Ocean Blues

The latest SUO Challenge was under the sea and to use blues. I don't have anything current that is under the sea, but I can do the sea and blues! This might be a graduation Thank You or it might end up a Father's Day card, but either way, I love how this one turned out! 

Supplies:
Stamps: Waves of Inspiration
Ink: Boho Blue, Blueberry Bushel, Starry Sky
Paper: Starry Sky, Basic White
Accessories: 2023-25 In Color Dots, White Baker's Twine, Dimensionals 

Bright & Simple

This card is not my favorite but it was bright, happy and quick, and it isn't for me anyway! I used the color challenge from Just Add Ink and kept it simple! 

Supplies: 
Stamps: Alphabest
Ink: Tahitian Tide, Parakeet Party, Daffodil Delight
Paper: Basic White

Except I decided it was *too simple, so I added a bit more color. And that seemed to fix it! 

Fireflies!

Two cards today. That's how much I want to participate in challenges, HA! Getting this one in under the wire! So this thank you card uses the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches and the challenge from TGIF Challenges! And it was made quickly! 

Supplies:
Stamps: Lighting The Way
Ink: Copper Clay, Crushed Curry, Night of Navy
Paper: Crushed Curry, Night of Navy, Basic White
Accessories Red & Green Pearls, Dimensionals, circle dies (retired), big shot (retired) 

annd because you can't tell in the first picture, I did stamp the swirly clusters of fireflies across the background. see? 

Pink Flowers

Happy Memorial Day. We are thankful for those who never came home, like my grandmother's first husband who was killed in France in July 1944. 

And appropriately, now that all of the graduation celebrations have ended, I have a bunch of thank you notes that need made so they can be sent out! Thank goodness for challenges that give me an easy starting point! I actually laid out several ideas Friday but I didn't have the energy, lol. So I'm hoping I can get a small stack made today! 

This card uses the sketch from CAS Colours & Sketches, and the color combo from Color Throwdown! I used two shades of pink, and I will admit I struggled with the gray and brown together. And my card isn't square. But I love it and they inspired it so I'm still linking it up! 

Supplies:
Stamps: Sending Smiles

Ink: Flirty Flamingo, Petal Pink, Crumb Cake, Smoky Slate

Paper: Basic White, Smoky Slate, Flirty Flamingo

Accessories: Classic Matte Dots, Linen Thread, Dimensionals

Time to breathe

Happy Saturday to you! After alllll the stress of all the things this month, I have been pretty much just relaxing the last day or two, with kind of a "so there!" attitude about it. Because I really need to decompress and breathe a minute! But don't worry, we're ready to dive into summer and we have lots of plans! 

So here's some Disneyland for you! And really, the only moment we took in the parks to do exactly that! This was right after the character parade where Anna was so excited to see our little princess. (second page down in THIS post) My husband took advantage of a moment in the shade to figure out our lunch order and do the mobile ordering. 

Stamps: Sense of Time
Ink: Gray Granite
Paper: Balmy Blue, So Saffron card stock, Just Delightful Simply Scrappin' Kit 
Accessories: Just Delightful Simply Scrappin' Kit 

Something funny to me that we didn't notice at the time, none of us were paying attention to the details where we were. We had enjoyed the cartoons in the theater, then the parade, then the shade. My oldest and youngest love to watch youtube videos about Disneyland, with little "hidden secrets" and the "stories behind" and just different things a first time visitor would never know, and well after we were home and this was scrapped, the door way my family is sitting in was mentioned in one of these videos. This is the door glass dedicated to Walt himself with a little quote. Here's the close up: 

Anyway, it was a nice little spot to take a breather, haha, before we continued on til midnight. HA! 

Oh, also! Tip to help with whining small people! haha... those sunglasses she has on were purchased maybe an hour before this. She really did so good for all the walking and waiting we had to do, but she would get whiny. On our LAST day, half way thru, haha, my husband asked if sunglasses might help her? I don't think she whined once after that. Not even kidding. So, if you're planning a trip that will have some boring time in the sunshine, consider that! ha! 

Surprise!

Today we are off celebrating this girl at her high school graduation, which is more than a little mind boggling to even think.
So here is the digital layout of her recent birthday party, which was a huge surprise to her, haha.

Supplies: All MDS

Stamps: Lemonade Stand (balloons), A Little Birthday Cheer (words on bottom), Big Bold Birthday (dots)
Ink: Tempting Turquoise, So Saffron, Baja Breeze, Basic Gray 
Journaling Font: Andy

And a close up if you want, haha! 

Tomorrowland - How to travel!

Happy Saturday! Oh my word, are we gonna make it thru this month?! I am *not sure! But here for now, we are with what I believe is the rest of Tomorrowland! 

This page is quick and simple. 

Supplies: 
Stamps: Skinny Mini Alphabet
Ink: Real Red
Paper: Pineapple Punch, Berry Delightful DP
Accessories: Red 1/8 striped ribbon
Journaling Font: Arial Narrow

And this next page is actually a hybrid. Most of the page was created in the long-retired MDS, but I don't have a single digital car image and I DID have stamps, so I printed the page then added a bit of cardstock with stamped cars at the top. And the layout came from HERE. 

Autopia: MDS (retired)
Stamps: Let's Get Away (long retired)
Ink: Fresh Fig (retired), Gold Glimmer (retired), Perfect Plum text
Paper: Red Glimmer, White, Black
Accessories: Perfect Plum brads 
Journaling Font: Copperplate Gothic 

I hope that YOUR weekend is relaxing! I might relax later this week... we'll see! 

New Alpha Dies

If I have had any creative time this month it has almost entirely gone towards scrapping for my daughter who is about to graduate from high school. This page used up some pictures that have been printed for aaages and really needed put to paper. But it also used this brand new set of alphabet dies! 

Supplies:
Stamps: Painted Seasons (retired SAB)
Ink: Pebbled Path, Gray Granite, Starry Sky, Shaded Spruce
Paper: Flirty Flamingo & Starry Sky card stocks
Accessories: Alphabet a la Mode dies, big shot
Journaling Font: A Font With Serifs

Also, a note about the alphabet dies. Many times when I have an event, people ask if I want to keep this scrap or that and the answer is almost always "YES!"
If I can stamp a greeting on it it's still useful!
Or in this case, arrange some letter dies on it: 

Tomorrowland - Sci-Fi!

Happy Saturday! Our trip to Disneyland is really close to done, but has been left far on the back burner (literally, against the back wall of my desk, ha!) for a while. Maybe after graduation I can go back to scrapping a little of everything instead of being focused on one topic.... But we'll see what summer holds!! 

In the meantime, here are a few simple pages that were all back to back. Our last morning in Disneyland we started at Tomorrowland and hit most of it! Today I'll just share the sci-fi parts. 

Supplies:
Paper: Misty Moonlight, Basic Black
Accessories: Iridescent Pearls
Journaling Font: Space Bd BT

Supplies:
Paper: Basic Black card stock, World of Good DP
Accessories: Gold Twine, gold star sequins, Glue Dots
Journaling Font: Power Red and Blue

Actually we did Star Tours our first night in Disney, but it fits with these pages better, haha. 

Supplies: (MDS)
Paper: Midnight Muse, Silver Glimmer
Accessories: Triangle Punch
Journaling Font: Copperplate Gothic

In Color Bird

Cards three days in a row! yeay! 
Today's card used the sketch from Inspire.Create.Challenge. and then the As You See It Challenge was to use the newest stuff in your craft room, and that is the newest In Colors! So today I have a bird in autumny colors, but different ones than I have used in the past, haha. I really like Boho Blue! 

Supplies:

Stamps: Perched In A Tree

Ink: Boho Blue, Pebbled Path, Wild Wheat

Paper: Boho Blue, Pebbled Path, Very Vanilla card stocks

Accessories: In Color Dots, Dimensionals, Aspen Trees dies, big shot (retired)

Quick tip on how to use Dimensionals on the bird- you really don't need a lot! 

And here's another shot with the shiny Dots! I love those actually. 

What have you made this week? 

Bright Bird

I have another color combo for you today! This one comes from Global Design Project. I have only done this bird in fall/winter shades, and actually these colors could be wintery, but with the nice breeze coming in, I was sure these were spring colors, haha! 

I stamped the branch and the bird in Smoky Slate, and then I colored the bird in with the Watercolor Pencils, but I didn't "watercolor" them. 

Supplies:

Stamps: Perched In A Tree

Ink: Smoky Slate, Coastal Cabana

Paper: Coastal Cabana, Flirty Flamingo, Basic White

Accessories: Classic Matte Dots, Watercolor Pencils, Aspen Trees Dies, Dimensionals, big shot (retired)

Come back tomorrow and see this guy in different shades! 

Across the Miles!

Happy Tuesday to you! I finally got some stamping time and I made this before I even had breakfast! Which is pretty unusual for me. haha! 

This time I played with the TGIF Challenges color combo, which I ended up really liking. And I thought these two stamps combined beautifully. 

Supplies:

Stamps: Sending Smiles, Watercolor World

Ink: Petal Pink, Berry Burst, Memento Black

Paper: Berry Burst, Basic Black, Basic White

Accessories: Classic Matte Dots

That's all for today but I hope that you are getting something fun made too! 

Ice Cream Parlor!

This was a fun layout to make. Except that two of the ice cream cones lined up perfectly and the third did not! Oh well- done is best so it's fiiiine. hahaha. The DP is super old and the stamps are regular old. ha! 

Supplies:
Stamps: Sweet Scoops (long retired)
Ink: Crumb Cake, Mint Macaron, Early Espresso, Real Red, Pale Papaya, Soft Seafoam
Paper: Early Espresso, Berry Bliss DP (2007), Cottage Wall DP (long retired)
Journaling Font: Contribute, Maiandra

New Catalog!

On Facebook this morning, I asked what you are most excited to get your hands on from the new catalog. Well, here's what I'm excited about! 

First, new colors! I really am sad and disappointed about a few of the retiring colors, because of course they always pick some of my favorites. However, I'm also always excited to play with new colors. And this time the number of returning colors was extra fun for me. I just pulled them from my retired stash and scooted them over to my current supplies! Misty Moonlight is one of my favorite shades that we've ever had and Blueberry Bushel is a perfect blue for most of the schools my children have attended, haha! I debated purchasing it the whole time it was an In Color and I just never did... But I have it now so we're good, haha! I have purchased the newest In Colors and I think I really will love using four of the shades. And my youngest really likes the color that is not my favorite so I will get plenty of mileage out of these ones. And the new shades that I hope to get soon include that beautiful Pecan Pie, and both Bubble Bath and Lemon Lolly look like more substantial soft colors than we've had of these two in the past, if that makes any sense at all. They are featured on the cover, so check them out!

Next the top, maybe five stamp sets I'm looking forward to?
I really like the Beautiful Balloons bundle on page 15. I think it looks fun and happy and also pretty quick which is a huge selling point for me, if we're being honest.

I really like the Timeless Arrangements bundle on page 67. I like the words that are included, I love the fonts, and I like the rectangle dies with the small little flowers. 

The Crafting With You bundle on page 91 is so fun!! I have people in my life who sew, I have people who paint, I have people who knit and crochet... The cross stitch circle die and the little paper trimmer die are seriously just the cutest! 

The Gorgeously Made set on page 103 is so pretty. I love me some good distressed text, haha, and I just see a lot of potential here.  

The Cheerful Daisies bundle on page 111 is so fun! This one was available with the demonstrator pre-order (that is a fabulous perk!!) and I have seen so many beautiful samples with it. I also love that paper, even though I'm the first point out it definitely makes me think of sheets and curtains and wallpaper from the 60s and 70s... it's fine tho. Everything ever is now "back", lol! 

I love the Stamped With Love set on page 117. I send out cards pretty frequently, and I love old time post images. This also fits our Angel Policy which is critically important if you're going to sell any items with stamped images. Plus I keep giggling at the "I like you so you get a card". Fact. 

I am surprised how much I love that Earthen Elegance DP. You'll just have to trust me how much I haaated brown most of my life, lol!! The Masterfully Made DP is gorgeous and so is that Stargazing DP!! I don't know how much I love the stamp set that goes with that suite but the dies are very cool and the DP is just stunning! 

Little dot things have become my favorite embellishment because they're quick, easy and don't generally affect mailing or scrapbooking. And that's pretty much what there is this time so that works nicely, haha! And I think the ribbons are extra pretty this round- specifically the in color textured ribbon, a beautiful Misty moonlight with the inner braid, the metallic in color ribbon and that pretty natural trim. 

Finally I'm excited about all of the things that carried over that I have another chance to purchase, hahaha! 

How about you?? 

We Create Blog Hop: May Flowers

And just like that- it's already May. And what a May this one will be!!  

For our blog this month, we're finishing our April Showers with May Flowers theme! So I'm playing some more with my Sending Smiles set. I used a different flower image this time, and I inked up the larger leaf too. So it's totally different from last week's cards, haha! 

My projects are based on the sketch from CAS Colours & Sketches (altho not slimline) and since the new catalog begins TOMORROW, I have a goodbye to the retiring In Colors thanks to the current SUO Challenges blog

Supplies:
Stamps: Sending Smiles
Ink: Evening Evergreen, Soft Succulent, Pale Papaya, Fresh Freesia (sticking around!)
Paper: Pale Papaya & Basic White card stock
Accessories: Linen Thread, Brass Butterflies, Dimensionals

And I have a hello to the new In Colors! (this one is much closer to the sketch, lol... I didn't realize I flipped the first Basic White square when I stamped it... 

Supplies:
Stamps: Sending Smiles
Ink: Moody Mauve, Copper Clay, Pebbled Path, Wild Wheat
Paper: Moody Mauve & Basic White card stock
Accessories: Linen Thread, Brass Butterflies, Dimensionals

I have absolutely loved those colors that are on their way out, but I am liking the new ones too. And it's fun to play with new shades! However, I have noticed a rather intense divide in response to the new colors. I surveyed my kids, haha, and they like exactly which colors I thought they might. What do YOU think of the new In Colors?

Now hop on over to Tricia's blog using the button below and see what May Flowers she's got for you! Then let us know what you think of our work too! Everyone loves feedback! 

And go make something pretty yourself- and send it off to someone too! People really appreciate happy mail!