Made My Day

It's fall, but with the temperature drop, it feels more like winter. I'm making use of my fall stash and sharing a cute deer card.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Cinnamon Autumn

Thanks for checking out my card!
~Elle~

Autumn Thanks

I think we're catching another theme here, as we had spring, winter and now we're onto an autumn card. I have no particular reason for making an autumn card, aside from spying a cure paper and some leaf puffy stickers I really wanted to use. Making use of my stash does keep me happy!

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Appreciated

I've been going through my stamp stash and pulling out different stamps I want to use. There's a lot of stamps I want to use and a lot of them that I absolutely adore. I'm thinking of starting a little series where I go over some of my favorites and why they're my favorites, but I don't know how entertaining that would be to read.

For today's card, I whipped up something really simple and autumnal. It think it turned out sweet.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Concept Trio Challenge: Seasons - Autumn

Mama Elephant - Pix's Favorites

Continuing on with the seasonal concept challenge, today I'm tackling autumn. As autumn is my absolute favorite season, I felt a lot of pressure to come up with just the perfect card. Of course, trying to come up with a perfect card is pretty much impossible - so I decided to just take a couple of simple ideas and run with it.

One of those ideas was to stamp my sentiment in color. I usually just stick to black or brown for sentiments, but I think a bit of color in a sentiment can really make a difference. I opted for a teal and a yellow - both colors that I pulled from the Doodlebug paper I chose for the card.

I think I'm going to have to use color for my sentiments more, as I absolutely love how it turned out.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Pix's Autumn

Mama Elephant - Pix's Favorites, Potted Pretties (sentiment)

I couldn't resist playing with Pix's Favorites stamp set again - this time, creating a simple little autumn scene card. It's finally getting cooler in my corner of the universe, and that always puts me in the mood to create autumn cards.

I went for a really simple scene, using some Distress Oxide blending for the background, along with textured grass. I really like how it turned out.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Thankful Autumn

Neat & Tangled Stamptember Exclusive 2017 - Hello Pumpkin (retired)

You guessed it! I'm still really enjoying playing with the Hello Pumpkin set from Stamptember 2017. This time around, I wanted to do a little scene that's very CAS. I also wanted to play with some distress oxide inks to create a fun background.

While I like how it turned out in the end, I got my fingers soooooo messy! I think I might have to buy some gloves to wear while I'm ink-blending pretty backgrounds.

Thanks for taking a look!
~Elle~

Aqua autumn

Neat & Tangled Stamptember Exclusive 2017 - Hello Pumpkin (retired)

Another happy autumn bear card today, but I decided to switch up the palette a little bit and add a cool aqua and some pink to my dark gray bear. The aqua, pink and yellows were my go-to summer palette, but I think they can work for autumn, too.

I added some sparkly iridescent sequins as an embellishment and kept the rest of this card very simple.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Hello Pumpkin

Neat & Tangled Stamptember Exclusive 2017 - Hello Pumpkin (retired)

It's September, and that means Simon Says Stamp is throwing a big month-long Stamptember bash! I really look forward to it every year, and I love all the different collaborations that happen throughout the month. Although I usually save up to get the exclusive Stamptember collaborations from my favorite companies, the budget's really tight this year and I have to keep up my spending freeze.

Fortunately, I have a few Stamptember sets from previous years that I can pull out and use. That way, I still feel like I'm a part of the celebration, but I'm letting that poor wallet breathe a little.

For today's card, I used Neat & Tangled's collaboration set called Hello Pumpkin. I absolutely fell in love with this set and all the adorable images. I'll be using it all throughout the week and sharing some fun inspiration. I hope you'll enjoy my projects, too!

Thanks for taking a look.
~Elle~

Autumn Hugs

Avery Elle - Woodland Wonders

It's starting to feel a little more like autumn - the temperatures are dropping and sunflowers seem to be in full bloom. I wanted to create a really simple little autumn card, so I reached for my Woodland Wonders stamp set from Avery Elle to make a simple scene.

I used Lawn Fawn's Doe ink to stamp the trees and the sentiment. I love the softness and warmth of this ink, and I think it goes perfectly with the craft color I used as a base.

For a bit of contrast, I used Waffle Flower's New Fish in Pond ink and some Tonic Nuvo Jewel drops in Sea Breeze.

Thanks for taking a look!
~Elle~

Tutorial: Autumn Stencil Background

Thank you for joining us on our LDRS Creative inspiration week blog hop! We are showcasing lots of gorgeous projects using products from our new release. You can even see them in action with step-by-step projects by our amazing designers on their blogs and our own LDRS Creative Youtube channel (make sure you subscribe)!

We have TWO new designer paperpads bursting of colours, with awesome patterns all ready for your projects called Happy Fall and Wicked, with a perfectly coordinated Wicked cardstock pack! There are EIGHT stamp sets that are simply fabulous: Winds are Blowing, Happy Fall stamps, Happy Fall sentiments, Winnie Broomstick, Winnie Dracula, Winnie Magic, Fall Full O Leaves and The Magic of Fall sentiments! But wait, there is something brand NEW in the store, stencils! We have leaves and plaid patterns just in time to use with the NEW mini ink cube sets (Cobblestone and Jewelry Beads)! We also have new die sets that can be used as accessories or full backgrounds:  Spooky Hat, Punkin, Wicked Boot, Apple A Day and Autumn Breeze Peek-A-Boo. And for the first time at LDRS Creative, you can grab them in bundles, because you KNOW you need them all!

Simply use the list at the end of the post to keep hopping!

Each day we are giving away a $50 LDRS Creative gift card to one lucky hopper! To enter leave a comment on each blog in the hop, plus follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Winners will be announced on the LDRS Creative inspiration blog on September 4^th.

AND for the release event we are excited to offer some great savings!

Save 15% on the new release* and use code HAPPYFALL

(*Coupon valid until midnight EST 9/3/18)

For today's project, I have something special -- a full tutorial on how to create a fun and unique plaid background! Grab a cup of coffee (or tea) and settle in for some fun!

The first step in this tutorial is to grab a piece of masking paper. I used the LDRS Creative Stamping Mask Paper - which is very thick and sturdy. I wanted a sturdy paper, in particular, because I could reuse it on a couple of cards and not have to worry about my ink bleeding through.

The next step was to die-cut some shapes with your dies. I wanted to use circles, so I grabbed a variety of circle die sizes from my die stash. You can just as easily use other shapes you have available - or even stick to cutting one die out several times. To get just the right placement, I die cut the circle shapes out of scrap cardstock first and played around with the placement. When I had the layout I was happy with, I ran the masking paper through my die-cutting machine.

 

Next, I peeled off the masking paper backing and added it to a white A2-sized panel. Then, I added the gorgeous Plaid stencil on top and secured it with some painters' tape.

Now it's time for that craft room workout session: ink blending! I used the rich mini inks in the Jewelry Beads set - but you can use any ink you might have in your stash. What drew me to the palette in Jewelry Beads was how rich and bright the colors were, and I thought they looked just perfect for an autumn card.

 

And here's the fun part -- removing the stencil and the mask! I love this step as it always feels a little bit like magic. Once the stencil and the mask are removed, you're left with a CAS background that's visually interesting and draws the eye in.

I finished off my card by adding a stunning image from the Winds are Blowing stamp set that I colored with my alcohol markers. I added a sentiment in Raven Hybrid ink and scattered a few enamel dots for embellishment

Hop along and leave a comment so you could win!

Day 3:

LDRS CREATIVE BLOG
Becky
Raluca
Melanie
Rebecca
Andrea
Kirsten
Elle [You Are Here]
Thi

And make sure to be back tomorrow for more inspiration!

Happy Fall

Thank you for joining us on our LDRS Creative inspiration week blog hop! We are showcasing lots of gorgeous projects using products from our new release. You can even see them in action with step-by-step projects by our amazing designers on their blogs and our own LDRS Creative Youtube channel (make sure you subscribe)!

We have TWO new designer paperpads bursting of colours, with awesome patterns all ready for your projects called Happy Fall and Wicked, with a perfectly coordinated Wicked cardstock pack! There are EIGHT stamp sets that are simply fabulous: Winds are Blowing, Happy Fall stamps, Happy Fall sentiments, Winnie Broomstick, Winnie Dracula, Winnie Magic, Fall Full O Leaves and The Magic of Fall sentiments! But wait, there is something brand NEW in the store, stencils! We have leaves and plaid patterns just in time to use with the NEW mini ink cube sets (Cobblestone and Jewelry Beads)! We also have new die sets that can be used as accessories or full backgrounds:  Spooky Hat, Punkin, Wicked Boot, Apple A Day and Autumn Breeze Peek-A-Boo. And for the first time at LDRS Creative, you can grab them in bundles, because you KNOW you need them all!

Simply use the list at the end of the post to keep hopping!

Each day we are giving away a $50 LDRS Creative gift card to one lucky hopper! To enter leave a comment on each blog in the hop, plus follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Winners will be announced on the LDRS Creative inspiration blog on September 4^th.

AND for the release event we are excited to offer some great savings!

Save 15% on the new release* and use code HAPPYFALL

(*Coupon valid until midnight EST 9/3/18)

Although I'm super excited about the entire autumn release, the moment I set my eyes on the Happy Fall stamp set, I was head over heels! Not only does this set feature adorable autumn mice, owl and bunny, but there's also a few accessories and some lovely sentiments that are perfect for autumn cards. You'll definitely see more of this set in my autumn card series!

I decided to keep this card very CAS - with just a few details to make the adorable images shine. I added a strip of patterned paper from the Happy Fall paper pack, along with a skinny strip of black cardstock. I think this really grounds the card and helps balance out the white space of the front panel.

After stamping out the mouse and owl, I colored them in with my alcohol markers and fussy-cut them out. Like yesterday, I used the Coffee Bean mini ink cube from the Cobblestone collection. I cut a little rectangle of white cardstock and blended a quick blue background to help the focal images stand out. I adhered the mouse and the owl with foam squares, and added the panel to the card front at an angle.

A simple sentiment and a couple iridescent sequins helped tie everything together.


Hop along and leave a comment so you could win!

Day 2:

LDRS CREATIVE BLOG
Raluca
Melanie
Rebecca
Andrea
Kirsten
Elle [You Are Here]
Thi

And make sure to be back tomorrow for more inspiration!

So Clever

Lawn Fawn - Mom + Me

In contrast to yesterday's summer card, I went with a more autumnal look today. Autumn is my favorite season, even if it only feels like it lasts a week or two some years. For today's card, I used Lawn Fawn's Mom + Me stamp set and some stitched dies. I drew the branch for the owls by hand, just to add a bit of a scene/grounding to the images.

Thanks for taking a look!
~Elle~

Autumn Hello

Although it's autumn, it's mighty cold here lately and it feels far more like winter. So, I thought I'd share some of my autumnal creations while I'm still inspired by the changing leaves (and before I move to the flurry of winter-themed projects).

Today's card features the Rustic Sugar Clove with Coffee stamp from C.C. Designs. I just lovedCloves design, with the fun hat and winter accoutrements. I chose a cooler palette for Clove, pairing blues with warm browns.

I happened to find the perfect papers to match my coloring from Pink & Main's Pumpkin Spice 6x6. With a bit of die-cutting, I had a fun and interesting background scene. As a last touch, I added a die-cut sentiment and 3 glittery enamel dots.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Autumn Leaves Hello

The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry, and so did my plans to blog and share a card every day in September. However, I did still sneak in quite a few moments of creativity - so I'm excited to share all the lovely cards I've been creating.

Today's card is a mish-mash of manufacturers. It features a critter from Lawn Fawn, some stamps and dies from My Favorite Things and a die from Ellen Hutson. I also used some patterned paper and cork for my layers, as well as Tonic Nuvo drops for enamel dots. 

For this card, I tried to do the "layered but CAS" style that Kay Miller rocks. I'm not entirely convinced that I pulled it off effectively, but I had fun trying. I liked the color contrast, as well as the palette. It reminds me of autumn leaves crunching under my feet as I took walks through the neighborhood when I was younger.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

YNS: November Blog Hop!

Hello and welcome to my little corner of the card-making universe! This post is a part of the Your Next Stamp November blog hop, where the talented design team ladies and guests such as myself are sharing fun and unique projects to inspire you. You can play along with us by hopping along! The more blogs you visit and comment on, the greater your chances of winning a 25$ gift certificate to the Your Next Stamp store.

One of the things that I love about Your Next Stamp is the abundance of super cute and whimsical images to choose from. You can find a variety of trendy images and themes, but there's also a few very unique sets to choose from. One of my favorite sets is the mini splatter background (heart and star), and I haven't seen anything like it out there.

Of course, I couldn't help but mention the amazing gumdrops (enamel dots)  featured in the YNS store... They are my go-to embellishment, and I have loved every single shade I've bought (and I've bought a lot!). The sparkly gumdrops are especially fun to use because they add a subtle shimmer that makes a card shine.

For my blog-hop card, I opted for a mini-scene card featuring a sweet Darlings girl and her pet raccoon. I used my Copics to color a sunset scene, going with warm colors that are both autumnal and bright. With the versatile journey sentiment, I can send this card to a friend that's about to embark on a big trip or a friend that's entering a new and exciting chapter in their career.

My card uses the fun new set called Little Darlings Indians. You can find this set and other new stamps in this release here.  And if you place your order before November 10th, you will receive 20% off with the special coupon code:

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Fall Blessings

I still had the Fall Foliage stamp and inks out from my last project, so I decided to give another try to the layered look. While I used a lot of the same supplies as last time, I also added a couple of new products - Nuvo Crystal Drops. If you're not familiar with this product, it's a liquid embellishment that has the look and feel of enamel dots after drying. I, personally, love it especially because it can be used to create teeny tiny drops that I love adding but that there are never enough of in an enamel dot package.

This card feels a lot busier than the other one, but I also think I did a better job with the layering.

Thanks for reading!

~Elle~

Fall Birthday

One of the card techniques I truly admire is a multi-layer clean card. It's the kind of card you may see Kay Miller execute with perfection, but my own attempts are a lot less grand. I'm not sure what it is, really, but I feel like my tries end up either too busy or not busy enough - the sweet spot of just right is so elusive!

Skills don't get good by just wishing we could do them - we get better with practice. So, I decided to throw caution to the wind and practice some layered cards. Since we're finally in the season of autumn, I thought I'd do an autumn birthday card.

I used My Favorite Things' Fall Folliage stamp (now retired) as it had some lovely leaves, acorns and branches that I could just stamp. I didn't want to focus on coloring, just color itself. 

 I started with the bright warm orange-yellow, using WPlus9's Wild Mango ink. I stamped a couple of leaves, then moved onto Simon Says Stamp's Khaki ink. For the acorn and dark branch, I used Lawn Fawn's Walnut ink - I loved the crisp edges and the even coverage. Lastly, I added a touch of red with WPlus9's Gala Red ink.

Once everything was stamped and dry, I fussy-cut the leaves and layered them together in a bundle. I adhered some with regular adhesive and used foam tape for other parts. I added the whole piece onto a rounded top die-cut, then layered it over another die-cut. Lastly, I used Gina K.'s Sweet Corn cardstock as my card base.

I added a simple sentiment on top and embellished with a few pearls and enamel dots.
Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Share what you love

It's finally starting to feel like summer has ended around here, with the temperature no longer climbing into the 80s, which put me in the mood to create something autumnal and lovely. When I think of autumn, the first thing that pops into my mind is watching a brilliant sea of leaves - all red and gold - as we drove to the local apple orchard to pick apples.

I've been blessed to have lived in areas that are full of trees and nature, places where autumn is a glorious treat for all our senses. And even when I moved away from my home in Canada, I moved to an area that's lush with trees and plants. So, autumn is once again that familiar glorious time where it feels like nature is wearing her best sumptuous velvet dress.

When I look at Power Poppy's stamps, I feel that same love of nature. So, it was only appropriate that I would choose Farmer's Market as the right stamp for my card. Both the crate of apples and the sentiment spoke to me, so they've been combined in this clean and simple creation.

Thanks for reading,
~Elle~

SK September - Lovely Day

First, let me just say that I had an absolute world of trouble trying to upload this card to the blog. It kept giving me issues - to the point I considered excluding it from the lineup entirely. But I persisted, and it finally went through.

This card features The Greeting Farm's Anya's Day Out stamp. This stamp was a part of their secret stamp club some time ago, and I featured it in another autumn-inspired card. I went with a different approach and used bright orange and blue for Anya's outfit this time around. The complementary colors gave the image a great contrast, and it fit nicely with the rest of my card.

The sentiment is a gold rub-on I found in my stash. I thought it went great with Anya's stamp, and I added a piece of flair as an extra embellishment.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~