Bohemian Moon Lake

One of my favorite stamp sets from the Occasions Catalog is the Moon Lake set. Quite a few of my other favorites from the Occasions Catalog have made it into the new Annual Catalog, but unfortunately Moon Lake isn't one of them. Don't worry however...there is still a few days left to grab this set if you haven't already.

Today I've combined a couple brand new items that will soon be available along with this great stamp set. The result is a striking (if I do say so myself!) masculine card.

The DSP I used is called Bohemian and I love it because it has some of my favorite rich colors...Blackberry Bliss, Island Indigo, Bermuda Bay and the new Delightful Dijon. It has some really bold patterns along with a more subtle pattern on the flip side.

I used one of the larger, bold patterns like I would have used a piece of ribbon, had I been making a more feminine card. The "to a wonderful man" sentiment is from a great new host set called Happy Birthday Everyone. It has a large birthday stamp in a beautiful font and you can add other phrases such as the one above to personalize the birthday wish.  I also used Gorgeous Grunge on the Island Indigo & Bermuda Bay layers.

If you are looking for more ideas on how to use this stamp set, earlier this month I put out a tutorial using the Moon Lake stamp set along with some fun techniques to create a set of six masculine cards...just in time for Father's Day!  Check it out here.

Have a GREAT weekend!

Happy Balloons

This fun, die cut birthday card fits in a standard sized business envelope and is perfect to send to the guys in your life.

I used the Celebrate Today stamp sets and the coordinating Balloons Framelits...available in the Occasions Catalog. The Basic Black background is embossed with the Lucky Stars Embossing Folder. It's difficult to tell from the photo, but each balloon has a letter die cut from it, and is popped up from the background using Stampin' Dimensionals. Take a look from another angle.

I was inspired by this cute card I originally saw on Pinterest.

Have a GREAT weekend! It's supposed to be sunny and warm here...FINALLY!

Butterfly Basic Wishes

Good news for those who have been waiting to order the Butterfly Bundle from SU!...

After a (very) long migration, the Butterflies Thinlits Dies have landed in the warehouse and are now available for purchase! Remember, you can take advantage of two special offers through April 30th:

Get the Butterflies Thinlits at a 15 percent discount--just $21.20! 

OR

Buy any of the Butterflies Thinlits Bundles at a 15 percent discount and choose one of three FREE Sale-A-Bration items (only available while supplies last)!

• Best Year Ever Designer Series Paper (item 138633)
• Best Year Ever Accessory Pack (item 138634)
• Irresistibly Yours Specialty Designer Series Paper (item 138635)

I absolutely LOVE this set! My card today uses the Irresistibly Yours DSP, which you can select for free when purchasing the bundle. I have colored it easily by sponging on Lost Lagoon ink. I watercolored the pretty flower image in BlackBerry Bliss and Mossy Meadow inks using my Aqua Painter.

If you love the watercolored look but struggle with the technique, you may want to check out my Butterfly Basics Watercolor Tutorial. I share step by step instructions and some helpful tips on how to watercolor using SU! Classic Inks and the Aqua Painter.

If you haven't added this beautiful bundle to your collection yet, please visit my SU! Store to purchase this today...with the added savings and extra FREE product, there's no better time to buy!

Cheerful Critters Happy Day

This set is so darn cute...especially the bear! He's fun to water color too!

I used the Balloon Framelits to cut out the cute little banner using scraps of Best Year Ever DSP. The festive little scene fits perfectly inside a frame cut using the On Film Framelits.

I used some of the soon to be retiring In Colors: Coastal Cabana, Pistachio Pudding and Crisp Cantaloupe. The Cheerful Critter set is available in the Occasion Catalog.

Watercolor Butterfly Basics

My Aunt had a birthday recently and when I needed to make her a card I grabbed my new go-to set...Butterfly Basics.

I created a soft watercolor background simply by brushing on some color using Classic Ink Refills- Soft Sky, Crisp Cantaloupe & Pistachio Pudding, to a dampened piece of Watercolor Paper and let the colors bleed and blend together. I used my Heat Tool to dry the paper instead of waiting and then stamped away, creating the collage look that this set is great for.

I layered Venetian Crochet Trim over the Soft Sky Seam Binding and finished it off with a pretty bow.

Cheerful Critters Best Year Ever

I cannot believe that today is the last day of Sale-a-Bration already! I think if I had to chose just one item as a favorite it would be the Best Year Ever DSP. I love the cheerful colors and fun prints. Here is a set of cards we made at my All Occasions Card class yesterday using theses papers along with the adorable Cheerful Critters set.

I used the 2013-15 set of In Colors for the set. I will be sad to see these colors go in just two months. Here's a closer look at each card...

I used a different embossing folder for each card. The bunny card used the Spring Flowers EF, which is available in the Occasions Catalog.

Not sure why, but the color on this bear card changed after uploading here to my blog? To see true colors of Pistachio Pudding, Crisp Cantaloupe and Coastal Cabana, look above at first photo to see the set of 3 cards. This one used the Lucky Stars Embossing Folder.

The little chicks sign was stamped onto DSP, cut out and popped up for some extra detail. The embossing folder used here is the Lovely Lace Embossing Folder. All cards were watercolored using the Aqua Painter and Classic Inks.

If you were planning to place an order during Sale-a-Bration...hurry, you have until the end of the day! If you love the soon to be retiring In Colors, now is a good time to stock up on ink refills and card stock before the retiring list is announced and they possibly run out.

If you need further enabling...how about a good sale? There are some great items listed in this weeks Weekly Deals and the Clearance Rack has been updated recently as well.

Best Year Butterfly

The patterns in the Best Year Ever DSP papers are so fun! I paired them up here with the Basic Butterfly stamp set for a cheery card that could be used for any occasion.

The Pool Party strip was stamnped using the polka dot desing from the Painted Petals set.

Framed Painted Tulips

These little tulips from the Painted Petals set fit perfectly inside the embossed Fun Frame window. I'm really looking forward to looking outside my window and seeing some colorful tulips.

Until then, I colored these spring flowers easily using my Rose Red. Rich Razzleberry and Daffodil Delight markers. The Wild Wasabi strip down the center was stamped with the striped background stamp that comes with this set. I love that this set comes with two fun background stamps...the polka dot one is super cute too!  I inked the Spring Flowers Embossing Folder with Pool Party ink before running it through my Big Shot.

Over the Hills and Far Away

I love sets that have coordinating framelits! Especially when the set is so versatile like the Celebrate Today stamp set! I love that the balloon image can be used for the traditional party balloon or as a hot air balloon!

It was fun to create this adorable scene using Pool Party card stock and the Cloudy Day Embossing Folder (retired) for the sky and Wild Wasabi card stock and the Tiny Triangles Embossing Folder for the rolling hills.

The "thank you" sentiment is from the Painted Petals stamp set. Both of these can be found in the Occasions Catalog.

Thank you for visiting today!

Irresistible Butterfly

My title about says it all...the Butterfly Basics stamp set and coordinating Butterfly Thinlets are pretty much irresistible to me! I have to restrain myself from using them so that my other stamps get a turn!

I sponged on some Pear Pizzazz & Coastal Cabana to reveal the pretty foliage design on the Irresistibly Yours DSP...which is available for FREE during SAB! The splattered Calypso Coral print is from the Best Year Ever DSP and that is FREE as well!

I hand cut a piece of Vellum Cardstock by tracing around the negative space left inside my card stock after die cutting the large butterfly. Then after adhering it to the back of my butterfly I colored the back of the vellum using my Blendabilities Markers for a stained glass effect.

The smaller butterfly was heat embossed using White Embossing Powder and then sponged the same as my background.

Have a nice weekend!

Irresistible Painted Blossoms

The Irresistibly Yours DSP from the Sale-a-Bration catalog really is irresistible! I've been having so much fun sponging to reveal the beautiful patterns.

The pattern revealed on this piece works perfectly with the Painted Petals set I thought. I used Pear Pizzazz & Pool Party for the sponged on color and the flower is Calypso Coral.

Basic Wisteria Lotus Blossom III

Today I have the final card in the set of three cards to share with you.

Here's is a look at the entire set.

All three cards use the same color combo of inks: Wisteria Wonder , Elegant Eggplant & Blackberry Bliss for the lotus flower*, Wild Wasabi & Mossy Meadow for the ferns and stem and finally,  Sahara Sand for the Hardwood background.

*NOTE: I have found it much easier to stamp the flower image by doing it backwards from what is suggested on page 6 in the SAB catalog...I stamp the largest, solid background in the lightest color first and finish with the smallest textured piece in the darkest ink. For me, it's much easier to line up each layer. Also, if using the same color of ink (stamped off) to create the flower, I found that the detail wasn't as good for me starting with the smallest, detailed stamp first as suggested.

Now that you have seen the entire set, do you have a favorite?

Thanks for visiting...have a GREAT weekend!

Basic Wisteria Lotus Blossom II

I'm back today to share the second card in my three card set using the Butterfly Basics and Lotus Blossoms stamp sets.

This one is the most masculine of the set because I used more Mossy Meadow instead of Wisteria Wonder & Blackberry Bliss when it came to the card stock. I also eliminated the bow and just went with a strip of Mossy Meadow Stitched Ribbon instead.

Check back to see the full set of cards and more info on how I created them in my next post. Until then, scroll down to see the first card in this set.

Thanks for visiting today!

Going, Going...Gone

As of right now, I have sold all of the kits I had on hand. The tutorials will continue to be available here: Butterfly Basics Watercolor Collage Set 

I may make this kit available again in the coming weeks, so if you are interested in ordering one to create the pretty set as shown above, please contact me.

Thanks to all who have purchased a kit or tutorial so far!

Love Canvas

Here's a special little Valentine gift I made for my hubby. I started with an 8x8 canvas, but everything else I used (besides a paint brush) was Stampin' Up!

To color the canvas I used a wash of re-inkers blended into each other. After that dried I sponged some hearts onto the background using the Heart Decorative Mask and a Sponge Dauber. Then I stamped some swirls from Everything Eleanor using the Aquamarine Chalk Ink and "tried" to add some of the tiny honeycomb  designs from the Basic Butterfly set to the background as well. Most of those didn't turn out like I wanted, so I blended them in with a damp sponge as best as I could. The background got a little muddy at bottom due to this, but I didn't want to start over so I went with it.

I wanted to add Pool Party to the color combo and that was easy using the two DSP packs I chose...both Typeset and Stacked With Love DSP have black and white patterns that makes it easy to sponge to fit whatever color scheme you can dream of. See the little Calypso Coral colored banner at the top of the canvas...that was sponged to add a pop of color.

The various sized hearts, cut using the Heart Framelits, the Tea Lace Paper Doily, and paper rose created using the Spiral Flower Die all add a romantic touch which is perfect for Valentines Day. As is the pretty font used for the word "love" in the Hello Life set that I used on the banner to the right of our photo.

I printed the photo in a sepia tone and then added a little Pool Party sponging to the background behind the palm trees and a little Crisp Cantaloupe and Crumb Cake around the edges as well. The photo is popped up with layered dimensionals.

When painting the canvas, I continued the color to the sides as well. The ribbon and Bakers Twine from the banner are continued around sides and secured in the back. I colored the rhinestone in the center of the Something Borrowed Embellishment with my Coastal Cabana Blendabilites Marker to finish off my canvas with a little sparkle. I may also add a few rhinestones as well.

Have a nice weekend and a Happy Valentine's Day!

Hello Love

Valentines Day is only 10 days away, so it's about time I share a Valentine card! This one uses the Hello Life set from the Occasions Catalog.

I used this weeks great sketch from Mojo Monday and the Stacked With Love Designer Series Paper Stack,so this card went together rather easily. The heart and the beautiful script "love" phrase were stamped in VersaMark ink and embossed with Black Embossing Powder.

Thanks for stopping by!

Butterfly Basics Watercolor Collage Card Set

After much thought and consideration, and of course careful testing (aka..getting inky!) ...I have narrowed down my favorite set from the new Occasions Catalog...the Butterfly Basics Bundle! I'm excited to share a beautiful card set with matching box that I created with this set, along with a full tutorial.

With my new class to go kit & tutorial you can create this beautiful set of coordinating cards that fit inside a matching stationary box. The soft, water colored collage style using colors from the Subtles Collection and the detailed, die cut butterflies make these cards perfect for any springtime occasion.

Do you love the look of water color but struggle with the technique? My 16 page tutorial will take you step by step to create each card and the matching box. Lots of tips for helping to perfect your technique of watercolor are included through written instruction and 50+ photos.

As of right now, I have sold out of the Butterfly Basics Watercolor Kit (includes the full tutorial and pre-cut materials and embellishments for you to complete the set - mailed to you for only $25. U.S. only please) I may have these kits available for purchase again in the coming weeks, so if you are interested, please contact me for more info.

To complete the kit as shown, you will need to have the Butterfly Basics Bundle, ink, adhesive and basic tools including an aqua painter.

You can purchase the Butterfly Basics Watercolor Tutorial for $5.99 by simply clicking the PayPal button below.

After receiving payment, I will send the PDF file to the email provided with your PayPal payment. I usually check my email a few times daily, but please allow up to 24 hours for delivery to your inbox.

Thanks for visiting today!

Rose Red Painted Petals

I combined two of my favorite new sets from the Occasions Catalog to create these cards...Painted Petals and Butterfly Basics.

As you can see I changed up the embossed background and the sentiments on the two cards. The first one uses the Honeycomb Embossing Folder and the sentiment is from Butterfly Basics.

The second card uses the new Spring Flowers Embossing Folder, and that sentiment is part of the Painted Petals set. These two sets work wonderfully together!

I hadn't used Rose Red in quite some time...I guess I've been grabbing its close cousin, Strawberry Slush instead? Anyways, it was nice to use this neglected color and I paired it up with Coastal Cabana. I purchased the photopolymer version of both of these sets and it's been really nice being able to line things up so easily!

We made both of these cards at my All Occasions Card Class last week.

Springtime Painted Petals

I'm in trouble...here it is only the middle of January and I'm already longing for Spring! I'm blaming it on all the pretty flowers & butterflies in the new Occasions Catalog! Playing with the new Painted Petals set has got me dreaming of Springtime...especially using this pretty color combo which is featured in the coordinating DSP.

I actually took a little bit of liberty with the color combo and swapped out a couple of the colors used in the DSP for some lighter tones...these are the colors I used: Pool Party, Wild Wasabi, Rich Razzleberry, Strawberry Slush & Daffodil Delight.

Thanks for visiting...have a great day!

Celebrate Best Year Ever

I have another card to share using one of my favorite new stamp sets...Celebrate Today. I love that this set has coordinating framelits! Actually there wasn't a whole lot of stamping done on this card...just the balloon basket and the sentiment and the rest was done easily using the Balloon Framelits Dies.

The DSP used is the Best Year Ever pack that is FREE during Sale-A-Bration! It's super cute, isn't it? I used three different patterns here.

We will be making this card at my All Occasion Card Class on Thursday. If you are thinking of coming, please let me know...today is the last day to register.