Happy Birthday, Katie!

Happy happy birthday to our own Katie Brooks of KB Stamps!  I hope you have the best day filled with much love and happiness!

We've got a fun and creative birthday hop planned so do stop by and leave some love!

Amy

Toni (that's me!)

Vicki

Kimberly

Tonya

Lisa

Laura

Lenae

The Details:  Power Poppy Short Stacks, VersaFine Onyx Black, Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics, Doodlebug enamel dots, Waffle Flower Lacy Layers die, Hammermill 80lb color copy coverstock, Paper Source Fuschia coverstock

Mermaids Make Me Smile

This card's cuteness makes me sick!  LOL. Once again I'm riffing on the inspiration pic over at The Heart Desires--this time using colors and sea creatures.  Lots of sea creatures.   I couldn't resist using the porcupine fish as balloons.  They're so cute!  And covered in Wink of Stella as is the sentiment and mermaid.  Girl's gotta have bling.

You still have a couple of days to join in the fun so get kraken!

I'm entering this in Simon Says Wednesday Shimmer      

Clear Wink of Stella

The Robin's Nest Tear Drops

Bo Bunny Sugar Glitter Paste

Tim Holtz Watercolor Paper

Sip by Sip

I have coffee on the mind with the current Summer Coffee Lovers Card Hop so thought I'd color up this beauty from Power Poppy for the first time.  I combined two of the included sentiments for fun and add "feathers" using a Hero Arts rain stencil.  Quick and oh so fun!

The Details:  Power Poppy Short Stacks, Copics, Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Mini Ink Blending Tool, Hero Arts Rain Dance stencil, Distress Ink Broken China, Waltzing Mouse stitched scalloped rectangle die, Hammermill 80lb color copy coverstock

Warm Cactus Wishes

Succulents are everywhere this season so I just had to incorporate some prickly pear when I set out to make another card for the Summer Coffee Lovers Card Hop.  #summerclh

Isn't this fun?  It's very slowly starting to warm up here in the Pacific Northwest but I can dream!

The Details:  MFT Sweet Succulents and Toasty Greetings, Zigs, VersaFine Vintage Sepia, Copics, Sakura white pigment pen, Memento Tuxedo Black

I'm also entering this in Curtain Call Tasty Tropics, Just Add Ink #316 Stripes, Addicted to Stamps and More #199 CAS

Stamplorations Coffee Lovers

Woo hoo!  The Summer Coffee Lover's Hop starts today!  It's always so much fun!  #‎summerclh‬

I'm using Stamplorations Coffee Happy and Zigs for this one layer beauty.  It's how I wish every day started out in the summer--clean and simple and on vacation.  LOL!

I'm also entering this card in Casology #202 Masculine

Stamplorations CAS June Challenge Reminder!

We're about halfway through the Stamplorations CAS June challenge (anything goes with the optional twist of blue) and are bringing you a bit more inspiration.  Come join us!

I stamped and embossed the fab Stamplorations Dogwood blossom then watercolored it using Zigs.  Zigs are really bright so I added more shadow using gray.  You can especially see this around in the darker blue areas.  The watercolor paper I used is quite textured but it took the sentiment beautifully.  It also diecut like a dream.

The Details:  Stamplorations Lotus Love and Dogwood, Waffle Flower Lacy Layers die, PTI impression plate and kraft cardstock, Versamark, Zigs, VersaFine Vintage Sepia, Stampendous detail fine embossing powder, Bockingford watercolor paper

HLS Mixed Media June Challenge: Texture!

O, Happy Day!  Spring is upon us in the Pacific Northwest so I had to celebrate with a bright and cheery card!  It's all about texture this month at the Happy Little Stampers Mixed Media challenge.  We'd love to have you play along!

For my card I decided to use a quilt die as a flower.  Both flowers use an embossing folder at some point in its creation.  The back flower petals were embossed with a dot folder and then I used a brayer to apply ink to the raised portions of the cardstock.  For the front flower, I cut it from a panel that had been stenciled, colored and then crackle paste applied over the top.  I interchanged the flower borders for more interest.  The leaves are cut from a Distress Ink watercolor panel and the flower centers from a Brushos panel.  The card based is sponged with a stencil.  Whew!


The Details:  Distress Salty Ocean, Mowed Lawn, Twisted Citron, Lemonade and Crackle Paint, Versamark, STampendous Detail white embossing powder, Recollections 110lb white cardstock, Memento Tuxedo Black, TCW Ceiling Tile and Climbing Vine stencils, Lil' Inker Sun Sentiments, Paper Studio Mini Bubbles embossing folder, Memory Box Botancial Stem die, Jillian Vance Grandma's Garden Quilt Block die

Happy Birthday Mosaic

I absolutely love the inspiration picture over at The Heart Desires Challenge.  Love it, I say! So I made another card for it.

This round I chose to use the geometric patterns and colors.  I wanted an unfinished mosaic look so I brushed away some of the embossing powder along the edges.  You can hardly tell here, but I used orange cardstock layers beneath the sentiment die cut.  I then mounted it on gold foil cardstock to go along with the gold embossing and the challenge pic, of course.  Love how this turned out!


The Details:  Hero Arts background stamp, Simon Says birthday and stitched rectangle dies, Doodlebug enamel dots, Zigs, Ranger gold embossing powder, Versamark, Pop Tone Orange Fizz cardstock

I'm entering this in Seize the Birthday Anything Goes, Little Tangles #69 Embossing, Addicted to Stamps and More #196 Anything Goes

HLS CAS June Challenge: Ghosting

Boo!  Well, not boo, but our Happy Little Stampers CAS challenge does involve ghosting.  There are a variety of ways to do it and just as many definitions of what the technique entails so check out the tutorials and give one or two or three a whirl.

I am so into all things nautical, both above and below water, right now so immediately thought I'd CASE a card we made in a Julie Ebersole class at Impress a couple of months ago (Tonya took the pic below of her version from class--so cute, right?).

I masked off the front panel and sponged it with DI Salty Ocean.  I like the different shades of blue--like sunlight reflecting off the water.  For the ghosting, I took my HA Waves background stamp, spritzed it lightly with water and pressed it over the entire panel.  It didn't look like it had worked until I gave it a little blow with the heating gun.  Wowza!  Love the effect.  The sailboats are die cut from gold foil cardstock and a red gelli print.

The Details:  Memory Box Marina Sailboats, Hero Arts Waves Background and navy shadow ink, Altenew Birthday Greetings, Distress Inks Salty Ocean, Recollections 110lb white cardstock and gold foil cardstock

Stamplorations CAS June Challenge!

Hey, my lovelies!  We're up for a new Stamplorations CAS Challenge--anything goes with the optional twist of blue.  You don't have to use Stamplorations products but would be great if you did.  Come join us!

My card came together so quickly.  I had picked up the new Recollections watercolor washi set and was going through them.  This one looks like leaves.  This one looks like sunset.  That one looks like water.  Sunset.  Water.  Hey now!  I quickly laid down the strips of washi then stamped the ship in Stazon.  I stamped the sentiment in VersaFine; it blurred a bit on the washi.  I added the seagull to balance the sentiment.  Unfortunately, I dropped the seagull die and it bounced to some unknown place.  I'm sure Frankie will find it for me. :)

The Details:  Stamplorations True North, Stazon Jet Black, VersaFine Onyx Black, Simon Says stitched rectangle die, Recollections washi tape and 110lb white cardstock, Impression Obsession Sea Birds

The Heart Desires Challenge #1

The first The Heart Desires Challenge has launched!  Get it--launched--I made a nautical card?   LOL.  Anyway, I'm super excited because I love the products, I love the concept and I love crafting.  Woo hoo!

As you can see from the inspiration pic, I chose to use the colors and sea creature elements.  I suppose I could even say I used geometric with the triangles of my boats.  Yes, I like making my own definitions, thank you very much!  Everything is designer paper and/or diecuts.  I did use a Copic to orange up the sails more so ink was involved (ink, sea creatures--gets it?  yes, lame).   

Now get kraken (I am KILLING it!) and join in the fun!

 

The Details:  Carta Bella Yacht Club and Beach Day 6x6 paper, Fancy Pants Making Waves 6x6 paper, Savvy Hello die, Copic YR07, Recollections gold cardstock and 110lb white cardstock base, Simon Says stitched rectangle die

Carta Bella Yacht Club 6x6

Carta Bella Beach Day 6x6

House of Cards June Blog Hop!

It's hop time again at the House of Cards and we have lots of inspiration to share along the way.  

For my card I used a stamp set generously provided by one of our sponsors, Reverse Confetti.  I have to admit I was a bit stumped on how to use these cute apples with the inspiration pic.  (ha ha--get it?  stumped).  Didn't take me long tho since there is so much to draw from in the pic.  I chose gold, bright colors and round shapes.

So, are you ready to get hopping?!  Make sure you leave a comment at each person's blog along the way because the prizes are hidden and we'll be doing random drawings from the blogs where they are hiding! :) After you're done, make a creation to share with us here, too, for another chance to win!

Also, this blog hop is also a DT call!!!!   We're looking for crafters comfortable in any card making style and it might just be YOU!  Check out the House of Cards for all the deets.


HOC Blog | Mynn | Sue T. | Cohenna | Donna | Dotty Jo | Em | Emily
Heather | Jane | Judy | Karen | Katarzyna Ewa * | Katy | Leslie* | Linda

Merethe | Merlina* | Michele | Paula* | Rocky | Rosi | Ruza

Shawna | Shirley* | Steph | Sue N. | Susan* | Tina* | Toni  (You are here!)

The Details:  Reverse Confetti All Apples, Concord and 9th Tree Ring, Hero Arts Cup o' Joe, Neon Ombre Chartreuse to Blue and Red to Purple, Delicata Golden Glitz, Simon Says Stitched Rectangle die, Recollections 110lb white cardstock