A scuba party! (for Lawn Fawn)

Hi there!

Every month I show you how Lawn Fawn products can be used for party decor. This month, I decided to go deep... for a scuba party!



I used images from You Are Sublime to inspire this month's party theme. That scuba diver is so cute!

You can't have a scuba party without including a few yellow submarines! I cut a few Scalloped Treat Boxes out of yellow cardstock and used circle dies to mimic portholes.

I attached a wavy banner (from the Shadow Box Card Ocean Add-On die set) stamped with a greeting from You Are Sublime. I love that the wave of the banner gives a nod to ocean waves! And by sponging the edges with a darker blue ink, the navy cardstock looks so much more deep and rich.

To bring in more of the ocean theme, I came up with the simplest decor - but it really packs a punch! I grabbed a few picture frames I had lying around the house, and cut Stitched Wave Borders in shades of blue and layered them inside. I love this idea so much! If I were hosting a full party, I would fill even more frames and have them all layered and stacked around the party table. The frames are from Ikea, by the way!



Since everything else on the table is on the simpler side, I went all out with the cupcake toppers. One special thing on your party table is enough to draw the eye in! I cut yellow cupcake wrappers, and then created little scenes inside of Porthole Frames to stick inside of the cupcakes.

Each scene is just a tiny bit different in how they are laid out, but all of the elements are the same.

I used the Stitched Wave Borders inside the portholes, so add extra depth and interest.

The yellow submarines make another appearance on the drink bottles!



I always try to reinforce the party colors with each element on the table, so I used a lighter blue to wrap the bottle, and then brought in some navy in the straws.



I hope you like it! This is one of my faves - while I was crafting it, it made me wish that my Thomas was still little! I would have loved to have created this for him a few years ago. Now, he's 11 and all into laser tag and PS4 games and "nothing too babyish." ha.

♥.

Wedding season begins!

Hi there!

I have so many birthday cards in my box, ready to send out. Thank you cards too, and so many other just because cards, but I found that I was missing some cards I could give out for summer weddings!

This card was created with supplies from the Ellen Hutson store:

I started out by stamping the large flower cluster from Mondo Sakura 2 times, and colored them using copic markers.

With one of the stems, I cut it to fit the 4 corners of my Wonky Stitches rectangle die. For the other one, I cut into it with the Classic Block Alpha letters to spell the word L-O-V-E. I also cut out the same 4 letters using an olive green cardstock that would match the green of the floral stems.



I hope you like it! Thanks for stopping by.

♥.

Toot your own horn! (Lawn Fawn summer release week)

Hi there!

Lawn Fawn's summer release week continues with a closer look at some add-on dies for the Shadow Box Card.

I used the Theater Add-On set to create this fun card:

Isn't it too cute? It's a really simple design, and came together so easily, but looks really impressive.

I colored 3 of the musical critters from Critter Concert, and framed them out using the curtains from the Theater Add-On set.



That owl playing the violin is so adorable.



I love that the whole thing folds flat and fits into a standard envelope.

I hope you like what I created today! Be sure to check out the LF blog this morning for a lot more inspiration - click!

♥.

Have a colorful day! (Neat and Tangled)

Hi there!

This is my second post of the day - if you're looking for Lawn Fawn's chubby manatees, scroll down!

I have a sweet card to share, using a set from the newest Neat and Tangled release, Paint Night.

I did some primary-colored cards using this set for the release week - like THIS ONE, so I wanted to do something more soft and girly for this card.

Instead of using one of the images meant to fit into the canvas, I used copic markers to draw stripes in soft rainbow colors and did my best to blend them together.



The girl's apron was colored a soft pink, and I drew in a "paint line" onto the tip of the paintbrush and colored the tip blue. The paint splashes give some movement to the images.

I stamped the greeting onto the easel, and finished off the card with a fun patterned paper.

I hope you like it! Thanks for stopping by!

♥.

Manatee-rific (Lawn Fawn summer release week)

Hi there!

Lawn Fawn's summer release week continues with these cute and very fat manatees. ha. They are ready for a shell-abration!

I colored and die-cut a Manatee-rific couple. A little flower on the girl, a shell in the boy's hand... and they are frolicking in the underwater waves (cut with the new Stitched Waves Borders!)



To bring interest to the waves, I cut them out of a paper from the Really Rainbow pad, and did some sponging at the top of each wave to add dimension.

I white-heat-embossed the sentiment into a wavy banner, from the Shadow Box Card Ocean Add-On.

I hope you like it! There's more to see on the LF blog this morning - click!

♥.

Just a little note (Lawn Fawn summer release week!)

Hi there!

Welcome back to another day of Lawn Fawn's summer release week! We're showing off the cutest band of critters with Critter Concert:

I paired the bear from Critter Concert with the sheet-music-holding bunny from Coaster Critters and then die-cut a few bars of Little Music Notes.



I framed out the music notes using the scalloped rectangle die from the Shadow Box Card Ocean Add-On die (more of that coming soon!) I used a light blue ink to give a subtle wash of color to make sure that the music notes really popped from behind.

On the card base, I die-cut a kraft layer of the Itsy Bitsy Polka Dot Backdrop.

I hope you like what I've created today! There's more to see on the LF blog this morning - click!

♥.

You are sublime (Lawn Fawn summer release week!)

Hi there!

Lawn Fawn's summer release week continues with a first look at You Are Sublime, a few underwater, scuba diver-themed set:

I also used a new Porthole frame, so that it looks like you are standing inside the sub, peeking through the window into the ocean scene outside.

I colored the scuba diver in a fun navy, and all of the fish around him in bright colors to stand out against the ocean waves (the stitched waves are a new die set too!)



I added the sentiment onto a banner flag (new as well!) and did some shading around the edges of the grey card base.

I hope you like it! There's more to see on the LF blog this morning - click!

♥.

Reveal wheel (Lawn Fawn summer release)

Hi there!

Welcome back to another day of Lawn Fawn's summer release week. You're gonna flip over today's showcase of the Reveal Wheel. The die set includes everything you need to make a very fun interactive card:

I used Coaster Critters again, because they are so cute! Do you spy the arrow on the side? and the open window with the word TERRIFIC inside?



Spin the wheel, and you can reveal other words!



Amazing, Terrific, Fantastic, Super!



ps, I was supposed to take a video of the card spinning, but Maia got her grubby little hands on it and now I can't find it anywhere. She insisted on this being her birthday card.

I hope you like it! There's more to see on the LF blog this morning - click!

♥.

Avery Elle summer release blog hop!

Hi there!

This is my 3rd post today! If you're looking for new Lawn Fawn, or new Neat and Tangled, scroll down!

It's time for brand new Avery Elle!

I've used a new stamp set called Sweetest on this card:

I love them so much! I colored a strawberry ice cream and a blueberry one and popped them into a *brand new* Oval Burst die. I'm so excited about that one!



I hope you like my card, and be sure to check out the other design team blogs today!

Avery Elle / Jamie
Caryn Davies
Heather Campbell
Yainea
Melania Deasy
Katie Gehring 
Amy Kolling 
Ashley Marcu
Elena Roussakis (you're here!)

To celebrate our Summer 2018 Release Blog Hop, Avery Elle is giving away a $25 Gift Certificate to one random winner.  To enter to win just comment on this post.  There is no purchase necessary and you must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  This giveaway is void where prohibited.  You can also do options 2, 3, 4, 5 or all 6 of the following to increase your chances of winning. You have until midnight Sunday, May 13th to enter.  The winner will be announced on the Avery Elle Blog on Monday, May 14th .  All products are available for purchase in the Avery Elle store right now.
To enter to win you can do 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or all 6 of the following to increase your chances:

1. Comment on any of the design team's posts and/or here on the Avery Elle Blog
2. Follow us on Twitter and tweet the contest (we are @averyellestamps )
3. Follow us on Facebook (we are www.facebook.com/AveryElle ) and share us with your friends - make sure they tell us you sent them.
4. Follow us on Pinterest
5. Become a blog follower through email (comment on the Avery Elle blog if you already follow us)
6. Join our Flickr group (comment on the Avery Elle blog if you already belong)

♥.

Complementary colors (Neat and Tangled release week)

Hi there!

This is my second post today. For new Lawn Fawn, scroll down!

I'm thrilled to be showing off my mini set for this month with Neat and Tangled, Complementary Colors:

They can be used with the artists from Paint Night (I sized them to all match) or on their own. They make for an adorable card for your loved one.

I had to look up a color wheel to see which colors were complementary - ha! I'm hoping this doesn't come off as too Christmas-y. I gave the couple matching outfits, which is already so adorable, and then add in the way the little girl is looking down a bit and the boy is giving her a sideways glance and I'm loving them too much.

I framed them in a fun turquoise that picks up on the color in the rainbow-patterned paper (from Lawn Fawn.)

I hope you like it! This card just makes me smile.

Don't forget to leave me a comment before you go! Danielle will be a winning comment from among the design team's posts for this week and award a $25 gift card to the NT store.

Check out the Neat and Tangled blog today for more of these cuties - click!

♥.

Coaster critters (new Lawn Fawn!)

Hi there!

Lawn Fawn's summer release is fantastic and we'll be showing it off on the blog all week long! At the end of the week, on May 17th, you will be able to purchase all of the new goodies.

Today, we're showing off Coaster Critters - an adorable roller coaster-themed set:



Isn't it adorable? I layered the roller coaster pieces, and put a tiny car on the back layer to make this roller coaster look huge! The main critters are riding with party balloons and cotton candy.



I popped the whole scene into a new Stitched Scalloped Rectangle Frame, and then onto an Itsy Bitsy Polka Dot Backdrop cover-plate. I love that cover-plate so much! You could change up the look by layering whatever colors together and it is so delicate and subtle.

I hope you like what you see so far! Check out the LF blog this morning for more - click!

♥.

Layered landscape (Neat and Tangled release week)

Hi there, and welcome back to our 3rd day of new reveals over at Neat and Tangled. All of the products shown this week will hit the store at 8am EST on Friday.

Today, we're showing off a gorgeous set designed by Miriam - Layered Landscape.

I put down my copic markers and made a card that came together in under 20 minutes - I didn't even know things like this were possible. ha.



I stamped the mountains from the top down - starting with the lightest and working my way down to the darkest. I used shades of blue, and did absolutely no masking since the darker colors covered up the edges of the lighter shades.

I did the tiniest bit of shading with coordinating markers (ok, so I didn't put them down all the way) to add depth to the darker 2 mountain layers.



My lightbulb moment was grabbing the Calathea stamp set and using one of the images to create a forest of black trees at the base of the mountain-scape.

I cut the panel below the trees and stamped the sentiment (from Anne of Green Gables! yay!) onto the base layer.

I hope you like it! This is definitely a different look for me.

Don't forget to leave a comment here before you go! A winner will be chosen from among the design team's blog posts and announced on Friday morning - you could win a $25 gift card to the NT store.

There is a lot more to see on the Neat and Tangled blog this morning - click!

♥.

Paint Night! (Neat and Tangled release week)

Hi there!

I'm really excited to show off the first of my art-themed sets for the month, Paint Night. It features a couple of artists, an easel with a few different artwork options, and some super cute sentiments!

I made 2 cards for today, so that I could make sure to show off both girls.  My first card features the cutie with the 2 buns holding up her sketch pad:



I popped her ginger-haired friend into the pad, and added the sentiment to the left. I used the paint swish image (seriously? my mind is blank right now to call it anything else) underneath and adhered a tiny heart to sweeten the card even more.



In case you're wondering, that polka dot coverplate is a sneak peek of something coming to Lawn Fawn later this week! yay!

My next card features a couple of extra artists - you'll meet them later in the week!



I colored the sentiment letters in colors to match the rainbow-striped background paper and added the artists to fill the frame.



The landscape image is my favorite - it looks so cute popped into the easel's canvas! The girl holding the paintbrush from this set is joined by 2 other cuties holding huge tubes of paint. I don't usually draw 2 stamp sets that coordinate together, but one art-themed set didn't seem like enough!

I hope you like what I created for you! There's more to see on the NT blog this morning - click!

And don't forget to leave a comment here before you go! At the end of the week, one comment will be chosen from among the design team's blog posts for the week - you could win a $25 gift card to the Neat and Tangled store.

♥.

Layton's legacy card drive and fundraiser blog hop

Hello!

I'm honored to be part of a very special fundraiser blog hop today:

This event was organized by Lea Lawson, in her son Layton's honor, to help the families of children in the NICU at the University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital. There are 50 beds in that NICU, and they are always filled. In honor of Layton's birthday, Lea is fundraising to be able to purchase Starbucks gift cards for parents who find themselves thrust into NICU life. Please read more of Lea's story in her own words - click HERE.

Here's how you can help, in Lea's words:

WAYS YOU CAN HELP:

1. DONATE! - directly to Layton's Legacy YouCaring Fundraiser. For every $5 donated, you will be entered into the drawing for one of the prizes above!! All winners will be drawn from donations made thru the YouCaring Site. **Prizes will be drawn and announced here on my blog on Saturday, May 19th.**

2. SHARE! - I know that not everyone is able to donate, but sharing about the fundraiser gives it more visibility! Please feel free to share the YouCaring Link or this post on all your social media outlets!

3. SHOP!

-Pinkfresh Studio will be donating 10% of TODAY'S sales, and offering a 15% off discount to you for shopping!

-CAS-ual Fridays Stamps will be donating 15% of their sales thru May 19th.

-My affiliate linking dollars will be donated thru May 19th.

4. CREATE! - this is also a card drive, and if you'd like to create a card using the theme/moodboard below, I would love that! I will be including these handmade treasures with the giftcards when I hand them over to the NICU social worker, and my dream is that the NICU will be covered in beautiful creations inspired by Layton!! Link them up HERE, and then please email me (lea@lealawsoncreates.com) to get the address for sending - and note that I will need them to arrive by May 31st.

But today isn't just a fundraiser, it's also a blog hop! With tons of inspiration and prizes. Lea offered this beautiful mood board to inspire us:

I took my cues from the mountains and very liberally used the color palette to create this:

I used Pinkfresh Studio's Escape the Ordinary stamp and matching die set to craft this card. I did some ink blending to create a deep blue sky, and added an encouraging sentiment to the bottom.

♥.

New Essentials by Ellen!

Hi there!

This is my second post today - scroll down if you're looking for my Neat and Tangled card!

Have you seen the newly-released Essentials by Ellen stamps and dies? These flowers! I used them on a graduation party last week, and I colored extras to use on a card.

I wanted to use a plaid with the Mondo Sakura image, like I did for all of the party decor, but wanted to keep things brighter and lighter than the black and white gingham.

I opted to use the smaller plaid image found in the Plaid Maker set, and stamped it out to cover a panel in a light blue.

I then layered a few of the flower clusters onto the card front and snipped what hung off of the area.

A simple banner flag sentiment (the die is from the new Parcel Box die collection) finished things off.

I hope you like it! Thanks for stopping by!

♥.

Hello Summer! (Neat and Tangled release week)

Hi there!

We're kicking off this month's Neat and Tangled release week with some wishful thinking a new set called Hello Summer. ha. I paired it with the watermelon-eating-hippo from Beach Day:

I did a soft watercolor wash on the background, in turquoise and yellow, and then also watercolored a sandy base for my hippo and seagull to stand on.

It's hard to tell, but I die-cut the word SUMMER from the same watercolored sheet as the sky layer - it's very soft and pretty in real life!

I added the clouds from the Making Waves die set, and colored their edges with a soft blue-green copic marker (BG11).



I hope you like it! There's more to see on the NT blog this morning - click!

Before you go, don't forget to leave a comment! At the end of the week Danielle chooses a winner from among all of the comments left of the design team's blogs - you could win a $25 store gift card!

♥.

A floral and plaid grad party (EBE May release sneak peek!)

Hi there!

Elena here with a girly take on a graduation party, using the new EBE May release stamp sets and dies. Everything you see here will be available for purchase on Sunday, so this is a fun sneak peek!

I love, love, love these new sets! The Plaid Maker set and Mondo Sakura flowers don't look like obvious choices for a graduation party, but I hope you love them together as much as I do.

I started out with a quote on my letterboard - it made me smile!

To create all of the party decor, I stamped a few sheets of plaid. Yes, a few sheets. It sounds daunting, but this set is so forgiving! I can see stamping wrapping paper with it for Christmas - eek! In the meantime, I did a classic black and white check and used it to create cupcake wrappers and little flags.

I also stamped a bunch of the large flower cluster found in Mondo Sakura. It is so gorgeous, isn't it? I put 2 of them together to top the cake,

and one, standing upright, made the perfect and most dramatic cupcake topper.

I wrapped waterbottles with the plaid paper that I stamped, and cut some of the flowers to add just a hint of them, without overwhelming the plaid.

I used the letters found in the Blockwords dies to monogram each water bottle, and placed them onto a tag included in the Parcel box die set.

Speaking of the Parcel box die, I used it to add a gift card to the front of store-bought clear favor boxes. By wrapping the clear boxes in more plaid paper, and adding more floral touches to the fronts of the Parcel boxes, I reinforced my party theme.

These favor boxes are my favorite things on the table by far!

As a last touch, I created a table sign. I wanted to include a few sentiments to show the grad how great she did! The little YAY on the cupcake flags, and GREAT JOB here are just a few easy ways to celebrate your grad!

I hope you like what I created! Thanks for stopping by!