*CAS on Friday #306*

 We have an Easter themed challenge for you this week at CAS on Friday.  I found a scrap of patterned paper and cut out a little bunny and placed that on my card front.  I cut a panel with a stitched border and cut an egg shape out of it.  As I don't have much for Easter sentiments, I just used a generic one for this card...

Card Info

*Paper:  Cocoa Vanilla Sunkissed

*Stamps: Paper Smooches Sentiment Sampler

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  MFT Stitched Rectangles, Paper Smooches Spring; Carta Bella Bunny Buddies

*Challenges:  CAS on Friday #306

*This or That Instagram Hop*

 I really enjoy the "this or that" Instagram hop... it's fun making a choice between two similar but different things each week.  This week we got to choose between Rainbow or Neutral Colours.

I was sure I was going to do rainbow colours...  you see them a lot on my blog!  But I decided to play with the idea of a monochromatic neutral floral card...  it looks like I took and black and white photo but I swear, this card is all shades of black and grey!

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Smokey Slate, Basic Black

*Paper:  MFT Black & White Stripes

*Stamps:  The Ton Easy Expressions

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Spellbinders Floral Spray; The Ton Easy Expressions

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Embellishments:  Studio Katia Arctic Breeze Pearls

*Just for Giggles Instagram Hop*

 Happy April Fool's Day!  What a wonderful coincidence that the Just For Giggles Instagram Hop falls on April Fool's!  

I pulled out my brand new Unity Stamps to create my card for today.  I did a little fun stencilling first and then stamped my images on top of it.  Super simple!

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black

*Stamps:  Unity Pissy Party

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne; Tim Holtz Picked Raspberry, Scattered Straw, Salty Ocean

*Stencil:  Lawn Fawn Paint Splatter

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*CAS Colours & Sketches #557*

There's a brand new colour challenge at CAS Colours and Sketches that starts today and runs for the next two weeks.  Colour challenges force me to use colours I wouldn't necessarily reach for, which helps me grow and discover things that I actually might like.  This colour challenge did just that. I love how these colours look together!  I had never cut in to any Pebbled Path or Moody Mauve cardstock before this!

I went for a simple floral die cut card for today.   I love how the Blackberry Bliss and Moody Mauve work together.  And the Pebbled Path is a surprise in there for me!

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Moody Mauve, Pebbled Path, Blackberry Bliss, Basic Black

*Stamps:  Honeybee Best of Everything

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Spellbinders Be Bold Blooms

*Embellishments:  Kaiser Pearls

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Challenges:  CAS Colours & Sketches #557

*Atlantic Hearts #629*

 We have another fabulous sketch for you this week at Atlantic Hearts...  These challenges are weekly, but this design team is split in to two so I only need to play along with the odd numbered challenges.  I love that these sketches make me try some new things, ideas outside out of my clean and simple box.

I hope you aren't tired of the Pinkfresh Studio washi tape butterflies, because I'm still in love with them!

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black, Granny Apple Green

*Paper:  Stampin' Up! Full of Life

*Stamps:  The Ton Easy Expressions

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Washi:  Pinkfresh Studio Fluttering Butterflies

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

*Etc:  foam adhesive

*Challenges:  Atlantic Hearts #629

*Rediscovery Hop*

 I'm playing along with the Rediscovery Instagram Hop... this month our theme was Easter.  The idea behind this hop is to use items we have in our stash to create a card following the monthly theme rather than buying something new.

I don't send out Easter cards.  But I did buy a bit of Easter themed stuff a few years back for design team work.  I just love these little bunnies!  I added a fun embossing folder and some white daisies to keep things looking a little closer to clean and simple (but this card is NOT clean and simple).

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Spellbinders Bellini, Peridot, Breeze

*Stamps:  The Ton Easy Expressions

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  A Jillian Vance Daisies; Carta Bella Bunny Buddies
*Embossing:  Spellbinders Loops

*etc:  foam adhesive

*This or That Instagram Hop*

 I am late sharing my card for the This or That Instagram Hop this week.... this week our choices were "sweet or snarky".... I just got some stamps from Unity Stamps so I wanted to play with "snarky".

Honestly I don't use images like this very often, so I found this card difficult... It's not really my style in the end and I'm not honestly sure how much I like it.

But I do hope it makes you smile!

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black

*Paper:  MFT Black & White Stripes

*Stamps:  Unity Curlers and Catitude

*Ink:  Memento; Tim Holtz Salty Ocean, Twisted Citron; Copics

*Tools:  Silhouette; Perfect Layers

*Rainbow Connection Instagram Hop*

 Another month means another rainbow card for the Rainbow Connection Instagram Hop.  For my card, I took a small strip of black and white patterned paper and I ink blended a rainbow on top of it.  I then added some of the rainbow printed washi leaves from Pinkfresh...

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black

*Paper:  MFT Black & White Stripes
*Stamps:  The Ton Easy Expressions

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne; Tim Holtz Picked Raspberry, Spiced Marmalade, Scattered Straw, Twisted Citron, Salty Ocean, Wilted Violet

*Washi:  Pinkfresh Studio Vines & Roses

*Dies:  Pinkfresh Studio Vines & Roses; The Ton Easy Expressions

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Birthday Bounce Instagram Hop*

 The theme for this month with the Birthday Bounce Instagram Hop is "outdoors"...  I chose to do a cloud background on a mini slimline card and then added some pretty butterflies to highlight the sentiment...

Card Info

*Stamps:  Pinkfresh Studio Happy Birthday Sentiments

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne; Catherine Pooler Stone Blue

*Stencil:  Lawn Fawn Slimline Cloudy

*Washi:  Pinkfresh Studio Fluttering Butterflies

*Dies:  Pinkfresh Studio Fluttering Butterflies
*Etc:  foam adhesive

*My Favourite Instagram Hop*

This week for the My Favorite Instagram Hop, we are playing with our favourite spring flowers.

All of my most favourite flowers in the garden all bloom in the spring... so my garden is a little boring in the summer.  Here in Calgary, spring is a little later than other place in the world so I won't be seeing my tulips (they'll come first), peonies and lilacs for a while yet...

I chose to play with peonies today... I have 8 plants in my backyard of different colours and varieties.  While my stencil work for today isn't quite like my one plant, it was the one I was inspired by.... the blooms are white but they have an almost green tint to them.  I got a little heavy handed with the ink blending, but still love how my peonies turned out...

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black

*Stamps:  Altenew Gracious Peonies; The Ton Easy Expressions

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne; Catherine Pooler Hot Tub, Bay Breeze

*Stencil:  Altenew Gracious Peonies

*Dies:  Altenew Gracious Peonies; The Ton Easy Expressions

*Embellishments:  Studio Katia Arctic Breeze Pearls

*Addicted to CAS #279*

 It's a masculine challenge at Addicted to CAS this week... something I *really* struggle with.  

I don't really make cards for the guys in my life.  Sad, but true.  I had an idea to use a graphic style paper for my card today... and I like how it turned out!  Simple, not flowery.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black

*Paper:  Stampin' Up! unknown

*Stamps:  Heffy Doodle Everyday Sentiment Duos

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  MFT Stitched Rectangles

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Challenges:  ATCAS #279

*CAS on Friday #306*

 We have a spring themed challenge for you at CAS on Friday this week!  While my card isn't full of spring colours, it does have a big spring daisy on it!

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Bumblee

*Paper:  Stampin' Up! Pattern Party

*Stamps:  The Ton Easy Expressions

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Spellbinders Floral Spray; A Jillian Vance Design Daisies

*This or That Instagram Hop*

This week on the This or That Instagram Hop, we had to choose between dark and light.  I chose to feature the spotLIGHT technique (see what I did there??!!!)

I stamped this background image on white with black ink and I coloured the big letters of BIRTHDAY with bright and fun colours.  I cut that strip out of the panel, did a matted black layer behind it and then added it back on top of the panel.  To finish it all off, I added some white gel pen dots to the letters.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black
*Stamps:  Uniko Black Pary

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne; Copics; white gel pen

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Two Challenges*

 I had a lot of fun combining the fun colours at Color Throwdown with the fabulous sketch at Freshly Made Sketches.  

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black

*Stamps:  Gina K You Give Me Butterlies; MFT Something for Everything

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne; Tim Holtz Mowed Lawn, Twisted Citron, Salty Ocean

*Stencil:  Lawn Fawn Paint Splatter

*Tools:  Perfectly Layers

*Challenges:  Freshly Made Sketches #678; Color Throwdown #829

*CAS Colours & Sketches #556*

 Today I'm sharing the sketch I designed for the current challenge at CAS Colours & Sketches.  I just LOVE a mini slimline card and I can't wait to see what others come up with using this sketch!

I played with a little ink blending for my card today... and even left my die cut flower WHITE so that it didn't compete with the ink blending.  I only used three colours of ink but allowed for them to overlap to create the other colours of the rainbow.

Card Info

*Stamps:  MFT Something for Everything

*Ink:  Tim Holtz Distress Ink Picked Raspberry, Scattered Straw, Salty Ocean; Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Spellbinders Floral Spray

*Embellishments:  Picket Fence Studio Bright Blue & Soft Violet Pearl Mix

*Challenges:  CC&S #556