CAS(E) This Sketch #208

Ready for an earworm?  Sing it with me.  Let a smile be your umbrella on a rainy, rainy day.  What?  You're too young to know that song?  Actually I only know that line but it fits my card for CAS(E) This Sketch.

The panel is smooshed with Distress Ink and the umbrella from MFT was added along with the sentiment from Dare 2B Artsy.

Thanks for dropping by.  I hope your week is off to a good start.

Merry Monday #234

How about a clean and simple Christmas card?  That's what they want at Merry Monday this week.

A double layer of MFT scalloped rectangles holds a wonky Christmas tree from Catherine Pooler, stamped with a couple of the new Altenew greens. The sentiment is from PB embossed in platinum. I think this is a design I will make a few more of.  Yes, you heard that right.  I will do multiples. ;)

I'm so glad you took time out of your busy schedule to drop by.

Just Us Girls #380

Our host Vicki chose hearts for the Just Us Girls word this week.  Very appropriate since it's nearing Valentine's Day.

Do you make a lot of valentines?  I've been making a bunch of them but chose this one to show you today.

Are those enough hearts for you?  The jar and candy are from Papertrey Ink, colored with Zigs, and popped up on foam.

The design team and our guest designer Michele Greenwood have wonderful cards for you to see at Just Us Girls.  We hope they inspire you to make a card and enter it in the gallery.  You could be chosen Chic of the Week with the possibility of being a guest designer in April.

Time Out #76 and Fusion - Interlocking Hearts

Yesterday I said I had more cards for the Time Out and Fusion challenges.
For Time Out and their "Inspired by Words" - Friends are connected heart to heart, distance and time can't break them apart.

The panel was inked through a SSS stencil with a Clarity Brush and Worn Lipstick.  The sentiment from HA was embossed in silver and popped up with foam.  A few scattered hearts reinforces the theme.

For Fusion's wonderful photo inspiration,

I just HAD to do a quilt.

I didn't think it needed a sentiment.

Thanks for dropping by.

Time Out #76, Fusion, and IBATLT #42

I made this card and then couldn't remember what challenge I made it for. Since it qualifies for several of the recent 'heart' challenges I'm going to send it to Time Out, Fusion, and Inspired by All the Little Things.

I took a SSS heart and intertwined it with a heart-shaped leafy branch from CP cut from a scrap of smooshed paper.  The sentiment is silver embossed on vellum.

Time Out is based on the quote "Friends are connected heart to heart, distance and time can't break them apart."  The other two have photo inspiration.

ETA: I just realized that I meant to send this card to AAA Cards Challenge too.

I still have other cards for these challenges that I will post later.  Meanwhile I'm happy to say I put all my valentines in the mail today.

Less Is More #314

Guess who's having a birthday?  Less Is More is celebrating 6 years as a wonderful clean and simple blog challenge with a brand new look to their blog.  They will be celebrating all month long with prizes each week.  This week the challenge is to use three adjacent colors on the color wheel.

I love it when I see others use the free flowing watercolor technique.  I'm not sure I've captured it quite yet.  I used Dried Marigold, Squeezed Lemonade and Shabby Shutters Distress Inks on the clear embossed flowers from SSS. The sentiment from CB is embossed in Platinum.

Thanks for dropping by.

CAS(E) This Sketch #207

I try to play along with CAS(E) This Sketch every week and this week took some thinking because I didn't want to do the obvious.  This is almost like the challenge to use five of something.  What would that five be?  How about some birds?

I turned the sketch on it's side and stamped the MFT Birds of Paradise, coloring them with Zigs.  The sentiment is from the same set.  Does is look like the sketch?

How about now?

I'm busy with my valentines and have to get back to them.  I hope you have time to get crafty today. 

Inkspirational #127

Who doesn't love a good polka dot.  That's the theme at Inkspirational and I went a little unconventional in my card choice.

I needed a card for my brother and I thought he'd get a kick out of these crazy birds.  They're colored with Distress Inks and then stenciled with the same ink except for the Cracked Pistachio.  It didn't want to play nice so I used some Twisted Citron for those dots and for the grass.  I had the usual dilemma for a sentiment until I came across this one from SSS.  I thought it looked like these birds were ready for a party (or have some sort of disease lol).

Thanks for dropping by.  I hope your week is off to a good start.

Addicted to CAS #104

It's time for a new challenge at Addicted to CAS with our host Carolyn.

When I saw this code word I had to order some new stamps because I had nothing for this unless I used a farm animal.  I was going to use a chicken because I did have one as a pet when I was in high school but now I can do something a little more ordinary.

I love this little laughing dog - at least I think he's laughing - from Penny Black.  I colored him with Zigs, added some Distress Ink through a stencil and popped up a computer generated sentiment.

How about you?  Any pets you would like to put on a card?  Try it and you may win a $15 gift certificate from our sponsor Happy Little Stampers.

Just Us Girls #379

It's word week at Just Us Girls and Lisa has chosen the word "dogs".

I have to admit that I did not have one dog stamp. That's right.  Not one. single. one.  I'm glad I get these challenges ahead of time because it gave me time to order a couple of sets.  Yes, I couldn't stop at one. ;)

This little cutie caught my eye and I thought she'd be perfect to get my valentines started.  I cut a circle from Bristol board and embossed the remaining panel with a hearts folder, popping it up on my card base.  I stamped the dog on the circle, colored her with Zigs and inset it back in the opening.  The inside says "Doggone it!  I want you for my valentine."

Our guest designer for February is Michelle Greenwood.  She and the rest of the Design Team have some wonderful cards for you to see.  Head on over to the blog and check them out.  If you enter a card in the gallery, you may be chosen Chic of the Week and be eligible for a guest designer spot in April.

I hope to see you there.

ETA:  At Loll's urging I'm going to sent this card to the CAS Watercolor Challenge.

Merry Monday #233 and Darnell's NBUS #10

Five of something for a challenge seems easy enough doesn't it?  But what would that be that is just a little different?  Snowflakes, no.  Presents, no again.  Say, I have an NBUS set that I really should use and then my card will be good for both Merry Monday and Darnell's NBUS #10.

I bought the CASual Fridays bells last year way before Christmas.  I stamped them in Hickory Smoke Distress Ink and then watercolored them with the same.  The card needed some color so I picked out this DSP that had what I thought looked like a little grayish stripe between the red and pink.  I then matched the red with HA Red Royal for my PB sentiment.

Thanks for dropping by.  Have a wonderful day.

Darnell's NBUS #10

I had fun the other day trying out a new technique suggested by Darnell for the optional twist on her NBUS #10 challenge.  She asked us to create with bubble wrap and she made some wonderful backgrounds so I just had to try it.

I started by sprinkling some Brushos onto the bubble wrap, spraying it and then pressing my paper onto it.  I ended up with all these panels and the one I turned into my card.  The two laying down are on glossy paper, the first and last ones I did.

And now for my card.

It took me a while to decide how to use the panel but I made it a backdrop to my NBUS lotus flower from Altenew painted with Seedless Preserves Distress Ink.  I cut a white frame with SSS stitched rectangles and popped it up on foam over the Smoke card base and dotted panel.  The sentiment from PS is heat embossed on more Smoke and angled in the corner.  Now I just have to figure out how to use the rest of the panels.

Thanks for dropping by.  Maybe you'd like to try bubble wrap painting.

Inspired by All the Little Things #41

The sweet, wonderful Carol Mayne is the guest designer at Inspired by All the Little Things so how could I not make a card.

Here's the photo that inspired me.

The kraft panel is stamped with a PB background in Soft Brown.  The hearts are Lawn Fawn and the sentiment PB.

Valentine's day is fast approaching so I'd better get busy.  I need 9 cards for the grands and greats.  I also usually send to the church's homebound.  My list keeps getting smaller as these wonderful people leave life here on earth. Sometimes I - wait for it - buy them.  Gasp!! Yes I have done that but this year I think I'll make my own even if I have to make multiples.  Another gasp.  Something I rarely do.  Make multiples, not gasp. 😁

I'm so glad you dropped by today.  Please take time to comment.  I love reading what you have to say.

Addicted to Stamps and More #227

It time for a new challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More and this week it's Make Your Mark - use anything on your card that makes a mark.  That can be markers, pencils or Zigs.  I chose Zigs for my card.

The flowers are from Altenew's Adore Me and the sentiment is from MSE.

The Design Team has a lot more inspiration for you over on the blog.  Why not head on over and take a look, then make a card and enter it in the gallery.  We'd love to see you there.