Header Mine

Header Mine

Thursday 29 June 2017

Thanks A Melon

Welcome back High Hopes Fans! I hope you are enjoying the first week of summer! 
For me, there is nothing better on a super hot, humid day then some sweet, cold watermelon or cantaloupe. 

This week's post features "Summer Sweetness" - this cutie sure seems to be enjoying her watermelon doesn't she?! I'm not sure I smile this big when I have some but it sure does help cool me down. 






I started by colouring my stamp with alcohol markers and cutting it out with a stitching and piercing marks die. I used my Fiskars circle cutter to cut the cardstock circle to back it with. After cutting and scoring my card base, I added patterned paper from MFT and Echo Park. A white gel pen was perfect to add dots to her cute cheeks and hair bows. 
Some flowers from Prima and gumdrops were the perfect finishing touches to my card. 

Card Recipe 
Stamps: Summer Sweetness - High Hopes Rubber Stamps
Sentiment: Thanks A Melon - High Hopes Rubber Stamps
Patterned Paper: Dots and Stripes - Echo Park, Tiny Checks - MFT
 Tuxedo Black ink - Memento,  Misti, stitching and piercing marks die- YNS,  white sugar and sparkle gumdrops - YNS, white Gelly Roll Pen, Love Earth Gumdrops - YNS 

Spectrum Markers: CR7 CR11 DR6 CG4 DG3 JG6 VB1 VB2 VB3 CT1 CT2 GY1
Copics: YG21 YG23 YG25

 Join us for our Anything Goes challenge. Here's the link and a few details: June Challenge.

Thanks for stopping by! 
Have a fantastic day!



Wednesday 28 June 2017

Hang In There

Happy Wednesday One Crazy Stamper fans! Our challenge this month is Anything Goes - have you played along yet? 

My inspiration post for this week has been made for my card stash in case I have a friend who needs a pick me up or some positive words.

 "Juliette's Leap Of Faith" is the star of this card - sometimes you just have to hold your breath, jump with both feet and hope things work out right?! 

The positive thoughts/words come from combining two sentiment stamps - boy do I love my Misti for this! 



After colouring my stamp with alcohol markers, I cut it out using a stitched rectangle die. I added it to patterened paper from Carta Bella and Doodlebug. 
The sentiment was created using "pieces" of two different sentiments. It took a few tries to get things lined up the way I wanted them - using my Misti to do this was the only way it could have happened! 
A fun circle die cut to break up the background papers, some ribbon and my favourite - gumdrops finish off my card. 

Stamps: Juliette's Leap Of Faith- High Hopes Rubber Stamps
Sentiment: Hang In There, Don't Worry - High Hopes Rubber Stamps
Patterned Paper: Beach Day - Carta Bella, Fall Friends - Doodlebug
 Tuxedo Black ink - MementoMisti, ribbon - stash, stitched rectangle die - YNS, Blue Raspeberry gumdrops - YNS, Circles Galore die - YNS

Spectrum Noir: IG2 IG3 IG5 IB2 IB3 BT7 TN1 EB1 EB2 PP1 


 Join us for our Anything Goes challenge. Here's the link: June Challenge

 Thanks for stopping by! Have a fantastic day!

Sunday 25 June 2017

Personalized Crafty Case

I have something a little different to share with you today - a way to use your stamps for something other then a card. 

I won this Crafty Case to carry my alcohol markers a couple of years ago and it has been on my to do list since then to personalize it. 

Most examples of personalizing this heavy canvas case have been with acrylic paint and even though I have done tole painting in the past it was still intimidating to think about painting it - I mean if I mess it up it's a permanent mess up! 

So, the idea popped into my head to hand embroider one of my favourite High Hopes Rubber Stamps images instead.........



I had to figure out a way to get my image onto the canvas and I wasn't sure if Memento Tuxedo Black ink would work. Problem was I was determined to get this done once the thought was in my head and I didn't have another brand on hand that I trusted to work. 

So.........I held my breath and stamped! It worked perfectly - no drying time required! I started stitching and continued to hold my breath. I used a darning needle (I think a smaller needle would have broken in the first couple stitches on the canvas) and full skeins of embroidery floss. 

In hindsight, I would have only used half of a skein for some of the smaller areas like the mouth and eye but over all I am very happy with the end result. 

My fingers and thumb may never be the same again.........but hey sometimes when you get a crazy idea ya just gotta go for it right?!?

I hope you have enjoyed my post today. Have a fantastic day!!!



Thursday 22 June 2017

Tea-Riffic Day

 I am having some fun today on my blog with "Tea Angels". 

I personally am a coffee drinker - yes I need a support group for that - but I will drink Camomile tea with honey when I'm sick with a cold or sore throat. 

These cuties sure remind me of two little girls playing dress up and having a tea party! 





I started by colouring my stamp with alcohol markers and cutting it out with a stitched oval die and backing with a scallop die cut from matching cardstock. 
A fun paper doily was added in the background - I feel like they are having a tea party so a doily is perfect! 
The sentiment was stamped with my Misti, cut out and mounted on matching cardstock. Some glittery Stickles on their wings, sparkly ribbon and gumdrops finish off my card.

Card Recipe 
Stamps: Tea Angels - High Hopes Rubber Stamps
Sentiment: Tea-riffic Day - High Hopes Rubber Stamps
Patterned Paper: stash
 Tuxedo Black ink - Memento,  Misti, Icicle Stickles, stitched oval die - YNS, white sugar and sparkle gumdrops - YNS, ribbon - Galena, Scalloped Oval die - Spellbinders, doily - stash 

Spectrum Markers: FS5 FS2 TN2 TN1 EB1 EB2 CT1 CT2 GY1 AP1 AP2 AP4 1G1 1G3 1G EB6 EB3 EB5 DG2 DG4 FS6 CR3 FS8


 Join us for our Anything Goes challenge. Here's the link and a few details: June Challenge.

Thanks for stopping by! 
Have a fantastic day!



Wednesday 21 June 2017

It Ain't Summer Til.....

Today is officially the first day of summer! My card today features a couple of fun summer themed images from High Hopes Rubber Stamps. 

For my post today, I made a fun summer themed side step card. I tried to add some real sand that a friend brought back from the Dominican for me but I couldn't find a way to get it to stick properly. There is a story behind that sand including getting stopped and searched at the airport but I will share that story when I successfully find a way to use it on a card  

For now... "Beach Girl Patti" - she sure looks like she is ready to dive into the water and do some snorkeling doesn't she?! 





After cutting out my side step card base I coloured and fussy cut my stamps. I added some glossy accents to Patti's goggles but it is kinda hard to see in the photo. Some matching blue cardstock was cut size and a wave border die was the perfect touch for my waves. 
I ran a black marker around the edges of these pieces too just to give them a bit more definition. I added some fish just for fun since Patti is going snorkeling I'm sure she'll see some! 
The sentiment was stamped on some matching patterned paper and voila! 

Stamps: Beach Girl Patti, Palm Tree Bubbles - High Hopes Rubber Stamps
Sentiment: Sandy Toes - High Hopes Rubber Stamps
Patterned Paper: Beach Therapy Collection - Bo Bunny
 Tuxedo Black ink - MementoMisti, Glossy Accents - Ranger, Tuxedo Black Memento marker, Wave border die - YNS, 

Spectrum Noir: FS2 FS4 TN2 TN4 BG2 BG4 CT1 CT2 GB4 CG1 DG2 DG4 CR7 CR11 DR6
Copics: E31 E34 E37 B00 BG01

 Join us for our Anything Goes challenge. Here's the link: June Challenge

 Thanks for stopping by! Have a fantastic day!

Thursday 15 June 2017

Heart Smiles

It's time for a new challenge at Whimsy Stamps! The challenge is Anything Goes with an optional twist of using lace. Fun right?! 

For my inspiration post, I stepped totally outside of my comfort zone. I usually colour all of my images but I challenged myself to make a card using only die cuts. Truthfully I couldn't help myself when the "Furever Friends die set" found it's way to my mailbox...shhh - don't tell hubby! 
The end result is a fun note card to send to one of my dog loving friends - hopefully it will make one of them smile. 


I had some of the Vintage Wood digital paper (link below) printed so I cut it to fit my 4x4 note sized card. The sentiment was printed from the Vintage Sentiments set (link below) and cut out using a stitched tag die. A bow and some matt dots finish off my card. 

Card Recipe
Stamp: Furever Friends Die Set - Whimsy Stamps
Patterned Paper: Vintage Wood - Whimsy Digital Papers
Sentiment: Vintage Sentiments - Whimsy Digital Sentiments
Stitched Tag Dies - 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!





Make A Wish

How fun is this wishing well! It could be used for a multitude of occasions - I have chosen it to eventually used as a Birthday card (the sentiment will go inside when I need to use the card). 
Growing up we technically didn't have a wishing well but we did have water catch basins to throw stones in to .....until we got caught anyway. The basin was right at the edge of the road so Mom wasn't too happy when she saw us out there





I started by colouring my stamp with alcohol markers and cutting it out with a stitched rectangle die. I used a stitched border die to cut the bottom corner off and put some matching patterned paper in between. The sentiment was a perfect fit in the cut off corner and my Misti made stamping it perfectly much easier! I chose to go with a more simple layout for this one so a couple of matching matts to go behind the image and voila. some ribbon and gumdrops finish it off.

Card Recipe 
Stamps: Wishing Well - High Hopes Rubber Stamps
Sentiment: Sentiment Set #1 - High Hopes Rubber Stamps
Patterned Paper: Sunny Days Ahead - Echo Park
 Tuxedo Black ink - Memento,  Misti, stitched rectangle die - YNS, stitched border trio die - Whimsy Stamps, white sugar and sparkle gumdrops - YNS, ribbon - stash

Spectrum Markers: 1G1 1G2 1G3 1G4 1G5 TN1 EB1 EB2 CG1 DG2 DG4 1B1 PP1 PP3
Copics: E31 E34 E37

 Join us for our Anything Goes challenge. Here's the link and a few details: June Challenge.

Thanks for stopping by! 
Have a fantastic day!



Wednesday 14 June 2017

Take Time

I love this time of year! My flowers are blooming and I just had my first rose open - love my roses!!! 
Our adorable friend "Watson" from High Hopes is reminding us to take time to stop and smell the flowers.....or in my case roses I'm not sure if I would do it with my butt up in the air but hey, we all have our own way of doing things right?




I started by stamping and colouring my images with alcohol markers and fussy cutting it - I have now officially broken a second pair of cuticle scissors - I think I do too much fussy cutting? lol. After cutting Watson out, I set him aside and pulled out some inks to make an ink blended background. I used a stitched square die to cut out my background piece and taped down my circle die to create my ink blended background. A black pen was run around the inside of the die to "contain" the blending.  The sentiment was stamped using my Misti - love my Misti! The Prima flowers were perfect for my layout and some Nuvo glitter drops were the perfect thing to add a bit of bling. The card is finished off using some sparkly gumdrops in the corners - I am just getting used to the Nuvo drops and didn't want to chance ruining my card...still practicing

Card Recipe 
Stamps: Watson - High Hopes Rubber Stamps
Sentiment: Smell The Flowers - High Hopes Rubber Stamps
Patterned Paper: Petal Lane Collection - Bo Bunny
 Tuxedo Black ink - MementoMisti, Tuxedo Black Memento marker, 3D Foam Pop Dots - Forever In Time, Holly Jolly sparkly gumdrops - YNS, White Gelly Roll pen, Inks - Stampin Up, Mini Ink Blending Tool and Foam - Ranger, classic circle die - Spellbinders, stitched square die - YNS, Prima flowers, White Blizzard Nuvo Glitter Drops

Spectrum Noir: BG5 BG7 BG10 GB8 GB10 EB5 EB8

 Join us for our Anything Goes challenge. Here's the link: June Challenge

 Thanks for stopping by! Have a fantastic day!

Thursday 8 June 2017

A Little Behind

We all get busy and sometimes we forget important occasions like a Birthday. My post this week is a belated birthday card for my stash featuring Brayden's Backside.   
This one has a bit of a pun to it given the size of Brayden's backside but hopefully a little dry humor gets me some forgiveness for being late with a card. The sentiment on the inside holds the belated wishes.




Inside

I started by colouring my stamp with alcohol markers and cutting it out with a stitched rectangle die. I cut double matt layers for all of the elements after creating the sentiment on the front, cut it out with a circle die. 
A flower die cut and some gumdrops finish off my card. 

Card Recipe 
Stamps: Brayden's Backside - High Hopes Rubber Stamps
Sentiment: Belated Birthday - High Hopes Rubber Stamps
Cataneo BT font - computer
Patterned Paper: Creative Imaginations
 Tuxedo Black ink - Memento,  Misti,  classic circle die - Spellbinders, flower - Quickutz, stitched rectangle die - YNS, Love Me Some Latte gumdrops - YNS

Spectrum Markers: 1G1 1G2 1G4 1G5 EB6 EB3 EB5 
Copics: E31 E34 E37

 Join us for our Anything Goes challenge. Here's the link and a few details: June Challenge.

Thanks for stopping by! 
Have a fantastic day!


Wednesday 7 June 2017

Quack Me Up

We all have that one friend (or more) that makes us laugh the whole time we're together don't we?! 
My card today, celebrates the crazy friends we have in our lives. I know I have more then one friend like this in my life and I love being with them...after all laughter is the best medicine right?! 



Inside


I started by stamping and colouring my images with alcohol markers. After fussy cutting them, I went around the edge with a black marker to fix any white that may have been left showing. 
I cut out some graph paper with a stitched rectangle die and partially stamped two more ducks. I wanted it to look like he was cartwheeling through the background. The sentiment was created on my computer and cut with a fishtail banner die. I finished the inside of this card by adding a piece of matching leftover patterned paper and stamping a matching sentiment. 
Some twine and Nuvo Crystal Drops finish off my card.

Card Recipe 
Stamps: Dunno Ducky - High Hopes Rubber Stamps
Wingin' It Duck - High Hopes Rubber Stamps
Sentiment: Quack Me Up - High Hopes Rubber Stamps
Impact Font - Computer
Patterned Paper: Hello Sunshine - Doodlebug
 Tuxedo Black ink - MementoMisti, Tuxedo Black Memento marker, Dandelion Yellow Nuvo Crystal Drops, Fishtail banner die - YNS, Stitched Rectangle die - YNS, Little Ledges die - YNS, 3D Foam Pop Dots - Forever In Time

Spectrum Noir: CT1 CT2 CT4 GB5 OR1 LY1 LY2 LY3

 Join us for our Anything Goes challenge. Here's the link: June Challenge

 Thanks for stopping by! Have a fantastic day!

Friday 2 June 2017

Pony Presents

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

I hope you have been enjoying the inspiration shared by the super talented Whimsy design team so far! 

My card for the new release features "Pony Presents". I am a horse lover through and through ....okay animals period but horses are at the top of the list. I also have lots of horsey friends so when I saw this image I knew it would make a perfect Birthday card for one of them. 




I printed this cutie off to the size I wanted and coloured it with a combination of Copic and Spectrum Noir alcohol markers. I added some "dapple" spots to his bum just for fun! Clear spectrum sparkle pen was added to the hat tassel and the bow for a bit of bling. I love the vertical sentiment and have been waiting for a chance to use it - I thought this layout was perfect for it. A heart banner, twine and some matching enamel dots finish off my card.

Card Recipe
Stamp: Pony Presents - Whimsy Digital 
Sentiment - Kitty Balloon
Patterned Paper - It's A Party - Whimsy Stamps
Enamel Dots: It's A Party - Whimsy Stamps

Spectrum Markers: 1G2 1G3 1G5 EB6 EB3 EB5 CT1 CT2 CT4 GB5 OR1 CG1 TN1 EB1 EB2
Copics: B00E31 E34 E37 

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

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!



Thursday 1 June 2017

Furr-Ever

Happy June 1st High Hopes Fans! This month our challenge is Anything Goes (except digital stamps) and guess what!? The design team gets to play along - we will be showcasing previously released stamps from High Hopes - this is gonna be fun!!!

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am an animal lover! I have a young Shitzu mix named Moe who keeps me on my toes but also makes me laugh every day - he truly is the apple of his Mom's eye.  

When I saw the Heidi & Mattie stamp I couldn't help myself! I just to colour this cutie up! 



I started by colouring my stamp with alcohol markers and fussy cutting it with my trusty cuticle scissors. Once it was cut, I went around the outside edge with a black marker to cover any white I may have left behind and added some 3D pop dots to the stamp.

I added some water colour paper run through a cloud embossing folder and a fence die cut behind them. A fun wood heart painted with a light coat of white acrylic paint was the perfect touch. Some Silver Wink of Stella was added to her overall buttons and the dog tag. Some sparkly gumdrops finish off my card. 

Card Recipe 
Stamps: Heidi and Mattie - High Hopes Rubber Stamps
Sentiment: Furr-Ever - High Hopes Rubber Stamps
Patterned Paper: Spring - Echo Park
Watercolour Wash - MFT
 Tuxedo Black ink - Memento,  Misti,  Best Glue Ever - ScraPerfect, White Gelly Roll pen, Tuxedo Black Marker - Memento, 3D Foam Dots - Forever In Time, Silver Wink of Stella, white acrylic paint - DecoArt, Wood Heart - Pets - Kaisercraft Flourish Pack, White Sugar and Sparkle gumdrops YNS

Spectrum Markers: FS5 FS2 TN2 1G1 1G2 1G3 1G4 1G5 BG5 BG7 BG10 BT4 BT6 BT7 CT1 CT2 CT4 GB5 CR3 CR4 CR5 OR1 OR2 CR8 FS8

 Join us for our Anything Goes challenge. Here's the link and a few details: June Challenge.

Thanks for stopping by! 
Have a fantastic day!


Happy Father's Day

It's June 1 already and I'm not sure where the first 5 months of this year have gone! A new month means a new challenge here at OCS and this month it's Anything Goes. 
The design team will be playing along using fun images from past High Hopes releases - how fun is that!?!  The month of June brings alot of things: flowers, the start of wedding season and Father's Day - the inspiration for my card. 



I decided to do an easel style card for this image just for fun. After colouring my stamp with alcohol markers I cut it out using a stitched rectangle die. Some glossy accents were added to the headlights and silver Spectrum sparkle pen to some of the nail heads. Some twine, a button and some sparkly gumdrops finish off my card.

Card Recipe 
Stamp: Tractor  - High Hopes Rubber Stamps
Sentiment: Sentiment Set #3 - High Hopes Rubber Stamps
Patterned Paper: Bloom and Grow - Simple Stories
Tuxedo Black Memento ink, MistiGlossy Accents - Ranger, Ice Ice Baby sparkly gumdrops - YNS, stitched rectangle die - YNS

Spectrum Noir Markers: BG5 BG7 BG10 1G1 1G2 1G3 1G5 DR5 DR1 DR7 CG1 DG2 DG4 CR3 FS8
                                          
A new month also means a new challenge. This month is Anything Goes so grab your stamps and show us your creations. Here's the link



Thanks for stopping by! Have a super fantastic day!