You're a STAR!

Twas such a dull day outdoors with more snow this morning so was quite content to stay indoors and fit a bit of creativeness in.  This simple sketch from CAS Colours & Sketches #312 grabbed me today: 

Now I can be a little stick in the mud when it comes to sketches, too timid to push the limits in interpretation of a sketch so today I forced myself to be liberal.  I took a discretion to use a beautiful star shape for the focal point - I mean whats an extra angle on a rectangle and then squished around a bit?  I had fun!  

I used a backdrop of kraft cardstock and added a layer of DP from DCWV atop.  I trimmed a bit of gold sparkly ribbon and fringed the bottom a bit.  I stamped this gorgeous star from Close to my Heart "Shining Star" using versamark embossing ink and then Ranger "Queens's Gold" embossing powder.  I layered it on top of white cardstock and trimmed an edge.  I stamped the "you're a star" from the same stamp set.  I twined some very fine gold thread around the star, added foam tape and tacked it onto my card.  My final touch are the three April Crystals from Studio Katina.  

I was pleased my card came together in the end - sometimes mid-card I get doubtful.  How about you, do you have a time your confidence falters while building cards?  

Masculine Birthday Black and Grey

Feels so nice to be creating again after a couple of trips away in this past three weeks.  Wonderful to find a simple straightforward sketch to base my card on and CAS(E) this sketch #311 is just perfect to work from.  

I used a basic black cardstock and layered it up with a base of a wallpaper sample a friend gave me recently.  The pattern and monochromatic theme are perfect for a manly greeting card.  I stamped a repeating pattern using a compass stamp from My Mind's Eye "indie" using versafine in black.  I chose a simple happy birthday from a Paper Smooches set I seem to go back to time and time again, onto a white cardstock.  After using layers and elevating some with foam tape I achieved lots of texture and height for interest.  

So glad you stopped in today!  

Always BE Amazing

Woo Hoo - fitting in a tiny flurry of cards while the fitting is possible - I seem to get derailed all over the place.  I think I enjoy the process even more being as its sporadic.  

I took incentive from this week's Tuesday Morning Sketches #489 -  I knew just what I wanted to do!

I used a natural cardstock and layered up some WeR Memory Keepers Chalkboard 6 x 6 DP trimmed into the slices.  I used a Simon Says Stamp "Be" stamp set for the sentiment in black Versafine.  I heat embossed in clear.  I blocked out sections and coloured the mid section using Tim Holtz Distress in Abandoned Coral. 

I die cut a spellbinders double layer butterfly using another DP scrap and an over-layer of transparent neutral vellum.  I finished this little beauty off with a gem from Studio Katia.  Last touch was some pretty very very fine embroidery foiled floss in a soft pink, swirled around the whole sweet butterfly.  \

I do indeed thank you for taking the time to visit today!  ♥ Wishing you creativity and happiness this week ♥

Love Deeply Card

I'm excited to create a card for a (new to me) card challenge: 

Crazy for CAS

#14

I had some very pretty wallpaper snippets given to me by a dear friend and the texture and pattern on this background paper grabbed my eye immediately.  I backed it with a black cardstock for even more visual impact.  I stamped a punched circle with "Love Deeply" a part sentiment from a Penny Black stamps set.  I added a scalloped circle die cut from Spellbinders. I punched a heart and cut a double notched ribbon from a fabric type paper.  I bumped the heart out using foam tape.  

Finishing touch are these three pretty opaque gems from Studio Katia

Sidenote: Its darn cold here today - not compared to the eastern provinces here in Canada, still, cold enough with a brisk wind chill factor happening that I was FORCED to stay inside and craft today ;) 

Wishing You Peace

Goodness, far too long to make a card, even sweeter now that I know I get to create and post the same challenges as my Sis (Nina) and SIL (Judy) 

This week’s Freshly Made Sketches 373 inspires and I decided to include a few items I’ve not had an opportunity to use yet.  I started with a nice solid Neenah columns card base – I save these for projects with a “white space” background as the paper is so pleasing.  First I stamped “Wishing You Peace” from Gina K ‘Peaceful Roses” clear stamps.   I diecut this Spellbinders Flower Box out of the leftovers of a sheet of Bo Bunny “a gift of love” designer paper.  I chose some pretty ribbons in pinks and glued them diagonally across the card.   I cut a plain panel for the bottom leaving it longer on each side, adding a double layer of foam tape in the middle, then folding each end under and neat to the edges of the flower box I tacked it to the card base over the ribbons -  (the double foam in the middle makes the flower box “wow” out in the center.  My final touch is a pretty crystal pinkish heart!  

Where Oh Where?

FINALLY - since last year even, I’m posting a card.  

I based my card on Tuesday Morning Sketches #485. Which you can find my visiting  http://tuesdaymorningsketches.blogspot.com/2019/01/tuesday-morning-sketches-485.html This is a poignant sketch as it was created by a former design team member Jessi Fogan who sadly passed away in December.  My heartfelt prayers to everyone who was in her world.  

I chose to do a lot of layering up and taking advantages of double sided designer paper.  Oh and how I dearly dearly wish I’d marked down just which paper this was, though I suspect it was a BoBunny.  (This little aside: my husband can never get over how I can remember all the important details of life and survival but ask me where I bought something from a thrift store or something about my crafting and hallelujah its embedded loudly in my brain) So I’m pretty confident its BB.  At any rate, I also used a paisley embossing folder and a Spellbinders floral die cut and the sentiment is stamped in an Andrionak embossing powder in this lucious color.  

I’ve struggled with blogging these past few months.  Sometimes just too busy, sometimes not motivated and strangely I found myself often wanting to just nest and keep life simple and spend time quietly.  So I’m good, life is beautiful.  Just saying’. 

Just Because repeat butterfly card

I fell in love with this sketch right away and I believe it will be a ‘go to’ in the future.   This Repeat Impressions Sketch #03118 on The House That Stamps Built blog is so simple and attractive, just the right proportions to paper.  I chose to make this a “small” card measuring 3.75 x 5.5 inches.  I have some lovely little envelopes to fit a card this size.  Sometimes this is just a sweet “giving” (as opposed to mailing) size. 

I used some small DP scraps up, backing them both with black cardstock for extra body.  I used some lovely butterfly stamps from Flourishes on top of the DP with the tiny text.  I stamped in black Versafine and then embossed with black.  After this I stamped this “just because” from Hero Arts and notched the end for more interest.  I finished with three pretty pearly sequins from Lucy’s Cards 

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Brilliant Birthday Card

I’m still playing around with a set of Recollection Halloween stamps I picked up, some of the images, though intended to be creepy or scary actually inspire me for other cards so I may work my way through a few more before I retire them to focus on some festive ones (coz really, I’ve not even begun to think Christmas yet)  I had stamped this sentiment when I was visiting my sister Nina and I just knew it would be a hit for this Freshly Made Sketches #361 challenge.  I wanted to make it simple so I chose a basic palette.  Silver sparkle, black and yellow against white.  I stamped the lightbulb with black versafine then colored using both a Tim Holtz distress ink in Mustard and then a bit of Tombow marker to match the color true to the bright yellow cardstock strip.  I then fussycut the lightbulb and embossed it with clear.  After layering a bit, bumping the sentiment out with foam, I was happy this card came together so easily. 

Even though it rained today and everything was misty moisty outdoors I chose to go for a super speed walk in the orchard today.  I have to fling myself out the door mid afternoon or else I begin to flag and thats not a good thing.  Its ok if I can actually nap, but that does not always happen and then I’m just messed up for the rest of the day.  I love walking the long rows of the orchard, the leaves confettied in the grass and with mushrooms popping up here and there making little cups for birds to come drink out of.  I thought this little crab apple looked like the cherry on top! 

Besides this, I played with my brand new instant pot – I treated myself.  I admit I was intimidated to begin but after making my first ever beef stew, from scratch, from a frozen roast no less, in 90 minutes – I’m already imagining my next big batch of cooking!  I am truly impressed.   Do YOU have one?  What is your favorite recipe?  Any pointers for me? 

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Fixin’ Birthday Card

Woot – just so happens chance I needed to whip up a birthday card for a friend who is a true carpenter, has literally built custom furniture for our home and so when I saw The Male Room Challenge #97 and the theme being TOOLS well, I got quiet excited (imagine lots jumping up and down in this house…)  because I have two nice Forever in Time stamp sets which are totally tools!  A great fit.  I paired the stamps with a backdrop of Bo Bunny Back to Basics DP in woodgrain.  I built upon a black cardstock base.  I used a Stampin’ Up birthday sentiment, poofing it out in the middle with a triple layer of foam tape and tacking the ends down. (you can’t really see how the sentiment kind of “wows” out in the center, almost 3d)  I stamped and fussy cut the tools, colored them with Tombow Markers.  I bumped out the Hammer and glued the nails down. 

Lacking a stamped sentiment to say something to pull this card together I improvised my own! 

Have YOU ever hand written your own sentiment inside a card? 

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You’re too kind–heart card

I had fun with this sketch challenge – CAS Colours & Sketchess Challenge #295  I chose to go with a black, white and gold palette.  I actually used some very thick foiled gold cardstock which, believe it or not is from those GIANT dark chocolate bars from grocery or Walmart stores.  LOL – someone close to us figured I could recycle them in a creative way so I have a stack of them.  They have come in handy over time. I used a heart sheet from Creativity Inc Kraft Cream & Gold Mat Stack, scuffing the heart and other areas up using a sharp edge.  I stamped the sentiment “You’re too Kind” by Stampin’ Up in black Versafine.  I finished off with various sized black Doodlebug Design Inc Jewels – Beetle Black Assortment. 

What’s something interesting you “recycle” on your cards?

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