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