Hope Anchors the Soul

Aloha all,

I wanted to create a simple yet elegant card to help lift up your spirits and a while back I saw the most beautiful Hope Anchors the Soul on one of the Silhouette groups I follow on Facebook. The saying has just stuck with me and I knew today would be the day I had to create my version of this saying.

To create the anchor I used Kadoodle Bug Designs, the anchor from Salty Dogs and offset it so I could have the off white border which I embossed using Tim Holtz Texture Fades.
I wish I could tell you what the font is for Hope Anchors the Soul but I can honestly say I don't remember. I have just too many fonts!
The background was created using Spellbinders Cascading Dots card creator die. Love this die and can see so many ways to use it. Definitely recommend this die to add to your die collection.

Mahalo for stopping by and if you recreate your own version, please let me know. I would love to see your version of this card.

May the Forest Be With You

Aloha all,

Long time no see, yeah? I have a whirlwind of side projects going on right now but I thought I would share my latest creation with all of you. Inspiration for this Ilda Dias' tropical fish aquarium over at SVG Cuts.
I followed the same basic dimensions as her instructions for the clear acetate for the tall gift box but lowered my height to about 6 inches and welded a rectangle into on side of the acetate. You will also need to follow the same dimensions for the plain box cards-rounded tab.
The cute jungle animals came from Kadoodle Bug Designs and are set to retire soon. If you haven't grabbed your set, you can pick it up here and the cute little monkey can be picked up here. The border for my "box card" is actually washi tape from Doodle Bug Designs and it just compliments the theme so well. For the leopard, I actually drew the spots onto it. It's super easy, I used my micron pen and drew a variety of squiggly "c's" all over the body and followed it up with my brown copics to add the finishing touch to the body.
If you happen to recreate this, I would really love to see your project and trust me when I say photos don't do this card justice. This card is just popping with dimensions and the camera just wont capture all of it. Leave me a link and I will be sure to check out your blog, Facebook, etc.

Mahalo all and I hope you have a scrappy day!

Foxy Camp Lantern

Aloha all,

Thanks for stopping by today.

 For my project today, I created this super cute Coleman lantern found at SVG Cuts. This file is versatile and allows for endless possibilities. Cheapest lantern for the kiddos ever!
Of course, I had to add these super cute foxes onto my lantern cause when I think of camping I think of those playful little critters.
The cute little foxes can be found here and here.
Have you noticed the compass yet? This charming compass is from Tim Holtz and I found this at Michaels. Of course I had to add the kawaii happy camper sign onto my lantern and you can pick it up here.

 I just love that this lantern can be lit by using a battery operated candle or mini light. Plus with this being made of paper, it totally makes it more ideal for little hands to carry.

Mahalo for stopping by and I hope you all have a scrappy day!

You're My Main Squeeze

Aloha all,

Usually we have nice balmy weather here in Hawaii, but lately we have been lacking trade winds which leaves us with just a scorcher of a summer. To help keep me cool I usually resort to a nice cold glass of lemonade. As such, my creation is based on lemonade and to help me out, I used Kadoodle Bug Designs -  CK Lemonade Turtle found here.

To help with the card sketch, I relied on Pinterest to help. I paired the card sketch up with my Lala Land heart banner die and offset the banner. To create the circle base, Lawn Fawn's x stitched circle die came into play.
Sentiment for this card came from the Silhouette online store.

Mahalo for stopping by and I hope you all have a scraptastic day!

Today's Special

Aloha all,

 Thanks for stopping by today and if you're joining me again, I am happy to have you back.

Kadoodle Bug Designs has these "Shoptastic Cuties" in the store and apparently these cuties are all the rage right now. Not quite sure what they are but as soon as I saw the Shoptastic Cutie-Teacup I just knew I had to combine it with the Cutie Kadoodle-Teacup Panda.

Of course, I had to take it one step further and make my panda pink as well.
The base of my card is actually a step fold card and the sentiment for this card is from Hero Arts, "Today's Special". I have to admit, I purchased this stamp set last year around Valentines so it may no longer be available for purchase.
The rolled roses is actually a die from Memory Box, Small Pinwheel Posie. The doily was created using vellum and  Cheery Lynn's, French Pastry doily die.

Mahalo for stopping by and I hope you all have a scrappy day!

Soak Up the Sun!

Aloha everyone,

Mahalo for stopping by. Pineapples and flamingos are all the rage right now and as soon as I saw the cute pineapple freebie in the KBD store I just knew I had to create something with it.
Here on Oahu we actually have pineapple fields and we used to be the only state in the U.S. that grew pineapples. Thank goodness we still grow coffee here. If you come to Hawaii, you simply have to make sure to try our coffee.

Here is my version of the cute pineapple freebie and it can be found here.
The cute little starfish on the surfboard is another KBD file found here. This file is so cute as it has two more starfish characters included.
I just love the palm tree and sun from the Beach Fun Penguins file found here.  I must admit I did add eyes to my sun and those eyes came from the CK Sunshine Bears sun found here.
The cute hibiscus border was an absolute must to complete my card and was purchased in the Silhouette online store.
My silhouette sketch pen was used to help create the sentiment. Just love the ability to make my own sentiments instead of always having to rely on stamp sentiments. If you have pens for your electronic cutter, please give them a chance. What a way to save some craft money.

Mahalo for stopping by and I hope you all have a crafty day.

Flamingo!

Aloha everyone!

Mahalo for stopping by today. My latest project is inspired by the many flamingo cards I have seen flooding my Pinterest wall. Kadoodle Bug Designs has two flamingo files on sale at 90% off due to going into retirement and what a score for me!

The flamingo used for this card comes from the file, "Paradise Found" but "Endless Summer" is a fantastic file as well. You can never have enough flamingos.
While you're there, don't forget to grab this week's freebie. It's adorable! 

To help create my scene, I had a little help from the "Summer Beach Fun" to create my beach and palm trees. The pineapple is from the Silhouette Online Store,

by Kolette Hall

Design ID #89517

I found a free font called, "Adefebia" to type Aloha on front of the pineapple and proceeded to do a print and cut. Love that feature.

The frame of my card comes from Mama Elephant's, "Framed Cuts-Madison Avenue". The border frame is too cute and is a must have to have in your die stock.

Mahalo for stopping by and as usual, I hope you all have a crafty day!

Aloha

Aloha everyone!

Summer is right around the corner and the weather here is absolutely beautiful. LOL. I know many of you are thinking, "It's beautiful all year long" and yes, I have to agree it is, but as many of you know certain seasons are better than others. 
To help celebrate summer I made a simple card using Kadoodle Bug Designs, "Endless Summer" for the palm tree and "Paradise Found" for the coconut drink. Both of these files are only $0.75 each as they are set to retire from the KBD store. 

To help add additional charm to this card, Jaded Blossom's, "tropical dies" was used to help create my sand and the sand dollar as well. 

The waves are actually washi tape (labeled Tape Works and the company is Sandy Lion) that I found at a specialty card store.  The cute little diva in the background is actually from the Silhouette Online Store labeled.

retro beach babes

by Erin Doran

Design ID #76670

Mahalo for stopping by and aloha!

Oh, the Places You'll Go

Aloha everyone!

Thanks for stopping by. The next two months are all about graduation in my house and to help celebrate the occasion I have made this super cute "penny slider" card.

 To create the base of the card I used the penny card slide bases from SVG Cutting Files.
If you are unfamiliar with the penny card technique, it really is pretty simple. Place a penny inside the card, use some pop up dots to create height and finally finish it off by attaching another penny onto the pop dot.
Click here is a quick video if my explanation doesn't make sense. I released the compound path on the penny arch and wielded it onto my arch shaped card. I just thought this was so cute and helps illustrate the travel. 
Now onto the main event on how I created the bear and air balloon. The super cute graduation bear was a freebie from Kaddoodle Bug Designs and can now be purchased here. The hot air balloon is actually from the USA Hot Air Balloon found here. Shrink the diploma bear down to fit into the hot air balloon.

 I duplicated two shadow bases off of the Diploma Bear and wielded the second shadow over the existing bear on the hot air balloon. Assemble the hot air balloon first. The second shadow of the Diploma Bear can be used to place the pieces and give it a little dimension.
Finally, to top off the sense of travel I used the globe from Explore Bears and added some clouds around it. The sentiment for this card was actually made using my Silhouette sketch pens and very carefully filled in with my .05 micron pen.
If you haven't had the chance to play with your sketch pens, give them a try. I just love that I can create my own sentiment when I don't have the stamps I need. What makes the sketched sentiment perfect is the fact that you can make the sentiment as long, short, big and tall as you want to and customize your card just how you like.

Mahalo for stopping by and as usual, I hope you all have a crafty day!

Fairy in a Jar

Aloha everyone,

Thanks for stopping by today. Not only was my project inspired by all the cute fairies over at my local Hallmark store but also by the super cute Lawn Fawn projects.

Confession time, my super cute fairy in a jar was
actually a CASE project by Cheri over at Lawn Fawn. She has a amazing video tutorial to walk you through creating your own little fairy. Click here to access her blog.
Of course I had to use the super Cute Little Fairies over at Kadoodle Bug Designs and right now these super cuties are 90% off due to these little cuties going into retirement. If you haven't had the chance to grab this file, now is definitely your chance. Click here to grab this awesome file.
Sentiment for the jar is from Jaded Blossom's, Unicorn and Glitter found here.

Here is a close up of my cute little fairy in a jar. To help with her facial expression, I used Peachy Keen's, In the Garden. So apropos for this jar don't you think?
You can find the stamp set here. I highly recommend ordering the variety sized face stamps as they will work with whatever various file size you decide to cut.
I found all of my fake garden plants at my local Ben Franklin's craft store as well as my mason jar. Walmart has a wide variety of mason jars as well as some beautiful fake plants to help you create your own fairy in a jar. These little cuties make excellent gifts for any fairy lover.

 Last, but not least I present to you my Fairy in a Jar card. To help create this card I used My Scrap Chick's, Canning Jars found here. I inked the cloud background onto the front of the card and built my garden using Lawn Fawn's, Fairy Friends found here. The sentiment on the lid is also from this stamp set. May I draw your attention to the fairy window? Notice how the window on your left is not lit up and the one on the right is? This is due to Chibitronics! This is a game changer for all of your creative creations and is so easy to use. The starter pack has a book that will walk you through all of the creative options out there. You can check out Chibitronics here.

Mahalo for stopping by  and I hope you have a scrappy day!

Sweet Dreams Baby

Aloha all,

Mahalo for stopping by today.
One of my girlfriends recently gave birth to a precious little girl and to help celebrate their joyous occasion I made created these cute little baby gifts.

Inspiration for this project came from Kadoodle Bug Designs, Sweet Dreams Bears, SVG Cuts, Stars and Stripes lantern and the super cute baby mobile found in the Silhouette online store by Carina Gardner, Design ID #79798. 

To create the "umbrella" on the mobile, I suggest you use a heavy cardstock base, such as cardboard cardstock. I then covered up the cardboard with my design paper and mirrored underneath the "umbrella" as well. This will give it the strength it needs to hold your hanging pieces without collapsing your umbrella.

I double sided my bears so that no matter which way the string turn, the bears will always be seen.

The star was made using the star die from Jaded Blossom's and if you look real close you will notice it is actually a shaker star. Again, this look was achieved by nesting the star die. 

Before I forget, the only element I changed in the Sweet Dreams Bears was the sleeping bear. I added a little moon behind the bear. Please keep in mind that by double siding your mobile you will be adding extra weight onto it. Again, it is very important to make sure you use a sturdy cardstock for the "umbrella".

 Looking below you can see the lantern with the sleeping bear inside. I also have this bear hung onto a string and hot glued it onto the ceiling of the lantern. Attaching the string to the ceiling of the lantern is much easier to do before you glue the ceiling onto the lantern.

 To create the fluffy clouds I simply added cotton balls to the bottom of lantern and this helped create the appearance of my little bear floating on the clouds.
To create the light coming from underneath the clouds I used submersible led string lights found at my local craft store. Unfortunately, my pictures really do not do this project justice and the lantern at night is so stunning I'm almost hesitant to give it away.

Mahalo for stopping by and I hope you all have a scrappy day!

Birthday Monkey

Aloha everyone!

Thanks for stopping by and if this is your first time here, Welcome!

 Today, I am sharing with you all my cute little spin on KBD's, "Celebrate and Go Bananas" file found here and because it's KBD's 5th birthday, all files are 90% off!

To create this card I used Lori Whitlock's a2 Pop out circle card Design ID #63383.

To help create the birthday scene I used my Martha Stewart cupcake paper punch (retired) and found some balloons and banners files in the Silhouette store.

Here is a slight side view of the card just so you can see a little of the dimension this card creates. 

Stamp sentiment is from Craftin Desert Divas labeled, Celebration Wordart found here. This stamp set fits perfectly into the circle frame and with the three other stamp options in this set, the possibilities are endless.

Mahalo for stopping by, if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave it in the comments section.

As always, I hope you all have a scrappy day!

My Pot O' Gold

Aloha everyone,

Thanks for stopping by and if this is your first time. Welcome to my blog! So happy you stopped by.

March is here and with that comes the "Luck o' the Irish". For my project today, I used this super cute leprechaun file found at Kadoodle Bug Designs. This fun file is loaded with even more super cute leprechauns.
         Of course, I had to pair this cutie up with a mushroom handle bag found over at SVG Cutting Files. This bag is just apropos for my little guy. Mushrooms and leprechauns, all I'm missing is the rainbow.
    Now, I bet you are wondering about the stamp sentiment. The sentiment and the leprechaun face came from Jaded Blossom's "Luck of the Irish" and is now retired.

Mahalo for stopping by and I hope you have a scrappy weekend!

Kung Hei Fat Choy!

Kung Hei Fat Choy  or Happy New Year!

I love the Chinese tradition of the New Year. Just like we have our horoscope, the Chinese have their own horoscope as well. The deviation being that their animal sign for the year lasts all year long.

Of course I do realize that I am late to the party but I thought I would share with you all my version of the Year of the Monkey card.

To help create this card, I used KBD's Cutie Kadoodle, "Valentine Monkey", (which by the way, is a freebie) and you can pick up this cutie here.
As you can obviously see, I replaced the heart with a Chinese coin symbolizing "Wisdom" for the year. I could definitely  afford more wisdom. LOL

Thanks for stopping by and as usual, I hope you all have a scrappy day!

Foxy Valentine

Aloha all

Thanks for stopping by today. 

I absolutely love foxes. They are so cute and charming and all of the different sounds they can make is so adorable! When I saw that Kadoodle Bug Designs had foxes in their file, "A Woodland Valentine" I just knew I had to create something with them. By far, this is one of the easiest projects to put together and so much fun too.

To  help my foxes come to life, I turned to the Silhouette Online Store and found a birch tree card by Lori Whitlock, labeled, "A2 Aspen Tree Pop Dot Card" design id #98933.

 To help bring my card to life, I used paper by Bo Bunny, Almond Dot to create the card.
The background paper is from Lawn Fawn's Snow Day collection labeled Earmuffs and is now retired. To create the depth dimension, you will need to have to use either pop dots or a pop dot strip. In my opinion, the pop dot strip works the best for this card and will need to be used for both the middle and top layer of this card.

I used A.C. cardstock to help bring my little foxes to life, added a little white to their eyes and noses and topped them off using my glossy accents. The photo does the glossy accents no justice.
 To distinguish their foxy little legs I edged the black with white liquid chalk.

 Before I forget, the grass is actually a border die C.C. Designs and is just the right height for this card. The grass is actually layered and helps create depth as well. This is a fun die to have in your arsenal of crafts.

Of course, this card could not be completed without Jaded Blossom's, Mini Tag Dies and now retired, "Valentine Treats" sentiment.

Mahalo for stopping by and as always, I hope you have a crafty day!

Treats For My Sweets

Aloha!

    Can you believe that Valentine's is almost here?

To help celebrate this season, and give my dear old hubby a clue, I used this super cute Kadoodle Bug Designs moose found here.

If you hurry on over you can pick up this little cutie for just $0.35! While your over there don't forget to grab the latest freebie. The freebies are always so darn cute.

 Isn't the file image just too darn adorable?
I just love the fact that this file includes clipart as well. If this doesn't tickle your fancy, KBD also offers digital files for you to color in as well.

Hurry on over though. For a limited time the whole store is on sale for 90% off!
This is a great time to grab all of the super cuties KBD has available.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all have a crafty day!

Eat Something Sweet

Aloha everyone!


I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and  a Happy New Year!


Today I am sharing with you all my take on something sweet!


 Hehe...is it me or does this card make you think of the Grimm's Brothers story, Hansel and Gretel?

For this card's inspiration I used Kadoodle Bug Designs super cutie - Charmkin Cutie Lollipop Girl and for a limited time she can be yours for just $0.75. Notice the little freckles on her face? I just love the effect. To create the freckles  I used my Nano-Liner pen .oo3 and added some white highlights to my card using my all time favorite white gellyroll pen.
The cupcake cottage in the background is a retired die from Cottage Cutz labeled Sweet Cupcake Shop which totally compliments my little cutie very well.
The sentiment for this card is from Scrappy Mom Stamps labeled Sassy Pants.
Trust me, the sentiments on this set are too funny to not add to your collection.

Mahalo for stopping by and as always...Wishing you all a scrappy day!