I love the Simon Says Stamps monthly kits. They always have great products and new items for me to play with.  Their team also does a wonderful job making videos and sharing new techniques.  When I saw this alcohol lift ink video by Nichol Spohr on the Simon blog using the newest kit, I could not wait for my kit to come in so I could try this. I am so in love with these cards. I combined the Simon Beautiful Butterflies kit (June 2018) with an older My Monthly Hero kit (MMH - March 2018) by Hero Arts. 

I first made the backgrounds, and did the lift technique using a alcohol ink lift pad and the Beautiful Butterfly stamp set. Once they dried, I used the inked backgrounds and the transfer backgrounds to make a bunch of cards. I used the word dies from the My Monthly Hero Kit. I am not sure why I have not used these word dies until now, they are wonderful. ​

I found this really funny t-shirt online about 4 months ago, and thought...my dad needs that shirt.  It is a navy blue t-shirt and says in big white letters, "Awesome Like My Daughter."  I thought it was funny, so I purchased one.  It was the perfect gift for Father's Day, and he loved it.  I made a card for him, and decorated a Panera Bread bag to match.  I love how it all turned out. 
Materials Used:
Altenew: Trophy Life stamp set
Delicata inks: Celestial Copper & Sapphire Blue
The Paper Studio: Metallic Washi Tap in copper and blue
Cards tock: Recollections
Scalloped Nesting Dies (sorry I do not remember the maker)
Pattern Paper from my stash
Gift Bag was a up-cycled bag from Panera Bread (it was from a lunch order, but all the food was in containers, so why not use it)

Challenges Entered:
Altenew Inspiration Challenge
Polkadoodle
Cardz TV
​Aud Sentiments
Water Cooler Challenges
Crafty Gals Corner

I have recently discovered the greatness of Queen & Company shaker kits. I loved making shakers when I first started scrapbooking and making cards, way back in the day, lol. These kits have helped me to rediscover my love of all things shakers. So, a couple of weeks ago, Queen & Co. ran a sale which provided a free Toilet Paper shaker card kit when you placed an order. It came with all the dies you need to cut the front, back, and accent pieces, as well as a small sentiment stamp set, and the pre-cut craft foam; basically everything you need to make the shaker.
In my family, we do everything with humor. So with the current COVID-19 pandemic and the odd run on Toilet Paper we saw a couple of months ago, I KNEW I needed to use this shaker kit to make my mother's day cards. I had a lot of fun, and make six cards, some of which I can use for other things.  This "Like Toilet Paper You're A Necessity" sentiment can be used for a thank you card, or just to tell someone that they are important to you. I know that you are not able to purchase this set at the moment, but believe that they will be adding it to their website for purchase at some point in the near future. 

I loved the last Queen & Co. kit that I dug out so much, that I wanted o play with another one.  I ordered the Special Delivery kit and Oh My Gosh, this kit is so cute and fun to play with.  It features a classic truck die set with a side view and a back view, some fun dies to cut out and put in the bed of the truck (Christmas tree, pumpkin, gift w/bow, sunflower, snowflake, and an apple), a 6 x 6 paper pad, and a sentiment stamp set.  The best part is that it is a shaker kit, and also comes with pre-cut foam shapes and toppings (hearts in red, teal, yellow, & orange, small gits topped with a bow, pumpkins, and sunflowers).  You can view their idea gallery on the Queen & Co. website. 

I started out just wanting to cut out the truck dies and thought I would make a couple of cards, well 9 cards later, I finally cleaned up my mess.  The best part is that I still have plenty of supplies to make more cards whenever I am ready to create with this kit again. 

To make my cards, I used the items provided in the kit along with a banner sentiment die, oval, circle, and large banner die, tuxedo black ink, and cardstock for my card bases and die cuts. Enjoy my cards.  I can't wait to send these gems out to some friends. ​

 I recently ordered my very first Queen & Co. kit and let me tell you, I am in love it with.  The Love Monster kit initially came out for Valentine's Day, but I did not get around to using it until this week. I mean, look at how cute this little monster is. The kit comes with a variety of dies to create little pom pom monsters; two different body shapes, horns, wings, legs, smiles, arms, a bow to be used as a hair bow or a bowtie, a heart balloon, and a heart for your monster to hold. I first cute out a bunch of the different parts and spent an hour just creating little monsters.  It was so much fun. 

The kit also comes with pop poms, Gloobers (to glue the poms to the body base), enamel eyes, wiggle eyes, a stamp set of sentiments, and a 6X6 paper pad. I also bought a package of extra pom poms, which is nice because it came with additional colors and sizes. 

​I made 6 cards in a little over two hours, and had a wonderful time creating.  You can view the Queen & Co. Love Monster Idea Gallery on their website.
I also used some circle & oval dies as well as the Big Thanks die from My Favoriate Things, and the Monster Mash Stamp set and Big Scripty Words die set both from Lawn Fawn. 

Enjoy my creations!

We are living in a unique time, one in which a pandemic (COVID-19) has restricted us all to our homes. We have all worked to find ways to fill our days.  I personally, have trouble sitting still. I need to feel productive in some way.  I have spent my time working (I am a teacher who has moved my High School Government classes online), catching up and am now ahead in my Graduate School studies (I am working on a masters from the University of North Texas), helping my son with his schoolwork and teaching him organization skills and homemaking skills along the way, and I have been crafting.  This came at a time where I was behind on my scrapbooks. It's April 2020 and I have just started my 2019 scrapbook, but the good news is that I have had time to work on it. 
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I have also spent some time rebuilding my homemade card stash. I have so many kits from different companies that I haven't had a chance to use yet. I have kits from Simon Says Stamp, Crafter's Companion, Paper Pumpkin, Queen & Company, Hero Arts, and Brutus Monroe. So, I have decided that every couple of days, I am going to pull one out and craft. 

The first kit I picked out was the Window Frames kit (February 2021 kit) from Simon Says Stamp. See the Simon Kit Reveal and their Gallery Here. Simon produces one of my favorite kids because they send things that can be used in the kit, but can also be use for other things, like scrapbooking.  They include things like: stamps, dies, ink, beautiful papers, and embellishments. 

I always start by looking at the inspiration guide that comes with the kit.  This helps me to get started. Usually, once I finish one that I have copied from one of the designer's, I have so many ideas, that I finish out the kit on my own.  Here is what I came up with.