Guest Designing at Craftin Desert Divas

Welcome to the Craftin Desert Divas July Release Blog Hop. We have some wonderful stamps and dies that we will be sharing with you. 
I'm super excited to be guest designing for Craftin Desert Divas this month and I had so much fun with this release.

We will first have our 2 day blog hop, which started yesterday and then the next 4 days you can join us on our Facebook fan pages for our release inspiration projects. There is a chance to win a $15. CDD shop credit for the next 6 days when you join us.

All stamps are in the CDD Shop and now available for purchase HERE.

 Plan It Out - 5x7

 Scoops - 5x7

 Sweat Season - 5x7

 Tiny Treasure - 5x7

We also offer SVG stamp outlines for .99 they work perfectly with your cutting machine. You must have a program that opens these files. This is a great alternative to coordinating dies and much less expensive. 

Here's what I've created for you... featuring Sweet Season
I had the super cute Sweet Season Stamp set to create with as Guest Designer for this release and what a great stamp set this is.  So many little extra stamps with endless possibilities.  I have 2 cards to share today and another 3 that will appear on the Facebook Fan Page and Instagram over the next few days. 

Big thanks to Tara and the Team for having me for this release.  Its been an absolute pleasure.

Here are the specials for this release:

Save 15% on your entire purchase. 

Use Code: July15

Enjoy this special for in stock items only 7/14 thru 7/24 at 10pm MST

All Stamps and Dies are made in the USA.

Each day from 7/14 thru 7/19 one comment left on the projects 

will be chosen from random.com to receive a $15.00 CDD shop 

credit. So be sure to join us for our 2 day blog hop and then hop 

on over to the CDD Facebook page to join us for our Release 

Inspiration Hop. The CDD DT will feature more projects 

showcasing the new July release.

Your next stop is the super talented: 

Nanne- http://nannes-creations.blogspot.com/

Thanks for stopping by today, Happy Hopping!!

Here's todays complete list of hop stops

CDD- http://www.craftindesertdivasblog.com/

Karen (Guest DT) - http://moreplease-ko.blogspot.co.nz/

Nanne- http://nannes-creations.blogspot.com/

Linda- http://www.scraphappylin.blogspot.com/

Steph- http://stephanie-scraps.blogspot.com/

Elodie- http://www.scrapydoo.com/

Lisa B.- http://www.our2angelsinheaven.blogspot.com/
Gloria - http://iiroom1004.blogspot.ca/

Mindy- http://www.mindybeverlyartstudio.blogspot.com/

Just because

What better reason is there to make and send a card than "just because".  I'm sure we all like to get a card out of the blue for no particular reason at all.

I used Kennedy Grace Creations, Graces Little Notes stamp set with a bit of masking to make this card.  The "just because" diet is from Frantic Stamper Inc.  I cut it several times and aded a little bit of highlighting to the letters.  I chose to back it with an edge of green to add a little lift.

I have been unhappy with the card I use for colouring for a little while and after much searching and reading with Mr Google I discovered Bristol board/card was a common card recommended for coloured pencil.  I have tried finding it here for s while and have tracked down a store I can get it from.  I finally splashed out and bought a 9x12 pad of 15 sheets and oh boy do I love it.  I am really surprised at the difference a good quality card makes.  So its not quite as white as I like but I really don't care as its such a joy to work on. Its a bit like chalk and cheese to what I was using and I had no idea.

Hope you pop back again soon

Karen

xo

Friends are like Lighthouses

I made this card with a friend across the sea in mind who has just celebrated a birthday.  She has a lighthouse near where she lives and the most wonderful light coming from her heart.

This new die from Frantic Stamper just reminded me so much of her when I saw it.  I used traditional lighthouse colours of red and white and paired it with this very appropriate sentiment.  I added a little bit of colour to represent the land and the sky otherwise kept it pretty clean and simple.  

I hope my friend likes it.

Frantic Stamper Inc products used

Precision Die FRA-DIE-09924

See you soon

Karen

xo

Under the Sea

The new release from Frantic Stamper is called Vacation at the Beach.  Whilst this card doesn't use any of the dies in this release its a timely reminder of all the other wonderful beach and ocean themed dies in the Frantic Stamper collection. 

For this card I used the Stitched Circle die to create my port hole and the Stitched Fishtail Banner die for my banner.  The ocean creatures you see through the port hole are Sea Creature Icons. 

Pair these up with the new dies for some amazing creations.

Frantic Stamper products used

Sea Creature Icons FRA-DIE-09507

Stitched Circles FRA-DIE-09637

Stitched Fishtail Banner FRA-DIE-09636 

Thanks for your visit today

Karen

xo

Beach Day

How true is this.  Sometimes you just need a Beach Day.  I can so relate to this.  I read somewhere where being at the beach is so good for you on many levels.    To mention a few.  The colour of the water is very calming.  Walking barefoot on the sand gives a sense of freedom.  Salt water is healing for the skin.  The sound of waves is therapeutic and relaxing.  So yes sometimes you just need a Beach day or maybe two or three.

Todays card features two new dies from the Frantic Stamper Inc Vacation at the Beach release.  Beach Umbrella and Chair, how cool is this die and the Wave Edger, which I have used to create gentle rolling waves (you an use the other piece the die cuts to create sharper waves). My sentiment is computer generated and I added some inking under the chair to represent sand.

Frantic Stamper products used

Beach Umbrella and Chair FRA-DIE-09918

Wave Edger FRA-DIE-09930

Thanks for calling in today

Karen

xo

Feeling Grateful

I have  a pretty, yet simple card to share with you today using Kennedy Grace Creations products.

I stamped the sentiment on my card stock before cutting the stitched curve.  I picked up the wrong        brown stamp pad but didn't notice till I stamped my sentiment.  As I turned to put it in the bin I decided actually I quite liked that slight fuzzy look so decided to work with it.  The sentiment is from the You Inspire Me stamp set.

The little rose stamp is from the Vintage Tea Set stamp set.  I stamped then fussy cut them, some with leaves and some without so they fitted along my curve evenly.  The vintage style paper with roses seemed a perfect match, but I cut another pink curve to add some contrast and to lift the blue from the white.  Final touch a few Kennedy Grace sequins.

Popping this into the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Use Patterned Papers

Thanks for your visit today.

Karen

xo

Life is sweet.

A few days back I posted a card using the newly released Flip Flop die from Frantic Stamper Inc.  Today I have another version using the same die and another die from this release called Life is Good.  It contains the words Life, live, is, a, good, sweet.  I cut several sets in different colours and used them to make my background to pop the flip flops on.  This is a great way to not only use word dies but to create your own background paper.It  makes these dies so versatile.

Frantic Stamper Inc products used 

Precision Die Flip Flops FRA-DIE-09922

Precision Die Life is Good FRA-DIE-09936

Stop back soon for another card showcasing dies from this release.

Karen

xo