Summer Fresh....SOOO IN LOVE!!

I have a new favorite right now....have you seen the Summer Fresh Collection from Simple Stories yet????

The colors are absolutely perfect....at least for me...bright, cheery, primary colors!! This whole line makes me so happy!! You will all have to forgive me as you will probably see me use this quite a bit in the near future....hopefully you don't get sick of it...hehe!

And these are the co-ordinating stamps from Unity Stamp Co that just arrived in my mailbox...happy happy mail!

Happy Pinwheels

Never Too Much Happy

With all these wonderful goodies, I went "crazy" making cards all this week...I just couldn't help myself! These cards all just came together so easily!

These first three cards were for the Scrapbook Nook Card Challenge - Put Your Stamp On Summer. We were to use at least two stamps on summer themed cards.

Smile, It Suits You!

Summer Fresh Collection: Papers - Country Garden, Summer Quilt, Sky blue Daisy/Notebook, Easy Breezy

Other Supplies Used: Unity Stamp Co - Jillibean Soup Itty Bitty - It Suits You; Bazzill Cardstock; Divine Twine - Licorice; Prima Flowers; Jenni Bowlin Ink - Fountain Pen; Kaisercraft Rhinestones; Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher; EK Success/Stampin Up Scallop Edge Punch

Celebrate Summer

Aren't these pinwheels CAAAUUUUTEE!

I layered them up by stamping them twice. I cut one whole pinwheel out to create the base. Then from the second image I cut out just the middle. I then used foam adhesive to pop them up. Put a little button in the center and viola!

This jar is from an older KOTM set from Unity, but it works absolutely perfectly with this line....

Summer Fresh Collection: Papers - Sunshine & Happiness, Red Flower/Honeycomb Ledger, Sky Blue Daisy/Notebook, Easy Breezy; Fundamentals Cardstock Stickers; Unity Stamp Co/Simple Stories Stamps - Happy Pinwheels

Other Supplies Used: Unity Stamp Co - Dec 2011 Kit of the Month; Bazzill Kraft Cardstock; EK Success Double Embossed Scallop Border Punch; Jenni Bowlin Ink - Fountain Pen; Burlap Twine - Papertreyink; Buttons - Misc.

Smile, It Suits You #2

Ok...I have been hanging onto these little clothespegs waiting for the perfect time to use them....I just ADORE this idea of using them just like in real life...to hang this little swimsuit on the clothesline.

Summer Fresh Collection: Papers - Easy Breezy, Sunshine & Happiness, Red Flower/Honeycomb Ledger

Other Supplies Used: Unity Stamp Co - Jillibean Soup Itty Bitty - It Suits You; Bazzill Cardstock; Divine Twine - Licorice; Prima Flowers; Jenni Bowlin Ink - Fountain Pen; Kaisercraft Rhinestones; Mini Clothespin - Pebbles; Lace - Misc

And the rest of these cards I made just because I was on a role and loving the creating process...like I said they were just coming together easily....

So Happy

Summer Fresh Collection: Papers - Easy Breezy, Summer Quilt, Sky Blue Daisy/Notebook; Fundamentals Cardstock Stickers; Unity Stamp Co/Simples Stories Stamps - Happy Pinwheels

Other Supplies Used: Bazzill Cardstock; Divine Twine - Cherry; Wooden Button - American Crafts - Gardenia; Jenni Bowlin Ink - Fountain Pen; Stampin Up/EK Success 3 Hearts Punch; Photo Corners & Burlap - Misc.

Remember Lazy Days

Summer Fresh Collection: Papers - Country Garden; Fundamentals Cardstock Stickers; Unity Stamp Co/Simples Stories Stamps - Happy Pinwheels

Other Supplies Used: Bazzill Cardstock; Jenni Bowlin Ink - Fountain Ink; Crafts Too Sweet Flowers Embossing Folder; Trim & Photo Corners - Misc.

You Are My Sunshine

Summer Fresh Collection: Papers - Easy Breezy, Sky Blue Daisy/Notebook; Fundamentals Cardstock Stickers

Other Supplies Used: Bazzill Cardstock; Crafts Too Sweet Flowers Embossing Folders; EK Success/Stampin Up 3 Hearts Punch; Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Vintage Photo; Button & Ribbon - Misc.

Never Have Too Much Happy

I love this burlap ribbon....burlap somehow seems to go with this line so well...

Summer Fresh Collection: Papers - Easy Breezy, Country Garden, Sky Blue Daisy/Notebook; Fundamentals Cardstock Stickers; Unity Stamp Co/Simple Stories Itty Bitty - Never Too Much Happy 

Other Supplies Used: Bazzill Cardstock; Jenni Bowlin Ink - Spice Tin; Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Vintage Photo; EK Success/Stampin Up Scallop Edge Punch; Burlap Trim, Button & Photo Corner - Misc.

Well there you have it.....this is what I've been busy doing this past week....

Thanks so much for checking in!

~ Shilo

Another crop weekend, more projects done!

I love going to crops!! So fun AND you get stuff done!! But I will say I am looking forward to having the next weekend to myself (kinda...I have to work a short shift on Sat and I have a 5K race on Sun, but otherwise you will find me in my jammies, in my studio). 

So with getting all that stuff done comes a blog post...and a little bit longer than usual at that.

I created three layouts and 5 cards (posted my Unity KOM Sketch Challenge card already - see post below)!

A few of these projects were in response to challenges so I will share those too.

This first layout was a scraplift challenge at the Nook. I was to lift any layout/project by SamW from the Nook's gallery. This is the layout by Sam that I chose:

I was inspired by the composition of her layout. And I also love how she grouped the hearts in with the flowers. Here is my take on this page:

Supplies Used: Bazzill Cardstock; Sassafras for SC (SC10009), Pebbles Hip Hip Hooray (Yay & Happy Day); AC Dear Lizzy Neopolitan (Delightful Bouquet), Basic Grey Sweet Threads 6X6 Paper Pad; Jillibean Soup - Homemade 6 Bean Soup Alpha; Basic Grey June Bug Mini Monogram; AC Dear Lizzy Letter Stickers; Flowers by Prima and Recollections (Micheals brand); Kaisercraft Pearls; MME Stella & Rose Label Stickers; AC Slick Writer; Studio Calico Kit - Envelope & Butterfly (from the Gilded Bee on Etsy); Buttons - Misc.

I was excited to finally scrap this next layout. I have had a page kit put together for it for years (I did update it a bit, though). I found this paper from Imagination Project shortly after the ipod commercials came out with people dancing/rocking out. So it's an oldie, but a goodie. I love how this layout turned out...definately a little outside the box for me with all the layers built "up" (inspired by the wonderful Marcy Penner) as opposed to throughout the page.

Supplies Used: Bazzill Cardstock; AC Junior - Yay; Imagination Project Playlist (Dancing Dots); Crate Paper Toy Box Collection (Explore); Crate Paper Random Collection (Victorian); 7 Gypsies Paddington Paper (Kilburn); Sassafras; AC Slick Writer; Unity Stamp Co - Hearts of Old; Mister Huey's Calico White; Imagination Project Coasters - Jammin' Jumbles; Doodle Twine - Bright Assortment; K & CO Smash Black Dot Tape; Making Memories Distress Tool; EK Success Postage Stamp Edge Punch; Journal cards by Little Yellow Bicycle & Jillibean Soup; BoBunny Chunky Chipboard Alphabet - Licorice; Buttons - Misc.

 I stamped the background with the awesome Hearts of Old stamp by Unity Stamp Co. Instead of ink I used my Mister Huey's in Calico White to give it a sloppier look....love how it turned out.

 This little pocket holds the little personalized card that came with the ipod (of course I saved it!).

This last layout was a real challenge for me. I usually use lots of bright and bold colors when I scrapbook. This layout was created for the April Color Challenge over at the Nook. For this challenge we were to use this photo from pinterest for inspiration: 

The photo has mostly neutral colors with a few pops of color. While I did not follow the same color scheme, I did limit my color use in my layout:

Supplies Used: Basic Grey Basics (Index, Sphere, & Vocab); Echo Park For The Record (Newsprint); Creative Imaginations; Simple Stories Yearography Cardstock Stickers; Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher; MME Lost & Found 2 Breeze "Dream" Layered Stickers; MME Lost & Found 2 Breeze "Everywhere" Decorative Brads; Creative Imaginations Stickers (tickets & the big apple); Kaisercraft Rub-ons - Journey; AC Slick Writer; Buttons by October Afternoon (Sasparilla) & Misc; October Afternoon Sprinklers - Rocket Age - Rocket Blue

I was also inspired by the trend of using the negative space (or leftover pieces) from using your die cut machine. You can see that I used both the circles and the leftover piece here.

Okay so now the cards I created. 

With this first card, I participated in the Monday Card Challenge over at the Nook. This week's challenge was to "lift" one of the design team members card's. Well, of course I had to pick Danni Reid!! I just love her style so much. I haven't actually lifted her cards before, but I do find her style constantly inspiring. Here is the card by Danni that I chose to lift:

And here is my card:

Supplies Used: Basic Grey Sweet Threads 6X6 Paper Pad; Bazzill Cardstock; Ek Success Scallop Edge Punch; Martha Stewart Classic Butterfly Punch; Crafts Too Embossing Folder - Butterflies; Unity Stamp Co April 2012 KOM - Follow Your Own; Memento Ink - Tuxedo; Buttons & Lace - Misc

As you can see I stuck to Danni's design pretty closely. But I did add the embossed background (another classic Danni design element). And I also added the white scallop borders, which I have seen Danni use alot too. For more inspiration from Danni check out her blog.

This next card was in response to Kimber's Saturday Card Sketch challenge at Two Peas In a Bucket.

Here's the sketch:

And here is my card:

Supplies Used: Basic Grey Konnichiwa 6X6 Paper Pad; Unity Stamp Co KOM March 2011 - Just You; Classic Oval Spellbinders; Ek Success Scallop Edge Punch; EK Success/Stampin' Up Bird Punch; Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Vintage Photo; Embossed Daisies - Mulberry Street Red by Petaloo; Doily, Feather & Button - Misc.

My friend Katie created a card with a little bird on it a while ago. She used a feather as the wing, just as I have done here. This was definately her idea, even as obvious as it may seem after seeing it, I never would have thought of it on my own. Thanks for the inspiration Katie:)

It almost goes without saying that my all time favorite stamps are pretty much anything that Unity Stamp Co comes out with. But that being said I do have another love....Paper Smooches. I love these stamps for the absolute cuteness factor. When I want cute...these are my go to stamps. I just love the fun images they keep coming up with. These two cards were created using the stamp set Zoo Crew. I picked this set as part of my prize for winning the SPARKS challenge earlier this month. Thanks Kim and Paper Smooches for my new stamp sets...I love them!

Supplies Used: Paper Smooches Zoo Crew; Bazzill Cardstock; AC Botanique - Viola; Basic Grey Offbeat - Novel; Stickles by Ranger - Gold & Cinnamon; Copic Marker - Y26; Ek Success/Stampin Up Heart Punch; Memento Ink - Tuxedo; Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Vintage Photo & Walnut Stain; Twine - Papertreyink; Photo Corners, Googily Eye, Ribbon & Buttons - Misc.

I wish that I could photograph the sparkles better...they really add to these cards in a way that really isn't captured here. I do want to give credit to my very talented friend, Yvonne, for the coloring in of my stamp images using stickles instead of markers. This is something that she has done on numerous occasions, so thanks to her idea and talent I tried this technique myself...and I love how it turned out! So thanks Yvonne:)

Supplies Used: Paper Smooches Zoo Crew & Boob Tubes; Bazzill Cardstock; Basic Grey Basics; Reminisce Wild Things - Zebra Print; Memento Ink - Tuxedo; Spellbinders - Classic Circles and Lacey Circles; Stickles by Ranger - Stardust & Black Diamond; Divine Twine - Licorice; Buttons & Ribbon - Misc.

Phew! That was a big post!! Thanks so much for stopping by! Hope you found some inspiration today...now get off the computer and get creating!! LOL!! Have a great week everybody!