Let's give 'em PUMPKIN to talk about ......

  

.. how about love?

♥

 Happy Monday!

I hope your weekend was fantastic

and you were able to *carve out* some crafty time!

 

Mondays are always Fun-days on my blog ~
that's the day I post a card for The Project Bin!

Denise, founder and creative genius behind this stamp line,

has been busy busy busy making gorgeous new stamps/dies.

The shop is bursting with innovative and fun stamps 

~ take a peek!

 

Let me tell you about this. sentiment. right. here!

The minute I saw the Eat Pie! stamp set,

I about swooned ♥

Anne of Green Gables!

Yes please!

As a English Lit minor in undergrad college 

and a book nerd bookworm,

this sentiment just stole my heart ♥

Someday I may be lucky to visit Prince Edward Island :)

When I think of October,

I think pumpkins and the color orange ...

so that's what I based my card on ↓

 I created this pumpkin patch card by masking the single pumpkin stamp

in the set and added some hills in fall plaid paper.

I added a little white gel pen to the tips of the stems for 'frost on the pumpkins',

and kept it simple by popping up a frame on 3d foam around the card.

Here's the set in it's entirety:  

 

You can stop in at The Project Bin's inspiration blog

each week day to see what the design team posted ~

a new card is posted each day during the week! 

Thanks for stopping by today!

Big hugs, bigger blessings ♥

~Kelly

Entered into:  Creative With Stamps Challenge - Pumpkins

Always Fun challenge - fall colors

Crafty Cardmakers - fall colors 

Let me {stencil} you in!

Happy weekend, friends! 

I wish I could say fall is in the air,

but it's still super hot here in South Florida.

The only fall I'm seeing is in the decor in the stores

and on all the pretty autumn cards on social media :)

One thing that i absolutely love in this card making hobby

is creating a card that tells a story ♥

Some great techniques to do this are to using scene building dies,

masking and stencil work!

 

Yesterday, I stenciled in some time to make a new card

using some super cute fall critters!

I quickly fell in love with these fall friends and had an idea of a card,

then another, then another!

This is the first of three cards using one stamp set ..

first up, a stencil!

I found an amazing stencil during that massive Hobby Lobby stamp/die/etc

liquidation a few months back and it was one of the many things

that ended up in my cart and followed me home!

Thinking of an outdoor scene, it just made sense :)

 I used the Tim Holtz distress oxide inks in warm tones

of worn lipstick, fossilized amber and squeezed lemonade.

Using my mini blending tool, I applied the inks directly to the stencil

on white cardstock to give the illusion that they are birch trees.

Last, I colored the friends with a mash of prismacolor and promarkers

in a similiar color palette and added the sentiment and iridescent sequins.

And that's it from me today!

Wishing you a wonderful rest to your weekend! ♥
Big hugs, bigger blessings!
~Kelly

Hello! I'm still here! :)

Hello friends!

 I have missed you! ♥

I'm sorry for my long absence from blogging.

In fact, Mondays are usually the day I post for The Project Bin,

but I haven't had a moment to get back to card making.

We were completed thrown out of any sense of normal life by hurricane Irma.

We prepped our home, then evacuated ~ leaving everything behind 

expecting a Category 5 to destroy our home and belongings :(

We came back home to a very un-normal life of clean up and rebuilding, 

both here and at my mom's house.

Even now as I type, I hear the faint sound of a generator in the distance

and the hammering of patching a roof or rebuilding the fences,

and chain saws continuing to cut through fallen trees.

 Our home is intact - PTL - and everything that fell/broke is replaceable.

 Petrol/gas is short, power is out everywhere,

massive trees are down and blocking roads, 

grocery stores are stripped bare.

We were able to skirt the disastrous Category 5 strength 

and get the outer bands of a 3 or 4 ~ such a blessing.

It breaks my heart to see how many are suffering total loss 
and devastation in the Caribbean islands and our beloved Florida Keys.

 So, I started coloring this morning after my son resumed school again. 
It's just a simple card, and about all I could manage.

 

I am so thankful for how many people prayed for us,

sent us wishes of good will and messages of strength and hope.

I feel blessed beyond measure knowing so many were thinking of us

and I thank you all, each and every one of you! 

This card is dedicated to all of you :)

Thank you ♥

Big hugs, bigger blessings ♥

~Kelly

Pumpkins, please!

 

Hello friends!

I'm back from our glorious vacation!

We enjoyed the wonderful resort life

 with pools and a lazy river right outside our room ♥

And side trips to Disney World and Islands of Aventure/Universal,

dinners out and so much more ♥

You know they say coming back from vacation ...

you need a vacation ~ hee hee!

We haven't been able to sit still for more than a few hours ~

and yet have to already dash off ..

today is also the first day of school! 

So.  not.  ready :(

 Mondays are also The Project Bin day on my blog ♥

The Project Bin has 2 new gorgeous stamp sets just added to the store!

One of them is this very set on my cards today:  New Leaf.

It is positively GORGEOUS and 

perfect for those fall theme cards.

Here is a quick set of CAS cards I created:

 

 For this set of cards, 

I used my Spellbinder Nestabilities to cut the circular pattern first,

Then I stamped around the cut out using sentiments from New Leaf

and the pumpkin in varied inks, like Clearly Kelly and Ranger Distress Oxide Ink.

I fussy cut the pumpkin, 

then added it to the patterned paper background using 3d foam.  

The dsp is from PTI and it's from their Fall Leaf Prints collection.

 

I always complete the inside of my cards, too, 

but ran short of time so we'll have to imagine the inside being just as fun! :)

 

 Here's a look at the stamp set, New Leaf,

and it's available in the shop!

 

It's still in the high 90's here, 

I'm hoping it feels like a beautiful autumn starting wherever you are!

Big hugs, bigger blessings ♥

~Kelly

Mondays with The Project Bin - Color Burst!

Good Morning, friends!

*I have two blog posts again this Monday ~
for my Prickley Pear Day #1 post, click here!* 

It's Mondays with Kelly² at The Project Bin stamps blog ♥

Sadly, I wasn't able to get a card made this week,

planned to play with new stamps and get inky this weekend,

but we ended up helping someone move.

I came home with a pounding migraine and felt so beat up,

I took a long bubble bath and went to bed early :/

So, I thunk and thunk some more!
I remembered a card I made back in September (yes! September!)

It never made it to the blog so I am sharing it as inspiration today.

At times, I am in absolute awe and stop and stare
 at the beauty God has given to us ...

from the beautiful marigolds in our front garden,

to the hues of sunsets and sunrises ...

Just glorious!

This card was inspired by Kevin, someone I was blessed to cross paths with on social media.  Here is his blog post, and his original card - isn't it gorgeous!  I watercolored this one on regular white cardstock -
while I usually use a heavy weight watercolor paper.  While it doesn't hold the water quite as well (the paper had some warping), it sure gives it a pop with the color burst and natural blending.  I tilted it to the right and left a bit so the colors could blend naturally.  Swoon ♥
    Thank you, Kevin for inspiring me last Autumn :)

Be sure to stop in the shop and peek at the new stamps and dies,
they are ever so darling!

Big hugs, bigger blessings!
~Kelly 

Leaves are falling ........

Happy weekend, friends!

How I just love autumn!ere in South Florida we don't get a traditional fall ~

leaves changing colors in a burst of oranges and reds and browns,

warm sweaters and a new crisp chill in the air.

But one thing we do get is the promise that all the months 

of togetherness and thankfulness and gratitude and celebration

are right around the corner :)

If you haven't already heard of The Project Bin stamps,

you simply MUST go visit the shop and inspiration blog!

The stamps are just fantastic and so versatile 

and perfect for your stamping needs this upcoming holiday season.

From Halloween to Thanksgiving, Christmas and beyond ...

all those 'right around the corner' moments!

There is truly something for everyone!

This beautiful fall quote is perfect for my card today :)

"Leaves are falling, Autumn is calling" ♥

I've stamped it in Momento Tuxedo Black right onto the dsp.

I also used a few pieces of fall inspired designer paper

and propped it up with some 3D foam to give the card a little edgier look.

The paper flowers and little orange gems give it just that little extra pop.

Be sure to stop by the store and browse around,

as well as peek at the delicious card samples to give you some inspiration, too!

Be well, friends!

Big hugs, bigger blessings!

~Kelly

 

It's Autumn coffee time! ♥

Oh what an exciting time of year - 

coffee with friends and Autumn's beauty all around us ♥

It's also time for the 2015 Fall Coffee Hop 

and I just knew I wanted to make a card ~ cards, coffee?  So me! 

 

I've seen so many incredible coffee cards, each one so unique with 

different techniques, coffee stamps that are new to me, 

inspirational card designs and so much more! 

The hop has wonderful sponsors, talented crafters, giveaways ..

so be sure to take a peek!

 

For my card today, I've used one of my favorite stamp sets,

the Breakfast Club from The Alley Way Stamps.

I paper pieced my coffee cup and stamped the steam and sentiment

 right onto the paper and propped it up with 3d foam for dimension.

My coffee themed Fall colored paper has been in my stash

and just feels like Fall when I see it :)

 

I'd also like to enter this into Colour Me: Playful!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Big hugs, Bigger Blessings!
~Kelly

It's the Dueling Darlings ~ *Tutti Fruity* Style!

Hello friends!

Woohoo! The long awaited return of the DDD card kit group is here!

We've been on a summer hiatus but are thrilled to be back "dueling" for the Fall!

For my new blog readers, you might be wondering what the DDD is!

The Dueling Darling (Divas or Dazzlers) is a group near and dear to my heart ~

one I dreamed up over 4 years ago ♥

Most of us are and we are still going strong,

almost all of us are original members.

And this month there is EXTRA excitement - 

we have 3 new friends joining us!

We are welcoming Shelly, Tracie and Suzy, 

dear friends of ours from many of the threads on Splitcoaststampers!

Each month, two opposing teams have a hostess that pairs up and choses a theme, one hostess for Team Diva and one for Team Dazzlers!

  Each hostess sends out identical card kits to the other members 

and we create a card based on the contents of the kit we receive,

then post on the 15th to see what each of us made with that theme.

This month, Jeanette and I are the hostesses!

We have a fun theme that hasn't been done before in the years we've "dueled" -

Tutti Fruity!

        Since Autumn is now upon us, the Divas are going apple picking! 

Maybe you, too, have those fond memories of heading to the apple orchards to bring home bushels of fresh apples picked from the trees, filling up baskets!  Maybe you loved drinking fresh apple juice & cider or the crunch of the apple 

as you took that first bite – Yum!  

I stamped out a basket & apples from T.A.W.S. called Fall About You

and added it to the card base of DCWV paper called The Gilded Orchard,

filled with apples and apple blossoms.  This paper is lucious!

Very few embellishments adorn today's card because it just got too busy.

The inside of my card smudged a tiny bit but indeed at this time of year,

there is much to be thankful for ♥

 

 I popped up the bushel of apples with 3D foam and stacked them ~
this side view shows a bit of the dimension.

 

For the extra in our challenge,  we asked the girls to share what their

favorite fruit recipe is.

Mine is Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte!

Hahahahaha!  Just keeding :)

My very favorite fruit is always the citrus-y flavors

 like limes, lemons, oranges and my very FAVORITE dessert with fruit:

Lemon Bars!

Thanks for stopping by today!

To see what the rest of the team has created with this kit,

or the Team Dazzler fruit kit,

please see the entire list of friends in my sidebar off the right! 

I'll enter my card as card #2 in the NBUS challenge #5

Big hugs, Bigger Blessings!
~Kelly