Hello and happy Friday!  Toasty greetings is right!  It's freakin' cold out there today and I'm pretty sure we're going to see snow any moment now here in Mass!  I hope you have fun things planned for what's looking to be a very chilly weekend ahead.  My mom and dear friend Donna arrived on Wednesday night from Maine and California, respectively, and we are heading to a craft retreat in Connecticut with a few other friends for the long weekend.  Be sure to follow along on my Instastories for some behind-the-scenes fun!

Today I am sharing two cards that I threw together in very little time because, 1) I had already pre-made the alcohol ink backgrounds, and, 2) I had done all the coloring on a previous retreat!  I mention this because coloring is exactly what I'm going to be doing on this craft weekend as well.  Yes, for three whole days, I will do nothing but color (and eat and sleep, of course)!  I choose to do this because coloring takes up a LOT of time, something that I can never find enough of when I am at home.  It also means I don't have to pack a lot of bags for the weekend.  I can fit everything I need into one bag versus the multiple bags I used to bring filled with stamps, inks, paper and all the other things. 

The base of these A2 sized cards was made from either Gorgeous Grape or Call Me Clover cardstock.  I lined the base of the card with pre-made alcohol ink backgrounds (more below).  Using the Heffy Doodle Slopey Joe Landscape dies, I die cut two snowbanks from Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock. I lined the edges of the snowbank with Lawn Fawn Chunky Glitter.  I stamped the sentiment in the lower right corner of each card in either Gorgeous Grape ink or Call Me Clover ink.  I die cut the trees using the Lawn Fawn Birch Tree Lawn Cuts and adhered them over the alcohol ink background and tucked them behind the snowbanks.  I stamped all of the images from the MFT "Toasty Greetings" stamp set in Memento Tuxedo Black ink on Neenah Solar White smooth cardstock and die cut them using the coordinating dies.  I colored each image with Copic markers and added highlights to the images using a Uniball white gel pen.  I adhered all of the images to the card using 3M foam adhesive. 

Because I am not currently creating video content and tutorials on my website, I highly recommend checking out this Easy Alcohol Ink Background Tutorial by Jennifer McGuire.  She has created a very simple introduction to working with alcohol inks to create some basic backgrounds.  This was the first video I watched after purchasing my alcohol inks and then I just spent time playing around with them!  The great thing is there is no right or wrong when it comes to art.  You just have fun (and usually make a mess) with it!  *My only tip would be that you don't need to spend your money purchasing polysynthetic Yupo Paper at nearly $1.00 per sheet.  You can use the reverse side of any high quality photo paper (like this one by Kirkland) and achieve the same results!

Here is the "Toasty Greetings" stamp set from My Favorite Things that I used to create today's cards:

There is a lot going on with both of these cards between the alcohol ink backgrounds and the coloring, but when you break it up, it seems less overwhelming.  Some simple advice that I can offer, from my own experience, is to dedicate some time for each part of crafting.  Pick a day and color.  Pick another day and create alcohol ink backgrounds.  Pick yet another day for die cutting all the pieces.  Make extras of each and set them aside.  Then when you want to put a card together, half of the work is already done!

Thanks for visiting and have a wonderful weekend!

Hello friends and TGIF!  My weekend started a bit early last night as we traveled to Rutland, Vermont, for an annual craft retreat.  Be sure to follow along on my Instastories as I share some behind-the-scenes photos.  I promise nothing salacious or scandalous, we aren't big drinkers and most of us are in bed by midnight!!  : ) 

Today I am sharing the first of my winter/holiday cards!  I know, I know, some of you are like, girl hold off on the PSL bullcaca already. . . So, if snowy scenes and white tailed deer in September aren't your jam, sorry! 

The base of this A2 sized card is made from Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock.  I cut a frame around the scene from Crumb Cake Cardstock.  *Please continue reading below for more information about my alcohol ink background.  I did add "snow" by simply drawing in dots using a white gel pen.  Using the Heffy Doodle Stitched Slopey Joe border dies, I die cut the snowbank from white glimmer paper.  I die cut the birch trees from the Lawn Fawn Birch Tree Lawn Cuts and white cardstock.  The brown tree in the foreground I fussy cut by hand.  I stamped each of the images in Memento Tuxedo Black ink on white cardstock and colored them with Spectrum Noir Alcohol Ink markers.  I added highlights to each colored image with a Uniball White Gel pen.  I adhered all of the images to the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.  Lastly, I stamped the sentiment Blushing Bride ink on a thin strip of white cardstock.  I notched the right end and adhered it to the upper left corner of the card.

Because I am not currently creating video content and tutorials on my website, I highly recommend checking out this Easy Alcohol Ink Background Tutorial by Jennifer McGuire.  She has created a very simple introduction to working with alcohol inks to create some basic backgrounds.  This was the first video I watched after purchasing my alcohol inks and then I just spent time playing around with them!  The great thing is there is no right or wrong when it comes to art.  You just have fun (and usually make a mess) with it!  *My only tip would be that you don't need to spend your money purchasing polysynthetic Yupo Paper at nearly $1.00 per sheet.  You can use the reverse side of any high quality photo paper (like this one by Kirkland) and achieve the same results!
​

These adorable deer are from the Newton's Nook Deer Friend stamp set:

Have a great weekend, friends!  I hope it is equal parts relaxing and enjoyable. 

Happy July 25th, otherwise known as Christmas in July!  Ugh, I'm not even a Christmas in December person, so here I am sharing my first Christmas card of 2019.  Five months early.  It's kinda killing me, but I promise just a whisper of Christmas in July, not like the whole shebang.  Just today and tomorrow, so that I can say "Woohoo, I did it!"  Unlike the Easter, St. Patrick's Day and 4th of July cards I never created or shared to inspire you!  So, if jingle bells in July is your thing - jingle away!  'Tis the season to start your holiday cards now. . . 'Cause you know come December 16th you're gonna regret not starting them sooner!

The base of this A2 sized card is made from Gorgeous Grape cardstock.  The background was created using a variety of purple alcohol inks on photo paper.  I die cut a piece of Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock using the Heffy Doodle Stitched Slopey Joes landscape dies to create a snowbank.  In the lower left corner I stamped the sentiment in Gorgeous Grape ink.  I die cut the white trees using the Lawn Fawn Birch Trees Lawn Cuts.  I stamped all of the images in Memento Tuxedo blank ink and colored them using Spectrum Noir Alcohol Ink markers.  I added highlights to the colored images with a Uniball white gel pen.  Using a Sakura Quickie Glue pen, I put a small amount of glue in the white spaces on the images (hats, beards, etc) and sprinkled Lawn Fawn Prisma Glitter to add sparkle.  Lastly, I adhered the images to the card using 3M foam adhesive. 

*Because I am not currently creating video technique content on my website, I highly recommend checking out this Easy Alcohol Ink Background Tutorial on YouTube by the amazing Jennifer McGuire.  She has created a very simple introduction to working with alcohol inks to create background pieces.  This was the first video I watched after purchasing my alcohol inks and then I just spent time playing with them!

Here is the North Pole Littles stamp set from Hello Bluebird that I used to create today's card:

Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

Hello readers and happy Monday!  Welcome back from a very H-O-T weekend!  It was WAAAAAAYYyyy too hot and humid for me, so I was happily crafting away in my craft room creating some fun shark cards for you!  This coming Sunday, July 28th, kicks off the official 2019 Discovery Channel shark week.  Unlike all the 4th of July cards, Easter cards and St. Patrick's Day cards I failed to inspire you with, this year I'm actually ahead of the ball for sharing ideas for shark week!

The base of this A2 sized card is made from Coastal Cabana cardstock.  I cut a  5 1/4" x 4" sheet of a cloud patterned background paper (not sure who made this!) for the bottom layer.  I die cut a piece of a previously made alcohol ink background using the Lawn Fawn Stitched Waves Borders die and used the Lawn Fawn Slide On over wave dies to create a slider component for the shark in the water.  I die cut the sun from Lawn Fawn Rainbow Scallop paper and adhered it to the top of the card.  I stamped the sharks and surfboards in Memento Tuxedo black ink and colored them with Spectrum Noir alcohol ink markers.  Using a Uniball white gel pen I added highlights to the images.  I cut a circle and dry embossed it with a polka dot folder to create an island in the background.  I die cut two Lawn Fawn Palm Trees to add to the island from Crumb Cake cardstock and Early Espresso cardstock for the coconuts. I used the white gel pen to add a few more highlight to the palm trees.  I adhered all the images to the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.

Here is the Hello Chum stamp set by Avery Elle that I used to create this card:

Thanks for visiting and happy creating!

Hello readers and welcome back from hopefully a long holiday weekend (Yay, 4 days weekends are even better than 3-day weekends!)  Ugh! But, then Monday's are so tough. . . So, today we are going to fight the ugly Monday's like a ninja!  I'm not going to lie, I completed invested in this $45.00 Ninja Invasion stamp and die set from Altenew simply because of that one sentiment, "Crafty by day, deadly ninja by night."  How fun is that?!  I just LOVE it!  I have created a few different cards for you using this ninja stamp set and some vivid alcohol ink backgrounds. 

Because I am not currently creating video content and tutorials on my website, I highly recommend checking out this Easy Alcohol Ink Background Tutorial by Jennifer McGuire.  She has created a very simple introduction to working with alcohol inks to create some basic backgrounds.  This was the first video I watched after purchasing my alcohol inks and then I just spent time playing around with them!  The great thing is there is no right or wrong when it comes to art.  You just have fun (and usually make a mess) with it!  *My only tip would be that you don't need to spend your money purchasing polysynthetic Yupo Paper at nearly $1.00 per sheet.  You can use the reverse side of any high quality photo paper (like this one by Kirkland) and achieve the same results!

Here is the "Ninja Invasion" stamp set by Altenew that I used to create today's cards:

The base of all these cards are A2 in size and made from Neenah Solar White smooth cardstock.  I put a 5 1/4" x 4" sheet of Basic Black cardstock behind each alcohol ink background.  The sentiments were all stamped in Versamark ink and heat embossed with black embossing powder.  Because photo paper (or Yupo paper) is glossy, heat embossing works even better than using a solvent ink like Staz-On. 

I hope you have enjoyed today's colorful ninja cards!  I felt like a crafty ninja making them! : )
Thanks for visiting and have a great 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 and happy Friday!  TGIF and YAY for a 3-day weekend!  The un-official start to summer is upon is and I'm sharing three very summery cards to celebrate with you today.   It has been a small goal of mine to begin making multiple cards, using the same stamps, to show you the versatility each stamp set has to offer.  Plus, we all like different things, so by showing you different color or layout options, perhaps one will appeal to you more than the other.  It's also a great way for me to build up my card supply stash, which is getting surprisingly low!  

Today's card all use "Pool Piggies" stamp set by Gerda Steiner.  This is the first time I have ever inked up this stamp set and boy are these piggies cute!  In this first card, I have used multiple alcohol ink backgrounds (both in the sky and water) to set the scene for a pig's day at the beach.

The second card also uses an alcohol ink background, but I have created a shaker card frame around it as though to mimic the look of the pigs floating in a pool.

Here is the "Pool Piggies" stamp set by Gerda Steiner that I used to create these cards:

Here is the last card for today, also using an alcohol ink background, but in vibrant pink hues instead of the more tropical blues and greens in the previous samples.

I hope you have enjoyed seeing multiple ways to use this fun stamp set!  Do you have a favorite?

Thanks for visiting and have a great (and hopefully L-O-N-G) weekend!

Hello friends and happy Monday!  Welcome back from the weekend!  I hope all you mother's out there spent a day being celebrated, thanked and cherished for the special women that you are.  My mom is my best friend and I am so grateful for her every single day. 

On Friday I mentioned that I was going to take a break from painting over the weekend and spend it in my craft room, but, unfortunately that didn't happen.  You see, I only had one bedroom left to paint and I just wanted to be done with this whole $#@#$*& project, so, instead of spending the weekend crafting as I had hoped, I painted.  And primed.  And taped.  And cleaned.  And then, I finally put my house back together again.  But, I am happy to say that that project is finally done!  In four weeks and one day I have painted our entire house - bedrooms, living room, dining room, kitchen, two bathrooms, stairwells, hallways, baseboards and ceilings!  I N-E-V-E-R want to see a paintbrush again!  While I am utterly exhausted, I couldn't feel more proud and accomplished for completing this massive project.  I am also beyond ready to return to a "normal routine" where my evenings are spent in my craft room and NOT at Home Depot! 

Today's card will be the last of my "I made this month's ago" cards because I hope to be back in my craft room  very soon sharing fresh new ideas and products with you.  I have recently purchased some of the latest spring release stamp sets from Altenew and I can't wait to try them! 

The base of this A2 sized card is made from Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock.  Using the Gina Marie Designs Scalloped Stitched Rectangle Nesting dies, I cut the first layer from Blueberry Bushel cardstock.  I cut a 5 " x 3 3/4" piece of Kirkland Signature Glossy Photo paper to create the alcohol ink background on.  *Note  - to say yourself some money, purchase a ream of this glossy paper (found on Amazon!) in lieu of the uber expensive Yupo polysynthetic paper.  I promise you will see the same results!  Using the Tim Holtz ink blower and isopropyl rubbing alcohol, I created the background using Ranger Alcohol Ink in Celestial and Patina.  I die cut the outline of the "thinking of you" in Blueberry Bushel cardstock and the words in white cardstock.  I heat embossed the "sharing in your sorrow" sentiment in white embossing powder on Blueberry Bushel cardstock and added it to the middle of the sentiment using 3M foam adhesive.  Lastly, I placed some clear rhinestones randomly on the card for added sparkle.

*For more information on creating alcohol ink backgrounds, please refer to YouTube, specifically any of the amazing videos produced by Jennifer McGuire. 

For more details on creating beautiful backgrounds with alcohol inks, please check out the abundant videos on YouTube, specifically any of those created by the amazing Jennifer McGuire!

Here are the layering "Thinking of You" dies from Honey Bee stamps that I used to create this card:

Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

Hello friends and happy Friday!  I hope you have fun things planned for the weekend ahead. 
I'll be painting. . . again!  If I had actually sent (or even made) Easter cards this year, they might have quite closely resembled today's card!  In fact, I purchased this stamp set called "McGregor's Garden" by Hello Bluebird specifically to create my Easter cards with.  Then, whatever. . . life happens. . . and before you know it, Easter has come and gone. 
I'm over it, I didn't send Easter cards and the world did not end.  Eh.  There's always next year!

The base of this A2 sized card is made from Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock.  From the same white cardstock, I also cut the tree border.  I'm so sorry, but I can't remember who makes this die!  To create the background I simply dipped a small paintbrush in Tim Holtz' Cloudy Blue alcohol ink and "painted" the sky on Yupo paper.  I used Tim Holtz Botanical (green) alcohol ink to "paint" the ground.  I stamped all of the images on Neenah Solar White smooth cardstock using Tuxedo Memento black ink and colored them in with alcohol ink markers.  Because I am not a pro at coloring with alcohol markers, I use a Sigma White Uniball gel pen to add additional details to most of my images.  I die cut the images and adhered them to the card using 3M foam tape.  Lastly I stamped the sentiment "Hello friend" in black Staz-On ink.  *Note - you will want to use Staz-On ink when stamping on Yupo or any other glossy paper so it doesn't slide or smudge.

Here are the McGregor's Garden stamp set and coordinating dies from Hello Bluebird that I used to make today's card:

Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative weekend!