Hot Air Balloon - Dreams

Hi today I have a card to share with you using a 

Close to My Heart stamp and pack of paper.

Over at the Outlawz they have a challenge every Sunday

that is called Songs & Rhymes, this week the song is

"Up Up & Away".

I knew right away what I wanted to do, I had had this

hot air balloon stamp and paper pack called Balloon Ride

for several years and it was perfect for this theme.

I stamped the image and then colored it with my Copic

markers trying to match the colors in the paper.  I cut it out using a

Gina Marie Die.  This card also follows the sketch this week

at the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge.

I kind of flipped the sketch a bit to make it work with my image.

The sentiment is a Unity stamp and thought it went well

with the image.

Thanks for stopping by hope you are having a great weekend.

Playing With Inks

Hi, I have a couple quick simple cards to share with you today.

After I make a card, if it is not specifically for someone

I will leave it on my desk until I type up a blog post.

Well, I have a bit of a back up on my desk so I am going to

have a few cards in this post that I have made playing around

with inks, Distress, Distress Oxide and Catherine Pooler Inks.

The first card I created the background using the Distress Oxide inks.

At first, I started out by just painting on stripes using Worn Lipstick and Fossilized Amber, it di not come out the way I envisioned it but the great thing about the Distress Oxide is that once it is dry you can layer the colors.  I added some Spiced Marmalade and Iced Spruce.  In the end I really liked it and did

not want to cover it up too much so I just added a Gina Marie die label

and stamped the happy birthday.

The next two cards again I played around with the Distress Oxides.

Both of these cards were made with the same piece of paper.

I really didn't like the way the paper came out after I had added the

Oxide inks, so I thought what the heck let me try using the 

Joseph's Coat technique on it.  I grabbed some CTMH solid flower stamps

and randomly stamped using Versamark and then clear embossed them.

I then used Distress Walnut Ink I just covered over the stamped piece using my blending sponge.  It was amazing to see this come to light, so I turned my

not so nice piece of paper into a pretty usable piece.  I cut it in half using a wavy die and used the two pieces to make a couple cards.

Finally, the last card of the day is one using Catherine Pooler Inks and Unity Stamps. 

The Cather Pooler inks are so vibrant and work pretty much like

the regular Distress Inks.  I just spread some ink on my craft mat

misted it with water and drug my watercolor paper through it.

I then stamped the Unity Stamps flower from the "Rebuild Your Life" set and

the sentiment is from "Bunches of Love" set.

After I stamped the flower and went back in and added some water from

the petals and dabbed it with paper towel lifting off some of the color.

Thanks for stoping by, would love to hear which card is your favorite.

Challenges entered:

Aud Sentiments - use a stamp for your sentiment - ends 4/30

Crafting with Attitude - anything goes - ends 4/30 

Crafty Girls Creations - anything goes - ends 4/30

Teal & Green Birthday

Hello, I back to post a birthday card, yes another birthday

card.  It seems like I make a lot of birthday cards, well I do because that is

what I use the most of.  

I love this color combination especially with the splash of purple

in there.  The paper is from K&Company Floral Dreams.

One of my favorite paper stacks, oh who am I kidding they are

all my favorites, I am a paper hoarder. 

 This is a half fold card, which I love making sometimes

to get more impact.

The happy birthday is a CTMH stamp and I added some lace

to give it a more elegant look.

Well that's it, would love to hear what you think of my card.

Happy Birthday in the Round

Hi, I have a fun card to share with you today.

I bought this happy birthday round stamp years ago, but rarely use it.

After making this card I think I will have to dig it out more often.

I stamped it in white on the black and heat embossed it with white embossing powder.  I stamped a Gina K stamp in the center and embossed it with red.

The plaid paper is from the CTMH  Roxie paper pack. 

Thanks you so much for stopping by, please let me know what you think of my card.

Laughing Lola Birthday

Hello all, Laughing Lola that is the name of the CTMH paper pack where all the papers came from to make this card.

I love the color combination and patterns that are in this paper pack.  The black strip along the left side is Washi tape.  I bought Washi tape a long time ago and am trying to make myself remember to use it.

The happy birthday I cut using my Silhouette Cameo, I love using their software because you can easily make a shadow layer for any cut.

Be sure and check out the CTMH Laughing Lola paper pack, it also comes in a Card Making Kit and a Scrapbooking Kit.

Today is also the day that the new Cricut Artbooking cartridge in available for purchase.

Well thanks for stopping by, I love to read your comments.

Hugs have a great day

A Couple of Thinking of You cards

Hello, I know it has been some time since I posted on my blog, it just seems like I run out of time sometimes as I am sure everyone does now and then.

So today I have two "thinking of you" cards to share.

The first one is made from some papers I have had in my stash for many years, and the flower I had made awhile ago so I am not sure which cartridge it came from.

I love how these colors look together, to me they are a soft look.  

The second one was made using CTMH papers from the Flirty paper pack which unfortunately has been discontinued.

Both of the sentiments were stamped using a stamp from the CTMH stamp from the Card Chatter Sympathy set

The flowers were cut using the Artiste cartridge.

Thanks so much for stopping by, I hope to keep up with my posting a bit better in the upcoming days/weeks.  Thanks again

You make me Smile.....

Hello all, I have a bright fun card to share with you today I love how this came out and I actually think I am getting a bit better ( an little bit) at coloring with my Copics.

Back in October Barbara at Forgotten Scraps had posted this cute image that her 9 year old daughter (along with her help) drew this adorable butterfly as a fund raiser for the Monarch Butterfly Fund.  You can read all about it HERE and purchase it if you would like.  While you are there spend a little time looking around Barbara's blog Forgotten Scraps she is amazing at coloring with Copics, she makes things come to life.

So are you ready to see how I colored Hola Butterfly?

The papers I used are from my Websters Pages warehouse box I got last month.  A couple times a year (I think) they offer a warehouse box packed full of goodies, like paper, ribbon, flowers, stickers etc etc.  This was the first time I ever got the box but it was so exciting ti dig through it and see what inside.

I wanted to color him to match the papers so he is a bit off the mark as far as a true Monarch Butterfly, but I love him in the bright colors.

Here is a close up, I added some Sakura Glitter pen to the trim on his hat but you can't see it too well in the photo.

The 3 flowers along the edge are actually buttons.  I created this card following a sketch this week from the Cricut message board RAQs Sketch Challenge and the extra credit there was to use buttons.  If you like to make cards following a sketch come on over and join us, it is a fun group of ladies.

The sentiment label I cut using Cricut Craft Rooms basics and then stamped it with a CTMH stamp.

Well thanks for stopping by my blog, I would love to hear what you have to say about my butterfly and I hope to keep up with posting on my blog more often.

National Stamping Month

Yes, September is National Stamping month (isn't it great we have all these celebrations :)so in honor of this Close to My Heart has a great double set of stamps deal. 

You can get this double stamp set for just $5 when you spend $35, that is a awesome deal, they would retail for $35. This special is good through September 30th.  Here is a little better look at the stamps, click HERE 

And of course you can still take advantage of the August stamp of the month set, you can get this fabulous set for just $5 with any order of $50 or more.

I am sure you would get a lot of use out of all of these stamps and what a great deal, so if you order the Artiste cartridge for $99 plus the $10 for both of the above specials you will end up with 6 sets of stamps, the Artiste cartridge and 3 sheets of chipboard shapes for $109 (plus tax & shipping). 

 This cartridge is just amazing, it has such a great variety on it and the coordinating stamps that come with it are really cool. It has 3D objects on it and even an extra instruction booklet on how to assemble them.

 Since the Double Stamp set offer runs through September 30th you can wait and order after September 1st and get the September stamp of the month set instead of the August one.  The September SOTM is all about Fall and it is so cute.  You can check it out in the 2012 Autumn/Winter idea book on page 140.  Sorry couldn't figure out to enter a picture here :(

Now I will sweeten the deal - if you order the Artiste bundle from my CTMH website I will send you FREE one C size stamp set of your choice and a $9.95 paper pack of your choice.  Now I think that is pretty cool, CTMH paper stacks are beautiful!  I was going to run this special through August but in light of the National Stamping special I think I will extend it through September 30th.  After you place your order just email me your FREE picks. 

So what are you waiting for hop on over to My CTMH website and get that order placed. 

 Plus if you have been thinking about becoming a CTMH consultant they made it even easier, you can get started for just $49 and for a limited time they will throw in gorgeous Damask Tote.  

This is while supplies last and you can only get it by becoming a consultant. 

It is easy to sign up just click HERE to get started.