Thank You Bunny

I was having fun layering some goodies from Mama Elephant. I think it turned out pretty fun.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

White Thanks

I couldn't forget one of my favorite deer! This is a more subtle white-on-white look featuring Lawn Fawn and a gorgeous white birch tree paper.

Thanks for reading.
~Elle~

Thank you Deer

Thank you card #1 is a mini scene with distress oxide inks and a lovely deer from Memory Box. I like how it turned out.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Let it snow

One more fun winter card before I jump straight into thank-you cards for the season. Avery Elle's sweet raccoon is the perfect choice for this frosty mini-scene.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Penguin Christmas

And since cute Doodlebug stickers were still sitting on my crafty desk, I had to make just one more card -- this time with penguins and a scripty Merry die.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Merry Car

I enjoyed yesterday's card so much that I just had to make a second one. A fun Santa car this time around.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Merry Truck!

A simple little card today featuring a Doodlebug sticker. I think it's a fun way to create a card for a kiddo or two and I've already got a couple potential little ones that might see this card in their mailbox...

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Merry Christmas, Dude!

Today's card is a masculine card with a fresh and frosty palette. I love the skiing bears from My Favorite Things for guy cards - that extreme sport element is always fun, but the bear adds a bit of cuteness too. A quirky sentiment from Paper Smooches ties everything together.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Unbelievable Holiday

Today's card features a cute little Birdie Brown yeti with a snowy scene. I used an oval shape for a panel, as it creates a fun design that's different from my usual rectangles and circles.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Unicorn Sleigh

December is going to be a busy busy busy month! Between work, holidays and family activities, card-making might take a back seat for a short while. So, please excuse me if I share things very sporadically over the next month or so.

Today's card is a cute idea I had for a unicorn-pulled sleigh. I thought it would be a cute concept and I paired up a couple of sets that have been on my "use" list for some time.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Merry Skaters

Sometimes you just need a quick and simple little card, and that's when it helps to have a few pre-colored images in your stash. I've held onto these two images since last Christmas, though, and I thought it was time to make good use of them. With a simple scene and some snowflakes made from Nuvo drops, I think it turned out pretty sweet.

Thanks for reading.
~Elle~

Fuzzy Sweater

Ever since I got the Cool Day stamp set from Birdie Brown, I wanted to make a big fuzzy sweater for this bear. I finally managed to make a texture I liked and I paired it with a fun striped paper and a whimsy sentiment.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Christmas Bear

I took a step back into the traditional with the reds, creams, kraft and a bit of green. I used one of my all-time favorite Christmas sentiments from Technique Tuesday and I paired it with the adorable bear from Reverse Confetti. It was a really simple card to make, but I like how all the different elements play together.

Thanks for reading.
~Elle~

Navy and Grey Greetings

I thought I'd switch things around a little bit and try for a more sophisticated palette of white, gray and navy blue. I did make it very cute again by adding Pix and her tree, but I like how frosty the card turned out. I was inspired by the background paper and thought it would be fun to try out a different layout.

Thanks for taking a look!
~Elle~

Narwhal Christmas

Another whimsical card share, featuring a narwhal and a little dotted sea. I love the idea of animals in sweaters, so I just had to have this adorable stamp set from My Favorite Things. A snowflake background and some pink tones and this non-traditional Christmas card is done!

Thanks for taking a peek.
~Elle~

Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

There are so many things I'm thankful for in my life that it would take me ages to even list it all. But one of the biggest things I'm thankful for is my family. I'm spending the day with my family and enjoying every moment of it.

Thanks for reading.
~Elle~

Merry and Red

I thought I'd go in a slightly more traditional direction with today's card and add some red and green to a card. I generally gravitate toward more cool tones for my Christmas cards, but sometimes it's nice to go a little more traditional.

Of course, I also managed to sneak in some minty tones, as they add just the right amount of frostiness.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

SEAsons Greetings!

If you know me, you know I absolutely adore quirky and unusual stamps. If there's a touch of whimsy, I can't resist it. So, when I saw this merman Santa from Waffle Flower, I just had to have it.

Once again, I created a fun little scene. I liked this patterned paper that seemed to merge the idea of snow and sea and fit perfectly with my scene. Don't you love when you find exactly what you need in your stash?

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Cool Day Greetings

My Favorite Things - (Birdie Brown) Cool Day (retired)

One of my all-time favorite stamps is Birdie Brown's Cool Day. I just absolutely adore the two bears in this set and all the accessories match them so perfectly.

For today's card, I decided to keep it a very simple scene. A little distress oxide ink blending on the background and some time spent coloring and layering the elements is all I did. I'm really happy with how it all turned out.

Thanks for taking a peek!
~Elle~

Pix's Holiday Greetings

Mama Elephant - Pix's Happy Holiday

It's been a couple of really busy weeks for me and I've been itching to get back to my crafty endeavors - more specifically, I've been wanting to make some holiday cards so I'm better prepared for Christmas this year. In the past, I've seriously underestimated just how much time I would need to get ready for the holidays, so I'm definitely starting earlier this year.

For today's card, I really wanted to use Mama Elephant's Pix's Happy Holiday. I thought I'd make a cute little scene with a not-so-traditional palette. I think it turned out really cute, and now I have the difficult task of trying to figure out who I should give it to.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Mint Love

In contrast to yesterday's pink creation, today's girly card is all about mint. I paired the adorable unicorn from The Greeting Farm with a pretty sparkle patterned paper and a die-cut panel. I found the perfect sticker in my sticker stash for the sentiment and a few sequins just rounded everything off perfectly.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Pink Rock

Today, I'm sharing another fun and girly card - though with a palette swap, this could easily be a boy card. I love the little rocking critters from Mama Elephant and I'm happy to use them on another card. The sentiment from Paper Smooches fits just perfectly, doesn't it?

Thanks for reading.
~Elle~

Bird Prayers

I really liked this little bird sticker I found in my sticker stash, and wanted to use her on a really simple card. I think it turned out fun, maybe a bit winter-like, even.

Thanks for taking a look.
~Elle~

Peachy Note

I'm still a little obsessed with stickers and that yellow-to-peach gradient, so I thought I would put them together on a fun not-a-summer card. I really like how it turned out and how happy the palette is. It reminds me of a paper pad I bought ages ago that had this lovely palette and some office elements (like pushpins and paper clips).

Thanks for taking a look!
~Elle~

Sending Love

I've got quite a few stamps that are in my collection because they came in an awesome kit. But I find that I haven't been using them enough - outside a few kit cards, that is - and I want to change that. So, I'll be adding a few interesting new challenges in the weeks to come to help me stretch my kit supplies and make some fun new creations. Be on the lookout!

Thanks for reading.
~Elle~

Purple Hugs

For today's card, I decided to play around with creating an artistic background. I have a watercolor texture stamp and a splatter stamp that work really great together. I can use my dye inks and have absolute control over how the background looks - yet still keep that messy artistic look.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Coffee Hugs

Today is one of those days where coffee and warm hugs are definitely needed. So, I thought I'd share another fun card that uses a sticker and a stamped sentiment. I used a die frame and I really like the effect. I think I might need to do a die highlight for my card trio next.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

LDRS Creative Halloween Party Blog Hop

Hello everyone!

Welcome to the first edition of the HALLOWEEN PARTY BLOG HOP by LDRS Creative!

The design team has prepared some WICKED inspiration using the latest seasonal products in store, including them in super-duper fun tutorials at each stop. 

We are so EXCITED to celebrate this special day with you all, that we have decided to offer a 31% DISCOUNT on all Halloween and Fall products in store (*excluding bundles, using code Wicked31, valid until October 31st, MIDNIGHT EST).

 

And because there is no party without PRIZES....Who would like to win surprise grab bag of LDRS Creative products worth at least $30? We will draw 3 winners throughout the day (Oct. 31st, EST) on our Facebook group, so make sure to join it HERE.

I started my project by grabbing some of the wonderful goodies from the Halloween section - Winnie Dracula stamp and Build-a-card Spooky Hat die. I knew I wanted to color sweet Winnie in all her vampire glory, and Spooky Hat happens to have a "spooky" word die that would make the perfect sentiment for my card.

But then, I also added a bit of a surprise die - Tree Line Border Die from the new winter release. This die is a great coordinating die that goes with a tree line stamp set. With a little bit of stretching and creativity, the tree line border die made a perfectly SPOOKY and ghoulish dripping blood panel.

Isn't this card so much fun?! I accented the dripping panel with some enamel dots and added a batty patterned paper from Wicked 6x6 paper pad. Don't you just love when things fit together so perfectly?

Make sure to hop around, leave a comment at each stop, and answer the mysterious questions (haha!) on the first stop. 

Here's the list and keep hoping:

LDRS Creative

Melanie

Raluca

Kirsten

Elle * You are Here*

Martha

Melissa

Ilina

And remember to use that discount code before it turns into a pumpkin at MIDNIGHT! ;-)

Sticker Trio Challenge - Thanks

Simon Says Stamp - Sketched Flowers

The third and final card features one of the main reasons why I love and still keep stickers in my stash - a chance to try out a completely different style or theme without having to buy a ton of new supplies and learn a ton of new techniques.

For example, I have a few pinned "style" images that I adore the look of. It's got a vintage warmth to it and it combines cream, white, craft and natural things like twigs, leaves and butterflies. I'm not sure exactly how to classify it, but I know I wouldn't be able to pull off that look with my current collection of super cute stamps and dies.

Grabbing a sticker set that features that style would allow me to experiment with the look and the ideas without investing into a permanent supply (like a stamp). If I grow out of a style or find it too frustrating to work with, I can just pass the stickers on to someone who will enjoy them.

~Elle~

Sticker Trio Challenge: Sloth Dreams

Lawn Fawn - Hang in there

For the second card in this challenge, I used a sticker the same way as I normally use stickers -- to add a quick sentiment. As much as I adore sentiment stamps, sometimes it's just not practical to buy an entire stamp set for a sentiment I might need for just one specific card. This is where a sticker pack really comes in handy -- I get the sentiment I need in the style I like, but at a fraction of the cost.

This use of stickers might not be very impressive, but I'm always happy when I discover I have a sticker for that. Not to mention, I can always use the stickers in mixed media, my planner, my journal or even tucked in the envelope as a fun gift.

I paired today's sticker with the cute sloth from Lawn Fawn. I think the sticker fits the image perfectly.

~Elle~

Sticker Trio Challenge: Doodle-Halloween

I have a lot of stickers in my crafty stash. Some came in card kits, others I bought because I just could not resist - and a small smattering of them came as free gifts with crafty orders. I think stickers are super fun and I often go through them for inspiration (much as I do with my patterned paper). But using stickers on cards is a little more challenging.

So, as I'm still pushing out of this comfort zone, I decided to make a sticker challenge where I try out a few different things and make use of my sticker stash. I would like to use them all on stunning creations, of course, but I'd like to see what kind of use I enjoy the most.

For the first card, I went all out and used the stickers in the same ways I would use stamps -- to create a little scene. I added the witchy girl sticker onto a piece of white cardstock and then fussy-cut around it. This gave me the same look I get when I stamp, color and fussy-cut an image.

It was a bit labor-intensive to create, but I'm very pleased with the card. I added some die-cut stars and enamel dots as embellishment, then pulled out a sticker sentiment to finish everything off.

~Elle~

Bigfoot Hello!

Lawn Fawn - Lovable Legends

After so many flower cards in a row, I just had to do something a little more boy-like. I decided on a fun hello card, featuring the Bigfoot stamp from Lawn Fawn's Lovable Legends.

I paired my little scene with a fun chevron paper from a camping paper pad collection. I think it worked out great and I like how all the different elements play together.

Thank you for reading!
~Elle~

Stamp Trio Challenge: Lotus Birthday

Waffle Flower - Lotus stamp

For the final card in my Stamp Trio challenge, I decided to make something a bit clean-and-simple. I combined the elements from the first two cards, using a grab and aqua palette, along with some dotted vellum to tie the background to the images.

I really enjoyed this challenge and by limiting my coloring to an unusual palette, I ended up with 3 very lovely creations. I may push myself to do something like this with all of my floral stamps (and I've got a bunch of them...).

Thank you for taking a look.
~Elle~

Stamp Trio Challenge: Lotus Thoughts

Waffle Flower - Lotus stamp

For the second card in the challenge, I decided to use some patterned paper I've had in my stash for ages. I liked the small splatters in the pattern - they reminded me of a night sky. But the soft desaturated blue palette worked very well for the soft coloring I had on the lotus.

I embossed a sentiment in vanilla embossing powder. As it's softer than white and a warmer tone, I think  it worked much better than plain white (which would have had too much contrast).

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Stamp Trio Challenge: Lotus Thanks

Waffle Flower - Lotus stamp

I've been enjoying my trio series so much that I decided to give it another try- this time, using one stamp on 3 different cards. The stamp I chose to use has been in my stash since 2015. I absolutely fell in love with the design, but - as it goes with flower stamps - I felt kind of intimidated to use it.

As I've been working to step outside my comfort zone, I jumped straight in and stamped several of the lotus images to color with my Copics. I chose softer, less saturated palettes and took some time to add extra depth and shading.

For the first card, I blended a water background using some blue dye ink. I thought it contrasted great with the soft flowers, but still gave me a chance to stamp a greeting in soft gray. I kept the embellishments to a minimum, adding just a few clear droplets. I think it turned out wonderful.

Thanks for reading.
~Elle~

Pinky Birthday

I'm working on my card stash again, and noticed that I was still in dire need of some birthday card. I thought I would start with a girl card - and that, of course, had to feature bright balloons, pink, stars and unicorns. I used the unicorn from The Greeting Farm and I think she turned out super sweet.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Bits & Pieces: Happy Fall!

It's time for another bits-n-pieces card!

I couldn't bear to cover up this lovely sunflower paper from Doodlebug too much, so I opted for a simple strip of cardstock to use for my sentiment and imagery. I used a couple of Lawn Fawn stamps, as well as doodlebug stickers and some stray ephemera from my ephemera box. I think it turned out pretty fun.

Thanks for reading.
~Elle~

Dolphin Yay

Ever have one of those crafty days when it feels like nothing goes right? Yep, me too. I messed up stamping, coloring, adhering things crooked, finding mysterious stains on the white cardstock and even poking my finger with the super-sharp tip of scissors. At one point, I got so frustrated that I was just about ready to throw in the towel.

But I thought I'd give it just one more try and make something extremely quick and simple. And this is the card I came up with. It's not perfect, it's not the most amazing thing I ever made. But it is complete and error-free. So, I'll take it.

Thanks for taking a look.
~Elle~

Palette Trio Challenge: Grey, Mint, Yellow, Pink, White

The last card for the palette challenge is decidedly the most complicated - with white, grey, mint, yellow and pink, it has the biggest number of colors. However, it's still very CAS thanks to my not-so-secret weapon: patterned paper.

The patterned paper I used is from Pinkfresh Studio, and it is a veritable piece of art. All the layered colors and the splatters are already on the paper, so all I have to do is trim the paper to fit my card base and layer over sentiments and ephemera.

This is one of the quickest cards I made, as I simply added an ephemera butterfly from my stash and a sentiment from Simon Says Stamp. A couple enamel dots, and voila! Stunning card is done.

Thanks for reading.
~Elle~

Palette Trio Challenge: White, Blue and Aqua

For day two of the palette challenge, I'm going with a slightly more limited palette -- only 3 colors: white, blue and aqua.

This particular palette is often seen on boy cards or underwater cards, but I think it can be very feminine when paired with the right image. I chose to keep this card really simple and added some interest with Nuvo Jewel drops and die-cut stars. I think it turned out lovely.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~