This weekend I’ve been embracing my inner minimalist and feeling simple. I am not sure why this happens, but it’s often accompanied by my cleaning the house like a madwoman - the kind of cleaning where I empty drawers and cabinets (which is actually a good thing!), then sit back and wonder how I managed to obtain so much junk in the first place.

I’ve also been “simplifying” my craft room, realizing that I can make things that I’m happy with using roughly a quarter of the stuff that I’ve accumulated over the years, and tonight I felt like making a simple card to go along with my simple mood. This is about as simple as it gets for me: white cardstock, a die, scored lines, and glitter!

Anyway, the highlight of my weekend was eating an almond croissant from Helmut’s Strudel, an Austrian bakery in Rockport, MA. It was the best thing I’ve eaten in a while! Hope your weekend was great too…

Suzanne

I played around with these Mayberry papers and stamps today - the colors are so fun, and with all of the hot weather, it just seemed like a good time to embrace the humidity. Maybe it’s working because I heard it’s supposed to cool down this week! The hexagon comes from Hero Arts and was stamped in Winter Sky ink from A Muse.

And in case you’re interested, I updated my For Sale page with some more items today.

Sooo not ready for Monday…
Suzanne

Hi there! Today is the Papertrey Ink June Blog Hop and the theme this month is Touch of Gold. I made two clean and simple cards for it using a sentiment from Mini Blooms and flowers from Bigger Blooms. For my touch of gold, I used a sheet of gold glitter paper from American Crafts - this stuff is so awesome.

On my first card, I had an idea for this funky wrapped look, using a nontraditional color scheme. I trimmed and layered pieces of cardstock until I got the look that I wanted and I think it made for a fun card. It’s in the mail for Kristie!

Using similar colors, I then stamped the Bigger Blooms onto some diecuts and adhered them to a chevron piece from the Chevron Cover Plate to create a more girly card. I used Mega Mat Stack 4 to create the decorative edge along the bottom of the white panel, which reminds me of a mega version of one of the Half & Half dies.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Suzanne

I was so excited when Amy had this set with her last weekend - it’s the My Favorite Things Pretty Poppies set. I tried Laurie’s Fresh Ink in tomato red, an awesome color, and stamped these on to some Basic Grey patterned paper. Some black glitter finished off the card…

…and now I think I need these stamps.

xoxo,
Suzanne

I have been a bad card class student and am playing catch-up on my homework! I was inspired by Shari Carroll’s video on Day 4 of Pattern Play, so tonight I made this card using the March Simon Says Stamp card kit.

I combined 3 patterned papers and lots of stickers on this one, and no stamps! I was inspired by this week’s CAS-ual Fridays Challenge, but I am not really sure this qualifies as CAS - what do you think? Yay or nay, please help me decide! Edited to add: CFC girls…I linked up, but you are free to give me the boot if this isn’t quite CAS enough.

How was your day? I went to breakfast this morning with my family for my sisters’ birthday, to a place that is only a couple miles down the road, but have not visited in nearly 9 nine years! I think I need to start going there more often - the pancakes were divine! I was able to squeeze in some work, and spend the afternoon shopping with my hubby…so fun!

All in all, a pretty good day!
Suzanne

You are in for a special treat. I really can’t believe I agreed to be videotaped with Jen Rzasa and Jessica Davis doing the 10 Minute Craft Dash the other night at my house. I thought you wouldn’t see my pants in the video…SO not true! Aren’t my pajama bottoms sexy? (NOT.)

Here are the colors for the challenge:

The cardstock, scalloped sticker, and patterned paper came in this month’s Simon Says Stamp card Kit. The flowers are from Martha Stewart and the embossing folder is from Lifestyle Crafts. Ten minutes is not a long time!

Here’s our video. I noticed a few things….I am surprisingly calm until I panic at the end; Jen’s cinematography skills while chasing me upstairs remind me of a horror movie, though I love how Teddy comes along for all the action; and my accent sounds REALLY bad (or good, depending on how you look at things).

After this we over, we were too pooped to craft anymore so we ate mini donuts and cookies instead.

Thanks for stopping by!
Suzanne

It’s Day 3 of Lil’ Inker Designs’ release hop, our final day featuring products that have been released over the last two days.Yep, “anything goes” today!

If you’re hopping along with the team, then you may have arrived here from Jen del Muro’s blog, but if you’re lost along this hop, you can always head on over to the Lil’ Inker Designs blog to start at the beginning.

For my first card, I diecut the colorful herringbone paper using the Connected Circles die and added the sentiment from Awesomesauce on top. I then added the flower and mounted it all to that gorgeous green patterned paper from Crate Paper.

Before I stitched everything together, I added three Gift Bow Topper diecuts as a border - love how this looks!

For my second card, I made a tall and skinny card that is slightly wider than the width of the Notebook die, embossing the kraft card base with the Circles and Diamonds Stitched Pattern die.

I added the sentiment and coordinating notebook lines from the Doodle Stamp set, later adding the small paper clip, twine and pink pearls.

Here’s a peek at all the products that have been released this week:

Hope that you’ll keep on hopping for a chance to win one of the Lil’ Inker Designs $10 credits hidden on one of our blogs!

Your next stop on the hop is Alicia Thelin’s blog!

Thanks so very much for all of your sweet comments these last few days!

Suzanne

I have such exciting news to share - it is one of my craftiest highlights ever to announce that Laura invited me to be a part of the Lil’ Inker Designs family, starting this week…which just happens to be release week! YaAaaaAAAAY!

Today is Day 1 of a 3-day release hop, and if you’re hopping along with the team then you may have arrived here from Sarah Jay’s blog. And if you’re lost along this hop, you can always head on over to the Lil’ Inker Designs blog to start at the beginning.

Today we are showcasing the Circles and Diamonds Stitched Pattern die, and the coordinating Connected Circles Die and Darling Diamonds stamp set, all of which are available in the store today.

On my first card, I used the Circles and Diamonds Stitched Pattern die to emboss the stitched circular pattern onto some light green cardstock, which I then cut out with a circle punch to create this bubbly Hello card. The sentiment comes in the coordinating Darling Diamonds stamp set.

On my next card, you can see how I used the stitched pattern die in a more traditional way, embossing the front panel of cardstock with the pattern before adding my flower and sentiment.

This sentiment comes from a super cute new set this month called Awesome Sauce, which is free with a $75 purchase this month while supplies last. Enter code AWESOMESAUCE at checkout.

I hope you keep on hopping because there are some Lil’ Inker Designs $10 credits available as prizes to folks who comment along the way.

Your next stop on the hop is the Lil’ Inker Designs blog! Hope to see you again tomorrow for Release Day 2!

XoXo,
Suzanne

Hope you’re week is going well! Today I have a project to share on the Neat and Tangled blog, and would love for you to head on over there to check it out.

Hugs,
Suzanne

I just wanted to pop in and share a card that I made a little while ago - I wanted to try stitching on my patterned paper, using supplies from the 34th Street card kit from Studio Calico.

I wish the whole patterned paper pad in this kit was this chevron pattern only. I love it so much.

Have a fabulous week, friends! I was at a meeting at the National Cancer Institute for the second half of last week (and it was pretty awesome), but now I am hoping that this week isn’t extra crazy to make up for what I missed. Fingers crossed!

Hugs,
Suzanne