Retro Christmas Card with Hero Arts

Welcome friends! This week Freshly Made Sketches hit an amazing milestone - 500 sketches!  I really wanted to play along with them to celebrate:

I thought the colors for the Color Throwdown challenge would be fun to use, too:

I began with a Hero Arts My Monthly Hero kit I have from October 2019. And yes, it is still available!

Since I am a child of this era these iconic images really spoke to me.

I am also submitting to NBUS for I have never used this set before. So sad because I love it!

Just fun to stamp, die cut and play with these images. Even the inside received that retro font:

Lot of stars in this sky!

Thanks for joining me today and stop by the challenges to see all the amazing work submitted!

*Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.

Back to School With Polkadoodles - No coloring!

Hi friends! It's Tuesday and therefore it is DigiChoosday over at Polkadoodles and there is a discount on digital images today only. Also, the start of a new challenge.

Our Design Team theme for today is "Back to School". This was a fun one for me since I did no coloring at all! Crazy, right? I learned how to drop in images and used all pre-colored items. I did create a card you can see in the background with the beakers and test tubes and that was fun learning how to do that. It's all about playing with digital stamps to learn and create!

To begin, I had the Science/Math/Teacher/Professor/Geek/Student/Chemistry Bundle Kit. These digi bundle kits have so much goodness in them so that you get inspired to create! I have 3 daughters and 1 grand-daughter, so I am partial to female images and particularly liked this girl chemist image.

Everything came from this bundle, but the frame. I used the Lily Bug Love Frames Bundle Kit to bring in that nice burgundy polka-dot frame that surrounds our little chemist.

The popped up sentiments are from the Work & Play 12 Design Sheet that was in the bundle. See all the fun things to create with here?!!!

The plaid background paper is from the Work & Play 12 - Paper Heaven 8 set:

And finally the fun sentiment on the inside:

Thank you for joining me today on my Back to School adventure. So even if you don't like to color you can still create beautiful cards. Please stop by Polkadoodles for more great inspiration!

I will also be submitting this card to:

1) Crafting Happiness Challenge:

2) A Perfect Time to Craft

3) Classic Design Challenge

4) Angie's Digital Stamps Challenge

5) Cute Card Thursday

*Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.

You're As Sweet As Pie!

Hello friends and welcome to my post for SugarPea Designs Mix It Up Challenge #82:

I used the sketch only for my card today. This is a new to me set that I have been wanting to use and this was the perfect opportunity!

I did some simple alcohol marker coloring on this pie from the SugarPea Sweet as Pie Stamp set and used both coordinating SugarCuts for the pie and whipped cream:

Use the whipped cream from this SugarCut called Cutie Pie:

The pie was cut out with this SugarCut: Sweet as Pie:

The checkerboard background stripe came from this set called Jukebox Jive:

SugarPea Designs have some of my most used frame cuts. This one is well loved called Stitched Scalloped Rectangles:

It's so nice to mix and match set from your stash to create a cohesive card. I used from Fun Stamper Journey Corrugated Stock (discontinued) for the circle background. Using my MISTI I was able to bend the sentiment around the circle shape for a more appealing design.

I mounted the card panel to a piece of cranberry cardstock and trimmed it with my new Tim Holtz Deckled Edge Trimmer. I wasn't sure I was going to use it a lot, but I have and love it!

Lastly, some Nuvo Crystal Glaze gave shine and dimension to some of the card elements.

Overall, a Clean and Simple card, my favorite kind!

Thank you for joining me. I am also going to be submitting to the following challenges:

1) NBUS (Never Before Used Schtuff)

2) A Perfect Time to Craft

3) Lil Patch of Crafty Friends

4) Classic Design Challenge Blog

5) Crafting Happiness Challenges

*Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.

Fun with A Colorful Life Designs

My love for Hero Arts Hoppy Day images continues! Today I am entering into Happy Little Stamper Stencil Challenge:

I am a fan of Amy's Wares You Tube channel and through her work found a stencil company called A Colorful Life Designs. I wrote to Mary Kay De La Fuente, the owner, and she replied that her company is a "small woman owned stencil company based in Dallas, TX. I've been a paper crafter since the 1990s and love designing and manufacturing tools for the paper crafter."

I love supporting small businesses when I can, so I took a look at A Colorful Life Designs and fell in love with the designs. I ordered a few, but the one I used for today's post is called Sugar Cane. It is a 3 X 6 inch stencil, but can be used in multiple ways.

I just played with my Distress Inks, Scrapbook.com's Foam Blending Tools, the stencil and my Wendy Vecchi's Make Art Stay-tion which hold everything down and no Pixie Spray needed. I love a good clean and simple card and this stencil gives just the right amount in the background to keep it interesting.

This Hero Arts Hoppy Day Stamp set is great for all different occasions and fun sentiments for the inside and outside of a card. I have the stamp and die combo, but only used the stamps for these cards with Altenew's Obsidian Black Ink for that deep dark image which pops against the colorful stencil. Looking forward to creating with the dies!

Now here's a shocker - I made another card!

This card I am submitting to Tuesday Morning Sketches #618:

Here they are side by side:

If you have a chance check out A Colorful Life Designs and Amy Ware's You Tube. Lots of fun inspiration from both!

*Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.

Stay Crafty with Hero

Hi friends! Today I will just post a short blog to enter the Stay Crafty With Hero Rainbow Challenge:

Looking at this card, it pretty self-explanatory on how it was created:

1)Ink Blended Rainbow Colors of Distress Ink on a panel of Hero Arts Premium Dove White 100 lb. Cardstock using the MFT Rectangle Trio Stencil.

2) Stamped the cutie-patoodie frog and sentiment from Hero Arts Clear Stamp from the Hoppy Day set with Altenew's Obsidian Black Ink with my MISTI for perfect alignment.

3) Die Cut using my Big Shot with Spellbinders Gilded Nested Rectangle Die Set and used fun foam to pop up.

4) Mounted with Sizzix Making Essential Express Glue to an A2 size card base made with Hero Arts Premium Dove White 100 lb. Cardstock.

5) Finally added a few Nuvo Crystal Drops - Gloss White and let dry overnight.

I made a second card, but not a complete rainbow!

Aren't these frogs just the cutest things?!

Similar but different:

After I finished the post, I went out to water the flowers and guess what was there?! A tiny frog!!!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a Hoppy Day!

*Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.