Pumpkins and Sunflowers

Have you even seen a stamp that made you wish it was a different time of year? As much as I love the warm days of Summer, I was really wishing for some nice, crisp, cool weather with the stores full of pumpkins and sunflowers when I received a new stamp from Serendipity Stamps called Pumpkins and sunflowers that totally changed my mood from Summer to Autumn. I got busy with my copics and came up with a card that makes me wish Autumn would hurry up and be here soon.

I realized that the Pumpkins and Sunflowers stamp is exactly the same size as the PTI die, Take Three so decided to use that die as a frame for the cute images on the stamp. My coloring is not the greatest, but wow, is it easy to color this stamp. There is so much detail, you really only need a few copics to achieve a nice mix of color. I also used a sentiment from Serendipity, Autumm and added a little bit of burlap and woodgrain for texture. The sentiment is stamped on a Lil Inker stitched banner...just the right size for the sentiment.
Are you in the mood for some Autumn inspiration? Serendipity stamps has some new stamps out that will make you wish it was Autumn and Winter...here's a link to their store, you will love the new stamps!

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Monday Morning Mood Board#17

It actually was a Monday morning when I made this card for WPlus9's Monday Morning Mood Board #17. I am on vacation and wanted to do a little crafting and so I scanned some of my usual blogs to decide on which challenge to play along with and bam!, the bright primary and graphic colors of Dawn's mood board jumped right out at me. I only brought 3 sets of WPlus9 stamps with me this trip, but was able to come up with something that reminds me of the inspiration photo.

I was inspired by the circles, primary colors and the stripes on the cute tag in Dawn's picture. Here's my card:

My background started with a Lil Inker Impression plate (Circles and Diamonds, Stitched Pattern Die). I added some cute blueberries from WPlus9 Fresh Picked. Sometimes, it is just fun to stamp. Nothing fancy, just stamping one image after the other and it really helps that I had the impression plate to use as my guide so everything lined up perfectly. The tag is also from WPlus9 Fresh Picked as is the sentiment and label stamp. The cute circles are from Lil Inker Stitched Mat Circles which I seem to use no on almost every card. I pinked another piece of green and added a bow...and DONE. Dawn said there is a hint of what is coming in the next release...I am guessing it is those circle images...what do you think?

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Waltzingmouse Bedtime Story #1 and Colour Q #200

Raise your hand if you miss Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenges. I imagine there are a lot of hands up in the air right now, including both of mine. I have really missed the weekly challenges, something I always looked forward to each week, but now there is something almost as good to look forward to. Each month after the Waltzingmouse Pajama Party, a new sketch will be posted...a bedtime story sketch and today is Bedtime Story Sketch #1. Here is the sketch we have to use:

Lots of ways to go with this one...but I kept coming back to one idea...using Waltzingmouse French Country and the gorgeous border image from that set.

I chose my colors for this card based on Colour Q #200. The colors this week were

I love this color combination and stamped my border and embossed it with clear embossing powder. I colored the border with copics in colors to match the Colour Q colors. I pinked the edges and layered the border over some navy cardstock. For the background, I used Waltzingmouse Chicken Wire and another pattern and sentiment from French Country.
My last touch was a die cut rooster from PTI On the Farm. I love that little rooster! So, have you made started on your Bedtime Story card yet? You have one week to get one posted to the Waltzingmouse blog...can't wait to see the upcoming sketches every month.

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It's a Pajama Party!

Something brand new happening today...or tonight depending on where you live.  I'm talking about a pajama party, a good, old-fashioned pj party, Waltzingmouse style.  This month, replacing the much loved Blog Party usually held on the 17th of the month, Claire is starting a new tradition, monthly pajama parties in which we have so many choices...and several of them have to do with the new Waltzingmouse stamps we all love to show off as soon as they hit out doorstop.  If you want to know more of the details...just read about it from Claire herself.

I seem to always get at least one new stamp set every release, and the July release was no exception.  I did not have a single stamp set with feathers, didn't think I needed any, didn't think I knew how I would use them, didn't actually even know why it was such a popular trend these days.  Well, now I know.  Claire released two set of feather stamp sets during July and I totally get it now!  When I saw these sets of card done by Claire, I knew I just had to get the Funky Feathers stamp set.  Those feathers are just too cute...love that some are very realistic and some are graphic and trendy.  One of the themes this month is titled "Tickle Me Silly" and challenges us to use feathers.
I have had a cute door hanger pinned for a while now and that was the inspiration for my door hanger/gift card holder using Funky Feathers and a baby theme.  Here's is the inspiration photo and a link to the original post.


I love the great peacock feather die cuts and interesting way the tissue paper is tucked into the pocket displaying the gift card.

I have a baby shower coming up this month and my niece's colors and teal and pink for her new little girl.  I have a whole baby album ready for her and think a door hanger would look really cute attached to her package.  Here is what I came up with:

I cut a door hanger on my Silhouette using a file that has a fold over pocket.  I stamped a peacock feather pattern using Funky Feathers.  It is such fun to come up with different color combinations for those feathers.  I added a sentiment onto a Lil Inker Gift Bow Topper die cut from Waltzingmouse  A Good Egg stamp set and used some glitter stickers to add the new baby's name to the top of the hanger.  I glued some feathers into the pocket and tucked in a little gift card from Babies R Us.  Once the gift tag is removed, my nice can hang this on the door to Melissa's room.

I can't wait to see how this looks tied on the gift bag I have chosen in similar colors.

Enough talk from me...you have a pajama party to get to!  Don't be the first one to fall asleep, you'll miss all kinds of great Waltzingmouse projects if you do.

Three Challenges

Today I am playing along with three challenges.  I know! I almost never come up with a card that fits three at once.  First, my card is based on the CAS(e)this Sketch #37.  I love the hexagons on the inspiration sketch.

I chose my colors based on Dynamic Duo #62's Black tie (calypso coral and black) with their dessert option of using a butterfly theme and lastly, my sentiment is based on Moxie Fab World Birthday Card Challenge.

Whew!  That's a lot to say in my first paragraph.  No wonder I rarely do three in one challenge cards!  Here is my card:

I cut my hexagon border with PTI's Hexagon Cover Plate along with a bunch of Berry Sorbet patterned papers.  The Stitched Mat Rectangle and Happy Birthday sentiment are from Lil Inker (Sun Sentiments Stamp Set).  At the last minute I realized there was a "dessert" option on the Dynamic Duo challenge to add a butterfly and I found a tiny little one in PTI's Postmarks stamp set.  This card is already addressed and sitting out in my mailbox on its' way to my sister-in-law and should arrive right on her birthday.  Thanks for taking a look at my take on three different challenges.

Curtain Call Challenge - Feeling Nautical

I love it when new card making inspiration challenges start up and today I am playing along with the very first challenge for Curtain Call.  The theme is Feeling Nautical and fits in perfectly on a very hot Summer day.  Here's the inspiration photo which has all kinds of Nautical elements.

I went with very traditional nautical colors on my card.

I have been challenging myself to use every single "new" stamp and die set I have before I order anything new...I know I better hurry up because I can never pass up a new release.   I have been using lots of my new Lil Inker stamps and dies lately and today I used quite a few.  I used my Cover Up Pieced Chevron Die to make a nautical border on my card.  That is a super fun die to use, like making a puzzle coming up with all the different color combinations.  I wanted to add some hand stitching to my card and it occurred to me that I could get nice straight, even stitches by using Lil Inker's Stitched Mat rectangle die as a guide.  I didn't even have to poke the holes and think it gave a nice touch to this card.  I wish I was so brilliant that I had thought up the idea to use the Stitched Mat Circles to make a life preserver, but I had pinned a card made by Alyssa Scritchfield (Alyssa's card) during the Lil Inker release where she created the cutest ocean themed card and I cased that idea.  I used twine and added a gold anchor I cut on my cameo.

Now, for my secret.  This card did not start out to be a card for Dad.  Right when I was getting ready to adhere the last piece on my card base, I got a splotch of navy ink on it and had to shift all my elements around.  It left a big blank space along the bottom that just looked naked without anything in it.  I decided to add the cute Dad Word die and a sentiment from Mom and Dad Sentiments from Lil Inkers to it and it now looks like my dad will be getting a nautical birthday card come this October!

Today is a special day at my house.  It's my son Matt's 31st birthday and we are all going out to dinner to celebrate.  I can hardly believe my little, premature baby is 31.  It seems like just yesterday that I was telling my husband I couldn't possibly be in labor, it is way too soon...I'm not ready yet!

Case Study Challenge #150

Hi there everyone...it is a rare day when I see a sketch challenge and know exactly what I want to do...immediately. Rarer still when I start making the card, on the first day, finish it and get it photographed and written up within hours of seeing the inspiration photo.  Today is one of those very rare days.  As soon as I saw the beautiful card by  Jocelyn Olson which is the inspiration photo for Case Study Challenge #150, I saw a Thanksgiving turkey with the beautiful feathers fanned out.  I looked through my stamps and found I had not one single turkey image, so I looked through the Silhouette store and found one that was just perfect.

Don't those fanned out feathers look like the inspiration photo?  Not the same colors, but colors that blend together well.  I dressed up my little turkey with a Stitched Mat circle from Lil Inker as well as the a frame from Stitched Mat Squares, and a small bow die, also from Lil Inker.  I stamped a fall color pattern using stamps from Mom and Dad Sentiments (Lil Inker) and the Give Thanks sentiment is from Waltzingmouse Stamps Teeny Trees.  I really hurried to get this one done, I was so afraid someone else would see a turkey in the inspiration photo and by the time I could get mine posted...bam, there are 10 or so turkey images...so much for my brilliant idea! LOL. Great minds think alike, I suppose.   You have lots of time to make a card for Case Study Challenge #150...can't wait to see what everyone else sees in the inspiration photo.