Dreaming of a SNOWY winter!

 

Hi sweet friends!

I'm DREAMING of a snowy white winter!

Except ...

I live in one of the hottest states in the continental US 

so it might be awhile! :)

I love love LOOOOOOOVE the snow!

So making snowy / winter / Christmas cards is a favorite.

Another favorite is this October 2017 My Monthly Hero

Hero Arts kit!

I will keep this kit until forever runs out!

Here's a VIDEO on my YOUTUBE channel if you'd like to hear

about this card as well!

I think one of my favorite parts of the kit is I still had

enough of the bubbly cardstock included with it

left to make a snowy background. 

This card is seriously a vision in real life and hard to photograph

the details but it's so much fun.

The theme for today's card group was White Christmas or

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town so I added both!

I'll enter this to the Stay Crafty with a Blog Named Hero @Hero Arts

January with a Everything Old is New Again theme!

Thanks for stopping by!

Stay safe out there :)

xoxo

~Kelly

Messy Art: You're a hot mess!

 Hi friends!

I'm still playing catch up on adding cards to my blog :)

Awhile back, I created a card group focused on 'messy art'

but life stepped in and I stepped back.

But in 2024, I'll be reclaiming back a few of the things I let go :)

The idea behind my original idea is to have fun with messy art!

I'm NOT one for messes at all ... but when it comes to cardmaking,

I found I have the most fun ~and the most inspiration ~  

when I'm experimenting making backgrounds & new techiniques.

Like these!

For these cards, I added distress oxide inks and spritzed them with

water until I had a cascade.  They were intentionally drippy!

The stamps are from Hero Arts snarky message, LOL!

I am a 'cool colors' girl (greens, blues, purples) but after

making one card, I had to make another in warm colors.

I ADORE how these came out!

So there will be a new series here on my blog and social media!

My messy art cards are making a return in 2024!

AND if you follow me on Instagram, 

you'll see a related giveaway soon!

*hint, hint .. wink, wink!* 

Thanks for stopping by!

~Kelly

HOLLY JOLLY!

 Hey sweet friends!

Today's card is showcasing 2 things:

A huge OOPS!

and The Man in the BIg Red Suit!

This was a fun card to make!

If you would like to see the YouTube version,

here it is:

Because I made a rookie mistake when creating this,

I had to think of ways to save/salvage this poor Santa card!

I used the adorable Stamptember Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous

2023 set ~ cute, cute, CUTE!

.

I loved the background stamp by Hero Arts snowflake swirl

and I stamped it with Pool Party ink.

THEN

I had a misstep with the stamp and forgot it had ink,

set it down on  the panel and had a few Santas on it!

So this is the result!

Thanks for stopping by!
~Kelly

Like at the lake pier!

Hi friends!

Today's card is a trip to the lake!

By now I've already made it to our last vacation before

our busy family has a return to college 

and a move to a new home!

We are so excited for the big changes happening in our family

and know that God's blessings always surround us :)

For this card, I'm channeling Lake Life!

This is one of my favorite Hero Arts kits (June 2023)

paired with an older stamp set pier at the lake.

It was recently the anniversary of my dad's birthday in heaven.

Not a single day ever ever never goes by that he doesn't cross my mind.

And I channeled him when I was creating this card - in the best way!

I have such fond memories of living in North Florida 

and he took us often to the neighboring lakes to fish, snorkel

and even attempt to water ski behind our boat!

We would often see these exact sunsets as well :)

Using distress oxide inks, I blended a background in sunset-y colors

and stamped out the images fussy cutting some, die cutting others!

I'm SO in love with how this card came out -

much like the memories I hold dear to heart!

Thanks for stopping by!

Lots of love!

~Kelly

 

I WHEELIE like you!

 

Hi friends!

Today I'm sharing a cheeky card ~

I do love me a punny saying!

I'm in an Instagram collaboration to create a card

with a funny, wild, obscure, wacky holiday :)

Here is the YOUTUBE version if you want to see!

I used to LOVE LOVE LOVE visiting Brownielocks to see

all the weird events and holidays people celebrate ...

including mah-self :)

So today I'm celebrating National Guinea Pig Day!

Yes.

There is a possibility these stamps and dies I used are hamsters.

SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

No. One. Will.  Know.

Isn't it cute!

That one at the top (probably me since I run on Starbucks 

and 3 hours of sleep going around in circles!)

sure has a lot of work keeping up with the one below!

The stamps and dies?

Lawn Fawn - circle die from Hero Arts!

And that's it!

Thanks for stopping by!

Crafty hugs,

Kelly

Send a Card to a Friend Day!I

 

Hi friends!

Happy Monday!

AND ..

Happy National Send a Card to a Friend Day!

As papercrafters and cardmakers, THIS is a fun day to celebrate!

Today's card is a new to me technique ~ 

the split circle from today's TLC at Splitcoaststampers.

  I've actually seen this before but kinda skirted by it ... until now!

It's a fabulous geometric design and very easy to do!

I started with my Hero Arts infinity nesting circles and made 3 sizes.

And, used the Doodlebug paper pack again - this has been my go to paper!

Assembled and added a sentiment and boom ... there you go!

Here's the inside, left intentionally blank ...

This is heading all the way to the midwest today!

Guess I should go find my stamps ....

of the postage kind! :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Be blessed,

~Kelly 

Stamping Sisters Camp - Day 2!

 

Hi there, friends!

Welcome to day #2 of the Stamping Sisters winter camp.

That means all 4 of us

(Barb, Darlene, Jeanette and myself)

will bring you a different class / card technique each day this week.

Today, I'm the camp counselor

and I call this cardmaking idea 

"Let's get RIPPED!" :)

This is a photo heavy post but if you'd like to see the video version,

feel free to click on my YouTube channel video here

 ↓

The first thing you'll need is some cardstock - 

both an a2 size base and a quarter panel for the base layer

and 2 sheets of WHITE tissue paper.

You'll need solid stamps and a couple colors of inks.  

Cubes are great since you'll be working in small spaces, nooks n crannies!

Once the images are all stamped out, let them dry for a minute or two.

While that's drying, start your base layer of the card

by taking the second tissue paper and wrapping your card base layer.

Any adhesive or tape will do as you'll cover this part up.

Set that aside and go back to your stamped solid images.

Start ripping /tearing around the image carefully so that you have

just the images along with a slight edge.

This part can be anything you want it to be - torn/ripped/missing a piece ...

it is perfectly imperfect and your OWN creation!

They should look something like this.

The idea is to create a layer.  This works best if you have multiples!

I always lay them out first to get an idea of where they will go ...

before gluing :)

You can use pixie spray or spray adhesive to add them to your card base.

Glue it down and add a sentiment/embellishment if you like!

I used the sentiment strips from Taylored Expressions

and added enamel dots and let the ripped paper be the focal point.

Here she is!

I don't have photos of the blue floral card

but it is in the video content on my YouTube channel.

That one is equally beautiful!

Such a fun technique and I hope you give it a try.

Here are the camp counselors and their class dates:

Monday/January 24th  ~ Jeanette @ Creativeplay 

Tuesday/January 25th ~ Kelly @ Sandcastlestamper

Wednesday/January 26th ~ Barb  @ inkingintoretirement

Thursday/January 27th ~ Darlene @ Accordingtobijou

I hope this made sense!

It's a fun way to create extra dimension and 'drama' to your cardmaking

and takes the tissue paper stamping a big leap further!

Each time you create this, it will always be unique and one of a kind.

Thanks for stopping in today!

Be blessed,

~Kelly

Conversation Hearts - Shaker Style!

 

Hi friends!

If you remember conversation heart candies, raise your hand!

Me!

I always looked forward to those on Valentines,

reading each of the little words like they were secret spy messages.

U R Cool!

Be Mine!

Cutie!

You Rock!

So SO CUTE!

I have a new video up on my YouTube channel

for handmade embellishments :)

It's an open collaboration where many of us will create them

to have on hand for the many needed occasions - 

shopping our stash and building our supplies of ephemera!

I used my Hero Arts infinity heart dies

and die cut a bunch of little hearts in 3 sizes

in the colors that coordinated with the real candies.

The shaker element:  acetate behind the top heart

and a layer of foam in between for depth and height.

I filled each of the shakers with shaker mix 

after stamping the bottom cardstock layer with sentiments 

from Lawn Fawn's  Just My Type stamp set.

There are so many hearts left, I'll be able to make quite a few

card candies / embellishments / ephemera!

Thanks so much for your visit today!

Be blessed :)

~Kelly

We rise by lifting others!

 

Hi friends!

Today I'm sharing a group of rainbow cards

that were inspired by a stack of envelopes!

I was looking at them ...

then looked again ....

and not only saw a rainbow, had a lightbulb moment!

I thought - use up your scraps and make a bunch of rainbow cards :)

And I love love LOVE how they turned out -

simple yet made with 'love in the stitches' <3

In case you'd like to see these made, here is my YouTube video!

To create this cards, I dug into my now smaller scrap pile.

I purged a lot of the papers that were bent or super small

and pulled out the colors to create an almost ROY-G-BIV palette.

I skipped indigo because I was going for #6 - 

6 cards to match the 6 envelope colors.

I was lucky to win a Gift Certificate from Erin Lee Creative

and this was one of the stamps I selected with the very generous gift!

It's called Still I Rise and I used two of the sentiments from the set.

These were easy and fun to put together

and are being donated <3

Wishing you the best and blessed Sunday!

Thanks for stopping by!

CCEE2121 - National Road Trip Day!

Hi friends!

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

and we are celebrating National Road Trip Day!

Here's the full challenge this week:

 Wow, it has finally arrived, and I have had all my vaccines, so maybe this year can mean a road trip!! 

May 28th is National Road Trip day.Your creation might include a map, a wonderful scene, or an exhausting shopping spree to a great out-of-town spot you haven't ventured to in quite some time. You might want to include the car if you would like on your card. Have fun, and if a road trip is still not on your agenda,

 take a virtual one in your imagination. 

Wow, super fun challenge!

 I've created a postcard type card by stamping Hero Arts

National Parks Poetic Prints stamps. Once they were stamped,

I lightly added Karin markers to my glass mat

and lightly sprized it with water.

I took the stamped image and tapped it into different colors of ink,

essentially creating a watercolor look.

Once they were dry, I used my edged die to cut them out,

resembling a postage stamp on a postcard!

Be sure to stop in here to the blog and take a look at the cards,

as well as link up your Road Trip cards, too!

Thanks for stopping by!

CCEE2019: Fiesta like there's no mañana!

Hi friends!

  Fiesta like there’s no mañana!   

(party like there's no tomorrow!)

I'm excited to be the hostess for the month of May

at the CCEE Stampers blog!

Through-out this month, I'll be proposing challenges ~ like this one!

 Tuesday was Cinco de Mayo,

so let’s continue the celebration with anything fiesta! 

Create a card sing the the word fiesta or the colors *red, green and yellow* 

or piñatas, sombreros, etc. 

 Feel free to simply create a celebration card in lieu of fiesta if you need to!

My card this week is using a Hero Arts stamp stamp set

called It's Fiesta Time ~ I just love that puppy in his sombrero!

 I've used the colors of Mexico for the base of my card and 

just layered it with a wonky placement.

I stamped/colored the pup image and added a fiesta sentiment.

 

We look forward to your creations and 

use the LINK UP at the bottom to share your creations.

If you post to an online gallery and Splitcoaststampers, use the keyword CCEE2019. 

 Thanks for stopping by!

Big hugs, bigger blessings ♥

                                             ~Kelly