CFC99 - Like a boss

Happy Friday to all!  I'm here with an extra special CAS-ual Fridays challenge for ya!  Check it:

CFC99: Create a clean and simple birthday card

This challenge is extra special, because

1. It commemorates Michele's birthday,

2. You have 2 whole weeks to play along, and

3.  The winner will receive an extra big prize from our sponsor:

Yep, this week's winner will receive a whopping $45 to spend in the CAS-ual Fridays Stamps store!  Awesome!  And speaking of CAS-ual Fridays Stamps, those are what I used to create this paper yummy:

This card came together pretty quickly.  I used several patterned papers from Crate Paper along with stamps from the Rad and Woot Woot sets.  Here's a close-up of the sentiment:

I hope you'll play along with this special challenge!  Remember, you have TWO weeks to play along.  Thanks so much for looking!

Supplies: card stock: Georgia Pacific; patterned papers: Crate Paper; stamps: CAS-ual Fridays Stamps; ink: Tsukineko; corner rounder: We R Memory Keepers

CFC94 - Happy birthday!

Hello, and happy Friday!  I'm so so sorry that this post is just now going live.  It appears as though Blogger ate my original post (HATE it when that happens!!), and I'm at work today so I haven't been able to re-create this post until now.  Oh well...whaddya gonna do?!?  On to the fun stuff...how about a fun new challenge from CAS-ual Fridays?

 CFC94: Use chipboard in your clean and simple project

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

So for this week's challenge, I wanted to use some giant glittery chipboard letters that I've had for years, and find somewhat difficult to use simply due to their size.  But they worked perfectly for this paper yummy:

The base of this card is actually a  frosted report cover from an office supply store.  I love that it's frosted, so it's somewhat similar to a clear acetate card, without the glossy finish and potential for fingerprints.  Yet, it's transparent enough that the stamped "happy birthday" sentiment shows through the card even though the yellow card stock is adhered to the inside of the front of the card.  Cool, right?!?  Here's a closer look at the stamped sentiment:

Above the large glittery chipboard letters, I applied some star cardstock stickers, then applied some Stickles to bring in some more glitter.  Here's another view:

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: report cover: GBC; card stock: Core'dinations (yellow), Georgia Pacific (white); chipboard letters: Making Memories; card stock stickers: Basic Grey (stars); stamps: CAS-ual Fridays Stamps (WTF stamp set); ink: Tsukineko; punches: Fiskars (scalloped edge), We R Memory Keepers (corner rounder); glitter glue: Stickles by Ranger

CAS-ual Fridays Sneak Peak Day 3 - RAD

Happy Wednesday!  Today I'm here to show you a sneak peek of one of the CAS-ual Fridays Stamps January release.  The set I'm showcasing is called Rad, and it most certainly is!  This set is perfect for all the boys in your life, but can also be used to make a really stinkin' cute girl's card (I made one today...stay tuned for that!)  Okay, on to the paper yummies:

Michele included a few outlined sentiments in this set (like the word awesome above) that are TO DIE FOR!!!  They stamp so crisply and cleanly, I can hardly stand it!  With all the different words in this set, you can create a TON of different sentiments.  And don't forget about that fun dot border I used along the left side - I sewed over the dashed line that connects them all.

This set is super fun, and will be available in the CAS-ual Fridays Stamps store at midnight EST on Friday, January 18th.  Leave a comment on the CAS-ual Fridays Stamps blog for your chance to win this set and the first two sets that were sneak-peeked!  A random commenter from each day will win that day's set, but you'd better hurry - comments close at midnight EST on Wednesday, January 16.  Good luck, and thanks for looking!

Happy botday! ("magic" card)

Happy Thursday!  Today I'm sharing a card I made for the Hero Arts May 2012 contest.  There are three categories for the contest: 1) theme (birthday), 2) interactive cards (any theme), and 3) color challenge (any theme).  I chose to combine two and make an interactive birthday card.  I had the perfect recipient in mind - my friend's daughter, Emma, who was turning 8.  She loves crafting with us and had even asked for a handmade birthday card.  I decided to use the Hero Arts Robot Trio stamp set and to make Emma a "magic card".  I used a combination of this tutorial and this tutorial.  Basically, a "magic card" has an image that appears black and white, then when you pull a tab, the image "magically" becomes colored.  Sounds confusing, right?  Well, lemme just show you what I'm talking about with this paper yummy:

Here is the card "closed".  The cute little robot is black and white. See that little pull tab at the top?

When you pull that tab, the image starts to emerge "magically" colored!:

Continue pulling, and he continues to be colored all the way.  He even has a special message for the birthday girl, or should I say "botday" girl? (Sentiment was created using Hero Arts Fanciful Swirl Alphabet)

Here's the cute guy all colored in:

And here's the whole card, fully extended:

The card also opens just like a regular card, so I could write my own special message to Emma.  I wasn't there when she opened it, but she told me she loved it.  This card took a little while to make, but was a lot of fun.  I will definitely try this technique again!  How about you?  The Hero Arts contest runs through the end of the month, so you still have plenty of time to enter!

I'm also playing along here:

A Blog Named Hero Challenge #4: Dust 'em off

Flourishes Timeless Tuesday Challenge #169: Alphabet letter (use 3 elements beginning with the same letter.  I used R: robot, ribbon, rectangle dies)

Ooh-la-la Creations Challenge #105: Ribbon or twine (or both)-  I used both

The Pink Elephant TPE148: Polka Dots & Stripes

Truly Scrumptious Challenge #80: Anything Goes

Supplies: cardstock: Core'dinations (berry), Georgia Pacific (white); patterned papers: Echo Park (aqua stripe, cupcake, pink houndstooth frame), My Mind's Eye (yellow dot); acetate: Recollections; stamps: Hero Arts; inks: Tsukineko (Versafine Onyx black, Staz-On Jet Black), Close To My Heart (Hollyhock); embossing powder: Hampton Art; markers: Prismacolor; star dust pen: Sakura; white gel pen: Uniball; rectangle/scalloped rectangle dies: Nestabilities by Spellbinders; scalloped circle punch (for pull tab): Martha Stewart; eyelet: American Crafts; ribbon: Michael's; baker's twine: Divine Twine

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

Happy birthday to you

Happy Wednesday! Today I'm sharing a birthday card I made using this week's sketch from Mojo Monday:

And now for the paper yummies:
I just loved this multi-colored plaid patterned paper from My Mind's Eye, and wanted to pull some of the colors from the plaid into my stamped image. I heat-embossed the stamp (by Hampton Art), then colored it in with Prismacolor markers and added Stickles to the bow. The sentiment is a rub-on from American Crafts. I machine-stitched some wavy lines along the edges of the patterned paper, and finished it off with some adorable ribbon from Making Memories. Here's a closer view:
I'm playing along here:

Mojo Monday Sketch 232

CropStop Challenge 62: Rainbow of colors

Frosted Designs Fabulous Friday Challenge: Kraft paper

Cupcake Craft Challenge 183: Going Dotty

Thanks for looking!

Supplies: cardstock: Recollections (kraft), The Paper Company (blue, green), Georgia Pacific (white for stamping); patterned paper: My Mind's Eye; stamp, embossing powder: Hampton Art; ink: Tsukineko; markers: Prismacolor; Stickles glitter glue: Ranger; rub-on sentiment: American Crafts; scallop edge punch: EK Success; ribbon: Making Memories; sewing machine: Kenmore; thread: Singer

CPS 253 - Beelated birthday wishes

Here is a card I made using a sketch from Card Positioning Systems, and a color challenge from Color Throwdown. Here are the four colors:

And here is the sketch:
I stretched the sketch to change the orientation of my card. I used an adorable digital stamp (FREE!) from Paper Smooches, and I paired it with one of their sentiment stamps from the Word Salad set. Now, the actual stamp spells belated properly, but I wanted to play off the bee theme, so I did some creative masking to change it to "beelated". I also stamped the words in a row instead of stacked, as they are on the stamp. You can see the stamp below:
And now for the paper yummies:

I have a whole pack of this cute bee patterned paper from American Crafts + Dear Lizzy, and I thought it would make the perfect background for this card, as well as a cute pattern for paper-piecing the bee. I left his little wings un-adhered, so I could raise them and make them dimensional. I used Glossy Accents on his eyes, and that's the only part I'm not completely satisfied with. For some reason, the eyes have TONS of bubble in them. I never shake my Glossy Accents, so I'm not sure why that happened. Oh well. Here's a close-up of my lil bee and his wings:

I am playing along here:

CPS Sketch 253

Always Crafting "Anything Goes" challenge

Crafty Emma's Store "Spots & Dots" challenge

Color Throwdown #180: bashful blue, pumpkin pie, barely banana, basic gray

Crafty Catz "I spy something beginning with B" challenge: bees, blue, birthday, bow

Paper Crafting Journey "Make it cute" challenge

Paper Pretties PWC194: use die cuts or punches challenge

Paper Sundaes birthday challenge

Simon Says Stamp "Use 3 different papers" challenge

The Sisterhood of Crafters "Getting digi with it" challenge

Thanks for looking!

Supplies: cardstock: Georgia Pacific (white), The Paper Company (blue, gray); patterned paper: American Crafts (orange is the back side); stamps: Paper Smooches; ink: Tsukineko; dies: Nestabilities by Spellbinders; die cutting machine: Cuttlebug by Provocraft; ribbon: American Crafts; Glossy Accents: Ranger; white pen: Signo Uniball; mini stapler: Ranger; corner rounder: We R Memory Keepers

Christmas in January

I've started a new series of classes this year: monthly Christmas cards. Each month we'll be making 3 Christmas cards and 1 all-occasion card. By the time Christmas rolls around, you'll have plenty of handmade cards to go around (36 if you take all the classes), without having to scramble at the last minute. And you'll have made 12 all-occasion cards to give throughout the year.
These classes are SUPER affordable and are suitable for crafters (and non-crafters - LOL!) of any level. You'll learn several techniques, including heat embossing, dry embossing, paper piecing, die cutting, and more. This month's class is Saturday, January 21, from 1-3 pm at Real Deals Tucson. There are still plenty of spaces left for this class. Call, email, or hit up our Facebook page to sign up. Ok, now for the paper yummies:

Merry Christmas

Wishing you joy

Winter wishes to warm your heart


And here is the all-occasion card for this month: birthday
Birthday wishes (my card was featured on Hero Arts' Twitter page! Squeal!)

Hope to see you Saturday! Thanks for looking.