CTS #272

Hi you guys!  Guess what happened this morning??  My oldest drove to school all by himself for the first time.  Oh my, was my heart pitter pattering...or maybe it was more of a thumpity thump.  I kept checking my phone just waiting for his text to say he was at school safely.  Thank goodness all is well and we survived this first big step towards independence.  Now I just have to worry about him losing my keys and the drive home.  Ha ha ha.  A mother's work (worry) is never done, is it? 

One thing you never have to worry about is a fresh and fun new sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch!  This week's sketch is mine and I hope you all have a great time with it.  I want to go play with it some more today.  Hopefully, I'll get some time.  Here's what I created:

Can you tell that I am loving the adorable kids from Waffle Flower?  These stamps come from the Wish Stamp Set and I just love them.  I used the flowers from the set to create a field of flowers for my little girl and her buddy to be relaxing in.  Then I colored them simply and included a little butter fly for them to look at all popped up with foam tape.  I added an acrylic "hello" that I had been hoarding to finish things off.  I hope you like it!  Sorry for the dark photo...it had been so gloomy here that it was hard to get a good picture.  Here's a close up:

Thanks so much for checking in with me today!  I hope you get a chance to play along with us at CAS(E) this Sketch.  See you there.

CTS #271

Good morning and I hope you are having a super fun week.  Planting is in full swing here and the guys are out in the tractors dodging the rainstorms.  Ha ha!  We are supposed to be getting rain today but so far it is sunny.  Fingers crossed that it stays that way. 

While I'm busy running food, supplies, and farmers from field to field, I hope you'll take some time to enjoy the awesome new challenge up at CAS(E) this Sketch!  I had a ton of fun with the challenge.  Here's my card:

I've been having a ton of fun with some new Waffle Flower stamps that I ordered a couple weeks ago.  The set I used today is called the A Bunch Stamp Set and it is super fun!  I love all the possibilities with it but I went for a bundle of flowers to represent the little banner in this week's sketch.  I flipped the sketch a bit to make it work for me plan and used thickers for my sentiment.  My favorite part besides the cute flowers??  I love the dotted vellum as a layering piece.  Here's a closer look:

Thanks so much for checking out my take on this week's CAS(E) this Sketch challenge!  See you over there.

Layton's Legacy Card Drive & Fundraiser

Good morning!  Today's post is for an amazing cause, blog hop, and family.  Lea Lawson is a sweet, amazing, and strong woman and today we are celebrating the 2nd birthday of her son, Layton.  This little guy fought hard for every moment he got to spend with his family and I know they are grateful for every second of that time.  After spending so much time in the NICU with Layton, Lea wants to make things a little easier for future NICU parents and honor her amazing children in the process.  I love this idea and as a mom of a NICU graduate, I know how stressful this time is to new parents.

My oldest was born via emergency C-section when we went in because we thought my water had broken.  Once all the monitors were attached, the nurses just couldn't keep his heart rate registering no matter the different methods they tried.  When the doctor came in, he brought an ultrasound machine and while the machine was registering a normal heart rate, his ears were hearing something else.  It turns out that the machines were taking his actual heart rate and halving it because they couldn't correctly identify that his heart rate was 256 bpm.  It turned out that he had supraventricular tachycardia and anytime he would receive any sort of stimulus, his heart rate would spike.  He spent a few days in the NICU in a corner away from any stimulus until his heart rate was controlled with medicine.  It was so hard to not get to hold him or touch him.  I will never forget the amazing staff at the NICU and the pediatric cardiologist who worked so hard to ensure my little guy was getting the best treatment ever.  He stayed in the NICU a little over a week and while that doesn't seem like a long time now, it felt like an eternity.  I think what Lea is doing is amazing and such a wonderful way to honor and remember her kids.  I'm so happy to be even a tiny little part of this.

Make sure you check out Lea Lawson's blog to read her story and learn all the amazing things she is doing!  You'll want to hop right along with us, I guarantee it.  You will have the opportunity to win some prizes but more importantly, you have the opportunity to make a stressful time in someone's life a little easier and bring a smile for even a moment.  You can help in more ways than just having fun on the hop!

WAYS YOU CAN HELP:  

1. DONATE! - directly to Layton's Legacy YouCaring Fundraiser. For every $5 donated, you will be entered into the drawing for a prize. All winners will be drawn from donations made thru the YouCaring Site.  Prizes will be drawn and announced on Lea'a Blog on Saturday, May 19th.

2. SHARE! - I know that not everyone is able to donate, but sharing about the fundraiser gives it more visibility! Please feel free to share the YouCaring Link or Lea's post on all your social media outlets! 

Here's the mood board for this awesome hop and the theme is Encouragement.

Here's the card I created using Lil' Inker Designs products:

I created this card using the Dual Stitched Triangle Dies and adding some "snow" to create my mountain range in this constellation filled sky.  I just love the little touches of stitching on these triangles.  Next, I added some trees from Rustic Christmas stamps cut out using the Rustic Christmas dies.  I love that this set is SO versatile.  It is not only for Christmas.  Next, I embossed a sentiment in the sky from Unstoppable Stamps.  I finished the whole thing off with some enamel and glitter stars.  Here's a closer look:

There are some amazing sponsors for this blog hop and I hope you will be moved to join us.  You can read more about it on the Lil' Inker Designs Blog or on Lea's blog, Lea Lawson Creates.  Thanks for checking in!

CAS(E) this Sketch #270

Hi, you guys!  Sorry I'm late to the party today.  This week has been sort of nuts and I haven't had a chance to post or even schedule posts.  Ah!  I didn't want to forget to share my CAS(E) this Sketch challenge card with you though.  It's a fun new take on our original CTS #167.  ;)

I created this card with a fun pre-made card base, some strips of black card stock, and an adorable chick set from My Favorite Things called BB Birthday Chicks.  I just colored some chicks, cut some strips, embossed a sentiment and added it all to my card front with some fun enamel and glitter stars.  Pretty simple!  Here's a closer peek:

I hope you have a great day and join us over at CAS(E) this Sketch!

CTS #269

Happy happy Spring!!!  Finally!  It is so wonderful to actually feel like the snow is gone.  I was even so motivated that I set up the boys' trampoline.  I think my children have been itching for Spring a bit too much because they have been playing with water balloons every day that it breaks 60 degrees.  I told them they were going to freeze but they swear it is SO hot out.  Ha ha ha!  Crazy boys. 

This week's CAS(E) this Sketch challenge is a great sketch and our guest designer is awesome.  So make sure you go and check out what the whole team has created.  Here's my card for the week:

I stamped some of the adorable florals from Pinkfresh Studio's Fleur 1 in each corner and water colored them with some of my softer colors.  Then I stamped a sentiment from Penny Black's All Great Things stamp set in the mix.  I trimmed the the water color layer down and attached it to a black card base.  Super simple but super cute.  Here's a closer look:

Thanks so much for checking out my card and I hope you'll be playing along with us at CAS(E) this Sketch! 

Lil' Inker Designs April Release Day #3

Well, it's the last day of our new release hop at Lil' Inker Designs and I'm super excited to show off these last couple products.  Hopefully, you started out at the the Lil' Inker Blog so you don't miss a stop on the hop and have come here from the amazing Caly's blog.  If you are feeling a little lost, make sure you hop back to the Lil' Inker Blog to get back on the trail of fun.  You can also check out the Lil' Inker Store where all of the new release goodies, and a whole lot more, are ready and waiting for you to put in your cart!

First up, I created this card using the amazingly inspiring One Love Stamp Set and One Love Die Set.

I was having some trouble with my embossing powders sticking to images I stamped with dye inks even after letting them dry and I wanted to test different inks and dry times to see what was going on.  I chose to play with the One Love Stamp Set because in my mind, I wanted to emboss one of the sentiment in the middle of the continents for whatever card I was going to create with it.  I ended up testing my inks and when it was all said and done, I sort of loved the look of this image with the embossing bits still stuck to the image.  It reminded me of markers showing where cities were on a map and it made me feel like it was showing all the people of the world choosing love.  The image just really resonated with me and was the springboard for this card.  I cut my image out using the One Love Die Set.  I created a the card base for this card by repeatedly stamping the "Love Unites Us" sentiment on an angle and then adding a bit of black paper to finish it off.  I didn't want to over complicate things so I simply added my heart with some foam tape.  Here's a closer look:

My final card for this release is made for a very special grad, my niece Abby.  I used the Grad Class 2018 set to create this fun card for her.

I love the Grad Class Stamps that were previously released and I'm thrilled with this new addition to it.  I also think it is awesome that you can get both sets for the price of the original.  It's awesome!  For this card, I wanted to make it girly but still hip and fun, pretty much everything my niece is besides smart, funny, and just plain amazing!  I wanted to frame my sentiment from Grad Class 2018 so, I chose to use an older set, Mirror Mirror Stamps, to create a frame our of the mirror.  I stamped the mirror in black and cut it out with the Mirror Mirror Die Set.  It looked awesome framing my senitment but I didn't like all the white space I had created so I cut the white card front away leaving just the frame and sentiment.  Next, I found the perfect piece of patterned paper and added my frame to is.  I wanted to add some flowers to my frame and while I was flipping through my stamps, I just couldn't resist the images from the Encouraging Words Stamps.  The flowers were perfect!  So, I colored them in and instead of blending, I just colored them all a solid color with my copics.  To add a little dimension, I used my colorless blender to add some light spots here and there.  I cut these out with the Encouraging Words Dies and added them to my card.  Bright, happy, and ready for my niece!  Here's another peek:

 
Thanks so much for checking out my creations and don't forget about our giveaway!

You'll want to leave comments along the way because Laura is giving away the ENTIRE NEW RELEASE to a lucky commenter during the new release hop.  The winner could be you.  I hope you are enjoying our new release!  We love sharing these awesome products with you!  Be sure to keep hopping, here's the list:

Laura/Shop

 Amy Kolling

Caly Person

Chrissy Larson <---Yup, that's me!!!

 Heather Hoffman

Jen Carter

 Jessica Frost Ballas

Karen Baker

Kimberly Rendino

Lisa Henke

Don't forget you can check out the new release right now in the Lil' Inker Store and you can get all the goodies I used today.  Here's what I used:

     

       

Lil' Inker Designs April Release Day #2

It's day two of the Lil' Inker Designs New Release Hop and I get to share even more fun goodies with you today!  I'm sure you've already been eyeing all the awesome new items, lucky for you, you can get it all right now in the Lil' Inker Store.  Hopefully, you checked out all of Caly's blog amazing creations before hopping here.  If not, make sure you check it out and if you get lost along the hop you can always find your spot by going to the Lil' Inker Blog.  For now, I'm ready to show off some more fun stuff!

My first card for today uses the Best Mom Stamps in unique way as well as the Have A Nice Day Stamp Set and the previously released Unstoppable Stamps.

I know I have already told you how much I love the leaf/petal design in the Best Mom Stamps.  Still, I couldn't resist using it one more time to create a fun background for the Have A Nice Day Stamp Set.  I stamped it repeatedly in yellow to make a cheerful landing spot for Have A Nice Day Stamp Set which I stamped in black and highlighted with turquoise Nuvo drops.  I cut this layer our with a square from the Silly Stitched Squares Dies.  I created my cardbase using white cards stock, black ink, and a stamp from Unstoppable Stamps.  I just can't resist a bit of black.  I added a border to my card base with the large rectangle from the Silly Stitched Die Set.  When I got everything layered, I wanted a little more of the turquoise color so I added some glitter tape.  Here's a closer look:

My next card uses the Spring Wreath Die Set and the Hand Drawn Happiness Set.

This card was super simple!  I started by blotching some purple watercolor on a piece of watercolor paper.  I then cut my first wreath from this paper using the Spring Wreath Die Set.  I used that as a guide for how big to watercolor my circle on my card front using the same purple but washed out a little more.  Once, I had my watercolor circle, I stamped my sentiment from Hand Drawn Happiness in the center.  I added my water colored wreath around the sentiment and then cut another from gold as well as some of the cute flowers from the Spring Wreath Die Set.  I cut my gold wreath up and tucked these "branches" in my first wreath before added the flowers with foam tape.  To complete the card, I added drips of purple watercolor here and there.  Here's a closer peek:

My final card for today also uses Hand Drawn Happiness as well as the fun Shaker Tag Die Set and super cool Cover Up Die:  Dotted Chevrons.

I started this card by creating the background.  I cut the Cover Up Die:  Dotted Chevrons from turquoise card stock and then cut variouse colors of paper to show through the holes of the die (pink,black, white, & gold).  I trimmed this down and layered it on a black card base.  Next, I got to work on my shaker.  I cut the Shaker Tag Die Set in the same pink I used for the background and then added acetate for my window cut with the same Shaker Tag Die Set.  Next, I cut a solid image with no window for the base of my shaker and stamped a sentiment from Hand Drawn Happiness in the center in black.  I outlined the outer edges with foam tape and put in some sequins before added the top layer to the base.  I shook it around for good measure and added it to my card front.  Here you can see it a little better:

  
Thanks so much for checking out my creations and don't forget about our giveaway!

You'll want to leave comments along the way because Laura is giving away the ENTIRE NEW RELEASE to a lucky commenter during the new release hop.  The winner could be you.  I hope you are enjoying our new release!  We love sharing these awesome products with you!  Be sure to keep hopping, here's the list:

Laura/Shop

 Amy Kolling

Caly Person

Chrissy Larson <---Yup, that's me!!!

 Heather Hoffman

Jen Carter

 Jessica Frost Ballas

Karen Baker

Kimberly Rendino

Lisa Henke

Don't forget you can check out the new release right now in the Lil' Inker Store and you can get all the goodies I used today.  Here's what I used: