Simplifying

Simple & intentional are big buzzwords right now. Our society seems obsessed with excess - whether it's accessories on a side table, clothes in our closet, activities for our children... Anyway, I know there's been all sorts of online chatter about paring down and doing/owning only what you truly love.

So where am I going with all that? Well, I find myself getting back to basics in many ways with my stamping. I have *SO* many inks, punches, embellishments, patterned papers that deciding what to actually use is a bit overwhelming. I'm on about round 34 of my supply purge (it's literally taken years to get to this point) - and if I don't love something, then it's gone. It doesn't matter if I saw tons of super-cute projects done with it, or if I spent too much on it - what DOES matter is whether it fits my style now and I'll actually use it. What a concept! I've also removed over half of the blogs from my reader. I cannot even tell you how much easier it is to avoid purchasing supplies when you are unaware they exist :) I can pretty much tell you that I'll love virtually anything from certain companies (Basic Grey for one!) but I'm working on putting a dent in all of the "old" stuff that I just had to have 3 years ago - then used 1/3 of a single sheet of paper before moving on to the latest & greatest.

Now that I've gotten all that rambling out of the way, howzabout I talk about the card? ;) I had this 7gypsies printed gaffer tape mixed in with some ribbon, and honestly had forgotten about it. I liked the fall colors, and wanted to make some quick cards for a few family members. I added the little sentiment from Daisy Bucket, then the little flower (which I now wish I'd left off, but oh, well! All the recipients will still be delighted!

Unusual Encouragement

I know - not exactly my normal scripture verse & flower card :) I've had this fun household set from CHF (bummer that they've shut down!) and wanted to play around with it for quite some time... I have a friend who's going through a rough time, and I know without a doubt that she'll get a huge laugh over this. You have to know your audience, right?!

The card is pretty straightforward - I stamped the vacuum in blue, lightly colored it in with metallic pencils, and pieced the bag with some scrap paper I had on the desk. Added the sentiment, two square brads, and then rounded one corner just to add some interest.

AND I'm happy to say that it's already been mailed off... I'm telling you, this sending thing is quite addictive, LOL.

Simple Gratitude Journal

I've dabbled with "thankful lists" in the past, and decided to keep a gratitude journal for the month of November. I'm writing down 10 things each day - 5 in the morning and 5 in the evening - and yes, sometimes it's kind of hard to come up with something. It has definitely made me more aware of the blessings that fill my life, both big and small. I've been jotting things down in this comp journal, and finally got around to prettying it up last night.

Nothing too fancy, but I like the final result. The paper was something I'd had in my stash for a long time; I loved the tin tile design, but it was too large for most of my projects... finally put it to good use! The letters are from a Tim Holtz grungeboard alpha pack, and I just colored them with Brilliance ink. I computer generated the verses, then just cut them apart and glued them down.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise;

Give thanks to Him and praise His name [Psalm 100:4]

I will give thanks to the Lord because of His righteousness;

I will sing priases of the name of the Lord Most High [Psalm 7:17]

Hoping you, too, can find 10 things to be thankful for today!

Inspiration...

Wow, long time no see! I truly didn't mean to drop out of the blogosphere (again!) but life has been a bit crazy. I somehow managed to hurt my knee on vacation this summer, so that has slowed me down in a major way; I actually have an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon later this week, and will probably be having surgery soon. I also had some issues with my heart(thankfully all is well!), and although both of our kids are now in school, the carefree days that I had envisioned have yet to materialize.

On a side note, I am working very hard to get healthier, and losing weight is a big part of that. I'm attending a First Place for Health Bible study, and tracking food/activity with sparkpeople. The leader of the study is wonderful, and has been such an encouragement to me, which is why I made her this card. Nothing fancy - some repeat stamping and a very simple layout (flower image is from Wordsworth, and sentiment is Hero Arts, patterned paper from 7gypsies) - but I wanted to let her know how much she is appreciated. Hmmm... that's one thing that drew me into stamping all those years ago, but somehow I got caught up more in making stuff than actually sending it out. Let me tell you, it's awfully nice to spread some hand-crafted love :)

Anyway, I hope to be able to do more creative stuff in the months ahead, and will happily share as time allows!

Make your own happiness

I just love this sentiment (from Hero Arts) - and I literally did just that when creating this card. I had fallen in love with the colors in Pink Paislee's Queen Bee line and had ordered the 6x6 pad several months ago; I dusted off my circle punches and just started playing. I cut some random curves to use on the card front, then just glued everything down and trimmed edges as necessary. Quick and rather cute, if I do say so myself ;)

A card, a card!!

Be still my heart. I finally was able to make something -- it's like a second homecoming :)

I like the open, sketchy flowers that seem to be showing up everywhere these days, but refused to cave and buy another stamp set (and seriously, if you could see the current state of my space you would most assuredly agree!). But then I went to Wal-Mart for my usual household stop... and it turns out that they're clearing out most of their craft stuff. This set from Martha Stewart was marked down to $4, and I just couldn't resist. I stamped the flowers, sponged on a bit of color (no time-consuming coloring!) and then added some glittery accents with a Stardust pen. I added the sentiment (Hero Arts), rounded 2 corners, and glued it on a dark gray base. Done!

I promise to be back with more soon - I've missed my creative outlet!

Home!!

Nothing like being away for a month to really make you appreciate your little piece of earth. And the craft stash :)

I need to catch up on stuff like laundry & mail sorting, but I *will* be making something soon.

MUST. GET. INKY.

In the meantime, here are two pics from our trip: 1 with the kids and I at the top of Beartooth Pass in Montana/ Wyoming (yes, I'm the crazy girl wearing capris in the snow!) and another of the kiddos by the creek that ran along our camp site. I miss the cool temperatures and mountains already...

Finally, a new post - and even a pic!

I know it's been a LOOOOONG time since I actually shared anything - life has a way of getting incredibly busy, doesn't it?!

I ended up driving up to Montana and spending three weeks with family there; it was wonderful to catch up with them (not to mention avoiding S. Texas heat :) and I even managed to take a class at a local scrapbook store. We made this cute photo holder with acrylic overlays & heavyweight transparencies - I'm thinking that some family members may be receiving these as gifts... great way to present photos, plus they're super lightweight for shipping!

Anyway, I'm off & running again... hope to be back soon with some other creative goodies!

Checking In

Hello - long time, no blog post. We've gone through an exceptionally crazy period - nonstop company (4 weeks and counting!), end of school year activities, violent stomach bugs, difficult church situation, new electronics, and a pile of other minor issues that still have a way of mounting up quickly...

Needless to say, I haven't had much time for stamping. I did sneak in a couple hours worth a few weekends ago, but haven't had a chance to photograph anything, much less post them. We finally have upgraded our computer and it's no longer turning itself off & on randomly, but we're still figuring some things out. For what it's worth, I am loving Windows 7 :)

Hope to "equalize" soon and snatch some creative time. Trust me, I need it. Until then...

Feeling Fresh

I know I haven't been around much - life has been hectic, and unfortunately I haven't much time to stamp (waaaaaahh!). I did want to share this card I made for this month's smART-word challenge - fresh!

I love all the "blocky silhouette" images that I've been seeing lately, but the last thing I need is to buy more stamps... I have plenty already, so I can improvise, right?! Anyway, I pulled out these gorgeous flowers (from the Botanicals sheet), masked off a rectangle with sticky notes, stamped & embossed the image, then sponged the color on (a long-neglected SU ink)before removing the sticky notes. I love the final result, and it definitely feels fresh to me. The phrase is from the "Blessings" set (which can be found on the first sheet here, along with a lot of other great sentiments).

I also want to share my first run at this design, which didn't work out quite as I had envisioned. I sponged on Palette ink... and well, the resist didn't exactly work. I love using the hybrid ink, and had overlooked the fact that it can be used on non-porous surfaces! Oops! It's still a nice result, just much softer. I went ahead and finished the card out with a sentiment (from the same Botanicals sheet), but didn't like the way the phrase fell (which is also why I shifted the image portion to the right on the final card).

Well, I'm off and running again - hopefully you're now feeling reFRESHed and wanting to make a card of your own! You have until April 27 to post a link for a chance to win some lovely mother-themed images.

More Quickies

A couple weeks ago I had posted a number of cards that I'd made using scraps - I said that it was going to be a "go-to" layout for me, and here's proof that I wasn't kidding :)

I just love how quickly these come together. On this one, I used some Memory Box paper as the base, then layered on a sentiment and a punched strip. Another little tip: I cut a tiny strip of that sage cardstock to thread through the button rather than leaving it "naked."

On this card, I did add a bit of patterned paper along the spine to break things up a bit... The bottom of the peachy panel was also masked off and hit with glimmer mist - couldn't capture it in the photo, but I promise it's gorgeous. A trio of collage printed Prima flowers, a sentiment, and it's good to go.

Hope you're having a fabulous week ~ I probably won't be back until Monday or Tuesday as my son has early release from school these next 2 days, plus we'll be celebrating his birthday this weekend. Lots of things pulling me in all directions!

Happy Spring!

As I was emptying the memory stick this weekend, I came across a few images that I had yet to share... and this seemed like a good springtime card :)

I pieced together some scraps of pale cardstock (just glued them down to some lightweight copy paper), then stamped the silhouette repeatedly to create the sense of movement. Isn't that a great image?! I was thinking about how kids can make virtually any situation fun, which is why I paired it up with this sentiment (also from smARTworks). It really is all about attitude!

Have a great day!

Simple Dragonfly

Another simple card to share today... The dragonfly and sentiment are both from smARTworks. I stamped the images with versafine ink onto white cardstock, then painted the dragonfly wings with twinkling H2Os. After they were dry, I cut around the edges with an exacto knife and popped them up a bit - love that effect! It needed just a little something else, so I added some pierced lines. Beauteous!

Excited for you

Yes, it's a second post! This card is for this week's 2S4Y sketch (with a fabulous prize up for grabs from Starving Artistamps, I must add!)

We've just learned that some good friends of ours are expecting another little blessing, so I wanted to make a card to celebrate the occasion. I used BasicGrey LilyKate papers - great baby colors and I tried to keep it mostly gender neutral. I stamped the sentiment (Verve) onto a Heidi Swapp resist piece, and then spritzed the whole thing with a couple colors of glimmer mist. I let it dry, and then traced around the resist area with a silver spica pen just to help it pop a bit more. I picked my patterns, cut a few strips, and layered everything up. Nothing phenomenal, but perfect for our friends!

Chocolate Sings

I couldn't let another week go by without doing at least one challenge, so managed to get this card done for CPS Sketch #158. No patterned paper at all here. Remember those wheels that were so popular a few years ago? Well, these truffles were too cute to resist... but then I never actually used them. I dug out the handle and ink cartridge, rolled away, and then added some color with prismacolor pencils. The sentiment is from Hampton Art, and I accented it with some hardware. Yep, more hoarded goods being used :) Now I just have to pass it along to a friend (along with some chocolate, of course!!)

Happy Anniversary

I truly didn't mean to disappear for a week, but things have been a bit crazy around our house. Our son is off for spring break -- as is pretty much all of Texas, it seems. Our niece is attending college in Dallas so drove down along with a few friends and we're playing host parents... It's been so much fun having them around! It's definitely bringing back some fun memories (which makes me feel young and carefree) but also making me realize I have definitely crossed over to the Mom side :) Yep, I'm old and I'm OK with that!! And then there's the fact that since we pretty much live in Spring Break party central (near South Padre) every place is busy, so even my mundane tasks like grocery shopping are taking much longer. Anyway, enough with the stories and on to a card!

I made this fun monochromatic card for this month's smART-word challenge (there's still a week left for you to play along!) The images are all from the Feathered Friends sheet. I really like the solid circle and oval that come with that set, and here I decided to ink it up with a couple different brilliance inks to set the tone for the card. I overstamped the leaf outline, added a sentiment, matted, and added a bit o' bling to balance out the design. I love these colors for anniversary cards - soft and romantic but not overly feminine.

Hope you're having a great week. Things should be calming down very soon and I'll be getting inky again...

It's all about the paper...

A couple quick cards to share - basically I just took some beautiful paper, stamped a sentiment, and added minor embellishment. There are so many gorgeous papers on the market... problem is that I often buy them and then hoard them because they're so pretty - or I try to use them but can't decide how to handle the bold designs.

For the first card, I paired the Memory Box Paper with the fabulous sentiment from Wordsworth. I layered on a scrap of coordinating paper and a couple flowers. All done!

On the second one, I pulled out my BasicGrey 12x12 Periphery pack, and created the card base from one of the patterns (and love that the inside is still white!), and layered on one of the coordinating tags. I stamped the sentiment (Unity Birdie Inspiration), added a bit of bling to the "o" and glued on some dark lace (yet another thing I've been hoarding :)

Two cards done in less than twenty minutes. Love that!

Happy Mail Day

WAHOO!!

Singing birds & Sunshine

I shared a simple dragonfly card a couple weeks ago. Giddy from the success of actually managing a decent single layer card, I sat down with the smARTworks Vintage Variety plate and challenged myself to create a few more.

For this first one, I stamped the image with gray versafine ink and then added soft color with prismacolor pencils. Muted but not dull - another success!





I'm not as pleased with this second one, and would love some feedback on how you think I should spiff it up. It's small - only 4 1/4" square. I stamped the sun with gold brilliance ink (so in my defense, there is a lovely sheen IRL) and then added the wonderful quote from Helen Keller. Thoughts?

Hope you're having a wonderful weekend!!

A song in the air...

I picked up this Tim Holtz stamp when we were out in Arizona for Christmas. Let me tell you, it was hard to pick only one! ;) I inked it up with a variety of brilliance and versamagic petal points, and then added the sentiment (Studio G). I layered it with 7Gypsies paper, a dictionary page, and the cool printed flower. Love how quickly this came together!

Owls and some smARTworks news

First off, a card to share. These cute owlies are from the Feathered Friends set - and don't you just love that sentiment?! I stamped the owls first, masked off their feet & then stamped the branch. I colored it all with prismacolor pencils, and then trimmed the panel, leaving a bit of the branches sticking out. I layered it with some old BasicGrey paper to finish it off.

And have you been over to the smARTworks site lately? BIG changes! Rather than individual sets, the images will now be sold in standard sheet increments (with an online shopping cart - hooray!). In the meantime,though, you can score some serious deals as the remaining "singles" are 50% off. You can check them out here.

Also, this month's smART-word has been posted - and we're going monochromatic. Make a card and link up here for a chance to win!

Wish!

A triple-challenge card to share today! I started with the Inspirational Card Sketch, used maroon, pink & lemon yellow for the BasicGrey challenge, and used letter stickers for the Caardvarks "Stuck on You" challenge. Lots of fun, although very unusual for me since it has no stamping at all on it...

The papers are all from the BasicGrey Lemonade 6x6 pad. When I cut the rounded edge, I accented it with Versamagic Thatched Straw ink just to bring in a bit more yellow. The letters are from a Chatterbox kit that I keep shoving around on my shelf, and I accented the "i" with a pink gem. I'm actually sending this out as a belated birthday card, so will write something like, "I wish I'd been on the ball and gotten this sent earlier" inside :)

On a side note, did you see the awesome things that Jessica Witty did with letter stickers over on the PaperCrafts blog? Genius. Maybe I will actually use some more of these in the future!

Live The Moment

Two cards in a row with lace and pink?! I'm shocking even myself!

I stamped the smARTworks' dragonfly image (Rossetti) onto a scrap of pink paper (BasicGrey Bittersweet) and roughed the edges up a bit. I layered it onto one of the prints and fiddled around with embellishments until settling on these flowers and a scrap of lace. I used Bazzill for the base (love that texture), and stamped a sentiment from To Life! to finish it off.

Time for me to live a few more moments straightening up my clutter :)

Fabulously Pink

I wanted to make a fun card for my daughter, and started with the image from Unity (Treasure To Me). I colored it with prismacolors, added pearls for the necklace, and covered the bag with glossy accents - how swank! :) The sentiment is from Verve (So Happy). I pulled out some old BasicGrey paper (Phoebe, I think?) and then layered on a bit of lace.

Over the top girly - mission accomplished!

Shaby Chic Blessings

I always adore Melissa Phillips' work - I love the way she incorporates so many elements, yet somehow it doesn't feel overdone. Anyway, I set out to make that type of card - and well, it was tough! I started by cutting the postcard from some patterned paper and then distressing the edges. I added the bird stamp (studio g) and the sentiment (Daisy Bucket), then played around with embellishments. I finally settled on a couple primas with buttons, a scrap of lace, a pin, and another page from that dictionary (as shown in my last post). The white card base was too stark, so I stamped a couple swirls just to break it up. Whew! I like the result, but you probably won't be seeing more like it a loooong time ;)

Quick reminder - you have just a couple more hours to join in the smART-word challenge. So throw some glitter on a card and win some stamps! (they're GOOOD ones - you can see them in the middle of this post)

Daisy Day

This is another of the images that I just couldn't resist from Tuesday Morning... seriously, ninety-nine cents?! Anyway, it's from Inkadinkado, and I liked the sketchbook feel it had. I stamped it onto some dictionary paper that I'd gone over with white craft ink, and the bits of color were added with twinkling H2Os - so yes, it's much prettier in person. I was also quite happy with myself as I threw on one of those little hardware bits that I just couldn't resist a couple years ago... and yet the box still sits there, nearly full! Continuing to chip away at the stash...

Simple Joys & Happy Times

Time to share my glittery contribution to this month's smART-word challenge... I started out by stamping the plant silhouette from the Cookie Botanicals Plate, and then added the lovely dragonfly from Rossetti. I filled the dragonfly in with 2 different types of stickles - distress rock candy for the wings, and tiara glitz for the body. Definitely an eye-catcher in person! The sentiment is from the latest "cookie" plate, Vintage Variety. I love the single-layer layout (which I'm always drawn to but have a hard time actually producing) - and hey, it could even work for a guy! :)

Using Scraps

What is it with paper crafters and our inability to part with even the smallest scraps of paper? I've actually gotten much better at disposing of bits and pieces, but I still have a substantial stash... When I saw the card that Godelieve had made here, I was instantly inspired. What a fabulous way to use those little bits of paper! I guarantee this will become a "go-to" layout for me.

Stamp images are from a variety of companies - if you see something that you absolutely MUST know about, leave a comment and I'll get back to you with the deets

Fish'n you were here

Time for another smARTworks Designer Challenge - this time featuring the Swimmin' set. After playing around with it a bit, I ended up using the fishbowl image and then coating the water portion with gem-tac (I was originally going to use glossy accents, but in this case wanted something a bit cloudier as opposed to the clear shine) Anyway, I then trimmed it out and layered it with some paper I stamped with the Accents #1 set; I pulled my blo-pens out of deep storage to add the orange splatters :)

So would you like to see more? Hop over to Susan's blog for a peek at what the other cookies did, plus a chance to win a set for yourself!

Vintage-y Love

First off, I have to share a little story about this image. I've gotten to the point where I avoid purchasing wood-mounted stamps, simply because I don't want to store 'em. Guess I'm a bit of a snob now? :) Well, last month I went to Tuesday Morning to purchase a gift - and I just happened to go down their crafty aisle. They generally have a nice variety of items, but they're just not my style (or I already have it - sheesh!). Well, they had a small stack of Inkadinkado stamps for 99¢ each - and I ended up purchasing THREE. But seriously, who could resist this adorable couple?! I love the comfortable companionship that their pose conveys, and I decided to keep the card pretty simple so as not to detract from that. I colored them in with prismacolor pencils, then added a grungeboard flourish, prima flower (stamped and inked up), and a big epoxy brad with the word "loved." Definitely sweet.

Spreading some love

A quick little project to share today. The hearts are Hero Arts (pieced with BasicGrey cupcake papers), and the layout is super simple. After assembling the card it looked a bit plain, so I added a few staples around the heart panel, and then two tiny red gems by the sentiment (from Unity). Fun and cute - perfect for a friend!

Valentine Kitty

Valentine's Day is right around the corner, and I used the CardPatterns sketch to make this cute little card. I stamped the kitty (from Barrow Buds) and then paper pieced it with BasicGrey Sugared papers. I punched a strip with a Martha Stewart scallop border punch along the top and bottom, and then used my Coluzzle to cut both the main panel and the layers. I pulled out the Combo Sentiments set to add "for you" down in the corner - perfect!

Bookworm Cutie

I was able to go away this past weekend for a scrapbooking retreat - except I was the rebel of the bunch who didn't make a single layout, but instead cranked out cards :) I had purchased this adorable image, along with the coordinating sentiment, from Stamping Bella last year. I've been itching to play along with the BasicGrey challenges, so worked with the sketch. I used Euphoria papers so that I could play along with the Daring Cardmakers Amethyst challenge - they're offering up a fabulous prize from Craft Obsessions this time around!

I colored the main image with prismacolor pencils, and then played around with the different patterned papers and embellishments - ended up going with a grungeboard flourish, a few flowers, and a couple gems (which are rich & sparkly IRL)... I love to give books as gifts, so I'm all set for the next occasion!

Bird-Day Wishes

I sat down this morning with the Mojo Monday sketch and the Feathered Friends set. I then proceeded to waste a good amount of time - and materials - trying to come up with a card... just not feelin' it today, I guess. Anyway, I was finally able to come up with this cutie. Don't you love that scalloped circle piece? I love that it's only 1 layer! Yep, that circle is also part of the stamp set, and it's a great building block. I punched it with the Marvy scalloped circle Marvy (pink one - can never remember whether it's mego or jumbo), and broke up the sentiment with the help of my trusty stamp-a-ma-jig. The bird portion was colored with prismacolor pencils, and the hat is topped with a bit of purple stickles just for fun. The card base is a printed card base (DCWV).

A bit of enabling: this stamp set is one of the full sheets o' rubber available from smARTworks, which means that it's 25% off this month. You're welcome ;)

Glittery {heart} Day

Can't believe it's February already! And a new month means it's time for a new smART-word: glitter! You can see some great examples (and get details about playing along) here. Also, smARTworks is back up and running! Get caught up on the news here.

For my card, I started with a dictionary I picked up from the Dollar Store. I ripped out the page that included "love," then masked off that entry and painted over the remainder with white acrylic. I used the words from Combo Sentiments, and grabbed a punched heart that's been floating around in my scrap box. A coating of ruby red stickles definitely added some punch!

On a funny note, when I was looking at the photo, I suddenly started cracking up and my daughter came running in to see what was so funny... somehow I couldn't bring myself to explain that I was laughing at the word "booty" on my Valentine's card. I'm thinking that a bit more white paint may be needed before this gets mailed out :)

Just thinking...

I'm realizing I have yet to post several of the last batch of cards for the smARTworks DT... This darling image is from the Happy Silhouettes sheet, and I wanted to keep the card pretty simple. After I stamped the initial image onto some speckled white paper, I colored in the water and then trimmed it out - definitely easy! I wanted to layer in some dark blue paper somehow, but couldn't find anything appropriate in my stash (shocking!)... stamps to the rescue! This is actually the same paper as the rest of the card, just repeatedly inked, stamped, and smudged. I used the swirly image from the set, which provides some nice texture. I used a variety of Brilliance inks, so it shimmers nicely, too. A bit of glue and a sentiment, and it was all done - simple can be very good!

Butterfly Moments

Yet another card created with "buried treasure." I've had this butterfly set from Artistic Outpost for longer than I want to admit, and it finally met up with some ink... The card layout is from 2 Sketches 4 You.

I stamped the sentiment onto white cardstock, then did a simple wash over it with twinkling H2Os - love the effect! I framed it out with black (Martha Stewart border punch along the bottom), and accented it with a popped butterfly. I repeatedly stamped a strip of white with the same butterfly, and then layered it all with this orangey pink cardstock. Beauteous!

Deep Roots

Another double challenge card to share today: Mojo Monday sketch and Stampin' Sisters in Christ theme. The challenge at SSIC was based on I Peter 1:23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. Based on that, we were to incorporate a bit of green into the card. I took the idea of a growing seed pretty literally, and paired it up with the stamp from MorningStar.

I dug into my stash of paper and pulled out the Blue Hill collection from Crate Paper. It had a variety of die-cuts included, and I thought the flowers worked well here. I accented the centers with a bit of mint ice stickles.

I pray that your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love! (Ephesians 3:17)

Spreading some ATC love...

One of my friends is quite the artist, and has just recently been introduced to the world of Artist Trading Cards. It was her birthday last week, and I wanted to make her a couple friendship themed ATCs, and then I decided to kick it up a notch and make a little holder for them as well. I googled for a template, and ended up making my own (simple measurements and lots of scoring :) based on this design. I used heavyweight paper, and it's actually quite sturdy. I was originally going to just tuck the flap into the box, but I didn't like how it looked, so I started playing around with closures. I know I have some good BasicGrey magnets floating around here somewhere, but I couldn't find them, so I ended up pulling out a couple small ones that had come with a kids art set - they don't hold all that well, but it was sufficent.

For the ATCs, I used a variety of bits and papers I had floating around in my "pieces" box. Stamps: bra & coordinating saying from Crafty Secrets; coffee cup & 2 other sentiments from Cornish Heritage Farms; dragonfly from smARTworks. Paper & all embellishment for ATC box from K&Co Brenda Walton scrap pad.

Beautiful Things

I'm so excited to get back into my crafting groove and start participating in challenges again. The layout is from Card Patterns, and the blue/kraft/white combo is from the Colour Create Challenge.

I must admit that I interpreted the "layers" on the sketch pretty liberally. I created a mask with a border punch and some lightweight paper and then misted my card base with glimmer mist as a start. The stamps are from the Ornamental Beauty set (CHF) - I had purchased it quite awhile ago, but it was packed up and I just recently rediscovered it. I unearthed the fibery ribbon, too, and the giant button finished it off.

Here's to finding buried treasure :)

BYO Sunshine

Just a fun little card to share... I love these stamps from Unity (Oct 09 Kit of the Month) but they had yet to be put to paper... and finally took a few minutes to rectify the situation :) I stamped the sun image first with pale yellow, then the sentiment with navy. I accented the sun with a prismacolor pencil and a glitter pen, then added a couple eyelets just for fun. I accented it with a scrap of paper (from BasicGrey 12x12 Lily Kate collection) and we're good to go.

And I just want to add that bringing sunshine is always good advice!