Life's A Beach

As I continue into my beachy card time of the year, I got out my favorite beach goer dies for my card today. The Paper Players Challenge PP635 is all about pastel colors and I was making a card kit to share at a stamp gathering at a friend's house this week when I realized that this fits the PP35 challenge. I already submitted a card there this week, but here is number 2!

Products I used:

Spellbinders: Day at the Beach die set

The Greetery: Destination Summer stamp set (birds)

My Favorite Things: Life's a Beach stamp set (sentiment)

Various patterned paper

Pinkfresh Studio: Diagonal Stitched Rectangle dies

Distress oxide inks

Ink blending brushes

Versafine: Onyx Black ink pad

There are lots of little pieces to die cut and put together but it is actually a relaxing and fun process because they are so cute as they materialize! I ink blended the sand and sky first, then built the scene. It is fun to look for patterned papers (not that you have to use them at all) for the bathing suit, hat, towel, bag and flip flops. I also got to use my Target dollar spot beach hut/lifeguard stand prop for the first time. Lol!

See ya soon,

-Carol

Stay Cool

I happened to see that the Inspired By Challenge #IB232 Dessert Photo and #IB232 Sketch were right up my alley with fun pinks, aqua, green, and a sketch that jumped out at me for a clean card style I have made before. I really like the dessert idea too, so I got started!

The diagonal opening card fit the sketch and the dessert became ice cream in a cup. Each flavor is depicted in the patterned paper I chose. Fun colors + ice cream flavors = yum!! Easy die cutting and piecing together.

Products I used:

Reverse Confetti: ice cream dies

Poppystamps: Life is Sweet stamp set

The Greetery: Spoon die

Various patterned papers and cardstock (including silver for the spoons!)

If you have seen my recent posts, summer is speeding toward us quickly and all the fun that comes with it!

See you back here soon!

-Carol

North Pole Express Delivery

First, I want to say Happy 3rd Birthday to Christmas Craft Creations!!! Our birthday comes in the month of April Fools Day and for this reason, our April 2023 Challenge is Humour. We hope you will have fun looking at our creations and that you will want to join us! There will be extra prizes this month in honor of our birthday celebration...so make a humorous Christmas creation and enter it in our gallery! 

Here is a tag I made showing poor Santa after all of the hard work he did circling the globe quickly to reach every good little girl and boy.

Products I used:

Santa: Vintage red rubber unmounted stamp, source unknown (perhaps Rubber Baby Buggy Bumpers circa 1989?)

A2 Nested Domes Dies: Waffle Flower 

Sentiment: Spellbinders Sunday Drive All-Occasion Sentiments

Patterned Paper: Joann Fabrics or Hobby Lobby

Real Red Classic Ink pad: Stampin' Up!

Colored pencils: Prismacolor

Red and black glitter cardstock: source unknown

Tag eyelet decoration die: Reverse Confetti

Various ribbons

I looked all through my stamps and dies for something humorous and settled on exhausted Santa. I cut my own tag, stamped and colored Santa with pencils. I rounded the top of the tag (and the red glitter cardstock piece as well) with a dome die and adhered them to each other. Next I punched a hole with my Crop-o-dile at the top of the tag. I die cut the scalloped hole reinforcer because it adds a little something to the opening. I cut some ribbon to match the colors on the patterned paper and tied them with black gingham ribbon.

It is never too early to make tags for Christmas! We always need new ones and my family likes that I make them for us to use. Be sure to check out all the team's creations and join in the fun!

-Carol

Enjoy the Waves

The Paper Players Challenge #PP635 this week is Any Colors in Pastel Shades...and I thought of some shell dies I have yet to use. Spring break is over and it is only a little over a month until summer break starts, so why not think of the beach?

Products I used:

Papertrey Ink: Summer Shells dies

Distress Oxide inks

Vellum

Concord and 9th: Dew Drop dots

Ink blending brushes

White Acrylic Paint

Aqua pen

Versafine: Onyx Black Ink pad

My Favorite Things: Life's A Beach stamp set

I die cut all of the dies in the set out of white cardstock. After removing each shell from the cardstock, I ink blended each one in the colors I wanted. I watered down some white acrylic paint and after dipping my aqua pen in the watery mess, I tried to spatter all over the die cuts. While they dried, I cut them again out of vellum. I ink blended some aqua distress ink across the middle of my card, then arranged the shells over it. I adhered them here and there and added dew drops. Last, I stamped the sentiment and the project was complete!

Are you thinking of the beach these days?

-Carol

Happy Easter Egg Hunt

This stamp set was my last order from Jane's Doodles as she just closed her rubber stamp business. Now I wish I had ordered more from her over the years! She will have digital stamps in the future so her art will carry on. I tracked this order as it left her hands in Croatia, then accepted the package on Friday from my mail carrier, and had to make a card right away with these cute stamps! I CASEd a card on Jane's Instagram by Claudia Cubas here and tried to (hopefully) color it only half as well as hers.

Products I used:

Jane's Doodles: Happy Easter stamp set

Simon Says Stamp: Wonky stitched rectangle dies, Custom Copic Friendly White Cardstock

My Favorite Things: Grassy Fields die

Ranger: Distress inks

Ink blending brushes

Copic markers

I bought this Copic-friendly cardstock a while ago and decided to try it out with this card. It is MAGICAL! I can't even believe how well it colored and did not bleed AT ALL! The colors blended easily and I just can't get over it! I am no Copic expert, but it made blending colors so much easier for me.

I used the side of a piece of random cardstock to freehand ink blend the sky, moving it over for each color with no real measuring or color planning. (Risky tactic!) It's a rough version of a rainbow, but I just wanted a colorful background if possible. I fussy cut the image carefully before I popped up the Easter egg hunt scene on foam tape and mounted it on a white card base. 

Thanks Jane, for all the heart you put into your business as well as helping with the war in Ukraine. (She has been donating money/her proceeds to help the Ukrainian people.) 

I hope you are having a nice Easter Sunday. 

See you back here soon,

-Carol

Hello Sunshine

As the hostess for this Just Us Girls Challenge Word Week #674, I chose Sunshine. I'm hoping that where you live you are getting more and more of it with each passing day. I love when we change the clocks and have more sunlight in the evening. As a teacher it used to remind me that summer was on its way! Just wait until you see all the ideas the team has for you! I used a photo frame die that I have had for a while and have used it in a variety of ways.

Products I used:

Simon Says Stamp: Hello Sunshine Frame

Memory Box: Marine Sailboat die

SugarPea Designs: Wave Stencil

Concord and 9th: Dew Drops

Ranger: Distress oxide inks

Ink Blending brushes

I thought of the photo frame as soon as I picked sunshine for the challenge. I ink blended my panel first, using the stencil to add waves with the same colors as the sea base colors. Then I popped up the frame to have the sunset (or sunrise) in the middle. Last,  I arranged the sailboat and dew drops where I wanted them.

Please take a look at all the design team ideas because you will be inspired!!! Join us in the gallery!

-Carol

Girls Just Want To Have Sun

Our Just Us Girls Color Week Challenge #673 is Terracotta and Green. I am CASEing Hannelie Bester's fabulous card from not long ago that I just love (here.) The team came up with a great variety of ideas for you this week and we hope you will join us! My plan was for my CAS card to look like a terracotta tile courtyard with plants here and there.

Products I used:

Spellbinders: Shopping Run dies

My Favorite Things: Perfect Pool Water stencil

Poppystamps: Whittle Sealife Sentiments

Concord and 9th: Mini ink pads

Stampin' Up!: Brown marker

Ink blending brushes

This is the first time I am using these plant dies and it was fairly easy. I ink blended the leaves and terracotta pot, then assembled them into one unit. I stenciled the "tiles" on the left bottom corner then tried some arrangements of the plant and the sentiment until I was happy with it. I couldn't resist the pun when I was looking for a sentiment. Hope it made you smile.

Looking forward to seeing your ideas in our gallery this week!

-Carol