clair087

Our neighbors are embarking on a long-awaited adventure. While making this little card for them, it got me thinking about the many ways we travel through life. We are not meant to be static or still, we are meant to move forward and be ever-changing. Where with each new step, comes a new adventure, a new learning opportunity or a new outlook. Even when the journey is not pleasant, remembering that the true purpose of every step is growth, is often all it takes to being able to ride out the bumps and focus on the view ahead. And if all else fails, at the very least, take away a meaningful lesson ;) More often than not, each journey is the exact path we need to be on at that very moment, and if we look closely enough, we can see the opportunity that lies within. To start this teeny card, I used a duo of patterns, both colorful and joyous, and a sweet little die-cut doily, using PTI's Parisian Lace Doily  and Pink Paislee's Turn the Page paper . The wee caravans are from American ...

Hello! Popping in quickly to share a little card for my wonderful dentist and his very special team of people who have been taking care of my smile for many years. From the first visit, to each subsequent one, I've had nothing but wonderful experiences. Aside from all of the laughs and an abundance of humor, my dentist is incredibly compassionate, knowledgeable and very skilled. His utmost goal is the comfort and joy of his patients and it really shows. You know you've got one splendid team when you can't wait for your next visit! There are no words that can capture the sheer gratitude I feel for all the wonderful care I've received over the years, but today's card is tiny way of saying thanks. To start this card, I used a few layers of patterned papers to create a soft, but colorful background. I know bicycles have nothing to do with teeth, except that they're fun, whimsical and usually make people smile! Just below the patterned papers, I added a velvet ribbo...

I've been loving making my own patterns lately. It's such an easy thing to reach for - a pad, some watercolors, maybe a stamp...Late at night when my creativity is not particularly thriving, or if I'm having one of those days, I can still whip up something fun, with little to no effort. And it's wonderful to be able to use these bits later in my cards. Today I'm sharing three cards created with the stamped and colored paper I made recently (shown below). This little card made the journey to a faraway place recently, and I hope it brought lots of sunshine and happy vibes to our dear friends, who bring so much of that to our lives. To start this card, I watercolored a soft aqua center, followed by stamped triangles from PTI's Southwestern Style stamps in  Green Parakeet ink . I used PTI's Scene It: Celebration die to cut out the circle banner frame. Of course, I kept the negatives, which made for a couple more fun cards (below). To the top of the card, I adde...

Happy hump-day! Glad you're here today.  I've been thinking a lot about picnics lately. There is something so idyllic about gabbing a blanket and a large basket, stuffed with foodie delights, setting out for an adventure full of sunshine, fresh air, and beautiful scenery...The weather has been perfect for setting out on an adventure as such, so my mind often wanders to daydreaming and planning.  Meanwhile,  in my craft space, I'm inspired nostalgic picnics of years past,   and today's card is a tribute to those sweet Summer days...The many layers, textures and colors, remind me of a pretty patchwork of quilt blankets, Summertime table linens and pretty floral Summer dresses...The doilies are always a reminder of a simpler time, and moments taken to enjoy the homemade. Whether it be a mason jar filled with preserves, or dainties scattered about a doily-lined platter. I'm very keen on setting aside time in our calendar to enjoy this favorite family tradition in th...

Hi Friends! Today's tag is inspired by moving to new places and exploring new faces and wishing lots of happiness upon those who do. We feel like we won the neighborhood lottery, and love how much these beautiful, warm days bring out life on our cozy little streets. It's always fun to watch the yards transform, the neighbors reconnect. Despite all the ongoing work and hectic Spring to-do lists, it's my favorite time year because everything seems to awaken! Love seeing kids playing out in the street once again, and neighbors enjoying their front porches, catching up since our long hibernation, or meeting for the first time.  Really feeling the neighborhood vibes and feeling so grateful that we live on such a great little street. To start this tag, I used Rustic White cardstock and PTI's Tag Sale: Quilted die , cutting off the bottom and adding an oval bottom, cut with To the Point Edgers 2 , out of Rustic Cream cardstock .  At the top of the tag, I added some yellow rib...

Melissa is sharing the loveliest card over on the PTI blog, using an ink-blending-on-cardstock technique . It's so darling, and I simply couldn't pass up this sweet challenge. I've been meaning to create a few sets of cards, and this was the perfect technique to use. It's quick, simple, and really pairs well with heat embossing. Doesn't it just make the white details pop that much more? For all of the cards, I started with a colored cardstock. I gathered a variety of colors: pink, orange, yellow and red. I used PTI's Basic Bookmark 3 die ,  to cut out the beautiful shape. On each cardstock bit, I stamped and heat embossed a beautiful butterfly and sentiment, stamped with PTI's What the Doodle: Butterfly Mini stamp set . I used Versamark ink and Ranger's Fine Detail embossing powder . I used Melissa's ink blending technique to blend some ink around the center of each butterfly, and to add little accent flowers around the focal image. I used ink that ...

Happy Sunday, Friends! I hope you've all enjoyed your weekend immensely!   I have a jam-packed post lined up today, with five colorful cards - some inspired by challenges, others to showcase some new favorite products. It's been so fun playing with these colorful tones, and the pops of black throughout.  And all the yummy texture... :) To start the post off I'm sharing two cards that I'm entering into  Papertrey's Spot Color Words challenge  and  Papertrey's Transformation Tuesday challenge . First up, for Betsy's awesome Make it Monday Spot Color Word challenge , I am sharing this pastel card. I love this super simple and fun technique! I changed mine up a tad by adding some dimension to the letters and to the rest of the card, but I still followed the general idea (of localized color on a word die).  To learn how to do this, check out Betsy's awesome video  here .    To start this card, I stamped Rustic Wreath and Peonies on Parade s...