Season of Gratitude

Today at Just us Girls it is a photo challenge and guess what its another table setting! The colors in this photo are gorgeous! I tried to stay true to myself and kept it clean and simple. I was so wishing I had this set from Papertrey Ink, but I had to work with what I had. I pulled out Petals and Stems from Avery Elle. I threw in some leaves from a Martha Stewart set and some dots from Paper Smooches and there you have it! I was happy with the results and decided to give it a whirl on kraft paper also.

What do you think? The colors look way muted in the photo- to much light behind the card. It is prettier in person.

I can't wait to see what all of you come up with for this great photo challenge at JUGS!

Spooky Spiders

Having computer issues is like having your car break down. It's so frustrating, especially when you have some place to be, or like me blog postings and design team challenges to do.

My DH spent the day completely redoing my computer and he is still not done. I wasn't even sure I was going to be able to complete this blog, because all my pics are in I-photo and he hasn't reinstalled my programs yet.

It is a testament to how much I have learned about the computer that I figured out how to get my pictures from my camera (Thank God I hadn't deleted them!) to the blogs without I-photo.

Halloween is just around the corner and the theme for this week's sketch at Try Stampin' on Tuesday is spooky. I thought this sketch was a no-brainer until I realized that the circle is where the sentiment goes. I had to rethink my whole plan. I am much happier with what I came up with though.

Please join us and show us what you created using this sketch and the theme spooky.

Sue T.

Believe in the Magic

Woooohooooo.... a color challenge with colors that I just LOVE! I could have done any number of cards using this combo, nested blues. I love making blue and brown holiday cards.

In keeping with the theme of eggs, I chose my Hero Arts stamp Merriest Christmas Wishes that features a cute little bird and paired it with  saying from Paper Smooches. I didn't have any turquoise embossing powder so I just went over the saying with a copic marker to tint it a bit.

Please play along with Just Us Girls and show us your best use of the nested blues!

Flying by to say hi... 2nd post of the day

Oh how I love to make Halloween cards. This year it has been especially fun, because of all the challenges that are asking for Halloween cards I have quite a few to send out to folks. 

I just love this witch, I picked it up at the Heirloom Rubber Stamp Convention at one of the booths- I forget which company. The background is a well loved and inked Hero Arts stamp. Sorry not much help with the stamps I am using today.

I am entering this card over at Less is More where they are featuring "witches and wizards" and at Inkspirational where "anything goes".

PS- be sure to check out my first post of the day for a non holiday card!

Embrace the sketch!

When I first saw this sketch for our CAS challenge this month at House of Cards, I thought holy cow, how can I do this as a clean and simple card?!!? I was ready to throw in the towel and tell my fearless leader Myn, that I just can't do it, it won't work and she is gonna have to find another CAS gal to inspire others, clearly I wasn't the one!

But are we quitters?!!? Nooooo, when the going gets tough, the tough go through every stamp they own and find something that works! Soooo, that is what I did, and while I was going through way to many stamps, the idea came to me! As usual, I over thinking it and trying to be to literal. The sketch is only a jumping off point.

Generally this time of year I am only making Halloween and Thanksgiving cards, but a great guy birthday card can always come in handy. I grabbed two stamp sets- Papertrey Ink's Sketched Shapes and My Favorite Thing's Document it, Rock on and I was off to the races and race I did, once the idea was formulated in my head, I had this card banged out in about 20 minutes!

Don't be like me, don't be afraid of the sketch, embrace it and your CAS style. I cannot wait to see what all of you come up with, please join us in the fun at the CAS challenge at House of Cards!

Boo

Sunday seems to be my CAS(E) this Sketch day. 

 

The sketch this week took a bit of thought and several ideas were whirling around, but this cute "boo" card won out. Besides it gave me the opportunity to use  this new set from Papertrey Ink- Polka Dot Parade #7.

Halloween is a common theme lately at many of the challenge sites. I am also entering this card at Addicted to Stamps and More for their "anything goes" challenge. Simply Create Too is looking for Halloween entries. The Friday Mashup is looking for anything spooky.

Sometimes the best cards are the most CAS. I came across some cards I made about 10 years ago and at the time I thought I was a great stamper. All I can see now is how busy they were, with to many even layers and techniques! While I can't bear to throw them away, I am not sure what to do with them.

Todays card is more my style these days. 

Hope you enjoy and feel inspired by today's card.

Ghostly Greetings

Today at Just Us Girls we are having a technique challenge. My personal favorite type of challenge. The challenge is based on this video by Jennifer Maguire called Die Cut Inlays. It seems a bit complicated but it doesn't have to be and you get two cards for the price of one- always a beautiful thing! As you can see from my cards, I went all out and instead of strips of paper, I did chevron strips.

Here is the video so you can join in the fun and challenge yourself!

An easier version of this card is just to create your own striped paper with markers and do the same technique.

Please join us in the fun over at JUGS!

Senior Card Fun

Today was my Holiday Card Making class at New Horizon's Center for Seniors. The weather was pretty yucky, cold and rainy, so there were some folks who couldn't make it, but those that did had a great time. 

This was the first time these two ladies ever stamped. Look at that concentration. The 2 cards above were theirs. They did such a good job, that I had to show case their work. Excellent beginner's work don't you think?

Carolyn worked on her layout till it was just right.

Here is one who I definitely sucked into the stamping cult- Annmarie is adding just a little(??) more glitter to her cards!

The two hours flew by and everyone went home with 2 great holiday cards!

Give Thanks

More Thanksgiving Cards when we are having an Indian summer. The sky is a brilliant blue and the sun is shining warmly in the 80's. 

Over at Try Stampin' on Tuesday the theme for our sketch this week is "Give Thanks". I wanted to do a bit of a spin on the sketch, so the I die cut the circle to create a window. I created a "floating element".

I used my favorite Thanksgiving set from Amuse- Bounty of the Season. I use it quite a bit. And because I just finished the Online card class, Insider, I decided to finish the inside of my card. The sentiment was strategically placed behind the sentiment on the front of the card.

I hope you join us with your own creations at Try Stampin' On Tuesday.

Apple of my eye (2nd post of the day)

When I awoke this morning, the sky were gray and it looks like rain for the first time in about 2 weeks. I am OK with that, I like rainy days. Rainy days are good days to curl up with a book, cook a pot of soup, bake a sweet dessert and of course spend time in my studio!

CAS(E) this sketch has the best sketches. They are always clean and simple. But that can be difficult, creating a CAS card that is striking and effective. I thought a lot about this weeks sketch and tried out a variety of ideas. Finally, I just put the whole thing aside and went to bed. I don't know if you are like me, but the best idea came to me while I was sleeping. 

I grabbed my new set from Papertrey Ink's Fruit Fusion Apple, that hasn't seen any ink yet and I was off and inkin' and stampin'!!

The card was everything I wanted, that the other 6 rejects weren't! So I can submit this to CAS(E) this sketch with my head held high!

Being as I am still celebrating World Card Making Day, I am giving this to my DH, just because.

Have a great week everyone!

Be sure to check out my first post today!

 

Serendipity

Serendipty- a "happy accident" a "fortunate mistake". That is this card. I was going for a card using this Spellbinders labels 25 die, but it just wasn't working out, so I put the card base off to side. 

A few days later, I came came back to it and just stared at it for awhile and it came to me, that it reminded me of a grave stone.  I trimmed off the bottom and sponged in the back ground color and the rest is history. I used a bunch of stamps and dies. The base grave stone lets your imagination run wild.

I am entering this at the the Curtain Call. They are looking for a spooky scene.

At CAS on Sunday they are looking for shaped cards. It isn't my most CAS card, but it definitely has a shape!

At the Friday Mashup they are looking for cards with either torn paper or fussy cutting. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to fussy cut. I find it very zen to just sit and cut things out. I must be crazy huh?

I hope you enjoyed World Card Making Day yesterday like I did!

Exciting News and Happy World Card Making Day!

First off Happy World Card Making Day everyone!! Isn't it great that card makers have their own special day! I hope you all get to spend some time creating today. This is such a big day at my house. I even get flowers from my husband! 

Now the exciting news! I have been invited to join the Just Us Girls Challenge Blog design team!! Every Saturday they have a different challenge. Here is the monthly schedule:

 Week 1: Sketch

        Week 2: Technique

Week 3: Color

                  Week 4: Photo Inspiration

        Week 5: Wild Card

This week is a sketch challenge. I took a few liberties with the sketch. I hope I don't get booted off the team for bucking the system right from the start. There is a reason for my madness, that I hope will put me back in my teams good graces.

It seems a wee birdie told me it is Just Us Girls (JUGS for those in the know:)) 4th birthday. So for my first challenge card, I knew it had to be a birthday card and I had to have 4 macaroons. One for each year! Am I forgiven girls? 

I used a great set from Avery Elle called Bonjour. Oh the possibilities!

This card features some tips and techniques that i find myself using over and over again. Have you ever pulled a sentiment from your stash, to find it does't fit the space you have? If you have acrylic stamps, do what I do. Just carefully cut up the sentiments into individual words and rearrange them to fit your card. I have been doing this for years. it makes your sentiments much more versatile.

Here is the original saying. (sorry for bad photo.)

Here it is cut up. as you can see from my card, I made the saying into one line.

My technique is making your own baker's twine. How often do you make a card and you don't have any twine to match your card? This used to happen to me all the time. I adapted this technique to make my own from this video.

  

I start with plain baker's twine and a piece of chipboard 3 inches wide. The length doesn't matter.  I put a notch at the beginning and the end to hold the twine and I wrap it around the chip board.

Next using any kind of permanent marker, color diagonal stripes over the twine. put on several layers of 

color, make sure you cover both sides of the chipboard.

Unwrap the twine and you have your own custom baker's twine.

Please join us at JUGS to celebrate their birthday and World Card Making Day! Our sponsor this week is A Walk Down Memory Lane. they will be offering a $15.00 gift certificate.