Make a Splash!

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Good morning!

So super-excited to share with you today!  :)  I got home from work last night and couldn't wait to start crafting!  I had had this idea in my head all day for a project and was literally chomping at the bit to get started!

I have been wanting to join in the Wonder of Watercolor Challenge over at Moxie Fab World, and I suddenly realized I had the perfect set to do it with!

I'm not sure what made me decide to do a shaped card, but the "flow" of the creative process just led me there.  The idea just kinda "floated" to the top…  Seemed like it would make more of a "splash…"  ha!

Isn't she adorable?  The stamps are from a set by Darcie's called Oceans of Joy --  Love!  :)

Hope your Monday is going "swimmingly!"  Ha! :)  

"Sea" you soon!  (Ok.  I'm done now.  Promise.)

Love "Shell" Lift You Up!

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Hello (and Happy Labor Day to all my American friends!)!  Just wanted to pop in with a quick share this evening!  If you've been following for a while, you know I have a serious affinity for Darcie's stamps and shadowbox frames.  You may remember a couple of cuties I posted a while back (if you'd like a refresher, you can find them here and here).  Well, today, I wanted to share one that I made for my youngest niece, Leighton.  Leighton is a tomboy gone girly-girl, and I knew these turtles would be right up her alley!

For this shadowbox, I used Darcie's "Talilah Turtle" set and created my flower embellishments using her "Fleurs Abondante" set.  

Seriously, how cute are these turtles??  (Though I must admit they gave me a bit of grief…  I am used to stamping and then coloring an image, but this particular set does not lend itself to that technique.  I initially tried stamping and embossing the image and then coloring with my Copics -- ruining a couple, I fear, in the process…  Then I tried stamping with Versamark ink and applying chalks (nice result, though super-tedious!)…  But none of these really gave me the look I was going for.  I had never tried direct-to-rubber coloring (mainly because all I had was Copics and I didn't think that was possible with them…), but decided that was just gonna have to be the technique for these images…  So, I bit the bullet and bought a handful of markers designed for direct-to-rubber, and….. voila!  Colorful Turtles!  :) 

I did come back in and color my gems and pearls with my Copics for some added bling…  Gotta have that!  :)  And the sentiment is all mine -- not a lot of pre-made sentiments fit for turtles stacked on top of each other!  :)

You'll want to check out this week's challenge over at The Play Date Cafe -- gorgeous color combo and beautiful inspiration board!  :)

Thanks for stopping by!  I will be back tomorrow with a new card with lots of coloring on it that I can't wait to share with you!  Until then, I hope your week starts off with a bang!   :)

Dancing in the Rain

Pin It Just wanted to pop in quickly tonight to share a card I made earlier this week for the challenge over at The Play Date Cafe.  The colors -- denim, cherry, and baby blue -- looked too fun, so I had to give it a go!

This cute image is from a set called Raindrop Kisses by Darcie's -- I think I have said over and over how much I love these sets!  So stinkin' cute!  :)

Now for the rest of the story:  I was all set to post yesterday and got caught up cheering my team to victory last night (during the NBA playoffs, I confess my priorities get all muddled...  Nothing else matters when the Spurs are playing!  :) and missed the posting deadline....  Oops!  Oh well!  Here it is anyway!

I added Glossy Accents to her boots and the rain puddles!  :)

the color story from The Play Date Cafe

Thanks for visiting!  Hope you are having a great week -- only two more days till the weekend!!!  :)

And the Songbirds Keep Singing!

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Ok, so I am super-excited about this post!  You know when you're making something and everything just seems to "click" as you're making it??  When the colors seem to go just perfectly together and you have just enough adhesive or ribbon or trim to do what you want to do (and all the world is singing together in perfect harmony??  lol!)  Well, that's how this card came together for me -- and trust me, that does not happen all that often!

For this card, I'm using the inspiration from this week's challenge over at CAS-ual Fridays: April Showers Bring May Flowers and the super-cute sketch from Retro Sketches.  I'm a sucker for flowers of all shapes and sizes on cards, so these really called to me!

Anyway, here's my take -- Ta-da!!!

I used my favorite new background stamp from Hero Arts -- "Lattice Background" -- love the look of it heat embossed on kraft cardstock!  The bird and flowers are by Darcie Heater (Darcie's Stamps) which are two of my all-time favorite sets!  

I think that little "songbird" is as cute as he can be, perched on his little twine branch!  (Or barbed wire, as my mom thought it was!!  ugghh!!)

Anyway, I hope you like it -- Thanks for stopping by!  :)

Supplies:

• Dies:  Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels 8
• Stamps:  Hero Arts Lattice Background and Darcie's Garden Wishes and Le Fleurs
• Inks:  Distress Inks and Copic Markers
• Papers: Kraft Cardstock and Neenah "Solar White" Cardstock
• Embossing powder, gems, twine, and adhesives

"Whoooo-ooo-oo" Do You Love??

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"Whooooo-ooo-oo" doesn't love an adorable owl???  I sure do!   And this set by Darcie's is one of the cutest around!!  (check this previous post featuring this little owl!)  This time, I used the same set to create an adorable chipboard shadowbox *girlie* owl for my sweet niece!  (sidenote:  this little girl stole my heart 10 years ago and has had a tight grip ever since -- love you to pieces, Special Agent K!!  :)

I love the colors here -- all papers from the MME "Penny Lane" collection -- and the subtle shades I was able to get using a mixture of distress inks and my new distress markers, which I am crazy for, btw!!  :)

A sweet little Something for a sweet little Someone, no?  :)

Hope you like it!  Thanks for stopping by!  Would love to hear from you!


Supplies:

• Stamps - Darcie's "Owl You Do"
• Chipboard and Acrylic Shadowbox - Darcie's "Raine - Small"
• Papers - My Mind's Eye "Penny Lane"
• Inks - Tim Holtz Distress Inks and Distress Markers, Memento "Rich Cocoa"
• Gemstones, Glossy Accents, Ribbon, adhesives

Night Owl

Pin It Confession time!  I love, love, love Darcie's stamps!  There isn't a single set made by this fantastic company that I don't think is beyond adorable!  So, I wanted to share this cute little wall-hanging that I made for a dear friend who just had a little baby boy (and then I liked it so much I had to make another one to sell on etsy ;)  Check out my listing here.

This little sweetie was stamped on watercolor paper, heat embossed, and then inked up with my new Tim Holtz Distress Markers.  **ahhh... LOVE!**  The chipboard shadowbox (with acrylic faceplate) is also from Darcie's and is covered with papers from K&Co.'s Wild Saffron line.  How cute is this?!?  =)

Supplies:

• Darcie's Frame - "Raine" - small
• Darcie's clear stamps - "Owl You Do"
• K&Co. papers - Wild Saffron
• Tim Holtz Distress Markers and Inks
• Perfect Pearls
• Hero Arts black ink, clear embossing powder 
• buttons, jute, twine, adhesives

I will be posting a couple more of these super-cute wall hangings in the next couple of days, so check back soon!  Thanks for visiting!  Please leave a comment!  :)