Word Art Wednesday & Miss Ink Giveaway

Today over at Word Art Wednesday we have a new challenge and a new sponsor! Miss Ink Stamps is giving away a $25.00 gift certificate to a randomly chosen winner for this challenge. They have so many fun things in their shop, including this really cool die that makes card making so simple.

The Miss Ink Die Set that I used here is called the Hi Swirl Frame Die. I chose it because I really do enjoy using simple products that are really versatile, and this set has it all. I wanted to create a fun and quick card with a patriotic theme. All I had to do was pull out a few coordinating papers, a couple of solids, and presto, I have a really cute card!

I did use a few of the flowers that came with the die set, but I really don't think I've done them justice. The background is really busy, so I didn't want to overpower that, but the little flowers and leaves that come with this set have endless possibilities of cuteness! 

The patterned paper is from Photo Play and I used solid color Bazzill Card Stock. The raffia ribbon is from so very long ago that I don't remember the company. (Remember when raffia was so popular. I still love it!)

I'm also playing along with a few other great challenges this month. First,  Colorful Options has an optional theme of Red, White and Blue-and there are some variations of that too. And of course you can always just do a rainbow of colors there as well.

Next at Word Power your sentiment has to be the biggest and most noticeable thing on your card. Other than that, anything goes! 

Then over at Darnell's NBUS Challenge there is a HUGE prize giveaway to celebrate all the wonderful craft making companies that keep our hands busy! And since I just purchased this die set, it qualifies as my NBUS item. 

Be sure to check out all these great challenges, and we'd love to have you play along with us at Word Art Wednesday. You don't have to use our sponsor's products or our scripture below. Anything goes! We love seeing the beautiful things that you create!

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Jingle Belles Stars & Stripes Challenge

With the year flying by as quickly as it is, I’m definitely starting to think about making some Christmas cards. And a great way to get motivated to do this is to play along over at Jingle Belles. It’s a challenge that’s new for me, but one that I definitely need to be participating in if I’m gonna be ready for Christmas this year.

The theme this time around is appropriately stars and stripes. I ran with this idea, but creating a Christmas card instead of a patriotic one. I really like the finished product. I think it will make a great card, especially if it’s just going to a guy.

Here’s my supply list:

• Stampin Up! Cherry Cobbler  Card Stock
• Little Yellow Wagon Patterned Paper
• Michaels Silver Paper
• SU! Square Dies
• SU! Star Dies
• Silver Embossing Powder
• Spellbinders Scalloped Dies
• Verse mark Ink
• Lawn Fawn Sentiment 
• Misc. Silver Fringe Trim
• Misc. Silver Embellishments 

This card originally didn’t have the strip of silver on the right hand side or the fringe next to it. I tilted the patterned paper to make it look a little bit more whimsical, but I didn’t like the bare edge. After adding the strip of silver, it looked funny from the side because you could see the dimensional dots underneath. To fix that I used the silver tinsel and hot glued it on. It’s funny how cards develop through mistakes.

One last little note, this card looks a lot more red than it really is. I find it so difficult to photograph shiny paper. In order to get those little stars looking just right I had to compromise on the color of the card stock. Working on photographing my cards better is something that’s on my mind too.

This was a really fun challenge and I plan on participating in it a lot more often. Getting our minds on Christmas and winter is a perfect way to deal with the heat too. Apparently, it’s going to be a “feels like” temperature of 111 over the next few days. 😮‍💨 

Wherever you are, stay safe and happy crafting!

Stencil Fun With Poppy Stamps

Today's card was made with two very special challenges in mind. I recently purchased some great products from Poppy Stamps and have been having so much fun with them. And this month they've got a great challenge to play along with titled "Things with Wings." I believe they have two winners a month and you can win some free stuff from their store!

And I'm also playing along with Stencil Fun. It really is a fun challenge that requires you to use stencils. I absolutely love the look of stenciling, but I still feel like I'm in my learning phase as I'm fairly new to using them. But what a better way to improve than to just get stenciling! Their optional theme this month is "butterflies" and with this pretty butterfly in the center of the card it will fit right in.

Here's a tiny tip that I learned while using this single stencil. You can get three "rubs" out of one masking. It's real easy to mask off areas of the stencil using washi tape. I also washi taped two edges. I used the stencil three times without having to remask. I simply pulled up the washi tape edges and put them on a fresh sheet of paper. I started with a lighter green and moved on to a darker green (top right). I plan on saving that one for Christmas.

Here are the main products I used:

• Poppy Stamps Nordic Blooms Stencil
• Poppy Stamps Nordic Belle Butterfly Craft Die*
• Poppy Stamps Tender Script Happy Birthday Die
• Various Inks from Stampin' Up!
• Various Card Stock from SU! & Michaels
• White Paper with Gold Dots (Joann)

*this is currently unavailable, but they have several other butterflies that are just as pretty!

Here's a closer look at the detail of the butterfly.  All of their Nordic Designs are so pretty!

Be sure to jump over and play along!

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Retro Rubber #275 Challenge Card

It's already such a bold summer in so much of the US this week. I feel blessed that our temps are only in the low 90's! And summer's the theme over at Retro Rubber this round, with a new challenge called Bold Summer. It's a color challenge that's perfect for a summer card.

My card is a fun scene that's (in my mind) set in Hawaii, as there are flowers on the beach. We don't have flowers on the beach here in Florida, but I love taking creative liberties with things like this.

Here's my supply list:

• My Favorite Things Bold Blooms Stamps and Dies (2023 or earlier)
• Inkadinkadoo Dolphin Stamp (2018 or earlier)
• Stampin' Up! Balmy Blue Card Stock & Ink
  
• SU! Azure Afternoon Card Stock
• Memento Lady Bug Ink
• SU! Granny Apple Green Ink
• SU! Pear Pizzazz Card Stock
• Newton's Nook Sky Scene Builder Dies
• Copic YG11 and Y11
• SU! Pineapple Punch Ink
• Sun from Ebay Vendor (precut)
• Darice Embossing Folder
• SU! Embossing Folder
• Lawn Fawn Merry Messages Sentiment (inside)

After starting this I wish I had made it on a 5 x 7 rather than an A2 card so I could have more room to play with the scene. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, but I didn't feel there was room on the front for a sentiment, so I placed one on the inside. I borrowed from a Christmas set because I thought that "Warm Wishes" was perfect for this design.

If you get a chance, hop on over to Retro Rubber and play along. Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful day! 

Freshly Made Sketches #742

Today's card was started a couple of days ago, especially to play along with Freshly Made Sketches #742. It's a great sketch that's perfect for a summer card. There are so many fun ideas over there, so be sure to check it out for some inspiration. Unfortunately, you won't probably have time to play along with this particular challenge, as I just noticed that it closes in three hours. Yikes, how time flies! I'm grateful I made it just in time!

My supply list for this card is:

• Stampin' Up! Petunia Pop Card Stock
• SU! Granny Apple Green Card Stock
• White Card Stock
• Memento Lilac Posies Ink
• Fran's Windowrama Cuttine Die
• Dare 2B Artzy Wrapped In Love Sentiment
• SU! Creative Elements Set
  
• SU! Pre-Cut Butterfly Die

Thanks so much to Amy and everyone else over at Freshly Made Sketches for taking the time to put together another inspiring sketch to play along with! 

And thank you for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Pretty Little Studio Giveaway!

It's time for another round of fun over at Word Art Wednesday! This time we have a prize from a company called Pretty Little Studio. I wasn't familiar with their products at first, so I went to their website and fell in love! I placed a small and very reasonable order and was able to get a lot of wonderful goodies.

I love working with ephemera. It's beautiful, easy and inexpensive. You can make some amazing cards quickly and have a greater variety of looks in your card making stash. The products I chose are:

Pretty Little Studio Centerpiece Florals

Pretty Little Studio Journaling Comfort Cards

Pretty Little Studio Home Accents

Pretty Little Studio ‘Twas The Night Before Scalloped Stickers

These four items were so reasonably priced and I have so much more leftover. I'l really looking forward to creating a lot of Christmas cards this fall. And, I've already seen some other things on their website that I'd love to have.

In addition, I used Michaels Kraft card stock for my base. It's an A9 size card, which is an 8.5 x 11 sheet folded right in half. It is mailable, but it costs a tad bit more. I'm hoping to be able to send this for around $2.50 this year. Or perhaps I'll hand deliver it! I also threw on a few old Stampin' Up! embellishments for texture.

Be sure to check out Pretty Little Studio. You'll fall in love with so many things! And we'd love to have you play along with us at Word Art Wednesday too! As always, anything goes. You can use our scripture below if you like, but you don't have to use it or products from our sponsor. Just come over and play along with us!

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Two Quick 4th of July Finishes

I wanted to stitch something for America's 250th Anniversary, but didn't have a lot of time. These two patterns from Etsy come from Aliton Embroidery. The 4th of July pattern can be found HERE. The USA 250 pattern can be found HERE. They were both really quick and easy to stitch. 

The frames were a set of two purchased from Amazon. You can find them HERE. I love that they are a set and they are the perfect size for these two pieces.

Below is a step by step description of my (albeit primitive) framing process. Money is tight for many of us, myself included, and custom framing is just too much for me to justify right now. I did buy the Peel and Stick Mounting Boards for this project from Amazon. I've found them to be very thick and of good quality. And at $14.99 (as of today) for 10 11" x 14" boards, they're a real bargain.

After stitching and ironing the work, I gather all my supplies.

I use the plastic "glass" that comes with the frame to center my work.

After peeling off the protective film, I center the stitching on the piece.

I fold the edges upwards, creating a crease in the fabric. I do this on all four sides of the piece.

When I flip it over, it looks centered, but...

Once inside the frame I can tell it needs to be moved up and over to the left a bit.

Next I use the plastic insert to trace the lines onto the mat peel and stick mat board.

I don't have any professional tools for this, just an old box cutter and a pair of scissors. I cut the mat board along the lines. It doesn't go all the way through. However if you just fold it along the cut, you can then use scissors to cut the rest. It does give a rough edge, but that really doesn't matter because it will be well hidden once the piece is finished.

Next I position the piece in one more time to make sure it's straight.

Yep! That's much better. Reading for the gluing.

I use a hot glue that I felt is supposed to be acid free. However, I do have one piece of cross stitch that I made 30 years ago and the hot glue hasn't affected the piece at all. And since this is a small finish (as opposed to an heirloom piece that I want to last for generations) I feel confident that it will be fine for the time I intend to use it.

Next I trim the edges for a smooth fit into the frame.

Lastly I write my name, the date and location on the back. I love the fact that these frames come with backings that can be either hung or stood up on a table. So easy to finish any project!

Here are the finished pieces on the wall in my living room. My next project is to make a 4th of July quilt block cross stitch to hang where the larger piece is. 

Well that's all for today! Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you have a wonderful day and a very safe and happy 4th of July this year!

Retro Rubber Challenge #273

As I write this I feel like a contestant on the Great British Bake Off reality show. They're always running around at the final moments making something that just gets in seconds before the buzzer goes off.

In reality, I have over 1.5 hours to finish this before Retro Rubber Challenge #273 (#rrcb273) closes. Plenty of time! But up until now, every smudged sentiment and wonky twine was a real stressor. But here it is! I always love to play along with them, it's just amazing how quickly the weeks pass by. 

Happy Adoption Day!

Today's card was made for a family who has just gotten approval to adopt their two grandchildren. I read about the post on The Angel Card Project, but didn't think too much about sending a card because I didn't think I had anything that fit. 

But later when I was going through my dies for another card, I came across these flip flop dies that I have never used. I instantly remembered that family and thought that four pairs of flip flops would make an adorable card for them.

Happy Father's Day Card From Word Art Wednesday

Today's card was inspired by the scripture that we are sharing over at Word Art Wednesday this round. I took the verse and decided to make a Father's Day card with it. I used the digital platform called Canva. They have a free version, a paid subscription, or you can pay for most images for just a dollar or so. It's so much fun and so very creative.

But before I go any further, I want to thank Waffle Flower for being our sponsor this month! You can't miss all their amazing stamps, dies and stencils as you wanter around in blogland. Their postage collection is so cool and it's definitely on my "to buy" list. We're giving away a $15.00 prize to anything in their store, so be sure to play along!

Here's my supply list for this card:

• Stampin' Up! Shaded Spruce Card Stock
• SU! Crushed Curry Card Stock
• Michaels Brown Card Stock
• Printed Graphic with Bible Verse
• Brads
• Unbranded Arrow Dies (Amazon)**

Here's the scripture by itself:

And just below is my free digital printable. As always:

1. Snag it to your desktop or photos.
2. Put it in a Word or Pages Document.
3. Resize it to the size card you want to make.
4. Print it out, either at home or at a copy center. 

I hope you enjoy the freebie! Remember that all images are for personal use only, please!

We'd love to have you join us over at Word Art Wednesday. You don't need to use the scripture, or use Waffle Flower products. All of our challenges are "anything goes." 

Thanks for stopping by my blog today and have a wonderful day!

** I try not to purchase unbranded merchandise anymore because I'm not sure it's not pirated. But at the time that I bought these dies I wasn't aware of that. I don't have any proof that these are pirated, so I thought that tossing out the dies would be silly.

4th of July Freebie & My Card From It

Here in the United States it will be the 4th of July before we know it, and if you're looking for a free graphic to send to someone, or if you'd like to make a cute card, here's a freebie that I made and you're welcome to use it.

Vintage Valentines For Two Challenges

So today's cards aren't what I had in mind when I chose to participate in the Paper Players Challenge 788 (PPC788) and the Sunday Stamps Challenge 387 (SSC387). But sometimes cards have a way of making themselves and that's what happened today.

Originally I wanted a brighter card using the colors at Sunday Stamps. But when I saw "patterned paper" as a slot over at the Paper Players I went digging through my 12 x 12 box.

That's when  I came across these two pieces of patterned paper that were given to me years ago. One piece was mostly used up, but the other seemed to have all the colors, so I went in a different direction. I cut out the two hearts, didn't like the look and was going to trash it but decided I'd at least make something from it. 

Valentine's Day came to mind so I went with that. Then there were enough extras on the table that I decided a second card could be made and there's no sense throwing the extras out.

I used the middle column in the Tic-Tac-Toe board (flower, free and patterned paper) but also included a die cut and layers.

Here are both of the cards I made:

Without using my envelope board, I made a matching square envelope from the remainder
of the patterned paper. I cut it straight up and down as I didn't have enough paper to make it the traditional way. The second envelope is embellished to match that card too.

And here's my supply list:

• Unknown Patterned Paper
• Speckletone Madero Beach Card Stock
• Speckletone True White Card Stock
• Spellbinders Dies
• Kohls Rubber Stamps (how crazy is that!)
• Stampin' Up! Border Die
• Misc. Rhinestones
• Misc. White Plastic Heart
• Dollar Tree Double Paper Heart
• Gifted Sheer Ribbon
• Stampin' Up! Cherry Cobbler Ink

I really do like to create cards based on the current season, but sometimes these craft supplies have a mind of their own! Next February I'll be glad I made these, but now it's on to some more bright and summery cards! Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Color Dare #706

Today's card was made especially for the Color Dare Challenge #706. The two required colors are coral and pinkish purple (as I see it). As much as I love Stampin' Up!'s Calypso Coral, my ink is older and it seems to stamp a couple of shades darker than the paper. That wasn't the look I was going for, so I used a Memento Ink instead. In addition, I added a green to round out the flowers. I love this challenge, as coral is my favorite color and the Rich Razzleberry is a color that I don't use nearly enough.

Here's my Complete Supply List: 

• Michael's Kraft Card Stock
• Close To My Heart  Promise of Spring Stamp Set
• Stampin' Up! Birthday Backgrounds Stamp
• SU! Rich Razzleberry Ink & Card Stock
  
• SU! Granny Apple Green Ink
• Memento Morocco Ink
• Memento Toffee Crunch Ink
• Versamark
• White Embossing Powder
• My Favorite Things Die
• Papertrey Sentiment
• Michaels Rhinestones

This 5 x 7 card has a coordinating stamped envelope and is ready to go to someone who needs a hug!

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great day!

Card & Matching Bookmark

Today's card isn't for a challenge. I just went in my craft room and had fun. I'm trying to use things that I haven't used in a while, so I grabbed the first stamp and die set in my drawer, created a sketch on paper and this is what came out!  I used Stampin’ Up!’s Cross of Hope Stamp and Die set. I believe the double sided paper is also from Stampin’ Up!

When I was finished with the card, I had two scraps of paper on the table waiting to be put away. They were stacked on top of each other and my mind saw a bookmark, so I made one. I thought it would be nice to tuck inside the matching card. I’m pleased with how this turned out and hope to send it out soon. 

Before I go I want to share today’s Happy Thing. I got these three iron DVD racks at the thrift store for $5.00 each. My old Stampin Up! cases were in the chest of drawers and while they’re not necessarily easier to see now, it does give me lots of extra storage in the drawers. Plus I love how they look. They’re the perfect height for the mirror and wall. 

Well that’s all for today. Thanks so much for stopping by, and happy crafting!

Retro Rubber #272 Sketch on the Side

Today's card was made earlier in the week. I had a bunch of watermelons that I stamped and they were still laying on my desk. I remembered Retro Rubber's #272 Challenge (#rrcb272) to take your images up the side of the card. So I made the card and when I came back to post it I saw that another entry used the same watermelons. So I felt funny about posting it. This is actually the second time this has happened to me. 

So today when I went back in my craft room, the card was still there. So I thought that, as they say, great minds think alike! And I really want to play along and time goes by way too fast. So here's my card. It's not the lone watermelon card in the group, but with summer fast approaching I think we're all ready for some sweet treats!

Here's my supply list:

• Stampin' Up! Watercolor Melon (2024)
  
• SU! Flirty Flamingo Ink
• SU! Garden Green Ink
• SU! Soft Suede Ink
• SU! Daffodil Delight Ink
• SU! Granny Apple Green Ink
• Papertrey Blueberry Bushel Card Stock
• My Favorite Things Gingham Paper
• Impression Obsession Warm Fuzzy Sentiments 
• MFT Oval Die

The fun thing I did was to make the sun out of two halves of the watermelon. I used the seeds to form the rays around the sun. It's a fun look and I'll have to remember to do that again.

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful and sweet day!

Word Art Wednesday with Newton's Nook Prize!

Tiny Tip: It seems like I'm always losing dies, so I left this set attached. It's just as easy to
use it and losing a little star isn't something that I have to worry about!

Here we are again with a new challenge over at Word Art Wednesday, and the sponsor this round is Newton's Nook! They're offering a $20.00 gift certificate for anything in their online store. There are so many wonderful things there, so you'll definitely want to play along with us!

One of their products that I have and love is their Sky Scene Builder, which I used for this card. I love it because it's so versatile. But what was really amazing is that the Bible verse this round goes perfectly with it! 

My inspiration for this scene was a dusk sky when the sun is setting but the moon is up high in the sky already. I Googled it and I think it's simply called a Daytime Moon. You can't see it real well from the big picture above, but the  stars are a bit shimmery than the clouds. You can see it a bit better in the smaller picture on the right.

Here's my simple and complete supply list:

• Newton's Nook Sky Scene Builder Dies**
• Stampin' Up! Balmy Blue Card Stock & Ink
• SU! Daffodil Delight Card Stock
• SU! Smoky Slate Card Stock
• Michaels White Card Stock
• PaperPapers Glimmery White Paper

Measuring 9 3/4" x 4 1/4" his card is a bit larger than I usually make, but I have some clear envelopes that I'm trying to use up, so I think that will look really good in one of those.

And of course if you'd like to use our Bible verse in your creations, you can download it below. However you're never required to use it and our theme is always "anything goes." We would love it if you stopped by and joined in the fun at Word Art Wednesday. And while you're on your way there, be sure to check our all the wonderful things that Newton's Nook has too!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a wonderful day!

**These were out of stock at the time I wrote this post, but I contacted the company and they said they'll be getting more in soon. It's definitely a set worth waiting for!