Die Cuts!

Good Monday morning to you! I hope you had a good weekend! I did! My husband and I took a little overnighter to see a show, and it was great little get away! 

I have a new card for you! This one used retiring colors, so I used a retiring die set (the stamps are already sold out) and a different retiring greeting. And the dots are on their way out too! Sad, sad...! But, I have never used just the dies, so that made for something new and fun.
The colors come from CAS Colours & Sketches. I do love these two In Colors. And Blackberry Bliss has been one of my favorites as long as it's been around! I feel like I was able to keep this CAS even with the layers. Interestingly, the last time I used this bundle was with the same colors and the same challenge, ha! 

Supplies:

Stamps: Encircled in Nature (retiring)

Ink: Blackberry Bliss

Paper: Very Vanilla, Pebbled Path (retiring), Moody Mauve (retiring), Blackberry Bliss

Accessories: Regal Foiled Dots (retiring), Cheerful Daisies Dies (retiring), Dimensionals, Glue Dots, big shot (retired)    

Sparkly & Blue

Hello again, and happy 2025! 
I had hoped to post every day in December, and I came very close- 28 of 31 days is not nothin. Especially since I felt like I didn't *make anything in December! I actually just counted it all up and I did make 20 cards- also not nothin! And I had no idea I was able to make so much! 

2024 was good for my crafting goals. 

I made 148 scrapbook pages of the 125 I was aiming for. 

I made 166 cards and mailed out 54 of them (plus 83 for Christmas). 

I completed 3 Paper Pumpkin kits (but acquired a few more to "replace" them, Ha!)

And I held 4 card classes.

Now it's pushing three weeks since I've made anything and IT IS TIME.
First up- a birthday card that got stuck in the mail as soon as it was made! I used the color challenge from TGIF Challenges for this one. 

Supplies:
Stamps: Encircled in Nature

Ink: Night of Navy

Paper: Balmy Blue, Night of Navy & Basic White card stock, Silver Glimmer paper (retired) 

Accessories: Iridescant Striped Trim, Encircled in Nature dies, Dimensionals, big shot (retired)

Green Trees!

Today I have a card that is a remake of THIS one I made in August, but using the latest color challenge from CAS Colours & Sketches. Again, quick and cute- my favorite kind! 

Supplies:

Stamps: Encircled In Nature

Ink: Shy Shamrock, Shaded Spruce, Real Red

Paper: Country Woods DP, Basic White & Real Red card stock

Accessories: 2024-26 In Color Resin Dots 

Autumn Wreath!

Another day, another leaf, haha! 

This time I used another color challenge from Splitcoaststampers.com. Honestly, I haven't had a lot of luck with their color combinations, but I used a few this week! 

I am definitely using this for my upcoming card class! I love the pop of blue here! 

Supplies:

Stamps: Encircled In Nature

Ink: Cajun Craze

Paper: Crushed Curry, Basic White, Coastal Cabana card stocks

Accessories: Earth Tones Shimmer Gems, Encircled In Nature Dies, Glue Dots, Dimensionals, big shot

Just a tip for you- I add glue dots to the wider part of the dies, so in this case, on the leaves, and on the sticks in the wider sections where they branch off. You can see the part I hadn't peeled off below, and if you reeeally look closely, you might see the other one on the third leaf from the top. I only used two per die on this card and it will stay just fine.

You can also use glue dots when the adhesive just won't stick to the dot embellishments we have so many of right now. That happens sometimes...

Pink Pumpkins!

Happy Friday! I hope your day is better than mine.... I get to have some dental work done which I am dreading. Maybe that's an understatement.....

Anyway! Today's card combines the latest Festive Friday challenge (pink, brown, cream and ribbon) with the latest SCS Sketch Challenge. I'm not actually loving how the wreath turned out, stamped in layers, but it works and it's another needed Thank You on it's way to the mailbox! 

Supplies:

Stamps: Encircled In Nature, Scenic Pumpkin Patch, Simply Said

Ink: Crumb Cake, Bubble Bath

Paper: Bubble Bath, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla card stocks

Accessories: Iridescent Striped Trim, Iridescent Foil Gems

Colorful Forest

This is from the Inspire.Create.Challenges to CASE the designer. CASE in today's case, means "Copy And Selectively Edit". I used the sketch, but altered the angles, and I used the same colors for the trees, and changed the greeting. I could have die-cut them, but I wanted to stamp it instead. But you can definitely see the inspiration.

Supplies:
Stamps: Encircled In Nature, Beside Me
Ink: Misty Moonlight, Coastal Cabana, Daffodil delight, Soft Seafoam, Fresh Freesia
Paper: Basic White & Misty Moonlight card stock, Country Woods DP
Accessories: Tinsel Gems Three Pack, Dimensionals, Circle Dies (retired), big shot (retired)

Class Time!

With school back in session, I have been looking forward to holding card classes again. I missed out this spring... I got sick for a month and then life was just way too busy to fit in classes! But now it is time! (altho life is still really. busy!) That means I spent some time putting cards together, and thank goodness for challenges to kick my creativity into gear! 

This card is really simple, but I find my people like to come, get it done, and get on with life, ha, so this is perfect. I used the color challenge from CAS Colours & Sketches, and I love the rich shades they suggested. Altho they're a bit too dark in this photo, to really tell.

Supplies:

Stamps: Encircled In Nature 

Ink: Mossy Meadow, Blackberry Bliss & Misty Moonlight

Paper: Basic White, Mossy Meadow card stocks

Accessories: Tinsel Gems Three Pack, Encircled In Nature Dies, Dimensionals, big shot

Update: 

Trees!

Happy Monday! I managed to post every day last week and I have more this week! Yeay!! 

Today's card is much too late for one of last weeks' challenges. But I didn't know it had ended when I made it, ha. So that's what you get today- a card for a man. I love this set and I haven't used it without the wreath til now. 

Supplies:

Stamps: Encircled in Nature

Ink: Pecan Pie, Garden Green, Shaded Spruce

Paper: Crumb Cake, Garden Green & Very Vanilla card stocks
Accessories: Transparent Adhesive Dots

Color Throwdown!

Happy Wednesday to you!
Today I have some very happy, because I was selected by Color Throwdown to play along this week! 

This is their challenge image, and you can find it here: Color Throwdown #801 

And this is how I used these pretty autumny colors:

and a slightly different angle of lighting... 

Supplies:

Stamps: Encircled in Nature

Ink: Crumb Cake, Cajun Craze, Night of Navy

Paper: Night of Navy, Crumb Cake, Cajun Craze

Accessories: Iridescent Foil Gems, Encircled in Nature dies, Exposed Brick embossing folder, Dimensionals, Blending Brush, Tombow adhesive, big shot (retired)

I tried inking the embossing folder, but I guess the ink was too wet because it just made a mess. So I ran it thru again and this time swiped my ink pad across the raised edges. I like how it wasn't full-coverage and I think that adds to the distressed look. I used a Blending Brush with Crumb Cake ink on the center cut out part of the wreath, and then left the wreath itself plain, to stand out a bit more. I cut an extra leaf die and layered it on top. And I really love the result! 

I hope you get to stay inside during this super hot week and get some crafting done! 

Colorful Leaves

Hello again! This is an afternoon post, which is not common, but maybe it will be this summer. One day left of this school year....!!! 

Today I combined the inspiration challenge from Hand Stamped Sentiments with the background challenge from TGIF Challenges!
I used the leaves, stamped in three different shades, and then used an embossing folder to give it some good texture. It looks great in person, ha! And the large, scripty words are inspired by the inspiration photo too.

Supplies:

Stamps: Spotlight on Nature, Encircled in Nature

Ink: Copper Clay, Calypso Coral, Flirty Flamingo, Soft Sea Foam

Paper: Very Vanilla card stock

Accessories: Brass Butterflies, Exposed Brick embossing folder, Dimensionals, big shot

Forest Birthday Wreath

Happy Thursday! I was hoping that this morning I would get some cards made... it took til after 2pm because I've got a sick girl who came home from school early, but here's a card for you anyway!

Today's card combines the Freshly Made Sketch with the CAS Colours & Sketches color challenge. Altho it might not be so CAS...
This might go out in the mail soon, or it might sit on my display board a while... I haven't decided. But half the reason I wanted this stamp/die set was for those trees, ha, so I was glad to play with them.

Supplies:
Stamps: Encircled in Nature, Simply Said
Ink: Pebbled Path, Lost Lagoon
Paper: Basic White & Lost Lagoon card stocks, Country Woods DP
Accessories: Tinsel Gems Three Pack, Encircled in Nature Dies, Dimensionals, big shot (retired)

And here's a close up of this gorgeous paper! I often like the wood texture DP, and I loove chippy paint, and this is both! 

Lots of prints I am looking forward to playing with!! 

Thankful Wreath

Today I have new stamps, new DP and new In Colors for you!!
And I played with the latest from Freshly Made Sketches and Festive Friday (orange, green, enamel dots and thread) to create this! 

Supplies:

Stamps: Encircled in Nature

Ink: Shy Shamrock, Peach Pie and Pebbled Path

Paper: Basic White card stock, Unbounded Beauty DP

Accessories: 2024-26 In Color Resin Dots, White Bakers Twine, Encircled In Nature dies, Dimensionals, Glue Dots, big shot (retired)

The stamp and die bundle actually come from the Online Exclusives. I see a lot of potential with this one! This is not at all how I thought I'd start with it, but I think it worked nicely anyway.