CFC103 - High 5

Hello, and happy Friday!  I can't believe it's already going to be June.  This year is just flying by so far!  I hope the rest of the year does too, because I have a very special visitor coming in November.  Rather than come right out and say it, let's see who can read between the lines and guess what I'm talking about (leave a comment with your guess and I'll send the first correct commenter a little prize).  I can tell you that congratulations will certainly be in order.  And speaking of congratulations, let's check out this week's CAS-ual Fridays challenge:

The sponsor for this week's challenge is CAS-ual Fridays Stamps.  The winner will receive the stamp set of her choice from the store!  Woot woot!

Maybe I've been working around too many guys at the fire department, but instead of using the actual word "congratulations" on my card, I chose this sentiment for my paper yummy:

Giving high-five is synonymous with congratulations (at least on my crew) so I figured that would suffice for a card too.  I combined the high 5 stamp with the circle border stamp from the Woot Woot set, then placed Rain Dots in the centers of the circles.  Here's a close-up:

I hope you'll play along with this week's challenge.  You have until next Thursday at noon EST to do so.  Thanks so much for looking!

Supplies: card stock: Stampin' Up!; stamps: CAS-ual Fridays Stamps; ink: Tsukineko; rain dots: Fiskars; corner rounder: We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper

CFC102: Thanks for your service

Hello, and happy Friday!  I hope everybody has had a great week and is ready for the holiday weekend (at least in the US).  I, for one, could use a 3-day weekend.  And in honor of this commemoration, we're having a special challenge at CAS-ual Fridays!  Check it:

CFC102: Red, white & blue

Incorporate red, white, and blue into your clean and simple project.

And the sponsor for this week's challenge is the fabulous Simon Says Stamp.  The winner will receive a $25 gift certificate to spend in the store!

While it wasn't specifically part of the challenge to create something patriotic or fit for military personnel, my mind went straight to the Paper Smooches Circle of Honor stamp set, and I couldn't NOT go that route. And now for the paper yummies:

First I stamped the sentiment using two different colors of Memento ink and some masking, then placed the stars around the sentiment in a diagonal cascading pattern.  I offset the star outline and stamped it in the opposite ink color for a fun look, then placed a rhinestone in the center of each one.  Here is a close-up:

I hope you have a safe and sound holiday weekend, and I hope you'll play along with this challenge!  You have until next Thursday at noon EST to do so.  Thanks so much for looking!

Supplies: card stock: Stampin' Up!; stamps: Paper Smooches; inks: Tsukineko; rhinestones: Hampton Art; corner rounder: We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper

CFC98 - Hello

Happy Friday to all!  I'm here today with a fun new challenge from CAS-ual Fridays!  Check it:

CFC98: Use glitter on your clean and simple project

And the sponsor for this week's challenge is the wonderful Simon Says Stamp.  The winner will receive a $25 gift certificate to spend in the Simon store.  Awesome!

For this week's card, I used one color of Stickles glitter glue over three different colored inks to create this paper yummy:

I started by stamping the solid butterfly from the Paper Smooches Flap Happy set in three different colors of Memento ink.  Then I added the dotted "trail" and the antennae in the same ink color.  I stamped the sentiment in black ink, then applied Diamond Stickles over the trails and the butterflies.  Diamond has got to be my favorite color of Stickles, because it takes on the color of whatever is underneath it and is very versatile.  Here's a close-up:

I hope you'll play along with this week's challenge.  You have until next Thursday at noon EST to do so.  Thanks so much for looking!

Supplies: card stock: Recollections (black), Stampin' Up (white); stamps: Paper Smooches; inks: Tsukineko; glitter glue: Ranger; corner rounder: We R Memory Keepers

CFC95 - Happy day

Happy Friday!  It's so crazy to me to think that it's already March 22.  Wow, time flies!  I'm here today with a new challenge from CAS-ual Fridays, and it's a doozy:

CFC95: You may use stickers, die cuts, pattern paper...but NO STAMPS in your clean and simple project

And the sponsor for this week's challenge is the fabulous SRM Stickers.  The winner of this week's challenge will win an awesome prize package, full of all sorts of sticker goodies!

                                                              
For this week's card, I used an SRM sticker along with some die cuts and patterned paper to create this paper yummy:

The bird and speech bubble are a die cut, as well as the clear plastic banner with the orange border.  Both are from Basic Grey.  The banner worked perfectly with a sticker strip from SRM, because both are clear and they fit together so nicely!  I adhered the sentiment sticker onto the paper die cut, then used Glossy Accents to adhere the plastic die-cut banner over the top.  I added some white dashed lines around the bottom edge of the die cut, then layered it onto some cute chevron patterned paper by My Mind's Eye.  Easy peasy!  Here's a close-up:

I hope you'll resist the urge to use stamps, and play along with this week's challenge!  You have until next Thursday at noon EST to do so.  Thanks so much for looking!

Supplies: card stock: Stampin' Up!; patterned paper: My Mind's Eye; die cuts: Basic Grey; sticker: SRM Stickers; corner rounder punch: Marvy Uchida; white gel pen: Uniball

CFC93 - Breathe (It will be ok)

Happy Friday to all!  I hope everybody had a great week!  I'm here today with a new challenge from CAS-ual Fridays:

CFC93: Color blocks

Use blocks of color on your clean and simple project

The sponsor for this week's challenge is CutCardStock.  The winner of this week's challenge will receive a $25 store credit to spend here!  Awesome!

Have you ever made a card for a challenge or for your stash, only to realize that the sentiment you've chosen is exactly the one you needed to hear?  That's exactly the case with this paper yummy:

I stamped the "it will be ok" sentiment in Versamark ink on each color of cardstock, then embossed the "breathe" in white to make it pop.  I added some little bling down the right side, and rounded two opposite corners of the card base.  Here's a close-up:

I hope you'll play along with this week's challenge.  You have until next Thursday at noon EST to do so.  Thanks so much for looking!

Supplies: card stock: Stampin' Up! (white), Core'dinations (all colored card stocks), stamps: CAS-ual Fridays Stamps; ink: Tsukineko (Versamark); embossing powder: Recollections; notebook paper die: Papertrey Ink; die cutting machine: Cuttlebug by ProvoCraft; bling: K & Company; corner rounder: We R Memory Keepers

CFC90 - More and more each day

Hello, and happy Friday!  I hope everybody had a wonderful Valentine's Day!  Today I'm here to share a whole lot of exciting things from CAS-ual Fridays.  Not only is today the release day for 3 awesome new stamp sets, which you can find here, it is also the day Michele is announcing the super talented new Design Team members here! And of course, it's also the kick-off to this week's challenge!

CFC90: Use black and white plus one other color in your clean and simple project

And the sponsor for this week's challenge is, of course, CAS-ual Fridays Stamps!  The winner will receive a $20 gift certificate to spend here!

For this week's challenge, I used the brand-spankin' new CAS-ual Fridays Stamps set called Only You.  Now for the paper yummies:

The dots, sentiment, and flourish are all from the Only You set.  I stamped the dots repeatedly to create a background, then stamped the "I love you" and the flourish over the top.  I stamped the "more and more each day" onto the Folded Banner Die from Simon Says Stamp, and it fit just perfectly.  I finished off the card with a little bit o' bling on the flourish.  Here is a close-up:

I really hope you'll play along with this week's challenge!  You have until next Thursday at noon EST to do so.  Thanks so much for looking!

Supplies: card stock: Recollections (black), Stampin' Up! (white); stamps: CAS-ual Fridays Stamps; inks: Tsukineko; banner die: Simon Says Stamp; rhinestones: The Paper Studio

CFC88 - XO

Hello, and happy Friday!  I hope you all had a wonderful week - I know I did ;)  I'm here today with a new challenge from the CAS-ual Fridays blog!  Woo hoo!

CFC88: Love Letters

Use alpha stamps, dies, stickers, etc. on your clean and simple project

And the sponsor for this week's challenge is once again the fabulous Ellen Hutson!  The winner of this challenge will receive a $25 gift card to spend here!

So for this week's challenge, I chose to incorporate letters onto my card in a few different ways.  Check out this paper yummy:

The first (and most subtle way) I added letters to my card was by stamping the heart, which had x's and o's on it already.  I stamped it in red ink, cut it out, then colored over it with a red Copic marker.  The next way I incorporated text was on my tag.  I stamped the tag (from this stamp set) onto some text patterned paper by Stampin' Up!, then cut out the tag.  For the card base, I cut down a piece of self-adhesive cork to be the same size as my card.  I "stamped" on the cork using a Cuttlebug folder!  Yep, I just applied black ink to the raised side of the embossing folder, then laid my cork face-down onto the inked portion.  It worked really well!  To finish off the card, I added some glittery stickers (from Making Memories) to the heart.  Here's a close-up:

I hope you will play along with this week's challenge!  You have until next Thursday at noon EST to do so.  Thanks so much for looking!

Supplies: card stock: Georgia Pacific; cork: Recollections; patterned paper: Stampin' Up!; stamps: Simon Says Stamp & Kelly Purkey (tag), Recollections (heart); inks: Tsukineko; marker: Copic; embossing folder: Cuttlebug; glitter alpha stickers: Making Memories; ribbon: Offray; corner rounder punch: We R Memory Keepers 

CAS-ual Fridays Stamps - Happy New Year

Happy Saturday!  I hope everybody's Christmas was as awesome as mine!  My family traveled to Oklahoma to spend Christmas and New Year's with my brother, his wife, and their ADORABLE baby.  She is just too stinkin' cute!!!  I just wished they lived closer so I could see her more than just at Christmas.  But we did have a white Christmas, and even more snow yesterday, so this Arizona girl is having a great time!  We'll be here through New Year's Day.  And speaking of the new year, I have a card to share with you using the CAS-ual Fridays Stamps Countdown set. Michele featured this card on the CAS-ual Fridays Stamps blog today. Now for the paper yummies:

I decided to make a shaped card using the Labels Collection Framelits Dies from Stampin' Up!.  I used one of the larger dies to create the card, then used a smaller die to create a mask and apply the pink ink.  Then I stamped the border from the Countdown set across the middle of the card.  After that, I used my embossing buddy across the front of the card, then stamped and embossed the sentiment.  I used Copic markers to color in parts of the border stamp, then added some embroidery floss.  Another single-layer card!  What's gotten into me lately?

Well, I wish everyone the happiest of new years!  Thanks so much for looking!

Supplies: card stock: Stampin' Up!; stamps: CAS-ual Fridays Stamps; inks: Close To My Heart (Hollyhock), Tsukineko (black, embossing ink); embossing powder: American Crafts; dies: Stampin' Up!/Sizzix; embroidery floss: DMC 

CFC82 - Sorry!

Happy Friday to all!  I'm back with this week's CAS-ual Fridays challenge:

CFC82: Use creative scoring on your clean and simple project

And the sponsor for this challenge is none other than Scor-Pal!  The winner of this week's challenge will receive her very own Scor-Buddy!  Yayness!

I love the look of decorative/creative scoring on cards, I just wish I could remember to use it more often!  For this challenge, I racked my brain trying to think of clever ways to incorporate scoring, but nothing was clicking.  Then I decided to put to paper a card idea I've been mulling over in my head, and it hit me!  And now for the paper yummy:

So, this card was inspired by the little game piece stamp from the Paper Smooches Knick Knacks set.  It looks just like the game piece from the board game "Sorry!".  So I stamped it in each of the four colors from the game, then created the word "Sorry!" using the Alphadot stamp set.  Then I used my Scor-Pal to create a grid pattern around the edges of the card, to simulate a game board.  I added some Glossy Accents to the game pieces to finish off the card:

How will you even the score?  You have until next Thursday at noon EST to play along with this week's challenge, and I hope you do!  Thanks for looking!

Supplies: card stock: Stampin' Up! (white), Recollections (black); stamps: Paper Smooches; inks: TPC Studio (red, blue, yellow, green), Tsukineko (black); Glossy Accents: Ranger; scoring board: Scor-Pal

World Cardmaking Day, Take 1

Hi, everybody!  I hope you had a wonderful World Cardmaking Day yesterday, full of creativity and plenty of time to play!  I had the chance to sit down and make a few cards, and I'll be sharing two of them today.  I'm playing along at the Paper Smooches Blog, where Kim has issued 3 different challenges: 1. use pink in your card (for Breast Cancer Month), 2. make a single layer card, or 3. make a card using a sketch from Operation Write Home.  I combined two of the challenges to create this paper yummy:

I really struggle with single-layer cards, so I wanted to challenge myself to make one.  And since I love making Christmas cards in non-traditional colors, I incorporated the pink challenge into this card as well.  First, I die cut the double-ended banner die from Lil' Inker Designs, as well as the Layerz Mat Stack 1 Die from Papertrey Ink.  I temporarily adhered them onto the right side of my card to be used as masks.  With the masks in place, I stamped the large solid circle stamp from the Paper Smooches Hullabaloo set around the edge of the larger die to create a scalloped border around it.  I also stamped the houndstooth background  from the Debonair set using the second generation stamping technique to give it a worn, distressed look. Then I removed the larger die cut mask and, with the banner die cut still in place, adhered only the negative of the larger die cut in place to use like a stencil.  I applied the green ink using a finger dabber.  I outlined both die-cut shapes with a black Copic Multiliner to give them more definition, then stamped the sentiment from the Paper Smooches Christmas Sampler set.  I finished off the card with some holly leaves and cute pink berries from the Chilly Chums set.

Here's a close-up of the cute little holly leaves and some Stickled pink berries:

I'll be back in a little while to share my second card, which totally has me GIDDY!!!  It may be one of my faves to date.  Thanks for looking!

I'm playing along here: 

Paper Smooches World Cardmaking Day challenge

Simon Says Stamp Celebrates World Cardmaking Day

Supplies: cardstock: Stampin' Up!; stamps: Paper Smooches (Hullabaloo, Christmas Sampler, Chilly Chums, Debonair); inks: Tsukineko (Memento Tuxedo Black), Ranger (Tim Holtz Distress Inks in Worn Lipstick and Crushed Olive); dies: Papertrey Ink (Layerz Mat Stack 1), Lil' Inker Designs (double-ended banner from Flags & Tags); black pen: Copic; corner rounder: We R Memory Keepers; glitter glue: Ranger (Diamond Stickles)

CFC64: Sending you sunshine

Happy Friday!  I'm here with this week's CAS-ual Fridays challenge:

CFC64: Use things you might find in the sky on your clean and simple project

And once again, our fabulous sponsor is Simon Says Stamp. 

They are so generous to sponsor our challenge regularly!  The winner of this week's challenge will receive a gift certificate to spend in their store.  And speaking of this week's challenge, let's get to it!  The timing for this challenge couldn't have been more perfect.  So the theme is "On Cloud 9", but you can use anything you might find in the sky.  While I am on cloud 9 (my first publication is in print this month! YAY!), I chose to bottle up some sunshine in this paper yummy:

                        

I know I've said it before, but the Summer Fresh collection from Simple Stories is the quintessential summer line.  It just screams summer and sunshine-y goodness.  So when I saw this coordinating stamp set from Simple Stories/Unity Stamps, I couldn't resist.  I love that the jar stamp in this set is so big - it's perfect to create a shaped card (about 5 inches tall!).  I stamped it onto white cardstock and also onto some scratch paper.  I cut out the inside of the jar from the scratch paper, and used the negative cut as a mask to stamp all the sunshine inside the jar.  Then I scored and folded the card on the left side of the jar.  I placed some temporary adhesive inside the card to keep the two layers together, then fussy-cut around the outline.  For the sentiment, I used a stamp from the Hero Arts/Studio Calico Heyday Sentiments set.  I masked off the "you are my" above the "sunshine" so that I could hand-write "sending you" instead.  Here is a close-up:

Are you on cloud nine, or could you use a jar full of sunshine?  Either way, I hope you'll play along with this week's challenge.  You have until next Thursday at noon EST to do so.  We'd love to have you!

Thanks for looking!


Supplies: cardstock: Stampin' Up! (Whisper White), Bazzill (red); stamps: Simple Stories/Unity Stamps (jar, sunshine); Hero Arts/Studio Calico (sentiment); inks: Tsukineko (Memento London Fog, Versamark), TPC Studio (yellow); embossing powder: American Crafts; white gel pen: Uniball Signo; baker's twine: Divine Twine

CFC57: Be you

Happy Friday to all! I'm back with another fun challenge from CAS-ual Fridays!  This week it's clear as day:

Create a CAS project using acetate or vellum

That's right - the challenge is to use acetate or vellum on your project.  And the sponsor for this week is stamp designer and Girl Friday Karolyn Loncon.  Yep, our very own Karolyn designed 6 stamp sets for Paper Smooches, and the winner will receive ALL 6 SETS!!!  Her sets are some of my faves - they are wonderfully graphic and they build upon each other so nicely.

Okay, on to the challenge.  I always love the look of acetate and vellum, but for some reason they're not really my go-to's.  I should use them more.  I had so much fun creating my card for this challenge.  And here is my paper yummy:

I used a bunch of transparencies from Basic Grey, and used a punch from Stampin' Up! to create windows for the transparencies:

Since my punch wouldn't quite reach to the very middle of the black cardstock, I punched it as far in as it could go from either end, and that left me the perfect space to stamp a sentiment:

I created the "be you" using the Alphadot stamp set from Paper Smooches, and heat embossed it with mustard yellow embossing powder.  I finished off the card with a yellow star transparency backed with white cardstock, a green cardstock star sticker, and a red brad:

I really love the way it turned out.  I love all the little phrases on the transparencies, and I adore the patterns on them!  How about you?  Do you use acetate or vellum often?  We would LOVE to have you play along with this week's challenge, and you have until next Thursday at noon EST to do so.  Thanks so much for looking!  Don't forget to stop by and give all the other Girl Fridays some bloggy love!

Supplies: cardstock: Georgia Pacific (white), Recollections (black); transparencies, cardstock sticker: Basic Grey; word window punch: Stampin' Up!; stamps: Paper Smooches; ink: Versamark; embossing powder: American Crafts; brad: craft supply; corner rounder punch: We R Memory Keepers

CAS-ual Fridays Birthday Bash!

Happy Friday!  Woohoo! This Friday in particular is EXTRA special. Why, you ask? Well, lemme just tell ya...  Today we celebrate a very special birthday: CAS-ual Fridays is turning 1!!! There is a whole lotta celebrating going on over there, including PRIZES!  Hmmm...isn't there also another reason why today is extra special?  Oh...that's right...today kicks off the term for the new Girl Fridays! And I'm one of them!!!  I'm super excited to be on this team and be surrounded by such talented girls.  I still can't believe my first design team "gig" (like I'm a rockstar now or something. LOL) is with CAS-ual Fridays.  I'll forever be indebted to Michele for giving me this opportunity.  She has also made some other really fun changes to the CAS-ual Fridays blog, including a Facebook design team so we can be inspired on other days of the week, not just Friday.  Ok, less talky, more showy right?  Coming right up!  Here is the (very fitting) challenge this week:

CFC51: Happy Birthday

And now for the paper yummies:

I LOVE that lil' guy!  Especially with his outfit.  Leave it to a guy to wear a chevron with a plaid.  LOL!  The  man and the "heard it's your birthday" are a single stamp, and I just stamped it onto the telegram patterned paper by Echo Park (which couldn't have been more perfect for him!).  Then I paper-pieced his outfit and megaphone.  I punched a strip of patterned paper with a postage stamp edge, added some machine stitching, and finished it off with some twine and a button.  Here's another view:

I hope you all play along with the challenge this week.  It's sponsored by the fabulous Simon Says Stamp, and they have offered up some very generous prizes.  Check out all the deets at CAS-ual Fridays - it's a big party and you're all invited! And check out Simon while you're at it!

Thanks for looking!

I'm also playing along here:

Little Red Wagon Challenge #131: Stitch It Up 

Simon Says Stamp Birthday Challenge

Supplies: cardstock: Core'dinations (gray), Recollections (natural), Georgia Pacific (white for stamped image); patterned papers: Echo Park This & That "Charming" 6x6 pad; stamp: Stampin' Up! "Ain't Love Grand"; ink: Tsukineko; markers: Prismacolor; postage stamp edge punch: Fiskars; twine: Offray; button: craft supply; sewing machine: Kenmore; quilting thread: Americana; hole punch: We R Memory Keepers

Paper Smooches SPARKS DT call - Happy everything

Paper Smooches Stamps is taking applications to be on the design team for their SPARKS Challenge blog. Ever since I got my first set just a few months ago, I've been hooked on Kim's stamps. They are such fun and unique images and sentiments, and you can't beat her customer service. I am so honored to be the guest designer for this month, and have had so much fun creating all kinds of cute paper yummies. So when I saw that she was going to be holding a DT call for the SPARKS challenge, I couldn't wait to get started. Here's the deal: using any of the SPARKS inspiration photos (past or present), create a project inspired by that photo and submit it. Easy enough right? To make it even easier, Kim's not even requiring the use of Paper Smooches stamps on the project you submit! Of course, I HAD to use my Paper Smooches stamps though...it just wouldn't feel right otherwise. And there are so many great inspiration photos to base your project on - you're bound to be inspired by at least one! This is my first project (you can submit as many as you'd like). Here is the inspiration photo I chose:

I just love 1) the rainbow , 2) the gray, and 3) that little heart in the bottom right corner. Not sure if that's a watermark or an actual part of the image, but it sure is cute. I wanted to base my card on those three things and do a nice clean and simple card. Now for the paper yummies:

They look black in the photos, but the cardstock and embossing powder are a charcoal gray color. I stamped and embossed this awesome hexagon pattern from Geo-Graphic, then colored it in to resemble the rainbow of colors in the inspiration photo. I stamped and embossed the sentiment from Simply Said, and added a heart from Word Salad. I added some machine stitching and Stickles glitter glue. Super CAS card, but I love it! Here's a close-up:

So how about you? Are you going to apply for the SPARKS DT call? Good luck to all who do!

Thanks for looking!

Supplies: cardstock: Core'dinations (gray), Stampin' Up! (white); stamps: Paper Smooches; ink: Versamark; embossing powder: American Crafts; markers; Prismacolor; glitter glue: Ranger; sewing machine: Kenmore; thread: Singer