Hello readers and happy Friday!  I hope you have some fun plans for the weekend ahead.  We have nothing specific planned yet, but sometimes no plans are the best plans!

Today I am sharing two cards I created using a new stamp set that I recently purchased from Altenew called Potted Plants. I did not inherit my mother's green thumb, so stamping plants instead of actually potting them is about the only way I'm guaranteed to keep them alive!  Altenew has some of the most beautiful and realistic looking stamps and I have come to love their products very much.  Their layering flower stamps like this hyacinth and these Peruvian Lilies are among other personal favorites of mine.

Here is the Potted Plants bundle by Altenew that I used to create these cards.  The bundle is both the stamp set and coordinating die, but you can purchase each individually as well.

The base of this A2 sized card is made from Crumb Cake cardstock.  Using the Papertrey Ink Mix and Mat Plaid Die, I cut the frame from Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock.  Using Memento Tuxedo black ink, I stamped the sentiment at the top of the card.  On a separate sheet of white cardstock I stamped the three plants in Garden Green ink and Pear Pizzazz ink.  Using the coordinating dies, I cut out each plant.  I stamped the two plant pots in Versamark ink and heat embossed them with gold embossing powder.  I die cut the plant pots using the coordinating die.  I adhere the plants and plant pots to the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension. 

For the second card, I created the base from Pear Pizazz cardstock.  I stamped the sentiment in the lower left corner using Intense-ified black ink.  I die cut the black frame from Basic Black cardstock.  Sorry - I can't recall who makes this die!  I cut a sheet of white cardstock to fit behind the window frame and stamped the plants in Garden Green ink and Pear Pizzazz ink.  Lastly I stamped the palm plant in Pear Pizzazz ink and die cut it using the coordinating dies. I stamped the plant pot in Versamark ink and heat embossed it in white embossing powder.  I die cut the plant pot and then I adhered this palm plant to the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.

Thanks for visiting and have a wonderful weekend friends!

On Tuesday, I shared with you the first two cards I created using myJune My Monthly Hero Kit from Hero Arts.  Both cards involved a lot of coloring and detailed alcohol ink backgrounds, so today I'm sharing with you another, more simple way to use this exact same kit to achieve a whole new look.  Each of these cards came together in just a few quick minutes with some heat embossing and a stamped sentiment.  You could easily swap the "stay wild" sentiment for whatever expression you need.

Here is a look at the June My Monthly Hero Kit in case you missed Tuesday's post:

KIT INCLUDES:

• 6" x 8" Clear Stamp Set
• 20 Coordinating Frame Cuts
• 2 Jungle Vine Fancy Dies
•  6" x 6" Leaf Pattern Stencil
•  Watercolor Dot Card
• Intense-ified Black Ink Cube

The base of this A2 sized card is made from Basic Gray cardstock.  Using the Gina Marie Scalloped Stitched  Nesting Rectangles Dies, I die cut a piece of Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock and matted it onto a piece of Basic Black cardstock.  I stamped the elephant in Versamark ink on Basic Gray cardstock and heat embossed it with black embossing powder.  I stamped the sentiment in Intense-ified black ink (included with the kit) and adhered the elephant to the card with 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.

The base of this A2 sized card is made from Pumpkin Pie cardstock.  Using the Gina Marie Scalloped Stitched  Nesting Rectangles Dies, I die cut a piece of Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock and matted it onto a piece of Basic Black cardstock.  I stamped the tiger in Versamark ink on Pumpkin Pie cardstock and heat embossed it with black embossing powder.  I stamped the sentiment in Intense-ified black ink (included with the kit) and adhered the tiger to the card with 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.

I hope you have enjoyed today's cards.  Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

Hello readers!  Today I'm excited to share with you the first set of cards I made using the June My Monthly Hero Kit from Hero Arts.  I mentioned recently that I had re-signed up for the Hero Arts monthly kit subscription and I assured myself that I would use them soon after they arrived, rather than having them pile up in my craft room unused for months. . . Last weekend, I finally sat down and created a wide array of cards all made from this kit that I'll be sharing over the next few days.  

This is what was included in the June My Monthly Hero Kit:

KIT INCLUDES:

•   6" x 8" Clear Stamp Set
  
• 20 Coordinating Frame Cuts
•  2 Jungle Vine Fancy Dies
  
• 6" x 6" Leaf Pattern Stencil
• Watercolor Dot Card
• Intense-ified Black Ink Cube

For this first A2 sized card, I used Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock as my base.  The first later is a piece of Basic Black cardstock that I ran through my Big Shot using the Gina Marie Designs Scalloped Stitched Nesting Rectangles.  I cut a 5" x 3 3/4" sheet of white cardstock to layer over the black mat.  I stamped the sentiment in the Intense-ified black ink cube (included in the kit).  I stamped five flamingos on scrap white cardstock in the Intense-ified black ink and colored them using Spectrum Noir Alcohol Ink markers.  I added a few highlights to the colored flamingos with a Uniball Signo White Gel Pen.  Using the coordinating dies, I die cut the flamingos and added them to the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.  Lastly, I added a coat of Clear Wink of Stella to the flamingos for shiny sparkle!

The base of this A2 sized card is made from Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock (all product links are provided in the directions for the first card).  I stamped the sentiment at the bottom of the card using the Intense-ified black ink.  I die cut the squares frame (sorry, I can't remember the company who produces this die) from Basic Black cardstock.  I created a rainbow color background using alcohol inks on Yupo Paper.  Please look at any one of the amazing Jennifer McGuire YouTube videos to learn more about creating alcohol ink backgrounds.  I stamped all of the images in Intense-ified black ink and colored them using Spectrum Noir alcohol ink markers.  I added the colored images to the card using 3M foam adhesive.  Lastly, I added a coat of Clear Wink of Stella to the images for shiny sparkle!

I hope you have enjoyed seeing what I created with this month's kit.  Be sure to come back tomorrow and I'll be sharing a very simple way to create more using this same kit!

Hello friends and happy Monday!  I hope you all had a great weekend.  I spent nearly the whole day in my craft room on Saturday and I completed seventeen cards!  I haven't done that in a really long time and it felt so rewarding.  I completed eight more cards on Sunday and while I wanted to make more, my back was just not having it.  I've been having to see a chiropractor and massage therapist regularly and I just can't seem to get things loosened up lately.  Anyway. . . I'm so thankful that I was feeling very creative over the weekend and that I finally had the time to play with lots of brand new products, so you'll be seeing many new cards in the coming weeks. 

Today we begin with these two pineapple cards using the Simply Stamped - Pineapple from Taylored Expressions.  It is a multi-layering stamp set, so it gives a lot of depth to both the pineapple and the crown.  Pineapples are among one of my favorite fruits, especially if you get a really sweet and juicy one! 

Here is the Simply Stamped - Pineapple from Taylored Expressions that I used to create today's cards:

The base of this first A2 sized card is made from Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock.  Using the Stitched Scalloped Rectangle Nesting Dies from Gina Marie Designs, I cut the first layer from Pineapple Punch cardstock.  I then cut a sheet of white cardstock and ran it through my Big Shot using the Gina Marie Stitched Rectangles dies.  On this sheet of paper, I stamped the sentiment in the center of the card using Tuxedo Memento Black ink.  I stamped the pineapples - one in Pineapple Punch ink and the other in Crumb Cake ink and the pineapple crowns were stamped in Lemon Lime Twist and Granny Apple Green ink. I cut the pineapples using the coordinating dies and adhered them to the card with 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.  Lastly I added a few clear rhinestones for added sparkle.  

The base of this second A2 sized card is made from Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock.  I used a sheet of Lawn Fawn Gotta Have Gingham paper to line the background.  I can't recall the brand of the die that I used to cut the frame out of Pineapple Punch cardstock.  Sorry, but I think it might be My Favorite Things.   I stamped the two pineapples as I did in the card above (using the same ink colors) and lastly, I stamped the sentiment in Tuxedo Memento Black ink in the lower right corner.  

I hope you have enjoyed today's sweet cards!  Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

Hello and happy Fri-yay!  I hope you have fun things planned for the weekend ahead.  I was originally going to title today's post, "Rockin' the Rainbow," but being the sugar fiend that I am, I remembered the old "taste the rainbow" Skittles commercials and then I found this article about people who really can taste the rainbow so I'm just rolling with it!

Today's cards features very colorful alcohol ink backgrounds in a wide array of rainbow colors and who doesn't love rainbows!?  While I abstain from sharing my own moral, political and religious beliefs on this blog, June is Pride Month and I specifically made these cards with some of my LQBTQA+ friends and readers in mind.  However the affirmative messages and vibrant hues on all of these cards could certainly be used to brighten anyone's day.    

To create your own alcohol ink backgrounds you can follow any of these fabulous You Tube tutorials:

Jennifer McGuire: Easy Alcohol Ink Backgrounds
Tiffany Solario: Alcohol Ink,  Yupo Paper

For this 1st card I used the My Favorite Things "Queen For a Day" stamp set and coordinating crown die.

The sentiment used on this card is from the Magic and Sparkle stamp set by Poppy Stamps.  It does have a coordinating "sparkle" word die as well.  ​

This sentiment stamp is from Spellbinders/Fun Stamper's Journey.  I heat embossed the sentiment in black embossing powder on Yupo paper after the alcohol inks had dried. 

​I hope you have enjoyed today's rainbow cards.  Thanks for visiting and have a great weekend!

I have spent the better part of the last four days cleaning out and re-organizing my craft room.  Every now and then I feel the urge to change things around a bit, and this time, I think the result is my favorite thus far!   I always feel so inspired after these mini-makeovers and I can't wait to start creating again in this "new" space!  I'll be sure to share all the details below with you, including some of the inexpensive items I recently purchased to help with organization. 

My craft room is a finished room in our basement - so unfortunately there are no windows, but I selected the neutral beige carpeting to resemble sand and painted the walls Sherwin Williams "Spa" blue to resemble the sky and ocean.  The overall feeling was supposed to resemble the beach!  The room itself is probably 12 feet wide, by 14 feet long.  The first thing you see when you walk down in my craft room is this display wall on the right.  The white bookcase was a recycled find at my local Goodwill store.  The only new item I purchased was the hanging card display.  This was anAmazon find for only $10 and it adhered to the wall with 3M tape.  Yay, no drilling needed! 

Here is a look at my craft desk and my solid color cardstock holders.  I purchased these paper racks on a lucky Craigslist find for $25.    My craft desk is honestly the oldest, heaviest, ugliest thing in this craft room, but it came with our house (I assume it was an old workbench) and it totally works for me!  I love that it is counter top height as I often like to stand when I craft.   If you look in the lower left corner of this photo, you will see my new ink refill organizer.  I'm hoping Mark will hang it up for me this weekend!

Here is a close-up of the new acrylic holder I purchased for my ink refills.  It was originally designed to hold nail polish bottles, but these refills fit perfectly too!  I purchased two of these (at $35 each) as they will hold all of my regular Stampin' UP ink refills and my Spectrum Noir refills.  All of these bottles used to be stored in shoeboxes and that was a pain to sort through to find the colors I needed! 

I love using this acrylic lipstick holder for all of my most used tools.  This was another great Amazon find for only $10.  Scissors, glue pens, tweezers, paint brushes and more all stand up nice and straight so they are easy to locate.  My Spectrum Noir markers are housed in these universal black pen trays and my ink pad holder is from Stamp-N-Storage.

These acrylic risers house some of my other frequently used tools.

All of my Ikea Alex units are labeled using a Brother P Touch machine, so that I can find things easily! 
There is even one labeled "candy" filled with all of my favorites - Swedish Fish, Sour Patch Kids, Runts, Twizzlers, Nerds, etc.  Basically all things red dye #5 and sugar!

All of my stamps are stored on the Ikea Mosslanda 48" picture ledges.  I now have twenty of these installed around my craft room.  I tend to organize my stamps by theme/holiday (Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc) or by company (Hero Arts, MFT, etc).   I love that I can see where everything is.  However, I have pretty much filled up all of these shelves now so I am considering what to do in the future.  Right now I am thinking that I have four shelves dedicated just for Christmas stamps.  I might put those stamps into shoeboxes, since I don't use them as frequently and that would free up some room for now. 

In this photo below, you can really see how much free space I currently  have in the middle of my room, so I have purchased a long table for this area that I will use as a cutting and kitting desk.  I am currently kitting projects on my floor and it's been killing my back for far too long now!

Below you can see my "die wall," which is one of my most asked about projects!  We took a 4' x 8' piece of pegboard and covered it in magnet roll.  For stamps that have coordinating dies, I store them together in their stamp case, but for any die that is a stand alone, it goes on this wall.  And yes, I'm running out of space here too!  I have already taken all of my Christmas dies and put them into ArtBin Magnetic storage cases.

To the right of my fireplace, you can see this white rolling rack.  This is where I keep all of my completed cards.  Yes, this is ALL of them!  That's it!  Does it surprise you that I don't have shoeboxes and shoeboxes of completed cards?  

I organize my cards my theme, so that it's easy for myself (or Mark) to just grab a certain card without pawing through shoeboxes.  Again, that labeling machine comes in handy!

I hope you have enjoyed this little tour of my current craft room.  It's an ever changing space, but I am grateful and blessed to have a dedicated room in which to spend time doing something that I love. 

Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

Cardmakers tend to make a lot of cards.  Most of us have piles and piles, or shoeboxes upon shoeboxes, of our creations, but actually giving them away or sending them seems to be a common dilemma.   I frequently hear, "But, I really like this card" or "I don't want to give it away!"  I totally get it.  I have my fair share of "favorites" or cards that took me hours to create that I would not give to just anyone.  So, they sit on a shelf in my craft room only to be admired by me.

Well, what if the very same joy that card brought to you, could be shared with so many others instead of sitting on that shelf, or tucked away in a box somewhere? There are many worthwhile organizations that always need cards, and accept donations of handmade cards to use.  Stop hoarding all those cards and pay it forward!  Donating to any of these organizations is a great way to enjoy your hobby while also helping others.

Here are some great resources to help get you started:

Types of Cards: encouragement, cheer, thank you, others.
Contact: Your local hospital auxiliary
In their support role for the hospital, local hospital auxiliaries can use cards for patient and staff support. Some hospital auxiliaries also run gift shops that sell handmade items where card donations may be welcomed. (Note that many hospitals will not accept cards with “get well” themes or religious messages, but contact your area hospital directly to see what they accept.)

Types of Cards: Thank you, hello, cheer, baby, wedding, holidays, sympathy
Contact: The congregation’s secretary
Many card makers need look no further than their own church for a great place to donate their cards, as even in the age of email many churches still send large amounts of traditional cards to members. Ask your church what cards are most needed!

Types of Cards: All cards
Contact: Your charity of choice.
You can find most online. Check https://www.donorschoose.org/ to find a charity local to you.  Charities spend a lot of time saying thank you, to their donors and to their volunteers. Other cards they might need depend on the particular charity’s mission, so check with your chosen charity to find out their needs.

Types of Cards: All holidays & occasions, thank you, hello, cheer.
Contact: A facility in your community.
One of the challenges of providing quality of life for residents of long term care facilities is helping them continue to feel connected to family, friends, and the community. Providing them a supply of handmade cards to use to keep in contact with their loved ones is one thing that can help bridge that gap.

Types of Cards: Cheer and friendship
Contact: http://colorgivesmile.weebly.com/
This group promotes the sending of positive messages of cheer and friendship to seniors living in assisted living facilities. Participants can find their own local facility to send to, or Color Give Smile will provide them with contact information for a suggested facility whose seniors are in need of some cheer.

Types of Cards: All holidays & occasions, thank you, cheer
Contact: Visit https://www.rmhc.org/ to find a facility near you
Ronald McDonald House attached to children’s hospitals around the country enable families to stay near their child while the child receives needed medical care. Whether it is supporting families or thanking their donors and volunteers, handmade cards can play a small, but valuable role in the important mission of Ronald McDonald House.

Types of Cards: Varies – check their request updates.
Contact: http://sendasmile4kids.blogspot.com/
This blog currently serves five different children’s hospitals around the United States, collecting and distributing cards for children who are hospitalized at the facilities. Their card needs vary, so be sure to check the blog for updates and holiday shipping deadlines.

Types of Cards: Cheer, encouragement
Contact: http://www.cardsforhospitalizedkids.com/
This Illinois‐based group collects cards for hospitalized kids and distributes them to hospitals in all 50 states. As their motto says, “Doctors provide medicine and we provide hope, joy and magic.”

Types of Cards: Cheer, encouragement, and thank you
Contact: http://military-missions.org/info/
This non‐profit organization sends care packages year‐round to members of the United States military that are deployed overseas. Military Missions collects signed cards of encouragement to include in the packages they send to help show support for the troops.

Types of Cards: Thinking of you, positive messages, cheer
Contact: https://www.bringsmilestoseniors.com/
Bring Smiles to Seniors is a national non-profit that focuses on showing beloved senior citizens love and kindness. They are looking for handmade or store-bought cards to give to seniors all around the country, or supplies for organized cardmaking events. They do ask that you send the card unsealed so they can sticker it with an easy-to-open sticker. They're looking for everyday "Thinking of You" cards and general positivity themes. 

Types of Cards: Birthday, encouragement, cheer, get well, anniversary, baby, welcome home
Contact: https://soldiersangels.org/Cards‐Plus‐Team.html
The Cards Plus Team at Soldiers’ Angels supports deployed service members, veterans, and their families through the encouragement of cards and notes. Angel team members can also request cards for someone they know in need of support.

Types of Cards: Cheer, thank you, encouragement, holiday
Contact: http://heartillerygroup.org/

This non‐profit, founded by a military wife, is devoted to one simple mission: collecting cards of encouragement for deployed service members. Heartillary sends cards out year‐round, so there’s no need to wait for a holiday to share some cheer!

Types of cards:  All kinds
Contact:  https://stjudesranch.org/recycled-card-program/

Yes!  We are still accepting the fronts of your recycled cards (except for Hallmark, American Greetings and Disney which we are unable to accept due to copyright laws) as we continue to revamp our recycled card program in our effort to provide teens with life and work skills.
Please SEND to:  St. Jude’s Ranch for Children, 100 St. Jude’s St., Boulder City, NV 89005.
We also accept new cards (any occasion) with or without the envelopes.

Whether you are sending cards to your own mom, BFF, co-workers, the teachers at your kids' school, the local hospital, nursing home, or unknown soldiers on the other side of the world, handmade cards carry a heartfelt message and help brighten someone's day in the most simple of ways.

Share your handmade love today!

If you were to ask me what was the most profound card or paper creation I have ever designed was, I would tell you without a doubt, my wedding invitations.  Yes, I handmade my OWN wedding invitations.  All 150 of them.  Plus, all the save the date cards, RSVP cards, table seating cards, etc.  It was no easy task considering I was the bride, but it made the momentous occasion even more special to me. 

Today I am sharing another very special card I designed to thank friends and family for the support we received following the recent passing of my mother-in-law.  Honestly, I had debated about ordering funeral acknowledgement cards versus creating them myself because I was feeling significantly overwhelmed with
the idea of having to make so many cards.  And, would I be able to finish without flooding my paper in monsoons of tears?  But, in the end, I am so pleased that I spent the time creating these cards because I
added something to them that no commercial printer could ever reproduce 
- and that is love.

I drafted the wording of these cards on a simple Microsoft Word document.  I printed them on Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock and cut the stitched rectangle using the Gina Marie Designs Stitched Rectangle die.  I heat embossed the cherry blossoms in gold embossing powder and then ran the entire sheet of cardstock through my Big Shot using the Stampin' UP! Subtle texturized embossing folder to give the cardstock a slightly textured look.  I die cut the mat from Berry Burst cardstock and ran it through my Big Shot using the Gina Marie Designs Stitched Scalloped Rectangle dies. 

Barbara's favorite color was pink and this raspberry pink color (Stampin' UP's! Berry Burst) reminds me of one of the velour track suits she loved to wear so often.

This close-up photo details the gold embossing on the cherry blossoms:

Thanks for visiting and sharing in this very sentimental creation with me today.

Hello friends and happy Thursday!  I have been mentioning recently that my own supply of cards is getting particularly low, especially when it comes to birthday cards, which I send out frequently.   Unfortunately, I have gotten out of the habit of making multiples of cards when I sit down to create.  By making them one card at a time (on the average of three to four cards per week), it was not giving me a lot of cards to have on hand!  So, last weekend I took a birthday card that I had made in the past and decided to replicate the same card in four different colors.  I made four of each card, and within an hour's time I had SIXTEEN new birthday cards to add to my supply!
Sixteen cards!  IN. AN. HOUR.   OMG, I'll be doing this WAAAAAAaaaaayyyy more often!
It's a really great way to add to your collection, especially if you send a lot of cards, like me!

I used the Altenew Beautiful Heart stamp set to create today's cards:

Ink colors used for the flowers:  Rich Razzleberry, Lovely Lipstick, Gorgeous Grape (Stampin' UP!)
*All leaf ink colors are the same for all four cards:  Pistachio Pudding, Pear Pizzazz, Garden Green (Stampin' UP!)

Ink colors used for the flowers:  Daffodil Delight, Pineapple Punch, Crushed Curry (Stampin' UP!)

Ink colors used for the flowers:  Cantelope Crisp, Mango Medley, Calypso Coral (Stampin' UP!)

Ink colors used for the flowers:  Gorgeous Grape, Highland Heather and Rich Razzleberry (Stampin' UP!)

If the shoe fits, they say you buy it in every color, right?  I say, if the card works, MAKE one in every color! This particular floral layout would also work well for sympathy and get well cards too.  In fact, I think I see sixteen more cards coming in the near future in additional colors!

Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

Hello readers! Today I am sharing a card with you that we made last week in my Easel Cards class.  I saw a similar idea on Pinterest from a Stampin' UP! Demonstrator named Shantell Randall, but I wanted to be sure to change my card up a little from hers. Thanks for the inspiration, Shantell!  I love how bright and colorful this card turned out.

*Full supply list at end of post.

The base of this A2 sized card is made from Balmy Blue cardstock.  On the bottom half of the easel card is a5 1/4" x 4" sheet of Whisper White cardstock.  I randomly stamped some of the clouds from the Lift Me Up (retired SU stamp set) in Balmy blue ink.  I stamped the sentiment in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and the word "rainbow" in Real Red ink. I die cut the sun from a scrap of yellow paper and adhered it to the card using 3M foam tape for added height.  *Tip:  You need this added height on the base of your card for the easel portion to prop up against.   For the top part of the easel card I cut two 5 x 3 3/4" sheets of Whisper White cardstock and ran it through my Big Shot using a retired polka dot embossing folder.  I used the Lawn Fawn Cloudy Day borders to trim create a cloud edge.  I stamped the clouds in Balmy Blue ink on Balmy Blue cardstock and die cut them using the coordinating die cuts.  I adhere the clouds to the card with 3M foam tape. 

To create the rainbow, I had to run the rainbow die through my Big Shot five times (one for each
ROYGBV color) and then adhere all the individuals colors together (this was the most time consuming part!) I stamped one hot air balloon in Real Red ink and a smaller one in Pineapple Punch ink and die cut them using the coordinating die from the Lift Me Up stamp set.  Lastly I added LOTS of clear Wink of Stella over the rainbow, clouds and balloons for lots of sparkle!

Here is the easy-to-follow template I use for creating easel cards courtesy of Beth McAlexander:

Like today's card? Please check out my schedule for upcoming classes HERE.   I hope to see you at a class soon!
Thanks for visiting!