Freshly Made Dinosaur

Okay!  It's Wednesday and that means Freshly Made Sketches!   Monday really threw me off and I almost forgot to make my card on time.   Not good!    I did remember while Laila was napping and managed to complete it before she woke up.  Those naps are a lifesaver!   :-)   Anyway, I think you'll have a lot of fun with this sketch that our awesome Artisan Jen T. created.  

Now... in an attempt to chase off some of my cardmaking blues I'm starting a new strategy.  Instead of just making random cards, I'm going to try making them with a person in mind to send them to!   Or at least most of them.   I have two friends who are having babies soon, so I picked one of them to stamp for this time.   Brandi is my best friend from graduate school and is having a little girl after two boys.   She's like me and not super girly, so I went with a dinosaur.  I did make it pink, but I think that's fun.   I used Pirouette Pink for all the pinks, but they sure don't look the same in my picture.  Strange!  I do wish I'd used Pear Pizzazz instead of Wild Wasabi now that I look at it, but it's fine.    

Stamps:  Positively Chevron, Itty Bitty Banners, Lawn Fawn Critters of the Past
Ink:  Wild Wasabi, Pool Party
Paper:  Whisper White, Pink Pirouette, Wild Wasabi
Tools:  Bitty Banner framelits, The Cat's Pajamas grass die

We took flowers out to Eli and the rest of Jason's family on Monday.  Laila doesn't understand the cemetery of course, but she does recognize Eli's picture.  

Freshly Made Hello

It's Wednesday and time for a new sketch from Freshly Made Sketches! Narelle is our sketch designer this week, so I hope I used enough layers!  I have been having a pretty down month, so I decided to go to my happy place and use a favorite combo of yellow and black.   I just got some new stamps and dies from Avery Elle and decided to put those to use.   Fun stuff!

Isn't that a fun sketch?!  It isn't anything close to one I've done before so I really enjoyed it.  I love the tag topper punches and am so glad I took the plunge and got one!  Totally recommend those! 

I found this old rocking horse back when I was pregnant with Eli and just had to get it.  I never did get rid of it after he passed away, so it has been in Laila's room just waiting for her.  She is finally big enough to hop on it and rock.   She has a blast!    

Just a note, I know I owe a few of you guys some thank you cards for recent orders.  I'm way behind.  Things have been so crazy since we got back from our trip and I can't seem to catch up.   I hope to get those out this week, so forgive me.  My motto for May is Just Keep Swimming!  

One Layer Happiness

I'm a bit behind on my homework for the online class I'm taking.  I haven't had a lot of luck mastering some of the techniques we've learned so it's been more practicing and not much card making.   I think this one is okay enough to show at least.  It is a true one layer card with some sponging and embossing.   Nothing complicated, but I am not good at sponging!   Nor masking apparently.  lol  I'm practicing and have added some masking paper to my shopping wishlist.  I really need to win the lottery so I can buy all the stamping goodies that are piling up on my want list!

I have been thinking about trying to sell my cards online somewhere, so if anyone has any tips for that email me please.  I tried Etsy before with no luck.   Ebay maybe?   I need to fund my habit one way or another!   UPDATE: I added a For Sale tab on my blog, so we'll see how it goes.   Thanks for the recommendations! :)

Laila painted her first masterpiece on Sunday.   She had a blast, so we'll definitely have to do it again.  :)

Hat, truck, and a pink shirt.  Perfect combination for my girl.

Stampin' Up! So Many Thanks

Another card for both Hope You Can Cling To and from my recent class.  I made it during my "not feeling inspired" phase and it is a total CASE of a card I found on Pinterest.   I LOVED it and wanted to make it using Stampin' Up! products.  I think it turned out alright, just not quite as good as the original.  Nothing ever is though, right?  :)  Here's Kathy's HYCCT challenge description:

It's so fun to design cards with our punches and die cuts to help us. Use either or both of them to design a card to encourage these patients and lift their spirits. That's it! Any sketch, any colors, just be sure to include a 'punch'. Let's hope we can truly 'punch out' breast cancer in our lifetime. In the meantime, the cards you make and send to them now provide so much support as they fight the fight. Thanks to all who can participate with us this month. 

Stamps:  So Many Thanks, Gorgeous Grunge, Positively Chevron

Ink:  Crumb Cake, Baked Brown Sugar, Soft Suede

Paper:  Crumb Cake, Baked Brown Sugar, Coastal Cabana, Brights DSP stack

Accessories:  In Color Boutique Details, Linen Thread

Tools:  Big Shot, Square framelits, Beautiful Wings embosslit, Beautiful Butterflies die

I found Laila an owl costume for Halloween, but when we tried on the hood and cape, she quickly jerked it off.  We'll see how long she wears it.  lol  Hopefully long enough to maybe get a picture!  :)

Stampin' Up! Positively Chevron

This is my second card for Hope You Can Cling To and a card we'll be making at my World Card Making Day class on Saturday.   I am "teaching" what to do when you are stuck and have no ideas.  This card I CASEd from myself.  :)   That works when you need ideas for sure.  The challenge was from Lori:

My challenge to you is to create a card that shares courage and strength with either the color red or orange or a mixture of both.

I decided to do a sort of ombre effect with both colors.  (Every time I see that word, I think of the cologne episode of Friends with Joey and the Hombre cowboy.)  Anyway, the effect was easy just inking the stamp with different color markers.  

Stamps:  Hello Lovely, Positively Chevron

Ink:  Tangerine Tango, Pumpkin Pie, Real Red

Paper: Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White

Accessories:  Pumpkin Pie Button, White Baker's Twine

Tools:  Big Shot, Apothecary Accents framelits

Laila wouldn't take a nap at all on Tuesday, so she ended up falling asleep eating dinner.  She sleeps so well at night, but her naps are crazy.   Sometimes she'll take two naps, sometimes none.  They might last 30 minutes one day, three hours the next.  I just try to deal with whatever and be happy for the sleep at night.  

Double the Dirty!

Still doing a few of the Dare to Get Dirty challenges on Splitcoast.  They have some really fun ones so far!   I know I won't get to do them all, but it's fun to see how many I can get done.   I'm trying to use some of my retired stuff as I really have so much.  I keep thinking I want to order some new stuff but seriously?!  I could stamp for the rest of my life and only need cardstock and maybe some ink refills.   Hello addiction!

For this card I used a favorite set, Perfectly Preserved.  I still can't believe it retired!  It's like the cutest set ever!  :-(  

Stamps:  Perfectly Preserved, Banner Greetings
Ink:  More Mustard, Lucky Limeade, Early Espresso
Paper:  More Mustard, Lucky Limeade, Very Vanilla. Orchard Harvest DSP
Accessories:  More Mustard 1/4 grosgrain ribbon (retired)
Tools:  Big Shot, Cannery Framelits (retired)

Stamps:  Wild About You (retired), Sweet Essentials, Positively Chevron
Ink:  Pool Party, Crushed Curry
Paper:  Pool Party, Crushed Curry, Brights DSP stack, Whisper White, Pool Party Coredinations
Accessories:   Buttons (retired), White Baker's Twine
Tools:  Big Shot, Chevron EF, Sanding Block, 2 1/2 circle punch

Stampin' Up! Positively Chevron

If you are a member of the Fan Club over on Splitcoaststampers, today started the super fun Dare to Get Dirty challenges!  I am not sure how many of them I'll get to do, but I managed the first one at least!  I used my new Positively Chevron stamps and the watercolor embossing resist technique.   Pretty fun, but a lot of work to clean my Aquapainter.  :)

Stamps:  Positively Chevron, Hello Lovely
Ink:  Versamark, Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Old Olive, Tempting Turquoise, Island Indigo, Rich Razzleberry
Paper:  Daffodil Delight, Watercolor Paper
Accessories:  Brights Designer buttons, Island Indigo Baker's Twine, Basic Rhinestones, Clear Embossing Powder
Tools:  Heat Tool, Aquapainter

My girl is 13 months old today.  Nobody told me the "terrible" tantrums and attitude started this early.  Yikes!!  She does not like to hear no or to not be given what she wants and she's sure to let you know it!