CASEing Angela

One of my all-time fave stampers is Angela Maine at From the Tool Shed blog, or as I better learned to know her by her SCS name - Arizona Maine! She has a real eye for design and pulls off the most gorgeous, simple yet elegant card designs!  Today, SCS Inspiration Challenge has us CASEing one of Angela's creations.  I chose this card on the left and feel like I totally butchered her whole "white space, tone on tone" concept.  Leave it to me - lol!  I didn't have a large enough word die, so this little love die seemed lost when I centered it in the open heart.  I opted instead to add a splash of gold and also added a trio of gold heart sequins by Pretty Pink Posh...aren't they just the sweetest?!  I'm going to have to put her Impression Obsession love die on my wish list for sure.  My designer papers are from My Mind's Eye Kate and Co. "Cambridge Court" pad.  The word die is from PTI's Wet Paint "Watercolor Wonder" die set.

Thanks for stopping by...it's a snowy, wet, cold and yucky day here in VA.  Hubby says roads are OK, so will be venturing out with some errands soon.  

Forever and Always

I couldn't resist being inspired by this cake for the new Inspiration Challenge on SCS! The cakes - so unique and non-traditional - are from the Mod Wedding Cakes Board on Pinterest!  I needed to add a wedding card to my stash, so this was the perfect opportunity. Arielle has a great new layout for the Retrosketches Challenge, so I paired up the two and came up with this card. 
 
I started by adding light modeling paste with a mosaic heart stencil over a textured white piece of cardstock.  Unfortunately, I nearly covered it all up and you can't see that it's a heart. :-/  Some silver

die cut leaves, layered wonky rectangles with a Verve sentiment,  a bit of looped black thread and a large hybrid heirloom rose die by MFT finished off all my elements.  I sponged the rose edges with Pink Pirouette ink and added the same color CS on the one frame layer to give just a wee pop of color.   Instead of an A2 sized card, I went with a 5 1/2" square.

STAMPS: No Matter What (Verve).
ACCESSORIES: Large Marianna Vine Background die by Poppystamps, Large Hybrid Heirloom Rose Die-Namics by MFT, Wonky rectangles dies by Spellbinders, Mosaic Heart stencil by Simon Says Stamp, black thread.

Thanks for popping by!  I'm working this weekend, so I need to get hopping and get ready!

ODBD Sneak Peek

OK...So I didn't think I would have a card for today, but that all changed when I realized that there was still time to play along with Kim's great sketch for the Freshly Made Sketches challenge AND I wanted to give you a glimpse of ODBD's new release coming up on Monday! I was also inspired by the Pinterest photo gallery for SCS Inspiration Challenge after I found these paper lace ribbons and loved the color combo! It inspired me to use the yummy new paper pack by ODBD that will be released on Monday.  The sentiment is from a new "Quilts" set that you will love!

This is a very CAS card and went together very quickly since I had leftover hexagons from an earlier project.  I broke into a new paper-backed burlap pad that I found at Hobby Lobby.  Yay for no more frayed burlap on my cards!  The background and the stitched square panel are dies by Lil Inker Designs.  I tweaked the layout a bit so I wouldn't cover up as much of the hexagon design.  Thanks so much for stopping by...I'm off to work now. :-(

Watercolor Roses

Today's Inspiration Challenge on SCS is from the Color Watercolor Etsy store where I was inspired by the rose print HERE. I still struggle with watercoloring and keep telling myself I just need to play with it more. I decided to use the current palette at Colour Q Challenge and am also playing along with the Tag, You're It Challenge. Designer Marion Vagg has some watercoloring on her flower dies and I went with the same hello sentiment.  I watercolored the florals using distress inks (Dusty Concord, Seedless Preserves, Peeled Paint and Tumbled Glass) then die cut the tag using MFT's Rounded Banner STAX Die-Namics.  I added texture by applying light modeling paste (Liquitex) with a TCW Mini Specimens stencil.  Then, of course, I couldn't resist some enamel dots!

STAMPS: Painted Flowers (Altenew)
PAPER: Distress Watercolor Cardstock (TH)
INK: Dusty Concord, Seedless Preserves, Peeled Paint, Tumbled Glass - distress inks by Tim Holtz
ACCESSORIES: Small Hello die by Simon Says Stamp, Enamel dots by Recollections (Michael's), Soft Sky stitched ribbon by SU, Black satin ribbon (Michael's), Rounded Banner STAX Die-Namics (MFT), Modeling paste by Liquitex, TCW Mini Specimens stencil.

Thanks so much for stopping by....I always enjoy your comments!

Artful Whimsy

It's been far too long since I've played along with the Inspiration Challenge on SCS! I decided to remedy that by going to the Artful Whimsy website that Stef has given us for our inspiration source.  I loved the collage pendants with the birds and nature theme seen HERE so went with a bird-themed collage card.  I'm also entering this into the Friday Mashup Challenge where you can use birds on your card, use the sketch, or "mash it up" and use both.

STAMPS: Nature Walk by SU
PAPER: Butterfly Garden Collection by PinkPaislee, Vintage Cream, Chocolate Chip
INK: Memento Rich Cocoa
ACCESSORIES: Prima, Copics, Bermuda Bay grosgrain ribbin (SU), Peach ribbon.

Viva la Verve

 Hello friends! I started to say "good morning" then looked at the clock and saw it was after noon already! It's a really windy and blustery day here in VA...not sure I want to venture out for errands, but may not have a choice if we want to eat - lol!  I made this card for the last Viva la Verve Challenge in the Verve forum on SCS which is another CAS sketch by Tosh.  It took me much longer to decide what I would use than it did to create the card!  I was also inspired by some pottery from a Canadian arts and crafts gallery that was posted on the Inspiration Challenge...some really awesome stuff!  I love green and needed to build up my stash of sympathy cards, so this was a perfect solution for me.  Ribbon is from the Robert Stanley collection at Hobby Lobby and the DP is from MME's new On the Bright Side-Two pad.  Stamps are by Verve.

At West End Inspiration

It's been awhile since I've played along with the Inspiration Challenge on SCS, but now that I'm on Christmas vacation, I have more time to play. Anne has given us a great shabby chic/rustic style web site with so many wonderful goodies for inspiration: At West End. I loved the wooden snowflakes they had for sale and was inspired by the luminaries as well. I decided to punch out a snowflake pattern from white CS and let the DP "shine through" much like the light would shine through a luminary design. I ran the snowflake punched square through the Big Shot using the square lattice EF. Some satin ribbon, a tiny scallop tag (die by Verve) and some glitter around the edges of the punched snowflake finished it off. I simply could not capture the sparkle of the glitter in the photo, but it's there. Talk about going down to the wire! What happened to my past habit of having my cards completed by Thanksgiving?!

STAMPS: Tag Time & O Christmas Tree - both sets by Verve
PAPER: Mitten Weather DP by Cosmo Cricket, White
INK: Perfect Plum
ACCESSORIES: Tiny Sweet Scallop tag die (Verve), Satin ribbon, Silver cording w/wire, Square lattice EF, Snowflake punch by EK Success, Vintage button by PTI.

Dali Decals Inspiration

Steph has another fun website, Dali Decals, for the Inspiration Challenge on SCS! I chose the Eiffel Tower decal and stamped this Tim Holtz image in Blue Bayou on Vintage Cream CS. The diamond argyle stamp was done with Cameo Coral ink. The edges were distressed and sponged and layered on Blue Bayou CS. Some bling, a Prima, crinkled Baja Breeze seam binding and a Garden Gate deep punch border finish off this card. Paper is from the Two Scoops pad by BasicGrey. I used the beautiful colors for the Play Date Cafe Challenge to use blueberry, cream & dusty rose.

Basket of Eggs

Hey blog friends...just a friendly reminder to get those brain waves rocking and join us in the For Your Inspiration challenge! Stef has a beautiful sunset photo and if you are ready to use up some shades of lavender or purple...this is your chance!



Stef gave us another fabulous web site (Ruche) to browse for inspiration for the IC and I loved all the unique fashions and accessories! I chose this adorable coral red dress for my inspiration in dressing up this PI image. The ruffles inspired my use of the doily lace border punch. The layout is based on the MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenge in the MFT forum and because this is a spring themed card, it qualifies for the Totally Gorjuss Challenge. I add Crystal Effects to the eggs and colored with Copics, Can't stop making these rolled roses now that I have a tool to make it so easy to roll the die cut paper! Have to get busy and run some errands...it's so cold again and even calling for snow tonight! Brrrr.
STAMPS: My Basket of Eggs (MFT)
PAPER: Stella & Rose "Gertie" by MME, X-Press It Blending Card, Neenah Solar White
INK: Memento Tuxedo Black
ACCESSORIES: Copics, Mini Rolled Roses Die-Namics, 2-step bird punch (SU) - leaves, Simply Chartreuse satin ribbon (PTI), Dotted Swiss EF, Braided trim, MS Doily lace border punch

Wedding Wishes & Sunny Day

Don't forget to check out Sarah Bigelow's Blogoversary celebration if you want to win some free Verve! Also, we'd love to have you play in the photo inspiration challenge on the FYI blog...CHECK OUT THE DETAILS HERE.


Somehow, I loaded this to my SCS gallery and forgot to add it to my blog...so here's my CAS card for Stef's Inspiration Challenge - to be inspired by something from the Kirkland's website. There is a large Kirkland's in Charlottesville, about 30 miles away and it's always a fave place of mine to stop and see if there's something I can't live without. I was inspired by this floral arrangement...some rickrack and resin flowers were added to the already flocked DP, a quick punched sentiment and this was a done deal.



So yes...I'm a stamping addict and I HAD to do just one more quick card for 4 challenges:
CAS111 - sketch by lisa lara
JUGS76 - Baja Breeze, So Saffron, Soft Sky, Pink Pirouette

Our Creative Corner Challenge - Don't throw that away! I used newspaper comic strip packing to create the flower.
Stamptacular Sunday - Use sentiment as main focal point.
STAMPS: Text Objects (Verve)
PAPER: SU 6x6 paper pack, Baja Breeze
INK: Versafine Onyx Black
ACCESSORIES: Scallop circle punch (SU), Brad (BasicGrey)

Uncommon Goods

Anne has a really interesting website for us to explore for the Inspiration Challenge on SCS! The company is Uncommon Goods where you can find anything but ordinary! I chose this Tree of Life necklace and was inspired to make this tree with Heather Flower Soft. The Rich Razzleberry panel was run through the CB using SU's square lattice EF. Martha's Optic Dot border punch and grosgrain ribbon completed the border. Sponging was done with Tim Holtz Antique Linen distress ink prior to removing the Nestie. Cottage Wall DP from SU is the source of the striped panel. Thanks for stopping by...can't believe it's the w/e already!

Inspired by Zoya B

Stef and Holly brought us another fun website to explore for the Inspiration Challenge on SCS: Rooms by Zoya B. Fabulous room ensembles with some gorgeous fabrics! I chose this Paradise of Flowers for my inspiration and singled out the purple bloom. This card is also for the Play Date Cafe Challenge to create a black & white card with a splash of the color purple. I embossed a white panel after running it and the dotted swiss strip through the CB using the top note die. I added a piece of grosgrain ribbon, a strip of black pompom trim & some Kaiser silver pearls for accents. The flower is 3 different sized stamps that were stamped with Versamark ink then embossed with fine white EP, cut out and popped with foam dots. The leaves are a Sizzix die used on PTI's New Leaf CS.
STAMPS: Great Friend (Verve)
PAPER: Mambi Color Basics (Me & My Big Ideas), Neenah Solar Classic Crest White

Barbie Inspired

Steph's Inspiration Challenge on SCS was to be inspired by a Barbie website. I chose this Dolly Forever designer doll and was inspired by the colors and those funky layered boots! A rolled felt flower was layered over a scallop circle then anchored with a button and yarn. I dusted off a stamp from the Terrific Tags punch box by SU that hadn't seen ink for a VERY long time and popped it with dimensionals. This qualifies for Jessie Rone's Forgotten Stamp Friday Challenge which is helping me with my new year's goal to regularly use some older stamps. Petals-a-Plenty EF by SU was used to emboss the Sahara Sand base layer. I layered 3 strips of large scalloped Raspberry Fizz (PTI) borders (EK Success punch) and added lace and black pearls. It's pretty much a CAS card...at least for me! It's a global warming temperature of 15 degrees tonight! Think it will be a night for wearing socks to bed! :-)

Don Cherry's Jacket

Don Cherry, a sports commentator on Coach's Corner on TV, is known for his loud and lavish jackets he wears! Stef has challenged us to pick out a jacket and create a card for today's Inspiration Challenge on SCS. I was the lucky winner of Silke Ledlow's last Blog Candy and knew I wanted to ink up the adorable snowman image from Flourishes - thanks Silke...I LOVE this set! He was so much fun to color and add glitter to! I also entered Our Creative Corner's challenge to dry emboss with color. I used a CB snowflake EF then sponged silver metallic Encore ink on the raised snowflakes. This plaid DP from Cosmo Cricket's Mitten Weather pad was the perfect match to Don's purple plaid jacket! The layout is for the Sketch Challenge on SCS.
STAMPS: Warm Winter Wishes (Flourishes)
PAPER: Mitten Weather (Cosmo Cricket), Metallic silver CS, Perfect Plum, X-Press It Blending Card
INK: Memento Tuxedo Black
ACCESSORIES: CB, EF, Circle punch, Satin ribbon, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, Copics, Sponge