love... and a new sketch!

Here's another card we made at the class I taught on Saturday: 

love... love... love...
I used Sahara Sand for the card base. The Strawberry Slush layer needed a little texture, so the Chevron Embossing Folder was put to work. 

After stamping the Positively Chevron background stamp in Bermuda Bay ink onto Coastal Cabana card stock, I used a Framelit from the Hearts Collection to die cut my focal point. Don't you just love that little stamped banner??!! This perfect little sentiment is from the Banner Blast (Sale-A-Bration) stamp set, and I punched it out using the Banner (Sale-A-Bration) punch. Three Basic Rhinestones add just the right amount of bling... love.  :}

P.S. - I love you... so here's my sketch. Enjoy!!

let's talk about scrapbooking

Hello and Happy Friday!! I'm hoping to spend the weekend doing a little scrapbooking, but somehow I have the feeling I'll be taking more pictures to "scrapbook later" than I will actually scrapbook. Well, that is if the rain doesn't turn into a downpour at our campout.
I've been pondering scrapbook styles lately... 
My scrapbooks are primarily 12x12 full-page layouts. I will occasionally create a smaller album for a trip or special event. I also like to make digital pages just for the heck of it (these pages of my boys are saved onto a disc for them to keep). But there are so many options... page size, bound book vs individual pages, single page vs full-page layout, traditional vs digital or hybrid... 

Inside my scrapbooks, you will find pages created with "traditional products" --

Note: the chalkboard art technique looks just as great on scrapbook pages as it does on cards. Be sure to try all of your card-making techniques on your scrapbook pages! 

You will also find digital pages...

Note: I started this page to measure 11 x 8-1/2, but I have plans to import it into a 12x12 project. I LOVE that I can do that in seconds with My Digital Studio! 

...and "hybrid" pages. Hybrid projects combine both digital and traditional products.

Note: One great benefit of digi-scrapping is editing my photo size multiple times while creating the layout. On this layout, I ended up making one photo cover the entire 12x12 page - LOVE!

Note: traditional supplies include stamped and punched layers, chipboard, buttons, etc.

So what are your thoughts on scrapbooking? Are you a traditional or digital scrapper - or both! What's your preferred size? Do you scrap single or two-page layouts? What types of projects do you like to look at online? I'd love to get a good discussion going!!

***** Isn't that title/ journaling box on the digi page neat?? Click on over to my Facebook page to get it (and two more!) for free. They will look great on your scrapbook pages! Print them now so you can use them tomorrow while you're scrapping for National Scrapbooking Day!  :}  *****

clean and simple - part 3

Ok, my last "clean and simple" card... for a little while, anyway.  ;) 

This card using CAS Sketch 236 was super fun to make. Three different patterns from the More Amore DSP got to play! To a Notecard, I adhered a layer of Sahara Sand card stock and then a layer of DSP. Instead of stamping some sort of circular image, I Snipped a scallop circle image out of a sheet from the More Amore DSP, and stamped one of the hearts from the Hearts a Flutter stamp set in Primrose Petals ink. 

The Hearts a Flutter Framelits made quick work of cutting out my stamped banner, stamped heart, and a "heart of hearts" from the DSP. 
I decided to omit the greeting, since the background I chose is rather busy. I stamped the greeting I wanted - for my Mom - inside the card, which might surprise her since I don't usually stamp inside my cards... too much to say! 
Which makes me curious... do you usually stamp inside your cards? If you do, all of them or only for certain occasions? Just wondering...

one sketch... two cards

Yesterday was such a beautiful day! It was sunny and kinda warm (51 degrees in the afternoon!), so the boys spent the day running around outside keeping you all safe from pirates, dragons, storm troopers, and aliens. AND, I had soooo much fun at my afternoon stamping class. Do you know what we will be doing today? Shoveling!

How do you like the contrast of our palm branches in the snow??? Crazy Spring weather! 

For both of the cards I'm sharing today, I used the same card sketch:

Here's the simple birthday card from yesterday's class-

stamp sets: Spring Sampler, Made for You

Embossing Folder: Chevron

DSP: Tea for Two 

And here's the card from the craft night I held at the grade school last week- 

stamp set: Madison Avenue 

Embossing Folder: Vine Street 

DSP: Sycamore Street 

Well, whatever kind of weather Spring has brought to your door today, I hope your day is fabulous! Thanks for stopping by my blog... now go stamp something!!  :} 

gettin' sketchy during Sale-A-Bration

Hello again friends! A while back,  Hmmmm, about a month ago??? Yikes! Anywho, at some point in my "recent" past I found an awesome sketch on Splitcoast Stampers. I knew right away that I wanted to use the Madison Avenue stamp set (a Sale-A-Bration choice) with this sketch. And I did... it's just taken me this long to post it... sigh.

Don't you just LOVE how the colors play together on this card?! You have the softness of the Sahara Sand and Pool Party, and then, "HELLO" -  Tangerine Tango. Fun!  :}

The Sycamore Street DSP layer (also a Sale-A-Bration choice) reminds me of the ceiling treatment we had in the basement of the house I grew up in!  :}
I used the Vine Street Embossing Folder (yup, another Sale-A-Bration item) to add texture to my Pool Party layer of card stock. And the Sycamore Street button (hey, guess what... another Sale-A-Bration goodie!) adds just the right "pop" to the card. 

Well, I'm off to tend to the eight trillion things that need to get done today. Or, maybe I can put some off until "later" and stamp for a bit... 

 

love for my hubby

I thought I would make a card for my hubby today... just to tell him "love ya, babe." When I work on boy cards, I like to add lots of texture. I also try to avoid some of my favorite goodies, like ribbon, rhinestones, and pearls. Man, it's hard for me not to use those! But, even without all the pretties, I really, really like how this card turned out!!

Concord Crush, Pool Party, and Sahara Sand - what an interesting color combo!! I got my color combo from the Create with Connie and Mary blog - CCMC187 Color Challenge.
I started with Concord Crush for my card base. Then I added a layer of Concord Crush DSP, which I dry embossed using the Houndstooth Embossing Folder. To add even more interest to the DSP layer, I lightly sanded over the raised areas with a Sanding Block.
The Sahara Sand card stock strip is also dry embossed with a new Embossing Folder strip. It's one of three that come in the Adorning Accents Embossing Folders set. I lightly sponged Sahara Sand ink over the raised areas to add a little more definition.
The sentiment from the Outlined Occasions Sale-a-Bration set is stamped in Concord Crush ink. The Concord Crush, Pool Party, and Sahara Sand hearts are die cut/ embossed using the new Fashionable Hearts Embosslit. And don't you love the vellum heart??!! I used the Scalloped Heart of Hearts Embosslit to die cut/ emboss the thinner weight Vellum Paper. I love the effect!!
I can't wait to give it to my hubby! You can't ever say "I love you" too many times  :}

can't resist a little summer fun ;)

Ok, dorky play on words for the title ;) I couldn't "resist!"
Now that I'm done cracking myself up, here's today's card-

This is a card we made at my Technique Tuesday class in July. The technique on this card is called "wax paper resist." You will need Glossy Card stock, wax paper, and an iron to do this technique. Crumple up a piece of wax paper (cut slightly larger than the Glossy Card Stock), and then gently flatten back out. "Sandwich" the wrinkled wax paper between two layers of Glossy Card Stock - glossy sides touching the wax paper. Quickly "iron" on one of the plain/ back sides of the card stock. The heat from the iron will "melt" some of the wax onto the glossy surfaces. Now you are ready to create!
I sponged Pool Party ink onto the Glossy Card Stock - use the back of the sponge section to rub any excess ink from the waxy spots. To create the look of seaweed, I stamped an image from Pocket Silhouettes using Lucky Limeade ink. A sentiment from Pocket Silhouettes is stamped in Lucky Limeade ink onto Lucky Limeade card stock, and punched out with the Curly Label Punch. The Glossy Card Stock is adhered to a piece of Island Indigo card stock, which I hand cut a wavy edge around.
The octopus image from the Summer Splash stamp set is stamped in Island Indigo ink onto Whisper White card stock, snipped out, and attached with Dimensionals. The Lucky Limeade striped DSP is from the 2011-2013 Patterns Designer Series Paper Stack. Some paper piercing into the Sahara Sand card stock adds a nice little detail, and the shells (colored with Sahara Sand, More Mustard, and Calypso Coral Markers) are the perfect finishing touch.
I have had a ton of fun using the Summer Splash stamp set from the Summer Mini. This set is only available through the end of August, so if you don't have it already, stop by my Online store and pick yours up today!
Happy stamping :)

Sahara Sand

Sahara Sand reminds me of khaki pants - it doesn't get all the 'color glory' but it goes with everything. ☺It makes a great neutral, especially if you want something lighter than Crumb Cake.

 

The "Creative Combination" colors are Sahara Sand, Bravo Burgundy, and Pink Pirouette. I used the Medallion background stamp and the Oval All stamp set for this card. I stamped the Medallion a second time in Pink Pirouette ink onto Very Vanilla card stock, and punched the center out with the 1-3/4" Circle punch. The Scallop Oval and 1-3/4"x7/8" Oval punches got to come over and play, too. And to finish it off, the Basic Pearls are the perfect accessory.

 The "Sweet Set" colors are Sahara Sand, Pacific Point, and Cajun Craze. I grabbed the Bugs & Kisses stamp set for this card - L♥VE this stamp set! The pleated strip in Pacific Point is from the Patterns Designer Series Paper Stack: Brights. The three punches used on this card are: 1-3/4" Scallop Circle, 1-3/8" Circle, and 1-1/4" Circle.