Summer By The Sea // A Flashback Friday Post

Happy Friday! It's been a few weeks since I was able to share a "Flashback Friday" creation. I've been busy working ahead on some posts for June and into July so I can enjoy some time with family from overseas next month, and then there was some gardening that needed to get done. But yesterday as I was working on some more upcoming posts, I came across the beautiful retired Stampin Up set Summer by the Sea, and decided to make two cards with the set, one I am sharing today for a Flashback Friday post, and then I will have another one coming up in July using another stamp from this set ...yes, I'm working waaaaay ahead - not what I usually do!

I did use some newer stamps on my card as well, but the focal point is the wonderful stamp of the little boy building a sand castle. This stamp set was released many years ago, but I was not able to afford it back then, and only purchased it a few years ago from ebay when I found it at a great price.

I started out by stamping the boy on watercolor paper using Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink, then stamped him again on a post it note, this I fussy cut to use as a mask. With the mask in place (and some painter's tape at the top of the card to mask off the sky) I inked up the ocean using Hero Arts reactive ink "blue water" which was part of a past Hero Arts Monthly stamp kit. Then, using this same ink again I stamped one of the waves from the Hero Arts stamp set Color Layering Waves. The sentiment is part of this stamp set, and the other stamps I used (ball, rock, palm tree, birds and footprints) are part of the Hero Arts set Color Layering Sea and Sky.  I'm sure you're thinking the footprints should be pointing the opposite way ... didn't even realize that until I uploaded the card.


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The boy has been colored with distress markers for the clothes and hair (Candied Apple, Gathered Twigs and Faded Jeans) and the skin has been colored with Zig Clean Color markers (pale pink and flesh tone). The sandy part has been inked with Pumice Stone Distress Oxide, and after removing the painter's tape I inked the sky with Tumbled Glass Distress Oxide. I also used Stampin Up's old and retired set Itty Bitty Backgrounds for a little bit of a sandy texture.

Hero Arts Color Layering Waves // Hero Arts Color Layering Sea and Sand // 

Candied Apple Distress Marker // Faded Jeans Distress Marker // Gathered Twigs Distress Marker //  Zig Clean Color Markers  // Pumice Stone Distress Oxide // Tumbled Glass Distress Oxide // Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink 

Stampin Up Summer By the Sea // Stampin Up Itty Bitty Backgrounds (both retired - but most likely availabe on ebay or etsy)

The seaside theme and colors of this card were inspired by this week's Color Throwdown challenge:

I am also joining these challenges:

Cardz 4 Guyz - Beside the Seaside // The Male Room - Masculine Cards // C.R.A.F.T. - Male Cards or Father's Day //  Send a Smile for Kids - For Dad From Kids // Aud Sentiments Challenge - Summer and a Sentiment // Through the Purple Haze - Blues // A Place To Start - Tempting Technique (my current favorite is creating scenes with stamps and inks) // Crafter's Castle - Coloring (I used Distress and Zig Clean Color markers)

There were many Anything Goes themes and I am sharing with several of them too:

Crafty Friends Challenge // Crafting With An Attitude // Crafty Creations // Creative Moments // House That Stamps Built // The Crafty Addicts // Crafty Sentiment Designs // Lemon Shortbread // Through The Craft Room Door // Artistic Inspirations // Crafting from the Heart // Get Creative Challenges // Path of Positivity // 613 Avenue Create // Lil Patch of Crafty Friends // The Corrosive Challenges // A Gem of a Challenge 

Thanks so much for visiting!! I hope you liked this week's Flashback Friday post and that I inspired you to get out some of your old and maybe even forgotten stamps. You know there is a reason why you are hanging on to those retired stamps!

This post contains some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links, at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!

Allsorts Challenge 520 and 521: Happy Birthday Allsorts Challenge!!

For the next two weeks at Allsorts challenge we are celebrating 10 years of challenges with a Birthday theme. This means we want to see birthday specific cards!

I've had this gorgeous image by Mo Manning on my wish list for a really long time, and this was the perfect opportunity to finally purchase it! It was one of her earlier images  released, and honesty I have no idea what took me so long!!  I'm sorry if these pictures aren't perfect. I struggled taking the photo inside, maybe it's because the card is larger than my usual card and my 8x8 photo tent wasn't a good fit for it. I had trouble with lighting and outside we had perfect sunshine, so I decided to photogragh outside. Now I feel like it's a little bit too bright...

This was taken inside ... I can't tell which one is better, but definitely like the "backdrop" on the first one more, but the glitter only really show on the photo taken inside.

I colored with Copic markers on Xpess It Blending Card. Still struggling with digis and copics (I need a better printer!) so not much blending I could do as the ink will smear. But isn't this image GORGEOUS!! I wish she came as a rubber stamp so I could watercolor her! 

I used a Tim Holtz Layering Stencil  for a subtle background design with Antique Linen Distress Ink. The papers are from my stash, and the Happy Birthday sentiment I've had forever. It's from a Stampin Up set, but I separated the set and I don't remember the name of the set. I think the font is perfect for girly birthday cards. I found a flower shaped button in my box of buttons, and the color couldn't be more perfect, so I used it with some cotton twine. The tiny "make a wish" sentiment is from the Penny Black Snippets set. I distressed the edge of image panel and mat. 

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Both my wink of stella brushes are running low, so I used some liquid watercolor glitter that came in a past Hero Arts Kit (unfortuntely I don't remember which kit).  Also, I used the Hero Arts Limited Edition set for the back of my card (It's not a limited edition set, it's just the name of the stamp set). I love all the little stamps included in this set for the back of cards and it's only $7.99! You can see in the photo below how I used the set on this card.

Mo Manning Sugar // Penny Black Snippets // Birthday Sentiment by SU - Set Unknown // Hero Arts Limited Edition // Xpess It Blending Card // Copic Markers // Tim Holtz Layering Stencil Mesh // Antique Linen Distress Ink // Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink // Liquid Watercolor Glitter from a Hero Arts Kit // Pattern Papers from Stash // Cotton Twine from Stampin Up

Hope you can join us at Allsorts for our special 10th Anniversary Birthday challenge. This theme will run for 2 weeks so there is plenty of time. We have FABULOUS prizes to give away!

I am sharing with these challenges:

Mo's Digital Pencil challenge - For the Girls (or anything Goes)

Daring Cardmakers - Something beginning with letters M A Y (I may have thought a bit outside the box here but how about: M for Mouthwatering, A for Alcohol Inks/Adorable and Y for Yellow Icing) C.R.A.F.T. - Birthday // Alphabet Challenge - D for Distressed // Pattie's Creations - Birthdays // Crafty Calendar - Distress It // Colour Crazy Challenge - Coloring // Crafty Catz - Buttons // Creative Craft Cottage Challenges - Use Ink (distress inked stenciled background) // Digi Doodle Studios Challenge Blog - Sparkle and Shimmer (hard to tell but cupcakes, tutu and hair are all covered in glitter - see second photo) // Do-Al(l) Kreatives - Fairies // LeAnn’s World 101 - Birthday // Sparkles Forum Challenges - Purple // Krafty Chicks - Fairies // Crafting By Designs  - Fantasy

Anything Goes:

Send a Smile for Kids // The Fairy and the Unicorn // Creative Fingers // Jo's Scrap Shack // QKR Stampede  // Simply Create Too // A Bit More Time to Craft //Crafts Galore Encore // Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper // Daisy Chain Challenges // DL.Art Linky Challenge // Happy Craft Challenge // Creative Moments

Today would have also been the day to share a Penny Black and More mid-month creation. Unfortunately I didn't get to make a card for this month's midway reminder post (we had such wonderful weather and I NEEDED to get my vegetables planted because I knew lots of rain was going to follow those sunny days; in addition to that I've been working ahead on some June and July DT cards, so that kept me busy as well.

Anyway, this month at Penny Black and More our theme is Feminine Creations, but it's an optional theme, so it's pretty much "Anything Goes" as long as you follow the challenge rules. And we do have many wonderful prizes there as usual! We would love for you to join us there as well, and if you already have - remember you may enter up to 3 times for more chances to win!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Hope you're having a wonderful sunny weekend. Rain rain and more rain in our forecast again!

This post contains some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links, at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!

Imagine That Playground - Midmonth

Please click here if you are visiting for Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday Challenge.



It's time some mid- month inspiration at the Imagine That Playground. If you  have missed my first post for my Imagine That Guest DT spot, you can see those creations HERE. I did get to select two digi sets, and today I am sharing a card made with the cute set Ellie Tails. How sweet are those elephants!! I used the un-colored version, but this set also comes with colored versions, some pretty papers and wonderful sentiments to add to the banner.

Anyway, the Imagine That Playground challenge theme is "Anything Goes" and you have until June 5th to join in for YOUR chance to win a prize and maybe a Guest DT spot.

The white paper is Xpress it Blending card and copic markers were used for coloring the image. I used the gingham paper from the kit in turquoise (it also comes in pink and different pattern). The little die cut tag is part of Avery Elle's Wonky Stitches die set and the bundle of joy sentiment is from the Penny Black set Snippets, heat embossed with White Embossing Powder on black card stock. I think crochet ribbon goes so well with baby cards, so I added some May Arts cotton crochet ribbon and striped twine. An old corner rounder was used on the bottom corners and the little heart came out from the Avery Elle's tag, I inked it with some distress ink and made it sparkle with a clear Wink of Stella brush, but it's really hard to see the sparkles in the photos. An old Stampin Up punch was used to create the scallop border, this die set would be an alternative to the punch, I really should be getting it as my punch doesn't work as well anymore.

Related Products:

Imagine That Ellie Tails Digi Set // Xpess It Card // Copic Markers // May Arts Cotton Crochet Ribbon - Similar, Striped Twine - Similar // Penny Black Snippets // Avery Elle Wonky Stitched Die Set // White Embossing Powder // Versamark Ink // Wink of Stella Glitter Brush // Hero Arts Dove White Card Stock for Card Base // Stampin Up Scallop Border Punch - Retired, Similar as a Die

I am also sharing with these challenges:

Cutie Pie Challenge Bingo (I used the middle vertical row - I did heat embossing)

Stinkin' Inkers - All Tied Up // Through the Purple Haze - I've Got the Blues // Everybody-Art-Challenge - Lace or Pearls  // Colouring in Scrapland  - Coloring  

Anything Goes:

Digi Choosday Challenge // Crafting from the Heart // Get Creative Challenges // Dragonfly Dreams  // Lil Patch of Crafty Friends // The Corrosive Challenges // A Gem of a Challenge // Crafter's Castle // Crafting-With-Friends 

Thanks so much for visiting! 

This post contains some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links, at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!

Allsorts Challenge 519: Transport

Hello and welcome!  Time for a new theme at Allsorts challenge. It's Wendy's week to host and she picked the theme of "Transport". Hope you can find some time to join us for a chance to win a fun stamp set by Clever Cut.

I used the February Hero Arts My Monthly Hero kit to make my card. All stamps and matching dies, stencil, gold embossing powder and sequins are from this kit.


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I started out by stencilling the background with Blueprint Sketch Distress Oxide. The car and sentiment were stamped with Versamark ink and heat embossed with gold embossing powder. I used the matching die to cut out the car.  The dancing couple was stamped with Versafine Clair Nocturne ink and also die cut. Golden sequins  were added with mini glue dots and I stamped the music notes to finish the card. I also wiped the black inkpad along the edge of the card front.

A peek inside:

I did a little more stencilling inside using the same ink applicator but without adding extra ink for a lighter shade of blueprint sketch, stamped another sentiment from the stamp kit and die cut the car again this time stamped in black and inked with Blueprint Sketch distress oxide. 

Hero Arts February Stamp Kit  // Distress Oxide Blueprint Sketch // Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink // Versamark Ink // Hero Arts Dove White 100lb Cardstock // Mini Glue Dots

Also sharing with these challenges:

The sketch was inspired by this week's My Favorite Things sketch although with a little twist:

Country View Crafts' Challenge - Opposites (male & female) // Through the Purple Haze - I've Got the Blues // Artistic Stampers - Texture (heat embossing) // Creative Craft Cottage Challenges F - Use Ink // Happy Little Stampers - Dies // Sweet Stampers - Celebrate // Ike's World - Embossing // Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Something Metallic (gold embossing powder and gold sequin circles) // 

Anything Goes- there are lots of them!

Crafting With An Attitude // A Bit More Time to Craft // A Perfect Time To Craft // Classic Design Team Open Challenge // Crafts Galore Encore // Creatalicious Challenges // Daisy Chain Challenges  // Happy Craft Challenge  // The Creative Crafters  // World Wide Open Design Team Challenge //Creative Moments // Fab 'n' Funky // The Crafty Addicts // Crafty Sentiment Designs // Lemon Shortbread // Through The Craft Room Door  // Dragonfly Dreams // The Corrosive Challenges  // We Love 2 Create // Artistic Inspirations // Crafting from the Heart // Get Creative Challenges  // Path of Positivity // The Paper Nest Dolls Challenge

Thanks so much for visiting!

This post contains some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links, at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!

Life Is Beautiful!

Happy Monday! Hope your week is off to a great start! We had a really nice and sunny weekend, I stayed busy trying to prepare my garden for some vegetabes. This is my first year starting from seeds unfortunately the plants aren't doing so well and I may end up having to buy some again when it's time to plant. What can I say I don't have a green thumb but love growing my own vegetables.

Today I am sharing a card made with last month's Hero Arts My Monthly Hero kit. And this is actually my first time making something with this kit, it sat on my desk for a few weeks now because I just didn't get the time to use it. Today Hero Arts is releasing their May kit and I am sharing a little info about that at the end of this post.

This Hero Arts kit includes several scenery dies which make wonderful silhouettes and work so well with a distress ink background. I started out by masking the bottom half of my card with post it notes, then using Antique Linen, Victorian Velvet, Seedless Preserves and Blueprint Sketch Distress Inks/Oxides with an ink applicator tool I created the sunset. The city scene and gondolier were die cut using black card stock and adhered to the card. Some foam tape from this kit was used to adhere the gondolier to the card. Birds, sentiment and "Venetian" cancellation mark are all stamps from this kit, sentiment and birds were stamped with Versafine Clair Nocturne ink and the cancellation mark was stamped with Antique Linen ink. A CAS card that was quick to make! The card base is Hero Arts Dove White 100lb card stock.

If you like this kit then you're in luck, although released in April, it is currently still available here. Remember US orders do qualify for FREE shipping on orders of $50 or more. 

Hero Arts April My Monthly Hero Kit //

Distress Inks:  Antique Linen, Victorian Velvet // Seedless Preserves // Blueprint Sketch

Versafine Clair Nocturne //  Bristol Vellum Paper // Dove White Card Stock 100lb

Sharing with these challenges:

Crafty Friends Challenge - More than one die // Just Us Girls - Movement // My Time to Craft - CAS // Crafty Catz  - Add a Sentiment // Happy Little Stampers - Dies // Lost Coast Designs - Things Starting with B (Birds, Buildings) 

Anything Goes:

A Gem of a Challenge // Catch The Bug // Crafter's Castle // Jo's Scrap Shack  // QKR Stampede // Crafting With An Attitude // Cute Card Thursday // A Bit More Time to Craft // A Perfect Time To Craft // Crafts Galore Encore // Creatalicious Challenges // Create With TLC // DL.Art Linky Challenge F // Happy Craft Challenge // Not Just Cards // The Creative Crafters // Crafting By Designs // Crafty Creations // Creative Moments // The Crafty Addicts // Word Art Wednesdays 

Ok, now some info about the May My Monthly Hero Stamp kit. I won't be sharing a card made with this kit as I cancelled my subscription recently  and won't be getting this kit, but I do want to continue sharing info for those of you interested and I am sure somewhere in the future I'll be purchasing another kit (they are also available without a subscription while supplies last), but I won't be getting this one.

This is what the May Stamp kit looks like, it's perfect for cards you send to your crafty/artsy friends. 

There were also some wonderful add-ons released, availabe HERE as a complete lot or individually HERE. My personal favorite is this cross stitch stamp set...but it might be sold out by the time I place an order... 

Thanks so much for visiting! Enjoy the rest of your week! 

This post contains some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links, at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!

Butterfly Garden - Again!

Happy Sunday! First Sunday of the month means a new theme at Penny Black and More challenge and this month it's all about Feminine Creations with an option of Anything Goes. Some great prizes are up for grabs again, hope you'll find some time to join us, and remember you may enter up to 3 times for more chances to win. This week we have prizes by Penny Black, Crafts U Love and a set of stamp and embossing folders. One of the winners could be YOU, but only if you join us :)

If this butterfly looks familiar to you, it's because I used it on this recent card. I just love the whimsical style and since the set is new to me, I had to play with it again :) It is from the Penny Black set Butterfly Garden. 

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I stamped on Xpress It Blending Card with Memento Tuxedo ink and colored with Copic markers. I think there is a matching die to this butterfly, but I don't have it and fussy cut using my Cutterbee scissors. A clear Wink of Stella brush was used to add some sparkles. The circle was die cut and inked with Mustard Seed Distress Ink. The words behind the circle are from one of Whimsy Stamps retired stamp sets (Basic Backgrounds and Borders - I think) stamped with Memento ink again on Xpress It card. The leaves, flowers and "with love" sentiment are part of the Penny Black set Butterfly Garden and I inked the edges with Broken China Distress Ink. Distressed the edges before adhering to a white card base - Hero Arts Dove White 100lb.

I did end up cutting the antennaes off and hand drew them in on the yellow circle. As you can imagine that's easier to do than trying to fussy cut around them. 

Penny Black Butterfly Garden // Memento Tuxedo ink // Xpress It Blending Card // Copic Markers // Cutterbee Scissors // Wink of Stella // Mustard Seed Distress Ink // Broken China Distress Ink // Hero Arts 100 lb Cardstock Dove White 

I'm also sharing my card here:

Double Trouble - Some Things // Make My Monday - Wings // Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes // CAS on Friday - Butterflies // Alphabet Challenge - C is for CAS // Crafty Calendar - Distress It // My Time to Craft - CAS // Penny Black Saturday Challenge - opt. Make your won Background

This post contains some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links, at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!

Allsorts Challenge 518: Pretty In Pink

It's time already for a new theme at Allsorts challenge, Tracy is our host and she would like to see "Pretty in Pink". We have a wonderful prize by Buddly Crafts and hope you can join us for your chance to win!

Should be an easy theme, unless you're ending up with some difficulties like I did, but in the end it all worked out and I am sharing two cards today, even though my second one is where I had the trouble and ended up not really working for our theme. Thought I'd share it anyway.

The inky background was done with Distress Oxides and Inks, Cracked Pistachio and a little bit of Tumbled Glass with Spun Sugar Distress ink.

I stamped the orchid from the Penny Black set  Happy Together using Versafine Clair Nocturne  ink and colored it with my Zig Clean Color markers. Using the Penny Black stencil Oscillations (which includes 3 different stencil designs) and Spun Sugar distress ink I added a little more pink to the background  and wiped the ink pad across the distressed edges. No, I didn't get out my sewing machine (sad to say since I re-organized my stamp room I don't have a designated spot for it and haven't used it in a long time). Instead I used one of the stamps from Whimsy Stamps In Stitches stamp set, I was lucky enough to purchase this at a great price when Whimsy Stamps was clearancing it out a few month ago. Unfortunately the set is no longer available, but there are similar sets available here.  I used a clear Wink of Stella brush on the blossoms for some sparkle. The sentiment is from the Penny Black set Sprinkles and Smiles. 

Related Products:

Penny Black Happy Together // Penny Black Sprinkles and Smiles // Whimsy Stamps In Stitches - retired - Similar Options  // Penny Black Oscillations Stencil // Spun Sugar Distress Ink // Cracked Pistachio Distress Oxide // Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink // Ranger Mini Ink Blending Tool // Zig Clean Color Markers // Zig Detailer Waterbrush // Tonic Stamp Platform // Wink of Stella Glitter

Below is the card I initially had in mind for the challenge -  I wanted to heat emboss everything in white and use Loll's Splash Watercolor technique for the background with some pretty shades of pink and lilac and a little bit of a muted green.

Penny Black Happy Together // Stampin Up Sentiment - Retired // Versamark Ink // White Embossing Powder // Picked Raspberry Distress Ink //  Spun Sugar Distress Ink // Shaded Lilac Distress Ink // Bundled Sage Distress Oxide Ink // Zig Detailer Waterbrush // Bristol Vellum Paper // Post-It Notes // Cutterbee Scissors // Craft Mat - Similar 

The green and lilac turned out fine, but the Picked Raspberry ink (although not quite as purple as it appears in the photo) was more of a fuchsia color, not a pretty pink as I had hoped for. And the Spun Sugar ink I also used is pretty much invisible. I also wasn't happy with the white embossing. Another mistake that happend here was the post it note I used for masking stained my image pink (I really need to get some white post it notes!)  I didn't want to completely waste the card so I finished it by coloring the blossoms with  Shaded Lilac  ink and the leaves with Bundled Sage  ink. Of course I could not remove the pink stains caused by the post it note. I framed with some lilac card stock and then mounted onto white card base. The white embossed sentiment is one of my old favorites from a retired Stampin Up set (I think it's called Beautiful Beach). 

Sharing with these challenges:

Dream Valley Challenges - Pink Birthdays // Retro Rubber Challenge - Anything Goes with Stamps older than one year (this set was released a couple of years ago) Simon Says Wednesday - Happy Birthday // Moving along with the Times - Floral // Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Anything Goes // International Art & Soul - Birthdays // Colour Crazy Challenge - Coloring // Creative Fingers - Anything Goes // Pattie's Creations  - Flowers 

Mark your calendars: On May 18th Allsorts challenge is celebrating 10 wonderful years of challenges and we're having a special prize that week (which will actually run as a 2-week challenge). Brenda created this wonderful logo, you can post it to your side bars if you like a little reminder :)

This post contains some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links, at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!