Travel the World.

 Thoughts of retirement are often followed by thoughts of travel. So today we are sailing around the world.

The card base is Summer Splash and the background paper is Unbounded Beauty DSP from Stanpin' Up!. Doesn't it just make you think ocean?  The world is Tim Holtz. The compass and sailboat are old stamps in my stash. Sentiment is SU!. 

I am entering this masculine card at Cardz 4 Guyz Anything Goes--Masculine.

Big and Bold

 Today we have a new fun sketch from Melissa at Tuesday Morning Sketches. 

It will be fun to see how you interpret this one.

I went quite literal using the diorama dies from Stampin' Up!

I love water colors and am always glad when I can find paper that does the look for me. This one is from SU's new 6x6 pad of DSP called Full of Life. The big Thank You die is from Sizzix.

Summer is busy but I hope you fine some time in the craft room to join our sketch challenge.

Soaring

The challenge this month at Send A Smile 4 Kids is Tweens/Teens. I know teen boy cards are always needed.

I like making masculine cards but am really challenged when it come to teen boys. This new DSP, Take To The Sky, is perfect for boys. So today I have 2 cards to share using these papers.

Hello

Are you getting into the summer season? Do you have more time for crafting?

It's Tuesday again and time for a new sketch for you to try from Tuesday Morning Sketches.

In an effort to clean my workspace, I made this week's card with the same paper as last week. They are called Blissful Times by Mintay Papers. 

I hope you find the sketch inspiring and will share your creation with us.

Sympathy

 I recently sold all my sympathy cards. I like to have a few on hand so I don't feel pressure to make one when it is needed. For one of my stock, I used the sketch from Sketch Saturday

I did not opt for their twist of using non traditional colors for holiday cards.

The papers are from Stampin' UP! DSP Thoughtful Journey.  The sentiment is an old SU one,

The new challenge at The Paper Players is sympathy or encouraged. Does clean and simple always mean white?  There are minimal layers so I think it qualifies as clean and simple

Beach Time

Summertime means beach time. Unfortunately I live 600 miles from the closest seashore. So I will bring the beach to you via a card.

Surprisingly the background paper is from the new Country Woods DSP from Stampin' UP! It has a slight wood grain with color variations that made me think of a beach. I enhanced that look by sponging on colors. Then I embossed some waves with a Sizzix E/F. The tree is from a sticker set from Happy Memory Keeping from JoAnns. For the sun, I die cut a circle in yellow and sponged on a little orange. The beach ball is from My Favorite Things. 

I used this sketch from Freshly Make Sketches My card is the mirror image.

And adding to challenge at Can You Handle The Pressure Anything goes with a twist of beachy.

Hello

 Time for a new sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches. This one is a good opportunity to use some of those assorted scraps you have been accumulating.

I have used Blissful Time papers from Mintay Papers. The paper are all double sided. One of the papers has small rectangle cut aparts that show scenes that coordinate with the other papers.  I used one of them in the lower left.

No credits for the Hello stamp. Tag die is from SU!, tied up with a small pink bow.

Check out the inspiration from the design team, make a creation of your own and share it with us.

I am also linking this to Let's Craft and Create challenge: Anything Goes with option of ribbon.

Delicate Die Cut

 First Tuesday in June so it is time for a new sketch at Tuesday Morning Sketches 

It will be fun to see what you all create for those scalloped elements. Check out the blog for inspiration from the design team.

When I went searching for what to do with this card, I came across this delicate die. It was in a package but the label is gone so sorry I can't credit anyone.

I die cut 3 pieces. Doubled up on the main design and then cut apart the third one of the butterflies for a little accent to fill that upper corner. I added tiny rhinestones on the butterfly bodies. The sentiment is an old one also unlabeled.  Paper from the scrap file.

I hope you have time to create something this week and share with us. 

Purple Roses

 Here it is end of May. As I am retired I don't have to think about this but are you ready for your kids to be home for the summer. Have activities planned for them? Maybe you can get them to do some crafts with you and make a card with this new sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches. It is pretty easy even for new beginners.

I followed the sketch except used flowers instead of a star.

With all the Mother's Day, Father's Day and Graduation cards, I have neglected my stash of thinking of you cards. So I went with that today. The background water color paper is by Paper House. The reverse side has the large rose print. I fussy cut two roses to use as my focal point. I also fussy cut 2 different leaves to tuck in behind. I winked the flowers and leaves and then did outlines on the petals of the flowers with a silver star gel pen. That is a silver strip behind the roses. The light is reflecting a rainbow effect on it. The sentiment is an old unlabled one. I added 3 purple gems for some accent.

Inside I added a fussy cut leave to the inside with my favorite Winnie the Pooh quote.

 

 

Check out the design team cards and then create one of your own. Look forward to seeing your creations.

Sweet Lemons

 Browsing blog's this morning, I found 3 challenges to try today.

The pattern paper and the fussy cut lemon are both from SU's new Mediterranean Blooms The e/f is from Cuttlebug. the sentiment is also SU. The deckle frame die cut is SU.

Inside a did a computer sentiment and added another fussy cut lemon and leaves.

I used the sketch from Ssketch Saturday, using the lemon leaves as the circle elements.

I added a bee to the flowers for Cardz 4 Gslz celebration of World Bee Day.

I used the embossing folder and fruit for the challenge at Can You Handle the Pressure