Hey Sugar

Hi all!  I have a card made for the Paper Smooches SPARKS challenge – to be inspired by a photo (I took the colors of the photo).  Here’s what I came up with:

I stamped images from the Sugar Rush set, colored them with Copics and cut them out.  The gumdrop is edged in Stickles and the sentiment is from the same set.  I hand drew the grounding line and the speech lines.

This is also for The Shabby Tea Room – White with one color and Loves Rubberstamps – another inspiration picture (again I took the colors of the picture – white and green).  I hope you like it and TFL!

Boo! & Dies Storage Tip

Hi all!  I have another Fun Friday with Your Next Stamp post today!  Our theme all month has been Trick or Treat and again, I have both for you today!  My treat is up first:

I used Cute Ghost and the Jam Jar Globe stamp and also the matching Jam Jar Globe dies.  I was inspired by this FF post by fellow DT member Veronica where she did a Halloween card with the Jam Jar Globe set.  I stamped the jar on acetate and cut it out with the die.  It’s got a tiny bit of adhesive on the bottom where the lines are and a little on the top right under the jar lid.

The sketch is  FTL #209 from Clean & Simple Stamping and the 4 different polka dot papers are from the Doodlebug Haunted Manor paper pad.  I hand drew the line and the boo! stamps are from Close To My Heart.

And now here’s a little trick for storing your YNS dies: I keep mine in baseball card sheet protectors and keep them in the binder with my stamps.  [Sorry, forgot to take a pic of my stamps – they’re stored on hard plastic panels sold specially for storing cling stamps and they go into a 3 ring binder)]

Here’s what one page looks like:

As you can see, most dies just go straight into the pockets, but for the smaller ones, I use a business card size magnet to keep them from sliding around in the pockets and so I can grab them more easily.  You can also store your homemade die templates in the pocket with the die if it’s small enough (that’s the red bit behind the trees die), and finally, you can even stick your cling stamps right to the sheet in front of the matching die!  Very handy little trick that I hope will help you with your die storage.  TFL and don’t forget to check out the YNS Blog too see which other DT members are playing Fun Friday with me today!

Celebrate

Hi all!  I have a card today that was made using the current sketch from Retro Sketches:

The sentiment is from Sentiment Sampler and the patterned paper is MME’s Hootenanny.

This is also for Simon Says Stamp – Anything Goes and Dutch Dare – Clean & Simple.  I hope you like it and TFL!

Christmas Wreath

Hi all!  Today is the start of a new challenge over at the All That Scraps challenge blog.  Our theme for these next two weeks is Anything Goes – yay!  Here’s my card:

I used the Thankful For Fall set, but changed it up and made a Christmas card with the wreath stamp.  I just paper pieced the wreath with some paper from the MME 12 Days of Christmas paper pad from last year and I also used the C.C. Designs Cutters Acorn Set dies to cut extra acorns out of some different papers from the same pad and mounted them over the stamped acorns.  Having the dies makes it so easy to piece those little acorns – no fussy cutting!

I finished it off with a PTI ric-rac die and sentiment and some Christmas Trendy Twine.

We hope you’ll play along with us!  All the details are on the ATS Challenge Blog.  Just don’t forget to use a stamp that is sold in the ATS store!  TFL!

P.S. This is also for Cute Card Thursday - shaped cards.

Just swimming by…

Hi all!  I have another card for you today!  I really wanted to play along with the Some Odd Girl Gatefold challenge and it’s due today so that’s why I have another post:

And the inside:

I used the adorable MerMae and sentiments from Just Swimming By Mermaid and Happy Days Mermaid (happy fishy wishes) from Your Next Stamp.  MerMae was colored with Copics and I did just a touch of shading with a dark gray Prismacolor pencil.  The papers are from Echo Park’s For the Record 2 Documented paper pad and the twine is Denim from The Twinery.

This is also for the following challenges:

• Challenge Up Your Life – fantasy
• Allsorts – inspired by a song (I was inspired by “Under the Sea” from Disney’s Little Mermaid)
• MarkerPop – color something
• Stampin' for the Weekend – Feeling Floral

I hope you like it and TFL!

hugs

Hi all!  Today I have a card made for the Paper Smooches SPARKS Challenge (color challenge - “sherbert”):

I took strips of each of the colors in the challenge and embossed them with different patterns, then tied them together with Timeless Twine at wonky angles for fun.  Finally, I finished it off with a sentiment from Sentiment Sampler stamped in white.  I hope you like it and TFL!

Celebrate Flower Doily

Hi all!  I have an almost entirely white card to share with you today:

I prettied up a silk hydrangea by covering it with glitter and topping it with a twine-tied button.  There’s also a little tag with the sentiment Celebrate from PTI’s Mixed Messages.  Then the flower is framed with the French Pastry Doily from Cheery Lynn Designs.  I put some glitter on the doily as well to tie it all together.

This is for Cheery Lynn Designs – Frame It, CASology – White and Lollipop Crafts - 2 or more punches or dies (doily and tag). I hope you like it and TFL!

Bee Happy

Hi all!  Today I have a card featuring a cute little freebie from the Karber Facebook Group:

The sentiment is from the Bee Happy set from There She Goes and the papers are Echo Park’s So Happy Together.  This is for the following challenges:

• Karber – use Karber image and fave embellishment (I have many and buttons are up there!)
• Fab 'n' Funky and Charisma Cardz– both Things with Wings.
• Sketch Saturday - sketch

I hope you like it and TFL!

What’s moo?

Hi all!  Today I have a reminder post that you still have a week to enter the current All That Scraps challenge – use the colors kraft, black, red and blue.  Here’s my card for this week:

I used the adorable Cow & Pig set, which was colored with colored pencils and odorless mineral spirits.  Her dress was paper pieced with some of the same patterned cardstock that was used on the rest of the card (it’s from My Mind’s Eye).  I generated the frame and sentiment in Make-The-Cut and printed from MTC as well. 

This is also for Dutch Dare – Sugar & Spice. 

We hope you’ll play along – don’t forget to use a stamp that is sold in the All That Scraps store! TFL!

eek

Hi all!  Today I have a card made using the sketch from Retro Sketches:

The ghost and eek are from the Spookalicious set and the spider is part of the patterned paper that’s adhered to the back of the cut out.  I cut the windows using my Zing and Make-The-Cut and the wood grain embossing folder is from Stampin’ Up! 

This is also for Going Grey – embossing.  I hope you like it and TFL!

hb2u

Hi all!  Today I have a super clean and simple card made for CAS-ual Fridays – Black and white plus 1 other color:

I used the new C.C. Designs Mini Banners die and an old alphabet from Quickutz along with some black & white Timeless Twine.  The square frame was created and printed from Make-The-Cut.  I hope you like it and TFL!

What’s the buzz?

Hi all!  Today I have card made for a couple of challenges:

I used the Bee Happy set and papers from the MME The Sweetest Thing Bluebell paper pad.  I cut the hexagons with my Zing using Make-The-Cut and added a few buttons tied with Timeless Twine to finish it off.

This is for Little Red Wagon – use hexagons, and Simon Says Stamp – use neon, hexagons or chevrons.  I hope you like it and TFL!

Thanks Lollipop

Hi all!  Today I have a little lollipop treat for you:

I simply cut a strip of patterned paper, made some score lines and scallop punched one end to make this little lollipop cover.  I added a circle stamped with a sentiment from Word Salad from Paper Smooches tied on with a bit of twine.

Here’s a side view so you can see it’s just basically a little tent for the lollipop:

This is for Loves Rubberstamps – Espresso, pumpkin and aqua (lucky thing I just bought a paper pad that had these colors!!), Stamptacular Sunday – Anything But a Card and Delightful Challenges – also Anything But a Card.  I hope you like it and TFL!

Birthday Cake

 

Hi all!  Today I have a fun shaped card for you:

The cake is from the Quirky Treats collection from Lettering Delights and the sentiment is from the Cupcake Mix & Match set from There She Goes.  I cut the card base and overlay with my Zing using Make-The-Cut and added some Stickles and a little Strawberry Cupcake Timeless Twine to finish it off. 

This is for There She Goes – something sweet, Charisma Cardz – shaped cards and One Stop Craft Challenge – Let’s Bake a Cake.  I hope you like it and TFL!

boo

Hi all!  Today I have a card made for the Paper Smooches SPARKS challenge – a sketch:

And here’s my card (using the sketch turned on its side):

I used the Spookalicious (owl and pumpkin), Alphadot (boo) and Spring Groves (branch) sets. 

I die cut clouds using the Puffy Cloud die set from YNS and used them as masks when airbrushing the background.  The branch and pumpkin were paper pieced and the owl was colored with Copics.  I cut out a couple extra eyeballs for him so I could make it seem like he’s looking down at the pumpkin.  The word balloon was cut using my Zing and Make-The-Cut.  Finally, the grass die is from MFT and I sewed it on with a tiny zigzag stitch.

This is also for Pile It On – patterned paper and Creative Card Crew – tree.  I hope you like it and TFL!

Happy Haunting and tips!

Hi all!  Welcome to another installment of Fun Friday over at the YNS Blog!  This month’s theme is Trick or Treat and I have both for you today!  My trick is one I’ve used before – accordion pleated acetate to make a wiggly pop-up:

I used Cute Ghost and the Happy Haunting set for the background and sentiment.  Here’s a view from the side so you can see the dimension:

Basically, I just took a strip of acetate 1/2” wide and folded it every 1/2” to get the pop-up mechanism.  One end is glued and taped to the back of the ghost and the other end was threaded through a slit in the purple cardstock and taped on the back.  Simple, but super fun!!  This is also for Crafty Creations – use something on your card that has movement.  My ghost springs up and down when you flick it!

And my treat is a couple of organizational tips about how I store my paper pads and 8.5x11” cardstock.

All of my paper pads are stored in ziplock quart bags in a DVD holder I got from Target:

The new ones that I haven’t used yet are in the front.  As soon as I cut into one and have some scraps to store, I cut the zipper off the bag (you don’t have to, but it makes is much easier to get the papers in and out) and store the pad and its scraps inside.  Here’s a pic of the front with the pad:

And with the pad and scraps taken out of the bag:

I always look through the scraps first when making a card to see if I have something that will work.

My cardstock is stored in a filing cabinet with hanging folders and page protectors:

As you can see, I’ve labeled the files as well as the page protectors with the name of the cardstock for easy reference.  Each color has its own protector where all its scraps are stored.  Whole sheets are kept in the hanging folders until they are cut, and then they go into the respective page protector:

Just like with the paper pads, I’ll check the scraps first when making cards before I’ll cut into a full sheet.  I hope this tip helps you with storing your cardstock and paper pads if you don’t already have a system.  TFL and don’t forget to check out the YNS blog for more fun!

Happy Fall!

Hi all!  There’s a new challenge starting today over at the All That Scraps Challenge Blog.  This time our theme is to use the colors kraft, black, red, and blue.  Here’s what I came up with using the new Laugh Lines Scarecrow stamp:

I stamped her on kraft cardstock and colored her with colored pencils and odorless mineral spirits.  The sentiment was generated in Make-The-Cut (to get the particular curve) and printed on the panel.  The sketch is from Card Positioning Systems and the papers are from My Mind’s Eye.

We hope you’ll play along with us!  All you need to know is on the Challenge Blog.  Don’t forget to use a stamp that is sold in the All That Scraps store!  TFL!

Glittered Happy Birthday

Hi all!  Today I have my last card for the 5-day TSG birthday challenges.  This last challenge was to make a birthday project with at least 3 embellishments:

I used the Cupcake Mix & Match set and a sketch from iSpy Sketches.  My embellishments are ribbon, a button tied with crochet thread and Stickles all over my cupcake. 

This is also for One Stop Craft Challenge – no floral embellies and Cupcake Craft Challenge – In Stitches.  I hope you like it and TFL!

Happy Birthday Sweet Pea

Hi all!  Here’s my card for the 4th challenge at TSG – birthday project with a banner:

I used the Sweet Pea set (the sentiment is included) and a Spellbinders banner which I stamped, cut and embossed.  This is also for CAS-ual Fridays – embossing.  I hope you like it and TFL!

Chill Out!

Hi all!  Today I have my 3rd card for the TSG 4th birthday challenges.  The challenge was an inspiration picture and here’s what I came up with:

I used the colors from the inspiration pic and the set Penguin Love.  I computer generated the “It’s your birthday…” portion of the sentiment, but the “Chill Out!” is from the set.  I used a sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches and really old papers from Daisy Bucket (which is no longer in business).  I hope you like it and TFL!

YNS September New Release Blog Hop!

Hello and welcome to the Your Next Stamp September New Release Blog Hop!!!  We know you are just going to LOVE all the new stamps and dies and they are available NOW in the YNS Store!  The hop will run from today, until Monday, September 10th at midnight (EST). 

If you’ve come here from Susan's blog, then you’re on the right track.  However, if you just happened across my post, you’ll want to start at Amy's blog so you don’t miss anything!

What’s a hop without prizes?!  We have 3 New Release Prize Packages hidden throughout the hop, so make sure you leave comments for your chance to win!  Winners will be announced on the Your Next Stamp Blog on Tuesday, September 11th.

*** And now on to the show!***

For my first card, I used Quackers the Duck:

The sketch is from iSpy Sketches.  I paper pieced most of Quackers and colored his tongue and did some shading with Copics.  A bit of twine and the matching sentiment finish off the card.

For my second card, I used the beautiful Heartfelt Sentiments:

I said it before, but I just *love* this set!!  The sentiments and fonts are just fabulous!!  The sketch for this card is from Sketch Saturday and the rolled rose and leaf dies are from My Favorite Things.  I finished off the card with some inking around the edges and machine stitching.  Hope you like them!

BTW, Karen is also offering some amazing Hop Specials!  There are several Bundle Deals, PLUS you get 15% off your order (Sept. 6-10) by using online code Sept15OFF!  Make sure you take advantage of these great deals!!!

Now it’s time to hop on over to the amazing Jen R’s blog, but before you go, don’t forget to leave me a comment for your chance to WIN!  Happy Hopping!

I’m hog-wild about you!

Hi all!  Today is my first post for the All That Scraps challenge team – YAY!  This week is a reminder week that you still have time to enter the current challenge, which is Anything Goes.

I used the soon to be released Cow & Pig which will be available on the 6th:

She was watercolored, her dress paper pieced, colored with Copics and popped up, and I added an extra snout for dimension, which you can see here:

The sketch is FTL #206 and the papers are from the My Mind’s Eye Love Me paper pad.  The sentiment is computer generated.

Everything you need to know about the challenge can be found on the ATS Challenge Blog.  I hope you’ll play along!  TFL!

I didn’t forget…

Hi all!  Today’s There She Goes Challenge is to make a birthday card for a male:

I forgot to take a pic of the inside.  It says “I just wanted to make your birthday last longer!”  Love that sentiment!  The snail and sentiment are both from the TSG set Slow and Steady.

I used a sketch from Retro Sketches and papers from My Mind’s Eye.  This is also for Stamp with Fun – button.  I hope you like it and TFL!

Happy Birthday Cupcake

Hi all!  There She Goes is turning 4 this month and is having a week of challenges and I’m going to try and play along with them all!  Here’s the first (birthday project with numbers on it):

I used my old fave Cupcake Mix & Match set and some patterned papers from My Mind’s Eye.  I colored the cherry with copics and gave it a little shadow and paper pieced the liner.  The sentiment is also from the set. 

This is also for The Pink Elephant – use patterned papers and the sketch is FTL#9 from Clean & Simple Stamping.  I hope you like it and TFL!

Celebrating You

Hi all!  Today I have a sneak peek for you of one of the sets that will be released by Your Next Stamp this month!  The set is called Heartfelt Sentiments and comes with a whole bunch of really great sentiments!  I used 2 in my card today, along with the Fancy Frame Stamp and Die combo:

And when you open the flap on the die cut, here’s what you see:

I just love the fonts in this set – so sweet and fun!  You can check out the YNS Blog to see which of the other designers are sneak peeking and then I hope to see you back on the 6th for our September Blog Hop! 

This is also for Simon Says Stamp – Anything Goes and Divas By Design - Celebrate. TFL!