letting my scraps inspire me

Continuing with my summer programming...

Still on a roll using up scraps , I let the scraps inspire my card design for these cards.

This first one... pretty funny. Those darn raffia strips were another too-fun-to-toss-but-constantly-being-moved-from-left-to-right-and-back. The lantern halves were leftover pieces from a rainbow die cut many moons ago. I was finally inspired to combine the two, just needed a stenciled BG to pull them together.

STAMPlorations stencil

Studio Calico sentiment die

MFT Magical Rainbow die (negative pieces)

More die cut scrap next. Why not put it over some scrap paper from an inking session and then dress it up a little with washi and Nuvo drops?!?

Ellen Hutson Many Thanks die

Nuvo drops, washi

Another piece of scrap paper from an ink smooshing session ended up peeking out of the slats of a cover plate die cut and topped with a stylistic bloom from my scrap bowl.

MFT Dienamics Stripes cover die

Happy weekend! Have you had a go at your scrap pile yet?

using scraps for occasion cards

Continuing with my summer programming.

So I was still on a roll using up scraps for cards. Sometimes I get sick of moving piles of scraps from left to right and back again, ya know? I decided to just trim some PP strips into little banners and adorn the side of a card with them. For DD's birthday card this year.

STAMPlorations rose stencil, bird die, number plate die

The cardbase had the negative image of the rose stencil already on it (after inking through a stencil I usually spritz the stencil with water and stamp it off on scrap paper. Sometimes onto a cardbase like here) so I went with pinks and even found the bird in my scraps. Just cut the numbers I needed.

Simon Says Stamp Faberge Egg die

Distress Oxides and The Stamp Market inks

This intricate Easter egg die and the ink blended egg had been in my scrap bowl for so long. So I stamped a cardbase with some delicate blooms and voila! 

Happy weekend! Maybe you'll find time to give your scraps a go!

using scraps for mixed media cards

Continuing with my summer programming.

So I was on a roll using up scraps for mixed media cards after discovering Laura's fabulous feed over on IG. After watercoloring various swatches, these cards happened. (I actually used some swatches in these cards a while back too.)

watercolor paper, watercolors

Papertrey Ink Love Lives Here die

Simon Says Stamp Clustered Leaves die

Heidi Swapp sentiment stickers

Happy weekend!

STAMPlorations inspiration #362

Hello again. Time for a Tuesday inspiration post from the STAMPlorations inspiration gals.

Still inspired by the style of Lagom, organic graphic/color blocking, I pulled out more scraps...

Stitched Winter Landscape die

Stitched Spring Landscape die

Super Hero stamp

Pocket Blooms stamp

I die cut various scraps with the landscape dies in various angles. Then I played until I had the "rays" the way I liked them around the stamped scene.

As always, you could win yourself a $15 prize code to the store by leaving a comment on this month's inspiration posts! Check out today's post over at STAMPlorations. And if I should ever inspire you to order something from the store, if you use my STAMPGIRLMARIA discount code you receive an additional 20% off your order.  Appreciate you stopping by. Enjoy your Tuesday. 

STAMPlorations inspiration #361

Hello again. Time for a Tuesday inspiration post from the STAMPlorations inspiration gals.

Ready for some more"go bold or go home"? I really have no explanation for this card. Except I grabbed some scraps from my pink, orange and yellow drawers and this happened.

Skinny Sentiments die

Scraps and a glue stick. Done.

I was inspired by the style of Lagom again. Organic graphic. 

As always, you could win yourself a $15 prize code to the store by leaving a comment on this month's inspiration posts! Check out today's post over at STAMPlorations. And if I should ever inspire you to order something from the store, if you use my STAMPGIRLMARIA discount code you receive an additional 20% off your order.  Appreciate you stopping by. Enjoy your Tuesday. 

more scrap strips

Did you catch my tutorial yesterday at STAMPlorations? More strips. This time torn from scrap paper I used when swatching inks.

And did you catch that I'm in the process of moving my craft room? And rediscovering all the stuff I have? Who's been around cardmaking for a few years and can recognize the PP I found in my craft room and used on my card?!?

STAMPlorations Tag 1 die

chipboard stickers

So I adhered the stripped, die cut tag to two pieces of Tim Holtz Ideology paper (I think it's so old it just might be trendy again with its retro colors and images). Did you recognize it?

Then I pulled out various stickers I have and decide to pop a few onto my card to jazz it up. Oh, and a little punched butterfly from my stash too.

Let me tell you, this card is certainly not perfect, but it was FUN to make. I was inspired by watching Barbara just have fun pulling out supplies and scraps and put 'em all together. And boy do I have supplies and scraps...

STAMPlorations inspiration #359

Hello again. Time for a Tuesday inspiration post from the STAMPlorations inspiration gals.

Ready for some "go bold or go home"?

ATC Tag Builder die

Skinny Sentiments die

Crazy Double Running Stitch Rectangle die

I die cut various scraps with the various edges of the ATC die and adhered them to a navy scrap. Added a yellow circle cuz it felt right! Die cut the panel with the rectangle die and added a sentiment. Done.

I was inspired by the style of Lagom. Organic graphic. Love it.

As always, you could win yourself a $15 prize code to the store by leaving a comment on this month's inspiration posts! Check out today's post over at STAMPlorations. And if I should ever inspire you to order something from the store, if you use my STAMPGIRLMARIA discount code you receive an additional 20% off your order.  Appreciate you stopping by. Enjoy your Tuesday.

more scraps as a frame

You may remember this Valentine - part of my scrap strip adventure lately. 

Dienamics Love Centerpieces die

Well what was left of the "stripped" card after die cutting that LOVE square became this frame, which then became this card. Heat embossed blooms. Added light watercolor touches and lots of sequins.

Altenew Frosted Garden stamp

I'm heading over to the Altenew February Challenge with my pinks and greens.

neutrals for sss etched dragonfly

If you saw my last post, I was having a play with more scraps, tearing them into strips. The scraps were actually the paper I had used when updating my ink swatches by swiping ink onto them (I used to just stamp an image onto the swatch).

Well there was a sheet of all the grays I swatched. Yes, I am addicted to inks. 

So first I made a tag out of gray strips. Then I die cut some dragonflies to populate the gray sky.

STAMPlorations Circles all Over Cover Plate

STAMPlorations Manila Tags Nesting die

STAMPlorations Skinny Sentiments die 

SSS Etched Dragonfly die

scraps, sequins, washi

I'm really digging the neutrals. What do you think? Thanks for visiting. 

rainbows and holographic paper

I was having a play with more scraps, this time tearing them into strips. The scraps were actually the paper I had used when updating my ink swatches by swiping ink onto them (I used to just stamp an image onto the swatch).

I also wanted to give a new-to-me die a trial run. (Guess I've been under a rock cuz I only discovered A Pocket Full of Happiness recently.) Oh my goodness Zsoka has some fun and different designs.

So first I had this tag made out of rainbow strips. Then I die cut a rainbow out of (here I come out from under another rock) holographic paper. Just from my dollar store, but boy is this stuff cool.

That holographic effect! Get outta town. This card has more rainbow-y, fun colorful, shimmery, shiny, blingy happy stuff than I can handle!

Rainbow Background die

STAMPlorations Tags 1 Nesting die

MFT Slanted Sentiment Strips die 

CZ Clean Line Gratitude stamp

scraps, enamel heart, clear embossing powder

Hope you're enjoying this Super Bowl, Valentines weekend. Doubly whammy. Sugar high here we come! Thanks for visiting. I'm visiting the gals over at Happy Little Stampers - February AG with Dies.

valentines with scrap strips

I seem to find myself a theme when I make Valentines each year. I'm on a scrap strip adventure right now (avoiding the hard work of moving my craft room as I explained here) so that became my theme for this year.

Scrap strips, scrap cardstock and a glue stick. Made myself some "patterned paper" and then played with it.

Essentials by Ellen Nice of you stamp

Essentials by Ellen Folk Hearts die

Die cut a square of my "PP" with the love die and made cards with the negative and positive pieces. I'm entering the pink one into SSS Monday - Love is in the Air challenge.

Dienamics Love Centerpieces die

Then I rediscovered a flop card die (NBUS) so gave it a run in a card for DD. Used some 6x6 PP from my stash (which could last me 120 years). I'm hooking this Clean and Layered one up over at The Card Concept #168.

Dienamics Flop Card Heart die

Reverse Confetti Lovely Words die

SSS you die

Charlie and Paulchen Hohlsaumrahmen die

And while I had that heart die in my hand from the flop card heart die, I cut two of them and made this, personalized with the couple's initials. It's actually going to Americans who live in Germany so I'm joining in at Pinspirational February Challenge.

Dienamics Flop Card Heart die

Papertrey Bookprint Alpha die

 

spotlight on scrap strips

 Howdy friends. I'm over at STAMPlorations hoping to inspire you to give your scrap strip stash a go.

having fun (avoiding the hard work)

Hi peeps. I'm in the midst of moving my craft room from my basement laundry room to a kid's bedroom. What a luxury. What a hard task! At least I'm making it difficult for myself. Should have purged first but I didn't. When it all gets too overwhelming, I submerge myself in some irrelevant little project. But man is it FUN!

Scrap paper strips. I am assuming we all have them or is it just me?

I've got a little bucket full of them. So I sat down with them, scrap cardstock and a glue stick. First I cut a large circle, and then a word from the circle...

STAMPlorations You Word die

STAMPlorations Art Marks 3 stamp

Then I cut multiple circles from what was leftover and created this card! Doesn't it look like a bunch of planets? Thought the sentiment was fitting.

STAMPlorations  Wonky Stitched Grid Texture die

Essentials by Ellen Nice of you stamp

I had more strips (of course) so I made more things (of course). With some of my manila tags and dies that haven't seen the light of day for a while. Guess that's one very good thing about moving/organizing your craft room ;) Figure I'll add a die cut initial on a vellum circle to these to use as gift or wine bottle tags.

And I'll be back with some Valentines made with, any guesses? Scrap strips of course.

I'll leave you with a shot of my current situation. It's still a work in progress. Moved into DD's old room. But now I'm wondering if I shouldn't have moved into DS's old room. It's a bit larger and has more light...

 

altenew november inspiration - take 6

Today I have two more cards that were born as a result of the current November Altenew Inspiration Challenge. 

I still had some die cut leaves left from yesterday's cards, so I pulled out a paper/sticker pack from Action (my dollar store) and let it inspire this sweet card.

Altenew Sketchy Floral stamp

Altenew Virginia Rose 3D die

chipboard, embossing powder

I adhered a piece of notebook paper /that I'd cleaned a stencil off on) to my cardbase. Added the leaves down the edge, added the sweet fox and a strip of CS along the bottom edge and then chose a sentiment that would fit on another scrap - the little circle.

And then a chipboard balloon fell out of the pack and I decided to make myself make another card before putting the pack away. No Altenew here. And I'm done with the November challenge, BTW. Also bummed cuz the hook up doesn't seem to be working over at Altenew :(

It's sure been fun to be creating again. And using up some pieces laying around my craft room. I'm actually starting to dream about moving out of the basement and into DD's empty bedroom... We'll see if that ever happens. 

Seems like blogs don't get much attention these days. Thanks for visiting.

  

spring is in the air - part 1

Well, it's in my air at least! As I write this we have had sunshine and blue sky (and freezing temps) the whole week. Can't help but think spring is coming. One of these days.

It helps that I got some happy mail from Alexandra Renke with some springtime dies too!

I had some pastel-y scraps just waiting to make it to a card so I decided my new Wandering Rabbit would get his very own scene.

 Alexandra Renke Wanderhase die

Essentials by Ellen Wild Garden die

Savvy Stamps Flower Blossom 1 die

Simon Says Stamp Heart in a Box with Love die

With the exception of the lightly inked rabbit, everything else was leftover and added to a leftover dip-dyed-in-leftover-Easter-egg-dye panel.

And then I had to move on to the new Berries die. Not that there are neon pink berries anywhere I know of, but I wanted to use my leftover marbled cardstock from this bloom. This Easter card was born.

 Alexandra Renke Berries and Wreath die

Papertrey Ink Easter stamp

Channeling my inner Renke DT, I kept it very white. There's a sentiment there tho, see it white heat embossed along the left edge?

And then since Easter was on my brain, why not use this wonderful new Cross in a Circle die? Another leftover dip-dyed-in-leftover-Easter-egg-dye panel and some of the less neon-y berries and voila!

Alexandra Renke Berries and Wreath die

Alexandra Renke Cross in a Circle die

Papertrey Ink Easter stamp

Hope you enjoyed. More coming tomorrow. A bit more neon-y...

I'm joining the fun over at:
AAA Cards - Die Cuts Only

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - Make your own BG
Inspired by all the Little Things - #80

Die Cut Divas - Love is in the Air

sweet birthday and sweet memory

Today's cards came about as I was cleaning up my pile of scraps. A sweet somebody sent me this cute cupcake and those white hearts (Bev B, was it you?). I paired them with some other leftovers and this happened.

STAMPlorations Birthday die

STAMPlorations Lowercase alpha die

STAMPlorations Uppercase alpha die

Sizzix Bell Jar die

Nuvo drops

Ah yes. Nuvo drops. Anyone else have this problem? Better yet, anyone have a solution? When I squeeze the bottle on a couple colors, what comes out seems to be getting gooey, hardening up a bit maybe? See these nasty little peaks on the yellow ones? Do you store them standing or laying on the side? Do you shake them before using?

I'm playing at:
Happy Little Stampers - AG with Dies
Papercraft Challenge - Sweets
Basteltraum - Birthday Party
Seize the Birthday - No coffee or tea for me, just a cupcake!

And I've got another card - a sympathy card put together with paper piecing scraps from my pile. Just added some additional stamping and a few blobs of watercolor and voila!

STAMPlorations Lotus Love

I'm entering this one at:
The Flower Challenge - Paper Piecing