Featuring: Parakeet Party

Since the end of the catalog year is fast approaching, I'm going to hold a card class focusing on the soon-to-retire 2022-2024 In Colors. 
Today I have Parakeet Party, which is a very bold, bright shade. I definitely haven't used it much. This card is also a remake of a card I made before, but again using different colors. It's a very mailable design! The butterflies are flat, so that's perfect. 

I really love making a garden with these flowers, and this time I stuck with shades of pink. 

Supplies:

Stamps: Sending Smiles
Ink: Parakeet Party, Melon Mambo, Flirty Flamingo, Lemon Lolly

Paper: Parakeet Party & Basic White card stocks

Accessories: Brass Butterflies

Birthday Flower Garden!

Oh my word I am so done with being sick! For close to a month I have only been doing the bare minimum around here, and sleeping a crazy lot. Crafting is not on that list. Keeping the rest of the house healthy IS. I did have a few good days over my birthday thank goodness, and then right back to maybe worse than before. But I THINK I'm through it now and hey look- I got a birthday card made! I only need four more to catch up for this month.... yikes.
I think I can... I think I can...

For this card I combined the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches and the latest colors from Hand Stamped Sentiments, and this is my result! Bit chaotic, but I think these colors are perfect for the birthday girl! 

Supplies:
Stamps: Sending Smiles
Ink: Coastal Cabana, Crushed Curry, Flirty Flamingo
Paper: Flirty Flamingo, Coastal Cabana, Basic White card stocks
Accessories: White Baker's Twine, Timeworn Type embossing folder, Circle dies, Dimensionals 

Another Paper Pumpkin!

This kit came February 2023 and I finally got it done AND sent out a handful too! 
This kit is unique in that each card is a window card on the front, and the rest of the scene is inside the card. They're super cute cards but to be totally honest, I don't love that it leaves NO room to write a message....I ended up flipping it over and writing it on the back, so do that before you add rain drops!

I did make two of this rainbow card ages ago, but I cut off the front frame/window parts. I made both of these last year: 

And these I made this past week. This was made exactly how it was designed.

Of these, the center was made as designed, the others left off the epoxy rain drop stickers... and also these use stamped greetings from other sets, rather than the kit.

And of these, the first is made as designed. The other two, I left off the green hill, and the third I put a duck instead of a bunny, because I'd used the bunny on the card last year. And again the third used a different stamped greeting.

And here's what is left over for whatever else I decide! 

Paper Pumpkin kits really are worth their price, and come with a stamp set and ink you can use for endless projects! And if you sign up now, you can earn FREE Sale-A-Bration items with a prepaid 3,6 or 12 month purchase! 

Across the miles!

Happy Friday! I think we made it!! 

Today I have a card that combined the latest sketch from Global Design Project, and the color combination from Color Throwdown. To make the globe, I inked it all in Crumb Cake, and then used a sponge to add some Garden Green ink to it. It was done randomly, but it worked out pretty nicely for where the world is primarily green vs brown, haha! 

Supplies:

Stamps: Watercolor World, Sending Smiles
Ink: Garden Green, Crumb Cake
Paper: Boho Blue, Crumb Cake, Basic White card stocks
Accessories: Real Red & Burlap Ribbon

Thank You Wave

A Saturday post with a card is unusual for me, but I played with a lot of challenges and need to make them fit! haha!
This time I played with the Color Throwdown for a pretty Thank You card. I used a Blending Brush to pull the pink into the sky for a sunset, and the greeting is stamped in red. I also stamped the wave off a second time just a bit to the side to add some depth.
And wow, I have got to get more current "thank you" stamps! 

Supplies:

Stamps: Waves of Inspiration, Sending Smiles 
Ink: Starry Sky, Flirty Flamingo, Cherry Cobbler

Paper: Basic White & Flirty Flamingo card stocks

Accessories: Starry Sky Metallic Ribbon, 2022-24 In Color Pearls, Dimensionals

Also, total side note- Sale-A-Bration is a great time to make sure you're stocked up on your favorite In Colors that will be retiring in just a few months! I love Starry Sky and have it's ink pad, refill, card stock pack, and these embellishments too! 

Bright Flowers

Yesterday I got another small stack of cards made, so I'm set for a minute, haha!
Today's card is bright and happy! Quick and simple too- which is what I'm best at. ha! 
For this one I used the latest SUO Challenge for the colors. I got them all on there without even owning the cute DP they took it from! I kept the layout very clean and simple, stamping the greeting directly on the card base. But I think it's pretty great for a January birthday card! 

Supplies:
Stamps: Sending Smiles
Ink: Granny Apple Green, Daffodil Delight, Poppy Parade, Petal Pink, Pool Party 

Paper: Pool Party & Basic White card stocks

Accessories: Classic Matte Dots

Customer Thanks

I needed a couple thank you cards for some customers so today I combined the latest Freshly Made Sketch with the latest from Color Throwdown and whipped up these cute cards! 

Supplies:
Stamps: Sending Smiles
Ink: Old Olive, Balmy Blue, Petal Pink
Paper: Petal Pink & Basic White card stocks
Accessories: Classic Matte Dots

I would love to say blogging will pick back up soon, but this year is just not a fan of that... But everything I have made has shown up here, so that tells you something too. 

Bright Happy Birthday!

I needed a happy birthday card for a sweet friend and actually, I made this last week. At this point, I'm sure I missed linking with the challenges, but this is what I used to make it! 

I started with the SUO Challenge for food colors, which is a detail I have observed for ever, haha. I combined it with the Festive Friday's World Hello Day (bright colors, alphabet, patterned paper, two patterned paper, more than two letters) And I thought I was following the TGIF Challenge sketch...but I missed. ha. Oh well. She will like it anyway. 

Supplies:

Stamps: Alphabest, Sending Smiles

Ink: Berry Burst, Lemon Lime Twist

Paper: Basic White, Lemon Lolly, Bright & Beautiful DP

Accessories: Best Label Punch, Circle Dies, Dimensionals, big shot

Sending Autumn Thanks

Goodness. I think I'm back! I've held a card class, been sick, Halloween-ed and worked on other projects I haven't shared, like the calendars, which I will share soon! And all the other things with life! But today I needed some cards, so I got to play a bit! 

The first one I'm sharing used the latest from Color Throwdown, and since it says "thanks" right on it, it fits The Paper Players challenge too! 

Supplies:

Stamps: Sending Smiles

Ink: Petal Pink, Wild Wheat, Copper Clay, Soft Seafoam

Paper: Soft Seafoam, Basic White card stocks

Accessories: Brass Butterflies

Single Flower

I have used this set a number of times but I don't think I've ever done just one of the flowers at a time, haha. I played with a few different colors and I think my class will do the red variation. 

Supplies:

Stamps: Sending Smiles 

Ink: Garden Green, Gray Granite, Gorgeous Grape (today's card is sponsored by the letter G!)

Paper: Gorgeous Grape, Basic White card stocks

Accessories: Brass Butterflies

Supplies:

Stamps: Sending Smiles

Ink: Garden Green, Gray Granite, Berry Burst

Paper: Gray Granite, Basic White card stocks

Accessories: Festive Pearls 

Supplies:

Stamps: Sending Smiles

Ink: Garden Green, Gray Granite, Real Red

Paper: Gray Granite, Basic White card stocks

Accessories: Festive Pearls 

Rich with Sympathy

I needed another sympathy card, and these colors came out soo rich! I think the ink pads are a bit too juicy, ha, but at least it wasn't all bright, which I was a little concerned about. (but if it had turned out bright, I would have used other words and made it a different kind of card) I do love the versatility of making this little garden any way I need. This time the colors came from the Hand Stamped Sentiments color challenge. 

Supplies:

Stamps: Sending Smiles

Ink: Pebbled Path, Blackberry Bliss, Calypso Coral, Lost Lagoon

Paper: Lost Lagoon, Calypso Coral & Basic White card stocks

Accessories: Brass Butterflies 

Note of Thanks

This card is weeks overdue being mailed, much less made, but I still needed to send one. I used the latest sketch from Freshly Made Sketches and the color combo from Color Throwdown (altho I was too late for both challenges by the time I made this) and I love the result! 

I've used a Blending Brush every time I stamped last week, so why quit now? ha! This time I used the Pumpkin Pie and Real Red inks to make a faded background for the leaves. I chose Cherry Cobbler as "maroon" and stamped the speckles and greeting with that. Then I die cut the leaves out and that was that! 

Supplies:

Stamps: Sending Smiles, Perched in a Tree
Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Real Red, Cherry Cobbler
Paper: Very Vanilla, Cherry Cobbler
Accessories: Festive Pearls, Aspen Dies, Dimensionals, Blending Brush, big shot

Happy birthday!

In my unexpected, unplanned hiatus, I missed a few birthdays so I am now trying to play catch up. That means I'm out of time to figure out things like favorite colors, etc, so I threw this idea together quickly. 

I used three shades and a Blending Brush to make the background I die cut the letters from. And then I rinsed my blending brush for the first time ever, ha, and flicked water from that onto the paper for added whatever.

Then I stamped a garden full of flowers on the card front below the greeting. Quick, happy, done! And in the mail so they know they are thought of! 

This version for a girl who loves purple:

Stamps: Sending Smiles 

Ink: Fresh Freesia, Gorgeous Grape, Blackberry Bliss, Old Olive, Granny Apple Green, Crushed Curry
Paper: Basic White card stock

Accessories: Alphabet a la Mode dies, Fine Tip Glue Pen

and this for a girl who needs some extra sunshine. 

Stamps: Sending Smiles 

Ink: Old Olive, Granny Apple Green, Pebbled Path, Crushed Curry, Daffodil Delight (retired), So Saffron (retired)
Paper: Basic White & So Saffron (retired) card stock

Accessories: Alphabet a la Mode dies, Fine Tip Glue Pen, Dimensionals

and then, I was about to publish this post, but someone came home and gushed about how beautiful they were and asked if I would make her one too. After the month we've had, you do what your kid needs. So here is her card, haha... I thought I could put both words on the front but I really couldn't, so I added flowers all the way up the one side, and decorated the inside of the card this time! I never do that- I've shown you all the times I've ever done that and it might total five? lol... But I'd already cut out the letters and I wasn't about to not use it. 

Stamps: Sending Smiles 

Ink: Old Olive, Mossy Meadow, Berry Burst, Melon Mambo, Crushed Curry
Paper: Basic White & Berry Burst card stock

Accessories: Alphabet a la Mode dies, Glue Dots Dimensionals

Sooo the words aren't centered because I started gluing with a different plan. Guess what, she really, really doesn't care. She's gonna love it. Send your mess ups anyway. People like knowing you're human too. 

One Sheet of Designer Paper

I really have not had stamping time lately, but I also really need a BUNCH of cards this month. And the bulk of my stash is not going to work... So when you're overwhelmed, (I absolutely am!) it helps to work smarter, not harder. Ha. The gorgeous Fresh as a Daisy DP has two sheets that look like this, just before you cut them up: 

(this is only partially cut, to show you how best to do it and not cut into other images.)

After I cut them into their designed rectangles, I made a decent little stack of cards!

This first one worked fantastically with the latest As You See It challenge. I used everything, I thought, til I linked it up, and realized I used my needed "happy birthday" instead of their listed "thank you". I'm linking it anyway, because I have the patterned paper, the circle (which IS a die cut), enamel dots and some yellow!    

Supplies:

Stamps: Enjoy The Rhythm

Ink: Pebbled Path
Paper: Basic White card stock, Fresh As A Daisy DP

Accessories: Moody Mauve Textured Ribbon, 2023-25 In Color Dots, Dimensionals, Circle dies, big shot (retired)

Supplies:

Stamps: Enjoy The Rhythm

Ink: Copper Clay
Paper: Basic White & Copper Clay card stock, Fresh As A Daisy DP

Accessories: 2023-25 In Color Dots, White Baker's Twine, Dimensionals

Supplies:

Stamps: Sending Smiles

Ink: Copper Clay
Paper: Basic White card stock, Fresh As A Daisy DP

Accessories: Brass Butterflies

Supplies:

Stamps: Enjoy The Rhythm

Ink: Pebbled Path
Paper: Basic White card stock, Fresh As A Daisy DP

Accessories: 2023-25 In Color Dots

Supplies:

Stamps: Sending Smiles

Ink: Pretty Peacock
Paper: Basic White card stock, Fresh As A Daisy DP

Accessories: 2023-25 In Color Dots, Sending Dies, big shot (retired) 

Supplies:

Stamps: Sending Smiles

Ink: Wild Wheat
Paper: Basic White card stock, Fresh As A Daisy DP

Accessories: 2023-25 In Color Dots, Sending Dies, big shot (retired) 

I have three small rectangles left and nothing came to mind immediately for how to use them. So that will be for another day when I do think of something! But that was six cards in a little more than an hour, and I also typed up the info after each card so I wouldn't forget anything. They're not the most detailed cards because the DP does the work. But I think they worked out really nicely! 

Birthday Wishes!

I made a card!! Yeay!! This one does not use a kit- just a sketch and some pretty colors! I used the sketch from The Paper Players, which has more layers than I typically play with, but I like the result! 

Supplies:

Stamps: Sending Smiles

Ink: Fresh Freesia, Berry Burst, Lemon Lime Twist

Paper: Lemon Lolly, Fresh Freesia, Basic White, Bright & Beautiful DP

Accessories: Brushed Brass Butterflies, Circle Dies, Dimensionals, big shot (retired)

The photo isn't great- it's overcast and I kept getting weird results, but this is my first time playing with the new Lemon Lolly and I really like it! I'm gonna need that ink pad too! 

Bright Thanks!

Happy Monday!
I have another bright and quick thank you card for my daughter to send out! This one uses the color challenge from Color Throwdown and the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches. The Dots are retired, but maybe you still have some, and if you do, here's your reminder to use them! 

Supplies:
Stamps: Sending Smiles
Ink: Daffodil Delight, Crushed Curry, Parakeet Party
Paper: Basic White & Parakeet Party card stocks
Accessories: 2022-24 In Color Matte Dots

The gradient look on the Crushed Curry "sending" makes me laugh. It's just an ink pad that could stand a re-inking on the end...

We Create Blog Hop: Patterns Everywhere

Happy June!! 2023 is half over!! What?! I have absolutely no idea what I just said, but I do have two cards for you today so there's that. 

Our theme this month is Patterns, and really it's to make you aware of the sale on DP this month only. You can view and the discounted DP by clicking HERE. You can also place an order while you're there! 

I don't have any current DP at the moment, but I do know that often people get frustrated and/or disappointed that they "can't" make something with the supplies they have. So let me show you how to make your own patterns with what you DO have- stamps and ink! And this time I used the latest sketch from The Paper Players. 

First, I stamped the floral backgrounds. I stamped flowers all the way across so it could be a sheet of DP or whatever. But it's really a background image. Then I created the greeting panel making a pattern of the greetings. This is a trick I was taught at the very first Stampin' Up! workshop I ever attended. Repeat the greeting and voila! You have a pattern!  

Supplies:
Stamps: Sending Smiles
Ink: Boho Blue, Soft Sea Foam, Daffodil Delight, Memento Black
Paper: Boho Blue, Basic White, Basic Black
Accessories: Black Gingham Ribbon, Sending Dies, Fine Tip Glue Pen, big shot (retired) 

Supplies:
Stamps: Sending Smiles
Ink: Fresh Freesia, Soft Sea Foam, Daffodil Delight, Memento Black
Paper: Fresh Freesia, Basic White, Basic Black
Accessories: Black Gingham Ribbon, Sending Dies, Fine Tip Glue Pen, big shot (retired)

Now hop along to Cheryl's blog using the button below. Then hop on over to see what everyone has created for you, (we're a quick hop) and leave us your thoughts too! 


Then make something pretty yourself! Or, place an order for some pretty patterned paper! 

We Create Blog Hop June 2023 Blog Roll
Kimberley Morris
Tricia Butts
Tanya Harvey <-- you are here!
Cheryl Curtis

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

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! 

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!