Day 6! Stamped a few pieces of paper ahead of time so I could take them to work and play during lunch. This cutie pear/pair stamp image from Sweet Stamp Shop gets me every time! They're so cute!

Happy World Card Making Day! 

As part of the card/gift, the recipient would be getting 2 gift cards. I created 2 gift card pockets out of fiber paper and die cut some extra sakura blossoms to decorate with. My friend requested that the recipient's name was on the card so I stamped "Charlene" using Milo's ABCs from Lawn Fawn and the  "Congratulations" stamp is from Avery Elle.


On the back, went with a humorous stamp from Sweet Stamp Shop. And of course I signed it in lime green to match the polka dot paper on the front.


I went one step further and made a coordinating sushi themed envelope. I stamped it in Memento Dew Drop ink Pear Tart.


Stamps: Lawn Fawn - Let's Roll, Avery Elle - Oh Happy Day, Lawn Fawn - Milo's ABCs, Sweet Stamp Shop - Made By #2
Ink: Memento Dew Drops - Pear Tart & Angel Pink, Hero Arts Dye - Black, Hero Arts Shadow - Bubble Gum

2 of my sisters, my parents, and I all have 2 cats per family. Meaning in my immediate family, we have 8 cats!

Oliver and Emma are my dad and mom's pride and joy these days. Aren't they sweet?

I wanted to make card for my dad that he'd want to keep and smile at which basically means it can't just be a generic card with regular dude stuff. Sweet Stamp Shop Stamps to the rescue!


Stamps: Sweet Stamp Shop - Kitty Cat

I was on a roll this weekend since I got my Too Hip stamp set from Sweet Stamp Shop. Isn't it TOO cute!? Looking especially hip in his party hat. I spotted this tube of square colorful confetti at Michaels on the non-scrapbooking side of the store. I thought they'd be perfect for shaker cards! Aren't they fun? Love the colors and the variety of sizes. Go hippo, it's your birthday.. *doing the cabbage patch*.

My nephew Andrew just celebrated his 15th birthday! Here he is with his big sister Hailey. Love these kids <3
This is the masculine-est/hippest/coolest/gamer-est/coolest card I could come up with for a young teen boy. Contents: CASH! So what better thing to make for him than a money envelope with money inside for a kid whose obsession with socks might be finally waning and he might want something besides Nike Elite Dri-fit socks in every color available for his birthday or Christmas. It's literally just an envelope pocket with money inside. Full of win, basically.

I used my score board to score a 7x7 piece of paper to make the inner flap (to hold the money) + the outer flap (to cover the money). I didn't take a picture of the inside, but the inner flap is about an inch wide. Then I die cut the outer flap with the curved edge die from Simon Says Stamp. I trimmed up a piece of chalkboard art paper from my 6x6 Boys Rule paper pad from Crate Paper to add to the envelope which (by some miracle) fit this whole thing perfectly. I cut a small khaki piece of paper for the tag and used a curve edge punch on the top. Used 2 different sized hole punches to make the hole reinforcer. Stamped and cut the Happy Birthday label using Alpha Tabs from Sweet Stamp Shop. Then for some interest, cut some cassettes from a printed sheet in the Boys Rule pad. and glued them on the tag. Tied it all up with bakers twine. Masculine and NOT boring! WOOHOOO!! I feel pretty confident that this is my best masculine card so far. And it isn't really a card, I know. But still... I dig it ^_-

Stamps: Sweet Stamp Shop - Alpha Tabs
Paper: Crate Paper - Boys Rule

One of my major challenges in card making is masculine cards! I dunno what it is, but flowers and butterflies are way easy for me. Masculine cards probably shouldn't have sparkly pretty things at all, ya know? *sigh* Anyhoo! I forged ahead when I realized I should be making more masculine cards I went for simple but with a soft look. That should work, right? RIGHT??? In any case, that's what I did.

Blue and black.. those are pretty masculine colors, right? (even if the blue is dainty and light!)
 

Stamps: Sweet Stamp Shop - Too Hip, Happy Birthday, Lawn Fawn - Teeny Tiny Backdrops

I made this card for my friend Lieh for her birthday (which is totally belated - back in April!!). She's a boisterous and uber friendly girl so I chose a colorful watercolor background and put a few embellishments to liven up the card and create dimension. There are a few sequins, some coral seam binding from Talking Twine and Trim on Etsy, irridescent thread and a couple of small glitter butterflies I cut on my silhouette portrait.
Stamps: Sweet Stamp Shop - Elegant Sentiments
Ink: Distress ink in peacock feathers, picked raspberry, wild honey, evergreen bough
Dies: Mama Elephant - Femme Frames

I've been playing with watercolor backgrounds since I saw Jennifer McGuire and Kristina Werner do it. I LOVE the variety of ways to do it and how it turns out after it's dry. This one I used a technique mentioned by Jennifer using rubber cement to protect the stamp images so I could watercolor the background.
Stamps: Sweet Stamp Shop - Balloons, Lawn Fawn - Sophie's Sentiments Ink: Distress Ink in Peacock Feathers, Picked Raspberry, Mustard Seed

Couldn't resist this adorable little cactus! This set is called Stuck on You from Sweet Stamp Shop.

I like when stamp designers make smaller sets with a few stamps. I don't feel as guilty spending money for a few very useful stamps.
This one is Elegant flowers by Sweet Stamp Shop. This might be one I'd make into a set to give as a gift. a few of each color. Also, I really love the gold splatters. I made the black splatters on the pink card a bit too big.
Stamps: Avery Elle - Oh Happy Day, Sweet Stamp Shop - Elegant Flowers

I saw this design in a magazine and loved the style!

My cat, Mini, is a bit of a talkative one. Especially when it comes to food or wanting to go outside. She's not afraid to tell me what's on her mind. Often, when she's begging for food, I look at her and ask her questions back - and yes, I'm obviously a crazy cat lady because I talk to her as if she's responding to me!

And off the crazy cat lady train, we come. I'm totally in love with the cute cat and dog stamp sets recently released from Sweet Stamp Shop! So of course, I would color my first stamp with this set to look like Mini. The "meow" stamp is by Some Odd Girl called Clever Kitties. I used Gamsol (and Jennifer McGuire's tutorials) to color her in.

Based on Freshly Made Sketches #126