Zany Zoo Thank You

It's the last Friday of 2023 and TGIF Challenges is wrapping up the year with a fun Inspiration Challenge!  There is so much cuteness wrapped up in this cute little inspiration photo...so many creative possibilities!

I mixed some Annual Catalog favorites with some upcoming January-April Mini and Sale-a-Bration Catalog favorites to play along with this challenge.

I used the Perennial Postage dies to create a postage stamp with the super cute Sunny Days DSP, which you can earn for free with a qualifying order during Sale-a-Bration!  The sunshine pattern goes along perfectly with the clouds!

I colored one of my favorite Zany Zoo critters to cruise through the forest with a basket full of Charming {Thank You} Sentiments. 

I love the sweet and simple layout inspired by the latest Freshly Made Sketches...a great way to end the year!

I hope you join along in the fun!

Happy Stamping!

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Christmas Scraps

We're down to the last few days before Christmas and TGIF Challenges has the perfect Technique Challenge for us...Christmas scraps!

If you are anything like me, you have little bits and pieces of your favorite Christmas DSP that you just can't part with because they come in so handy for projects like this!

I used strips of Merry Bold & Bright DSP along with the Merriest Trees dies to cut out a bright and cheerful tree for a tag to top a Scalloped Gift Card Box.  I covered the top of the box with the Melon Mambo and Poppy Parade stripes pattern and added the recipients name with the soon-to-be-release Mini Alphabet Dies.

What will you do with your scraps this Christmas?  Be sure to share what you have created with us over at TGIF Challenges.

Happy Stamping!

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Softly Planted ~ Monday Montage

 

Today marks the last hop of 2023 for the Monday Montage designers!  Thank you for hopping along with us all year and we hope you'll join us again in January as we hop through 2024!

Thinking of You, Thank You and Just Because cards are always good to have on hand. These pretty sentiments from the Online Exclusive stamp set Softy Said and the soon to be available Planted Paradise stamp set helped to create a pretty trio of cards.

In addition to collecting stamps, ink and paper, I also collect plants.  It was fun to pot a few paper variety of plants!  Gray Granite,  Blueberry Bushel and Copper Clay were the color choices for the pots on the first card, filled with leaves in various shades of green.  Casing the January-April 2024 Mini Catalog, I stamped the cute little circle image in the background..cute, right?!?  

I went for softer shades of Petal Pink and Gray Granite for the next card, along with some more greens and Pebbled Path for the Thinking of You sentiment.  A little texture was added with the Painted Texture and Basics 3D embossing folders.

I went bold and bright for the last card, using Berry Burst for the pot filled with Granny Apple and Lemon Lime Twist leaves.  A Pretty Peacock Heartfelt Hexagon in the background and sentiment compliment the bright colors perfectly!

If you love fussy cutting as much as do, these stamp sets are for you!  There are no coordinating dies, but don't let that stop you!  There are lots of creative opportunities with both of these stamp sets that don't require any fussy cutting!

We have a smaller hop this week as many of the designers are enjoying the holiday season, but I promise you will find inspiration from all of us today!

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Happy Stamping!

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Flight & Airy - Around the World on Wednesday

Happy Wednesday friends!  It's time for an all new Around the World on Wednesday blog hop and I can't wait for you to see all of the fabulous creations with this months technique...Watercolor Smooshing.  

What is watercolor smooshing you ask?  It's one of the easiest watercolor techniques out there! Starting with your lightest color, smear you ink pad across any of the Clear Blocks (I used the giant F block). Smear any additional colors, lightest to darkest in any random pattern then spritz with a Stampin' Spritzer filled with water.  Next comes the smooshing part...place a piece of Fluid 100 Watercolor paper over the block and smoosh it in the ink.  Easy peasy and so much fun!

The Balmy Blue and Midnight Misty inks smooshed together created a sky-like background that was perfect for these fussy cut birds from the beautiful Flight & Airy DSP that will be available during Sale-A-Bration in January.  I cut the smooshed watercolor using the Countryside Corners Dies to go on a simple Basic White card base.  Sweet and simple...my favorite! Notes of Nature sentiments and a few Tinsel Gems completed the card.

I had fussy cut a few different birds from the Designer Series Paper, so I just had to create a couple more smooshed backgrounds for the birds. I used just Pool Party or the next card with a few splatters, giving it a robin egg look.

Fresh Freesia and Bubble Bath helped to create a pretty background that reminds me of an early morning sunrise. The pretty flowers and birds have me longing for spring, sunshine and warmth.

Click on the Next Blog to see what Lori Wilcox has in store for us! See the complete lineup below in case you get off track!

Happy Stamping!

Jan Clothier - NZ

Leonie Stuart - AU

Rochelle Laird-Smith - AU

Danielle Kassing - NL

Aurélie Fabre - FR

Mikaela Titheridge - UK

Annette Ball - CA

Angie McKenzie - US

Tricia Butts - US

Bree Renwick - US

Lori Willcox - CA

Cheryl Hamilton - US

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Most Awesome Tools

 We all have our favorite artists who we always turn to for a little extra creativity, right?  My friend Charlet of Painted Orange has always been a huge inspiration in the world of stamping. She is simply amazing and is featured as the artist in this weeks Global Design Project Case the Designer!

These fun little Santa hats inspired me to ink up the various tools in the new Trusty Tools stamp set and partake in a little color therapy before work today. All of the little tools in this 2-step stamp set have stamps to help add color to each tool or you can add color with your Stampin' Blends like I did here!

The fun pegboard pattern of Trusty Toolbox DSP was the perfect addition along with the Metal Plate 3D embossed background.  The sentiment is, well...awesome, for any occasion!  Add a Happy Birthday, Thanks or Happy Father's Day to the inside and you are set!

Wishing you all a fantastic week! I'll be back on Wednesday with another Around the World on Wednesday blog hop. We have a fun technique for this months challenge!

Happy Stamping!

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