Happy Arty Days

Pinkfresh Studio Ink Pad Release Blog Hop

Hi Friends!

Welcome to the Happy Arty Days blog!

I am so super dee duper excited to be participating in the

Pinkfresh Studio Ink Pad Release Blog Hop!

These premium dye inks are absolutely mind-blowing!!! Like seriously, aaaah-MAZING!!!!

If you've just arrived here from the Pinkfresh Studio blog, then you're in the right place!
If not, or you feeling a lil lost on the hop, visit Pinkfresh Studio HERE to find your way.

It's a pretty big hop, but I assure you the inspiration from all our designers, plus the fabulous prizes make it worth all the effort!

And speaking of prizes, here's what you need to know about the Giveaway.....

Pinkfresh Studio will be giving away the full sized ink pad release on the Pinkfresh Blog.

Pinkfresh Studio will also giveaway the full mini cube release on their IG feed.

PLUS

Every designer featured in this blog hop will be giving away a $25 gift card on their blog post.

The winners will be picked by Pinkfresh Studio from the comments, & posted

on Monday, Oct 21st on the Pinkfresh Studio GIVEAWAY PAGE.
It is your responsibility to check this page & claim your prize within 2 weeks.

Good Luck!!!

Oh, and before I forget, there's one more piece of important information I need to share...

FREE shipping in the USA for all orders $100+ (USD)!!!

Yes, you read correctly!
Spend $100+ USD and you'll receive free shipping within the United States without a code.
The shipping will be discounted automatically - you just have to select the correct shipping method upon checkout.

***Shop ALL the Ink Pads HERE***

Okay, now it's time to share my lovely scrapbook layout featuring a few of the beautiful new inks....

"Precious"

Oh, precious indeed!
Such an elegant and beauti-Fall layout!
And the colors in those inks are just divine!!!
Told you they're Aaaaaa-MAY-zing!
Here's a closer look for you....

Pinkfresh Studio Inks Featured:

Clementine, Berrylicious, Doe, Fresh Pear, Grassy Knoll, & Regal Kiss.

Pinkfresh Supplies:

Heart & Floral Cut File, Embroidered Blossoms Stamp Set, Just A Lil Lovely Embellishment Bundle, Essentials:Inverted Stitched Scallop Circle Die Set, & Essentials: Jewels Mix.

Other supplies: white cardstock, watercolor paper & clear vellum.

Simply exquisite!

The quality of these premium dye inks is second to none! SO impressive!

As this is a huge blog hop, I'll keep my write up short - but you can find out more in my process video at the end of my post ;)

For this pretty Fall inspired layout, I stamped up a variety of the leaves & foliage stamps from the Embroidered Blossoms Stamp Set.

I used Clementine, Berrylicious, Doe, Fresh Pear & Grassy Knoll inks.

I also inked up some watercolor paper in Fresh Pear & Regal Kiss.

I used these freshly inked papers to back the leaves & blooms in the Heart & Floral Digital Cut File.

I think you'll agree that the results are truly stunning!!!

Beyond words beautiful!

Want to see how this layout was created?
Or maybe just wanna see these amazing inks in action? Please watch my process video below:

Thanks so much for watching!
I hoped you enjoyed my video!

Be sure to leave a comment on this post to go in the drawer to win a $25 PF Gift Card.
Time to send you hopping!
The super talented Anett Gelencsér is the next stop along the way!
Visit her blog HERE

Thanks so much for joining us today & Good Luck!
til next time,

Happy Arty Days,
Amanda xo

Elle's Studio: Halloween Trick or Treat! Shaker Cards

Hi Friends!

Welcome back for moreElle's Studio inspiration!

Today I am sharing two spook-tacular Halloween greeting cards using the fabulous

October Kit & new releases!

Say BOO!!!

Aren't they just the cutest?!

Elle's Studio Supplies: Halloween Journaling Tags, Candy Corn Puffy Alphabet Stickers, Halloween Puffy Stickers, Home Sweet Home 6 x 6 Paper Stack, October Labels, Halloween Acrylic Treats.

Other: Black cardstock, circle cutter tool, cellophane/glassine bags, SpiegelMom Scraps sequins, enamel dots.

Halloween is all about the element of surprise, and having fun!

And nothing screams childhood fun like a pocket (err, shaker pocket) full of candy!

This card will have your recipients guessing if it's a trick or a treat, as it is such a fabulous card but you can't eat the candy, ha! Perfect sentiment for Halloween!

Shaker pocket cards are really easy to create and give your cards that extra wow factor!

Okay, enough of the chatter...

Hocus Pocus, it's time to focus!

For these cards, I used two sheets of black cardstock. I cut each piece to the following specifications: 10" x 7" to create the cards, plus a 5" x 7" sheet to create the shaker window.

I scored & folded the 10" x 7" sheets of card at the 5" mark to create the card bases.

For the card fronts, I used a circle cutting tool to cut a large circle window at the top of the 5" x 7" sheets of cardstock.

For this particular card, I placed the Halloween Acrylic Treats into a cellophane bag, and then sealed it off. I used hot glue to back this bag of sweet treats to the circle window, and then positioned one of the Home Sweet Home pattern papers behind it all. I love the added interest of the pattern paper behind the window. So much more interesting (& fun) than the plain black cardstock!

While I had this pattern paper handy, I also added a trim of it to both the top & bottom of my card front. I overlapped this pattern paper with another trim, this time cut from one of the 6' x 4" Halloween Journaling Tags. I added lots of the Halloween Puffy Stickers to embellish, & then adhered it all to one of the 5" x 7" card fronts.

Awesome!

For the spooky boo card, I used the same techniques but replaced the Halloween Acrylic Treats with some black and silver star sequins from my stash. I also used another pattern paper from the Home Sweet Home Paper Stack to back my circle window, and trim the top & bottom of the card front.

I embellished with the ghosts and pumpkins from the Halloween Puffy Stickers, and then added the Boo! title with the Candy Corn Puffy Alphabet Stickers. Those alphas are the best!

For finishing touches, I foam mounted one of the October Labels and added the A spooktacular time Halloween Puffy Sticker sentiment, as well a scattering of orange enamel dots from my stash.

And there you have it!

Trick or Treat greeting cards that scream fun!

I hope I have put a spell on you to get creating some frightfully fun cards!

Happy Halloween!

Til next time,

Happy Arty Days,

Amanda xo

Cocoa Vanilla Studio: Living the Dream!

Hi Friends!

Welcome back for more Cocoa Vanilla Studio inspiration!

This week the design team are shining the spotlight on the gorgeous UNFORGETTABLE TASSELS & BOWS. I know, what a fun assignment!

I couldn’t wait to get creating, and I even made a process video of this layout too!

Here’s what I came up with….

“Living The Dream”

Swoooooon!!! The UNFORGETTABLE collection has my heart!

Such a precious & beautiful layout for my two darlings! Living the dream indeed!

And nothing says ‘dream’ quite like a dreamcatcher, right? I couldn’t resist suspending the TASSELS and feather DIE CUT EPHEMERA pieces from that delicate cut file. So super pretty!

** Note: Cut file is called: Boho Dreamcatcher by Lilium Pixel SVG from the Silhouette Store **

Here’s a better look at my layout….

So very beautiful!

I started this page with a white cardstock base which I trimmed a one inch length off the left hand side. You’ll spy that I machine stitched half an inch of the beautiful woodrgrain pattern paper, CV-UF008 NATURAL BEAUTY to this side. Next, I fussy cut that darker based floral, 4″ x 6″ note card, from pattern paper, CV-004 PRETTY BITS. I trimmed this 4″ x 6″ note card so that I could butt the 6″ lengths together to create the appearance of a 12″ floral paper & then attached it to the back of the woodgrain trim. SO pretty! I love how effective this looks!

Before I adhered the Boho Dreamcatcher cut file to the page, I layered two of the larger DIE CUT EPHEMERA floral swags to the base, so that they would peek out beneath the dreamcatcher. I also removed some of the cut file feathers so that I could thread the tassels onto the cut file ‘strings’, and then covered the remaining cut file feathers with those amazing DIE CUT EPHEMERA feathers.

With the cut file prepared, I glued it onto the white cardstock base, but was careful not to glue the ‘strings’ down. By leaving the strings loose, I created a sense of realism as the TASSELS, and feathers, dangled from the dreamcatcher. This also created flow and movement, as well as soft dimension and texture! What a fabulous way to incorporate those darling TASSELS into my design! Here’s a closer look at those pretties….

They really are somethin’, aren’t they?!! And those feathers are just divine!

I embellished the rim of the dreamcatcher hoop with more pretty DIE CUT EPHEMERA florals, as well as a few fussy cut butterflies from pattern paper, CV-UF005 LACEWING. The larger butterfly is also fussy cut, but this time from pattern paper, CV-UF004 PRETTY BITS. I layered my DIE CUT EPHEMERA title, Living The Dream, over this larger butterfly & then embellished with a few of the CLEAR STICKERS too!

I framed my precious photo with one of the circular frames included in the DIE CUT EPHEMERA pack, and then foam mounted it to the center of the dreamcatcher. I love how the pattern on the circular frame reminds me of a mandala or, yes, you guessed it, the dreamcatcher! I just love repetition in design!

For finishing touches, I covered the ‘beads’ on the dreamcatcher cut file with those pretty ENAMEL DOTS, and added a tiny spot of journaling with the ACCESSORY STICKERS.

Simple. Beautiful. Amazing!!!

I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing my layout!

Clearly, it was TASSELS for the win today!

You can see more in my process video for this pretty page HERE!

Thanks so much for watching!

Happy Arty Days,

Amanda xo

Elle's Studio: October Kit & New Releases!

Hi Friends!

Welcome back for more Elle's Studio inspiration with the release of the brand new
October Kit & Add on items!

This month's kit is simply gorgeous and looks like this....

Exclusive October Kit

Just look at those colors!!!
Such a fabulous kit!
And the Add-on items are all kinds of awesomeness too.....

Puffy stickers, stamps & dies, veneers & all things Halloween - squeee!!!

This month's new releases are errrrything!

The Digital Cut Files and Printables are pretty cool as well....

Yay!!!
So much awesome squeezed into this month's reveal!

***You can shop ALL the new releases in the Elle's Studio store HERE***

But enough of the chatter, and more of the inspiration!

Here's what I've created for today's reveal....

"Autumn"

Whoa! How awesome is this?!

Autumn is my favorite season & I just love all the Fall elements in this month's kit!

Elle's Studio Supplies: October Kit, Everyday Tabs Stamp, Everyday Tabs Metal Die, Autumn Puffy Stickers, Thankful Stickers, Wood Veneer Leaves, Home Sweet Home 6 x 6 Paper Stack, Noteworthy 12 x 12 Paper Collection.

Other: Bazzill Marshmallow Cardstock, Scrapbook.Com Premium Dye Ink Pads - Black, Rubber Ducky & Postal Blue & SpiegelMom Scraps Sequins - That Summer Feelin'.

Here's a better look for you....

So many amazing details to this layout!

Firstly, I must mention the Wood Veneer Leaves. These tiny little veneers had a huge impact on me!

Not only do they look incredible, but combined with my darling boy's photo, they also inspired my layout design. In particular, they were the template for those larger, fussy cut, Home Sweet Home pattern paper, leaves. So cool!

For maximum impact, I also drew on the colors in my photograph for the Home Sweet Home leaves.

Love how effective this looks!

Here's a closer look for you....

Yep, love those veneers!

Speaking of love, my faves from the new releases would have to be the incredible Everyday Tabs Stamp & the coordinating Everyday Tabs Metal Die. Seriously AhhhMAZING!!!

I want to stamp (& tab) all.the.things!!!

How crisp are the Everyday Tabs Stamps?!

So hard to believe that those sentiment phrase tabs are stamped and not printed die cuts!

Oh, and that darling acorn?

It's also from the Wood Veneer Leaves pk! Those veneers are some serious must-haves!!!

LOVE!

For my second layout, I really did have to tab all.the.things...or at least, metal die cut them!

Here's what I'm talkin' 'bout.....

"Fall"

Oh.my.stars!!!

How amazing are the rainbow tabs on this page?!

SO.much.texture and interest!

Elle's Studio Supplies: October Kit, Everyday Tabs Metal Die, Autumn Puffy Stickers, Thankful Stickers, Wood Veneer Leaves, Home Sweet Home 6 x 6 Paper Stack.

Other: Bazzill Marshmallow Cardstock.

Let's take a closer look at this sweet page.....

SO cute! Even from little, he's always loved playing in the leaves!

And speaking of the leaves, you guessed it! I'm using more of those awesome Wood Veneer Leaves to embellish my page. See what I mean about 'must-haves'?! Too good!

But it's those stunning 'rainbow' tabs that really amaze!

All the color papers, apart from the purple, are from the Home Sweet Home 6 x 6 Paper Stack. The purple tabs are cut from one of the 3 x 4 note cards in the October Kit.

Such a fun way to use these items!

I folded all the tabs upwards to create added dimension, texture & interest too!

The Autumn Puffy Stickers are also an integral part of my page, as they provide both my title and enhance the impression of movement (falling leaves). So simple, and yet so effective!

For finishing touches, I add a little journaling with a few of the Thankful Stickers.

And there you have it!

Fabulous Fall themed creating with the new

Elle's Studio October Kit & New Releases

Shop all these goodies here!

Be sure to check back here on the 14th, as I'll be sharing some Spook-tacular Halloween inspiration with the new releases too! ;) Just sayin'

Thanks so much for visiting,

til next time,

Happy Arty Days,

Amanda xo

Hip Kit Club: Sew Beauti-Fall Thank You Cards!

Hi Lovelies!

Welcome back for more Hip Kit Club inspiration!

Today I am celebrating World Card Making Day!

Ok, so I'm a few days late, but that's ok - belated cards & warm wishes are always well received!

I mean, who doesn't love the opening their mail box to find something beautifully handcrafted inside? The September 2019 Hip Kits are perfect for creating such gorgeous treasures!

For today's inspirational post I've created a pretty trio of Thank You cards.

They're totally inspired by the beautiful HKC October mood board, courtesy of the lovely Sophie Delorme.

If you haven't seen this month's mood board, it's a stunner & looks like this....

SO gorgeous!!!

A truly magnificent array of images to spark & ignite your creativity!

Thank You & Gratitude cards instantly came to my mind - but enough chatter, let's take a look at them....

Sew Beauti-Fall Card Trio

Sew beauti-Fall, indeed!

Aren't they just the prettiest?!

I love the use of sewn details, buttons, & lace on my cards. They really enhance the hand made nature of the cards, and create a bespoke feel! Don't get me wrong, mass produced printed cards are always appreciated but nothing expresses gratitude and thankfulness than your time and attention to detail.

Card making is such a beautiful form of art!

For this card set, I used a mix of the September 2019 Main, Embellishment & Cardstock Kits. The cards all measure 4" x 6" and include the fabulous Pebbles: This Is Family collection, Fun Times, pattern paper as their main image. This paper really reminded me of the mood board, plus it had the added bonus of cut apart 3" x 4" note cards that all encompassed the grateful theme.

Perfect for the upcoming Fall & Thanksgiving season!

Here's a closer look at these pretty cards....

So very pretty!

I LOVE a good plaid pattern (esp. for Fall!), and the Pretty Little Studio Indian Summer Ephemera Combo packaging had me excited! Yes, you read correctly - I totally fell for the packaging!

And clearly, I wasn't the only one who loved this pattern - you'll spy it in it's full paper glory in the October 2019 Main Kit!

Yay! Totally swooning on this one!

To soften it just a little, I layered a sheet of Bazzill White Vellum over it and mounted it to my Bazzill Lemonade card front (both are from the September Cardstock Kit). The packaging didn't quite stretch to the base of my card, so I covered the gap with a trim of natural colored, scalloped lace from my stash. As most of you know, I love repeat design in all my creations, so I trimmed a soft pink section of the Dear Lizzy: She's Magic - Dreaming paper and used an old punch to re-create the scallop pattern. I machine stitched this trim to the top of my card, so that the top and base had a cohesive feel.

Here's a closer view....

So sweet!

The Dear Lizzy: She's Magic - Decorative Buttons were a gorgeous addition to the both the sewn & hand crafted look of the card. For more repetition, I threaded the button with natural colored twine and tied it in a bow.

Such a pretty detail!

To complete the card, I foam mounted the stitched Fun Times note card and embellished with the gorgeous Pretty Little Studio: Indian Summer Ephemera Combo die cuts. Last, but by no means least, I added those sparkly Dear Lizzy: She's Magic - Epoxy Stickers from the Embellishment Kit. The pop of pink coordinates with the pink in the plaid background and that sweet little button. Love it!

With my first card completed, it then determined the design and style for the other two!

Here's my second Thank You card....

The similarities between the cards is obvious, but on closer inspection, it's those small differences and details that make each card special & unique! I loved the softness that the vellum created in the first card, so I decide to use it again, but this time just over the plain Bazzill Lemonade Cardstock base. Super pretty! As I wasn't featuring a pattern paper background, I layered my stitched Fun Times note card onto a 3 1/4" x 4 1/4" sheet of the reverse side of the Dear Lizzy: She's Magic - Magic paper.

That green is gor-jus!!!

To make this card a lil more special, I embellished the vase of flowers with an Indian Summer die cut bloom. I folded up the petals on this die cut to create soft texture & dimension. I also foam mounted a Dear Lizzy: She's Magic - Mini Phrase Sticker (from the Embellishment Kit) to the vase. Small & simple details that produce that extra wow factor!

You'll also notice that I altered the position of the bow-tiful button & embellished it with a tiny laurel leaf die cut too! Super cute & sweet!

For my third and final card, I combined elements of the previous two cards as well as a couple new additions....

LOVEEE!!! That blue makes my heart happy!

Here's a closer look...

You'll see that I swapped out the pumpkin die cuts for that lovely yellow pear, and as yellow was such a predominant color in the mood board, I think it worked in beautifully!

The other noticeable difference is the inclusion of the sentiment tab at the top of the note card...

The Great Job tab is actually a Pinkfresh Studio: Office Hours - Cardstock Sticker from the Embellishment Kit! How cute! That soft pink coordinates with the flowers, as well as the scallop trim at the top of the card. Beautiful!

And there you have it!

Sew Beauti-Fall cards inspired by the fabulous October mood board!

I hope I have inspired you to create an extra card or two this month with your Hip Kits! Be sure to upload and share your handmade lovelies in the Hip Kit Club Facebook Group HERE - I can't wait to see what you create!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

til next time,

Happy Arty Days,

Amanda xo

Shimmerz Paints October Color Kitz Inspiration & Process Video!

Hi Friends!

Welcome back for more Shimmerz Paints inspiration!

It's the first of the month, and that means new Kitz! Yayyy!

Here's what the Shimmerz Paints October Color Kitz looks like.....

So.much.gorgeousness!

This stunning kit contains the following:

1 x Spritz: Tuscan Sun 1 oz

1 x Vibez: Hot Fudge 1 oz

1 x Creameez: Jolly Green Giant

1 x Shimmerz: Pumpkin

PLUS

1 pkt of the Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice Dotz

These are the perfect colors and embellishments for heading into Fall!

And speaking of Autumn, here's what I created with the October Color Kitz....

"Happy Moments"

Oh my!!! Isn't this just beauti-Fall?!

I just LOVE that Shimmerz: Pumpkin color!

Soooooo super pretty & full of shimmery goodness!
And the funny part?
I dislike creating with orange. It's so not my color!
Give me all the blues & pinks, but never orange.
And this is exactly why I love the Color Kitz!
They encourage me to step away from my set 'favorites' & get me to try new colors that I wouldn't normally choose!
Since creating this layout, I'd have to say Shimmerz Pumpkin is going on my 'must-have' favorite Shimmerz colors list!
And it wasn't just the Shimmerz Pumpkin that won my heart....
I'm also smitten with the Creameez Jolly Green Giant!
That green is errrrything!
Absolutely divine!

But enough chatter, here's a closer look at my layout....

Such a fun & whimsical page! Happy moments, indeed!
I've combined our beautiful October Color Kitz with scrapbook supplies from Elle's Studio & sequins from our friends at SpiegelMom Scraps. They coordinate together perfectly!

I started my layout by painting all the inset pieces of the Fox cut file (courtesy of the Silhouette Design Store). I thought the fox would really showcase that fabulous Shimmerz Pumpkin, and the florals would be perfect for highlighting the Tuscan Sun & Jolly Green Giant colors. I also used Hot Fudge to paint the nose and eyes. Super cute!

Next, I painted up a few pieces of smooth white paper in Creameez Jolly Green Giant. I used these pretty green papers to die cut a selection of leaves & foliage, which I arranged around the inset shimmery fox.

I just love how effective this bright pop of green looks against the Pumpkin fox! Gor-jus!

I tucked my darling photo into the curve of the fox's tail, and embellished with the Thankful Dotz from the Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice set. I also used the floral Dotz to adorn the flower crown on the fox....

So very beautiful!

& how good does the Hot Fudge look for the nose & eyes?!

So rich & warm! LOVE!

I embellished my layout with hearts, labels, phrase stickers & sentiments from Elle's Studio, then added a bunch of splatters with my new fave, Shimmerz Pumpkin!