Beach Card

 I tried a beach card for the Make My Monday challenge blog even though I don't have any beach theme stamps. I used the castle from the Lawn Fawn Critters Ever After set and two of my favorite Stampin' Up! colors: Crumb Cake and Pool Party. It turned out to be a simple card, but it was fun to experiment with a few options from my supply stash.

Sunday Stamps

 I have been stocking up on birthday cards and made my first card from the Sunday Stamps challenge blog. I was originally going to set up a different sentiment from the Endless Birthday set (Stampin' Up! retired), but I temporarily lost the larger birthday stamp. Does anyone else lose their clear stamps?! It's happened to me a couple of time, but I always find the missing piece in time. 

For this color challenge, I used Pool Part, Night of Navy (both from Stampin Up!) and Lilac (from Close To My Heart).

CASE(E) this Sketch #385

 In the spring, I learned about the collaborative sets from The Stamping Village. I ordered my first set and just started using it in my new space.

I also learned a new technique from Jennifer McGuire and plan to try more dot coloring. I used CAS(E) this Sketch to put together my new stamp set and new technique. 

Supplies Used

Card Stock: Kraft from Bazzill and White Notecard from Close to My Heart

Ink: Versa Fine Black, Memento Tuxedo Black, and Stampin' Up! Crushed Curry

Markers:Stampin Up! So Saffron and Spectrum Noir Yellow from Close to My Heart

Dies: Sizzix Stitched Shapes from Stampin Up! (retired)

Using Scraps

 Using my scraps and having precut card bases are two things helping me create more right now. I cut strips from my sun ray pattern paper and realized that I also like the pattern on the back. I have less card stock colors right now so, I used watercoloring to add colors before embossing the paper with a butterfly folder. I continued to use butterflies that I stamped and colored before our move. Also, I stocked up on white card bases and envelopes from Close to My Heart, which saves me some time. 

Many of my supplies are retired from Stampin' Up!, but here are some items for easy watercoloring:

Calypso Coral ink pad

Crushed Curry ink pad

Brushes

Water Color Paper 

Hard Board Panel & Purple Tape (to keep the paper flat as it dries) 

Fab Friday 195

 I finished 3 cards today while CJ napped. She is becoming an expert at stalling before "quiet time" and may drop her nap soon. I will see how our fall schedule comes together. I love the long summer days, but it make her earlier bedtime more of a challenge. I used this Fab Friday sketch for another card. I am out of Calypso Coral card stock, so made my own paper by watercoloring the ink from my stamp pad. 

Mojo Monday 543

 I have been creating birthday cards this week. I like this sketch for using pattern paper, especially some scraps. My next challenge is to decide how to store and organize my scraps. A benefit of moving has been rediscovering some craft supplies. Stampin' Up! retired the candy dots a while ago, but it's still fun to add them to embellish a card. 

New Craft Space and Card

A priority in our new house was for John to have an office, and I was hoping for a craft space. The upstairs ouf our Cape Cod gives us both! I finished setting up my craft space over the weekend, so now I can get back to making cards. I know that the space will evolve, and I am still having trouble remembering the location of some items. (Where are you glimmer brushes?!) I tried to keep some items away from curious hands, but so far I am sharing some markers and punches with CJ. I am interested in adding some peg boards above the desks.

I have some birthday cards to make for August. I colored and cut a bunch of butterflies months ago, so it was fun to pair them with some pattern paper that made the cut for our move. The butterfly stamp has also survived multiple craft supply purges and moves and remained one of my favorite stamps to color. The card came together when I saw this sketch from CAS(E) this sketch #384: 

2400 Some Miles

I am quick to say that I am not a “roadtrip person". At some point in my 20’s, I realized that I don’t like driving, but I do it out of necessity. Yet it was my idea to rent an RV to drive across the county. There were two main reasons to approach our move in this manner: a pandemic and a fourteen-year-old beagle. Somehow we pulled off this move from California back to Ohio, which was over 2400 miles.

My husband did not think that my idea was crazy and ran with it. We rented a 30-foot RV for five humans and a dog, but we had to pick it up in Bakersfield, California. I was not the only person considering an RV trip in these uncertain times. I have immense gratitude to my husband and mother-in-law for driving us.

We learned as we went, and I could become a “roadtrip person.” I might even consider becoming more comfortable driving larger vehicles. Trips will be easier when our daughter is older. But for now, I have a new home and lots of boxes to unpack. I am happy to have my bicycles back.