Sweeter than a milky way! ♥

Hi friends!

There's a brand new stamp set at The Project Bin ~

and it's simply out. of. this. world!

The Design Team has been introducing the new stamp + die set all week.

I'm up on the blog today at The Project Bin with my take :)

Introducing .... Milky Way!

I've made 2 cards for today

(always fun to have a twofer!)

and they are just the 'sister card' to each other :)

 To make these two cards,

I started with a base of black and a base of white cardstock.

Using the white, I used my distress inks and created a galaxy background

by blending and blending and blending some more!

and then spritzing it with water and heat gun embossed it dry.

I used a spellbinders circular die to cut the round shape

and just used the inlay as one design, the reverse for the other!

 

Here's a close up ↓

 

For the adorable aliens, I stamped them in Ranger Ink:

Twisted Citron and Broken China.

They are propped up on 3d foam dots,

Finally, the sentiments were made using Ranger white embossing powder 

and Versamark and embossed as well.

There's a small stamp on the inside of the card that says 'far out there.' 

I ADORE this stamp + die set!

Oh the possibilities .... cards of love, thank you, missing you!

So so sweet :)

 

 Milky Way

 

You can find this stamp and more in the shop,

 as well as a gallery of card samples.

Just click on any stamp set and it will take you there!

Thanks for stopping by my blog!

 Big hugs, bigger blessings ♥

~Kelly

CCEE1930 ~ National Moth Week ;)

Hi friends!

There's a new challenge at the CCEE Stampers this week:

National Moth Week!

Vicky is our hostess this month and said:

Who knew the moth would have a whole week dedicated to it!!  Use a moth (or butterfly) on your card today.  Extra credit if you actually have a Moth stamp/digital you can use.  

This is an opportunity to add to your Birthday, Thank you, Thinking of you or just all-occasion card stash.  LET THE INSECTS FLY!

 

Moths ~ that's one stamp I'm sure I don't have! ;)

Vicky gave us the option to use a butterfly so I chose that

as I have plenty of those!

I created a card today using Lawn Fawn's Butterfly Kisses.

I used the two critters and several of the butterflies in alternating colors.

I've blended a trio of Ranger inks:

Squeezed Lemonade, Spun Sugar and Worn Lipstick 

and decided to do just a strip of color for this card instead of the whole base.

With thick washi tape, I masked off the sides - off center on purpose ;)

and peeled it off when I was done to have a stripe of color.

I then ran it through the Gemini Jr with a die to create the panel

and added the critters and butterflies.

Super quick and fun!

 The sentiment is from the set, too, and it's using WOW white embossing

powder with a heat gun on #65 black cardstock and a MFT banner die.

You can see the themed cards here on the blog

as well as link your cards if you'd like to play along :)

This week's Lawn Fawnatics challenge is to use 'little things'

so I'll enter my card into challenge #57
and Cute Card Thursday 592 - no patterned paper!
 

Thanks for stopping by!

Big hugs, bigger blessings ♥

~Kelly

I'm sorry for the things I said ....

Hi friends!

 We're home from vacation!

It was SO. MUCH. FUN!

My kids are so energetic and a blast to hang out with ♥

I managed to barely keep up ride every roller coaster at all the theme parks, enjoyed the sights of our fun side trips, relaxed,

enjoyed the surf of crystal blue waters and sandy white beaches,

  ate ridiculously yummy foods 

AND!!

checked off a couple of scrapbook/stamp stores off my bucket list

that I'd wanted to visit in my state of Florida ~ yay!

(post on the 'road trip' coming later!)

If you ever get to Whim-So-Doodle, be sure to meet Doug!

He's an absolute gentlemen and the "fluffiest" salesman in the biz :)

Isn't he adorable!

He sold me a lot of crafty goodies! :)

Photo: Whimsodoodle on Instagram

 I'm back to card making and still in summer mode :)

Using 'Summer Fun' from The Project Bin ~

this sentiment right here, LOL!

It's hysterical! 

I love being on the design team for Denise, owner/creative genius behind TPB.

She's such a sweetheart and innovative in her stamp line ~

truly unique for what's out on the market.

She's always coming up with fresh, new stamp sets so

be sure to see the new ones in the shop!

On our trip, I saw some of the most AMAZING sunsets on the opposite

coast of Florida and that was the inspiration for my card today ↓

 

In addition to the stamp from The Project Bin,

 I used a die from Lawn Fawn and distress oxide inks from Ranger ~ 

Twisted Citron, Cracked Pistachio and Mermaid Lagoon.

The black ink for the sentiment is from Picket Fence Studios:  Intense Black.

I almost always use Momento Tuxedo Black but I noticed

 it was not as vibrant of a black with the distress oxides -

 as soon as i used the PFS, it was much more prominent. 

We were blessed enough to swim in an ocean

 just as beautiful as this blue

~ isn't it marvelous how things around us inspire us!

 

Here's a look at the entire Summer Fun stamp set ↓

Thanks so much for stopping by!

I hope it's sunny and gorgeous or perhaps, cooling off, where you are :)

Big hugs, bigger blessings ♥

~Kelly

CCEE ~ Use those stencils!

 Hi friends!

And much like this unicorn,

 I'm absolutely on cloud 9 to be on vacation :)  

There's a new challenge from our hostess Vicki

at the CCEE Stampers blog: Stencils!

 

 It's so funny, 

I was just talking to a dear friend about using stencils

the other day and how they are quite popular right now.

For me, they are my most under used stamping tool!

I do have quite a few - 

yet never really seem to use them that much!  

My card is using Picket Fence Studios darling unicorn - For You.

The stencil is geometric grid from MFT 

and I've used the amazing Distress Oxide Inks from Ranger.

The sentiment is from a different stamp set as I needed 

a small font so I used my Hello Bluebird sentiment stamp.

Be sure to stop by the CCEE Stampers 

and see what the DT has made using the stencil theme! 

There is also a linky where you can add your cards, too!

Thanks for stopping by!
Big hugs, bigger blessings ♥

~Kelly

RSG ~ More than one way!

 Hi friends!

Yippee Skippee ~ I'm on vacation!

    By the time this posts,

 we'll already be off on our second summer adventure! ♥

Today's post is for the RSG card ... 

and that's the Ready, Set, Go Challenge! 

This is a group that I created as a spin-off to the 3M (3 Musketeers)

 it's a card created with a challenge that's a little more extreme

 and makes us think WAY outside the box!

This month, our theme was chosen by Jeanette and she said:

I am always impressed when crafters use a stamp or die

 in a way other than it was intended.

Make a card using a stamp or die in a way other than it was originally intended.

Ready? Set? Go!

I LOVE this challenge.

I think it has great potential to do something I always love to do ~

get more use of the stamps and dies!

so while I love the challenge ......

my card?

Meh.

Not so much!

 I had a great idea to re-use my Catherine Pooler Never Forget Fern stamp

that you may have seen in this post. 

When I first ordered it, along with several colors of green ink,

I thought it looked somewhat like a Christmas tree :)

For this challenge, I remembered that although it looked better in my head!

I added multi colored tiny buttons as the twinkling ornaments

and one yellow one at the top representing the topper!

The ink I used for the fern (tree) is Spruce by Catherine Pooler

and the sentiment is from an MFT Stamps holiday set

which I heat embossed with Ranger white embossing powder.

You can see Barb's card here and Jeanette's card here!

 

 Next time,

 if I were to redo this card,

  I might try sequins instead :) 

Happy Christmas in July! 

 Thanks for stopping by :)

Big hugs, bigger blessings ♥

~Kelly 

The Project Bin ~ Snuggle up!

Hi friends!

Happy Tuesday!

It sure is hot outside and my card may seem a little .... out of season :)

But ..... 

it's Christmas in July!

It's also the day I post on The Project Bin blog!

Denise, owner and creative mind behind this stamp company,

has been busy designing some wonderful new stamping goodies :)

And today ~ Denise is debuting a brand. new. stamp. set!

It's simply out of this world!  

It's called Milky Way and it's absolutely adorable and now available in the shop.

Now that's far out!

 

 

For my card today, I'm sharing the 'scraps' that were on my desk 

from this weekend's cardmaking mess creating!

Christmas in July - continues!

 For today's card, I'm using one of my favorite winter set:  North Pole.

 I love the look of rustic Christmas cards ~

blues and browns and cranberry colors ♥

I've used a leftover piece of designer paper from Suzy's card kit

and heat embossed the sentiment using white embossing powder. 

The final touch was a few crystal gems added for extra bling!

 I'm pretty sure this card will be for my husband this year ♥

 You can see this stamp set and more on the blog ~

and if you click on any photo, it takes you to a gallery of card samples.

Here is the stamp set I used:

 

Head on over to The Project Bin and look around ~ it's an amazing place!

Thanks for stopping by!
Big hugs bigger blessings ♥

~Kelly

DDD ~ Christmas in July!

Hi friends!

 

It's the 15th of the month and that means it's time

 for another friendly duel with the Dueling Darlings card group :)

My card today is based on a card kit that I received and

 this is my completed card, using only the kit, except the base cardstock!

Our hostesses this month were the fabulous sister duo:  Suzy and Deb!

They both live in Texas, where it's HOT, and thought "Christmas in July!"

Here is the card I created ↓

I left the beautiful image intentional uncolored.

I loved the contrast of the snowy cabin with the richness of the paper colors.

Suzy included the die cut snowflakes, ribbon, twine, gems and tiny snowflakes

and I wanted to make sure to use at least one of each thing included!

and the inside of the card ↓

In addition, the second part of their challenge is to share a recipe

that is made at Christmas time.

In our home, that's Spritzgebäck!

 (not my photo - iviewing purposes only! Unknown source on the internet)

 Each Christmas that we lived in Germany, my mum would gather

 all the ingredients to make luscious buttery hazelnut and almond cookies.

They are crunchy and soft and the instant you take a bit,

 it tastes like instant Christmas ♥

 I started making these when my children were very small,

and while it's not their favorite cookie, they always get excited 

knowing that it brings wonderful memories for their mama!

I am truly blessed ♥

Here is an example of a standard recipe:

#5 should say let them cool down and inhale!  LOL!

Since the Dueling Darlings are dividedi into 2 teams:

The Divas (me!) and the Dazzlers,

it's hard to list all the blogs and galleries 

so you can see the full list of cardmakers here at Splitcoaststampers!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Big hugs, bigger blessings ♥

~Kelly

VSN ~ looking back at a few challenges!

 Happy weekend, friends!

You may remember from this post that I was a hostess during the Rock Star 

challenge at Splitcoaststampers VSN (Virtual Stamp Night),

 in which hostesses post a new challenge every hour over the course of 2 days.

It's fun, fast-moving and a whirlwind of paper, ink and glue! 

I made 10 cards for 10 different cards ~

and this is just a sample :)

Each challenge is 'rock' themed - either rock 'n roll, engagement rock, etc.

I was only able to play in about half of the challenges

due to all the wonders that summer brings!

Here are just a few of the cards that I made for a specific challenge!

1.  For Marg's challenge:

 It is huge and is described as a sandstone monolith, one of the largest in the world and stands in the middle of Australia in the desert. 

The rock changes color depending on the time of day and the season 

but is best known for its deep rich reds and purples.

My challenge to you is to use the colors: Cajun Craze Gorgeous Grape Garden Green

I used MFT stamps Jingle all the Way and Happy Friends ~

yes, combining Christmas with Easter! 

Total time:  This card took 34 minutes to color/create. 

 2. Kelly's Rock 'n Roll technique:

Kelly's (not me!) challenge to you is to create a card using the oldie-but-goodie

 Rock & Roll technique. 

 This is where you ink up a solid image stamp with a light colored ink and then roll the edges of the image in a darker colored ink. This creates a cool two-toned image. 

I've used Technique Tuesday's Greenhouse Society's June stamp ~

 Blooming Branch

Total time: this card took me 27 minutes to make.

 

3.  Melody's Fossil Stone Technique

My challenge today is to make a fossil stone background. 

 It's really a very easy technique, and on the plus side, you get two pieces to work with.
Here is a pdf file with instructions. fossil stone technique.

I used Technique Tuesday's  fresh peonies March stamp

 and Ranger distress inks Wilted Violet and Shaded Lilac.

Total time: this card took me 37 minutes to make!

 

4.  Melody's Fossil Stone Technique

  My challenge today is to make a fossil stone background.

 It's really a very easy technique, and on the plus side, you get two pieces to work with.  Here is a pdf file with instructions. fossil stone technique.

For this card, I used a Hero Arts kit a window ~ I used another die for the cat

and my fossil technique is glossy paper behind using Ranger alcohol inks.

I used a striped paper to emmulate wall paper :)

Total time:  It took the longest - 48 minutes to make!

Such a fun time to create cards way outside my comfort zone

and ones I wouldn't have made normally ~

but it sure was fun!

Thanks for stopping by!

Big hugs, bigger blessings ♥

~Kelly

 

Bring out the Sunshine ♥

 Hi friends!

Today at the CCEE Stampers challenge blog the theme is:

Cheer Up the Lonely Day!

What a sweet, sweet thought ♥

Vicki is the hostess for July and gave us this as her challlenge this week:

Most of us probably know an older person who may or may or live alone

  Let's make a "Thinking of you" card and actually send it out! 

 If you don't know anyone, send it to a local nursing home 

and address it to "Someone Special" or any other phrase  you can think of.

Let's cheer up some people today!  Have fun!

My card might look a little familiar ;)

While I just created this card, I used previously colored, stamped images
from The Daily Marker challenge!
I colored these on day 9! 
(we're now up to day 27!)
 

This set is from My Favorite Things stamps and it's called Bring Out The Sunshine.

This is one of the two identical images I colored for the Dialy Marker Challenge.

I hope - with lots of luck and peace and quiet and some 'me' time 

to create cards with all of the loose images that I've colored so far!

You can link up your cards here on the blog,

as well as see what the DT has created.

Thanks for stopping by!
Big hugs, bigger blessings ♥

~Kelly

3M: Take Me Home, Country Roads ............

Hi friends!

It's the 9th day of the month which means it's time

for a new card creation with the Three Musketeers!

This month, as the July hostess,
 I had the honor of choosing the stamp.

Since it's summer, and many are traveling or are on holiday,
I thought it would be fun to color this Stampendous travel trailer!

One thing that brings me great joy is traveling.

Oh the places I'd go!
I have wanderlust ~ no doubt about it.
In fact, that's my favorite word ♥

 A little confession!
I really had no idea what to do with this stamp :/
I did have fun coloring all of those little states across America!

I remember years of watching dad read the old Rand McNally maps
to get us from here to there and everywhere in between.
Long LONG before GPS and iPhones and Siri helping with navigation ;)

 

I channeled the memory of those colorfully planned atlas/maps

and did a multi-colored USA and carried the color scheme through-out the card. 
Second, this stamp is HUUUUUUUGE!
↓

  I kept the card clean and simple and A2 size ~
the stamp alone is 4" x 5.25" ... pretty large!
 It's colored with prismacolor markers and the card front is popped up

on 3D foam ~

so from the side, this is a pretty thick card.

 

Since we are the 3 Musketeers,
you can see Barb's card here and Jeanette's card here with this stamp.
Every month, we post something new and different ..
it's always a surprise and iit's like a little treat in the mailbox each monnth!

 
Jeanette, Barb, me! ↑
 

I hope this summer gives you the chance to hit the open roads,
take a little time out for traveling (or a lot!) 

 I'm lucky to be able to micro-adventure around our diverse city and state ♥

I'll be canoeing in our tropical mangroves instead of white wate rafting,
rock climbing with a lead belay (my daughter!) instead of mountain hiking,

and I won't make it to the Taj Mahal but I can make it to The Mall :)

Thanks for stopping by :)
Big hugs, bigger blessings ♥
~Kelly