Big Bloom Birthday

Hi there!  Just a quick post tonight as I am completely knackered.  Atti had me up last night and I was being a bit paranoid.  Because he's a big, deep chested dog he is at risk for GDV (also known as bloat).  Thankfully it was just a really upset tummy and he finally settled around 3am.  I ended up sleeping in the living room with him so I could keep a close eye on him.  Having seen dogs suffer with GDV at work (with both happy and sad outcomes) it's not something I want to mess around with.  He's back to himself tonight and now I just want to have some dinner and crash!  

I managed to get a couple of cards done today despite my zombie-like state.  This one uses the current ColourQ colours and some Paper Smooches dies so I'm also entering it in the PS Sparks Anything Goes challenge.  Hope you all have a lovely evening!

Supplies Used:

Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill, (Calypso Coral, So Saffron, Coastal Cabana, Smokey Slate) Stampin' Up

Dies:  (Big Bloom, Birthday Words) Paper Smooches

Punch:  (1/16" hole punch) McGill

CAS(E) This Sketch #70

Welcome to Week 70 of CAS(E) This Sketch!  Take a look at this week's sketch by Sam Simpson:

I remember hearing this song last August and thinking, "Uh oh.  This is going to be a hit!"  Yup.  Totally annoyingly catchy.  Once it's in your head it'll be there for a while and I'm sure I'll be singing it for the rest of the day.  Still, I couldn't resist this set from Sweet Stamp Shop.  How cute is his little face?  Those innocent eyes.  "Who me?  I'd never sing an annoyingly catchy song!"  :)  So while you're singing along to the fox song why not make a card for the challenge?  I can't wait to see what you come up with!

Supplies Used:

Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill, (Smokey Slate) Stampin' Up

Stamps:  (All from Foxy) Sweet Stamp Shop

Inks:  (VersaMark, VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko, (Tangerine Tango, Wild Wasabi) Stampin' Up

Die:  (Nesties Classic Squares Large) Spellbinders

Markers:  (YR04, YR07, YR16, Y38) Copic

CASology #88

Welcome to Week 88 of CASology!  Here's the cue word for this week: 

I dithered and dithered about this card and even made an entirely different one (inspired by my favourite Lucky Brand Jeans) but in the end I couldn't resist the call of Daft Punk and Pharell.  So yes, I went there.  I stamped everything in Strawberry Slush and went over it all with a clear Wink of Stella pen.  It's fabulously sparkly in real life!  There's quite a bit going on but by not coloring in the glasses and disco ball it keeps the design from getting overwhelmed and lets all that white space shine through.  And now it's over to you.  Check out the gorgeousness created by the fabulous DT ladies and then play along!

Ardyth Percy-Robb

Melissa Chipperfield

Tracey McNeely

Judy Marino

Maureen Merritt

Meghan McMillan

Gillian Ross

Kimberley Wiener

Joyce Mehrberg

May Sukyong Park

And this week's guest designer:

Karen

The deadline for entries is Monday at noon (CST).  

Supplies Used:

Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill, (Regal Rose) Stampin' Up

Stamps:  (Bra from Ohh La La) sweet Stamp Shop, (Sentiment from Good Times) Mama Elephant

Inks:  (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko

Gems:  Recollections

Rain or Shine

Hi there!  It's a wild and windy day outside today - not a very good day for umbrellas!  However, I wanted to play along with Time Out's Dancing in the Rain challenge using this umbrella die.  I thought the soft colours from the Colour Me…! challenge would be the perfect compliment for it.  Hope your week is off to a good start!

Supplies Used:

Cardstock:  (White) Handy Hippo, Pear Pizzazz, Soft Sky, Coastal Cabana) Stampin' Up

Stamp:  (Raindrops & sentiment) My Favourite Things

Inks:  (VersaFine) Tsukineko, (Soft Sky) Stampin' Up

Dies:  (Umbrella) My Favourite Things

Gems:  Recollections

Muse Thanks

Hello all!  I had a bit of time to play around in the Craft Cave today and wanted to join in with this week's Muse challenge.  How gorgeous and fun and cheery is Marion's card?  I was inspired by the colorful repeated die cuts and decided to frame mine with the negative of this butterfly die cut. 

I hope you've all had a lovely weekend.  It was gorgeous here and we spent most of yesterday doing errands which did not please Mr. Atticus.  So today he got a swim, a walk and multiple ball plays to make up for it.  I guess he's appeased now as he's stretched out on our bed snoring his head off!  Have a good night!   :)

Supplies Used:

Cardstock:  (White) Strathmore, (Regal Rose, Real Red, Daffodil Delight, Wild Wasabi, Bermuda Bay, Basic Black) Stampin' Up, (Blue) Paperbilities

Dies:  (Nesting Butterflies) Lifestyle Crafts, (Thanks from Quote Tag) Paper Smooches

Gems:  Recollections

CAS(E) This Sketch #69

Welcome to Week 69 of CAS(E) This Sketch!  Take a look at this week's sketch by N@ Ali:

I went very literal with this week's sketch and super simple using only die cuts.  Who can resist a cheerful rainbow hello?  :)  I can't wait to see where this sketch takes you guys so check out the design team cards and then get to work!

Supplies Used:

Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill, (Regal Rose, Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Tempting Turquoise, Rich Razzleberry) Stampin' Up

Dies:  (Hello from Quote Tag) Paper Smooches, (Rainbow) Li' Inker Designs

CASology #87

Welcome to Week 87 of CASology!  Here's the cue word for this week:

I decided to tackle this week's cue word from two different angles.  I used a blush (or pink) as the dominant colour on my design and I chose an image that can make some people blush!  LOL!  I went for a very classic CAS design that uses the rule of thirds - the main image is in the centre of the top third of the card.  I know for some this may seem boring but CAS design does not involve piling on the glitz and filling every available space.  In order to jazz things up a little bit I colored the heart in the sentiment which also ties it to the image and then I added some tiny bling to the bra for a little sparkle.  Now it's your turn to make us blush!  Be sure to check out the rest of the gorgeous designs from the DT and take a moment to look at what makes them CAS.

     

Ardyth Percy-Robb

Melissa Chipperfield

Tracey McNeely

Judy Marino

Maureen Merritt

Meghan McMillan

Gillian Ross

Kimberley Wiener

Joyce Mehrberg

May Sukyong Park

And this week's guest designer:

Jeanne

***PLEASE NOTE!***

In order to give participants more time to play along we are extending the deadline for entries to Mondays at noon (Central Time).  Due to this extension we will be announcing our winners and honorable mentions on Tuesdays at 7:00am (Central Time), one hour before a new challenge begins.  Challenges will begin at the same time as usual, 8:00am (Central Time) on Tuesdays.

Supplies Used:

Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill, (Regal Rose) Stampin' Up

Stamps:  (Bra from Ohh La La) sweet Stamp Shop, (Sentiment from Good Times) Mama Elephant

Inks:  (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko

Gems:  Recollections

Old As A Penny-Farthing

Therese Calvird has given us a super fun card to be inspired by over at the Muse challenge. How cute is that bike colored onto the Sticky Barc? It inspired me to pull out some birch wood veneer paper I got from Simon Says and haven't used yet. I thought the cheeky sentiment went perfectly with the old penny-farthing cycle and so am going to play along at the Naughty or Nice birthday challenge.  And because the cycle is a from a Hero Arts set I'm going to enter this in the Hero Arts Birthday Challenge in the Anything Goes category!  Whoop whoop for the triple threat card!  :)

Supplies Used:

Cardstock:  (Real Red, Chocolate Chip) Stampin' Up

Specialty Paper:  (Birch Wood Veneer Paper) Simon Says Stamp

Stamps:  (Penny-farting from Joy Ride) Hero Arts, (Happy birthday from Birthday Bash Sentiments) Papertrey Ink, (You Are Old from Feb '12 KOM - Lucky To Have You) Unity Stamp Company

Ink:  (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko

Dies:  (Tag Sale #5, Double-Ended Banners) Papertrey Ink

Gems:  (Ladybug assortment) Doodlebug

Twine:  Darice

CAS(E) This Sketch #68

Welcome to Week 68 of CAS(E) This Sketch!  Take a look at this week's sketch by Joni Andaya:

This sketch gave me a bit of trouble until I did some serious digging around and found this rosette ribbon stamp by Jenni Bowlin.  Once I had that the rest of the card came together pretty quickly.  These rosette ribbons take me back to my summer camp days and competing in horse shows.  I was certainly not the most accomplished equestrian but I managed to snag a few of these in my time!  Your turn to play along now.  Check out the rest of the designs by the design team and get to work!  

Supplies Used:

Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill, (Crushed Curry, Pacific Point, Smokey Slate) Stampin' Up

Stamps:  (Ribbon) JenniBowlin Studio, (#1 from Admit One, Congrats from So Much To Say) Lawn Fawn

Inks:  (VersaMark, VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko

Gems:  (Bumblebee assortment) doodlebug

Marker:  (Y17) Copic

Blingin' Balloons

Hi there!  Popping in quickly this morning with a card for the Lawnscaping Bling It challenge using the sketch from Lisa Arana's Wanna Sketch?.  Grand Greetings has become my favourite Lawn Fawn sentiment set and whenever I need a balloon image the balloon from Admit One is the first one I reach for.  Here I decorated them with some Stickles and added the sweet little curly strings in a light grey.  A quick and simple birthday card!  Hope you all have a lovely day!

Supplies Used:

Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill, (Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight, Bermuda Bay) Stampin' Up

Stamps:  (Balloon & string from Admit One, Sentiment from Grand Greetings) Lawn Fawn

Inks:  (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko, (Smokey Slate) Stampin' Up

Glitter:  (Fruit Punch, Yellow and Aqua Stickles) Ranger

CASology #86

Welcome to Week 86 of CASology!  Here's the cue word for this week:

This week's cue word was the source of some good conversation amongst the design team and wait until you see all the different directions we went in!  This is why I love this challenge - you never quite know where it will take you.  For me, I got the phrase "Roots Rock Reggae" stuck in my head which then lead me to Bob Marley's "One Love."  I was inspired by a couple of images I found on Google.   I like the font on the first image and the distressed look of the second.  

Go visit the rest of the design team and then get cracking' on an entry.  I can't wait to see what you come up with!

Ardyth Percy-Robb

Melissa Chipperfield

Tracey McNeely

Judy Marino

Maureen Merritt

Meghan McMillan

Gillian Ross

Kimberley Wiener

Joyce Mehrberg

May Sukyong Park

And this week's guest designer:

Claire

***PLEASE NOTE!***

In order to give participants more time to play along we are extending the deadline for entries to Mondays at noon (Central Time).  Due to this extension we will be announcing our winners and honorable mentions on Tuesdays at 7:00am (Central Time), one hour before a new challenge begins.  Challenges will begin at the same time as usual, 8:00am (Central Time) on Tuesdays.

Supplies Used:

Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill

Stamps:  (Swoosh from Typically Teen) The Craft's Meow, (Letters from Inline Letters) Mama Elephant

Inks:  (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko, (Real Red, Daffodil Delight, Garden Green) Stampin' Up

Have a Hibiscus Day!

**This is my second post for the day.  For my Addicted to CAS post please scroll down or click here!**

Hi again!  I had a really productive day in the Craft Cave today.  The last couple of weeks I've been struggling a bit with my mojo but today was smooth sailing.  I got lots of cards for design teams, challenges and special orders knocked out so I'm feeling very accomplished.  Hopefully the good feeling will last through Beat the Couch training tonight - my calves are pretty achy right now.  :(

This card combines the colours from the Colour Throwdown and the sketch from RetroSketches.  There are hibiscus hedges all around our property and although they come in many different colours there's just something special about the classic red ones.  

Supplies Used:

Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill, (Real Red, Daffodil Delight, Lucky Limeade) Stampin' Up

Stamps:  (Flower from Get Outta Town) Paper Smooches, (Sentiment from Happy Camper) Avery Elle

Ink:  (VersaFine) Tsukineko

Embossing Folder:  (Linen & Canvas) Papertrey Ink

Punch:  (1/16" hole punch) McGill

Gems:  (Ladybug assortment) Doodlebug

CASEd Baby

Popping in with some entries for the Addicted To CAS Baby Challenge.  I actually CASED an old thank you card of mine for these two cards.  I used the same layout and even some of the same papers and just changed the image and sentiment.  It's a good trick to use when you're really stuck for ideas or time!  The stamps are from Nursery Deco by Mama Elephant and the papers are Authentique.

Atti and I are headed off for a walk to the beach. It's sunny and gorgeous today!  Sending warm vibes out to you all!

Birthday Butterfly Muse

Sunday already. *Sigh*  And in the blink of an eye it will be Sunday again!  The days are just coming around way too fast.

Anyhow I want to share a card I made that was inspired by Vicki's lovely card over at the Muse challenge.  I tried some misting with a chevron mask and popped up the black panel and then the Skipping Stones Designs butterfly and the banner to add lots of dimension.  I am in need of birthday cards so I stuck with Vicki's sentiment and I'm going to play along with Seize the Birthday. 

Supplies Used:

Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill, (Poppy Parade, Basic Black) Stampin' Up

Specialty Paper:  (Watercolour paper) Mead

Stamps:  (Butterfly from Breathtaking Butterflies) Skipping Stones Designs, (Sentimetn from Salutations) Paper Smooches

Ink:  (VersaFine) Tsukineko

Die:  (Stitched Circles) Lil' Inker

Gems:  (Red) Doodlebug, (Black) Recollections

Mist:  (Mister Huey's Water cooler) Studio Calico

Mist:  (Chevron Mask) Studio Calico

A Rainbow of Thanks

Hi there!  It's a wild and windy Saturday here today with sporadic showers.  I did my Beat the Couch run this morning and man, was it a rough one!  I felt great at the Thursday night session and pushed myself a little more than normal so I guess I was paying for that today.  Blah!  Hopefully Monday will be better.  

I'm offering up two Paper Smooches rainbow cards to combat the dreary weather and am going to play along with the Paper Smooches Sparks Anything Goes Challenge.  I needed a lot of colored stars for another project so I figured I'd put the rest of the die cuts to use instead of chucking them.  Hope you're having a lovely weekend!      

Supplies Used:

Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill, (Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Old Olive, Pacific Point, Rich Razzleberry, Basic Grey, Basic Black) Stampin' Up

Dies:  Hot Spots Sm Set 1, Thanks Word) Paper Smooches

CAS(E) This Sketch #67

Welcome to Week 67 of CAS(E) This Sketch!  Take a look at this week's sketch designed by Chrissy Larson:

I'm not sure why but this sketch gave me a hard time.  I'm looking forward to seeing what you all come up with so I can have lots of, "Why didn't I think of that?" moments.  :)  So check out the designs from the CTS team and then show me what you got!

Supplies Used:

Cardstock:  (Riding Hood Red, Island Indigo) Stampin' Up

Patterned Paper:  (Happy Day 6x6) Simple Stories

Stamps:  (Subway Series: Holidays) Fresh Squeezed Stamps

Ink:  (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko

Gem:  Recollections

More Inky Sky

Hi there!  I had fun with this card last week using Distress Inks and thought I'd break them out again for a card for the Keep It Simple Things with Wings challenge.  I used a Nestability die cut as a mask and managed to do this in one try without any ink seeping underneath!  Whoop whoop!  This Unity stamp is my favourite airplane image.  I haven't used my Unity goodies in ages.  I must break them out again.

I'm still hobbling a bit this week but it's not because of my shredded foot.  I started Couch to 5K training and am pretty sore but am determined to do this.  I joined a local group that does the program twice a year.  Here it's actually called Beat the Couch because during the 5K race that you do at the end of the training the coaches run the course pushing a couch on wheels and you have to try and beat the couch!  LOL!  It's a really good program with 9 training sessions a week to choose from (you have to do at least 3).  It also includes nutrition seminars, an appointment with a podiatrist and a discount coupon for a local sports store.  I joined with a friend and there are quite a few other people we know doing it as well so it's fun.  Well, not so fun when I'm gasping along but I feel good at the end (once I catch my breath!).  Initially I wasn't going to tell anyone about it but I figured the more people that know the more accountable I'll be so there you have it.  I have to complete it now because you all know about it!  :)

Supplies Used:

Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill, (Smokey Slate) Stampin' Up

Stamps:  (Plane from Mr. Boy) Unity, (Sentiment from So Much To Say) Lawn Fawn

Inks:  (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko, (Stormy Sky, Tumbled Glass) Ranger

Die:  (Nesties Classic Scalloped Circles Large) Spellbinders

Markers:  (C-1, C-3) Copic