Cactus Sunday

Hi Everyone! Sorry for posting this a little late. This is just what happens when I forgot to charge my camera battery. Anyhoo, I felt like doing a little relaxing and watercolouring. So, I brought out the Sharp One stamp set, stamped a whole bunch of cactus and succulents and watercolour them while watching some TV :)

I've stamped all the images on a thin piece of paper first so that I use it as a mask when I want to stamp another image. This will allow me to do an overlapping of stamping without have the stamp lines interfering. 

I've decided to use the images as some kind of border around the die-cut sentiment. I have not done this look in a while and I quite like it and want to use it with other stamp set. 

Sharp One Stamp Set
Thanks Twice

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Follow Create A Smile on Facebook keep yourself updates on all the happenings and if you're an Instagram addict like I am, you can follow Create A Smile using this name : @createasmilestamps ! :)

Mail Call : Christine is looking to decorate her office with your beautiful Create A Smile cards creation. Send your cards to Merremstr. 21, 47053 Duisburg, Germany.

Thanks for stopping by,

Marina

Creating A Scene (Part 2) - July Release!

Hi Everyone! I'm not great with creating a scene when it comes to using a cute scene stamp set but I do like to take some elements of the set to create a mini scene that I generally enjoy. I hope this will inspire you to use the set in different ways.

This beautiful set is called Scene Builders and I've only taken out the hot-air balloon and the clouds of this set. I've coloured them with a mix of Distress Inks/Markers and prima watercolours. 

I've actually started create a gradient blue background but after sticking down my images, you can no longer see the gradient. But sometimes that's just how it goes right? I still like how it turns out and perhaps I will give this look another try next time. Has this happen to you before? 

Anyways, I've also used one of the rectangles from the Double Stitched Rectangle set and I think the stitching lines from the die matches the stamp set super well! 

To finish the card, I've added some stickles here and there and a beautiful sentiment from the Decorated Wishes set. I thought of stamping it in black but a white embossing sentiment gave it a more softer look. 

Double Stitched Rectangle set
Decorated Wishes set
Scene Builders

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Follow Create A Smile on Facebook keep yourself updates on all the happenings and if you're an Instagram addict like I am, you can follow Create A Smile using this name : @createasmilestamps ! :)

Mail Call : Christine is looking to decorate her office with your beautiful Create A Smile cards creation. Send your cards to Merremstr. 21, 47053 Duisburg, Germany.

Thanks for stopping by,

Marina

Creating A Scene - July New Release!

All you scene builders, this is the set for you! This adorable, stitched border set is just gorgeous. I will admit that I personally struggle at creating a scene but I'm inspired to practice with this set.

This beautiful set is called Scene Builders

As you can see that it's simply stamping out the images I wanted to use and colouring them with Distress Inks/Markers. But, if you look closely, I've subtly embossed some clouds with clear embossing powders and I really like that effect. Honestly, I forgot about my clear embossing powders lol. White powders have been conquering my desk. 

This set doesn't have a sentiment to go along with it but it gives you the opportunity to set the tone of the card yourself. I've decided to use the sentiment from the new To The Moon set to send this card to my family back home since I've living abroad :) 

To The Moon
Scene Builders

Head to the store and check them out.

Follow Create A Smile on Facebook keep yourself updates on all the happenings and if you're an Instagram addict like I am, you can follow Create A Smile using this name : @createasmilestamps ! :)

Mail Call : Christine is looking to decorate her office with your beautiful Create A Smile cards creation. Send your cards to Merremstr. 21, 47053 Duisburg, Germany.

Thanks for stopping by,

Marina

TWO Cards Using July New Releases!

NEW RELEASES are finally here! I'm beyond excited to share them with you but today, I will share 3 brand new sets (there are more and you can check all of them out in the store).

Let's start with there 2 : Loops of Love & Lächeln 

The gold loops are just stamped directly on top of each other. I think these loops goes really well with watercolour look. 

Next, I wanna share is the : To The Moon set

Some of the talented ladies in this Design Team have create beautiful spacey background to go with this set. I tried and kind of failed so I've decided to go with a "make your own background out of the stamps" route ;) 

To The Moon
Loops of Love 
 Lächeln 

Head to the store and check them out.

Follow Create A Smile on Facebook keep yourself updates on all the happenings and if you're an Instagram addict like I am, you can follow Create A Smile using this name : @createasmilestamps ! :)

Mail Call : Christine is looking to decorate her office with your beautiful Create A Smile cards creation. Send your cards to Merremstr. 21, 47053 Duisburg, Germany.

Thanks for stopping by,

Marina

A Colourful Thanks

Hiiii!! Today, I wanted to share another card using the Say What?! stamp set. You know, this set is turning to be one of my top favourites and I can't wait to use it again for a different time.

I wanted to colour in these speech bubbles but I didn't feel like colouring them individually. Instead, I've stamped them out into a background pattern by white embossing them. When that's that, I've literally just added pink, yellow and orange and not being too careful about it. 

The only thing I kept in mind was to add some darker shades. I find that by adding dark shades, you get a more "textured" look and you can highlight the speech bubbles even more clearly than if you just give it a light wash of colour. Just remember to let the layers dry first before adding more colours. 

Instead of using a black and bold sentiment like I would usually do, I've decided to stamp out Thank You using the Lettering Alphas stamp set on a vellum piece. I thought this gives a more softer look. I've just drawn out a "cloud shape" around it and cut it out to match some of the speech bubble. 

Say What?!
Lettering Alphas 
Distress Inks - Squeezed Lemonade, Spiced Marmalade & Picked Raspberry

Head to the store and check them out.

Follow Create A Smile on Facebook keep yourself updates on all the happenings and if you're an Instagram addict like I am, you can follow Create A Smile using this name : @createasmilestamps ! :)

Mail Call : Christine is looking to decorate her office with your beautiful Create A Smile cards creation. Send your cards to Merremstr. 21, 47053 Duisburg, Germany.

Thanks for stopping by,

Marina

You Are Wonderful

Hiiii!!Who else loves succulents as much as I do? Well, today, I'm sharing a card that you can recreate for a friend or love ones that love succulents too! I'm using one of my favourite sets called Sharp One.

I wanted to use a dark card base which unfortunately, the lighting isn't that great when I took this photo. But I wanted to take a break from my white card bases. Simply enough, this card was made just but stamping, colouring and cutting it out. The beautiful stamps really speaks for itself. 

I wanted to use my leftover patterned papers from the Beach Party Kit to add a bright yellow to ground the plants. 

I hope you like this card and give these stamps a try!

Sharp One
All About You
Beach Party Kit 

Head to the store and check them out.

Follow Create A Smile on Facebook keep yourself updates on all the happenings and if you're an Instagram addict like I am, you can follow Create A Smile using this name : @createasmilestamps ! :)

Mail Call : Christine is looking to decorate her office with your beautiful Create A Smile cards creation. Send your cards to Merremstr. 21, 47053 Duisburg, Germany.

Thanks for stopping by,

Marina

Say What? Happy Birthday!!

Hiiii!! I would like to give a spotlight to another new stamp for this month and this one is the Say What? stamp set. I love these speech bubbles because they aren't bound to an occasion and you can it as it is or use it with your critters or other images. But today, I'm just going to use it as it is.

Simply put, I've just embossed almost all the speech bubbles on pieces of coloured cardstock along with the little words and icons in it. Trim them all and leave a little bit of border of colour around the speech bubbles. 

I've left the bottom part empty to stick on the sentiment using the Birthday Triple die. I've die-cut it 3 times to stack it up to thicken it up. Finished it off with dots of stickles and white enamel dots. 

I hope you like this card and give these stamps a try!

Birthday Triple die
Say What? stamp set

Head to the store and check them out.

Follow Create A Smile on Facebook keep yourself updates on all the happenings and if you're an Instagram addict like I am, you can follow Create A Smile using this name : @createasmilestamps ! :)

Mail Call : Christine is looking to decorate her office with your beautiful Create A Smile cards creation. Send your cards to Merremstr. 21, 47053 Duisburg, Germany.

Thanks for stopping by,

Marina

New Stamp Set Alert!

Hiiii!! Woohoo! New stamp set alert! Well, actually, a bunch of new stuff alert! Have you visited the store yet? If not, head down there to get the front seat of what's been released. As for this week, I'll be sharing this fun and colourful card using the First Day of School stamp set.

I don't know anyone heading for their first day of school but I wanted to show you that you can take a set like this and use it for something else. I've done a one-layer card for this one. With all these pens, pencils and paintbrushes, I really enjoyed stamping them on top of each other without actually adding bulk. 

To create my own sentiment, I've brought out the alphabet stamp set  to create the word Congrats. That's the beauty of alphabet stamp set isn't it? 

I hope you like this card and give these stamps a try!

Lettering Alphas stencil
First Day of School stamp set

Head to the store and check them out.

Follow Create A Smile on Facebook keep yourself updates on all the happenings and if you're an Instagram addict like I am, you can follow Create A Smile using this name : @createasmilestamps ! :)

Mail Call : Christine is looking to decorate her office with your beautiful Create A Smile cards creation. Send your cards to Merremstr. 21, 47053 Duisburg, Germany.

Thanks for stopping by,

Marina

Vinyl, Anyone?

Hiiii!! How many of you here own a record player? I don't but I would really love to. They look amazing and beautiful. But, with today's stamp set, you don't need a record player to use ;) Head to the store and check them out.

Now, I will be honest. At first I wasn't sure how I was going to use this but after stamping it on scrap papers to test out the stamps, I came up with this. I know they are supposed to be black but I just can't make my first card using this set without some kind of bright colours first :) 

This is so simple to make. I've basically embossed them all on coloured papers and cut them out leaving a thin border. The little sentiments came with the images and it fits perfectly in the center on the image. 

I hope you will give this set a try and they are so many more ways to use this which I will definitely share next time. 

Follow Create A Smile on Facebook keep yourself updates on all the happenings and if you're an Instagram addict like I am, you can follow Create A Smile using this name : @createasmilestamps ! :)

Mail Call : Christine is looking to decorate her office with your beautiful Create A Smile cards creation. Send your cards to Merremstr. 21, 47053 Duisburg, Germany.

Thanks for stopping by,

Marina

May New Releases - Cactus

Hiiii!! If you didn't know, a bunch of NEW releases are here! Head to the store and check them out. It's a great release this time. So today, I just wanted to keep it simple and just focus on these adorable stamps :)

As you might know, I'm a fan of doing one layer cards and when new stamp set comes, I know I just had to do this. If you've not done one-layer cards yet, you have to start by stamping out your images all on the thin piece of paper first.

Cut out those images to protect them while you stamp another image over it. This is to make it look like they are sitting on top of each other without adding bulk. 

Follow Create A Smile on Facebook keep yourself updates on all the happenings and if you're an Instagram addict like I am, you can follow Create A Smile using this name : @createasmilestamps ! :)

Mail Call : Christine is looking to decorate her office with your beautiful Create A Smile cards creation. Send your cards to Merremstr. 21, 47053 Duisburg, Germany.

Thanks for stopping by,

Marina