Cat Scratch Baking

Hi folks!! Guess what?!!? No more school for this girl until May 21!! Yipeeeeeeee!!!! So to kick off my mini vacation I joined in the fun over at Inky Paws!! They are having a color challenge.And they couldn't have picked more awesome colors than they did! Green (the most beautiful color in the world!!), orchid, violet and periwinkle blue. 

 These are great colors, but I have to admit they area bit tough to match up with copics. I love my copics, I really do, but the selection of purples leaves a bit to be desired.

 

It didn't stop me though. I made do. For today's card I used Newton loves cake. The 4 tiered cake called for the challenge colors. ikeptNewton in a neutral gray so as not to distract from the cake. And isn't everything better with glitter and bling? So I added some glitter to the cake and bling.

Loved how this card turned out. Head over to Inky Paws and check out what the DT and others created.

As much as I would love to stay in and stamp, gotta head out and enjoy one the best days we have had all year here in Pennsylvania.

Berry Bird

I have been on a roll in my studio. stamping my wee heart out until school starts again. Today's card is for the bird challenge at  Addicted to CAS that Ashwini a new blog friend shared with me and even better yet they are having a DT call. They are looking for CAS folk who want to join a fun and exciting family oriented team, well that's me!!

For today's card, I went to my Memory Box roots. Before MB became the source of all things dies, Dave the owner made the best stamps. I am happy to see that he is creating some stamps again. Mybird stamp is older and I could not find it at the MB web site, but they still have it at Ellen Hutson!

The bird is paper pieced and I added pearls for the berries. I cut a partial window to show case my little bird and added a sentiment and this CAS card was complete.

Now that I made this bird card, I have an idea for another using a new stamp set from Essentials by Ellen.

Roots

Do you remember what sucked you into stamping, oooooooohhhhhhh sooooooo long ago? I remember like it was yesterday. I went to a stamping class at one of those "big box" craft stores and they embossed an image in gold. As the image rose and popped off the paper I was hooked.

Today, I rarely pull out my embossing powders. I am not sure when I began to think they might be beneath me. Yes, What an stamping elitist you are thinking. You are right. So when the Male Room had a challenge using metallic embossing powders, I thought "oh great". But, you know what I had so much fun going back to my roots. I got my gold, silver and copper powders from the back of the drawer, dusted them off and had some fun!

I used a perfect stamp set for a male card, "bold wishes" from CAS-ual Friday. I embossed the entire card and added some male looking enamel dots. Yeah, real men like bling!

Head on over the Male Room and see what others have come up with using metallic embossing powders.

old school, retro, dated......

you decide. I'd like to think maybe retro. I used a variety of old stamps and ideas. I mean hasn't the butterfly with the gem bodies- isn't that so dated? But ya know what? I still like it. Its fun especially when aired with this old StampinUp set "flight of the butterfly".

It day after our first and last I hope major snow storm and I am wishin' for spring. the card inspiration at Tag You're... It made me feel all springy. 

So whether it is old school, retro or even dated, this tag made me happy, warm and giggly. Check out Tag You're... It and see how the DT and others were inspired.

Year of the Christmas tree

I don't know if any of you have noticed, this year seems to be the year of the tree, Christmas tree that is. Everyone has tree stamps and some of them are really cool. Like this one from Clearly Besotted-Joy to the World. I have been just waiting for a few hours to play with this set and some of the cool new stitched dies I got during the Black Friday sales online.

Addicted to CAS is having a challenge using dots. I used this challenge word as my basis for my Christmas card. Instead of snow, I have a shower of falling dots. I layered my tree panel onto a card embossed with dots. I love the monochromatic pink that seems to be so popular this year. Addicted to CAS are also looking for new DT members so I am throwing my stamp into the ring. Wish me luck!

AAA Cards has one of my favorite ideas for a challenge, Blue Christmas. I love blue for Christmas cards.

Well I better get working on all the cards I have to send out this year. I think I need to make around a 100 cards. How about you all, how many cards do you make to send? 

Challenge Sunday

 Its Sunday and its challenge day. I was glad to see there are still some challenges that want Thanksgiving cards. I have a few left to make.

This card began with the idea of texture, which is what they want over at Just Add Ink. I got out some acetate which I haven't used for awhile. I stamped the leaves with StazOn ink and colored the opposite side with copics. I love the way they blended in a puddle fashion. Kinda like alcohol inks which makes sense since thats what copics are. I stamped and fussy cut the leaves to embellish the front of the card. I added the twine for extra texture and a few gems and there  ya have it!

Here is a view that allows you to peek inside the card.

 Look how cool those copics blended together!

I am entering this into Pals Paper Arts color challenge- OK once again maybe I am fudging it a bit.

AAA cards has this awesome photo inspiration- can ya see where I was going with the card and the photo?

The Paper Players has another Thanksgiving inspiration

Lastly CAS on Sunday wants you to use twine. I was trying to think of something really creative, but nothing would work but something traditional. But what the heck it is Thanksgiving- the penultimate traditional holiday!

So one card, five challenges! WOOO HOOO!!

Off to finish my paper on self-care- now that I have just practiced my own self-care!

Let it snow!

Thanksgiving is only a month away and that means Christmas isn't far behind. Now is the time to start thinking about all of your holiday crafting.

I always am thrilled when I come up with an idea that can be easily reproduced in a variety of ways. This blueprint with a tag on a plain card base can be made in any number of ways. I made a similar card featured on this blog posting.

My tag cards use two new products just released by Memory Box. The winter large snowflakes stencil and the die- let it snow clouds.

So how did I make these cards you ask? I free cut a tag shape and sponged  MenentoLUXE inks on to the tag with the snowflake stencil. I used summer sky, angel pink, pear tart and toffee crunch. Next I tried something everyone has been doing but I have been late to the party on this technique. I placed the stencil over the tag so the snowflakes are covering open spots and using the shimmer creative medium from Imagine Crafts.

I spread the medium through the stencil with a palette knife and carefully removed the stencil. while the medium was still wet I sprinkled glitter on the tag. While the tag was drying I die cut the let it snow die and just used the words.

 When the tag was dry, I attached the "let it snow" sentiment. Lastly, I adhered it to my base card with foam tape and added matching ribbons and some of the ever popular sequins. Why you ask? Because you can never have enough sparkle!

Here is another view, so you can appreciate the glittery snowflakes on this fun card.

I am entering these cards in two challenges featuring tags. First the word at Addicted to CAS is "tags".

Second, I discovered a new challenge site that is all about tags called Tag You're It! where these tags were the inspiration.

I hope you like these clean and simple tag cards. Let me know how you would interpret this blueprint.

Ghoul friends

Today's card challenge at the Card Concept is a color challenge. I sure screams Halloween doesn't it?

My challenge this week was clean and layered. I thought this would be easy, but not so much. I had it in my mind that I was going to use the dancing ghoul stamp from the now defunct stamp company Picture Show. So I had to work everything around the image and make the layers work.

How do you start a card? Do you start with a particular stamp or a layout and the stamps to fit that layout?

The fun thing about this card is I took sticky back paper and cut my own flame stencil and sponged the flames onto the card. The flames are all the same orange ink, I just try to lighten the sponging towards the bottom to create shade.

I hope you will join us at the Card Concept for this awesome color challenge!

Design Team call at Just Us Girls!!

This has been an absolutely crazy week. I have been busy working between two departments at work and staying late most nights and school is in full swing. ( I have just started grad school for my Masters in  nursing) Today was my day off and I ended up going into work to help out. The gist of this rant is that I have been behind in everything I had to do this week.

Luckily, this week's challenge card has been made for weeks. Remember my crafting weekend? I worked way ahead on many of my challenges because I knew September was going to be trying.

 This week at Just Us Girls, we have some exciting news- we are looking for a new DT member. Here are the details:

If you are interested, just play in this week's challenge and when uploading your card, put a DT after your name.  The Team will then discuss and vote for the chosen new JUGHEAD.  We will announce the new member on Saturday, September 20th.  The new member will officially start in the October 4th challenge.  Good Luck!

This weeks tend challenge by Vicki is right on point- water coloring! Most of you know I have been all over this especially since I took the online water coloring class with Jennifer Maguire and Kristina Werner.  My card today is a technique I learned from the class using stencils. 

The quick version is that you make a very wet watercolor wash and then press your stencil into the wash and let it sit till it dries and then pull the stencil off.

I think the saying is perfect for the challenge because- "Yes you all can do anything!!" 

I hope many of you will considering applying as a DT member. I am the newbie at JUGS. I have been with them for a year this month and not only are the challenges fun, but the DT are wonderfully creative and supportive women! 

I hope to see your watercolor creations this week at Just Us Girls!

Wild Cards at the Card Concept

Hey Everyone- exciting news, I have been selected to be on the Wild Card team at The Card Concept. The Card Concept is a challenge blog similar to the House of Cards. They post an inspiration and the designers create a card based on the inspiration photo and a certain style.  The Wild Card team is a group of designers who will create a card in a different style for each challenge.

Now most of you know that I am CAS gal, so I thought this team would be great to make me think outside my box and try those different styles that can be so intimidating. Basically,  I am gonna show you if I can do them, so can you!

So without further ado, the present challenge is to create a wedding card based on this awesome photo.

For my first challenge I was assigned to make a classy and elegant card. Wait! Hold the presses, classy and elegant?!!? All I can say is the idea of wedding and classy and elegant are like peanut butter and jelly, they just go together.

To start my process, I checked out the definition of what a classy and elegant card is. Classy and Elegant means: polished, shiny finish, sparkling embellishments, sophisticated sentiments, regal, sweeping, dramatic, monochromatic, layered textures, awe and impress.

I began by pulling stamps out and I went with Papertrey Inks- Love and Marriage and then I began to play with the definition of classy and elegant in front of me.

The base of my card was an embossed folder- a very old one from Cuttlebug. After it was embossed, I took a Copic and lightly colored the raised areas of the panel. Coloring the raised areas with a copic marker totally accents the embossed areas to create a classy and elegant feel.

I had an idea of where I was going. I knew I wanted the heart within the heart, so I started playing with combinations.

I finally decided I liked the die cut and popped heart. My hubby thought the blue and chartreuse heart was to much and I had to agree. I swapped it out for a more subtle green.

I completed this card and I was really pleased with it. After a few days though, it just didn't seem dramatic enough. So I remade the card with a more regal blue base. It felt right.

Which one seems more in keeping with a classy and elegant style? Did I miss the mark?

I hope that one of you might step outside your box and try a different style and share it with us for this challenge at The Card Concept.