Coffee is Awesome, So Are You!

Today is National Coffee Day (and my baby boy turns 12! Happy Birthday Chase!)

The Coffee Lover's Blog is celebrating with a blog hop of their sponsors, and I am featuring some awesome sets available at Lil' Inker Designs!

You can check out the Lil' Inker Designs Blog to see their project and comment to win the fabulous Coffee Talk Stamp Set and Coffee Talk Dies or the Latte Love Stamps and coordinating Latte Love Dies!

For my card today, I've used another coffee set from Lil' Inker Designs that is one of my favorites, Super Duper Coffee Stamp and Die Bundle. I started by creating a superhero background using the Spiffy Spots Stamp Set, and a single color ink. I then stamped the Super Hero Coffee mug, fussy cut him inside of die cutting, and then colored him with Copics. I finished the card with a stamped sentiment, also from Super Duper Coffee.

How cute is he? I can't wait to send this to my friend as an encouragement, we all need it every now and then, right?

Gwyn's Unicorn

I feel so honored when someone asks me to make them a card specific to their loved one in mind. My instructions for this one: Gwyn likes unicorns and is turning 12.

I decided that playing along with the MFT Birthday Project-Birthday Surprise would give me the backbone of the card, a dancing/jumping unicorn (she wobbles!). I started by inking up the white card base with distress ink and the Cloud Stencil. I then die cut and colored the clouds, castle, rainbow and unicorn from Magical Unicorns, and arranged them on the card in a little scene. I covered each image with Wink of Stella for some shine and then some jewels for added bling. 

The unicorn has an action wobbler attached to the back, please head over to my instagram to see it in action! (For some reason I can't get the video to work here on my blog!)

Where Creativity Meets C9:: Peace and Comfort

I have a card up on the Where Creativity Meets C9 Challenge Blog for Challenge #25: Color Inspiration.

Please stop by there to see the full card!

The current challenge ends on in a few days, on September 29th, I hope you have a chance to play along! Check out Where Creativity Meets C9 on Facebook and Instagram!

Lil' Inker Designs:: September 2018 Release:: Day Three

It's the last day of the Lil' Inker Designs September 2018 Release Showcase Hop... sad to see it come to an end but I hope you got lots of inspiration for these new goodies! This release from Lil' Inker Designs is as cute and fun as can be, and perfect for Halloween and Fall! If you are following the hop, you should have arrived from the ever so talented Jen Carter's Blog! (Visit the Lil' Inker Design's Blog for the full link up.)

I have two final projects to showcase today, and they are among my favorites! This first card features the adorable Monsters Ink Stamps and coordinating Monsters Ink Dies, along with the Stitched Mini Chevron Border Die. I love the muted look of these little guys, which I colored with ink and a blender onto cream paper. Gah, the cuteness1

And my final card today is all about fall. I am featuring the Fall Foliage Stamps and coordinating Fall Foliage Dies.

I started with a splattered inked cream cardbase and then die cut the images from Fall Foliage Stamps and coordinating Fall Foliage Dies and colored them with Copic Markers. I arranged them onto the card base and finished with a sentiment banner, also from the Fall Foliage Stamps.

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

It is with pleasure that I get to send you to the talented Kimberly Rendino, as the next stop along the hop. I hope you get a chance to visit the Lil' Inker Designs Store now as products are already up at the store!!

Don't forget to leave a unique comment along the each of the stops on the hop! You can win the ENTIRE release by leaving unique comments on each of the stops along the hop each day!

Also, Laura has added a fabulous sale too, just in time for Halloween!

Spend $75, get Zombie Kids Stamps and Dies FREE. Add both to cart, enter code FREEKIDS at check out. Through September 30th, or while supplies last...plus US customers get Free Shipping!

Lil' Inker Designs:: September 2018 Release:: Day Two

Welcome back to the second day of the Lil' Inker Designs September 2018 Release Showcase... hasn't the hop been a lot of fun and lots of inspiration featuring new stamps and dies? This release from Lil' Inker Designs is as cute and fun as can be, and perfect for Halloween and fall! If you are following the hop, you should have arrived from the ever so talented Jen Carter's Blog! (Visit the Lil' Inker Design's Blog for the full link up.)

I have another super sweet Halloween card for you today, and it just makes me smile.

I created these balloons with the Boo Balloons Stamps, which just happen to fit perfectly with the previously released Balloon Dies. I love that Laura gave another option to pull out these oldie but goodie dies! I die cut a few balloon shapes and lightly shaded/colored them with ink, and then stamped fun patterns and faces with black ink from the Boo Balloons Stamps. I finished the card with a stamped sentiment, also from Boo Balloons Stamps.

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

It is with pleasure that I get to send you to the talented Kimberly Rendino, as the next stop along the hop. I hope you get a chance to visit the Lil' Inker Designs Store now as products are already up at the store!!

Don't forget to leave a unique comment along the each of the stops on the hop! You can win the ENTIRE release by leaving unique comments on each of the stops along the hop each day!

Also, Laura has added a fabulous sale too, just in time for Halloween!

Spend $75, get Zombie Kids Stamps and Dies FREE. Add both to cart, enter code FREEKIDS at check out. Through September 30th, or while supplies last...plus US customers get Free Shipping!

Catherine Pooler Designs:: Home for the Holidays Stamp of Approval Collection:: Release Day

** For the Lil' Inker Designs October 2018 Release please click here!**

Oh my goodness, I'm back showcasing a couple of cards to help remind you that the Stamp of Approval Home for the Holidays Collection from Catherine Pooler Designs was released to StampNation members last night, and the Wait List this morning. If there are any available collections left, they are available right now! Hurry up and order!

I saved one of my favorite cards I created so far from this collection to share with you today. I started with a base of Catherine Pooler Ultra Smooth White Cardstock (affiliate links used). I created ornaments from the Tiny Tags Dies and some selective ink coloring (Rockin' Red, Limoncello and Green Tea and Black Jack for the toppers) and used stamps from Tiny Wishes Stamp Set and Festive Trimmings Stamp Set to adorn them (stamped in Peppermint Scrub, Sauna and Eucalyptus). I used a black marker to draw the strings and a white gel pen to add some sparkle. I finished the card with a sentiment from the Holiday Mix Stamp Set.

This final card is mostly one layer! Onto Ultra Smooth White Cardstock I created a pattern with the little elements from Festive Trimmings, using Green Tea, Limoncello, Green Tea, Black Jack and Peppermint Scrub Inks. A black line separates the border from the main card. I then stamped the "merry" from he Holiday Mix Stamp Set and die cut "christmas" from the Merry Christmas Layered Word Die. I finished the card with two holly die cuts from Festive Trimmings Stamp Set and the add-on item, Festive Trimmings Dies.

Did you know that Catherine also released an extra large stamping block? The Acrylic Grid Stamping Block is 4-7/8 x 6-1/8 and is truly the best, and a must-have craft item for your stash!

I hope you had a chance to order the Stamp of Approval Home for the Holidays Collection!

Lil' Inker Designs:: September 2018 Release:: Day One

Today is the first of three days of the Lil' Inker Designs September 2018 Release Showcase... Once again, we have a fabulous hop for you featuring new stamps and dies. This release from Lil' Inker Designs is as cute and fun as can be and absolutely perfect for fall and all things Halloween! If you are following the hop, you should have arrived from the ever so talented Jen Carter's Blog! (Visit the Lil' Inker Design's Blog for the full link up.)

My first card features the awesome trio Stitched Bats Dies flying through a sky and full moon. I added some red Nuvo drops for the eyes and think that they are a perfect mix of cute and spooky! I finished the card with a white heat embossed sentiment from the new set Boo Balloons Stamps.

Along the same cute, yet spooky, I created another Halloween scene using a few new products from this release.

I die cut the Harvest Moon Die Set (minus the cute jack-o-lantern faces included int he set) from watercolor paper, and inked up the sky, grass and pumpkins loosely with distress oxide inks. I let the water blend the colors together. I die cut a sentiment from the previously released Spiderweb Greeting Die and then mounted the panel onto a card base colored with distress ink in shades of yellow with dimensional adhesive. Then, I tucked behind some trees die cut from the Spooky Trees Dies to finish the scene. I just adore 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 Kimberly Rendino, as the next stop along the hop. I hope you get a chance to visit the Lil' Inker Designs Store now as products are already up at the store!!

Don't forget to leave a unique comment along the each of the stops on the hop! You can win the ENTIRE release by leaving unique comments on each of the stops along the hop each day!

Also, Laura has added a fabulous sale too, just in time for Halloween!

Spend $75, get Zombie Kids Stamps and Dies FREE. Add both to cart, enter code FREEKIDS at check out. Through September 30th, or while supplies last...plus US customers get Free Shipping!

Catherine Pooler Designs:: Home for the Holidays Stamp of Approval Collection

Have you heard of the limited edition collections offered by Catherine Pooler Designs called Stamp of Approval?! Past releases have been spectacular and this one is just as spectacular and perfect for all your holiday crafting and beyond!





Let me help introduce the Stamp of Approval Home for the Holidays Collection! (collection available September 19th!) The Stamp of Approval Home for the Holidays is an exclusive collection. Home for the Holidays products were designed exclusively for this box, are brand new and won't be available separately for a number of months.


This festive box is jam packed full of items that are perfect for the holidays! I really love how all the items and add-ons of the collection work so well together. I've only used a fraction of the products in the box for my cards today, I will have more to show you on Release Day!


My first card features the fun new Christmas Cookies Stamp Set and Christmas Cookies Dies (an add-on item) and a sentiment from Holiday Mix Stamp Set. I stamped and embossed with various embossing powders the cookie designs onto cream paper and then inked the edges with Shea Butter Ink to resemble the high end christmas cookies with royal icing. I finished by stamping the sentiment from a mix of Holiday Mix Stamp Set and Christmas Cookies Stamp Set with Midnight Ink.





For this next card, I recreated a warm fuzzy sweater feel using the Cozy Borders Stamp Set for the background and the Merry Christmas Layered Word Die as a focal point. I stamped the tree borders in Eucalyptus Ink, the blocks in Peppermint Scrub Ink and the reindeers in Icing on the Cake Ink on Sand Dunes Cardstock. I inked the edges with Over Coffee Ink for a nice, cozy feel. I finished the card by using the negative layer of the Merry Christmas Layered Word Die from Ultra Smooth White Cardstock, saving the words for another project.





All Collections Include the following:
Holiday Mix Stamp SetTiny Tags DiesTiny Wishes Stamp SetChristmas Cookies Stamp SetFestive Trimmings Stamp SetCozy Borders Stamp SetMerry Christmas Layered Word DiesRockin' Red Embossing GlitterLime Rickey Embossing GlitterSomething Borrowed Embossing Glitter
And the following are coordinating Add-ons: Sugar Cookies Dies
Festive Trimmings Dies
(Affiliate links used when possible)





If you don't already know and are interested in this collection, you'll need to subscribe to the waitlist to get the first notice of the sales list, as the collections sell out quickly! Click HERE to subscribe to the waitlist!





There's also prizes up for grabs to celebrate the Stamp of Approval Home for the Holidays Collection. THREE random winners chosen to receive $25 Gift Certificate to the shop. Winners will be announced on September 24th on Catherine's Blog.
Commenters will be chosen at random from all the comments on all the blogs.


Here's a list of hop participant's today:Catherine Pooler
Kelly Martin 
Lisa Harrolle Susan Powell Karen Baker <-- are="" here="" span="" you="">
Kristie Goulet
Maureen Merritt
Tracie Pond
Allison Cope
Kelly Griglione
Lydia Evans


Be sure to visit Catherine's Blog for more sneak peeks from this collection! There is a Pre-release Party for StampNation Members on September 19th. 

2018 MFT Card Design Superstar Challenge: Innovation Master

My last entry for the 2018 MFT Card Design Superstar Challenge, this time for the Innovation Master portion. Toughest one for me yet, and although it didn't turn out like I had in mind, I still am proud of the overall card.

Two llamas that have a whole lotta love for each other. One is running towards the other for a kiss, simply by pulling the tab!

I used the super cute Llama Love Stamp Set, colored with Copics and a desert sky made with distress ink.

2018 MFT Card Design Superstar Challenge: Clean & Simple Genius

Here's my entry for the 2018 MFT Card Design Superstar Challenge: Clean & Simple Genius.
CAS is usually my go-to style and my favorite to make.

I pulled out my Happy Hippos Stamp Set, stamped and Copic colored the hippo and bird and balloons. I added some doodled strings around the hippos belly, to make him float among the clouds, which were die cut from MFT's retired Cloud 9 Die-namics. I finished the card with a few gems, a stamped sentiment and rounded corners.