Friday, October 31, 2014

Retro Muse Smooch


I've got a trio of red and green Christmas goodness today! Michele is the guest designer this week over at Muse and she's set us a fabulous challenge to make three cards using one piece of patterned paper.  I have a ton of single sheets of 12x12 papers that I bought during sales over the years.  This challenge was the perfect chance to wipe the dust off the pile and put that paper to use!  





For two of the cards I used sketches from other challenges to help me out.  The above card uses the Designer Draft sketch from Paper Smooches Sparks.







For this card I used the current RetroSketches sketch and a Fresh Squeezed Stamps image.  







This final card is not attached to a challenge but was inspired by this beauty by Lynn from The Mango Boys and Me.  I'd forgotten about this Lil' Inker Stitches and Stripes Cover Up Die but dug it out after seeing Lynn's card.




Card Supplies

Joyful Greetings
Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill, (Daffodil Delight, Garden Green, Soft Suede) Stampin' Up
Patterned Paper:  Pebbles
Stamps:  (Tree from All Yule Need, Sentiment from Joyful Greetings) Paper Smooches
Ink:  (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko
Dies:  (Nesties Standard Circles Large) Spellbinders, (Nesting Stars) Lifestyle Crafts
Gems:  (Ladybug assortment) Doodlebug
Glitter:  (Clear Wink of Stella) Zig

Sleigh Parking
Cardstock:  (White) Handy Hippo, (Black) Strathmore
Patterned Paper:  Pebbles
Stamp:  (Sign from Hello December) Fresh Squeezed Stamps
Ink:  (Gumball Green) Stampin' Up
Gems:  Recollections

Christmas Stripes
Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill, (Gumball Green) Stampin' Up
Patterned APper:  Pebbles
Stamps:  (Sentiment from Christmas Sampler) Paper Smooches
Ink:  (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko
Dies:  (Stitches & Stripes Cover Up) Lil' Inker Designs, (Wonderful Words:  Holiday) Papertrey Ink
Gems:  Recollections
Glitter:  (Clear Wink of Stella) Zig

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Altenew Birthday



I've got a card today for the October Altenew challenge.  I was inspired by the colours, flowers and butterflies.  I tried a couple of different gold embossing powders for the flower but I don't know if they're old or what but they didn't melt well and mostly ended up rubbing off of the card.  So I went with this Zing powder in Butter.  I really like how it pops against the turquoise and contrasts with the Cherry Cobbler colour.  That's it for me.  Hope you have a fabulous day!




Card Supplies
Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill, (Bermuda Bay) Stampin' Up
Stamps:  (Flowers & leaves from Hennah Elements, Sentiment from Label Love) Altenew
Ink:  (VersaMark) Tsukineko, (Cherry Cobbler) Stampin' Up
Embossing Powder:  (Opaque Butter Zing) American Crafts
Gems:  Recollections
Wood Veneers:  Studio Calico

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Merry Panda



Hi there!  I'm popping in today with a card inspired by the sketch over at The Paper Players.  I followed it very closely and even managed to use a button which doesn't happen too often.  I love those little Mama Elephant pandas (although I don't use them nearly enough) and the Santa hat from Neat & Tangled's Hey Cookie set fit him perfectly!  Now he just needs a drink in his hand to fully complete the Merry look!  :D








Card Supplies
Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill, (Real Red, Bermuda Bay) Stampin' Up
Stamps:  (Panda from Pandamonium) Mama Elephant, (Hat from Hey Cookie) Neat & Tangled, (Sentiment from Get Merry) Hero Arts
Ink:  (VersaMark) Tsukineko
Markers:  (Real Red) Stampin' Up, (C-1) Copic
Twine:  Darice

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Sparkly, Dotty Birthday

***This is my second post for the day.  For my CASology post please scroll down or 


Hi again!  I've got one more card for you today.  I'm entering this in the Simon Says Wednesday Challenge to use kraft and over at the Seize the Birthday challenge as an Anything Goes card.  I used Hero Arts ink daubers to create the polka dots.  I stamped them all in white first and then went over them in different colours.  I heat embossed the sentiment over the top of the dots and then smeared Star Dust Stickles over each of the dots for some shine.  They're so fun and sparkly in real life!  That's it for today.  Have a lovely evening!


Card Supplies
Cardstock:  (Kraft) Papertrey Ink
Stamps:  (Sentiment from Make a Wish) Mama Elephant
Ink:  (VersaMark) Tsukineko, (Pale Tomato, Orange Soda, Butter Bar, Fiels Greens, Tide Pool & White Daubers) Hero Arts
Embossing Powder:  (Black Super Fine Detail) Ranger
Glitter:  (Star Dust Stickles) Ranger

CASology #119


Welcome to Week 119 of CASology!  Take a look at the cue word for this week:


I was giggling to myself as I posted this card on the Design Team Blog because it really looked like I'd posted the wrong card for this challenge.  That song from Sesame Street kept coming into my head - "One of these things is not like the others…"  

I do have a couple of ghost stamps (including the cutie showcased by Judy) but I kept hearing "ghost stamping" in the back of my mind whenever I though of the challenge.  I figured it was some long forgotten stamping technique but couldn't remember exactly what it was so I finally googled it and ended up watching this video by Jennifer McGuire.  So there you have it - the cue word inspired me to use the ghost stamping technique.  How will it inspire you?  Check out the fabulous designs from the rest of the team and then play along!



And this week's guest designer:


Link your creations to the CASology blog and remember that the deadline for entries is Monday at noon (CST).

Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  (Kraft) Papertrey Ink
Stamps:  (All from Super Script) Altenew
Ink:  (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko, (Raspberry Jam, Unicorn) Hero Arts
Gems:  Recolections

Monday, October 27, 2014

Yellow Thanks



Good morning!  It's the last week of October already and it's finally starting to cool off a bit around here.  I even put on a pair of jeans yesterday!  And almost as exciting as the fact that it was cool enough to wear them is the fact that they still fit!  :D


Today's card is made using the palette from the Colour Throwdown challenge. In real life the yellow card base is significantly lighter in colour than the yellow vase but in this photo it all looks the same.  I guess that may disqualify me from the challenge but I wanted to share the card anyway.  Now off to get going with my day.  Hope yours is a good one!   



Card Supplies
Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill, (So Saffron, Daffodil Delight) Stampin' Up
Stamps:  (Flowers & leaves from Crystal Clear, Shadow from Shadows) Paper Smooches, (Sentiment from Oh Happy Day) Avery Elle
Ink:  (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko, (Poppy Parade, Pear Pizzazz, Crumb Cake) Stampin' Up
Dies:  (Crystal Clear 3) Paper Smooches
Gems:  Recollections

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Muse & Card Concept


Hello and happy Sunday!  I have cards to share for two challenges today. First up is my take on Marion Vagg's card over at the Muse challenge.  I was inspired by the colours and explosive feel of the design.  I used my Paper Smooches Bam Bubbles for my explosion, a PTI "you" die and a partial sentiment from Altenew.  I also made my own enamel dots using hole punches and Glossy Accents.








Card Supplies
Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill, (Real Red, Daffodil Delight, Not Quite Navy) Stampin' Up
Stamps:  (Sentiment from Label Love) Altenew
Ink:  (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko
Dies:  (Bam Bubbles) Paper Smooches, (You from Wonderful Words) Papertrey Ink
Punches:  (1/4" & 1/8" hole punches) McGill
Other:  (Glossy Accents) Ranger






Next up is a card for the Card Concept challenge.  I was inspired by the sunflowers and checked tabletop to make this Clean and Simple card.  I also used last week's CAS(E) This Sketch sketch but since the internet was down I couldn't post it on time for that challenge.  


That's it for today.  See you tomorrow!




Card Supplies
Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill
Patterned Paper:  (Walnut Grove) Pebbles
Stamps:  (Sunflower from Friendly Folk) Sentiment from Everyday Expressions) Fresh Squeezed Stamps
Ink:  (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko
Markers:  (YR04, Y17, E37) Copic
Gems:  (Bumblebee assortment mini pearls) Doodlebug

Saturday, October 25, 2014

Tropical Holiday Cards


Hi there!  Our internet service has been patchy since all the storms last week but it's up and running this evening so I'm hoping to catch up with visiting some blogs.  I also wanted to post 2 cards for the current Merry Monday challenge to use non-traditional Christmas colours.  

Although I have lots of wintery images (snowmen, snowflakes, etc) I tend to steer away from them and I try to find ways to incorporate a bit of an island feel into my Christmas cards.  I used shells and starfish to decorate the wreath on my first card and then on my second card I used a coral coloured base.  

That's it for me tonight.   Hope you're all having a lovely weekend!



Supplies Used:

Wreath Card
Cardstock:  (White) Handy Hippo, (Strawberry Slush, Daffodil Delight, Bermuda Bay) Stampin' Up
Stamps:  (Wreath from Bells & Boughs) Papertrey Ink, (Shells from Life Is Good) Lawn Fawn, (Sentimetn from Merry Messages) Stampendous
Ink:  (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko, (Strawberry Slush, Lucky Limeade, Garden Green) Stampin' Up
Gems:  Recollections

Tree Card
Cardstock:  (Calypso Coral) Stampin' Up, Vellum
Stamps:  (Tree from Swirl Christmas, Sentiment from Very Merry Christmas) Hero Arts
Ink:  (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko
Embossing Powder:  (Opaque Bright White) Wow
Gems:  (Beetle Black assortment mini pearls) Doodlebug

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

CASology #118


Welcome to Week 118 of CASology!  Take a look at the cue word for this week:



This week's cue word seems very appropriate as today I am grateful that my home is safe and undamaged. Last week Bermuda was hit by two storms within 6 days.  Tropical Storm Fay hit us on Sunday followed by Hurricane Gonzalo on Friday.  TS Fay ended up being a blessing in disguise.  It caused a lot of damage but it also cleared out a lot of trees which greatly lessened the impact of Gonzalo.  My family has been so very lucky.  While we lost a lot of trees and had damage to our waterfront our house is fine and so are we.  A lot of people lost roofs and some people haven't had power since Fay hit.  We got power back quite quickly although internet and cell services have been erratic.  


This pile of branches and foliage from TS Fay was only the beginning...


I wasn't sure I'd get to play along this week as we've had a long slog of cleaning up but I managed to get into the Craft Cave for a bit yesterday afternoon.  It felt so good to get inky again and our internet came back over night just in time for me to post.  It's not my best card ever but I'm grateful to be able to make one at all.  Be sure to head over to the CASology page and check out the gorgeous designs from the rest of the design team and then play along!



And this week's guest designer:


Link your creations to the CASology blog and remember that the deadline for entries is Monday at noon (CST).

Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill
Stamps:  (Houses from Hey There) Amy Tangerine, (Sentiment from Home Sweet Home) Market Street Stamps
Ink:  (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko, (Pale Tomato, Butter Bar, Tide Pool) Hero Arts

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Happy Halloween


I don't usually make too many Halloween cards but I wanted to play along with the Halloween challenge over at The Paper Players.  I used the colours from last week's Colour Throwdown challenge as they were very Halloweeny (although obviously I'm too late to play along).  I was inspired by the Paper Players photo and went with a black cat silhouette in front of the moon.  I used a mixture of Sweet Stamp Shop and Neat and Tangled stamps and a Papertrey die.  I love it when different companies work so well together!  Time to head off to work.  Hope you have a great day!      



Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  (Pumpkin Pie, Soft Suede, Smokey Slate, Basic Black) Stampin' Up
Stamps:  (Cat from Halloween Owl-Fits, Fence from Haunted House) Sweet Stamp Shop, (Sentiment from Halloween Scene) Neat & Tangled
Ink:  (VersaMark, VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko
Embossing Powder:  (Opaque Bright White Super Fine) Wow
Die:  (Cloud) Papertrey Ink
Punch:  (2 1/2" circle punch) Marvy Uchida
Gems:  Recollections

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Enjoy The Ride


Hi there!  I'm popping in today with a card for 2 challenges.  I took the sketch from CAS(E) This Sketch (turned 180 degrees) and paired it up with the Seeing Red Recipe Swap from Catered Crop and came up with this.  I thought this fun washi tape would make a great road for a bright red VW Bug to zip along!  I coloured the Bug with some Copics and popped it up on foam tape to finish it off.  Hope you all have a lovely day!




Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill
Stamps:  (Car & sentiment fom Bon Voyage) Market Street Stamps
Ink:  (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko, (Real Red) Stampin' Up
Washi Tape:  Scotch
Markers:  (R35, R46, Y17, C-5, 100) Copic

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

CASology #116


Welcome to Week 116 of CASology!  Take a look at the cue word for this week:

In school from Primary 4 through Primary 7 we had to write with fountain pens.  When I started P4 I was so excited about graduating from using pencils to writing with a pen.  How grown up!  The excitement wore off pretty quickly once I realized how messy they could be.  My work suffered from many an ink splat and splotch over the years!  Thus you can see the inspiration for this week's card.  And now it's your turn to splatter.  Check out the splattery fun from the design team and then get messy!


May Sukyong Park (on a break)

And this week's guest designer:


Link your creations to the CASology blog and remember that the deadline for entries is Monday at noon (CST).

Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill
Stamps:  (Pen & ink splotches from Happy Trails) Papertrey Ink, (Sentiment from To The Point) Avery Elle
Ink:  (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko, (Island Indigo, Bravo Burgundy) Stampin' Up
Gem:  Recollections

Monday, October 6, 2014

Sunflower Day

***This is my second post for the day.  For my Festive Friday post please scroll down or 


Hello again!  I ended up having some time today to make a card for three challenges.  The initial inspiration came from the photo at the Fusion challenge.  It's a CAS design so I'm entering it in the Virginia's View Clean and Simple challenge and since I used all stamping I'm joining in with Time Out's stamping challenge (but not using the optional twist of apples).  I stamped the CAS-ual Fridays flower onto yellow cardstock and then added some highlights to the petals with Copics and then used Cinnamon Stickles on the centre of the flower.  I stamp layered the leaves and sentiment and then popped up the flower for a little dimension.  Okay, that's really it for today.  I'll be back tomorrow!



Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill, (Daffodil Delight) Stampin' Up
Stamps:  (Flower & sentiment from Wonderful Words) Cas-ual Fridays, (Leaves from Turning A New Leaf) Papertrey Ink
Ink:  (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko, (Soft Suede) Stampin' Up, (Green Hills) Hero Arts
Glitter:  (Cinnamon Stickles) Ranger
Markers:  (Y17, Y38) Copic

Festive Wreath



Since I've had so much fun playing along with the Merry Monday challenge I decided I should check out the Festive Friday challenge as well.  The photo they provided this fortnight immediately sparked an idea in my head and it actually translated pretty easily onto my card.  Love when that happens!  I made the wreath using branches from Papertrey's Bells & Boughs set (here it is again!) and added some Stickle berries to it for some colour and shine.  Quick, simple and flat for mailing.  Awesome!   







Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  (Real Red) Stampin' Up
Patterned Paper:  (Lakeside 6x6) Pebbles
Stamps:  (Leaves from Bells & Boughs, Berries from Holida Cheer, Christmas from City Scene Christmas Sentiments) Papertrey Ink
Ink:  (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko, (Real Red, Old Olive, Garden Green, Wild Wasabi) Stampin' Up
Dies:  (Wonderful Words:  Holiday) Papertrey Ink
Glitter:  (Xmas Red Stickles) Ranger