Make a Wish

Hello there.  It’s my niece’s birthday today.   Unbelievable how quickly 17 years has flown by!  Hope she doesn’t think this CAS (clean and simple) birthday card is too young for her. 😂

The sweet bunny from Mama Elephant Up with Love was in my stash.  It was previously stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto alcohol marker friendly cardstock, coloured with Copic Sketch markers then die cut out with its coordinating die at the same time when I created this card for my nephew… I wasn’t sure which image I was going to use.  

Next, stamped the sentiment from CAS-ual Fridays Shenanigans with Versafine Onyx Black ink and heat embossed with clear glitter embossing powder on a stitched Bristol panel also from my stash.  Applied Saltwater Taffy distress ink with a blender brush for the background then splattered with water and blot with a paper towel for a bit of texture.  Assembled the card onto a white card base then added highlights/details with a white gelly roll pen to finish. 

Her birthday also happens to fall on Father’s Day, so hope she enjoys sharing her special day with her dad.  Thank you for dropping by.  Have a wonderful day.

Challenges:

Crafty Animals - #64 AG Animals 

Crafty Catz -  #600 AG optional Add a Sentiment 

Let’s Craft and Create - #184 AG + optional Add a Sentiment   

Seize the Birthday - #240 AG Birthday + optional Favorite Technique   (Copic colouring)

CAS Christmas June Reminder - Wreath

Hello there.  This is the reminder post for this month’s WREATH challenge at CAS Christmas.

Here’s my card.

That cute little puppy in the wreath image is from Yappy Woofmas stamp set by Mama Elephant (ME). Stamped it with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on alcohol marker friendly cardstock that was die cut out with the Blanket Stitched Rectangle die from Pinkfresh Studio.  Coloured it with Copic Sketch markers then added clear shimmer to the berries and bow for a bit of sparkle. 

The letters were die cut next from Bristol paper and black cardstock using Block Alphabet dies from SugarPea Designs.  Offset them for a drop shadow, then adhered them to the panel.  To finish, stamped the sentiment from Waffle Flower Oversized Joy with Versafine Onyx Black ink and heat embossed with clear embossing powder.

Since I’m behind on my Christmas card stash, I made a second card using Bold Alphabet dies from Altenew on this one.

The challenge ends in one week on June 24 PST.  To see more inspirations, head on over to the challenge blog HERE.  Thank you for stopping by.  

Challenges: 

Sparkles Christmas - #137 Cute Christmas Critters 

ABC Christmas - L for Little and M for Music (little puppy + joy to the world 🎶)

Christmas Kickstart - #63 Pawfectly Pawsome Christmas   

Peace    

First Birthday

Hello everyone.  My youngest nephew, Cohen, turns ONE next week!  Wow, time flies!  I decided to stretch a never before used (NBUS) Valentine stamp set from Mana Elephant (ME) called Up With Love to create his card.

Started by stamping the image with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on a scrap of X-Press It cardstock and coloured it with Copic markers (BG49, BG13, BG11, BG10, E25, E33, E31, E30, R30).  Added highlights to the balloon with a white gel pen, then took the matching die and die cut it and a scrap of thick white cardstock to stack them for support.

The same BG markers were then used to ombré colour a scrap of X-Press It cardstock before die cutting the Altenew (ALT) Bold Alphabet letters from it.  The letters were die cut again from a scrap of black cardstock to offset for a drop shadow.  Created a cloud background on a stitched Bristol panel from my stash using a blender brush, gray dye ink and the cloud edge stencil from Honey Bee Stamps (HB) Outdoor Scene Builder.

White heat embossed the sentiment from Birthday Blowout stamp set by Poppy Stamps (PS) and assembled the card to finish.  Thank you for dropping by.  

Challenges:

AAA Birthday - #25 Happy 2nd Birthday Anything Goes Birthday 

The Paper Players - Cards for Boys theme challenge from Joanne 

Seize the Birthday - #213 Anything Birthday Goes optional topping Furry Friends 

Addicted to CAS - #196 Sky 

40th Birthday

Hello there!  My youngest sister celebrated a big birthday this month (it was in covid-style so just her household) and one of my other sisters asked me to make a card for her.  I wanted to make a fun interactive card to mark this special milestone, but my health challenges continue, so I needed to keep it simple and made a slimline card using the colour palette from the February Butterfly Reflections, Ink mood board. 

The largest die in the Slim Basics Rectangle Layers die set from Memory Box (MB) was used to die cut from Bristol paper a slimline panel measuring 3.6”x8.6”.  Using a mini blending tool, applied Pinkalicious dye ink from Altenew (ALT) over a new unused Rolling Clouds stencil from My Favorite Things (MFT) to create the pretty pink sky.  Splattered it with ALT Razzleberry dye ink and white gouache paint for some texture.  Next, took the new unused MFT Big Birthday Wishes die and partial die cut from the panel to split the sentiment to the top and at the bottom.  

The elephant from Mama Elephant (ME) Fly With Me was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on X-Press It cardstock, coloured in with Copic alcohol markers (C00, C1, C3, C5, R32, R30) and die cut out with the matching die.  The ballon (retired) was die cut from a Stampin’ Up! (SU!) Melon Mambo embossed polka dotted scrap in my stash.  The MFT Impact Numbers and “TH” (retired) were die cut from SU! Smoky Slate cardstock and Bristol paper, then offset for a shadow effect.  Added clear glitter to them for some shimmer.  Die cut the sentiment from black cardstock to be inlaid and assembled the card onto a white 3.75”x8.75” card base to finish.

Thank you for stopping by.  Have a great day!

Challenges:

My Favorite Things - Slimline Birthday Wishes 

AAA Birthday - Game #22 A Large Sentiment 

Seize the Birthday - #208 Create a Scene or Anything Birthday Goes 

Uniko - 9th Birthday Linky Party 

NBUS #23 - new stencil and due from MFT

Crafty Animals - #47 Anything Animals Goes 

Watercooler Wednesday - #310 Marsha’s All About Occasions 

Guest Designer for Christmas Craft Creations September 2020 Challenge - Shaped Card

Hello everyone.  I’m thrilled and honoured to be back as guest designer for the September challenge at Christmas Craft Creations (CCC).  Their fun theme this month is Shaped Card.

I have not made a shaped card in a very long time, and since I just got the Snowglobe Bases dies from Memory Box (MB), I was eager to put it to work.  Here's my card.

To start, the largest snowglobe base was die cut from a scrap of X-Press It cardstock and coloured in with Copic markers.  The bear image and tree from Mama Elephant A Beary Christmas was in my stash.  I had stamped it with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on X-Press It cardstock and coloured with Copic markers during Kathy’s daily marker coloring challenge.  I just added the “swirling snow” trying to create that look when a snowglobe is shaken up... the idea looked better in my head. 😂  Added snow with a white gel pen then die cut out with the largest circle die from MB Circle Basics.

The same circle die was then used to partial die cut from a top folding white card base.  Made sure the cutting edge extended past the folded edge and stopped short of the bottom cutting edge.  I was a little worried the wafer thin die wouldn’t cut through two layers of thick cardstock, but luckily it did.  Traced the snowglobe base onto the card base before fussy cutting out.  Heat embossed the sentiment from My Favorite Things Bitty Holiday Wishes with Liquid Platinum embossing powder.  Took the largest and second largest circle dies from Circle Basics to create a circle frame from a scrap of mixed media paper.  Assembled the card to approximately 4.25"x4-7/8" finished size.

I was pleasantly surprised how well this turned out... even my hubby (who couldn’t care less about cards), said he liked it!  So are you ready to join in the fun?  For more inspirations from the design team, head on over to the challenge post HERE.  Thank you for stopping by.  Have a wonderful day.

Challenges:
Merry Little Christmas - #26 September Anything Christmas Goes
Christmas Kickstart - #37 Christmas Furbabies
NBUS #18 - new snowglobe bases dies
Pixie's Snippets Playground - #386  

Jenn Shurkus Get Cracking on Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes 

Crafty Catz - #517 Anything Goes optional twist Not Square 

Die Cut Divas - Holidays
ABC Christmas - S for Snowy 

CAS Christmas June Reminder - Gifts

Hello everyone.  I'm dropping in today with the reminder post for CAS Christmas Gifts challenge.

Growing up my siblings and I would divide the gifts under the tree into our individual piles before we all start opening them.  This tradition continue with my nieces and nephews to this day.  So that memory prompted me to create this photo scene card.

All images were stamped with Copic friendly black ink on a scrap of X-press It cardstock.  Masking was used to create the scene and coloured with Copics.

The photo frame was die cut from glossy cardstock three times and stacked for dimension.  The stamped piece was then trimmed down slightly smaller than the frame and adhered behind.  White heat embossed the sentiment onto a navy stitched rectangle panel.  Added white acrylic paint splatters, then assembled the card onto a white card base to finish.

Once again Leslie of Running with Scissors joins us as our guest.  For more inspirations from Leslie and my team, click HERE.  The challenge ends in one week on June 24.  Hope to see you in the gallery.  Thank you for visiting.  Have a wonderful week.

Challenges:
Merry Little Christmas - #11 June Anything Christmas Goes
ABC Christmas - L for Little or M for Masking (masked a scene with that little bear)
Sweet Stampers - #33 Anything Goes

A Hinge / Swing Card

Happy Friday everyone.  I'm sharing a fun interactive birthday card today.  Some call it a hinge card; others call it a swing card.  I've done this card many years ago and Ilda reminded me of it when I saw her card on her IG account.  She has a video tutorial HERE if you are interested in trying one yourself.

A stitched rectangle panel was die cut from Bristol paper.  Wilted Violet, Blueprint Sketch and Salty Ocean distress inks were then blended on with blending brushes to create the sky. Spritz with water and dried with a paper towel for some texture.  Added a few diecut clouds to complete.  

The elephant was stamped with Copic friendly black ink on X-press It cardstock, coloured in with Copics then die cut out with the matching die.  Added a penny behind the elephant to give it some weight when it swings.  Used a couple of circle dies and a slider disc to create the hinge swinging portion (Ilda's video shows how).  

Black heat embossed the sentiment, then assembled onto a white card base.  Added Crystal Glaze to the balloon to finish.  Here's my first still photo video to show it in action.

So fun and super easy.  Thank you for stopping by.  Have a wonderful weekend.

Challenges:

Seize the Birthday - #167 Anything Goes

Love to Craft - #35 June Anything Goes

Watercooler Wednesday - #225 Donna's All About Occasions
Sweet Stampers - Anything Goes 
Send a Smile 4 Kids - Cards for Teens or Anything Goes 4 Kids

CAS Christmas June Challenge - Gifts

Hello there.  It's June and we have a new challenge starting today at CAS Christmas.  The theme this month is Gifts.

Here is my card.

Took the scallop Circle Window die and dry embossed it onto a piece of X-press It cardstock.  Stamped the puppy with Copic friendly black ink in the inverted scallop circle area and coloured with Copics.  From masking paper, hand cut a mask for the puppy and die cut a reverse scallop circle mask with the die.  Adhered the masks in place, then blended Crumb Cake and Soft Suede dye inks to the background with blending brushes.

I channelled my spattering guru friend, Loll, for this next step and added some white acrylic paint splatters to the background to give it some texture.  The sentiment was red heat embossed with clear glitter embossing powder.  Mounted the panel with fun foam to a white card base then added clear shimmer to the red ribbon to finish (unable to capture in photo).

Leslie of Running with Scissors is our wonderful guest this month.  For more inspirations, head on over to the challenge blog HERE.  You have until June 24 to play along.  Looking forward to seeing what you create.  Thank you for stopping by.

Challenges:
Merry Little Christmas - #11 June Anything Christmas Goes
Less is More - #396 CAS Embossing (dry embossed with window die and heat embossed sentiment)
Watercooler Wednesday - #223 Anything Goes
SSS Wednesday - Anything Goes
Uniko - #53 Anything Goes optional twist Masculine

Enjoy Rainbow Birthday

Hello there!  It's the last day of May, and it's my birthday!  Not doing anything crazy - too old for that! 😉 - but it will be a full day of visits and get togethers.  And today (surprise surprise), I have a fun and colourful birthday card to share.  Can never have too many birthday cards.

Started by stencilling the cloud background with Tumbled Glass distress ink (di) on an A2 size Whisper White cardstock panel.  The Rainbow Stripes were then die cut from Bristol paper and Picked Raspberry, Mustard Seed, Peacock Feathers, Blueprint Sketch and Wilted Violet di's were blended on with a mini blending tool.  Spritz with water and dabbed off with a paper towel for some texture.  For some glitz, sprayed with a Sparkle spray.  Unfortunately, shimmer doesn't photo well.

The elephants were stamped with Copic friendly black ink on X-press It cardstock, coloured in with Copics, then die cut out with their matching dies.  Decided to keep them monochrome for some contrast.  White heat embossed the sentiment on black cardstock.  Assembled card onto a white card base and popped up the middle elephant with foam tape to finish.

Thank you for visiting .  Have a wonderful weekend.

Challenges:
The Paper Players - #443 A Sketch Challenge from LeAnne
Sweet Stampers - #32 Animals
Watercooler Wednesday - #223 Anything Goes
Stamp, Ink, Paper - #200 Designer's Choice