Country Garden

My final my favourite thing to share with you this month is flowers. 

My Grandmother was phenomenal with putting together bright coloured flowers in our flower beds. My job was to follow her as she planted with the "magic" bucket to water the flowers after they were planted. The "magic" made the water blue.......such a fun child hood memory! As an adult I know what turned the water blue........but I still like to pretend I didn't know  

I think Country Garden is the perfect stamp to use to share.......flowers.

I have another favourite thing to share and that is country colours. Dusty rose and what I call a grey blue are some of my favourite colours. After colouring my stamp, I cut it out using a stitched rectangle die. Some paper from Julia Nutting and MFT were perfect. A white picket fence, cotton lace bow and some gumdrops finish off my card.  

I decided to keep the layout quite simple and will add the sentiment to the inside of the card when I have an occasion to use it. 

Card Recipe 

Stamps: Country Garden - High Hopes Rubber Stamps

Patterned Paper: Paper Dolls - Julia Nutting, Watercolor Wash - MFT

 Tuxedo Black ink - Memento,  Misti, baby blue ink - Memories, fence and lamp post die - YNS, stitched rectangle die - YNS, white sugar and sparkle gumdrops - YNS, cotton lace ribbon - stash

Spectrum Markers: AG1 AG3 AG5 CG4 DG3 JG6 CT1 CT2 CT4 GB5 AP1 AP3 AP4 AB1 AB2 AB3 EB6 EB3 EB5 OG2 DG2 DG4 VB1 VB2 VB3

Copics: RV11 RV32 RV36

 Join us for our My Favourite Things challenge. Here's the link and a few details: August Challenge

Thanks for stopping by! 

Have a fantastic day!

Tea Cup Thanks

I have had way too much fun playing with the So Much Cuteness release this month! I couldn't let the month go by without playing with the oh so cute Teacup Pup!

I think he is just adorable peeking out of the cup! I have coffee or tea with friends the odd time either at their house or a coffee shop so I thought he would be perfect for a thank you card to give after a nice coffee/tea with a friend. 

After colouring this cutie with alcohol markers I hand fussy cut him out. I added some polka dots to the tea cup with a white gel pen just for fun. I cut my piece of background cardstock and after roughly placing where I wanted my stamp to go, I added my word die and cut it out. 
Some sparkly sequins finish off my card. This is more of a simple layout then I usually do so I was a little out of my comfort zone but I am happy with how it turned out. 

Card Recipe 

Stamps: Tea Cup Pup - High Hopes Rubber Stamps

Patterned Paper: Rainbow Perfectly Plaid - Lawn Fawn

 Tuxedo Black ink - Memento, Misti,  white gelly roll pen, Best Glue Ever - ScraPerfect, sequins - stash, Scripty Words Die - YNS

Spectrum Noir: BG5 BG7 BG10 TN1 EB1 EB2 EB6 EB3 EB5 MB1 MB2 MB4 CT2 CT4 GB5 OR1

 Join us for our My Favourite Things Challenge - here's the link: August Challenge

 Thanks for stopping by! Have a fantastic day!

Get Your Happy

I couldn't let the month of sharing some of my favourite things with you without sharing one of my favourite High Hopes stamps with you! 

Classy Clydesdale was in one of the first new releases I got to play with as a design team member. 

Today's card is a reminder to be happy! My horse used to remind me of this every once and a while. If I was too stressed out or he felt I needed a laugh he would always do something to make laugh......like walk over to the garbage can and pull a Tim Horton's coffee cup out of the garbage and stand there bopping it back and forth..........and many more stories believe me! 

Classy Clydesdale just looks so happy and seems to like to have fun so I thought he was perfect for my card. 

This week's card was started by making my background paper. I used some inks from stamping up and my ink blending tool and went to work. I added the mini butterfly ink splatter and cut out my pieces using a stitched rectangle die.
The stamp was coloured and fussy cut a very long time ago - it has been on the corner of my white board watching every move I make but I felt it was perfect for my card this week so voila! 
Some gingham ribbon, a wooden horseshoe and sparkly gumdrops - more of my favourite things finish off my card. 

Card Recipe 

Stamps: Classy Clydesdale - High Hopes Rubber Stamps

Sentiment: Get Your Happy On - High Hopes Rubber Stamps

 Tuxedo Black ink - Memento,  Misti, 3D foam pop dots - Forever In Time, ink and ribbon - Stampin' Up, wood horseshoe - Southern Ridge Trading Co., stitched rectangle die - YNS, Ink Blending tool and foam - Ranger, magical pastel sparkly gumdrops - YNS

Spectrum Markers: IG1 IG3 GB8 GB10 EB5 TN7 TN8 EB8 JG2 JG4 JG6

 Join us for our My Favourite Things challenge. Here's the link and a few details: August Challenge

Thanks for stopping by! 

Have a fantastic day!

Clucker Club

This week's post gives us a peek into the hen house! I have wanted to try making a shadow box style card for awhile now and I thought these chicken stamps were perfect for my first try. 

There seems to be quite the conversation going on in the hen house today don't you think? 

I started my vision by searching for the perfect shadow box style I pictured in my head. I found a tutorial here and after a few failed attempts with some regular printer paper, I made my frame with some wood patterned paper. Next, I measured the inside space of my square and stamped a chicken wire background to fit. The chickens were added to some red cardstock and popped up with 3D foam dots. Raffia pieces were perfect for some "straw" in my mind so I cut some pieces and "roughly" added them. I think a few feathers were the perfect touch - you know someone is clucking about something that will upset someone! 
Some gingham ribbon and matching sentiments finish off my card. This is a fun card style to make and I definitely see more in my future! 

Card Recipe 

Stamps: Clucker and Clackers, Clucker Club, Chicken Wire Background 

 - High Hopes Rubber Stamps

Sentiment: Chick Gossip, Ruffled - High Hopes Rubber Stamps

Patterned Paper: Snap Basics - Simple Stories 

 Tuxedo Black ink - Memento, Misti,  fishtail banner dies - YNS, Best Glue Ever - ScraPerfect, feathers and raffia - stash, Celebrate It Ribbon, 3D foam pop dots - Forever in Time

Spectrum Noir: CR7 CR11 DR6 CT1 CT4 GB5 MB1 MB2 MB4 TN1 EB1 EB2 TN4 TN6 TN7

 Join us for our My Favourite Things Challenge - here's the link: August Challenge

 Thanks for stopping by! Have a fantastic day!

In My Heart

This week's installment of My Favourite Things is......Animals. I have been an animal lover for as long as I can remember. I was a typical child begging my parents to have a dog. When they finally gave in and got us one you can imagine how overjoyed I was! 

Meet Delia Angel - the perfect stamp to share my love for animals and perfect for the animal lover in your life. 

I started by colouring my stamps with alcohol markers and hand fussy cutting her out leaving a thin white edge. After gluing her on matching cardstock I cut her out again leaving a thin edge. It is hard to see in the photo but her wings are coloured with a sparkle pen to add a little bling. The sentiment is from the so much cuteness release and perfect for this stamp. A wood paw print heart, some twine and another favourite of mine - gumdrops - finish off my card.

Card Recipe 

Stamps: Delia Angel - High Hopes Rubber Stamps

Sentiment: Furever - High Hopes Rubber Stamps

Patterned Paper: Sweet Celebration - MFT

 Tuxedo Black ink - Memento,  Misti, 3D foam pop dots - Forever In Time, Moonlight Spectrum Sparkle pen, Best Glue Ever - ScraPerfect, wood paw print heart - Kaisercraft, Baker's twine, Ocean Mist Glittered gumdrops - YNS

Spectrum Markers: RB1 RB2 RB4 AB1 AB2 AB3 CT1 CT2 GB5 CG4 DG3 JG6 AG1 AG3 AG5 PP1 PP3 EB6 EB3 EB5 IG2 IG3 IG5

Copics: E31 E34 E37

 Join us for our My Favourite Things challenge. Here's the link and a few details: August Challenge

Thanks for stopping by! 

Have a fantastic day!

Warm The Heart

Today I am happy to introduce you to Friendly Kitty, another cutie from the new release at High Hopes. I used to have a grey striped cat named Smokey. He was a very friendly guy.....especially when I had strawberry banana yogurt. He would sit on the back of the couch as I ate it and bat my hand every time I took a mouthful. He knew he would get to lick the spoon off when I was done. 
This stamp reminds me of his playfulness!

After colouring this cutie with alcohol markers, I hand fussy cut him leaving a thin white edge. I added him to some fun paper from the Echo Park. I added some dots to the flower just for fun. The sentiment is also from High Hopes (link below). A picket fence, some puffy clouds and my favourite - gumdrops - finish off my card. 

Card Recipe 

Stamps: Friendly Kitty - High Hopes Rubber Stamps

Sentiment:Friendship Warms The Heart - High Hopes Rubber Stamps

Patterned Paper: Happy Summer - Echo Park

 Tuxedo Black ink - Memento, Misti,  white gelly roll pen, Quickie glue pen, Love Earth gumdrops, gray marker, classic square die - Spellbinders, fence and lampost die - YNS, Head in the clouds die - Die-sires, 

Spectrum Noir: PP1 PP3 IG2 IG3 IG5 BG5 BG7 FS8 GB4 GB5 GB7 DR3 CG1 DG2 DG4 CG2 

Copics: B00 B06

 Join us for our My Favourite Things Challenge - here's the link: August Challenge

 Thanks for stopping by! Have a fantastic day!

Garden Birthday

Welcome back Whimsy fans! Our challenge this month is Anything Goes!

My grandmother is a "master" gardener. I can remember her coming to plant the flowers at our house every Spring. My job was to fertilize each plant as she put it in before she put the dirt back around it. I took this job very seriously and I loved spending time with her and watching her meticulously plant each flower. 
Her 95th birthday is coming up later this month and my mom asked me if I would make a card for her - of course I said yes! I knew it had to be flowers and the Friendship Garden 2 Sentiments set was perfect for my card.

Grandma is bed ridden now but she still loves her flowers! 

I started by printing my digital stamp to the size I wanted for my card and coloured it with Spectrum Noir alcohol markers. I cut it out using a classic circle die and added some stitching marks. the circle and paper edges are all inked with antique linen distress ink. Some cotton lace ribbon, a wooden heart and some enamel dots finish off my card. 

Card Recipe

Stamp: Friendship Garden 2 Sentiments - Whimsy Digital Stamps

It's A Party Enamel Dots - Whimsy Stamps

Have you got your Whimsy stamps and dies out yet? Here is the link to come play along!

Don't forget to pop by the Whimsy Stamps website to see all of the amazing products they have to offer!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a super fantastic day!

Somedays You Just Have To

Happy Thursday and welcome back High Hopes fans! 

My post this week features another of my favourite things - stamping! and colouring of course. I talk to people all day and there is really nothing like coming home and hiding in my craft room - there is something theraputic about colouring and stamping isn't there? 

Ronda Stamping Angel was the perfect stamp to share one more of my favourite things. 

I started by colouring my stamps with alcohol markers and hand fussy cutting her out. Originally I had another plan for this card but it didn't come together like I wanted it to so I had to redirect my creativity...does that ever happen to anyone else? 

I added this cutie to an embossed heart background and stamped my "partial" sentiment directly onto my patterned paper. Some sparkly ribbon and sparkly gumdrops - another of my favourites - finish off my card. 

Card Recipe 

Stamps: Ronda Stamping Angel - High Hopes Rubber Stamps

Sentiment: Somedays - High Hopes Rubber Stamps

Patterned Paper: Sugar and Spice - Doodlebug

 Tuxedo Black ink - Memento,  Misti, 3D foam pop dots - Forever In Time, clear Spectrum Sparkle pen, Best Glue Ever - ScraPerfect, Quickie glue pen, swiss hearts embossing folder - Taylored Expressions, curved scallop die - YNS, ribbon - stash, Ice Ice Baby Sparkly gumdrops - YNS

Spectrum Markers: CG4 DG3 JG6 CG1 CG2 IG1 IG2 EB6 EB3 EB5 IG3 IG5 CT1 CT4 GB5 OR1

Copics: B00 B01 BG01 B24 B25 

 Join us for our My Favourite Things challenge. Here's the link and a few details: August Challenge

Thanks for stopping by! 

Have a fantastic day!

Love You More

Happy Wednesday OCS Fans! 
We all need a hug once and awhile right? Even animals need a hug....so when there isn't a human around to give them one what's a cow to do??? 
Find another cow of course!  
Cow hugs it is with this cutie from the So Much Cuteness release at High Hopes. 

I had some fun colouring these two with alcohol markers and then cut it out using a stitched square die. Patterned paper from Photo Play was perfect to pull things together. The sentiment was stamped using only part of the whole sentiment and cut out using a fishtail banner die. 

A heart banner die with a pop of orange for one heart, matching twine and some sparkly gumdrops finish off my card.

Card Recipe 

Stamps: Cow Hugs - High Hopes Rubber Stamps

Sentiment: I Love You More - High Hopes Rubber Stamps

Patterned Paper: About A Little Boy - Photo Play 

 Tuxedo Black ink - Memento, Misti,  twine - stash, Give Thanks For Sparkle gumdrops - YNS, stitched square die, fishtail banner die and heart banner die - YNS

Spectrum Noir: IG2 IG3 IG5 BG5 BG7 BG10 TN1 EB1 EB2 CT1 CT2 CT4 GB11 YG1 YG2 YG3 CG1 DG2 OR1 OR2 CR8 AB1 AB2 AB3

 Join us for our My Favourite Things Challenge - here's the link: August Challenge

 Thanks for stopping by! Have a fantastic day!

Dragon Birthday

This month our challenge theme is "My Favourite Things". I have gone through my High Hopes stamps and the website and have chosen stamps that represent my favourite things and I will share a different my favourite thing each week.

This week my card brings back memories of camping with my family when I was younger. We always had a campfire - love a campfire! - at night and toasted marshmallows, made spider wieners or even the odd time had a hamburger made over the fire...maybe not the best bedtime snack but boy were they good! My nephew loves to build a fire and toast marshmallows too so I thought these stamps were perfect for his birthday card! He is turning 16 so I had to do something teenage and masculine - yikes!

I started by colouring my stamps with alcohol markers and hand fussy cutting them out. I cut my white cardstock piece and placed my circle die where I wanted it cut out. Next I placed my sentiment and with the help of my Misti, it is perfectly positioned. I added some night starry sky patterned paper behind the circle and some glittery gumdrops to finish off my card. The dragon is also popped up with foam pop dots just for fun. 

Card Recipe 

Stamps: Smore Dragon, Campfire - High Hopes Rubber Stamps

Sentiment: Happy Birthday Block - High Hopes Rubber Stamps

Patterned Paper: The Great Outdoors - Echo Park

 Tuxedo Black ink - Memento,  Misti, 3D foam pop dots - Forever In Time, sterling sliver Spectrum Sparkle pen, Not Quite Navy ink - Stampin' Up, Best Glue Ever - ScraPerfect, classic circle die - Spellbinders, Ice Ice Baby Sparkly gumdrops - YNS

Spectrum Markers: CG4 DG3 JG6 CG1 CG2 IG1 IG2 EB6 EB3 EB5 IG3 IG5 CT1 CT4 GB5 OR1

Copics: E31 E34 E37 

 Join us for our My Favourite Things challenge. Here's the link and a few details: August Challenge

Thanks for stopping by! 

Have a fantastic day!

The Magic

It's Day 2 of the August new release in the Whimsy Digital Shop!

Anyone who knows or follows me knows how much I love horses. When I saw the Wind Beneath My Wings stamp I knew I had to colour it up! 

I kept my layout CAS (Clean and Simple) to keep the focus on this gorgeous stamp and ink blended my background paper so it was the perfect colours. 

After printing off my stamp I coloured it with alcohol markers and hand fussy cut it using manicure scissors. I added some honey gold Nuvo crystal drops to the wings using a fine tip paint brush. 

I ink blended the background paper and cut them out using the hand stitched nested rectangle dies (link below). 

Some simple, black enamel dots finish off my card. 

Card Recipe

Stamp: Wind Beneath My Wings - Whimsy Digital 

Sentiment - Christmas Moments

Hand Stitched Nested Rectangles - Whimsy Digital

Spectrum Markers: IG1 IG2 IG3 IG5 TN4 TN6 TN8 TN3

Don't forget to pop by the Whimsy Digital shop to see all of the new stamps, sentiments and paper in the new release! 

Do you like participating in challenges. Click this link and come play along in our Whimsy Challenge!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a super fantastic day!

More Than The Cat

Happy Wednesday OCS Fans! 
I'm back sharing another cutie from the new So Much Cuteness release at High Hopes Rubber Stamps.

I love dogs and this Prancing Pup is just too cute for me not to ink up. He kind of reminds me of my dog after he gets a hair cut - he prances around with his chest puffed out a bit and his head held high - he knows he is looking fine! Now, if I could just train him to bring me a flower..........

I wanted to try something different with this stamp. After colouring it with alcohol markers, I cut along his foot, tail and ear......but only part way. I have never done this before but I slid my circle die into the cut area and ran it through my Big Kick. This gave me part of this cute pup sticking out of the circle - I added a couple of black marks by his tail so it looks like it is wagging. 

The circle is filled in with an heart splatter stamp - should have used a darker ink here but the close up shows it a little better and gives you the idea. Some ribbon and enamel dots finish off my card.

Card Recipe 

Stamps: Prancing Pup - High Hopes Rubber Stamps

Sentiment: I Love You More - High Hopes Rubber Stamps

Patterned Paper: It's A Boy - Carta Bella

 Tuxedo Black ink - Memento, Misti,  Best Glue Ever - ScraPerfect, classic circle die - Spellbinders, fishtail banner die - YNS, Mini Heart Splatter - YNS, ocean ink - Martha Stewart, ribbon stash, summer breeze enamel dots - Whimsy Stamps

Spectrum Noir: EB6 EB3 EB5 BG5 BG7 BG10 CT1 CT2 CT4 GT1 GT2 HB31 LV1 HB2 

 Join us for our My Favourite Things Challenge - here's the link: August Challenge

 Thanks for stopping by! Have a fantastic day!

Beautiful Day

Welcome to the new challenge at High Hopes Rubber Stamps! This month we are featuring "My Favourite Things" It can be a favourite food, High Hopes stamp, colour.....anything that is your favourite - how fun is that!?!

My card today features a number of stamps from High Hopes that show some of my favourite things.  I LOVE being on the farm - for me there is nothing like it especially when the hay is being cut - one of my favourite smells even though I won't admit I'm allergic to it! I used to love sitting on a hay bale listening to my horse munch on his hay - he was in his own little heaven when he got his hay and I found the sound of him doing that very calming.

Although I chose to use a boy sitting on the hay bale it gets the idea of one of my favourite things across  

I started by colouring all of my stamps and then hand fussy cutting a couple of them. I used a die to cut some hills which I wanted to look like plowed fields in front of my farm background. Some wood paper was perfect for my little scene and some Nuvo crystal drops were the perfect finishing touch. For me, the sentiment was perfect - sitting on a hay bale at the farm is a beautiful day! 

Card Recipe 

Stamp: Bobby Lee, Farm Background, Bale O' Hay - High Hopes Rubber Stamps

Sentiment: Have A Beautiful Day - High Hopes Rubber Stamps

Patterned Paper: Fall Is In The Air - Echo Park

Tuxedo Black Memento ink, Misti, 3D Foam Pop Dots - Forever In Time, Midnight Blue Nuvo Crystal Drops,  Stitched rectangle die - YNS, 

Spectrum Noir Markers: FS5 FS2 TN2 TB8 BT9 TB9 CR7 CR11 DR6 IG2 IG3 IG5 TN4 TN7 TN8 TN3 TN6 TN7 CT1 CT2 GY1 OR1 OR2 CG1 DG2 DG4 EB6 EB5 CG4 DG3 JG6 lG1 TB2 

                                             Copics: E31 E34 E37

                                          

 I hope you will ink up your favourite High Hopes stamp and come play along in our challenge! Don't have High Hopes Stamps? Click here to get a free digital stamp to play along. 
We can't wait to see what you create! Click here for more details and to come play along!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a super fantastic day!

Baked With Love

I can't believe it is August 1st already - where has the summer gone!?! 
The first of the month means it is time for a new challenge - whoo hooo!! 

This month is all about "My Favourite Things". I have chosen to use "Mildred" from High Hopes Rubber Stamps. 

Sweets are one of my favourite things! For me there is nothing like walking in to a house where there is the smell of something baking in the oven...like fresh apple pie, chocolate cake or chocolate chip cookies....... Mildred reminds me of walking in to the house when Grandma or Mom are baking something fresh... I can smell it now. 
Of course, there is always that one special ingredient that only a Mom or Grandma can put into something they are baking......it is that special touch of love.....no one can ever reproduce that taste right?!?  

I started by colouring my stamp with alcohol markers and cutting it out with a stitched rectangle die. I used some new vintage marker colours I recently added to my marker "collection" - it was fun to use some different colours! 

Some fun vintage feel paper from Kaisercraft was perfect for my layout. The sentiment was created on my computer. Some ribbon and a ribbon bow, a fun rolling pin and some of my fav embellishments - gumdrops finish off my card.  

Card Recipe 

Stamps: Mildred - High Hopes Rubber Stamps

Sentiment: Cataneo BT font - computer

Patterned Paper: Sage and Grace - Kaisercraft

 Tuxedo Black ink - Memento,  Misti,  Best Glue Ever - ScraPerfect, White Gelly Roll pen,  stitched rectangle die - YNS, ribbon - stash, rolling pin - stash, Bubblegum gumdrops - YNS

Spectrum Markers: FS5 FS1 TN2 TN1 EB1 EB2 IG1 IG2 IG3 IG5 FS8 AP1 MG1 AP3 VB1 VB2 VB3 GT1 GT2

Copics:  E31 E34 E37

                                          

 I hope you will ink up your favourite stamps and come play along in our My Favourite Things challenge! We can't wait to see what you create! Click here for more details and to come play along!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a super fantastic day!