Altenew Year in Review Blog Hop + Giveaway!

Hey Guys!

I'm so excited today! Feeling very honored and humbled to be a part of the Year in Review blog hop with Altenew!

Before I share my favorite Altenew projects of the year, we need to take care of some very important business!

Altenew is giving away a $40 gift certificate to FIVE lucky winners! Please leave a comment on the Altenew Card Blog and Altenew Scrapbook Blog by 01/03/2018 for a chance to win. Five winners will be announced on the Altenew Card Blog and Altenew Scrapbook Blog on 01/06/2018.

Altenew is also allowing me to give away a $20 gift certificate to one, randomly selected winner, from the comment section below! How awesome is that?! 

And to celebrate the end of 2017 and welcome the new year, Altenew is also offering free shipping codes for a limited time! 

 

Just click on the photo above to shop and use the above codes from 12/22/2017 through 12/24/2017, for free shipping! Woo, hoo!

The blog hop starts here at the Altenew card blog and here at the Altenew scrapbook blog. 

Okay, let's get this party started! If you've been following along, you should've come from Hussena's blog, "Quill and Punch Works." To start at the beginning of the hop, click one of the Altenew links above.

I've got five cards to share with you, four of which I created earlier this year, and one extra I wanted to make, just for today. And if you know me at all, you'll understand why all five cards are florals. Altenew has the BEST floral images!

Products used are listed below in the affiliate links, at no extra cost to you.

First up is a card created with my all-time favorite Altenew set, "Beautiful Day."
 

I loved painting these gorgeous, white embossed images! I only used two Zig Markers for a watercolor look.

Next is a card using their, "Hibiscus Bouquet" stamp set.

This time I colored the images with Copic Markers. A few splatters add a fun element to the card.

My next card was created using Copic Markers again but this time with Altenew's, "Adore You" stamp set.

 So fun to color!

The fourth card is another one with the "Beautiful Day" set. 

I used Zig Markers on this one too. Love these colors!

Okay, last one. Yup, you guessed it! I just HAD TO pull out the "Beautiful Day" set and play with it again! I mean, come on - duh! I haven't used it since October! This time it's in purple shades. So yummy!

So, there ya have it! My favorite Altenew cards from 2017. I hope they've inspired you!

The next stop on the hop is, my talented friend, Dana!

Enjoy the rest of the hop, good luck in the giveaways and thanks so much for stopping by! ♥

 

Simon Says Stamp Friends/Valentine Release!

Hey guys!

There's another awesome, new release from Simon Says Stamp today! The wonderful month of DieCember continues!

This release is called, Friends and it's filled with so many fun products for friends and Valentine's Day! There are more Picture Book characters, a beautiful tree stamp, more fabulous dies and some really wonderful stamp sets too! 

I was sent some of the products to play with but they didn't arrive until today, so I haven't had the chance to play with them yet. I'll be sure to share my projects when I do, either here on my blog or over on my Instagram page.  I just ordered more from this release because I HAD TO HAVE some more of the products! I can't wait to receive those goodies!

Here's a look at the whole release. (Affiliate links used at no extra cost to you.)

  
I hope your holiday season is going well! I'm all finished shopping and just need to wrap some gifts - first time I've ever been finished this early - yay! Looking forward to relaxing the rest of the season!

Enjoy! ♥

 

COPIC MARKER SALE!!!

Hey guys!

There's an awesome sale going on over at Simon Says Stamp! All Copic products are 25% off!

Click on the photo to shop and hurry to get the colors you need before they sell out!

Have a great day and happy shopping! ♥

Affiliate link used at no extra cost to you.
 

Honey Bee Stamps 12 Designers of Christmas

Hey guys!

I was so honored and excited (not to mention, surprised) when I received an invitation from Lisa to be one of Honey Bee Stamps' 12 Designers of Christmas! Thank you, Lisa!

You can see my post over at the Honey Bee Stamps blog is here.
And there are giveaways too!
December 1 – 11 Honey Bee Stamps will give away a $25 Gift Certificate to one person who comments on that day’s blog post. December 12th they will give away a $100 Gift Certificate to one lucky commenter, so be sure to comment daily!

It didn't take me very long to decide what stamp set I wanted to use. I giggle every time I look at the adorable, Snow Birds stamp and die set, so needless to say, I had lots of fun playing with the cute images!

Products used are included in the affiliate links below this post, at no additional cost to you.
 

I mean seriously - look at that little, sledding bird! Isn't he the cutest?! I colored him, and his snowman pal, with Zig Markers. My background panel was created using Distress Oxide Ink in Salty Ocean. Splattering on some water and white Distress Paint is an easy way to create a snowy looking sky. I then just cut a hill out of white cardstock, added the die cut images and added them to the scene with dimensional adhesive.

For my second card, I wanted to pull out my Copic Markers and make a really bright and happy card.

Ha! Don't ya just love how bundled up they look in their hats and scarves?! After coloring them, I added white, gel pen dots for a fun and festive look. The background on this one is even easier - just used some pretty, blue glitter paper and another hill cut from white cardstock. At this time of year, with all the hustle, bustle and craziness, I am all for anything that makes creating cards easier and faster!

I hope my cards put a smile on your face today! Don't forget to stop by the Honey Bee Stamps blog again tomorrow for a new post showcasing another designer!

Thanks again to Lisa and everyone at Honey Bee Stamps, for including me in this fun, 12-day celebration! ♥

 

SSS DieCember Release Blog Hop!

Hey everyone!

Welcome to my blog! I'm excited to be a part of the Simon Says Stamp's DieCember release blog hop!

If you've arrived here from the talented Heather Hoffman's blog, Houses Built of Cards, you're in the right place. If you'd like to start at the beginning of the hop, head to Simon's blog here. It's a two-day hop, so be sure to visit Simon's blog again tomorrow for more fabulous inspiration!

PRIZES!!!
Simon will be giving away a $25 Gift Certificate for every stop on the hop from the blog comment sections! Yay! They'll randomly choose the winners over the weekend and will post them on their blog on Wednesday!

Products from the release, along with other supplies used on my cards, are listed below in the affiliate links, at no extra cost to you.

I was sent some really fun dies to play with and I actually used four of them on ONE card - **fist pump!** I'll share that one in a minute but first up is a card using the cute, Loop the Loop Border Die.

Every once in awhile, I like to change it up and create a square card - just for fun. I cut all the loops from white cardstock, then quickly colored them with different Copic markers. So easy to do! (You could definitely cut them from colored cardstock too.) Then I just adhered them, evenly spaced at an angle, to the card base, added the sentiment from an older Simon set and called it done. A simple, happy and bright birthday card.

My second card is very clean and simple too but I love it!

That is the wonderful, new, "Oh, Hello There" die! I used the inlaid die-cutting technique on Simon's Fog Cardstock and also cut around the panel with one of their, Stitched Rectangle dies. To finish it off, I added a few little hearts. 

Okay, here's the card I created using four of the new dies.

That, "Picture Book Secret Penguin" is soooo cute, isn't he? And you should recognize the Loop the Loop Border die from my first card above. Just another way to use it - it's so versatile! Another die I used on this card is the "Script Hello," which comes with both the word and outline. Love it! I also used one of the dies that comes in the, "Nested Talk Bubbles" die set. There are six different sizes of talk bubbles included in that set! Gonna be using those a lot!

Okay, that's it for me. Next up in the hop is my sweet, talented friend, Sarah at her blog, My Impressions.

Enjoy the rest of today's hop (and tomorrow's too!) Thanks for stopping by! ♥

New Release products:

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Other products used:

SSS Cyber Week Continues!

Hey guys!

I'm back today with a fun, new stamp set from Simon Says Stamp! They're celebrating cyber week with awesome surprises and today is no exception!

The sweet, new, Joy to the World stamp set is adorable and now available over in the SSS store. I couldn't wait to color these darling images with my Copics but I have to be honest. I first tried it with Zig Markers and for some reason, it turned out atrocious looking! Seriously, it was so bad! So, I decided to toss that one and start over and I like this one much better. Whew!

  
Needless to say, I had lots of fun making this card! The background was created using Distress Inks and paint splatters.

I hope you're all having a fabulous week, getting caught up with shopping, wrapping, decorating, baking and everything else that comes with this crazy time of year!

If you're interested in this adorable stamp set, I've added it, along with other supplies used on this card, in the affiliate links below, at no extra cost to you.

Thanks for the visit! ♥

More Fun With Stained Glass Greetings!

Hey guys!

I wanted to pop in and share a few more cards I've created recently with the, Stained Glass Greetings set from Simon Says Stamp. It is such a gorgeous stamp and die set and a must have for your holiday card making!

This particular set is out of stock at the moment but if you click, "notify me when back in stock," you'll get an email when they receive more. 

Products used are shared below in the affiliate links.

On this first card, I also used the Holiday Tree Medallion stencil, shading it with Tumbled Glass and Shaded Lilac. Love those colors for a pretty, soft effect!

I also used Distress Inks on my next card. After white embossing the sentiments, I gave the background a wash of color with Peacock Feathers and Cracked Pistachio. A few flicks of water plus flicks of white, watered-down paint gives it a more festive feel. And of course, so do the sequins!

This last one is my fave because I love to color with my Copics! The flowers are from last year's set, appropriately called, Poinsettias.

Such a fun technique cutting the sentiment directly into the image, then popping it up and using inlaid die-cutting. Love the effect!

Have you started creating your Christmas cards yet? I'm about a third of the way through and am already starting to panic! I may have to narrow down the list this year. :(

Have a fab week and thanks for stopping by! ♥

SSS Making Spirits Bright Blog Hop Release, Day 2!

Hey guys!

Welcome to my stop on the Simon Says Stamp, Making Spirits Bright, blog hop! 

If you've been following along the hop you should have arrived from Jessica Frost-Ballas' blog. Isn't she amazing?! And did you know this is day 2 of the hop? That's right! Day 1 was yesterday, so if you missed it, you can go to Simon's blog post here to catch up. If you'd like to start at the beginning of today's hop, click here.

You're FOR SURE gonna want to stop and comment on as many blogs along the hop as you can because Simon will be choosing one winner from the comments on each and every stop, to give away $25 gift cards! Whoop! They will announce the winners on their blog Tuesday, October 17.

This holiday release is so much fun! There's something for everyone, including adorable ghosts for halloween, wonderful sets for giving thanks and lots of fabulous products for the upcoming Christmas season! 

You can check out all the new products here, or click the individual images below my post, using the affiliate links.

I was sent some products to play with and boy, did I have fun doing just that!

This first card uses the inlaid die-cutting technique and only a tiny bit of Copic coloring. The, Needle Wreath die is really cute!

The "berries" were created by just dotting the color with a red Copic Marker. So easy and quick!

On my next card, I used the, Give Thanks stamp and die set.

I did some more quick, Copic coloring on these adorable images. And that beautiful scroll stamp comes in the set. You could also stamp that image twice, making a circular "frame" to showcase the pumpkin or even a Christmas tree image, which also comes in this versatile set! The scroll actually comes in a more curved shape but I stretched it out on my acrylic block, before stamping, so it would fit my design. Here's a close-up with the card front lifted.

 For my next card, I used the awesome, Christmas Trees die set. The possibilities with this die set are limitless too!

Lots of fun, inky goodness on this one, using distress inks. And can you see the soft pattern in the background? That was created using a new stencil set called, Frozen Fractals, which includes FOUR different stencils that are all gorgeous! The sentiment is from the, Give Thanks set.

Only two more - hang in there! I wanted to play a bit more with the, Frozen Fractals stencil set. I used all four stencils with Peacock Feathers Distress Ink. The sentiment is from an older SSS set.

Okay, last one. I love this gorgeous, new die, called, Holly Triptych. It's a small die, so I decided to cut it twice, flipping it around and lining it up. I like it but I wish I would've left the "frame" area white and the background blue. Oh, well, we live and learn, right? More quick Copic coloring and the sentiment is again from the Give Thanks set.

The next stop on the hop is the fabulous and talented, Heather Hoffman. You can find her blog hop post here.

Thanks so much for stopping by! ♥

Here are the individual links to the new release.

 
And here are some other products I used on my cards.

World Card Making Day With SSS!

Hey guys!

Happy World Cardmaking Day! I'm so exited to be joining Simon Says Stamp along with 18 other talented card makers from around the world, to celebrate this special day! I mean, it is "WORLD" Cardmaking Day, right?!

The wonderful folks at Simon asked the 19 of us if we'd like to help make this day even more fun for all of you, by sharing some cards we've made, to kick off World Card Making Day. They chose me to represent the USA and I am very humbled and so grateful! Thanks, Simon! You're the BEST!

They are also giving YOU an opportunity to link up a card through the Inlinkz on their blog post today, so you'll have a chance to win one of 10, $50 gift cards to the Simon store! They'll randomly select TEN winners - whoop! If chosen, you will also receive a copy of Scrapbook And Cards Today magazine! How awesome id that?! Click here for their blog post and to find the Inlinkz doohickey ← (that's a word, right?😄) and add your cards for a chance to win! 

Here is a list of the other ladies, from all different countries, sharing their creativity with you today. Go check them out - they are all so talented - you are sure to be inspired!

1. Australia - Gayatri Murali - https://handmadebyg3.com/

2. Belgium - Laura Sterckx - http://makingcardsisfun.com/2017/10/winter-wonderland-sequin-shaker.html

3. Canada - Sarah Moerman - http://sarahjmoerman.blogspot.com/2017/10/simon-says-stamp-world-cardmaking-day.html

4. China - Scarlet Liu https://paperlovercrafter.blogspot.com.au/?m=1

5. Colombia - Bibi Cameron - http://www.bibicameron.co.uk/2017/10/happy-world-card-making-day-with-mixed.html

6. England - Jo Nevill - http://bootsblogspot.blogspot.com/2017/10/world-cardmaking-day-2017.html

7. Germany - Maria Fischer - http://rieslingmama.blogspot.com/2017/10/happy-world-card-making-day.html

8. Greece - Vicky Papaioannou - http://www.clips-n-cuts.com/2017/10/world-cardmaking-day/

9. Italy - Barbara Schiassi - http://yayascrap.blogspot.com/2017/10/happy-world-cardmaking-day.html

10. Malta - Lorraine Aquilina - http://loraquilina.blogspot.com/2017/10/celebrating-world-card-making-day-with.html

11. Poland - Marzena Ziuziakowska - http://macarena-creativa.blogspot.com/2017/10/world-card-making-day.html

12. Russia - Svetlana Pavlova - http://svetlanaskrapit5.blogspot.ca/2017/10/world-card-making-day.html

13. Scotland - Debby Hughes - http://limedoodledesign.com/2017/10/watercoloured-plaid-for-world-card-making-day/

14. South Africa - Anna-Karin Evaldsson - http://layersofink.blogspot.com/2017/10/happy-world-cardmaking-day.html

15. South Korea - Marge Yoon - http://margecrafts.blogspot.com/2017/10/world-card-making-day-at-simon-says.html

16. Spain - Amanda Korotkova - http://www.littlecraftypill.com/2017/10/world-card-making-day.html

17. Switzerland - Isha Gupta - http://hobbyandideas.blogspot.ch/2017/10/happy-wcmd-merry-christmas.html

18. Ukraine - Svitlana Shayevich - http://craftwalks.com/2017/10/07/world-cardmaking-day/

19 USA - Barb Engler that's me! - https://bdengler4.blogspot.com/2017/10/world-card-making-day-with-sss.html

So, I dug through my Simon stamp sets and because I've always loved creating with flowers, I chose Simon's Winter Flowers stamp set.

I used Distress Inks to color the flowers and also to create the background - LOVE that Iced Spruce color for Christmas!

I white embossed the images before water coloring.

I also added some white splatters with a mix of water and Picket Fence Distress Paint and a couple of white dots with Ranger's liquid White Enamel Dots.

The sentiment is Simon's, Season's Greetings die set, which I cut from several pieces of white cardstock and glued together for more dimension. I love the way this card turned out!

I created another card for today too - one that is a bit more basic and simple but just as effective. I am really loving playing with my Distress Inks lately! Do you go through phases like that?

I always have so much fun creating backgrounds like this! Each one turns out different and unique. After white embossing the sentiment, all you do is press your Distress Ink pads onto a craft mat, spritz with water, then dab your panel into the mixture. Continue to add more color by dabbing over and over until you like the results. Adding water droplets and white splatters makes it even more beautiful. And that Merry Christmas stamp, in Kristina Werner's handwriting?! Gah! It is so beautiful and it's really all you need to create a gorgeous, simple and fairly quick card for Christmas.

Thanks so much for visiting me today! I hope you are all enjoying World Cardmaking Day and you find some time to be creative!

Affiliate links used below for your shopping convenience. 

Hugs! 💕