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!