A Summer Friendly Challenge

I always love getting to stamp along with friends, even if it's virtually. My stampy friends Becky, Jackie, and I decided to play along in our own challenge just for fun!
We like to keep it simple, without a lot of restrictions. So that's what we did. Here's what we came up with.

• Something New
• Something Old (use something that you haven't used in over a year)
• Add some texture

and...........Here's my card. 

My Something new is the sweet Doodle Garden stamp just released from MFT. I can't get enough of these cuties. This one is called Take The Plunge. I used the "keep cool" sentiment, since it is soooo stinkin' HOT here in the midwest. I'm not complaining, though....I'd rather it be hot than cold any day. 

My something old is the cute tag element. It's a PTI die, called Tag Sale#5,  and it's been collection dust long enough. I love the shape of this and thought it was a fun way to show off some of the pretty Atlantic paper. I stamped the sentiment right on top with the Crisp Cantaloupe ink from SU. 

My texture is the burlap. I cut a rectangle and attached it to some Pink Lemonade cs and then gave it a little more stability with a quick wonky stitch around the edges. 
I also pulled out my favorite Blueprints 3 and used a few of the pierced elements from that Die-namics set. 
I can't wait to see what the other girls did. Come follow me to their blogs so we can check out their take on the Friendly Challenge. 
Becky
Jackie { ETA: Jackie is still working on something, she may have her's up later today. }
Thanks for stopping by today. Come see me tomorrow, I've got more stamping creations ready to go. 

Pretty Birthday Balloons

My newest MFT stamps and Die-namics arrived speedy fast after their release last week. Fast shipping makes me happy :)  I was most excited to make some cuts with the gorgeous Modern Morocco Die-namics.  I also had the latest Retro Sketch up on my computer, so I knew that's where I wanted to start.

My sister's birthday is right around the corner and I wanted this one to be for her. I loosely followed the sketch and used some elements from Blueprints 3 for my layers. I love using the circle from that Die-namics set to make a frame from the rounded banner piece. I line it all up on my cutting plate and pass it through my Vagabond once. 
 My color combo is Factory Green, Sno cone, and Tangy Orange with lots of Primitive Cream cardstock as my neutral. The Tangy Orange was a bit too bold for card, so I toned it down with some Gesso. The balloons were cut with the new Party Balloons Die-namics. I've wanted balloon dies for sooooo long! I'm excited to finally have some in my stash.

 As cute as it is,  I did not purchase the matching stamp set. So far, I haven't regretted this decision. I have so much yummy designer paper and lots of background stamps, I figured I could create my own balloons and be happy. 

I'm also super excited about my die cut words. I LOVED the Happy Hello's that MFT brought out the other month and I'm just as happy about these birthday words. They really make a statement on any card. 

Hey, I just realized....there's no stamping on this one. I don't know what I'd do with out my dies. Swoon!

products used:

Sketch For You To Try #2 {rockstar}

I couldn't wait for my new Reverse Confetti stamps to get here, so I could get my card done for this month's SFYTT. I love the layout. It was simple and has a large circle element and it was a great way to show off the cool new Inner Rock Star  and Arrows -n- Elements Stamp sets. I wanted all the newly released sets, but a girls gotta have a budget. These are the two new ones I picked up this month. 

Dare I say it?? Yep, I used the Atlantic papers for my background on this card. I just love that there are soooo many great patterns that can be used for many different styles of cards. See, not all of them need to be nautical or fishie themed. 

I cut out the black rectangle with the 3x4 Insert It Die-namics and then run it thru my Vagabond with a Chevron embossing folder. The circle is from Blueprints3, the piercing around the edges gave my circle the extra something to show off the stamps. 

I stamped the sentiment twice, once in Black Licorice ink and again in Crisp Cantaloupe. I cut out the flag part of the sentiment and popped it up with some foam dimensionals, right over the top of the black. I then added in some yellow by stamping the stars randomly around the edges. I added a few more stars on the backdrop in Black to help balance my design.

I stamped the guitar in Smokey Slate ink, cut it out and then gave it a spritz of the Sheer Shimmer Mist. This is a rocker card, after-all! It needed just a touch of GLAM!

I love how Jen designed the Arrows -n- Elements stamp set to have the bits and parts work together. The Flag pieces are separate images, but they match up with the diagonals of the rectangle frame. ♥ that!

There are still a few more days to play along with the July SFYTT . Check it out. 

product list:

Unity Thursday

I love when my week rolls around with the Unity Crew!! We've always got F.u.N. instore!!
There are no new releases.... but of course there is something special planned. Be sure to hop over to the Unity Blog for ALL the details. 
I have two cards for you today,  showcasing a few of the coolio kits you can get from Unity Stamp Co. 
First up is this month's  Layers of Life stamp set.  It's called Love Truly{through time}. It's so pretty and great for cards, scrapbook layouts, and mixed media.

I made it pretty with some lacy flowers, rolled roses and hearts. 

I used one of the stamps on my die cut heart. 

I used this week's Mojo Monday301 sketch for my layout. 
I also have a card with this week's Stamp of the WEEK.
Sunflower, miss you Friend. 
Who doesn't love sunflowers??? I kept mine pretty traditional. 

The Sentiment. I did it up on a layered fishtail flag. 

Detailed shot of the pretty flowers. 

the amazingly talented, Shemaine is up next! Hop on over and see.....

Here is the dealio for this week!