CASology Week #328...Smile

Hello and happy Tuesday. It's time for another challenge at CASology.   This week, our cue word is SMILE.  I looked through my stamps and found a sentiment I had totally forgotten about that is perfect for a card to send to a friend, just because.  Another interpretation that I didn't think of until I had already made my card would be to make a card featuring anything that makes you smile (puppies, chocolate, hugs, you get the drift).

I stamped my sentiment in the lower right corner of the card, die cut a leafy branch (PTI Turning a New Leaf) and then built it back up with layers of matching green card stock.  It's been a while since I used the inlaid die technique, and this was a reminder to me of how fun the process is and how much I like the final product.

Now it's your turn.  How does SMILE inspire you?


As always, remember the following CAS guidelines when creating your design:

1. One main image
2. Lots of open space, uncluttered
3. Limited layers & embellishments
4. Quick & easy to recreate (Note: It may take a while to create a design you like, but once you have that design, making more should be a piece of cake!)

I hope you play along this week.

Please head on over to the CASology blog and gather some inspiration from the our Guest Designer Monika R. and the CASology design team.

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My Crafty Weekend

I fell in love with this card by Betsy during the PTI release, and so decided to CASE it for the PTI Play Along With Us challenge.  I used Doodlie Do stamps heat embossed in white on Dark Indigo card stock.

The toppings at Seize the Birthday are presents, and I used PTI Gifts of the Season for my next card.

I spent the most time playing with the sweet mice from PTI Christmas Critters.  I have been pretending that these mice are actually rats--many people do not know that (domesticated) rats make great pets--they are very sweet and cuddly, too.

The rats (mice) on the next three cards are colored to look like the 2 rats we had as pets.  Ivy is the grey one and Ace is the tan one.

Here we see Ivy on a card that I am entering at CAS on Sunday #96 where the challenge is pets, Simon Says Wednesday where the challenge is Christmas Critters, and The Paper Players #322 where the challenge is Clean and Simple Christmas.

This next card stars Ace and uses the sketch at the Fusion Challenge, and I am also linking up at  Simon Says Wednesday where the challenge is Christmas Critters, and The Paper Players #322 where the challenge is Clean and Simple Christmas.

And finally, we have Ace and Ivy (brothers) celebrating their birthday.  I am linking this one up at Seize the Birthday with the topping of presents.

That's it for me today.  I am off to take my current pet, Sherlock, to the dog park for a romp with his friends.  I think he may be a bit peeved with me for showcasing the pet rats and not him on my pet cards today.  I hope to have some time later this week to dive into my many dog stamps to make a card that features a canine.

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Saturday Update

Hello and happy Saturday.  My first card is a shaker baby card for Paper Smooches Anything Goes and CAS(E) This Sketch #105.  I'm also playing along at Simon Says Monday Old (Paper Smooches A Little Lovin) and New (Silver Micro Beads) and Simon Says Wednesday New.   I paper pieced the elephants and used the die from PTI Sending You to create my window.

This is my second time this month playing at Stamplorations--this time in their January Stamps and Inks challenge.  I used Tree Silhouettes and CASED this beautiful card by Sharron.  I tried to copy Sharron's water coloring, and I think I still need a bit more practice.

One more entry at Make it Monday #196:  Colorful Card Corners.  I just could not resist making this card again, this time in purple.

I did something a little different this time--I have seen stamping that continues on to the back side of the card, and decided to try that also.  I am in love with the stamp Kim bought for me to use on the backs of my cards.

Last up is a get well card I made using the colors at this week's ColourQ cQc #274.  I used the Leaf Pattern Cover Up die by Lil Inker--cut it 4 times in 4 different colors and then pieced the leaves back in.  Not sure I'd do that again...

That's it for me today.

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Make it Monday #98 and ColourQ #170

I had the house all to myself this morning, and finally got a chance to play along with this week's Make it Monday #98:  Chalkboard Technique.

And one more card, based on a card I saw on the Simon Says Stamp blog this morning.  It's a bit hard to see in this photo, but I colored the embossed banner flags with colored pencils, to try to make it look like colored chalk.  I have to admit that I'm not sure I'm in love with this card.  I know that the chalkboard technique is supposed to be kind of messy, but I think this one may be just too messy for my taste.

This week's ColourQ #170 is a fun one.  I picked N@'s favorite color scheme, which was from ColourQ#163.

I broke out my new Love Potion stamps to make a birthday card for a friend who works in a lab.  I'm sure that this is the wrong kind of lab equipment, but what can I say--I was a Econ major.

That's it for me today.  I think that everyone will be home very soon, and I am hoping to get this posted before chaos returns.


Supplies Used (PTI):
The Best is Yet to Come
Stamps:  Over Under Easy
Paper:  White, Ocean Tides, MME Dolled Up (thanks, Cathy), Pure Poppy, Summer Sunrise
Ink:  Colorbox Frost White
Other:  Stars dies, White Filigree Embossing Powder, White Gel Pen, White pencil

Happy Birthday
Stamps:  Banner Builder, Birthday Bash
Paper:  True Black, Lavender Moon
Ink:  Colorbox Frost White
Other:  White Filigree Embossing Powder, White Gel Pen, Colored pencils

HB2U
Stamps:  Love Potion, Birthday Bash, Over Under Easy (for the bubbles)
Paper:  White, Ripe Avocado
Ink:  Kraft, Ripe Avocado, Canyon Clay, Blueberry Sky
Other:  Lil Inkers Stitched Sentiment Flag Die

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2 Cards for 3 Challenges

The cue card for this week's CASology #21 is 'TIME'.  All I could think about was--Party Time!  I don't know why.  Nothing says 'party' like balloons, right?

I used this week's Color Throwdown CTD220 colors, which I interpreted as PTI Hawaiian Shores, White, Limeade Ice, and Pure Poppy. 

And, here is my second entry for this week's Make it Monday #93:  Splitting Die Cuts.  Special thanks to Kim for her inspiring card here.

Supplies Used (PTI):
Party Time
Stamps:  Just the Ticket, Everyday Button Bits
Paper:  White, Hawaiian Shores, Limeade Ice and Pure Poppy Pattern Packs, Bitty Dot
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
Other:  Lil Inkers Balloon dies, Loop de Loop die, Sunshine Impression Plate

Make it Monday
Stamps:  Over Under Easy, Flower Fusion
Paper:  White, American Crafts Hip Hip Hooray
Ink:  Pure Poppy, Summer Sunrise
Other:  Layerz Mat Stack 4, Kaiserkraft Rhinestone

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Make it Monday #91

Two posts in one afternoon!  I made a holiday card using the Faux Pocket technique taught by Dawn McVey in this week's Make it Monday #91. 

Here is what is in the pocket:

The inside:

Supplies Used (PTI):
Stamps:  Winter Penguin, Over Under Easy & Holidays, Think Big 
Paper:  White, EP Holly Jolly Christmas
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Hawaiian Shores, Pure Poppy
Other:  Dies:  Winter Penguin, Tag Sale, In The Meadow, Tim Holtz Snowflake Embossing Folder, Hawaiian Shores Ribbon

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