Garden

I got up extra early this morning to use my new Impress garden set and Rubbersoul sentiment for the garden theme challenge at CAS-ology.  I used three inchies in the top third of the card base...which also makes it perfect for both CAS-ual Fridays and Clean and Simple.  Three challenges!  It will be a magic number today?
The three inks are Pear, Topiary and Cranberry (Close To My Heart). With a bit of twine tied at the top.

Time to run to school. Not often I start my day with crafting, and I like it!  Retirement awaits :-) in...wait for it....33 days!  lol

 

Beach Umbrellas

This serene image is from Waxy Fruit digitals.  I used the water brush, and then applied some Martha Stewart crystal glitter to the water.  The sentiment is from a retired CTMH alphabet set.

There are only two layers -panel on the card base and the cut out image, but I believe this is 'Clean & Layers'.

For Card Concept Challenge #8

 

Grunge

The theme this week at Addicted to CAS is 'Grunge'....I don't have any of the cool new splatter stamps.  So I used my Close To My Heart spray pen on a piece of water color paper, and stamped the closest thing to grunge I had which was a stamp from a 2012 stamp of the month, by the same name, Live Out Loud. tada! Grunge.

 

Polka Dot Star fold

For the Friday Mash-Up #157:  Fun Fold with Polka Dots!
I saw this fold on Pinterest, and went here for a tutorial.  It took three or four attempts, but I finally got it figured out, and the result was very cute. 

Paper used: Close To My Heart Lollidoodle, Cotton Candy and White Daisy card stock. 
Stamp: CTMH mini Heartfelt Birthday Wish.  I stamped it on the polka dot paper and paper-pieced the 'birthday.' 

 

Wedding

A dear colleague was married this past week. Her favorite colors are blue and orange, and so I wanted to make her a card with those colors.  That was a bit of a stretch for a wedding card. But then one of the fruit trees in my yard (it is my first spring here and every bud and blossom is a surprise!) had these gorgeous peach blossoms appear. 

Stamps:Close To My Heart Universal Backgrounds, and Congratulations sentiment from
Banner Wishes
Tools: Savy Die Leafy Branch; Recollections Tiny Blossom punch.
Inks: CTMH Chocolate, Dutch Blue (retired), Sunset
Embellishments: CTMH  button, pearls, ribbon and twine.

for JUGS 237                          and                          Cardabilities 97

              

Some Bunny Loves You

Playing with washi tape and a sweet Verve stamp set.  I used some SU! punches for the oval sentiment.  The bunny was paper pieced...the stamp has a solid little 'shirt' on the bunny so I stamped him twice, cut out the bunny's shirt, covered it with washi, and adhered it. The flat glossy dots and Baker's Twine are from Close To My Heart.

For Cards in Envy Easter theme challenge.

Sweet Music

I was thrilled and honored to have this card selected by the CAS-ology team for Week 89, and to have the chance to guest design for this week's new challenge.

I have greatly admired the many skewed panel cards that have appeared on the blogs, and while there are several layers on this card, there is still lots of free space - it doesn't always have to be white to keep the overall design CAS.  The stamps used are from the Close To My Heart set Sweet Music. (There are 'notes' in music, right? Well, that was my association with the theme.)  The piano keys are stamped in Whisper ink, the sentiment in Ruby.  The main panel is Slate card stock.
I am excited to see what others create for this cue. 

 

Touch of Turquoise

My last card for Less is More was not as CAS as it should have been, and I have been much more aware of keeping the white space this week!  Thank you for reminding me, and for encouraging as well.

Earlier this week, I read about a technique for using the shape dies as embossing frames.  For this card I placed the die cut side down on the front of the panel, and back it with a tan mat before running it through the Cuttlebug.  I used very heavy (110#) card stock, and it made lovely deep embossing. Leaving the die in place, I sponged with some ink (Breeze, retired CTMH).  The flowers (Treasure Life, retired CTMH) and sentiment from Verve were stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black. I trimmed the panel and used foam tape to place it on the card base.

A new technique and lots of white space to go with my 'touch of turquoise' for
Less is More week 166!

Tea Time DD#97

Pulled out lots of things for this.  Do you ever wake up half dreaming/half planning a card?  I guess I went to bed thinking about these colors after looking at my stamping blogs before bed.  Usually, I must be up and rushing about getting ready for work, and those dreamy ideas vanish.  Today I took advantage of my last sweet day of spring break, and got to crafting while the coffee brewed :-)

First, I stamped the background strip in second generation Whisper ink.  Then I water brushed in some color on the flowers. I had dreamed of floral teacups....Then I cut them out with the die, and mounted them on panels of Lagoon and Cotton Candy card stock (my closest matches to Dynamic Duos). I ran a panel of vellum through the Cuttlebug, punched a label in white and Lagoon, stamped the sentiment, tied the bow,  and added a few tiny blooms with pearls in the center. 

Thank you Dynamic Duos for a sweet dream and a fun crafting morning!

Products used:
Stamps: In the Background, A Sip  (CTMH)
Ink: Lagoon, Whisper, Cotton Candy
Paper: Lagoon, Cotton Candy, vellum, 110# white
Tools: Memory Box tea cup die, Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder, SU! label punch, foam tape, invisible vellum adhesive, Memory Dots
Embellishments: stash ribbon, blooms and bitty opaque pearls (CTMH)

Birthday Fun

A funny birthday image from Bugaboo that always makes me smile.  Colored with markers, and placed on card with foam tape. I added a bit of Liquid Glass to his spectacles.  Lots of white space so Gus is the colorful focus.

For CAS-ology Week 89  

 

My Nicest Thought

This image is an old wood block set from CTMH called Paris Floral.  It has a large 6x6" block and several smaller ones of matching flowers and leaves. I am cleaning my craft room - trying to part with things.  I know it will make more space for new...but it is difficult.  I am trying the "use it one last time" technique! 

This was stamped with Indian Corn Blue, water brushed and edged with Indian Corn and Pear. The smaller flower was stamped, brushed,then I masked it before stamping the leaves. The sentiment is from Verve. Tiny sparkles also CTMH.

I have inked this to Just Add Ink #209 - layers is the challenge there.
        and
Clean & Simple  FTL 287

 

Water colored crocus

Last night I heard from my brother that our uncle had died. He was the last of our father's family of nine children. It was a big, bustling Italian family - lots of memories. 
Crocus here in the PNW are gone now, but back in New England it has been so cold and snowy. So perhaps they are more recently appearing.  Still it is an image of hope.

I used the water brush and inks (New England Ivy, Sweet Leaf, Spring Iris, Gypsy, Sunny Yellow) to wash in the colors. The sentiment was stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black, and is from CTMH Sincere Expressions set.

 

Wheels

This Bugaboo image is so sweet!  I backed the colored and distressed piece with Kraft and Twilight card stock.  I used a tiny punch on both and then inset the Kraft paw in the twilight, and used a tiny set to stamp 'love' on the wagon. The dog bone button was tied with some hemp.
This has been linked to  Seize the Sketch #17
                      and
Addicted to CAS : Wheels

Spring Thank You

I have been watching birds from my kitchen window this morning - they are nest building like crazy and have been exploring my freshly turned beds for goodies.

Skylark (Close To My Heart) has been a lovely paper pack to work with, and this card for retrosketches #108 uses two of the papers and Kraft and Sweet Leaf card stock.  The sentiment, stamped in Saddle ink, is from a retired CTMH set, Thank You.  I added some burlap and Baker's twine behind the sentiment strip.

 

Get Well

For Just Us Girls Wild Card Week #234
This tall and skinny is 3 1/2" x 6".  The card base is textured Colonial White, the patterned paper is Authentique, and sentiment was stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black with a Close To My Heart stamp from the Sincere Expressions set.

 

Thanks for the lift!

Thanks to all my friends who lift my spirits! 

I cut this circle card with Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge, and used punched clouds as a mask to sponge the sky with Pacifica ink.  I stamped a piece of card stock with a Kaleidacolor pad and then stamped my air balloon image and fussy cut hem to paper piece on the image stamped on the card.
The balloon and sentiment are from the Close To My Heart Lifting Spirits set.

This card is for Clean and Simple FTL 286

and
Sweet Stamping challenge: 'transport'

Round and Round

Theme for this week 'Round and Round' - Less Is More week 165.  I cut a 4 1/4 " round card, and circles of olive card stock and patterned paper.  I like the circles of flowers around the cute little owl.
The sentiment is from Close To My Heart, Holiday Tags.