CCC #66... three little pumpkins

Hello friends!!  Happy Tuesday! Time for a brand new CASology cue word and our fall/harvest theme continues.  So many beautifully "crisp" cards were in last week's gallery!  This week we want you to show us what the word "pumpkin" means to you.  All the details can be found here.

I love pumpkins... seriously... I do!  I have a collection of glass pumpkins that I have out year round because they just make me so happy... silly, I know!  Anywhoo... despite my love of pumpkins I did want to try to do something other than a card with pumpkins on it, but well... that didn't happen, lol!  I pulled out my MFT/LJD Primitive Pumpkins stamps and dies and created the card you see above.  To jazz things up a bit I added the little primitive star border that comes in the set and added the little embellishments that you see.   I have added a detail shot so that you can see the little sequin leaf (from Lawn Fawn) up close... so cute!   There is a new challenge up at Catered Crop...Orange is the New Black, so I thought I would pop this little number into that challenge. 

Thanks for stopping by...I cannot wait to see where this week's "pumpkin" cue word take you!  In the meantime make sure you check out the cards from the rest of the design team: Melissa, Judy, Meghan, Ardyth, Gillian, Maureen, Kimberly, Jen and Tracey.

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI cream; SU! More Mustard; Stamps:  My Favorite Things/Lisa Johnson Designs Primitive Pumpkins; Dies:  MFT/LJD pumpkin Die-namics; Twine:  May Arts; Sequin:  Lawn Fawn; Inks:  SU! More Mustard & Pumpkin Pie, Close to My Heart Autumn Terracotta, Memento Rich Cocoa

loving father...

Hello friends!!  The weekend is almost here!   It is the last week of school for both my boys and the last few days have been crazy running from one thing to another!   I haven't had much time to make anything, but got some time this morning to make this little card.   On Sunday I found out that my CASology #47 card (little yellow bike) was picked as a top 3 winner for the Catered Crop Mellow Yellow challenge.   That meant that I had the opportunity to be a guest designer for the new Catered Crop "For the Boys" Quickfire Challenge!!   After I said "yes" to guest designing I then thought "yikes... what am I going to make?"  I don't have a ton of guy stamps.  But I do have this fabulous new set from Verve called Strong Anchor (and the matching dies!)... just the ticket!

The layout for the card is based on the newly re-launched Sketch For You To Try.   SFYTT is now sponsored by Reverse Confetti Stamps.  If you haven't checked out their stamps yet, you really should cuz they are super cute!  Hoping to add more RC stamps to my collection soon!  Anywhoo... I used some papers from the My Mind's Eye Kate & Co. 6x6 pad and several different SU! inks.   The cue little anchors were die cut using my Verve nautical dies and stamped using the coordinating anchor image from Strong Anchor.  I finished off the interior of the card with a die cut flag and the sentiment "You are my strong anchor". 

Thanks for stopping by... and make sure you check out the Catered Crop For the Boys challenge.

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI white; SU! Night of Navy; Bazzill light blue; Stamps:  Verve Strong Anchor; Dies:  Verve Nautical Dies, My Favorite Things Fishtail Flag Stax dies; Inks:  SU! Baja Breeze, So Saffron & Night of Navy

CCC #47... little yellow bike

Hello friends!  Tuesday is upon us and that means a brand new CASology challenge!!   Have you seen the new look the CASology blog is sporting??? Isn't it fabulous???   Okay... enough gushing about our new look I need to talk about the new cue word which is "wheel".    I know there will be a ton of fabulous "wheel" related projects to view in the gallery.   All the deets can be found here.  Our guest designer this week is the super talented, Mary!!

Objects with wheels are in short supply in my stamp collection other than a few cute bike stamps so I pulled out one of those to use for my card today.  The bike stamp is from Hero Arts and the sentiment is from the PTI set Everyday Button Bits.   The current challenge over at Catered Crop is called "Mellow Yellow" and so I decided to go with a monochromatic yellow scheme for my card (and I will be popping this card into the Catered Crop challenge).  I stamped the bike and then over stamped the sentiment using black ink.  A few fishtail flags were die cut from some yellow cardstock  and added to the design.  The card base was cut to be 4" x 5 1/2" and then the piece that I stamped the bike on is the 4 1/4" x  2 1/2".  I like this look for clean and simple card as it adds a bit of interest to a very simple layout. 

Thanks for stopping by... I cannot wait to see what "wheel" related ideas all you super talented papercrafters come up with for this challenge!! In the meantime make sure you check out the cards from the rest of the design team: Melissa, Tracey, Jen, Ardyth, Judy, Maureen, and Meghan
and our guest designer, Mary!

Supplies:  Cardstock: PTI Rustic White; Stamps:  Hero Arts & PTI; Ink:  Memento Dandelion & Tuxedo Black; Dies:  My Favorite Things Fishtail Flag & Fishtail Flag Layer Stax dies

Let the Heavens.....

Hello friends!!  Wow... time sure is flying!! Christmas is right around the corner.  Spent the last several days putting up our two Christmas trees.  I was worried it was going to take me longer, but thankfully it didn't... yay!!!  May try to take pictures of them at some point... both are decorated entirely in Hallmark ornaments are pretty darn cute!  

Anywhoo... inbetween getting the trees outs of storage, along with all those Hallmark ornaments, putting them up and decorating them, I managed to get a few cards made.  The one I'm sharing today is for the current Catered Crop challenge (Silver & Gold... I went with silver) and the current Deconstructed Sketch challenge.  The card was made using things that were close at hand on my kitchen counter.  The patterned paper is from a Stampin Up! designer paper pack from last year called Frostwood Lodge.  The stamp is from a new Hero Arts set Heavens Rejoice.  I stamped the sentiment using VersaMark watermark ink, applied silver ultrafine embossing powder and heat set it.  When I was done I was quite surprised at how nicely the embossing turned out.  Sometimes when I embossed sentiments the wording can end up not so clear, but this time it was perfect.  The fishtail flag banners were cut using my MFT fishtail flag stax dies.   Finished things off with some red bakers twine and two silver bells. 

Thanks for stopping by....

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI; SU! Garden Green & Cherry Cobbler; DP:  Frostwood Lodge; Ink:  VersaMark watermark ink; Embossing Powder:  Ranger UltraFine Silver; Baker's Twine:  The Twinery - Red; Bells:  Michaels; Dies:  MFT Fishtail Flag Stax dies

a christmas wish...

hello friends!!  happy wednesday!  here with a little circle card that i made for several challenges:  dynamic duos (pool party & soft suede), flourishes (winter cards) and catered crop (circle round challenge).   and can i just say that i'm really, really pleased with my little card??

inside of card

the idea for this card came when i saw dynamic duos dt member kim's beautiful christmas card.  i would have never thought to make a christmas card with these colors, but i really think the combo is actually perfect for christmas... icy yet warm at the same time.  anywhoo... i knew i wanted to use my new stampin up! set christmas blessings.   i got the set because i love poinsettias (and thanks to some very helpful tips from the gal in the floral dept. of my local grocery store i now know how to keep them alive all through the holiday season!) and the poinsettia image in the set is just gorgeous!  i stamped the image using pool party and then added the little pearls that a shade lighter than soft suede.  there is a sentiment in the set that i wanted to use for the front of the card, but it didn't fit on my fishtail flag so i used this lovely sentiment from the flourishes set petals and peace.  it went perfectly with the sentiment that i used on the inside of the card.  after stamping and die cutting the sentiment with a fishtail flag die i trimmed the end, adhered it to the card and added the button and twine embellishment.  the card base was cut using the largest die in the spellbinders lacey circle dies set and then dies from the small and large plain circle dies from spellbinders.

supplies:  cardstock:  pti white; su! pool party & soft suede; stamps:  flourishes & stampin up!; inks:  hero arts latte chalk ink & su! pool party; dies: spellbinders and my favorite things; button:  pti; twine:  the twinery

no small miracles.....

hello friends!!  happy friday!! today is the bar-b-que at my little one's school and wouldn't you know it... we have lost our sunny weather!  oh well... that is western washington in the fall!!   anywhoo... i have a card to share.  this one is for the current CR84FN challenge, as well as the current Cater Crop challenge "Knot Now".   a few weeks ago i discovered that sweet linda, owner of catered crop, had pick my card as one of the winners of the "In the Pink" challenge and along with that honor comes the opportunity to participate in the quickfire challenge for the "Knot Know" challenge.  definitely wasn't going to pass up that opportunity!!

once, again, i used one of chupa's fabulous sketches for my card and some new goodies that i purchase recently from Verve.  i haven't bought anything from Verve in ages, but when i saw the new release and that amazingly cute little border die that creates a row of banners.... well i just had to get it!  i'm a sucker for banners right now... hee hee!  i also purchased a lovely set of Verve stamps call "wonderfully made".    the current CR84FN color combo is denim, tan and brown.  i used stampin up!'s marina mist and soft suede, along with pti's kraft and cream cardstocks.  the papers are from stampin up!   for the "knot" portion of the challenge i took some pti vintage cream saddle stitched ribbon and made a simple knot in it and then adhered as you see.  pretty simple!

thanks for stopping by... and don't forget to check out the current Catered Crop challenge! 

supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI cream and craft; Stamps:  Verve; Ink:  Stampin Up!; PP:  Stampin Up!; Dies:  My Favorite Things  & Verve; rhinestones:  Hero Arts; Ribbon:  PTI cream

To Distress or Not to Distress....

That might be the question.... and for me it was to distress, my card that is!  Hope you are having a wonderful weekend.  The sun is shining, the temperature is perfect and Mt. Rainier is out in all its stunning glory!  I just love days like these.  Anywhoo... on to my card.

A few weeks ago I entered a little card I made in a couple of challenge.  One of them being the "white pages" challenge at Catered Crop and low and behold that little card was picked by the super talented Linda owner of Catered Crop as one of the "winning recipe" cards!!   As my British bloggy friends would say I was "completely chuffed" or very happy!  And because of that win I got the opportunity to participate in this week's "Quickfire" round for the new Catered Crop challenge No Stress to Distress.  How fun is that???  Super fun in my book!  So what to do, what to do.... I know!  Use the current Deconstructed Sketch.

I have had a 6x6 pad of Cosmo Cricket's Odds & Ends papers for ages, but had never used it so I decided to remedy that situation and use it for my card.  I made the card a 5" square as the Sizzix Doily die I wanted to use creates a rather large doily and needed a big space. I used two types of distressing for the card, ink distressing using Ranger's Old Paper distress ink and paper distressing using my handy distressing tool from Close to My Heart.   The banner was die cut using a My Favorite Things Fishtail Flag Stax die and the sentiment was stamped using Stampin Up! Cherry Cobbler.  The fishtail flag was then inked with Old Paper which for some reason causes the SU! ink to smear, but not to worry because I really like how it looks.  A Prima rose and some loops of twine finished off the card.

Thanks for stopping by... make sure to check out the Catered Crop challenge!

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI kraft and cream; PP:  Cosmo Cricket; Stamps:  Hero Arts; Ink:  Ranger Old Paper & SU! Cherry Cobbler; Rose:  Prima; Twine:  May Arts

Pink Butterfly...

Hello friends!!   Have a card I made for a few challenges.  A few weeks ago I entered a card into the Deconstructed Sketch challenge (love that challenge!) and to my delight discovered the following week that Jen, the super talented creator of said Deconstructed Sketch, had picked my card as one of her favorites!!  So cool!!!   My card today uses the current Deconstructed Sketch and the color combo from Dynamic Duos (pink and celery green).  I'm also going to pop this into the current Catered Crop challenge to use white.

The stamps are from two Taylored Expressions sets:  Make it Amazing and Vintage Dreamer.  I stamped the butterfly from Make it Amazing using Pretty in Pink ink and then die cut it using the matching TE butterfly die.  The circular image from Vintage Dreamer was stamped using Certain Celery and then die cut using a Spellbinders plain circle.  I used my Swiss Dot embossing folder on the green cardstock so that everything wasn't quite so flat.  The bow was made using my absolutely adorable bow die set from Lil' Inker Designs.   I did modify the bow a bit by cutting the tail piece in half and then arranging the ends as you see. 

Thanks for stopping by....

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI white; SU! Pretty in Pink; Close to My Heart green; Inks:  Pretty in Pink and Certain Celery; Dies:  Taylored Expressions, Spellbinders & Lil' Inker Designs; Swiss Dot EF

Gettin' a Little Shabby...

Hello friends!  I have a shabby little card to share today and I hope that it passes muster with my sweet Kiwi friend, Sue.   This is my hope because you see Sue is quite adept at the shabby chic style of cardmaking and this week she is the hostess with the most-est over at Our Creative Corner.  Her choice of challenge?  Shabby chic, of course.  Now, when Sue made mention of the fact that she would be hosting an OCC challenge I mused in my comment on her blog that I should play along.   Well, Sue took me up on that little comment and challenged me to, and I'm quoting her, "see as much Shabby as you can possibly do, extend yourself and let go, shove CAS out the window, down the path and over the wall".   See, I love CAS and I'm not overly comfortable with layering things up and adding multiple embellishments.  Sue, on the other hand, finds creating CAS cards difficult and has no problem layering and embellishing.   I tried my best to add as many layers and embellishments as I could.  I hope that this card meet with Sue's approval.

I used some papers from the My Mind's Eye Ms. Caroline Howdy Doody 6x6 papers and a stamp set from the Stampin Up! called Apothecary Art that really lends itself to the shabby chic look.  I stamped the image using Rich Cocoa ink, colored the image with Copic makers and then die cut the image using the matching Sizzix Labels die.  All the edges of the paper and cardstock were distressed with a distressing tool.   A bit of lace was added to the bottom of the gingham strip and then I added all the roses, leaves and pearls.  I die cut the leaves from green felt for a more softer look.  I will be putting this card into the current Catered Crop challenge to use felt on your project, as well.

Thanks for stopping by....

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI Vintage Cream; PP:  My Minds Eye; Stamps:  Stampin Up!; Ink:  Memento Rich Cocoa; Felt:  My Favorite Things; Pearls:  Stampin Up!; Roses:  Prima and unknown; Lace:  unknown; Copic markers; Dies:  My Favorite Things Royal Leaves & Sizzix/Stampin Up! Labels dies

Mellow Yellow...

Hey there... Hope your weekend has been going well.   Spent part of the day helping my oldest write a report for his Social Studies class on the Crusades.   And I have to say I learned a thing or two along the way!  Anywhoo... have a card that works for several different challenges:  Less is More (color challenge:  yellow); Retro Sketches, Flourishes (use a butterfly) and Catered Crop (use something starting with the letter B - butterfly).   This also works for CAS-ual Fridays... so maybe I will pop it into that challenge, as well.

Back in April I was super lucky and won the entire April Flourishes release... three beautiful stamp sets and a gorgeous background stamp!  For my card I decided to use the background stamp, Antique Lace, along with stamps from two other Flourishes sets:  Clematis & Butterflies & Botanical Bookplates.   I stamped the Antique Lace on white cardstock using SU!'s So Saffron, trimmed it to fit the card front and adhered using foam dimensionals.  I cut another piece of white cardstock and stamped the sentiment in bottom corner and then the butterflies were stamped using So Saffron ink.  A piece of So Saffron grosgrain ribbon was then tied around the piece.  This piece was then adhered using more foam dimensionals.  I stamped the another butterfly using Tuxedo Black ink, colored it with Copic markers and trimmed it out.  A light coating of Diamond Stickles was applied and then the butterfly was adhered to the card as shown.  I seem to be in a white on white with a pop of color mood right now as this is the third one I have made in the last several days.  IThe is just something about a crisp white card that makes me happy!

Thanks for stopping by....

Cardstock:  PTI white; Stamps:  Flourishes; Inks:  Memento & Stampin Up!; Ribbon:  Stampin Up!; Rhinestones:  Stampin Up!

You're My Type...

Hello, again!!  Well.. our grey, rainy weather was replaced with snow!! Yep... woke up this morning to a nice little dusting of snow on the ground!  Thank goodness it didn't stick on the roads and it was mostly gone by mid-afternoon!   Another good day to stay inside and make a card... so I did!!

I made this card for several challenges... one of which is the current Catered Crop challenge to use ribbon.  Last week I popped a card into the Catered Crop "Seeing Red" challenge and on Monday morning I found a lovely email from Linda (the owner of Catered Crop) telling me I had been chosen as a one of two winners and that I could have my card featured in their "Quickfire" round as a guest designer!  How fun is that??  Of course I said "yes"!   Coincidentally, the card that won me the "Quickfire" spot was also made for I Spy Sketch challenge #4.  And what do you know... the card was chosen as one of their top 2!!  Yay me!!!  So, I only thought it fitting that I use I Spy Sketch #5 for my Catered Crop card!  Finally... I'm popping this card into the Taylored Expressions February Key Ingredients Challenge.   I recently started getting the TE KI kits and I have to say I'm really happy I did.   One of the perks that came with getting a KI subscription was the ability to buy a special TE stamp set that was designed to coordinate with the February kit.  I used that stamp set for my card.   The papers are from the My Mind's Eye Lost & Found 2 Rosy collection.  The card stock, ribbon and roses are also from the kit.

Thanks for stopping by....

Supplies:  Card stock:  Bazzill; PP:  My Mind's Eye; Stamps:  TE Vintage Dreamer; Inks:  SU! More Mustard & Riding Hood Red; Memento Tuxedo Black; Prima flowers; Ribbon; Spellbinders dies

Seeing Red...

Hey there!!  No... I'm not mad... just the card I have to share was made for the current Catered Crop challenge:  Seeing Red!   When I saw the challenge I just had to give it a try... especially since the other day I got my new SU! Rose Red ink pad.  I had used it on another card and so it was still sitting out.  I grabbed my favorite SU! red, Cherry Cobbler, and the SU! hostess set "Simply Soft" and got to work.

Initially I had planned to use some Cherry Cobbler cardstock that I had run through the Big Shot in an embossing folder, but I fiddled around with it too much and kinda ruined it.  So... I went to a back up... some lovely patterned paper from the Scrap Cake 6x6 Cozy Xmas pad.  I love the Scrap Cake papers and CAN.NOT.WAIT. to get the two brand new 6x6 pads from the Scrap Cake.  I just ordered them from the Flying Unicorn and so should have them in my hot little hands really soon!  Anyway... back to my card!   I stamped the outline image in Cherry Cobbler and then the solid image using Rose Red.  The piece was inked with Old Paper Distress ink and then some Cherry Cobbler seam binding was tied around it.  The piece was matted with Rose Red cardstock that had been inked, as well.  I distressed the background paper with my distressing tool.  The layout for the card is from a fairly new sketch challenge blog, I Spy Sketches.  My card is a very straightforward interpretation of the sketch... nothing fancy, but I really like it.  

Thanks for stopping by....

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI cream; SU! Rose Red; PP:  Scrap Cake Cozy Xmax; Ink;  SU! Cherry Cobbler & Rose Red; Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding; SU! Scallop Border punch; Ranger Distress Ink

A Cheery Birthday Card...

Hey there!! Here with a card for another Flourishes challenge.  This time it is Timeless Tuesday.  The super talented Tammy is hosting this week and she provided us with a beautiful photo to inspire our creativity.

Yesterday was my mother-in-law's birthday (Jan. 12th) and today (the 13th) we are going to her house to celebrate, so I decided to use the inspiration photo to create a birthday card for her.  I used three different Flourishes sets for the card:  Zinnias, Country Charm Labels & Sweet Violets.  I stamped the zinnia image using Memento Tuxedo Black and then colored it with Copic makers (and oops! I forgot to write down which colors.)  I then die cut the image using the new Flourishes Classic Keyhole die.  A piece of yellow cardstock was run through my Big Shot in an embossing folder and the die cut image adhered to it.  I stamped one of the labels from the Country Charm set in orange ink, the sentiment in dark pink ink and die cut with the corresponding Spellbinders Grommet Tag die.   Some Raspberry Fizz grosgrain ribbon was attached using orange bakers twine and then some little buttons were also added.  The entire piece was then adhered to the card as you see.   I recently found a new to me challenge site called "Catered Crop" and their current challenge is to use buttons on your project so I will be putting this into that challenge, as well.

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI white & lemon tart; Stamps:  Flourishes; Ink:  Memento & Stampin Up!; Copic Markers; Ribbon:  PTI; Buttons:  DeNami Design; Twine:  Divine Twine; Dies:  Flourishes & Spellbinders