A Calm Sea....

Hi Everyone!

Happy Monday!  I do hope you all had a fantastic weekend - I did.  Movie and dinner with some lovely friends on Friday, wine and a book on Saturday and crafting with a wonderful friend on Sunday night - I don't think it gets much better.

During crafting last night, I decided to get inspired by some fun and fantastic challenges - I know, I know, big surprise!!

Here are the challenges I will be playing along with:

1. Stampin' Celebration

I have been wanting to use the Adventure Awaits stamp set for some time now and the sketch from Stampin' Celebration this week was a great one that would be wonderful to showcase the stamps.  So very fun.

2. Color Throwdown

I loved this week's colours for the Color Throwdown.  I interpreted them to be Coastal Cabana, Night of Navy, Crumb Cake and Real Red and thought they would be perfect for a nautical themed card.

3. Just Us Girls

This week is word week over at Just Us Girls and the word is "masculine".  I thought it would be fun to add to my guy card stash and for once, create a card that wasn't a birthday card that screamed masculine.  I think the colour combination and nautical theme works here.

4. Stampin' Royalty

I love having a chance to try new techniques or ones that I don't use that often.  This week over at Stampin' Royalty the technique to be used is embossing.  I both wet embossed the stamped image on the Adventure Bound DSP stack and dry embossed on the Real Red accents.

Here is my card tonight:

Card Recipe (all products used are Stampin' Up! products unless otherwise indicated):

Card Stock: Crumb Cake, Real Red, Adventure Bound DSP Stack, Maritime DSP
Stamp Sets: Adventure Awaits
Inks: Versamark
Tools/Techniques: Big Shot, Arrows Embossing Folder, Black Embossing Powder, Little Labels Framelits, Heat tool

Thanks for dropping by, I'm so glad you did!
Steph

Springtime Birthday Butterflies

Hi Everyone!

Happy Monday!!  Seeing as it is Monday, it's time for another fantastic sketch over at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge.  This week's sketch is awesome and so versatile, I just know you will love all of the DT creations and will want to play along as well.  Drop on by and check us out!!

Here is this week's sketch:

For my card today, I decided to use Stampin' Up!'s gorgeous new stamp set - Butterfly Basics - and the coordinating Butterfly Thinlet dies.  I have been seeing both of these items everywhere as of late.  It seems that everyone is in love with these items and I am no different.  

Here is my card:

I wanted to add some depth to the butterflies so I first die cut one in Crisp Cantaloupe and then cut a second using the Calypso Coral page of the Best Year Ever DSP in the Sale-a-bration catalogue.  I just recently received this DSP and it is so much more lovely in person than I thought it would be.  I guess it's true, pictures don't often do things justice.

I will also be entering my card in this week's challenge over at Stampin' Royalty.  I love the Springtime colours of this week's challenge.

Finally, I will be entering this card in this week's "Anything Goes" portion of the Seize The Birthday Challenge - what a fun way to build up your birthday card stash!!

Card Recipe:

Card Stock: Always Artichoke, Crisp Cantaloupe, Whisper White, Best Year Ever DSP

Stamp Sets: Butterfly Basics

Inks: Pear Pizazz, Momento Tuxedo Black

Tools/Techniques: Big Shot, Butterfly Thinlet Dies, Labels Collection Framelits, Basic Pearls

Thanks so much for stopping by, I'm so glad you did!

Steph

Amazing Day

Hi Everyone!

Hope you all have had a fabulous weekend!!

Before I get started tonight I wanted to take a moment to say a very special thank you to Kathy over at Stamps At Play.  I woke up yesterday to a very lovely note from her indicating that one of my cards had been one of her Favorite Picks this week.  Thank you Kathy, I am honoured!  Make sure you take a few minutes to drop by Kathy's blog and send her some love - she is super talented.  You can see my card HERE.  And check out Kathy's blog HERE.

I got to spend the evening crafting with some very wonderful ladies again - I am so very lucky.

As always, I was able to be inspired by some wonderful challenge blogs:

1. The Paper Craft Crew

This a new blog that I was introduced to this week and what a fun sketch they have to play along with!

2. Stampin' Royalty

I wanted to try to make a more masculine birthday card tonight as I am starting to run low on them.  The colour combination over at Stampin' Royalty was a great one to use.

Here is my card:

Card Recipe (all products used are Stampin' Up! products unless otherwise indicated):

Card Stock: Sahara Sand, Very Vanilla, Typeset Specialty DSP

Stamp Sets: Amazing Birthday

Inks: Old Olive, Hello Honey, Rich Razzleberry

Tools/Techniques: Rich Razzleberry Blendabilities, Basic Pearls, 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon - Hello Honey, Stampin' Dimensionals

Thanks for dropping by, I'm so glad you did!

Steph

Thoughts of Feathers

Hi Everyone!

Happy Monday!  I hope things are great in your neck of the woods, wherever that may be.

First off, I'd like to say thank you to the ladies over at CAS - Colours & Sketches for choosing my Neon Christmas Card as one of the top 3 last week.  You can check out my card HERE!

Sorry for the quietness lately, it has been a very busy couple of weeks for me.  Last weekend I had a friend in town (my University roommate from back in the day!) to celebrate my birthday with me - what a weekend!  So very, very busy.  I did get a chance to get one quick card in over the last little while - one card, that's it!

This week we have a fabulous new sketch for you over at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge.  The DT will have their inspiration creations up on the blog on Wednesday, this gives you some time to come join us and play along before we show you how we've all interpreted the sketch.  Please drop by and check out what the DT has come up with and make sure to play along!!!

I also decided to play along with the colour challenge over at Create with Connie & Mary.  I decided to use the colours as an accent this week and pair them with a beautiful neutral - Soft Suede.  And I was dying to get my hands on the new stamp set - Four Feathers - and the accompanying framelits.  Luckily, my wonderful crafty friend over at Hayley's Paper Garden just purchased them and I got to play!

For the silver portion of the colour challenge, I decided to use the redesigned Silver Glimmer Paper which is so super sparkly...

Time Out Challenges also had a fun "Inspired by Words" challenge on their blog this week - "Birds of a Feather Flock Together".  I think my card fits right in with this!

And finally, this week is an "Anything Goes" challenge over at Stampin' Royalty so I decided to play along with these gals as well.

Here is my card today:

Card Recipe (all products are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise indicated):

Card Stock: Soft Suede, Lost Lagoon, Very Vanilla, Silver Glimmer Paper

Stamp Sets: Four Feathers, A Dozen Thoughts

Inks: Soft Suede, Lost Lagoon, Mossy Meadow

Tools/Techniques: Linen Thread, 1 1/4" Burlap Ribbon, Decorative Label Punch, Feathers Framelits

Thanks for dropping by - I love having you!!

Steph

Inspired by Hollywood

Hi Everyone!

This is my final card to share with you from my stamping session on the weekend.  I am really hoping that I have found my mojo - I seriously had forgotten just how much I enjoy making cards.

This particular card was inspired by Hollywood for me.  When I saw the sketch challenge from CAS - Colours and Sketches for this week, I have to admit, I was definitely perplexed.  I wasn't sure how I could make this one work.  But then I saw my On Film Framelits which had yet to come out of the packaging and I was set!

Here are the challenges that I am linking up to for this card:

1. CAS - Colours and Sketches

2. Stampin' Royalty

This week's challenge at Stampin' Royalty is "Anything Goes".

3. Seize the Birthday

This week's theme or "toppings" is "Stars and/or Stripes".

Here is my card:

Card Recipe:

Card Stock: Basic Black, Very Vanilla, Gold Glimmer Paper

Stamp Sets: And Many More

Ink: Versamark

Tools/Techniques: On Film Framelits, Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack, White Embossing Powder, Heat Tool

Thanks for dropping by!

Steph

Happy Blooming Birthday!!

Hi Everyone,

Yes, yes, yet another post from my mega marathon crafting session.  As my friend noted on Saturday night, I think we are going to make this a monthly thing once the summer holidays are all out of the way.

I was so excited to be able to use new stamp sets and am so thankful to my friend for bringing all her new stuff along.  I haven't ordered the Flower Patch stamp set but to be honest, I have a feeling it will be making it's way to my home really soon!  I also love when a stamp set has a matching punch or framelits and the Flower Fair Framelits did not let me down!  My order does arrive tomorrow and I can't wait to share those new goodies with you!

So, which challenges did I focus on for this particular card you ask?  Here goes:

1. Fusion

I thought the sketch this week was super original...



2. Stampin' Royalty

This is a new challenge for me, I have never played along with these talented individuals.  I am super excited to do so!  This week's challenge is "Anything Goes".

Here's my card:

Card Recipe:

Card Stock: Strawberry Slush, Lost Lagoon, Flowerpot DSP

Stamp Sets: Flower Patch

Ink: Lost Lagoon

Tools/Techniques: Flower Fair Framelits, 2013-2015 In Color Sequin Assortment (Strawberry Slush)

Thanks for dropping by!

Steph