Blog Archives

Sunday Sailing

7/11/2021

I am LOVING our cool nautical colors this week at Sunday Stamps#261!
I really wanted to make a pared down little scene, maybe a little abstract? These days, we've been having streaky colorful skies at night in Arizona, so this is what I saw! Of course, not so much with the sailing, but once I thought "nautical," I couldn't get it out of my head, lol. I'm really pleased with how clean and simple this one finished, with the sweet pops of color!
I can't wait to see YOUR projects with our colors - meet you at the challenge!
Sailing Home & Waterfront (retired) Stamp Sets; Basic White & Night of Navy CS; Night of Navy, Smoky Slate, Coastal Cabana & Calypso Coral Inks; Blender Pen; Smooth Sailing & Tasteful Labels Dies; Iridescent Sequins; #SSC261.

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Finding Turtles

7/10/2021

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Eee! Time Out Challenges #191 has an awesome theme this round - movies! I've been missing them so much - I think we're ready to head back to the theaters now!
I couldn't resist indulging in thoughts of one of my fave movies of all time - Finding Nemo! I think everyone in my family can just about quote the whole movie, and I'm a huge Dory fan! One of the coolest sequences in the movie is encountering the Sea Turtles in the EAC - love these guys so much! That was probably the major motivating factor in my even getting the Whale Done suite - the gorgeous turtles in the now-retired DSP, Whale of a Time, always make me think of them! It was a blast creating my little turtle scene, with all my fussy cutting, and I think I know what we're watching tonight, too!
Whale Done Stamp Set; Whale of a Time DSP (retired); Basic White & Just Jade CS; Just Jade Ink; Whale of a Time Sequins; #TOC191.

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Funky Plants

7/9/2021

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We have a lovely inspiration panel from Hand Stamped Sentiments #367 today - checkout all the pinks!
I decided to focus on these fun colors, and the fun potted plants - because, you know, Plentiful Plants! Lol. But I also really wanted to break into my DSP finally, so luckily I found this neutral woodgrain sheet that's just right for showing off the funkiness, lol. I also finally got to use my new Treasured Tags Pick A Punch - love the curvy flags we can make with this one! Anyway, I picked three fun colors, then had a good time doing some mix and match with pots and plants - I really love how it all came out!
Plentiful Plants Stamp Set; Bloom Where You're Planted DSP; Basic White & Soft Suede CS; Soft Suede, Granny Apple Green, Flirty Flamingo & Coastal Cabana Inks; Perfect Plants Dies; Treasured Tags Pick A Punch; Pink Gems; #HSS367.

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Nesting Congrats

7/8/2021

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Goodness, how cute is the "oh, birdie" cupcake at this week's Cupcake Inspiration #522?!
I dug around a little for some "chicks," but the ones I found weren't quite right. But then I remembered that I have Birds & Branches, which has this lovely nest in it AND dies to go with! And well, I hardly ever use this set, lol. Winner winner! I decided to make a sweet congrats card, and show some pretty eggs in the nest, with the proud parents looking on. This pretty sentiment from Many Messages, which I also don't use enough, seemed just right! So cute!
Birds & Branches, & Many Messages Stamp Sets; Basic White & Early Espresso CS; Soft Suede, Pool Party, Early Espresso & So Saffron Inks; Crumb Cake, Granny Apple Green & Poppy Parade Blends Markers; Birds & More, & Messages Dies; #CI522.

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Brushwork Monogram

7/7/2021

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It's a real challenge at Less Is More #446 this week - a one-layer monogram card - yikes!
Lucky for me, I have a real passion for alphabet sets, lol. Let's find something organic today, to go with Artistically Inked. How about Brushwork Alphabet? And because my "H"s has a little extra loop on them, I turned the second one over, to keep it balanced! Looks pretty over that big lush blossom from the artistic set - I stamped everything off so my letters could shine! And I was able to successfully resist adding tiny purple pearls once I spotted this "spotty" stamp to use, too, lol.
Artistically Inked & Brushwork Alphabet (retired 20019) Stamp Sets; Basic White CS; Fresh Freesia, So Saffron & Blackberry Bliss Inks; #LIM446.

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Artistically Inked

7/6/2021

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We have another throwback sketch for you this week at Try Stampin' on Tuesday #514! And we have a designer's choice challenge at SU Only #279 this week - let's do this!
I decided this was a great chance to take out my Artistically Inked suite out for a spin, now that all my components are finally here, lol. I just can't get over the look of this gorgeous paper - I love the alcohol ink wash effect! So I pulled out one of the even cooler pages that has some gold detail on it, too - beautiful! I added a few gold details, and stamped my sentiment on this pretty flower - it came out just how I envisioned!
I can't wait to see what your have for us this week - what are your new favorites?? Meet you at the challenges!
Artistically Inked Stamp Set; Expressions In Ink DSP; Basic White & Evening Evergreen CS; Evening Evergreen, Magenta Madness & Memento Tuxedo Black Inks; Artistic Dies; Fine Art Ribbon; Gilded Gems; #TSOT514; #SUOC279.

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Fast Plants

7/5/2021

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Yay! I'm super excited to see another speed challenge at As You See It #253! These are so fun!
Off to forage, and I quickly landed on my new Plentiful Plants set - it even has gorgeous DSP, too! Using a great DSP is usually a big part of my speedy strategy, and I did think I would, but then, I realized the dies that go with this set are equally awesome, and with so much shading already part of the stamps themselves, I decided to just go for it! Start your engines! First I quick cut out my layers and pulled out some scraps of White for the stamping - stamping my three different elements on separate small pieces made it so I could run them through my die-cutting machine all at once! I did my envelope at the same time, and broke out the pop-dots! Worked like a charm! I even had these pretty gems till on my desk from yesterday, so my final time clocked in at 7 minutes, 9 seconds! If only cleanup were that quick, lol.
Plentiful Plants Stamp Set; Basic White & Evening Evergreen CS; Cinnamon Cider, Evening Evergreen & Soft Succulent Inks; Perfect Plants Dies; Evening Evergreen Gems; #AYSI253.

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In{k}spired Pattern

7/4/2021

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Love this columnar sketch at this week's In{k}spire Me #452!
After browsing my stamp sets for a bit, I realized that I was struggling with these colors some. How to balance them all, AND cover the sketch? Then I remembered, the backs of all the gorgeous colorful sheets in our Pattern Party DSP have black and white arrangements on them - could I find something to color? A quick sort through my already growing scraps pulled up this tiny harlequin pattern - yay! I went to town with my Soft Succulent & Pale Papaya Blends Markers. It didn't get REALLY tedious until I decide to do the envelope flap, too, lol. Anyway, I love how this all came out - I really carried the diamond shape theme, I think!
Accented Blooms Stamp Set (retired 2020); Pattern Party DSP; Basic White & Sahara Sand CS; Sahara Sand Ink; Soft Succulent & Pale Papaya Blends Markers; Absolutely Argyle EF (retired); Tailored Tag Punch (retired); Soft Succulent Jewels; #IM452.

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Live With Zest

7/3/2021

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Oh wow, check out Fusion's Summer Dreamin' inspiration this week - perfect!
Looking at all that pretty citrus in the inspiration pic, I couldn't resist going back to 2019's Lemon Zest set to highlight that! I even found my very last scrap of this citrus sheet from the old Tutti Frutti DSP pack - then I had to go do a For Sale box dive for this little scrap of Peekaboo Peach to go with - I thought I was ready to let it go, but apparently not! Lol!
Lemon Zest Stamp Set (retired 2019); Tutti Frutti DSP (retired); Basic White, Lemon Lime Twist & Peekaboo Peach CS (both retired); Peekaboo Peach, Lemon Lime Twist (both retired, lol) & Memento Tuxedo Black Inks; Lemon Builder & 1 3/8" Circle Punches (retired); Lemon Lime Twist Sequins; #FusionSummerDreamin.

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Pattern Party Thanks

7/2/2021

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I love our little landscape sketch this week at Fab Friday 217! Bring on the banners!
I decided to have a little "Pattern Party" with my DSP this week, lol - I just can't stay away from all the fun choices in our incredible hostess Pattern Party pack! I picked these two to go together and floated them over a sea of texture from the Painted Texture EF. A study in blues! I kept things all in line with my sentiment from Ornate Thanks, as well - still my fave big bold thank you set!
I can't wait to see YOUR take on this little gem - meet you at the challenge!
Ornate Thanks Stamp Set; Pattern Party DSP; Basic White & Pool Party CS; Bermuda Bay Ink; Painted Texture EF; White Iridescent Sequins; White Baker's Twine; #FabFri217.