in clear, and then water colored the leaves, berries, and pinecone.  I cut a 2nd tag from kraft (to mimic the color of the basket in the inspiration photo) and stamped it with a Hero Arts stamp (Vintage Christmas Post).  I sponged the edges of both tags and also splattered both with Soft Suede ink before sticking them together.  I finished by adding a die cut JOY from PTI's Bold Borders: Flurries and a wooden snowflake (SU!).  I did add some WOS to the snowflake and pinecone, and also added a couple Rainstones (PTI) and some brown gingham ribbon and twine.

You can check out all the FABULOUS tags from the DT and then play along right HERE.  

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!

Christmas Kickstart Challenge #15 - Festive Things With Wings

Hello friends.  The current Christmas Kickstart Challenge is looking for FESTIVE THINGS WITH WINGS this time around.

I used a sweet little stamp called Tweet Holiday from the Your Next Stamp Company and came up with this card...

I stamped my image in black and heat embossed in clear, and then water colored the sweet little birdies and branch with inks that I smooshed into an acrylic block and then picked up the color with my Aqua Painter.  Once everything was dry I added Dazzling Diamonds (SU!) to the largest and smallest birds hats.  I die cut a red frame using PTI's Pierced Feature Frames and added to a white card base with the image and also added some red & white bakers twine.  The sentiment is from the same stamp set.

Lots of FUN and FESTIVE winged things to see for inspiration, so check them out and get started on those Christmas cards!  HOT weather is a perfect time to stay inside and make Christmas cards and you'll be so happy that you're ahead come December!  Check it all out and play along with the Christmas Kickstart Challenge right HERE.

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!

Twofer Challenge #18 - GARDEN

Hello friends.  Playing along with the Twofer Challenge where the prompt this month is GARDEN.

I do not have much of a green thumb outside (my hubby takes care of the little we do have!), but I do have LOTS of stamps that could be used for a GARDEN theme!  I ended up choosing a really old wood block stamp from Endless Creations (not even sure if they're still in business!) and came up with a encouragement card and a sympathy card...

Let's start with the encouragement card:

For my 1st card I used a technique that was one of the very 1st I ever learned...using markers (SU!) and coloring directly onto the stamp, and then misting with water before stamping on my cardstock.  The only thing I wish I would have done different with this was taking the red rubber stamp off the block and using my MISTI so that I could have fixed the lower right hand side where the leaves didn't stamp too well!  Oh well, I still like it!!  I added a sentiment from PTI's Flower Favorites which I think is pretty fitting for a garden card, and then finished by adhering my stamped panel to a Rich Razzleberry card base.

For my sympathy card I blended Abandoned Coral, Spiced Marmalade, & Wild Honey Distress Oxide Inks and then used the same stamp but stamped it in black for a silhouette look, and then added a sentiment from SSS's Sketched Flowers stamp set.  I adhered the panel to a cream colored card base to finish off this simple card.

Darnell and the DT have SO many GORGEOUS inspiration examples for you to see, so check them all out and then play along right HERE.  You can play until the 24th.

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!

Christmas In July

Hello friends.  Christmas in July??  Pretty warm in my neck of the woods to be celebrating Christmas (it's been in the 90's and very hot and humid here!!), but I'm playing along with a few challenges where Christmas just fit the bill!  I'm playing along with The Flower Challenge where they are looking for PRETTY PASTELS, the Color Throwdown Challenge where they are looking for Pink, Gray, White, & Silver, and also a special challenge with my sweet friend Michele who came over to play this week and make Christmas cards.  

We were both struggling a bit with the current Flower Challenge because neither one of us is really a pastel person, but we decided to use the same Altenew Poinsettia set and see what we came up with!  

I water colored my flower with Spun Sugar and Worn Lipstick Distress Inks (Peeled Paint for the leaves) and then mounted to a white card base with a small stitched window opening that I added a piece of embossed (SU! knitted embossing folder) gray cs behind.  The sentiment was stamped in gray (as well as the outlines of the flower and leaves) and was from one of Michele's sets that I don't remember the name of...sorry!  I also added some Silver Linings Nuvo Drops to the center of my flower and finished off with a few clear sequins.

Here's a closer up so you can see some of the detail better.  My card also works for the current Color Throwdown Challenge with the Pink, Gray, White, & Silver and their inspiration photo is what totally inspired me to use the knitted embossing folder on my card.

You can play along with The Flower Challenge HERE and the Color Throwdown Challenge HERE.  Lots of GORGEOUS cards from both Design Teams, so make sure you check them both out and play along!

I have 4 more cards to share with you today that are from the play date with Michele and she will be posting some of the cards she made today too, so make sure you check out all her lovely creations!  This 1st card uses a STAMPlorations set by Shirley called Layered Poinsettia's...

I love this stamp set and the artsy design!  SO simple but really packs a punch!!  The sentiment is from Altenew.

This was just a fun card because I wanted to use the moose die (Poppystamps) that I'd had for ages and never used.  Wasn't happy with the card though until Michele suggested tying a bell around his neck...definitely perked it up in my eyes!!

These last 2 cards were done with a Gina K set called Christmas Greenery and I had fun inking up the trees with a few different colors of green inks.  I also did some ink splattering with white and gold and a little bit of loose water coloring around the trees.

If you made it this far, CONGRATULATIONS for sticking it out through this looooong post!  Hope it made you feel a little cooler too with all this HEAT and HUMIDITY going on outside!  Once again, make sure you check out The Flower Challenge and the Color Throwdown Challenge (links above) for more wonderful inspiration, and definitely Michele's post to see all her wonderful cards from our play date!  And thanks Michele for such a FUN play day...I had SO much fun and can't wait to do it again!!   
  

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!

CAS Watercolour Reminder Post

Hello friends.  Just a friendly little reminder that you have until the 24th to play along with this month's challenge at CAS Watercolour!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BONNIE!!

Who knew there were SO many birthday's in July??!!  First we celebrated Darnell's birthday, and now we're celebrating the WONDERFUL and oh so sweet Bonnie who is celebrating a milestone birthday today!  So happy, happy birthday Bonnie and here's a sweet bouquet of tulips just for you!!

I stamped in black and then clear embossed my image from SSS's Mandy's Flowers on water color cardstock and then used Distress inks smooshed onto an acrylic block and my Aqua Painter to paint the jar and tulips.  Once it was dry I used a new (to me) die from Impression Obsession called Checkered Frames and die cut around my image.  Love the subtle but decorative look this gives to my card.  I added a few sequins and some white crochet thread to finish off my little birthday bouquet for Bonnie.  I wish I lived closer Bonnie and could actually deliver this sweet little bouquet in the mason jar personally to you!!  :0)

You can check out the rest of the birthday cards from the DT for Bonnie right HERE and then play along...remember to keep your card CAS and to use a BOUQUET of flowers and not just a single flower.  The challenge is open till the 24th.

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!

Christmas Kickstart Challenge #14 - Favorite Hot Beverages

Hello friends.  Made a card at the beginning of the week for the current Christmas Kickstart Challenge and then almost forgot to post it!!

This challenge is all about your favorite hot beverage and mine is definitely mint hot cocoa (don't like coffee at all...tastes like hot dirt!!).  I have quite the collection of sweet snowmen mugs that I use during the Winter for my hot cocoa, but today I'm using one of my favorite Impression Obsession tea cups filled with hot cocoa...

I stamped, colored lightly with Copics, and then fussy cut my little tea cup out and pop dotted against a Real Red stitched circle die cut.  I kept my cup very simple because I made a quite colorful background using washi tape from SU! that I had gotten last year and never used!  There were 5 rolls in the package, and I just kept repeating them on a piece of white cardstock, and the used a stitched rectangular die to cut out the panel.  Running them through your die cut machine really helps to adhere them more permanently to your cardstock.  Here's a close up so you can see more of the glimmer from all the gold, silver, and copper in the washi tape:

Isn't that such a FUN background?!!  And now you can see why I kept my tea cup pretty simple...it would have gotten lost if I had colored it up too much!  I added my washi tape panel to a white card base and then added the tea cup and circle, and also a piece of heavy red bakers twine at the card top.  Almost makes me wish it were cool enough for a little hot cocoa...almost!!  I can definitely wait a while longer for the colder weather since we had to wait SOOOOOOOOOO long for warm weather this year!!

Only a couple more days to play along with the challenge, but this is a fun one and you will be so glad you got a head start on those cards now come December!!  You can check it all out and play along right HERE.

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!

Tag You're It Challenge #91

Hello friends.  Playing along with the Tag You're It Challenge where they have the yummiest inspiration photo for us this time!

Doesn't this photo just scream SUMMER?!!  I just LOVE fresh fruit in the Summer and still had The Greetery's Lemon Blossoms set sitting out on my desk, so used the citrus slice stamp to pick up on the orange, lemon, and lime slices in the inspiration photo.

I used PTI's Made With Love Tags 2 dies to cut out my tags (the background tag was die cut using Harvest Gold Bitty Big DSP - PTI) and then stamped the white tag with the 2 step slice stamp from the Lemon Blossoms set.  The sentiment is also from the Lemon Blossoms set.

I took a close up hoping to capture the WOS I used on the fruit slices to give some sparkle and shine, but unfortunately I just could not capture it!  I finished with a few enamel dots and some yellow ribbon and white crochet thread.

You can check out all the WONDEFUL inspiration tags by the DT HERE and then play along.

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!

CAS Christmas July 2019 - SNOWFLAKES

Hello friends.  Playing along with this months CAS Christmas challenge where they are looking for SNOWFLAKES!

I pulled out my favorite snowflake dies from PTI (Fancy Flakes) and came up with this:

I started by blending Picked Raspberry, Dusty Concord, Salty Ocean, Faded Jeans, & Stormy Sky Distress Inks for my background and then splattered with white acrylic paint to resemble falling snow against my Winter sky.  Next I added 2 die cut Fancy Flakes and then sprayed the panel with Sheer Shimmer Sparkle Spritz.  You can see a little bit of the shimmer in this close up:

In real life it really sparkles!!  Next I lightly traced my panel onto the card base and used it as a guide to stamp my "merry and bright" sentiment (SSS's Tiny Words Christmas) all around my rectangle and then erased my pencil marks before adding the snowflake panel along with a piece of foam to add a little dimension.

Make sure you check out all the BEAUTIFUL snowflake cards from the DT and then play along right HERE.  This challenge is open till the 24th.  

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!

The Greetery 2nd Release

Hello friends.  Just a fun little post sharing some cards I've made using my new goodies from The Greetery.

It was suggested when I posted a picture of all my new goodies on IG that I start with the Macra-Made dies, so I did, and yes, I did let out a little squeal out when I ran the dies through my Big Shot!  These remind me of my college days when several of my friends and I learned how to make macramé hangers for our plants...oh the simple things!!  The flowers in my pots are from the Summer Sketches set.

During release week Wanda Guess showed a BEAUTIFUL card (HERE) and then Betsy did her own version of Wanda's card (HERE), so of course I wanted to play along and this is my take on the striped background!  I used a striped stencil and a blending brush with some Lovely Lady ink and then simply added the die cut floral branch from Summer Sketches along with a sentiment strip using the Sentiment Suite: Thinking of You set.

I was trying to channel my inner Heather Nichols with this card and stamped the Eucalyptus branches on kraft cardstock and then stamped with white pigment ink and Moonlit Fog (Gina K) ink.  And of course I had to add the Mason jar from the Just Mason Around set.

  
This card uses the Just Mason Around jar again and the Lemon Blossom set and will be going to my hubby as kind of a joke for his birthday.  When he had a kidney stone a few months back, his boss told him that he used to get them (kidney stones) all the time until someone told him to drink lemonade, and since he's been drinking a quart of lemonade a week he hasn't had a kidney stone in 4 years.  Truth or old wives tale??  I don't know, but I've been instructed to pick up lemonade every week at the grocery store since then!  Anyway, FUN set to play with!!

A simple card using the Simple Things stamp set...who would ever have thought Eucalyptus branches could be soooo pretty all on their own??!!

And last but not least, a card inspired by Betsy's card using one of the stamps from Summer Sketches as a background stamp.  And of course I had to use the Just Mason Around jar again because, well, you have to stamp them in every color combination to see what looks good (they ALL do!) and when they're all sitting there on your desk, well you use them!!  Along with the purple flower from Fleur Impressions (Betsy's 1st release) and the flowers and leaves from Summer Sketches (yes, I stamped all kinds of color combo's with this stamp set too so I had lots to choose from!).  A little bit of gingham (SU!) at the bottom of my card added to the country feel of this card.

Now you know what I've been doing for the past week...it was like Christmas around here!!  I still have the bird stamp set and branch stamp set to play with yet, but I will definitely get to them!  :0)  

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!