Thanks and a Farewell {Paper Smooches SPARKS}

Good morning friends,

It's time for another Paper Smooches SPARKS challenge!  Since this month has 5 Sundays, it's a bonus Anything Goes challenge and here's my card:

This card is all about die-cutting.  I built a background using the Hexalong dies and die cut a pretty thanks from gold cardstock. I adhered the sentiment to a circle to help set it apart a bit from the background.  The Paper Smooches products I used are as follows: 

• Hexalongs Dies
• Thanks Word 2 Die

This post is also my farewell to the Paper Smooches SPARKS team.  I am stepping down due to increasing demands on my time at work and home. This was such a hard decision to make because I just LOVE Paper Smooches and my SPARKS gals.  It's been a true joy serving on the team for the past year and a half, and I am so grateful to Kim and Sav for allowing me the opportunity. I also hope to continue to pop in and play along with challenges as a player as time allows. You can read the official announcement here and meet the new members of the team.  (Welcome Karin and Audrey!  Woot woot!!) 

Ready to play?  Just link up your creation to the Paper Smooches blog by 11:59 Pacific Time on Saturday, June 6th.  The winner of this week's challenge will receive a $30.00 gift certificate to the Paper Smooches store. 

The following SPARKS team members are playing along with this week's challenge: 

Audrey

Lisa

Erin

Jenny

Katie

Larissa

Lori

Lynn

Savannah

Thanks for stopping by!  I can't wait to see what you create! 

Katie

Hip Hip Hooray for Ellie {Avery Elle}

Hello friends, 

I am over at the Avery Elle blog today with a cute card featuring the super cute Ellie stamp set and coordinating dies. 

Adorable sets like these make me wish I was more skilled at coloring!  I stamped, colored and die cut the elephant along with two star shaped balloons and adhered them to a simple scene I made using patterned paper from the Sorbet Collection paper pad and a scrap piece of Lemon Grass card stock that I cut with one of the Dotted Borders Elle-ments die.  

Well, that's all for me today, but stay tuned because Avery Elle's summer release starts on Monday, June 1 and we'll be celebrating with a big blog hop celebration towards the end of next week.   I can't wait for you to see everything that Jamie will be introducing.  Seriously fun, cute and inspiring stuff! 

Be sure to stop by the Avery Elle blog today and every day for all the updates and even more inspiration! 

Thanks for stopping by! 

Katie

Tombow + Waffle Flower Blog Hop

Good morning!  

Welcome to the Tombow + Waffle Flower Crafts blog hop.  The teams from each of these companies have come together today to share some inspiration using Waffle Flower and Tombow products.  I am super excited to share a couple of projects that I made.  

First up- the sticky stuff- and I am talking about these Adhesive Dots from Tombow! 

So my original thought was to add glitter or even gold embossing powder to these Adhesive Dots, but I really liked the way they looked in their natural form.  My challenge was to deactivate the sticky without messing with the color too much. 

Clear embossing powder to the rescue!  Since things were about to get seriously sticky, I stamped my sentiment first.  The sentiment is from the Congrats Stamp Set. After placing the Adhesive Dots on the card in my desired pattern, I carefully peeled off the remaining plastic sheet and sprinkled the card with clear embossing powder.  I zapped it with the heat gun and voila- fun confetti using Adhesive Dots!

Next up, something a little more dreamy...

For this card, I used Tombow Dual Brush Markers to create the dreamy background on watercolor card stock.  To create the blended background, I first scribbled color onto an acrylic stamp block, picked up the pigment with a baby wipe and rubbed the wipe onto the card stock.  I learned the hard way, to only do one color at a time and allow the card stock to completely dry before moving onto next steps. 

I die cut the Doily Circle Die and glued it to the background using Tombow's Multi Liquid Glue.  Liquid glue is perfect for detailed die cuts and the fine tip applicator allowed me to put just the right amount of adhesive onto the die cut.  

I stamped and heat embossed the feathers from the Feather More stamp set and the sentiment is from the Doily Circle Stamp Set. 

Giveaways!!!

Now, you can't have a hop without prizes, so Waffle Flower is giving away a Doily Square Die and Doily Square Stamp Set.  Tombow is giving away a set of Bright Dual Brush Pens, the Tombow Mono Aqua Liquid Glue, Tombow Adhesive Dots and Tombow Foam Tape.

To enter to win the prizes, just leave a comment on any of the participating designer's blogs by June 2.  The list of designers is below. :)   Happy hopping and good luck! 

Waffle Flower Blog 

Amanda Coleman 

Jennie Garcia 

Lorena Cantó 

Jennifer Priest 

Sabrina Alery 

Daniella Hayes

Mayline Jung 

Latrice Murphy 

Tessa Wise 

Beth Watson 

Katie Gehring 

Tombow Blog 

#TBT- Surf's Up {Avery Elle}

Hello friends, 

It's time for another #TBT with Avery Elle and this time we are featuring the Surf's Up stamp set.  Surf's Up is such a great set, and it's perfect for all the dudes in your life.  

For my card, I stamped the waves in Sea Glass ink onto a Sea Glass notecard around the edge of the card.  I stamped and colored the van before trimming it out and adhering it to the notecard. I added the surf boards with Fizz ink and the sentiment with black ink. 

Here's a look at the entire set: 

Well, that's all for me today, but be sure to stop by the Avery Elle blog for even more inspiration using this fun set and for a chance to win this set for your very own! 

Thanks for stopping by!

Katie

Coloring for Grown Ups {Waffle Flower Crafts}

or how I spent my Friday night... :)

Hello friends, 

Recently, I was sent a set of Tombow markers (more on that later this week) and I decided to try my hand a some therapeutic coloring using Waffle Flower Craft's Doily Circle Die.  Coloring books for grown ups are officially a thing and all the fine details and nooks and crannies of the doily circle die provide a perfect backdrop for some coloring techniques. 

First, I die cut the doily onto white card stock.  Since the doily circle die is so intricate, I typically use a metal shim to cut through all the pieces of the die.  But since I wanted the emboss the doily shape only, I ran the die through my die cut machine without the shim just enough to cut the outer shape.  I used washi tape to secure a couple of inner pieces that were cut through. 

The markers come with a colorless blender pen enabling a watercolor look with no water.  I scribbled the marker pigment onto a plastic palette and used the colorless blender to pick up the color and add it to the doily.

I continued added color in ROYGBIV order to the center of the doily, but saving the outer edger red for last.  I adhered the colored doily to a green note card and added a yellow button to the center of the doily.  I die cut Congrats using the Congrats die from black card stock and adhered it to the card. 

Well, that's all for me today!  I will be back a bit later this week with more Tombow Marker fun.  

Until then, thanks for stopping by!

Katie

Tooth Fairy Smile Card {Paper Smooches SPARKS}

Hello friends, 

Today starts another Paper Smooches SPARKS challenge.  This week, it's a Designer Drafts or sketch challenge, and here's my take: 

My youngest daughter, Sophie, is at that age where is seems like she has a wiggly tooth every other week.  I thought it might be fun for the Tooth Fairy to leave her tooth payment in a cute card. 

I stamped the starry pattern at the bottom of a pink notecard before adding some white pigment ink to give it a dreamy look.  The tooth fairy's wings are made from vellum which I die cut with the Hearts dies.   All Paper Smooches supplies are linked below. 

Stamps: 

• Spring Fling
• Royal Cuteness
• Scripty Sayings

Dies:

• Hearts dies
• Tooth Fairy die

And here's a look at this week's inspiration sketch: 

Ready to play?  You know the routine!   You have until 11:59 PT on Saturday, May 30, 2015 to link up your take on this week's challenge to the Paper Smooches SPARKS blog for a chance to win a $30.00 gift certificate to the Paper Smooches store.  

Be sure to check out the amazing inspiration from the other members of the SPARKS design team playing along with this week's challenge: 

Larissa Heskett
Lori Tecler
Lynn Mangan
Savannah O'Gwynn

I can't wait to see what you create!  

Thanks for stopping by!
Katie

Lovin' Spoonfuls {Avery Elle}

Hello friends and Happy Friday! 

I am on the Avery Elle blog today sharing a card featuring the Homemade stamp and die set and the Gift Card Elle-ments die set.  

Tis the season for weddings and this is the little card I created for my coworker who is getting married next weekend.  

I stamped and die cut the spoons from the Homemade stamp set and colored them with markers.  Next, I added the cute faces from the We Go Together stamp set and the "Mr." and "Mrs." monograms using the Elle's Alphas stamp set.  

I adhered the spoons to a panel of striped paper from the Sorbet Collection paper pad. The thin ribbon bow and hearts are from the Finished Frames Elle-ment die set. 

Before adhering the completed panel to the notecard, I die cut the note card using the Gift Card Elle-ments die and affixed a Target Gift Card using some baker's twine.  I love how this die can accommodate all different shapes of gift cards.   

Well that's all for me today, but be sure to stop by the Avery Elle blog for even more inspiration from my talented teamies!

Thanks for stopping by!

Katie

Birthday Bunny Shaker Card {Avery Elle}

Hello friends, 

I am on the Avery Elle blog today with this fun card featuring the Party Bunny stamp set.  I die cut a large balloon from the Balloons Elle-ments die set and used it to determine the placement of the party bunny which I stamped in Cherry ink on a white notecard. 

I covered the balloon die opening with white tissue paper and added a few red and yellow sequins to make a shaker card. 

The red heart patterned paper is from The Jewel Collection paper pad and the sentiment is from the Sending You stamp set.  

Well that's all for me today, but be sure to stop by the Avery Elle blog to check out a card made by my sweet and talented teamie, Karolyn Loncon!  

Thanks for stopping by!

Katie

Faber Castell Inspiration Week at Waffle Flower Crafts

Hello friends,

So in the past when I have tried my hand at cool, artsy, mixed media techniques, I have achieved decidedly mixed results.  But then Faber-Castell sent the Waffle Flower Crafts team an amazing set of art supplies, so I decided to try, try again and this time with better results.  In fact, this post could be called "that time I tried mixed media techniques and didn't die..."

I am on the Waffle Flower blog today with THREE cards perfect for mixed media beginners, like me.

I do hope you will pop over and see what I have been up to.  And if that's not motivation enough, stop by to enter to win the blog hop prize- a $50.00 gift certificate to the Waffle Flower Store!

Hope to see you there! 

Katie

Tea Time Card {Avery Elle}

Hello friends, 

I am on the Avery Elle blog today sharing a card I made with the Tea Time stamp set and coordinating dies. 

I stamped several tea cups and a lone saucer on white cardstock and colored them with Copic Markers before die-cutting each shape.  I stacked the tea cups and to give them a true nested look, I carefully cut the rim of each cup and inserted the stacked cups.  I secured the cups to each other with tape runner in the front and a bit of washi tape in the back.  

I adhered the stack of cups and saucer to a white note card on which I had adhered a strip of cheerful gingham paper from the Everyday Collection Paper Pad.  I little doily on top of the gingham lends a fun tablecloth look.  I added the sentiment in black ink before adding a few sequins as a finishing touch. 

That's all for me today, but you should totally stop by the Avery Elle blog for even more ideas and inspiration- seriously- it's good stuff over there!  

Thanks for stopping by! 

Katie

Little Peanut Card {Avery Elle}

Good morning friends,

It's time for another Avery Elle- Throwback Thursday, and this month, we are featuring the Oh Baby stamp set.  Oh Baby is just brimming with images and sentiment to help you make the most fabulous baby cards.  Although this set can most certainly stand on it's own, what I noticed was how well the set plays with other stamp sets.

I decided to focus on the peanut image and sentiment included in the set and paired it up with the adorable Ellie stamp set.  On a Sea Glass notecard from the Caribbean note card set, I stamped the peanut in coordinating ink to create a background.  Next I added a strip of patterned paper from the Everyday Collection paper pad along with a small strip of Fog card stock.

I die cut the Circle Tag Elle-ment and trimmed the tag end.  I stamped the Little Peanut sentiment from Oh Baby and adhered the Elephant image which I had stamped, colored with copic markers, and die cut.  Finally, I stamped and colored the peanut before trimming it from cardstock and placing it at the end of Ellie's trunk.

Well that's all for me today, but please be sure to stop by the Avery Elle blog for even more Oh Baby inspiration!

Thanks for stopping by!

Katie

Simple Happy Birthday Card {SPARKS Challenge}

Hello friends, 

It's time for another Paper Smooches SPARKS challenge!  This week it's ANYTHING GOES and here's my take: 

You can never have too many birthday cards on hand, especially those that can work for both gals and guys.  I had picked up the Incognito stamp set a few months ago and it was just waiting for the perfect card to make it's debut.  I stamped the glasses and added a triangle from the Design Motifs stamp set as a party hat.  Before stamping the triangle on the card, I pressed the diagonal line stamp block from Kissables 2 stamp set against it to create the fun pattern.  The sentiment is from one of my favorites and most used Paper Smooches stamp sets- Sentiment Sampler. 

Lest the card be too plain and simple, I dressed up the edges by die cutting a dashed line on either side of the stamped panel using the Dots and Dashes dies and I filled in the lens of the glasses with Glossy Accents. 

Ready to play?  You know the routine!   You have until 11:59 PT on Saturday, May 9, 2015 to link up your take on this week's challenge to the Paper Smooches SPARKS blog for a chance to win a $30.00 gift certificate to the Paper Smooches store.  

Be sure to check out the amazing inspiration from the other members of the SPARKS design team playing along with this week's challenge: 

Larissa Heskett
Lori Tecler
Lynn Mangan
Savannah O'Gwynn

I can't wait to see what you create!  

Thanks for stopping by!
Katie

Fly By Birthday Card {Avery Elle}

Good morning friends, 

Happy Friday!  I am on the Avery Elle blog today sharing a fun birthday card I made with the Fly By stamp set and coordinating Fly By Elle-ments Dies, or the Fly Dies, as I like to call them. :)

I covered my card base with patterned paper from the Everyday Collection patterned paper pad and then stamped and die cut the plane, banner, and clouds.  I colored the plane with Copic markers- opting for orange this time, and I added very pale blue shading to the clouds for a little extra depth. 

I just love how this came together- it's a perfect birthday card for all the little aviators in your life! 

Well, that's all for me today!  Be sure to stop by the Avery Elle blog for even more inspiration from my talented teammates!  

Thanks for stopping by! 

Katie