Thursday, July 28, 2016

Inspiration for Stamping Smiles Designs Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge #14

Happy Thursday everyone!! I cannot believe that July is almost over!! Where has the summer gone?

I just wanted to let you know that it is my turn over at the Stamping Smiles Design Blog for a little inspiration for Challenge #14.


So far this badge has been MY FAVORITE!! Hop on over to see what I created. There is still time to play if you have not already.

Have a fabulous day!!


Wednesday, July 27, 2016

CAS-ual Fridays Inspiration

Happy Hump Day!!

It is my turn for inspiration over at CAS-ual Fridays Stamps Blog. I am sharing a card that I created using CAS-ual Fridays Stamps "Bring On the Snowflakes" stamp set with "Snowy Sayings." I decided to go with a "Christmas in July" theme.

I wanted to do something extremely simple because most people make Christmas cards in bulk and like easy designs. I decided to add some small elements like sequins and silver thread to jazz it up a bit, to make the card seem like it took longer to make then it did.


I started off by stamping the snowflakes from both CAS-ual Fridays stamp sets randomly with two different green inks and a gray dye ink onto a white card stock base measuring 4 1/4" by 5 1/2."


I then stamped the sentiment from CAS-ual Fridays Stamps "Snowy Sayings" with black archival ink. I trimmed the panel 1/8" on the top and on the the right side and wrapped silver thread along the top before adhering it to a gray card stock base.


My last step was to adhere sequins in different sizes in green, silver and clear to the middle of random snowflakes. Totally easy but I think the effect is so pretty!! This card would be really easy to make in stages, as well as in bulk. You could have all your home made holiday cards done in no time!

I thank you for taking the time to stop by. Have a wonderful day!!

Toodles!

Supplies:
Stamps-CAS-ual Friday Stamps-"Bring On the Snowflakes" and "Snowy Sayings"
Paper-White-Hobby Lobby, Gray-Stamping Up!
Inks-Hero Arts "Green Hills," Simon Says Stamp! "Green Leaf," WPlus9 "Silver Lining" and Ranger Archival "Jet Black"
Other-DMC Silver thread, Sequins

Saturday, July 23, 2016

A Day Late and a Dollar Short for the MFT Camp Create Challenge: Inlaid Made Easy and our 20th Wedding Anniversary

Happy Saturday!! It is hotter then anything here and the humidity is AWFUL. I am spending the day in my craft room and then will be going out to dinner later with another couple. We rarely do this and am excited about it.

We went away for the day to NYC on Wednesday for our 20th Anniversary. We walked over 10 miles (plus took the subway) and my feet are still recovering. Note to self-wear sneakers even if you don't think they look good!!


Comfort is better then fashion!! I have blisters in places that I have never had them before.


This is Chris and I on our way home from our day. One of the things we did was to visit both the 9/11 Memorial Museum and the reflecting pools outside.





I have to say, I was really impressed with both. The museum was understated and powerful. It gave you time to roam around, stop and think about what you were seeing. Since it was a Wednesday, it was not terribly crowded either. Made me sad because I still remember this event so clearly but I thought the memorial was well done.

My camera on my phone is not working correctly so I did not get a ton of photos on this day. Kind of disappoints me-not that I would have taken a lot in the museum anyway. I wanted to take it all in and be present. However, I do like to get shots of fun things we see.

Okay, now on to my card!! I created for this card for MFT's Camp Create: Inlaid Made Easy. Makes me mad because I had this card completed BEFORE the deadline but just was too tired to photograph it. Ugg!!


I started off by die cutting a piece of Bristol Board with MFT's "Chunky Chevron Cover Up" die and  using foam adhesive on the back to adhere it to a white, top folding A2 sized card base. I took all the tiny chevrons and misted them with Heidi Swapp "Teal," "Tinsel" and "Gold" Colorshine, as well as a "Picket Fence" Distress Stain.


While the little pieces of chevron were drying, I adhered sequins in random empty chevrons on the card front. Using a "Blueprints 13" die-namics, I die cut my sentiment strip out of MFT "Berrylicous" card stock and used Hero Arts "Soft Granite" ink with a stamp from MFT's "About Sympathy" stamp set. Try to say all that fast!! I also die cut the hearts using MFT's "Staggered Heart Border" dies.


When the misted chevrons were dry, I did a bit of inlaying-both with foam tape and without-in random empty places on the card front.


The last step was to adhere the sentiment and the hearts, as well as using Wink of Stella and Glossy Accents on top of the "Berrylicious" heart.

This was fun to do but not sure I would be using this technique often. It takes a lot of time and a bit of effort to create a card. I am just to lazy to make this kind of effort for every card!!

Well, again, this was for My Favorite Things Camp Create: Inlaid Made Easy day.

 

Thank you for taking the time to stop by. Stay cool and enjoy the rest of your Saturday!!


Tuesday, July 19, 2016

MFT Camp Create: Coloring on Kraft and Magnificent Masking with CAS(E) This Sketch Challenge #181

Happy Tuesday!! As I write this I am listening to my daughter catch a Pokeman and my husband sighing in disappointment that he didn't get one. He is standing outside at the end of the driveway trying to catch one. Charlotte is beating him and he does not like that!! Sigh.


Now on to why I am really posting!!  I created two cards for for My Favorite Things "Camp Create."


My first card is for Camp Create Day 2: Coloring on Kraft. I used my NEW MFT "Adorable Elephants" stamp set. I was so excited that they finally had it in stock. Now I am waiting for the matching dies to be in stock!!


I did a bit of masking with the flowers and used Prismacolor pencils to color the images in.  I did it in layers. After I was done, I used a black gel pen to go over the stamped lines. I created the grass by using several green pencils and making lines in different directions.


I used a die cut the image with a MFT "Stitched Rounded Rectangle Stax." I mounted the elephant onto an A2 blue card base that had a die cut piece of chevron paper from MFT's "Calm and Cozy Chevron" paper pad. My last step was to adhere some Pretty Pink Posh clear sequins in trios on both sides of the kraft panel.




I started off by masking MFT's "Chunky Herringbone" stencil on a piece of white Bristol Board. I used Post It tape to make off a part of the white background that I wanted to be stenciled. I then used MFT's "Purple Rain" dye ink and blended it in. I ADORE this ink!!!


I die cut the panel with one of the dies in "Blueprints 13" and adhered it to a "Wild Cherry" top folding card base. Next I added some "Purple Rain" card stock strips above and below the herringbone pattern.  


I added a Simon Says Stamp! "Hugs" sentiment that I die cut out of "Black Licorice" card stock. I used Clear Wink of Stella over it to give it a bit of shine. I adhered the flowers and leaves from MFT's "Buildable Blooms" stamp and die set in a cluster. My last step was to adhere sequins for the flower centers and dots of Stickles in complementing colors inside the sequins. 

That is all for me today. Thank you for stopping by!!


Supplies:
"Smile"
Paper-Paper Studio "Kraft" card stock, PaperTrey Ink "Hawaiian Shores," MFT "Calm and Cozy Chevron" paper pack
Stamps-MFT "Adorable Elephants" and Altenew Sentiment
Ink-Memento Tuxedo Black
Dies-MFT "Blue Prints 13" and "Stitched Rounded Rectangle Stax"
Other-Prismacolor Pencils, Pretty Pink Posh Sequins, Ranger Multi Matte, Black Gel Pen, Foam Adhesive

Supplies:
"Hugs"
Paper-Bristol Board, MFT "Purple Rain," "Black Licorice" and "Wild Cherry" card stock
Ink-MFT "Purple Rain," "Wild Cherry, and "Limelight"  WPlus9 "Gala Red," "Pink Flamingo," and "Last Leaf"
Stamps-MFT "Buildable Blooms"
Dies-MFT "Buildable Blooms" and "Blueprints 13" Simon Says Stamp! "Hugs"
Stencil-MFT "Chunky Herringbone"
Other-Big Shot Machine, Sequins, Stickles-"Xmas Red,""Diamond," and "Enchanted"


Monday, July 18, 2016

MFT Sketch Challenge #289, MFT Camp Create-Fantastic Foiling and a Busy Monday!

Hello everyone!! It was an EXTREMELY hot and humid day here today. A huge storm front went through and cooled the temperature off a little bit but it still remains very humid. Not my favorite weather!!

I have had very busy Monday at this point and am very tired. I got up early to go to the gym because I had a breakfast date with a friend. I LOVE summers!! I then came home, had time to throw in some wash and clean the bathroom. I put up some new organizers I bought at IKEA on Sunday. I took a quick photo with my phone. (Excuse the quality-something is wrong with it and the photos are all blurry!!)


I even had a chance to take my shower curtain down and wash it. You know you are old when something like that excites you!!

After my breakfast date, I came home and made manicotti shells for what was supposed to be our dinner. However, my breakfast did not sit well and so we are going to have it tomorrow. I even had enough shells to make an extra pan to freeze!


I know, I know, weird to make manicotti in the middle of the summer but I am getting kind of tired of grilled food. I HATE to cook in general but when I do, I have to do as much from scratch as I can.

While the shells were cooling, I cut up a bag of lemons, juiced them, grated their rinds, as well as juiced a bag of limes to make some home made sour mix for margaritas.


I then froze it until this weekend. Yes, it stays in the fridge but I don't like to chance things!!! Char and the dog kept me company while I was doing all this.


We bought tickets for the band Twenty One Pilots for January-Charlotte's 16th Birthday Present (her birthday is in December)-for Chris, Charlotte and I so we cooked along to some music.

Now for my REAL reason for posting!! I was a crazy woman yesterday in the craft room. I did a bunch of cleaning up AND had time to create some projects for My Favorite Things Camp Create -Fantastic Foiling and the MFT Sketch Challenge #289.

 

I combined the two challenges and created two cards. For my first card, I kept it to a black and white color scheme with the foiling being in silver and mint green.


I had NEVER foiled before and I have to say, it was kind of fun. However, I have a regular old laminator and I think I am going to break down and get a mini Minc. I don't know it if it was the toner paper I used, the die cutting or what but on all my foils, I have bits that just would not foil.


I used patterned paper scraps, as well as the MFT "Wild Prints" paper for the accent behind the foiled sentiment, which was die cut using MFT's "Celebratory Greetings" dies (retired.)


I have to say, I LOVE that "Wild Prints" paper pack and thought it was perfect for this card!!

I made the second card using the same patterned paper cut with a die from "Blueprints 13" but changed it up by using a "Red Hot" card base. I am not a designer for MFT (I wish!!) and get no compensation but out of any dies I own, I use this particular Blueprints die more then any other die in my stash.


The foil on this sentiment was very imperfect and I did try to mask the imperfection but it did not work.


I added a bit of black glitter tape behind the sentiment to make it pop out but I would not recommend doing this at all. I had a difficult time getting the "cheers" to stick to the glitter!

Well, that is all for today. Thank you for stopping by. I will be back tomorrow with some of the other cards I created for Camp Create.



I am always great at making the cards but HORRIBLE at taking the time to photograph them!!!


Supplies:
Paper-Card Stock-MFT-"Red Hot," "Black Licorice" Patterned Paper-MFT-"Wild Prints," Doodlebug Design, Icraft Toner Paper
Foil-I Craft "Silver Foil" and Heidi Swapp "Mint Foil"
Dies-MFT "Blueprints 13" and "Celebratory Greetings" (retired), Paper Smooches "Stars"
Other-Foam Adhesive, Big Shot, Recollections Black Glitter Tape, Darice Sequins, Silver Stickles

Sunday, July 17, 2016

July Calling all Sistahs Blog Hop

It is the 17th of the month of July and what does that mean? It is time for the "Sistahood Blog Hop" over at CAS-ual Fridays Stamps. This blog hop takes place every month on the 17th to support breast cancer awareness. Remember girls, make sure you check yourself monthly and get those mammograms!!



You should have come here from Lydia Evans Blog. If at any time you get lost along the way, just go back to the CAS-ual Fridays Stamps Blog for the list of links.

I created a card with a technique that I saw over at Jennifer McGuire's blog. It was to create a pattern with smaller stamps around a focal point. 



I used CAS-ual Fridays Stamps "Girlfriend" set and stamped an abundance of flowers in three different pinks around a sentiment from the "Calling all Sistahs" stamp set.



After the stamped panel was mounted onto a pink, top folded A2 card base with adhesive foam, I used Glossy Accents and pink Stickles to jazz up the inside of the flowers. 



A really simple and FUN card to create.

If you would like to join us in our next blog hop, you can click on the links below to buy the products used on my card. Michele is donating 50% of the sales of these stamps to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. For more information, please see the blog post here. With your help, we can beat this disease!!





"Ruffled Ribbon"               "Sistahs Fri-Dies"                "Hope Fri-Die"

Want a chance to win a prize? Just comment on the hop along the way and a random gift certificate for $15 will be given away out of the combined commenters. The more blogs you comment on, the more chances you have to win!!

Next up is Penny Ward

The complete list for the blog hop is below. Remember, you can also go to the CAS-ual Fridays Stamps Blog too, which is where this blog hop originates. 

                                Nora Noll<<<<You Are Here


I thank you for stopping by today. Have a fabulous Sunday!!


Supplies:
Stamps-CAS-ual Fridays Stamps "Girlfriend" and "Calling All Sistahs"
Paper-PaperTrey Ink "Raspberry Fizz" and Hobby Lobby Thick White Card Stock
Ink-Hero Arts "Soft Pink" and "Bubblegum" dye ink, Simon Says Stamp! "Doll Pink"
Other-Big Shot, Glossy Accents, Stickles "Thistle," circle die, foam, adhesive