Happiness is Homemade

It's the beginning of the busy season for me, which means I need a lot more time to work, bake, wrap and decorate and that leaves me with a lot less time to make art. I still plan to make cards, of course, but once Thanksgiving feast is done, I'm probably jumping straight into Christmas cards and Christmas card gift sets.

I always oscillate between wanting to make gorgeous and unique complex cards for each individual person and making life easier by going in the simple mass production route. I have not decided what I'm doing this year yet, but I'll try to blog my attempts whenever I find a free moment.

In the meantime, I've been playing with the idea of quick and easy cards using things that are already on my desk - such as the die-cuts, embellishment packs and ephemera for a few paper pads I've yet to put away. I think it's fun to try something different and make a card without the usual stamping and Copic coloring.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

MFT: One of a Kind

I recently purchased a few Distress Oxide inks in my favorite colors (Abandoned Coral, Wild Honey, Picked Raspberry, Peacock Feathers, Salty Ocean and Seedless Preserves), so I thought I would try them out. They've been touted by crafters left and right, and often made to sound superior to the regular distress inks.

So far, I'm not really in love with them. The coverage is okay, but the colors are different from the regular distress inks and they make my hands inky and messy. I don't like messy fingers, especially when they rub off onto the card and it's a CAS card that's supposed to be white...

I did purchase the black Oxide ink too, and I'll give a try to making some galaxy backgrounds -maybe I'll have better luck with that. Or I may invest in some rubber gloves to use while I work with the inks.

Onto the card! I made a rainbow background and used Birdie Brown's Magical Unicorns stamp for the cute unicorn and sentiment. I added just a few enamel dots and adhered the panel onto bright pink cardstock.

Thanks for reading!
~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~

LF: Boy Congrats

Today's card features an older set from Lawn Fawn called Home Sweet Home. It's a retired set that was released in 2013, but it's been sitting in my stash for ages - just waiting to be used. I decided to pair it with a newer set (Elphie Selfie) because it had a fun little bird stamp that fit the card idea perfectly.

I went for a baby boy card, as I seem to have very few of those in my stash. I added a bit of texture with a dot stencil and blue ink, and embellished with 3 glittery enamel dots.

Today's card was inspired by the Lawn Fanatics challenge:

Their challenge runs until November 19th and it's a great way to dust of your old Lawn Fawn favorites.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

CAS- Layered Love

Today's card is a clean-n-simple creation featuring dies and layers.

I've really loved the CAS layered style I've seen a couple of crafters use, but it's always eluded me. My own attempts felt clumsy and off - and it was a source of major frustration. I thought a part of it might be that I don't scrapbook. So things like layouts don't necessarily come naturally to me. Or maybe the problem was that I didn't have the right supplies.

But after much trial and error, I've come to the conclusion that it's simply a case of trying to shove my own preferences and work flow into someone else's visual. I mean, don't get me wrong.. I still appreciate the lovely creations those crafters share. But short of copying their cards exactly, I will never achieve the same results. So, I might as well do my own take on the style, right?

Today's card is the result. Lots of layers and elements, but a simple design. And I love it!

Thanks for reading.
~Elle~