Happy Little Stampers July 2015 Sketch Challenge

Today is a very exciting day because it is my first month as a Designer on the Happy Little Stampers Sketch Team.  Take a look at our sketch for this month--so very simple and there are so many things you can do with this sketch.  

I am sure that I will be posting a few more inspirational projects using this sketch, as the challenge runs for the month of July.  For my first card, I went with a very straight forward take on the sketch. I used a stamp from Mama Elephant Tree Friends and water colored it using Distress Inks.  

That's it.  A very simple one layer card, but I think that the detail in the tree image keeps the card interesting.

I hope that you will join us and play along with our sketch this month.

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CASology Week 153: Pop

Hello and happy Tuesday.  It's time for a new cue word at CASology.  This week, our cue word is POP.  Our sponsor this week is Serendipity Stamps, and they have asked us to use their stamps in our inspiration cards this week.

I decided to make my card primarily black and white, and added some POPs of color and also POPped up my colored elements with foam tape.  I stamped the image on some scrap paper, colored a few elements with Copics, coated with Wink of Stella and Glossy Accents, fussy cut and adhered with foam tape.

Here is a picture of the stamp I used--you can click on it to be taken to the Serendipity store.

I have some extra inspiration for you today.  This card was inspired by something Ardyth said in our CASology Facebook group--and I was able to use a brand new Serendipity stamp to make my card. She had the idea to make some Pop Art.  As soon as I opened my Serendipity stamps package, I knew I could do something like that with the Summer Flower Pops Background and my Copic Markers.  Of course, I had to make my card square so it would be obvious where I got my inspiration.

Here is a picture of the stamp I used--you can click on it to be taken to the Serendipity store.  This stamp is 5 3/4 square, and I just used a portion of it.

So, how about you?  How are you inspired by POP?  I hope you play along this week. Please remember to keep it Clean and Simple.

Head on over to the CASology blog and gather some inspiration from the design team.

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:  Coni



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The 12 Kits of Occasions: June 2015

Aaack--it is the end of June already and time for our 12 Kits of Occasion group post.  I always look forward to this day, as it is such fun to see what everyone has made with their supplies.  This month is our leftovers month, where we use supplies we have left over from previous kits.  

I started to go through stacks and piles of left over supplies, and kind of got lost in the process.  I ended up with quite a few cards--and still have an enormous pile of extra supplies.

This first card uses supplies left over from Jeanne's kit from May 2015.

My next two cards use patterned papers left over from Tracey's kit from April 2015.  I was on a bit of a quilt kick--started off by my casing myself with this card.

The next two cards use supplies from Marybeth's kit from March 2015.

Here is when my piles got a little messy and mixed up.  I am pretty sure that these next two cards use supplies from June of 2014.  Not really sure.  Anyway, this card with the bird is loosely based on the sketch this week at CAS(E) this Sketch #129.  I ended up putting the sentiment in a different place, as it worked better that way.

This last card is based on a quilt pattern I found on Pinterest here (#10)  The supplies were in an envelope from Renee, but I have no idea what month or year they were from.

I had a lot of fun going through all my old envelopes of supplies and picking out things to use for new cards.  Kind of like a combination of a trip down memory lane and getting a bunch of new craft supplies.

Please head over to our 12 Kits of Occasions blog to see a list of team members along with links to their blogs.  We have also invited some of our previous guest designers to join us again this month with their leftovers, and you will find links to their blogs as well.

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PTI June 2015 Blog Hop

I've got a quick post that I scheduled last week because I didn't want to miss the June PTI blog hop, even though I am out of town.  I am taking my youngest daughter on a tour of colleges all around the Boston area.

I thought those shoes were so cute.  I was inspired by the grey stripes and the orange flowers.

Enjoy the hop, and I will come visit you when I am back from my trip.

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CASology Week 152: Nautical

Hello and happy Tuesday.  It's time for a new cue word at CASology.  This week, our cue word is NAUTICAL.  I decided to play with an anchor image from an older Waltzingmouse set called Ocean Bound.  

I stamped three groupings of the same anchor in three different colors, and then added some texture to my card front with the Sunshine Impression Plate from PTI.  There were some pretty good punny sentiments in this set, but I went with something more all purpose.  I am trying harder to make cards that I might actually send, and I could see sending this to a friend or family member about to set sail on a cruise.

So, how about you?  How are you inspired by NAUTICAL?  I hope you play along this week. Please remember to keep it Clean and Simple.

Head on over to the CASology blog and gather some inspiration from the design team.

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 (Taking a break)

Guest Designer: 


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Retro Rubber Guest Designer

I am so happy to be joining Retro Rubber this week as their Guest Designer,  They selected this card a few weeks ago as their favorite, and offered me the guest spot this week. 

I took a pretty literal interpretation of their inspiration photo--I was instantly reminded of an old Waltzingmouse set I have had for a few years called USA 1776.  I stamped everything in Versamark one color at a time, and used Red, White, Gold and Verdigris embossing powder.  I would have used blue embossing powder as well, if I had it.

What do you think of this photo?  I hope you will be inspired to pull out some older stamps (older than one year please) and play along this week.

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New Home Congratulations

I have a new home card that will be winging its way towards a friend who is moving house soon.  I was inspired by the photo inspiration at Paper Smooches Sparks and the one layer HOME challenge at Less is More #228.  I am also playing along at Time Out #33 where we are to interpret these words:  Happy is the Bride that the Sun Shines on.

I used images from Paper Smooches Bitty Bungalows stamped in Versamark and water colored with Distress Ink.  Lots of white and turquoise in the house, as a nod to the colors in the PS inspiration photo.  I masked the car to stamp the house behind it, masked the house to stamp the tree, and then masked the entire scene to sponge distress Squeezed Lemonade ink using a mask I made out of a sun rays die.  Those sun rays and the happy scene are my nod to the Time Out challenge, emphasis on 'happy' and 'sun shines'.

I hope my friend will appreciate the glossy red sports car and the apple tree I have given her.

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CASology Week 151: Kids

Hello and happy Tuesday.  It's time for a new cue word at CASology.  This week, our cue word is KIDS.  There are so many ways to go with this cue word.  How about a card with kids on it or a card made to be sent to a kid?  These are just a few ideas to get you started.

I stamped an image of some girls having fun outside, and then sponged a gradient border over most of the image, covering about 1/3 of the card.

I am also going to link this card up at Virginia's View Challenge #15 Ombre/Monochromatic.

So, how about you?  How are you inspired by KIDS?  I hope you play along this week. Please remember to keep it Clean and Simple.

Head on over to the CASology blog and gather some inspiration from the design team.

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 (Taking a break)

Guest Designer: Claire


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Weekend Recap

I am still loving my new Avery Elle Tweet Tweet stamps, and it seemed the perfect set to use for a few challenges.  Avery Elle #25 has a rainbow challenge, Seize the Birthday is looking for animals as a topping, and Shop Our Stash #205 has a Cute Critter Alert.  I stamped all the birds, colored with Copics, coated all the beaks with Glossy Accents and then popped them up with foam tape.

I made a masculine birthday card using a Poppystamps birthday die for the Poppystamps #9 Oh Boy challenge using the colors from ColourMe #75.  I am also entering this card at Simply Create Too #87 Masculine.  I used a kraft die cut attached to a kraft base, and inlaid happy and birthday with Pure Poppy and Enchanted Evening die cuts.  My decorative stars are Sketched Stars dies from PTI.

My next card is inspired by the sketch at Freshly Made Sketches #190 and the Butterfly challenge at Addicted to CAS #65.  I used LID stamps and dies and so am also entering at LID June Monthly Meetup.

My last card is for the Serendipity #44 My Guy Challenge and I am also entering it at Addicted to Stamps and More #148 holiday (Father's Day).  I used Serendipity Books stamp, one of my favorite of theirs, and stamped multiple times in a variety of masculine colors.  I then fussy cut and put it all back together, randomly alternating colors and dimension.

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