Greetings from Mer-cat!

Greetings High Hope friends - Lindsay here! Today, I'm sharing the most adorable cat ever - Mer-cat! She's part mermaid, part cat, and a whole lot of cuteness!

I think my favorite stamps are definitely kitty stamps - and I almost always color the kitties like my own orange tabby. I used my Prismacolor colored pencils to color her in, and for the background I created a super simple beach scene - sky, ocean, and beach. This way Mer-cat stays the center of attention!

To keep the card clean and simple, I stamped this adorable sentiment on kraft paper and wrapped some thin metallic gold thread around it. I love adding metallic thread to cards where I want a little bit of embellishment, but not too much. Then I popped the entire piece up off the card with some foam mounting squares. I think this is the perfect card to welcome in summer (which will be here before we know it!)

Thanks so much for stopping by the High Hopes blog! Be sure to check out more card inspiration in the High Hopes Facebook group - where we share ideas, tips, and tricks that encourage each other to be creative!  Have a great day my friends!

Kitty by the Birdhouse!

Hello friends! It's Lindsay again. I'm back to share another card featuring the adorable Kitty by Birdhouses stamp by High Hopes Rubber Stamps. As soon as I saw this stamp it totally reminded me of my kitty, so you better believe I colored it in to look just like my kitty Tenaya!

I used Prismacolor Colored Pencils to color this image. Here are the colors I used:

Kitty: cadmium orange hue, yellowed orange, & sunburst yellow; Nose: peach
Left birdhouse: cobalt turquoise, aquamarine, & light aqua; Roof: jasmine & sand; Accents: peach
Right birdhouse: crimson red, scarlet lake, & poppy red; Roof: sienna brown & burnt ochre Accents: peach
Fence and 4 Rent sign: sienna brown & burnt ochre
Flowers - Pink: peach & deco pink; Blue: true blue &electric blue; Red: crimson red & poppy red
Stems and leaves: dark green, kelly green, sap green light, & pale sage
Soil: chocolate, sienna brown, & burnt ochre
Flower pot: jasmine & sand
Base: dark green, kelly green & sap green light
Lady bug: scarlet lake

To create the birdhouse card base, I used a rectangle die and a technique called partial die cutting. Basically, I lined up the die on my folded card base just how I wanted the top to be cut (with that scalloped point at the top).

But since I only wanted the topmost point cut and not everything else, when I put the piece into my die cutting machine, I only laid the top cutting plate over the die where I wanted it cut.

Then, because there wasn't a top cutting plate on the rest of the card, that part isn't cut by the machine. Cool, huh?!

I love using my dies in creative ways to get different results and get the most out of my supplies that I can. To complete the card, I just added some polka dot paper, a bow, and stamped the sentiment.  I think it turned out just lovely!

Thank you all so much for stopping by the High Hopes blog today! You can get more High Hopes inspiration and fun by joining us in our Facebook group. Check us out!

Have a great day!

Flame Broilin'

Happy Saturday friends! I'm back sharing another card using the Flame Broilin' stamp by High Hopes Rubber Stamps. Isn't he just so darn cute in his little apron?! I decided to take a break from my Copic markers and so for this card I colored with my Prismacolor Colored Pencils!

Here are the colored pencil colors I used:

Dragon body: Dark Green, Kelly Green, True Green, & Yellow Chartreuse
Horns and spikes: Dark Umber and Light Umber
Gloves: Crimson Red & Carmine Red
Apron: Yellowed Orange, Sunburst Yellow, & Canary Yellow
Hat: 20% Warm Gray & 10% Warm Gray
Spatula: 70% Warm Gray & 10% Warm Gray

Thanks so much for stopping by the High Hopes Stamps blog and don't forget to stop by our Facebook page for some more daily inspiration from the Design Team.  You can also follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.