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!

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!

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!!!!

Because sometimes there are goodbyes

In February of 2013, I decided to apply to be on the Design Team for a stamp company that I absolutely LOVED.

That company was CAS-ual Fridays Stamps. I have been so fortunate to have been a part of this team since that call and I have loved every single minute of it! Michele has truly unique designs that are simply wonderful! She also has a heart of gold and put up with me through all of my ups and downs through the last few years. This team has truly meant a lot to me. Which is why I am sad to say that I have decided to step down. This is my final post as a DT member for CAS-ual Fridays and that is really hard to type. Wow. 

When considering what to create for today, my mind went to one place very quickly. Thank you. I wanted to create a card that said thank you to Michele, thank you to those who have followed my CFS designs, and thank you to those with whom I have designed over the years. So...

Funny... My absolute favorite CFS sets happened to be perfect for my card! What a coincidence! LOL! But really and truly... Michele - It's been awesome. Thank you. For everything.

Jingle Out.

Spectrum Noir Colorista Blog Hop

YOU GUYS! Spectrum Noir has a brand new Colorista line of coloring books and markers and colored pencils. I seriously am IN LOVE! I have had them in my hands for a bit now and I love how the markers work so well for coloring books and also how there are a variety of books allowing me to work on a small coloring page or a larger one depending on my mood!

Here is a page I have been working on. I love how the bits of gold foil add so much to the design!!!

They have SO MUCH going on around this release! You will see them first on HSN on August 30th! 

Not only that, but Spectrum Noir is offering a FREE Colorista Coloring Course! Yes, I said free!

You are NOT going to want to miss out on this excitement!!! You can find the complete blog hop list for today's party below! Also, don't forget to comment on every post along the way for your chance to win a package of coloring goodies!!! One random winner will be chosen from a random blog along the way!

Spectrum Noir 
Chrissie Tobas 
Laine Webb 
Jodi Clark 
Kendra Weitstock
Jo Mckelvey 
Annie Wills 
Mari Kocjancic 
Dana Warren 
Nicole Bretherick 
Lori Barnett 
Tracey Freeman 
Giovana Smith 
Bianca Shervington 
Alexia Misso 
Jennifer Tyron 
Debbie Seyer
Sara Davies 
Jennifer Ingle
Crafter’s Companion US  

Have a Happy!

We're Going WILD!

Hello, friends! It's time for another awesome challenge over on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge blog! This week we are GOING WILD! You can feature whatever comes to mind when you think of WILD on your card. Wild colors, wild animals, wild flowers? What are YOU going to create?! The Design Team is featuring WPlus9 products this week. I absolutely LOVE WPlus9 stamps! I pulled out a recent favorite for my card today!



I just love this little panda!!!! The cuteness!!! I wanted to keep the design simple, but I also wanted to add some pop to the design so I used Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pens for the grass. It glitters SO MUCH! I love it!



And now it's YOUR turn! Create something awesome inspired by the WILD theme 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! WHAT?! Yup. That's an awesome prize, folks. It is, indeed.

Kids, have a super fabulous, spectacular day!

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!

Don't Make a Scene!

Okay, I lied. That's actually EXACTLY what we want you to do for the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge this week! Make a Scene! The Design Team is using Newton's Nook products in our scene inspired cards today. You don't have to use them if you don't want to, but we would love to see them if you've got 'em!



Okay, so, when I saw this Dreams of London stamp set I simply HAD to have it. And then we got super busy getting ready to move and I hadn't had the chance to play with it yet. I finally broke it open and oh, my goodness, I love it even more!!!! I stamped (masking the cat) the images and then colored them with Spectrum Noir pens. I added some distress inking to create the background in my little die cut circle.



And now it's YOUR turn! Create something awesome that incorporates a scene in some way on your project 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! THAT, my friends, is an awesome prize!

I can't wait to see what you create! Scenes can be so much fun to put together! 

Have a Happy!

Life is a Beautiful Ride!

Hello, friends! If you are reading this on the day it went up, well, you are reading as the entire contents of our home is being moved from one apartment to the other! Fun times! And a great reminder that life truly is a beautiful ride that brings us all kinds of new and interesting experiences! Our Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge this week is a Color Inspiration challenge! Check out this beautiful inspiration board!

I am a water girl. I absolutely LOVE the ocean. And summer. And the beach. I so love it all! This inspiration board made me so happy! And I had a blast coming up with a card inspired by it! I used the Beautiful Ride stamp set from Simon Says Stamp, as it seemed a PERFECT fit for this photo!

I did a lot of masking to create the background with Distress inks and then stamped the bike over it using Simon Says Stamp Intense Black ink. I used a black pen to fill in parts of the bike to keep it simple and give it a sketchy look. I then stamped and colored the puppy and used a bit more masking to add the flowers to the paper sack. I fussy cut these pieces and added them to the bike baskets. I LOVE how cute this turned out and the warm happy colors inspired by the inspiration photo make me happy!

And now it's YOUR turn! Create something fabulous, inspired by the inspiration photo and link it up over on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge blog for your chance to win a $100 Gift Certificate to the Simon Says Stamp Store! The Design Team is using Simon Says Exclusives this week, you don't have to use them to play along, but if you have some, we would SO love to see you rock them!

Have a Happy!

It's time to CELEBRATE!

Yes, my friends, it is time to CELEBRATE! It's our Seventh Birthday over on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge blog, so, naturally, you get the presents! We are giving away SEVEN $50 Gift Certificates to the Simon Says Stamp Store this week, instead of just one! WHAT?! Yup! Totally! You don't want to miss out this week! The challenge is to create something birthday inspired! The Design Team is using Simon Says Stamp exclusive products this week for your inspiration. You don't have to use them, but if you have some, OF COURSE, we love to see how you rock 'em!



I simply had to pull out this adorable Birthday Farm Animals stamp set for this one. It's not necessarily the newest of all sets, but MAN, do I love it! It is so perfect for all kinds of birthdays and totally fun! I used the Firework Burst dies from Simon to create a fun, party-style background behind my goat. MY GOAT!!! I just got to use that in a sentence. Yup. That made me happy.

>

And now it's YOUR turn! Create a fabulous birthday inspired creation and link it up over on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge blog for your chance to win one of SEVEN $50 Gift Certificates to the Simon Says Stamp Store! WHAT?! Totally, you guys! For. Reals.

And, with that, my dear friends, I wish you well! Happy creating... and WINNING!!!!

Have a Happy!

Because: Bears. In. Space.

You GUYS! It's bears. And they are in SPACE!!!! For reals. Yes, it is that time again... time for a brand new ANYTHING GOES Challenge on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge blog! The Design Team is featuring Ranger Ink 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. There are SO many awesome choices!

I pulled out this super adorable stamp set from Mama Elephant for my card today. Umm...I'm in love. Seriously. In. Love. I combined it with LOTS of different mini distress ink colors to create a cool space background. I love how distress inks react to water and to Versamark ink, allowing you to create some super cool looks! 

I colored the bears with Spectrum Noir markers and then stamped the stars with VersaMark and highlighted them with the Spectrum Noir clear glitter brush. I love how sparkly they are! I stamped and embossed the sentiment with Ranger white embossing powder to finish off the design. I just love these cuties SO MUCH!!!

Now it's YOUR turn! Create something awesome - just make sure it is NEW (no backlinking) 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! WHAT!? Yup. Totally, you guys. Totally.

Have a Happy!