*My Favourite Instagram Hop*

 This week for the My Favourite Instagram Hop, we are focussing on our favourite Father's Day stamps or dies.  I will admit that I don't really need a Father's Day card, but I played along anyway.

To make my card, I started with the strip of patterned paper. I die cut a circle and then cut out the letters to spell the word DAD from the circle.  I placed the circle on top of the card and trimmed off the edges.  I added back the small pieces from the letter dies and stamped a quick sentiment on it.

I love that this paper looks like ties my Dad used to wear...

Card Info

*Paper:  Stampin' Up! Well Suited

*Stamps:  Simon Says Stamp Mom & Dad Icons

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Lawn Fawn Olivers Stitched Alphabet; Waffle Flower Nesting Circles

*AAA Colourful #17*

 There's a new colourboard challenge that starts today at AAA Colourful.  We challenge you to find inspiration in the colours in our colourboard to create something wonderful!

I had fun with these colours and a simple stencil.  I almost feel like I did some graffiti on this card or something!  

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black
*Stamps:  Visible Image Best Birthday Ever

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne; Tim Holtz Picked Raspberry, Candied Apple, Wilted Violet, Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade

*Stencil:  Lawn Fawn Brick

*Embellishments:  Michael's Bridal Flowers; Robin's Nest Dew Drops

*CASE It Instagram Hop*

 On the 2nd Saturday of each month, a group of us play together on Instagram to CASE a card that has inspired us...  we find something on Instagram and make a card of our own that is inspired by that first card.

First, here is the card I was inspired by, but the wonderful Beverley Brown...  I just fell in love with her rainbow of butterflies... and the simplicity of the card.  And of course the mini slimline said "pick me"!!

I changed it up a little bit, but not a lot.  I used a rainbow of flowers instead of butterflies and I used a larger sentiment.  Otherwise you can definitely see that I was inspired by Beverley.

Card Info

*Stamps:  The Ton Easy Expressions

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne; Copics

*Dies:  Spellbinders Floral Spray; The Ton Easy Expressions

*Embellishments:  Studio Katia Arctic Breeze Pearls

*Addicted to CAS #285*

 There's a new clean and simple challenge at Addicted to CAS...  WATER

I almost skipped this challenge... but I had an idea and I kinda like how it turned out.  I did some ink blending with a few shades of blue to mimic the water and the sky...  I kinda like how it turned out.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black, Summer Sun

*Stamps:  MFT Rain or Shine

*Ink:  Tim Holtz Mermaid Lagoon, Hickory Smoke, Salty Ocean; Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  MFT Rain or Shine

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Challenges:  ATCAS #285

*Sending Sunshine Instagram Hop*

 Each month, a group of us gather on Instagram to share cards that might help to lift someone up who's finding life a little rough.  A little piece of sunshine, if you will.

I bought this Taylored Expressions stamp and die set and was a little disappointed that the stamps and the dies don't line up.  So what I did today was cut the rainbow out of a white panel.  I took the arcs and did some ink blending on them and then put them back in to my die cut panel (the negative space).  I then stamped some of the elements from the stamp set on top.  I like how it turned out.

Card Info

*Stamps:  Taylored Expressions Over the Rainbow; Honeybee Stamps Best of Everything

*Ink:  Stampin' Up! Gorgeous Grape, Bermuda Bay, Granny Apple Green, Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight; Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Taylored Expressions Over the Rainbow; MFT Stitched Rectangles

*CAS on Friday #311*

 Good morning creative friends!  It's time for a SUMMER themed challenge at CAS on Friday.

I went for a beachy look for my card...  some big leaves and some fun summery colours that I blended on to my card panel to kind of look like a beach scene, mimicking the waves with my blending.  Did I succeed?

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Gumball Green

*Stamps:  MFT Something for Everything

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne; Tim Holtz Twisted Citron, Salty Ocean, Kitsch Flamingo

*Dies:  Stampin' Up! Tropical

*Challenges:  CAS on Friday #311

*White on White Instagram Hop*

 This month, the theme for the White on White Instagram Hop is floral...  I embossed a panel with a leaf embossing folder and then added it as an inlaid panel .  I aded some pretty flowers and to follow the theme.  

The key to a white on white card is texture, layers and dimension.

Card Info

*Stamps:  The Ton Easy Expressions

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Spellbinders Floral Spray; The Ton Easy Expressions; unknown border die
*Embossing:  Spellbinders Leafy

*Atlantic Hearts Sketch #663*

 There's a lovely new sketch at Atlantic Hearts that starts today...  And I decided to make mine rather clean and simple (although with the all-over embossed background it's not really clean and simple).

First, the sketch...

And here's my take on the sketch...

Card Info

*Stamps:  Waffle Flower Sweet Lattice Sentiments

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne; Gina K Wild Dandelion Wild Lilac

*Stencils: Gina K Bold Flowers

*Dies:  Gina K Bold Flowers; Waffle Flower Sweet Lattice Sentiments

*Embossing:  Lisa Horton Bold Daisy Background

*Challenges:  Atlantic Hearts #663

*My Favourite Instagram Hop*

 The theme at the My Favourite Instagram Hop this week is our favourite colour.  This was both a tough choice for me and not a tough choice for me.  I always say that my favourite colour is purple, but I'm not honestly sure it is any more. LOL!  It probably is since I have purple in my hair, lot of purple tops... but I also love red and blue (depending on the shades). 

So I went with my first thought and used a product suite from Altenew with a pretty purple ink.  I achieved the different colours of purple by using a lighter hand in some areas and a heavier hand in others.  I kept the leaves neutral by ink blending a little light grey on them.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black
*Stamps, Dies, Stencils:  Altenew Gracious Peonies

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne; Tim Holtz Shaded Lilac, Hickory Smoke

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Build Your Stash Instagram Hop*

 The theme this month for the Build Your Stash Instagram Hop is sympathy cards.  These are the cards we never want to send, but they are always good to have on hand.  I will admit that I sort of enjoy making sympathy cards.  Sympathy cards lean in to my card making style... clean and simple with muted colours.

With this hop, we make at least one card following the monthly theme... I try hard to always make two.  This month is no exception.

For my first card, I tried an idea I saw where you stamp a floral image and leave it without colouring... then add a pop of colour with something else.  I used a Pinkfresh Studio washi tape butterfly for my pop of colour.

Card Info

*Stamps:  Toni Studios Botanical Burst; MFT Something for Everything

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Washi Tape:  Pinkfresh Studio Fluttering Butterflies

*Dies:  Pinkfresh Studio Fluttering Butterflies

*Etc:  foam adhesive

For my second card, I used no colour at all.  I bought this new embossing folder and decided to leave it as the highlight of my card.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black
*Stamps:  MFT Something for Everything

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  MFT Something for Everything

*Embossing:  Lisa Horton Bold Daisy Background

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*{BYSHC} Sketch #58*

 There's a brand new sketch at Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers...

This is a super easy sketch, perfect for some larger scraps of patterned paper (especially those that come in a coordinating pack!  Everything on my card (except the gold) is from the same pattern paper pack.

Card Info

*Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic Black; Spellbinders gold foil

*Paper:  Die Cuts With a View December 25th

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Challenges: {BYSHC}#58

*Time Out Challenges #290*

Happy Thursday friends!  It's time for a new challenge at Time Out Challenges... and we are doing our Pick 2 challenge again!  Please choose any two (or more) of these elements to include on your card (and be sure to tell us which words you used in your post!)

I used the words Ribbon, Repeat and Bold... but instead of real ribbon, I did a ribbon technique with patterned paper.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black

*Paper:  MFT Bundles of Blossoms Brights
*Stamps:  Honeybee Best of Everything

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Honeybee Best of Everything; Pinkfresh Studio Slim Strips

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Etc:  foam adhesive

*Challenges:  Time Out #290

*Just For Giggles Instagram Hop*

I struggle with this Instagram Hop...  my sense of humour is usually kinda dark and sweary instead of light and fun.  I hope that this brings and giggle...

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Night of Navy

*Paper:  Stampin' Up! Well Suited

*Stamps:  Unity Old Enough To Know Better

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Waffle Flower Nesting Circles

*My Favourite Instagram Hop*

 For this week, the challenge for the My Favourite Instagram Hop was my favourite dairy product.  I wonder how many of us chose to use ice cream LOL!  

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Crumb Cake

*Paper:  assorted glitter papers

*Stamps:  Honeybee Best of Everything

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Poppy Stamps Whittle Ice Cream Cone; MFT Stitched Rectangles
*Etc:  foam adhesive

*Rediscovery Instagram Hop*

 It's a celebration theme for the Rediscovery Instagram Hop this month... we are all using items from our stash to create a card using this common theme.  I used some cardstock colours I don't reach for every often (although you saw them earlier this week) and a butterfly I bought ages ago.  I already had the strips of cardstock on my desk thanks to my rainbow card earlier this week so it made sense to use them for this challenge...

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Real Red, Terracotta Tile, Crushed Curry, Old Olive, Misty Moonlight, Gorgeous Grape

*Stamps:  Studio Katia Birthday Greetings

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  unknown butterfly; MFT Stitched Rectangles

*Addicted to CAS #284*

The new code word for Addicted to CAS is FLORAL...  a wonderful challenge for me as I love to play with florals!

I LOVE flowers in my card making... and these Pinkfresh Studio Washi Tape flowers are so easy to put together in to a card.

Card Info

*Stamps:  Waffle Flower Sweet Lattice Sentiments

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Washi Tape:  Pinkfresh Studio Vines & Roses

*Dies:  Pinkfresh Studio Vines & Roses; Waffle Flower Sweet Lattice Sentiments

*Etc:  foam adhesive

*Challenges:  Addicted to CAS #284

*CAS on Friday #310*

 The clean and simple challenge at CAS on Friday is "embossing".  I chose to do a little embossing with an embossing folder.  I used the debossed side instead and brayered a little ink over the white cardstock leaving the leaves white...

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Spellbinders Gold; Stampin' Up! Pear Pizzazz

*Stamps:  The Ton Easy Expressions
*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne; Stampin' Up! Pear Pizzazz

*Dies:  The Ton Easy Expressions; Ellen Hutson Essential Circles

*Embossing:  Spellbinders Leafy

*Tools:  Perfect Layers; brayer

*Challenges:  CAS on Friday #310

*This or That Instagram Hop*

 I almost didn't play along with the This or That Instagram Hop this week...  I didn't think I had any horse or cow themed items in my stash.  While looking for something else, I came upon a stamp set that I was gifted a few years ago that I forgot I had!  I had both a cow and a horse to choose from.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black

*Stamps:  MFT Farm-tastic

*Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black; Versafine Clair Nocturne; Copics

*Dies:  MFT Treetops; Waffle Flower Nesting Circles

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Etc:  foam adhesive

*Rainbow Connection Instagram Hop*

 Each month, a group of us post rainbow inspired cards on Instagram... not actual rainbows, but the colours of the rainbow... and we attempt to make our card as clean and simple as possible.  For this month, I was inspired by how these colours POP when paired with black...

I started with a small black panel and I cut out the silhouette leaves.  I added strips of cardstock to the card base and then put the black panel on top of it with foam adhesive.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black, Real Red, Terracotta Tile, Crushed Curry, Old Olive, Misty Moonlight, Gorgeous Grape

*Stamps:  MFT Something for Everything

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Simon Says Stamp Circle of Leaves; MFT Something for Everything

*Etc:  foam adhesive