The 12 Kits of Occasions - May 2020 April Showers Bring May Flowers

Oh Happy Day! t's the last day of the month and you know what that means right? It's time for The 12 Kits of Occasions! The 12 Kits of Occasions is a group of 12 friends who all love to paper craft. Every month we take turns making a kit for the rest of the group. We all receive the same kit with the same items. On the last day of the month we reveal what we each made with the kit. It's fun to see how we used the product in different ways. Sometimes the projects are similar and sometimes they are very different.

Our hostess this month is Marcia Hill from Marcia's Stamping Pad! And here's a peek at the kit! It included LOTS of beautiful florals from Papertrey Ink, Stamping bella, Simon Says Stamp, Impression Obsession and more! I had lots of fun coloring all the florals! So pretty! I made SIX cards in a snap!  

Ready to see more floral inspired cards made with 's wonderful kit? Check out The 12 Kits of Occasions Blog where you'll see a sample from each of the designers as well as a complete list of ingredients that were supplied. You can also click on these links below to jump to other designers with projects to share today! 

Hostess: Marcia Hill - Marcia's Stamping Pad

Marybeth Lopez - Marybeth's Time For Paper

Birgit Norton - Crafting While I Wait

Kim - Cupcakes Cards & Kim

Tracey McNeely - In My Creative Opinion

Michelle Leone - Pretty Periwinkle

Kelly Schirmer - Gingham Girl's Adventures

Nancy Penir - Artful Notions 

Hugs and have a great day!

All cards finished size 4.25 x 5.5"

Simple Stories Vintage Coastal Collection

Hi friends! I hope you’re having a great day! Memorial Day weekend is always the start of Summer in my mind. The days are longer and it’s time to take life a little slower. DH is working the grill and the tropical drinks are on me! 

And while lots of us will be having staycations this summer this collection can be your sweet escape to your favorite tropical hideaway and a little island living. 

This collection is beautifully color coordinated in shades of turquoise, coral and greens. The prints include map prints, bamboo and weathered wood, as well as flirty flamingos and gorgeous orchids.

There are two packs of bits and pieces with pretty orchids and hibiscus, water birds, and different palm and banana trees! 

I love the juicy pineapples and realistic looking flowers and sea shells. There are lots of sentiments perfect for summer greetings or invites.

If you look close you’ll also notice the decorative brads in this collection. The sheet has several different sizes – some with images under the glossy bubbles, others solid and shiny for a little eye candy. 

The washi set includes three different prints – one with orchids, another with a map print and a third that is a printed roll of pineapples. You’ll find a brad as well as a bit of washi on each card shown today. Can you find them?

I love the chipboard pieces to add dimension to my cards, and the sticker sheet for bitty sentiment strips. They’re fun to mix and match for one of a kind card creations! 

Wishing you sunny days and thoughts of your happy place as you explore the Vintage Coastal collection!




All cards finished size 4.25 x 5.5”
12715 Vintage Coastal 6x8” Pad
12716 Vintage Coastal 6x12” Chipboard
12717 Vintage Coastal Bits & Pieces
12718 Vintage Coastal Floral Bits & Pieces
12719 Vintage Coastal 4x6 Sticker Book
12721 Vintage Coastal Washi
12725 Vintage Coastal Decorative Brads

SS = Simple Stories

SCB = Scrapbook dot com (best price)
SSS = Simon Says Stamp

Vintage Coastal 6x8 Pad Shop at: SS | SSS	Vintage Coastal Chipboard Shop at: SS | SCB | SSS	Vintage Coastal Bits & Pieces Shop at: SS | SCB | SSS	Vintage Coastal Floral Bits & Pieces Shop at: SS | SCB | SSS	Vintage Coastal 4x6 Sticker Book Shop at: SS | SCB | SSS
Vintage Coastal Washi Shop at: SS | SCB | SSS	Vintage Coastal Decorative Brads Shop at: SS | SCB | SSS

You Are My Sunshine!

I know it's not officially Summer, but it sure feels like it. Temps here in the Midwest (I'm in the Chicago area) have been in the mid 80's this week and the humidity is making it feel much warmer. I'm ok with that because it means I get to spend some time in the yard! 

A new challenge begins at Fusion Card Challenge! This one is a trip to the beach! And while most of us won't be doing that right about now.. it's ok to have a day dream! 

I was inspired by that surfboard to dig out my Pretty Pink Posh Beach Scene die. Fusion is a unique challenge because you can work from the sketch, the inspiration photo or a combination of the two. There's no rules.. just have fun with it! 

This die is easy to work with because all of the different pieces come apart completely, just like a puzzle. All you have to do is reassemble it. There's an easy trick for that too.. just put the die cut pieces inside the empty die and secure them in place with some tape. 

I liked the border on the sketch so I added a colorful stitched zig zag border to the background. The Stacked Edges dies are my favorite because they too fit together like puzzle pieces leaving a clean smooth background. Yes, that's alot of cutting, but I cut three borders at a time and then save them for projects just like this.. I always have an envelope of colorful borders ready to work with. 

Now it's your turn! Now it's your turn! Are you ready to play? I wonder how you will interpret the photo! Maybe you need a little more inspiration? Check out designs from the rest of the team. Just click on their names below to jump to their blogs.

Barb Ghigliotty

Jen Mitchell

Karren Johnson 

Linda Callahan 

Lyndal Higgins 

Michelle Leone 

Michelle Lupton 

Michelle Williams 

Wanda Cullen

I hope I see you at Fusion Card Challenge! I cant wait to see what you make!



Finished Size 4.25 x 5.5"
Stamps | Pretty Pink Posh Fly A Kite
Dies | Pretty Pink Posh Beach Scene, Stacked Edges 1
Jewels | Pretty Pink Posh Marigold

Fly A Kite PPP	Beach Scene PPP | SSS	Stacked Edges 1 PPP | SSS	Marigold Jewels PPP | SSS	Crystal Katana PPP | SSS

Here Comes The Sun

Hi Friends! I hope you're having a great day! Since most of us will be having a staycation this summer I'm visiting places in my mind. Today we're in the Southwest exploring! 

Today I'm playing with the Pretty Little Studio Fun In The Sun Collection! It's Summer on paper! There are images perfect for a picnic in the park, or a trip to the beach! 

I love the pretty florals and cacti too that make me think of warm sunny places!

If you look close you'll see my background includes some colorful labels to add some dimension. I topped them with the cactus and a simple strip sentiment. The green cactus is two of the same die cut stacked to look like a larger plant. 

Enjoy you're day and don't forget your crafting can be a sweet escape to take you just about anywhere you'd like to be.

Finished Size 4.25 x 5.5"
Pretty Little Studio
Paper | Fun In The Sun
Die Cuts| Time To Relax | At The Beach | Good Vibes

Waffle Flower Fantasy Flower!

Hi friends! Today I'm playing along at the Fairy and The Unicorn Blog Challenge. This month it's Anything Goes As Long As It Is A Fantasy Creation.

If I could be a fantasy creature I think I'd be a garden fairy! Doesn't this look delightful? Lounging inside a beautiful bloom and making friends with colorful butterflies. Looks like life is a dream! 

I love this sentiment - take some time to smell the flowers! Especially now.. when we're all learning to appreciate the little things we take for granted. 

The background is a color block of two pieces of striped paper that I cut into strips and re assembled. I chose a rose colored print to coordinate with the big bloom on the card. 

Have a great day! I hope you find some time to play! A sweet escape seems in order - why not make a fantasy card?



Finished Size 4.25 x 5.5"
Stamps | Waffle Flower Peony Dreams
Dies | Waffle Flower Peony Dreams
Paper | Waffle Flower Enchanted Lines
Enamel Dots | Waffle Flower Up And Running

WFL = Waffle Flower
SCB = Scrapbook.com
SSS = Simon Says Stamp

Peony Dreams Shop at: WFL | SCB | SSS	Up & Running Shop at: WFL | SCB | SSS	Enchanted Lines Shop at: WFL | SCB | SSS	Copic Markers Shop at: DB	Copic Refills Shop at: DB
Memento Tuxedo Black Shop at: SSS | DB