Lawn Fawn Release Blog Hop

Hello, fellow Lawn Fawn lovers! Today is the December release of Lawn Fawn! Oh, how we wish there were more of these! I absolutely adore Lawn Fawn just as much as all of the team! You will see all their great projects...hopping along! Our focus today is on the Facebook Scrapping for Less pre-order group. This is where you can pre-order many many items and where you will find new releases of certain companies..like Lawn Fawn, Avery Elle, Stamping Bella to name a few! Check out the new Lawn Fawn album where you can order all the new products...this order will be placed around Dec. 28th. There are also many Lawn Fawn items available on the website stamps and dies. 

 both

On the Facebook group you will only find the brand new Lawn Fawn release items, however, should you want to order anything else Lawn Fawn related just ask (either send Teresa a PM or email) and she will check to see if she can order it! 

Also, if you are not a current member of the Facebook group just ask to join and we will get you added super quick!

Of course, a blog hop isn't a hop without some blog candy! So, if you leave some love on each and every blog you will be entered in a drawing to receive the following brand new Lawn Fawn stamp! 

Hi All! 

Kim here from Sunshine, Smiles, and Cards with what I came up with to celebrate the Lawn Fawn Blog Hop Release!

The distress inks below are what I used to create the sky, LF's Stitched Hillside die to create the snow and LF's "Winter Alpaca" stamp set. The snowflakes on the card are stamped in Versa Mark and heat embossed with white embossing powder.I cut the alpaca's scarf out of LF's "Perfectly Plaid Christmas"

These are the colors used to create the sky.

Your next stop is Stacy at Craft-A-holic Momma !

Don't forget to leave a comment on each blog to be entered to win the blog candy!!!

Blog Line Up:

Scrapping for Less

Yvonne: Adventure of the Creative Mind

Sandy: Scrapbook Blessings Club

Teresa: Fresh and Renewed

(you are here) Kimberly: Sunshine, Smiles, and Cards

Stacy: Craft-A-holic Momma

2016 Holiday Series #9

Hi!

 I come to you today with card #9 which is turning out to be one of my favorites but it was incredibly easy to put together! I truly enjoy coloring images and sometimes I get so wrapped up in the stamps I want to use and color that I forget what adorable cards can be created without ever stamping an image. Which is exactly how this card was created.

Doodlebug Design is one of my favorite companies, I rarely find myself not wanting every single thing they release. Everything on this card is by Doodlebug Design from the paper I used to the doodle pop deer, snowflakes, heart and even the sentiment came from Doodlebug.

I chose the different patterned papers because even though they are different they all complement each other. I cut a circle out of plain white paper so that the deer would be seen more easily. I also stood them at the same level as the diagonal striped paper to ground them, I didn't want them to look like they were floating in the white ball. Inside the 6x6 paper pad I used (which I know was from last year because it was in my stash it might even be from the year before) there are little squares with sentiments on them and when I saw the above sentiment it was perfect.

This is a very simple finish to the inside of the card but it is just enough to pull the whole card together and give enough room for a sentiment inside if I want and/or a personal message. I tend to do both for Christmas cards because writing out Merry Christmas brings on hand cramps rather quickly! 

This card was simple and sweet to make and a fun change from my norm. All my supplies were purchased from Scrapping For Less and if you love Doodlebug Design as much as I do I suggest you head to FaceBook to join the pre-order group and also take a look at scrappingforless.com because there are some really great Doodlebug items currently available on the website.

Also don't forget to check out Fresh and Renewed for more Holiday inspiration! 

Thank you so much for spending some time with me and I hope your come back to visit again very soon!!

Wishing you sunshine and smiles,
Kim :) 

2016 Holiday Series #5

Here's card #5! The background paper I used here was from my stash so I'm not sure the name of the collection. This little image is "Snowflake Garland Marci" from La La Land Crafts. The snowflakes in the corners are made with a Martha Stewart snowflake punch. I used Copic Sketch Markers to color the image.

 I carried the snowflakes on to the inside to give the card a more complete feeling. This card is a great Christmas card for a friend but is also versatile to use for winter cards as well.

If you are looking for some inspiration or just some pretty pictures of really cute cards check out Fresh and Renewed my friend, Teresa has some beautiful cards on her blog!

Looking for some great prices on any of the product types I've used in this series so far head on over to scrappingforless.com.

Thank you so much for spending a little time with me and please feel free to leave a comment!

Wishing you sunshine and smiles,
Kim :)

2016 Holiday Card Series: Card #2

Hi ya!

Here is card #2, it is a little wintry scene of adorable critters! It could have easily been a one layered card but the thought of doing all that masking made me want to abandon my craft room. I really do love the effects of masking but I have to be in the mood for that.

The masking that I did took me four tries, I repeat FOUR! I am not afraid of redoing something, in fact, I am quite a fan of it. If I do a technique or anything for that matter and it doesn't look right to me I can't let it go, I have to redo it. Thankfully the rest of the card went very smoothly even though I admittedly was holding my breath as stamped the paw prints in the snow.

I used the stamp set Joy to the Woods from Lawn Fawn and the die set as well to create this card. I also used Lawn Fawn's Stitched Hillside Borders to create my snowy hills.

I truly enjoy using distress inks and blending with them and the colors "tumbled glass" and "stormy sky" making what I think is the perfect winter sky. This card was fun to make and as it came together  I was happy, happy, happy! All the little critters came out to be adorable and when I embossed my sentiment with white detail embossing powder also dusted the squirrel it made me think the little guy had just popped out of a hill and the landing of the embossing powder couldn't have worked out better. The inside of the card stumped me for a bit because I didn't want to add any bulk to the card but then my eyes landed on the paw prints stamp and boom! I decided to add a final detail to the card and added dots with my white gel pen to create the look of falling snow. (More breath holding, I'm lucky I didn't pass out while making this card!)

On to the next, if you are interested in these types of products so that you can make your own cards or other paper crafts head on over to scrappingforless.com it is a great website with wonderful prices!

 Don't forget to check out Fresh and Renewed for some more inspiration!


Wishing you sunshine and smiles,
Kim :) 

How Did This Happen? AGAIN!

Happy Wednesday!!!

This is the mess I started with yesterday. I cannot count the times I have cleaned up, reorganized, moved around and redistributed the items in my craft room! I am very much an out of site out of mind person so if there are things that I want to use on a regular basis I need to have easy access to them.

I was beginning to feel boxed in and had been carving out a big enough space to make something for a few weeks by the time I reached my limit and could take it NO MORE! So it was time once again to re-evaluate where my stuff should live. (yeah, yeah I know they are inanimate objects, don't worry I'm not chatting them up) I want and need the things that I use constantly to be with in arm's length.

So that is what I did, and oh my goodness, organizing and finding new places where things will work better takes SO MUCH LONGER than just cleaning up! I'm sure I am telling you all something you already know. What I do want to share and the whole reason for this post is I am going to walk you through the questions I asked myself in order to determine where to put what.

I make cards 95% of the time so every time I looked at an item and needed to decide where it should live I asked myself the following:

1.  Will I need to use this on every card I make? If the answer to that question was yes then that told me it needed to be within reach. Within reach meaning I don't have to get up from my craft desk and preferably that I don't have to open a drawer to get to it. (Think tape runner, scissors, paper trimmer, etc.)
2. How often will I need to get to this item? Take my watercolor paints and brushes, I don't watercolor every time I make a card so even though I like to have them close by I am okay with them being in a drawer. 
3. Will organizing this item in this manner also add to the decor of my room? I know this might seem weird but I tell you the site of my 8.5x11 cardstock paper all lined up by color makes me happy and look so pretty to me! 
4. Do I keep forgetting to use this? I love sequins and I really love to see them used on my cards however if I don't keep my sequins in front of me then they don't get used. I forget about them entirely until I am admiring the card of someone else and think how great the sequins look on their card and then (forehead slap) think I have those why didn't I do that! 
5. Is this item something that I want the option to use even if I don't use it constantly? Such as glitter, foil paper, those kinds of things. 

This is how I decide where to place things in my room. So after going through all those questions with every single item I laid my hands on I ended up with this...

 Now I'm ready to CREATE!!! :)

Wishing you sunshine and smiles,
Kim :)

Sympathy Cards

Hi Again!

The title of this post isn't meant to bring you down but it is a reality for all of us. Which leads me to the entire reason I decided to do this post. Recently a loved one's parent passed and of course I wanted to offer my condolences. This is a stash that we all hope not to have to pull from often but it's certainly part of life.

So far I have found that flowers seem to be perfect for cards in the sympathy category because they are simple and elegant. I like to use muted colors because they lend a softer look to the card and I make sure to keep the embellishments limited and tasteful (think small pearls). I personally like to keep it pretty flat because typically I mail sympathy cards. Memorial services are usually pretty emotional for me whether I knew the person or not, I tend to be like Dolly Parton or Truvy if you've seen the movie, "I have a strict rule that nobody cries alone in my presence." (Thank you, Steel Magnolias.) The thought of handing someone my card that I truly try to write something heartfelt in feels just too uncomfortable (and what if they are holding it all together and then they read your card and it sends them into tears? I do NOT want to be the person that caused that!).

I currently don't own any fitting sentiments to go on the front of a sympathy card but I do have a stamp that I use on the inside, it is nice expresses the feelings I want to convey and is not religious (important to me because I wanted to be able to use it for anyone). I plan on investing in some more sympathy stamps but if you already make your own sympathy cards you might agree with me that they aren't easy to come by. The thing I try to focus on when making this category of cards is that the sentiment you may or may not stamp on the front of it or even the inside for that matter is not as important as the comfort that the recipient will feel when they receive the card and are reminded that someone cares (at least in my experience even when words didn't get through the pain, feelings of people caring did). 

Thank you for stopping by and please feel free to leave any comments I would love to hear what you turn to when you want to comfort a loved one who is going through the death of a loved one or a hard time in general. It has been mentioned to me that in order to leave a comment on this blog you have to have a google account, if you don't but would still like to comment please feel free to visit my FaceBook page here.

Wishing you sunshine and smiles,
Kim :)

Scrapbook Blessings Club Monthly Challenge: April

Hi! Today I am entering a challenge from Scrapbook Blessings Club for April. This type of challenge is a great way to give your creativity a direction especially if you find yourself a little stumped for what to do next. The challenges I have been participating in have truly made an impact on how often I am creating. Sometimes with too many choices I get overwhelmed and then don't do anything but with the help of the challenges I have some direction. I love that the challenge for this month is to make a card or a layout with a BIRTHDAY THEME, you can never have too many birthday cards!

Supplies:

• image is C.C. Designs "Birthday Twila"
• the background paper is Birthday Extravaganza with Glitter from The Paper Studio
• sequins are from my stash
• ribbon is from my stash (which I have had for over three years now-gasp!)
• colored image with Copic Sketch markers
• used Wink of Stella in clear to add some sparkle
• used Glossy Accents on her shoes
• used Signo White Pen to create the polka dots on her bows and dress

This challenge has a bit of a twist as they aren't asking you to link it up to their blog but add it to their FaceBook group which I think is a great idea and a fun way to let friends and family possibly see your creation as well if you choose to share it with them. The challenge doesn't end until the end of the month so you have plenty of time to play along, so go get your creativity on!!! You can click on Scrapbook Blessings Club and you will be taken to their FaceBook group to enter.

Thank you so much for joining me today and I invite you to come back whenever you can!

Wishing you sunshine and smiles,
Kim :)

Glitter N' Sparkle Challenge #182

Hello!

Hope you are having a relaxing and inspiration filled Sunday. Today's post is a bit of an unexpected bonus because of the challenge in the title. It closed in the wee hours of the morning and I didn't want to miss out on getting it entered. I am stepping into the challenge world and in doing so have had so much fun this last week! PLUS I made more cards than I typically make as well!

I am still getting the hang of my timing and was disappointed when I realized that just a few hours after I get this up the challenge will be closing. That being said...who knows maybe by reading this post you too will find out about Glitter N' Sparkle and their challenges thus increasing your fun too and then my mission is still complete. (I'm a creative optimist!) The link will take you straight to this challenge where you will also find their current challenge so you can join in the fun.

Here's my entry and I will include a supply list under the picture. As always all of my supplies were purchased from Scrapping For Less, head on over there for great prices on new products!!!

 Supplies:

• image is from The Greeting Farm "Anya Celebrates"
• stamped image on a tag cut with MFT Traditional Tags STAX
• paper used is from Echo Park Lori Whitlock "Sweet Girl" collection
• little tag is from La La Land Crafts "Stitched Elements" 
• sentiment is from Amy R stamps "HB2U" 
• stamped the sentiment with Versa Mark ink 
• embossed with Wow White embossing powder
• colored with Copic Sketch markers
• used Wink of Stella in clear to color the bow on the package
• used Glossy Accents on her eyes, barrette, shoes, and heart on the package
• used a yellow sprinkle from Doodlebug Designs summer glitter assortment
• border punch from Martha Stewart 
• stamped the inside of the card with MFT hybrid ink in Bubblegum

Thank you for taking the time to stop by!

Wishing you sunshine and smiles,
Kim :)

PP289 The Paper Players Western Challenge

Howdy Y'all!

I am so excited to participate in the challenge over at The Paper Players! The theme is western and it gave me the opportunity to use a little gal from La La Land Crafts "Cowgirl Marci". (I've owned this stamp for over a year and this is the first time I've used her, hangs head in shame.) So here is my girl and the supplies I used to get her all gussied up. (I couldn't help myself.)

Supplies: (all supplies purchased from Scrapping For Less)

• Cowgirl Marci from La La Land Crafts
• colored with Copic sketch markers
• Spell Binders die Labels One on patterned paper
• circle created with Martha Stewart circle maker
• Avery Elle dotted die for the flag sentiment
• cardstock and patterned paper is from my stash
• little flowers are from Prima "Debutante" collection
• used MFT Hybrid Ink pad in Red Hot to stamp the inside of the card 
• added Wink of Stella to her kerchief, belt buckle, and boots
• added Glossy Accents to her eyes, lips, and belt buckle

You still have time to get in on the challenge, click here to enter, challenges are being accepts until Friday April 8th at NOON (PST). Head on over, check out the rules, and whip something up. Good luck!
Thank you so much for stopping by have a great weekend!

Wishing you sunshine and smiles,
Kim :)

 

Birthday Series 2016 #4

Hi ya's!

Today's card was a lot of fun to make! Although I have to admit that using distress inks to create a background really is one of my favorite techniques to use. My card isn't a one layer card but this technique is perfect to make a one layer card. (I just happened to stamp the image on a card front sized piece of paper before I decided what I was going to do.)

I wanted to create a ground for the little elephant to be walking on but had just made a card recently where I used distress inks to create grass colors and didn't want to repeat that. I decided I really wanted to use gray and then the sidewalk idea seemed to be the best choice. I don't seem to be capable of making a card without putting some Wink of Stella on it to bling things up (and honestly why would you want to! Um....hellooo!) and added it to the balloons. I wish it showed up on the pictures better (or at all!). 

Sooo here it is.....

INGREDIENTS:

• Bunch of Balloons stamp by Wild Rose Studio
• image colored with Copic markers
• Inkadinkado masking paper used to mask off the stamped image 
• Ranger distress inks minis and mini blending tool used to create sky and sidewalk
• Wink of Stella used on balloons to give it a shimmer
• sentiments are from a discontinued AmyR stamp set HB2U

*all of the ingredients I used were purchased from Scrapping For Less

My collection of birthday cards is coming along quite nicely and I have decided to also begin working on building up my stash of other cards as well because it certainly seems as though the need for wedding, baby, congratulations, get well and (most unfortunately) sympathy cards arise without warning and during a time when things are too hectic to sit down and make a card.

For those of you who make cards and those of you who buy your cards how do you store them? I am currently using a Creative Memories photo box to keep mine in because it is black and will protect them from light, dust, etc. Thank you for stopping by and spending some time with me today!

Wishing you sunshine and smiles,
Kim :) 

Scrapbook Blessings Club Challenge: Christmas Card Valentine

I have decided to participate in February's challenge over at Scrapbook Blessings Club or SBC for short. It is quite a clever challenge! The rules are this: you can make whatever you like (I made a card-surprising I know) it has to be a Valentine related item and here's the challenge...wait for it...you must make your Valentine related item with CHRISTMAS SUPPLIES!!!

So clever! I read about this challenge on their blog a couple of days ago and really wanted to participate but was afraid that I might be too late. Lucky for me (and even you, if you are so inclined) entries are accepted until the last day of the month by 11pm. It was a lot of fun digging into my Christmas stash and deciding what could be used to create a Valentine's card. It turned out to be quite easy so many items were just wintry and not exclusively Christmas related.

These are the items that I pulled together for this card:

 Ingredients:

• I used the sentiment from the La La Land stamp set "Marci with Christmas Ornament" well a piece of the sentiment I masked off the words I didn't want
• I have no clue where the patterned paper comes from because it was in my Christmas stash :(   Sorry
• the little snowman is C.C. Designs "Nerdy Snowman"
• the snowflakes were made with a Martha Stewart snowflake punch (the snowflake border punch just wasn't working for me)
• I punched a heart out with a punch from Creative Memories "Friendship Micro Marker"
• I covered the snowflakes with clear Wink of Stella pen to make them sparkly, I also colored in the heart with a pink Wink of Stella
• since the little nerdy snowman is wearing glasses I filled the lenses in with Glossy Accents
• I still felt like it was missing something so I added Stickles in frosted lace to create the look of snow

Here it is, isn't he adorable? I am very happy with him and will have to save him for someone really special. As per my usual most of these supplies (if not all of them) were acquired from Scrapping For Less. If you are up to the challenge I encourage you to go over to Scrapbook Blessings Club and give it a go! Oh and please feel free to leave any comments down below and thank you so much for stopping by!

Wishing you sunshine and smiles,
Kim :)

Birthday Card Series 2016 #1

Happy Birthday!

Well it's bound to be someone's birthday today so that's for them. For the rest of you I hope you are also having a fine day!

The Birthday Card is probably the type of card I make most often barring Christmas cards and I always seem to either be making them after the recipient's actual birthday or cutting it super close.

So this year I am on a mission to not only send out the cards I make for the birthday guys and gals in my life but to also make more than I need so that I can have a collection to pull from. This first card in the series had to have a little card surgery...turns out that I did not like the way the sentiment looked when I stamped it and I wasn't sure what to do about it. It wasn't horrible and I certainly could have left it as it was but it just kept bothering me! So I finally thought to take my purple Wink of Stella pen and go over the sentiment. I was so happy when it seemed to fix whatever it was about the sentiment that I didn't like.

I was halfway through fixing the sentiment when it hit me I should take a before picture or no one would have a clue what I was talking about...

The picture doesn't quite do it justice because you are not able to see the sparkle that the Wink of Stella pen added, also since it is a darker purple it is much easier to read.

I tell you all this as a friendly suggestion that if you find yourself pretty much finished with your card but still not happy with it try to fix it. Some of the cutest cards I've made were results of me trying to fix a mistake. Also I have found that if there is something about a card that just isn't working for me I for some reason cannot bring myself to give it away. I know I'm not being judged or critiqued for the cards I give to my friends and family but for some reason if it doesn't look right to me I just can't leave it alone.

Thankfully, it's just card making and not life and death worse case scenario you scrap it and start over! (Yeah I know that's the absolute worse case scenario, right?)

Wishing you sunshine and smiles,
Kim :)

Valentine Series 2016 Last Card!!!

Hey Sweeties!!!

Well we made it! This is the last card of the Valentine Series for 2016 and I have had a great time making these cards! Originally when I began this series I only had a few people in mind that I planned on sending or giving a card for Valentine's Day. Jamie (the husband) and I recently made plans to have a game day (table top nerd gaming that is!) with one of our favorite couples. Turns out we will be getting together on Valentine's Day itself and I just could not resist making a card for them. Now I will say that this is the first time I have made a Valentine card for another couple but the image I used really seems to lend itself for this.

I was so very giddy when I realized that the image I wanted to use would look adorably cute on the paper pack that I have been itching to dig into. I tend to get very excited when I see an image I want to use and in my mind the entire card starts coming together all at once, even down to the finishing embellishments and that is exactly what happened with this card.

 INGREDIENTS:

• stamp is from Simon Says Stamp Newton's Nook
• all the papers used are from the 6x6 collection from Dovecraft
• the heart bling in the corner I pieced together from pearls from BoBunny and from my stash 
• colored wih copics
• added some shimmer with Wink of Stella to the kitties' collars and to the Eiffel Tower that is on the background paper and the crown
• stamped the image on the inside with My Favorite Things hybrid ink in bubblegum 
• the little stickers on the inside are from a card kit I got from SFL

I am so grateful for those of you who have taken the time to read these entries. I hope you enjoy them and please keep stopping by whenever you are able to! Please feel free to leave a comment and even share what you are doing to celebrate Valentine's Day and the ones you love.

Wishing you sunshine and smiles,
Kim :)

Valentine Series 2016 #6

Hi ya!

I am excited to show the image I used on today's card. I borrowed this stamp from a friend over a year ago I believe (and am a little embarrassed to admit). I took it with me to Ireland and looked at it often always having the intention of making this card but didn't quite get to it. I brought it back home with me because I had the card I intended to use it on already in my head. It has been in my mind for quite some time and it feels great to get it out here into the real world!

This is for a friend of mine who LOVES tulips and I wanted to make a card for her with this image because I cannot look at it without thinking of her. Plus the little gal on the image looks to me like she is just bursting with joy to share all the tulips she has. I think the image lends itself to bright and happy colors and I really wanted it to have a cheery feeling.

Ingredients: 

• image is from Penny Black and created by Mo Manning
• the yellow and blue paper is from my stash
• the red striped paper is from Echo Park 8x8 paper pad Dots & Stripes
• I used Copic markers to color the image
• Wink of Stella in clear to add some sparkle to the flowers and the vases
• I stamped the sentiment on to a label created with a label punch from the Paper Studio
• the sentiment is from Hampton Arts Jillibean Soup Handwritten Sentiments
• stamped the sentiment using My Favorite Things hybrid ink in Wild Cherry
• stamped the main image using My Favorite Things hybrid ink in Black Licorice
• the paper the image is stamped on is Neenah Classic Crest Card in Solar White (this is the paper I bought in the UK and the sizing is different than in the States) 

I have made this card for one of my closest girlfriends and I look forward to giving it to her for Valentine's Day. There really isn't anything that lends this particular image to V-day itself but when I see this image I think of my friend and I thought it would be a perfect image to include on a card to let her know I love her and am thinking of her. So keep in mind that if you don't feel that you have a Valentine specific image that lends itself to be used for friends or family etc you don't have to! Just find an image that either makes you think of them or that you think they would enjoy seeing. The sentiment doesn't even have to be related to Valentine's Day you can always just write it on the inside. Either way I cannot imagine that they wouldn't be pleased to get a card from you and that it would certainly bring a smile to their face, we all like to know we are loved.

Oh! One more thing...it may not stand out to you and I realize that I may be pointing it out and ruining the image for you but it SCREAMS out to me when I look at the card but I have repeated the mantra that "handmade items are NOT perfect nor are they meant to be" (sigh) and I am okay now. I was coloring that tiny little piece of her scarf between her ear and her hair and my marker "burped", which means that too much ink came out and I FREAKED OUT!!! It went into her face and I thought the image was ruined and i had already colored all the flowers and vases and I was in shock! Then I calmed down, blotted the area with a paper towel and used my lightest skin color to move the yellow out of her face as much as I could. I think it is passable enough to still be used and given but I would be lying through my teeth if I said that my eyes don't go straight to that blemish as soon as I look at the card, I am however able to take in the entire image and I feel better about it. I mention this little incident to just encourage you that if you make a mistake or a mistake is made for you DON'T PANIC! There is usually a way to resolve it without trashing the card and starting over. :)

Thanks for joining me for a card and a bit of rambling!

Wishing you sunshine and smiles,
Kim :)

Valentine Series 2016 #4

TGIF!!!!

Happy Friday everybody, well it was Friday when I started this post! (I am easily distracted and apparently cannot watch American Idol and type)  ;)  Here we go into the weekend and here I am with one of the sweetest images I think I have ever found! This image makes me think of the conversation hearts candy which I loved as a kid which is ridiculous because now when I see that candy I think "eww I'm not wasting my carbs on those!". Thankfully I don't have to make carb choices when card making! Yay!!!

Ingredients:

• image is a digi stamp from Saturated Canary LLC, created by Krista Smith
• striped patterned paper is from BoBunny #foreveryoung collection 6x6 paper pad which I purchased from Scrapping For Less
• wooden embellishment with sentiment is from Crate Paper Kiss Kiss wood pieces also from SFL (Scrapping For Less)
• yellow cardstock was from my stash
• the sweet little enamel heart stickers were part of SFL's 2015 card kit (I think it was February but not completely sure)
• Wink of Stella on the hearts in her hair and on her leg warmers (that's what I'm calling them) and also on the hearts in the box and the one in her hands
• Glossy Accents on her eyes (one of my favorite things about the Saturated Canary characters) and her lips

One last thing: If you are making a card with an image like this and are fussy cutting it out I picked up a great tip from Kristina Werner about taking a black ink marker and running it along the edges of the image. It gives it a clear, crisp, more finished look and can also hide any little scissor slips you may have along the way. 

I am missing my buddy Teresa but for an excellent reason. She is off lending a helping hand and some much needed TLC to my friend and her sister Beth. If you are looking for some inspiration on card making, goal setting, or just a pick me up check out her blog at Fresh and Renewed. 

Thank you so much for stopping by, I hope you enjoy this little gal, she is so sweet I want to print out a bunch of her and color her in a ton of different color combos! Happy Weekend!!!

Wishing you sunshine and smiles,

Kim :) 

Valentine Series 2016 Card #3

Happy Hump Day!!! 

 When I was a kid but old enough that Valentine's Day at school did not include bringing the little cards with a sucker attached to them for everyone in your class I wanted a real Valentine. I had fantasies of being the girl in school who instead of getting one of the candy grams that were being pushed by the cheerleaders I would get a real gift. I would be in the middle of a really boring class (preferably science or math, I loved english) and the office secretary would loudly stumble in interrupting the class so that all eyes were on her and her arms full of a dozen red roses, a box of heart shaped chocolates (the ones that taste terrible but it's the thought right?) and the cutest stuffed teddy bear holding an "I Love You" heart. As all the girls were holding their breath hoping that it was for them she would call my name and I would timidly raise my hand because I didn't have a boyfriend but it would all be for me and the note would be sweet and charming and signed, "you're secret admirer."  

Yeah well, none of that ever happened. What did happen every year, every Valentine's Day no matter how much I kind of rolled my eyes and said things like "Mooom it's not a real Valentine's gift" my mom would come home with a card, chocolates, and usually a stuffed animal. The card would tell me what a great kid I was and how much I was loved and would be signed by my mom and dad. Not both names by my mom but each one would sign their own. I haven't thought about this in years! Looking back on it I always loved it and it made me feel special. Looking back now I am super grateful that they did this for me. 

Long road to say that I think it is important to let the people you love know they are important to you not just your girlfriend, boyfriend or spouse. So I like to make Valentine's cards that don't necessarily scream about love and being mine forever but are just cute and a great way to say "I am thinking about you, I love you and hope you have a Happy Valentine's Day!" 

Today's card is just that type of card. I am a coffee lover and it was so much fun coloring this image, using the coffee cup paper, and even the embellishment. I will probably give this to a fellow coffee lover so that they know I love coffee but I love them more (at least after my first cup of coffee when I can think straight).  

Ingredients:

• Latte Anya stamp from The Greeting Farm (sorry couldn't find it on their site to link to it)
• paper is from my stash
• Hello sentiment is a dienamic die from My Favorite Things
• the sprinkles are from Doodlebug Designs as is the little coffee cup
• I used glossy accents on the button on the hat and her boots

Well I appreciate you stopping by and I sure hope someone makes you feel special this Valentine's Day! 

Wishing you sunshine and smiles,

Kim  :) 

Valentine Series 2016 #2

So here is card number two. I received the kit that this stamp came in months ago and have being itching to color it. This little image is sooo cute and I figured with all the hearts on the image it would be perfect for a Valentine card.

The Ingredients:

• card base
• patterned paper from my stash
• image from La La Land Club Kit
• My Favorite Things Dienamics blueprints #15
• Technique Tuesdays Fishtail Banners 
• colored image with Copic markers
• Wink of Stella on bow and heart on purse
• Glossy Accents to apply to camera and eyes

This was such a fun card to make! I really love the hair on this image and all the hearts too she's cute and funky. 

Hope you enjoyed stopping by and look forward to seeing you all on Monday! 

Wishing you sunshine and smiles, 

Kim :) 

2016 Valentine's Series Begins!!!

Hi ya's!!!

The candy's been on the shelves for weeks now! I walked into the grocery store a couple of days ago and it was chocolates, stuffed animals, forever roses galore...so thus beggineth the Valentine Series!!! I am so excited! I love cutesy images, fun colors, hearts galore, and finding ways to use images that don't typically lend themselves to the holiday of focus and bending them to my will! (Bwahahahaha!!! Hmm I feel as though a holiday built around letting your loved ones know they are special should not bring out the villain laugh in me...oh well! )

The lovely little banner at the top of this post is brought to you by Teresa Russell (I am still working on acquiring such skills). She has been posting her Valentine Series since January 6th. You should definitely check it out over on her blog at Fresh and Renewed. Many thanks to Teresa for making this for us, I had to tweak my dates a little since I was still traveling through the first of the year.

So here we go!

I always use items that are in my stash, the majority of my supplies I order from Scrapping For Less which is a preorder site that Teresa runs on FaceBook. I am sure if you follow this blog for any length of time you will hear about it again and again. :)

The Ingredients:

• textured cardstock
• patterned paper from my stash (thought the hearts on grey were so cute)
• image is from La La Land Crafts (I participate in the La La Land Club Kit it is absolutely worth it! )
• used copic  markers to color the image
• the sentiment is also from La La Land Crafts (is part of the same kit the image came it...told you it was worth it!)
• the pearl spray is a Zva sticker
• the little purple heart is a wood heart that I colored in with a purple Wink of Stella pen

I don't think the photo really shows it but on the buttons on the hat and on her eyes I added Glossy Accents. I also used a Uniball Signo white pen to color the white of her eyes.

 I put in links where I could just in case you see something you would like to add to your arsenal. I don't get any kickbacks or endorsement for any of the products they are what I happened to use while making the card. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Wishing you sunshine and smiles,
Kim :)