Feelin' like autumn

 I work right across where the Pope will be staying when he comes to Philadelphia, needless to say it has been getting progressively more intense as we get closer to Friday. I have to stay at work the whole weekend. So I get camp out with some of my fellow workers. Because I will be at work all weekend I decided to give myself today off and play. I watched the first day of "Watercolors for Cardmakers: exploring mediums". 

I have both the Zig markers and the set Kristena was using, but I hadn't really had a chance to mess with them. I decided to play with them and enter a few challenges while I was at it. My card is a riff on Jennifer's and Debby. The stamp set is a very old Amuse set that I won when taking a stamp class. The poor thing had never been inked before today!

AAA cards is having an autumn colors challenge, so I am joining in there.

Addicted to CAS is having a challenge with leaves, well duh! This is a no brainer!

Lastly, Inkspirational has a color challenge using green ( the most beautiful color in the world!) and orange. Maybe I am stretching it, but I did use green and orange on my leaves.

 Surprise days off are the best! Well I better figure out what I will be taking with me this weekend. I am planning on a few make-n-takes with bored staff.

Check out the class and challenges and have fun creating!

It's all about the space

It's all about the space, 'bout the space, 'bout the space, no clutter!

Hi Everyone! Today I am the guest designer at Inkspiration! How exciting! They picked me because they really liked this post. That was a fun card, but today's card is much more in my wheel house.

When Marina sent me the inspiration I realized many folk will go in a certain direction. Not me, I always have to push and buck the system. So what is the word? It is SPACE!!!! Now you might understand tribute to Meghan Trainor.  I am a CAS gal at heart so it really is about the space, no clutter. Susan from Simplicity is one of my idols. She is definitely about the white space!

I actually made several different designs but I take being a guest designer seriously and did not want to disappoint you with something that was just too simplistic. This design was based on a favorite Easter card from my DH and is a great way to use those tiny stamps that often perplex us. Today I used a very old StampinUp stamp paired with an equally old sentiment from A Muse. 

Be sure to head on over to Inkspiration and see what the DT has come up with. I am heading over their now myself! An remember- SHOW ME YOUR SPACE!!!

House of Cards Challenge

Enamel dots, where did they come from and how did they become so popular? I like them because they are flatter then pearls or gems. Makes the card less bulky for mailing. 

There are so many companies selling this fun embellishments, but as you will see over the next four weeks at the House of Cards, there are many ways to make your own.

I tried to think outside the box for my card. I used my enamel dots as stars and planets in the anniversary card that I made for George. He loves all things astronomy and space. I think he will love this card- even if it doesn't feature a teddy bear! 

The star banner is from Papertrey Ink, the space ship is an old Amuse stamp (remember when they weren't a Stampin Up wanna be) and Lawn Fawn rounds out the card with the sentiment from their Lucky Stars set.

Be sure to check back each week at the House of Cards to see how the teams were inspired by enamel dots and to see the videos on how to make your own!

Thank Fall

The current challenge at the Card Concept is a photo challenge with the theme of "thank fall". Clever huh- "thank fall"? I love it- so fun. Besides I need ideas for my Thanksgiving cards and the theme and photo inspired me. 

I have only three challenges left on the Wild card team at the Card Concept and for the last three we get to pick our styles. Naturally, I drift towards the CAS categories.

One of my oft used techniques is to stamp or place images over top of a text stamp. It just creates such an interesting CAS look. For this card I had to go back to my older but well inked stamps. The text stamp from Hero Arts "Dictionary Greetings, I use ALL the time for this technique. I was pleasantly surprised to still see you could buy this set of stamps. I highly recommend it! The pumpkins are from A Muse. Looks like this set is only available on e-bay. The branch is StampinUp- unknown set.

Here is another look for the same idea using a new stamp from Great Impressions.

I wasn't as happy with this. I shoulda used four pumpkins instead of three. They look too squashed in. What do you think?

This works with this week's challenge at Just Us Girls so I am entering it there also.

Please join us this week at the Card Concept with your interpretation of this weeks challenge!

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.

It's what is on the inside that counts!

Since there are no stamp stores left in my area, I really depend on Jennifer McGuire and Kristina Werner's Online Card Classes to provide me with inspiration and new techniques to create my cards. Right now I am taking Insider. This class focuses on the inside of the card. This is something I never focus on, in fact, I don't even do the insides of my cards until I am ready to give it to someone and then I am scrambling to find a sentiment and an inkpad! 

So this class is a challenge!! during our first day of class Jennifer focused on easy popups- another thing I never do! I loved the idea of a card popping up in the inside of the card.  She showed us a water color technique she calls "I painted this". I can't explain, you will just have to take the class!

I chose to make a Thanksgiving card using one of my favorite Thanksgiving stamps from Amuse. My sentiments came from Hero Arts . Jennifer used watercolor paper, but for my card I wanted the harvesty feel of kraft paper. 

Does anyone have any special Thanksgiving stamps they like? I could use some new ones, but they are hard to find.

Brewing up a challenge card

I spent my day researching and writing a paper on the leadership qualities of Steve Jobs vs. Bill Gates and while it was fascinating, it wasn't how I wanted to spend my day off from work. I finally gave myself a break to put in some time stamping.

I came across this challenge over at CAS(E) this Sketch. It was just simple enough for me to work something out in the half hour I had to play. I ran through several ideas but this one just stuck. I have a friend who I often meet for lattes. What a fun birthday card this will make for her!

This was the sketch. Just think of the possibilities when I have more time. Head over to CAS(E) this sketch and see what the designers and others did.

Yay-boo bunny

I have been so enjoying my yay-boo days. I have spent lots of long overdue time in my studio. I have been waiting for the boo and today, I got a call from work- do you want Monday off? I replied- "I gotta go back to work sometime!" So.... as much as a really long weekend is appealing, I can't use up all my vacation on yay-boo days. Boo-hoo. :( Back to work on Monday.

There is a challenge over at CASology with bunnies as the theme. I immediately knew what I was going to do. I love these little bunnies from a very old Hero Arts set- Sending Happy Thoughts. I don't think HA even makes it anymore. Add the super saying from Amuse, before they became a home party business. This is definitely a CAS card. I had to add something so I dry embossed a frame around the bunnies. It is hard to see in the picture.

This card is inspired by a card I made several years ago.

I can really see my growth as a stamper. I think I had just gotten my Cuttlebug and I used it on everything I made.

Well.... today I am actually leaving my studio and am venturing out into our spring snowstorm to have lunch with my niece.

Take care all.

 

Blessings

I have been following the blog Simplicity for the last several months. It amazes me, because Susan ( and believe it or not, not only do we share the same name but her husband's name is George like my guy, but those are the only ways we are similar!!:)) creates the most creative cards with either no layers or minimal layers. It fascinates me how she designs the most pleasing card with massive amounts of white space. 

Empty space just plain scares the bejeezus out of me. I mean on a one layer card if you make a mistake you can't cover it up with another layer.You have to start over. I am a layer girl, the more the merrier. But I am trying to embrace the white space. So when Susan issues a challenge, I have to answer the call.

Today her challenge for One Layer Wednesday is to create a one layer card gratitude card. Susan has started a campaign to save Thanksgiving from the excesses of food and football and she wants us to remember the people in our lives whom we are grateful for.

Last year, I started sending out Thanksgiving cards to those I am grateful for, so I have a few stamps that answer the call. I thought about making this card on white card stock, but felt kraft would wouldn't be quite so stark and would blend better with a warm Thanksgivingy (is that a word?) feel. You all are seeing the final card. I am not showing the 5 others that are in the trash. (remember- no where to hide!!)

So answer Susan's call, start your own Gratitude campaign and let the folks that are important to you know it.

Have a blessed day!