Freestyle Friday - A Quick {and yummy} Thank You

It's FRIDAY!!

Normally I could care less about Fridays because my husband isn't off like most people.  Fridays are pretty boring, but I am heading home with my boys to see my family!  But before I hit the road, here's a little Freestyle Friday for you. =) 

 

(Just don't lick the screen)

 

 

I made Amish Friendship Bread for one of our neighbors this week.  She came to the rescue earlier this month when I realized 30 minutes before our little guy's first birthday party that we didn't have any candles.  It's hard to remember everything that you may need when you move into a temporary rental. 

 

So I wanted to say thanks for saving the party! :)

 

 

The tag was a little tricky.  I punched a 2" circle and then slide the circle into the Ornate Tag Topper Punch.  I had to finish cutting the Blackberry Bliss piece in the shape of the circle, but this was the end result.  Pretty cool "bread tag" huh? :)

 

 

I think the Delightful Dijon color is growing on me - especially paired with Blackberry Bliss!

 

Thanks for stopping by!  I will still be posting while on vacation.  I'm visiting my mom (aka upline) afterall! :)

 

Happy Friday!

 

-Holly

Stamp, Ink, Paper #7 - A Color Challenge - RAWR!

Hi everyone! Welcome to our 7th challenge over at Stamp, Ink, Paper!  Can't believe how quickly we go through these challenges!  If you haven't played along yet, please do! 

 

 

I knew that I wanted to do something fun with the bold blue and yellow so I decided to get a headstart on my nephew's birthday card!  I hope 9 year old boys still like dinosaurs. :)

 

 

 This is as "masculine" as I can get with ribbon. 

 

 

 

I also wanted to share the original card that I made for the color challenge. 

 

 

To create the dirt, I used the leaves from Sheltering Tree.  This makes for a great background stamp too!  Very versitile :)

 

 

 

 

If you don't have the No Bones About It set and you're always looking for a fun kid set - this is a great set to invest in! 

 

Thanks for stopping by!  Hope to see you playing along! 

 

-Holly

 

 

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Awesomely Artistic - Tiny Trio!

Happy Sunday!  I usually post as a member of the design team at Can You Case It?, but I am off this week!  If you haven't played along already this week - you still have time!  Convention is over and most of the design team is settling back in their craft rooms! :)

 

I posted a card on Friday for the Fab Friday Challenge, but I wanted to share my second entry for this challenge.  I just love this combo and wanted to keep playing along!

 

 

These 3 mini cards were quick and easy and showcase the new Awesomely Artistic stamp set.

 

 

 

The smaller words come from the Crazy About You stamp set and pair perfectly with these cute new thinlits!  Definitely worth $15 in my opinion!

 

Thanks for swinging by today!  Don't forget to head on over and join us at CYCI! See you Tuesday!

 

-Holly

 

 

#doyouhatehashtagstoo?

I have a fun card today and can hardly wait until my sister receives it! 

She recently visited me and we had the discussion about hashtags.  She hates them and doesn't quite get the point of them.  While I don't hashtag everything, I tried to explain to her than on Instagram (where I #hashtag), you can look up certain hashtags - kind of like pinterest!  It's great for #stampinup :)

 

I even made her watch the #hashtagvideo from Jimmy Fallon!  (censored curse word at the end - I don't agree with it - but the first 2 minutes are funny!)

Yeah... long story short, I had to make her a card just for fun! 

 

I'm also combining two card challenges.  First is a sketch from Freshly Made Sketches.  This is my first time playing along but I've been a big fan of Jen Timko and thought I better try it out. #whatareyouwaitingfor

 

 

Next is the TGIF Challenge - Clean and Simple - #notmything #thisWASachallenge

 

 

Nonetheless, here it is!  The hashtag is from the Layered Letters set from SU!  I traded in some old blendabilities for this set.  It shipped June 29 and I just received it July 23rd.

 

#thanksfornotfowardingmymailUSPS

 

But I'm so glad I got this set!  For the actual words, I used the Crazy About You set and stamped each word one at a time so there would be no spaces.  Yay for photopolymer!

 

 

 

Hope you like it! #shesgoingtohateme

 

Okay, enough hashtags! 

 

Have a wonderful Saturday :)

-Holly

 

 

 

 

 

Freestyle Friday with a Heavy Heart

I'm not sure anyone has even noticed, but my Freestyle Friday post has been missing all day.  I've been busy stamping today and still wanted to share my post - even if it is past 10pm!  

 

I had a card that I wanted to make and get out in the mail right away (more on that later)... I made this card today with the color combo from the Fab Friday Challenge.  Love the combo!  I knew exactly how I wanted to make it. 

 

 

I embossed the flowers from Awesomely Artistic in white emboss powder and then colored them in with my Blender Pen and Mossy Meadow and Lost Lagoon ink pads.  Be careful though - the ink that is on the embossed white portion may rub off.  This was my second card - lots of inky thumb prints :(

 

 

I also added a layer of white embossed flowers but didn't color them.  I like the way it turned out! :)

 

 

 

I hope this card brings a smile to someone's face.  I made this sympathy card today for a friend of my sister and her family.  My niece's best friend was tragically killed last night in an ATV accident.  She was only 6.  My heart is aching for my niece and for the family who lost their little girl. 

(She is the beautiful angel on the left with my niece on the right.)

 

If you feel inclined to send a card, I would gladly send your card to my sister to pass on to her friend.  Please send me an email and I will send you my address and the family's name.  I know you don't know them, but a random act of kindness letting someone know you are thinking of them and praying for them may be just what they need in this moment of sorrow. 

 

Thanks for joining me tonight!  I hope that you hug your loved ones a little harder tonight! 

 

Happy Stamping and lots of love!

-Holly

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Stamp, Ink, Paper #6 - Tic-Tac-Toe

Hey everyone!  Today we have a fun challenge for you over at Stamp, Ink, Paper.  Who doesn't like Tic-Tac-Toe??

Oh yeah, me… Because my husband always tricks me!

But this is STAMPING tic-tac-toe :) This is my kind of game!

I went straight down the right side, but you can chose what fits you best!  I haven't made a 3x6" card in awhile either.  Don't know why I don't make more of these!

I frayed the edges with my scissors and embossed the sentiment in clear emboss powder.

This Schoolhouse DSP from SU! is adorable :) I should've ordered more than just a share!

Thanks so much for stopping by on your Tuesday.  

Hope to see you (and your entry!) over at Stamp, Ink, Paper :)  

-Holly

CYCI79 - Designer's Choice!

We are doing things a little different this week for our Can You Case It? challenge.  This is an exciting week for many Stampin' Up! demonstrators - it's convention week!! It's not as exciting for me though because I'm not going.

(sad face)

But the good news for those staying behind - you get an extra week to play along with this challenge.  BONUS - it's a designer's choice!

This week I wanted to use a few new things from the catalog.  I love the Lost Lagoon color and when I went to use it on my watercolor paper, it looked more Mint Macaron to me.  So I thought, why not do both?? (maybe this is how SU came up with the new color!)

I also a huge fan of the Lost Lagoon ribbon and the in-color DSP.  I haven't been able to make the Sahara Sand ribbon fit into many of my styles lately but I love the way it looks with the other ribbons!

Isn't this bird a beauty? :)  Makes me think of my grandfather.  He was a bird watcher. <3

I hope you enjoyed this card!  I would love for you to join us over at Can You Case It!  Check out the CYCI image above to see all of the other talent and PLAY ALONG!!  You have 2 weeks to get your projects up! :)

Happy stamping!

-Holly

Freestyle Friday - Inspiration from the Sea

We've been living by the beach for a little over 3 weeks now and over the past few days I keep finding purple and white clam shells.  Most of them have been broken pieces that from the back just look dirty and white, but when turned over there is this beautiful ombre look to them. 

(I serve an amazing God who even puts detail in the shells...) :)

These are the shells I'm talking about:

Amazing, right?!

So yesterday while I was at the beach, I found a small broken piece and thought, I need to make a card like this! I love finding inspiration anywhere.

I sponged some watercolor paper - each time I added ink, I sponged the bottom and moved up.

 

I wanted to add some detail to the sentiment because the card was simple, so I embossed the words in clear emboss powder just to give it some extra shine.

Keep your eyes open - you never know where your inspiration might come from next!

Happy Friday!

-Holly

Stamp, Ink, Paper - Christmas in July!

 

Welcome to another "Christmas in July" post!  Last week I created a Christmas card for a blog hop I am a part of and today we're celebrating the holiday a little early over at Stamp, Ink, Paper. 

 

Feel free to mail me a Christmas present! :)

 

 

I chose the Festival of Trees set and coordinating punch.  My stamp class is tonight and I wanted to make a fun & easy card for the ladies.  I know it looks like a lot, but it's a lot easier to make when everything is precut for you! haha :)

 

 

Cucumber Crush and Real Red compliment each other so well don't you think? 

 

And look at all of those pretty rhinestones! 

(The card we are making tonight won't have that many)

 

 

My advice for the trending messy thread look is to just wing it.  Don't over think it, don't try to make perfect loops and don't try to make them even or symmetrical. 

 

Doesn't this make you wish you were making your Christmas cards and putting up the tree??

 

No?

 

Well, I'm not in any rush either! :)

 

Thanks for stopping by.  Head on over to SIP and see what the other Design Team members have in store and be sure to play along with us this week!

 

-Holly

CYCI78 - Let's Add a COLOR!

Today's challenge at Can You Case It? is a simple color challenge.  Let me say, picking one "color" to go with black and white seems like it would be easy... I'm not so sure it is!  I mean, a flower needs a green stem, not a gray one right?

 

Well nonetheless, you should still play along with us!  Click on the image below to take you to the challenge website.

 

 

I chose Blackberry Bliss as my color.  I love the deep rich tone and think it's one of the prettiest purple's SU! has ever had.  I colored the flower by squeezing my ink pad a little and using a blender pen.  A little stitching around the edge with my paper piercer gives it an extra detail.

 



 

I hope to see you linked up at CYCI.  Head on over and get inspired! :)

 

Have a wonderful Sunday!

-Holly

 

 

 



TGIFC11 - A New Framelit?!

I needed to make a card for a friend today and I thought I would play along with the new TGIF Challenge.  I always like a sketch!  I've been pretty busy with our move and played last week for the first time in awhile.  And well... I finally won!  I was shocked, but just as honored to be picked! 

 

So here is the sketch for this week's challenge.  Click the picture to head on over to their site.

 

 

For some crazy reason I passed on ordering Awesomely Artistic with my first order from the new catalog.  Once I came to my senses and ordered it, I could hardly wait to receive it!

 

Here's my first card that I made with this set.  This set is pretty "AWESOME"!  I added an ombre look to the sentiment using Mint Macaron, Lost Lagoon and Island Indigo markers.

 

 

 I'm excited to show you something I discovered!  (Are you wondering how the tag was made!?)

 

I love trying to use my punches in new ways. Mercedes Weber recently used the bow builder punch to make this tag.  As I looked at the punch a little closer, I thought I'd try something new and fancy-up my corners. Yes... fancy-up :)

 

 

I layered the sentiment on Basic Black CS and punched the corners again.

 

 

Pretty cool, huh?

And just because I love to "fancy-up" the inside too... Here's a look at the inside of the card.

 

Sure hope you enjoyed this new trick! 

Please give it a try - and pin it too!

 

Happy stamping!

-Holly