Back in the Groove

Well hello, my friends who may still be following my lonely little blog.  I know it's been a while since I've posted here, but I think I've finally got my groove back.

I've been on a creating frenzy over the last 2 months or so, trying to use up some of my 30+ packs of 6 x 6 patterned paper.  I came across this fantastic blog called The Best Things in life are pink and tried my hand at one of them which I have been posting on Instagram.  I had fun and found it forced me to use paper I've had sitting around and I loved the cards that I made with them.

For this first card, I tried my hand at the Freshly Made Sketches 419, I love sketches as my starting point and go back to FMS ones all the time.  I added some 3D Crystal Lacquer on the fish although it was hard to capture on this card.

I used the Authentique Fresh patterned paper and Memory Box Fish Tales Shadow on both of my cards.  For my second card, I went back to a favorite sketch blog-MojoMonday 529 although I screwed up my measurements a bit on this one, I still like the outcome.  I also used the 3D Crystal Lacquer to make the fish bubbles.

Those who have followed me over the years know I'm pretty clean & simple style.  Sometimes I don't even use embellishments, but I'm happy with that and crafting is a stress reliever that I'm finding my way back into and loving it.

So be patient, I may not blog a lot still but I am going to make an effort to share more of what I make no matter how old the sets I use are.  I know my blog needs a major overhaul so if anyone knows someone that does this, please send me their info-I may need to get it updated soon.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Birthday Sunflowers

I've been trying to get back into my creative mode and this past weekend was pretty successful.  I stamped and worked a little on my Project Life album.

I thought I'd be tired of sunflowers after doing the wedding invitations and then the wedding itself, but no-it's the first one I pulled out to work with when I was stamping.  Of course I went straight for my sketches as well :-)

For this card I used the current Retro Sketches challenge.

Hope to see you all around here more frequently!

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Card details:

Stamps: Simply Sunflower from Papertrey Ink and Poppy Birthday from Verve Stamps

Cardstock: Cherry Cobbler, Confetti White, The Pier by Crate Paper

Inks: So Saffron, Close to Cocoa and Wild Wasabi, Archival

Embellishments: Notebook punch, Memory Box jewel stickers

BC273: Splash of Color

Finally it's Friday, I was afraid this day would never arrive.  Although the weather is not looking good and I'd love to crawl back into bed, I'm glad it's finally Friday.

Last night I finally sat down and created my card for blogger's challenge to use black, white and a splash of color.  I hadn't stamped all week and was determined to at least get one card done.

Now, I'm not going to kid you-this card took me FOREVER.  I had gotten these Memory Box Woodrow Rosette dies and could not figure out to how to create the flower.  Our fearless leader, Lisa, led me in the right direction and I was finally able to figure it out.

The sketch I used was July's sketch for you to try which worked beautifully I thought with what I had in mind.  I originally had left my rose strip of paper blank but decided to go back and add the sentiment from Standup4sentiments from The {Stamps} of Life.

Hope you will join us over at Blogger's Challenge this week, love this challenge and see the splash of color that everyone uses!

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Card details:

Stamps: Standup4sentiments from The {Stamps} of Life

Cardstock: Perfect Little Black Dress, Regal Rose, Whisper White, Teresa Collins Carolina Breeze

Inks: Color Box by Stephanie Barnard-Licorice

Embellishments: Prima rose, Memory Box Woodrow Rosette, Spellbinder Circle Dies

BC246: Color Challenge

Today over at Blogger's Challenge I'm excited to share a color challenge based off my kindle pouch.  I won this pouch from Ali Edwards website a few weeks before Christmas and I had been hinting to my hubby I needed a Kindle and was thrilled that he got me one this year.  I've been reading like crazy on it (so last night I had to sit down and stamp instead of reading).

Here is a picture of the Kindle pouch which is from Elisalou Designs:

My colors may seem off but I assure you there is aqua on the pouch which I see is not on the picture up above.  I had the pouch in hand when I was doing this card and really brought out the aqua.  LOL.  See up in the left hand corner you can see a smidgen of the aqua on the pouch???

I used this Adore Peony Collage from Memory Box as my main image as I though the colors would be perfect based on the pouch.  I used the Deconstructed Sketch #33 for this in which I rotated it counter clock wise to make it work for my image.  The seam binding was colored with my copic marker to fit the color I needed.

I'm way behind on my Blogger's Challenge commenting so hope to get to those today or tomorrow...need to get back into the routine now that school has gone back and I'm back to work as well.

Hope you will join us over at Blogger's Challenge using the photo above for your color inspiration.  You can link in to the blog hop at my blog below, at Lisa's blog or anyone participating in the hop.

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Card details:

Stamps: Adore Peony Collage from Memory Box

Cardstock: Cool Carribean, Basic Black, Neenah White, My Mind's Eye Love Me Do

Inks: copics, Perfect Little Black Dress

Embellishments: Seam binding, open scallop edge die from My Favorite Thing's, Prima flower

Adore

This has got to be one of my most favorite cards, and that doesn't come easy some days, but since I'm mailing these off to the MD Anderson Cancer Center, I will need to re-create one for my stash.  Now I think I'm going to need to buy this stamp as it's one I stamped a few images of while I was over at Libby's a few weekends ago playing.  

The challenge was HYCCT1107- Colors of Hope (Green, Brown and Yellow)

hosted by LMcAree.  At first I was a little apprehensive as I wasn't certain about these colors together, but it came together beautifully!

Hope you will join in over at the challenges at SCS for this great cause.

Card details:

Stamps: Adore Peony Collage from Memory Box

Cardstock: Say Yellow to all Your Fans, Dish All the Dirt Brown, A Blanc Check

Inks: Perfect Little Black Dress, Dish All the Dirt Brown, copics

Embellishments: dimensionals, Kasier Craft December 25th Self-Adhesive Pearls, sponge, distresser

Christmas Sparkles

A few weeks ago when I was visiting my friend Kristen, I was able to play with some of her goodies.  She brought some of her newest purchases with her and I had to dive right in.

I used a Lily Pad Cards sketch and their challenge to use BLING. 

Love how clean and simple this card turned out!

Card details:

Stamps: Classic Ornament Outline D1785 and Christmas Sparkles B1775 from Memory Box

Cardstock: Cherry Cobbler, Kraft Like a Rockstar Ivory, Authentique Wonder patterned paper

Inks: Stephanie Barnard for Memory Box Licorice, copic markers E81, YG17, R37

Embellishments: Gold stickles, dimensionals, Sparkle shimmer spray

Sue's Mystery Image Swap

Sue challenged us this month with her image- Boxer Penguin from Memory Box and she also sent us a cardfront of patterned paper to use on our card this month. I was definitely STUMPED with both the image and the patterned paper. I had come up with an idea and once I started with my card AND mounted my patterned paper down I decided it wasn't looking very good.

I improvised and tried a different approach with is okay. I'm not overly thrilled with the final outcome of it, but it will have to do. I colored the trunks of Boxer Penguin with my copic markers and layered him on my square nestabilities. I chose the coordinating colors of Not Quite Navy, Summer Sun, Garden Green and Real Red. I tried to jazz up my card a bit decorating the strip of Garden Green which I ran through the cuttlebug (tiny bubbles folder) with stickles. I also added some of the fire rhinestone brads to the flowers. I added a sentiment by Lockhart that I picked up on one of my trips to Maryland. Cracks me up every time I see it and will have to use it more.

I hope that my partner will like this card, it's not one of my best ones in my opinion, but it's not horrible either...is it???