Cool-tastic!

Good evening! 

Another nice less humid, Carolina blue day here turning into a nice pleasant evening.  You'd think that would mean I'm outside enjoying it!  

Nope! I'm inside creating...

To be punny, isn't this guy a hoot?  Hahaha!  I love this stamp from Your Next stamp.  I bought it because my hubs loves birds/owls and my daughter inlaw loves owls.  So naturally I'm always checking out birds and owls wherever I go and even when I'm stamp shopping!  Anyway, I colored him with Copics, Spectrum Noir, Distress markers and even a Blick marker (one named Beach).  

This card was inspired by the sketch challenge at Happy Little Stampers this month.  Nothing like getting in under the wire!  LOL  

FOR FOLLOWING CHALLENGES:

Cool Blessings!

Anything Goes! - TPE #305

It's the last Monday in June!

The year is flying by just a tad too fast don't you think?

Mondays are always fun though

with

The PiNK Elephant Challenge- #305!

It's the end of the month too so that means ---

Anything Goes Challenge!

Make anything you want and share it with us!

Don't forget to check out the rest of the Design Team's wonderful projects and leave them some blog love!

Here's my card --- I used a stencil from Stamplorations and sponged on distress ink-- orange marmalade, worn lipstick and mustard seed.  The background paper is patterned vellum.  The sentiment is a die from Paper Smooches and the photo corner die is Sizzix.

For Following Challenges:

I was inspired by the colors at the Fusion challenge, the stenciling challenge at AAA and it is the first time to use this stencil which is from Stamplorations.

AAA Cards - #42 Paste/Stencil Techniques

PiNK Elephant Blessings!

Thinking of You ---Thinking of You --- Thinking of You

Good Morning again!

It's time for 

The PiNK Elephant Challenge!

It's a Sketch - TPE #304

Stop by Ella's blog and check out the rest of the Design Team's projects -- Super fun! 

And don't forget to leave them some blog love too! 

💛💙💜💚

Then, link up your card using our sketch this week and play along with us!

Here's my card:

Picture if you will a neon sign blinking relentlessly late at night when you read my post title!  LOL  I'm went NEON again!  I used them to sponge up the background using a Heidi Swapp stencil. Then, I decided to make a tag so I used my Reverse Confetti tag die and cut a white tag and vellum tag.  I used the neon ink to stamp flowers (Taylored Expressions) and fussy cut them. I also used some neon embossing powder too on the sentiment.  The leaves are Taylored Expressions die cut out of neon paper.  I set it all on a black background and used a black seam binding ribbon (Paper Sweeties) and some enamel dots to finish off the tag.  Just call me a NEON freak right now!   I'm not sure, but maybe next week I'll try and figure out how to add flashing lights!  hahahaha  

My inspiration for using the neons came from this week's The Card Concept.  I thought it would look cool for Ella's sketch to stencil a bright and colorful background to kind of take center stage.  By the definitions it probably falls  into the Classy & Elegant with a twist of Clean and Graphic and Freestyle.  There's no specific neon/loud category.  LOL

For Following Challenges: 

PiNK Elephant Blessings!

Let Your Light Shine!

Happy 1st Monday of Summer!

(At least for the Northern Hemisphere)

I guess it's Happy Winter for the Southern Hemisphere!

Since it's Monday ---

it's time for 

The Challenge!

This week is a theme-

Nautical

Look and "Sea" the team's fabulous projects:

Karolyn Loncon - Featured Designer

Haylely Kew - Guest Designer

Design Team Members:

Anita Madden
Claire Broadwater

Kim Heggins

Kimberly Wiener

Lee Ann Barrett

Lesley Croghan

Lori Tecler
Michele Ferguson

Nance Salkeld(You are here!)

Be sure and leave each of them some blog luvin'.  

Designers love comments too!

So when we got this challenge theme, I wanted to think outside the box a bit.  So, I've done a twist on the "ship in the bottle" thing, stamping a lighthouse inside a mason jar stamp.  I really need to break down and get a jar die.  I originally wanted to have a clear jar overlay but it didn't work out how I hoped.  So I went with what I have here.  

The stamp is a digital stamp and I do not remember where  got it.  The sentiment is all PTI including the word die. 

For Following Challenges:

Nautical Blessings!

Shirt & Tie

TGIF!  

And Happy Almost Summer!

The last days of spring have felt like the dog days of summer already here in the Triangle of North Carolina.  About seven days already in scorching hot temps, muggy humidity and daily thunderstorm! And, Mr. Weatherman says at least another week of the same.  WHEW!  What a summer to decide not to have the pool going.  

However, there are other nice things happening. 

Father's Day is Sunday!  

It will be a bittersweet one for me as my dad passed away in April, so I'll be looking heavenward to send my wishes. 

So, as a little tribute to my dad, I've made a shirt and tie card. My dad was a minister and so he was a shirt and tie man most of the time, particularly Sundays.

I used the color scheme from The Paper Players challenge this week.  

For Following Challenges

The Paper Players #249

4 Crafty Chicks -- #251 Father's Day

Cardz 4 Guys - #75 Father's Day

Mod Squad - Father's Day

BLESSINGS FOR DADS!

Awesomeness

Happy Thursday!

I have a quick post this early morning ---

I've been playing around with distress inks again while participating in the new class, "In The Mood" over at Stamp Nation.  Such an inspirational community of stampers! 

I got inspired by the Dreamy Rainbow section of the class as well as the sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch.

I soaked up some watercolor paper and then using a small stamp block, I applied various distress inks one or two at a time to the block and then pressed the block onto the paper.  I was going for a rainbow pattern starting with Seedless Preserves, Salty Ocean, Mowed Lawn, Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade and Fired Brick.  Then I cut a butterfly out of the middle using my fancy butterfly die from Impression Obsession replacing the colored butterfly with a black decorative one.  I versamarked and embossed the sentiment (from Stamplorations) with white emboss powder, cutting it from a label die.  I popped up the label and butterfly frame onto a black patterned background of cut squares.  The final touch was some candy dots from Stampin' Up. 

For Following Challenges:

Awesome Blessings!

Hugs & Fishes - TPE 303

Good morning again!  

It's now time for 

The PiNK Elephant Challenge!

#303 Theme- Fathers Day!

Play along with us by sharing your Father's Day projects on Ella's blog!

Don't forget to check out my design teamies' projects too and leave them some blog luv! 

I chose a Penny Black stamp from the set, Sunny Days, for my card:

Is he not the cutest thing?  I used the sentiment from Your Next Stamp and the "dad" stamp is Fiskars I think.  It's kind of old.  I used Copics and Spectrum Noirs on the image.  The background paper is from 

I used the sketch at Fusion challenge and the Friday 

For Following Challenges:

The Friday Mashup #213- 

use Cajun Craze, Island Indigo & Garden Green OR 

make a Father's Day card OR Both 

PiNK Elephant Blessings!

Friendly Tea - The Challenge #39

Good Morning, Monday!

I'm late with my posts this morning.  Totally forgot what day it was yesterday.  I don't know how I did that!  

Anyway, it's time for a new challenge at The Challenge!

Featured Designer- Karolyn Loncon

Guest Designer - Joyce Mehrberg

Design Team Members:

Anita Madden
Claire Broadwater

Kim Heggins

Kimberly Wiener

Lee Ann Barrett

Lesley Croghan

Lori Tecler
Michele Ferguson

Nance Salkeld(You are here!)

Be sure and leave each of them some blog luvin'.  

Designers love comments too!

I went a bit different from my norm with my card, doing a bit shabby chic:

I tried out my new Hero Arts ombre inks.  I used the green one on this card for the flower stems and the sentiment.  You can't see the gradation on the stems as well.  I also did an ombre on the background stamp using some pink ink going from dark to lights, and using them again on the tea cups.  I was inspired to try some different ombre looks from Virginia's View challenge.

For Following Challenges:

Check out The Challenge this week and share your "tea-riffic" projects with us!

Challenge Blessings!

Ombre Hombre

Happy TGIF!  

Hoping to post several cards today as I'm trying to crank out several.  We will see how it goes!

Here is one for Father's Day:

I used an old, old stencil, probably 15 years old, for the boat to create my "sunset" with distress inks for the Color challenge of sunset colors at Less Is More Challenge.  Then I stamped the sentiment (from Stamplorations) on top in Versafine and embossed it with clear emboss powder to make it pop a little more.  The square dies are new from Lil' Inker Designs - double dotted design.  Aren't they cool?  I finished it off with a couple enamel dots.

For Following Challenges:

Less Is More #227 - Color - Sunset colors

Sending Big Hugs - TPE #302

Happy Monday once again!

Check out what Ellas has in store this week

at 

The PiNK Elephant Challenge #302!

This week we have an inspiration photo for you!

Lots of goodies there --- colors, patterns, objects.  

The possibilities are endless!

Be sure and check out all the Design Team's projects for more inspiration and also 

leave them some blog love!  

We Design Teammies love comments too!

Here is my card:

I chose the colors on the bed and the bedspread pattern.  I decided to go a little grungy and bold and do some inking up of an emboss folder with distress inks.  Then, I stamped the flowers and watercolored them with the same distress inks. Then I fussy cut them.  The flower stems are actually small arrow dies cut in navy cardstock.  I decided to use just a bit of the grungy background so it wouldn't overwhelm the card.  And, I set it on the diagonal for more impact.  The sentiment pieces are from Technique Tuesday as is the "hugs" die.  I popped up the flowers so they would stand out more and added some enamel dots.

PiNK Elephant Blessings!

Strengthen Others - The Challenge 38

It's time for another challenge at 

The Challenge - #38!

Check out all the Design Team's fabulous projects:

Anita Madden
Claire Broadwater

Kim Heggins

Kimberly Wiener

Lee Ann Barrett

Lesley Croghan

Lori Tecler
Michele Ferguson

Nance Salkeld(You are here!)

Welcome 

this month's Featured Designer

-Karolyn Loncon

Guest Designer - Joyce Mehrberg

Be sure and leave each of them some blog luvin'.  

Designers love comments too!

Here is my card:

I decided to do an easel signboard card.  I've done them before, but it's been awhile.  You can see my other ones here, here and here.  The others had black for the regular kind of chalkboard technique and for my card today, I used navy, which does well also for the chalkboard effect.  The coral pattern papers are in a paper pack from Recollections.  I used the scallop frame from WPlus9, flower and leaf stamps from Paper Sweeties, and the heart banner I'm having a menopause brain moment (aka brain fart) on where I got it.  I popped up the whole center frame piece off the cardbase and the flower.

Come play along with us this week 
using this week's colors of 
The Challenge!

For Following Challenges:

City Crafter Challenges #264 - Use a Banner

Challenge Blessings!

Bring On The Coffee

I have another post for the Summer Coffee Lovers Bloghop.  I told you I had many posts today!  ;)

This has to be my favorite one --

I finally got some of the Hero Arts neon ink and played around with them some Sunday evening.  I recently joined Stamplorations Stamp Club and found this adorable coffee stencil in their shop.  I loved Vicki Dutcher's card she made with it, which you can see on her blog here.  So, she gave me my inspiration.

I versamarked and white embossed the stencil and the sentiment and then just sponged on the neon inks randomly.  I love how it turned out!  You may just be seeing more of these colors from me over the summer!  lol

Ok, so I'm linking this up too for the Stamplorations Anything Goes Challenge.  May get bumped since I didn't know about it beforehand, until I got an "inside" tip...thanks Becca! 

For Following Challenges:

Coffee Loving Blessings!