Going to the Ocean from My Stamping Room

Last weekend I took a trip to the Connecticut/Rhode Island border with a couple friends to visit the ocean.  It was so lovely there.  Sitting on the beach just watching the waves and soaking up the sun was just what I needed.  :)

Coming back into my stamping room this week, I made an ocean-themed card with the little sandpipers from the Wetland set.  I especially love this set now because I recently moved to Sandpiper Lane!

Honestly, it took me a while to find the watercolor paper (some of my supplies are still in boxes), but once I did I was quite happy with this card.  I used Gorgeous Grunge to make the sand appear and then I highlighted it with Wink of Stella to give it a little glisten.

I think you can see the hint of glitter that the Stella brush gives this card.

 I made several versions of this card, trying out different inks to see which one that I liked the best.  This one is made using black Memento pad and the others are made with Early Espresso brown ink.  I like the espresso ink the best.  I found the idea for this card on Pinterest  by Debbie Lamb.

This next card is an easy-to-make card using washi tape as an embellishment.  I used the Flower Shop stamp set that comes with a coordinating punch that makes the stamping so quick and easy.

On this alternative version of the card, I stamped on vellum using Rose Red ink and clear embossing powder.  It's hard to tell from the photo, but the bottom half of the card is embossed with a pretty scallop.  During my class, I let the students choose if they wanted to emboss on the vellum or just stamp on the pink paper.  It was pretty much 50-50.  The idea for this card came from Rachel Tessman.

After we accented the card with pearls, we used a little Wink of Stella to give the flowers a silvery glow.  Have you not heard about Wink of Stella?  You can order it here for only $8.00.  Click on Shop Now and enter Stella into the look-up box.  (If you want to look at the catalog, it's on page 181.)  What a great new product it is!

 The third and final card for this week's class is this pretty card made using the Number of Years stamp set.  I saw this idea by Elizabeth Miller on Pinterest. 

While I did like the card made in the mint macaron green, the other side of the paper has this pretty floral pattern on it.  The stampers could use either side of the paper.

I thought the colors were very pretty for this card.  We used Mint Macaron, Flirty Flamingo, Baja Breeze (an older color) and Old Olive for the leaves.

After adding mini pearls and a ruched ribbon in Flirty Flamingo, we colored in the flowers with Wink of Stella.  Everyone loved using this new product.

When the evening was over, I had everyone vote for which card they liked the best.  How about you?  Which one would you pick?  Unanimously, the Sandpipers won for the day.  :)

I Love Fall!

Anyone who knows me knows that Fall is my favorite time of year.  I love the cool, crisp air, the beautiful colored leaves, the rich autumn colors to decorate with and my favorite holiday of all: Thanksgiving!

Today I want to share some of the cards and stamping projects that I made during September and October.  This card is my favorite (although I love them all!).  I love the colors, the leaves and the simple saying.  There is so much to be thankful for in our lives and I try to have a grateful heart!  :)  I got the idea from Mary Ann Grimmer.

I love the colors and the papers that are used in these projects.  I had fun making the card with the pumpkins.  One of the pumpkins is 3-D but it's hard to tell in the photo.  Can you pick out which one?

The little mini coffee mug is the cutest little favor!  Right?  It has some caramel candies in it, although you could put a multitude of other candies or drink samples in it!  (Think tea, coffee, Keurig cups, drink mixes, etc.)  You could change it up for any holiday or occasion.  This idea came from my friend, Deb Valder.  She has instructions on how to make it and where to order the cups from on her blog: stampladee.com.

The other little favor has a Ghiradelli candy square tucked in it!  Yes, they are my favorite candies, especially the mint ones.  This idea came from Tamara Bertram.

Okay, isn't this turkey card so adorable?  He is made from an owl punch!  That owl does a great job transforming into different characters for each holiday!  I saw the idea for this on Pinterest made by Nancy Young.

I have to admit that I have a LOT of die cut shapes!  I love this idea to use the negative space from the die cut to stamp in and then add some color.  It's just another way to use the die cuts.  There is some copper embossing on this card that really makes it just stand out.  This idea is from Deb Valder, also.

Here is another example of using the die cut shapes.  One leaf is the positive shape and the other leaf is the negative shape.  This idea is from a demonstrator with the initials of PS.  I'm not sure of her name.  If you know who she is, please let me know so that I can give her the credit.

Die cuts, inking, stamping, punching, cutting, sponging, embossing and now watercolor!  This goose card is made on watercolor paper.  We sprayed the paper with a mist of water and then loosely painted on some color.  Idea from Maureen Albert.

I love making fall projects.  Whether it's stamping, sewing, crocheting or using some other medium, (and trust me, I have them all!) it's a great season to celebrate!

What sort of fun things are you making this fall?  Feel free to leave a comment!