A Busy Month of May

I don't know about you, but each month seems to get crazier than the last.  So for me. . .I have to plan, and I LOVE Happy Planners!!!  OMGOSH, what an addiction.  When my girls and I see that there is a sale on Happy Planner stickers and "stuff". . . we are quick to hit the road and watch the money fly.

What I also love. . .  is that I can use any and all of my Shimmerz Paints products in my planner.   My first love has always been stamping.  So stamping in my planner and using Shimmerz just makes perfect sense in my mind.  Since tulip season has passed. . . .it's time for my 2nd favorite flower. . . Poppies!!!  I used poppy stamps from Rubernecker.com and from Penny Black.

Once I stamped the poppies. . . . I reached for my Shimmerz Paints Acri-Tonez.  These are super fun paints.  They are mixable (which I did), they are super saturated with color. . .AND. . . if you are into mixed media -- there is no need for gesso!  The color combos are endless when you mixed them.  They are a ton-o-fun!!! ***A fun NOTE:  My pages did not wrinkle!!!!

I mixed Orange U Glad and Roses Are Red Acri-Tonez to get a peachy kind of color, and then once I had my flowers painted the way I liked them. . . I watered down my paint to splatter the background and add some drips.  I used Creameez on my stems and buds in Pining For You, and Lettuce Get Together.  Added a little Ride The Tide Creameez in the background . .. . and that was it!  A few more touches with left over Acri-Tonez. . . . don't wanna waste it. . . . and May was turning out to be a pretty month.

One other thing I REALLY like to add to my planner is what I call inspiration cards.  I like to do them double sided.  You know  . . . . .we all have tough days and just need a little reminder that it's all good and it will be ok.  These little inspiration cards do just that.  My Penny Black poppies, and a few background stamps got me started.  Then I finished with inspirational quotes from The Ton stamps.

So even if May brings challenges. . . .it can still make me smile.  I hope you will grab your Shimmerz Paints, and getting started planning out your summer.

REMEMBER!!!!!

If you place a Shimmerz Paints order. . . .be sure to mention this blog post in the ORDER COMMENTS section before you submit your order.

I will include a FREE jar of Inklingz or Creameez with your order!!!

There is a GIVEAWAY this week, to help with your month of May creations.  These were my go to colors for this project.

Here's how to WIN this set of products:

1)  Be sure to follow me on my Instagram (link above) and follow Shimmerz Paints.

2) Repost my Instagram post and tag me in it.

3) Tell your friends that they can win too when you repost.

4) Comment on my IG post tagging as many friends as you want to.

I will announce the winner Wed. May 10th

I am planning to do weekly GIVEAWAYS. . . .so spread the word!!!

Springing Forward

OMGosh. . . so much time has gone by.  I try to stay up with this blog, and then go off, live life and neglect the poor thing.  So instead of making all kinds of excuses. . . I'm just going to "Spring Forward" and share with you some fun things.

I have reconnected with my first love of crafting. . . . stamping.  It's been years, and although I cleaned out a lot of my stash, I've been able to use some of those vintage stamp designs that I fell in love with years ago.  Of course, like any stamper, if I see something new and super cute. . . it must be added to the collection.  This Easter card is one of my new finds.  I have always loved Penny Black.  I used to stock their stamps in my store (a very, very long time ago).  Over the years, they never seem to loose their flare for beautiful stamps.

I cannot create a card without Shimmerz Paints!  I just can't imagine not including Shimmerz in any creation.

Easter to me, is a time to celebrate our risen Lord, and celebrate new life.  We reach for pastel colors, and have the itch for those sunny, warm days, that haven't quite arrived.  We think of Easter eggs, and candies, those new Easter outfits, and time spent with family.

This adorable bunny inspired me to dust off those pastel colors, and celebrate all that spring is.

My color medium of choice was Shimmerz Creameez.  They are highly pigmented, but have a hint of shimmer to them.  Just enough shimmer to catch the light and make any project pop a little more.

I hand painted the striped background with Ride the Tide, Piggy Pink, and Freshly Minted Creameez, and painted the bottom portion of the background with Ride the Tide.  Once dry, I used a polka-dot stencil and Salt of the Earth Paste-eez to add my textured little dots to complete my background.

Here are the products I used on my little Easter card.  It was super fast, and oh so easy.  Who has time for complicated?  Not me!

If you are inspired by my little bunny card, and want to place a Shimmerz Paints order. . . .you can order HERE.  Mention my name in the ORDER COMMENTS when you order, and I will include a FREE jar of Inklingz or Creameez paint with your order.

Be sure to follow me on Instagram and Facebook. . . . because. . . I will be doing regular GIVE AWAYS!!!!!

In the meantime. . . . Get hoppin' on all those cute spring time cards.  Happy Easter!!!

BLOWING THE DUST OFF

I have been staring at this blog for an entire year now.  Wanting to post. . . but just not doing it.  Not sure what was holding me back. . . .other than work, family, and day to day life.  I feel for this blog like I do my craft room.  The desire is strong, but time is just not on my side.  Or maybe it's fear.  Fear of starting again, and then not following through.  Hmmm. . . .maybe a little of both.
BUT. . . . . . . . . . . .  Today is the day to blow off the dust and begin again.  I make no promises.  I may post and then fall away.  I hope not. . . but let's be honest. . . . .my track record of keep this blog going is not stellar.
I also blew some dust from my craft room.  I had to take a few steps back and chill out so I could recover from a bout of walking pneumonia.  I'm also not good at being sick.  I'm especially not good at the doctors idea of "resting".  HaHaHa!  I failed at that BIG time!  After my family got my attention, I decided the best way to "rest" was in my craft room.  OH MY STARS!!!. . . . my stamping skills are rusty at best.  I had to resort to Pinterest for ideas, and thank goodness for Kristina Werner and her blog (http://www.kwernerdesign.com/blog ). . .  .otherwise I would have just sat there and thumbed through all my papers and stared at all my stamping / scrapping goodies. . . .especially my own products. . . .SHEESH!
I started slow. . . but start I did.  I gathered ideas from here and there, changed them a bit to fit my needs and the products I had. . . .but you know. . . . it was fun.  It was really FUN!  I felt my stress melt, I was distracted from work, I wanted to do more cards.  I really enjoyed that time.  So I'm going to be brave and share what I did those few days.
These are all cards I made for friends.  We gather once a month to have lunch, share our lives, and love on each other.  So since it was our holiday lunch. . . .holiday cards is what I made. . .+ one birthday card.

My weapon of choice for this card was Shimmerz Paints Inklingz in Blue My Mind.  This color is so surprising.  It looks green when you first open it, but once you add water. . . the magic happens.  It turns this glorious turquoise blue with gold shimmer.  I just used watercolor paper and Blue My Mind Inkz to create my background.  Add some Miner Miner 49er to some die cut snowflakes and BAM!. . . . . .a card was being born.

This happy little snowman is full of Creameez, Spun Sugar Dazzlerz on his body, and a splash of glitter around the window.  I love this stamp.  He makes me smile!

This card is totally the genius of Kristina Werner.  The only change I made was to use Shimmerz Inklingz in Green Pastures, The Holly & The Ivy, and Miner Miner 49er.  The only other change I made was to use gold washi tape instead of gold paper for the border.  Kristina has a wonderful blog. . .go check it out.  I'm sure she will inspire you as well.

Lastly the Birthday card.  Anyone who knows me. . . knows that I LOVE my doxie's.  Daisy and Lily both bring me so much joy.  So what could be more perfect than to use this adorable doxie stamp (stamp and inspiration came from Newtons Nook).  I colored it with my Copic markers, but added some Shimmerz Inklingz in Me & Blue, Naughty & Nice, and Greener Pastures to add some hi-lights to that adorable little sweater.  THEN. . . . I added a handwritten message inside that said, "I HOPE YOUR DAY IS A WIENER".  Hahaha! I cracked myself up on that one.  

I had such a great time.  I'm glad my family made me stop and "rest".  I hope to "rest" again really soon. . . .and . . . I really hope to keep blogging. . . . keep creating. .. and not just working.  Life really is more than work. 

Be sure to see all the fabulous work on the Shimmerz Blog (www.shimmerzpaints.blogspot.com) What an incredibly talented group of ladies we have on our design teams.  They are sure to inspire you!!!  

AND. . . you can get all the products and colors I used on my cards at www.shimmerzpaints.com