Pink Flowers

I've got two cards for today, and they both have pink flowers.  Kind of a coincidence, but I guess it does show that I like pink.

My first card was inspired by this card by Susan.  I loved the way she masked off a rectangle and kept all her stamping in that space.  After masking off my rectangle, I stamped some of the images from Friends till the End within the rectangle.  Then, because the challenge at One Layer Simplicity is blending, I used 2 different green Distress inks and 2 different pink Distress inks and blended to color the flowers and leaves.  After stamping my sentiment, I used the Canvas/Linen Impression Plate on the card front.

I am entering this card at One Layer Simplicity You Blend.

My next card was inspired by this card by Marybeth.  I was admiring the flowers she used, and was pleasantly surprised to learn that they were from Frilly Flowers, a set I bought but forgot all about.  I combined Frilly Flowers with Layered Banner Banter, a brand new set, to make this card.

I am entering this card at PTI 8th Anniversary Celebration Challenge #5--to use a set that hasn't seen ink (Layered Banner Banter) or a set that hasn't seen enough ink (Frilly Flowers).  I am also celebrating along with the gals at Less is More, where they are celebrating 4 years with a pink and grey color challenge.  My card uses 2 different shades of pink and 2 shades of grey.

I am also entering both cards at the following challenges:  Addicted to Stamps Anything Goes, Inkspirational Challenge #75 Rose Colors and Simon Says Monday Red or Pink.

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Friend to Friend and Get Well

I've got several cards to post today.  First up is a card inspired by this week's Muse #101.  I was inspired by the colored card base and the stripe of white embossed stamping.  I masked off a section of a red card base, and stamped a random grouping from Doodlie Do.  I scored above and below the stamping and added a sentiment in the reverse color scheme.

I am also entering this as another example for this week's CASology Challenge #130 where the cue word is FRIEND.  My design tip--white space can be red.  I am also linking up at Uniko  Studio #17 where the challenge is Love and Friendship and Less is More #207 where the theme is Friends.

I needed to replenish my stash of masculine get well cards.  When I saw this card from fellow CASology teamie Hazel, a lightbulb went off in my head, and I knew exactly what I wanted to do.  I started playing around with On My Couch, Polka Dot Parade (the one with the easy chair) and some new Lil Inker dies.

I am entering the first of this series at Happy Little Stampers January Sketch Challenge, and the second at Colour Me #55.

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CASology Week 130: FRIEND

Hello and happy Tuesday.  Before I get to this week's challenge, I have to say a big WOW!  You guys really had some fun with our challenge last week of NBUS.  It was great fun to team up with Darnell, and I felt better about some of my unused supplies after seeing all the amazing supplies that you all had sitting around unused.

OK, on to today's business--a new challenge at CASology where the cue word is FRIEND.  I pulled out a fairly new stamp and die set called Big Hugs.  It is turning out to be one of my very favorite stamp sets, and is the set I have been turning to when I want to send a little note to a friend--kind of just because/thinking of you/friendship card.

I took a small piece of water color paper and painted over it with Limeade Ice, Harvest Gold and Aqua Mist reinkers and lots and lots of water.  After it dried, I cut it with one of the Hugs dies and then used foam tape to mount the negative portion onto a piece of white card stock just a tad bigger than my water color piece.  I adhered the entire thing to a white card base and added a few clear sequins.

I'm also linking this card up at Happy Little Stampers CAS Watercolouring Challenge, Less is More, where the theme is FRIENDS, and Uniko Studio Challenge #17 Love and Friendship.

I used the die cut Hugs to make another card.

And, I still was not done playing with this die, and grabbed a piece of patterned paper that was still lying around from when I made this card.

I think I'm going to keep this set out for a while.  I've got a few more ideas for when I have some more time.

Will you play along this week?  I sure hope so.  What do you think of when you see the word FRIEND?   Check out the beautiful designs from the CASology Design Team members and see how they were inspired by FRIEND.  Don't forget to keep your card Clean and Simple.

Ardyth Percy-Robb

Gillian Ross
Hazel Hodgkins

Jen Wills

Joyce Mehrberg (that's me)

Judy Marino

Kimberly Wiener
Kymona Tracey

May Park

Melissa Chipperfield

Tracey McNeely 

Guest Designer: Ren

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Less is More #198

I have not played at Less is More in so long, and I am very happy that I found time to play along this week.  The theme is 'more than one tree' and I remembered seeing a tutorial not too long ago about adding a sense of depth to a card by using vellum.  I don't remember where I saw this technique, so I am sorry I cannot supply a link, but I did use the technique on this card.

I cut out 5 trees and 2 snowdrifts and adhered 3 of the trees and 1 snowdrift behind a piece of vellum.  I adhered the remaining 2 trees and 1 snowdrift and snowman on top of the vellum.  Does it look like those trees in the back are very far away?  The trees in the back are also cut from darker green shades of paper.

Time is running out to created and send cards to the Caring Hearts card drive.

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Thank You and Sending Well Wishes

My first card today uses the debossing stamped images technique demonstrated by Dawn in this week's Make it Monday #166.  I chose to work with Fancy Folk Art after seeing Lee Anne's beautiful card here.  The debossing technique works better using bigger dies that don't need to be run through the Big Shot multiple times.  

Here is a close up to show more of the debossing and the Stickes, too.

I am also entering this card at Addicted to CAS #39:Texture  Simon Says Stamp Monday Artsy Stamping Fun, and Simon Says Wednesday Anything Goes.

My next card uses ColourQ #243 colors and the sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch #78.  I am also entering it at Less is More #173 to use a die cut--I actually used several Memory Box Ribbon Candy Border die cuts, Simon Says Stamp Monday Artsy Stamping Fun and Simon Says Wednesday Anything Goes. 

As soon as I saw the sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch, I knew that I would use my Ribbon Candy Border die.  I cut the die out of all four colors and just nested them together. My sentiment is from Wet Paint.

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Congratulations and Birthday Cards

I have a card for this week's Make it Monday #165:  Artsy Watercolor Backgrounds.  Watercoloring is so trendy now, and I really like how easy it is.  I used some Ranger water color paper and Mum's the Word stamps in Berry Sorbet, Lavender Moon, Harvest Gold and Simply Chartreuse ink.  I stamped my sentiment in Versafine Onyx Black after everything was dry.  I am also entering this card at Less is More #172, where the theme is Flowers, and Simon Says Monday where the challenge is Botanical.

I have 4 cards using the color scheme at this week's ColourQ cQc #242.  What--why 4 cards?  Well, I wanted to play around with these colors first using Copic markers and then distress inks.  I used my PTI Text Block Birthday die, and because I cannot bear to waste a die cut, each method ends up with two cards.

First up are my cards using Distress Inks.  I used 4 colors and sponged them on a piece of white card stock, blending where the colors met.  Then, I ran that piece through my Xyron machine, before cutting it with the Text Block Die.  I also took a plain piece of white card stock, ran it through the Xyron machine and then cut it with the die.  

The cards are made by adhering the die cut sentiment piece to a card base, and then filling in the bits from one die cut on to the card base with the other die cut.

I used a similar method for my cards using Copic markers.  I used 4 markers and colored a piece of white card stock with them, overlapping the colors where they met.  Then, I ran that piece through my Xyron machine, before cutting it with the Text Block Die.  I also took a plain piece of white card stock, ran it through the Xyron machine and then cut it with the die.  

 It is very hard to tell the difference between the two sets of cards in these photos, but it is a little more obvious in person.  The ones with distress inks have more blended flow between the colors.  It was fun to play around with these colors, and now I have 4 birthday cards to add to my stash.

In this side by side comparison, you can see the Copic card on the left and the Distress ink card on the right.  If you look closely, you can see how the colors are blended where they meet.

I am also entering these cards at Seize the Birthday--(no toppings--anything goes).

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Retro Sketches, Make it Monday, One Layer Simplicity, Simon Says Monday and Less is More

This is my second post today.  Please click here if you are looking for my CASology post.

I had some crafty time today and I was lucky enough that my cards came together quickly, so I was able to make three cards today.  First up is my card for this week's Retro Sketches rs#114, where my bestie Kim is Headliner all month (yay Kim!!).

I used three of the dies from PTI Sweet Speech to make this little Thank You card.  I pulled out Memento Luxe inks in Rhubarb Stalk and Pear Tart for these stamps--the pigment really does give much better coverage with these stamps.  I used Waltzingmouse Off Beat Backgrounds to stamp a plaid behind the die cut speech bubble.

I could not help myself--I made another card for Make it Monday #164:  Cluster Stamped Sentiments.  I used a variety of flower images from Flower Fusion (I store them all together in a TH folder, so I never know which set I am using), a sentiment from Wet Paint, and white embossing powder.

I am also entering this card at Simon Says Monday:  M, since my card uses a Make it Monday technique, One Layer Simplicity Challenge #5:  Fabulous Flowers, and Less is More #171:  One Layer Thank You.


My last card is also for Simon Says Monday:  M, since my card uses a Memory Box Modern Flower Power stencil, One Layer Simplicity Challenge #5:  Fabulous Flowers, and Less is More #171:  One Layer Thank You.  I decided to break out one of my new stencils and some new Distress Inks, too. 

I masked off an area for the sentiment using a piece of computer paper cut with the Photo Finishers die.  Then, I sponged Distress Inks (Dusty Concord, Shaded Lilac, Crushed Olive and Peacock Feathers) over the stencil and mask.  I stamped the sentiment after removing the stencil and mask, and then put the die back over the sentiment area and embossed the die into the card.  I was surprised how quick and easy stencils are to use.  I will definitely do this again.

That's it for me today.  Off to pull something together for dinner.

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