Paper Smooches Blog Hop

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I'll be back today or tomorrow with a fun little project I made with my daughter! :)

Stretching your stamps

This card wasn't even planned, I was just playing around with that platypus from Lawn Fawn's Critter's Down Under set and was trying out the mirror technique.  I had no plan in mind when making this card, but little by little it came together. I used a whole slew of LF sets, six to be exact!  That's right, SIX!  Here they are:

• The platy's you know- Critter's Down Under
• The log and sentiment came from Critter's in the Forest
• The cloud- Bon Voyage
• The little cloud puffs and the bow came from Pa-Rum-Pa-Pum-Pum
• The bigger heart came from Critter's Ever After
• The little hearts came from Cruising Through Life

As this creation came to life, I was wanting to use this patterned paper in the backdrop because again, this one had the inspiration photo for Lawnscaping's Challenge written all over it.  Just like in the picture, I actually originally wanted to use it for a little bow tie to make a little boy platypus, but it didn't quite work out that way.  Despite that, I think this card turned out really fun. What do you think of my girl platy's lips?  :)

Obviously I was pretty impressed with myself by using these stamps in so many ways.  That just makes the stamps so much more valuable; being able to use them for something other than what they are.  The possibilities are just endless.  What other uses can you see?  What else can I use some of these stamps for?  I would love to hear your ideas!  I've got one to leave you with too- that smallest little cloud puff would make a perfect piece of popcorn don't you think?!

Happy Monday all!

Sweet Kanga

So what do you think of this card?  I LOVE the patterned paper and colors.  The one patterned paper with the flowers in the backdrop and for the kangaroo is what inspired this card.  I was looking at the inspiration photo for Lawnscaping Challenge #38 and I thought of this fun bright paper from Cosmo Cricket. So I just had to make another challenge card and I was also in Love with this week's Mojo Monday sketch, so why not combine them!?!

And if I haven't said I love certain aspects of this enough, I love that little Kanga pair!  OMG they are cute and it was super fun to use my new Lawn Fawn set Critters Down Under.  That Kanga actually reminds me of one that my good family friend made for me when I was a tot.  It was floral pattered, just like this one.  It had a sweet baby in the pouch that you could take out and play with and best of all it was about 2 and a half feet tall!  Bigger than me at the time I got it.  Awww, such a sweet memory.  I still have that Kanga (and yes, I am pretty sure that was her name, I am super imaginative!) at my Dad's house, waiting for me to pick it up one day. :)  Maybe I'll save this birthday card for Laurie's b-day and return the love. :D :D

I'll have one more for the Lawnscaping Challenge tomorrow, so hop back by! :)


Note- most of the other colors and papers were provided by Stampin' Up! 

A trip to the stamp store

I could have sworn that I had a sentiment that said "Hang in there!" but for the life of me I can't find it! :(  I guess that means I'll have to. take...A TRIP TO THE STAMP STORE!  In my head that thought is accompanied by some super fun music, like one you hear in a move where an exciting scene is about to happen! :)  And maybe...just maybe I'll find something else out there while I am looking!  The HORROR! :)

So here is one more card for today.  Yes, this is for another challenge, how did you guess!  I had previously made another card for the Paper Smooches Sparks color challenge but was unhappy with it, so...I had to try again.  Here are the colors that PS lined out, but they didn't label them so that gave me a little
leeway to choose what I wanted.  I used the following (most are Stampin' Up! colors for papers and markers): Marina Mist, Crumb Cake, So Saffron, Chocolate Chip and Pool Party.  I used this fun sketch from the Simon Says Stamp Challenge Blog for the layout.  I should note that both the PS stamps I used are from their free digi downloads- um yes...awesome!  The sentiment is from a set from The Cats Pajamas.

So what do you think?  Does this sentiment work?

Happily Ever After

Yes, yes, another day, another challenge.  This one is for the Lawnscaping inspiration photo challenge.  Which is super fun because I just LOVE the inspiration photo with the soft colors and fun activities.  Check it out...

AND...I was able to use one of the two new LF sets that my hubby got me for my birthday!  What a guy!  He really knows what I love and he is happy to see me embrace it.  He got me the Critters Ever After set and the Critters Down Under set which I still need to use!

So here is my little card for you.  It has the light and fun feel of the inspiration photo I think.  I used the castle in Critters Ever After and part of the sentiment that says, "may all your dreams come true."  What I am loving about this castle is not only that it is fun and sweet and inspires dreams but check out the details in the coloring I did.  I highlighted a few little bricks here and there.  I had so much fun doing it that I made a second card with that castle.  The bricks on that one are darker and easier to see, which is why I included it here, though I have to say, I may like this one better

Thanks for stopping and may all your dreams and wishes come true!

Sweet & Sour

I made this card a week or two ago and it was supposed to be for the Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge using this sketch.  It was also going to be for the Simon Says Stamp Challenge featuring fruit.  But alas...I never got around to posting it.  That is sadly the fate of most of my projects.  I do make many, but the deadlines for these challenges seem to be what gets me up and blogging.  It is the creating I like most anyway.  But is is fun to blog about them and get your feedback. :)

This card is pretty sweet don't you think?  One of the things I really like is the ribbon between the layers, I had fun putting that in there. The sentiment and hearts come from the Vegtastic and Smarty Pants sets from PS.  The sour (but totally cute) felt lemon sticker comes from Pebbles.  Super fun I think!

Thanks for stopping and have a good weekend!

2 + 2 + 2

Hellooooo.  Hoping that those of you who celebrate the 4th of July had a wonderful day yesterday!  We didn't do much ourselves except go to a local parade, BBQ for dinner and *hear* (not see) lots and lots of fireworks late into the night.  It kept me up for a while, but eventually I was able to sleep and didn't mind so much. It only happens once a year and is always so fun.

Today I have two cards for you for two challenges from two of my favorite stamps companies!  The first is for the Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge blog, the July 1-8 trend watch based on this picture.

Obviously, I was feeling a little red-white-and-blue here, I didn't go that direction on purpose, but hey, whatever works! :)   I like the crayon from the Smarty Pants set, because I feel it channels the kid in all of us.  In this card it represents what was and what is and would be a perfect card for a teacher or maybe a graduate.

Second I have another card for the Lawnscaping Challenge #37, Using Dimesion.  You may have seen my first post here in which they let me be guest designer for a day on this challenge!  My first time being a guest designer, so super exciting for me! :) :)  This card is actually my entry for the contest.  


This stork is my fave stamp in this stamp set- Plus One.  I have made so many cards with this birdie!  I also used the little tiny heart from the set, colored it with my glittery jelly roll pen and cut it out to put it on that bundle of joy for a little extra emphasis.  You can see the close up below. :)


I am expecting a some LF stamps in the mail any day now, belated b-day present from my hubby (ISN"T HE THE BEST!) and I am seriously chomping at the bit waiting for them!

Lawnscaping Challenge #37- Using Dimension

Happy Monday everyone!  Today I am super excited because I am a guest designer on Lawnscaping Challenges!  It is so awesome to even be considered for something like this, I can't say thank you enough to Laurel and her team!  THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU...well you get the idea. :)


So for Lawnscaping Challenge #37, the team is using dimension.  So fun!  A little dimension can add so much to a card and really make it pop!  Come on over and play with us.  We'd all love to see what you make for the challenge!

If you aren't motivated enough, well you could win a $25 dollar gift certificate to Simon Says Stamp!!!  Wooo-hoooooo!!!!!!!! A big HUGE thank you to our challenge sponsor for offering this!!!  How amazing is that!  Be sure to check out their online store.

Here is the card I made for the challenge.  I chose to use some items that already had dimension for my card.  These little flowers are always so much fun to use.  I love the ferris wheel from the Lawn Fawn set Admit One.  Actually this is the first time I've used this particular stamp and I can't believe that!  What was I waiting for?! 

I plan to have some other cards for this challenge later this week, so please come back by and check them out! :)