joy...

i know, i know. it's july. but some people are already thinking of christmas. hobby lobby has had christmas stuff out for weeks. nutty. here's another set of atcs (you know i'm addicted, right?) with a 'christmas in july' theme.  it's funny, because i made these while i was on vacation in las vegas.  the day i was thinking christmas it was 104 degrees!!  i was definitely thinking cool thoughts.

joy...
stamps: unity, jillibean soup+unity
cardstock:  walnut cream, cherry cobbler, jillibean soup pp
ink: walnut stain distress, barn door distress, island indigo, lucky limeade

 

life...

so when i first saw this stamp, it didn't jump out at me (like some do).  but i'm a compulsive unity sale kinda girl, so i had to get it when they had their last sale. and now i've fallen in love with it!   i needed to make a set of atcs for a swap with a number theme.  of course, i had two other stamps (also from unity...go figure) that i was going to use, then i decided to see what i could do with this one.  i feel kinda like  i cheated because it's a pretty basic atc, only used one stamp.  but i added a few things to give it some character.

life...
stamps: simple stories + unity
cardstock:  walnut cream, early espresso, my mind's eye pp
ink: walnut stain distress, island indigo
embellishments:  buttons

knotty tree...

trees.  i have so many tree stamps and i never get tired of them.  all those owls stamps i have and love feel at home with the trees!  i made this set of atcs for a tree swap that suzi is hosting.  this was kind of a fun atc to make.  i loved the stamp but didn't know what to add to it.  i had limited resources, since i made it while on vacation.  i decided it needed some texture and had made a knot for something else that was sitting on the table. i thought it would be fun to color the twine with distress ink and this is the end result!  little knots that look like buds.

knotty tree...
stamps: unity
cardstock:  walnut cream, lucky limeade
ink: walnut stain distress, broken china distress, barn door distress
embellishments:  twine
tools:  prismacolor markers

sending wishes...

my friend patty had surgery this week for treatment of breast cancer.  i wanted to make a card to send for a little happiness during what is going to be a painful recovery.  this is what i created.  inside the card says "hang in there."   speedy recovery, patty!

this card must break a record for the number of stamps i have used on one card!  i think it is around 9 or 10!  i've found two new favorite colors from the new in-colors from stampin up...pool party and island indigo.  both such great blues.  and lucky limeade is an awesome green ink.

sending wishes...
stamps: purple onion, ippity, unity, jillibean soup+unity, iron orchid designs+unity, studio g
cardstock: island indigo, blushing bride
ink: island indigo, crumb cake, cherry cobbler, certainly celery, soft sky, old paper distress, onyx black
tools:  prismacolor markers

light...

more cards using the new {ippity} sets.  this one is called shine, shine, shine and it is one of my favorites! i used some glossy accents on the light bulbs to make them look glass-like.  don't forget there is a new release coming up august 5th.  you are not going to want miss this one! 

light...
stamps: ippity
cardstock: lucky limeade, wisteria wonder
ink: wisteria wonder, early espresso, wild honey distress
embellishments: glossy accents, su ribbon

thankful...

finally got a chance to play with the new {ippity} release from june. this set is such a cute, simple set but it has tons of possibilities. and it's only $6. crazy!  (you can get one for yourself here...)  i used  a spica glitter pen on the dragonflies to give them a little sparkle.  the second picture shows it a little better.  i've also been playing with the new in-colors from stampin' up.  at first i wasn't very thrilled because they look very similar to old colors.  then i did a side by side comparison of the ink and paper.  they are similar, but different enough to notice.  they are starting to grow on me!

thankful...
stamps: ippity
cardstock: walnut cream, wisteria wonder, calypso coral
ink: island indigo, pool party, lucky limeade, calypso coral
embellishments: spica glitter pen

survivor, shack style...

over at the stamp shack, there is a game that we play called shack survivor.   how it works is everyone makes a card and they upload their cards in the gallery.  doesn't matter what kind of card or what is on the card.  once a day an elimination statement will be posted.  if your card meets the elimination critiera, you are banished to exile island.  the last person standing wins a prize.  it's a good time!  this is what i've made...hopefully it will get me through the eliminations!

it's all good...
stamps: unity
cardstock: island indigo
ink: island indigo, pool party, haystack, onyx black
embellishments: felt
tools:  prismacolor markers, cloud die-mft

feel better...

this is for my friend patty who had some surgery last week in preperation for more surgery next week. she was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. nasty thing is affecting so many people. luckily, it's getting more and more beatable. hope you are feeling better, patty!  i added sparkly stuff just for you!

feel better...
stamps: unity
cardstock: pink pirouette
ink: purely pomegranate, melon mambo, onyx black
embellishments: stickles

really really like...

a friend of mine recently celebrated a special event. she is a 4 year breast cancer survivor. so it warranted a card to honor kicking it's trash! i think this little good news bird is so cute! (i know...i think a lot of bird stamps are cute. but not all of them!)

good news...
stamps: unity
cardstock: walnut cream, crumb cake, blushing bride, fancy pants pp, colorbox pp
ink: soft suede, peeled paint distress, old paper distress
tools: paper tape-k & co 

what's shakin...

i love my hobby. it's such a good stress reliever when one is needed! i go hide in my craft room and start getting lost in all the crafty goodness. this week has been a hard one at my work. too many crazies in this world. so i've had a lot of reason to escape. i am loving paper tape lately. i played with it a little and made a frame from it.

what's shakin'?
stamps: unity
cardstock: cherry cobbler
ink: onyx black
embellishments: paper tape

courage...

have you played along with the {ippity} challenge yet? did you know you can win twenty bucks (you know...$20!) from your favorite chick?  well if you haven't and you didn't, you should and you could!  the new challenge is using your favorite quote or encouraging sentiment. so go visit the {ippity} challenge post and play along.  you have until july 17th to get inky.  here's the card i made for the challenge.  weekend is almost here so hope you have a good one!

courage 
stamps: ippity
cardstock: walnut cream, old olive, dusty durango, colorbox pp
ink: dusty durango, crumb cake, blushing bride, tattered rose distress, old paper distress

new {ippity} goodness...

holy time flying, batman.  can you believe it's july 5th already??  where has this year gone?  it's going to be 2012 before we know it!  oh well.  today is another {ippity} release day! that means two new set of stamps!  and can you believe that 'thankful for you' is only SIX bucks??  seriously cheap and seriously cute!  i love the dragonflys!

shine, shine, shine

 

thankful for you

 visit my {ippity} blog to order some of this rubbery cuteness!