Wintery Good Watercolors + Sunny Studio Polar Friends

I'm "celebrating" the season with a look at a mix of wintery friends from the Polar Playmates and Playful Polar Bear stamp sets. Who am I kidding, is so not my favorite time of the year. On the upside though - this is my creative season. So I've decided to just go with it and create a wintery scene using some Sunny Studio Stamps. 

To create this card, begin with a strip of medium blue and darker blue adhered to the bottom of the card. A circle die cut of aqua cardstock was stamped with the Snow Flurries stamp to give it some movement and tie it into the theme. All of the whimsical images were watercolored with Zig Clean Color makers for a bright punch of color. They were adhered with pop dots for some added dimension. A few dew drops and the sentiment stamped in black and blue inks complete this card.

And that's it! Creating a snowy is scene is like therapy for this winter avoiding chick. At the very least - it's cute and I really love that.

SUPPLIES: Playful Polar Bears Stamp Set | Playful Polar Bears Steel Dies | Polar Playmates Stamp Set | Polar Playmates Steel Die | Snow Flurries Stamp Set

Neat & Tangled Release January Day 1 | A-mazing Stamp & Die

Hey there, welcome to the day two of the  January Neat and Tangled release. The first stamp set up is A-mazing! and it absolutely is. I especially love the coordinating steel die that finds it's way from here to there. 

To create this card I started with a white base and the A-mazing steel die. I traced the maze onto a second sheet of white cardstock to use as a guide for the enamel dots. The dots were used to create a path from "me" to "you" (the heart). The  sentiment was stamped on the die cut front and adhered to the white backing with foam tape to give it dimension.

Neat and Tangled will be giving away an A-mazing stamp set. To enter, leave a comment below to be entered. Tell me what you are most looking forward to this New Year to enter! Be sure to visit the Neat and Tangled blog on Friday for a list of winners. Good luck and thanks for stopping by!

Stamping a Wreath | Sunny Studio Holiday Style

Join me over on the Sunny Studio blog today for the advent calendar extravaganza hop. Here's a peek at the card I made using the Holiday Style Stamp Set and pigment ink. I have a full set of instructions and some more photos over on Sunny Studio. Hope to see you there!

​SUPPLIES | Holiday Style Stamp | Holiday Style Steel Dies | Christmas Chapel Stamp

Sunny Studios Gingerbread House

I'm wrapping up the Christmas card making for the season with one of my favorite sets from the Sunny Studio holiday release. This one is a dream to color. There are so many possibilities and color schemes for a village of gingerbread houses. 

I created a starry sky background with a splash of ombre watercolor using Distress Inks in Blueprint Sketch, Faded Jeans and Broken China. A splatter of water lends a twinkling sky effect that gives the background great depth. The gingerbread house was colored with Zig Clean Watercolor Pens for a bright splash of color. The smaller Christmas trees are from the Christmas Home Stamp set.  The title was stamped and embossed in white ink on a black background to give it some pop. Last, a shower of Christmas lollipops were added just beneath the starry sky to give the card some movement and color

This was such a fun card to create with some simple watercolor techniques. Check out the Jolly Gingerbread stamp and steel die set for your next round of Christmas cards!

SUPPLIES | Jolly Gingerbread Stamp Set | Jolly Gingerbread Steel Dies | Christmas Home Stamp Set

Watercolored Backgrounds + Sunny Studios Playful Polar Bears

Let's the holiday season begin! I'm up on the Sunny Studios blog today with the Playful Polar Bears stamp set. While it's not a traditional Christmas stamp set, I think the wintery feel and polar goodness of it reminds me of the season. Last week I created a very traditional holiday card, so let's try another twist and go in a completely different and colorful direction!

Hop on over to the Sunny Studios blog for more details and how-to's!

Neat and Tangled November Release | Bunny Slop and Stitched Slopes

Hey there, welcome to the day two of the November Neat and Tangled release. The last stamp set up is called Bunny Slope and it's full of good, wintery fun. I love this one for coloring! The new Stitched Slopes steel die is also a favorite.

To create this card I started with the Stitched Slopes steel die and shades of blue cardstock. Layering them over the background with an ombre effect gives the card a cool feel and is the perfect backdrop for the bunny. The stamped images from Bunny Slope were watercolored with Peerless Watercolors and tucked in between the layers of cardstock. A few sequins lead the eye right up to that sentiment stamped in black.

Neat and Tangled will be giving away a Bunny Slope stamp set. To enter, leave a comment below to be entered. Visit the Neat and Tangled blog on Friday for a list of winners. Good luck and thanks for stopping by!

Neat and Tangled November Release | Radiating Star Stencil

Hey there, welcome to the day three of the November Neat and Tangled release. The next stamp set up is called Joyful Sentiments and it's full of beautiful script font sentiments. I love the variety and they make a perfect compliment to the new Radiating Star Stencil.

To create this card I started with a plain white base so that the stenciled image would really show up. A little ink blending starting with a vibrant blue, gradient purple and magenta give the card a beautiful wash of color. The Joyful Sentiment stamped was used to add some words in black ink. A final sprinkle of purple sequins finishes off the card.

Neat and Tangled will be giving away a Joyful Sentiments stamp set. To enter, leave a comment below to be entered. Visit the Neat and Tangled blog on Friday for a list of winners. Good luck and thanks for stopping by!

Neat and Tangled November Release | It's a Christmas Pageant!

Hey there, welcome to the day two of the November Neat and Tangled release. The next stamp set up is called Christmas Pageant and it's my absolute favorite of this month's release.  Kids in costumes get me every time. I love to color images like these - it makes me happy!

To create this card I started with a plain white base so that my stamped images could really shine. Each of the little people were watercolored using Distress Inks and cut out using the Christmas Pageant Steel Die. Next, I stacked them in the shape of a Christmas tree with the star on top. The sentiment was embossed in white on red cardstock and placed at the bottom of the card to ground the design. A sprinkle of stamped snowflakes cover the blank spots and give it a wintery feel.

Neat and Tangled will be giving away a Christmas Pageant stamp set. To enter, leave a comment below to be entered. Tell me if which of the Christmas Pageant kids is your favorite to enter. Visit the Neat and Tangled blog on Friday for a list of winners. Good luck and thanks for stopping by!

Neat and Tangled November Release | Wishing You Love!

Hey there, welcome to the first day of the November Neat and Tangled release. The first stamp set up is called Wishing you Love and it's all about Christmas and sentiments.  I love all of the different \ possibilities included in this set. Icons and scripty text make it a perfect set for the holidays!

To create this card I used an ink blending technique and the new Tree Duo Stencils to create a colorful border at the bottom of the card. The Wishing You Love sentiment was embossed in red for a bold splash of color. A few sequins from the Snowfall Mix were sprinkled across the front of the design. This is a quick and simple card full of handmade goodness!

Neat and Tangled will be giving away a Wishing You Love stamp set. To enter, leave a comment below to be entered. Tell me if you prefer a real or fake tree (it's a great debate!)  to enter. I'm curious to see how we tally up. Visit the Neat and Tangled blog on Friday for a list of winners. Good luck and thanks for stopping by!

  

Magical Goodness + Studio Calico's Starlight

I love all things Disney. That's pretty obvious if you take a closer look around here. It's a place that we travel to almost every year and I have so many photos and memories from this magical place. I love that Studio Calico's Starlight kit was perfect for some of those stories. Let me share a few.

This one from Disney California. And yes, I realize I misspelled California - a nice little dose of humility for this spelling snob is what that is. Unfortunately, it was all filmed and posted before I noticed so it's here to stay! As a consolation, there is a video on how it all came together (misspelling and all):

Next, we have a project life page with some Magic Kingdom photos that I love from a few years ago:

And then there's this one from Disney's Typhoon Lagoon park. My favorite waterpark of all time!

And then there's this little oddball. I used the Fall Document add on to document these photos from the pumpkin patch last year. I have to get in at least a little bit of the current season in there!

These were all my project for the Studio Calico gallery this month. Mostly magical, with a side of fall goodness! Thanks for stopping by.

Neat & Tangled Final Reveal Day | Fa La La Lama

Hey there, welcome to the final day of the October Neat and Tangled release. Today we have the cute Fa La Llama stamp and steel die set along with the circles background die! This one is all about a funny pun and a very different spin on a holiday card.

I used the Neat and Tangled Circles Steel Die to set the background of the card. I then filled in each hole with bits of brightly colored cardstock. The cute llama from the Fa La La stamp set was watercolored with Distress Inks and placed in the center of the card. The final touch is the pun - my favorite part!

Neat and Tangled will be giving away a Hello Winter stamp set. To enter, leave a comment below to be entered. Tell me what's your favorite stamp from this release was. Visit the Neat and Tangled blog on Friday for a list of winners. Best of luck and thanks for stopping by.

Neat & Tangled Release Day 3 | Hello Winter

Hey there, welcome to the third day of the October Neat and Tangled release. Today we have the Hello Winter stamp and steel die set along with the large background stamp! This one is all about whimsical winter and bold color.

I used the Neat and Tangled Hellow Winter stamp set to stamp a sentiment in shades of blue right in the center of the card. The large blocks of color were created with the background stamp and the same shades of blue. The steel die was used to cut the title in teal and cobalt. Finally, a few enamel dots were used to add some texture.

Neat and Tangled will be giving away a Hello Winter stamp set. To enter, leave a comment below to be entered. Tell me what's your favorite thing about the winter season is! Visit the Neat and Tangled blog on Friday for a list of winners. Best of luck and thanks for stopping by.

Sunny Studios + Decorating your Christmas Mantle

It's that time of the year again when we start planning out holiday cards! Christmas is my favorite season to send handmade cheer to those I love.  Let's take a closer look at the Fireplace Shaped Steel Die Set. 

​

I created this card starting with a white fireplace background. This gave me a nice, clean slate to work on. To decorate, I began with the inside of fire pit and created a bold, colorful look with "bricks" in aqua tones and gray. Next, I stamped the sentiment in the upper right hand corner of the mantle. The flames and logs were layered in the center of the fire pit and give the card a touch of warmth. A few red stocking were hung with care, some with candy cane treats and an enamel heart. A sprig of holly stamped from the Christmas Icons set finishes off the card.

Decorating mantles of all different types is a fun way to use the Fireplace Shaped Steel Die Set. You can go with traditional red bricks or give it a playful aqua twist - customization is endless here!

​

SUPPLIES:  Fireplace Shaped Steel Dies | Christmas Icons Stamp Set | Playful Polar Bears Stamp Set

Neat & Tangled Release Day Two | Holiday Truck Steel Dies

Hey there, welcome to day two of the October Neat and Tangled release. Today we have the large Truck Steel Die Cut. This is an extended die and requires long plates. It creates the cutest little trucks that can hold candy, small toys and holiday notes. 

It creates the cutest little trucks that can hold candy, small toys and holiday notes. 

Here's an example of a small white truck I created using the die. I stamped it with a subtle blue snowflake print and a sentiment right on the truck. The Neat and Tangled Get Yeti stamp set was used to create two little snow friends peeking out of the window. This is a simple, fun Christmas project perfect for all of your holidays needs!

Neat and Tangled will be giving away a Truck Steel Die set. To enter, leave a comment below to be entered. Tell me what's your favorite holiday treat is. Visit the Neat and Tangled blog on Friday for a list of all of the winners. Good luck and thanks for stopping by!

Neat & Tangled October Release Day 1 | Get Yeti for Christmas!

Hey there, welcome to the first day of the October Neat and Tangled release. The first stamp set up is called Get Yeti and it's all about whimsical winter and Christmas.  I love all of the different scene possibilities included in this set. Icons likes these that are easy and fun to color are my favorites.

I used the Neat and Tangled Get Yeti stamp set to create this fun Christmas themed card. The base of the card was created by blending Distress Inks in Peacock Feathers, Tumbled Glass and Squeezed Lemonade. There's a bit of green where the yellow overlapped with the blue. Next, a scene was created with a giant yeti peeking from behind purple mountains at this wintery scene. The stamped icons were all watercolored using Distress Ink. A christmas sentiment stamped in black at the bottom of the card and a sprinkle of clear sequins mimicking snow complete the card.

Neat and Tangled will be giving away a Get Yeti stamp set. To enter, leave a comment below to be entered. Tell me what's your favorite watercolor brand is. Visit the Neat and Tangled blog on Friday for a list of winners. Good luck and thanks for stopping by!