Happy Friday!
I hope everyone has had a fabulous week and is ready for an amazing weekend!

We don't have a new release this week at Sami Stamps, but instead there is a sale on the images the the DT has chosen to use for their projects.  Each image we've used is 50% off!

For my card, I chose to use the Love and Lullabies image.

I wanted this image to be super soft and subtle so I chose to use some watercolor pencils on it.  I didn't focus a whole lot on shading but did try to add a little depth where it was needed.

After the image dried, I mounted it onto some soft grey cardstock.  Everything was going so smooth until I miss aligned my paper and almost sliced through my image!  It was one of those "see it as it's happening" type panics.  Fortunately I reacted enough to pull the blade up just enough so that it just grazed the top of my paper.  But there was still a clear cut line.  So I had to adjust my design a little bit to help cover up that line.  Nothing a couple of simple soft pink stripes of paper couldn't handle :)

To finish it all off, I embossed a simple little heart in liquid platinum and trimmed it out so that the sentiment could tuck behind it in the corner.  I didn't add any other embellishments, which helped keep the card in the soft style I wanted.

Be sure to check out the rest of the DT's creations!  They are gorgeous!  And remember you get 50% off any of the images they used!

Thanks for visiting! <3

Happy Friday!
Stopping in quick to share a fun little card with you using an image from the Sami Stamps release we had last week.

For this card, I used the All Caught Up image and colored it in with my pencils.  It's colored very similarly to last weeks card because I just loved the color combo...but this time I colored the kitty to represent my little princess, Cloud.

I wanted to have this sweet image sort of suspended in the center of the card but still attached to the frame so I used my trimmer and made about a quarter inch border around the outside of the card, leaving the string and the kite still attached.  Then took my scissors and fussy cut around the rest of the image.

To create the background, I cut a bunch of yellow and orange strips of paper into rays and arranged them around the focal point of the kite.  When it was all put together, it was a bit brighter than I wanted so I added a piece of vellum over top, but then it looked too flat.  So I took a couple of blue pencils and added some sky shading in between each of the rays and that helped to give the whole background a little more depth and detail while still being soft and muted behind the vellum.

I stamped my sentiment on a thin strip of paper (I had meant to keep this attached to the image and frame but forgot while I was cutting everything out..), then slid that underneath the kite and attached it to the frame.

The whole kitty frame is mounted up on foam tape to give it some fun dimension away from the sun ray background.  I did zero embellishing on this card.  I didn't even add shimmer pen!  As I looked at it, I liked the flat cleanness of it and I felt if I added any shimmer, it would be too much.  So I left it off, and I love it!

You still have a little time to enter our challenge at Sami Stamps - Add Pearls or Beads.  Just remember to use a Sami Stamps image!

I'd like to enter this card into the Cas(e) This Sketch challenge #169.


Thanks so much for visiting!  I hope you have a fabulous weekend! <3

Hey everyone!
We have a new challenge starting today at Tuesday Throwdown - Monochromatic!
This can be a super fun style if you can get the color scheme right.  Some colors done in monochromatic style, I feel, don't look good.  But if you can get all the shades right, it can be gorgeous!

Our awesome sponsor this week is MHK Designs and she has provided some awesome images for our team to use!

I decided to go with reds for my card because I wanted to use these gorgeous roses from the Stencil in the Roses set.  I started by trimming down a piece of SchoolHouse Red cardstock from Simon Says Stamp and using a chevron stencil over top.  Through the stencil I applied Unicorn White Pigment Ink from Hero Arts.  This helped keep the monochromatic theme going by just lightening up that red a little bit.

For the roses, I printed them off at a super light setting so that I could just barely see the shapes.  Then took a few Inktense pencils and watercolored them in.  But instead of using just water, I used the new Spectrum Noir Sparkle brush in clear!  Holy smokes!  So much sparkle!  I LOVE it!

I cut out the roses in a stitched circle with my Silhouette and them framed it with a scallop cut piece of vellum.  I used a sentiment from WPlus9's Fresh Cut Florals.

To finish it off, I added just a few dots of glossy accents around the card for some extra detail and shine.

I hope you will join us this week for this fun challenge! 

Thanks so much for stopping by! <3

Happy Friday!!
It's hard to believe that exactly one year ago today, Matthew and I were crossing the border into Washington on the final leg of our move back home.  That was such an emotional day.  I wanted to savor every second of that drive through Washington.  Smell the fresh air and memorize every hill and mountain on the horizon.

I remember when we finally made it to our best friends home, balling my eyes out as I embraced them in the biggest hug I think I've ever given.  One of the happiest days of my life.  I never thought that leaving Washington would end up being so hard...but we learned a lot about culture shock during our 4 years in Montreal, Quebec.  It left us depressed and alone for so long in a place that no one welcomed us to.

So walking through the doors of a friends house after so long without anyone was a huge sigh of relief.  A weight lifted off our shoulders and we finally felt comfortable and happy.  And surrounded by people that we love so much!  They kept us going.  Their love and support and connection kept us from throwing in the towel, and finally being able to thank them for all of that in person meant the world to us.

This last year has flown by, but I have loved every second of it.  Getting adjusted back to an active life has been a bit of struggle.  We got so used to life being just the two of us that now we have to figure out how to balance friends back into it.  But I wouldn't have it any other way!  I love being home and I love the people that have welcomed us back into their lives.

This weeks Sami Stamps release allowed me the perfect opportunity to make a card expressing how I felt about everyone here in WA.

My husband bought me the Seattle Skyline Die from Impress Cards last year for my birthday.  While I haven't necessarily used it much, it has been one of my prize possessions.  And I knew I had to use it with this card.

The kitty flying through the air was perfect for the feeling of this card since Matthew and I are the crazy cat couple.  And of course, Hero Arts has the perfect sentiments.  I used one from the April card kit that expressed exactly how I feel.  I am so thankful for everyone here both in person and on my blog!  Everyone's love and support is amazing.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
    AAA Cards #62-Anything Goes
    Cas(e) This Sketch #168
    Penny's Paper Crafty #273-Anything Goes
    Word Art Wednesday #226-Anything Goes

Thank you for everything!! <3

Happy Friday!
I wanted to share a quick little card with you today using an image from the most recent Sami Stamps release.  And I also wanted to let you know that I now have an Amazon Handmade shop open!!  I was so thrilled when they accepted my application!  Their platform is a lot different than what I'm used to with Etsy but I'm learning how to maneuver it a little at a time.  Go check it out!

So for today's card, I've used the Ladybug Carnation image.

I had a bit of a down week and really needed to find something to pull my spirits up.  So I printed off this gorgeous image a couple of times and played around with some coloring.  I took a few tips from Marika over at Me and Minime Crafting (you have to check her work out!  Holy smokes...blows me away!) and started coloring with a base layer of marker.  I played around with doing shading on some of the other images, but didn't like it as much as I wanted, so I left it off on this card.  Once I had the solid base layer down, I came in with my Spectrum Noir pencils and added all the detailing.

Coloring carnations can be a pain since they have so many ripples and folds in them...but Sami's image was super easy to put together and imagine where those folds would be.  I'm actually really loving how the flowers all turned out!  I didn't get the other cards completed yet, but I'll share them over on my Instagram page when I do.

To pull the card together, I took a piece of Slate Grey Simon Says cardstock and used a polka dot stencil over top with some white pigment ink.  Then shifted the stencil slightly and traced each dot with a glitter gel pen.  I cut out 3 banners in vellum and embossed my sentiment from the Hero Arts Year Round Sentiments set onto two of them.

I added foam tape to my image and mounted them all together onto my polka dot panel.  Then scattered a few clear droplets from Pretty Pink Posh around the design and it was done!!

Be sure to stop by Sami Stamps and join in our challenge to add pearls or beads!!  Just remember to use a Sami Stamps image!!

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
    CAS(E) This Sketch #167
    Lawnscaping Challenge-Beautiful Florals
    Simon Says Stamp Wednesday-Happy Birthday

Thanks so much for visiting!  Have a fabulous weekend! <3

Hello everyone!!
Today is a huge day for me.  Today I released my very first line of greeting cards!  This may not seem huge to some people, but this is something I have been working on for months.

The purpose of this was I wanted to have a line of cards that would stick around in my shop.  Something that I could replicate relatively easily and always have it available for purchase.  I love doing one of a kind cards, but those aren't always as appealing as a set of cards at a lower cost. 

The details of this release (which can be found on Etsy):
~There are 10 new designs!!
     ~5 of these designs are available as packs of 6
     ~5 of these designs are special occasion cards available for single card purchase, but can be    
          purchased in multiples if desired

~Each design has multiple color options for you to choose from!
     ~I tried to keep all the colors close to the same from card to card so there wasn't a huge difference
       in each one

~You have 6 basic sentiments to choose from!!!  This is perfect for your grab and go, or need a card  
   quick type of situation
     ~Sentiments available:
           ~Congrats!
           ~Get Well
           ~Happy Birthday
           ~Hello!
           ~Thank You
           ~Thinking of You

~All the cards are blank inside unless you want a custom sentiment added.  I do this so that you can write whatever you want without being limited on space

~Envelopes are always included

~The card packs are shipped in clear boxes within the shipping box to ensure they are protected while in transit, and you have something to keep them stored in until use.

This release was really spurred by one huge event for me though....
My application was accepted by Amazon Handmade!!!   I am still working on getting that shop set up, but in the next few days you will be able to purchase everything I just released on Amazon!  How cool is that!? 

And because of Amazon, Scrappy Sweet Creations is now an official business!!  I can't believe the huge steps forward this has taken, from just being something to keep me busy to my actual business!  I love my job! :)

This whole process of getting the business running to putting together the card line has been a huge undertaking for me.  It's something I've never really done before and it's been a lot of hard work figuring out the designs I wanted to release, making sure they had some sort of flow to them, and then putting physical products together so I knew what production time would be like and had something to photograph and post....it's been a good 3 months of working on this, but I'm so glad it all came together.

And I'm thankful to you...each and every one of you...for sticking by my side, showing your support and giving me the little boosts I needed to keep pushing forward.  I love you all!!

So, after all that are you ready to see the release??  I'm only going to show you a few cards...you have to go to my Etsy shop (or Amazon when that is set up) to see the full release!

I'm so excited!  And I hope with this greeting card release, you will see something you really want to have.  That's what I'm here for, to provide you with handmade greeting cards that are perfect for every situation.  Everyone loves to receive handmade cards and I hope that you will think of me when you need one :)

Thank you so much!!! <3

Happy Friday!!
I am so excited for today!  First off, we have a fabulous new release from Sami Stamps and the start of our new challenge to add Pearls or Beads to your projects.  Second off, I am finally releasing my greeting card line today!  It has been a long journey to get this line put together...a lot of stress and a few grey hairs.  But I'm so happy it's done!  Now I just need to get everything photographed and posted online!  Plus!!  I will be opening up my Amazon Handmade shop in the next few days as well!!  Woohoo!!  I was ecstatic when they accepted my application and now that I have this release completed, I feel comfortable opening that up!  I can't wait!  There will be another post and more details on everything once I get it all put together and loaded to my shops, so be sure to check back here in the next day or two so you don't miss out!!

But now, back to this gorgeous Sami Stamps release!  This one is call Ladybugs and Buds and is so perfect!  With all the flowers coming up, I can't wait for everything to bloom!  The weather here has been amazing which means lots of fun work in the yard!  That made putting this card together a breeze since there is so much inspiration around us now.

I have used the Ladybug Bud image for my card.  It's the absolute perfect image for simple cards.  It has the perfect sweetness and I just adore it.  I colored it in with my markers and layered it onto a piece of vellum.  Of course, I managed to smudge something on it in my haste...that always seems to happen.  But fortunately our challenge this month is to add pearls or beads to your projects.  So strategic placement of those pearls help cover up my boo-boo...and no one will ever know (except you..shh don't tell :) ).

I hope you will join us for our new challenge.  Be sure to check out this release at Sami Stamps!!

Thanks so much for visiting! <3