Happy Birthday!

 Of all the kinds of cards I create, I love making Birthday cards the most! 

I realized I haven't made a nice, bold card with colors that POP! I wanted a card that just said summer, using some of my favorite "tart" vivid shades that invoke those summer vibes. 

So I created this card for my daughter's birthday last week, and she LOVED it.

I stamped out half of my (large!) image from Colorado Craft Company, called "Sweet Friend Cupcake" and colored it in with Copics, using some strong colors that would Pop off the card. Then I stamped my sentiment with a stamp set from Spellbinders called "Birthday Pennants". Then I matted my image using Doodle Bug Company's "Pistachio" cardstock, layering that over some really vivid patterned paper (no designer given on it). I placed the PP over some "Buttercup" yellow cardstock from Simple Stories and added some white cardstock under that that I punched out a "lace" edge using Fiskars "Swiss Dots" edger. I placed more Pistachio cardstock under the white Swiss Dot punched edge paper, but I popped that off the Pistachio using PopDots to offer depth and keep it from feeling "flat". I then added the image over the PP using more PopDots so there'd be some "lift" and life to the image.

This has to be one of my favorite cards I have made of recent. I love all the bright, bold and sassy colors! They just make me squeal with delight! I could make a hundred cards using these colors and they'd still make me smile. I don't know about you, but I'm just not ready for summer to end!

Delight in the Unexpected

 I'm back with a new card and a happy surprise.

This month's card is inspired by Power Poppy's challenge this month : Going Sentimental.

I've been playing around with an idea to make a black and gold card for quite sometime, and after I saw this month's challenge, I knew I had to try to combine my idea with it. 

Speaking of Power Poppy, I'm both stunned and thrilled to find out that I won last month's Blossom Challenge on their blog! I sincerely can't believe it, they have such beautiful stamps!

I stamped out my card and watercolored it, then matted it with Tim Holtz's Metal Cardstock. I placed some Popdots under the gold cardstock to pop it off the black and gold patterned paper background and give it depth. I added some lace and back striped paper from Simple Stories called "Vintage Lakeside" to the black and gold patterned paper. I matted it all in more black and gold cardstock and placed three small black pearls on the card to complete the look.

Every card is a fantastic journey into learning something new or creating a unique look, and I love the process! There are days I get stuck, but I refuse to re-invent the wheel. Rather, I like to find the beauty in an image and enhance it as best as I can while still making sense. I think many of us feel pressured to create something amazing every time, but there's no need because every card is beautiful.

I hope you all have a great day and I'll see you all next week with another card!

Have A Sweet Day

 I've been sick for the past week, but I finally felt well enough to sit down and create a card last night. Fascinatingly, it came together in about an hour. I don't know about you, but cards usually take a day or two for me to create from start to finish. But this one was just so easy breasy.

I stamped out the image in Versafine and heat set it, then colored it in with Copics. I very, very lightly sponged the background behind the girl with Broken Glass and Speckled Egg Distress Inks and matted the image over some Bazzil polka dotted blue paper. After that I cut the back of the card using MFT's Stitched Rectangle Scallop Edge Frames Die-namics, then added the sentiment stamped on an old Spellbinders pennant die.

I'd decided to break out the stamp set and practice coloring skin and hair while I recovered and suddenly a card was spontaneously created. Sometimes you just never know when things will gel and just come together with little to no effort!

Kindness Is The Way

 Kindness. Hard to find these days, at times. I like to remind myself it's a long sought after but rarely found gift. I believe in being as kind as you can to everyone as best as you can.

That's why I love this image.

I used Power Poppy's "Kindness Is The Way" free digital stamp to create this card. I used a lighter paper to print it out on, almost vellum like, and colored it in with Copic markers. I paired it with a very light blue gingham checked paper that just added to the intense POP of color I colored the flowers in with that didn't distract from them. After that, I added a simple border of stitching around the image to keep it looking simple and cheery, like I wanted it to be.

Gerbera Daisies are some of the most colorful and cheerful flowers I have ever seen. I mean, who wouldn't want to be given a beautiful bouquet of them?! If you can't give real flowers, this card could certainly take their place, it's so bold. I could walk in a garden of these for hours, they bring such a smile to my face and heart!

Holiday Hello

 Hello and welcome back! I'm still on a Christmas card making kick and I'm enjoying finally feeling creative again after not being able to craft for so many years! 

So while I was pondering how I wanted my next Christmas card to look like, I knew exactly what stamp set I wanted to use, though I wasn't sure if it would turn out. I'd been itching to break out this set and use it since I bought it, but I gave it a go.

I chose to use Power Poppy's "Under Glass: Christmas Keepsakes", coloring it in with Copics. After coloring it in, I cut the edge of the image with a Spellbinder border die and matted it with some patterned paper. I created the layers I wanted and sponged everything with Antique Linen and Tea Dye Distress Inks to age it and give the vintage look and feel I wanted. I used some "puffy" popdots under my image to pop my items off the card to create depth and interest, keeping everything from looking flat and uninteresting. After that, I added lace, silk ribbon and some dark blue pearls to complete the card.

I love how the card turned out, though I wished I'd remembered to stitch my card while I was creating it! I was so in the groove and excited to color in my new stamp set, and I was loving how it was all coming together so quickly, I'd completely forgot to stitch my card in! More times than I care to admit, I'm always forgetting to stitch around my card. It happens :)

Bring Your Sunshine

 Have you ever met that someone somewhere in life that "Brings the Sunshine" wherever they go? That one person who's unflappable, always laughing, and full of joy? Yeah, those are my people. They're hard to find, but once you do you simply can't get enough time spent with them. I've met one or two in my life time. Until then, I like to live by the idea that I can be that sunshine to or for someone else I may meet.

That's why I love this stamp set. I love the sentiment and how the woman seems so relaxed, content to just simply enjoy the flowers and life.

Doesn't she just exude peace and sunshine? She looks like she Always brings her Sunshine anywhere she goes, with her.

I chose to use Sheena Douglas's "Wouldn't It Be Lovely?" stamp set that I bought from Crafters Companion. I watercolored it in with my Distress Inks from Tim Holtz because I wanted something soft and not harsh. I wanted the flowers to POP and everything else to be there but be more of a "background" to the floral colors shown. I sponged a "border" of color around the image using more Distress Inks, masking off a "colorless/free" border with painters tape. Then I mounted the watercolored image on an old scalloped precut card mat that I've had for years and years. I can't even remember where I got it, but I wish I bought more of them.

This scene just makes me smile and reminds me to always bring my own sunshine and stop waiting for people to bring it to me :)

Peace and Joy

 Once again, it's Christmas in July!! In only six more months it will be Christmas Day! I can't wait! All those fun, festive traditions, food, and family fun! I love it!

Until then, I'll enjoy the countdown to the festivities by creating Christmas cards, inspired by Power Poppy's Monthly Blog Challenge. Why not? :)

I chose to create a card using the Power Poppy "Simple Joys" stamp set and coloring it in simply with Copics, only emphasizing the red glass ball ornaments. I chose some fantastic cozy looking patterned paper from Brutus Monroe called "Playful Plaid", adding some simple craft store lace, a blue silk ribbon, and some bronze pearl embellishments. 

I purposely kept everything simple so that the image and sentiment shines, but cheery paper colors to keep it from looking too dull.

I really enjoyed this months' Power Poppy challenge. At times it's great to get the old inspiration gears turning and realize new ideas and creativity by accident, just by participating in a fun challenge! I'm looking forward to next month's Power Poppy Challenge!

 

Happiness

 Hello again, World! 

As I assume you've guessed, I haven't been active in the scrapping, card making, or general crafting community for quite a few years. My family and I have been through a divorce, a move across half the country, a new job that takes all my energy and leaves me no mental clarity for creativity, and more drama then a soap opera that I'll generously spare you from. 

With two growing teenage children, I don't often have much time to sit down for "Me Time". Yet, here I am. I'm enjoying playing with inks, alcohol markers, and pretty papers. I've missed it all and yet, I'm rustier then a Model T Ford in the rain. But like anything, a good challenge can shake that mental dust off..

Power Poppy is offering a month long challenge on their blog, to create a card showcasing Glass. I picked Power Poppy's "Tea in the Garden" set, showcasing my favorite summertime beverage: Lemonade.

I colored the image in with Copics, found some papers from Fancy Pants, and embellished it with some odds and ends pieces of decor items that my Mom bought for me from a nearby scrapstore, keeping everything fresh, light, and fun.

I feel better after starting that challenge and I plan to blog and post when I can, around my busy life schedule, but until then, I'm just happy to be here, playing with my "toys" and feeling grateful.