Sunday, August 30, 2020

Sunflower Birthday Wishes ~ Monday Montage

Welcome to an all new Monday Montage Blog Hop! I love this group of talented ladies and can't wait for you to see all of their amazing projects this week!
Sunflowers are in full bloom around here and I am LOVING them!  They were my inspiration for this card, which was sent to our very own Wendy Weixler celebrated her birthday on Friday!  Happy Birthday my dear friend!
I always love me a good color therapy session, and this card provided me with just that!  After coloring the sun flowers in shades of Daffodil Delight and Cinnamon Cider and a touch of Granny Apple Green, I colored the background in Balmy Blue.  I used the color lifter, which created kind of marbled look.  Not what I was going for, but I like how it turned out!
I added the big sunflower on top and finished things off with a cute little bow and a fussy cut sentiment.  I was so happy that this card made it to Wendy on the day of her birthday!

Be sure to keep on making your way through the hop.  Next up is the oh-so-creative  Cathy or if you want to hop backwards, you will make your way the birthday girl, Wendy.  No matter which way you hop, you will LOVE everything you see!

 

We've added a list of everyone's home pages so you can hop along in any order you wish!  Just make sure you don't miss any!

Amy O'Neill - Amy's Paper Crafts


Friday, August 28, 2020

Coffee, Cookies and Chocolate

Whew...we made it to Friday!  I hope you have all had a great week and are ready to slide into the weekend!
This was my first full week back at work (last week was only partial) and it has done me in.  I am both mentally and emotionally exhausted, but also so happy to be back!  I work for our local school district, so you can only imagine how intense things are right now.  Our kiddos start back to school (remotely) on September 8th and everyone is using every possible moment to make sure this year will be a great success, no matter what our circumstance may be!
Today's card was inspired by my week and my cravings for all of my guilty pleasures.
What's better than coffee, cookies and chocolate?!?!  Nothing! And you can bet I'll be treating myself to a few of these this afternoon when I leave the office.
I love the Nothing's Better Than stamp set and adorable Love You More Than dies.  Stampin' Up! hit every weakness out there in this stamp set...it's so good!
I stamped each treat in Soft Suede and colored them with Ivory, Bronze and Rococo Rose Stampin' blends.  I created an ombre effect with the die cuts of Coffee, Cookies and Chocolate and wrapped it up with the perfect sentiment "Fill the day with all your guilty pleasures"  which is from Pattern Play stamp set.  I love how perfectly this is pairs up with these tasty little treats!

I hope you are able to fill at least part of your day with some of your favorite guilty pleasures!  Have a fantastic Friday and relaxing weekend!


Supplies Used:
Paper ~ Soft Suede, Rococo Rose, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Whisper White
Ink ~ Soft Suede, Rococo Rose, Stampin' Blends: Ivory, Bronze, Rococo Rose
Stamp Sets ~ Nothing's Better Than, Patten Play
Other Supplies ~ Love You More Than Dies, Woven Threads Sequin Assortment

Happy Stamping!

 

Friday, August 21, 2020

Grateful Heart ~#TGIFC278 Inspiration Challenge

We made it to Friday and an all new TGIF Challenges...YAY!!
We have an all new Inspiration Challenge for you this week and we can't wait to see what you are inspired to create!
This week was my first week back to work after my summer break and my first full week back in the office since the middle of March!  Even though this school year is starting off differently than any other and I am exhausted, I am happy to be back!  I am blessed to have had most of the summer off while so many other staff members worked tirelessly to prepare for a virtual start to the school year.  My heart is truly so grateful for them, which is what inspired today's card!
I love the warm fall colors in the Gilded Autumn Specialty DSP...they are just so calm and comforting!  In place of the jar in the inspiration photo, I cut a piece of the striped DSP using one of the Tasteful Label dies, layering some fussy cut DSP leaves and the beautiful sentiment all on top of this amazing piece of splattered DSP.  I added a few stamped leaves as well to pull it all together.  
Of course I added just a bit of bling with the Champagne Rhinestone Basic Jewels. I love how well these worked with the colors of the DSP/
Supplies Used:
Paper ~ Very Vanilla, Early Espresso, Gilded Autumn Specialty DSP, Watercolor Paper
Ink ~ Mint Macaron, Early Espresso
Stamp Set ~ Beautiful Autumn
Other Supplies ~ Stitched Rectangles, Tasteful Labels, Champagne Rhinestone Basic Jewels

I hope you have all had a great week and have an even better weekend ahead of you!

Happy Stamping!

Wednesday, August 19, 2020

In-Color Highlights ~ August Control Freaks Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to this months Control Freaks blog hop!  I am so excited to be hoping along with these talented designers and can't wait for you to see what everyone has created.  This month we are focusing on the 2020-2022 In Colors...aren't they all beautiful?  You may just be starting the hop or you may have arrived her from the creative Connie Tumm.  No matter how you got here, make sure you keep on hoping all the way through!
Sunflowers are in full bloom in my part of the world right now and were the inspiration behind my first card.  I was originally going to make a cute banner to hang up on my cubical at work, but got lazy and went with a card instead.  LOL!  This will still look cute hanging up in my cubical, right?!?
I cut strips of 2020-2022 In Color DSP to create a fun background, then added the beautiful sunflower and my favorite sentiment from the Ridiculously Awesome stamp set.  I added a few Cinnamon Cider Enamel Dots to finish the card off.

Supplies Used:
Paper ~ Whisper White, Bumble Bee, Cinnamon Cider, Just Jade, 2020-2022 In Color DSP
Ink ~ Misty Moonlight
Stamp Set ~ Ridiculously Awesome
Other Supplies ~ Sunflowers Dies, Tasteful Labels Dies, 2020-2022 In Color Enamel Dots

I pulled out one of my favorite carry over stamp sets, Country Home, for my next card.  After seeing the sample in the Annual Catalog, I decided I just had to CASE it.  I loved coloring all of the flowers in the 2020-2022 In Color's!  Now I want an arrangement like this for my front porch!
I've been on a kick of roughing up the edges of my cards lately.  Is this a technique you use very often?  I love how much it can add to a card!

Supplies Used:
Paper ~ Misty Moonlight, Whisper White, Bumble Bee, In Good Taste DSP
Ink ~ Misty Moonlight, Bumble Bee, Memento, Stampin' Blends:  Smoky Slate, Magenta Madness, Just Jade, Misty Moonlight, Cinnamon Cider
Stamp Set ~ Country Home
Other Supplies ~ Tin Tile 3D EF, Linen Thread, Banner Triple Punch

Next up is my stampin' BFF Wendy Weixler!  You are going to LOVE what she has done with the In Colors.
Thanks for hoping along with us!  I hope you have found some inspiration in our creations!

Happy Stamping!
 

Tuesday, August 18, 2020

Beautiful Autumn ~ #HSSIC 346

Happy Tuesday stampers! The creative design team over at Hand Stamped Sentiments is back this week with a beautiful fall Inspiration Challenge!  What will you be inspired to create?

It's hard to imagine fall when we are in the middle of a triple digit heat-wave, but I know that is right around the corner!  Summer is my favorite season, but fall is my next favorite, especially when it comes to seasonal crafting!  I was immediately drawn to the Gilded Autumn suite in the mini catalog.  I love all of the warm fall colors in the Gilded Autumn Specialty DSP and the Beautiful Autumn stamp set and coordinating Autumn Punch pack are great!n And have you seen the Brushed Metallic cardstock?!?  It is BEAUTIFUL!

I started out with a Very Vanilla card base, then added a layer of the cute acorn and leaves pattern of DSP.  Next came a layer of Gold Brushed Metallic cardstock, which I embossed with the Tin Tile Embossing folder.  I stamped a simple Thank You sentiment in Early Espresso on Very Vanilla, adding a small strip of Mint Macaron/Gold DSP underneath.  The sentiment was placed on top of the Mint Macaron Basket Weave Ribbon, with an added copper acorn.  These little embellishments are the best!  Using the adorable Autumn Punch Pack, I punched out an acorn and a few leaves from the DSP.

I had some help with the layout of this card, thanks to the lates Global Design Project Sketch Challenge.  This is such a fun sketch that can be used with so many stamp sets!

Thanks for stopping by today!  I hope you will play along with our Hand Stamped Sentiments Inspiration Challenge this week!  Add in a little more fun and join in the Global Design Project Sketch Challenge too!


Happy Stamping!

Sunday, August 16, 2020

Merry Monday Montage



Welcome to an all new Monday Montage Blog Hop!  You won't want to miss a single creation from this amazing group of stampers!

We had another weekend of triple digit temps...it was so hot!  I love me some summer weather, but there was a brief moment of wishing for snow.  My wish didn't come true, so I created some winter fun right in my craft room.  I loved the adorable images in Warm & Toasty the first time I saw it!  The skating polar bear and happy little reindeer are my favorites, especially paired up with the equally adorable Trimming the Town Designers Series Paper.
I chose the festive pine tree DSP pattern to go with this cheerful iceskating bear.  I can just see him skating on a froze forest lake in the freshly fallen snow.  The sweet sentiment from the Christmas Means More stamp set seemed so fitting as well...I believe, it's silly, but I believe.  I love it!
How cute is this happy little reindeer?  His sweet face brings a smile to my face!  I love all of the sentiments on this DSP pattern, and the colors are right up my alley.  I love the Misty Moonlight mixed in with the traditional Poppy Parade and Old Olive.  I colored the reindeer in the yummy Cinnamon Cider and gave him a cheerful Poppy Parade bow.  
Supplies Used:
Paper ~ Pool Party, Old Olive, Whisper White, Trimming the Town DSP
Ink ~ Poppy Parade, VersaMark, Memento, Stampin' Blends:  Pool Party, Old Olive, Cinnamon Cider, Poppy Parade, Basic Black, Crumb Cake, Petal Pink 
Stamp Set ~ Warm & Toasty, Christmas Means More
Other Supplies ~ White Embossing Powder, Snowflake Adhesive-Backed Snowflakes, Woodland Embossing Folder

Have you started working on your Christmas cards yet or is too soon for you?  The earlier I start on mine, the less stress I feel as the holiday gets closer!

Thanks for stopping by today!  Now, on to the next stop on the hop!

Happy Stamping!

We've added a list of everyone's home pages so you can hop along in any order you wish!  Just make sure you don't miss any!



Friday, August 7, 2020

Ridiculously Awesome Color Challenge ~ #TGIFC276

Happy Friday stampers!

I don't know about you, but I need something FUN and CHEERFUL to help lift my spirts this week.  Thank goodness TGIF Challenges...they are cheering me up with this weeks amazing Color Challenge.
I will be honest...I struggled with these colors a bit a first because I could not figure out what stamp set to use. After pulling out card stock in these bright colors, I decided to focus more on the paper than the stamps. After getting that out of the way, I was able to find a fun stamp set in my collection to create today's card.
I love all of the fun sentiments in the Ridiculously Awesome stamp set, but what about the cute little accent stamps?!?  The heart and star helped to create a background for the simple "p.s. I love you" sentiment.  I added just a bit of bling with some Rhinestone Basic Jewels and Glittered Organdy Ribbon.  I don't know about you, but I am totally feeling a 90's groove with this card!
Supplies Used:
Paper ~ Magenta Madness, Bermuda Bay, Gorgeous Grape, Basic Black, Whisper White
Ink ~ Magenta Madness, Bermuda Bay, Gorgeous Grape, VersaMark
Stamp Set ~ Ridiculously Awesome
Other Supplies ~ Glittered Organdy Ribbon, Rhinestone Basic Jewels, White Embossing Powder

I hope you will join in the fun and play along with us this week!

Have a great weekend!

Happy Stamping 

Tuesday, August 4, 2020

Colorful Cocktails ~ Hand Stamped Sentiments #345

Hello friends!  I can't believe it's already Tuesday!  Between summer break and the craziness of our world, I forget what day it is half the time.  Some days I feel like that is a blessing...
It's a good thing I remember that today was time for an all new Hand Stamped Sentiments Color Challenge.  These colors a pure summer to me!
I was drawn to the Nothing's Better Bundle because of the cute coffee stamps and dies, but these colors were meant to be for cocktails!  
I created a couple of fun layered cocktails using all of the colors...something that is super easy to do with photopolymer stamps.  It's easy to see through them and ink them up perfectly in multiple colors.
I added a sunny Bumble Bee circle behind the cocktails and layered it all on top of a Costal Cabana watercolored background.  There are so many FUN sentiments in the Nothing's Better Than stamp set, but I think "because adulting is hard" sentiment is my favorite.  I mean, let's be honest...adulting HAS been hard in so many ways since March!
Supplies Used:
Paper ~ Coastal Cabana, Bumble Bee, Magenta Madness, Basic Black, Whisper White, Watercolor
Ink ~ Coastal Cabana, Bumble Bee, Magenta Madness, Memento, VersaMark
Stamp Set ~ Nothing's Better Than
Other Supplies ~ Layering Circle Dies, Love You More Than Dies, 2020-2022 In-Color Enamel Dots

I hope you will join along in our summer fun color challenge this week.  We always love to see what everyone is inspired to create!

Happy Stamping!

Sunday, August 2, 2020

{Coffee} Perks and Thanks ~ Monday Montage



Welcome to an all new Monday Montage Blog Hop!  You won't want to miss a single creation from this amazing group of stampers!
How are you all doing?!?!  Summer temps hit an all time high here this past week, leaving it far too hot to do much of anything outside.  As much as I love the summer sun, 109 is just too hot!  It gave me the perfect excuse not to pull weeds in the garden and have some fun in my craft room.

For those who know me well know that I LOVE coffee! The adorable new Press On stamp set was an absolute must have for me!  I paired up a couple of my favorite new In Color's...Magenta Madness and Just Jade for a couple of cheerful coffee cards to send out this week.
Of course I had to use my Stampin' Blends to color these cute cups of java. A simple layout, a few layers of card stock, a few little coffee beans and a Linen Thread bow were all this card needed.  It's always refreshing to create something simple.

Next up is a happy cup of thanks!  I created my own patterned paper by stamping the coffee cups and beans in Just Jade. I stamped the coffee cup, adding a Magenta Madness heart on the coffee sleeve,  which I outlined with my Basic Black Stampin' Write marker, and colored the rest of the coffee sleeve in Crumb Cake.  I added just a splash of fun with some Magenta Madness In Color DSP, which I off-set with a small strip of Just Jade In Color DSP.  A quick sentiment, another Linen Thread bow and this card is complete!
Supplies Used:
Paper ~ Magenta Madness, Just Jade, Whisper White, 2020-2022 In Color DSP
Ink ~ Just Jade, Magenta Madness, Memento, Stampin' Blends:  Crumb Cake, Magenta Madness, Just Jade 
Stamp Set ~ Press On
Other Supplies ~ Layering Circle Dies, Linen Thread 

If you love coffee, you are going to want to add this stamp set to your must have list!

Thanks for stopping by today!  Now, on to the next stop on the hop!

Happy Stamping!

We've added a list of everyone's home pages so you can hop along in any order you wish!  Just make sure you don't miss any!