It is Thursday and time for a new Create with Connie & Mary Challenge.  This week it is a color challenge.  

Can you guess the colors that are in the challenge?  

Did you guess correctly?  Isn't this a fun color combination?  

It has been a little bit since I pulled out the Celebrate Sunflowers stamp set and coordinating Sunflower dies.  It is such a pretty stamp set and Bumblebee is a great color to use for that big sunflower.  I inked the sunflower in Bumblebee ink and stamped on Bumblebee CS.  I used a blending brush to add a little Poppy Parade around the center of the sunflower.

When I start to work on a color challenge I pull out cardstock, DSP, and embellishments in the challenge colors.  This is how I found the Night of Navy patterned paper in the Sweet Symmetry pack.    The Fan Baker's Twine in Poppy Parade and white was another one I pulled out.  In fact, I think this color combination was inspired but the colors in Hey Sports Fan DSP.  When it came to embellishments I couldn't find very much.  I thought about coloring some rhinestones or pearls or just adding some little dots and then I remembered the tiny flowers in the Peach dies.   Aren't they so cute?  I also added some tiny pearls because she is a fancy ladybug.  

Inside I added a big leaf stamped using the Hello Ladybug stamp set in Bumblebee.  I stamped the ladybug in Night of Navy and Poppy Parade and fussy cut her out.  Want to know the story behind this?  I somehow got a splotch of ink inside of the card so I needed to cover it up and like I always say, never take apart my cards cause you will certainly find some kind of mistake I had to cover up.  

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out what the rest of the design team created for this color challenge,

I try to schedule my blog posts to go live in the early morning (Pacific Time).  Sometimes that doesn't work, for example when I am participating in a blog hop or some other kind of event.  Lately it has been a lot more random and I hope soon I will get back to posting at a consistent time.  You can  subscribe to my blog which means you will receive an email when a new  post goes on the blog.  On  the right side of the blog you will see a subscribe form, you can sign up for blog updates there.  Thank you!

Yesterday I shared some samples using the Basic Gray Simply Marbleous DSP (Sale-A-Bration choice) and the Blossoms in Bloom bundle.  Today I want to share with you the rest of the colors of the Simply Marbleous DSP.

On this card I cut the bolder die out of the Blushing Bride Simply Marbleous DSP.  The DSP design creates a flower with lots of different colors and hues.  The Basic White layer was embossed using the Tasteful Textile folder. 

This card was made using all the same ingredients as the previous card except using the Gorgeous Grape Simply Marbleous DSP.  

The next 3 cards were made using the Simply Marbleous DSP as a layer.  The flowers were made using Basic Black for the outline image and Basic White for the bolder image.

Coastal Cabana

So Saffron

Balmy Blue

Thanks for stopping by and remember Sale-A-Bration ends on February 28th.    

Do you like fun folds?  If you do then the Creativity Abounds tutorial bundle will delight you!  This month we have 13 Fancy Fold tutorials.  You can purchase the bundle for just $15 or receive it free with a $50 order!  Here's a peek at what I created for the tutorial bundle.

Contact me for more information and/or to order the tutorial bundle.

I have been playing with the Simply Marbleous DSP, a Sale-A-Bration choice.  What a fun pack of paper and it is free with a qualifying purchase but only for another week,  Yes, sad to say that Sale-A-Bration will be over at the end of February.

I paired up the Blossoms in Bloom bundle with the Basic Gray Simply Marbleous DSP.  I cut the outline die of the flower in Basic Black and the bolder die in Basic White.  The sentiment is from the Blossoms in Bloom stamp set and it was heat embossed in white embossing powder.  The sentiment was cut out using a Stitched Rectangle die.  I added a few Iridescent Rhinestones to add a little bit of sparkle.  

I also made the same card except i used the flip side of the Simply Marbleous DSP.   Isn't it amazing how different it looks?  This side is so much more dramatic.  I thought about adding another kind of gem maybe in a color.  In the end I decided I liked this study in shades of gray, black and white.  

Thanks for stopping by and come by tomorrow for even more Simply Marbleous cards,

Do you like fun folds?  If you do then the Creativity Abounds tutorial bundle will delight you!  This month we have 13 Fancy Fold tutorials.  You can purchase the bundle for just $15 or receive it free with a $50 order!  Here's a peek at what I created for the tutorial bundle.

Contact me for more information and/or to order the tutorial bundle.

I am always on the lookout for new color ideas.  I came across the Inspire. Create. Stamping Challenge's combination of Cherry Cobbler, Evening Evergreen, Misty Moonlight, Sahara Sand, and Soft Succulent and wanted to give it a try.  Sahara Sand is one of those colors I do not use very often and when I do use it, I always wonder why I don't use it.  

I may have gotten carried away with all the flowers and leaves.  The Pierced Blooms dies is one of my favorite flower & leaf dies and once I get started it is hard to stop.  In the centers of the flowers I added the Classic Matte Dots in white.  

The card base is Sahara Sand and the Evening Evergreen layer is from the Tidings of Christmas DSP.  I suspect this pack of Designer Series Paper is also what inspired the color combination challenge.  I love the subtle herringbone pattern on the paper and how it adds just a little something extra.  If I was thinking I should have used it for the stripes too.  Maybe next time!. The Sahara Sand layer was embossed using the Tasteful Textile 3D folder.  The thanks in Evening Evergreen and Soft Succulent was created using the Amazing Thanks dies.

I did  use a strip of the DSP to decorate the inside of the card along with a Cherry Cobbler flower and Soft Succulent leaf.  Isn't that subtle herringbone pattern  great?  The Tidings of Christmas DSP is not just for Christmas.  There are lots of beautiful not Christmassy designs on the "B" side of each sheet.  

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out the Inspire.Create stamping challenges!

It is Friday and time for a new Festive Friday Challenge.  The Festive Friday Challenge is a bi-weekly challenge that features an Inspo list inspired by a festivity.  The Inspo list has 10 items on it and to play in the challenge you need to use at least 3 of the items on the list.  National Peanut Butter Lovers Day is the festivity that inspired the Inspo List.  You do not have to use the festivity in your project but you can.

I used the following on my project from the Inspo List: brown, stripes, circles, interactive.  I will be the first to admit that some of the ways those items are represented on my card are pretty weak but they are there.

I used the adorable Catching Butterflies stamp set.  This stamp set is free during Sale-A-Bration (end February 28th!) with a qualifying order.  I sometimes mistakenly call this the Chasing Butterflies set.  This made me think of how I could show her chasing a butterfly which led me to the Give It a Whirl dies.   One of my team members, Kerri taught me this alternative way to use the dies.  Doesn't it look like she is chasing a butterfly?

This is the interactive element of my card.  I used a piece of Sunshine & Rainbows DSP (another Sale-A-Bration gift) and paper pieced a striped dress and this sweet little girl's brown hair is courtesy of the new Natural Tones Stampin Blends- SU200 and she is attached to a circle. Inside of the card i added a few more butterflies, the ones that got away and a sentiment from the Best Year stamp set (wishing you your best year yet).

Ann Schach

Beth McCullough

Sharon Hashimoto Burkert  you are here

Melanie Hungerford

Helen Jennings

Stephanie Lanzalotto

Melva Peters

Jaydee

Diane Evans

Joanne James

Do you love Fun Folds?  If you do then this tutorial bundle might be perfect for you.

Place a $50 order through my online store and receive this bundle (13 tutorials!!)  as a thank you.  You can also purchase the tutorial bundle for $15.00.  Please contact me (sharo[email protected]) if you would like to purchase the tutorial.

It is Thursday and time for the Create with Connie & Mary Challenge.  What is the Create with Connie & Mary Thursday Challenge?  This weekly challenge alternates between a sketch and a color challenge.  The challenge will hopefully inspire you to create a project and then share it on the Create with Connie and Mary Facebook group.

I chose the Free as a Bird stamp set for this challenge.  I liked the idea of the branch instead of the strip and thought the flowers would also work for the sketch.

I used Stampin' Blends in So Saffron, Pool Party, Old Olive, Crumb Cake and Flirty Flamingo to color in the images. I wanted to add some blending to the background so I tore some Post It notes to roughly cover up the colored image.  I used Blending Brushes in Pool Party and So Saffron ink around the branch.  It still felt a little bare so I added some ink splatters.  I watered down some Tuxedo Black Memento ink and used a Water Painter and gently flicked the brush to create the splatters.  Once I was done fiddling with the panel I colored and fussy cut the flowers to add to the card.

I noticed on the sketch that the strip extended past the layer it was on so, I decided to add on to the stamped image.  I stamped just the end portion of the branch, colored it and cut it out.  I tried to mimic the markings on the branch to disguise where I grafted the extension.  If you look really closely you can see where I added the piece on but for the most part it looks pretty good.  Another tip that helps mask the addition is I used the brush end of a Basic Black Stampin' Write Marker to color around the edges of the fussy cut piece.  

Check out the centers of the flowers.  I used Iridescent Rhinestones for the centers and they are picking up the So Saffron color.  Love those rhinestones!  They really go with everything.

Inside I stamped and colored only a part of the branch.  You know I believe in decorating the insides of your cards.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out what the rest of the design team created for the challenge!

It is Thursday which means it is time for the Create with Connie & Mary Challenge.   This week it is a color challenge and it fits perfectly with Valentine's Day coming up!

I pulled out the Party Puffins stamp set.  I haven't played with this set in a bit and I missed this cute little guy.  I colored the beak in with Highland Heather and his feet with Blushing Bride.  Now I am sure you can guess what the color challenge is.

The Sweet Talk 12" x 12" DSP is full of these colors.  However now that I am looking at the "official" colors it looks like the color in the DSP is Petal Pink and not Blushing Bride!  Ooops!  I guess I should have checked but it looks to me more like Blushing Bride than Petal Pink.

Both sentiments I used are from the Special Moments Sale-A-Bration stamp set.  This stamp set has so many great sentiments in lovely fonts, it is a great addition to any stamp collection.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out what the other members of the design team created with this color challenge.

Today I have another birthday card featuring the Friendly Hello stamp set.  When I see the bird on the branch image,  I can imagine her singing a sweet song, maybe at sunrise or sunset.  That idea is what inspired today's card.

I started off creating the "sky". I used Blending Brushes on Basic White CS and started with Mango Melody, Balmy Blue, Misty Moonlight, and then a bit of Night of Navy ink.  I just kept on applying ink and blending  until I was happy with the sky.   I added a few splatters using Water Painters and watered down White Craft ink.  

I die cut a circle using the Layering Circle dies and then embossed the Basic White layer using the Merry Melody 3D Embossing folder.   This embossing folder debuted in the 2021 July-December Mini Catalog and has been carried over, which means it is still available to purchase.  I thought it was the perfect choice to accompany my singing bird.

I stamped the bird using Tuxedo Black Memento ink and coloring her in with Stampin' Blends.  I will post the colors I used below.  I fussy cut the bird and branch out.  After I fussy cut I go around the edges with the brush end of a Black Stampin' Write Marker.  This gives it a finished look and also helps cover up any white edges.  

Behind the bird I cut a Petal Pink flower using the Meadow Dies and colored over the stem using an Old Olive Stampin' Blend.  I also die cut the leaves from the Forever Flourishing dies in Gold Metallic Specialty Paper.    You can also see inside I added a full die cut flower using the Meadow Dies.

The sentiment was stamped on the lovely label which is in the Meadow Dies.  

The last addition I made was to add the Coastal Cabana rhinestone from the Holiday Rhinestones to the sides of the sentiment label and the flower centers. 

Product List

Friendly Hello Bundle (English) [159990]	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708]	Balmy Blue Classic Stampin' Pad [147105]	Mango Melody Classic Stampin' Pad [147093]
Misty Moonlight Classic Stampin' Pad [153118]	Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad [147110]	Whisper White Craft Stampin' Ink Refill [101780]	Crumb Cake Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154882]
Petal Pink Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154893]	Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [159276]	Layering Circles Dies [151770]	Balmy Blue Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154830]
Daffodil Delight Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154883]	Old Olive Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154892]	Basic Black Stampin' Write Marker [100082]	Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock [159229]
Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [159276]	Petal Pink 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [146985]	Gold & Rose Gold 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Metallic Specialty Paper [156844]	Merry Melody 3 D Embossing Folder [156392]
Meadow Dies [155852]	Forever Flourishing Dies [152714]	Holiday Rhinestone Basic Jewels [150457]	Blending Brushes [153611]
Water Painters [151298]

Thanks for stopping by and please follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and/or Instagram!

Place a $50 order through my online store and receive this bundle (12 tutorials!!)  as a thank you.  You can also purchase the tutorial bundle for $15.00.  Please contact me (sharo[email protected]) if you would like to purchase the tutorial.

It is Thursday and time for a new Create with Connie & Mary Challenge.  This week it is a color challenge.  

I arrange my stamp sets alphabetically and keep my new sets in a separate area.  Why?  I want to easily access the new sets and be sure to use them.  This strategy works for me and helps me to not forget about sets.  The only drawback is that I forget to look at the sets that I have used and are part of the main section of stamps.  I am now making an effort to use those sets too.  Some of them have not been used in a while which makes them almost new to me.  

Starting with the letter A, the Artistically Inked bundle!  What a beautiful bundle of products.  This is a Distinktive stamp set.  This type of stamps created this almost watercolored looking image.  The large flower was stamped in Calypso Coral ink (full strength) and because it is a Distinktive stamp there are different opacities on the one image.  The two smaller flowers were also inked in Calypso Coral ink but stamped off once for a less intense color.  Stamping off is a good way to get more out of the ink colors you have. 

The beautiful large leaves was  cut using the Artistic Dies from Gold Metallic Specialty Paper.   There is texture to the Gold paper and also a shimmer that is hard for me to capture.  The thanks was heat embossed using Gold Embossing Powder and then fussy cut out.

The gold twine is from the Simply Elegant Trim pack.  When I use this twine I cut a slit on the sides of the card stock to prevent it from slipping.  I also add a tiny dot of glue behind the knot to keep it in place and also prevent it from coming untied.  I also added a few Gold Metallic Pearls around the images.  

I had a leftover strip of the Gold Metallic Paper so I added it to the inside along with a medium sized flower in Calypso Coral and a leaves in Soft Succulent.  

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out what the rest of the design team created using the colors from the challenge,

It is Thursday and time for the Create with Connie and Mary Challenge.  This week it is a color challenge and it was tough one for me.  When I get stuck trying to figure out how to make a color combination work I often reach for the Blossoms in Bloom bundle.

The colors for the challenge are Soft Succulent, Petal Pink and Night of Navy.  These colors remind me of something I would see on a vintage Aloha shirt.   There's something very soothing about these colors.   OOPS!  I just realized that the REAL colors for the challenge are Just Jade, Petal Pink, and Night of Navy.  

So let's put on our imagination hats and imagine I used Just Jade instead of Soft Succulent.  We could also blame it on the lighting of the photo and pretend that's why it looks more like Soft Succulent than Just Jade.  

I was not able to make the change and create a new card so we are just going with this one. I think the Blossoms in Bloom bundle can make almost color combination work.  I added lots of Iridescent Rhinestones to the card.  It is one of my favorite embellishments.  

Inside I added a small flower cut using the Many Layered Blossoms die and a strip of the In Color 6" x 6" DSP.  Check out those rhinestones!  This picture also helps to show how the Iridescent Rhinestones shine.   

I know this is the wrong combination for this week's Create with Connie & Mary Challenge.  I made this graphic so we I am going to use it but just remember when you play along with the Create with Connie & Mary Challenge you want to use the correct Challenge colors-Just Jade, Night of Navy, and Petal Pink.

Thank you for stopping by!

Product List

Blossoms In Bloom Bundle (English) [154123]	Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad [147110]	Night Of Navy 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [100867]	Soft Succulent 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [155776]
Petal Pink 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [146985]	Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [159276]	2021–2023 In Color 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper [155641]	Stitched Rectangles Dies [151820]
Iridescent Rhinestones Basic Jewels [158130]