Care Bear Stamps: Stampin' Up! Dare To Dream Stamp Set ~ #TGIFC117

Well hello everyone! Welcome to my blog! If you are new here, my name is Carolynn and I am a Stampin' Up! Independent Demonstrator from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. I am super happy that you are visiting my blog today! No need to be feeling blue here! But, you will definitely be seeing, and dreaming up all shades of blue after you leave here today! Why? Well because the theme this week over at the TGIF Challenges site is "Summertime Blues"! If you are feeling blue, and need a little pick me up, why don't you join us this week over at TGIF? Upload your favourite "Summertime Blues" creation to your blog, or social media site, and share it with us! We would love to have you!

https://tgifchallenges.blogspot.com/2017/07/tgifc117-theme-week-summertime-blues.html

Although I have not been feeling blue this summer, as that is more of a wintertime thing for me, I have one particular "blue" moment that stands out from our most recent summer vacation camping trip. This precious moment is now a memory stored in my heart. It was the end of a fun filled day, and I was having an evening lake swim with our two boys. We were treading water (AKA floating), with the last bit of daylight shining on our faces. In this moment one would think that the boys didn't miss school very much. But as they were afloat, they began having an in depth conversation covering anything and everything school related! From which teachers were leaving this year, to worrying about who the next ones will be, to what options my oldest child was hoping for once school started back, to the fact that Home Economics was super cool as they get to bake a cake and eat it too! I cherished hearing their little voices, and at the same time I wished I could just hold this precious moment for eternity. As we swam in the water and the sun kissed our cheeks, my younger son pointed out the beauty of the cloud pattern that was hovering above us in the crisp blue sky. It was as if a marshmallow mist had been sprayed against the blue canvas that encompassed us. A composition that only mother nature could depict! So when we returned from holidays, and I was faced with this week's theme, my project was influenced by that beloved moment which will be stored in my heart, mind, and soul forever.

I know that I can't compete with mother nature, but how do you like today's "Summertime Blues" project? Does it not depict a marshmallow dream? Ironically, at the same time that I was busy creating this card, I was also dreaming up how amazing it would be to attend the Stampin' Up! Onstage Event that will be held in Utah this November! I really, really want to go! Tickets go on sale mid August so here's to hoping that I get my hands on one! Then my dream will maybe start to feel more real & the wintertime blues can stay at bay! If you are from Canada and you are interested in a fun filled crafting trip, feel free to message me! You must be a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator to attend! I would love to have you join me on this super fun crafty journey!

As for today's card... well my vision came together quite easily with the Marbled Background Stamp Set from Stampin' Up! I was able to achieve the multi-toned blue background with the help of my Stampin' Up! Sponge Brayers, and of course some Pool Party and Dapper Denim Ink. If you aren't familiar with the Sponge Brayers, I have an image from the Stampin' Up! store to share with you below...

For today's background, I applied Dapper Denim Ink to my Sponge Brayer by rolling it against my Dapper Denim Ink Pad. I then rolled the sponge over the top half of my Marbled Background Stamp. Once I achieved an even coat of ink on the top half of my stamp, I did the same with the Pool Party Ink Pad using another separate Sponge Brayer (FYI, you receive 2 handles and 4 sponges in each pack of the Stampin' Up! Sponge Brayers! Bonus!). This time apply the Pool Party Ink on the lower end of the background stamp and work your way up until you have an even coat of Pool Party Ink on the lower half of the stamp. You can then meld the two shades of blue together by rolling over the visual seam where the two colours meet (with your Sponge Brayer that has been inked up with Pool Party Ink). Once you are finished inking, you can then stamp your marbled masterpiece onto a piece of Whisper White Cardstock! Voila! If you like to take it a step further, I then poured Clear Embossing Powder over the entire stamped image. I of course shook off the excess powder, and then heat embossed the beauty of a background I had created. The embossing step gives your card a nice sheen which is super duper gorgeous, but of course it is not necessary. The rest of my card came together using the supplies that are shown in the list at the end of today's post. The rest is pretty self explanatory! Feel free to message me, or leave me a comment below if you have questions.

Well that is it for today! I hope today's card put a smile on your face! Once again please join in with us this week over at TGIF Challenges! As well make sure to check out the rest of the "Summertime Blues" projects that the TGIF team has to share with you! You will be feeling nothing but summertime love!

Cheers & Happy Stamping!

Carolynn 💖