Less is More Guest Designer

I am lucky enough to be a guest designer over at Less is More!  That is one of my favorite challenges and their design team is top notch so it's always a thrill when they like my cards. 🤗Their new challenge is a one-layer one - always a challenge and one of my faves!

I actually made two cards for this challenge but the first one was rubbish - so that's where I put it.  The second time around I was determined to use this dotted leaf stamp but I wasn't quite sure how I wanted to use it.  So I fell back to a tried and true thing for me - draw a rectangle around it.  To my eye it makes the image stand out and doesn't add any of those pesky layers.  This time, though, I got adventurous and included a couple of squiggly lines!  What a rebel I am! 🤣 Truth be told I was a bit nervous about those squiggly lines because I did them by hand and was afraid I'd get them all wrong and have to go back to the beginning.  Luckily they came out just fine.

I had a quick peak around blogland and found that at CASology their challenge cue word is "plant."  Coincidentally my dotted leaf is a plant!

Special thanks to Less is More for inviting me to play along with them - and to Anita coordinating it all.  It's always an honor to join you ladies 😊

Supplies

Stamps:  Dot Botanicals (Altenew)

Paper:  Solar White (Neenah)

Ink:  Moss (Altenew); Copic Multiliner

Starry Starry Night

About a week ago I decided to make a bunch of cards for my Christmas card stash.  Well, as it turns out those cards that I made fit a couple of new challenges this week.

As far as design goes, when I made these cards I just had an idea to sponge a night sky and to use this nativity silhouette die.  I tucked them away in my stash to await mailing.  Well, fast forward a week and I took a look at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge where the theme is "starry starry night" and at CASology where the cue word is "faith" and I realized that my cards fit the bill for both challenges perfectly!  I don't think that's ever happened to me!

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies
Paper:  Bristol Smooth; Basic Black (Stampin' Up!); gold glimmer (Recollections)
Ink:  Peacock Feathers, Faded Jeans, Black Soot (Distress Oxide)
Accessories:  NativityScape (Sugar Pea Designs)

CAS(E) This Sketch 348 Meets Fusion

This week we've got a super simple sketch at CAS(E) This Sketch and an inspiration photo at Fusion that has got some beautiful flowers in the corners.  So I combined the two ideas and came up with this.

This is the first time I've inked up this particular floral stamp.  I think it's supposed to be a sunflower but look how just a change in color turns it into another flower entirely!  And I'm still intrigued with the "torn" challenge at Less is More so my vellum layer is a bit more interesting with it's torn edges.  And at CASology it's all about appreciation so I inked up this thank you sentiment from Stampin' Up!  It's an oldie but goodie - the copyright date on it is 2004!  That proves to me that everything old is new again!

Thanks for stopping by!  My fellow teammates at CAS(E) This Sketch and Fusion have made beautiful cards with these challenges so check them out!

Supplies
Stamps:  Painted Harvest, Wonderful Words (Stampin' Up!)
Paper:  Whisper White, Vellum (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  Pink Pirouette, Regal Rose, Rose Red, Certainly Celery, Old Olive (Stampin' Up!); Onyx Black (Versafine)
Accessories:  black embossing powder

Freshly Made Sketches 387

We've got a great new sketch for you at Freshly Made Sketches this week.  Our hostess is Cécile and her designs always make me swoon! 

True confession:  I was trying to be a bit artsy with my card so that I could keep it one layer and play along with the challenge at Less is More.  The problem I found was that aspect ratio of the images was all wrong!  The vertical images were too long and the floral image was too small!  So I started again with more disastrous results involving graduation images I bought on Etsy.  After a few ideas I gave up and decided to go with my original card!  And a special bonus is that I can join in the "Mother" challenge at CASology as well as the challenge at Try Stampin' On Tuesday where I did a bit of masking to make sure that my flower was nestled in with the vertical stripes.

Thanks for stopping by!  My Freshly Made Sketches teamies have made some fabulous cards this week to inspire you to play along with us.  I hope we'll see you in the gallery!

Supplies
Stamps:  Painted Flowers (Altenew); Mixed Media Elements (Stamplorations); Keep It Simple Mother (Papertrey Ink)
Paper:  Solar White Neenah)
Ink:  Smoky Slate, Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose (Stampin' Up!); Nocturne (Versafine Clair)

CAS(E) This Sketch 303

We've got a retro sketch for you this week at CAS(E) This Sketch.  I have to admit the card that I made the first time around for this sketch was not one my favorites, so as I was contemplating my redux (over several days I might add) thoughts of that card were haunting me and thwarting new ideas.  But simultaneously I was also plotting and planning a giant head start on my 2019 Christmas card stash and had some cards pinned that I was going to CASE.  One of those cards inspired this card.  So using a brand new set I set to work.

I just love this Santa!  He comes with multiple facial expressions but I think this angry one is my favorite.  That look is especially great with these naughty and nice sentiments! 

At CASology the cue word for their first challenge of 2019 is Fresh.  That words means many things to me as I start 2019.  It's a fresh perspective on my card designs, a fresh desire to try new things, and as for this card a sincere, fresh desire to use stamps sets that I've had and have remained un-inked for a while!  I have a few other fresh ideas that I want to accomplish in 2019 but they will remain silent for now.  I have found, oddly, that once I mention something here on my blog that I want to accomplish the exact opposite happens.  I think I jinx myself!  So in order to preserve my goals, they will remain close to my heart for now!

So how will our CAS(E) This Sketch inspire you?  Our design team has created some fantastic cards so you can check them out for ideas.  I highly recommend that you do and then join us in the gallery!

Supplies
Stamps:  Moody Santa (Lil' Inker Designs)
Paper:  Desert Storm, Solar White (Neenah); Jungle (Avery Elle); Bristol Smooth (Strathmore)
Ink:  Black Licorice (My Favorite Things); Nocturne (Versafine Clair); Copics
Accessories:  Wonky Stitched Rectangle STAX (My Favorite Things)

CAS(E) This Sketch 271 Meets Fusion

It's time for me to combine a couple of challenges.  Every two weeks I make a card for the CAS(E) This Sketch challenge and the Fusion challenge.  This week the mood of the Fusion inspiration put me in mind of a masculine card.

I thought and thought about this card for quite a few days.  I had decided early on that I wanted to sponge some shades of blue on the main focal panel but didn't know what I would do for that vertical layer.  My first thought was a strip of vellum (when in doubt vellum is the answer!) but started thinking about that lighthouse in the Fusion inspiration photo.  A lighthouse is long and lean like that panel so it would be perfect for his sketch!  I didn't have any lighthouse images in my stash so Etsy to the rescue!  I bought some images, cut a few out with my Scan N Cut, and chose one that looked good to my eye.  I lightly colored it in some shades of gray and there you have it!  I also added a few sequins to my background and reckon that they are stars in the night sky!

At CASology the cue word is Marine.  I'm adding this over there because lighthouses are associated with the seaside.  And things in the sea are marine in nature, right?  Plus my Dad was a Marine!

Thanks for stopping by!  There's a whole lot of fun going on at CAS(E) This Sketch and Fusion so be sure to check out our challenges.  My fellow design team mates have made some gorgeous cards to inspire you.  I sure hope you'll join us in the gallery!

Supplies
Stamps:  It's Your Birthday (Stampin' Up!); Lighthous (Pixelence)
Paper:  Soft Stone, Dark Indigo (Papertrey Ink); Real Red (Stampin' Up!); Marker Paper (Strathmore); Solar White (Neenah)
Ink:  Weathered Wood, Stormy Sky, Chipped Sapphire (Distress); Jet Black (Altenew); Copics
Accessories:  Winter Wonderland sequins (Neat & Tangled)

CASology 281

Well, it's been a while since I've posted a card here.  I think the Christmas holiday really threw me for a loop and I must have needed some time to regroup.  But I'm back today with a special post.  I'm joining the design team at CASology this week as a guest designer and our cue word is Encourage.

Sometimes I really like to take the whole "white space" theme and kick it up a notch by making it....not white.  In this case a bright colored background frames the glittery die cut YOU and the linear sentiment that I layered over it.  Super simple and so fun.  I love how the glitter paper makes this a bit special!

And special thanks to Melissa and the entire design team at CASology for inviting me to join them this week!  I'm thrilled to pieces to be here!

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies
Stamps:  All About You (My Favorite Things)
Paper:  Melon Mambo, Whisper White (Stampin' Up!); silver glitter (Recollections)
Ink:  Jet Black (Altenew)
Accessories:  You Trio die (My Favorite Things)

Happy Anniversary

Saturday I went to a party to celebrate the 50th anniversary of my aunt and uncle.  Sometime during the afteroon I decided that the card I was going to give them was not good enough so I sat at my desk to make a new one - with the help of the "cheer" challenge at CASology and the "shine" challenge at Less is More.

This card was sort of reverse engineered from the envelope!  I had a card all picked to give them and made a festive envelope to go with it with gold embossed accents and the word "cheers" featured right in the middle.  I chose gold because traditionally, that is the color of the "golden" 50th anniversary.  The envelope looked fantastic, but the card I was going to use had no gold on it so the two looked terrible together.  Luckily I had some time in the afternoon before I needed to leave so I made this shaker card.  Much better!  Here's the envelope that inspired my card:

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies
Stamps:  Bokeh Bursts Round (The Ton); The Big the Bold and the Happy (Winnie & Walter)
Paper:  Solar White (Neenah); glitter cardstock (Recollections)
Ink:  Golden Glitz Delicata (Tsukineko)
Accessories:  The Big the Bold and the Happy die (Winnie & Walter); gold embossing powder

CAS(E) This Sketch 243

I took one look at the newest challenge at CAS(E) This Sketch and saw a Christmas tree!   When you see the sketch you might wonder why.

That long vertical layer could become a triangular tree in my estimation so that is what I did.  I layered this gorgeous glittered paper at the bottom of my card and colored a small smidgeon at the top of it with a marker to give the illusion of two layers as per the sketch.  The sentiment is simple and pure for the season.

I'm going to add this card for the "ODD" challenge at CASology.  It's got one tree, which is obviously an odd number.  But I've also got an odd story that only a cardmaker could appreciate.  I was so pleased with how this card came out - it's got a great CAS and elegant vibe - that I showed it to a co-worker.  She took one look at it and declared it to be a sailboat!  I could see her perspective because the glitter layer on the bottom could be the ocean and the triangle could be the boat, but I pointed out the Christmas sentiment.  She gave me a look that basically said that no-one would believe this was a Christmas card!  I assured her my fellow cardmakers would have no trouble recognizing the triangle was a Christmas tree!  It's all about perspective!

Thanks for stopping by!  And check out our CAS(E) This Sketch challenge for some terrific inspiration from the design team!

Supplies
Stamps:  Signature Christmas (Papertrey Ink)
Paper:  Pool Party (Stampin' Up!); glitter cardstock (Recollections)
Ink:  Pool Party (Stampin' Up!)

CASology 268 Guest Designer

Today is an exciting day for me!  A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to have one of my cards chosen as a winner at CASology and I was invited to join the team as a guest designer this week.  The cue word is Fortune and I consider it pretty lucky that I had the image that I used on my card in my stash!

I'm pretty sure that treasure chest holds a fortune in gold and precious jewels!  The image is from a set of pirate themed stamps and I really didn't want to use one of the sentiments from the set.  They all qualified as certified for International Talk Like Pirate Day and that wasn't quite the look I was going for!  I started perusing my stash and lo and behold I came across this sentiment, in a nice font, that was perfect for my card.

Many thanks to Melissa and the CASology team for inviting me along this week.  I love to make CAS cards and there's always loads of inspiration to be found there from the talented design team.  I'm so happy that they like what I do!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies
Stamps:  Black Beard's Loot (The Alley Way Stamps); Bright Days (Avery Elle); Sunny Days (Verve)
Paper:  Solar White (Neenah); Bristol Smooth (Strathmore)
Ink:  Black Licorice (My Favorite Things); Jet Black (Altenew); Daffodil Delight (Stampin' Up!); Copics

CAS(E) This Sketch 233

It's easy peasy lemon squeezy over at CAS(E) This Sketch today where we've got a great new sketch designed by Hannelie.

In retrospect I should have done two lemons instead of three to keep more in line with the sketch but I love lemons so I stuck them all on there!  The cue card this week at CASology is "juicy" which put me in mind of this stamp set that I've had for ages.  I even dug out my old Crystal Effects (pleasantly surprised to find that storing it on its side prevented the nozzle from clogging) and used that on the inside parts of the lemons.  It looks great in real life!

The work week is nearly over (yay!) and I'm looking forward to the weekend so I can relax a bit.  Thanks for stopping by and I hope we'll see you at CAS(E) This Sketch.  Be sure to check out the inspiration from the design team.  You're going to love all their cards!

Supplies
Stamps:  Lemon Squeezy (The Alley Way Stamps)
Paper:  Cloud White (Reverse Confetti); Daisy (Avery Elle); X-Press It Blending Card
Ink:  Black Licorice (My Favorite Things); Copics
Accessories:  Dotted Curve die (Poppystamps)

CAS(E) This Sketch 230

It was high time I added another Christmas card to my stash and Donna's awesome sketch at CAS(E) This Sketch this week gave me a great layout for some layered greenery.

The cue word this week at CASology is "wish" so I thought I'd "wish" someone a heartfelt Christmas sentiment!  I have made quite a few Christmas cards this year but none of them have been of a simple, mass-produce style.  That's not good!  Especially when I find myself with not enough cards and a deadline looming!  There's still plenty of time, right?

Thanks for stopping by!  And be sure to check out the inspiration from the CAS(E) This Sketch design team and join us in the gallery this week!

Supplies
Stamps:  Spruce & Sprigs (Papertrey Ink)
Paper:  True Thyme, Very Vanilla, (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  True Thyme, Always Artichoke, Mossy Meadow, Cranberry Crisp, Cherry Cobbler (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories:  Spruce & Sprigs die (Papertrey Ink)

CAS(E) This Sketch 223

I know I've said this before but sometimes if I am stumped about a card I need to make for a particular challenge I find that all of a sudden I will see something or hear something and right away a light bulb goes off in my head and I get an idea for the card.  That is pretty much what happened to me for my CAS(E) This Sketch card.

The oval on the sketch had me mentally reviewing my stash wondering what if I had any oval dies or a stencil that might lend itself to an oval shape.  I was coming up with no good ideas and I was starting to get desperate.  It was nearly 10 PM on Tuesday and I really didn't want to go to bed without making a card.  Then lo and behold I saw the "loud" cue word at CASology and an idea started to take shape.  "Bam" is an onomatopoeia, right?  And it's loud!  And the oval?  I realized it didn't need to be "oval!"  The "pink" challenge at Addicted to CAS was kind of a cool take on my idea so I incorporated three shades of pink on my card and I heat embossed the sentiment onto vellum for the AAA challenge.

The whole card fell into place within a half hour or so - once I stumbled on the initial idea for it.  I've learned that even duing those times when I'm super frustrated because my mojo seems to have gone on walkabout, inspiration will inevitably strike like a lightening bolt!

Thanks for stopping by.  And I hope that our latest challenge at CAS(E) This Sketch will inspire you like a lightening bolt!  We'd love to see you in the gallery!

Supplies
Stamps:  Amazing (My Favorite Things)
Paper:  Cloud White (Reverse Confetti); Hibiscus Burst (Papertrey Ink); Pretty in Pink, Vellum (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  Versamark
Accessories:  Pow Zap Bam die (Frantic Stamper); Melon Mambo embossing powder (Stampin' Up!)

Freshly Made Sketches 288

I can hardly believe it's that time again, but brace yourselves:  I am the sketch hostess at Freshly Made Sketches this week!. Always a bit of a nail biter, if I'm honest.  Here goes nothing:

Some sketch designers make a card with images and embellishments that are pleasing to themselves and then {poof} they have a sketch.  Not me.  Nope.  No way.  I think up a sketch and then scramble to make it into an actual card.  This one gave me a bit of trouble.  But in the end I relied on my tried and true friends - kraft and a butterfly to make everything right!

The cue card this week at CASology is "warm" and I'm going to throw my hat in the ring over there as well with this one.  I always think of kraft as a warm color, my butterfly is die cut from another warm color, and butterflies are something I see always during the summer - which is also warm!

I sure hope that you like my sketch this week and will join us in the gallery.  If you need inspiration look no further than Freshly Made Sketches where the design team has got some great cards to get your creative juices flowing.  I hope to see you in the gallery!

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies
Stamps:  Little Notes (The Stamp Market)
Paper:  Crumb Cake, Calypso Coral, Basic Black, Crumb Cake DSP (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  Jet Black (Altenew)
Accessories:  Daphne Butterfly die (Poppystamps)

Pow!

We had a wee snow storm here yesterday.  We call it a nor'easter and it came with high winds that blew all that snow around and generally caused all kinds of mess on the roads.  When it was done it dumped about a foot and a half of snow in my yard.  Thankfully, my office closed early and I was able to go home from work and ride out the storm in my stamp room!

There's a hero challenge at CASology which gave me an excuse to use one of my super hero-style stamp sets.  And I recently got some patterned paper that is all comic book themed so I grabbed that and made this card using the sketch from Sketch Saturday.

I love the way this super-girl is standing, arms akimbo, and with a determined look on her face.  She reminds me that girls can do anything!

Well, this girl is headed outside to finish shoveling snow then I'm off to work.  Duty calls!  Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies
Stamps:  You're Super (My Favorite Things)
Paper:  Enchanted Evening, Comic Strip (Papertrey Ink); Daisy (Avery Elle); Whisper White (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  Jet Black (Altenew); Enchanted Evening (Papertrey Ink)
Accessories:  You're Super die, Wonky Stitched Rectangle STAX (My Favorite Things)