Now that summer is officially here, despite it arriving after a spring we'd all like to forget, let's celebrate with the coolest treat of the season!  But, if you look closely, these aren't your average ice cream cones, but ones creatively filled with beautiful flowers instead. 

*A full supply list is located at the end of this post.

The base of this A2 sized card is made from white cardstock.  Using a piece of purple and white lined paper, I cut the striped paper to 5" x 3 3/4".  I matted the striped paper with a piece of grape cardstock. I printed out the ice cream digital stamp on white cardstock and colored it using Copic markers.  I fussy cut the entire image and adhered it to the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.  I stamped the sentiment "you are so" in Memento Tuxedo black ink on white cardstock and cut it into little strips to adhere to the card.  I die cut the "sweet" sentiment from grape and white cardstock, adhering the two layers together before mounting them to the card.  Lastly, I added a coat of Clear Wink of Stella to the ice cream for added sparkle.  

The base of this A2 sized card is made from white cardstock.  Using a piece of tan and white lined paper, I cut the striped paper to 5" x 3 3/4".  I matted the striped paper with a piece of Crumb Cake cardstock. I printed out the ice cream digital stamp on white cardstock and colored it using Copic markers.  I fussy cut the entire image and adhered it to the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.  I stamped the sentiment "you are so" in Memento Tuxedo black ink on white cardstock and cut it into little strips to adhere to the card.  I die cut the "sweet" sentiment from Crumb Cake and white cardstock, adhering the two layers together before mounting them to the card.  Lastly, I added a coat of Clear Wink of Stella to the ice cream for added sparkle.  ​

Here is the "Sweetness" digital stamp set from Graciellie Design that I used to create these cards: 

Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

Here is the card I created using the colors from this week's challenge:

A full list of supplies (with clickable links) is located at the end of this post.

The base of this A2 sized card is made from Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock.  I cut a 5 1/4" x 4" piece of scrap yellow polka dot paper for the first layer.  Using the Gina Marie Designs Scalloped Stitched Nesting Rectangle dies, I die cut a 4" rectangle from white cardstock.  I stamped the sentiment in the lower right corner in Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  Using Memento Tuxedo Black ink, I stamped the three lemons from the Newton's Nook Lemon Twist stamp set on white scrap paper and colored them in using Copic markers.  I used the coordinating Lemon Twist dies to cut the lemons out.  I adhered three lemons down the left side of the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.  Lastly, I added a coat of Clear Wink of Stella to the lemons and leaves for added sparkle.  

Hello and TGIF, friends!  In keeping up with yesterday's coffee themed card, today's slimline card is all about bubble tea!  Also called boba tea or pearl milk tea, bubble tea is a Taiwanese tea-based drink invented in the 1980s, which is shaken with ice to create the "bubbles", a foamy layer on top of the drink and chewy tapioca balls are added that typically fall to the bottom.  I've got to admit, while I've only had one, I think bubble tea looks better than it tastes!  It's a weird texture thing for me.  Have YOU ever tried bubble tea?

A full list of supplies (with clickable links) is located at the end of this post.

This slimline card measures 8 1/2" x 3 1/2".  A slimline card is designed to fit inside a regular #10 business sized mailing envelope with no extra postage needed.  The base of this slimline card is made from Coastal Cabana cardstock.  Using the Whimsy Stamps Slimline Scallop die, I cut the frame from Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock.  I lined the back of each oval window with pieces of rainbow paper from the Lawn Fawn Really Rainbow paper pack.  I printed out the "Bubbly Feels" digital stamp set onto Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock and colored in the images with Copic markers.  I added a few highlights using a white gel pen.  I fussy cut the tea cups out and adhered them to the card using 3M foam adhesive.  I printed the sentiment strip also onto Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock.  I notched the left end before adhering it to the card.  Lastly, I added a coat of clear Wink of Stella to the bubble teas for added sparkle.  

Here is the "Bubbly Feels" stamp set by Graciellie Design that I used to create today's card:

Thanks for visiting and I hope you have a wonderfully creative weekend!

Hello friends and happy Tuesday!  Last week I shared a few different ways to use this butterfly digital stamp from Graciellie Design, but I must say, that today's rainbow colored butterfly is my favorite!

The base of this A2 sized card was made from Neenah Solar white smooth cardstock.  I cut a 5 1/4 x 4" piece of black cardstock and heat embossed a woodgrain pattern onto using black embossing powder for a tone-on-tone look.  I printed out the butterfly onto Neenah Solar White smooth cardstock and colored it using Copic markers.  After I colored the image, I fussy cut the butterfly using a small pair of craft scissors.  I adhered the butterfly at an angle on the card using 3M foam adhesive.  I die cut the word "beautiful" from both black and white cardstocks, layering the two together, before adhering them onto the right side of the butterfly.  Lastly, I added a coat of Clear Wink of Stella to the entire butterfly for added sparkle.

Here is the "Change is Coming" digital stamp set that I used to create today's card:

Thank you for visiting and have a wonderfully creative weekend!

Here is the card that I created inspired by this week's color challenge:

A full list of supplies (with clickable links) is located at the end of this post.

The base of this A2 sized card is made from Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock.  I cut a frame from white cardstock using the Altenew Watercolor Stripes Cover die.  I lined the area behind the frame with a yellow polka dot paper.  I stamped the Newton's Nook Sunflower Days stamp set twice in Memento Tuxedo black ink on white cardstock.  I colored in both sunflowers with the colors from the challenge (orange, green, yellow and turquoise).  I cut both of the sunflowers using the coordinating Sunflower Days die.  I die cut a 3" circle from vellum cardstock and stamped the sentiment in  black Staz-On ink.  I adhered the vellum circle to the center of the card and added the two bouquets of sunflowers as though they were cascading down the card.  Lastly I added a coat of Clear Wink of Stella to the sunflowers for added sparkle. 

As promised yesterday, today I am back sharing another way to use the beautiful, big butterfly digital stamp from Graciellie Design called "Change is Coming."  Since I have been sharing a lot of cards featuring digital stamps recently, I wanted to remind you of this blog post I wrote that goes into more detail about working with digital (or digistamps) should you have any questions. 

Here is the "Change is Coming" stamp set that I used to create this card:

*A full list of supplies (with clickable links) is located at the end of this post.

The base of this A2 sized card is made from kraft cardstock.  I cut a 5 1/4" x 4" piece of Calypso Coral cardstock for the first mat.  I cut a 5" x 3 3/4" piece of Neenah Solar white smooth cardstock for the second mat.  I ran this sheet of white cardstock through my Big Shot using a retired Stampin' UP! polka dot embossing folder to give the paper some texture.  I printed out the digital butterfly onto Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock and colored it using Copic markers.  After coloring the image, I fussy cut the butterfly using a small pair of craft scissors.  I adhered the butterfly to the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.  I die cut the word "beautiful" from both Calypso Coral and Neenah Solar White smooth cardstock.  I layered the two words together using a liquid glue and then adhered both to the card using 3M foam adhesive.  Lastly, I added a coat of Clear Wink of Stella to the butterfly for added sparkle.

There are just so many ways to color and use this beautiful butterfly, that I do hope you like at least one of my various ideas.  Tomorrow I will share the fourth and final (and my personal favorite!) butterfly design.  

Hello readers, over the next three days I'll be sharing four different cards made using this large butterfly from a new digital stamp by Graciellie Design called "Change is Coming."  I just loved this size and beauty of this butterfly so much that I wanted to share a variety of ways (and colors) to use it!   

Here is the "Change is Coming" stamp set by Graciellie Design that I used to create today's cards:

Here is the second card I created for today using this same stamp set:

The base of this A2 sized card is made from Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock.  I used a 5 1/4" x 4" piece of Sunny Studio purple gingham paper to mat the first layer.  Using the Gina Marie Designs Nesting Scalloped Rectangle dies, I cut a piece of Neenah Solar White smooth cardstock.  I adhered this rectangle to the center of the card.  I printed out the sentient on a 5 1/2" x 2" strip of white cardstock.  I adhered the sentiment over the lower third of the card front.  I printed out the butterfly on a piece of Neenah Solar White smooth cardstock and colored it using Copic markers.  After coloring the image, I fussy cut the butterfly using a small pair of craft scissors.  I adhered the butterfly to the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.  Lastly, I added a coat of Clear Wink of Stella to the butterfly for added sparkle.  

I hope you have enjoyed these beautiful, big butterflies!  I'll have another design to share with you tomorrow!

Today I am sharing three vibrant floral cards featuring a digital lily stamp from a new-to-me designer called Alex Syberia Designs.  I recently discovered her creations on Instagram and I purchased a few images through her Etsy store.   I created all three of these cards using the same lily stamp, but it's amazing how different they look simply by alternating the color combinations for each card!

Hello, I am Alexandra but on the Internet I am also known as Alex Syberia. The name Alex Syberia (not Siberia) is actually a nickname. My nickname‘s story began many years ago when I decided to create a special project for my friend and I had to attach my logo tag. In the past, one of my hobbies was playing computer games and one of my favorite games was ‘Syberia’. It’s a story about a young New York lawyer, is dispatched to deal with the sale of a former automaton factory hidden in Western Europe. She never thought that this task, as simple as it seemed, would change her life forever… an extraordinary journey that takes her all the way from Western Europe to the far reaches of Eastern Russia… and Syberia is a mythical island somewhere in Russia… I was very inspired by this game and decided to take “Alex Syberia” as my nickname.
That story is something that’s very close to me because card making is changed my life!
I love art, design, traveling, and I like to read detective stories,too. The art of creating has always amazed me that’s the reason why I absolutely love to create things. I believe that a handmade gift is far more appreciated than something bought at a store. Whenever you create something, you want it to be totally unique and one of a kind.  I always loved handmade and crafty things and tried all kinds of hobbies from jewelry making to bookbinding until I’ve discovered and felt in love with the beautiful world of card making.
In card making I try different styles and my own style continues to develop. I love using bright and bold colors because they enhance your happy emotions for the day! I adore floral designs, watercolors and Copic markers. My passion for this hobby has been growing so much. That’s why in July 2018 I started this blog as a place to share my creations.
I hope that my projects can bring joy and inspire others in their creativity. I am very active on Instagram so be sure to follow me there for the latest updates.
Be creative and don’t forget to dream! Happy crafting and have fun!

​Here is the beautiful lily digital stamp that I purchased: 

*A full list of supplies for all cards is located at the end of this post.

The base of this A2 sized card is made from Melon Mambo cardtsock.  Using the Altenew Watercolor Stripes die, I cut the frame from white cardstock.  I colored the lily using Copic markers.  I adhered the lily to the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.  I stamped the sentiment in Versamark ink on a piece of vellum.  I heat embossed the sentiment in white embossing powder.  I die cut the vellum sentiment using the Scalloped Circle Nesting Dies from Gina Marie Designs.  Lastly, I added a coat of Clear Wink of Stella to the lily for added sparkle.  

The base of this A2 sized card is made from white cardstock.  Using the Scalloped Stitched Nesting Rectangle dies from Gina Marie Designs, I cut the frame from Grapefruit Grove cardstock.  I stamped the sentiment in Memento Tuxedo black ink.  I colored the lily with Copic markers and adhered the lily to the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.  Lastly, I added a coat of Clear Wink of Stella to the lily for added sparkle.  

The base of this A2 sized card is made from white cardstock.  I used a 5 1/4" x 4" piece of purple Lawn Fawn Gingham paper for the background.  I die the Leafy Frame from Gorgeous Grape cardstock.  I colored the lily with Copic markers and adhered the lily to the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.  I stamped the sentiment in Old Olive ink.  Lastly, I added a coat of clear Wink of Stella to the lily for added sparkle.  

I hope you have enjoyed seeing different ways to use this beautiful lily digital stamp.  
​Thank you for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

Hello friends and happy Friday! I hope you have fun things planned for the weekend ahead!  Now that the weather is finally getting warmer here in New England, I am hoping for a little more time out on our deck.  

Today I am featuring another new-to-me digital stamp from a designer I found on Etsy called TwinkleLane Designs.  I have truly been enjoying incorporating digital stamps into my cardmaking because there are so many more options to consider and they are still relatively inexpensive to purchase.  But, the absolute best part is, hello instant downloads!  That appeals to my GOTTA-HAVE-IT-NEED-TO-HAVE-IT RIGHT-NOW personality!  

Here is the beautiful hydrangea flower digital stamp I purchased from TwinkleLane Designs (with a direct link to Suzanne's Etsy store):

Hi, I’m Suzanne & I design and create all the digital products for Twinkle Lane Designs. Started in 2015 after I started drawing my own illustrations to put on family and friend’s cards. Seeing how much people loved my cards I soon wanted to share my drawings with everyone and opened an Etsy Store.
From a young age I had always loved drawing and making, which lead me to a degree in Fashion Enterprise, this gave me a lot of the starting blocks for my illustration and digital skills.  Although I also have a job as a Machinist I run Twinkle Lane Design in my spare time – sitting down and designing gives me time to relax.
From North East, England, I enjoy gardening in some of my free time – which is why you will see a lot of floral inspiration in my designs. 

The base of this A2 sized card is made from Neenah Solar White smooth cardstock.  Using a 5 1/4" x 4" piece of Noble Peacock foil paper from Stampin' UP! I lined the base of the card with this beautiful paper.  (I did tie a silver edged white ribbon around the paper before adhering). I printed out the beautiful hydrangea stamp on Neenah Solar White smooth cardstock.  I colored the image with Copic markers and then fussy cut the flower out.  I adhered the card to the foil paper using 3M foam adhesive.  I punched the sentiment using a retired oval punch from Stampin' UP!  Lastly, I added a coat of Clear Wink of Stella over the flower to add lots of sparkle.  

I have been using a lot of digital stamps in my cardmaking lately.  If you would like to learn more about working with this form of stamps, please read this blogpost that discusses digital in more detail.  Or, as always, please send me an email at ckomara@comcast.net with any questions and I am always happy to help in any way that I can.  

​Thanks for visiting and have a great weekend!

Hello readers!  Today I am sharing a simple way to create elegant backgrounds for your cards.  It's nothing new or earth shattering, but may be something you have never considered before.  These cards were created using a tone-on-tone, or as in these examples, black-on-black heat embossing.  Simply heat embossing an image with black embossing powder onto black cardstock.  It is simple, subtle and stunning.  

I used the brand new RG Avenue digital stamp set called "Strong Courage" to create these cards.  There is also a full supply list with clickable links at the end of this post. 

Here is the step-by-step tutorial video I created showing how both of these cards were made: 

If you haven't already, I hope you will try the black-on-black heat embossing.  I think you will find it adds a very elegant look to your cards. 
Thank you for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!