Seongsook's 8th Birthday Celebration Week...

 

We had a week of challenges in Seongsook's Stampers to celebrate eight years since a group. One challenge a day between July and July. I managed to do ALL of them...

Simon Says Stamp CREATE Event April 2023

 

I attended Simon Says Stamp's CREATE event in Columbus, OH on April 21st and 22nd of this year. It was amazing! These are the cards I made at each of the stations I attended. There were so many tables that I did not sit at to create the make and take. I returned home to TN on April 23rd and my father passed away on the 24th. That turned my world upset down while I tried to get my bearings in a world of which my father is no longer a part. 

The Spellbinders table was assembling flowers that had been die-cut from the Be Bold Blooms set that I've had for awhile and of which I've done nothing. I had so much fun making this that I DID come home, broke out the set, and have been cutting, and cutting and cutting. Soon, I'll assemble. The elephant card is a die by Hero Arts. I did purchase the rainbow washi at the bottom of the card because I <3 rainbows. The monster card was not something I'd generally like but this looked like fun. I really enjoyed the process. I can't remember who ran this table. I believe it was either a Canadian or UK company...

Most of these I can't remember who hosted. That's what happens when you don't post about it for a month. The iris was a layered stamp by the Kitchen Sink and the squirrel stamp was demoed by Fleurette Bloom of Ink on Three. Other than that, I'm at a loss. Anyone who is reading this, feel free to fill in my blanks...

The rainbow with the big "hello" was at the Gina K table... wicked fun! This one I will do again! The roller-skate was by Dare 2B Artzy and the pineapple was Brutus Monroe... after that, I'm lost again.

These two were from my most favorite table, Doodlebug Creations. I LOVED this!! I purchased some papers and ephemera but now I'm afraid I won't remember what we did. Here's hoping that just looking at this picture will remind me... :)

I was beyond delighted with what I came home with! The Ernman went to Columbus with me that weekend and we stayed with his old boss, Anna and her husband. When I wasn't at CREATE, we had a blast! And while I was at CREATE, the Ernman met up with former co-workers. Soooo, win win!! 

My Annual Scrappy Background Fest...

 

My annual Scrappy Background Fest! Part of me was saying, just skip it this year, it's been too hectic. But once I sat down and separated all the pieces in my little box that lives by my Genesis cutter, I couldn't stop! I made ten... :)

 

THEN, I transformed these nine into cards. My stash is growing again... YAY!!

A week or so later, I added another three...

Last year's post can be seen HERE with my process... 

Random Christmas Cards

The final push for Christmas cards, made over the last seven weeks. We have enough for personal cards but everyone will be getting something different. With the kitchen renovation and now the downstairs bathroom remodel at our new home in TN, it's been difficult to get into a good creative swing. It'll be so good to start 2023 back doing my challenge of five Christmas cards a month... :)

Card Kits from Etsy...

 

I could not have been more pleased with these kits I purchased through a gal on Etsy back in August. I enjoyed putting them together and I truly love all the detail...

This one was my favorite. You make four in each kit. I purchased two kits because I knew I'd love to send them out...

This seems a very "Spring" card so they'll sit for awhile before they go postal...

Such a lovely "relax" card...

Various Happy Mails Turned into Cards

 

I joined a Facebook group a year ago that is all about Happy Mail. The past couple days, I've turned some of the contents into these cards...

This was an old wall paper strip that I cut into the two panels. I cut each with a stitched die, added bling, a sentiment and mounted on Cherry Cobbler SU paper... 

I added some splatters to the card on the left and I feel like I ruined it. The card on the right, I'm not even sure what it was before I used the stitch die on it. The woman who gave it calls it a Hunky Dory. Whether that's the brand or the bird is unclear. To me, this looks like a Meadow Lark...

The card on the left might be my favorite. The background was from a woman in Canada who's been playing around with her inks and stamps. The BUTTERFLY has been floating around my desk for two years. I'm not even sure where he's from anymore. The card on the right is another panel from the same woman in Canada; stitch died, add bling and twine, a sentiment and mounted on teal...

This was my background from the "Partials Box" and the center piece from a Happy Mail. I'm not usually happy with One Of A Kind cards (OOAK). I like making three of each but, these are simple and will probably be sent in the same Happy Mail group from which they were received...

Random Cards from Random Places...

I need all these cards documented somewhere so here's what I've been up to lately...

A lot of these "parts" came from happy mails I have received from peeps in one of my Facebook groups. The peacock from Carol in Canada, I cut down and matted on gold and then purple. The background of the "THINKING OF YOU" and the "kisses" card came from Melanie in NC. The centerpiece on the top, the "THINKING OF YOU" sentiment and the sunflower are from other happy mails that I no longer remember who sent what. The "kisses" is a new to me die from Altenew...

These five were following a YouTube tutorial by Amy's Wares where she took an average patterned paper and used a 3D embossing folder to deeply emboss it. I tried it with a lavender paper and posted on my Instagram on September 4th (cindyrapson). I cranked out these five rather quickly with an embossing folder that looked like wheat called Linear Leaves. So very Fall to me... 

These were made from a kit I purchased on Etsy solely because of the fox images. I've got a friend who will LOVE receiving these...

It's been great replenishing a much depleted stash...