Season's Giving Blog Hop 2016

2016 has come and gone, what a wild ride it's been. This year I got back into more crafting after a hiatus of two years, it feels great to create again. I'm looking forward to expanding my cardmaking in 2017 with card videos, better photography and showcasing more cards! I want to thank each of you for your comments and encouragement. Some of my best friendships have developed from this hobby and I wouldn't change it for the world. I created a new card for today's hop, because, crafty friends like you are rare, and cherished!

I have the pleasure to participate in the 2016 Season's Giving Blog Hop...each and every stop will be hosting a giveaway!  I am giving away Lawn Fawn's Just For You Stamp Set. **Please let me know what you'd like to see from me in 2017 to be eligible to win!**

(4x6 unused set that is absolutely sweet and perfect in every way!Open to US addresses only due to shipping costs. The set does not come with backer or packaging. Winner will be chosen at random from comments left by January 8th, please be sure there is a way I can contact you!)

Please feel free to take a quick minute to browse my blog (subscribe on the right side), or follow me on Instagram and like my Facebook Page!

Here's the complete hop list:

Lawn Fawn

Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L

Reverse Confetti

Taylored Expressions

Paper Smooches

Neat & Tangled

Technique Tuesday

Clear & Simple Stamps

Richard Garay

My Sweet Petunia

JustNick

Stamp Simply Ribbon Store

Sunny Studio Stamps

Inchie Arts llc

Scrapbook Update

Buttons Galore

Latisha Yoast

Julia Stainton

ChariMoss

Cristina Nunez

Wanda Guess

Vera Yates

Amy Tsuruta

Mary-Ann Maldonado

Lori Craig

Lydia Fiedler

Jenn Shurkus

Lisa Henke

Dina Kowal

Libby Hickson

Emily Leiphart

Cindy Lawrence

Kelly Klapstein

Erica Houtghton

Elise Constable

Julee Tillman

Lee Murphy

Lisa Arana

Giovana Smith

Karen Baker  **you are here**

Lindsay Amrhein

Dana Joy

Marcie Sharp

Megan Hoeppner

Alicia Thelin

Asia King

Debbie Seyer

Yvonne Van De Grijp

Tenia Nelson

Michelle Woerner

Christina Griffiths

Lori McAree

Barbara Anders

Jill Hawkins

Veronica Zalis

Leigh Penner

Margie Higuchi

Amy Coose

Melody Rupple

Karen Letchworth

Heidi Ramsey Blankenship

Jennie Harper

Jodi Collins

Jessica Frost-Ballas

Gracie Chavez

Stephanie Klauck

Savannah O’Gwynn

Terre Fry

Neva Cole

Maria Levine

Misti Oblander

Ceal Pritchett

BRI:: Modern Deer

One of the best things about the Butterfly Reflections Ink Shop is the variety of items and manufacturers that Vanessa carries (I can't forget to mention the super fast shipping!). It has been an absolute pleasure being on the design team and being able to showcase the products carried at the store. My last card as a regular design team member is featured over on the Butterfly Reflections Ink Blog and I would be tickled pink if you stopped by and left a comment!

Macaroon Birthday

White on white with a pop of silver and gold. I love the look but man oh man, is it ever difficult to photograph! I wanted to play along with the Little Tangle's Challenge #75: Color Combo-Silver and Gold and had to be creative with the Neat & Tangled Stamps that I have. 

I kept it clean and simple. I chose to use the glass container and cookie image from Big Top Birthday and lined them up, heat embossed with silver and colored with light copics. I added a strip of gold washi and some silver scallops. To finish the card, I stamped and heat embossed the banner and sentiment in silver, and added some light copic coloring and gold paint.

I'm posting this Christmas morning to pass some time as I will celebrate with my boys tonight. Wishing you all a very, merry Christmas with you and your loved ones.

Winter Kindness

Winter kindness is when a gentleman (dressed as Santa none the less) plows your driveway after 10 inches of snow and then comes back to plow the end after the city plow has come through. So very thankful!

It's my first time playing along with the Where Creativity Meets C9 Challenge, this month there is a Winter Theme, which is perfect to showcase the white on white technique, or similar to it.

I started my card by stamping Concord & 9th's Barnwood Background with light gray ink onto white cardstock, sprayed the panel with some shimmer and white dots to mimic snow. I bordered this with the Happy Card Frame Dies and Kind Frame Add-On Die. Finally, I created a sentiment strip with a sentiment from the  Kindhearted Stamp Set, it also has some shimmer for good measure.

Kind people really are the best!

BRI #Hashtag Stamps Blog Hop

There is an exclusive stamp set from Butterfly Reflections Ink (a collaboration with Bossy Joscie) called #Hashtag Bossy and it kinda stole my heart.

Today is a blog hop showcasing the two new sets from Butterfly Reflections Ink, you should have arrived from the Butterfly Reflections Ink Blog.

(A complete list and all the details can be found there.) I know so many ladies that are striving to be or excelling at being a boss or their own boss and these two sets are a perfect match to make them something custom to help them celebrate or encourage them. 

My card today showcases MFT's You Have My Heart Stamp Set (colored with zig markers with an distress inked background), the Stitched Mini Scallop Rectangle STAX Die-namics, and Essential Sentiment Stamp Set. I adore how the #Hashtag Bossy Stamp Set has so many coordinating sentiments to emphasize a main sentiment or image (see another card here.)

Vanessa has offered up one each of the #Hashtag-Bossy and #Hashtag Stamp Set. To be eligible to win one of the two prizes, leave a comment on all the blogs participating in today's hop by Monday, December 26th at noon. Winners will be announced on the Butterfly Reflections Ink Blog on Tuesday, December 27th.

Your next stop on the hop is the very talented Marcie!

Single Bloom

I needed a bit of color in my life as everything outside is white, white, white! 

Today I'm playing along in Altenew's Year in Review Inpsiration Challenge. (I was inspired by the July Challenge, I really liked the green to yellow feature in the inspiration photo.)

I started by applying a green and yellow wash to watercolor paper and then stamped and white heat embossed the leaves and flower from Altenew's Beautiful Day Stamp Set. I then added a bit of shading with copic markers. This panel was added to a white card base bordered by green cardstock, the size being 4 x 5.5, so that the colorful panel overlapped.

Then I finished the card with a white on white die cut sentiment, from Altenew's Majestic Blooms Die. Overall, I really enjoy the organic colored panel contrasted with the clean and chic card design.

Let it Snow

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! We are expecting up to a foot this weekend. It is so pretty when it is light and fluffy, but I am pretty sure I've had enough!

I have a last minute entry for both the Inky Paws Challenge #38-Color Challenge and Ellen Hutson's 12 Days of Christmas with a Feminine Twist-Glitter.

I wanted to use the frame from Newton's Nook Garden Starter as my tag base, so I stamped and heat embossed it, then die cut the frame from the Garden Window Die and inked it in teal. I was inspired by the large die cut snowflakes in Julia's Tag, so I adhered some to to red glitter paper and topped it with the tag frame. I then added a banner from the Garden Window Die with a sticker sentiment and finished the tag with some sparkly ribbon.

I hope that you all are all done getting ready for Christmas, or at least more prepared than I am!

LID:: December 2016 Release:: Day

Welcome to the third and final day of the Lil' Inker Designs December 2016 Release Showcase...full of innovative, fun and beautiful items! Weren't all the projects showcased on this fabulous hop featuring new stamps and dies just amazing?! If you are following the hop, you should have arrived from the ever so talented Jessica's Blog!(Visit the Lil' Inker Design's Blog for the full link up.)

My first card today features the absolutely gorgeous and stamp friendly Corner Adorner Stamps, Because Stamp Set and Because Word Die. I love the sentiments in the Because Stamp Set-there is a wide variety so sentiment building is so easy and versatile. I chose to create a card that can be used for an engagement, bridal shower, wedding or anniversary!

I stamped the beautiful and larger floral arrangement from the Corner Adorner Stamps in Versafine Onyx Black into onto watercolor paper and selectively colored the blooms and berries. Then came some splatters and I finished the card with a stamped sentiment from the Because Stamp Set and a pink die cut from Because Word Die.

I have another card featuring the Corner Adorner Stamp Set,
along with the new Sassy Script Capitals & Numbers Stamp Set.

I started by stamping the floral arrangement onto white cardstock and selectively coloring the stems, leaves and small flower clusters. I then stamped the custom sentiment with the Sassy Script Capitals & Numbers Stamp Set and previously released Sassy Script Stamps. I finished the card with a strip of washi tape and coordinating solid cardstock.

Here's a look at the new release products showcased in my two projects today:

It is with pleasure that I get to send you to the talented Lisa Henke's Blog as the next stop along the hop. I hope you get a chance to visit the Lil' Inker Design Store now as all the NEW DECEMBER 2016 RELEASE products are already up at the store!

Don't forget to leave a unique comment along the each of the stops on the hop! Laura, the amazing owner, has decided to up the ante and graciously giveaway the ENTIRE release to one lucky commenter! (Details are in the image).

BRI:: Rudolph

For my LID:: December 2016 Release:: Day 2 post, click here or scroll down!

I think it is pretty neat that I live less than thirty minutes away from a town called Rudolph. They truly go all out for the holidays!

I have a clean and simple holiday card up over at The Butterfly Reflections Ink Blog with some quick instructions on how I created this card whose insides help create the design of the outside. I would be tickled pink if you stopped by  The Butterfly Reflections Ink Blog to see the full card and list of supplies and leave a comment!

LID:: December 2016 Release:: Day 2

Welcome to the second day of the Lil' Inker Designs December 2016 Release Showcase...full of innovative, fun and beautiful items! Once again, we have a fabulous hop for you featuring new stamps and dies! If you are following the hop, you should have arrived from the ever so talented

Jessica's Blog! (Visit the Lil' Inker Design's Blog for the full link up.)

Today's card features three new items, a modern design and tons of clean and simple layers with I adore. I started by embossing some light gray cardstock with the new Quilted Stitched So Knotty Die, and then adhered it to a white card base. (By the way, this awesome cover up die does emboss the entire front of an A2 card base, but I chose to have a white border on my  card so I did trim it some.) I then added some fun patterned paper from the Super Kids Paper pack in different layers. My next step was to die cut the sentiment word from the Friend Word Die four separate times and adhere them together. The thickness of the die really allows this technique to shine, yet the font is still delicate and fun! I stamped a coordinating sentiment from the new Friend Stamp Set onto a white banner and adhered these to the card. I really like the dimension on this card!

Here's a look at the new release products showcased in my two projects today:

It is with pleasure that I get to send you to the talented Lisa Henke's Blog as the next stop along the hop. I hope you get a chance to visit the Lil' Inker Design Store now as all the NEW DECEMBER 2016 RELEASE products are already up at the store!

Don't forget to leave a unique comment along the each of the stops on the hop! Laura, the amazing owner, has decided to up the ante and graciously giveaway the ENTIRE release to one lucky commenter! (Details are in the image).

LID:: December 2016 Release:: Day 1

Today is the first of three days of the Lil' Inker Designs December 2016 Release Showcase...full of innovative, fun and beautiful items! Once again, we have a fabulous hop for you featuring new stamps and dies! If you are following the hop, you should have arrived from the ever so talented

Jessica's Blog! (Visit the Lil' Inker Design's Blog for the full link up.)

I'm starting off with another card featuring the Latte Love Stamp and Die Set, which was released for the 2016 Winter Coffee Lover's Blog Hop. For this card, I stamped a white panel of cardstock with the dainty snowflakes from Cozy Winter Wishes in kraft ink and added some Morning Dew Nuvo Drops to certain areas of each snowflake. I bordered this panel with strips cut from the Dual Dotted Rectangle Dies and then mounted it onto a kraft card base that had been stamped with a sentiment from Latte Love. I finished the card with a stamped and die cut of a coffee mug from Latte Love as well. I can see myself reaching for this set so many times, I adore the sentiments.

Here's a look at the new release products showcased in my two projects today:

It is with pleasure that I get to send you to the talented Lisa Henke's Blog as the next stop along the hop. I hope you get a chance to visit the Lil' Inker Design Store now as all the NEW DECEMBER 2016 RELEASE products are already up at the store!

Don't forget to leave a unique comment along the each of the stops on the hop! Laura, the amazing owner, has decided to up the ante and graciously giveaway the ENTIRE release to one lucky commenter! (Details are in the image).

Winter 2016 Coffee Lover's Blog Hop

As I type this it is currently 14 degrees outside so coffee is a definite must in the mornings, or any warm beverage I would like any time of the day.

I'm so excited to be participating in the 2016 Winter Coffee Lover's Blog Hop for Lil' Inker Designs! They are one of the super sponsors for the hop and have released an awesome stamp set just in time for this hop! The Latte Love Stamp Set and Latte Love Dies are absolutely perfect!

I started my card by inking up a panel with various distress inks and then die cut it from the Cover Up Die: Snowflakes. I mounted the beautiful panel onto a white card base and then adhered a blue sentiment panel die cut from Stitched Mats: Long and Skinny Rectangles. I then cut a banner and stamped the sentiment from Latte Love Stamp Set. 

I stamped and die cut one of the mugs from Latte Love Stamp Set and added a white dimensional pen to the foam on the coffee. I also covered the plate and mug with shimmer. Finally, the whole card got a coat of sheer shimmer for some subtle sparkle!

And finally, Lil' Inker Designs is offering up a great deal during the hop. Check out the graphic above!

BRI:: Dreamer

It's been a week since Vanessa launched her two new stamp sets, and they are both amazing. I adore the powerful, empowering messages they have. 

I have a super sweet card (I think!) up on The Butterfly Reflections Ink Blog with some quick instructions on how I created this card whose insides help create the design of the outside. I would be tickled pink if you stopped by  The Butterfly Reflections Ink Blog to see the full card and list of supplies and leave a comment!