My Bathroom Wall Made Me Do It

Did you ever see something and feel like you had to drop everything and make it into a card right now?  It doesn't matter whether or not you actually could drop everything and run to your stamp table.  I'm asking if you've ever felt that feeling, that burst of inspiration, that urgency to get the idea out of your head and onto something tangible, that itch to play with colors and shapes and stamps.  At those moments, I'm grateful for the humble pencil and notebook since I usually cannot stamp at the exact moment I have the Greatest Card Idea Ever.  Jotting it down preserves that nugget of creative genius for later.

Here's the card that was the result......

And this is the cause....

It is a wall decor piece that I bought at Hobby Lobby about 4 years ago.  It's rather large and covers one wall of our bathroom (the only one in our home I might add and we have three teenage daughters - sharing is caring!).  I have always loved the colors and when I realized the other day that I have a stamp set and a punch that I could use to recreate this, I was SO excited!  As in, I shouted to my husband, "I can't believe this!  I can actually make that now!" He responded with great enthusiasm, taking the scrub brush from my hand and exclaiming, "Let me finish cleaning the bathroom!  You must go make it now!"

Actually, he didn't.  It would have perfectly finished the scene, though, right?

While making the card, I ran into an overly juicy ink pad that stamped blotchy, so I thought I'd share a tip with you.  Blotchy images are a result of a too-inky pad, so take a plastic spoon and use the back of it to massage the surface of the ink pad.  This pushes the surface ink down into the pad, leaving less on top to make your image blotchy.  And please excuse my chipped self-done manicure.  My house doesn't self-clean, my meals don't self-cook, and my laundry doesn't self-wash and fold.  

The stamped daisy on the left is before using the spoon, the stamped daisy on the right is after using the spoon.  Much better!

And here's what I used to make my card, in addition to the larger Daisy Punch:

 See another card using this bundle here. 

I hope you found that helpful.  I want you to have a fun stamping experience, so I love to pass along what I've learned.  If you have a tip to share, leave it in the comments!  And if you want more tips and project ideas, be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter here.  You'll receive a free Class To Go project instruction sheet as a thank you.  You'll love the card ingredient list and measurements, clear step-by-step instructions, and color photos.  You can stamp with confidence!  Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter here.  Thank you for taking the time to read my blog - I so appreciate you!

Zesty Birthdays

On Hilton Head Island, there is a little Italian Ice shop on Pope Avenue called Sunset Slush.  It's easy to miss.  We discovered it after a very long and very hot bike ride (think multiple hours in the afternoon in the South in July).  Nothing - and I mean nothing - ever tasted so good at that moment.  They have straight-up flavors like grape and cherry, but where Sunset Slush really shines is in their unique combinations.  My favorite is The Donald which mixes tangerine, pineapple, peach, and raspberry.  YUM!  A close runner-up is a mix of Pink Lemonade and Strawberry (I forget the name of the concoction).

When I was handed my first cup of Sunset Slush, I was instantly in love with the paper cup it came in.  I took that cup home with me and made a card with it.   

 Isn't that cute?!  I used a retired set called Lemon Zest.  Pineapple Punch and Blueberry Bushel were an exact match for the background, then I stamped the citrus slices in Pumpkin Pie, Certainly Celery (retired), Melon Mambo, Blueberry Bushel, and Pineapple Punch inks.  The gingham strips are 1/2" x 5-1/2" and are from the 2018-2020 In Color DSP Paper Stacks.  The ribbon is Blueberry Bushel Grosgrain.

I was so excited with the first card that I made a second one, using Blueberry Bushel cardstock as my base, gingham strips of Pineapple Punch, and Pineapple Punch Grosgrain Ribbon.  

That's not all!  Do you ever get frustrated because you've laid your card elements out perfectly only to have to move them to add adhesive to the backs and then not be able to place them perfectly again?  Read on for a tip to solve that problem using Glad Press N Seal!

Isn't that the best?  I learned this tip awhile ago and have used it so many times.  You can even reuse the Press N Seal sheet several times before having to toss it.

I hope you liked my cards and the tip today.  Keep it coming by subscribing to my weekly newsletter here (you'll get a free Class To Go pdf as a thank you).  You can also subscribe to my blog and you'll get my posts in your inbox - it's digital happy mail!  I so appreciate you choosing me as your demonstrator and thank you for the opportunity to earn your business!