Tea Thanks

 

I've been drinking lots of tea lately - it's been both energizing and soothing, not to mention delicious. It's not completely out of character for me, as I've enjoyed tea throughout the years. But I'd always stuck to my familiar herbal teas. Lately, I've been trying other flavors and discovering what I love and what I don't. Since I was feeling inspired, I thought I'd make a simple little card with a teacup and I like how it turned out.

I've been going through phases lately of wanting to do things in a very minimal (clean and simple) kind of way, and then bouncing to more complex/layered as a way to make good use of many supplies. It's very rewarding to explore different styles, even if I'm not always comfortable with them.

I think growth comes from pushing past our comfort walls and into places where we can explore intuitively. We get better with practice - lots and lots of practice.

Coffee Smiles

 

In contrast to the card I shared yesterday, today's card didn't turn out the way I imagined it at all. In the past, that would be something that would frustrate me to no end - especially when I had a very clear idea of what I wanted to do. I've been trying to relax my expectations a little lately, though, and still share things that are imperfect.

I think I will revisit this idea again in the future. Even if it didn't turn out the way that I expected, it might work with a different set of supplies. Sometimes a different execution can make the idea become a better fit.

We Flamingo Together

 

Today is my birthday and I wanted to share a card that makes me happy. It's an idea that's been in the back of my mind for a few weeks now, but I hadn't gotten around to creating it until now. And it turned out just like I wanted it to - which is amazing.

I'm not doing anything big today. Just a quiet day that I can spend on my favorite hobbies - which is a perfect birthday in my book. How do you like to celebrate?

Warm Hugs

 

The weather has been chilly lately, and that puts me in the mood to make some warm and fuzzy cards. I paired another pre-colored image with a watercolor panel I'd made and saved some time ago. I think it made an interesting palette.

I am still having a lot of fun with color and palettes. Pairing up colors is always something I enjoy, especially when it's an unusual combination.

Sending hugs

 

 2020 has been a rough year, both personally and for the world as a whole. The majority of this past year has been focused on staying safe and healthy. And though creativity is good for reducing stress, card-making was just more than I could handle most days.

I spent most of 2020 journaling. Not in the pretty kind of art journals that are worthy being shared, but the "let me get this on a page and out of my mind" stream of consciousness writing that kept me sane on most days. The only decision I had to make was which colored pen to use that day.

Things are still not great, but they're slowly getting a little better. So, I'm easing my way back into creativity and slowly getting back into card-making. It won't be on a regular schedule most of the time, but at least I am making the effort of using my supplies again.

Here's to 2021 being a good year.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Magical Life

Nothing beats a magical card, especially when things are uncertain.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Dragon Hugs

As you may have noticed, things have been a little quiet around here lately. With the Covid-19 pandemic situation, there have been a lot of changes - both for me personally and for the society as a whole. For a while, I found myself too stressed out to even think about creativity. But I'm slowly finding a balance again and hoping to get crafty and share what I've created here and there again.

My postings might be consistent for a while as I'm working through a backlog of cards I've made recently, but they might also get spotty again after. There is still a lot of uncertainty and a lot of time spent finding the "new normal". Hopefully, I can build up some momentum and get back to doing what I enjoy.


Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Yellow Hello

I thought I'd play with layouts a little bit today. I have a few squares of 2x2 patterned paper from a project and I've been thinking up new ways to use them (aside from a basic background for a critter). I think this layout turned out pretty fun, and I'm going to try to challenge myself to try a few other ways of incorporating those paper bits.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Eely Like You

Thanks for checking out my card!
~Elle~

Treat Yourself!

We had a lot of ice-cream this summer - both as a way to cool down in the scorching heat and as a perfect dessert to finish off our dinners. I wanted to share some of that cool delicious joy with a friend, so I whipped up a quick card with an inside pocket - the perfect place to stick an ice-cream giftcard.

Thanks for reading,
~Elle~

Light Up My World

I'm pulling out some favorite palettes for today's card. Teal, yellow and white feel like summer to me, and some stitching and scallops make the card come together perfectly.

Thanks for reading,
~Elle~

Jawsome CAS

One of my favorite things about this card is the sentiment with colors that match the pattern and the shark. I've been really into colorful sentiments lately, and I think they are perfect for CAS cards with lots of empty space.

~Elle~

Deeply In Love

Card number two in the challenge features the adorable submarine from Lawn Fawn. With the cute fish patterned paper, I think it works wonderfully.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Remember to Play

A playful little dolphin heart to usher in the weekend, today. I'm looking forward to a weekend full of creative play and daring challenges.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Deepest Thanks

I don't know that I'd be brave enough to go deep-sea diving myself, but I certainly enjoy watching under-the-sea videos and movies. A bit of ink-blending and an unusual background shape really helped achieve that dream underwater feel.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Bits & Pieces: Happy Fox

It has been a long week, and I'm so ready for the weekend! I'm sharing a simple card today, using some bits and pieces that were floating around my desk. I'm excited to get crafty again this weekend. It feels like there's never quite enough time to make a whole bunch of cards during the week.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Hello Sloth

It's Friday! I wanted to share a friendly sloth today with a birch branch and a dash of rainbow colors.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Ice Cream Fun

On a summer kick again today, and I thought I'd share a fun little ice-cream card.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Alpaca Fun

This fluffy alpaca from Lawn Fawn has been sitting in my colored images stash since winter, and I really wanted to use him on a card along with the fun sentiment. Yes, it's another winter creation, but the fun palette could work for other seasons too.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Oh Snap!

I know, I know. We're nowhere near Christmas, but I really wanted to play with some of my winter stamps. Though winter holiday season is still far away, I do occasionally like to test out a few ideas or prototypes throughout the year to (hopefully) make my holiday projects quicker.

So, today's quick share is a simple little card where I play with a layout and some patterned paper.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~