Monochromatic CAS

 Isn't there a saying that goes something like: there's nothing simple about clean and simple? 

Or no, is it just me? Anyway, I tried my hand at a CAS card today, inspired by this video the ladies at Double Trouble shared. 

To create my card, I stamped the branch multiple times in multiple directions -- the darkest impressions were inked two or three times while the lighter ones were stamped once. Then I added an embossed sentiment -- truth is, I planned to emboss it in white and I thought I'd picked up the white EP, but it turned out to be clear. However, I think the clear EP works just fine, adding another shade of blue to the card. The final touch was adding three small, clear sequins, for the tiniest bit of sparkle.

This is an excellent technique for creating masculine cards, too.

This card is entered in these challenges:

Double Trouble #164 -- meeting all 3 criteria: CAS,, colored cardstock, entered at partner site

Crafter's Cafe #307 -- CAS

Crafts Galore Encore #122 -- anything goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2415 -- anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday #644 -- anything goes

Stencils and diecuts

 

I've had the idea for this card for a while, but I finally got around to making it this week.  I started by stenciling the stone fence on either side of the gate, using a mix of a slate-colored ink and a caramel colored ink. Then I sponged in the sky, added a torn piece of dark-green cardstock for the ground, and added the die-cut gate. The foliage on either side of the gate is die-cut in a variety of leaf and stem shapes, and the flowers were punched from snippets of dusky pink and daffodil yellow paper. For a sentiment, I die-cut a cloud and stamped the sentiment.  To the left of the gate, I stamped a butterfly.

 This card is entered in these challenges:

The Butterfly Challenge #194 -- die-cuts, 3 colors (dark green, dusky pink, daffodil), and butterfly-

Stencils Fun Challenge -- stenciled brick fence

Die-cut Divas -- Anything goes

Word Art Wednesday #639 -- anything goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies 2411 -- anything goes

 

It's not easy being green

 It's beginning to look like spring with the grass and trees greening up, so I made a green card. I found this cute image of a frog and used it as a jump off point. The image is colored with pencils, with some Nuvo drops in the centers of the flowers for a little dimension. I used snippets of green patterned papers for the flags, snippets of orange to frame the image and the computer-generated sentiment, and a larger green green snippet for the card front.

This card is entered in these challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday: Bit o' green

Snippets Playground # 476: snippets

Word Art Wednesday #639 -- anything goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2411 -- anything goes

 

 

Never too much happy

 

Today's card was inspired by the inspiration photo The Inspiration Station has posted as Prompt #59. It is a scene from a St. Patrick's Day parade, and I was inspired by the bright colors and joyful attitude of the two people featured in the photo. My mind immediately went to this image, because what's more joyful than dancing? 

The image is black embossed and colored with watercolors. I mounted it on a patterned panel to frame it, then off-set that panel on a green card. The sentiment is "you can never have too much happy." I added lines with gold gel pen around the edges of all three panels and added some gold-colored gems as embellishments.

 

This card is entered in these challenges:

Inspiration Station #59 -- inspired by photo 

Double Trouble #161 --first two options -- green/ and gold/gold embellishments

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday -- add a sentiment

Word Art Wednesday #638 -- anything goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2409 == anything goes

Crafts Galore Encore -- anything goes

Fat cat

 

In my next life, I want to be a houseeat. How about you?

I created this scene by stamping, coloring and fussy cutting the cat from The Alley Way stamps. Then I set about creating a really comfy room for him to reign over, using patterned paper for the wood floor and wallpaper. The textured rug is an embossed piece of cardstock cut with an oval die. The ball of yarn is baker's twine. The sentiment is computer generated and die cut.  

This card is entered in these challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday -- fur or feathers

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday -- anything goes

Word Art Wednesday #637 -- anything goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2408 -- anything goes

Pattie's Creations #216-- Use an image.

TXT XMAS

 Christmas challenges are such a great way to build up a stash of holiday cards over the year while allowing you to make lots of different cards.  This card was inspired by the Jingle Belles challenge to use mostly text. I let some patterned paper do all the work here, delivering a variety of text greetings for Christmas. The embellishment is a silk poinsettia and a little snip of ribbon.

This card is entered in these challenges:

Jingle Belles- Christmas card mostly text

Rudolph days -- anything Christmas

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2408 -- anything goes

Word Art Wednesday #635-- anything goes

Hoppiness is a good pun

Sorry for the punny title, I couldn't resist.

I'm trying out a simple fun fold with this card. It's an easy one but it adds a little interest to the card.

For this card, I took a kangaroo die-cut and built a scene around it with a couple snippets of patterned paper. I torn the green print to create "ground" and used the blue print for the sky. Both pieces are adhered to a white snippet, with a similar sized white snippet on the inside.  The base card is black. For a sentiment, I used "hoppy" from one set and "birthday" from another, stamped them on a white snippet, trimmed them and stacked them in the upper corner.

This card is entered in these challenges:

Double Trouble #160 --(fun fold/hopping animal, enter with partner site)

Creative Creases #76 -- anything goes with a fun fold

Snippets Playground #474 (use snippets -- photo, bottom right)

Pammie's Inky Pinkies # 2407--anything goes

Word Art Wednesday #635 -- anything goes

 

Birthday flowers

 Today's card features a stamp and die set that I've had for a while and rarely use. (It also has a sunflower stamp and die. I think I've used that, but I think this might be the debut of the roses.) The colors were inspired by the Mood Board at Beautiful Blossoms. I stamped and cut the pieces, then arranged them on a white panel embossed with hearts and cut with a stitched edge die.The lavender rose overlaps the red/pink one and is popped up to add a little dimension to the card. The sentiment is stamped in the same green as the leaves and edged with lavender ink. 

This card is entering these challenges:

Beautiful Blossoms #14 -- florals

Time Out #257 -- it's there 10th birthday!

Can You Handle the Pressure? -- use an embossing folder (red/pink optional)

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2406 -- anything goes

Word Art Wednesday #635 -- anything goes

Literally love in the air

 I found this cute image while looking through my digistamps, and it seemed appropriate with all of the hearts and love challenges going on. (Each little envelope has a tiny heart on it).

I made a gatefold card. The two flaps are covered by pink-striped cardstock that has been embossed with a folder that features hearts and horizontal stripes. (I put Wink of Stella on the hearts to highlight them, but I think my Winky pen has gone bad, as it left a solid white residue. I tried cleaning it off, and the result was sort of a distressed look on the hearts.) The main image was stamped on a white snippet, which I die-cut and mounted on a light pink snippet. In the lower right corners, the sentiment "with love" was die-cut from a medium pink snippet.

This card is for these challenges: 

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday: love is in the air

Double D -- heartfelt

Double Trouble #159-- Love is in the air

Word Art Wednesday #633  anything goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2406 -- anything goes

Snippets Playground #473 -- use snippets

Can You Handle the Pressure -- dry embossing (pink/red optional)

Pattie's Creations 215-- anything goes

Old and New

 

 I don't usually make valentine cards, but I had fun with this one mixing vintage and modern elements. Unlike most cards I make, I started working on this by taking everything out of my disorganized drawer full of items that could be used on a card and seeing what looked good. Here's what I found:

• A small, vintage-looking card (the size of a gift tag) of a sweet girl {I remember buying the set at a thrift store maybe a decade ago]
• A acrylic heart [From about the same period, purchased at Target, probably The Dollar Spot]
• A red-ribbon styled chipboard sticker with the sentiment You're the Best. The flowered pattern picks up all the colors from the portrait so it ties things together.

So, I chose some vintagey-looking patterned paper and put it all together. What do  you think?

This card is for these challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday -- Have a Heart

Word Art Wednesday #631  -- anything goes

Double Trouble #158 -- something, anything (parts 1 and 3)

Crafting Happiness #159 -- Vintage

recycled shine

 

Sometime last year, I received a swap card where the sender had ripped off a bit of printed paper and scrawled the name of the swap and her name on the back, then slipped it in the card so I knew what it was for. When I looked at the paper she used, I thought it was gorgeous, so I've kept it, looking for a use for it. Today's the day to recycle it!

The paper is the butterfly patterned piece you see above, and that piece is pretty much the total bit she used (if you pulled the card apart, you'd see her scrawled message on the back of that paper.) Unfortunately, the awesome gold shine isn't really visible in the photo because it photographed looking almost white in some spots.

To show off the paper, I die-cut an aperture in a piece of kraft colored paper and embossed it, using it as a frame for the pretty butterflies, then attached it to a white card. For the sentiment, I die-cut a small circle from blue shimmer paper, added a sparkly gold-embossed sentiment and a sparkly blue butterfly. 

This card is for these challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday -- recycle (butterfly print paper)

Double D -- sparkle and shine

Can You Handle the Pressure -- use an embossing folder

Word Art Wednesday #631 -- anything goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2403 -- anything goes

Wish big

 Wow, it's been a while since I've posted. New year, hopefully more time to craft.

Today's card is a simple one, but it uses some supplies I have had for ages. including eyelets and a piece of handmade paper.

The sketch is from Try a Sketch on Tuesday, which is pairing with Double Trouble for a challenge. The Double Trouble challenge is to use a background that reflects your personality; pastels for introverts (that's me.) 

In celebration of Double D's 8th anniversary (blogiversary), I incorporated bronze eyelets, because bronze is for 8th anniversaries.

Officially, this card is entering these challenges:

Double D -- birthday/anniversary

Double Trouble #156 -- background personality plus sketch plus entry in both challenges

Try a Sketch on Tuesday #638 -- sketch

Word Art Wednesday ##629 -- anything goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2401 -- anything goes

Pattie's Creations #214 -- use an image-