Anything Goes with Rainbows, Dots, and a Sketch

Hello!  I know I apologize every time I start a post these days about the length of time between  posts, but unfortunately there isn't a whole lot I can do about it at the moment.  When I named my blog Occasional Crafting I did it for a reason.  I'm grateful for the chances I do get to create, though, and the things that keep me from having time to craft are some of my greatest blessings, so I can't complain. :) I was inspired by a whole slew of challenges when I made this card:

Papertrey's Make It Monday #172: Rainbow Medallions

Simon Wednesday Challenge: Spots and Dots (optional: Paper Smooches products)

Curtain Call Challenge: Anything Goes

CAS(E) this Sketch #85 

When I watched Papertrey's Make It Monday  video I took Dawn's comment about being able to use basically any stamp to create a rainbow medallion literally...hence the leaves.  My stamped medallion wasn't quite centered, so I trimmed the whole thing out, but I like the dimension it added.  I did plan to use lighter pinks and turquoises more similar to the Curtain Call inspiration photo, but as I was choosing my rainbow of colors the deeper tones looked better to me.  And I do feel a little bad that the CAS element was lost a bit as I created my card, but hopefully you can still see how CTS #85 inspired my layout.  

Thanks so much for stopping by!  We're in for a busy week, but I'm hoping now that we're home I'll be able to squeeze a little crafting time in.  I hope you all are well and having a happy weekend!

Supplies

Stamps: PTI (Bountiful Banners, Turning a New Leaf); Paper Smooches (Chit Chat)

Ink: PTI (New Leaf, Orange Zest, Raspberry Fizz, Royal Velvet, Topical Teal, True Black); SU! (Summer Sun); Versamark

Paper: PTI (Raspberry Fizz, Stamper's Select White); MME (polka dot)

Dies: Lil' Inkers (Stitched Rectangles); PTI (Bountiful Banners)

Other: PPP (sparkling clear sequins); SU! (white embossing powder); rhinestones

Guest Designer for 12 Kits of Occasions (Again!)

Hello!  I have an extra special post to share today.  You may be surprised to see that I am the Guest Designer for 12 Kits of Occasions again.  (Squeal!)  The super sweet and talented Marybeth asked me a few months ago if I would like to be the guest designer for the kit she would be hosting in June.  Of course I said yes!  Then as luck would have it I randomly won the guest spot for May.  The 12 Kits Designers chatted it over and were incredibly nice to let me do both months.  I can't even tell you how much fun I've had.  The kit Marybeth created for this month made me gasp as soon as I opened it.  Everything about it was absolutely beautiful right down to the way it was packaged.  And it was even more special because it came from Marybeth.  She is one of the most genuine, thoughtful, kind, and loving people I've ever met.  She reminds me of my mom, which is probably the greatest compliment I could ever give someone.  And if the only thing that ever came out of me starting a blog was to meet Marybeth, I would consider myself incredibly blessed.

Please make sure you stop by the 12 Kits of Occasions blog to see what the other designers created.  I'll be headed that way the first chance I get!  A detailed supply list can also be found there...I've only listed the supplies that I used that were not part of the kit.  Okay, if I haven't already lost you with all the chit-chat, here are my cards.

Additional Supplies: Melon Berry ink (PTI)

The very first thing I noticed in the kit was the beautiful ribbons.  Coral is one of my very favorite colors, so I pulled that one out right away.  I also loved the patterned papers.  I'm not sure how to describe them, but they are shiny in real life and stunning.  I needed several congrats cards right away, so I chose a super simple design and made a bunch of cards.  Not surprising, my favorite is the first that uses the ribbon included in the kit.  P.S. Ribbon bows are hard...that's all I'm going to say about that. :)

Additional Supplies: Teal ink (Heidi Swapp), ribbon (Hobby Lobby)

Additional Supplies: Mint ink (Simon Says Stamp), ribbon (Hobby Lobby)

Marybeth also included some really fun stamped images and tons of great sentiments.  I loved all the fonts.  The combination of all those things made this next card come together super quickly.

Additional Supplies: sequins (Pretty Pink Posh), scallop punch (Martha Stewart)

P.S.  I didn't quite have the right color of sequins I wanted to match the stripes on the paper, so I layered some sparkling clear cupped sequins on top of some flat gold sequins and it worked perfectly.  It was a happy discovery. :) Also, I thought I'd mention that after I made this card it seemed familiar to me...I'm not sure why.  I may have unintentionally CASEd someone, but if I did, I have no idea where I got the inspiration from.

One of my absolute favorite things Marybeth included in this kit was this embossed outhouses stamp.    It's so unique, the idea makes me chuckle, AND my family has a ton of outhouse stories.  My grandmother was a great storyteller and had an incredible sense of humor.  She shared lots of hilarious stories with us about funny things that happened to her and family members in or around an outhouse.  That side of the family also built a few cabins together.  Of course all the cabins had outhouses, so the outhouse stories just continued as my dad grew up.  I even have memories of using some of those outhouses.  Ahhh...good times.

I knew right away that I'd be giving this card to my parents for their anniversary, so in honor of my mom, I watercolored it.  Okay, one last picture because I just can't help myself.  This card just makes me smile so much. :) I kind of want to frame it because of all the fun memories it evokes.  I know my dad will get a kick out of it, too.

Additional Supplies: Watercolor Wonder Crayons (SU!), watercolor brushes (Michael's)

This card just came to me.  One night I had all the papers in front of me (struggling to cut into any of them because I liked them all so much), and the idea popped into my head to use them just like that...overlapping each other under this pretty die cut (also included in the kit).  I added just one pink (the 3rd color down), and the hoarder in me trimmed off just the tiniest amount of each color to use on this card, so I have plenty of each one to use later. :)

Additional Supplies: Stamps - Love Notes (CAS-ual Fridays), Ink - Smoke (Simon Says Stamp), scrap of pink cardstock

This was an evolving card.  You know how they do that sometimes?  I sketched out a layout, but as I started creating, it seemed a little boring.  Then I remembered the butterfly card Dawn McVey (love her!) shared in this post a little while back, so I changed up my design moving everything at an angle, and I liked it much better. I'm hoping if you look closely at the pictures you can see a bit of the shine to the paper and the fun sparkles on the really intricate butterfly die included in the kit.

Additional Supplies: Stamps - Tilted Banner Sayings (Simon Says Stamp),  Ink - Hibiscus Burst (PTI), Dies - Beautiful Butterflies (SU!), Tilted Banners (SSS)

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I really only scratched the surface with this beautiful kit.  There are so many items in it that I just love but didn't get a chance to use.  My time has been pretty consumed between my family and some continuing education classes I've been taking, and I can't wait for life to slow down a tad so I can make even more cards with this kit.  I saved even the tiniest scraps and all the packaging because I plan to use it all.  Marybeth, thank you a million times for letting me be your guest designer this month.  I think the world of you!

Thanks!

Hello!  There are many times I have been astounded by the kindness that exists in this paper crafting community.  I have "met" and been inspired by many wonderful people...just one of whom I wanted to talk about today.  I've been a long time fan/follower of Cristina Kowalczyk.  Her cards and projects always amaze me.  She is an author, too, and I am thrilled that her recently published book is already receiving fabulous reviews.  (Read more about her book here.) I have always thought Cristina was a wonderful person, and recently I was the blessed recipient of her kindness and generosity.  I wanted to send Cristina a thank you and decided that a card from my stash just wouldn't suffice...I wanted to create something just for her.  Remembering that she had a Pinterest account, I searched her boards for inspiration...what better way to be able to see what a person likes? :) I chose this color scheme and this piece of art (by Marius Roosendaal) and got to work creating this card.  

You would think that since I had my color scheme and design literally spelled out for me that this card would have come together in no time.  It probably would have if I had a die that cut circles in the size I wanted that I could then place the negative image on the card for a template.  Instead, I worked at snail's pace the "old fashioned" way -- punching out circles, placing them on a grid I'd drawn on my card base, and then using a ruler to check and correct alignment.  It isn't perfect, but trust me...the effort was there. :) I really didn't mind how many hours it took to create, though, because I was making it for someone special, and I figure the labor was just another way to reinforce the sincere gratitude I feel.  

ETA: So after much debate I'm linking this up to the wonderful Darnell's NBUS (Never Before Use Schtuff) Challenge celebrating her having 500 followers (yay for you, Darnell!).  Why the debate? I wasn't sure if the style counted as my comfort zone.  I'm still working out the kinks on my dream comfort zone and my actual comfort zone, but in the end I decided it worked because CASEing a beautiful piece of art is most certainly in my comfort zone. :) To meet the other requirements, the stamp set is deliberately NBUS, and I don't know what could emphasize friendship more than a note of thanks.  Plus, the kindness and generosity that inspired the card are certainly two of the best qualities in a friend...even if you've never met them in person. :)

Card Supplies

Stamps: Simon Says Stamp (Thanks)

Ink: Hero Arts (Navy)

Cardstock: PTI (Berry Sorbet, Melon Berry, Soft Stone, Stamper's Select White); from my stash (grey, navy blue)

Other: hole punch

12 Kits of Occasions Guest Designer

Hello!  I know I've been absent on the blog, but I have been creating this month...I just couldn't share until now.  It seems I've hit a lucky streak because I was shocked and thrilled to see that I won the guest designing spot for the 12 Kits of Occasions May kit.  I've been a long time follower of this card group.  I think it is so fun to see what each member creates using the kit supplies each month, and I'm a huge fan of the designers themselves.  This is going to be a long post because of the number of cards I made with Joyce's amazing kit (thank you!), so I'll try to be brief with my descriptions.  For all the details about 12 Kits of Occasions (including a detailed supply list for the kit) head over to the 12 Kits of Occasions blog.  You'll want to head that way anyway, so you can see what everyone else made with the kit...their creations are sure to amaze and inspire you!  

Okay, let's get started.  I didn't know what order to put the cards in, so I just put them in the order I created them....minus my very first card...I didn't like how it turned out, so I didn't bother even taking pictures of it.  FYI: I only listed the supplies that I used that were not part of the kit.  As I mentioned before, please visit the 12 Kits of Occasions Blog for full supply details.

Additional Supplies: red baker's twine

Additional Supplies: PTI's Mat Stack 3 Stamp Set, tracing paper, pinking shears

Just a note: I still haven't gotten any vellum yet...seems it's always sold out when I go to buy it or I don't love the price.  I was pretty excited to see that tracing paper (something I had on hand) created  a similar look.

Additional Supplies: Lil' Inker Stitched Rectangle Dies, Clearly Besotted's Make a Wish stamp set, Pretty Pink Posh Sparkling Clear Sequins, blue scrap paper, clear packaging scrap, black pen

This shaker card was my husband and my mom's favorite.  I actually had a few "favorites", but this one is a favorite of mine, too.  The little flags were spread out across a 6x6 piece of paper, but I wanted them closer together, so I drew my own string, cut out several flags from the paper, and made my own banner.  I adhered the banner to the top stitched rectangle panel, so the sequins can slide behind it.  I love that this sentiment is generic enough that it could be used for a variety of special occasions.

Additional Supplies: PTI's Sketched Shapes dies, Pretty Pink Posh Sparkling Clear Sequins

Now might be a good time to apologize for some of the photos....I was working on a cloudy day and the moving clouds made photos a bit tricky.  Plus I didn't notice that there was a spot on my camera lens that shows up in all the pictures until after I had edited almost all of them.  Oops!

PTI's Seeing Stars Border Die and Sketched Shapes Dies, navy blue paper

I just had to note this adhesive backed cork from the kit.  It was so fun to work with.  I've used cork before, but the adhesive on the back made it so much nicer.  I trimmed the large stars from PTI's Seeing Stars Border Die and the the tiny stars are the negative images from the border.  The rope was something Joyce had stamped on card stock and I just trimmed it out with scissors and a craft knife.

Additional Supplies: twine

CTMH's Say It in Style Stamp Set, PTI's Seeing Stars Border Die

I loved all the die cut and stamped images in the kit and wanted to be able to use them all...and I nearly accomplished that goal on this card.  You may recognize the layout...is nearly an exact CASE of one of my favorite cards by the incredible Maile Belles.

Additional Supplies: Lil' Inker's Stitched Rectangle Dies

I took a couple pictures of the next two cards.  I was trying to combat the shifting clouds and couldn't decide if one was better than the other...

And now for my last card...thanks for sticking with me until the end!

Additional Supplies: PTI's Linen & Canvas Impression Plate

I included both photos again because the top shows the impressions in the white cardstock and the bottom shows the red cardstock on the inside.  I love those simple details...need to remember to do them more often.

Now can you see why I was so thrilled to be a guest designer? This kit was so much fun, and I'm super excited that I still have more fabulous supplies left to work with including some very cool wood die cuts that I can't believe didn't make it onto a card already.  Thank you so much Joyce (and all the other wonderful 12 Kits designers) for a fabulous kit and many hours of fun creating!  I had the best time.  I hope you all have the happiest weekend!

Make It Monday #164...3 Ways

Hi! It's been a really long time since I've played along with one of Papertrey's Make It Monday Challenges though I look at them pretty much every week.  I'm happy I made time this week to participate in this week's challenge to make cluster stamped sentiments.  The card above is actually my third attempt but my favorite, so I put it at the top. :)

This card was my first attempt.  I liked the color combo, but didn't feel like I really achieved the confetti look...random stamping is really hard for me.  And I wasn't sure my sentiment stood out enough, so I re-embossed it in white, which turned out to be vanilla...oops.

This was my second attempt.  The "confetti" look went out the door after I had several oopses in a row, so I totally changed the design of the card.  And I made the same mistake with the vanilla embossing powder, but if you look really close I added some glitter in it.  I need to learn to just let things be. :)

I thought the color combo on my last card was super fun, and I like that the stamp reminds me of pom-poms or fireworks, both which seem fitting for a celebration.  After I made it I thought this would be really fun to do for a graduation in the recipient's school colors.  This was my best attempt at the more random confetti explosion look.  However, when I wiped the ink off the sentiment I created a giant smudge all across the bottom third of the card, so I had to trim it off, losing a lot of the tapering look.  As you can tell "oopses" seemed to be the common theme among all three cards, but really I had a lot of fun making them.  It's definitely a technique I'd like to try again.  Hope you have a wonderful week!

Flower Birthday Supplies

Stamps: PTI (Bigger Blooms, Think Big Favorites #12)

Ink: PTI (lemon tart, raspberry fizz), SU! (blush blossom, pretty in pink, cameo coral), Versamark

Cardstock: PTI (lemon tart, stamper's select white)

Other: SU! (clear embossing powder, vanilla embossing powder)

Triangle Birthday Supplies

Stamps: PTI (Think Big Favorites #12, Tiny Triangles)

Ink: PTI (aqua mist, hawaiian shores), Simon Says Stamp (mint), SU! (tempting turquoise), Versamark

Cardstock: PTI (hawaiian shores, stamper's select white)

Other: SU! (clear embossing powder, vanilla embossing powder, dazzling diamonds glitter)

Congratulations Supplies

Stamps: PTI (Bigger Blooms, Botanical Silhouettes)

Ink: CTMH (denim), PTI (aqua mist, fine linen, raspberry fizz), Versamark

Cardstock: PTI (kraft, rustic white)

Other: SU! (clear embossing powder)