Embrace the blue space

You all know that I am a CAS kinda gal and that I just want to embrace the white space. But what about the blue space?

Today's new challenge at CAS on Friday is asking us to just do that.  The new challenge is:

ANYTHING BUT WHITE

Thus my blue card where I have embraced the blue space in my CAS card. I love this card because it show cases a really cool technique by Yana Smakula. To make it easy for you I am adding the video here. This tecnique is perfect for use with this outta the box CAS challenge.

My card today features one of my favorite floral stamps-"Dainty Daisies" from Newtons Nook. 

You have two weeks to embrace our "anything but white" challenge at CAS on Friday. If you are stuck for an idea, give  Yana's cool technique a try.

Have fun!!

Winston takes off

Good day everyone! I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. I had an awesome holiday, but it is time to move on to the next holiday. before I have one after another holiday card to show you, I figured I sneak in a birthday card that I made for George. His birthday was last Sunday and he is all about bears. I used this awesome sketch from Inky Paws as my inspiration for the card.

For my card I grabbed "Winston takes flight" and colored and die cut Winston. I used the sky border die to create my clouds and layered it all on the frameworks die base. 

 

Head on over to Inky Paws and join in this fun sketch challenge. We will chose a RANDOM entry to win a $20.00 Newton's Nook store gift certificate. Our favorite entries from each challenge will be highlighted the following Monday, so all entries have a chance to be featured on the blog.

The deadline to enter today's challenge is Friday December 7, 2018, at MN CST. The winners will be announced on the following Monday at Inky Paws.

Is candy corn a free food?

I just love this stamp set from Newton's Nook!

I have been a lifetime member of Weight Watchers for the last year. And anyone who is familiar with the WW knows that with corn is now a free food in the freestyle program. My question is does candy corn count as a vegie? A free vegie? How I wish!!

  If I can't eat the corn I can at least have some fun stamping them!! Today Inky Paws is having a sketch challenge.

As I have said, I am really enjoying the sketch challenges. This one made me think outside my CAS box and I mixed up papers, stamps and dies. Quit a bit of coloring happened on this card. I stamped all the corn on a white card stock circle and I colored the corn in and colored the black background. The dark background really made the candy corn pop. Then just because I like glitter I glittered all the corn. When you look at the corn up close you can see I was a bit over zealous with the glitter. LOL!!!

Along with the candy corn set, I used the "trick or treat" die from Halloween trio stamp set. 

Head on over to Inky Paws and join in this fun sketch challenge. We will chose a RANDOM entry to win a $20.00 Newton's Nook store gift certificate. Our favorite entries from each challenge will be highlighted the following Monday, so all entries have a chance to be featured on the blog.

The deadline to enter today's challenge is Friday October 26, 2018, at MN CST. The winners will be announced on the following Monday at Inky Paws.

Where's Pinkie?

Well fall arrived on Saturday at 9:54 and the weather turned chilly. I am sitting here typing this with a warm leggings, a long sleeve tunic, and a sweater, drinking a cup of very hot tea. It seems like yesterday I was sweating in shorts and a tank. How is that possible?

Do you remeber as a kid one of the best things about fall was jumping in piles of leaves? Tell me, you all did that didn't you? Well Miss Pinkie my old girl, isn't too old to play in the leaves. She might not be jumping around, but she will bat a few around. Can you see her? She's hiding behind that pile of leaves.

You still have time to join in the fun over at Inky Paws, for the "Fabulous Fall" challenge.

For my card I used the "Autumn Newton"  set. The background is the "Serene Stripes" stencil and turned it around create a"plaid " background. My base card used my go-to die set "Frameworks".

 

Head onto over to Inky Paws and join in this fun sketch challenge. We will chose a RANDOM entry to win a $20.00 Newton's Nook store gift certificate. Our favorite entries from each challenge will be highlighted the following Monday, so all entries have a chance to be featured on the blog.

The deadline to enter today's challenge is Friday September 28, 2018, at MN CST. the winners will be announced on the following Monday at Inky Paws.

Time to trade in the flip flops

It's that time of the year. Time to trade in the flip flops for school shoes. Shoes that don't fit between your toes. I think flip flops are so much fun. They come in so many colors and fun designs. They can be utiliterian or dress up. They are cheap, so you can have multiple pairs.

The problem for me is the the thong between my toes. I have never been able to get use to that feeling. It just irritates me. I have been told it's like scotch or beer, it's an acquired taste. I have tried. I have spent money over the years on on flip flops and thong sandels, trying to get used to them. A few months ago, I had a pair of adorable flip flops in my hand to purchase for my trip to the beach. I looked at them and thought, "What are you doing? You know you will never wear them!" I reluctantly put them back.

Hey, that doesn't mean I don't subscribe to the whole "life is better in flip flops" idea. It's a sentiment that evokes, hot summer days, walks on the beach, vacations, a general slowing down of life for a few months.

For this last week of summer, I want to remind you that even though Labor Day looms, and the seasons move on, there is still time to "flip flop" and there is still time to join in the fun at Inky Paws  their summery color challenge.

My card today uses one of the new 2X3 mini sets, "flip flop life".  These new minis are economical and come in fun and whimsical designs. I kept my card very CAS. I didn't even try to do precision coloring on the flip flops because that is what flip flop life is all about. Keeping it loose and random. This card features a super easy design that you can easily use with different stamps. So if you are having trouble coming up with an idea for the challenge this week, copy my sketch and show me your interpretation with the color inspiration.  I can't wait to see what you might come up with!  

 

Head onto over to Inky Paws and join in this fun color challenge. We will cose a RANDOM entry to win a $20.00 Newton's Nook store gift certificate. We will highlight our favorite entries from each challenge the following Monday, so all entries have a chance to be featured on the blog.

The deadline to enter today's challenge is Friday August 3, 2018, at MN CST. the winners will be announced on the following Monday at Inky Paws.

Lastly let me know what you all think of flip flops?

 

I am having a blast!!

If you saw Friday's blog posting you would understand why today's card is so appropriate. Today is my first challenge as a DT member for the Inky Paws Challenge for Newton's Nook and I am having a blast!!

Challenge 76 at Inky Paws is a color challenge. A what fun summery colors they are!!!

My card today uses Cosmic Newton. I just love the chartreuse space ship!! The stencil is the starfield stencil, also from Newton's Nook. It's all in the details. I added glitter to the stencil paste, to make the starts glimmer. The window Newton is peering out of was covered with glossy accents to make it look like glass and alastly a star embellishment to the rocket. 

I am saving this card for the husband's birthday. He loves anything space.

Head on over and support me on my first challenge at Inky Paws by playing along. Check out what my fellow DT is showing also. There will be a ton of inspiration. You have two weeks to play along.

 

It's all about the presents!!

Hey Everyone!! Who doesn't love a present? But even better who doesnt love LOTS of presents?!!!? I am all about presents. I love to get them and I love to give them!!

 Inky Paws is having a color challenge and it is some of my fav colors! Green (the most beautiful color in the world!!), blue, yellow and white.

As I was riffling through my Newton's Nook stamps, I pulled out a Christmas set that I thought-this I can work with! Newton's Christmas Cuddles Think outside of the box with your stamps- (literally, Newton is peeking out from the box!!) The stamps in this set made the perfect birthday card, I just added the sentiments from Newton's Birthday Bash. I cut apart the sentiment "let the cat out of the bag" to just "let the cat out". These are just some ways to stretch your stamps.

I based my card on a recent technique from Jennifer Maguire. I do not have the dies for Christmas Cuddles, so I fussy cut the card. 

 
I hid the inside sentiment behind Newton, so there would be a surprize waiting for you inside. I used my copics to color.

Since the front of the card seemed kinda bare to me I added the paper scrap strip and then added one to the inside to tie everything together.

Head on over Inky Paws! Check out what the DT and others have come up with!! 

1+1= Toucan

Not sure what is going on over at Inky Paws, they are having a super fun sketch challenge and hardly any one is playing along!!! I don't quite get it, I couldn't wait till I was off today so I could make my card. 

I used to find sketches daunting, but now I really like them. They take the design guess work out of it and you can just have fun. I had this idea and it pretty much turned out as I envisioned it. So happy for that. 

I have my last class for this semester this week and then I will have 4 weeks off!! So cannot  wait for that!! Oh the stamping that I will do!

I used Newton's "Toucan Party" for my card today. I had to look up how to color a toucan. Wow there are many varieties of toucans. Who  knew. I love the look of black and white against the brighter colors.

Come on folks, get your creativity on and join in the fun over at Inky Paws!! If you are lacking inspiration, check out what the DT came up with.

Go Eagles!!

I am not a football kinda gal, but I can't help but be caught up in Philly's Eagles superbowl fever! I mean this is my home team!! Everywhere you go people are wearing green, they have their houses decked out in green lights. Everyone is friendly and saying"go Eagles" to one another. There are no barriers when it comes to the Eagles. We are all on the same team. 

 Philly has been deemed the underdog in this year's playoff. So I wanted to send out a bit of encouragement to them. That's why this week's sketch challenge over at Inky Paws was right on point. "Toucan do it!!" I used Newton's "Toucan Party" for the challenge. I do not have any eagle stamps, but Mr. Toucan was more than happy to don green feathers to support a fellow bird!

I kept this card very CAS, but within the confines of the sketch. Not always an easy thing to accomplish. 

Head over to Inky Paws and join in the fun, You still have five days left!

GO EAGLES!!!! TOUCAN DO IT!!!!

Santa Paws

 

It's that time of the year when I become the most creative- the holiday season!! I am starting to work on my holiday card designs and Newton's Nook is playing a starring role this year.  I have been messing around with this design concept. Originally the element was a rectangle, but I justwasn't feeling it- this is after I made about 6 cards!! I tried it with a circle and loved it.

I am entering this card over at the Inky Paws challenge. This week's challenge is a color challenge using Holly red, pine cone tan, fir green, and black. A color challenge certainly takes the stress out of figuring out colors! And I think Santa Paws looks awesome!! I loved this color combo and will definitely be using it again.

If you look close you can see that I glitterized all the snow. As usual it is much more impressive in person.

I am entering this in the color challenge over at House of Cards. HOC was the first challenge blog I was on, so it's kind of nostalgic to be joining in the fun as a spectator. 

I hope you will go check out the awesome challenges at Inky Paws and House of Cards join in.

Give thanks for cats!

My friends at Newton's Nook are hosting a fun sketch challenge. Since I have been dropping a bit of cash at my new fav company, I decide to play along.

I started to work on my Thanksgiving cards.mI have at least 30 to make, because I always give each one of my staff a Thabksgiving card to let themknow how much I appreciate them. I needed a fun card that guys might like... so... Newton saves the day. I used the "Autumn Newton" set.

At first I was going with some crazy complicated die cut card and then thought, silly girl, that is so not you- keep it clean, keep it simple!! I pulled out my washi tape which I havent used in a months and the card just came together. The two cats are my Zephry(the gray one- now over the rainbow bridge) and Pinkie (the spunky 18 year old calico). 

I also made the card with kraft.

What are your thoughts? White or kraft? I can't decide.

The Inky Paws challenge runs through Friday November 3 at MN CST if you can find the time to join in.

So glad to be posting and sharing after my blogging drought!