Soak Up The Sun

AAA Cards Challenge #71 - Blending - is up and running.

Our generous sponsor is Happy Little Stampers. Challenge winner will receive a $20.00 gift certificate for the Happy Little Stampers Store.

I really love the blending technique. There are endless ways to use it. Here is my take:

Please head on over to the AAA Cards Challenge Blog and check out what the DT has created for your inspiration. Leave them some love. Then pull out your own blending tools and inks and make something of your own for our challenge.

Snowflake Christmas

It's time for the Happy Little Stampers August Christmas Challenge where the theme is snowflakes.

This challenge is sponsored by:

Here is my take:

I watercolored the top panel with various distress inks, and splattered it with water. I die cut the watercolored panel with Simon Says Stamp's Snowflake Block die. I die cut a piece of white glitter paper with the same die, and inlaid the watercolor pieces.  Using the Paper Smooches Merry Christmas die, I cut it from black card stock, inlaid it at the bottom and finished it off with some Hero Arts snowflake sequins. This photograph does not do the sparkles justice, but is really is quite sparkly.

Please go the HLS Christmas Challenge Blog and check out the awesome designs of the HLS DT, then make a Christmas project of your own featuring SNOWFLAKES! Have fun!

I am also linking my card to the following challenges:

Lori's Christmas In Summer Link Up at Merry Monday Christmas Card Challenge Blog.

Merry Monday Christmas Card Challenge Blog, has opened a link for the summer months so you can "catch up" on previous Merry Monday challenges you may have missed or want to do again and have fun! The link up is open NOW and will go until August 31 at noon! 

Time Out #63 - Theme with an optional twist.

'Holidays with the Optional Twist of No Stamping' 
(stamped sentiments allowed)

You can opt to use any holiday you want. Perhaps you are behind on your Christmas cards or you want to think of sunny times, skiing holidays. The list is endless. Up to you, just have some holiday fun!

To Brighten Your Day

I am thrilled to be here today as Guest Designer at the Time Out Challenge Blog for Challenge #62. What an honor to be designing among these talented crafters!!

Here is the Photo inspiration:

And here is my take:

I was very attracted to the group of hanging lamps in the photo. I decided to take that piece of the photo literally using PTI's Lighten Up stamps and dies. To hang the lamps, I used the chain from Joanna Sheen's Hanging Basket Die with SU Brushed Silver card stock. I just got this wonderful black and white Doodle Bug Washi Tape from The Heart Desires Store. It put me in mind of the black frames in the inspiration photo, so I added it across the bottom of my card.

I am so grateful to have this opportunity to GD at Time Out today. Please head over to the Time Out Challenge Blog, check out what the wonderful DT has created and play along. 

Stash Favorite

Hello! Hello! Time for a new game over at AAA Cards, and this time, the theme is "One Stash Favorite". Challenge winner will receive a gift certificate from our generous sponsor, Stampendous.

It's very hard to pick a Stash Fav, but I have to say that PTI and Paper Smooches number dies are high on my fav list. I have made many cards/projects with numbers on them over time. I mentioned in another recent post, that this is the year of the Sweet 16 in my house.  My twin boys are 16. There have been many invitations that have come our way this year, so the "1" and the "6" dies have been getting a workout! 

I wanted to make a card that matched this invitation from a close family friend:

This is what I came up with:

The cascade of gold dots put me in mind of an image from PTI's Grunge Me set. I stamped it repeatedly across the top, die cut the "16" from gold glitter paper with PTI Numbers dies, mounted them on a stitched circle, and added the "sweet" from MFT's Labelmaker Love.

Please head on over the the AAA Cards Challenge Blog and see the wonderful inspiration the DT has created. What's in your stash that you consider a favorite??? Pull it out and give it a go, then link your project to the AAA Gallery. Have fun! And remember to keep it CAS!

HLS July Mixed Media Challenge GD

I am thrilled to be here today as

 for The July Mixed Media Challenge for which the theme is: 

Here is my take:

Mixed media is not my usual style, so I immersed myself into looking at lots of inspiration pieces to come up with something wonderful for this exciting GD opportunity. I loved it because it really pushed me out of my comfort zone.

To begin the creative process, I reached for my box of "cool things that I can use on a card someday". I came upon this fabulous tag that I saved from a cross body bag that I bought in late winter in a little boutique on Long Beach Island in New Jersey. The designer is Spartina449.

This is the tag:

It was the perfect piece to start with. I added things here and there until I was happy with my panel.

I am also linking my project to Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Inspiration Board.

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Winnie & Walter-The Big, The Bold and Fun, Hero Arts-Live Well Collage
Inks: VersaMark, VersaFine Black Onyx, PTI Ocean Tides Re-Inker, Yellow Distress Inks
Accessories: Paper Smooches Power Rays Die, Webster's Pages ribbon, Perfect Pearls, Heidi Swap Color Shine-Gold, Tim Holtz-Burlap Layering Stencil, Dreamweaver Embossing White Paste, Glossy Accents, White embossing powder, heat gun.

Thank you to Happy Little Stampers for giving me the opportunity to be Guest Designer for this fun Challenge  Please click HERE to check out the gorgeous creations that the Happy Little Stampers Design Team has made and leave them some love. Then find some fabulous thing or things to recycle for a mixed media creation of your own, and play along!

Merry & Bright

Hooray! I have been given the awesome opportunity to be on the Design Team for Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge starting with the July 2016 challenge through December 2016. What an honor!! So, let the games begin!

The July Christmas Challenge is:

First place winner will receive a $15.00 gift to the HLS Store.

And here is my take on the challenge:

I used PTI's Rustic Wreath stamps and die to create my card.  I die cut the wreath from Gold glitter paper. I die cut it again on Ninah Solar White Paper, stamped it with Memento Tuxedo Black and filled in the leaves with a Zig Painty Gold Marker. I added some tiny red rhinestones and pine sprays made with a Martha Stewart punch.  Please head over to the Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge, and see what my wonderful Design Teamates have created and leave them some love.  Then get your Ho Ho Ho on, and create a Christmas project featuring something GOLD and play with us!

I am also going to play the following challenges:

Muse Christmas Visions #51

CTS #179

Both of the above challenges have circular main images with sentiment in the middle.

Thanks for stopping by today!!

Just For You

I hope you had a chance to play AAA Game #67 - Googley Eyes. It was so fun to see all of the wonderful creations in the gallery. It's time for Game #68, and this time, it is "tags".  Happy Little Stampers is our wonderful sponsor.

The first place winner will receive a $20.00 Gift Certificate for the Happy Little Stampers Store. 

 Here is my take:

The top of my tag is watercolored then sprayed with Shimmer Mist. The bottom is from a scrap of PP and the inlaid die is done with glittered fun foam. The sentiment is from Happy Little Stampers Butterfly Birthday set.

I am also linking up at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, where the theme is Anything Goes.

Please head on over to the AAA Cards Challenge Blog and take a look at the wonderful DT creations. Create a tag of your own, link up to the gallery, and you may win a gift certificate to Happy Little Stampers! Have fun, and have a great day.