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!

Because Beaches Make Me Happy

I am an East Coast girl. We live in a coastal town and let me tell you what the benefit of that is. The benefit of that, my friends, is that a nice walk on the beach or the simple happy making scent of ocean waters is never more than a few minutes away. And that, my dear friends, is what keeps me sane. Happy. Sane. I don't know... maybe both of those things. When I saw this amazing layered stamp set called Sea and Sky from Simon Says Stamp I was pretty sure it was designed for me. Or at the very least for the people like me. You see, my dear friends...it is FREAKING AWESOME!

So, I stamped the sky portion with cloudy sky ink because, well, I mean, it is a cloudy sky, so that just sort of made sense. I like to be practical sometimes. Sometimes. I stamped the water with a nice dark navy and then colored that with Spectrum Noir colored pencils. The sand is stamped with Stampin' Up Sahara Sand ink. Because it is sand. Again, with the practical. Who knows...maybe it will become a habit.

Finally, I added a whole bunch of sparkle with a Spectrum Noir clear glitter brush. You GUYS! If you don't have these get some. They add a TON of sparkle and shimmer. It's not subtle. I like my sparkle to...well, you know....SPARKLE!

I finished this card with a simply cut CZ Designs Wish I Could Hug You die cut sentiment because it was basically the perfect fit. I mean... the beach is like a hug. It makes you feel calm and cozy and happy. YAY beach! 

I hope you have a delightful day. Maybe with just a hint of salt water in the air.

A Little Halloween with a Little Potter Mixed In

Is that okay? Can I squeeze in one more Halloween card for this year? I had fun with this one, taking some fun Halloween stamps and giving them a bit of a Harry Potter twist. Because who doesn't love a sorting hat and a Nimbus 2000? Right? Right. Good. Glad we had this chat.

So, not gonna lie. This one sat on my desk for several days while I decided if I was brave enough to share it. Now that I'm looking at it fresh again, I think I actually really do like it. It's fun! I stamped the hat and the broom from the Simon Says Stamp Toil and Trouble stamps and dies set onto kraft paper and then colored with Spectrum Noir colored pencils. I went for the weathered Sorting hat look on the hat and um..... I REALLY REALLY LIKE IT. K? K. Thanks. I die cut both pieces, along with the tree from the Ghouls and Tree die set from Simon. 

I finished the card by adding just a touch of Reverse Confetti patterned paper and then stamped, embossed, and die cut the sentiment and frame together. 

And, my friends, there you have it. A bit of Halloween and a bit of Harry Potter all rolled into one fun card. Now... where did I leave my robes, I gotta fly......

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!

Zip It!

Hello! It is ANYTHING GOES week over on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge this week! This week, the Design Team is playing with Technique Tuesday 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 decided to use the super fun zipper die that I haven't had the chance to use quite yet!



I used the fun new Simon Says Stamp Cuddly Critter Accessories stamp set to create a little birthday scene. I colored with colored pencils for a playful look and then die cut the zipper in the front card panel. I used strips of cardstock on the back of the panel to secure the gift card, but once the zipper is pulled, it is easily removed! This is a super fun way to add an interactive element to your cards!



Isn't this a super fun way to give a gift card?! I love it! I really do! Now it's YOUR turn! Create a NEW project... anything you'd like to make...and link it up over on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge blog for your chance to win a $50 Gift Certificate to the Simon Says Stamp Store! You know you want to win that goodness!!! Just be sure the project is new. Backlinked entries will not be counted.

Have a Happy!

Awesome!!!

I could use some nice warm sunshine today, how about you? I created this fun card for the CAS-ual Fridays Stamps blog using a couple of my favorites! I used Sunbeams and the absolutely epic Wait For It set. Seriously... if you don't have this set, you need it. Nowish. For reals, though. I reach for it SO MUCH! Plus... if you use the JINGLE2016 code, you can get 15% off so you have zero excuses now. DO IT!



To create this card, I stamped the sun in Simon Says Stamp Duckling and then went in with Spectrum Noir colored pencils to add depth and interest to the design. I stamped the sentiment in High Dive ink and coated it with Spectrum Noir Sparkle brush pen in clear. I LOVE how much shimmer it has!!!

Have a happy, folks!

Wishful Thinking

Yup. I've resorted to wishful thinking. Yesterday was a fabulous 41 degrees, but, alas, today is around 29 again. And there were FLAKES. Fortunately, they are saying less than an inch so the snow is pretty much non-existant today, but STILL! I just want spring. It's time, folks. For reals, though.



And these birds. In real life. I want them. On my windowsill. (I don't even HAVE windowsills. HAHAHAHA!) But, seriously, you guys, these birds are the CUTEST THINGS EVER! I colored him with Spectrum Noir colored pencils and gamsol. Kept him pretty simple.



And with that, I leave you to your day.

Have a Happy, folks!

Vintage Floral

Crafter's Companion has a brand new line coming out very soon! It is called vintage floral and it is GORGEOUS!  I created this pretty card using the new stamps! LOVE!

I colored the image using a variety of the Spectrum Noir Blendable Colored Pencils. I love how beautifully these blend! Hey layer so well!

I am out of town, so just a short post for today!

Have a Happy!

M is for Mail

Hello, friends! Today I am excited to share this card with you, as it is a bit out of my comfort zone, but I rather like it, nonetheless. I used a fun postcard image from the Stamp-It Australia Dreamer collection by Crafter's Companion. Have you heard the big news? Spectrum Noir now has Blendable Colored Pencils! Yup! They come in beautiful collections, stored in tins. They blend beautifully and are easy to work with. I've found that they are excellent quality and don't have the breaking and crumbling lead issues that some other blendable colored pencils have. I used them to add the color to this postcard!


I added shading around the edges to make the postcard look aged. I also, of course, added some color to the bee. I really love how beautifully these pencils lay down color. A bit of tulle and a fun wood button from Melissa Francis finish off the card in a fun, shabby chic way. I used a sticker from SRM Stickers for the sentiment, as it was a perfect fit!


I am also linking this up to the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge. The challenge is the letter 'M' and M is for MAIL! A postcard is most definitely happy MAIL!

Have a Happy!

Another Butterfly Card

I told you guys I loved these butterflies, right? Because I totes do, dude. And I also love this embossing folder. Crafter's Companion goodness at it's best, folks! LOVE! The stamp set I used on this one is called True Colors and I paired that with the gorgeous Make a Wish embossing folder.



I colored the image using Spectrum Noir blendable colored pencils (90, 98, 102, 062, 063, 055, 002, 041, 036) on kraft cardstock. I love how the pencils look on the kraft! It's also a good chance to use the white, which is always welcome. HA!



Be sure to check out the Crafter's Companion Facebook page for daily inspiration!

Have a Happy!

So Long!

So Long!  That's the theme over at the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge blog this week!  We are wrapping up this term and lots of folks moving on to some other awesomeness!  We are saying so long and creating long cards at the same time!  We want to see you creating EXTRA LONG cards this week!



I pulled out some of the new dies from CAS-ual Fridays Stamps along with a pretty sentiment from Paper Smooches and a fun stencil to bring together my long card.  I colored the triangles with colored pencils to create my own background and I really like the way that turned out!



Be sure to head on over to the CAS-ual Fridays blog to check out the great designs the girls came up with to inspire you for this challenge and then link up YOUR card!  I can't wait to check them out!

*CAS-ual Fridays HEART BOARD Fri-Dies *Paper Smooches SCRIPTY SAYINGS Clear Stamps Kim Hughes *The Crafter's Workshop MINI TRI MOSAIC 6 x 6 Template *Prismacolor PREMIER COLORED PENCILS 48 Set Lot *Crafter's Companion 50 PACK ULTRA SMOOTH PREMIUM WHITE CARDSTOCK 752252 *Sizzix BIG SHOT MACHINE Powder Blue & Teal 657900 *My Mind's Eye ANTIQUE Enamel Dots Lost & Found Record It LF4048 *DCWV Cardstock 12 x 12 GLITZY GLITTER Paper Stack Printed Matstack PS-005-00260 *DCWV Cardstock 6 x 6 GLITZY GLITTER Paper Stack Printed Matstack MS-019-00052 *Martha Stewart SCORING BOARD Score Craft Tool 42-05002

InLinkz.com

A Bit of Magic is in the Air!

Hello!  Whew!  That was a LOT of posts yesterday!  Thank you so much to those of you who took the time to look at each one!  I so appreciate you guys!  Today is Day TWO of the Newton's Nook September release and we have another super fun set for you!  Do you believe in magic?  *wink*wink*



This set is called Magical Dreams and you can see all of the images over on the Newton's Nook Blog.  I just LOVE this dragon!  I had fun using colored pencils to bring him to life!  A gold marker allowed me to draw an interesting line for him to 'sit on' while keeping my design nice and simple.



AND... you can win this super adorable set!

Would you like to win Magical Dreams?
This set will be given away to Two lucky winners!

Here's how to win:

1. Comment on Newton's Nook Design blog: http://www.newtonsnookblog.com. One Winner will be randomly chosen from the comments on the September release posts.

2. Comment on the Design Team Member and Guest blogs (see list below)! One winner will be chosen at random from the collective blogs in the September release blog hop. Make sure to check out each of their blogs and comment for your chance to win. You will not know which blog has been chosen so the more you comment on the better your chances are of winning! You have until Thursday, September 12th at 9 pm Central Standard Time to comment -- winners will be announced on the blog post on Friday, September 13th.

Make sure you check out all the blogs participating in the Launch Party below to enter:

Tessa Wise

Jocelyn Olson

Samantha Mann

Emily Leiphart

Jennifer Ingle

Happy Hopping!

Have a Happy!

Just Dropping In...

Yup.  That's pretty much what's happening here.  Santa.  He's all kickin' it in the hot air balloon and dropping in with a few little gifties for you and me!  YAY!!!  That seems like a whole lot of fun, if you ask me.  For reals, though.



This is one of the brand new release stamps from Stampendous! and I am absolutely IN LOVE with it!!! It's called Santa Air Drop and it's great.  Seriously, though, you guys.  For reals.  Isn't that just an awesome image?  It totally is.  Trust me on this one.  K?  k.  Glad we worked that out together.

To really let the image shine on it's own I wanted to keep it mostly black and white and just toss in a bit of color to highlight the focal point of the image... the man himself... SANTA!  Woot!  Woot!



I stamped the image on the white panel and then stamped it again on another sheet of cardstock, die cut the circle, then colored just the circle and adhered that with foam tape to the panel.   I am pretty much in love with it.  Just puttin' that out there.  The sentiment, Christmas is in the Air (hello...couldn't be more perfect for this image and I totally {heart} that.),  needed to stand out without being overwhelming, so I embossed it with Stampendous! Red Dragon embossing powder.  It's sparkly.  I like sparkly.  Just sayin'.

I am linking this super fun card up to the Holiday Card Challenge in the Moxie Fab World.  I love that these fun holiday challenges are helping me get some of my holiday cards created nice and early!  SO FUN!!!

I hope you have a glittery day!

Have a Happy!

Colored Pencils Can Offer Brilliant Colors, too!

So, here's the thing... you want to add bold, vibrant color to your cards, but you don't have a degree in coloring from the Alcohol Marker Institute of America? Yeah, me, neither. I totally get it. All that numbering and blending and ... whew! It gets a bit daunting! So, while I do use my Spectrum Noir markers, I have actually found that I can get those same bold, vibrant looks using colored pencils and, personally, I find them a lot easier to work with than markers. Let me show you...


Yup. Totally did that with colored pencils. Prismacolors, to be precise. For reals. I wouldn't lie about something like this, folks. This is serious stuff! HA! And the best part is... all I did was choose three colored pencil colors and worked my way from the outside in. You could do it from the inside out, if you prefer... I just knew what I wanted on the outside first, so I started there. This girl... not so much a 'planner'. Just sayin'. LOL! I did apply mineral spirits with a tortillion after coloring to bolden up those colors and give the full vibrancy. It also helps blend them even more, although, good colored pencils tend to blend well just while you use them, so that's handy, too.


As for WHAT to color? Well, that parts easy! Just pick out some GORGEOUS stamps like these fabulous Sheena Douglas images from Crafter's Companion! I used Sheena's Through the Rain and Flower Power sets for this card. You can actually get a good deal on both if you choose them for this bundle offer. Just sayin'.

So... if you are not the coloring type and part of that is due to a dreadful phobia of fancy markers... I hope you will give Prismacolors a try. I think you might find them a lot easier and totally fun! Oh...and the results are pretty cool, too. Just sayin'.

Crafty Shelf - The Craft's Meow CUTENESS!

This is my second post of the day! Please check out my itty bitty card in the post below, as well!

Here we are again, with Day TWO of the January release from The Craft's Meow! YAY! Today's stamp set is so much fun! My card gives you a peek at it, but you will totally have to visit the blog to check out what all of the designers have created because there is SO MUCH fun stuff in this stamp set! LOVE!!!


Umm... yup. LOVING that little jar of spoolies! Such amazing cuteness!


I kept this one simple. I stamped in Tuxedo Black Momento ink and then colored with Prismacolor colored pencils. A couple of rounded corners and a pen stitched border seemed like a great way to finish it out!

So... Liking what you see so far? WELLLL.... head on over to the The Craft's Meow blog and check out the rest of the cards AND don't forget to leave a comment on their blog for a chance to win this set for free!

I hope you have a super fabulous Friday!!!

Jingle Out!