Welcome Home Mashup | ft. Lawn Fawn and Mama Elephant

Hi everyone, thank you for stopping by. I hope you're having a great day.

I may have mentioned this before, but I love mash-ups. So much of the time we limit ourselves to a single company per project and that's all well and good; but what's the point of buying very similar stamps from different companies just to keep the same brand throughout the project? It seems silly to me.

Today's mashup includes older sets from both Lawn Fawn and Mama Elephant - two of my absolute favourite companies!

To begin, I stamped the branch from Mama Elephant "Lunar Extras" with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on 110lb Copic-friendly cardstock. I then stamped the greeting as well as the remaining images from Lawn Fawn's "Home Sweet Home" with the same ink.

I coloured all the images in with Copic markers and used my Stardust glitter pen for the very centre of each blossom.

Once the colouring and shadows were in place, I wrapped a length of baker's twine around the top and tied a bow. I then popped the panel up on foam tape and adhered it to the front of a standard A2 sized card base.

I hope you like today's card and are inspired to create something of your own. If you haven't already, please follow me on the right side bar or over on Facebook, so you don't miss any future posts. Drop me a line in the comments section below and let me know what you think.

Happy Holidays Series | Christmas Tag ft. Mama Elephant, Lawn Fawn and Close to my Heart

Hi everyone, thank you for stopping by. I hope you're having a great day.

We're just over half way through this year's Happy Holidays Series, so today I thought I'd share a "not card". For each each series, I'm trying really hard to include a tag and a gift card holder or box, not because I don't have enough cards (believe me I do), but because I like to share things that are a bit different.

Today's "not card" is a spinner tag that features a mash up of my holiday stash. And if you decide you don't want to use it as a tag (or give it away.... because that happens), you can always hang it from the tree!

To begin, I stamped the both of the dancing reindeer from Mama Elephant's "Reindeer Games" with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on 110lb Copic-friendly cardstock and cut them out using the Brother 2 Scan N Cut; then coloured them with Copic markers. I adhered them back to back, sandwiching a length of Unique Ultra Fine Invisible Thread between them.

I used the "Tag, You're It" die from Lawn Fawn to die cut the tag from a piece of "Perfectly Plaid - Chill" patterned paper and one from plain white cardstock (110lb). To get the window in my tag, I used a mini book-mark die as it was just the perfect size to fit and allow him to spin.

I prepped the lower portion of the blue tag with my powder tool and stamped my greeting from CTMH's "Just to Say..." stamp set with VersaMark ink and heat embossed it with silver embossing powder.

I had bunch of these glittering snowflakes from Lawn Fawn's "Mini Snowflakes" die set from a previous project so I adhered them with Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive (review coming!) liquid glue, then set the tag aside to dry.

The back I kept super simple, just stamping the "To and From" from CTMH's "Card Word Puzzle" with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.

Once both halves of the tag were completed I used super strong two-way tape to completely cover one side. I then placed my spinner where I wanted him to go and pulled the ends of the thread tight so he wouldn't sag when standing upright. I pressed both sides of the tag together to make sure it was all good and stuck.

I pulled a piece of natural twine through the top and knotted it off for the loop. I used a piece of 1/8" red ribbon for the bow - I chose red just to pull together the little bit of colour from his nose.

Finally, to finish it off completely and because I just can't stop myself, I used a clear Wink of Stella glitter brush pen over his antlers and nose then added some Glossy Accents by Ranger over the noses as well.

I hope you like today's card and are inspired to create something of your own. If you haven't already, please follow me on the right side bar or over on Facebook, so you don't miss any future posts. Drop me a line in the comments section below and let me know what you think.

Happy Holidays Series | ft. Mama Elephant "Reindeer Games"

Hi everyone, thank you for stopping by. I hope you're having a great day.

Today I thought I would take a little break from the Lawn Fawn stamps (don't worry, there will be many more from them this season) and showcase the Reindeer Games stamp set by Mama Elephant.

I think this set came out last year, and do you think I could get my hands on it? Nope! This set was out of stock for months and months. I finally got a hold of it this year in August or maybe September. While the wait was incredibly frustrating, I am glad I persisted. I love these little guys.

To begin, I stamped all my reindeer using the MISTI so I could get perfect placement, with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on 110lb Copic-friendly cardstock. I then stamped the little star to fill in some of the gaps. I coloured all the images in with Copic markers.

I used Wink of Stella clear glitter pen on their tags and the stars then covered them with Glossy Accents by Ranger.

I stamped the greeting from Lawn Fawn on a strip of paper and then created a matted border using dark green cardstock for both the strip and the coloured panel.

I adhered everything to the front of a standard A2 sized card base.

I hope you like today's card and are inspired to create something of your own. If you haven't already, please follow me on the right side bar or over on Facebook, so you don't miss any future posts. Drop me a line in the comments section below and let me know what you think.

This card is for:

2 Crafty Critter Crazies

Challenge #8

Clean and Simple | Tropical Birthday ft MFT and Mama Elephant

Hi everyone, thank you for stopping by. I hope you're having a great day.

Today I wanted to share another card that I created using the smaller stamps in a set. This one is a mashup of My Favorite Things and Mama Elephant. I wanted to create something clean and simple but still fun, and who doesn't like to think of their birthday as a mini vacation? I know I do.

So thinking of a mini vacation makes me think of somewhere warm and tropical and so naturally it just came to this.

To begin, I stamped the parrot from MFT's "Polynesian Paradise" and the branch from Mama Elephant's "Lunar Extras" with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on 110lb Copic-friendly cardstock, coloured them with Copics and fussy cut them out.

I used Tumbled Glass Distress ink to sponge a background directly to the front of my standard A2 sized card base and stamped the birthday greeting with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.

Once the background was dry, I adhered the branch flat on the panel, then raised the parrot up on some foam tape and placed him on the branch.

To finish it off, I added a few enamel dots in coordinating colours around the stamped images.

I hope you liked today's card and are inspired to create something of your own. If you haven't already, please follow me on the right side bar or over on Facebook, so you don't miss any future posts. Drop me a line in the comments section below and let me know what you think.

This card is for:

2 Crafty Critter Crazies

Challenge #7

Seize the Birthday

Time for Anything Goes

Addicted to Stamps and More

Challenge #264

Hello Halloween Series | Mini Shaker ft. Mama Elephant

Hi everyone, thank you for stopping by. I hope you're having a great day.

I cannot believe we're already ending the first week of October. I love fall and I'm always aghast at how fast the season goes. I'm nearing the end of my Hello Halloween series and working like crazy on Christmas designs.

When you really think about it, crafters are living in the future. The kids weren't even back to school yet and I had already been putting in a couple weeks of Halloween designs, by the time Halloween hits I'm hoping to have my Christmas cards done so I can start working on Valentine's Day.

LOL by the time Christmas arrives I'll be all Christmas'd out and working on Easter. It never seems to stop and the more we do this, the more time we feel we need for each season. Maybe after Easter, I'll start next year's Halloween cards. The cycle never stops!

And I love every minute of it.

To begin, I stamped the three little mice from Mama Elephant's "Meowlloween Extras" with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on 110lb Copic-friendly cardstock and cut them using the Brother 2 Scan N Cut. Then coloured them with Copic markers.

For my panel I sponged on Shabby Shutters Distress ink using a light hand in the middle and making it darker in the corners. I used clean water to create the splatter look, then when that was dry splattered again with Copic Opaque White and again with black ink.

Once that was completely dry, I used a small square die to cut three windows; and stamped the greeting from an older stamp set (long since lost the packaging, but I want to say it's an Inkadinkado set, not entirely sure). I popped the panel up on foam tape and created a mini shaker behind each window. I mounted that piece on some Recollections Halloween cardstock.

I ran the three mice through my little Xyron "X" sticker maker and adhered them straight to the panel, and mounted the whole thing to a standard A2 sized card base.

I hope you like today's card and are inspired to create something of your own. If you haven't already, please follow me on the right side bar or over on Facebook, so you don't miss any future posts. Drop me a line in the comments section below and let me know what you think.

Halloween Throwback | ft. Mama Elephant "Meowlloween"

Hi everyone, thank you for stopping by. I hope you're having a great day.

Today I thought I'd do a throwback from last year to a Halloween card that is still one of my favourites. I'm still using this set from Mama Elephant and while I was going through my card stash, I came across this one and I had to share it again.

This card was done using my Distress ink pads as watercolours. It really doesn't seem to matter how many new watercolour palettes I get, I'm most comfortable working with the Distress inks.

For the kitty, I stamped her using and the broom using CTMH Archival Black ink on Strathmore 140lb cold press watercolour paper. I wet each area, dropped the colour in and let the water do the work.

For the background, I just wet the paper and added the colour, let that dry and then did it again. As long as you let the paper dry completely between each layer you can reduce the risk of pilling and damage to the paper. You can speed the process along using your heat tool, but I find that there's a different look if you let it air dry. Needless to say, this can take a lot of patience.

Once each area is dry, you can add additional colour to create finer details. It's a long process but I think it is worth the time.

I hope you like today's card and are inspired to create something of your own. If you haven't already, please follow me on the right side bar, or you can follow me over on Facebook, so you don't miss any future posts. Toss me a line in the comments section below and let me know what you think.

Hello Halloween Series | ft. Mama Elephant "Meowlloween" Slider

Hi everyone, thank you for stopping by. I hope you're having a great day.

Today's card, inspired by Elizabeth Stewart, was so much fun to make! It also allowed me to make a starry night background which is one of my favourite things to make.

I love that more companies are making dies that allow interactive cards to be so easy!

To begin, I sponged Blueprint Sketch and Seedless Preserves Distress inks randomly on my panel. I then went over them with Dusty Concord, Hickory Smoke and Black Soot to darken them up. I used more of the darker colours around the edges until I got the look I wanted.

I then splattered the panel with clean water and set the piece aside to dry.

I used a Lawn Fawn Stitched Hillside border and Grassy border dies to create the layers for my foreground. I sponged on Forest Moss and Gathered Twigs Distress inks to make the grass look old and dead, then set those aside to dry completely.

Once the sky panel was dry, I used Copic Opaque White to splatter on some stars and then set that aside again to dry.

For all my little tombstones and the kitty witch, I stamped them with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on 110lb Copic-friendly cardstock and coloured them with Copic markers. I cut the tombstones out by hand, and used the Brother 2 Scan N Cut for the kitty witch. I didn't want her to be in two separate pieces and the Scan N Cut makes this so much easier!

I then went back to the sky panel and used the longer straight slider die from Lawn Fawn's "Slide on Over" die set.

Then I was able to put the pieces together. I popped the sky panel up on some foam tape, and made my kitty witch into a penny slider. Once she was in place I adhered the sky panel down on some black patterned cardstock on the front of a standard A2 sized card base.

Next, I adhered the hillside down, leaving room near the top so I could slide some of the tombstones in behind it. I cut a slit with my craft knife and slid one of the tombstones in so it would give it some dimension without adding more bulk to the card.

For my grassy layer, I only added adhesive to the very bottom strip and tucked the rest of my tombstones in behind it.

My favourite part of these types of cards is just watching the entire thing come together and then letting the little witch slide back and forth across the panel. So fun!!

I hope you like today's card and are inspired to create something of your own. If you haven't already, please follow me on the right side bar, you can also follow me over on Facebook. Toss me a line in the comments section below and let me know what you think.

This card is for:

Muse Challenge

#235 inspired by Elizabeth Stewart

My inspiration came from the witch flying over the graveyard. Fantastic design from Elizabeth this week!



Thank you all so much for your votes! Your support and encouragement mean so much to me!

Home Sweet Home | ft. Mama Elephant and Lawn Fawn

Hi everyone, thank you for stopping by. I hope you are having a great day.

My in-laws recently moved from our relatively large city to a substantially smaller city in the mountains. It's been their retirement dream for some time, as they are both avid hiker/skiers, living in the mountains would be ideal for them. Imagine being able to do everything you wanted to, but get to sleep in for an extra 90 minutes and NOT have to go to bed early the night before? How awesome would that be?

Well, they're living their dream now, but it isn't easy leaving a house you've lived in for 20 plus years, where your kids left home (and came back ... again) where you were when your Grandchildren were born, where you've laughed and loved for so long.

To begin, I stamped the branch from Mama Elephant's "Lunar Extras" in Memento Tuxedo Black ink on 110lb Copic-friendly cardstock. I then stamped the house and added the door and the string(?) from Lawn Fawn's "Home Sweet Home" set.

I coloured the images with Copic Markers and stamped the greeting from the same Lawn Fawn set. To bring a bit more life to the panel, I sponged Tumbled Glass Distress ink around the edges, and used a length of yellow twine around the top to make a bow.

I then popped the panel up on foam tape and adhered it to a standard A2 sized card base.

I hope you like today's card and are inspired to create something of your own. If you haven't already, please follow me over on the right side bar, you can also follow me on Facebook. Toss me a line in the comments section below and let me know what you think.

This card is for:

Addicted to CAS Challenge

#120 Florals

Hello Halloween 2016 | card 4 ft. Mama Elephant

Hi everyone, thank you for stopping by. I hope you are having a great day.

I am having a crazy hard time staying on topic this season, and that is super weird for me. I love Halloween and I think it's pretty clear that I love creating cards, but something about the fall and the cooler weather just makes me want to cook, cook, cook and cook.

In some ways I think that the reprieve helps. It gives me an opportunity to recharge and when I do sit down in my art room, it's almost like sitting down for the first time with all my new things.

To begin, I cut down a piece of 140lb watercolour paper to 4x5 1/4" and prepped it with my powder tool. I then used VersaMark ink to heat emboss this super sweet witch kitty image from Mama Elephant's "Meowlloween" stamp set.

I smooshed Distress Inks onto a laminated sheet of paper (that's my palette) and a damp size 2 round watercolour brush, I then fussy cut the images out and set them aside.

On another piece of watercolour paper I created a black and gray water splotch also using distress inks. Once my stamped images were dry, I adhered them down with a strong two way tape.

The greeting is stamped using CTMH Archival ink to get a good crisp image. When stamping on watercolour paper, I prefer to use the MISTI to ensure a thorough stamp. Honestly if you have the opportunity to get your hands on it, take it. It is literally my most used tool.

I hope you like today's card and are inspired to create something of your own. Don't forget to follow me over on the right side bar and toss me a line in the comments section below, I love to hear from you.