Pop Goes the World Challenge

I know, I know, three posts in one week.
" What's going on?" you ask.
 Hot, humid, cloudy weather; a clean house; and no books with gripping plots to read.

(After re-reading that last sentence, I sound like cleaning and reading are top priorities. I cannot with a clear conscience send out that message. Yep, I love a clean house. BUT... will I fore go cleaning for something more fun..yes I will.)

  Now that I've set the record straight, on to the challenge.

This Power Poppy Stamps challenge  inspires us with  the colors in this photo of the vibrant Italian Riviera. Beautiful!

So Countryside Bouquet is filled with hotly-hued flowers atop some photo-inspired Pink Paislee papers with a shimmery sentiment. Trust me, IRL, it shimmers thanks to a Wink of Stella pen.

I'm off to clean--just kidding,

Back to School

The students in our county headed back to the classroom yesterday.  While I am thankful for my thirty years in the classroom, I am also thankful that today I won't have to organize my day (including trips to the bathroom) by bells, that today I won't be on the computer filling out forms and planning lessons but instead visiting blogs and Pinterest, and that today I won't be filing or copying papers but instead playing with stamps, inks, dies, and pretty patterned papers.

I  like to let the staff at Halls High School know that I am thinking of them as they start a new year and that I am grateful for all they do. When I saw this adorable card by Michelle Kovak,  I thought,"hey, I have that chalkboard card by Lori Whitlock  in my Silhouette library. I need to go 'old school' for my friends who utilize so much technology in their teaching."

After cutting the card, I embossed the front panel with a woodgrain embossing plate (PTI) and then swiped some Versamark ink over it to highlight the grain.  Flags in the school's colors are stamped with Bitty Background Blocks I and II (PTI). The banner and sentiment are from Written on Ribbon( WPlus9).  I also rubbed some chalk on the black cardstock . Smarty Cat, colored with Prismacolor pencils, is from Crafty Secrets Cutie Cats stamp set; I don't think this stamp set is available anymore, but hopefully one day it will be available in digital form. I'd love to make him larger. I added a die cut apple  stamped with Tag-Its#6 (PTI).  The card file has holes at the bottom for adding twine to connect the front and back; however, after cutting the card, I, knowing the card will probably be taped on the door frame to the mail room, decided not to add the twine so I covered the holes with tiny die cut buttons(PTI).

Linking to:
Crafty Secrets August Linky Party
Lori Whitlock Link Up Party

Thanks for stopping by,

Sunflowers

Hi all! I'm here with a quick post showcasing a card for this month's Crafty Secrets Linky Party. This month's theme is Fall/Back to School.
The sunflower print from Crafty Secrets Digital Flowers sheet was the starting point of this card.

I layered it with patterned paper from Lost and Found Sunshine by My Mind's Eye and embellished with this sunflower made with Susan's Garden Sunflower die by Sizzix ( a clearance item at Hobby Lobby!) along with lace and twine).

Wishing you a sunny week,

Make It Monday #174: Diamond Wallpaper Stamping

For the current Make It Monday,Ashley Cannon Newell combines stamps to make a diamond patterned wallpaper background.  I confess, when I watched the video, all I heard was "make a wallpaper, so the first card I made had a sweet vintage wallpaper with stripes and flowers, but when I got ready to post it, I realized the title of the Make It Monday was DIAMOND Wallpaper Stamping. So I pulled out more supplies and made a second card.

Have a sweet day,

Supplies:
Stamps: A Little Argyle, Background Basics: Petal Power,  Flower Fusion #12, Garden Variety(PTI)
Ink: Pure Poppy, Aqua Mist, New Leaf (PTI); Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper: Stamper's Select White, New Leaf, Pure Poppy, Harvest Gold (PTI)
Other: Flower Fusion #12 , Flower Fusion Stem, Pinking Shears Border dies (PTI);  On the Diagonal Die(Lil' Inkers)