Island Time {Avery Elle}

Hello friends, 

Could you use a little Island Time? After the past year, I know I could! I was able to plan a little island escape via a card using the adorable Island Time stamp set. Island Time has all the elements you need to create a darling, tropical scene.

I stamped all my images, colored them with Copic Markers and die cut the stamped images using the coordinating Island Time Elle-ments dies. 

Next, I die cut a panel of white card stock with the large stitched rectangle from the Easy Layers Elle-ments dies. I blended a circle of yellow ink using Distress Oxides in Squeezed Lemonade and Mustard Seed. I adhered the stamped images and stamped the sentiment onto the panel with Versafine ink. As a finishing touch, I adhered a few flat clear sequins. 

Supplies

Island Time clear stamps

Die- Island Time Elle-ments

Die- Easy Layers Elle-ments

Thanks for stopping by! 

Katie

Beary Good Friends {Avery Elle}

Hello friends,

Popping in today to share a card featuring Avery Elle's sweet Beary Good Friends stamp set.

I wanted to create a simple background for these adorable images, so I did that by blending Distress Oxide ink onto a panel of watercolor card stock. The top two-thirds of the card is the sky and the bottom third of the card is the grass. I left a small area between the sky and grass clear so that the colors wouldn't bleed together. For a little extra interest on the simple background, I spattered the sky portion with a coordinating ink color.

I stamped, colored and die-cut the images. Before adhering the stamped images to the card, I stamped some of the tufts of grass onto the bottom third of the card. Once all the elements were in place, I stamped the sentiment and the butterfly trail with black ink.

Supplies: 

Beary Good Friends Clear Stamps

Die: Beary Good Friends Elle-ments

Thanks for stopping by to say hello! 

Be well, 

Katie

Peek-A-Boo Summer Pals

Hi friends!

It's Peek-A-Boo Summer Pals week on the Avery Elle Blog, and I am so excited to share a card I made using this cute stamp set.

I used the Sea Scene Elle-Ments die to create a little background for a Peek-A-Boo Summer Pal pool party.  The Summer Scene die is perfect for tucking the Pals into the waves.

I stamped, colored, and die cut the images  before adhering them onto the Sea Scene die cut.  I stamped the sentiment and speech bubble with black ink and added a yellow sun to the corner of the water scene. I die cut a yellow circle with the edge of the Sea Scene die to nest the two shapes together.

Supplies

Peek-A-Boo Summer Pals Clear Stamps

Die- Peek-A-Boo Summer Pals Elle-Ments

Die- Sea Scene Elle-Ments

I hope this sunshiny card brightens your day! 

Thanks for stopping by!

Katie

Loads of Wishes {Avery Elle}

Hello friends,

I have a card to share today featuring just one of the greetings from the Loads of Wishes stamp set.  Loads of Wishes is filled with so many sentiments for every occasion!  The set features beautiful styling and fonts that take the guess-work out of designing the perfect sentiment.

For my card, I paired Loads of Wishes with the new Hand Drawn Florals stamp set.  I stamped the floral images with Versafine ink and heat embossed them with Avery Elle's Clear Embossing powder.  I colored the images with Copic markers and arranged them on a panel of patterned paper from the Sorbet Collection patterned paper pad.

I heat embossed the "hello" sentiment with Avery Elle's white embossing powder onto a strip of black card stock and adhered it to the panel.  I attached the completed panel to a black note card and added a few clear gems as a finishing touch.

Supplies

Loads of Wishes Clear Stamps

Hand Drawn Florals Clear Stamps

Dies- Hand Drawn Florals Elle-ments

Clear Fine Embossing Powder

Pure White Fine Embossing Powder

Sorbet Collection Paper Pad

Thanks for stopping by!

Katie

Sending Smiles {Avery Elle}

Hello friends!

Happy Friday!  I am on the Avery Elle blog today sharing an idea using the new Rocky Shores Elle-ments die. All of my Avery Elle supplies used on this card are linked below.

 I paired the die with the Hello Chum stamp set and coordinating dies to create an under the sea look.  I love the versatility of the die- it can be used to create a scene under the sea or on dry land.  The craggy cuts and the grass dies were really thoughtful additions to the die set.  I had fun tucking sea grass and coral shapes into the crevices of the ocean floor.  It really makes the rocky shape pop!

The watery background was created by blending distress inks onto a panel of watercolor card stock. The shark and fishy friends were colored with Copic Markers.

Supplies: 

Die: Rocky Shores Elle-ments

Hello Chum clear stamps

Die: Hello Chum Elle-ments

Well that's it for me today, but be sure to stop by the Avery Elle blog for even more fun inspiration from the Avery Elle team!

Thanks for stopping by!

Katie

Succulent Rock Garden {Waffle Flower Crafts)

Hello friends, 

Just popping in to share a quick and easy card I made using Waffle Flower Craft's Succulents stamp set and die.  I paired the Succulents with the Rock My World stamp set for a little indoor gardening. Or maybe I should call it indoor CARD-ening. :)  

There is something so zen and peaceful about rock gardens and even more so when tough little succulents are added to the mix.  On a panel of white card stock, I stamped the smaller rocks from the Rock My World stamp set in earthy tones of moss, charcoal, gray and tan.  Next, I inked up and stamped the succulents.  I rolled the outer edge of the stamps in a darker ink tone to give it a little added dimension.

Speaking of dimension, I used foam tape to plant these little guys in their rock garden.  I adhered the stamped panel to a kraft note card and stamped the "hello" sentiment in black ink.  I just love the Succulent trend- these low maintenance plants are right up my alley, so I hoping this one sticks around for a while. 

Thanks for stopping by!
Katie

Bonjour Mon Cheri {Avery Elle}

Hello friends and Happy Friday!  

I am on the Avery Elle blog today with this sweet + bold card featuring the Mon Cheri stamp set and Mon Cheri Ellements dies.  

I stamped and die cut the cherries and colored them with Zig Watercolor Markers adding a bit of highlighting with a white gel pen. I tried to place them in something that looked like a bowl, as in "life is a bowl of cherries," but it didn't quite translate the way I envisioned.  Instead, I placed them inside a circle and frame die cut with the Double Pierced Circle Ellements dies.  I went with a note card from the Caribbean Collection as the blue complimented the red and yellow quite nicely.  A full list of my supplies is linked below. 

Well, that's it for me today, but I do hope that you will stop by the Avery Elle blog to see more inspiration from the Avery Elle team.  

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Katie

Mon Cheri Card Supplies: 

Mon Cheri stamp set

Mon Cheri Ellements dies

Double Pierced Circles Ellements dies

The Caribbean Collection folded A2 cards

The Neutral Collection Paper Pad

Tribal Cats {Paper Smooches}

Howdy friends and Happy Monday!

I hope you had a great weekend!  Mine was spent running around getting these kiddos ready to start school at the end of the month with a little crafty time thrown in- so it was just about perfect. ;)

I am continuing my mission to put to use previously uninked stamp sets, affectionately referred to as "A Month of Neglect" and today, I have a card that uses 2 of such sets- Paper Smooches Tri-balation and Feline Friends.

I adore the fun patterns Kim designed for the Tri-balation set and I think I was "saving" it for the perfect design inspiration or occasion.  One of the lessons I am learning through the Month of Neglect is not to horde crafty supplies in anticipation of perfect- perfect rarely happens.  (truth)

So I just inked it up and stamped the borders with some Hero Arts inks (Lime Green, Soft Apricot, Tide Pool and Soft Granite).  Next I decided the card needed a little something, so I added one of the cats from the Feline Friends set in black ink.

I die cut a Word Bubble and stamped the sentiment (also from Feline Friends) inside the bubble.  I love that the font has sort of a groovy, tribal feel to it. 

I added a few strips of orange card stock as a mat and adhered the stamped panel to an aquamarine card base.

Oh and before I go, I wanted to announce the winner of the $10.00 Waffle Flower Crafts gift certificate.  Random.org told me the winner was #2- Marcie S. Congrats Marcie!  I will be sending you an email! 

Well, that's all for me today!  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Katie

Aloha {AE Challenge}

Hello and Happy Friday!

Today starts another AEI{heart}U challenge and this week's challenge theme is One Word.  What's One Word? Well it's easier than you think; it's creating a card with a single word sentiment. Think thanks, hello, happy, or even congrats! 

So my word this week is 'Aloha' and it was the perfect chance to play with the new Surf's Up set. 

First I created the beach and the water by die-cutting kraft and aquamarine card stock using Avery Elle's Custom Panel Dies.  I stamped the wave pattern onto the aqua card stock and adhered the die cuts to a white card base.  

Next, I paper pieced the palm tree and stamped the smallest surf board in the set with three different colors of ink.  They are all lined up waiting for their owners to take them on the next great adventure!  Finally, I stamped my one word, 'Aloha,' with aqua ink. 

Well that's it for me today. Be sure to stop by the AEI{heart}U blog for even more inspiration from the design team and to link up your take on this week's challenge.  I can't wait to see what you create!  

Thanks for stopping by!

Katie

Take 2 Thursday- Studio Calico Hello Hello

Hello, hello friends and Happy Thursday!

Lindsay and I are back for another Take 2 Thursday and this week, we are playing with the June Card Kit from Studio Calico called Hello Hello.

After my beloved Archivers closed earlier this year, I picked up a subscription to two kit clubs to have a way to infuse some newer crafty items into my supply stash each month.  It's been fun getting a box of inspiring goodies with a selection of patterned papers and embellishments. Any items that I don't see myself using, I plan to sell or give away to keep my supplies at a manageable level.

Of course, my favorite part of any kit is the stamps, so playing with the Hello Hello stamp set, I created two cards. First up, a floral thank you card.  I used some of the shapes in the stamp set to create some flowers and leaves.

I stamped the flower centers in black and added a black enamel dot to the center.  I stamped the sentiment in black ink and adhered the panel to a kraft card base. 

Next up is a more graphic card using the polka dot stamp.  I stamped the dots across the card front in rainbow shades of ink.  I alternated the direction of the stamp and it created the fun zig-zag pattern. 

I matted the stamped panel with black cardstock  and adhered it to a green card base.  

I stamped the sentiment on a strip of paper and adhered it to the card with foam tape. 

Here is a look at the June kit- I think there some still available at the Studio Calico store. ;o)

Well that's all for me today.  Be sure to stop by Lindsay's blog to see her fantastic work with this kit.  

Thanks for stopping by!

Katie

Flower Circles 3 Ways {Waffle Flower Crafts} and a GIVEAWAY

Hello friends!

I do hope that your week is off to a good start.  Over the weekend, I had a chance to sit down and play with the Flower Circle Stamp set from Waffle Flower Crafts and came up with three cards that use this set in (what I think to be) a unique way.

First up, I adore the graphic shapes that Nina included in the set, so I tried my hand at a very mod floral card.

I stamped the circles, flowers, berries, stems and leaves in primary shades of red, blue, yellow and green on a simple white card base.  Using the stem and the leaves images, I was able to create a new species of climbing red vine.

I balanced all the color and interested at the bottom of the card with the sentiment stamped in black ink. 

For the next card, I wanted to try one of the suggestions that Nina included on the tip visual with this set... create a wreath.  I curved the stem and leave image on my stamping block and stamped it four times to create a circle. 

I filled in the circle with the stamped leaves, circles and berries before stamping the sentiment in black at the bottom of the panel.  I adhered the stamped panel to a card base made from turquoise cardstock. 

My last card is my favorite of the trio (am I allowed to say that?) and represents another use for the circle images.

I partially die cut a panel of rustic cream card stock and stamped the fronts and backs of the circles in shades of peach, melon, and apricot to create a bouquet of balloons.  I pieced a hole for each balloon, threaded some string through the holes and tied the strings together into a bow.

A small glue dot keeps all the strings in place.  I stamped Hello in apricot ink and adhered the stamped panel to a fine linen card base with foam tape.

Here's a look at this versatile set...

And I just so happen to have a Flower Circle stamp set to give away!  Just leave me a comment letting me know how you would use flower circles by Friday at 10 p.m. EDT. The winner will be announced on Saturday morning. 

Well that's all for me today.  Thanks for stopping by! 

Katie

Take 2 Thursday: Lawn Fawn's Hello Sunshine Card

Hello friends!  

My friend cute friend, Lindsay, and I are back with another Take 2 Thursday!  This week we both made cards using Lawn Fawn's super adorbs Oh Happy Day set. 

And here is my card,

I couldn't resist making a bright, sunshiny card with this happy set.  I made my cardbase from a piece of yellow card stock.  Next, I trimmed and adhered a piece of the sun ray patterned paper from the Hello Sunshine petite paper pad. 

I die cut a cloud shape from white card stock and stamped "hello sunshine" in turquoise ink.  I stamped and paper pieced the bird and stamped a few red hearts as an accent.  Once all the stamping was complete, I rounded the bottem corners of the panel and card base and adhered the die cut and stamped panel to my card base with foam tape.  I think the dimension really adds some interest to an otherwise simple card.  

Well that's all for me today.  Don't forget to to stop by Lindsay's blog to check out her creation with this fun stamp set!  I know she has something amazing in store!  

Thanks for stopping by! 

Katie

PS- Oh, before I go, I wanted to announce the winner of the $10.00 Waffle Flower Craft code.  The winner was lucky #13- Makalah!  Makalah, I have sent you an email, but if you happened not to get it, please drop me a note at scrappy_diva (at) yahoo (dot) com and I will hook you up!  

Watercolor Nautical Card

Hi friends!

It's time for another AEI{heart}U challenge and I think you are really going to LOVE this week's theme- it's... wait for it.....  Watercolor!!! Can I get a woot-woot??!!

So I am a total Watercolor neophyte and this card is actually one of my first attempts, so I kept it simple with just water and a few drops of reinker.

Once my background dried, I stamped the waves from Knotty in blue ink.  Then I stamped and paper pieced the boat image.  I stamped the sentiment and added a bit of red grosgrain ribbon and a button tied with twine before adhering the panel to a cardstock base that I debossed with a woodgrain impression plate. 

Now it's YOUR turn! Go make something awesome with your Avery Elle stamps or free digi that incorporates watercoloring and link up your amazing creation to the  AEI{heart}U challenge blog.  Be sure to check even more inspiration from the Design Team as well as all the challenge deets and deadlines while you are there too.  

Thank you so much for stopping by!  I can't wait to see what you create!!!

Have a great day!

Katie

Winner- World Card Making Day Hop

Hello, 

Just popping in to announce the winner of the World Card Making Day Thank You Hop....

#76- Cheryl who wrote...

cheryl (clee') said...

Great way to use that die - very pretty card!

MARCH 2, 2014 AT 10:24 PM 

Cheryl, I'll be sending you an email, but feel free to reach out to me as well at scrappy_diva (at) yahoo (dot) com!  

Thank you to everyone who stopped by.  It was a lot of fun to play with the new card making supplies, and if you would like to try your hand at one of Paper Crafts & Scrapbooking Magazine's contest, they are accepting entries for the Stamping Royalty contest.  Click here for all the details.   Entries have to be postmarked by March 17, so get your crafty pants on and don't delay in getting your cards mailed in! 

I haven't been exactly knocking it out of the park with frequent updates to the blog and new fun projects to share.  Behind the scenes, I have been working on submissions for Paper Crafts'  Holiday Cards and More issue and a major overhaul of my crafty space.  Next up is paint... gulp... I am saying goodbye to the pale aqua and hello to a light gray and a fun stencil treatment for one of the walls....

via Royal Design Studio

I promise to share pics when it's complete! 

I don't want to sign off  without sharing a card so I thought I would share one of my most loved World Card Making Day "rejects."

I used some 1/2" paper scraps to build my background.  Next, I die cut a speech bubble (Avery Elle- Oh Yeah Elle-ments) on white cardstock and stamped Paper Smooches Notebook Paper.  Next, I stamped the sentiment and exclamation point from the Oh Yeah set. The arrow is from the Air Mail set.  Before adhering the stamped speech bubble to the card, I die cut another bubble from black cardstock offset it a bit to function as a shadow.  I really liked the contrast this provided.  A few enamel dots finish off the card.  

Well, that is all for me today!  Thanks for stopping by!

Katie

SPARKS Challenge: Hi Sunshine!

Hello friends!

I hope that you are having a lovely weekend!  I am just popping in today to share a card I made for this week's Paper Smooches SPARKS challenge.  This week's theme is Anything Goes and here's my card:

It's been a long, cold winter here in Northeast Ohio and I am just done with this frigid weather.  I am ready to let the sunshine in!  I die cut the clouds on white cardstock and used the pinked circle dies to create a little sun. I adhered all the die cuts to a piece of blue polka dot paper. 

The sentiment and the smiley face are from the Spectrum set.  I added a few orange enamel dots as a finishing touch.

You have until 11:59 PT on Saturday, March 8 to link up ANY Paper Smooches project to the Paper Smooches SPARKS bloghttp://papersmoochessparks.blogspot.com/ for a chance to win a $30.00 gift certificate to the Paper Smooches store. Woot woot!  

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

Rachel

Taheerah

Trisha

Savannah

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

Katie

A Hexagon Hello

Hello friends,

Happy Friday!  It seems like it's been a while since I had a chance to play along with a challenge over at Moxie Fab World, but this month is a good one, so I just had to make time.  The challenge this month is all about the hexagons and to play along, we need to create a project featuring this fun shape.

Here is what I came up with:

I got out my dies and a few scraps of cardstock and die cut some hexagons in various shapes and sizes. I cut a couple of the hexagons into diamonds and adhered them to a panel of cream cardstock.  I used foam tape on a couple of the shapes to add a bit more interest and dimension.   I stamped 'Hello' onto the yellow "hexalong" and added a spattering of gold sequins as an accent.   

The card felt a little a little top heavy, so I added a strip of gold glitter ribbon to anchor it a bit. My final step was to adhere the cream cardstock panel to a kraft card base.

This card was inspired by the sweet geometric vignette I found at Oh Happy Day!

A Geometric Party

I found the shapes and colors of the hexagon trays (item 3) super inspiring and tried to capture that with my card.

If you haven't already, I hope you can find some time this weekend to play along with the Happy for Hexagon challenge at Moxie Fab World.  You have until Friday, March 7 to link up your take and join in all the fun! :)

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day! 

Katie

Supplies: 

• Cardstock: Papertrey Ink (Hawaiian Shores, Dark Chocolate, Summer Sunrise, Berry Sorbet) Avery Elle (Fizz, Kraft)
• Dies: Hexagons by Spellbinders, Hexalongs by Paper Smooches
• Stamps: The Big, The Bold, and the Happy by Winnie and Walter
• Ink: MFT Stamps
• Accents: Glitter Ribbon by American Crafts; Sequins by Hobby Lobby