Happy Thoughts

Heat wave here in my corner of the PNW!  But it's lovely cool in the craft room. Isn't that nice?

Try Stampin' On Tuesday #371 challenge is a sketch with a twist - use texture.  I've had gesso for over a year...and been afraid to open the jar. Why?? I mixed some up with a few drops of reinker and spread it over my new Mosaic stencil. Fun! and easy. The sentiment is Lawn Fawn 'happy happy happy' stamp+die set.

Try Stampin' On Tuesday, sketch 371

Congrats!

Celebrating grads and new jobs - and using a older CTMH stamp.  I heat embossed - mixing gold and platinum powders. Then added some color with sparkle gel pens. The die cut sentiment is from Impression Obsession.
Linking to CAS(E) This Sketch #278 and Paper Players #400

 

Thanks

Great sketch at My Time to Craft #374 inspired this.  Used Versmark ink on glossy paper with this large background stamp, but no embossing powder. Instead I used the brayer to apply some Hero Arts reactive ombre ink. I love the magic of having the invisible design appear!  Such a fun technique.  The Thanks was cut twice and stacked for a bit of dimension (Mama Elephant die), and the embossed sentiment is from Big Thanks Words - Simon Says Stamp.

 

 

My Time to Craft #374

Freshly Made #342

It was a super busy week. Too many projects and gatherings all at once :-) No time for explanations - and this card is so simple, it needs none. A scrap of pretty paper, Versamark stamping on the blue, heat embossed Verve sentiment, and a few sequins. The joy of a good CAS sketch! I love all the very creative and lovely cards on this post - both DT and crafters.  My card is pretty blah by comparison, but I'm just happy to have made something today!

So for Freshly Made Sketches #342

Sending Sunshine

 

When I first began crafting many years ago, I did a lot of dry embossing with stencils and stylus on a light table.  Today I experimented with a new stencil from My Favorite Things - Moroccan Mosaic.  First, I tried some gesso which was a total first for me.  Those are drying, and I am not sure if it was successful.  I was much happier masking off a section of the stencil and using distress inks with the ink blending tool.  The sentiment is a MFT Die-namics cut three times and brushed with the Wink of Stella pen. The little stamped part is from a Verve set.

Linking this to Freshly Made Sketches #341  and          AAA #117, 'Geometrics' theme

Send a Smile 4 Kids

It is a joy to craft, visit blogs, be inspired, send 'happy mail' to friends....but I have needed an outlet, a positive contribution with my hobby.  I've sent cards to military, sold them locally for cancer research fundraising, but haven't had an outlet lately.  I was thrilled to discover Send a Smile 4 Kids this week.   A packet is heading to them tomorrow.  These cards will be included, and they were made today with their mission in mind. I love making fun kid cards, but even with four grandchildren, can't really use all the stamps enough. I am really excited about making cards for children who need some laughs and love.
 Please check out their site and follow them on Facebook!

The stamps are mainly from MY FAVORITE THINGS's new release Toucan Do It! and the coordinating dies, also some leaves and the flower  from two very old Close To My Heart sets Extreme Happiness and Nature Walk. 

I did some partial die cutting on the card with three birds - inspired by a Jennifer McGuire video on that technique.  The first card just used a single die cut.  I used Copics to color the toucans. I made masks for the leaves and used some rock n' roll and second generation stamping for them.

 Inside:

 

Atlantic Hearts

Monday means a new sketch at Atlantic Hearts Sketch  Challenge. I'm not usually so fast with a card...but I had a brand new cover die on my desk waiting for inspiration. What a surprise to see this sketch!    

So I got to work right away.  I used a panel for some ink blending with Tumbled Glass and Salty Ocean.  I cut the cover on some craft.  Then I used several colors of ink as watercolor on a piece of watercolor paper. When it was dry I used the accompanying dies for flowers and leaves. I used a Savvy sentiment die cut from kraft and also from some tan foam.  The little bird is from a set of dimensionals I've had for years. They are lovely, but hard to find a use for.  This is so not my style, but I had a blast putting it together. If I have some time, I'll try another version with some stamping!