essentials by ellen: mix it up challenge with paper smooches

It's been a loooong time since I crafted and entered a challenge, but I'm really hoping to get my groove back.  Here's a card I put together for the Essentials by Ellen Mix It Up Challenge.  This challenge has us mixing Essentials by Ellen and Paper Smooches products.

Thank you for taking a look!

Supplies:

Dies: Essentials by Ellen Wild Garden; Paper Smooches Get Well Phrase

essentials by ellen july mix it up challenge: paper smooches

I had a lot of fun with this card, which I made for the Essentials by Ellen July Mix it Up Challenge with Paper Smooches.  This card is so me...It's so old school:)

For some inspiration, I was actually listening to 80s music while painting these cassette tapes.  Here are some other layouts I tried out.

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:
Stamps: Paper Smooches Beboppin'
Dies: Essentials by Ellen Zipper Panel Die
Inks: Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolors; Ranger Archival (jet black)
Other: sequins

so cool...

I'm home in California where its warm enough to wear short sleeves.  Meanwhile, my friends on the east coast are dealing with a snow storm.  Hoping that they're all safe and warm...I think they're fine, especially since I saw a bunch of Facebook photos of enjoying a snow day:)  This card will be submitted to the Paper Smooches SPARKS Anything Goes challenge, and is completely and totally  inspired by Paper Smooches Design Team member Pamela Ho's card, seen here.

I think I'd have to spend endless years at the craft table to develop the skills, precision, and style that Pamela has.  She's crazy talented! I made my own mask to make two little notches to serve as talk bubble stems.  I love how Pamela flipped the sky and land so that white space is available for the talk bubble sentiment. When I did the same, the little critters were able to have a nice convo.  Brrr-fect and so cool!

That's it!  Thanks for stopping by:)

Supplies:
Stamps: Paper Smooches Chilly Chums
Inks: Memento (tuxedo black); Tim Holtz (peacock feathers)
Other: patterned paper

a card for my dad - love

This card is for my dad.

When I was home visiting my family over the summer I taught my parents how to text, take photos, and send photos via text using their new phones.  Dad will now occasionally text me photos of what he and my mom are eating for dinner, which is cute an all, but hello?!? For someone who misses a home-cooked meal, that's just mean:(  But, I love it...



My dad sent me a funny text message this morning, so as I made this card, I was a little giggly.
It's blue and gold, the color of my alma mater.  When my dad knows that I'm coming over to the house, he wears one of the many Cal (Berkeley) shirts I've given him over the years (Go Bears!).  One time, I came home unexpectedly, and I noticed my dad go into his bedroom to change his shirt.  He came out rockin' the blue and gold.  I mean really, is that love or what?!





I'm submitting this card to the Paper Smooches SPARKS Challenge.  In this week's Trend Watch Challenge, we were asked to use flowers as the focal point.  Flowers work perfectly for a card for my dad, since he's been all about gardening these days.  He has a beautiful rose garden in the front yard, and all sorts of fruits and veggies in the back...calamansi, tomatoes, peppers, oranges, and his  favorite -- a bunch of bittermelon that he planted in a narrow strip of dirt at the side of the house.  For my card, I actually tried to mimic the way the vines climb up the stakes and wire.  See it here...



And, here's the text message that put a smile on my face.

I'm quite sure my dad knows how to spell Jose, but "hosey" is just awesome.  Thanks, Dad!  And, thanks for the fun challenge, Paper Smooches!

Supplies:
Stamps: Paper Smooches Spring Fling
Dies: Paper Smooches Love Word Die
Inks: Memento (tuxedo black); Stampin' Up (certainly celery); Versamark (champagne); Delicata (golden glitz); Copic markers
Other: gold embossing powder

paper smooches - anything goes

I'm feeling thankful today, plus I have a case of the giggles.

First, I'm thankful that I was chosen as a featured player in Paper Smooches Picture Perfect challenge last week (yay!  Here's my entry).  Second, I'm thankful to have wonderful friends, many of which I reconnected with last night at my 20 year high school reunion.  I was anxious about going -- really worried about fitting in, having something to talk about, how I looked....and because I've been blessed with such great friends I quickly realized I had nothing to worry about.  I was welcomed with open arms and lots of hugs.  And wow, the room was full of love and laughter.

For the Paper Smooches SPARKS challenge this week, where anything goes, I created this.  It reflects how I'm feeling and I hoped to capture the spirit of last night's reunion.

To friendship and laughter.  Cheers!

Supplies:

Stamps: Paper Smooches Flap Happy and Spring Fling

Inks: Copic markers; Memento (black tuxedo)

Dies: Paper Smooches Butterflies 1 and Butterflies 3

enjoy this day

Usually I need to have someone in mind when I'm making a card so that I have some inspiration, but today I was inspired by the photo in the Paper Smooches Picture Perfect Challenge and decided to play along.

My brother, sister, and I tried several times to take pictures like this in Hawaii, where someone is holding up the sun, but we never got one that turned out like this...

Very cool.  So, I decided to use the colors and shape to make this...

I did some masking so that I could make the little bird on the right have an eyes-closed blissful expression.  So stinkin' cute!

Thanks to Paper Smooches for such a fun challenge!

                                                         

Supplies: 

Stamps: Paper Smooches Spring Fling and Flap Happy

Inks: Copic markers; Ranger Distress Ink (spiced marmalade, wild honey); Memento (tuxedo black)

Dies: Simon Says Stamp mini hearts set

a simple hello

This is my first time joining a Paper Smooches SPARKS Challenge, and I must say, I am really pleased with how this turned out.

I have been very behind in making and sending out thank you cards to a group of close friends who threw a surprise dinner for me last month.  They were all in my head and heart as I was making this card, and the process was pretty funny.  I die-cut a bunch of butterflies in flashy colors (hot pink, fluorescent orange, very 80s), thinking that they would spring off the little dotted lines, and right when I had the yellow butterfly land on the "h", I moved the rest of the little critters away with a gentle sweep of my hand.  That moment when a butterfly lands on a flower and all feels right in the world...that's how I felt when I had a celebratory surprise dinner with my friends.

Supplies:
Stamps: Paper Smooches Flap Happy
Dies: Paper Smooches Butterflies 3
Inks: Stampin' Up (daffodil delight, sahara sand, coastal cabana); Memento (tuxedo black)