Clean and Simple - April 25 Challenge

Clean and Simple ... the challenge for today was the Artist's Rule of Three. We had to use 3 things on each of our cards.


This is one of my favorite rules to use on my projects.


The first card uses 'wheels' for the rule of 3. It ended up being a very 'classic' looking card.

Card Recipe -
Stamps - You're A Wheely Great Dad - Clear Dollar Stamps
Paper - white, black, gray
Ink - black
Copics - none
Accessories - ScorPal, pop dots, circle punches, silver buttons
Technique - CAS







This one was a little less conventional. :)


Card Recipe -
Stamps - Father's Day - Clear Dollar Stamps
Paper - Tropical Mist, black, white
Ink - black
Copics - 0, B39, BG18, B34
Accessories - pop dots, sewing machine
Technique - CAS



These were super fun to create!! Jump on over to SCS and join us for the challenge.



More coming later this week. Have an amazing Monday and a great, big, beautiful tomorrow!



*~Shell*~

Clear Dollar Stamps SVG Release Day!

Oh, how I love my Cricut, SCAL, and SVG files. :) They make my crafting life so much fun and so easy.


Today, Clear Dollar Stamps is releasing some wonderful new SVG files! I had an opportunity to create with the Ollie Owl file, and I LOVE this little guy!!!


Isn't this owl ADORABLE?! I love it!! It was so easy to cut and put together, too. You have just got to try it.

Card Recipe :
Stamps - Whooo Loves You
Paper - gray, peach, rust, dp
Ink - black
Accessories - Ollie Owl SVG, Sheer Shimmer, Designer Labels dies, Cuttlebug, folder, bling hanging hearts, pop dots, sewing machine



Head over to Lori's blog to see the great SVG files that she's releasing today and that other design team members are using for samples. They really are great!!!


Hope you have a reflective Good Friday and a great, big, beautiful Easter Sunday.


~*Shell*~

Blog Hop Winners!!

Congratulations to the winners!!!

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

From Stacy's blog, Twinshappy, our first winner is Donna, Indiana Inking.

From Lisa's blog, Lisa's Life Lines, our second winner is Patti J., Cherish Each Precious Day.

Each winner must email Lori (lori@cleardollarstamps.com) to claim their prize of a $10 gift certificate for clear or digital stamps from the CDS store.

Have a great day and a great, big, beautiful tomorrow!!

~*Shell*~

Blog Hop!!!! Let's Laugh .... with Ralph Waldo Emerson

"The Earth laughs in flowers." It's a beautiful quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson, and this month, the theme for our April blog hop! Come hop in the flowers with us. :)


You should have come here from Laurie's amazing blog, but if you just happened to check in here at the Haven, you will want to head over to Lori's blog to get started on the hop! Remember .... the more blogs you comment on, the better your chances of winning a prize.



What could be better than smiling paper for a laughter card?! :) I made a pocket card out of this one, but that wasn't the original intent. When I had the smile paper on the bottom layer, I realized that it would be super cute if I could make a 'flower' note come out of the top. Using SCAL, the Cricut, and the Ladybug Hugs SVG file, I made one. The flower in the set was made big to fit (welded) to the top of a rectangle. Then, I cut a center for the flower, as well as a white layer to write on. The smile dp is sewn to the green layer on 3 sides so that there is a pocket left at the top.

Card Recipe :
Stamps - Ladybug Hugs
Paper - peach, green, white, mustard, smile dp
Ink - black
Copics - Y26, Y28, BV00, BV04, R81, R83, YR16, Y17, G21
Accessories - Cricut, SCAL, Ladybug Hugs SVG file, cuttlebug, folder, pop dots, sewing machine, pearls
Technique - pocket card

PRIZES: 2 lucky winners will each receive a $10 gift certificate for the CDS store for purchase of clear or digital stamps ONLY.

WINNERS: Winners will be randomly chosen from comments received on two DT member blogs. Winners will be announced on the CDS blog and on here on Wednesday, April 20th.



After you've commented here, make sure you head on over to the super talented Jasmin's blog for our next stop. Don't forget to comment on all of the blogs for a better chance to win!!





Have a fantastic Sunday and a great, big, beautiful tomorrow!!


~*Shell*~

Clearly Inspired Challenge #26 .... All About the Bling!

Challenges, challenges ... SO much fun, aren't they?! This one was a particularly difficult challenge for me because I don't 'do' a lot of bling. But ... it's such fun to -----stretch------ myself and to get out of my comfort zone sometimes.

The Clearly Inspired Challenge for today is all about BLING! I hope you can join in the fun and create something blingy.

There are crystals in the swirl, pearls on the image layer, crystals on the image layer, pearls on the sentiment tag, and the image layer has been spritzed with Sheer Shimmer. So ... 'bout that bling?!

Card Recipe :
Stamps - Bunny Kids
Paper - white, sweet cheekcs, K&Company dp
Ink - black
Copics - R81, R83, V01, C1, C3, R20, 0
Accessories - Cricut, Cuttlebug, folder, SCAL, sewing machine, ribbon, pearls, pop dots



Want to play ???? Please join us! We need lots of participants so that we can have LOTS of prizes!!!

Here are the details ....

-Challenges are now going to be on the 1st and 3rd Fridays of each month, and you'll have 2 weeks to finish each challenge.

-Challenges can use any stamps or digis from any company

-Only one entry per person per challenge

-Prizes will be given away after both challenges for the month. The number of prizes is determined by the number of participants for the month. For every 20 entries there will be a $10 gift certificate for stamps or digis up for grabs. (For example if over the entire month there were a total of 60 participants in both challenges, there will be 3 $10 gift certificates and 3 of the featured digital images to give away.)

-We will also be giving away the featured digi image....one for every 20 entries!


Head right on over to Lori's blog and the Clearly Inspired Challenge to join the challenge.

I can't wait to see you get your bling on!!! :)



Have a fantastic Friday and a great, big, beautiful tomorrow!!


~*Shell*~

Sweet Sketch Wednesday

I've mentioned before how much I love sketch challenges. Today, I am playing in the Sweet Sketch Wednesday challenge. What a super sketch to work with!!


Here's what I did with that wonderful sketch.




I love the dp on this card ... and that flower is SO fun. You need to run over there to play, too! I mean ... a great sketch challenge AND a prize?! What could be better? :)

Card Recipe:

stamps - Tulip Wreath
paper - black, white, yellow, gray, The Paper Studio dp
ink - black
Copics - R81, R83, C1, G21, Y11
accessories - Cricut, SCAL, sewing machine, brad, flower, ribbon, Cuttlebug, folder, pop dots



Hope you have an awesome Wednesday evening and a great, big, beautiful tomorrow!!


~*Shell*~

A Challenging Combination

I set out to create a card using the elements sent to me in the Monthly Challenge Swap. The choices this month were fun and very springy. Some of the elements were even purple! That worked out great because the challenge on Stampin' Sisters In Christ this week is to use purple! Yeah, I just hate that .... since it's my favorite color and all. :) :)

So, I did this card for both challenges.


This card uses the purple flowers from the swap, as well as dp, the pink spot (but not the sentiment on it), and the blue background paper. I supplied the beautiful sentiments (from A Godly Mother set, released on April 7 at Clear Dollar Stamps), ribbon, purple paper, and Sheer Shimmer (on the large sentiment).


Card Recipe -
stamps - A Godly Mother
paper - blue, lavender, white, dp
ink - lavender, pink, black
Copics - none
accessories - circle punch, Sheer Shimmer, crystals, Cuttlebug, folder, ribbon, pop dots


Hope you are having a fantastic Tuesday and that you have a great, big, beautiful tomorrow!

~*Shell*~

Day 4 of Super Samples from the April Clear Dollar Stamps Product Parade!!!

It's been a great Product Parade, hasn't it??! Wow .... Such great sets and great samples. Today is the last day of our parade, but you can continue the fun by getting these great stamp sets and joining our Clearly Inspired Challenges (on the 1st and 3rd Friday each month) and by commenting during our blog hop every month on the 3rd Sunday!

Today, we're going to wrap things up with some bunnies, blooming, and a wedding. :)


Bunny Kids ... such a precious set. It has the bunny kids, but it also has a bunny mom and a bunny dad and some wonderful sentiments. I chose to make mine a baby card.

Card Recipe:
Stamps - Bunny Kids
Paper - Sweet Cheeks, white, K & Company dp
Ink - black
Copics - R81, R83, R20, C1, C3, V01, O
Accessories/Tools - Designer Labels dies, Cricut, Cuttllebug, folder, SCAL, sewing machine, ribbon, pearls, pop dots


Thanks for Helping Me Bloom ...what a great set to show your appreciation to some very special people in your life!! I love that I could match it up with this wonderful crow holding the sunflower. He's SO cute. :)

Card Recipe:
Stamps : Thanks for Helping Me Bloom, Something to Crow About
Paper : black, white, Wild Ginger, Ripe Olive, dp
Ink : black, brown
Copics : C3, C5, C7, Y26, Y28, Y17, B00, G24, G28, G94
Accessories : Blooming Bouquet dies, sewing machine, pearls, pop dots, brads, ribbon


Wedding Cake shaker card ...



And the shaker part up close ...
I'm not sure why, but this cake called for something 'special.' I had just gotten a couple of new rolls of the 'tacky tape' ... you know, the kind with the red strip you have to take off. I looked at the packaging and thought, "Wow. I could USE this for something." And ... I did. I cut the card, with the hole in it for the shaker, on the Cricut. It worked beautifully!!

Card Recipe:
Stamps - Wedding Cake
Paper - white
Ink - pink, black
Accessories - Cricut, SCAL, Wedding Cake SVG file, tacky tape, tacky tape container, Tabs & Tags dies, diamond dust, glitter, ribbon, Cuttlebug, folder
Technique - shaker card



Well .... that concluded our parade for April, but honestly, July is just around the corner! That's when we'll have our next Product Parade and show our Super Samples to all of you! I hope you enjoyed the parade over the last few days. If you did, drop by Clearly iStamp and let Lori know. Then, stop by Clear Dollar Stamps and get the sets for yourself. You will love the quality, reasonable prices, and selection you find there. It's simply an amazing company.


Ok .... as a side note today, please take a moment to run over to Katie's Blog and wish her a very happy birthday!!! Yep, today is our Katie's special day!!

Check back in soon ....

Challenge samples coming soon
Clearly Inspired Challenge coming on the 15th
Clear Dollar Stamps Design Team Blog Hop on the 17

Both of my amazing boys have birthdays this month, so I know I will have those cards to show you, too!

Have a great Sunday and a great, big, beautiful tomorrow.



~*Shell*~

Day 3 of Super Samples from the April Clear Dollar Stamps Product Parade!!!

Another day of samples ... just for you! :) These sets ... and more ... just released at Clear Dollar Stamps!!

We're going to focus on the guys today. We have some super sets just for them!

My hubby LOVES puns, so this stamp is particularly great for him. "You're a Wheely Great Dad" is a fun stamp to add to a card with a car image. I chose the VW bug because our family loves playing the "Punch Buggy" game ALL the time! :)

Card Recipe:
Stamps - A Wheely Great Dad, Volkswagon Bug Paper - black, white, dp (the Paper Studio) Ink - black, blue, white Copics - G21, G24, G28, B34, C3, C7 Accessories - Glitter pen, MM tagmaker, brads, Cuttlebug, Gears folder, pop dots




The next set ... well, I got a little crazy with it. I ended up making 2 cards. I couldn't stop and couldn't decide which one to use!


The set is called For Our Men. It's got different names that men are called - father, son, uncle, etc., as well as a couple of things to add to those. Yes, I know that both cards say 'son.' Remember, I have a Marine! I always have a need to send something his way. :) I kind of have him on my mind a lot. :)

Hello Son Card Recipe:
Stamps - For Our Men, Air Flair
Paper - gray, yellow, white, Deep Sea
Ink - black, brown
Copics - none
Accessories/Tools - Tabs & Tags Dies, watercolor crayons, aquapainter, gold dots, pop dots


You're a Special Son Card Recipe:
Stamps - For Our Men, Liberty
Paper - olive, black, white, vanilla
Ink - black
Copics - B32
Accessories/Tools - Designer Labels Dies, gold dots, black twine, sewing machine



The next set focuses on fathers. It's a super Father's Day set called ... Father's Day! :)

Scrapbox Closed:
Scrapbox open:

I thought that an explosion box - or a scrapbox - would be a great gift for my hubby to get for Father's Day. Inside, I placed a picture of each of our children, as well as a picture of him with all 3 kids together. I love making these. They have such a 'wow' effect on anyone that receives them. The stamp set was perfect for this project!!

Scrapbox Recipe:
Stamps - Father's Day
Paper - moss, rust, white
Ink - black, brown, Versamark, moss
Copics - C1, C5, C3, E00, E02, E31
Accessories - Cricut, SCAL, pop dots, glue dots, Tacky Tape, ribbon, twine, brads, sewing machine, buttons
Technique - explosion box, scrapping




One more day in the Product Parade!!! Don't miss the samples coming tomorrow, and make sure you head to Clearly iStamp to see all the other samples from the design team! Then ... rush on over to Clear Dollar Stamps to grab the great sets we're showing off this weekend!

Day 2 of Super Samples from the April Clear Dollar Stamps Product Parade!!!

Wasn't yesterday wonderful!? Super samples from everyone on the team. What could we possibly have in store for you today? More fantastic set samples from Clear Dollar Stamps April Product Parade, of course!


How about a set for fathers and one for mothers? A Godly Father and A Godly Mother have beautiful scriptures, verses, and sentiments especially to honor these wonderful people in our lives.

The set A Godly Father is perfect for those precious men in our lives. I SO wish that I could have given this card to my daddy. I miss him terribly, but I will honor my father-in-law with this card. He, too, is a very precious man in my life.

Card Recipe: Stamps - A Godly Father, Cross Messages Paper - rust, olive, river rock Ink - black, rust Accessories - Cross dies, Cuttlebug, folder (gears), nesties, Jim Holtz key, twine, sewing machine, metal buttons, pop dots



A Godly Mother is just wonderful!! I used it to create a special bookmark for Mother's Day. I think I may make some of these for my Sunday school kids to give their mom's for Mother's Day. I think they would like them.

Card Recipe:
Stamps - A Godly Mother
Paper - gray, white
Ink - black, blue
Copics - R81, R83, 0
Accessories - Flower, dauber, pearls, brad



More coming tomorrow - and more on the Clearly iStamp blog today. Make sure you check out what each member of the design team has to offer. They are INCREDIBLE!!! I'm SO honored to work with them.


Have an amazing Friday and a great, big, beautiful tomorrow!!



~*Shell*~

Day 1 of Super Samples from the April Clear Dollar Stamps Product Parade!!!

Oh my. I have SO much to show you over the next few days!!! But first, let me explain. Beginning with April, Clear Dollar Stamps will have quarterly new stamp releases instead of monthly. This means that you will see a bunch of stamps released at one time - AND they will all be available on the *first day of the Product Parade*!!! How cool is that?! No more waiting until they are all previewed. You can see the samples and run right over to Clear Dollar Stamps to grab some for yourself.



Today, I'm going to share 2 new sets with you. Both are wonderful for the women in your lifel

The first one is Lovely Women.


That beautiful script on the tag .... don't you love it?! Such a beautiful set that includes things for mother, sister, daughter, etc. I paired it with an image from the next set that I'm featuring .... Tulip Wreath.

Card Recipe :
Stamps - Lovely Women, Tulip Wreath Paper - vanilla, plum, dp, vellum Ink - plum, black, brown Copics - V95, G24, G28, G94, BG10 Accessories/Tools - Designer Labels dies, ribbon, lace, sewing machine, pearls, pop dots



I LOVE the tulips from this set. It also includes a wonderful tulip wreath stamp. Gorgeous set. This is great for so many kinds of cards ... birthday, thinking of you, happy day, Mother's Day, sympathy, and many others.


Card Recipe :
Stamps - Tulip Wreath
Paper - white, Tickled Pink, black
Ink - black
Copics - R81, R83, R85, Y15, YG67, C1
Accessories/Tools - Cuttlebug, folder, pearls, ribbon, pop dots



So...what now?? Well, run over to Clear Dollar Stamps and grab these sets, and come back tomorrow to see the next group of samples I have to show you. You can check out all the details and all of the samples that the design team has for you by dropping in over at Lori's blog.



Hope you have an amazing Thursday and a great, big, beautiful tomorrow!!


~*Shell*~

Clearly Inspired Challenge #25 .... Clean and Simple

It's time, again, for the Clearly Inspired Challenge over at Clearly iStamp! I love challenges, and challenges with prizes are much, much sweeter! :) With this challenge, the more that participate, the more prizes that are given out. So, everyone enter!!! What could be easier ... something clean and simple!


I love clean and simple challenges and cards. They have such a clean, crisp, classy look to me. I chose to use the set "Hoppy Frogs" for my card.


I wasn't sure if this card was as 'clean and simple' as I wanted it to me, but I really like how it turned out. Isn't that ribbon TOO much fun!?

Card Recipe -
Stamps - Hoppy Frogs (Clear Dollar Stamps)
Paper - Lime Juice, white
Ink - black
Copics - G05, RV06, C1
Accessories/Tools - Cuttlebug, folder, ribbon, flower stickers, pop dots



Want to play the challenge???? I sure hope so!!! We need lots of participants so that we can have LOTS of prizes!!!

Here are the details ....

-Challenges are now going to be on the 1st and 3rd Fridays of each month, and you'll have 2 weeks to finish each challenge.

-Challenges can use any stamps or digis from any company

-Only one entry per person per challenge

-Prizes will be given away after both challenges for the month. The number of prizes is determined by the number of participants for the month. For every 20 entries there will be a $10 gift certificate for stamps or digis up for grabs. (For example if over the entire month there were a total of 60 participants in both challenges, there will be 3 $10 gift certificates and 3 of the featured digital images to give away.)

-We will also be giving away the featured digi image....one for every 20 entries!



Now, create your card/project, and head over to Clearly iStamp and submit it. Have a great time creating your project. :)



Hope to see you again soon .....

Just a hint - New Clear Dollar Stamps products are coming .... SOON!!! :) Watch for them here.



Have a beautiful Friday and a great, big, beautiful tomorrow.


~*Shell*~