CAS Watercolour and CAS Mix Up Card Challenges

Can you believe it!  Two days in a row!  

I finished a card yesterday that works perfectly for the CAS Watercolour Challenge and the CAS Mix Up Card Challenge.  I'm really starting to enjoy doing more water coloring!

This is probably one of my best to-date water color cards!  I used a NBUS stamp set from Altenew called Garden Treasure.  I stamped the flowers and leaves in versamark and heat embossed with white.  Then I used some Prismacolor Watercolor Pencils to add bits of color to the blooms.  After coloring with the pencils, I used a Silver brush to move the color around a bit.  To get the splashed background, I simply wet my brush and flicked it over the point of the pencil.  Too cool! I trimmed the finished piece down to 4 x 5.5 inches and mounted with craft foam over a pink card base.  The sentiment is stamped in Versafine Black and is from SSS Uplifting Thoughts.  A few sequins sprinkled around and it was complete!

Also from my NBUS stack, was this marbling layer stamp from Waffle Flower.  I struggled a bit getting the pieces lined up, but I still think it turned out okay. I mounted the marbled piece over gray card stock, then added a strip across the top with foam tape.  I used foil paper to add a stripe over the dark gray strip and then die cut the oval from the shiny foil paper to add a sentiment.  I heat embossed the sentiment on the shiny foil oval...and I can tell you...It is NOT easy.  Even using an embossing buddy, that embossing powder stuck to everything!  I finally got one that looked "okay"....

That's all for me today....As always, thanks so much for stopping in.  I appreciate your visit...and I appreciate each and every comment!

LIM 291 - Let's Use Stickers!

The challenge this week at Less is More is encouraging me to reach back into my stash and find those stickers (that I just HAD to have) I've had for years!  And do I have a stash of stickers! I must have thought there was going to be a shortage of stickers in the future! As many of you know, if you normally read my blog, I can rarely just stop at one card....so, this time I've made 4 cards for the LIM challenge!  Let me show you....

Making the card wasn't nearly as difficult as deciding which stickers I wanted to use! LOL!  This card features a single tulip bloom.  I stuck the sticker on a piece of white card stock, then cut it out with a MFT double stitched die.  I backed it with a thin strip of red, then another of white before popping it on another MFT double stitched square.  The sentiment is from SSS Uplifting Thoughts.

This card made me happy when I finished it.  The flowers are one big sticker that I adhered to the corner of a white card panel. I cut the panel with a stitched border die (SSS), then added a tiny red border to the panel (to bring out the red lady bugs).  Sentiment is from SSS Uplifting Thoughts. I absolutely LOVED how that sticker looked once the panel was trimmed!

My photographing skills definitely need some work!  My Ott light that I normally use when photographing my cards, suddenly went out and I don't have a replacement bulb.  So...I had to improvise! All the card stock used for these cards are a bright white...not a dull yellow/beige! The peace sentiment is a sticker on this card.  I cut the oval with a Spellbinder die, then cut another oval slightly larger and popped the sentiment on the second (gold) oval.  I dry embossed the card panel with a snowflake embossing folder that I really like. (I have NO idea who makes this embossing folder!).  I added a small gold border with the same card stock that I used for the larger oval and adhered it to a white card base.

This is actually the first card I made, and I wasn't overly thrilled with it.  I have a MILLION (well, maybe not quite that many!) of these Me and My Big Idea stick children.  I love the cute images, but I don't like that the edges of the sticker show.  Sentiment is from PTI.  I inked a small hill with distress ink so that she didn't look like she was just hanging in the air. I cut the card panel with a stitched rectangle die from SSS and adhered it to a white card base.

As always, thanks so much for stopping in.  I appreciate your visit...and I appreciate each and every comment!

Sad Cards

Sometimes you just need a sympathy card.  Unfortunately, I needed a couple of sympathy cards this week and realized that I didn't have a single one in my stash!  So, I set to work getting the ones I needed made and a few extras. It's never fun to make sympathy cards, but if you make several of them at one time, then it doesn't seem quite so bad.  Praying that I DON'T need them any time soon!

I think all of these cards would be eligible for the HLS August Anything Goes Challenge, so I think I'll link up with Happy Little Stampers!

Warning...this post is photo heavy!

Very simple card. Die cut the butterfly (MB) from grey card stock, and then cut the bottom off of the panel with a SU die. I inserted the butterfly back into the card panel using some foam tape to pop it off the card base and keep it in place. I popped the panel with craft foam onto a white card base.  Sentiment is from HA and is stamped in HA soft granite ink.

This was a very quick and easy card.  Cut a yellow panel slightly smaller than the card base. Used a distressed corner die (MB) and then embossed the panel with a large embossing folder.  Sentiment is from HA and is embossed in silver.  Panel is popped over the card base with craft foam.

This card and the next card were created with the same papers.  I embossed the white card stock with the same embossing folder I used on the yellow card.  I also embossed the black and a grey strip with two different embossing folders.  One the card above, I added a small strip of dull silver paper between the black and grey.  The bloom the leaves are from Altenew and are colored with Copics.  I stamped the sentiment on vellum and heat embossed with silver. The flower is popped on the panel, the panel is adhered directly to the card base.

I made this card with the leftovers from the previous card.  The leaves were cut with the Cameo. Sentiment is from PTI and is heat embossed in silver.

I think these next two are my fall-to designs.  I simply die cut the flower (SSS) from both a white panel and a craft panel.  I backed the panel with double sided tape and inserted the flowers in to the opposing colored panel. The sentiment was stamped and heat embossed in liquid platinum on a strip of vellum.  Panel is adhered directly to card base and corners were rounded with a corner chomper.

This is the second card panel.  I inserted the craft bloom into the white card base, added a small border of craft around the edges and heat embossed the sentiment (HA) with liquid platinum.

This is actually grey card stock.  I cut a panel with a stitched rectangle die (SSS), then cut the square from that panel with a double stitched edge die (MFT). The flowers stamps are from HA.  I stamped the image and scanned it into my Silhouette program and made a cut file for these flowers.  Having a die is always much easier to cut out an image, but when there isn't a die, I'm glad I have my Cameo to make the cut for me!  I colored the blooms with Copics. I popped the rectangle panel with some craft foam, then cut the center out so that I could put the square stitched piece down into the hole.  I put the flower stems under the larger panel and over the inset panel with on bloom  hanging over the edge.  Added a few liquid pearl drops.  Sentiment is from HA and heat embossed with liquid platinum.

Thanks so much for stopping in.  I appreciate your visit...and I appreciate each and every comment!

CASology 170 - Heart

I thought I'd play along with CASology this week.  I love the "heart" challenge! I've made a couple of cards....so here we go....

This first card was actually the second card I made.  I like both of them, but I think this one might be my favorite.  I cut the large heart frame using two dies from Lifestyle Crafts.  I cut it out three times. I taped the dies together so that all the frames would be the same. Using the inside smaller heart die, I cut this heart from a white panel (4 x 5.25).  I adhered all three of the frames together and adhered them to the card front. I made to hearts to adhere to the card base and colored them with Copics.  I added foam tape behind the acetate window and added my shaker items then adhered it all to the card base.  The white frame looked kind of plain, so I added some of my Zentangles around the edges and a little graphite shading which makes the edges of the frame look rounded.  The sentiment is from Tim Holtz.  

This card was made mostly on the computer.  I printed out the heartbeat line and the "with every beat of my heart" sentiment, then cut the card base out.  I cut a red heart using a die from Lifestyle Crafts and heat embossed the sentiment (PTI) in white.  I popped the heart over the heartbeat line.  I round the right corners with a 1/4 corner rounder.  Super quick and easy!

Which is your favorite card?  Would you have added something more to the first card?

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by for a visit!  Hope you'll come back soon!  Your comments are greatly appreciated! Until next time...

LIM 246 Masculine Card

This week's challenge at Less is More is to create a masculine card...easy, right?  Not so much. I make a LOT more feminine cards than I do masculine cards...because they're easier!   Here's my take on the challenge.

I had no idea where I was going with this card when I started it, but I'm happy with the results.  I used the largest Spellbinder labels 10 die to cut the rounded bottom.  I adhered the dark brown piece to a Kraft card base, then trimmed the Kraft base to have the same rounded bottom.  I added a strip of stark white card stock where the two pieces joined and stamped the image in HA Cup of Joe ink.  I added a touch of color with some Prismacolor pencils, then using a very old grass stamp I added a bit more brown grass below the image.  The Sentiment is from Hampton Arts.  I stamped the sentiment in Versamark and heat embossed it in white.  I don't know about you....but I have a VERY difficult time photographing Kraft card stock.  For some reason I get spots of blue or purple in the photo...very aggravating!

This second card was an idea that bounced off the first card.  I had some curved edges cut with the Spellbinder die, so I decided to make a card with a "short" front.  I cut the right edge of the front of the card with the same Spellbinder die I used on the first card, then added the dark brown border.  The butterfly was die cut into the front of the card base, then I cut both the solid butterfly and the lacy butterfly (Clearly Besotted dies) from white card stock and colored them with Copics before re-inserting the solid butterfly back into the card base and adhering the lacy blue butterfly on top of the brown solid butterfly. The sentiment is also from the Hampton Arts set as the previous card and was heat embossed with Liquid Platinum embossing powder.  I stamped the inside right side of the card base with an Impression Obsession herringbone background stamp.  Added a little faux stitching....done!

These next few cards were actually made for last week's LIM challenge...I just never got them posted!  I tell you...I just don't know where the time goes!

Leaves are from Flourishes.  Last week was a one-layer challenge. I inked the right side with several shades of DI, stamped the leaves and then added just a touch of shading with Prismacolor pencils. Sentiment is also from Flourishes (I think).  I added a thin gold edge with a metallic gold pen.

Once again, this is a Kraft card that was a pill to photograph.  I stamped the leaf four times down the left side of the card base, then colored it with Prismacolor pencils.  The sentiment is from Paper Smooches and is heat embossed with Liquid Platinum.

This last card was also made for last week's challenge, only I totally messed it up and ended up having to cut the stamped image out with a die and popping it on a white card base.  I used an old Flourishes stamp and added dots of color with several different shades of liquid pearls.  The sentiment is also from Flourishes.

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by for a visit!  Hope you'll come back soon!  Your comments are greatly appreciated! Until next time...

CASology #165 - Circles & Simon Says Wednesday Challenge

The cue word at CASology this week is circles.   The challenge at the Simon Says Wednesday Challenge is to make a card with NO designer paper...so I believe this fits the bill for that challenge too!

I think I was putting this card together in my dreams...and it turned out just like I dreamed it did! 

I used the SSS stitched circles dies to cut concentric circles and then put them back together like a puzzle into the white card panel.  The "best" is a some of my NBUS that just happened to be the same size as the center blue piece.  I cut the "best" out 4 times and layered it for dimension then adhered it over the blue circle.  The rest of the sentiment is from SSS collection called Best Hugs (also NBUS!) which I stamped in Versamark on black then heat embossed in white. The embossed sentiment sections were popped up with some foam tape. I added some fun foam behind the panel and adhered it to a white card base.  The corners were rounded with a 1/4 inch corner chomper.

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by for a visit!  Hope you'll come back soon!  Your comments are greatly appreciated! Until next time...

CASology - Moon & ATSAM #161

Second post of the day!  I'm on a roll!

The CASology challenge this week is "moon" and Addicted to Stamps and More challenge is one of my favorites...Anything Goes!

                          

First I have my card for the CASology challenge:

I have to admit I was stumped for a bit...but then I found this sentiment from PTI and realized it was perfect...now...what to go with it?  I had a light bulb moment and realized all I needed was a moon! So, I masked off a moon, then inked around it with DI (stormy skies).  I removed the mask and inked up the edges of the moon slightly, then added a few stars with a clear star glitter pen.  I cut the panel with the large rectangle stitched die from SSS and mounted it on the card base using fun foam.  Super quick and easy!

And...this is my card for the ATSAM challenge.

I adore the TH crazy birds stamps and the dies that go with them!  I love how this card turned out!  The bird's wing, eyes, and beak are all cut from a second image and popped up on the original colored image.  I used spray mists for the blue background (okay, okay!..I meant to get this finished so that I could enter it in the LIM challenge LAST week, but totally missed it!).  I used a gold Prisma pen to added a thin gold edge to the blue background and colored the bird with Zig clean color brush pens and water.  The sentiment is from PTI and is embossed in liquid platinum. The blue panel is popped up with fun foam and the bird is adhered directly to the blue background.

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by for a visit!  Hope you'll come back soon!  Your comments are greatly appreciated! Until next time...

LIM 238 - Sketch Challenge

Once again I'm running behind getting my cards photographed!  I finished these two card several days ago, but just got around to taking pics this morning.  As a matter of fact, I'm also going to share a couple of cards I made for a challenge LAST week, but never got them posted!  

These first two cards are for the current challenge at Less is More, which happens to be a sketch challenge. Here's the sketch: 

Here's my take:

Not much to either of these card...very CAS!  I die cut a stitched rectangle with a SSS die, then cut it at an angle.  I cut the letters for "happy" from the top piece, then cut them again from some gold foil paper and inserted the gold letters back into the negative space where I cut the white letters out.  I have the top piece popped up with some fun foam and the bottom piece adhered directly to the card base.  I added a small strip of black card stock behind the letters thinking that it would show how the letters are popped over the bottom panel.  The birthday sentiment is from a PTI set.

This second card was made by cutting 2 panels (4 x 5.25) and them cutting both at the same time to get the same angle.  I then adhered them them together with some score tape. (and I have the reverse cuts to make another card!) I cut the SSS die "thanks" 3 times from the blue paper, stacked them and adhered them above the diagonal line.  The remainder of the sentiment is from a Winnie & Walter set.

These next two cards were the ones I made for last week's sketch from CAS(E) this Sketch...but I didn't get them posted in time.

Front white panel cut with the Cameo, then popped over a blue base and adhered to a white card base. The sentiment is from PTI and then I added a few sequins....quick and easy!

For this card, I cut a 4 x 5.25 panel, embossed it, then cut the swirl with an Xacto knife. I used a PTI sentiment and curved it on my MISTI to match the curve of the embossed panel.  I had to trim off a portion of the bottom panel so that there would be a nice gap for the sentiment to shine through.  I added some bling to the embossed panel and as the dot on the "i".  The embossed panel was popped up on the card base using fun foam.

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by for a visit!  Hope you'll come back soon!  Your comments are greatly appreciated! Until next time...

Simon Says - Build a Background...and MUCH more!

I've been in a card making frenzy the last few days.  I was trying to put together a couple of boxes of cards to use for door prizes at a luncheon I'll be attending this week.  I also made a card that will definitely work for the Simon Says Challenge this week - which is to create a background (and use MFT products if you have them)

I made the popped up rectangle by spritzing watercolor paper with glitter mists (golds, pinks, oranges) then I did a few splatters with the inks.  The sentiment is from MFT Simply Fabulous Sayings stamp set.  The background panel and the "amazing" tag are stamped in Delicata Gold Glitz pigment ink with the MFT linen background stamp.  I edged the background panel and the pink panel with a gold leafing pen. The pink panel is popped up on the linen background, and then linen background is popped on to the card base.

The remainder of this post will be photo heavy!

 I was inspired by this card for this first card.  I used tiny strips of rainbow colors for the background, then punched the edges of two pieces of card stock and popped them over the rainbow.  The sentiment was cut with the Cameo.

     

These next two were made by using the negative space from die cutting the flower and replacing the flowers with the flowers cut from the opposing card stock.  Super quick and easy!

      

Once I got on my rainbow kick, I just kept going!  The card on the left was inspired by Lisa's card.  The card on the right was inspired by a card from Kristina Werner.  The strips for each letter was made using the Silhouette Cameo, then layered across the front of a card panel.

These next two are almost one layer cards.  On the left, I embossed the card base with the dots, stamped the PTI sentiment in HA peach, backed it with a matching card stock, then popped the sentiment on the card base.  The card on the right has a black card base that was embossed with a Anna Griffith embossing folder...SO pretty!  The sentiment was heat embossed in white on a piece of the black card stock, then backed with a piece of vellum.

The card on the left is a Flourishes stamp that was stamped in Versamark, then heat embossed in white.  I added some color with Copics, inked around the edges of the panel, popped it on a dark purple, then adhered it to a lighter purple card base.  The sentiment is from PTI.  The card on the right is just a purple card base, with the sentiment (PTI) stamped in HA lavender, popped on a light purple panel, then all of it adhered to the purple card base.  I added just a few sequins.

This last card is about the same concept as the one above, I just made the sections have a bit of an angle to them when I designed them in the Silhouette program.  Each layer of letters on this card are raised with foam tape.

WHEW!  That's a lot of card!  Hopefully the recipients of the door prizes will like them!

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by for a visit!  Hope you'll come back soon!  Your comments are greatly appreciated! Until next time...