Snowflakes and Puppy Dogs!

Those two things don't really go together except in my post today!

 First up, I wanted to use the sketch at Paper Smooches SPARKS and the color combination at Dynamic Duos so those two things are the inspiration for this card.

 One of my favorite stamp sets is this one from Paper Smooches.  I just love the big and long sentiments. This particular one can fit a few different occasions but I wanted it to go along with a winter theme so I added that adorable little birdie and some red snowflakes.

 This is the Paper Smooches SPARKS sketch.  The sketch shows a scallop edge but I used the wonderful, hexagon border stamp instead.

 This is the great color combination from Dynamic Duos

 And, here is a card I created to go along with the Saturday sketch at 2 peas.  At the stamp convention I went to this last weekend, I picked up this adorable and playful snowflake stamp and some great paper tapes from Queen & Co. 

 I took this photo from a side angle to try to show the Glossy Accents that I added to the yellow star on each snowflake. I used a Distress marker to color the snowflakes and then used a waterbrush on that. The star is colored with a Copic marker.

 Here is the Saturday sketch.

 I also want to share a fun little layout I put together. We have two puppy dogs that we love so much.  Bringing the new one home was so much fun although we sure weren't sure how it was going to go.

 I picked up a roll of leopard print Duck Tape at Michaels and thought it fit with a dog theme.  I just cut little strips and put them together in a zig zag design. 

I also cut some in these triangle shapes for more accents.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Spring, Summer, Fall

Seems like I covered most of the seasons with the projects I want to share today.

 We can call this spring related with the soft, pretty colors. I used the Colour Q combination.  I would have never just sat down and put these colors together, I so love color challenges.

 The stamps are by Unity, the flower is from Maya Road.  The patterned paper is from My Mind's eye. It was fun to decorate that pattern with dots of Liquid Pearls.

 Here is the Colour Q combo.

 Next up, a summer theme for sure, the Saturday sketch at 2 peas. 

 I used a digital kit that I had from 2 peas.  I placed the kids onto the antique postcard and printed that piece out twice so I could cut the kids out of the one card and put it on top of the other one. 

 This is the 2 Peas Saturday Sketch.

 I don't make tags all that often but it was fun to play along with the Blog named Hero blog. 

 All of the stamps are from Hero Arts.  The bird is colored with Distress Stain.  The leaf is a die from My Favorite Things.

 Here is the A Blog Named Hero challenge.

Plus my tag fits the FALL theme at Cas-ual Fridays.
Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Sun, Clouds, Crabs, etc

I have a fun mixture to share with you today.

 Cath at Moxie Fab issued a challenge the other day to use the color MINT and I was right there to create something. I used Kimber's Saturday sketch at 2 Peas for the layout of my card. The label shape is cut with my Cricut.  This also fits the Cas-ual Friday challenge for square cards.

 I just received this adorable little stamp set from PaperTrey, Inc and I just had to give these adorable clouds a chance.  I stamped the clouds and the sun with white ink on white cardstock and embossed them with white embossing powder.  Now I took each piece and "colored" them with Distress Stain. I love using the Stains and the white embossed image acts as a resist so the image stays white and the background paper gets colored.

 Here is the sketch I used.

 Next up, I used the Freshly Made sketch

 I printed out some digital elements I had purchased from Echo Park. I love using digital images, I love that you get to pick the size you want them to be.

 Do you just love this guy???

 And, for the Card Positioning Systems sketch for this week.  The Stamps of Life is our sponsor.  I am using her amazing hexagon set. 

 The set includes a number of different hexagons in different sizes and patterns.  I used two of the stamps.

I thought this sketch was just so much fun! I pulled out my Kreaxions circle cutter to cut out my largest circle and then pulled out my various paper punches for my other little circles. These are the kind of punches that you pound with a hammer to cut out the circle.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

What to do with a new stamp set!!!!

Create, what else should you do? I know, add in challenges that you can find online!

 I just received a new stamp set from Hero Arts and I just had to sit down and play.  First off, I took Kimber's Saturday sketch at 2 peas and the color combination at The Play Date Cafe to create my card. How does it get better then some sunny yellow?

 Here is a close-up.  This also goes along with the Cas-ual Fridays challenge to use strips. This set of stamps is all borders so that makes this fun and easy.  The yellow is Distress Ink in Mustard Seed. The stamp pads that I used at by Clearsnap.

 This is The Play Date Cafe color inspiration piece.

 Here is Kimber's sketch.

 Next card uses the retro sketch for this week plus this also fits that Cas-ual Fridays strip challenge since I just stamped the borders over and over.  It also fits the Moxie Fab Hexagon challenge.

 I created a piece using the alphabet border stamp that I just stamped repeatedly and then colored with some Distress Markers sprayed with water.  Next I cut out shapes with my LifeStyle Hexagon dies.

 This is the retro sketch.

 And, just for fun, more of my playing around with this stamp set!!!

 After I stamped the rows of butterflies, I colored them by just running my Distress stain over each row.  I added LOTS of the ink so that when I picked it up it would run.  I sprayed it with water to help with that. This also fits the Cas-ual Friday strip challenge.

I used a Kreaxions 4-in-1 punch to create that great border along the bottom edge of my card.  I just love what a punched border adds.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

Cutting papers and digital papers

I played with a technique I have wanted to try for awhile.  I followed the great tutorial that Marcy Penner put on her blog. 

 I printed out four different patterns from a digital paper kit. Next I cut the papers following Marcy's tutorial, I just changed the sizes since I was using them on a card and she used a layout.

 I think the result is so much fun and I'll try it again someday.

 Next up, the Tuesday Trigger from Moxie Fab.  My poor friend Cath is still recovering from surgery so the Trigger has been extended and that gave me the time to put a card together for the challenge.

 I purchased a digital kit called Nature Boy from 2 Peas in a Bucket and these flowers were in the kit, they actually come in three different colors. I knew they went with that Trigger pretty well.

 I printed out the buttons separately so I could add them with foam tape. I like to add some dimension when using digital elements on a card. 

And, more beach pics...

 My grandson has long pants on because when he started out the day and his mom dressed him, going to the beach wasn't in the plans and then when we decided to stop for a bit, it was pretty cold out. The not so good part is that he couldn't resist playing with the waves and so ended up pretty wet!

 Capturing his little footprints in the sand is fun.

I just happened to catch my granddaughter jumping for joy at being at the beach and in playing with the waves. This is something she has always loved doing.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)

A challenge here and there

That's right, my cards today incorporate some great challenges!

 First up, I used the color combo from The Play Date Cafe. It is a southwest type of combo and I thought this piece fit that plus I will also enter this to the "Thinking of You" contest at Hero Arts.

 The flower piece is a new digital stamp from a set at 2 peas. The writing background printed on the white cardstock is also from that kit. I decided to make my flower and leaves a little 3-D so I printed the flower out twice and added parts of it to the original flower with foam tape. The little sentiment is a stamp.

 Here is the color combo.

 Next up, I used the sketch at Card Patterns and the Kraft challenge during stamping week at 2 peas.

 I have wanted to use this adorable set of stamps from Wplus9 Designs on kraft colored paper stamped with the white and black for awhile now and I so like how it turned out.

 Here is the Card Patterns sketch.

 And, this card uses the Card Positioning Systems sketch and my set of dies and stamps by Sizzix as they are our sponsors this month.

 I LOVE this set of die label shapes. I cut the dark blue label, the maroon colored little frame and then two other label shapes. They are all meant to be used together is you want. The paper behind my label is from a digital paper kit.

Here is the CPS sketch.

Thanks for visiting, Linda (lbpost)