I Swear I'm Still Alive!

Sorry for the lack of updates lately! I've been working on some commissioned work and I haven't really had time to update my blog. I thought I'd just share a quick post with what I've been working on.

First up, my friend from high school asked me to make him a card to give to his fiancée on their wedding day. He wasn't really sure what he was looking for, so I put together several different cards for him to choose from. They range from sweet to silly, but they all have my signature style!

I think my favorites are the bunnies wishing on a star and the fox and raccoon on the bicycle. There's just something so sweet about them!

Next, I created a couple of birthday cards for a custom order on my etsy store. This customer was very specific about he wanted. The sentiments were all him! I merely put the visual pieces together for him.

And last, but not least, a couple of cards I made just for me!

I may have been on a small hiatus, but that doesn't mean I'm not crafting! I hope you enjoyed my massive picture update! Until next time!

Thanks and Love You

I have another two cards today that were inspired by the Background Check class from Online Card Classes.

This first card was created by using embossing paste colored with distress inks. I used a chevron stencil to apply the paste and then let it dry. I die cut the sentiment with the Thanks Word 2 die from Paper Smooches and added a layer of glossy accents to the top to give it some nice shine. Under the sentiment is some gold thread. I also used some spare gold hearts from a previous project and some gold sequins from Pretty Pink Posh to finish it off.

Supplies:
Paper: Melon Mambo, Whisper White
Dies: Thanks Word 2 (Paper Smooches), Mini Hearts Set (Simon Says Stamp)
Stencil: Chevron Pattern (Simon Says Stamp)
Ink: Spun Sugar, Worn Lipstick, Picked Raspberry (Distress Ink)
Other: Gold Sequins (Pretty Pink Posh), Gold Thread, Glossy Accents

This next card uses a DIY diffuser with an embossing folder. I die cut a circle from several pieces of cardstock and then adhered the negative space together to leave a smooth circle on the embossed piece of watercolor paper. I used Tumbled Glass and Broken China Distress Ink to watercolor the circle after I embossed the piece. I used the Wondrous Wreath set from Stampin' Up for the wreath and the Just Hatched Set from mama Elephant for the owl and the sentiment.

Supplies:
Stamps: Just Hatched (Mama Elephant), Wondrous Wreath (Stampin' Up)
Paper: Whisper White, Early Espresso, Strathmore Watercolor
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Back, Memento Rich Cocoa, Wild Wasabi, Garden Green, Wisteria Wonder, Assorted Copics, Versamark
Dies: Wondrous Wreath, Just Hatched
Embossing Folder: Woodgrain (Tim Holtz)
Other: White embossing powder

I've decided to enter these into two separate contests. The first is being entered into the Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge. This week is Anything Goes. The second card is being entered into CASology's challenge with the key word of "Precious". I think the sweet little owl image combined with the Love You sentiment makes it the perfect card to give to my sweet husband (who just happens to be very precious to me!)

Hello Baby!

Quick update from me. Another card made from Background Check from Online Card Classes. It's not even a challenge entry this time! Just a sweet card inspired by the class.

I used a technique taught by Laura Bassen for plaid stamping. Unfortunately, I didn't have any line stamps, so I masked everything for this background. It was a pain in the butt, but it has a beautiful result! (I ordered some line stamps after I did this because I just adore how this turned out and want to do it again!) I thought the soft colors would look great as a baby card, so that's what I turned it into. (And I hid an ink smudge behind the large blue sequin! Oops!)

Supplies:
Stamps: Just Hatched (Mama Elephant - sentiment), Unforgettable (WPlus9 - elephant)
Dies: Stitched Rectangles (Simon Says Stamp), Small Hello (Simon Says Stamp)
Paper: Whisper White, Soft Sky, Basic Black
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Lemon Chiffon, Mint, Sea Glass, Fog (Simon Says Stamp)
Other: Sequins (Pretty Pink Posh)

Sending Birthday Fishes

I'm taking the current lesson from Online Card Classes called Background Check and I'm so excited about it! I made this card yesterday for the very first lesson and I love the new technique I learned. I can't recommend their classes enough; they're just wonderful!

I created the water piece by blending distress ink on a piece of white cardstock and then laying a stencil over top. I used a baby wipe over the stencil and it bleaches parts of the ink. It's so cool! I can see myself using this all the time! I trimmed the piece down on the sides and added strips of fish scale washi tape to the sides and then, for some contrast, a couple strips of black cardstock. I die cut "sending" from some silver glitter paper and heat embossed the rest of the sentiment on black cardstock to tie it all together. The sequins are my very favorite sparkling clear from Pretty Pink Posh.

I had so much fun making this card and I decided to enter it into two challenges. The first is the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge's No Ordinary Paper. I used the glitter cardstock for my sentiment, so it fits the theme. I'm also entering it into the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Sparkle and Shine. The glitter paper and the beautiful sequins fit this theme nicely as well. I also added some clear Wink of Stella to the fins of the fish, but the picture doesn't capture the subtle sparkle.

Supplies:
Stamps: Best Fishes (Simon Says Stamp)
Dies: Best Fishes (Simon Says Stamp), Sending (Simon Says Stamp)
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Silver Glitter
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark, Evergreen Bough, Peacock, Salty Ocean (Distress Inks), Assorted Copics
Other:Washi Tape, Sparkling Clear Sequins (Pretty Pink Posh), Clear Wink of Stella

No-Line Copic Coloring

I decided to try my hand at some no-line copic coloring yesterday. I didn't get around to posting until today because I ended up getting distracted! No harm, no foul. I'm here today to show you the results!

I used the parrot from the Paper Smooches set Ahoy Me Hearty. I just love that little guy! Not too bad for my first attempt, but practice does make perfect after all. I really wanted my sentiment to say Ahoy instead of Hello, but alas, no die cut. I really liked how the black die cut hello looked against the watercolor background, so I went with it anyway.

The Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge is Anything Goes this week and the deadline is today, so I'm getting it in just under the wire!

Supplies
Stamps: Ahoy Me Hearty (Paper Smooches)
Dies: Ahoy Me Hearty (Paper Smooches), Stitched Rectangles and Hello (Simon Says Stamp)
Paper: Basic Black, Strathmore Watercolor, Whisper White
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Assorted Copics
Other: Sparkling Clear Sequins 6 mm & 4mm (Pretty Pink Posh)

I'm Back!

The vacation was wonderful, but I feel like I may have left my mojo back in Missouri when we left! It's been seriously hard to get back in the card-making groove. I actually cleaned my craft room today instead of getting creative. That's how I know my mojo has said goodbye for a little bit!

I forced myself to sit down and do some simple coloring today and I turned it into a card for the Less Is More Challenge this week. (Just in time, too!) This week is "life's a beach."

I stamped the images from Lawn Fawn's Life is Good set and then did some quick masking to stamp the sand so it looks like it's behind the trees. I used copics to color it all in and then mounted my panel on a Baked Brown Sugar card base. Easy, but I think it was enough to kick me in the butt and get me back in the groove!

Stamps: Life is Good (Lawn Fawn)
Paper: Whisper White, Baked Brown Sugar
Dies: Stitched Rectangles (Simon Says Stamp)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Assorted Copics

Enjoy Life!

This will be my last post for a little over a week. My husband and I are going to be traveling back to the Midwest to visit our family and friends, so I'll be really far from my craft room! I'll still get my crafting fix in though (I'm bringing things to color!). I'll be back right after my birthday around the 19th or 20th. See you soon!

For today's card, I was playing along with the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge. The challenge is to create a coffee or tea card. I love coffee and have several cute stamps, so I created a little scene.

I stamped each image separately and then colored them in with copics. They didn't look grounded enough, so I roughly sketched in a gray counter to go under them. The sentiment was borrowed from a My Favorite Things set called Donuts and Sprinkles. This is a really simple card, but since it's flat, it'll mail really well! I already have someone in mind to send it to!

Supplies:
Stamps: Cuppa Coffee, Coffee Town, Coffee Boss (Sweet Stamp Shop), Donuts and Sprinkles (MFT Stamps)
Dies: Stitched Rectangles (SSS)
Paper: Whisper White, Kraft
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Assorted Copics, Versafine Black Onyx (sentiment)