Clean and Simple Saturday - Best of Snow

I am just loving the new Best of Snow stamp set! This little snowman is just too ca-yoot!! I tried my hand at coloring, with a blender pen, which I don't do very often so please don't judge! 

I just love that Stampin' Up! makes Stampin' Write Markers in every color so you can quickly color coordinate your projects. For this project I just scribbled a bit of each color onto a clean Clear Mount Block and then used a blender pen to pick up and apply as much (or as little) color as I felt was needed to the snowman. And I felt that the sentiment "Happy Christmas" from the More Merry Messages Stamp Set was very fitting for this jolly snowman. I used Cherry Cobbler ink to match and to accentuate the Cherry Cobbler in his scarf...EZ Peasy!

Three little rhinestones finish the card off nicely and, I think, do a pretty good representation of glistening snowflakes!

A super simple card today...short on creation time but long on cuteness! Love this guy!

Have a wonderful weekend and thank you so much for stopping by!!

Stampin Supplies: 

Stamps: Best of Snow (134387), More Merry Messages (126402),

Paper: Whisper White (124302), Cardstock

Ink: Cherry Cobbler (126996) Classic Stampin' Pad; Assorted Stampin' Write Markers

Tools:  Stampin' Trimmer (126889); Stamp-A-Ma-Jig (101049); Stampin' Dimensionals (104430)

Embellishments: Rhinestones Basic Jewels (119246) 

A Simple Thank You - PPA180 Sketch Challenge

When I saw the Pals Paper Arts sketch this week, I threw in the towel. Really. There was just no way possible that I could work with a sketch with that many layers! So I put it out of my mind. But it kept sneaking back in because I hate to admit defeat. So I went back to look at it again and decided I really couldn't do it. Not a chance. But that sketch just wouldn't leave me alone! I finally realized that the only way for me to cope with all the layers was to simplify.  I chose to make a monochromatic card with a bright cheerful color and so pulled out Crisp Cantaloupe and set to work.

And here is the sketch that caused me so much angst:

Oh! And I forgot to mention that I do not like to make square cards! Really, this sketch had me frazzled! I took a deep breathe and reminded myself "simplify". With that in mind, I chose a soft pattern from the 2013-2015 In-Color Designer Series Paper Stacks in Crisp Cataloupe for Layer 1. I thought about adding an embossing folder for Layer 2 but reminded myself "simplify". Okay, leave the white space alone, got it! But I don't usually leave the space where two different papers meet showing so I decided that the 3/8" Ruffle Stretch Trim would work in that space perfectly.

Layers 3 and 4 were killing me. In the spirit of simplifying, I just could NOT add two more patterns to my card! They were going to have to be plain cardstock. But not too plain...I chose to use the Core'dinations cardstock to add a bit of texture. When I added them to my card, they were still too plain. I browsed through my stamp collection and decided that this whimsical little butterfly from the Best of Butterflies Stamp Set would work perfectly!

I had already cut the two pieces of cardstock out so I lined them up side by side on my work surface and adhered them down with a bit of SNAIL and then set to work covering both pieces with butterflies stamped in Crisp Cantaloupe. Once stamped, I adhered them to my card with Stampin' Dimensionals. They made a very soft background. Perfect for my simple card!

Next came Layer 5, the simple banner with a sentiment...but which sentiment? Hmmm...I reached for the Lots of Thanks Stamp Set (after all you can never have too many of those, right?) and saw this sentiment, perfect for the size of my banner and in a soft, whimsical font, very well suited for the color and the butterflies. And done! Well, almost. The card still needed something but I had no idea WHAT.

So I did what I always do when in this predicament. I walked away and went to bed. Came back and pondered the card again in the morning and walked away again. Then in the middle of doing something completely different it hit me! I jumped up and ran into my craft room again. Browsed briefly through my stamp collection again and came across the stamp set A Round Array. It has a medallion stamp that would be perfect! So I stamped the image onto the Core-dinations Cardstock in VersaMark Ink and then used my Heat Tool to heat emboss the image with White Embossing Powder and punched it out using the coordinating 7/8" Scallop Circle Punch. Popped it onto a Stampin' Dimensional and added a Basic Pearl for the final touch. Whew! And there you have it. How a card is born!

I actually wasn't quite done. Since I decided to go with the flow and make a square card, I now needed to make a matching envelope. The Envelope Punch Board make easy work of that. It really is a very versatile tool!

Some cards pop into my head complete, others are born kicking and screaming. This was a hard one but I am so, so very happy with how it turned out. Please let me know what you think and thanks for sticking with me through the story of how this card was born!

Stampin Supplies: 

Stamps: Best of Butterfies (133345), Lots of Thanks (129690), A Round Array (129090)

Paper: Whisper White (124302), Cardstock; 2013-2015 In-Color Core'dinations Cardstock (129958); 2013-2015 In Color (1130136) Designer Series Paper Stacks

Ink: Crisp Cantaloupe (131176) Classic Stampin' Pad; VersaMark Pad (102283)

Tools:  Heat Tool (129053); White Embossing Powder (109132), Embossing Buddy (103083); 7/8" Scallop Circle Punch (129404); Envelope Punch Board (133774); Stampin' Trimmer (126889); Stamp-A-Ma-Jig (101049); Stampin' Dimensionals (104430)

Embellishments: Crisp Cantaloupe 3/8" Ruffle Stretch Trim (130021); Pearls Basic Jewels (119247) 

Clean and Simple Saturday - Sweetly Framed

Good morning friends and happy Saturday to you! Today I have a fun little card to share with you...

This card was inspired by a store bought card (I know, gasp, right?) that my husband gave to me. I always liked it and pulled it out recently and thought "I bet I could make something similar"...

I know I have used the Eastern Elegance Designer Series Paper in not one, but two, posts this week...but I am really loving the soft prettiness of the designs!

I used my Squares Collection Framelits to make my frame and filled it in with leaves die cut using the Little Leaves Sizzlits Die. I used the die to die cut the stems of leaves in two colors, Pear Pizzazz and Wild Wasabi. Then I placed the one stem of leaves, cut in Pear Pizzazz, into the frame and carefully glued leaves cut from the other stem of leaves in Wild Wasbi right on top of the first set of leaves! I also carefully spliced an extra stem of leaves in Wild Wasabi in, just to fill it in a bit.

And that's it! Add a simple sentiment, this one is from the stamp set A Dozen Thoughts and is an absolute favorite of mine...I just L-O-V-E all the fonts in this set!

Here is a sneak peek of a little project I have been working on...

Please check back on Tuesday for my post or to sign up to have my blog posts delivered to your inbox so you don't forget...I am so excited to share it with you!

Thanks and have a great day!

Stampin Supplies: 

Stamps: A Dozen Thoughts (131059)

Paper: Whisper White (100730), Pear Pizzazz (131201), Wild Wasabi (108641) Cardstock; Eastern Elegance (130131) Designer Series Paper

Ink: Pear Pizzazz (131180) Classic Stampin' Pad

Tools: Big Shot (113439); Squares Collection Framelits (130921); Little Leaves Sizzlits (114511); Stampin' Trimmer (126889); Stamp-A-Ma-Jig (101049)

Embellishments: None

And here's a close up of the details of the leaves. It's a bit embarrassing to show them this close up because all the flaws are exposed, but I wanted to show you how simple it can be!

Harvest of Thanks - PPA179 Color Challenge

Hello! It's Thursday and that means another Pals Paper Art Challenge! This week is a color challenge...

I decided to combine this color challenge with this cute sketch challenge I found over at Sunday Stamps!:

And together they inspired me to create this colorful card...

I turned the sketch to make it work better for my sentiment, which is from the Harvest of Thanks stamp set. Once I laid the elements out I decided that I needed to add some interest so I pulled out my handy dandy sponge dauber case and inked up the edges of all of my banners as well as the base. So fun to have them all at my fingertips and ready to go!

Also, you can see that I stamped on my envelope, which I don't usually do. To create my leaves I inked the stamp up in Crushed Curry ink and then used my sponge dauber to add Rich Razzleberry to the edges.  I think it softens them up nicely!

I would never ever have put these colors together, but now that they are together I do think they play off each other quite nicely...and of course the candy dots and the natural linen bow finish it off perfectly :)

Thank you for stopping by, and I will be back on Saturday with another Clean and Simple Saturday card!

Stampin Supplies: 

Stamps: Harvest of Thanks (131739), Wonderfall (128087)

Paper: Crumb Cake (120953), Rich Razzleberry (115316), Very Vanilla (101650) Cardstock; Eastern Elegance (130131) Designer Series Paper

Ink: Rich Razzleberry (126950), Crumb Cake (126975), Crushed Curry (131173) Classic Stampin' Pad

Tools: Big Shot (113439); Apothecary Accents Framelits (127003); Stampin' Trimmer (126889); Stamp-A-Ma-Jig (101049); Sponge Daubers (102892); Stampin' Dimensionals (104430)

Embellishments: Brights (130931), Regals (130932) Candy Dots; Natural Linen Thread (104199)

November Pals Blog Hop - So Thankful

Thank you for joining us for the November Pals Blog Hop. We are thankful you are visiting today and hope you enjoy our thank you inspired projects.  

You should have just left stop number 15 on the Pals Hop - Lisa Davis at Cherry St. Paper Treats. If so, you are in the right spot.  If you get off track, the full blog lineup below will help you move along from blog to blog so you see all of the amazing creations.

I've been working on gifts lately so my post for you today is a card gift box loaded with some simple thank you cards. Who doesn't need thank you cards, right?

I wanted to showcase the lovely Eastern Elegance Designer Series Paper so I chose to make three coordinating cards rather than making them all the same.

A simple strip of designer series paper with with one top, stamped in the coordinating color and a small strip of cardstock to add some "oomph".

And of course a butterfly decked out with rhinestones adds just a touch of whimsy!

Finishing off delightful gift box to put them into, made with the Envelope Punch Board of course. Super, super easy :)

Stampin Supplies:

Stamps: Lots of Thanks (129690), A Gift for You (134765)

Paper: Whisper White (100730), Crushed Curry (131199), Coastal Cabana (131297) Cardstock; Eastern Elegance (130131) Designer Series Paper 

Ink: Crushed Curry (131173), Coastal Cabana (131175) Classic Stampin' Pad

Tools: Envelope Punch Board (133774); Stampin' Trimmer (126889); Label Bracket Punch (132153); Bitty Butterfly Punch 9129406); Stampin Dimensionals (104430)

Embellishments:  Rhinestone Basic Jewels (119246)

The next stop is Susan Itell at Simple Stampin', stop number 17 on the Pals Blog Hop! Thanks for visiting – and I hope to see you next month!

1. Nicole Watt at Pixel Maven's Retreat
2. Ann Schach at The Stampin' Schach
3. Katy McGloin at Just Fun Stamping
4. Carmen Sublasky at The Creative Stamptuary
5. Shirley Sumption at Look at my Cute Stuff
6. Mary Fish at Stampin' Pretty
7. Connie Lindsey at Crafting a Joyful Life
8. Michelle Gleeson at Stampinmojo
9. Shannon Hokanson at Paper Works
10. Colleen Mollema at Uncanny Crafting
11. Lynn Kolcun at Stamping With Avery's Owlery
12. Kerry Willard Bray at Stampgoodness.com
13. Debbie Mageed at Secret Stamper
14. Amy L. Lazzell at Just A Thought...Cards by Amy
15. Lisa Davis at Cherry St. Paper Treats
16. Shannon Jaramillo at ezpeasycards
17. Susan Itell at Simple Stampin'
18. Martie Pollard at The Crafty Bandit
19. Donna Kopenski at craftycardmaker
20. Rae Harper at Wild West Paper Arts
21. Sherrie Gross at Stampin' Sunshine
22. Lisa Ann Bernard at Queen B Creations
23. Linda Callahan at Stampin' Seasons
24. Diane Roberts at Score at Four and a Quarter
25. Brian King at Stamp with Brian
26. Beth Beard at My little craft blog
27. Debbie Crowley at expressivelydeb...
28. Dawn Tidd at Tiddbits from Dawn
29. Sue Becker at Sue's R n R Stamping
30. Nancy Gleason at My Stampin Space
31. Peggy Noe at prettypapercards
32. Marlene Heringer at So Many Toys in Schertz