Arrrr Pirate Birthday Card

Tonight I'm packing instead of unpacking... for the CTMH Seasonal Expressions launch in Seattle this weekend!  I'm so excited to get to hang with my CTMH peeps, checking out the new goodies, laughing, and learning! It's an afternoon event, so I'll be attending a team meeting in the morning and this is my card for the swap.

I wasn't quite done playing with the watercolors and salt technique. I painted some large pieces of paper first with a lot of water, then blue and green watercolors. You want the paper to be fairly wet. Then I sprinkled on some really big salt flakes I had in my kitchen, which led to bigger splotches in the watercolor as it dried. I really liked the bigger salt flakes. My inspiration sketch came form RetroSketches.

I stamped the pirate from Pirate Birthday, then took him (and all his buddies) along to the park with the boys to enjoy the sunshine while I colored and cut them out. I added the ARRRR! with Block Uppercase, and that's also where I got the "x"s to mark my spots on the card border. The pirate stripe B&T is actually from the super girlie La Vie En Rose papers. Finally I added a bunch of glitter dots and jewels for the pirate booty. ARRRRR!!

Day 352: AHSC So Very Special Valentine Card

There's an adorable new sketch up over at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge!

I still had all my La Vie En Rose Complements packets out from my project last night, so I decided to do another card with only white cardstock. I layered on arrow stickers for the bottom of the card sketch. Then I layered on polka dot washi tape for the smaller panel.  

I used three of the heart bull's-eye and a sentiment banner from the La Vie stickers. Then I topped the center target with my favorite little guy from Animal Greetings. He's holding a Fundamentals glitter heart. I hope you'll pop over to AHSC to play along this week!

Day 351: Sending Love Valentine Card

I wanted to make a sweet valentine card tonight using La Vie En Rose, but I couldn't find my paper packet, just the Complements, so I had to get a little creative...

I started with the new sketch from Retro Sketches and some white cardstock. I filled in the spaces using bits of stickers from the La Vie En Rose complements packet. I used the divider pieces between the border strips to create that striped background, and the polka dot border sticker to create the pomegranate dot piece.

I stamped the plane from Lifting Spirits (which is sadly retired), then masked the seat area and added the raccoon from Animal Greetings, the Operation Smile benefit stamp set. My markers are still buried in the cardboard towers yet to be unpacked, so I did a light wash of color with my waterbrush. I did have the essentials in my travel tote, which, of course, includes wiggly eyes! 

Day 338: Owl Miss You Card

The closer we get to our actual move date, the more torn the boys feel about moving. While they are excited about the new house, and happy/nervous about their new school, they are leaving behind so many wonderful friends and teachers who made Spokane a great place to live. 

This weekend I helped them with a little project, making thank you notes and pen pal packages for their teachers and best friends. I was in charge of the card making, and they were in charge of the heartfelt inner notes plus delivery. I used the new sketch from Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge to get this party started, plus some adorable wooden owls and polka dot skinny washi tape that I found at Hobby Lobby and hoarded saved for the right occasion. All the other papers are from La Vie En Rose.

I added bow ties to the owls using the La Vie En rose Complements, and that layered banner at the top was built from a La Vie kraft arrow that I split in half and layered back together. 

I think this quote paraphrased from Winnie the Pooh says it best. "How lucky we are to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard." Thank you to Spokane, and especially to all of lovely, fabulous Spokanites. I know the boys and I will always be happy we had this #spokaneadventure.  

Day 336: Valentines Quick and Sweet

Whoo! I'm cutting it so close tonight, but it's been a busy, busy day around these parts. The Tuesday deadline is fast approaching, but I took a moment to whip up a few adorable little quick LaVie En Rose valentines using the Operation Smile stamp set, Animal Greetings. 

I used the same basic design for each card, just changed up how I did the little dudes. 

Don't they just make your heart melt? Cute and supporting a great cause! CTMH is having a contest around making valentines using this pretty La Vie En Rose paper. Check it out and good luck!

Day 331: Valentine Hugs SOTM Card

I'm back with another take on the January Stamp of the Month! 

This time I went bold and graphic with some help from CAS(E) this Sketch. I filled in the top of the sketch with Pomegranate cardstock stamped with the smaller bloom. The bottom half I added my favorite La Vie En Rose print. I trimmed out the break using my paper trimmer, then stamped the sentiment directly on the card base. I added a strip of super skinny washi tape I picked up at Hobby Lobby to define the bottom edge.

I added a few acrylic hearts and an arrow sticker from the La Vie En Rose assortment. Then I dotted by hand with a small journaling pen through the gutter, and popped on a couple bitty sparkles to highlight the sentiment. Hugs to you, Stampin' Friends!

Day 316: Congrats Stamp of Month Card

I've been stewing on this card since I saw the new RetroSketches challenge in my inbox yesterday. I didn't have time to make it up until tonight, but combining the sketch with the ColourQ challenge made this card a breeze! 

First I layered the stripe from La Vie en Rose onto the card base. The second stripe is the backside of the bolder black stripe. Then I added a bit of aqua shimmer trim and used Liquid Glass to secure the last bit of my gold foil Beautiful You overlay card. 

I stamped the smaller rose from the January SOTM in black ink of white paper. I layered strips of the aqua shimmer trim over a 1 1.4 inch strip of the striped paper - can you see the ghosted black stripes through the shimmer trim? Then I layered on the banner sentiments (from Crazy Good) and added some gold sequins for extra sparkle. I love it when a card comes together so quickly!

Day 314: January SOTM Blog Hop

Welcome to the January Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! This month we are featuring Beloved Bouquet, a gorgeous set of 14 images. I never can have too many flower stamps! You may be arriving here from NANCY'S BLOG. The complete hop list can be found here. Let's hop!

I was inspired for this project by a stunning layout I saw on Instagram by Jessy Christopher-Tham. She does amazing work, and I thought that the January SOTM would look lovely in place of the die cut flowers she used so beautifully. I used the stripe from La Vie en Rose, embossing with white powder the triangles from Crazy Good. I used Slate ink to stamp the floral spray (in a circle on the right) and the sentiments from the January SOTM. 

I got my 5x5 prints from Parabo Press, and they are so nice and thick! I trimmed the top of a gold PML overlay card into 1/4" strips so I could line two of the sides of my square print. Then I filled in the remaining two sides with so, so much gold glitter gel. Dude, it might still be slightly wet even next week. I patted some glitter gel over the white embossed triangles too, because more glitter is always good in my book. The flowers were stamped onto sanded colored cardstock. I inked only the outline images using the lightest color (like Canary or Whisper) and tapping on bolder colors here and there (Slate and Pomegranate). Then I sanded again and brushed on some Wink of Stella for extra shimmer.  

Next up on the hop is NINA'S BLOG. Don't forget that this lovely set of blooms is only available in the month of January, so contact your consultant or click here to pick your Beloved Bouquet  today!

My other January SOTM projects:
Thinking of You Card

Day 287: Your Friendship Means Everything Shaker Card

So back to my obsession with the December Stamp of the Month... 

I made this cute shaker card based on the new Freshly Made Sketches challenge. These bright, cheerful papers are from the Kaleidoscope paper pack. I stamped the jar, then fussy cut the jar around the outside AND the inside of the image. Then I used Liquid Glass to adhere it to a clear card envelope. Once that dried I trimmed the acetate close to the jar, and applied teensy tiny strips of foam tape to the edges of the jar. Work like this is why I love the fact that our foam tape comes in rolls instead of precut into shapes. It makes it much easier to bend the foam tape to my will (insert evil laugh here...nope never mind, I don't have it in me.).

 I filled the shaker with hearts from the La Vie En Rose complements, then adhered the whole thing to scrap Colonial White cardstock before trimming out the jar shape again. Thanks for stopping by, Stampin' Friends!

Hey, one last reminder...the new CTMH planners are here! So pop over and take a peek - I'd love to know what you think!

Day 273: Oh Snap Fast Forward Album Retreat Layout

I love all the shiny gold touches on this layout.

This was presented to be a layout about where I see myself in the future, but instead I used it to ponder on the funny way time passes so slow and yet so very fast when raising children. That picture of John with all the littles at once is one of my absolute favorites.

This is the layout where I used up all my gold letters (that were supposed to be for some of the other layouts). I just love the fabulous mix of textures in the Fundamentals assortments. How cute is this foil embossed wood arrow?

This OH SNAP piece we trimmed out of a PML card. It's printed in gold foil - swoon! The flowers we stamped using So Many Smiles, which is just what making this layout brought to me.

Day 223: So Happy Together Layout

This layout is the final piece of the La Vie En Rose swap set I put together for the Awesome Artist swap. 

I created the background out of pomegranate, black, and white cardstocks. Then I built that panel of patterned squares divided by gold foil tape with black zig zag hand stitching over the top. I did not want to have to stitch through the entire layout base! I added a line of stamped "sweet" words along bottom of the stitched panel. Then I went to town with the La Vie En Rose Complements.

The embellishment clusters are a mix of chipboard, photo realistic stickers, and La Vie En Rose assortment badge buttons. I added a generous sprinkling of enamel gems to finish off the clusters.

Day 221: You are Fabulous Tuxedo Shirt Card

Tonight's card is the third of my La Vie En Rose set for the Awesome Artists swap, and inspired by my own little tuxedo lover Max.

I cut two 2" wide panels of this patterned paper, then another strip at 1/2". I layered the 1/2" strip over the 2" strips and ran my sewing machine down the edges, threaded with grey thread. This got attached to a panel of Pomegranate cardstock with thin foam tape so it would be a nice sized pocket. I also stitched along the top of the tiny hand cut shirt pocket.

Inside I embellished the "undershirt" card with some La Vie En Rose Complements including a clear pink bow and some heart stickers. The sentiment is from So Many Smiles. I added a bowtie from the black Fundamentals assortment and tucked a little chipboard heart into the shirt pocket. Hope you like it as much as Max did!

Day 220: So Big Scrapbook Layout

One of my favorite Scrapbook sketch challenges is the Scrap Much? Sketchy Friday. They always have adorable sketches that are so much fun to scrap. This current sketch is no exception!

I went with a plain white cardstock layout base, which I don't usually do. I did swipe all around the edges with some gold Wink of Stella. I used scraps of La Vie En Rose paper to fill the sketch, along with some Pomegranate cardstock. I stamped and cut out the little gold and red hearts (Doodled Designs stamped in Cranberry and filled with gold Wink of Stella. I added a chipboard heart from the coordinating complements and some pieces from the black Fundamentals assortment (the clip and glitter dots). I hand-stitched a simple gold edging around the main layout pieces.

This washi tape came from the Paper Issues store, and I layered it over some gold foil tape. Then I added some cork sticker letters for the title, but washed with more gold Wink of Stella. This is a favorite pic of the boys from when they were small, but it's the only one from that day, so it's about time it got a turn to be scrapped!

Day 219: Love This Life Card

This week's sketch over at Mojo Monday is Tall and Skinny. So I made my card 3.5 x 5.5 inches - a fun size that still fits in a regular A2 envelope. 

I stamped the camera image from the Hello Life stamps (only available for two more days) in Slate ink all over the card base. Then I added a panel of La Vie En Rose chevron stripe. I matted the patterned paper with Sweet Leaf cardstock. 

Then I embossed the LOVE image win white onto the black cardstock circle. I stamped the rest of the sentiment images onto scrap white cardstock using Sweet Leaf and Canary inks. A few grey enamel dots finished off my card.

Day 218: Cherish Each Day Card

I think this photo-realistic floral print from La Vie En Rose is just so pretty.

When I made this card I didn't want to cover it up too much. I hand trimmed a panel of black Basic Fundamentals paper to have a curvy edge. Then I added a strip of striped B&T to the panel before attaching to the floral B&T. 

I stitched around the edges of the panel with gold thread. Then I stamped a So Many Smiles circle onto a black cardstock cricut cut circle with White Daisy ink. I added Gold foil tape to some scrap cardstock and punched it with a scallop border punch. I heart these sweet chipboard bows in the La Vie En Rose complements. What's your favorite part of the new Complements varied material embellishments? 

Day 217: Thanks a Bunch Card

I have a few pretty La Vie En Rose Projects to share with you this month, too. I made these for a board swap hosted by Karen Morris. 

For this first card I chose to do a watercolor technique. I stamped the flowers from Floral Banners in Whisper Ink. Then I colored over the inked images with the new watercolor paints.

I added a stamped panel with the sentiment framed in the zip strips from the La Vie En Rose papers. I added a banner sticker from the La Vie en Rose complements. Then I cut and shaped a couple of watercolored flower images before attaching them onto the sentiment panel. I added a few glitter hearts from the Fundamentals Assortment Black. I dotted all the flower centers with a gold metallic marker. I'm linking this up to the Heart 2 Heart Coloring Challenge.