Life Is Short

I haven't been creating much in the last few months. Things have happened. Life has happened. We had a death in the family. I started a new job. I simply had no energy to create at all. To be honest, I also had no energy to cook, clean or exercise. This weekend I felt the call of the craft room for the first time in months. So I cranked the music up and answered that call. I'll show you what I created some other day. Today I'll show you something I had forgotten I made earlier. I knew a few months ago things were going to get tough, so I created this tag while I was grieving for things to come. I found it yesterday when I was performing an archaeological excavation in my craft room (also known as cleaning your crafting desk).

I don't usually do mixed media, so this is a bit out there for me. I have to admit, I can't even quite remember what I did to create the tag, as it now seems like a lifetime ago. I think I started with a background created with Distress Oxides, then added Gesso on top of that. I stencilled the floral using ARTplorations Bloom Boldly using texture paste mixed with Bronze Distress Paint. I then splattered some watercolours and white acrylic. I also think I stamped some grungy stamps on the background before stamping sentiments from It's a Girl Thing:Kindness and It's a Girl Thing: Sunshine onto a previously created rainbow coloured leftover piece of cardstock.

I'm linking up over at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge where Anything Goes, Love 2 Create and A Inky Mess where anything mixed media goes, and Tuesday Throwdown where the theme is Stenciling.

Stamps: STAMPlorations It's a Girl Thing:Kindness and It's a Girl Thing: Sunshine 

Dies: CUTplorations Maila Tags Nesting Dies

Stencil: ARTploratons Bloom Boldly

Inks and colouring: Distress Oxides, Distress Paint, Distress Ink, Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black

STAMPlorations discount code: If you want to save 20% when shopping in the STAMPlorations store you can use the code STAMPGIRLKAROLA at checkout. The discount applies to all normal priced and discounted stamps, stencils and dies. The code cannot be combined with other discount codes.

February STAMPlorations TAG challenge - Love

It's time to get geared up for a new month of great STAMPlorations challenges. Our February TAGplorations challenge is All About Love, with an optional twist of cupcakes. As you can see from my card, uncharacteristically I stayed true to my diet and stepped away from the cupcakes.

Can I confess something? I'm not really big on Valentine's day. Never been. I'm not a romantic, and neither is my dearest. Bless him, the first year we were together he did get me a Valentine's card, and he had even made it himself using photos from our first trip together. But no more cards after that. I usually make him one which he dutifully displays on his nightstand. But don't let that spoil your enthusiasm if you are a fan of Valentine's, this challenge will give you a great opportunity to flex those Valentine's muscles! If you are like me, there are plenty of other options for love, it doesn't have to be romantic love. I love (haha, pun intended) the sentiments in the Big Dreamer stamp set, and I felt there was a perfect one for the love theme while making the tag cheery and colourful.

I die cut the tag from a piece of card I had created a while back when I did a big batch of rainbow coloured backgrounds by smooshing Distress Inks onto watercolour paper. I stamped the flowers on white card, coloured with Copics and fussy cut. I stamped the sentiment in black and added some hearts and heart borders from It's a Girl Thing: Sunshine before attaching the coloured flowers. I think the colourful tag and flowers are just what we need while waiting for spring to arrive!

I'm linking up over at Just Us Girls where the theme is Love.  I'm also linking up over at Shopping Our Stash where the challenge is Ode to Jessie, a talented crafter who you might know from her design work on challenges such as Shopping Our Stash and Sisterhood of Snarky stampers. Sadly Jessie passed away late last year. I was inspired by the colourful watercolour background of Jessi's card here. Last, but not least I'm linking up over at Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge where the theme is Add Some Red. 

Stamps: STAMPlorations Big Dreamer, It's a Girl Thing: Sunshine

Dies: CUTplorations Stitched Tags Nesting Dies

Ink and Colouring: Tim Holtz Distress Ink, Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics

STAMPlorations discount code: If you want to save 20% when shopping at theSTAMPlorations store you can use the code STAMPGIRLKAROLA at checkout. The discount applies to all normal priced and discounted stamps, stencils and dies. The code cannot be combined with other discount codes.

"It's A Girl Thing" Turner Syndrome Awareness Inaugural Blog Hop

Hello Blogging Friends!!

Welcome to my project for the "It's A Girl Thing" Turner Syndrome Awareness Inaugural Blog Hop! 

Turner Syndrome is a genetic disorder where a female is born with only one X chromosome, instead of two, leaving her with life-long medical issues and learning disabilities. This condition occurs one in 2,500 female births worldwide, but is more common among pregnancies that do not survive to full term. That is why Turner Syndrome Females are considered MIRACLES! 

Nineteen caring Sponsors and eleven DT Members have partnered with us to bring Turner Syndrome Awareness to the Public. For details on how you might win any of these fabulous prizes, please see Lori's TS home page. Thanks for learning About Turner Syndrome. 

My TS related project uses a few colors from the TS official color board:

This blog hop is hosted by Lori Kobular and she shares the journey she and her family have been on after her oldest daughter Julie was diagnosed with Turner Syndrome in her own words here. I hope you take the time to read about her experiences and learn about Turner Syndrome. 

I work in the field of genetics research so raising awareness of genetic conditions is close to my heart. I often hear from the families who take part in our research about how difficult it can be to navigate the health care system when you end up knowing more about the condition than your doctor. I work with families affected by various rare medical conditions and I have learned from them how important it is to have a network of other families to share your experiences with. There is strength in numbers!

For my project, I created a card inspired by the colours in the Turner Syndrome Foundation logo and using the new STAMPlorations aptly named It's A Girl Thing stamps. I wanted to create a happy card with lots of flowers to celebrate all the ladies out there who in some way are connected with Turner Syndrome. 

Don't forget to visit the "It's A Girl Thing" Turner Syndrome Awareness Inaugural Blog Hop page to be eligible for the blog hop prizes. Here is some information on how you can win one of the prizes:

• Leave a comment on the TS Awareness Home Blog Post stating at least one thing you learned about Turner Syndrome. Our Tab titled About Turner Syndrome has a pictorial explanation of many of the symptoms or limitations faced by TS females.
• Leave a comment on one or more DT blog hop posts. 
• Prizes will be awarded randomly from the comments left on 19 of the DT blog hop posts + by 11 of the designers who are awarding prizes of their own. So the more posts you visit and comment on, the more likely you are to win a prize. Don't forget! You must also leave one comment on the Home Blog, too.
• We hope this will bring an awareness not only about Turner Syndrome in females, but that if any human being seems a bit out of the ordinary, there could be a health-related or genetic reason for it, and it would be nice to give everyone the benefit of the doubt in our daily lives.

Craft supplies used:

Stamps: STAMPlorations It's A Girl Thing: Kindness, It's A Girl Thing: Sunshine

Ink and colouring: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics

STAMPlorations discount code: If you want to save 20% when shopping at theSTAMPlorations store you can use the code STAMPGIRLKAROLA at checkout. The discount applies to all normal priced and discounted stamps, stencils and dies. The code cannot be combined with other discount codes.

It's A Girl Thing Stamp Set Release

I'm here today to show you two cards I made using newly released STAMPlorations stamp sets It's A Girl Thing: Kindness and It's A Girl Thing: Sunshine. We are celebrating the release of these super fun stamp sets with a mini release over on the STAMPlorations blog. Of course, it wouldn't be a stamp release without prizes to be won! By commenting on my blog post, the main release blog post and the posts from our other designers (you can find the links in the main post) you are in the draw to win one of three $15 coupon codes. You have until January 31st to comment for a chance to win.

For my first project, I masked a rectangle using a piece of scrap paper and stamped an array of the fun doodle-y flowers around the mask, adding some leaves for good measure. I then coloured the flowers using Copics and added my favourite sentiment from the set. 

For my second card, I cut the front panel using Crazy Double Running Stitch Rectangle Nesting Dies. I stamped the flowers randomly and coloured with Copics. I then stamped several sentiments in Versamark ink onto black card and heat embossed them in white.

I love these stamps, they are so versatile, and I haven't even had a chance yet to explore those gorgeous border doodle stamps.

Don't forget to check out the  main release blog post on the STAMPlorations blog, and check in with the other designers on the hop and leave some comments along the way for a chance to win!