Simple Sailing

Look! I used the Sailing Home stamp set again!

Today's card is so quick and easy, the only long thing was waiting for the card stock to dry. I used the latest CAS(E) This Sketch and I'm happy with it! It's also perfect for a guy and I know a lot of people struggle with masculine cards.

Supplies:
Stamps: Sailing Home
Ink: Stazon, Seaside Spray, Night of Navy (on the edges)
Paper: Seaside Spray, Whisper White cardstock
Accessories: Aquapainter

Pretty Paper

Today's cards come from the other day when I was playing with that package of autumnal paper. My first card seemed too busy to me, but here it is anyway. YOU might like it even if it isn't my favorite.

I wanted to feature ALL the paper that day, haha, and I think maybe there's just too much on this card. I picked the Mojo Monday sketch for the layout and she always uses lots of layers. It also qualifies for the latest As You See It challenge, because the Circle dies are hands-down my most used dies! I liked the plaid pattern cut diagonally rather than straight, I like the leafy print and I always love wood grain!

Supplies:
Stamps: Nature's Beauty, Well Said
Ink: Cajun Craze
Paper: Come to Gather DP, Pear Pizazz & Whisper White card stocks
Accessories: Big Shot, Circle Dies, Dimensionals

Don't forget, that sweet fox comes from a fundraiser set- and $3 of each sale will go to your local mental health organizations!

This second one worked better in my mind...

Supplies:
Paper: Come to Gather DP, Pear Pizazz, Whisper White & Cajun Craze card stocks
Accessories: Big Shot, Circle Dies, Well Written dies, Dimensionals

What do you think? Too busy? Do you have a preference between them?

Monochrome Christmas

I played about two weeks late for this particular Freshly Made Sketch challenge, but I loved the sketch, so I used it anyway. And I love the result so that is happy!

To make the circle-y shape, I ran the biggest circle die thru the Big Shot on a sheet of printer paper. Then I used it as a mask on the card front and stamped the trees in the circle. I die cut the leaf image from the coordinating dies. Then I stamped the greeting on this super cool lined paper print from the Come To Gather DP pack.

Supplies:
Stamps: Winter Woods
Ink: Shaded Spruce
Paper: Come to Gather DP, Shaded Spruce, Whisper White card stocks
Accessories: Metallic Pearls, In The Woods dies, Big Shot, Dimensionals

This will definitely be part of a Christmas card class! It was quick and I think the card turned out great. Perfect for a Christmas card, or a winter card, or whatever you need a card for from November til January!

Sailing Home

Hello again! This month the DP in the annual catalog is "Buy 3 Get 1 Free". I love this sale and I'm glad they brought it back! I intended to feature the DP I have to show you ways you can use it once you get it yourself...but this is the first time I think I'm doing that all month! Life...! 

Not only that, but this is only the second time I've played with these Sailing Home products!!! That really is both surprising and rather shameful, lol! This was part of the demonstrator preorder, like in April, before I even saw the catalog and I knew I was getting this! And I've only played with it once?! ARGH! Needless to say, it was time.

So today's card is my own design from my own head, no sketches, no challenges, just playing. Which means it fits the current SUO challenge- to just create something. Done! And I got to use several different elements, which was fun for me.

Supplies:

Stamps: Sailing Home, Well Said

Ink: Night of Navy, Balmy Blue

Paper: Come Sail Away DP, Early Espresso, Whisper White & Balmy Blue card stock
Accessories: Night of Navy/Sahara Sand Baker's Twine, Metallic Pearls, Smooth Sailing dies, Big Shot, Dimensionals

Here's a close up for you...

I also have some kind of crazy goal to send out a LOT more birthday cards, ON TIME, at least for 2020, so I need to stock up if I'm going to try to pull that off. So here's a great guy card, that really could have had any greeting at all. Love that!! 

Autumn Leaves

If there's one thing I've learned in all my crafting years, it is that you should play with what is inspiring you. Then it just flows. If you force creativity with something you feel like you HAVE to do, it just won't work out. So! I decided to play with this paper from the Holiday Mini that I haven't cut in to yet. It is GORGEOUS.

I got three cards done and I have ideas for more... I just need more time, with nothing else to do, haha! My card for today uses the latest Freshly Made Sketch. I used three different prints, which worked perfectly for this sketch.

Supplies:
Stamps: Colorful Seasons
Ink: Early Espresso
Paper: Come to Gather DP, Sahara Sand, Whisper White, Cajun Craze & Pretty Peacock card stock
Accessories: Seasonal Layers dies, Big Shot

And here's a closeup for you.

Color Challenge Scrapbooking

Yesterday I meant to make some cards. I went thru the challenges I like to use, I even pulled out some stamps and papers...but then I realized that one of the color challenges would be perfect for a scrapbook page! So that's what I got done, haha!

The Stampin' Up! Only Challenge blog had this fun, summery color combination. It was a good match for this really hot day at the park with cousins! I was a little stuck on how to make the colors work for a layout, so I took some inspiration from one of the pages I shared yesterday- color blocking with circle dies! And that meant it would work for this VSBN Challenge to use die cuts on a page. Done and done! 

Supplies:
Stamps: Colorful Seasons
Ink: Versamark, Lovely Lipstick Marker
Paper: Pool Party, Mango Melody, Granny Apple Green, Lovely Lipstick
Accessories: Big Shot, Circles Dies, Sweet Silhouettes Dies, Fine Tip Glue Pen

As a side note, since it's hard to tell from this picture, I stamped leaves on the circles, using Versamark ink. And here's a close up to show that I layered the "adventure" word.

AND that's two more pages done for my son's book!

Catch-up Scrapbooking!

I actually got all these pages done last week, I just haven't had time to blog it!
This was the best scrapping day in a long time, haha. All of these pages were done yeeears ago. All I had to do was find pictures to go on the pages, glue them down and a bit of journaling! That means I got all four pages done in half an hour! So exciting, haha!

This page came from a Stampin' Up! Regional conference in 2007. It was one of our make & takes, and it has literally been in a scrapbook pile since then. YIKES! I glued down these two pics of my youngest and bam- she's got another page done! I dont' remember the names of these stamp sets, tho I did own (maybe still do?) the doodly one on the circles.

This page was one I put together for a class I held I believe in 2010. We used two punches and the glimmer paper, which was a new thing then. I did an 8x11 and a 12x12 version to accommodate my customers. I used the 8x11 at my class, but never glued pics down on this one. I just found out today that my son got both pages, hahaha...but they're like a decade apart in his books so it's just fine. Right? hahaha....

And finally, I had made this fun layout for a class I held in 2011. This Bingo board and Halloween bits were so fun! Well, I had printed pictures of last Halloween for my youngest, and she is a big fan of Halloween so that was a perfect match! She got two more pages, lucky girl! haha!

So see? Make sure you look thru your stash and double check that things are used the way you intended! You never know what's hiding, waiting for your attention. haha......!

Paper Sale & the Holiday Mini!

It's kind of a big news day....

For one thing, some of our beautiful DP is on sale! Click HERE to see which of our annual catalog DP is part of this deal and don't miss out- I love stocking up on DP this way!

Then, the brand new Holiday Mini is now available for you to order from! If you don't have a copy, you can view it at the top of my sidebar, right here! Or you can click HERE and place your order while you're there! If you'd like a copy of your own, let me know and I can get one to you!
And read it carefully- there's lots of treasures in there! New gift wrap...black dimensionals...colored googly eyes...and LOTS of bundled items at a 10% discount!!

Wanna know my top picks??

My favorite Christmas stamp set is:
God's Peace, pg 28, $23.00, Cling

My favorite Christmas bundle is:
Holly Jolly Christmas Bundle, pg 24-26, $49.50, 8 cling stamps/7 dies
(altho really, I'd take the entire page 25, which is listed at the top, for $90.50)

My favorite {two!} DP's are these:
Come To Gather, pg 46-48, $11.50, 12x12

Feels Like Frost, pg 40-42, $14.50, 6x6

And my favorite ribbon is:
Very Vanilla/Copper 1/2" Classic Weave Ribbon, pg 31, $8.00

And while I'm here, I have to add...there are three new metallic ink pads and refills listed, on page 16. A few years ago we had metallic ink and my mom and I made a stack of cards with them but they NEVER dried. We heat set them and let them rest on a chair and threw them away several MONTHS later. Not cool.... But these inks? I haven't purchased one yet, but every demonstrator I have seen that has LOVES it. Dries fast, crisp image, great shine...! Every post I have seen that includes these metallic inks also includes some variation of "You have got to try this!" So.
You have GOT to try these!
Ink, page 16

What are you going to get first?? I can't wait to get creating with all these fun new things!

Quick and Cute!

Today I decided to take some stamping time and put this card together. This will definitely be part of my next class- it was so quick to make and it's really cute!
The color combo came from the latest Global Design Project challenge, and the sketch came from Fab Friday!

Supplies:
Stamps: Forever Lovely
Ink: Rococo Rose, Mint Macaron, So Saffron
Paper: So Saffron, Whisper White & Mint Macaron card stocks
Accessories: Rococo Rose Scalloped Linen Ribbon, Glue Dots

And then, I have a quick tip to share. I know occasionally with brand new rubber stamps, especially with a large solid area, sometimes won't stamp clearly. The ink sort of beads up on the rubber, rather than covering the whole image. I haven't had that issue with the photopolymer stamps at all, until today. The flowers didn't seem very clear, and then the leafy image, even tho I used markers the first try, didn't come out well at all! Hmm. The solution? Scrub it across your jeans, or even the palm of your hands. Then clean it to make sure there isn't lint (or hand oils) and ink it up again. Then it came out great!

We Create Metallics Blog Hop

September is here! YES the year is flying by, but September is my favorite- autumn is coming (we even had a very cool morning last week!) and it's my wedding anniversary! And since it's the 1st, we have a fun blog hop to get you going! This time we're playing with metallic supplies!

For my projects, I wanted to play with a new stamp set. This is from the new Holiday Mini catalog, which will be available on Wednesday! This particular set is a fundraiser set! $3 of every sale will go to local mental health organizations! I gotta say, I absolutely love that! Also, I used the latest sketch from Freshly Made Sketches for both cards.

The first metallic I picked was copper. This fox just had to go with some copper! In this case, that meant Copper Foil Paper and Copper Trim.

And here's a picture that captures the shiny metallic a little better.

Supplies:

Stamps: Nature's Beauty, Well Said

Ink: Stazon Black, Cajun Craze

Paper: Cajun Craze, Very Vanilla card stocks, Copper Foil paper

Accessories: Copper Trim, Blender Pen, Glue Dots

Next I played with some silver tones.

And again, this time it shows up better...

Supplies:
Stamps: Nature's Beauty, Well Said
Ink: Stazon Black, Smoky Slate
Paper: Whisper White & Smoky Slate card stocks
Accessories: Metallic Pearls, Wink of Stella, Blender Pens, Dimensionals

I colored both animals with ink pads and a Blender Pen. But the Watercolor Pencils and the Stampin' Blends will also be great! I also liked that I could easily show two distinct seasons with one stamp set! I think I'm going to love using this sweet nature set!

Anyway, hop on over to Cheryl's blog to see what she made. Then hop on through to everyone else and let us know what you think! Everyone loves feedback!