It's unofficially official - pumpkin spice season is practically here. . .  Don't shush me!  I know it's only August, but let's be real, the pharmacies and groceries stores have had Halloween candy on display since the 4th of July!  So. . . if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!  This past weekend, I pulled out my fall and Halloween stamps and I'm ready for rust hues and spooky boos.

Today's card features the "Darling Mum" stamp set by Richard Garay Designs.  This is a retiring stamp from the company, but it's so beautiful that I wanted to use it one last time before it goes into the retirement vault.  

The base of this A2 sized card is made from Crumb Cake cardstock.  Using the Scalloped Stitched Nesting Rectangle dies from Gina Marie Designs, I cut the background from Neenah Solar White smooth cardstock.  I stamped the Darling Mum stamp set three times in Versamark ink on watercolor paper.  I heat embossed the image with gold embossing powder and then I colored the image using Spectrum Noir Sparkle Brush markers.  After the images dried, I fussy cut each flower out.  I stamped the sentiment in rust ink on white cardstock and used an oval punch to punch it out. I adhered the three mums to the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.  

Thank you for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

This A2 sized easel card was made using all three layers of the Viola Layering Plates and lots of purple jewel toned glitter cardstock. All supplies for today's card will be listed at the end of this post. ​

I often find it helpful to see how a card was made, versus reading about the process, so I have created a step-by-step video tutorial to share with you:

These intricate layering plates from Birch Press Design are simply stunning, and while they do tend to involve a lot more die cutting, I find the end result is totally worth the hard work.  
Thank you for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

Please don't be all confused by the title of today's post. . .Yes, I am very aware that it is the middle of July, which qualifies it as summer, and thus, the title should be "summer mail."  But, the name of this stamp set from Richard Garay Designs is called "Spring Mail." And, in my traditional habit of always being behind, today we get spring mail, in the form of a peony filled envelope, in the summer! 

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

The base of this A2 sized card is made from Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock. I matted a random scrap piece of black and gold foil paper with Melon Mambo cardstock and adhered both to the center of the card.  I stamped the Spring Mail image in Versamark ink onto a piece of watercolor paper and heat embossed it with gold embossing powder.  I colored the image using Zig Watercolor Brush pens.  Once the image dried, I fussy cut the image and adhered it to the center of the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.  I punched out a few extra leaves with a leaf punch and gold glitter paper.  I stamped the sentiment "Hello Lovely" in Versamark ink and heat embossed it also in gold embossing powder.  I fussy cut the sentiment and adhered it below the envelope and to the right of the card.  Lastly, I added a few pink rhinestones for extra sparkle. 

Thank you for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

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

The base of this slimeline card is made from Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock.  Using the new Slimline Frame dies, I created the scalloped frame from peach cardstock.  I trimmed a 8" x 2 3/4" piece of gold lined paper for the inside of the scalloped frame.  Using the Peony Blooms stamp set, I stamped the flowers in Versamark ink on white cardstock.  I heat embossed the flowers with gold embossing powder and added a little color with Copic markers.  I die cut the peonies using the coordinating Peony Blooms dies.  I adhered the peonies to the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.  I tucked in a couple leaves in green and gold glimmer cardstock.  On a thin strip of black cardstock, I stamped the sentiment in Versamark ink and heat embossed it with white embossing powder. I notched the left side of the sentiment strip and I added the sentiment to the top 1/3 of the card using 3M foam adhesive.  Lastly, I added a coat of clear Wink of Stella to the peonies for added sparkle.  

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!

First things first, despite the tag on this jar of flowers reading, "SMIL", it does in fact, actually say "SMILE!"  I realized after taking the photos for this card that one of the leaves was hanging down over the tag thereby blocking the "E."  And now, I can't unsee it!!  It's going to drive me insane.  But, all that aside, I love this fun shaker jar of flowers all made with products from Whimsy Stamps.   

*Full list of supplies located at the end of this post.

The base of this A2 sized card is made from Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock.  Using a scalloped rectangle dies, I cut the frame from Crumb Cake cardstock.  I cut a 5" x 3 3/4" piece of white cardstock to line the frame with and I stamped the sentiment in the upper right corner using Memento Tuxedo black ink.  I created the shaker frame using the Mason Atlas Jar and die cut it from Balmy Blue cardstock.  I lined the back of the jar with a piece of acetate film and added blue and clear Sparkletz (glass beads and sequins) before sealing the shaker frame down.  I stamped the flowers in Memento Tuxedo black ink on white cardstock.  I colored the flowers with Copic markers and fussy cut them (as there is no coordinating die).  I adhered the flowers to the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.  Lastly, I added a coat of clear Wink of Stella to the flowers for sparkle.  

Shaker cards remain one of my favorite interactive cards to make.  Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

Hello readers!  Today I am sharing a shaker card created with the beautiful "Summer Flowers" digital stamp set from Alex Syberia Design.  I mentioned in this post just a couple weeks ago, that I had recently discovered her work on Instagram and purchased a few of her designs on Etsy.  I thought that these flowers were beautiful, but fairly simple, so I placed them over a shaker frame and it added more visual interest to the card.  

The base of this A2 sized card is made from Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock.  Using a scrap piece of green striped paper, I cut the base mat to 5 1/4" x 4".  I created a frame out of white cardstock and lined the back of the frame with acetate film.  I filled the shaker with approximately 1 tablespoon of iridescent sequins.  I printed out the digital flowers onto Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock and colored them with Copic markers.  I fussy cut the flowers using a small pair of craft scissors and adhered the flowers over the shaker frame using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.  I stamped the sentiment in Memento Tuxedo black ink on white cardstock and used a small oval punch to punch out the sentiment.  I adhered the oval sentiment to the card using 3M foam adhesive as well.  Lastly, I added a coat of clear Wink of Stella to the flowers for added sparkle.  

Here is the digital "Summer Flowers" stamp set from Alex Syberia Design that I used to create this card:

Thank you for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

Hello readers!  If this is your first time visiting my website, welcome!  I'm Crystal Komara, you can learn more about me here, visit my craft room  or take a look at my photo gallery!  I hope you find creativity and inspiration as you look around.  If you are a regular follower of mine, thank you for your continued support, I appreciate your comments and am always happy to help with any crafty questions you might have. 

​Today I am sharing two cards that were designed using the beautiful "Cuddle In A Cup" digital stamp set by Graciellie Design.  To learn more about Graciellie, the designer and artist behind these beautiful stamps, please click here for her website.  For more information about working with digital stamps, please read this blogpost that details the why's and how-to's.  

*Both of these cards were made the same way, simply using a different color combination.  
​
The base of each A2 sized card is made from Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock.  For the first matted layer of each card I used a 5 1/4" x 4" piece of pink plaid or brown argyle paper.  I die cut a large white scalloped oval and adhere it to the center of each card.  I printed out the "Cuddle In A Cup" digital stamp set on Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock.  I colored both images with Copic markers and added highlights to each using a white Uniball gel pen.  Using a small pair of craft scissors, I fussy cut the coffee image out and adhered them to the card using 3M foam adhesive.  Lastly, I stamped the sentiment "Thanks a Latte" in corresponding blue or pink ink on a strip of white cardstock.  I notched the right side of the sentiment strip and adhere it to the top of the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.  Lastly, I added a coat of clear Wink of Stella to the flowers for added sparkle.   

Here is the "Cuddle In A Cup" digital stamp set by Graciellie Design that I used to create these cards:

Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

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. 

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!