Take Time For Yourself!

 

Summer has arrived at The Four Seasons Challenge. It is our first Summer themed challenge for 2024. This gorgeous mood board is there for your inspiration, but anything Summer goes.

I took my inspiration from the photo on the top right. I went with ocean, beach and flip flops. That is my usual summer state of being. Take a look at the moodboard, and see what inspires you. The Design Team members have created wonderful projects to inspire you. Check them out on the challenge blog HERE. Make yourself a cuppa, get crafty, and join us in the gallery. I can't wait to see what you create!

Project Details
Stamps/Dies	Papertrey Ink Flipping Out Stamps & Dies, and Banner Sentiments Die Waffle Flower A2 Layers Dies
Cardstock	110lb. Neenah Solar Crest 80lb. Neenah Solar Crest
Ink	VersaMark Onyx Black Papertrey Ink Aqua Mist, Ocean Tides, Hawaiian, Shores, Raspberry Fizz, Berry Sorbet, Antique Linen Distress Oxide Ink Copic Opaque White Pigment
Embellishments
Other	Spellbinders Platinum Plus Die Cutting &     Embossing Machine Scor-Pal Score Board Fiskars 12" SureCut Deluxe Craft Paper Trimmer MISTI Stamping Tool My Sweet Petunia Precision Glue Press Scor-Pal Score Tape-1/4" Stampin' Up Dimensionals Simon Says Stamp Foam Squares

I'm also playing at:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Relaxing By The Sea

It's time for a new challenge at Just Us Girls. Carol Mc is our host for Moodboard Week #727 and she has chosen a fabulous board for our inspiration. Super talented Jenny Martin of My Paper Epiphany continues with us as our Guest Designer for the Month of May.

It's easy to see the elements that I took from the board as my inspiration - the ocean, the sailboat, the colored sky...  Instead of the beach bag and hat, I put a beach chair in my design. This is going to a dear friend who is a beach lover just like me. We have spent many a beach day together in the many years of our friendship. I love the sentiment! Inside, it says "Happy Birthday" in the same sandy font as the sentiment on the front.

Please head over to the Just Us Girls Challenge Blog and check out the wonderful creations by Jenny and the rest of the Design Team. Get crafty with your stash and join us in the gallery! I can't wait to see how our players are inspired.

Project Details
Stamps/Dies	Hero Arts My Monthly Hero Kit June 2018 Gina K. Designs Ocean Minded Waffle Flower A2 Layers Dies
Cardstock	Papertrey Ink Ocean Tides 80lb. Neenah Solar Crest
Ink	Papertrey Ink - various Distress Oxide Inks - various VersaFine Onyx Black Versafine Vintage Sepia Memento Love Letter
Embellishments
Other	Spellbinders Platinum Plus Die Cutting & Embossing Machine Scor-Pal Score Board Fiskars 12" SureCut Deluxe Craft Paper Trimmer MISTI Stamping Tool My Sweet Petunia Precision Glue Press Simon Says Stamp Foam Squares Assorted Stencil Brushes

My Heart Can Always Be Found By The Sea

Time Out #219 begins today. This time it's a Photo Challenge.

The challenge runs from Thursday, July 28th  to Wednesday, August 10th. We are generously sponsored by Varada Sharma who sells digital stamps and cut files in her shop HERE. She is offering a prize of two $15.00 gift vouchers: one randomly drawn prize and one for the winner chosen by the Design Team.

My card was created with supplies from various companies.I started by blending a variety of Distress Oxide Inks to create the water and sky. I splattered the sea portion with water and dabbed it with a paper towel. I stamped one of the images from Chocolate Baroque's Seaside Dreams with Versa Claire Nocturne Ink on the bottom (in the water), and the sailboat and flock of birds from the Hero Arts June 2018 My Monthly Hero Kit on the horizon and in the sky. The scalloped frame is from Pretty Pink Posh's Stitched Scalloped Frames, and the sentiment is from Picket Fence Studio's Mermaids of the Sea, heat embossed with white EP.

Please head on over to the Time Out Challenge Blog to see the wonderful creations that the Design Team came up with to inspire you. Come play with us!

I'm also playing at:

Kraty Chicks #622 - All Occasions

Little Red Wagon #664 - Stitching Sensations

Simon Say Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

By The Sea

Less Is More Challenge #442 begins today. We are challenged to make a Clean and Simple card incorporating sea creatures into our design.

I used a digital image from Sea Shells Card Panel and Shells Images Bundle by Alex Syberia. If you have never had the pleasure of perusing Alex's shop, please do yourself a favor and go there. Alex is an incredible artist. I love working with her creations. The original image that I chose to use is a frame. I edited it so that I just had the bottom border that you see on my card. I colored it with Copics and add some sparkle with Wink Of Stella. To complete my card, I stamped and heat embossed the sentiment from Picket Fence Studio's Mermaids of the Sea with clear EP, popped up the colored panel with a piece of fun foam, and adhered it to the card base.

Please head over to the Less Is More Blog and see what the Design Team has created for your inspiration. I hope you'll play along with us to share your creations. Remember to keep your design Clean And Simple. See challenge guidelines on the Less Is More Blog.

I'm also playing at:

Krafty Chicks

Krafty Chicks #557 -  Anything Goes

Double D Challenges - April Showers (Anything Water Related)

Salt Water

A new challenge is up at Less Is More where the challenge is Going Dotty. 

A one layer card with anything with dots e.g. images, sentiments, backgrounds...

To create my card, I used Picket Fence Studios A Bottomless Sea stamp for my dotty image and sentiment. After stamping the background with Catherine Pooler It's A Boy Ink I heat embossed it with glitter embossing powder to give it sparkle. I stamped the sentiment over the bubbles with VersaFine Onyx Black ink, and heat embossed I with clear embossing powder.

Our Guest Designer is Jen Mitchell of I Create. Jen is one of my favorite crafters. Her work is wonderful and always inspiring to me. Give yourself a treat and stroll through her blog. You will be so glad you did.

Please head over to the Less Is More Blog and see what Jen and the Design Team have created for your inspiration. I hope you'll play along with us to share your creations and for a chance to win. Remember to keep your design Clean And Simple.

To be eligible for showCASe and PRIZE WINNER choices you will need to carefully follow the guidance on our GLOSSARY OF TERMS and our HOW TO PLAY pages. Your design should feature lots of clean / white / blank / non patterned / non textured space. All challenge details are on the Less Is More blog. Good Luck!

I am also playing at:

Krafty Chicks Challenge #508 - Clean and Simple

Addicted To Stamps and More #390 - Photo Inspiration

Listen

Time for a new challenge at Addicted To CAS: ATCAS #159: Code Word HORIZON. Our Hostess with the mostest is Toni.

Our Guest Designer Ishani, is the winner of challenge #156. Ishani's designs are wonderful. They often feature quilling and wonderful CAS creations. Do treat yourself to a stroll through her blog. You are sure to be inspired.

For my card, I blended several Distress Oxide Inks to create my background. The pier from Gina K's  By The Sea 2 and the sentiment from Impression Obsession's Nautical are stamped with Versafine Onyx Black. I love the way this one turned out.

Please head on over to the ATCAS Challenge Blog, take a look at the wonderful inspiration pieces Ishani and the Design Team have created for your inspiration, and make something to share in the gallery. Challenge winner will be offered a Guest Designer spot for a future challenge. Happy crafting!

Please remember that this is a CAS challenge. Here is a definition to remind you:

I'm also playing at:

Alphabet Challenge Blog - D Is For Distress Inks/Papers

Use Your Stuff #357 - Tags Or Frames

I Love Math Challenge #13 - Infinity

Have An Awesome Brithday

I made this card for a DT friend who has been so welcoming, friendly, kind, and generous to me as I began a new DT gig and beyond. I heat embossed this awesome mermaid's tail in silver, and colored it with Copics. I placed it on a background that I made with Distress Oxide Inks and plastic wrap, sprayed it with shimmer spray and die cut it with a scalloped rectangle die. 

I adhered a seaweed die cut and the tail, added the sentiment banner, and voila! The background came out beautifully. It looks to me like what you would see under water when the sun is shining above. I love this one!

I am playing at:

CIC #449 - Under The Sea

Cards In Envy - Feeling Blue and Distressed

City Crafter Challenge Blog Week 418 - Seaside

Seize The Birthday - Anything Goes

SimonSaysStamp Wednesady Challenge - Anything Goes

Just Us Girls - Anything Goes

Bubbly Thanks

ATCAS #134 - Bubbles

Time for a new challenge at ATCAS! Our host is Anja, and our sponsor is Happy Little Stampers.

Valliam, of Nifty Crafty is our Guest Designer!

For my card, I used Hero Arts stamps and dies, and inks from Papertrey Ink and Tsukineko. The background bubbles are from Designs by Ryn.

Please head over to the Addicted To CAS Challenge Blog and check out the wonderful creations Valliam and the ATCAS Design Team have whipped up for your inspiration. Join us in the gallery for a chance to win a gift voucher for the Happy Little Stampers store. 

Please remember, this is a CLEAN AND SIMPLE (CAS) Challenge.

Have fun!

I am also playing at:

Mod Squad Challenge Blog - Simply Clean

No Grit, No Pearl.

This Mermaid's Tail set from Ellen Hutson by Julie Ebersole is getting a lot of use in my craft room. I LOVE it. I made this card for a craft gathering where each participant created 2 similar cards to share. It was a wonderful day. I used some techniques that were new to me on this one.  If you look closely, you can see some feint embossing on the DOX background. I used the stencil from Hero Arts May Card Kit for the embossing. This is a new technique to me, and I am using it frequently right now. I also used water to stamp the sea bubbles (Designs By Ryn) on the DOX ink background. I LOVE the effect. There is so much wonderful color and texture on this card. It's a keeper... or maybe a sender...

I am playing at:

Inkspirational Challenge #140 - I chose the colors and sea theme as my inspiration.

Watercooler Wednesday #130 - Feminine Anything Goes

The Wonder of the Sea

Anyone who knows me knows that the sea is my preferred place of existence.  Today, when I was looking at the new PTI release and the fabulous creations that the design team came up with, I found THIS fabulous card made by Debbie Olson.  How gorgeous is that sand and sea?  I immediately knew I had to CASE it, and then I can up with the perfect idea for the LIM challenge #67 this week which is to make a one layer card using 3 stamps.  I just love, love, love this.  I hope you like it too.


Supplies:
Stamps~Crafty Secrets-Seaside.
Paper~SU Confetti Cream.
Ink~PTI Harvest Gold, Classic Kraft, Hawaiian Shores, Aqua Mist, Ranger Tumbled Glass, VersaFine Onyx Black.
Accessories~Inkylicious Ink Dusters, ZIG Writer Chalk White, Post-its.