CAS-ual Fridays #57: Clear As Day

The current challenge (ending noon tomorrow EST!) at CAS-ual Fridays is to use either acetate or vellum.  I have a hard time working with both as I either end up with my stamp sliding across the acetate or I don't give the inked vellum enough time to dry:(

So I decided to die cut some acetate to make a shaker card:

 
Once I figured out what I was going to do this actually came together quickly.  I used Spellbinders reverse wonky rectangles to die cut both the acetate and the frame the acetate is attached to.  After placing some closely spaced pieces of foam tape to the stamped card front I laid the buttons down before adhering the framed acetate piece.  I chose green buttons as I wanted them to look like "grass".  And I spotlighted one of the flowers to go along with the sentiment from Paper Smooches "Sentiment Sampler" set :)
Other Materials Used:  Stampin' Up flower stamp from World Treasures set, Michael's black pearls, Papertrey ink white cs, Ranger worn lipstick distress ink,  pp from Amy Tangerine Sketchbook 6 x 6 pad

It's been unusually hot in the Northeast these past few days (heat index of 100 degrees today!) so my hubby and I plan to spend the day tomorrow with our friends on their pontoon boat.  I looooove this kind of boat - it reminds me of a floating living room!  We plan to stay well-hydrated :)

Thanks for all your encouraging comments and stay cool (or warm!) wherever you are!

Seeing Dots: CAS-ual Fridays Challenge #56

Couldn't go without entering the current challenge at CAS-ual Fridays: to create a CAS project using polka dots!  I think I love using polka dots as much as gingham on my cards :) 

I needed a card for a high school graduation party we are attending this weekend (Can you believe there were 300 people invited to this party???!!  Yikes!!).  I assembled a few sentiments from the Paper Smooches set Sentiment Sampler on an acrylic block then randomly stamped and white embossed them on a piece of white cs.  The numbers were cut using Cricut Keystone cart from Echo Park pp.  The grad cap is a $1 bin stamp from Vap! Scrap.  I tied the little "diploma" with twine from Doodlebug Designs.
Other Materials Used: Papertrey ink cs, W R Memory Keepers corner chomper, Making Memories black brad, Michael's cs

Thanks for all your sweet comments!

Runway Inspired Challenge #13

One of my fave reality shows is Project Runway so I was so happy to find the Runway Inspired Challenge blog via some of my blogging friends!  And take a look at the current inspiration photo:



 I don't own any houndstooth stamps but I found some black and white houndstooth pp in my stash and came up with this:



 May be difficult to see in the pic but I also used a Cuttlebug houndstooth embossing folder on the 3 panels.  Sentiment is from Hero Arts.  The Chloe Stem die (Looooove this!) is Memory Box. 

Other Materials Used:  Stampin' Up cs, Michael's clear gems

Been a little absent from visiting everyone's blogs as taking care of hubby (along with all the "chores" he usually does) is keeping me hoppin'!  His follow-up appointment yesterday went well and the doctor (along with his wife!) hopes he can begin PT in a few weeks :)  I hope to catch up on seeing what everyone's been creating this week!

Lawnscaping Challenge #35: Patterned Paper

I had to giggle when I read the post at the Lawnscaping Challenge blog regarding their current challenge to:

I SO have a problem with hoarding patterned paper!!  I LOVE to buy it and I do.......LOTS of it :)  Then I'll go to make a card with some of it and for whatever reason I'm hesitant to actually cut into it.  I often end up with a card that has the COLORS of the paper I was going to use but not any of the patterned paper itself on the card :)   I've gotten to the point where I have to smuggle any new pp into the house past my hubby as he keeps pointing to the unused piles in my craft room!

For my challenge card I used some super cute pp called Domestic Goddess from last year's Stampin' Up catalog:



Right now I'm limited to the one Lawn Fawn set I own - On the Mend - so I had to improvise (My Stampin' Sis and I are making the hour long trek to an independent stamping store on Saturday that I know carries Lawn Fawn -yay!)  The plaid pp reminded me of a tablecloth pattern so I folded a piece over the woodgrain stamped "table", added some faux stitching with a white gel pen and cut tiny fringe on the edges.  I paper pieced the soup bowl and covered the yellow "soup" with glossy accents to make it look more like liquid.  Sentiment was computer generated.
Other Materials Used: Stampin' Up cs, Michael's black pearls, Nesties, Hero Arts S5208 Designer Woodgrain

I'd like to thank everyone for their photography suggestions left on my last post!  When I compared my actual card to the photo of it I realized Anita was right when she said something seemed a little "off" and she suggested I keep trying with the light tent.  Sooooo, I pulled out my instructions and studied how they had set up the utility lamps - turns out they should be angled so the light shines from outside through the sides not right into the tent!  Duh!  What a difference!!!  After I downloaded the photo onto my computer I also used Lin's suggestion and brightened it up even more with photo editing - the sheet in the background actually looks white now!  LOL!  Who knew we'd all turn into such excellent photographers too when we got into cardmaking??!!

Have a great weekend everyone!

PDCC #134 and Simon Says Stamp: Anything Goes Challenges

When I sat down to work on my card for The Play Date Cafe's current color challenge

right away I thought of some patterned paper I have from Crate Paper's Emma's Shoppe collection:



 I stamped the flowers from Hero Arts CG434 Floral Blossoms in Ranger worn lipstick distress ink.  The sentiment from Hero Arts CL129 Anytime Messages is stamped in Hero Arts soft brown shadow ink.  I used this sentiment as kind of a nod to the gal bent over looking at the flowers in the color story picture:)  All edges were lightly inked with Ranger antique linen distress ink.
Other Materials Used:  Stampin' Up cs, seam binding ribbon, pp, button and twine, Cuttlebug swiss dot embossing folder, Papertrey ink cs, Nesties, another paper doily "rescued" from a restaurant dessert :)

I'm also entering my card in this week's Simon Says Stamp "Anything Goes" challenge.  They are featuring twine this week and I did use a wee bit of twine on the button.

I've been having a frustrating time trying to take better pics of my cards:(  Awhile ago my hubby built me a light tent using directions I obtained on the Paper Crafts website.  I've been experimenting with different light bulbs (soft, bright and combo of both) and even bought an inexpensive white sheet as I wondered if the old one I was using had too much of a yellow tinge to it.  Would LOVE your feedback on the pic above!!  This one was taken using bright bulbs in the utility lamps - does it look TOO bright????

Thanks for all your lovely comments and suggestions!

Special Delivery: Welcome Lila Grace!

Jana Millen has organized a kind of baby card shower on her blog for Jennifer McGuire's newest edition to her family, Lila Grace.  I think it's so cool that Lila Grace was born on Mother's Day :)  I had the pleasure of briefly meeting Jennifer at Scrapfest in Minneapolis last year (she's as nice in person as she is on-line) and can't tell you how many times I've been inspired by her cards!

I don't have many baby related stamps but I dug out this cute little cling set from studio g and with the Postage Challenge at Moxie Fab World in mind this is what I came up with:

And I know what some of you are thinking "OMG!  She's using gingham AGAIN!"  I promise the next card I make won't have a scrap of gingham on it :)  I used the strips of pink and black on the base card to give it an airmail envie feel.  AFTER measuring and scoring lines and painstakingly cutting and gluing the strips I happened to read the tip on page 117 of the new Card Creations that said to use an extra paper strip as a spacer *sigh*.  I used a postage stamp die that came with my Cuttlebug to cut the black mat underneath the gingham piece and a Papertrey ink die to cut the zig zag strips.

Other Materials Used:  A Muse gingham pp, Hero Arts clear gems and snow layering paper, Michael's black pearl and cs, Stampin' Up cs, W R Memory Keepers corner rounder

I hope everyone's enjoying their weekend! 

Moxie Fab World Tuesday Trigger: Man-tastic!

This is the current Tuesday Trigger at Moxie Fab World blog :

I recently won a retired Stampin' Up hostess set called Apple Blossoms at a workshop and one of the images reminded me of the shapes in the trigger:

I used some Hero Arts shadow inks (soft pool, wet cement and pool) and Memento Lady Bug ink to stamp the leafy branch.  Sentiment is from Paper Smooches Sentiment Sampler.  All edges were distressed with Ranger pumice stone distress ink.

Other Materials Used:  Stampin' Up soft suede, confetti cream cs and soft suede marker, Papertrey ink pure poppy cs, Nestie  

I've got to give some props to my hubby as he thought the original "prototype" for my card was too flat so I changed it to include the partial die cut for the sentiment:)  My poor hubby has been at loose ends as he recently tore the bicep tendon in his left arm *ouch* and just had surgery to repair it yesterday morning.  All of the hobbies he loves to do - golfing, fishing, hunting and kayaking - are off the table for the rest of the summer :(  I think I can expect a lot more "help" in the months to come with my cardmaking *giggle* as he begins the slow process of regaining the strength in his arm:)

Hope your weekend's a good one!