Freshly Made Jawsome!

Whew!  Just when I was on a roll yesterday, my internet decided to conk out...but it's back in business this morning, so lets get this thing posted!

I simply CANNOT get enough of this little guy right now...he's just THAT jawsome.  I combined the current challenges from Lawn Fawnatics and Freshly Made Sketches to give myself a good excuse to play with him again!  ;)

I also found a GREAT place to take some shots of my creations!  I don't have a dedicated space yet for this purpose, but this is the best I have found yet!

As you can see, I flipped the FMS sketch on its side so I could incorporate that fabulous Word Bubble Border die.  This was the springboard for my entire card!  :)

I haven't used my watercolors as much as I would like, so I was just trying to get a nice and subtle ombre of color in the ocean water.  I also tried a little water splatter on the finished watercolor background.  I'll have to play a bit more to get the results I wanted...I think it was too dry already.

See the layer of lined vellum that mats the watercolor?  Love that subtle addition...

So, this inside sentiment goes against every one of my "mom" instincts, (and I can't count the number of times I have told the girls to not use that word) but I just could not resist!!!

Isn't it PERFECT!?!?!  Duh!  Too fun.

Thanks for popping in to take a peek!  :)

Here is a list of my supplies for this one:

Close to My Heart products with links to my website
Value Pack White Card Bases with Envelopes
Uptown Fundamentals (striped vellum sheet)
Prickly Pear Sequins
Archival Ink
Watercolor Paints
Watercolor Paper
Watercolor Brushes
Waterbrush Small

Other Products:
MFT Stitched Rectangle Dies
Lawn Fawn Duh-Nuh Stamps and Dies
Lawn Fawn Word Bubble Border Die
Lawn Fawn Ocean Waves Accents
Lawn Fawn Let's Polka Sequins
Pretty Pink Posh Sequins
Copics Sketch T0, T3, O
Memento Ink Tuxedo Black

Freshly Made for Dad

I was sitting in my craft cave having some VERY needed paper therapy this weekend when I remembered the Freshly Made Sketches design this week...

I also remembered this scrap of watercolor scenery I had created previously, but not used...so I guess it was time to use it!

The sketch is pretty wide open this week, but I stuck really close to the original...

I used a leftover Cricut Artistry shape that I had lying around for the sentiment.  I'm a keeper, what can I say?  ;)  This particular sentiment is from the new Close to My Heart Day for Dad My Acrylix, but it looks a bit different than the original thanks to my handy dandy Micro-Tip Scissors!  I did it again--I snipped my stamp to suit my needs.  It is one of the BEST things about clear, acrylic stamps.  :)

My dad is going to get a pretty good chuckle out of this one.  I was actually his firstborn AND born ON Father's Day!  PERFECT!!!

Here are the rest of the supplies I used for my card...

CTMH Watercolor Paper and Watercolors
CTMH Black, Canary, and Sunset Exclusive Ink
Pretty Pink Posh Sequins
Two retired stamp sets for the sunburst and sunshine  ;)

Check out the new June Stamp of the Month!

Freshly Made Sparkle and Shine!

Oh my goodness, where did the weekend go?  I had an amazing time with my friends at the Crafty Souls all day event...and then caught up with a tiny bit of housework before I stole away to play along with a couple of my favorite challenges.

I used sketch 206 from Freshly Made Sketches along with the inspiration photo from the Sparkle and Shine Challenge to create a wonderfully whimsical watercolor card!

I knew I was going to be giving my card a hefty sprinkling of my new sequins from Pretty Pink Posh, so I grabbed an equally sparkly sentiment from the Close to My Heart Diamonds Are Forever My Acrylix stamp set.

I ALSO experimented for the first time with a little bit of watercolor paint splatter on special watercolor paper...

This is my slogan!  I stamped it in Versamark Ink and heat embossed with Ranger Super Fine Silver Powder BEFORE I painted...and then matted the watercolor paper on a piece of White Daisy CS trimmed with Silver Foil Tape after the paper was completely dry.  I used my heating tool to dry it a bit faster.  I adore how the two silver features complement each other!

I love how the yellow splatter ran the blob of color!

It was super fun to get my feet wet again (oh yes, I did!) and play with my new watercolors.  I have to work on my splatter technique and play some more!  Thank for stopping in!  :)

Grab the Twinkle Stamp of the Month while you can and get a free gift from me!

Freshly Made Watercolor

I definitely needed a bit of paper therapy today, so I stopped in to check out the new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches.  I instantly recognized one of the shapes, so off I went...

I flipped this sketch 180 degrees to start.  Then I used a negative Cricut cut lying on my desk as my focal point.  It is from the new Close to My Heart Artistry Cricut Collection.

I had experimented with my CTMH watercolor paints and brushes a couple of weekends ago, so I figured it was time to use the results finally in a project.  This is the swatch of watercolor paper that I started with...

I just lined up the portion I wanted to show through the butterfly and used another section to back them both.

Love how the banner image fit this sketch so perfectly!  See the bit of sparkle in the sentiment?  I added a splatter of Grey Enamel Gems too.

The sentiment and star images are all found on the limited edition Hello, Life My Acrylix from Close to My Heart.  It is one of 3 coordinating stamp sets released for the celebration of National Stamping Month in September.  I absolutely love the chevron images on the sets!  I even used the heart as a little accent on the inside of my card...

That was some MUCH needed paper therapy...and I feel the need for a bit more coming on... Thanks for stopping in to see my card, and have a sparkly weekend!

Make it Colorful!

Just $13.95 each or save when you buy all three!

Oh, Wait, It's WEDNESDAY!!!

Wow, isn't it crazy how fast the week flies by when you pack a few appointments and summer camps into it?  ;)

GUESS WHAT!?  I am a Princess over at Freshly Made Sketches again!  I was so excited to read the blog yesterday to find out...you can see my coffee and donut tag HERE!  :)

Now, on to some business...can you believe they already released the list of retiring items from Close to My Heart???  I KNOW!!!  FIRST, let me assure you that ALL of the stamps that are retiring will be available until August 31st.  We make the My Acrylix Stamps in house, so they won't run out.  :)

I am in shock that one of my favorite new items is already leaving--when the sequins are gone, they are GONE!  :(

These great new epoxy stickers won't be around forever either!

ALL the current Picture My Life cards are hitting the highway as well!  OH my!

The current My Crush line will be history soon to make room for all-new designs!  Want to get the matching My Acrylix for FREE???  Check out this amazing offer HERE!

Can someone please wake me up from this nightmare...not the green glitter paper!!!

If you want to check out the entire list of retiring products, just click HERE to see them all on my website.  Close to My Heart has created an entire category JUST for the retiring items to make it easy for you to grab your must-haves before they run away August 31st (or while supplies last!)

Don't forget to grab your June Stamp of the Month while you are at it!  Only available in the month of June for $17.95 or just $5 with a $50 purchase!  :)

Call the Orthodontist!!!

Oh, my goodness, I know, what a strange title for a blog post about crafting!  I HAD to remind myself to call today though so I don't forget AGAIN, and my post will show up in my emails in the morning, lol!  Hope this tactic works!  ;)

On to the crafts!

OK, so really this is my post for the Freshly Made Sketches Challenge this week!

When I saw this perfect little sketch by Narelle, I IMMEDIATELY thought of a donut for that circle image.  WHY?  I have no idea--it just took over my senses from there and I was stamping a pink frosted donut using the Treats of Friendship My Acrylix in no time flat...that's what I get for creating during coffee hour!  ;)  (AND I seriously had no idea yet that it was National Donut Day yesterday!)

The pink frosting isn't real.  I KNOW it looks real, but it is really Pixie CS from Close to My Heart!  Uncanny, isn't it?  ;)

This time, I created a tag for some extra fun.  I started with a tag shape from the oldie but goodie, CTMH Art Philosophy Collection for the Cricut Machine.

I LOVE vellum, and this sketch was PERFECT for it...along with the Silver Embossing Powder of course!  The Ranger Super Fine Embossing Powder is a DREAM!  Melts like BUTTAH on Versamark Ink!

What better way to attach the vellum than with the new(ish) CTMH Mini Stapler!

Sequins are all from Studio Calico, Topiary Chevron Ribbon and Dots Embossing Folder from CTMH, and sparkle sprinkles by Wink of Stella!

TWO FMS sketches in a row for me!  Now that's what I call, SUMMER!  ;)

Only in June!

Taste of Summer for Freshly Squeezed Sketches

It has been a loooooong while since I had a chance to link up to a challenge, so I am super-excited to get this one in tonight!  A quirky little blog post title always seems to get my sparkle back up, know what I mean?  :)

Freshly Made Sketches has a wonderfully simple challenge this week, and I had a few minutes (or forty) tonight to play along.  Check it out...

Orange you glad I didn't say banana?  LOL!  I saw the circle in this week's sketch in my email and KNEW that this juicy slice from the Taste of Summer My Acrylix would end up on my card.  Now, I like simple, who doesn't, and goodness do I ever have time for just simple right now.  But it looked terribly plain and simple all by itself if you can imagine...

SOOOOO, I remembered that time looooong ago when my daughter rolled up my glitter paper scraps...and went for my tweezers and Green Glitter Paper!  It was JUST the thing to brighten it up!

These oranges on the Taste of Summer Paper Packet were the perfect backdrop for the white panels...

I finished the card off with the sweet little sentiment.  Just in time to link up to Freshly Squeezed (Made, lol) Sketches and give it away tomorrow!  :)

Don't wait to get your hands on the Taste of Summer specials this month--they are only here in May, and I can send you lots of FREE cutting guides for great cards and layouts to use them for!  :)

Only available THIS month for National Scrapbook Month!  Get the STAMP SET or the PAPER PACKET, or BOTH!

Freshly Made Sketches with Year Noted

Another unexpected crafty day with everyone home from school means I get to play along with Freshly Made Sketches this week!  I LOVE this one, too, so that's a double bonus!

FIRST of all, I am not a yellow person at all...but I could be after this card!  ;)

Those rectangles...let me tell you...they were tricky to size up and get laid out just right.  I think I cut waaaaay more paper from the Year Noted Kit for National Papercrafting Month than I used, lol.  But thank goodness this sentiment was straightforward.  It can be found on the Variety of Thanks Hostess Rewards My Acrylix Stamp from Close to My Heart.  All my hostesses can earn this gorgeous set for just $6 of their rewards!

The flowers are from the Lovely Birthday My Acrylix and stamped in Black CTMH Ink and then colored with the ShinHan Touch Twin Alcohol Ink Markers in Golden Yellow, Light Orange, and Marigold.  Those sparkly leaves are made using a Verve Wafer Die along with Close to My Heart Green Glitter Paper.  I was craving a bit of spring, you see, with the temps below zero here.  ;)

Thanks for taking a peek at what I'm up to!  :)

Celebrate National Papercrafting Month with Year Noted

January 2015 Stamp of the Month

Operation Smile, You're the Bomb!