My Passion for Crafting: August 2015

Thursday, August 27, 2015

Smile...just be you

Hello there crafters!

Hope you are enjoying some fine weather!

I created a card today for my daughter. She has been a bit sad from being left out of some friendly gatherings with some other girls. :(

I hope this clicky-phase among girls goes by fast.

I created my own plaid paper with some inks and a stencil. The inks are Hero Arts just rust, soft cantaloupe, WPlus9 lake house and Heidi Swapp teal. I used a stencil from Simon Says Stamp. White and black cardstock are from Recollections.

I used a Spellbinders square die to cut the window. The sentiment die and seentiment stamps are from Lil'Inker Designs, Fancy Feathers. The clear rainstones are from Papertrey Ink. Black ink is Memento.

I am playing along with

Colour Me

CASology

and Simon Says Stamp...anything goes

Thanks for stopping by and taking a peek!

Michelle

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

So Proud of You

Hey there!

Hope you are all doing well and enjoying the weather.

I'm just stopping by to share a quick card with you...

and better yet, it fits a few challenges...

First I followed the sketch from Retro Sketches

The cardstock, vellum, pattern paper and apple dies are from Papertrey Ink. The sentiment is from Hero Arts, Lil' Hoot. I added some embossed stitched lines with Lil'Inker Designs stitched rectangle dies and long and skinny rectangles.

I trimmed the scallop border with a fiskars punch. The wood veneer stars are from Studio Calico.

I also followed the theme from Simon Says Stamp...back to school

and Sparkle and Shine Challenge

Thanks for taking a peek!

Michelle

Blessed

Hey there!

Time for a new challenge over at ColourQ!

I received some happy mail the day I created this card. I had just taken in the mail and couldn't wait to open some new stamps and dies from WPlus9 and Lawn Fawn!

I used the square stamp from the set Greetings and Salutations and inked it up with bloomsberry ink, also from WPlus9. After I stamped the panel I used a stitched panel from Lil'Inker Designs to emboss. Than I trimmed it to fit the card base. The sentiment die is Wplus9, Doodle Buds dies.

These adorable stitched cluster of leaves are from Lawn Fawn, Stitched Leaves. I added a bit of twine from Papertrey Ink and scattered some teal gemstones from Hero Arts.

I followed the sketch from CAS(E) This Sketch

Thanks for taking a peek!

Hope you play along with us at ColourQ!

Michelle

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Grateful for You

Hello there!

We're about to get a stretch of lousy August weather here in New York....high humidity and thunder storms. I don't it really, it allows for some good crafting!

Today I am playing along with two challenges...

Friday Mashup... I am mashing it up combining the color palette with summer flowers

and Freshly Made Sketches...celebrating their 200th challenge!!!

I love the sketch...it allows for endless possibilities!

First, I dry embossed a raised stitched row with my tiny scor-bug than masked the top part of the white cardstock. I stenciled the lower portion with a stencil from Simon Says Stamp and ink from Color Box in boysenberry.

Than I masked the bottom and stamped the flowers, Papertrey Ink's friends til the end. I used Ranger distress ink in antique linen. I colored the flowers with Copic Markers in shades Y15, Y17, YG61, YG63, E31 and E25. The sentiment is from Simon Says Stamp, Autumn Blessings. I used black ink from Memento.

I die cut the panel with Lil'Inkers Designs stitched die. The scalloped die is from Mama Elephant. I embellished the card with yellow cord from Michaels and sequins from Neat & Tangled Stamps and Pretty Pink Posh.

Thanks for stopping by and taking a peek!!!

Michelle

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Just Sayin' Hello

Hello there Crafters!

I have some exciting news to share with you...I am joining the design team of ColourQ!!!!

Today is my inaugural debut :)

Here is the newest ColourQ palette

Isn't this the loveliest color combo?!

I pulled out one of my favorite Papertery Ink stamp sets, Bubble Talk. I used a bunch of inks to stamp the bubbles: colorbox fireberry, hero arts soft yellow, wplus9 silver lining and heidi swapp teal. The sentiment was stamped using memento black ink.

The die cut sentiment is from wplus9. I used stitched dies from lil'inker designs. I scattered some enamel dots from recollections.

Thanks for taking a peek!

Hope you'll join us and play along!

Michelle

Monday, August 17, 2015

Good Luck

Hey there!

I'm just stopping by to share a card with you. It's kind of a special card...for my oldest daughter. She is heading into 8th grade...she is somewhat nervous about taking the high school entrance exams, her last year in grammer school, and trying to stay focused on her grades. I feel sorry for kids today...school wasn't this difficult when I attended.

I used a few stamp sets from Paper Smooches... Smarty Pants, Word Salad and Shadows. They were stampsed using black ink from Memento and colored with Copic Markers. Shadow ink is from Hero Arts, soft brown.

The stitched dies are from Lil'Inker Designs, the scallop die is Mama Elephant. I embossed the sentiment with white embossing powder and scattered some sequins from Pretty Pink Posh.

Here are some challenges I utilized for this card...

Curtain Call

Sparkle and Shine Challenge

Addicted to CAS

and Paper Smooches Guest Design Search

and Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge

Thanks for stopping by for a peek!

Have a great week!!!

Michelle

Sunday, August 16, 2015

August 16: Paper Sweeties August Release Rewind!

Hello again!

Alas, today is the last day for the Paper Sweeties August Release!

Here is a recap of the new sets...

Let's Party Sweet Cuts

Happy Cake Day Sweet Cuts

Birthday Banners Sweet Cuts

For this card I used the set Happy Cake Day and the corrdinating Sweet Cuts die. The flourish is from Wishing You. The sentiment is from a previously released set Best Wishes. I stamped the cake with antique linen distress ink from Ranger and colored it with Copic Markers. I embellished the icing with liquid pearls in pink.

I embossed the flourish and sentiment with white powder. I followed a tutorial by Splitcoaststampers but am unable to link this to their gallery...grrr! The double matted layers was created using two oval dies from Spellbinders. I embellished with some pearls from Recollections.

I am adding this to Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge food/drink

and AsYou See It...challenge 100!

I hope you have enjoyed the cards and projects the designers and I have shared with you!

Come hop along with us one last time...

Angel Johns
Cheryl Lea

Debbie Marcinkiewicz – Paper Sweeties
Emily Frasier
Jill Norwood

Kathy Schweinfurth

Larissa Heskett
Mackie Robertson

Maria Patrick

Michelle Bala
Mynnette Kitchen

Nancy Penir

Thanks for stopping by!

Michelle

Saturday, August 15, 2015

August 15: Paper Sweeties August Release Party!

Hello Again!

Welcome back to Day 3 of the Paper Sweeties August Release!

Today is the day the new release is available for purchase!

Let's Party Sweet Cuts

Happy Cake Day Sweet Cuts

Birthday Banners Sweet Cuts

Today I am using Let's Party stamp set and dies.

For this card I watercolored the background with some distress ink from Ranger in peacock. I stamped the lollipops and wrapped candy in black ink from Memento and colored them with Copic Markers. The sentiment is from Fresh Baked.

I used some twine in cotton candy and robin egg and scattered some frosting sequins.

I am adding this to Addicted to Stamps Challenge

and Simon Says Stamp food or drink

Also linking up to a challenge that's new to me...thank you Taunya!

DoubleClick Skittles use a food challenge

Come hop along with the designers for some wonderful inspiration!

Angel Johns
Cheryl Lea

Debbie Marcinkiewicz – Paper Sweeties
Emily Frasier
Jill Norwood

Kathy Schweinfurth

Larissa Heskett
Mackie Robertson

Maria Patrick

Michelle Bala
Mynnette Kitchen

Nancy Penir

Thanks for stopping by!

Michelle

Friday, August 14, 2015

August 14: Paper Sweeties August Release Countdown!

Hello there!

Welcome to Day 2 of the Paper Sweeties August Release!

Here are the newest sets that will be available for purchase tomorrow in the Sweeties Shop...

Let's Party Sweet Cuts

Happy Cake Day Sweet Cuts

Birthday Banners Sweet Cuts

Today I am using Let's Party and Birthday Banners.

I used pattern papers from Teresa Collins and kraft cardstock from Recollections. The rectangle dies are from Spellbinders. I die cut this adorable cupcake banner and colored it with Copic Markers. I made this sweet little bow with some Robins Egg twine from the Sweeties Shop.