Pigment Ink is not the Enemy

 Is it just me, or does it seem that pigment ink has gone a bit out of fashion. Hybrids seem to be all over the place and we love our reactive and I think our trusty Dye inks are still the king when it comes to every day creating, but good old fashioned pigment ink - the SUPER juicy kind - doesn't seem to get any hype anymore. Well, I'm here today to give it a bit of hype. 

Rose Gold metallic Hero Hues ink, folks. Yup. It's pigment ink. And that, my friends, is the very reason it stamped so smoothly, so evenly, and so shimmery on this card background! That amazing cling stamp, along with the others used on this card, came from the December My Monthly Hero kit and oh, my goodness!!!! Honestly, I was intimated by the ink at first, but I really wanted to try it because the color is just so gorgeous. I inked up that rubber cling stamp and made it happen and I am so glad I did!

Quick tip: Heat set pigment ink backgrounds and seal with Workable Fixatif before adding other elements to the card. That will help prevent smearing. 

Go dig out one of those pigment ink pads and have some fun! 

More Coffee, please

But seriously, do you have some? I'd love a cup. I have to admit, I am actually a tea drinker, but since my son was born both my husband and I seem to drink a LOT more coffee than we used to. Maybe that's because Bailey's goes better with coffee than it does with tea? HA!

Kidding.

Not really. 

But, alas...I have yet another fun card for the Coffee Lovers Blog hop! I used the Picket Fence Studios Jill Girl stamp and die for this one.

I used the Picket Fence Studio Jill Girl stamp and die. I stamped her on kraft cardstock and colored with Spectrum Noir colored pencils. I just love how she turned out! The background is the Simon Says Stamp Leafy Leaves stamped in Gold Brilliance ink (Tsukineko). I did heat set the ink, since it is a metallic pigment ink, to avoid smearing. The Just Because sentiment die from CZ Designs is die cut three times and layered to give it a bit more depth. I then added just a few metal dots as accents.

This is image has such a cozy feel to it! I just love it! 

Be sure to check out the Coffee Lovers Blog hop to see SO MANY PROJECTS and join us!

And with that, I wish you a wonderful weekend!

Hej Hej!

 Well, that's how it would be spelled if we were in Sweden, anyway. I'm not. I have been. And I freaking LOVE that place, so when I saw this awesome Hey Hey sentiment die from Simon Says Stamp, I knew it was just perfect for me! Plus, I pretty much just greet everyone with Hey instead of Hi most of the time, anyway, so, there's that, too. 

For the background, I stamped the Simon Says Stamp Fractured background using the Rainbow Hyrbrid Ink cubes. I love that these four colors come in a set and work so brilliantly together! I then filled in a few select segments with the Spectrum Noir glitter brush. I've mentioned how much I love that thing. I REALLY love that thing. I wish you could truly see the shimmer that it gives. It is AWESOME. It is also remarkably difficult to photograph, and for that, I apologize.

The sentiment is die cut from the stamped panel and then popped up on a black card base so it stnad out really well. Love that!

This one was a simple one. It came together pretty quickly, but I love how it turned out!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Friendly Little Bats

 I mentioned that I really like bats, right? When I saw the Reverse Confetti challenge to create a card with a Thanksgiving or Friendship theme, I figured it was a perfect time to combine my love of Halloween and bats with a friendship sentiment for a cute little card.

I stamped the three little bats from the Reverse Confetti Best Witches stamp set and colored them with Spectrum Noir colored pencils. I am discovering that I REALLY love coloring with colored pencils. I honestly feel like I work better with them than I do with my markers a lot of the time. I am loving it. It is also wicked relaxing to feel the smooth pencil over the paper. I don't know...I just really enjoy it.

After stamping and coloring the bats I added a quick stamped star and then finished it off with a great Lawn Fawn Hello die. The friend is actually hand written with a Copic pen to get the look I was going for.  

This card was one of those ones that I just really enjoyed creating. It makes me smile.

What are the kinds of things that just make you happy when you create? Is it coloring? The actual stamping? Putting together various design elements? I'd love hear about it in the comments!

Advent Calendar Extravaganza with Taheerah Atchia

Hello, friends! It has been a long time, I know! I took a bit of a break from blogging after stepping down from my design teams, but I am super excited to be participating in this exciting event! Taheerah does such a great job putting it together and the sponsors this year are AMAZING!!! TWENTY FIVE days of inspiration and prizes, people!!! For. Reals.

 

Advent Calendar Extravaganza is THE festive event of the season! This ‘hop with a twist’ was dreamed up by Taheerah Atchia and features surprise destinations each day! Joining in the fun with Taheerah are ONE HUNDRED special guests, each serving up some fantastic Christmas inspiration! Just like an Advent Calendar, you’ll never know where you’re going to be visiting next until you ‘open the door’!

And that’s not all! With 25 *amazing* sponsors taking part as guests as well, your crafty wish list is bound to get a boost with a chance to win a prize EVERY SINGLE DAY!!

Join in the fun every day at taheerah-atchia.com to see what special surprises await behind the door!

I created this super fun card using a slightly less traditional color scheme. I absolutely LOVE this Very Merry stamp set from Simon Says Stamp! I colored the image with Spectrum Noir markers and used a couple of washi tapes in black and gold to get a cool, modern vibe. Spectrum Noir's Glitter brush pens added the perfect sparkle to the ornaments and the stars!

It’s not a party without a prize - and with prizes every day there are several chances to win! Today’s prize is generously supplied by Simon Says Stamp so you’ll definitely want to win! Simply leave a comment on this post - then head back to taheerah-atchia.com and leave a comment there too! You must leave a comment on Taheerah’s blog as well as mine in order to be eligible to win! Don’t forget to grab the other surprise destinations from Taheerah’s blog and head over to them to leave comments there as well to improve your odds even more! You have until 23:59 EST on 31st December 2016 to enter.

Don’t forget Advent Calendar Extravaganza runs from 1st-25th December inclusive so make sure you visit taheerah-atchia.com every day for fabulous inspiration and amazing prizes every single time! 

Have a super Happy Christmas!!!!

Loads of Fun!

Hello, all! It's time for another ANYTHING GOES Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge! This week, the design team is featuring Lawn Fawn products!!! YAY! Lawn Fawn or Lawn FUN?!

That was bad.

But oh, so good.

Okay...anyway... I'll get to my card now....



Umm... when did laundry get this FUN?! For reals, though. I had so much fun making this little shaker card! I used the stamps in the Loads of Fun stamp set both to set the scene and as little socks in my shaker! SO FUN!!!! I also added some marshmallow seed beads from Pretty Pink Posh to look sudsy.

That's a fun word. Sudsy. For reals.... say it out loud.

You're welcome.



Now it's your turn! It's anything goes week, so you can create whatever you want! It just has to be new and you have to link it up over on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge blog for your chance to win a $50 Gift Certificate to Simon Says Stamp! WOOT! WOOT!

SUDSY!

Yup. That happened.

Come play along! We can't wait to see what you create! 

Have a happy!

It's Stencil Time!

Hello, friends! We are playing with Stencils this week for the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge! I have to be honest, I don't reach for my stencils very often, so this was definitely a challenge for me, but I had a lot of fun with it and love the results! The Design Team is using Stencil Girl products this week. You don't have to use them to play along, but if you have some we'd love to see what you do with them!

I used a few different distress inks, blending them together, to create the stenciled flower design. I then used the Simon Says Stamp Wishing die and coordinating stamp set for the sentiment. I love how it turned out! So fun! A bit of border layering over more blended ink was the perfect way to finish off a simple design.



Now it's your turn! Create something awesome using stencils in a fun and creative way and ink it up over on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge blog! We can't WAIT to see what you create!

One lucky participant will win a $50 Gift Certificate to the Simon Says Stamp store! WOOT! WOOT! Happy creating!

It's CAS-ual Fridays Stamps RELEASE WEEK!

It's RELEASE week, my friends! Yup! We have all kinds of brand new fun coming at you from CAS-ual Fridays Stamps! We are starting out today with an absolutely AWESOME new stamp set and coordinating dies, too!



This set is called Pretty Posies. Because, well... they are PRETTY POSIES! For reals, this set... I should apologize now for how much I'm going to be using it. Because I'm gonna use it a LOT. I absolutely LOVE it and the dies fit so perfectly, making them even more versatile!



And this is just the beginning, you GUYS! Be sure to head on over to the CAS-ual Fridays Stamps blog to check out what the entire team has created using this fantastic stamp set. I so love what everyone made! You are going to enjoy this little tour of posies! Also I just actually typed possies instead of posies. So, perhaps your posse will enjoy the posies? HA! You can also enter to win this stamp set! WHAT?! Yup. For reals.

Also, hold on to the code JINGLE2016 so you can save 15% on your next CAS-ual Fridays Stamps order! Yup. I've got your back. I'm your posy posse.

Have a Happy!

I Can't be Beet!

Heh. Heh. See what I did there? Well, officially, I'm asking that before you've seen my card, but, I bet you scrolled to the pictures first so.... see what I did there????? HAHAHA! Ah, man, I crack myself up. It's sad, really. Or not. However, all this to say that we do, indeed, have a brand new Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge for you! We are doing the POLKA! That's right, we want you to incorporate polka dots into your design in some way. The Design Team is featuring Lawn Fawn Products this week. You don't have to use them to play along, but if you've got some, we'd love to see how you make them POLKA!

Ummm, YES!!!! I love this stamp set SO MUCH! It is way too much fun. For reals. I used a combination of Lawn Fawn and Simon Says Stamp inks to create the layered stamping design. A bit of Lawn Fawn paper brings in the polka dots for a perfect frame around the beets. SO FUN!

Now it's YOUR turn! Create something fabulous inspired by this week's Let's Polka theme and link it up to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge blog for your chance to win a $50 Gift Certificate to the Simon Says Stamp Store! WOOT!

Now... beet it! 

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAA!

Just Kidding. 

Have a Happy. ;)

Oh, SNAP! It's Anything Goes!

Hello, friends! Guess what?! It's ANYTHING GOES week! I know, I know! It's your favorite!!! The Design Team is playing with Memory Box products this week. If you've got some, we'd love to see what you do with them, but you don't have to use them to play along. We just want to see your AWESOME!

<

I pulled out the Memory Box Lobster die (I just LOVE HIM!) along with the Pinpoint Rectangles to create a CAS design with a bit of sparkle! I covered my blue lobster (yes, they are a real thing) with the new Spectrum Noir Sparkle brush pen in blue. Umm.... I am in LOVE with these brush pens! They are SO super sparkly!!!

Look at that sparkle! It makes me happy. It really does. I grabbed the perfect sentiment from the Paper Smooches We Totally Click stamp set. It's punny. I couldn't even help it!

Now it's YOUR turn! Create something awesome - ANYTHING GOES! Just make sure it is NEW, as we don't accept entries posted before the challenge went live. One lucky participant is going to win a $50 Gift Voucher to the Simon Says Stamp Store! WHAT?! Yup. Start window shopping now, my friends! 

Have a Happy!

Because Foxes are Adorable, That's Why.

Yuppers!  Foxes.  They are super cuteness with fur.  AND I have a super cuteness card to share with you today.  Sans fur.  I can only do what I can do.

WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME, PEOPLE?

Haha!  K.  Moving on....  fox.  Card.  Cuteness.



Ummm.... SUCH CUTENESS!  I just love it.  Love.  For reals.  And obviously speaking in complete sentences simply isn't happening for me, so I hope you love it, too.  For reals.  'Cause that's all I've got folks. HA!



The face is done entirely with cardstock and a pen for the smile and then the sentiment is from the Paper Smooches Scripty Sayings set.  That set has quickly risen to one of my all time favorite sentiment sets.  It is SUPER useful and totally cute.

I hope you have a foxy kind of day!

Have a Happy!

*Paper Smooches SCRIPTY SAYINGS Clear Stamps Kim Hughes *Bazzill CIRCUS PEANUTS Card Shoppe Heavy Weight 8.5 x 11 Cardstock *Bazzill LICORICE TWIST Card Shoppe Heavy Weight 8.5 x 11 Cardstock *Bazzill MARSHMALLOW Card Shoppe Heavy Weight 8.5 x 11 Cardstock *Martha Stewart Punch 1/4 inch CIRCLE .25 42-15002 *EK Success Paper Shapers 1/2"" CIRCLE Punch PSP02C *Tombow Adhesive Craft Stamp DISPENSER & REFILL Dot Pattern Runner 62143 Permanent *Hero Arts Shadow Ink Pad CHARCOAL Black Mid-Tone 2013 af236 *My Mind's Eye MY GIRL Enamel Dots GB1052

InLinkz.com

SPIN Class!

Now, before you go thinking I got all athletic and such, I promise, the reference is entirely to new STAMPS from The Stamps of Life!  HA!  Of course I don't go to splin classes.  Those bikes thingies HURT, dude!  BUT, The Stamps of Life has a brand new club set out and it is AWESOME!!!!  Seriously, this has got to be one of my favorites yet!  I love it so much!  It's called spinner2stamp and you can do SO much with it!  I have three, count 'em THREE cards to share with you today using this fabulous stamp set!  WAY FUN!



This *might* be my favorite of the three, but I'm not really sure yet.  They are just all so fun!  For this one I chose to not use the actual spinner function or even look, but rather, used the outline to create a clean, graphic card.  I love the colors and this was just a blast to piece together.  I also loved this Simple Stories paper so much, I used it for both this one AND the next card, too!  Woot!



For this fun birthday card I did use the spinner look, but I kept it stationary by adhering the spinner fully and using an enamel dot as the center.  Simple and cute look!  I love it!



For this one I went full on, interactive spinner!  SO FUN!!!  I used a brad to attach the spinner.  I also recommend a small washer to be sure it moves freely.  Seriously.  This set is TOO.MUCH.FUN!!!!  I love it.  With all of my heart!  For reals, dudes.  For.  Reals.

Be sure to head on over to The Stamps of Life to check out the video for this great new set and to see LOTS of fun samples!

Have a Happy!