Lawn Fawn | Beaver Appreciation Day + Beaver Birthday Card

Hello, crafty friends! Did you know that it's International Beaver Day and Beaver Appreciation Day? My family and I have been making beaver cards for a long time and you can find all those HERE, including the Halloween costumes and Minecraft story that that started our obsession with beavers.

This was actually the card I made for my husband's birthday last year, 11 months ago, but I had made it right after my dad died and it was around that time that I stopped creating for six months. I had every intention to make a reel and post it because I think it's too cute not to share so I'm happy to be able to do it today, on this unusual holiday!

The two main Lawn Fawn bundles featured here are Wood You Be Mine? and Den Sweet Den. It took me forever to collect the latter but once the beavers were released, I just had to get it because they complement each other so well! Obviously, the Stitched Dens were a necessity, too, so I could create the perfect home.

I customized the framed sentiment for this birthday scene and included all the things that my husband loves. The smaller items not included in the above-mentioned sets are the soccer ball from Tiny Sports Friends, wine/cheese/baguette from Bicycle Built for You, and the birthday cake from Party Animal. 

All of the images were stamped and heat embossed on watercolour cardstock, then watercolored with mini distress ink pads, all of which are listed below. I also ink blended some greens and blues on the white woodgrain cardstock on the card base, before attaching everything on the card base with a mix of liquid glue and foam squares.

Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you enjoyed today's project. If you're inspired, please shop my affiliate links below. I appreciate your continued support!

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Lunar New Year Challenge | MFT Sponsor Feature + Sale!

Today, several members of the Lunar New Year Challenge team are being featured on the My Favorite Things Blog! We've created cards using lots of awesome products that were gifted to us by My Favorite Things. My card features images from the YUZU Darling Dragons stamp set with a sentiment from Celebrate Everything.

I started by stamping all the images from YUZU Darling Dragons using VersaFine Clair Nocturne ink, then heat embossed them with clear embossing powder. Next, I selected distress inks for watercoloring.

I smooshed the following mini ink pads onto a stencil mat and used artist brushes to watercolour the images: Antique Linen, Wild Honey (belly and wings), Tattered Rose, Saltwater Taffy, Worn Lipstick, Festive Berries (body and heart), Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint, Forest Moss (leaves), Speckled Egg (clouds), Pumice Stone and Hickory Smoke (nostrils, finger/toenails and rocks).

After the images dried completely, I fussy cut and set them aside to create the background. The grassy panel was die cut from the retired Tucked-in Turf - Vertical Die-namics but Grassy Edges Die-namics could be used to create the top edge and partial die cutting could be used to create the grassy tufts.

I used the mini ink blending tool with domed blending foam and the following distress oxides to add colour to the grassy panel: Bundled Sage, Evergreen Bough and Peacock Feathers. For the sky panel, I used the mini ink blending tool and domed blending foam with the following distress oxides: Milled Lavender, Shaded Lilac and Dusty Concord. Then I splattered it with Tsukineko shimmer spritz to create visual interest.

Once the panel dried, I stamped the sentiment from Celebrate Everything with VersaFine Clair Nocturne ink and heat embossed it with clear embossing powder. I cut a border using silver glitter cardstock and glued the two panels to the card base before popping the images on with foam tape.

My Favorite Things is an annual sponsor of the Lunar New Year Challenge and they are giving away one $25 gift certificate each month, all year long.

Visit the March Link-Up Party post HERE to read the rules, see all of the design team projects and be inspired to create your own! 

I appreciate you stopping by and, if you're inspired, please shop my affiliate links below. My Favorite Things would love to know that you were inspired by me. Thanks so much for your continued support!

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Lunar New Year Challenge + Giveaways | March 2024

The Lunar New Year Challenge is back for its third month and since we've partnered up with your favourite craft companies all year long, that means there are giveaways every month! This month, we're giving away ONE $25 gift certificate to Simon Says Stamp, ONE $25 gift certificate to Lawn Fawn, ONE $25 gift certificate to My Favorite Things, and ONE $25 gift certificate to Trinity Stamps. That's a total of $100 in giveaways in March! 

Several of our design team members received product from Trinity Stamps to create their inspiration projects for February. I was immediately drawn to the beautiful Dragon Dance stamp set and Paper Pyrotechnics layering stencil set.

I knew I wanted to use vivid, highly saturated Gansai Tambi watercolours to colour these images so I stamped them with Nocturne VersaFine Clair ink and heat embossed them with clear embossing powder on Canson watercolour cardstock. After the images dried, I die cut them using the coordinating dies and, after gauging the position of the lion, heat embossed the sentiment on a Nectar cardstock panel cut to 4" x 5.5".

On the Nectar cardstock panel, I used Party Dress, Samba, Orange Twist and On the Lake inks with the Paper Pyrotechnics layering stencil set to create the fireworks in the background. I love those stencils so much that I'm going to have to make a card with just the fireworks alone to showcase how fun and beautiful they look! To finish the card, I adhered the smaller panel on an A2 panel of Coral cardstock, added a strip of striped patterned paper and a few Transparent Sparkle Enamel Dots.

The rules are simple. You must create a new Lunar New Year, Chinese New Year or a 2024 Dragon Birthday card and add the link to your post below. For March, you are also invited to use your lucky St. Patty's Day sentiments with your Japanese Maneki-Neko "lucky cat" or Easter bunny images to create cards for friends and family to wish them luck, good health and prosperity. Multiple entries are allowed. Backlinking to an older project is strictly prohibited.

Our March Lunar New Year Challenge will run from 12:00am EST on March 1, 2024 through 12:00pm EST on March 31, 2024. We would love to see you using products from our four generous sponsors! The four lucky winners will be randomly selected from all eligible entries and announced at the start of the April Challenge. 

(save and share with your project)

Visit the March Link-Up Party post HERE to see all of the design team projects and be inspired to create your own! When sharing your challenge entries on social media, feel free to save this badge and post it along with your project. Please tag us @lunarnewyearchallenge on Instagram and use the hashtag #lunarnewyearchallenge so everyone can find and be inspired by all your amazing projects.

Thanks so much for stopping by and I'll see you again soon!

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Spellbinders "Two Hearts as One" 3D Embossing Folder of the Month | December 2023

Hello, crafty friends! I'm back with two cards using Spellbinders December 2023 3D Embossing Folder  of the Month called "Two Hearts as One"! As I mentioned in my previous post, this month's theme is geared toward love and Valentine's or Galentine's Day and there's a beautiful floral theme. If you missed the November 2023 kits, all three of the ones I featured HERE are now available for individual purchase.

Two Hearts as One features two backgrounds which are beautiful enough to be featured on their own. You can do minimal ink blending or go all out and do some intricate colouring, which is what I did on the first card.

I used the Precision Layering A2 B Dies to cut my pants from Neenah white linen cardstock before spritzing them with water and running them through my Platinum Six with Universal Plate System. The details are really incredible!

(click on any photo to enlarge)

Even though this wasn't watercolour cardstock, I was able to use tiny amounts of water with artist brushes and distress ink. The colours I used here are Picked Raspberry, Spun Sugar, Spiced Marmalade, Bundled Sage and Speckled Egg. 

I don't colour much anymore and this took a lot longer than I thought it would but I love the results! I sprayed the entire panel with shimmer spritz and let it dry before adhering it to the card base with a white glitter cardstock frame layer.

The sentiments on both cards are from Spellbinders December 2023 Glimmer Hot Foil Kit of the Month called "My Heart Smiles". They are just two of the sentiments included in the glimmer kit and I was ecstatic to see a Galentine's sentiment because those are the kinds of Valentine's cards I make and send the most.

I can't help but be totally in love with this second card, which is one of the most monochromatic cards I've ever made. I didn't expect it to turn out as well as it did and I'm so glad that I just went for it. I don't often play but I was feeling inspired.

This embossed panel is from the other side of Two Hearts as One. I lightly ink blended the embossed panel using Salt Water Taffy ink and sprayed the entire panel with shimmer spritz. After it dried, I glued it on to a Salt Water Taffy card base.

I almost left it as is and simply placed the sentiment on top but it looked too plain. It suddenly dawned on me that it would be cool to have a number and 14 is perfect since that's Valentine's Day. This could also be customized with the number of Valentine's a couple is celebrating.

I die cut the Stitched Numbers from Salt Water Taffy cardstock and ink blended them with Sugar Cube ink. Then I stitched them using white diamant thread and glued it to the embossed panel. After heat foiling the sentiment using Satin Pastels Hot Foil, I attached it using foam strips.

I wish you could see the shimmer on both cards! Which one would you want to receive? I'm definitely going to have a hard time giving these away. LOL

Be sure to check out all of the amazing deals during Spellbinders Holiday Fire Sale, now through 11:59pm PST on December 15, 2023.

Here's a list of monthly club kits I share, as well as some of the value kits offered by Spellbinders:

Stitching Die of the Month

Glimmer Hot Foil Kit of the Month

3D Embossing Folder of the Month

The Deluxe Caboodle Value Club

I hope you enjoyed today's project. I appreciate you stopping by and, if you're inspired, please shop my affiliate links below. Thanks so much for your continued support!

Supplies: 

Interactive Musical Birthday Card feat. Avery Elle and Lawn Fawn

Happy weekend, craft friends! If you still read my blog, you may remember last year's POST featuring another cute band of musical animals. Tomorrow, one of Damian's friends turns 16 and I'm pretty sure that if it were up to my son, this wouldn't have been the card of his choice. Lucky for me, I've been talking to the birthday boy's mother and she said that he would absolutely love a cute card! I was so happy about that. ;)

The last time I used Avery Elle's Forest Dance Party stamp set and coordinating dies was when Damian and I collaborated on this CARD for Father's Day last year. This set is currently on clearance at all stores listed in the links below so be sure to grab it before it's gone! Both Damian and his friend play drums but they also play trumpet and guitar, respectively, so these animals are absolutely perfect for this card.

I stamped all of the images and sentiments with Versafine Clair Nocturne ink and clear heat embossed them on watercolour cardstock. Then I used mini distress inks smooshed on a silicone mat to watercolour them. When they were dry, I die cut them and set them aside to work on the Reveal Wheel panel from watercolour cardstock and ink blended it (top down) using Shaded Lilac, Wilted Violet, Dusty Concord, Faded Jeans, Chipped Sapphire, Peeled Paint and Forest Moss distress inks. Then I splattered the panel with Tsukineko Sparkle Shimmer Spritz.

I cut a piece of My Favorite Things Colorful Canvas patterned paper in Chantilly Cream and cut it with the Spellbinders Precision Layering A2 A Dies so it would cover the card base. Then I cut the wheel itself from heavyweight white cardstock as well as from Lawn Fawn's Really Rainbow patterned paper in Purple Posies. Then I used the Reveal Wheel Friends & Family Sentiments to heat emboss on the wheel before assembling all the pieces on the card base.

I appreciate you stopping by and, if you're inspired, please shop my affiliate links below. Thanks so much for your continued support!

Supplies: 

Lindsey's Legacy Hop for Clear Cell Ovarian Cancer Research | Instagram Hop

Today, we are hopping in memory of our dear friend and fellow cardmaker, Lindsey Martin-Penny, who sadly passed away last year from a rare and aggressive form of ovarian cancer.

September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and Lindsey’s husband Burke thought it would be a great time to sell off her many craft supplies, with all of the proceeds going towards Lindsey’s Legacy Fund for Clear Cell Ovarian Cancer Research in cooperation with The Princess Margaret Cancer Centre.

The purpose of this hop will be to honour Lindsey, celebrate her life and all that she loved, as well as help spread the word to raise funds for clear cell ovarian cancer research. You can help in one of several ways!

1. Purchase a Flat Rate Mailer stuffed with loads of fabulous craft supplies. These can only be mailed within Canada and there will be no tax receipts provided with the purchase of these boxes. A box of craft supplies would make a great gift for yourself, a crafty friend or a child/classroom! For details about the boxes and how you can go about purchasing one, please email lindseyslegacyfund@rogers.com with the message "Craft Box" or visit Lindsey’s original blog, Bashful Blogging. Every craft box purchase in September will be entered into a draw and one lucky winner will win a $100 gift certificate to Scrap ‘n Stamp.
2. During the month of September, shop at Scrap ‘n Stamp using the code LINDSEY10 at checkout. You will get 10% off your purchase (sale items excluded) and Scrap ‘n Stamp will donate 10% of their proceeds to Lindsey’s Legacy Fund.
3. Any donations over $15 made directly to Lindsey’s Legacy Fund will receive a digital tax receipt.
4. Repost this hop on your social media and encourage others to share!

If you are here, you are at the end of Lindsey’s Legacy Hop! This hop is split into two portions: (a) a blog hop and (b) an Instagram hop. If you get lost along the way, please return to the full hop list below.

Part 1: Blog Hop

Emily Leiphart

Tracey McNeely

Glenda Wyatt

Carol Mayne

Color Hues Color Challenge

Sisterhood of the Snarky Stampers

Julie Peddicord

Joyce Mehrberg

Kim Heggins

Ardyth Percy-Robb

Part 2: Instagram Hop

Jessica McAfee

Lori Elder

Angela Hathikhanavala

Natalie Sahl

Karen Boyce

Thanh Vo

Emily Leiphart (you are here)

How to hop:

💙 Like and leave a comment at each stop

💙 Learn a little bit about Lindsey’s connection to that person

💙 Share this post and help us save lives

Lindsey and I talked a lot about being middle-aged women and all the trials that came along with it. We shared so many unpleasant symptoms and we joked that literally everything could be blamed on perimenopause. What I truly miss is being able to talk to Lindsey now that I'm in full menopause and, as you can see, this card was inspired by that. 

One of the things I loved most about Lindsey was her sharp wit, loaded with snark. I, myself, am a very sarcastic person so we were always laughing and rolling our eyes! I'm certain she would've loved this card. I mean, come on! I seriously cannot believe all these stamps are retired though. Maybe Taylored Expressions needs to re-release them?

The panda, chick, wine, bottle and sentiment are from a set called Hot Flash Grumplings. The other four food items are from a set called Binge Worthy. Taylored Expressions has a whole line of grumplings and they're all very funny and real-to-life. In fact, these exact panda and chick images are featured in these snarky calendar cards. My images were heat embossed and watercolored with TE Liquid Watercolor. The patterned paper is from an old Spellbinders Card Kit of the Month.

Since this is the final stop on the hop, you'll start again on my blog post HERE. Please be sure to leave a comment at each of the stops where you can learn more about Lindsey’s life, loves and her legacy.

Thanks so much for hopping with us!

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