CASology #144: FLIGHT

Hello, friends!  Welcome back to a new week at CASology...here is our next cue!

This should be a pretty easy cue...there are so many ways to interpret this one!  I went with a simple birthday card using a sweet $1 Studio G plane stamp I found at the local craft store.  It's a great image to paper-piece!  I embossed it in black on patterned paper, fussy cut, and popped up for some dimension above the clouds.

Supplies:

Plane and sentiment stamps by Studio G

Stars stamp (trailing the plane) by Sweet Stamp Shop

Clouds embossing folder by Darice

Edge die by Papertrey Ink

Be sure to link up your FLIGHT card by noon on Monday (Central time). You will also be inspired by the many ways our Design Team and Guest Designer interpreted the cue this week...be sure to check out their blogs, too!

Ardyth Percy-Robb
Gillian Ross -- taking a break
Hazel Hodgkins
Jen Wills
Joyce Mehrberg
Judy Marino --> that's me!
Kimberly Wiener

Kymona Tracey
May Sukyong Park
Melissa Chipperfield
Tracey McNeely

Guest Designer: Melissa
Our Wonderful Sponsor:  Serendipity Stamps

Thanks for visiting,

Judy

CASology #143: OMBRE

Hello, friends!  It's time for a new cue card at CASology!  This week we are sponsored by Avery Elle so you will want to check out the CASology blog for details this week.

I know there are lots of new ombre ink pads on the market, but unfortunately I don't have any yet.  However, I do have some ombre patterned paper in my stash, so I decided to play with paper, fussy cutting, and a new Avery Elle stamp set I won from the lovely Karolyn Loncon's blog during the Coffee Lover's Blog Hop... I actually made two cards using this "Tea Time" set.

For my first card, both the background and the cup are ombre (i.e., shaded or graduated in tone).  I flipped the cup's ombre direction so that the background and the top of the cup would kind of match (and then I didn't have to fussy cut under the cup handle!).

Supplies:

Avery Elle "Tea Time"

Tim Holtz embossing folder "On the Go"

Lil' Inkers stitched rectangles die, corner rounder, ultra fine glitter

For my next card, I used a patterned ombre paper and fussy cut the cup before mounting on the card.  I also fussy cut the tea bag and covered it in Glossy Accents so it looks wet.  (A little secret: I cut off the handle of the cup, then stamped the cup image directly on my card and colored in the handle with a coordinating Copic blue. Can you tell it is not paper on the paper-pieced cup?  I can't!)

Supplies:

Avery Elle "Tea Time"

Cuttlebug embossing folder "Rebecca"

Glossy Accents, Copic markers

Here I left a piece of the paper so you can see how the colors gradually change.

Be sure to link up your OMBRE card by noon on Monday (Central time). Be sure to check out the inspiring work at our DT and Guest Designer blogs, too!

Ardyth Percy-Robb
Gillian Ross -- taking a break
Hazel Hodgkins
Jen Wills
Joyce Mehrberg
Judy Marino --> that's me!
Kimberly Wiener

Kymona Tracey
May Sukyong Park -- taking a break
Melissa Chipperfield
Tracey McNeely

Guest Designer: Vicki
Our Wonderful Sponsor: Avery Elle 

Thanks for visiting,

Judy

The Paper Players #241: Clean and Simple Watercolor

Hello, friends!  On this glorious Sunday I am taking a time out from my daily activities (i.e., laundry, cleaning, driving kids around) to make and share a quick card.  I saw that Nance's theme this week at The Paper Players is to make a clean and simple card using watercolor techniques.  I'm in!

For my card, I inked up an old Hero Arts flower with LePlume markers, then spritzed with water to make it look watercolored when I stamped it.  The sentiment is Hero Arts as well.

Supplies:

Hero Arts "Jamaican Forget Me Not," ""Decorate It Message Stamps"

Lil' Inkers Stitched Rectangles dies

LePlume markers, water sprayer, black gems

Thanks for stopping by!
Judy

CASology #142: SWEET

Hello, friends!  Welcome back to a new cue card at CASology!

We are sponsored by STAMPlorations, so be sure to check out the CASology blog for all the details this week.

There are so many ways to go with this cue, I really look forward to some SWEET entries this week! I pulled out some classic (i.e., retired) Hero Arts favorites and had some fun.

Believe it or not, I did not watercolor the backgrounds of these cards.  I'm waiting for the "poser police" to come knocking on my door.  (Yeah, she calls herself a card maker? Ha!  She didn't even do her own watercoloring!)  Actually, I found a cool site via Pinterest (one of my addictions hobbies) that offered free downloads of various watercolor backgrounds.  So, I pasted a few into a document, printed them, and then stamped on top of them.  You'd be amazed at the free downloadable backgrounds that are out there, my friends!

I made two versions of my card, one for a female and one for a male.  I'll add sentiments on the inside later to make the cards more specific to the occasion, whatever that may be.

Hero Arts Stamps Used:

"Sweet Wonderful You," "A Real Flower Drooping," and "Native Grass"

While I'm at it, since I embossed both sentiments using some favorite Hero Arts stamps, I'm adding these cards into the current "Embossing" challenge at A Blog Named Hero.

Be sure to link up your SWEET card by noon on Monday (Central time). Check out the DT and Guest Designer posts this week, too!

Ardyth Percy-Robb
Gillian Ross -- taking a break
Hazel Hodgkins
Jen Wills
Joyce Mehrberg
Judy Marino --> that's me!
Kimberly Wiener

Kymona Tracey
May Sukyong Park -- taking a break
Melissa Chipperfield
Tracey McNeely

Guest Designer: Marika

Thanks for visiting,

Judy

Little Tangles Challenge #55: Sequins

Hello, friends!  I'm back today with two cards to share for the current Little Tangles Challenge #55: Sequins.

I was the lucky winner for their last challenge (see here), and as a result I was able to pick a stamp of my choice as a prize.  I knew exactly what I wanted!  Wasn't it sweet that a packet of sequins was included in my prize envelope?  I knew I had to play along with the challenge this week!

Believe it or not, the bokeh background on my cards was an image I found on Pinterest (a free downloadable background), so I printed it several times and then played with different color inks and embossing powders until I came up with a favorite.  I can't get enough of this sentiment!  (I might put one of these cards in my husband's lunch as a little surprise!)  I made two versions for this challenge -- one using black embossed ink, and the other using liquid platinum embossing powder.

Please be sure to check out the Neat and Tangled Challenge Blog - Little Tangles for lots of design team inspiration and an amazing pool of entries.  If you like sequins, this is the challenge for you!  Don't have any Neat and Tangled stamps?  Play with their free digis -- that's what I did last time and my card won!  (I'm still in shock, to be honest!)

Thanks, as always, for stopping by!
Judy

Sweet Stamp Shop Grand Re-Opening!

Hello, friends!  I'm so excited to be a part of the Sweet Stamp Shop's Grand Re-Opening festivities today!  I was lucky to be a part of the Fall 2013 Design Team for Sweet Stamp Shop, and Nicole graciously allowed her former designers and loyal customers to come play with one of the images in the new release.  I couldn't resist!



Be sure to check out the festivities at the Sweet Stamp Shop blog...it's going to be a fabulous event!  The new website looks fabulous...a great make-over if you ask me! There will be two new release stamps, sales, and free stamps for the first 150 orders.  There will also be many designers participating in a blog hop and Nicole is offering a $25 gift card for one comment on a random designers blog.  How do you win it?  Hop along, comment, follow, and like as many of the designers links as you can - and you might win!  Who knows, the winner might even be chosen from my blog!  (You never know!)

For my card, I kept to my clean and simple style, making a one-layer card with a dry embossed frame.  I added Wink of Stella and Glossy Accents to the cute little sugar cubes for some sparkly fun!

Thanks for stopping by...be SURE to check in at the Sweet Stamp Shop for all the grand re-opening festivities!

Congratulations, Nicole -- the tireless, fearless, super-creative genius behind all things "sweet" -- I wish you all the best and I thank you for such a fun opportunity again!

Have a sweet day, friends!
Judy

CASology #141: NEWS

Hello, friends!   Welcome back to another week and a new cue card at CASology! We had an amazing week last week...you are all doing an amazing job creating clean and simple cards, and last week's pool was amazing!  You all make it very difficult to choose a winner...there were so many beautiful spring entries last week!  And now for our next cue card...

This week we are sponsored by The Alley Way Stamps -- they have the cutest, whimsical stamps and just celebrated a fun, new release!   Be sure to check out the CASology blog for all the details!

As it happens, the cue card this week fits perfectly with some good news we received at the CASology Design Team this week!  (Does my card give it away?)

 (Stamps by Paper Smooches)

Can you guess to whom I will be mailing this card?  Check out the CASology blog to find out!  You might even want to join in the fun and make a card for the occasion...a new baby is definitely good NEWS in my book!




I'm linking this card up to the Paper Smooches "Anything Goes" Challenge this week, too!  Click HERE to check out their shop.



I'm also linking up this "cute" card to the current challenge at Addicted to CAS Challenge #60.

Be sure to link up your NEWS card by noon on Monday (Central time). You will also be inspired by the many ways our Design Team and Guest Designer interpreted the cue this week...be sure to check out their blogs, too!

Ardyth Percy-Robb
Gillian Ross -- taking a break (hint, hint)!
Hazel Hodgkins
Jen Wills
Joyce Mehrberg
Judy Marino --> that's me!
Kimberly Wiener

Kymona Tracey
May Sukyong Park - taking a break this week
Melissa Chipperfield
Tracey McNeely

Guest Designer: Claire

Thanks for visiting,

Judy

Addicted to CAS: Happy Easter - Times Two!

Hello, friends!  As we prepare to celebrate Easter, I wanted to share two cards I made for the Addicted to CAS - Challenge #60: CUTE -- both cards have already been mailed to my nieces and nephews.  

First up...a card I made using a free digi image from Jellypark Digital Crafts...isn't that bunny the cutest?!  The sentiment was computer generated, and the card base stamp is from Hero Arts.

Next up!  Another fun card using this adorable Fluffles image from Stampendous.  Love this little fella!

Thanks so much for stopping by...best wishes for a Happy Easter!
Judy

Virginia's View Challenge #14: Layers and Dimensions

Hello, friends!  As Easter quickly approaches, I wanted to share a card I made for the current Virginia's View Challenge #14: Layers and Dimension.

I find it hard to believe that I just typed those words.  Layers and dimension are not usually in my vocabulary! However, I have recently been playing with my Spellbinders "Crosses Two" dies and I found so many wonderfully inspiring cards using these dies on Pinterest that I had to give it a try!

I made a two-layer cross and added dimension by popping up the smaller cross on top of the larger one beneath.  I inked the bottom cross to add depth to the die cut.  I layered the cross onto a dry-embossed oval die cut and then adhered to the dry embossed framed card base.  I added Wink of Stella all around the scroll border but I just can't seem to capture the sparkle in the light today.  However, the gold glitter paper cross and gems add plenty of sparkle, too!

I'm usually not a fan of layers and dimension because it usually involves extra postage when mailing the card.  However, I know this card will be hand-delivered to my mom this Easter, so layers are fine in this case!

Thanks, Virginia, for yet another exciting challenge.  This one runs until May, my friends, so you have plenty of time to get your layers and dimension on!

As always, thanks for stopping by!
Judy