12 Kits of Occasions: May 2015

Hello, friends!  Can you believe May is almost over?  Crazy, right?  The good news is that the end of the month means another 12 Kits of Occasions post.  Our hostess, Jeanne, sent an all boy themed kit.  It was awesome. (Many thanks, Jeanne!) I struggle with masculine cards, so it was great to have everything picked out for me.  Who would have thought there were so many masculine embellishments?!  Make sure to check out all the details of the kit and the other 12 Kits designers' cards here on the 12 Kits of Occasions blog. And we have two guest designers this month, so there is even more to enjoy! 

Okay, so the first one I made didn't exactly embrace masculinity, but I just happened to need a thank you for some friends who took our family to the aquarium, and well...those fish were just perfect.  I'm not sure if the open-mouthed ones are getting ready to talk or to chomp the fish in front's tail, but either way I like them.  And the googley eyes just make me smile.

I absolutely loved the patterned paper in this kit.  The prints were fantastic, and I thought they would make great ties.  Since Father's Day is around the corner, this one is for my dad.

I know it looks fairly flat, but actually it has more dimension than you'd think.  The "D@D" is popped up, and the printed ties are adhered on the inside of the card.  You can just see them through the negative die cuts.  It was a fun way to make a very mailable card a little more interesting.

This next card is for my brother-in-law.  He is an outdoorsman, and he happens to have a birthday in a couple weeks.  This deer Jeanne included could not have been more perfect.  The little orange strip was a scrap.  It's the backside of the the navy blue chevron paper that I trimmed off to make the card a tad smaller, and I love the little pop of color it added.

This next one goes to my father-in-law.  I thought I was so clever thinking to hang the tools on the cork paper until I looked at our 12 Kits post and saw that my teammate Marybeth did the same thing. :) I fussed and fiddled with this card for a couple days.  I'm not sure why.  

The inside was one of the most time-consuming parts. I bought this Lawn Fawn alphabet for times just like this, so I could create my own sentiments, but it did take me quite some time to line up each of those letters.  Michele is the queen of good puns, and I totally thought of her while making this card.

Well, that's it for me today.  I barely scratched the surface with this fabulous kit.  So many ideas, so little time.  Since my post is short(ish), you should have plenty of time to check out how everyone else used the kit, so head here next!  Hope you are having a wonderful weekend!

Stenciled Apple

I've been making some teacher cards/gifts the last few weeks, but I haven't had time to take pictures of them before they needed to be given.  I did manage to snap a photo of this card, though.  I pretty much know nothing about blending ink (aside from the fact that I think every time Laura Bassen does it it is amazing!), but I had fun nonetheless.  I used the stencil I had made for this card.  We are enjoying the sun two days in a row.  I can't believe it.  Off to play outside and plant a few more plants....life is good! PS I'm linking this up to the Simon Says Anything Goes Challenge.

May Papertrey Blog Hop + SSS Stencil It

My husband is home today...yay!  He watched the kids for a bit this morning, so I could make this card for Papertrey's May Blog Hop.  I had a few ideas, but I knew because of time constraints that I needed to go with the simplest one.  When I finished I ran outside to snap a quick picture before the rain clouds rolled back in.  It's rained off and on today....and most days for the past few weeks for that matter.  I was inspired by the square colors on the righthand side of the hop inspiration photo and Simon Says Stencil It Challenge.

I cut an apple out of acetate and used it as a stencil and stamped the square strip from PTI's Ombre Builders Set.  I wanted to add a little dimension (the card felt too flat), so I embossed the front and popped up the stem and leaves.  I used lots of older PTI supplies on this card, which always makes me happy.  Sometimes they get lost in the excitement of new supplies.  Thanks for stopping by today and happy Memorial Day to all my American friends!  I love holidays that remind us of our blessings, to be grateful for the sacrifices made by others, and to remember loved ones gone before.  I've thought a lot about my grandparents today. :) Happy Monday to you all!

       

PTI Blog Hop Inspiration Photo Source           SSS Wednesday Challenge: Stencil It