Cupcake Inspirations Challenge #411 & a Goodbye

Welcome to the Cupcake Inspirations Challenge #411!  This week the challenge is to use a watercolor theme on your card.  All of the details, including prize information, can be found on the Cupcakes Inspiration blog.  I hope you'll be able to play along!  This week our sponsor is Inspired by Stamping.

This is also my last post as a design team member with the Cupcakes Inspirations Challenge.  It was a hard decision to make, but with my son entering high school next school year I know I'll be even busier than I am now and I just have to let some things go.  I will definitely still play along with the challenges when I can!  I've enjoyed this team so much and am sad to say goodbye!

Watercolor theme!  How fun!  This card, I will admit, was super simple to put together.  I die cut the scalloped frame with dies from Gina Marie Designs called Scalloped Stitched Nested Rectangles.  I used Bristol Smooth cardstock to create and started by first embossing the sentiment in white from The Stamp Market called Thank You So Much.  I then used Zig Markers to watercolor the background.  To finish, I added some sequins from Pretty Pink Posh.

The theme this week is "watercolor".  You can choose to use the cupcake graphic for inspiration if you'd like but you don't have to, as long as your card or project fits the theme.

I hope you'll join us this week for the Cupcake Inspirations Challenge #411!  Thanks for stopping by!

Stamp of Approval Naturally Inspired Collection

Catherine Pooler Designs Stamp of Approval: Naturally Inspired has sold out!  Can you believe it?  When they said they might sell out, boy do they mean it! But don't worry, the contents from this box will be available for individual sale in Catherine's store in the Fall or Winter.  I made a few more cards with this collection that I wanted to share with you.

This card features the Lattice Frame Die, Best Die, Simply the Best Stamp Set, Wild Garden Stamp Set & the Wow! Wanderlust Embossing Powder all included in this new boxed collection.  I started with a white piece of smooth watercolor paper and colored directly onto the Wild Garden stamps with Zig Real Brush Markers.  I then spritzed them with water and stamped.  It created a fun watercolor look. I then die cut that piece with the outside frame from the Lattice Frame Die set.  I also cut the frame from bright yellow cardstock as well and then cut it into four pieces and backed the white framed piece with it to give it a little more oomph! :)  

I love how this "best" is so glittery!  To create this sentiment, I die cut the Best word from paper that I had inked up with Catherine Pooler's Flirty Fuchsia ink.  Then, because I had this idea after the ink dried, I rubbed VersaMark ink over the entire die cut and embossed it with the beautiful Wow! Wanderlust embossing powder found exclusively in this collection.  I love how this looks!

For my second card, I took a piece of smooth white watercolor paper and inked it up with Flirty Fuchsia ink to create an ombre look.   I used several of the bird stamps from the Birds of a Feather Stamp Set and stamped them to create this flock of birds.  I stamped the double ended banner from the Simply the Best Stamp Set in both Pixie Dust and Sweet Sixteen ink and then stamped the sentiment from the same set on top.  I flicked a few drops of water on top of the finished project to create what reminds me of sun spots.

I've had a great time creating with the products in this box!  I hope you've enjoyed seeing what all of the design team created!

Stamp of Approval Naturally Inspired

I'm so excited to be sharing some projects today, along with Catherine Pooler's design team, focusing on the newest Stamp of Approval Box!

If you are unsure what I am referring to, Stamp of Approval is a quarterly hand picked, exclusive collection of products that were designed just for the box. The stamps, dies and other fun products in the Stamp of Approval Collection won’t be released for individual sale for several months over at the Catherine Pooler store.  Be sure to subscribe to the Wait List so you will be emailed the purchase link when the collection goes on sale on the 7th! These boxes do sell out quickly!

We were asked to tell you what keeps up naturally inspired.  For me, it's being aware of the things around me.  Sometimes walking through stores I'll snap pictures because I like the color combo or the placement of images and I want to remember them.  Sometimes it's seeing patterns online that I'll pin for later reference.  Sometimes it's just the fun things my family and I are doing that makes me want to capture something from that time in a card.  I find inspiration all around me, sometimes at even the oddest moments! 

For my first card, I knew that I wanted to create a rainbow so I could use as many of the gorgeous ink colors from the Catherine Pooler ink line as possible!  I used two new stamp sets and one new die and a fun new embossing powder designed exclusively for this collection that I absolutely fell in love with (and there may be one other new product hidden in there too, can you spot it?)!  

I used the very versatile Medallion Mix-Up Stamps to create the focal image in a rainbow of colors.  The sentiment is die cut from the Best die also included in the box and the coordinating sentiment is stamped with the Simply the Best Stamp set.  Don't you just love the font for that word die?  It's gorgeous!  I also used the Simply the Best stamp set to create that black & white striped paper at the top by repeatedly stamping the double ended banner stamp included in the set.

Another little gem in this box is a new and exclusive embossing powder called Wow! Wanderlust.  Let me tell you it is so beautiful!  I used it on top of the black medallion.  Here's a closeup so you can see the glitter a little better.  Detailed instructions on how I created this card can be found in the Naturally Inspired Project Guide available with this collection.

Here is another card featuring many of the same products that I used in the first card, including Catherine's vibrant inks.  I used quite a few of the stamps in the Medallion Mix-Up stamp set to create the colorful aspects of this card.  I again stamped stripes using the double ended banner in the Simply the Best stamp set.  The sentiment also comes from that stamp set and I really like that there are two choices on the focal sentiment, "best".  More detailed information on this card can also be found in the Naturally Inspired Project Guide available with this collection.

To see more from this amazing collection, be sure to visit all of the designers who are posting today!  

Catherine Pooler

Melissa Miller

Lisa Harrolle

Maureen Merritt

Kelly Griglione

Jen Carter -- That's Me!

Ardyth Percy-Robb

Also be sure to visit Catherine's blog on Monday & Tuesday for more sneak peeks of this collection.  And come back here on Wednesday, June 7th for more projects from me as we celebrate Release Day!

Be sure to comment to win! One winner will be chosen at random from each day's comments and announced on June 9th on Catherine's blog. The winners will each win one of the Naturally Inspired Stamp of Approval boxes and if you already purchased it, you will be issued a Gift Certificate worth $100 towards a future purchase!

Thank you so much for visiting my blog today!

For a Great Teacher Shaker Card

School's out for the summer here but if you are looking for ideas for teacher cards, I have one to share today.  

This is a fun teacher shaker card.  I started with the background which was die cut with the Quilted Swirl Stitched Pattern Die.  I love the way that that die stitches the pattern into the cardstock!  For my shaker panel I die cut the panel with the Apple Shaker Die and then die cut the square panel with the Stitched Mats: Dual Stitched Squares die. 

On the acetate that holds the shaker sequins in, I heat embossed a sentiment from the Apple of My Eye Stamp Set.  I also added the stem and leaf on to the top of the apple. Those pieces are also included in the Apple Shaker Die set.

Thank you so much for visiting!  Have a great summer!