graduation.

I have Sketch N Scrap #131 inspiring me to make this page today. My cousins graduated from high school last weekend!

supplies
patterned paper: Doodlebug (stars); Elle's Studio 
washi tape: Kate Spade
die cuts: Elle's Studio (March 2017 kit)
vellum: Studio Calico

We are Family.

Today I was inspired by the second sketch this month at Stuck?! Sketches. I used the Fancy Pants Family & Co patterned paper (6x6) and ephemera pack and some bits and pieces from Elle's Studio monthly kits. The yellow polka dot paper is from Live Laugh Love (Elle's Studio).

Thanks for looking!

This Week's Smiles

I'm sharing my yard this week. Many of my flowers are blooming and I just love it all!

This year I have lilies everywhere. The red ones are new this year. My aunt dug them up to get rid of - she doesn't like lilies. They immediately started blooming when I transplanted them into my yard. They're gorgeous! I didn't have red ones. My poor pink and white ones got trampled by the dogs and they do nearly every year. They're in a bad spot. They're done blooming now so last night I dug them up and transplanted them so next year they hopefully have a better chance.

Most everything is done blooming in this bed. The iris, the columbine. I have some annuals in this bed to give it some color throughout the summer and the salvia is still blooming. I just love how full this bed is though.

My clematis is gorgeous this year. I actually thought the first two years that it was never going to make it, but finally it has done what its supposed to do. The flowers are huge and it's quite lovely!

My aunt also dug up her spiderwort to get rid of. It's gorgeous! I don't have anything purple and this plant is so unique. The flowers close up in the day when the sun is shining. It's so pretty though!

Alaska.

My brother just got back from an Alaskan cruise and I think had the time of his life. He posted so many photos on social media and the landscapes were just beautiful.

A Cherry on Top May/June scraplift challenge was to scraplift something from THIS gallery. This is the page I chose to scraplift:

I liked the grid design and that was the main design element I incorporated onto my page. I cut strips of paper to make my grid. I used mostly the Live Laugh Love collection from Elle's Studio + some embellishments from Freckled Fawn's March kit. Here's my page:

 Thanks for looking!

supplies
patterned paper, die cuts: Elle's Studio
Alaska die cut: Crate Paper (Journey)
stamp: Kelly Purkey (Go See Do)
ink: Memento (Tuxedo black)

Haul video: Pink Paislee Summer Lights

happy birthday (card).

My grandma's birthday is this weekend and I wanted to make a card to send her. This card is approximately 5 x 7 size.

I started by watercoloring the background with Tim Holtz distress inks. My idea for the stamp didn't work out because the sentiment on stamp with the birdcages just didn't stamp very well. I tried various times with different inks and fine detail embossing powders and you couldn't read it. So I just used the top portion of the stamp - the bird cages - by masking off the sentiment part of the stamp.

I added some gold heat embossed stars from another stamp set and then mounted the watercolor paper onto some gold polka dot vellum. I attached this to my card base.

On the inside of my card, I used fine detail gold embossing powder and a really old Heidi Swapp sentiment stamp.

Thanks for looking!

supplies
stamps: Unity Stamp Co (SMAK kit Dec 2014; May 2009 kit of the month)
embossing powder: Simon Says Stamp! (ultra fine gold detail; white fine detail); Sparkle N Sprinkle (EP434 Cappuccino Star)

the best is yet to be.

I made a quick card the other day, just because I was feeling like playing with stamps and embossing and stuff. I used silver heat embossing on my star background and on the sentiment.

I played with some distress inks and watercoloring to make the drink and the umbrella. In person, the watercoloring looks much better.

Thanks for looking!

supplies 
stamps: Simon Says Stamp! (Adult Beverages); The Alley Way Stamps (Star of the Show); Unity Stamp Co (Feb 2011 kit of the month)
embossing powder: American Crafts (silver)

this week's smiles...

I'm linking up with Annie to post for week 224. I try to link up if I'm at the computer Fridays but it doesn't always happen. This week's smile is that I was offered a really great job!

I start June 20!

family.

One last page from me today! This one inspired by the Scrap Our Stash June tic tac toe challenge. I used red, a camera, and wood. Here's my page:

supplies
patterned paper, die cuts: Crate Paper
die cuts, stamps: Elle's Studio
journal card: Simple Stories
chipboard camera, wood hearts: Studio Calico
ink: Memento (Tuxedo Black)

Pacers.

I have a second page to share today. This one was inspired by the Use Your Stuff challenge #266 to use at least five patterned papers on your page.

I dug into my stash and pulled out some Pink Paislee, Studio Calico, Bella Blvd, and Crate Paper. I keep a lot of my scraps, but I don't often dig through them and pull them out to use on pages, so this was a great challenge!

Thanks for looking!

supplies
stamps: Elle's Studio
ink: Memento (Tuxedo black)
enamel dots: Basic Grey
alphabet stickers: Simple Stories

beach days.

Today I'm sharing a page using the Crate Paper Oasis line. I was inspired by the Challenge YOUrself art inspiration this month. I liked the little river and the bright blue sky. It reminded me of being in Isla Mujeres in February.

I was also inspired by sketch 279 at Sketches in Thyme... but I got a little carried away with the embellishing. Here's my page:

Thanks for looking!

supplies
wood, acrylic pieces: Color Cast Designs
die cuts, gold stickers, patterned papers: Crate Paper (Oasis)
stamps: Kelly Purkey (Beach Day; Spring Break; Out in the Sunshine); Kellie Winnell (Looks like Summer);  
ink: Memento (Tuxedo Black); Tim Holtz Distress ink (Broken China)

Easter.

I combined the Let's Get Sketchy June 1 sketch + Colorful Creations something old/something new challenge to make this Easter page.

I used the newest Elle's Studio collection, Live Laugh Love + some old Elle's Studio stamps (from 2016) + the December Elle's Studio monthly kit. Since Elle's Studio sticks to the same colors throughout all of their products, mixing and matching works really well.

lovely.

This year my peonies bloomed and were gone in a matter of days. A couple of years ago, they were just now blooming at this time. I miss them already.

I used the June 1 Stuck?! Sketch for this page.

I used the My Mind's Eye Palm Beach collection for this page, which is a tropical vacation themed kit, but I was able to use the simple striped paper and some coordinating embellishments to document my peonies.

supplies
patterned paper, die cuts, chipboard stickers: My Mind's Eye (Palm Beach)
puffy heart stickers: Elle's Studio
flag: Bella Blvd

JAX.

When we were on vacation in February,we stayed at an all inclusive resort on Isla Mujeres. The food was blah and we were getting so sick of it. We ended up wandering into town one day, in search of real food. American food, if we could find it. Right on the corner was this restaurant, Jax, and we ended up eating there twice in our five day stay. Hamburgers, French fries, and loaded nachos. It was all so good!

I played along with CSI #231 for this page. The colors were blue, turquoise, yellow, white and red. The evidence was hearts, stars, puffy stickers, and stripes. The testimony was using the inspiration words in my journaling (super, awesome).

supplies
patterned papers, stamps, die cuts, stickers: Elle's Studio
alpha stickers: Simple Stories
washi: Fancy Pants

Thanks for looking!

Pike Place.

My brother and his girlfriend are currently on an Alaskan cruise. They left from Seattle and did some exploring in Seattle before the cruise. This photo is from them at Pike Place Market one day.

I used Sketch N Scrap #130 and Paper Issues product spotlight this month, which is Echo Park. This is the Summer Dreams collection that I love!

I added some bits of Elle's Studio from my stash but otherwise stuck with the Summer Dreams collection. Thanks for looking!

patterned papers, stickers: Echo Park (Summer Dreams)
washi, ink: Studio Calico
die cuts, puffy heart stickers, stamps: Elle's Studio
travel stickers: Simple Stories (You are Here)