Retro Sketches | Challenge #26

Happy Friday! I have some very exciting news to share today. Great Impressions Stamps has asked me to join their design team! Of course I accepted, and my very first card (and blog post) will go up next Wednesday. If you get a chance, check out the Great Impressions website, blog, and challenge blog! I can't wait to start sharing some of the cards I've made with their fantastic cling stamps. 

Until then, I have a card to share today for Retro Sketches' newest challenge.  

I used the rock-and-roll technique again for this card, using the same Hero Arts stamp set as this card. The leaf patterned paper was included with one of my Simon Says Stamps card kits, and the colors matched perfectly to the Summer Sunrise/Canyon Clay leaf I created.

(Supplies - Stamps: (Hero Arts) Real Leaves, (PTI) Tag-It's #7. Ink: (PTI) Summer Sunrise, Dark Chocolate, Canyon Clay. Cardstock: Vintage Cream, Kraft, Canyon Clay. Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye. Dies: (PTI) Mat Stack #4, Leafy Vine Border Die. Other: Buttons.)

I hope everyone has a fun (and safe) Labor Day weekend. Thanks for stopping by!

2 Boys | Digital Layout + New Karla Dudley Designs Release

It's time for another kit release by Karla Dudley Designs! I am super excited to share my layout because I used one of my favorite (recent) pictures of the boys. Some days I say the words "play nicely!" and "please share!" and "If you can't use kind words, you can't play together" 5,000 times. But on this day, they chose to play Chutes and Ladders without any bickering or fighting or arguing. It was wonderful! 

I converted the photo to black and white so the computer cords under Mark's desk are less visible, then cropped and enlarged the photo to 8x8. I used a simple kraft colored frame, a few embellishments, and journaling. Super fast and easy. I used only one kit: Me Time.

The patterned paper I used as a background is my favorite part of the whole kit. I love the aqua/teal/gray color combo, and the fun pattern.

The kids and I are off to Evan's first grade open house. Have a great night!

ColourQ | Challenge #152

Tweet Talk is one of my favorite Papertrey Ink stamp sets. I purchased it a few months ago, and it has seen a lot of ink. This week's ColourQ challenge features Bermuda Bay and Gumball green, and I immediately thought of using Tweet Talk.  

I created my own background by alternating the four main colors and the orientation of the birds. When I finished stamping, I ran the cardstock through my Big Shot using PTI's Linen and Canvas impression plate. The kraft cardstock was impressed with PTI's Cane impression plate, and the teal cardstock is Bazzill Swiss Dot. And I added a few hearts decorated with stickles, because I am apparently in a stickles phase (see my last post for more stickled hearts). 

I love the ColourQ challenges because they always make me choose color combinations I wouldn't think to pick. This combo is bold and bright, but perfect for so many occasions.

After two days of rain, the sun is out and we are going outside to play. I hope everyone has a great week!  

CAS-ual Fridays | Banners & Flags

Happy Wednesday, friends! I can't believe we are half way through the week already. Evan was supposed to have his first soccer practice tonight, but all the rain we had Monday and Tuesday flooded the soccer field. So... no practice. He is disappointed, but agreed he shouldn't play in the muck. 

I have a card to share for CAS-ual Fridays newest challenge: Banners & Flags. I chose papers from one of my recent Simon Says Stamp card kits, some stickles, and a great sentiment stamp from Hero Arts. The hearts were die cut using the medium and small hearts from Papertrey Ink's Heart Prints die collection. I may have gone a bit overboard with the stickles. I don't use stickles very often because they are so messy, and sure enough I was covered in glitter last night. 

I used PTI's Double Ended Banners die for the top of the card. I wanted the banners to look like they are being held on only with stitching, so I placed a small piece of adhesive at the top of each banner before using my paper piercer to make holes. I used regular DMC floss for thread. The pearls and gems were colored using a light pink Copic marker.

Thanks for stopping by! 

Papertrey Ink | Make It Monday #80

This week's Make It Monday challenge is to create garland for a card, tag, or other project. I decided to work with Papertrey Ink's Hanging Out stamp set to create a fall "Welcome, Baby" card. 

I stamped the trees, leaves, and grass first, then decided on how many clothing items could fit between the two trees. I used glue dots to adhere the clothes to the card base, and liquid adhesive to adhere the baker's twine. "Welcome, little one!" was embossed on Spring Rain cardstock with white embossing powder. 

(Supplies - Stamps: (PTI) Hanging Out and Falling Leaves. Ink: Summer Sunrise, Canyon Clay, Dark Chocolate, Simply Chartreuse, Pure Poppy, Blueberry Sky, and Spring Rain. Cardstock: White, Kraft, and Blueberry Sky. Baker's Twine: Dark Chocolate. Dies: Hanging Out and Mat Stack #4. Other: Embossing Powder.)

The boys have been playing nicely for the past 15 minutes... no arguing, no bickering, no yelling or tattling... I am afraid to move! I don't want to disturb the peace. :-)

Thanks for stopping by!

Hero Arts | August Card Challenge (card #2)

Hello! Before I share my card, I want to say thank you to the girls over at the Moxie Fab blog for the shout out! The card I made for last week's Tuesday Trigger was a top five. Thanks ladies!   

I am submitting this card to the Hero Arts August Card Challenge - Clean and Simple Stamping

I picked up Hero Arts' Real Leaves stamp set last fall, and sadly it hasn't seen ink until I made this card. I love fall, and the changing leaves is probably the only thing I miss from Ohio. We don't get a traditional fall here in Florida... it is still going to be 90 degrees with a lot of humidity! But I have a lot of great friends who live in the north, and this card will be perfect for one of them.

Because this card is "clean and simple", I used the rock and roll technique to add interest to the leaves. I chose four colors of ink (from PTI): Dark Chocolate, Summer Sunrise, Orange Zest, and Canyon Clay, and used two colors per leaf. I inked each leaf with a lighter color first, then added a darker color to the edges. My favorite combo is probably Summer Sunrise and Canyon Clay, but I think they all turned out lovely.

I photographed this card on an orange background rather than white, and I'm not sure I like it. The white is really white, and the leaves look a little weird to me. Maybe it's just my monitor? I am trying to find the perfect system for photographing my cards, and I haven't found it. Maybe it's time to invest in a photo studio to simplify the process. We will see if my husband goes for it!

(Supplies - Stamps: (Hero Arts) Thoughtful Messages & Real Leaves. Cardstock: PTI. Ink: PTI. Other: Buttons)

Thanks for stopping by! 

Jack & Pup-pup | Digital Layout

Hey there! I hope everyone had a great weekend. It was a little crazy here, due to the potential threat of Hurricane Isaac, but it looks like the hurricane is going to miss us by a few hundred miles (thank goodness!). We stocked up just in case, and the kids are so darn excited we have 7 boxes of cereal in our pantry. The boys could eat cereal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if I let them. They take after Mark in that way. :-)

Mark and I rented 21 Jump Street tonight & I was able to work on (and finish!) a digital scrapbook layout. Originally I planned on scrapbooking them traditionally, but I purchased a digital template from Ali Edwards a few months (years?) ago, and it worked perfectly for these photos. 

(Supplies - Digital Template: Ali Edwards. All other supplies are Karla Dudley Designs.)

I don't think I will ever tire of Karla's Calipso alphabet. A classic that will never go out of style. 

Have a great week!

You : Joy | Traditional Layout

We are officially in back-to-school mode here... getting up early, packing school lunches, soccer, birthday parties. Throw in a hurricane warning and our week has been a wee bit crazy! Today, especially, was go, go, go for us. Tomorrow we have another birthday party to attend, then swimming + treats with some friends. 

Even with all the running around I still find time to sneak into my studio to make a few cards or work on my Project Life album. I also made it a priority this summer to create a few traditional scrapbook layouts, something that I haven't done in a while. It felt great to create with photos again. I purchased a few products from Heidi Swapp's No Limits collection that I knew would be perfect for the boys. When I posted these pictures of Jack a few months ago, I immediately printed them so I could create a layout with them. Here is the result:

I think I'm going to frame it. And Heidi's new products were so much fun to work with! The banners, photo frames, papers... super cute & versatile. I also used a few My Mind' Eye products and Thickers for the title.

Jack started pre-school two weeks ago, and he is having the best time. Last Thursday was his first show-and-tell, and of course he had to bring Pup-Pup. Mark tucked Pup-Pup into Jack's backpack and Jack clutched to it all the way to school. Adorable. Beyond adorable.

I got both boys backpacks from Lands End last year, and they have held up really well. Jack isn't required to bring one to school, but of course he has to wear one because Evan does. And now Jack is requesting to eat lunch at school, like a lot of the other kids. When did he get so darn big? 

I also want to share a little good news... I was chosen as the Hero Arts Fresh Face for the first half of August. Mark was at work & the kids were at school when I found out, but I did my little happy dance in my office. Definitely made my day. Thanks Hero Arts! I can't wait to get my free stamps in the mail. :-)

Have a wonderful weekend!

Erin.

Moxie Fab | Autumn Awaits (card #2)

I have one more card to share today for Moxie Fab's Autumn Awaits challenge. I used Wplus9's Happy Harvest stamp set... isn't the scarecrow the cutest?!?

(Supplies - Stamps: (Wplus9) Happy Harvest, (PTI) Background Basics: Herringbone. Cardstock: (PTI) Kraft, Dark Chocolate, Rustic White. Patterned Paper: (PTI) Pure Poppy Patterns Pack. Ink: (PTI) Kraft, Dark Chocolate, Pure Poppy, Blueberry Sky. (Stampin' Up!) Pumpkin Pie. Ribbon: (PTI) Kraft  Other: Buttons.)

I better run. The kids are "cleaning" the playroom... and I have a feeling it is messier now than when I sent them in there! 

Have a wonderful weekend! Thanks for stopping by. :-)

Moxie Fab | Repetition Challenge

Happy Friday everyone! I hope everyone had a great week. I have a card to share today featuring an adorable trio of pumpkins from Wplus9. I stamped the pumpkin, and heart centers, three times using Stampin' Up's Pumpkin Pie and PTI's Dark Chocolate ink. This card is for Moxie Fab's Repetition Challenge and Tuesday Trigger | Autumn. 


(Supplies - Stamps: (Wplus9) Pretty Patches Pumpkin and Pretty Patches Apple. Cardstock: (PTI) Rustic White and Kraft. Ink: (Stampin' Up!) Pumpkin Pie. (PTI) Simply Chartreuse and Dark Chocolate. Patterned Paper: (PTI) Fall Prints.)

Have a wonderful weekend!

Moxie Fab | Autumn Awaits

Lastly, I have a card for Moxie Fab's Autumn Awaits challenge.

I used PTI's Sunflower Bouquet and Background Basics: Herringbone to create this card. While I love the way my sunflowers turned out, I don't think I'll be pulling this set out if I'm in a hurry... coloring took forever! I studied Nichole Heady's example, which helped a lot, but it still took me a good 30-40 minutes to make it perfect. 



That's it for me tonight! I have a few weeks of Project Life to catch up on, and another card or two to make. Have a great week! 

ColourQ | Challenge #151

The second card I want to share is for ColourQ's newest challenge, using this color scheme: 

 

I pulled out Papertrey Ink's Teach and Inspire set to create fun, modern card for one of the boys' teachers. I am usually drawn to more "earthy" colors, so this was a big step outside my comfort zone. My only complaint is Stampin' Up's die ink doesn't play very well with my Papertrey Ink stamps. My impressions are a little blotchy, but I couldn't find suitable replacements with other ink brands.

The pencil was colored using Copic markers before being popped up with pop dots.

Thanks for looking! 

Paper Smooches Sparks | Cool Shades Challenge

Hi there! I have three cards to post tonight, so my posts are going to be quick. 

First up is a card for Paper Smooches' Cool Shades Challenge. The inspiration colors are light yellow, dark yellow, pale blue, and light purple. I had the hardest time deciding what to create! Most of my Paper Smooches sets are very "boy", but I do have Gently Seasoned and Pretty Phrases. I decided to make a mostly sentiment card & use some of the smaller elements from Gently Seasoned to create my own patterned paper strips. I mixed those strips with some My Mind's Eye patterned paper in similar colors.

To give the card a more finished look, I ran all the strips through my big shot with PTI's Linen & Canvas impression plate. Thanks for stopping by! 

CAS-ual Fridays | Splish Splash

Hello! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. We spent our weekend at home, hanging out with the kids & eating yummy food. I had a few minutes to myself Friday night to create a card for CAS-ual Fridays Splish Splash challenge, using one of my favorite sets from Stampin' Up: Moving Forward. 

 (Supplies - Stamps: (Stampin' Up!) Moving Forward, (Hero Arts) Chevron, (PTI) Inside and Outside Birthday and Love Lives Here. Cardstock: (PTI) Kraft, (Stampin' Up!) White and Midnight Muse. Ribbon: Stampin' Up!. Ink: (Stampin' Up!) Midnight Muse. Other: Stickles.)

I stamped the boat in Midnight Muse ink, the used Copic markers to color in the circles. I used the tiny flower for PTI's Love Lives Here and stamped it twice with Baja Breeze and Once with Kiwi Kiss in on the sail, before using stickles in the centers. The other images in this set, a bicycle and a blimp, are equally cute. :-)

Have a great week!

ColourQ | Challenge #150

Happy Friday! Our first full back-to-school week was a success and both kids love their teachers + classmates. The drop-off/pick-up of two kids is time consuming and a little chaotic, but I'm sure we will get used to it again.

I had a chance to play along with ColourQ's new challenge, using the color scheme below:

 

I *had* to use Papertrey Ink's Rosie Posie stamp set for this challenge. I love using this set to create backgrounds, which is what I did here. And I am definitely going to use this color scheme again... so fun and vibrant.

And thank you to everyone who have left comments here the past few weeks. I read each and every one of them and they brighten my day. :-)

Have a fantastic weekend!

Paper Smooches Sparks | Designer Drafts Challenge

This week's Paper Smooches Sparks challenge is to use this sketch as inspiration:

When I looked at the sketch, I immediately thought of a golf course... probably because I created this golf card on Monday and golfing was fresh in my mind!

I flipped the vertical sketch so my golf cart looks like it's driving onto the green. Isn't the little golf cart adorable?  

I can't believe it is Wednesday already... this week is flying by! I am scheduled to volunteer in Evan's classroom tomorrow while Jack is in school. I am anxious to meet his friends & see what his class is working on.

Have a great week!

Papertrey Ink | Make It Monday #78

Good morning! We started our first full "back to school" week here, and I can't tell you how much I'm enjoying the routine! And with both boys in school (Jack goes two days per week), I will have a few hours to myself each week. More time in my studio, I hope! 

I am playing along with Papertrey Ink's Make It Monday #78 today. The challenge is to use stitching on your card, and I chose to work with On The Links. I used embroidery floss to accent the stitching on the golf bag. 

A close up of the stitching. I chose a red and gray color scheme to match the colors of Mark's (and my Dad's) alma mater. One of them will receive this card. :-)

 
(Supplies (all are PTI) - Stamps: On the Links. Ink: Pure Poppy, True Black. Cardstock: Soft Stone, White. Patterned Paper: Pure Poppy Patterns Pack. Dies: Fabulous Frames, Spiral Notebook Paper Die. Other: Buttons.)

Thanks for stopping by!

Retro Sketches | Challenge #24

Hey everyone! I have a quick card to share today, using a sketch from Retro Sketches as my inspiration.

And here is my interpretation: 

(Supplies - Cardstock: (PTI) Winter Wisteria. Patterned paper: (PTI) Winter Wisteria Patterns Pack and unknown. Stamps: (Stampin' Up!) Punched Posies and Delicate Doilies. (PTI) Communique Sentiments. Ink: (PTI) Aqua Mist, Enchanted Evening. Embossing Powder: (Stampin' Up!) White. Twine: (PTI) Enchanted Evening. Other :Buttons)

Winter Wisteria is my "go to" color right now... it is the perfect shade of purple. 

Have a great week and thanks for stopping by! 

CAS-ual Fridays | CFC65

Good morning! This week's CAS-ual Fridays challenge is create a square card. I love making square cards, so I made two. :-)

The first card uses By the Seashore by Stampin' Up! and Communique Sentiments by Papertrey Ink. Because this is a get well card I wanted it to be soft and serene, so I used Spring Rain, Blueberry Sky, and Enchanted Evening, also by PTI. 

My next card is a birthday card for my nephew, Zach. He turns 10 in a couple of weeks, and I thought Hero Art's Monster Fun set would be perfect for him.

 

I hope everyone has a great weekend! Thanks for stopping by. 

Erin.

Moxie Fab Challenge | Type Hype!

I have one more card to share today, for the Moxie Fab Type Hype! challenge. This is our inspiration:

I had to really think about what I wanted to make for this challenge because I don't own a typewriter stamp or any stamps with typewriter font. I do own an actual manual typewriter, thanks again to my in-laws who found it for me. I used a piece of rustic white cardstock from Papertrey Ink and typed "I love you" over and over and over to create the background of my card. Let me tell you, it took forever! I am very slow when using the typewriter because I don't want to make a mistake. After rounding the corners of the typed background, I die-cut letters to spell out "i love you" with Pure Poppy cardstock. Using tweezers, I popped up the letters with dimensional adhesive and adhered them to my card.

 (Supplies - Stamps: (PTI) Tiny Tags. Cardstock: (PTI) Rustic White, Pure Poppy, and Kraft. Ink: (PTI) Pure Poppy and True Black. Ribbon: (PTI) Pure Poppy. Dies: (PIT) Tiny Tags. Other: typewriter.)

Thanks for stopping by!

ColourQ | Challenge #149

Good afternoon! I have a card to share for the ColourQ Challenge #149. I feel in love with Stampin' Up's new in-colors this year... especially Midnight Muse and Gumball Green.

I used Papertrey Ink's Fabulous Frames and Back Pocket Basics, plus Faux Ribbon and Tag-It's #3 for this card. My in-laws gave me Faux Ribbon for Christmas last year and it is one of my most used sets.

  (Supplies - Stamps: (PTI) Tag-its #3, Faux Ribbon, Fabulous Frames, Back Pocket Basics. Cardstock: (Stampin' Up!) Certainly Celery. (PTI) White. Ink: (Stampin' Up!) Midnight Muse, Gumball Green, Summer Starfruit. Dies: Fabulous Frames. Other: string, gems.)

I am off to pick Evan up from school, then he and I have a date to watch the USA vs. Japan gold medal soccer game. Have a great day!

CAS-ual Fridays | CFC64

I have a quick and cute card to share with you today for CAS-ual Fridays "things in the sky" challenge. I chose to work with PTI's Heart-2-Heart #6 Mini Stamp set to create a get well card. 

(Supplies - Stamps: Papertrey Ink Heart-2-Heart #6. Cardstock: Papertrey Ink Rustic White & Spring Rain. Ink: Spring Rain, Blueberry Sky, Summer Sunrise (old formula). Ribbon: Spring Rain. Dies: Heart-2-Heart #6. Impression Plate: Simple Stripes. Other: pearl.)

Isn't the little sun adorable? I love the Heart-2-Heart stamp series... so versatile and easy to use. 

Have a great day! 

Papertrey Ink | Make It Monday #77

This week's Make It Monday challenge is to use ink pads as watercolors. I am always hesitant to use watercolors on my projects.... I am not an artist! But this challenge didn't look too difficult. I used Papertrey Ink's In Bloom and Tagged Sentiments to create this card.

(Supplies - Stamps: In Bloom and Tagged Sentiments (PTI). Ink: True Black, Hibiscus Burst, Raspberry Fizz, Spring Moss, Simply Chartreuse (PTI). Cardstock: Hibiscus Burst, Simply Chartreuse, White (PTI). Dies: Limiless Layers Circles, Small Scallop Border, Eyelet Lace Border (PTI). Patterned Paper: Simply Chartreuse Patterns Pack. Other: Gems)

I don't think I'll quite my day job and become a full time painter, but this challenge did force me outside my comfort zone. I haven't inked up In Bloom in a while, either.

Have a wonderful afternoon! 

Paper Smooches Sparks | Trend Watch Challenge

Hello there! I am playing along with Paper Smooches Trend Watch challenge this week. The more I play with my Paper Smooches stamps, the more I love them! Especially the Space Cadet set... so, so cute!

(Supplies - Stamps: Space Cadet (Paper Smooches Stamps). Cardstock: White and Smokey Shadow (PTI). Ink: Pure Poppy, True Black, and White (PTI). Other: Copics.)

To create the little green alien in the space ship, I stamped the rocket on white cardstock. Then I stamped the rocket onto a sticky note, cut out the window, and placed the sticky note directly over the space ship, creating a mask. I inked up the alien stamp with PTI's True Black ink and stamped him in the open window. After I removed the sticky note I colored the rocket and the alien with Copic markers. 

I think I am going to sneak this card into Evan's lunch box tomorrow. A little note to wish him well on his first day of 1st grade.

Thanks for stopping by! 

Pool Day

We are celebrating the last two days of summer vacation by sleeping in, playing games, enjoying our patio, and registering Evan for first grade. He has been getting up around 7:30/8:00am the last few weeks, and come Wednesday that is going to change! He will have to be up by 7:00am so he can eat breakfast and get ready for school.

The weather here has been hot, hot, hot, and to stay cool we've been enjoying the pool! Our neighborhood has a nice pool we can use, and we are lucky to have friends who also have a pool. We spent last Thursday cooling off in the Cate's pool, and the kids were in heaven! Evan is my little fish and is also an independent swimmer, which is great because Jack is a reluctant swimmer and takes some coaxing to get into the water. 

Evan can't swim without his swim goggles, but keeping track of his goggles has been a constant struggle this year. I finally told him that his two pairs of goggles are his responsibility, and I'm not buying another pair this year (we've gone through at least 4 pairs). He took my warning very seriously and has not lost a pair since. He has a special place for his goggles and he puts them back after each swim. Way to go, Evan! 

Jack was a little agitated when he first got in the pool. He isn't comfortable in the water and likes to spend 5-10 minutes in, then get out and walk around the pool (which I hate). Anna grabbed her pool seats and blew them up for the kids and Jack *loved* sitting in one! I don't think I've ever seen him so happy in the pool. He called it his "boat" and happily floated around the pool for a long time. 

Only two more days of summer for us! I am looking forward to the routine of having Evan and Jack in school, but I really do love having them home during the summer. 

Thanks for stopping by! 

Simon Says Stamp | August Card Kit

Hi there! I hope everyone had a great weekend. I pulled out my Simon Says Stamp August Card Kit last week and whipped up a few cards. I have subscribed to this kit club for 5 or 6 months, and I love it when my Simon Says box comes! It is like Christmas every month. My favorite product included in this month's kit is definitely the BasicGray white mini letters. I have used them a ton while working on Project Life, and I also used them on my "you are so sweet" card. I wanted the letters to match the pink chevron stamp so I colored them with copics while they were still on the sticker sheet, waited a few minutes to make sure they dried, then applied them to my card.

Wish me luck this week... both Evan and Jack start school and our life is about to become busy, busy, busy! Have a great week!