New Babies.....FMS294

The Hero Arts monthly card kit for June contains an amazing stamp/die set that is loaded with silhouette images of African animals and trees.  I did a simple watercolor wash of yellows and pinks then stamped my images.  The elephant family was perfect to create this sweet baby card!  

I confess that I raided Emma's craft box to borrow her Crayola set of watercolors - might be time to buy my own! But I don't think Emma even noticed since she has been awfully busy with the new babies that arrived at her house. And these little babies are much better nappers than Emma ever was!  They had their first checkup today and weighed in at a whopping 4 pounds each.  As you can see crate training is going very well.......ha!

Amy - that talented Texas artisan friend of mine - has a great layered sketch for us this week at Freshly Made Sketches - enjoy!

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Stamps:  Hero Arts June 2017 Kit, Cups and Succulents (SSS)
Ink:  Watercolors, Black
Paper: Watercolor, Flirty Flamingo, Basic Black

Thanks a Latte

Summertime.....and time for the Summer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop!  Always a fun event.....so many amazing coffee cards and so much inspiration!  And prizes!  What's not to love?!?!?  Check it out!

I used the new Coffee Cafe set from SU along with the sketch from CAS(e) this Sketch.

I would love to stay and chat but I have puppies to play with.......Cooper and Bentley have arrived......

Fusion: Fourth of July Jars

About those new stainless steel appliances I was talked into when we remodeled our kitchen two years ago.......I tried really hard to love them but it wasn't meant to be.  So much cleaning.....so much polishing.....so easily marked.  And don't get me started on the horrible glass top stove!  I just couldn't take those high maintenance cold metallic sentries any more!  New white appliances were delivered today and I am much happier.  It was like welcoming old friends back home!  Hello sweet friends!  And the stainless steel trio?  They are headed to the lake - my son has become their new constant caregiver......

Fourth of July is just around the corner so the inspiration at Fusion is perfect for this time of year! I used both elements on my card today for Fusion!  But you can be inspired by part of it.....or all of it!  Hope you join us!

Stamp Sets:  Fresh and Fruity (Sunny Studio), Hand Lettered Hello (Wplus9)

Paper:  Tasty Treats DSP, Whisper White

Dies:  Wonky Stitches (Avery Elle)

Ink: Black, Dapper Denim , Copics

Where I Come From....FMS293

Where I come from daisies grow wild alongside the roads.....at the edge of the fields.......or along a fence line.  I don't know anyone who actually plants daisies....they just sort of appear on their own!

Where I come from this traffic light (about a mile north of my house) is the last light you encounter before you cross "The Blue Line".....meaning you have entered the Adirondack Mountains.  A few miles later you would arrive at the Great Sacandaga Lake (where our camp is) and a few more miles puts you in Hamilton County which is larger than the state of Rhode Island.  1800 square miles - give or take - and not one traffic light in the whole county!  

Where I come from driving south will take you to "civilization" but for some reason we always seem to head north.............

I used the new SU sets Daisy Delight and Beautiful Bouquet to create my card today along with that gorgeous Delightful Daisy DSP.

Karren Johnson my amazingly talented friend from the other side of the planet (wonder how many traffic lights between here and New Zealand?) designed this curvy sketch for us this week at Freshly Made Sketches! Hope you join us!

Stamp Review Crew: Labeler Alphabet

Labeler Alphabet is perfect when you want to make up your own sentiment.  And it is easy to use because it doesn't need to be exact!  It is supposed to be a bit wonky!

And speaking of wonky......my daughter and her husband are on a road trip out west this week......1300 miles to South Dakota!  Why?  To pick up these sweet Havanese pups!

Are these guys adorable or what?!?!?  Emma says she is calling the left one Blaze and her momma says the right one will be Bentley......I may call them Bandit and Scruffy! Meanwhile Emma and I will stay home and wait - impatiently I'm sure! We'll shop for doggie toys and treats and tuck this card in with the goodies.  

It's going to be a reign of terriers for sure.......hopefully not a reign of terror training two pups at once!

If you have just seen Natalie's wonderful work you are on track!  If not head back!

Otherwise you are off to visit Kelly and see what treats she has in store!

Stamp Sets:  Labeler Alphabet, Bella and Friends, Garden Party, Number of Years

Ink:  Dapper Denim, Calypso Coral, Real Red, Smoky Slate

Quite the Leap....FMS292

I love "behind the scenes" stories that tell what really happened...........like the making of this card for example......

I can't envision a card totally in my head.....I have to play around with paper, colors and images a bit on scrap paper before I start the real thing.  I loved Cecile's circles this week and decided to try a one layer card and recreate the sketch with just stamping.  I planned a light wash in the background with my design stamped on top of it.  I pulled out Eastern Elegance and started playing with circles and patterns (as you can see below) while my watercolor dried.....just trying to figure out how I would do it "for real."  

But my watercolor wash ended up being very dark and I thought to myself.....wow that looks like a frog pond.......and before I knew I had frogs playing leap frog across the pool!

Cecile my oh so talented friend from across the big pond has a delightful sketch for us this week at Freshly Made Sketches!

I am also adding this card to the CAS Summer watercolour gallery.

Stamp Sets:  Ribbit Ribbit (Avery Elle), Hoppy Days (Newton's Nook)

Ink:  Black, Zig Watercoloring

Fusion: Tulips on a Bike

Nothing like a bouquet of tulips to brighten up a spring day......and nothing like a new hairdo to put a spring in your step even when you are 92!

Gram missed her little partner in crime who had school today.......so no squabbling or fighting over munchkins in the back seat!

Such a sweet spring photo this week at Fusion!  Love the tulips!  Hope you play along!

Stamp Sets: Tranquil Tulips, Delightful Daisy

Ink:  Pool Party, Peekaboo Peach, Basic Gray, Black

Paper:  Whisper White, Smoky Slate

Loads of Fun..........FMS291

Try to imagine this card with no sentiment on it.  I thought the washer and the shelf represented the elements of the sketch just fine.  And then I stamped the words and POOF the sketch just disappeared in front of my eyes - much harder to see the basic elements of the sketch now so look carefully!  Anyway that got me thinking......and wondering.....when do you stamp your sentiment? I always stamp mine last.  Sometimes I change my mind about what sentiment to use as the card comes together and then of course space is a factor as well.  But once that sentiment is stamped there is no going back!  I admit to starting a card over more than once due to a smudgy or crooked sentiment.  And sometimes I have covered it up with a banner ;)  So what are your secrets for well placed sentiments?

Jen Brum designed such a fun sketch for us this week at Freshly Made Sketches!  You can let your imagination run wild with this one!

                                           

Stamps: Loads of Fun (Lawn Fawn)
Paper:  Whisper White, Cool Treats DSP
Ink: Black, Copics






                                                                       

Stamp Review Crew: Colorful Seasons

All four seasons are represented in Colorful Seasons and  I picked summer!  We are having a cool, rainy spring and I am dreaming of a camp chair, flowers and lemonade!  

We got our boat out of storage and into the lake over Memorial Day weekend - without the Big Guy!  Our launch was almost cancelled because he had to work a rescheduled ball game.  But the Big Guy said we could do it and gave each one of us specific instructions.  Mine were very simple:

"When the boat slides off the trailer and Mike yells go, drive the car and trailer up out of the water and don't stop until you get back to camp......and take the corner wide to get into the driveway.  Don't worry that you have never pulled a boat trailer before.....just keep driving and don't get into a situation where you have to back up!"

Seriously?  Did you catch the "never pulled a boat trailer" part?  (My usual job is to sit in the back of the boat as it is being launched because extra weight makes it slide off the trailer easier....sigh.....) But you know the big guy was right and I made it back to camp no problem while the rest of the sailors cruised to the dock.  

Such a proud crew!

My fellow New Yorker Heidi Baks knows all about this rainy spring we have had!  If you missed her wonderful work head back there!

Otherwise your next stop is with Twila Davis - enjoy her creations!!

I used the fun sketch at Cas(e) this Sketch for the layout of my card!

Stamp Set:  Colorful Seasons

Paper:  Whisper White, Delightful Daisy DSP

Ink:  Smoky Slate, Daffodil Delight, Calypso Coral, Tranquil Tide, Basic Gray