Hello!

Just stopping in with this beauty.   I just love the The Big, the Bold & the Happy set from Winnie & Walter!   Actually, I love ALL The Big, The Bold sets.....each and every one!  

Hope your weekend is off to a great start!

Anything Goes with CAS-ual Fridays

Well, it's Friday, folks!    Thought for the occasion I'd pull out some CAS-ual Fridays stamps, lol!

I wish I'd had time to photograph this in the daylight.   It's hard to capture embossing on vellum at 11 p.m....bummer!

I'm entering this in both the V's Sweet Idea's Anything Goes challenge and the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes.   I stamped the Lotsa Links chain with Hero Arts shadow inks and then colored a few of the links in with Distress Paint in Tarnished Brass.   The sentiment, from Shenanigans, was embossed in gold.   A few shiny star sequins finished the card off.

I hope everyone has an awesome Labor Day.   We are headed to the gorgeous Thousand Islands for the weekend.   I can't believe school starts next week - on a positive note, with the kids back in school I'll be able to get back into a more regular gym routine and on a more regular blogging schedule, lol!    Gotta live it up these last few days!   Have a good one....

Stretch Your Stamps 2 Homework

I signed up for Online Card Classes "Stretch Your Stamp 2" and have enjoyed every minute of it!   I'm super behind on the homework, though, and since the gallery is closing soon (tomorrow, I think), I figured I'd better pop in and post something quick!

This homework is from day one.    The technique of watercolor resist isn't a new one to me, but if I don't have encouragement to break out the watercolors, it doesn't usually happen.  Watercolor is so pretty, but it's not easy for me, that's for sure.  

In any case, from one background stamped panel, I was able to make four cards!   There's only three here, I still have one in the works.

I love how the middle card takes on a more manly vibe based on where I die cut the hello.  Losing the purple really worked wonders in this case!   I think that card is my favorite.    The cute little wood stars are from Pretty Pink Posh.   Love that open star!

I hope everyone taking the class has enjoyed it as much as me....I've been cruising the gallery, and there is so much to see!

Happy Happy Birthday! (PTI Make it Monday card)

                                               

Here's my (very) late entry for this week's Make it Monday from Papertrey Ink!   I used a Fillable Frame - not sure which one!   This was a fun challenge....and easier than I thought it would be!  I die cut the circle center from the coordinating colors of PTI cardstock and layered them up for a cool dimensional effect.   

Here's a better look

Hope everyone has had a great weekend!

So Thankful For You

Just two more days of school for my kids, and then summer can truly begin!   I was all about the end of the year gift for my 5th grader's teacher today.   A very cool new shop opened nearby that carries a ton of flavored popcorn, so I thought that would be a unique gift....and it was an excuse for me to get a few varieties for us!   We ended up with BBQ, caramel corn, orange soda (yuck!) and dill pickle!   Yes, dill pickle!    It is really, really good....more of just a dill flavor than vinegar-y pickle.   In any case, after our stop at the popcorn place, I needed a card to go with the gift.

I pulled out several Lawn Fawn sets - Critters in the Forest, Hats Off to You and Fanciful Frames.   To make the wood frame, I took a PTI Impression plate and embossed the wood onto kraft paper.   I then used Walnut Stain and Vintage Photo distress inks to color over top.    I added some detail with the Vintage Photo distress marker.  The coolest part of this frame happened when I decided to put Glossy Accents on it.   It looks like a real glossy frame!

For the little owl, I first stamped the mortarboard and then masked it and stamped the owl.   He's colored with Copics - the burgundy hat for my daughter's school color!   The owl and log (stamped on the inside of the frame) were then cut out.   I brought out a Heidi Swapp star stencil and sponged some ink in the corners of an off white strip.   I went over them with Wink of Stella, because God forbid I make a card that doesn't have some sparkle to it!!!   I really need to use stencils more often!   A little strip of gold glitter paper along the side and the card is done!

I'm entering this card into two challenges - Lawnscaping - Stars & Stripes (play along here!) and Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge (play along here!)

Hope your week is off to a great start!   

Newton's Nook Designs Inky Paws Challenge - Wood, Metal & Cork

Hi guys!   Today I had some crafty time and I decided to make a card for the Newton's Nook Designs Inky Paws Challenge.  

 We needed to add a texture - wood, cork and/or metal.   I decided to go with a wood-look background.  I embossed the background with a PTI impression plate on kraft cardstock.   Then I added some Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain distress ink.   The super cute sunflower is a free digi image from Newton's Nook.   You can find it here.  I printed the image twice - once onto masking paper and once onto cardstock.   I cut out my mask and added the color using several shades of distress ink.   I ended up adding some extra shading with a Copic.    The li'l ladybug is coated with Wink of Stella and Glossy Accents.  A washi tape strip down the side and some letter stickers (also coated with Glossy Accents) finish the card!   My daughter oohed and ahhed over this card....so guess who will be getting a little note from Mom soon!

I hope you get a chance to play along!   This is always a fun challenge!

Craft Room Tour!

So today I thought I'd do something different.   WAY different!   I filmed a short video showing my craft room.   I have never, EVER done a video before, so please forgive how crappy it looks, lol!   At least you can get a general idea of my layout.   

Here are some still photos.   They aren't the best, should've taken them when I had daylight.   I will try to remember to take some more and edit this post with the new ones when I get a chance.

Hope you enjoyed this quick tour.   I'm off to make a challenge card tonight.   Gotta get my clean space messy....ha!!