Beach Life ....... Salt Life

Sunny beach weather is back after Hurricane Dorian.  Did anyone notice that the hurricane was never referred to as "he" or "she".  Hummm...

Anyhow, I'm slowly returning to card making.  So many of yal out there have way surpassed me on the new and improved techniques, machines and gadgets.  WOW!  My goal is just to be able to make cards to send to family and friends.  OK...a challenge now and then would be fun.

You need to stop by Little Card Maker.  We have been team members on several blogs, but she continued when I stopped.  She has continued to be my inspiration until I could open my boxes and find for my inspiration.

I bought this simple little beach die from Aliexpress.  I made the words "Salt Life" on my endearing Cameo.

Cards for size A2.  I just realized I have not added a watermark.  I added puff tape for dimension and extra texture by stitching the edges.  The cloud is a punch.  The seagull is a die.

Sail Away !!!

As a child, my brother and I would play in the old wooden rowboat in the creek across from the beach house.  We weren't REALLY allowed to "row anywhere", but in our minds, we traveled far and had many adventures.

This image Sail Away from Paper Creator's reminded me of those days of old so it was only fitting I made this card and send to my brother who's now retired and lives at that very same beach.  I hope it makes him smile.

Join the fun monthly challenge #53 at Paper Creator's Crafts.  Theme: Anything Goes!  If by chance you want to purchase an image use "CELY" to get 20% off in the coupon code area.  So many pieces comes with one image along with papers, designs and pre-colored images.

oars and shells are dimensional using pop-ups
jute and metal wheel charm

I made this 5x7 but can be changed since it is digital.

My Happy Place (2nd posting today)

Ok...I don't want to bore you, so you can just skip this post if you don't want to see an awesome video my friend Christian (using his fantastic drone) and I put together when I was at the beach a few days before Hurricane Matthew. I invited him down along with my friend Laura.  We had a great time with my brother and his wife.  Anyhooooo, I think it turned out beautifully and makes me smile and homesick for the beach.  (You can see me waving as the drone passes over...haha).

Seeing this on a huge TV screen is wonderful.  Clicking on FULL SCREEN at bottom right corner helps too.

Thank you Christian for all your help and patience...haha

"Bacon" in the sun

Something went weird with linking to QKR's challenge last week...I hope it doesn't happen this week...haha  Yup, I'm joining QKR Stampede Challenge #205.  The theme: shaped card (not square, rectangle, or plain circle)

I think digi16913 Stacked Pigs is a hoot, yet I had not used it until today. I merged a sun, the sentiment from Bugaboo Stamps, and the pig image in Design Studio, made a slight outside border, welded and cut into a shaped card.  I added gold Wink of Stella to the sun.

A2, coloring in PS and copics, glitter on sun, welded all and cut

ok...only did 3 instead of 4

You can't fake fabulous

Just a simple, fun card using an image of Mitzi Duck that has been sitting on my craft table.  Nothing fancy, just fun...haha

I made sun background in studio, doubled one image and then reversed it so the girls look like BFFs.

A2, starfish, metal brad, onion bag scrap, Wink of Stella on hat

Inner Tube Birdbrain Slider Card

OK...I'm back for quite a while now.  The beach was wonderful! YES...the beach is my "Happy Place".

I love Faith's From the Heart Stamp Inner Tube Birdbrain, so I bought it and ran all the way into my craft room to make a card.  Well, you know me, I made 4.  This card is SO ME!!! I was inspired by Donna's Indiana Inking card.

I'm joining From the Heart Stamp Challenge #160.  You can use the sketch and/or use blue and water.  To get the effect I wanted, I chose the blue and water. Cut It Up is also having an awesome challenge: Summertime Memories...well, you know that's ALL ME!

A2, sun punch, LAwn Fawn Hillside Border dies, cut image using Cameo, pop-ups for dimension, wink of Stella on drink and eyelids, copics for color

Sketch or Twist to follow at FTHS

Other Challenges:

Cut It Up #102 : Summertime Memories

From the Heart Stamps #160: Sketch or blue/water

Best Fishes

Yes, my time blogging lately has been sporadic at best.  My craft room was out of control, so I took a week off to clean.  I'm halfway there, but found a good place to stop and do a quick card.  The card is a total "case" from Jennifer McQuire.  I find it hard to jump back into creating after being away for too long.

I used Fintastic Friends set from Lawn Fawn.  I used the dies along with copics, and pop-ups for dimension.

I've enjoyed checking my emails and catching up on so many blogs I loved to follow for smiles and inspiration.  Unfortunately, I haven't been leaving comments, but will try to catch up.  I know the time and love that goes into a card and I personally know that comments left "goes a long way" for encouragement.  So....I'm going to do better.

A2, embossing powder, think black pen, white pen

Headed to the beach (2nd post)

...well, in the near future!  I used this adorable From the Heart Stamps Spectacular Birdbrain last week and made several cut-outs, coloring each a little different.  I'm sooo into "beach mode" so I'm continuing with the theme but using one of the images to play along in the FTHS Challenge #155 with a twist.  I'm following the twist: a circle card.

I'm also entering Cut It Up Challenge #98. The theme is "sun & surf", but be sure to use a die.  Plenty of those here...wading birds, starfish, homemade beach fence, circle cut, glasses and cutting out the image...oops, let's not forget the clouds...haha

5" circle card.  I used pop-ups for dimension on clouds, bird and sunglasses.  Pop-up sunglasses will be removed for mailing but will easily re-stick once taken out of envelop.

I'm doing "twist" - circle card

You're Spectacular

I struggled with this card....only because my heart wasn't in it.  Still missing our Boo.  If anything was going to cheer me up, then it would have to be working with a From the Heart image and entering into some favorite challenges.  This is Spectacular Birdbrain by From the Heart Stamps.  I'm following the Challenge sketch #153 and twist (fussy cut image).  I'm also joining in on Cut It Up Challenge #97: any sketch and use a die cut....in this case, the sunglasses for the cut.

A2 horizontal, wink of Stella, copics, homemade dots, pop-ups for dimension, circle punches, Silhouette Cameo

From the Heart Sketch

Elmo ready to swim

I cased Evelyn at My Little Craft Blog (Cut It Up).....her card was just too cute to not pass up and case.  My first grand child is now getting old enough to enjoy cards, especially Sesame Street and the Mickey Mouse gang.

I must share an event on Mother's Day.  Mary Hannah, now 2.75 years, handed me my Mother's Day card from her and brother Wyatt.  She pointed out all the characters on the card...Mickey Mouse, Minnie, Daisy, Pluto, etc.  When it was time for her to leave, she took my card off the table to take home with her.  She said she loved them so much, she just couldn't leave them!  So off she went with my Mother's Day card.  "Talking about the thought that counts"...because that's the only thing I was left with...the thoughts and memory of the card..haha

A2, Sesame Street Seasons cartridge
Fiskar wave border punch
Lawn Fawn alphabet 

Beach shadow box

Bought this beach theme shadow box from Lori Whitlock at the Silhouette Store. ( I got the idea from Deloris at Stamping at the Lake.) Gosh...$1  It folds flat for shipping and doesn't need any extra stamps.  I reduced the size in order to use an A2 envelop.  My brother and SIL sent me a picture of where it sits in their kitchen.  They now lived permanently at Pawley's Island, SC (AND, I can go visit and stay as long as I want...yippee!)

A2, folds flat for mailing

Sitting in one of the kitchen cubbies at the beachhouse

Materials:

Silhouette Store - Shadow Box (Lori Whitlock) she made video to help with instructions

Impression Obsession - seashells and egret

Life is Good

I hunger for the beach...I see it in the near future!  I just bought this adirondack chair die from Elizabeth Craft.  I ripped the packaging open and away I went.  I made 4 cards with some slight differences.  (I like the fence one better only because that what you will see at our SC beaches. )I see a big future for this chair for all seasons.  You may get tired of seeing it.  HaHa

Please forgive me, but one of you sent me this awesome stamp that I used on the inside of the card.  I said I would never forget, and yet I have.  I will blame it on aging along with the drugs for back surgery and pain of the broke knee...haha  ANYHOOO..if it was you who gave me this, PLEASE let me know so I can tell everyone.

A2, my beach fence I made

A2, CAS, outside of card

Inside

A2, different version of inside

Materials:

Elizabeth Craft - Adirondack chair, crab, palm trees

Lawn Fawn - sand pale and shovel stamp and die and stamp on outside

Impression Obsession - starfish die

Fiskar - waves

Get Your Tail To The Beach

This leg brace is keeping me from traveling, but the moment I'm free, I'm off to the beach.

A friend saw a card at a store and asked me to do my version for her.  I made this CAS and made 8 of these cards....4 for me and 4 for my friend.  This is the first card I made since November.  All of this was designed in Silhouette Studio, except for the Fiskar wave die.

A2, pop-up dots for dimension

Circle Sea and Shell Shaker Card

....try saying that 5 times quickly...haha

I've been playing with my new tool, the We R Memories Photo Sleeve Fuse.  My seal-a-meal machine worked fine, but for intricate shapes and curves, it wouldn't work.  This is very easy to work with and I have plenty of old photo sleeve pages..so yippee!

I used Seahorse Habitat set from Doodle Pantry.  I cut out the seahorse using my Silhouette Cameo.  I used all types of sequins.  Next time I want to use real sand.

Doodle Pantry continues with the Ants In the Pantry Digital Challenge #7 and has a 30% sale in the store (with some exclusions).

%" circle, Lil Inker Stitched Circles, IO Seashells

You brighten my life

Gosh....I made 4 of these cuties, but I need more for so many friends and cyber friends.

I cased Wings of a Butterfly-Vanessa using Lawn Fawn Jelly Star Clear Stamp Set. (Still trying to get mojo back so casing really helps.) The sentiment is from Life's a Beach by Lawn Fawn. A little distressed ink, dots of water, pop-ups for dimension and I'm ready to send them out. Oh...white highlight pen and Wink of Stella.

A2, lil linker stitched rectangles

front view

Float Yer Goat tab slider card

This image always makes me giggle.  I used Float Yer Goat file by Doodle Pantry.  I'm just now doing my 1st slider card while everyone else has been doing them for years.

I'm flying (with my youngest son) to Denver on July 23rd.  My wonderful oldest brother, who has been healthy as an ox/horse, developed a rapid ALS. I'm going to visit, just sit with him, feed him anything he can/wants to eat.  He loves my grits and homemade peach cobbler.  I'll squish it up and see if he can eat it.  Anyway, anyone have any ideas that are cheap to get from the airport to my hotel in Denver?  The airport rental cars are $620 for the 6 days I'm there.  I'm hoping the hotel can pick me up...we'll see.  But I'm open for suggestions!!!

Doodle Pantry continues with the Ants In the Pantry Digital Challenge #7 and has a 30% sale in the store (with some exclusions).

A2, Spring Shower die set by Lawn Fawn, 1" circle punch, Fiskars wave border punch, Cameo to cut image, pop-ups for dimension, Lawn Fawn Alphabet sets

card opened

Seahorse Habitat

I hope I'm at the beach when this is posted.  Seahorse Habitat set is a Doodle Pantry June release. Our Ants in the Pantry Challenge #6 continues...join us!

CAS.  I added an extra layer on the gold seahorse and scallop for added dimension. I'm entering my card in the Die Cutting Diva's Challenge #219 - National Aquarium Month.

A2, Lawn Fawn Hillside border die, SVGCUTS seaweed svg,  MB large bubbles die

pop-ups for dimension, starfish metal brad, Cameo to cut

by the sea.....card in a box

Yup, I yearn for the coast!  I plan on a trip by the end of this week.  Hubby will stay home and tend the house and puppies.  The first of June is "girls beach time"...a tradition I will continue to follow even with my husband retiring.  He'll probably enjoy the peace and quiet of me being away...haha

June 1 at Doodle Pantry means a new Ants in the Pantry Challenge..#6.  There will be some new releases on June 5 so "stay tuned". Enter the challenge for a chance to win a $GC and more if you use a Doodle Pantry image (not just a sentiment).

A2, IO shore bird die, Lil Inker stitched rectangle die

cloud punch, sun punch, acetate sheets

I used items from Doodle Pantry Mini Summer Trio, Doodle Pantry Flip Flops, and DP Smooth Sailing

You're So Sweet

Ahhh...the days of my youth remembering sticky popsicle juice running down my arms as I tried to lick it off.  I think cherry and grape were my two favorite flavors.  Of course, I always saved the popsicle sticks to have a mini sword fight with my brother.

These are more like "brown cow" popsicles...vanilla ice cream in the center and chocolate on the outside.  There were not any colors like in my pictures, but boy oh boy, that would had been fun!  I got my idea from Cammy at Pink Room Therapy.  I didn't have the stamp or die, so I made my own cutting file in Silhouette and used Peachy Keen faces....works for ME! LOL

A2, twine, Lawn Fawn alphabet stamps for sentiment

made this one more masculine

Hope you are staying cool

I can't eat ice cream, but that doesn't mean I can't drool over it.  I do sneak frozen yogurt at times. I saw a MFT video using these stamps.  I enlarged using my Cameo and then used the print/cut feature.  I like caramel more than chocolate on my yogurt.  I added Diamond glaze on caramel topping and cherry.

A2, stitched around the edges in white, pop-ups for dimension, homemade clear blue enamel dots and made own sentiment using Pages on Mac

angle view to try and show dimension, Peachy Keen faces