*Rediscovery Hop*

 It's time for another Rediscovery Instagram Hop... there's a group of us that uses supplies we have on hand to create a card using a common theme.  Our theme for February is "birds of a freather".

I wasn't going to play... I hate birds LOL!  I made a friendship card with a feather on it.  I used some patterned paper from my stash as well as a feather die I got in a class kit a few years ago.  I layered three plain die cuts behind the decorated feather to get some dimension

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black

*Paper:  Stampin' Up! Full of Life

*Stamps:  Gina K Wreath Builder

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  MFT Stitched Rectangles; Waffle Flower Nesting Circles, Additional Circles; Picket Fence Studio Fanciful Feathers

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Addicted to CAS #277*

 We have a fun new challenged for you over at Addicted to CAS...  

I had this scrap of patterned paper on my desk so I thought I'd try to play with it...

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Real Red

*Paper:  Stampin' Up! Full of Life

*Stamps:  MFT New Best Friend
*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne; Stampin' Up! Real Red
*Dies:  MFT New Best Friend; Stampin' Up! Playful Alphabet

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Challenges:  Addicted to CAS #277

*{BYSHC} Sketch #54 Take 2*

This is my second post using the February sketch from Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers. 

I decided to try something a little less busy for my second card... I embossed a white panel and then cut it in to strips.  On two of the panels, I swiped some metallic silver ink along the piece to add a little definition.

Card Info
*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black, unknown silver sparkle
*Stamps:  The Ton Easy Expressions Holiday
*Ink: Catherine Pooler Silver; Versafine Clair Nocturne
*Dies:  Impression Obsession Snowflakes; The Ton Easy Expressions Holiday
*Embossing:  Sizzix Christmas Tree Pattern
*Tools:  Perfect Layers
*Challenges:  Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers

*CAS on Friday #303*

 We have a fun new sketch for you at CAS on Friday... this time we have a sketch for you to follow!  No rules other than to follow the sketch and keep your card clean and simple.

First... the sketch...

And here is my card...  I switched things up just a little and made a rectangular card instead of a square.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Pool Party, Granny Apple Green, Cherry Cobbler

*Paper:  Stampin' Up! Flower & Field

*Stamps:  Uniko Wonderful Day

*Ink:  Verafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Waffle Flower Nesting Circles, Additional Circles; Hero Arts Nesting Tags

*Challenges:  CAS on Friday #303

*This or That Instagram Hop*

 I'm participating in the This or That Instagram Hop today... we had to choose between clean and simple or intricate... and guess what?  I did both!

Now, to most, both of my cards would be considered clean and simple, but the card with the embossed background is not clean and simple because of that embossing.

Which one do you prefer?

First... the clean and simple...  I kept the elements pretty tight to reduce how much of my card front was covered.  But I couldn't resist my black mat.

And now the intricate...  I did an embossed background, made the card a landscape orientation and left the butterflies a little further away from the card centre.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black

*Stamps:  Honey Bee Stamps Best of Everything

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne
*Washi:  Pinkfresh Studio Fluttering Butterflies
*Dies:  Pinkfresh Atudio Fluttering Butterflies; Honey Bee Stamps Best of Everyting

*Embossing:  Spellbinders Leafy

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*CAS Colours & Sketches #554*

 Happy Tuesday, creative friends!  It's time for a new challenge at CAS Colours & Sketches!

I have a lot of fun putting this card together...  playing with different design elements until I found exactly the look I was hoping for (but not knowing what I wanted in the first place).

Card Info
*Cardstock:  Spellbinders gold foil
*Stamps:  LDRS Creative My Wish For You
*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne
*Washi Tape:  Pinkfresh Studio Fluttering Butterflies, Vines & Roses
*Dies:  Wafle Flower Nesting Circles; Pinkfresh Studio Fluttering Butterflies, Vines & Roses
*Challenges:  CAS Colours & Sketches #554

*Atlantic Hearts Sketch #617*

 There's another beautiful sketch at Atlantic Hearts for you to play along with this week!  I hemmed and hawed for a bit before I landed on my design...

First... the sketch...

 I was first going to use some patterned paper along the left side of my card, but then decided on a large floral image instead... I think it turned out well (what do you think?)

Card Info
*Stamps:  Altenew Graceful Gardenias; Pinkfresh Studio Happy Birthday Sentiments
*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne:  Catherine Pooler Green Tea, Sparkling Berry, Sangria
*Dies:  MFT Stitched Rectangles
*Stencils:  Altenew Graceful Gardenias
*Embellishments:  Honey Bee Pearl Stickers
*Challenges:  Atlantic Hearts #617; Addicted to Stamps & More

 

*Just Add Ink #738*

 I spent this afternoon crafting with a couple of my friends.  I was successful in that I created 5 cards... but I couldn't finish them because I managed to not pack my black ink pad.  As soon as I got home I added my sentiments to the five cards I made.

The last card I made is the one I am sharing with you today...  following the sketch at Just Add Ink.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black

*Stamps:  The Ton Easy Expressions

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne
*Washi Tape: Pinkfresh Studio Fluttering Butterlies

*Dies: Pinkfresh Studio Fluttering Butterflies; The Ton Easy Expressions

*Etc:  foam adhesive

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Challenges:  Just Add Ink#738; AAACards #284

*AAA Colourful #13*

 It's a special challenge over at AAA Colourful because this is our first challenge of our new year!  Hard to believe we've been doing this for a year already!

And what a beautiful colourboard we have this month...

We all know how much I love a good rainbow....  I used some pretty patterned paper from my stash to create my card for today..

Card Info
*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Melon Mambo
*Paper:  Stampin' Up! Full of Life
*Stamps:  MFT Something for Everything
*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne
*Dies:  Waffle Flower Nesting Circles; MFT Something for Everything
*Tools:  Perfect Layers
*Challenges:  AAAColourful #13

*Sending Sunshine Instagram Hop*

 Each month, a group of us on Instagram share a card that is uplifting or encouraging, hoping that it makes someones day just a little better.  We don't often know about the struggles others are having, but sending a card of encouragement is sometimes a little lifeline when someone is drowning.

Card Info
*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black
*Stamps:  Pinkfresh Studio Happy for You; Honey Bee Stamps Best of Everything
*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne:  Copics
*Embossing:  Wow Clear Embossing Powder
*Dies:  Pinkfresh Studio Happy for You; Honey Bee Stamps Best of Everything
*Tools:  Perfect Layers
 

*{BYSHC} Sketch #54*

I'm here with my first of two cards using this wonderful sketch from Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers. 

For my first card, I used four different patterned papers from the same collection.  They are all different enough, but have similar elements in them so that you know they will go together.

Card Info
*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Cherry Cobbler, unknown gold sparkle
*Paper:  Stampin' Up! Tidings of Christmas
*Stamps:  Gina K Holiday Wreath Builder
*Ink: Versafine Clair Nocturne
*Dies:  Waffle Flower Additional Circles
*Tools:  Perfect Layers
*Challenges:  Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers
 

*Time Out Challenges #282*

 It's time for another wonderful challenge at Time Out Challenges.  This time, we have a photo inspiration challenge... and the prize is the cool item in the photo!

 It's that just a beautiful bag?  I love the black, white and red colour scheme.  I chose to do daisies instead of snowflakes for mine.

Card Info
*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black, Cherry Cobbler
*Stamps:  Honeybee Stamps Best of Everything
*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne
*Dies:  Jillian Vance Design Dancing Daisies Cover Plate; Honeybee Stamps Best of Everything
*Tools:  Perfect Layers
*Challenges:  Time Out #282
 

*White on White Instagram Hop*

 I have made a lot of white on white cards so far in 2025 and I'm really enjoying them.  I joined a monthly Instagram Hop where we are making white on white cards following a different monthly theme.  This month, our theme is Love.

Once again, I have used that Spellbinders Leafy embossing folder to give some textture to my largest layer.  I added some stitched alphabet letters and some hearts to finish it off.

Card Info
*Dies:  Lawn Fawn Olivers Stitched Alpha; Hero Arts Infinity Hearts
*Embossing:  Spellbinders Leafy

*My Favourite Instagram Hop*

 It's another week and another prompt from the My Favourite Instagram Hop....  This time we needed to use our favourite Get Well stuff in our stash.  I don't have much as I don't usually give "get well" cards... but I do have this one stamp set that has a fabulous get well sentiment!

Card Info
*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Gorgeous Grape
*Stamps:  Gina K You Give Me Butterflies; MFT Essential Sentiments
*Ink:  Tim Holtz Wilted Violet, Salty Ocean, Twisted Citron; Versafine Clair Nocturne
*Dies:  Gina K You Give Me Butterflies
*Tools: Perfect Layers

*CASE It Hop*

 It's time for another CASE It Hop on Instagram.  Even more creators have joined this hop this month so I hope you'll head over to Instagram to see what everyone was inspired by!

This hop has been a lot of fun for me... I often get inspiration from cards I see online and I love that I get to highlight another creator while showing how I took their original and made it my own.

First, the card I was inspired by...  I was inspired by this gorgeous card by Jennifer Ingle.  I loved how crisp and clean it was (even with the embossed background), how the colour popped on the black strip and how the focal element was not contained by that black strip.  I even loved that she used a small mat of colour behind her black panel.

So, the point of CASE-ing isn't to copy the card completely... it's to take elements of it and be inspired to make something that is your own.  I kept my card very similar to Jennifers card.  But I changed a few things.  I decided to emboss the black panel instead of the full background, I changed up the colours and I made a birthday card instead of a thinking of you card.

Card Info
*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black, Azure Afternoon
*Stamps:  Altenew A Perfect Gift; MFT Something for Everything
*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne; Tim Holtz Twisted Citron, Salty Ocean
*Stencil:  Altenew A Perfect Gift
*Dies:  Altenew A Perfect Gift; MFT Something for Everything
*Embossing:  Stampin' Up! Brick & Mortar
*Embellishments:  Kaiser Pearls
*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Addcited to CAS #276*

Happy Saturday, friends!  It's time for another challenge at Addicted to CAS!

I am thankful for a good variety of sentiment stamps as it makes it easy for me to be on these design teams.  I don't buy a lot of stamps or dies for a lot of "occasions" or "reasons" so I like that I can add a sentiment to items in my stash that make me happy.  This is a great example of that.  I combined a beautiful floral border with a sweet message of friendship.

Card Info
*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black
*Stamps:  Julie Hickie Fresh Floral Border; Gina K You Give Me Butterflies
*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne; Copics
*Tools:  Perfect Layers
*Challenges:  Addicted to CAS #276
 

*CAS on Friday #302*

 The challenge at CAS on Friday is Valentine.  Of course it is LOL!  Which challenge isn't a Valentine or Love challenge right now?  I don't send Valentine's so I don't have a lot of stuff that works for it... so I hope my cards aren't all looking the same!

I know this one is different...  I cut a row of hearts out of a piece of black cardstock and layered it on top of a piece of rainbow paper to create a quick clean and simple Valentine.

Card Info
*Cardstock:  Stampin Up! Basic Black
*Paper:  Stampin' Up! Full of Life
*Stamps:  MFT Essential Sentiements
*Ink: Versafine Clair Nocturne
*Dies:  Hero Arts Infinity Hearts
*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Challenge: CAS on Friday #302; Just Us Girls #761; Simply Clean and Simple February 2025

*Just for Giggles Instagram Hop*

 I'm playing along with the Just for Giggles Instagram Hop again this month.  Each month, a group of us post cards to Instagram that are intended to make you giggle.  

WARNING, my card contains a swear word!

I really enjoyed the idea of a pretty thing with a piece of shit...  that alone made me giggle LOL!

Card Info
*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black, Chocolate Chip
*Paper:  Stampin' Up! Full of Life
*Stamps:  Sassy Pants Stamps Best Friends
*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne
*Tools:  Silhouette Portrait

*CAS Colours & Sketches #553*

 We have a new colour challenge for you at CAS Colours and Sketches.  It's a fun combination that could be used for so many different things!

I am in need of birthday cards in my stash (I have a lot of thinking of you, which I could use for birthday, but not a lot of birthday cards at the moment) so I went with some birthday balloons.  I tried a lot of different things before I landed on this layout.

Card Info
*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Poppy Parade, Melon Mambo, Summer Splash; Gray Granite
*Stamps:  MFT Something for Everything
*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne
*Dies:  Lawn Fawn Party Balloons
*Etc:  white gel pen
*Tools:  Perfect Layers
*Challenges:  CAS Colours & Sketches #553