Congrats - It's a Boy!

Fab 'n' Funky - Babies

Onesie stamp by Clearsnap
Sentiment by Hero Arts (individual stamps)
Paper piecing 

Back to school

The kids start back to school tomorrow. Our college student started back this past week for his last semester at UNCC :). We can't wait until graduation in December.

Crafty Sentiments - Back to School
Die Cuttin Divas - Back to School with diecut
4 Crafty Chicks - Back to School
C.R.A.F.T. - Back to School

Stamp by Unity Stamps
Sentiment by Hero Arts individual letters
Washi tape
Square die cut by Taylored Expressions

Happy Thanksgiving!

Is it too early to work on Thanksgiving cards? I don't think so :). These mouse were fun to color (and making me crave pumpkin pie, which is my all time favorite dessert of all time!) I colored it using my Jane Davenport paints onto watercolor paper. They're just so cute, aren't they? :)

Animal Friends Challenge - Mouse
Crazy Hazelnut - Anything with Patterned Paper
Just for Fun - Stripes
Sunny Day Crafting - Animal
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - Food or Drink

Stamp by Stampendous
Sentiment by Taylored Expressions
Wonky Stitch die by Gina Marie Dies

Who's ready for pumpkin pie? LOL

For this card, I decided to stamp the image, then diecut part of the mice out using my Memory Box circle dies and then I popped it up using dimensionals to give it some dimension. For the background, I got out my gel press and swirled 2 different shades of blue acrylic paint and made the background.

Sunday Stamps - Summer Splash Challenge #185

Stamp by Stampendous

Hang in there

Less is More - Challenge #378 Sketch 24
Ellibelle's Creative Moments - Feature a Creature

Stamps by Recollections (Michael's)

Pretty background with tree

Tree and swing stamps by Impression Obsession
Bicycle Girl by Echo Park

Just Us Girls - Challenge #454

For this card, I did the paint dragging technique by Jennifer McGuire and you can see it on youtube here.

I need to see you badly

Just Us Girls - Challenge #454

This is a fun background to create. First, I stamped the image onto the watercolor paper. Then I got out my ruler and using a pencil, I measured 3/4" across and up and down to make many squares. Then, I taped down my paper to a clipboard so the paper wouldn't warp since I was using watercolors. I colored each square a different color using my Jane Davenport watercolor paints. I let each color dry before moving onto the next box so it didn't bleed into the next color. I did this card for the Just Us Girls challenge using their colors this week. After it dried, I stamped the sentiment on top. I decided not to color in the bird and just left her in black and white. I was also thinking she would be a cute image for a back to school card too!!

Stamps by Stamping Bella

Cards in Envy - Yellow and Black

For this week's challenge at Cards in Envy, we are to make a card that is yellow and black.  All cards must fit into a standard size envelope for easy mailing.  I used a flower stamp from Unity Stamps and I used the Concord & 9th turn-about stamp for the background. I colored the flowers and vase with Copic markers.

I hope to see you in our challenge here. 

Flowers by Unity Stamps
Background by Concord & 9th

Hope

This gel press is so much fun!! I found this small package of 2 Martha Stewart texture tools at Michael's on sale last week for $3 (reg price was $10) and I am having so much fun with it. I made my background using the gel press, acrylic paints, a brayer and that tool I discovered. 

Just for Fun - Stripes

A Gem of a Challenge - Breast Cancer Awareness
Creative Craft Cottage - No Patterned Paper

Back to school

It's hard to believe summer is coming to an end and that school will soon be starting!! My son is in his last semester of his senior year of college and he actually starts on Monday. All the regular schools nearby start next Monday.

This card took me FOREVER to make (LOL). I first stamped the kids and then made a mask of them so I could stamp the bus (which I stamped in Oxide Ink - Mustard Seed) directly in front of them. I could not get the bus just right or the kids just right and I had to keep starting over and over and over. I colored the kids using my Jane Davenport watercolor paints. Then, I stamped the birds. Finally, I came up with this and I love how it came out. Every year I mail a "Back to School" card to my good friend in California - she works for the school system so I always enjoy making her a different card each year.

Mod Squad - Back to School
Simon Says Stamp - Back to School
Sum More Fun - Mood Board
CAS-ual Fridays - #206 Inspiration Photo
Bastel-Traum - Back to School

Kids by Unity Stamp Co.
School bus by Clearsnap
Birds by Repeat Impressions
Sentiment by Hero Arts (individual stamps)
Washi tape

 

Friends Make the Good Times Better

Pause Dream Enjoy - Challenge 33
CCC Digi Creations - 3 of a Kind

Stamps by Stampin Up

Thinking of You Eclipse card

Flower digital image by Kit and Clouder
And you can find the free class here

I am entering this in the following challenges:

Inspire.Create.Challenges - Floral

Back to Basics - Use a Digital image

A gift box made with a CD and just paper!!

I was excited when I was asked to be a guest designer for the next challenge at 2 Sisters on the Blog and you can see their blog here. The challenge is to design a gift box. I went onto You Tube and found this awesome video. All you need is a CD (to trace it onto paper), a pencil, a ruler and I used my bone folder to help with the creases. I believe the guy in the video used a textured paper but I didn't have any textured paper so I used this cute flip flop paper I had laying around and it came out just fine. Where the guy went over the extra lines with his pencil a 2nd time is where I used my bone folder to crease the paper and that made it want to fold in much easier. Here is the end result and I must say I will definitely be making more of these when I need a cute tiny box.

Flip flop paper by Paper Studio
 found at Michael's

Add a bow and it's all good to go!! 

Hope

Stamps by Amuse Stamps


Here, I did the Eclipse technique.
I am entering this in the following challenge:

A Gem of A Challenge - Breast Cancer Awareness

In my imaginary neighborhood, you live right next door

It's been awhile since I got out my Color Bursts and played with them. I stamped this image in Versamark ink, then spread on WOW white embossing powder and heat set onto the watercolor paper. I sprinkled on some Color Burst with a few spritz's of water and this is what I got. The challenge is YELLOW so I think this captures it beautifully!!

Craftaholics R Us - Yellow

You're How Old?

House of Cards - August Challenge
That's Crafty! - Animal Magic
Double Trouble - Dog Days of Summer
The Paper Girls - Paint It!
Creative Craft Cottage - No Patterned Paper

I love this dog by Tim Holtz. I found him on clearance at Hobby Lobby and I think I've used him at least 10 times in the last month! LOL

For this challenge, I got out my gelly plate and my Tim Holtz Oxide inks and made this background and I love how it came out. I just pressed the ink pads directly onto the gelly plate and squirted with a little bit of water and voila!

I know exactly who I am sending this card to!!

Happy Birthday

I love this brand new stamp set by Stampin Up. It has a wonderful group of stamps in it to make your own mountain or beach scene and it makes it really easy!!

Crazy 4 Challenges - Mountains #C4C446
Stamping Sensations - My Current Favorite Stamp Set
Creative Craft Cottage - No Patterned Paper

Stamps by Stampin Up
Sentiment by Stampabilities

Free Hugs

Just for Fun - Stripes

Cards in Envy - Something New

For the challenge at Cards in Envy this week, we are to make a card that features SOMETHING NEW - a new stamp, new ink, or new technique. I used this new stamp by Art Impressions and also my new "semicircle turnabout" stamp by Concord & 9th Stamps. This stamp took me awhile to figure out how to make it come out right but once I watched the video a few times (yes, I had to watch it more than once to "get it!"), then it all came out fine. This stamp (in my opinion) works best with a Misty and I did not have the bigger Misty. I only have the smaller Misty and this stamp does not fit in the smaller Misty. I tried several times to get it to work without using the Misty at all and even though Concord & 9th claims it can be done, mine was not coming together quite right. I decided to get Tim Holtz's stamp platform at Hobby Lobby this week with my coupon and that works on it great. All cards must fit into a standard size envelope for easy mailing. 

I had fun with this challenge. I love these 2 colors together - teal and red.

I hope you'll join us in our our challenge here. 

Girls laughing Art Impressions

Sentiment Art Impressions

Background stamp by Concord & 9th

Watercolors by Tombow markers

I Miss You

I am entering this in the following challenges:

Papercraft Challenges - Zigzag/Chevron
{PIN}spirational - Sketch #221
Through the Purple Haze - CAS #147
Eclectic Ellapu - Send to a friend

Bicycle stamp by Echo Park
Washi tape (zig zag)
Cardstock (chevron)

Bookmarker/Tag

Simply Create Too - Make a Bookmark #141
Kitty Bee Designs - Books
CAS on Sunday - Tag

Stamps by Unity
Die cut by Avery Elle

Beach scene

Paperminutes - Scenes by the Sea
Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
The Sisterhood of Crafters - Summer Vacation
Craftaholics R Us - Vacation
Country View Challenge - Sun, Sea, and Sand
Seize the Birthday - Water

Stamps by Stampin Up

Happy Fall

It won't be long before we start thinking about our Fall cards so I am starting mine off with these 3 pumpkins for this challenge. I used my Tombow markers by coloring directly onto each pumpkin, then spritzing it with water and stamping onto watercolor paper.

Tuesday Morning Sketches - Sketch #464
Through the Purple Haze - CAS #147

Stamp by Amuse Stamps

Good Friends are like Stars ....

If you haven't tried a gel press yet, you're missing out!! I had heard of them but 

knew NOTHING about them. I think I "thought" you had to have some piece

of machinery to use them and I finally watched some you tube videos 

and decided to get this one at Hobby Lobby last week. It's alot of fun and

for the background of this card, I used my Tim Holtz Oxide inks

and stamped them directly onto the gel piece. Then I squirted water

and voila, I got this awesome background!! I did not use the brayer

in the pic but I did dig out my brayer and used it on a card

I made last week. I love this color combo too!!

Use Your Stuff - Free Week #323
Make My Monday - Colored Image
Crafty Gals - Tropical Colors #171
Just Add Ink - Inspiration #420

Have a Bright and Beautiful Birthday

I love this rainbow set by Concord & 9th. Each stripe is a separate stamp so you can stamp each one in a different color, making it perfect for a real rainbow effect.

AAA Cards - Somewhere over the rainbow
Crafty Gals - Tropical Colors #171

Stamps by Concord & 9th

I don't see how a world that makes such wonderful things could be bad ...

Stamps by Penny Black

I knew right away which stamp I was going to use for this challenge. I found

the quote online and wrote it in my own handwriting

using a white gel pen on black paper.

For this card, I used my acrylic paints for the background by using 3 different

shades of blue and I did the Paint Dragging technique using an

old credit card to drag the paint across the paper.

I then colored the mermaid and the little fishies and turtle

using all Distress Oxide inks.The colors I used were:

Dusty Concord, Shaded Lilac, Wilted Violet,

Carved Pumpkin, Spun Sugar and Peacock Feathers

The Library Challenge - The Little Mermaid

Kreativeinkauf - Underwater World

Make My Monday - Colored image