Winter or Summer - Take your Pick!

Hello Crafty Friends!  

Hope you are having beautiful weather wherever you live.  The weather around here in Central Alabama can't make its mind up on being cold or warm, so today I have covered both with some easy water colored scenes and some great DRS Designs Greetings.

Winter

I painted the scene after watching THIS lovely tutorial.  Then I stamped this very cool Baby It's Cold Outside Greeting.

SUMMER

I water colored this after being inspired by three things: THIS fabric at RealFabric.com, THIS Luke Bryant song, and THIS new greeting at DRS Designs. 

Stay comfy.

Nancy

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Waves of Happiness

 Hi Everyone,

Being that it's the heart of winter and I haven't seen the sun for days, I decided to cheer myself up by making a couple of beach themed cards.

I'm using the new Happiness Comes in Waves Greeting for both cards, along with the 4 in 1 Seashells stamp.  I began by tearing some blue and white paper, layering them to resemble waves, dry embossing the top layer with a wave folder.  I created the sand portion by stamping the card using the Splatter Background stamp, adding the fussy cut shells for embellishment.

This traditional beach scene was made by inking up a baby wipe and swiping it across the die cut panel.  When I was satisfied, I stamped the palm tree, birds and boat to complete it.  I simply added some dimensional tape and adhered the image and sentiment to some seashell stamped paper I made.  I don't think you can see it in my photo, but I added a bit of glittery flock to the sand for some extra texture. 

Here are the links to the stamps used on this card:

Palm Tree

Happiness Comes in Waves Greeting

4 in 1 Seashells

4 in 1 Sky

4 in 1 Ocean

Thank you so much for visiting today!

Karin

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Unexpected Fun

Hello Crafty Friends.  I am posting late this week - so much going on with back to school and a Summer cold. 

I am participating in a Summer Treats ATC Swap, and the ideas were not coming to me until I rememembered this super fun Watermelon and Friend image from DRS Designs.  That little ant is super cute and unexpected so I added the Expect the Unexpected Greeting on both ATCs. 

On the bottom ATC, I added in the wine glass from Pour Me...Bottle and Glass.  The images were colored with Daniel Smith watercolors, the background was sponged with one of the SU! Yellow Inks, and I added in lots of Stickles. 

These would make a cute wine tag too - wish I had some watermelon wine but this was the only wine we had in the house lol.  

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend and that you have some fun unexpected things happen in your life.  

Hugz,

Nancy

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Toes in the Sand...

 

Oh how I wish I could dip my toes in the sand and water in this image.

For my card:

• I stamped the first ADIRONDACK CHAIR - 450C as a mirror image using my own tutorial. My tutorial shows how I get a crisp clean stamp using some low tack tape which you can put the image on a tape hinge and stamp it again and again until you get the darkness the way you want it once the image is stamped.
• Next, I stamped the ADIRONDACK CHAIR - 450C not as a mirror image. When I want to do a mirror image and a regular stamp of the same image I usually do the mirror image first.
• Once both chairs were stamped I used the TOES IN THE SAND BIRTHDAY GREETING - 980F in between the chairs.
• I then used copic markers to color in the scene.
• Once the scene was colored I cut it down and popped it up on dimensionals.

I hope you give mirror image stamping a try. It is really easy once you have done it a few times.

Thank you for stopping by to check out my card this week.

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Thank You

 Hi Everyone,

We were invited to dinner this past weekend, so here is a quick thank you card I made for them using stuff laying around my craft table.  I'm a messy stamper, but for once it made this card fast and simple.

I had my rectangle dies sitting out from making this card, and my Medium Daisy Bloom out from making this card here, all I had to look for was the Brush Thank You stamp.

 

I even scavenged the cardstock from a pile on my table, so all that was left to do was tie on some twine, add a die cut butterfly and write a note inside. 

Thanks for stopping by!
Karin

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Over Under

Good morning!

Today I have an ocean scene with another whole world going on under the water.

DRS stamps: School of fish, 4 in 1 Ocean Design, 3 in 1 Ocean Floor Design, 4 in 1 Seashells, Sailboat, 4 in 1 In The Sky, and Anchor

I drew the lines for the water using a die cut for a template and used a stencil for the light rays

shining through the water.

My sky was done using a torn piece of paper towel to mask and sponge clouds.  I also used a bit of white gel pen to highlight some.

The boat wake is a snow pen and glitter.

I did a lot of masking, stamping what is closest in the foreground first then worked my way back masking as I stamped more dimensions.

I colored all the images with Copic Markers.

Thanks for visiting today!!

Robin

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Summer Note

 

Oh my goodness how I love watermelon and this WATERMELON AND FRIEND - 798H  is just too adorable and perfect for a summer note to a friend.

For the base of the card I sponged distress oxide ink then used a black marker to draw on some  seeds.

Next I stamped the WATERMELON AND FRIEND - 798H colored with copics and cut down to let the watermelon base show.

I finished with the Friendly Note Greeting - 790D $8.00.

Thank you for stopping by to check out my card this week. I hope you are having a wonderful summer.

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Pig Time!

Good morning!

Hey, you guys don't mind more beach themed cards do ya? 

These so make me think of vacation somewhere,

ANYWHERE would be nice!

For this card I've used DRS stamps: Hula Pig, Palm Tree,

4 in 1 Ocean Designs and Summer Story

I stamped the pig first then masked, next I started stamping and masking the Palm trees.

I left the mask on then stamped the sail boats.  

I used a circle mask to create the sun/horizon using blending brushes for the inks.

The water and everything else are done with Copic Markers.

I drew in a shoreline.

The dies I used today are from Rubbernecker and Spellbinders.

My next card is a slimline card

done with DRS stamps: Sea Grass, 4 in 1 In The Sky, 

4 in 1 Ocean Designs, Seaside Dock and Leonard Pig Flies A Kite

The slimline card works very well for this little scene I think.

I stamped the Sea Grass and Leonard first then masked and stamped the dock, lighthouse 

sailboat.  I masked the dock and stamped in some extra birds.  For the bird between the buildings I stamped another one and cut it out and placed it over the stamped image on the card.

I used a torn paper towel edge to make the clouds in the sky using a sponge and Brilliance Sky Blue Ink.  The sun was drawn in using a circle template and Copic Markers.  I drew in a rough horizon line then colored with Copic.  The waves coming in to shore are done with a Snow Pen, puffed with heat then glittered with Stickles.

I actually used the kite from 4 in 1 In The Sky for Leonard's kite as it is a bit bigger.

Thanks for visiting today!

Robin

 

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Popsicles

Hi Everyone,

Is there anything more summer like than popsicles?  I think not!  So I made a card celebrating that sweet summer treat.

I don't have a popsicle die, so I began by die cutting out rectangles and rounding off the top corners.  I used my word window punch for the two "indentations" on the treats and inked up the edges of all the papers for a bit of dimension, finally attaching some real sticks to complete them.

I layered them all onto an embossed citrus background, since in my mind the flavors were orange, lime and lemon. 

Lastly, for the greeting I chose the 1 Line So Sweet Greeting.

And YOU"RE so sweet for stopping by the blog today! 

Have a great one!
Karin

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GIANT Catch

Hello Crafty Friends.

My grandson Lewis (age 5) informed us again he has changed the theme of his birthday party. back to sharks.  He has been waffling between a shark theme, a lego theme, and a superhero theme. We have 2 months to go so who knows which will win. I decided to go ahead and make some shark cards just in case - lol!

This card is full of texture.  I took a piece of an Amazon box (most likely held legos - lol), pealed off the first layer of paper, and cut it into a tag shape.  To get a beach/ocean theme, I painted on some white Gesso, painted the tag with different colors of blue, and added in a little beach with a strip of the paper that I removed from the tag and some more white Gesso.  I splattered on the remaining Gesso because I didn't want to waste it.  A bit of Vintage Photo Distress ink around the edges and I was ready for the images.

I water colored some paper using a quick wash, and then stamped the Happy Shark on a section that had a white strip at the bottom. I also stamped on the Fishing Square, loosley watercolored the basket tan, restamped the image in my MISTI, and fussy cut the boat, rod and basket out.  

To finish off the card, I added in the Killer Birthday Greeting.  The base layer was made using watercolors and doing the Ink/Spray/Smash technique.  

My other grandsons came over and loved it.  One wants me to make him one and one wants to make one himself.  This one got the quality seal from my family.

Hope your week is going well.

Hugz,

Nancy

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Happy Retirement

 Hi Everyone,

I made this card with my cousin in mind.  Her last day of work was last Friday, and now she is free to do as she pleases.  Woot woot! 

I'm not sure if they have flamingos in Hawaii, or if they dance the hula in other tropical places, so I've probably mixed up my warm weather images for this card.  Whatever.  I say it celebrates all her travel to come ;)

I stamped the Flamingo Palm Tree Scene for the background and then added the Hula Pig and Brush Happy Retirement Greeting to the front. 

A few enamel dots and a dab of glitter on her flower finished it off.

Inside I stamped the Rest Best of Life Birthday Greeting, because it seemed so perfect for the occasion.  And who can resist Hula Pig?  She had to come along inside too!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you're dancing your way through summer!


Hugs,

Karin

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Easy Summer Cards

 Hi Everyone,

Last week I went on a getaway with my husband to an inn, down in the heart of Amish country in Ohio.  It was our first time away since, what I call, "the before times".  While it wasn't completely normal due to them being short staffed, and my husband working from his lap top, it was still a pleasant escape from suburban life.   I was scrambling a bit before we left home, so I made these two quick cards with a summer theme.

I masked off this vertical strip and sponged lol on various greens and yellow ink to achieve this color. Before removing the masking, I stamped the Citrus Slice all along the colored portion, and then added the It's Five O'clock Somewhere Greeting adding a few gems for embellishment.

It was so quick and easy I made a second card using the same technique, just different stamps and enamel dots. 

The stamps for the above card are as follows:

Summer Story Greeting

4 in 1 Seashells

While I wasn't at the beach, here's a peek at the lovely scenery where we stayed...

That's me outside the entrance.  These rooms are called the "honeycombs" and they're built into the side of a hill.  They all have stone patios with bird feeders outside and you can even hear the baaaah of the sheep in the distance.  Not a big deal to some, but slightly magical to this suburban/city gal :) 

Thanks for stopping by, and be sure to visit DRS Designs for all your summer stamping needs!
Karin
  

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Piggy Kite Flying

 by Julie Warner - The Write Stuff

Happy Friday!

I hope your week has gone well! We've had some really nice weather the last few days, with cooler, drier days & a nice breeze. Sounds like perfect kite flying weather. 

For my birthday card, I used just the solid diamond & not the argyle part that usually goes w/ it. I stamped it in rows using 2 Kaliedacolor ink pads, then stamped the little kite, here & there in some of the diamonds. Leonard was stamped & colored on a separate piece & fussy cut. I only had room for the vertical greeting & turns out, it fit perfectly. I added some stickles to the kites for a little sparkle.

Here's the inside & below it are the Copics I used.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a great weekend!

Supplies:

stamps: DRS Designs: Leonard Pig Flies a Kite, 4 in 1 In the Sky, Argyle Diamond, Birthday Wishes Vertical, Wordy Birthday 

paper:  Staples 110# white

ink:  Memento tuxedo black, Kaliedacolor Bouquet & Fresh Greens

accessories: Rubbernecker Rectangle Stitch  dies, Copic Sketch Markers, stickles

Leonard Pig Flies a Kite 903G	4 in 1 In the Sky 952D	Argyle Diamond 441A	Birthday Wishes Vertical 400D
Wordy Birthday 999H	Memento Inks	RN Rectangle Stitch dies 5007D	Copic Sketch Markers
Kaliedacolor ink pads	Staples 110# White Card Stock	Stickles

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Summertime

Hi Everyone,

It's officially summer and in my opinion, margaritas are the ultimate adult summer beverage. The lime, the icy bits...the SALT! They're even good minus the tequila.  Just add some simple syrup, a fresh squeezed orange to the lime juice, (and a splash of fizzy water for some pizazz) and you're in business. Mmmmmm...I think I should have titled the post Taco Tuesday, because I think I know what's for dinner now!

For this first card I inked up a citrus embossing folder to create the background, and stamped colored and fussy cut the Margarita Glass, adding some glitter glue to the rim for the salt.  I heat embossed the Citrus Slice and attached everything along with the Toes in the Sand Birthday Greeting.

Here is another graduation card I made, because, tis the season!  I copied the layout from my last graduation card here, I just changed up the school colors and added the bee, since that's the school mascot.  

Here are the stamps I used:
Graduation is The Beginning Verse

Grad Hat Hooray

Happy Bee

Here's hoping your summer is in full swing!  Thanks for stopping by!
Karin

 

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S'mores and Stories

Hello crafty friends.

I am excited that I have been able to do some fun warmer weather activities lately: going to an outdoor concert, walking around town, youth league baseball tournaments, and a picnic.  We didn't have s'mores at the picnic, but  we might have if fires would have been allowed at the park. After last year's lockdown, I am really enjoying building some better memories and that is what this card is all about.

I made a mask out of torn paper, then sponged the "fire" scene.  I stamped and watercolored the Smooshed S'mores - then fussy cut them.  Added the perfect greeting-- Sumer Story Greeting.  

Hope you are having a great week.

Hugz,

Nancy

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Summer Cards

Hi Everyone,

I know it's not officially summer yet, but it's 90F degrees here, so I feel like it's in full swing! Here are a couple of cards to kick off the season.

This card I made a while ago, but I'm happy to share the beachy themed card today.  The beach just screams summer, and vacation, and relaxation, and happiness, and...! It's all goodness in my book.

I sponged some ink onto the background and the beach themed greeting too.  I made the beachy background by adding die cut wavy ric rack for water and some Splatter Background stamped sand.  A punched sun, die cut flip flops and some stamped and fussy cut starfish completed the card.  

A friend's son graduated from military school, so I chose to make him a patriotic graduation card. Red. white and blue says American summertime to me as well, so it's reflects the time of year for this milestone too.

I dry embossed the background and added a stamped panel made using Grad Hat Hooray.  The Graduation is the Beginning sentiment was die cut and I embossed and fussy cut the Brush Mortarboard, adding it with some pop dots.

 

Since this card was being sent to a guy, I resisted the urge to add gemstones and just added a gift inside...lol!

Here hoping the summer season is off to a happy start for you!
Karin

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Watermelon Note

by Julie Warner - The Write Stuff

Happy Friday!

I hope your week has gone well! I think Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer & when I think of summer, I always think of watermelon. So I'm using a watermelon image for my card today. The ant is a bonus, lol. After I colored the scene, I die cut it then added a black scallop frame. For the bg, I embossed the red section w/ a border folder showing summer foods & the white section w/ the companion checkerboard folder. I added a narrow black strip to cover the divide & a couple of die cut buttons. I added a little black stickles on top of the buttons.

Here's the inside & below it are the Copics I used.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a great weekend!

Supplies:

stamps: DRS Designs:  Watermelon & Friend, Watermelon Border , Friendly Note , Sweet Birthday 

paper:  Staples 110# white, black, red

ink:  Memento tuxedo black, (Kaliedacolor fruitcake used on inside)

accessories: Rubbernecker Square Stitch , Square Stitch Frame, Rectangle Stitch   dies, Misti, stickles, Memory Box Scalloped buttons die

Watermelon & Friend 798H	Watermelon Border 095H	Friendly Note 790D	Sweet Birthday 161E
Memento Inks	RN Square Stitch dies 5005D	RN Square Stitch Frame dies 5121D	RN Rectangle Stitch dies 5007D
Stickles	Cuttlebug Simply Charmed 20-00611	Staples 110# White Card Stock	MISTI

AC color card stock

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