STAMPlorations - gratitude bundle

Guten Tag. I'm back with some cards I made with another bundle being offered at a super price over at STAMPlorations right now. 

You're probably aware that Shery is going through cancer treatments right now, but she's still finding time to do some work in the shop. You can check out all the bundles on offer here.

In this post I worked with some dies included in the Gratitude Bundle (I love this bundle!) - 1 cover plate, 1 modern trees stand-alone die plus 2 phrase dies all for under $34!!  If you love ephemera, Shery's got a bundle for that too, check out this post.

First I had a play with the phrase dies. I'd picked a color palette of alcohol markers for some Christmas cards (coming soon) so since they were still out I decided to color some strips of paper and play with some stripes.

One on a stenciled BG.

One on PP.

Then I took one of the modern trees, colored more paper scraps with my alcohol markers and die cut the solid pieces from them. Die cut the outline pieces from black, adhered them all plus a sentiment and voila! Super CAS.

STAMPlorations dies

STAMPlorations sentiment

alcohol markers

I'm taking card #2 to Timeout challenge because of the "grateful heart" sentiment, Cut it Up Thanks or Thanksgiving as well as Double D where it's a Grateful theme.

Thanks for coming by.

STAMPlorations giving thanks blog hop

 

Howdy friends. Welcome to our seventh Giving Thanks Blog Hop celebration!  Hope you have time to check it out because there are plenty of prizes to be won.

Today I have a card made with a stamp set and a design I really like. I love it as a one layer card, but decided to layer it up a little today.

STAMPlorations Leaves of Thanks stamp

STAMPlorations Succulently die

Altenew and Distress Oxide inks, Heidi Swapp gold spray ink, gold embossing powder

Since I was layering, no masking was needed. I just stamped the various leaves in various fall colors around the area my sentiment was going to go. Added some splatters. Then I die cut and heat embossed the sentiment. Inked the die cut with oxide ink to match the orange leaves and gold embossed the edges too.

Hope you'll celebrate thankfulness with us.  Each morning when I wake I tell myself what I'm grateful to be able to do this day! I'm grateful for the opportunity to play with STAMPlorations fun products and hope that I'm able to inspire you to create too.

I mentioned prizes. There are $10 prizes up for grabs just for leaving comments on the stops on the hop. And there are generous prizes to be awarded randomly to three people who make a card and link it up to the linky party. Plus, Shery is always so generous there'll probably be other surprises too. The party ends December 8th. Hope you'll join us!

To see what the other gals have created check out this post. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

CAS cards challenge november reminder

Hello there! Did you join us for the STAMPlorations the CAS Cards challenge in October? Check the winners post on the 10th to see if you were a winner. Today I've another make for our November CAS Cards challenge and here's the inspiration.

So the brown twist is purely optional, but I chose to go with kraft this month and doesn't kraft work well with autumn designs? How about a Thanksgiving card.

STAMPlorations Many Blessings stamp

washi tape, button

Polychromo colored pencils

I stamped the image with Antique Linen Distress Ink and then did some no-line coloring with my Polychromos. Not art, but relaxing.

CAS card tip: Add a bit of interest to your CAS design by including a spot of washi tape or a button (or both) as an unexpected addition to your CAS card.

Looking forward to more of your CAS card creations this month! 

Hope you join us! Your project might be chosen as the winner of a GC to the shop. Check out how the CAS Cards DT was inspired by this month's photo here.

And don't forget about my STAMPlorations discount code STAMPGIRLMARIA for 20% off should you find yourself shopping ;)  Thanks for stopping over. See you in the gallery.

I'm heading to the gallery at:
SSS Wednesday Challenge - Thanks/Thanksgiving
Inkspirational - One Layer (hope buttons don't count!)
ATSAM - Make your Mark

STAMPlorations inspiration #241 and giving thanks blog hop

Howdy peeps. Welcome to our regularly scheduled Tuesday inspiration post which also happens to be this year's Giving Thanks Blog Hop celebration!  Be sure to check it out because there are tons of prizes to be won.

Today I have a card made with a phrase die that I just love. I truly try to start each day with a grateful heart. Do you?

STAMPlorations Art Flowers 1 stencil

STAMPlorations Grateful Heart die

STAMPlorations Crazy Double Stitch Rectangles die

Hero Arts Unicorn pigment ink

Altenew inks

I stenciled some of the flowers onto the kraft panel with white pigment ink. Flipped the panel and stencil and added some more up top. Then I repeated the process, offsetting the stencil a tiny bit and using dye inks and sponge daubers this time.

Added a bit of the central color (purple) to the bottom of the stacked die cut and then some white and pink acrylic paint splatters too.

Hope you'll celebrate thankfulness with us.  To see how you can win some fun prizes and also to see what the other gals have created check out this post.

Hope this works for the Thanks challenge over at Cuttlebug Mania and Thanks at Die Cut Divas.

stamping with real leaves

Have you noticed the stamp-with-real-leaves trend lately? I first saw it here and finally gave it a go today. I was also intrigued by the current challenge at AAA Cards.

Here's what I did.

Leaves

Catherine Pooler Spa inks

Right at Home Be Thankful stamp

Liquid Platinum embossing powder

Isn't this just so cool? It's addicting. I'll be back with more...

spotlight on masking, blending, ghosting and stamping

Lots going on to add interest to this CAS giving thanks card. Check out my tutorial over at STAMPlorations if you'd like to learn more.

4th giving thanks blog hop with STAMPlorations

I'm so proud to be taking part in the 4th Giving Thanks Blog Hop over at STAMPlorations. It's easy to find so much to be thankful for if you only take the time! You'll find lots of inspiration from a great group of designers on today's hop.  Check out the STAMPlorations blog here. 

First up, I couldn't resist some traditional Thanksgiving colors (in my mind at least) cuz that's what the message reminds me of. I started with one of the new coverplates and ended up with a super CAS card. Cuz white goes with everything ;)

STAMPlorations Doodled Autumn Pumpkin cover plate die

STAMPlorations Choose to be Grateful phrase die

Distress inks

I die cut the cover plate and then using bits of paper I masked off the area around the pumpkin to avoid errant ink while inking with daubers. I then just adhered the die cut sentiment in all its glory. Love the message. Love the result.

And then I just had to do something with the "stencil" I'd used to ink that pumpkin, right? Just added a little more ink around the area of the pumpkin to give it a halo and then adhered the die cut to a white cardbase. I liked all that white so much, the same sentiment (in olive green) adorns the inside of the card rather than the front.

STAMPlorations Doodled Autumn Pumpkin cover plate die

Distress inks

As always there will be prizes, over $200 worth, for commenting on stops on the hop, for commenting on FB and IG and there's a wish list linky party again that you should be sure to hook up to! And there's a super sale going on too! All the deets are here.

Thanks so much for visiting, today and every day. I'm so thankful for your encouragement. Let me know what you're thankful for right now and I'll send two of you one of my handmade cards.

I'm joining these wonderful challenges too:
Cut it Up - CAS
The Card Concept - #101 (how could I not?)

the great pink pumpkin

Spent a wonderful few days with some family from the US so I'm late for the big pumpkin party, but after I'd seen the Card Concept 100th challenge a bit ago I had pumpkins and pink and white in my head. So when I had a moment I did this.

 STAMPlorations Doodled Autumn Pumpkin cover plate die

STAMPlorations Choose to be Grateful phrase die

gold embossing powder

Gave the new STAMPlorations cover plate a run with some shabby chic whitewashed PP and adhered it over a pink PP with flower pattern. Then I die cut just the pumpkin from woodgrain PP, heat embossed the bottoms gold and inlaid them. Inlaid a few of the whitewashed pieces for interest and added a stacked sentiment too.

I think it's too busy, but I like the woodgrain pumpkin with the embossing. Such a fun touch.

I'm taking this one to:
Inkspirational - #173

Time Out - #121

pti october blog hop

I'm joining the Papertrey blog hop fun. Our perfect fall weather has become less perfect, but I'm still totally in the mood for pumpkins!

Here's my take.

  PTI Phrase Play 7 die

STAMPlorations Doodled Autumn Pumpkin Cover Plate die

patterned paper

Pretty much created itself thanks to a PP pad I had with lovely autumn color tones. I was inspired by the natural tones of brown and green in the photo, in addition to the pumpkins. I used a new cover plate die and topped it with sections of the Phrase Play die for my sentiment. Easy peasy.

I'm looking forward to seeing this month's gallery with all its autumn beauty. Thanks for coming by.

I'm stopping by at:
Die Cut Divas - Autumn
Happy Little Stampers - October AG with Dies

spellbinders wine glass bottle tag

Back today with one more project using the fun dies from the Spellbinders Wine Country collection by Stacey Caron.

I used Wine Glass Bottle Tag actually as a tag. Easy peasy again, I've got a Thanksgiving and a Christmas version for you since the holidays are approaching quickly and with them all the festivities.

First up, for that bottle you take to the Thanksgiving dinner hosts ...

 Spellbinders Wine Glass Bottle Tag die
Spellbinders Fall Foliage die
gold embossing powder
twine

I die cut the tag twice from papers from an autumn PP pack. Glued them together slightly askew so that both patterns would peek out. Heat embossed that fantastic sentiment onto the wine piece and added a few tiny leaves to decorate the stem of the glass (gives it a bit more weight too).

And similarly for the neighborhood Christmas party ...

Spellbinders Wine Glass Bottle Tag die

Martha Stewart pine branch punch
gold embossing powder
sequins

Thanks so much Team Spellbinders for the fun and practical products to create with. I really enjoyed these dies.

I'm joining in at:
Always Fun - Dies and Punches

Die Cut Divas - Autumn or Halloween (#1)
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - Let's Get Ready for Christmas (#2)

when the challenges align...

Don't you love it when your mojo is on overdrive?

There are so many challenges and cards that have caught my eye since I've headed back into my craft room after summer in MI. So this card happened. Do you know what aligned and inspired me?

 Essentials by Ellen Gordjus die

Spellbinders Barrel of Sentiments die

Hero Arts Life of the Party BG stamp

white embossing powder

Twin alcohol markers

There's a hard-to-photograph BG there too, heat embossed white on white. And an Ellie ;)

1. I saw that Ellen Hutson currently has a sketch challenge. Unusual, but hey, I can do that.

2. I saw this card at the Ellen Hutson blog and fell in love with the color combo.

3. I saw this photo at Just Us Girls #459 and it fits the Fall weather we're having too.

4. I saw the Background challenge at Stamp, Ink,  Paper - which brings me back to #1. How about using a BG stamp to create those three panels in the sketch?!?

And because it's good old AG over at Simon Says Wednesday challenge, I'm headed there too! Thanks for looking. Come back later today when I'll be sharing my takes with Shirley's newest layered stamp set, this time it's poinsettias!

pti september blog hop

It's been way too long. But this month I'm joining the Papertrey blog hop fun. Our weather is perfectly aligned with the autumn feel of this inspiration photo so I was totally motivated to play along.

Wanna see?

 PTI Autumn Pattern Pieces stamp

PTI Rosie Posie die

PTI Scripted die

PTI Leave it be stamp

Hero Arts ombre ink

Alexandra Renke Kranz die

Altenew watercolors

Nuvo drops

Pretty much created itself. I'd seen this card of Betsy's and wanted to give the technique a go. Die cut several of the only PTI leaf die I own. Watercolored them. Stamped them with veins. Spritzed with perfect pearls. Stamped a hint of a plaid pattern down my cardbase and adhered the leaves, catching the vibe of the inspiration photo tablescape. Added a few Nuvo drops for more color and voila!

I'm looking forward to seeing the gallery with all its autumn beauty. Thanks for coming by.

I'm stopping by at:
Cards in Envy - Feels like Fall
The Cat's Pajamas - Fall

 Time Out - #118

ellen hutson pinsights inspires me

I love it when a card comes together easily. Good product has a lot to do with it. And good inspiration photos really help me personally. Like this latest Ellen Hutson Pinsights challenge ...

I believe this is another set of Pantone colors for 2017 and these speak to me. Over the years I've discovered that I am more of an off-tone person if that makes any sense. There are the color wheel primary colors, and their mixes. And then there are those that have a touch of gray or brown or I don't know what. And those are the tones that end up appealing to me.

Well, these tones spoke to me. And immediately reminded me of the Adirondack ink Earthtones...

And then I saw that pillow with the pheasant. And that string of gourds above him. And a light went off, Gordjus. I love that set of dies - so perfect.

Thankful and Tis the Season stamp sets, Gordjus die

Did you know that the EH store is celebrating its 11th birthday?!? Way to go, Ellen! Glad to have supported you over the years ;) And in honor of the birthday bash going on we are invited to make a project using our favorite EH product. Don't have to ask me twice. So this card is going over to EH.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great Thanksgiving week.

giving thanks blog hop with STAMPlorations

There's some new product on the block over at STAMPlorations. And more Typografia stamps, this time of the THANKFUL kind. 

Thy Goodness, Thankful People

You'll find lots of inspiration from a great group of designers and a slew of talented guest designers on today's Giving Thanks Hop. I hope you arrived here from Monika Skinner's blog or if you want to start at the very beginning of the lineup check out the STAMPlorations blog here. 

Maybe you saw my cards inspired by my Pinterest board using the Typografia Motivate line of product? Well I kept things that style again today. I just love the look of the Typografia stamps in crisp black with a graphic pattern. 

First up, some Thanksgiving colors (in my mind at least) cuz that's what the message reminded me of. Used a solid stamp from Layered Snowman! and Altenew cube inks. And Typografia Thankful Thy Goodness.

And then I just had to go a bit brighter... Used Layered Leaves and a hodge podge of Distress Inks around the edges and Typografia Thankful Thankful People.

As always there will be prizes, for commenting on stops on the hop, for commenting on FB and IG and there's a wish list linky party again that you should be sure to hook up to! All the deets are here.

In addition, Shery is offering most items in the store (sorry, not the new release or retiring items) at 40% off with discount code BIGTHANKS! Definitely time to pick up items you might have on your wish list (if you don't win it in the linky party I mentioned above ;) AND if you happen to place an order for something this week, leave a note** in your order mentioning my name and you get to choose a free word/phrase die (up to $10 value - so many great Christmas ones to choose from - hint, hint) and have it included in your order! :-)

** A note like this: "Hey, Shery, I just placed an order with the 40% off coupon after reading about it on Maria's blog. I'd like the Be Jolly word die as my freebie, please!"

For products in the New Release category, like I've used today, you can still can get them at 20% off with my STAMPGIRLMARIA discount code - and you get a free word/phrase die if your order is over $40!

Thanks so much for visiting. Off you go... hop, hop. Teamie Cornelia Wenokor is next on the hop.