Two for Tuesday - a Day Early!

Happy Monday to you! I hope I didn't throw you off with a Two for Tuesday post, but I'm not quite sure I'll be blogging or stamping tomorrow.  I am still pregnant - now 4 days overdue - and I wanted to share my Tuesday post early just in case.

She does know it's Labor Day here in the US, right?  Labor Day could have two meanings!

Well anyway, while we wait on baby girl, I thought I'd share some "boy" cards with you!  I'm playing along with the "All About Him" challenge at the Global Design Project with a card I (or two) that I made for my nephew.

When I started making my nephew a card, I decided on some fun, bright, kid-friendly colors to use.  Lemon Lime Twist, Bermuda Bay, Tangerine Tango and Basic Black.  I then chose the Milestone Moments stamp set - I really love the fonts in this set and the fact that it had a TENTH stamp - perfect!  I thought...

I really thought my nephew was turning 10.  When I called my sister to verify, I was told he's definitely turning 11.  Oops!  (Aunt of the year right here!)  For the focal sentiment, I chose the Five for All stamp set.  This set has sentiment pairs that are great for the front and inside of your card.

So now I have a card for a 10 year old!

For the numbers, I used a piece of DSP from the Merry Little Christmas Designer Series Paper (DSP) - I thought it looked very celestial. 

Soooo... since that card wasn't going to work, I needed to make another.  Perfect for a Tuesday post! (on a Monday) :) I chose the same color scheme and changed it up a bit.  This time I used the Happy Birthday stamp from Five for All.  I was a little over halfway done stamping the background layer and I decided to stop.  I really like the look of this!

I used the same striped ribbon for an accent.  Do you recognize this ribbon?  The 7/8" Striped Ribbon from the holiday catalog is a wired ribbon, so I decided to cut the edges off.

Finally the right age on the inside! :)

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you're enjoying a nice start to a new week.  I will keep you posted on our little one's arrival!  She is getting evicted Friday whether she wants to come or not.  Must be too hot in Texas...

:)

Blessings,

Holly

Just Keep Swimming - PCC214

Yesterday Sara Douglass (CEO of Stampin' Up!) shared on FB that her husband Sean was having some chest pains the other night and ended up at the ER.  Come to find out, he had a minor heart attack.  Pretty scary stuff - especially since they're a young family - but it seems like all is well now.

However, I thought I would make him a card.  Not for any brownie points or attention, but because this is why I do what I do.  I love to brighten someone's day with a card.  Something about taking time to create a card and write a note of encouragement.  I think the world needs a little more love these days.. so why not!

I used the sketch from Paper Craft Crew again - I really like the sketch Pam made.  I also wanted to incorporate the marlin stamp from the From Land to Sea set because I know that her husband posts a lot of videos about water skiing and boating.  Plus, I thought the "just keep swimming" sentiment was fun.

To watercolor the marlin, I stamped the image in Basic Gray Archival Ink onto Shimmery White Cardstock.  This keeps the image from running when you color with an Aqua Painter.

For the background... let me explain. haha!  I actually was attempting to watercolor ink using my Aqua Painter and the Seasonal Decorative Masks but didn't like the circles afterall.  So I flipped the white circle over and just rubbed the cardstock over the excess ink left on the stencil.  I actually LOVE it!

The "water droplets" are made with the Fine Tip Glue Pen.  Just squeeze out a little dab.  You will need to let this dry (I did overnight) - same idea as the old crystal affects.

I think the Mint Macaron Cardstock embossed with the Seaside Textured Impressions Embossing Folder adds the perfect touch to this card.  I love adding lots of details and layers but in small amounts. :)

I hope that this inspires you to send a card to someone today - or even this week.  Spread some happiness in the mail!

Blessings,

Holly

Beautiful (Beachy) Blessing - TGIFC66

Happy Friday everyone!  We had a great week here in MN with nicer (cooler) temperatures and lots of rain for the garden - but now we have too many misquitos!  I also hosted my first stamp class at my house since we moved here and all 6 ladies that came had a blast!  I've never had two classes going on at once - so I'm very excited!

But, enough about me!  We have a new challenge over at TGIF Challenges - we are picking our favorites from JUNE and casing them.  It could be a design team member or a challengers card from TGIFC #62-65.  Pick one you like and share both the original and your take on it!  Simple enough!

The last two times we have done this challenge, I chose two challengers cards.  This week I was inspired by this card made by a fellow DT member - Jennifer Frost.

I love the watercolored background and the beachy feel.

I didn't want to use the same set for the focal point, so I decided on another sea themed stamp set.

The lighthouse is from the set From Land to Sea and it's paired with the sentiment from Rose Wonder.

I wanted to add some color to my card so I added some Calypso Coral Thick Twine, By the Shore DSP stack & I colored the lighthouse and oval with my Aqua Painter.

I also stamped the background a few times with the sentiment.  I love the graphic look of repeated words.

So there you have it!  I hope you liked the card (and the original)!  I can't wait to see what you come up with for this week's challenge!

Blessings!

-Holly