By the Sea Side

Taylored Expresions "Surf's Up" stamp and DCWV summer stack

Stampin Up "Summer By the Sea" and paper scraps on kraft base

Taylored Expressions "Pearl" with paper by Fancy Pants

Hello Again Crafty Friends!

I have been hiding for a couple weeks but happy to know I have been  hiding in my craft room. I have just been working on some scrapbooks and loving it since it is my first love!

In between I have made a few cards and want to share them with all of you! 

I  have listed the main products under each of the photos for you just in case you get the urge to love these stamps as much as I do. 

Thanks for stopping by and I can't wait to share some more creations with you. I'm still trying to catch up a bit on my scrapping but I will certainly be throwing some cards in the mix :)

Have a wonderful Weekend everyone!

Sweet Friend

Good morning bloggers!

It's another cold one here in Chicago but spring promises to be around the corner and I am holding it to Mother Nature to keep her promise..This winter has just been crazy!!!!

Today my card is for the Just us Girls challenge. I really loved looking at all of the different concepts the design team came up with for this photo inspiration. It never amazes me how many difference you can come up with when you are all seeing things just a little different in your own eyes.

I used My revolution vase die with some paper from a paper studio "little safari" paper stack. I added some extra bling because you know I love the bling and the sentiment is from Taylored Expressions "pennant parade" set. 

Head on over to the Just us Girls site to try out this challenge for yourself! 

Thanks for stopping by I appreciate it!

This Special Season

Merry Monday #147

This week at Merry Monday Challenges its all about the "star" I wish the sparkle would show up on this card because it just glitters and shines in every movement. I have no idea if it's my new room I craft in or just my camera is just gone mad but I can't get decent photos that capture the true feeling I give my cards.

I just used some white on white for this one and stamped a sentiment from the Stampin Up "special season" set. The ssmaller stars are punched right into the card staock and backed with gold glitter paper and the larger star is punched with the same glitter paper. I took some smooch, added a bit of water to speckle the background of the card. 

If you would like to try your hand at this challenge, Head on over to Merry Monday challenge blog and get started each week on those Christmas and Holiday cards!

Thanks for stopping by everyone!

Thanks, I'm so Lucky

CTS #112

Hello everyone and happy FRIDAY!!!!

Even though I'm a stay at home mom/Grammie I look forward to the weekends and having all my ladies home. It seems school and sports take up so much of their lives these days it's just nice to have them around. I hope everyone has fun plans for the weekend or just gets to enjoy some down time for themselves!

My card today I designed for the the Case this Sketch challenge. It looked pretty straight forward to me (a classic clean and simple design) and this is my take on it. I used Echo Park "hello Summer" 6x6 pack and my Lawn Fawn "thanks" die. I also grabbed a Taylored Expressions "friendship blooms" set to add to the sentiment. I added a few bling and finished up the card on some green card stock. I hope you like it and head on over to try your hand at these fun clean and simple card designs! Just click on the link below the picture of the sketch!

Thanks for stopping by!

Kindness Has No End

Good Morning!

I hope everyone is staying warm and out of all the nasty snow and ice out there. I am about ready for spring myself and is basically what motivated this card! 

If you know anything about me at this point, you know I love making card sets. This one is actually a little 3x5 size set I put together with the new Lotus Blossom set from Stampin Up's     Sale-a-bration going on right now. I keep pulling it out because I just love it so much!  I used my envelope punch to make the matching envelopes and tied it all together with a belly band and scallop circle. 

Thanks as always for stopping by and taking a peek :)

Chicken Coop

Happy Wednesday Bloggers :)

Just digging through my stamps and decided I would pull out an oldie but goody. I haven't used these little guys from Stampin Up "Best of Cluck" set in quite a long time. I love looking in the back corners of my shelves and seeing what pops out for inspiration. 

I used a 6x6 paper stack from the Farmhouse paper collection "market square barbershop" I had put the first one together and had a lot of scraps from it so I figured I would make the second one while it is out. I added a little raffia to give it that little extra farm feel..and because I love the stuff!!!  

I hope you have a wonderful day..Stay warm out there if you are freezing like me!

Little White Dress

Good morning crafty friends!

This little angel is the reason I haven't been back in a couple weeks :)

My newest little grand baby Emily was welcomed to the world last week. She is the sweetest little lady and love her to death already! This makes four for me now with another one due in a short ten weeks!!! I am the luckiest Grammie in the world to have the most amazing growing family. 

Fitting in with the baby theme, I wanted to make a sweet little girl card. The picture really doesn't do it justice, so please forgive me for that. I just used some white 120 pound card stock and cut down the sides like I do my baby onesie cards. This time I used an embossing folder to make the lacy design and added some ribbon, a bow and a pearl in the center for that extra elegant look. 

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful crafty day! 

Merry Little Christmas

Merry Mondays #145

Hi everyone!

I hope everyone is doing well and happily crafting! 

Today I have an entry for another challenge. It's the Merry Monday's challenge blog. I love when I get a chance to play because it gives me a head start on my holiday cards for next year!!!

The challenge this week was all about candy canes. I pulled this guy out from my Taylored Expressions stamps because he is just too darn cute! I went with some non traditional Christmas colors because there is so much red and green around, I thought winter colors would be just as adorable with this little guy!

Thanks for stopping by to take a peek and if you have a chance, click on the link above and head on over and play in the challenge!

Stamps: Taylored Expressions: "Woodland Winter"

Paper: White, Smokey Gray

Designer paper " Stampin Up Winter Frost"

Copic markers W0,3,5

Extras: Silver sequins, ribbon

Climb a Tree

Case this sketch 109

Good morning crafty friends!

Today I have a sketch challenge card to share with you. I haven't played in a challenge for a while so it was nice to get a chance this week. 

Over at the "case this sketch" blog they are running this weeks challenge. It was a fun sketch to put together and I had a lot of fun putting this card together. I used taylored expressions "up a tree" stamp and colored it with my copic markers. I added the sentiment and a few sequins to give it that sparkle you know I love! If you have a chance, head on over to the blog and give this sketch a try for yourself!

Just Buzzin' By

It feels so good to get back in the groove again. Life always throws a little curve ball and now that I have passed that hump I am hoping to get into my scrap room a lot more. 

Today's project was a lot of hard labor. Not that the card took a long to to make but I have been struggling with trying make projects that I really like lately. I went back to an old favorite stamp and just started playing around and I was quite happy with how this one turned out. I hope you enjoy it as well. I have a  few more things to share so I hope you can stop back again soon.

Card Recipe:

Stamps: "Just buzzin' by", stampin up

Paper: Designer series"moonlight", stampin up

Cardstock: "hello honey", stampin up

Ink: Momento black and stampin blendabilities in daffodil

Beach Bum

                        

Hello again Bloggers!

I can hardly believe it's been an entire month since I have posted anything! I never imagined having three little grand babies in my life would just truly take it over! We threw in spring break and a couple of birthdays and it just seems like the time slipped away. I had crafted a few things here and there and working a bit on my project life in my free time but just hasn't been my usual fun in the inky world as I would like.

I just returned from a vacation to Myrtle beach with one of my daughters and best friend so I guess I am still on beach mode. My little guy was sleeping so I took the opportunity to grab up some inky fun!

My set is one of Taylored Expressions iconic cupcake stamps called beach bum. I had to pull this one out since for the last week, that was pretty much all I did was bum..It sure felt good!!!!

The cards are 4x4 and I made matching envelopes for each one. I think I may make a little box to go with them but I just ran out of time yesterday. I used copic and stampin up markers to color them. I also added some random glossy accents and glitter to make them shine..I know that part is always hard to see but I think you can make it out a bit. 

I hope you enjoy the little bit of summer I shared!

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Classic Pooh Bear Mini Album

My sweet Abigail

My little prince Lucas

Good morning everyone!

I just wanted to share a mini album I put together for my daughter to use for my grand babies!

I originally made the one for Abigail and she adored it so much I made another almost identical for her to keep for Lucas. 

The album measures 3 1/2 by 5 and uses the Disney's Classic pooh paper stack. I added 6 pages with pull out pockets on each page for added pics and journaling. I punched out some letters for their names and added some glossy accents to bubble them up a bit. I hope you enjoy them..

Thanks for taking a peek into my world today :)

A peek inside the albums:

Beauty is in God's Handwriting

CAS(E) this Sketch #68

Hi everyone...I can't get enough of the clean and simple sketches out there! Some just work so well to give such an elegant look to a hand crafted card. This is one of those cards I put together and just LOVED when it was finished. I used white on white and added some scraps from a 6x6 Bo Bunny pack "Gabrielle Collection" The stamped sentiment and leaves are from SU God's Beauty and the butterfly is from K&Co. I used my spellbinders and embossed the edges for the oval and popped it up above the papers. 

Come and play along..you have a few days left. Click on the link above.

Thanks for stopping by! 

Enjoy the Magic of Christmas

Merry Monday #100

Here is my next challenge card to share today!

Merry Monday had a challenge using green, pink and white or the sketch challenge to celebrate their 100th challenge. I decided I would find a way to fit in both together and I just love how it turned out! 

Using Merry Minstrels from SU and a sentiment from Taylored Expressions from the Holiday Wonder set, I think it worked out great together. I used pattern paper form the hip hip hooray pack from American Crafts and colored with Copics. Of course you will notice I added some glitter for the snow..I haven't used glitter in days and it was just calling out to me for this one!

If you want to play too and get a jump on some holiday cards, head on over by clicking the link above!

Thanks for looking and happy crafting!

A Kind Word

The Paper Players Challenge #187

Another challenge card for me to share with everyone!

The paper players have a clean and simple challenge this week. I was very excited to pull out some of my spring goodies for this one. I think a few more weeks of this cold Chicago air and spring may actually arrive..a little late, but I'll take it!

For this card I used Stampin Up's "both way blossom" and "serene spring". I used the SU wheel "dry brush" run on scrap first for a light background effect with some brown sugar ink. I also grabbed some cantaloupe, coral and pistachio for the flowers and leaves. 

If you would like to join, click on the link above and head on over :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Hello Blossoms

Just Us Girls Challenge #232

HELLO blog hoppers!

It's been a few weeks since I have posted and played in some challenges, so I was excited to play in a few this week. First on my list is from the Just Us Girls Blog. They had a color challenge this week using Aqua, Green and Yellow. I was excited to try this combo because I don't think I have really used it before or if I have it's been a while so it's fun to try a little something different.

I kept this one pretty simple using "hello blossoms" from stampin up. My paper is Saffron, pool party and pear with some designer paper from SU "walk in the park".

After I stamped it, I used a 1/4 circle punch on the letters and added a bit of glossy accents to them just to give a little glow.

If you want to try out this weeks challenge for yourself, head on over to the JUGS blog and get crafty!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Let it Snow!!!!

Merry Monday #98

I know how many people are yelling at me..NOOOOOO! I know we have had enough snow for one year, but I couldn't resist the extra cute banner with the faux stitching for this one! I found some fun country like scraps and these adorable snowmen from K &Co and knew they would be perfect for the Merry Monday challenge.I matched the papers with white and night of navy cardstock and added a few buttons to the corner to finish it off. 

One more holiday card finished for me... Check!

Have a wonderful day!

Thanks for stopping by.

Spring Flowers

The Paper Players Challenge #185

Happy Hump Day Bloggers!!!!!

I am so happy to play in the Paper Players Challenge today. 

The challenge this week is for "thankful cards and spring colors". I decided it would be fun to do another flowerpot card...can't get anymore spring than that in my opinion. 

I used SU Sahara Sand cardstock, the new "Sale-A-Bration" " sweet sorbet" collection and a few miscellaneous thank you stamps. Punched the flowers and adhered a 3/4 inch circle and some buttons from my stash. 

If you wish to play too or just see some beautiful inspiration for thank you treasures, head on over by clicking the link above!

Have a great day everyone...Thanks for stopping by!

Simple Sketches

Happy Tuesday!

I have just a few cards I wanted to share that I put together. I kept them pretty simple and flat so I had some good cards for my stash and easy to mail without extra fees. I hope you enjoy them!

SU "simply sketched" 

Cardstocl chocolate chip, wild wasabi

SU "serene spring"

Cardstock mellow moss, regal rose

SU "wetlands"

cardstock chocolate chip, wild wasabi

SU "happy hour"

Ink used for inside glasses- coastal cabana, canteloupe, strawberry and gumball green

Wild About You!

Just Us Girls Challenge #230

Hi everyone...

Today I am sharing another challenge card for the "Just Us Girls" blog.

Sketch challenges are always fun because I can use them over and over in many different ways after the challenge is finished :)

My stamp is one of my favorites from Stampendous..can't love these monkeys enough! My pattern paper is from Reminisce collection "Mighty Jungle". Card stock is chocolate chip and garden green. 

I colored the image with copic markers and fussy cut and popped up the tree leaves in 3 different layers..The photo shows a bit of it, but you know getting those pics just right is something I am still working on ;)

If you get a chance, head on over to the challenge blog and try this new sketch out for yourself. Just click the link above.

Have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping by!