Owl Hello

Good morning! Just stopping by to share a card I made for the final Paper Smooches SPARKS Challenge - it was actually the first one I made, but I really wasn't super in love with it. I had been sick, and it was my first shot back at crafting - but still with a cough, stuffy nose, sinus pressure, etc... I had to keep stopping to blow my nose, which made it hard to finish! Haha! Anyway, thought I would share it despite it not being my favorite card ever - especially if it reminds you to come play along with the final SPARKS challenge. There will be a monthly challenge starting in November on the main Paper Smooches Blog - which is definitely something to look forward too! In the meantime - here is my card: 

Here is the sketch:

I'm still loving this fall pattern paper from Pink Paislee's Cedar Lane collection - favorite fall collection of paper ever! I tucked a little bling in there from my stash, some torn gold glitter washi tape, and a bit of Glossy Accents for the word and the eyes on the owl. All supplies are linked below so you can find them easily!

Thanks for stopping by - and I hope you will come play along one last time for a chance to win a gift certificate to Paper Smooches! 

InLinkz.com

Blog Birthday Giveaway #6 - Paper Smooches

Good evening!!! So - this little blog is celebrating FIVE years this month - on October 20th!!! I can hardly believe it has been that long, and yet in some ways I don't remember not doing this. I have been SOOOO incredibly blessed by all the amazing people I have met through this hobby - and so incredibly lucky to work with some AMAZING products and companies. To celebrate I have lined up TONS of giveaways from some of these amazing places. HUGE thanks to each of them for their generous donations of prizes - I'm super excited to be able to share them with you!

So...tonight's giveaway is from Paper Smooches - Kim was so incredibly sweet to provide a $25 gift certificate for me to giveaway!!! Woohoo!!! Paper Smooches has long been a very favorite of mine - my husband laughs everytime I say the name and likes to jokingly refer to them as my "Paper Smoochies" - hahaha! Paper Smooches has such a darling collection of SUPER cute stamps, and some really elegant and pretty ones as well! I always love the sweet puns in the sentiments that come combined with the adorable images! There are also a wide variety of unique dies - as well as many to coordinate with your favorite stamp sets. I still remember my excitement when I got picked to guest design with them one month, and also invited to join the challenge team. I am currently serving a second term on the Paper Smooches SPARKS Challenge - super sad to have just found out that it is ending, but not to worry, instead of a weekly challenge, there will be a monthly challenge directly on the Paper Smooches Blog starting in November. In the meantime, I hope you'll come join and play along with our last few challenges this month and help us end on a bang!

Here is my card for tonight using the recently released Summer Lovin stamp set:

This is a pretty clean and simple design - something I'm discovering lately that I love! I inked up a background with the appropriately named Simon Says Stamp Surf Blue Dye ink, then stamped the waves from the Summer Lovin stamp set over the top in the same color for a tone on tone effect. I stamped and colored those flip flops and fussy cut them out, then adhered with foam adhesive to my card. Added the tiny hearts with some MFT dye ink, and the sentiment from the same set - then added a tiny bit of bling to each of the flip flops to finish it off!

And here is that giveaway! SUPER exciting!!!

You can enter the giveaway below using Rafflecopter - this is my first time using this method for a giveaway, but since I have so many to do this month I thought it might help make it easier! So - if there are any bumps along the way, please forgive me as I figure them out? 

All giveaways will stay open until the 20th (the official birthday date!) and I will announce all winners that day! If you already follow on Pinterest, Youtube, or Facebook - feel free to leave your name for each day of giveaways, no need to be a new follower only!

Have a wonderful day - and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Runway Inspired - Congrats

Hello! Back again today with a card for the brand new Runway Inspired challenge - here is our lovely inspiration for this time around:

Here is my card for this challenge:

I started by heat embossing the Unity Tea Time Pattern Background in white on watercolor paper. I used some soft lavender MFT dye ink to create the center, then layered over some vellum and a glitter die cut "congrats" using Winnie and Walter's The Big, the Bold, and the You Cutaways. Finished off with a bit of bling from my stash, and some soft gray cardstock.

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you'll join us and play along - can't wait to see what you make!

Glamorous Hello Card with Precious Remembrance

Good morning! Excited to be back sharing another card this morning as guest designer for Precious Remembrance Shop! 

I used one of the newest sets called This Moment:

I stamped it on some pattern paper from Basic Grey, then covered it with Wink of Stella to make it sparkle - I'm always sad that you can't see that better in the pictures! Matted it at an angle with white and black cardstock on top of some floral paper from the same paper pad, and finished off with a few black self-adhesive gems I had in my stash.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Have a wonderful day!

Chalkboard Floral Congratulations

Good morning again! Also dropping by with a quick catch up post from last year's made but never posted cards! This was also one I made for the final PC Magazine publication call.

I used the beautiful Mama Elephant set called Water Blooms and a chalkboard technique for this card. I also used the scallop from the Index Card die set to cut the front panel. Pattern paper is from MME, and the bling (that matches SOOO perfectly!) came from Michael's. 

Thanks for stopping by again! Have a great day!!!

Avocado Arts April Cards

Good morning! I'm up on the Avocado Arts blog this morning with a few cards using the new April stamp sets. First up, I have a couple cards with this set - full of so many amazing options for the beautiful women in your life! With Mother's Day right around the corner - this is the perfect time to make use of these:

For this first card, I heat embossed the flower on vellum with some pink Zing embossing powder, then heat embossed the sentiment in black. 

Tucked some fun pattern paper by Crate paper behind it, then added that adorable bird paper clip with a bit of jute twine tied on it. 

Finished off with some pink cardstock that I embossed with my Cuttlebug for some texture, and a generous sprinkling of bling!

Next up, I decided to stamp one of the flowers on some pattern paper from Crate paper. 

I also added a jewel bling to the center of the flower, stamped my sentiment, mounted it on a mat of cork paper, then added two colors of jute twine tied around it. 

Mounted it with foam adhesive on my pattern paper, also by Crate Paper.

And next up, I made a card with this new set - LOVE it so much! I can think of so many fun things to make with this:

For this, I stamped the triangle border several times with Versafine black ink on watercolor paper, then colored over it with watercolor paint. 

I used my paintbrush to flick some additional paint over the card, then stamped a sentiment from Wishes and Kind Thoughts (see below) and watercolored over it as well. 

I also added some Glossy Accents to a few selected triangles for some interest, before mounting it on some blue cardstock.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Have a wonderful day!!!

Light Bulb - Thinking of You

Good morning! I'm still so in love with the watercolor trend right now - simply cannot get enough of it! So I pulled out some of my Neat and Tangled stamps the other day and made this:

This is my third entry for Virginia's View Challenge #1 - I told you I loved watercolor!

I also wanted to join in on the current Little Tangles Challenge - to decorate the inside of the card as well as the front:

Here is a picture of the inside of my card - decorated to match the front! I don't usually decorate the inside of my cards, but I'm wondering if I need to do that a little more - LOVE how this turned out!

I started off by making a watercolor splotch with some Mister Huey's mixed with water - both for the inside and the outside. I also added a few splashes of extra color on the front.

Next, I stamped my light bulb from "Sparkle and Shine," and my sentiments from "Everyday Labels." I added the little tiny arrow from "You + Me" to kind of point to the rest of the sentiment on the inside. I also used my brush to paint in the words on the Everyday Labels sentiments so they were yellow too and really popped.

Finished off with some pattern paper from a Glitz Designs 6x6 paper pad, some black jute twine, and that fun bling that I had from Michael's. Added some Stickles to the light bulb, and rounded the top corner as well.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Have a wonderful day!

RC Washi Tape Challenge

Hello! It's time for another week of inspiration for this month's challenge at Ribbon Carousel - this month we are breaking out the washi tape!

Here is my card:

I used some washi tape on the bottom of my card, then stamped my big hello sentiment several times after inking it once with Hero Arts shadow ink. The sentiments both came from my Winnie and Walter stamp set that I am in love with - The Big, the Bold, and the Happy. I added a couple coats of Wink of Stella to the main hello, then stamped friend underneath. Finished off by rounding off a couple of corners, and adding a bit of bling from Michael's that matched just right!

Here is the info on the challenge - I hope you'll join us:

 It's the second week of our Ribbon Carousel #90 challenge- using washi tape on your creations! 

And what's up for grabs this month?  How about some beautiful wood SPOOLS that are made in the USA and hand drilled here at our shop.  We're giving away a set of 10 spools filled with your choice of beautiful seam binding, baker's twine or May Arts ribbon.

Just a reminder that our Ribbon Carousel Crewmates have divided up into FOUR teams. Each week you will see fresh projects for this month's challenge!

There are only three (3) rules you must follow to be eligible for the prize:

1. You MUST use ribbon, twine, thread, washi tape or anything that comes on a spool on your creation 
2. Your project must be based on the theme of the month. 
3. You must add a NEW project to the inlinkz below and link directly back to your project on your blog or online gallery. (Unfortunately, we've had participants who would have won the challenge, but they didn't do a direct link to their blog or online gallery post and I couldn't find their creation!)

Gold and Navy Thanks

Good morning! Just popping in with a quick card for the current Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Thanks/Thanksgiving. I used some Navy cardstock from Bazzil to make my cardbase, and inked the edges with some blue distress ink. It is a little hard to see in the photo, but adds some fun depth in real life! Cut a feather from glitter paper using a Simon Says Stamp die, the Thanks word is by Paper Smooches, and the bling is from Michael's. 

Thanks for dropping by! Have a great weekend - we are off to help some friends move today!