It is HOT!!!!!

Ok so it isn't a big secret that I prefer Spring and Summer over the cold and dreary days of Winter.

HOWEVER as I sit here...in April mind you...in 92 degree weather, I can't help but worry that it is a sign of what is to come this Summer! I love the nice weather, but hate the heat! And don't even get me started on the Humidity!!!!!!

Anyway, as I sit here being uncomfortable in the heat, I hope that wherever you are, I hope that the weather is beautiful, and life is treating you good!

You Choose ATC SWAP - My Favorite Thing

I think this is the last of the You Choose ATCs (or the first depending on how you look at it! :) ). This is for the My Favorite Things theme. I wanted it to look loe a tree branch in the dusk. You know when the sky is all shades of colors, and the shadows are starting to fall. I love that!

Anyway, I used balled up wax paper, and inked it up with Stampin' Ups classic inks in the following colors, So Saffron, Pumpkin Pie and Real Red. Then I used the flowers from Stampin' Up's Eastern Blooms. I stamped that in StazOn's Stone Grey.

You Choose ATC SWAP - Nature

Here is the ATCs I made for the Nature theme for the swap on my fav MB. I used the new Soft Summer set by Stampin' Up. It is actually a two-step stamp set, but I just used the outline stamp. First I stamped the image, then sponged on some of SU's Pink Pirouette classic ink, and then accented the edges with SU's Pixie Pink classic ink. I colored the image with my SU's Stampin' Write markers.(love them!) then I used my SU Ticket punch for the corners. Again I stole the idea from a card that I made earlier. Just not a lot of creative ideas going through my head right now....

You Choose ATc's - My Favorite Technique

Here is the ATCs I created for the My Favorite Technique theme for the You Choose ATC SWAP that I hosted on Cricut.com. I used Stampin' Up's Petal Pizzazz stamp set. I used the same idea as the cards that I made for another swap. I am SO glad I bought this set! The inks are all by Brilliance. The ribbon is some I had gotten at one of the big box stores.

You Choose ATC Swaps - Get Well Soon

Here is the ones I made for the Get Well Soon ATCs for the You choose ATC swap on my fav MB .
I balled up wax paper and inked it with SU's Bashful Blue ink, and stamped that all over. Then I used SU'S Brilliant Blue ink, and repeated.
The cute Whale is from Stampin' Up's Pun Fun. I colored him with SU's Stampin' Pastels. Then I cut him out, and added Dimensionals to give him some POP.
The sentiment is also from Pun Fun, and is just stamped out on another piece of paper, cut out, and stapled on!

He's so cute!

You Choose ATC - By the Sea/Pool

I hosted another “You Choose ATC” Swap on my fav MB. This time we didn’t do quite as many groups, so it will hopefully be a little more manageable!
The first one is for the By the Sea/Pool. I simple stamped the lighthouse, in Black StazOn ink onto ivory cardstock. The stamp is actually a lot larger; I just stamped the portion I wanted. I then adhered it to a light blue. The little tag is made by using the Word Window punch by Stampin" Up, it is folded in half, wrapped around and fastened with a brad. Then I adhered that all to a dark blue piece.
It has a Masculine feel, but I really do like it! I think it would make a great card! I made one similar to this with a sailboat this past summer.

You Choose - Animals

This ATC is also for the “You Choose ATC” SWAP on my fav MB. The theme for this one is going to be Animals. I used the bird and sentiment from a clear set of stamps. The little heart is a mini stamp. I colored the Bird with my awesome “Many Marvelous Markers” set from Stampin’ Up. (They color so smooth!) Can you see the little lines? They are to give the bird some texture! A little plain, but I am a plain kind of gal!!

You Choose ATC - Spring

This ATC is also for the “You Choose ATC” swap. I couldn’t decide which theme I was going to do this one for, “Spring” or “Get Well” but since I made so many of them they are for Spring! Get Well has a smaller number of participants. I used Stampin’ Up’s Botanical Blooms which was a set I got from SaleABration (2009). I used the leaf outline and stamped them all around the green cardstock. I then wrapped a ribbon around it, adhered that to White. And then onto yellow. The Scallop Oval is a new Punch by Stampin” Up! I love it already! The small oval is also a Stampin’ Up punch. I layered the two, and used Stampin Dimensionals, by Stampin’ Up to give it some pop! To finish it all up I tied on a little bow to the ribbon. BTW I CASEd the layout from my Wonderful Upline, Claire Lawrence. She made a card with the set, with pretty much the same Layout!

Grey with Gloss

I needed to make a Grey with Gloss card for Cardjunkie’s challenge for April . This one was a little hard for me. I don’t use a lot of Grey in cards, so I couldn’t grasp an idea. Then there was the Gloss aspect. That was tough also. So all day yesterday, I racked my brain to think of an idea, but nothing came. This morning I got up, was getting ready to start the day, and then thought “Duh, alcohol inks!” So I grabbed some Cotton balls, rubbing alcohol, and some alcohol inks. I used a red, grey, and a cranberry. The glossy paper is actually some Photo paper that we had bought for printing pictures, but didn’t like the look if the photos on them once they printed. We kept it anyway, and now it has found its way into my craft supplies! The Butterfly is a clear stamp. The sentiment is one from the “Heard from the Heart” set by Stampin’ Up. I think it turned out nice…

"Just a Note" card

So I made another card using the “Petal Pizzazz” set. It is pretty much the same card, just different colors, but I like it anyway. I used Brilliance Inks for it, Pearlescent Sky Blue, Pearlescent Purple, and Pearlescent Orchid. I also used the Stampin’ Up Scallop edge punch for the edge.
I made this one for Lvscraper's You choose the theme swap on my fav MB. I needed 20 of them so I needed to have something that wasn't super detailed, and that I could get done a little faster.