Summer Greetings!

Hello!  My family and I have been trekking across the United States this week on our way to visit family we haven’t been able to see in two years. I found a quick moment to myself (and internet access), so I thought I’d pop on to share a card I made before we left.  This card uses a surprising amount of supplies, but I’m always quite tickled when so many products work together. 

First up, I colored the darling tiger from Pretty Pink Posh’s Summer Fun Stamp Set and used the Summer Fun Coordinating Dies to cut it out. I hand cut a mound of sand, inking the edges to add a bit of depth. The tiger seemed lonely, so I colored a beach ball for him to play with. (It’s part of the PPP Summer Wreath Stamp Set and I also used the Coordinating Dies.). To fully embrace the beach idea, I added the ocean using the new Stitched Waves Dies.  I needed a palm tree, but I didn’t have one the right size, so I made one using a trunk from the Nature Essentials Dies and palms from the Hibiscus Flowers Stamp Set and Dies.  I popped the entire scene up and finished off my card with a sentiment from the Summer Wreath Stamp Set.

I truly can’t look at this card without smiling. It just makes me happy.  I hope you enjoy it, too!

Pretty Pink Posh Instagram Hop

Good morning!  Today over on Instagram I'm joining in a hop to celebrate Pretty Pink Posh's brand new June release.  When I was invited to guest design for Pretty Pink Posh last August, the first set I worked with was the Hibiscus Flowers Stamp Set.  It's a favorite of mine, and I was thrilled to see the Hibiscus Flowers Stencils in this month's release. With summer upon us I had been itching to use the Hibiscus Flowers set again, and this was the perfect excuse.    

My mom's happy place is on a beach and she loves Hawaii, so I knew right away this card would be for her.  I stamped several hibiscus flowers and palms, used the Hibiscus Flowers Stencils to blend on some pastel colors, and then cut them out with the coordinating dies.  Next, I die cut the Vacation Scene Die in white and grey and used blending brushes to add some color to the white cuts.   As I pieced the scene back together, I decided to layer the chair a couple times to add dimension and used the grey circular frame to help define the scene.  

I wanted the background to be subtle, so I embossed the new Grid Stencil on white paper.  (Don't you just love the versatility of stencils?  Embossing with them really increases their value in my mind.)  Okay, back to the card.  I popped the scene up on my embossed background and framed it with some of the flowers and leaves I had prepped.  I opted not to put a sentiment on this one.  I truly just wanted the view to transport my mom to her happy place and didn't want any words to get in the way.  

Don't forget: I'm joining several other designs on Instagram today to showcase Pretty Pink Posh's June release, so I hope you'll pop over there and hop along, so you can be entered in for a chance to win a certificate to shop at Pretty Pink Posh.  Thanks for visiting!