life is good

Sharing a one layer card I made with the help of my gel press plate for the current Time Out Challenges. I describe how I made the card in this post at the STAMPlorations blog. Plus I have an extra prize up for grabs for those who answer a simple question in the post. :o)

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to smile :o)

best day ever

I've got a new card featuring a technique I'm calling negative stamping. I explain this technique in this post at the STAMPlorations blog :o)

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to smile :o)

merry Christmas

Here's to remind you that there's still a week left in the current challenge at Time Out Challenges. This time around, the challenge is to be JOYFUL.

If you're still making Christmas cards, the challenge is easy peasy...after all, Christmas is a joyful event! For my one layer Christmas card, I used a mask (one of at least 16 new ARTplorations masks that will be available in January under my Bloomdala Bliss series). The mask looks like it could pass for a poinsettia so I placed it over my card base and sponged red and green inks -- I didn't try to do a smooth blending through the mask, as I wanted to get a rustic/rough look instead. I combined this stamp with this stamp to form my joyful sentiment and then finished the card by stamping the grunge dotted border all around.

I hope you'll come play with us and take time out to craft! 

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to smile :o)

Playing along at these fun places:

• ABC Christmas Challenge - Y (Your favorite thing) or Z (Zero embellishments) - I went with Z
• Simon Says Wednesday - Christmas
• The Crafty Addicts #55 - Anything Goes/Christmas

Jesus is the reason

So I started writing this post Thursday night last week but Winter, my almost-one-year-old, had other ideas and this remained in draft mode for a few days :o)

Anyway, I'm joining the girls in the Theme & Sketch team over at STAMPlorations for this month's big words challenge.

I skipped the sketch and simply went with the theme. I stamped the large sentiment and framed it by stamping the large poinsettia stamp around it. Stamped a grunge dotted border all around as well for added interest. 

I hope you'll play along this month. Create a project (any type...not just cards!) based on the theme, sketch, or both! You can link up to 6 projects here. The challenge closes at the end of the month. The winner (voted by the design team) will receive a $15 GC to the STAMPlorations store.

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to smile :o)

merry merry Christmas

This time around I'm joining the girls in the CAS team over at STAMPlorations for this month's clean and simple card challenge.

In addition to the optional color, I threw in a couple other Christmas colors to create my one layer coffee-themed Chrsitmas card. First I stamped the row of coffee pots and used Inktense pencils to watercolor the image. Then I sponged green ink through the stained glass stencil. Finally I stamped the sentiment from Trendy Christmas Trees.

Fancy joining us this month? Create a CAS card (you can link up to 3) with or without the optional color twist and then link up here by the end of the month. The winner (voted by the design team) will receive a $15 GC to the STAMPlorations store.

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to smile :o)

Joining in on the fun at:

• Less is More #385 - OLC Holiday

• Merry Little Christmas #5 - Anything Christmas Goes
• Addicted to Stamps and More #321 - Anything Goes

• Crafting by Designs - Holiday Anything Goes
• Fall/Winter Coffee Lovers Hop

Edited: My card was ShowCASed at Less Is More! Yay!

season to be jolly

Happy Tuesday! I'm back with a new card -- a departure from my usual one layer. This time I incorporated a tag since I'm joining the girls in the TAGplorations team over at STAMPlorations for this month's TAGplorations challenge. This month, the theme is Christmas with the optional twist of glitter.

I stamped the poinsettia row on my card base and loosely watercolored it. Then I cut a tag from the Manila Tags nesting dies and stamped the Typografia Christmas sentiment. On the stitched circle die cut, I stamped one of the coffee cups from Coffee Petites and loosely watercolored it as well. I'm not so good at making cards with real layers but I'm pretty happy with how this one turned out -- because I didn't have to re-do anything ;o)

Challenges:

• Fall/Winter Coffee Lovers Hop

• Inkspirational #175 - Anything Christmas (entry #2)

• Christmas Crafts All Year 'Round - December Anything Goes

I hope you'll play along this month at the TAGplorations Challenge. Create any project -- just make sure it has a tag (or tags) in it -- and then link up. The challenge closes end of the month. The winner (voted by the design team) will receive a $15 GC to the STAMPlorations store.

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to smile :o)

brew-tiful Christmas

'Morning! It's time for an inspiration project post over at STAMPlorations and I wanted to join the girls in the Inspiration team on their last post...for 2018. They'll be back again with a fresh batch of inspiration on January 1.

For my one layer card, I stamped the row of coffee cups and watercolored the cups with Inktense pencils. Next I sponged green ink over the stained glass stencil and then stamped the combined sentiments from Brew-tiful Day and Layered Holly. Finished the card by adding green and red splatters with Inktense pencils. 

Challenges:

• Fall/Winter Coffee Lovers Hop

• Cards in Envy - The Spirit of Christmas
• Country View Challenges - Christmas

Check out what the Inspiration girls created here. Leave a comment there for a chance to win a $10 gift certificate to the STAMPlorations store. And throughout December, stamps, stencils, and dies (except for new releases) are 30% off with code DECEMBER2018.

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to smile :o)

season's greetings

Back with another coffee-themed Christmas card so I can play in the Fall/Winter Coffee Lovers blog hop that's happening right now.

I made a stencil out of the Zen Coffee 1 cover plate die, placed it over my card base, and sponged ink through it. On a piece of card stock, I stamped the Framed Coffee Cup, colored it with Inktense pencils, cut it out, and stuck on the card. Finished the card with the sentiment from Layered Holly.

Challenges:

• SSS Work It Wednesday - Ho Ho Holiday
• Cupcake Inspirations #459 - The Holidays

• Dream Valley Challenges #192 - Christmas

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to smile :o)

Christmas flower

Another new challenge has started over at STAMPlorations. I'm joining the girls in the CUTplorations team for this month's CUTplorations challenge. See how the photo inspires you + use dies/die-cuts (any brand) and at least 1 STAMPlorations product in your project.

It was hard for me to ignore the poinsettia in the photo...that and the fact that this large poinsettia stamp has been my go-to stamp lately for creating Christmas cards. So I stamped it and fussy cut it. I also die-cut the holiday words from the holiday words plate die, stuck it onto my card base and sponged Distress oxide inks. Splattered a little bit of water to make the splotches and then stuck my large poinsettia on top with foam tape.

Challenges:

• Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #414 - Anything Christmas Goes
• 12 Months of Christmas Link Up #48 - Anything Goes Christmas

I hope you'll play along this month at the CUTplorations Challenge. Create any project -- just make sure  you include die-cuts (any brand) and at least 1 STAMPlorations product. (No STAMPlorations product yet? You can grab a free digi here.) The challenge closes end of the month. The winner (voted by the design team) will receive a $15 GC to the STAMPlorations store.

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to smile :o)

Christmas greetings

It's a new month! Once again I'm joining the girls in the Mixed Media team over at STAMPlorations for this month's mixed media challenge. It's anything mixed media goes + use a stencil/stencils.

Still making Christmas cards, as you can see :o) Stamped one of the coffee cups from Happy Zen Coffee Cups, masked it before stamping the holly and leaves from Christmas Baubles. Colored the stamped images with Tombow markers. Next I sponged DOx ink over the stained glass stencil, stamped the sentiment from Layered Lights and Joyful, and finished the card by adding green and red splatters with Inktense pencils.

Challenges:

• Fall/Winter Coffee Lovers Hop

• Inkspirational #175 - Anything Christmas Goes

• Hiding in my Craft Room #381 - Christmas Colors
• Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

I hope you'll play along this month at the Mixed Media Challenge. Create a mixed media project (including cards!) -- just make sure  you use a stencil (or stencils) -- and then link up. The challenge closes at end of the month. The winner (voted by the design team) will receive a $15 GC to the STAMPlorations store.

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to smile :o)