Purrrrfect!

Everyone loves a cute kitten, right?

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Smoooooches

While making this card, I imagined the cow saying "Smooooooches" and it cracked me up. I love a pun (or ten).

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Foxy Grey Thanks

Wouldn't be fall without more cute 'n cozy woodland critters.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Birthday Fishes

Birthday card for guys can be a challenge sometimes. But the palette of dusky teal with white, gray and a splash or red really works.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

More Floral Thanks

Another floral creation, simple and sweet.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

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~

Thank you Raccoon

Some patterned papers intimidate me a little, but I'm always glad when I can make them work. Especially when I can pair them with a cute woodland creature...

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Happy Bear-thday

A simple birthday card today.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Botanical Thanks

An elegant thanks today. I'm trying to use up some bits and pieces on my desk - like a sparkly diecut thanks and a botanical sticker from a card kit.


Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Be bold

Coffee is the only thing I seem to be surviving on these days, so I thought I'd make a little card to tuck a coffee gift-card in. It will sure cheer up a friend in dire need of caffeine.


Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Feel Better soon

Filling up my card stash with some card types I never seem to have enough of - birthday and feel better. With the cold and flu season making its way through friends and family, I need a few simple cards I can send to cheer people up.


Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Happy Owl

A little fall project with a cute owl from Paper Smooches. I used a patterned paper scrap, too - happy to find more use for those 6x6 strips of paper I have so many of.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Lotus Thanks

It's been a busy time around here, and with the holidays just around the corner, it might stay busy for a few weeks. I've been working on a few cards in my spare time, but it's just about time to get started on Christmas projects.

I've scheduled a few blog posts in advance with cards I've made but did not have a chance to share. There might not be much of a description under each card, but I'm hoping the activity will motivate me to keep sharing as we get through the winter season.

Thank you for reading!
~Elle~

Bits & Pieces: Insta-'cause

Thanks for checking out my card!
~Elle~

Thank You Deer

Couldn't resist a cute deer!

Thanks for checking out my card!
~Elle~

Cinnamon Autumn

Thanks for checking out my card!
~Elle~

Adventure Road Trip

Thanks for checking out my card!
~Elle~

Eely Like You

Thanks for checking out my card!
~Elle~

Make a Wish

Quick birthday card share today. I hope you're all having a fabulous Monday.

Thanks for reading,
~Elle~

It's been Oolong

I just love puns, so - of course - I couldn't resist whipping up a simple "tea" card with a punny sentiment. It's been "oolong", friends, it really has!

Fun fact - I actually wanted to use this stamp as my "comeback from hiatus" project, but I couldn't find it. I think it's time to tidy my crafty stash again...

Thanks for reading,
~Elle~

Rainbow Thanks

I decided to pull out some watercolors today and make a bright and pretty card. I didn't go for a true rainbow, but it was fun putting all the colors together. A little more practice and those stripes will get more straight...

Thanks for reading,
~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~

Taco 'Bout It

As you may have noticed, I took an extended break from sharing cards over the past couple of months. It was for what I'd like to think of as very joyful reasons - a trip to Canada to visit my parents and brother, hosting birthday parties and dinner parties for friends and family, and a slew of activities and adventures that kept the whole family fully enjoying the season.

Now that we're settling back into our familiar family routine, I'm ready to head into my crafty space again. We're still a little time away from Christmas, but fall is nipping at our toes already. I feel a little bit rusty, but I'm eager to create cards for the upcoming holiday season.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Thinking of You Bike

It never ceases to amaze me how a choice in font can completely change the design and the feeling of a card. It certainly explains why I have so many stamp sets that all say the same thing (thank you in 54845687545 different fonts) and why it's so hard to decide which stamp to use sometimes.

I found this fancy "thinking of you" on a Hero Arts stamp and I knew I wanted to pair it with this patterned paper and a bicycle, but I went through a dozen options of ink and cardstock colors and bike choices before I settled on what you see. I like how it turned out, simplicity and all, but it sure took a while to get there. Does that happen to anyone else, or is it just me?

Thanks for reading,
~Elle~

Happy Starry Thanks

Happy 4th of July to those celebrating today, and happy summer to everyone else in my corner of the hemisphere. I wanted to make a card that combined some elements of 4th of July (stars) with summer (lemonade, fresh green color) and this was my quick creation.

It's another busy weekend for us, so things may be a little quiet on the blog and social media until 'm back in the craft room and creating again. In the meantime, I hope you are all having a wonderful week.

Thanks for reading.
~Elle~

Bits and Pieces: Thinking of you

Another day with just 15 minutes to get crafty in - and here is another simple card using bits and pieces that were in the corner of my desk. I'm sure I pulled them out for a specific project or idea, but I couldn't remember what it was. So, I whipped them together for a layered card.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Breathe Deep

Today's card is a birthday creation. I am forever in need of birthday cards - to the point where I could probably only make birthday, Christmas and thank you cards all year long and I'd still run out. I'm slowly working on filling up my stash with cards so I'm not stuck pulling a brand new card in under 5 minutes. Though there's something to be said for creativity under pressure, I would feel much better if I was prepared ahead of time.

In the weeks to come, I may do a birthday challenge and make bunches of birthday cards for my stash.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Lucky Star

With how busy life is in the summer, I am finding myself with very little time to get crafty. I still feel that creative itch to make a card or twenty, but I only have brief moments to put things together. While I've got a few work-in-progress cards on my crafty desk, I also need to make sure I've got a few ready-to-go sets just in case.

This very simple card uses a die and a gorgeous font sentiment stamp. I've been trying to mix and match my supplies lately, and I really like how much it expands the usefulness of my stash.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Chatty Sunday - Creative Process

Another week has zoomed by, and I've spent almost 0 time in my crafting mode. With the summer here, I'm finding it more and more difficult to set aside time to make cards. Not for a lack of trying, mind you. But sitting down to complete a card is a challenge when I've only got 10 free minutes at the end of the day.

I generally make my cards in one sitting. The exception to this is coloring stamps - I will color a bunch of images at once and fussy-cut them for later use. But the actual card assembling does happen in one sitting. So, having a "work-in-progress" card feels a little strange. I keep wanting to head back into the craft room to finish up what I'm working on.

At the same time, I'm fully embracing the idea of slowing down and really enjoying the creative process as a whole. Most of my personal favorite cards were created with a lot of time and effort - by taking joy in finding the right paper, of getting the shading just right and picking out the perfect ephemera. When I slow down while tackling an idea or concept, things fall into place more naturally and instinctively.


Learning about my own creative process and how creative processes work for others is absolutely fascinating to me. I always waver between creating sporadically with unpredictably wild abandon and creating consistently through careful and practical planning. I should probably accept that my creative process is ever-changing, but I still spend time trying to figure it out and find strategies to improve my flow.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Hey Chickie Friday!

It's Friday! And I'm sharing the final card in the patterned paper CAS challenge. Once again, quirky Paper Smooches chickie is adorable and the sentiment and font just works perfectly. I played with some contrasting colors here, and I like the bright palette look of the card.

~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~

Let's Play!

Next up, we have this cute and playful pup from Paper Smooches. Paper Smooches was one of the first companies I bought stamps from when I first started card-making, and I still absolutely adore their quirky and fun style.


~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~

Just Because

The first card in my CAS with Patterned Paper challenge. I used some stickers from my stash, as well as an ivory cardstock base and a little bit of simple stripe patterned paper. I like how it turned out, and it will be great for mailing, as there isn't a ton of dimension.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Chatty Sunday: Mini Challenges

I thought I'd pop in for a quick chat today about a mini challenge I'll be sharing tomorrow. The idea popped into my mind after reading a crafty forum thread (debate, really) on whether clean-and-simple cards can be made using patterned paper. Some said "sure, as long as it's a tiny strip of modern design". Others argued that the pattern would make a card too busy to be called clean-and-simple.

So, I thought I'd take it as a challenge and try to share 5 cards next week that are all clean and simple, but that use patterned paper. I think I was successful, but we'll see how you all feel.

Speaking of challenges, I've got a few new personal challenges planned. Here's a quick breakdown of what I'd like to do. If you have a preference as to what you would like to see first, chime in below.

1- Technique Challenge
I don't often venture into trying complicated techniques, and I would like to give a go to some of the tools and supplies I've got in my stash (alcohol inks, for example). This is probably going to be the most challenging thing for me, as I stick with what I already know and love.

2- Die-cut Challenge
I have a lot of great dies that don't always get featured on cards. This challenge would help me focus on how to stretch my dies and use them in card designs and layouts. I've got a few of my go-to favorites that I always reach for, but it would be a good idea to make use of some of the die sets that are sitting in the back of the storage box.

3- Words into Cards Challenge
I came across a random word prompt generator that helps writers come up with some creative idea and I think it would be fabulous to use this as a card inspiration. The words that are chosen are a combination of nouns, adjectives and verbs. It would work a little bit like my 100 words challenge, but without being so overwhelming.

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~

Birthday Hugs

There's something about a gray/pink/yellow palette that I'm really crushing on lately. I really ought to play around with it more - especially when paired with a super cute birthday bear.

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~

No place like cone

Summer Vibes with a penguin eating ice-cream. Is there nothing more giggle-worthy? How about the sentiment?!

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Flower Wishes

I'm still not overly confident in my watercolor painting, but I loved this gorgeous watercolor flower from a patterned paper collection. So, I fussy-cut it and added to a simple card with lots of embellishment.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Small Blog Tweaks

Now that we're half-way through 2019 and things have settled to a more natural pace, I wanted to make a chatty post and share a few of my plans for the rest of the year (and hopefully onward). I'm hoping that these changes will make both sharing and creating a little easier. As I like the idea of regular sharing, this kind of schedule should help me stay on track a little better.

The first is a posting schedule:
- Cards/projects shared daily Monday through Friday, with minimal text.
- Saturday and Sunday are my days off, with occasional chatty posts shared on Sundays.
- Once per month, I will be doing a recap post of the previous month.
- Once per season, I will be taking a whole week off to catch up or take a creative break.

I'm hoping that this new schedule will help me stay active on my blog and on Instagram without feeling overwhelmed. As it takes significant time to create, photograph, edit and schedule all the posts, I've found it really difficult to do this daily and still produce quality content. If I have a bad week where I'm sick or where there's a ton of events happening, it becomes extremely stressful to try and keep up the pace.

The second thing I wanted to share is that I will try to do a destash giveaway or two in the near future.

While I don't want this to be a giveaway blog, I do have a few stamps and supplies that could use a new loving home, and I would love to pass them on to someone who will truly enjoy them. I thought about selling them at a discount, but I don't have enough free time to be a seller and it seemed like an extra layer of stressful little tasks to ensure the exchange goes smoothly. So, I'd rather just do a giveaway when I can afford to ship off some goodies.

Lastly, I will be working on some personal mini-challenges again to keep things interesting.

I have a notebook full of ideas, themes, sketches and palettes and I want to turn it into cards. I would like to work my way through it - and have it help me work through a few other secret projects I've got going on.

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~

Blue Flower Note

I'm sharing a card with a touch of elegance and sophistication. I love the ephemera flower - the blue with dark gray makes for a very interesting palette. I kept this card very simple, with the main focus on the flower and the sentiment.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Smile!

I'm sharing a quick project today that I'm entering in an Instagram challenge. The challenge is summer-themed, and I just had to use this fabulous shark from Avery Elle's Sea-Prise set. I added a fun die sentiment and a smattering of stars and dots to tie the scene together.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Bits n' Pieces: Love You Typewriter

I put together some bits and pieces of ephemera from my stash and made a unique love card. I really like how it turned out.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Unicorn Thank You

A little unicorn thank you today - I've been working on cards all weekend and can't wait to share my creations!

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Sweet Bunny

Playing around with some ephemera and colored bits that were on my desk.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Bowtiful

I'm not too sure about this card, but it has a lot of dimension and some fun colors. I'll have to play around with that idea again.

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~

Beachy Sunshine

It's time for more work today - though I'd much rather be at the beach. I thought Id add a simple little scene and embellish with a black doily and some enamel dots.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Birthday Cats

Dipping into my stash of Doodlebug pop stickers and adding a few more birthday cards to my collection. I do love these two cute kittens, I think they make for a fab "from us" card.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~