You are FLAM-azing!

 Hi friends!

One of the BEST gifts of 2024 gave me 

was being asked to stay on the Whimsy Stamps Design Team !

 I am overjoyed and have so many creative ideas :)

This card was a lot of fun to make and took nearly 1.5 hours! 

You can see the 40 second sped up version of it here 

👇

I started with a base layer of blending a few distress oxide inks

in a pink-sunset-y color palette and build up a scene from there.

I wanted bright and fresh and botantical,

so I used my Whimsy Stamps Flamingo Summer stamps and dies.

Once those were colored, I used the Build-An-Island die set

and created a fun scene.

Finally, I added a birthday word banner shadow die 

in coordinating colors and the sentiment from a retired set.

Here is one final look!

If you'd like to shop at Whimsy Stamps,

you can follow this link at no additional cost to you :)

Thanks for stopping by!

It's a PINK and MAIN Party!

 Hi friends!

Happy 10th Birthday to Pink and Main!  

What a blessing to have such an amazing company

 in the creative paper crafting community!  

If you are new to Pink and Main, be sure to check them out here.

But there's MORE!

We have an amazing Instagram Birthday hop for you

 with amazing inspiration, fun new products and generous giveaways!

Here's where you can find the Instagram Birthday Party hop!

I also have a YouTube video on my channel here:

I have 2 cards to share with you today 

and a few more featuring the new products tomorrow :)

Card 1:

This bright and cheerful birthday card features A Gift For You

clear stamps and matching die set.

I added a background of the GORGEOUS 6 x 6 paper pad

Colorful Ink Spots which makes background designs so easy!

I've also added a trio of colors from the Stitched Rectangle Frame Die

and the flowers from the March mug stamp and die :)

For my 2nd card:

It's the Mice Birthday with a burst of color!

I LOVE this set SO MUCH!

As a March birthday baby, this makes me smile :)

For this card, I used the AH-MAY-ZING Water Gems from Pink and Main.

If you're new to Water Gems, they are a pigmented powder 

that lets you create your own style of art when it's mixed with water!

(Stay tuned - you'll see more of this creative play

 on my YouTube channel soon!)

I paired Mice Birthday clear stamps and matching dies

with the Stitched Circle Frame Die

and added a little happy birthday inside.

Thanks for stopping by!

~Kelly

3M: Big Blooms Lily

Hi friends!

Today's card share is for the 3M card sharing

(3 Musketeers) 

 where we have 1 stamped image, 3 creators!

If you are a new reader to my blog, 

you can see how it all begin here!

The 3M group is Barb, Jeanette and myself and we take turns

 - once a month - 

sending each other a 'mystery' stamped image.

For March, the hostess is Barb and she sent us this gorgeous

Big Blooms Lily from Taylored Expressions.

Here's my take!

Be sure to see what Barb and Jeanette created with this image, too

and their cards on on their blogs today.

Thanks for stopping by!

~Kelly

Hey GALentine! :)

 

Hi friends!

Today's card is for the GALentines!

For today's card, I used Stamp Anniething Candace XOXO

and colored her with my copic markers.

The theme this week 2 of the countdown to Valentine's Day is 

Patterned Paper :)

I used 3 sheets of DSP from Doodlebug Design

and added a ready made sentiment strip from CZ Design /

 Simon Says Stamp!

And that's my galentine's card!

If you'd like to see the video version of this card,

head over to my YouTube channel

and don't forget to hit that SUBSCRIBE button!

Thanks for stopping by!
~Kelly

Hey gnomie!

 

Hey friends!

Today I'm sharing another Whimsy Stamps card

that's versatile enough for Valentines and Galentines!

This adorable gnome is from Whimsy Stamps

called Gnome Gardeners.

I stamped and die cut the gnomie and colored it with

prismacolor markers.

I paired it with Heart to Heart 6 x 6 paper pack

and the wee little clouds are from the Beach Frogs stamp/die set.

To finish off the look, I used the Wonky Stitched rectangles

to die cut the edges.

I love how versatile this is - perfect for Valentines or Galentines!

If you'd like to save 10% off your order, 

please consider using my affiliate link below!

Whimsy Stamps

Thanks for stopping by!

~Kelly

Scavenger Hunt card!

 Hi friends!

Today I have an unusual card to share ~

one I'm calling a Scavenger Hunt card :)

I've been making a TON of cards this past month

and ....

quite frankly,

 my desk is a MESS!

I. have. things. everywhere!

SO, while cleaning and organizing I had an idea 

to put in a little basket small pieces of this 

... and that ...

and make a card!

                  

                   I used @mamaelephant critter stamps and dies

@waffleflowercrafts sentiment strip

@mftstamp happy birthday circle die

@lawnfawn designer paper

@pinkfreshstudio gold gems

ALL of which were from previous projects or ideas for ones.

Ta-da!

Happy Birthday card done and done :)

I loved this ~ I'll definitely try this again!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Kelly

My (wee) Valentine!

 Hi friends!

Happy Friday!

Today I'm sharing another fun card for the Whimsy Stamps

Instapinner Design Team

AND it's a cute cute CUTE card for my granddaughter!

You can view it on my YouTube channel here:

I thought I'd send a card along with her goodies

for Valentines ~ I love her YETI much!

I used the adorable YETI FOR LOVE

and colored it a light pink with bright red hearts.

I paired it with the adorably bright and sweet Heart to Heart

designer paper - also from Whimsy Stamps!

You can find this stamp in the shop

and if you use this link, it will take you there!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Kelly

Entered to:  Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge

2024 Crafty Kickoff!

 

Hi friends!

It's officially the first day of the 2024 Crafty Kickoff!

This is a super fun card group of friends 

crafting each Wednesday with a dedicated theme!

We've been crafting together almost weekly

since the days of Summer Crush Wednesdays (2023!)

Summer moved to fall which moved to winter

and now to a new year of craftiness!

This week's theme:  What's NEW (in '24!)

This was very open to interpretation ~

new stamps, dies, techniques, tools!

New for me .... stamps and dies!

I had quite a few deliveries at the end of the year

so they are all waiting for me to have a playful 2024.

I couldn't wait to ink up this one from Mama Elephant!

It's called Beary Good Day

and such a versatile set to use for many occasions.

We'll be back next week with another fun theme!

Thanks for stopping by!
~Kely

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

SNOW much fun!

Hi friends!

Today's card is SNOW much fun!

This beary cute card was created using Whimsy Stamps

and I made it for my sweet little granddaughter!

She wants to see snow (just like me!)

and we hope this year for the holidays to make it happen :)

To create this card, I used the adorable Sheltering Love 

stamp and die set and colored it with my copic markers.

The gorgeous pink frame was created using the Notched Rectangle dies

from Whimsy Stamps 

        as well as the gorgeous pink snowflake paper called Blurry Flurries!

Thanks for stopping by!

If you head on over to Whimsy Stamps to check out 

these products and more, please consider

saving 10% with this code at no extra cost to you

and it helps me to keep creating :)

~Kelly

Once more in '24!

 

Hi friends!

It's the time of year where I debut my FAVORITE personal challenge - 

One Plus Twelve!

This is the 6th year of my card challenge 

where I take ONE stamp (and only one stamp!)

and make a card TWELVE times (once a month on the 3rd).

The idea is came to me in the middle of the night

(where my best ideas always pop up!)

for a way to stretch the use of our supplies

Often, I'd buy and use a stamp - just once -

so this is a way to creatively use them again, twelve different ways.

For 2024, I chose Wildflowers by Pink and Main :)

I love flowers picked right out of the wild

and I love the wonder of the versatility of this set!

                 I used my Altenew half pans to watercolor a panel 

in bright, cheerful colors. 

Once dry, I stamped the wildflower stamp 

and ran it through my die cutting machine.

 I added it to a solid white embossed background 

and popped up a Tim Holtz label maker sentiment and dots.

My friends Barb and Jeanette are joining me

again this year in the challenge 

as we have done for the past 6 years.

This year, I decided to call One Plus Twelve 

by a cute catch phrase for 2024

Once More in '24 ...

every month on the 3rd!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Kelly

Stashbusters 2024 ~ Theme 1!

Hi friends! 

 Today is the big debut of the 

Stashbusters 2024 card group

and I'm SO EXCITED for this one!

I was delighted to be invited by my friend who started the group

because a STASH I do have and it needs BUSTIN!

You can see my quick YouTube version here:

The idea?

Shop your own stash and challenge yourself to create 

with. what. you. already. own!

As a card maker, stamper, paper crafter I am 

GUILTY AS CHARGED

of buying (and buying and buying) but not using,

at least not as often as I should.

Hence, 'bust' your 'stash.'

We make 3-6 each theme so at the end of 2024,

we should have a total of 81-162 cards for donation :)

We have themes.  

So it's easy to stay on track and not go rogue!

This week was Armen's choice and it's a GOOD ONE!

"If you were a card, what would you look like?"

Probably choas :)  

Hands down.

and I'd be late *grin*

But I would also be whimsical, bright colors and have cute critters!

I chose Pink and Main crafty pals and just love LOOOOOVE this set!

I paired it with a few things:

a crisp clean background (I like things clean and tidy!)

with a watercolor background piece (my favorite medium)

with some colorful critters (check!)

I added a small teal border to represent my favorite colors: green/teal.

Here they are together at a glance ~ 

3 down, 159 more to go! :)

Follow the hashtag #stashbusters2024 to see more inspiration!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Kelly

Card entered to:  A perfect time to craft

A passion for markers:  Used my Copic Markers!

Critter Crazy challenge:  Used a bear, dog and kitty!

You've been ELF'd!

 Hi friends!

Happy weekend!

Today's fun cards are a 3-fer

for an Instragram hop with a theme of holidays.

I'm celebrating the wonderful JOY of the Elf on the Shelf!

Our EOTS was a huge staple of the holiday fun

for our kids during the holidays.

Ours is a mischevious elf who likes to do hilarious stunts + poses!

                               

                                This was a fun card to make!

I paired it with candy cane paper 

since in the movie Buddy the Elf references the 4 food groups:

candy, candy corn, candy canes and syrup!

Here are the cards together

and I'll share the others on a seperate post :)

These 3 will go to our 3 youngest children 

as our oldest daughter got a different card.

This is a fun group on Instagram but is my last month.

It's been a fun journey but 2024 is going to be 

a busy crafty one for me!

So I need to focus on the tasks as hand, as they say :)

Thanks for stopping by!

~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

Got COOKIES?

Hey friends!

I'm up on the Crackerbox Stamps blog today :)

Santa will be here in 34 days!

And he's checking in to see if you

Got Cookies?!

This card was so much fun to make!

I started with the adorable Side Santa and Reindeer sm.

and I'm showcasing the cute Santa.

I just love his little peek-a-boo face!

I paired Santa with the sentiment stamp set called

Sign Post Words set of 3, using Got Cookies?

To really make Santa shine, I chose designer paper

with The Nightmare Before Christmas wording.

AND check out the BIG 50% off amazing sale happening!

You can find the stamps half off here

and have fun shopping for your favorites!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Kelly