RAK cards

 I have a folder for uploads on my computer where I put snapshots of RAK's I have received and I am usually more on the ball with sharing those gifts but, one got lost in the shuffle of life this year. Which is very embarrassing. The older I get the more I find my self loosing track of the time. It feels like you blink and something was really months ago. Like this gorgeous card from Nancy.

 I love this and its still out on top of the cabinet so, I see it every time I walk into this space. It sparkles so beautifully in real life. I am not sure this snapshot captures that but, trust me its even better in person.

 And it arrived with gifts. I have not played with anything as of yet but, it was just so appreciated. Thank You Nancy. I love it all. 

which brings me to today. the last couple of days I have started receiving Birthday cards from some ladies on the Birthday RAK group at Splitcoaststampers and these are the ones that are here now. Informed delivery tells me another is supposed to arrive tonight. but, these are here now. 

 This has such artsy waterlily type flowers in those jewel tones from Kathy. 

the scene on this card looks like it is glowing in real life it's so gorgeous. I got the colors off a little here I am guessing. that leaf is textured and this scene continues on the inside of the card. Such a neat idea from Michelle.

 

All these sweet forest critters are from Pat. The eyes have texture in real life if you pet them and the color flow on the foliage is so cool. So sweet. 

This one is from Tracie and I love how she used all those little boxes. I've collected some of the say postage background dies and because, I loved some sample or another online and then when they arrive I am stumped trying to figure out how to decorate them. So, this is so handy to have this in hand and see the Ah-Ha ness of that ok. this is cool I love all the pumpkins and chuckled over the coffee here. :) That's about it so far. I am thinking I may wait until my birthday next week to open what may come next to extend the celebration of the happy mail but, I don't know if I will actually hold out. That's about it from me, I hope you're doing well & thanks for stopping by. 
 

Happy Mail {First day of Spring}

 Lucky me, I received this Anna Wight Sweet Miss Daisy Stamps Cozy Snowman set in the mail as a gift from a sweet friend and (it was snowing that day and even yesterday  it was snowing here) (You can find Anna's store here on Etsy)

and I seen that the Ways to use it challenge this week at Splitcoaststampers was to do something in celebrating International Happiness day. ( Thursday was the first day of spring here & it was happiness day everywhere) so, I decided that since I am a collector of snowmen stamps and I do like to color as my makes me happy thing, I would do this guy in Spring tones. 

I started by stamping him with some Versafine Clair morning mist ink on Arches cold press 100% cotton watercolor paper. and adding very pale washed tones of Daniel Smith paints.

 After a few layers went on I went digging in my printed paper pads looking for something with multiple pastels and came across an Lawn Fawn pad ( its old there is no style name on it) from years ago and thought this would work and then I started tweaking the orange-ish Peachy tones to blend better with the paper. 

I wanted to do something "fancy" with him but my snowflake brads were just wrong scale & color wise and then I found these previously diecut snowflakes in shimmery blues and whites and scattered some of those around and added liquid pearls to the centers.

I diecut the snowman panel with a Penny Black die and the Sentiment here is from Inky Antics cut with an waffle flower rectangle die. That ruffled green ribbon is an older one from Stampin' up and the base is also old SU blue cardstock. This one is A6 in real life. If you'd like to play along with this challenge you can find it here at SCS. Thanks for stopping by.
 

Happy Birthday to me, The Happy Mail Edition!

 

This one was hand painted by Ann and it was filled with bitty birds and deer die cuts like confetti.

 

This one is from Pam :) and it opens like a book with that fold on the side. neat eh? 

This one is from Cara , Isn't that pretty :) I heart Lavender.

 

This one is from Jenni and I cannot make out her SCS name. 

 

From Pat, That sentiment is tucked into the ice cream panel so, it holds the card shut. very cool.

 

This one is from Erin M and those tiny sparkle are bitty sequins. ( who knew?) :) 

 

This one is from Jeanne with a lift up flap on the front panel so the message hides behind the Sentiment.

From Jo Ann I love the raised almost hidden message look to the letters here. This one fits inside one of those like the size envelope you used to send letters in size. (mind went blank sorry)

From Kathy, I love that faux tag look she gave to the main panel.

 

From my Gma Mary :) such a pretty color combo.

From Sabrina, isn't that cool that it looks like faux wood burn :) 

This one is from Diane, and those blooms that look solid in the centers here have bitty gemstones on them. so pretty :)

 

From Brenda :)

 

 A closer look at that painting of this leaf and the 3-D framing. SO gorgeous!

Christmas tags that have been painted *Swoon* :)

The box has a cute mouse print on it tied off with vintage lace.

 

Inside the box was all this fun waiting to happen.

A closer look at the card's textures :) So pretty.

Happy Birthday to me

 

This was a RAK card received from Kathy at SCS.

This one is from Jo Ann

This one is from Kathy,

This one is from Lori

This one is from Mary Jo

This one is from my friend at work June
 

This one is from Sabrina 

This is loot that came from my son and so, I had to die cut the lantern straight away and ended up 

With this card. I had cut the lantern body from some plain grey from DCWV and I thought about rubbing on some creams to give it a patina but, I hid mine from my self a while back so, I grabbed a mermaid DOX pad and did rub some of that on which made the grey blue, so I wiped off the bulk of it with a baby wipe.

The sprigs candles and flames were all cut from Strathmore watercolor paper and painted with Daniel Smith paints the candle is so skinny that if you center it in the opening behind the center of the lantern, you do not see the flames, So, I cut two and tried to add the second one to the left side after everything else was glued down. ( this is supposed to be one of those fat 3 wick candles haha) and then lets see the brick print is from Recollections, the sentiment is from Concord & 9th. and this one finished out at A7 in real life. All in all a very happy weekend. I do have my head down making Christmas cards for the booth that so far looks like it is going to hold this year. That is a little stressful. hope things are going well for you too. Thanks for stopping by.

WOYWW # 634 {sample making}

 

Happy desk peeking day, if you'd like to see more spaces or play along 

the link up for this blog hop starts here at our hostess

Miss Julia's Blog.

There is also a new Instagram hashtag of #WOYWW

 

A slice of my desk when I arrived home Tuesday after work. You may have noticed the DTGD badge in the top left corner has changed with this years dates. so, I am making samples and hosting one of the challenges. The shopping list has been released here. If you want to get a head start on collecting things to play with.

 

 Not too long ago there was a fantasy themed VSN at SCS and after it was all over with there were announcements that some people were going to receive happy mail from people who had hosted challenges. And I was lucky enough to with this pile of smiles from Pam. the fact that she made an introverted nerdy chick for a card to send to me makes me smile from ear to ear. 

A closer look at her card :) the chick is up on foam dots above the base.

I had some more happy mail arrive over the weekend from an eBay auction. So, two of these became the first sample that I have done. its the one on the color duster brushes. (which you can only see a corner of) The painted embossed panel decided to become this coming weeks IC sample and It rained here off and on all day yesterday. which was such a relief from the heat and smoke. ( that will return soon but, we have chances for more rain tomorrow and the days that follow) 

that's about it from me, I never made it to any of the desks last week except Julia's I will make a better effort this week. sorry. Thanks for stopping by. 

 

RAK'd Birthday Cards

This one came from Lindahur at SplitcoastStampers.

This one came from Annem715 at SplitcoastStampers

This one was created by Annsforte3

This one is from Stampin Wrose

This one is from Bubblestx4

This one is from taclary

This one is from Cook22

 This was made by my friend at work. (as are the stamping goodies in the two photos following this)

 we tried the nailpolish marbling last summer and she found these food pans and thought they would work perfect for that...

 Now these were gifted to me from hubs hunting buddy. these are mug shots I have had at facebook for a few years now...

 This one is from bensarmom

This one is from my 90+ year old gma in MN. ( yes, you read that right)
some of the cards & gifts from my birthday this year.

This one is from Scraperwannabe at SCS. :)