*All Your Wishes in Purple*

I love the look of partial embossing... it adds a wonderful element to a card without overwhelming the front and taking away from the clean and simple look that I prefer.  For this card, I followed a sketch that I found on Stampin' Pretty... she has some great Stampin' Up! resources there as well as some good sketches.

Items Used

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Highland Heather

*Stamps:  Taylored Expressions Simple Strips Birthday

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Taylored Expressions Simple Strips, Simple Strips Backer

*Embossing Folder:  Spellbinders M-Bossabilities

*Embellishments:  Picket Fence Studios Day & Night Gem Mix

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Embossed Stencil*

I was watching a Cathy Zielske video this past weekend where she used a stencil and a rubber mat to do embossing (like an embossing folder) and while I had to throw out my rubber gasket mat (it had been sitting in a window and got brittle) I did have some thick fun foam on hand so I decided to give it a try.  I ran a few sheets of cardstock through a few different ways and decided to play with one of those sheets to go along with the October Happy Little Stampers Stencil Challenge.

But that was as far as I got until my friend Bonnie set me up with a sketch to try while we were crafting over Zoom...

Items Used

*Cardstock:  Creative Expressions Gold; Stampin' Up! Cherry Cobbler

*Images:  Pretty Pink Posh Winter Wreath' Lawn Fawn Seasons Tweetings

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne; Sharpies

*Stencil:  Pretty Pink Posh Whimsical Christmas

*Dies:  Lawn Fawn Seasons Tweetings; Stampin' Up! Tasteful Labels

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Challenges:  Happy Little Stampers Stencil Challenge

*September 2021 Sheetload*

I guess I'm a little late to the game for posting my September Sheetload card.  It's OK... I'm not a big fan of it anyway LOL!  I have issues mixing patterns.

Items Used

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Crushed Curry

*Patterned Paper:  Stampin' Up! Pattern Patry

*Images:  Avery Elle So Kind

*Ink: Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Challenges:  September 2021 Sheetload of Cards

*Build Your Stash*

I recently found a group on Facebook called Build Your Stash Holiday Card Makers... not only do people post their Christmas cards but they also have a sketch challenge going on.  I really do hope that I continue making a few Christmas cards throughout 2022 instead of just in the fall like I usually do.

This is my card for sketch #15...

Items Used

*Cardstock:  unknown glitter

*Images:  Mama Elephant Snowmen Agenda; Lawn Fawn Seasons Tweetings

*Ink: Versafine Clair Nocturne; Copics

*Dies:  Waffle Flower Additional Nesting Circles

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Challenges:  Build Your Stash Sketch #15

*Starry Hello*

How are these twice a day posts working for you all?  It's helping me share some of the older cards in my pile instead of constantly pushing them back so I can share cards for current challenges.

I just love this Pattern Party paper from Stampin' Up!  So many great colours and patterns to choose from!  I hate using pretty papers sometimes because I'm so afraid I'll use it all... but then I remember that there will be more and more papers and things to make my heart happy.  I might as well ENJOY it by sending it off to others in handmade greetings, right?

And the current sketch at CAS Colours and Sketches was just perfect for this card!

Items Used

*Cardstock:  Stampin Up! Pool Party

*Patterned Paper:  Stampin' Up! Pattern Party

*Images:  Altenew Henneh Elements

*Dies:  Waffle Flower Additional Circles; We R Memory Keepers Nested Stars

*Challenges:  CAS Colours and Sketches #441

*Simply Snowflakes*

The theme at the Christmas 24 Challenge for the beginning of October is Simply Snowflakes... not a difficult theme for me since I LOVE snowflakes!  I followed a sketch I found at Stampin' Pretty to create this simple card...

*Big Happy*

Way back when I started my blog, I decided I'd share every card I made... and that means sometimes I share cards that I don't particularly like.  This is one of them.  I Love the idea of it, but it's way way way too busy for me.

Sometimes I make cards that turn out exactly how I had hoped they would and they are fabulous wonderful cards.  Sometimes they look fabulous and wonderful but then, a few days later, I find things that make me feel a little differently.  And sometimes, the card just turns out to not be my style at all.

I'm not saying this is a horrible card... because it's not.  It's just not my style, and that's OK!

Items Used

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

*Patterned Paper:  Stampin' Up! Pattern Party

*Images:  MFT Bitty Birthday Wishes

*Dies:  Hero Arts Birthday Message

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Etc:  foam adhesive

*One Layer Trees*

The Happy Little Stampers CAS challenge for October is a one layer card... and since I've been having so much fun with my Christmas stash of supplies, I made a Christmas card.  

One layers can be tough because a true one layer card has nothing on the card front but stamps and ink... no embellishments, no mats, no die cuts.  And I love using all three of those things in my clean and simple creations.

Items Used

*Stamps:  Stampin' Up! Fesitival of Trees; My Favorite Things Merry & Bright

*Ink:  Catherine Pooler Lime Rickey, Rouge; Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Challenge:  Happy Little Stampers October CAS Challenge

*Neighbourhood*

I think it's pretty obvious when I've had someone ask me to make them a set of cards... cuz you see 2 or 3 cards in themes I don't often make.  My friend is quite a bit younger than me and her friends and family are in the marriage, new baby and new home stages of life...  I'm playing along with the "anything goes" dies challenge at Happy Little Stampers

Items Used

*Cardstock:  assorted scraps; Stampin' Up! Basic Grey

*Dies:  MFT My Neighbourhood

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Challenges:  Happy Little Stampers October Dies

*Stand Out Snowflake*

This is the card I mentioned a few days ago that I made following the same idea as the new house card I made...  I'm really thrilled with this one...  Thanks to CAS Christmas for the prompt of grey and red.  You'll see a few more grey and red Christmas cards in the coming weeks as I'd start an idea and then it would end up not being clean and simple so I had to try again.  This is actually my third attempt LOL!  Funny, coming from someone who loves clean and simple!

Items Used

*Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Smoky Slate and Cherry Cobbler

*Images:  Picket Fence Studios Fancy Christmas Sentiments

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Concord & 9th Iconic Christmas

*Embellishments:  Picket Fence Studios Day & Night Gem Mix

*Challenges:  CAS Christmas October 2021

*Addicted to CAS #208*

I don't traditionally make Hallowe'en themed cards as I don't send them to anyone... but being on design teams sometimes means I have to challenge myself a little....  the team at Addicted to CAS is playing with the code word SPOOKY for the next few weeks... and we'd love to see your clean and simple spooky creations!

I bought some Hallowe'en themed stuff last year... some of it is just so cute!  Can it be spooky if it's cute?!

Items Used

*Cardstock  Stampin' Up! Basic Black, Elegant Eggplant

*Images:  Studio Katia Meowy Halloween

*Ink:  Versamark

*Dies:  Poppy Stamps Squeaker Ghosts

*Tools:  Perfect Layers; heat tool

*Etc:  Bright White Wow! Embossing Powder

*Freshly Made Sketches #506*

I had a lot of fun with the sketch at Freshly Made Sketches this week and decided to combine it with the Happy Little Stampers Christmas prompt of JOY.  I was really drawn to a couple of the cards that the design team did but I wanted to push myself instead of following their lead.  My first thought was blues whites and silver with a snowflake, but I pushed that aside and went with red green and gold with a tree!

Items Used

• Cardstock:  unknown gold mirror; Stampin' Up! Shaded Spruce, glitter paper
• Patterned Paper:  Stampin' Up! Plaid Tidings
• Dies: Waffleflower Circles; A Jillian Vance Pointsettia Greetings; Stampin' Up! tree punch
• Tools:  Perfect Layers
• Challenges:  Freshly Made Sketches #506, Happy Little Stampers October Christmas

*Bride & Groom*

The idea for tis card was so much better than how it turned out.  I don't honestly know what I should have done differently to make it more what I was hoping for.  I used a piece of patterned paper that had several of these cut outs on it... perhaps they are too large for the card size I was working with?

Items Use:

*Patterned Paper:  Echo Park

*Stamps:  AlteNew Bundle of Joy

*Ink:  Versamark

*Dies:  Lawn Fawn Everyday Sentiment Banners

*Etc:  Wow silver sparkle embossing powder

*Embellishments:  Honey Bee Gems

*New House*

 Another milestone reason for a card... a new house!  I loved this design so much that I might have used it for a Christmas card that I'll share soon....

Items Used

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Smoky Slate

*Images:  Stampin' Up (old set, no name)

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  MFT My Neighbourhood

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Plaid Baby*

Two cards for you again today so be sure to scroll....

I got this wonderful Lawn Fawn plaid paper a while back and thought it could be fun as part of a baby card... 

Items Used

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Lemon Lime Twist

*Dies:  Lawn Fawn Perfectly Plaid Remix

*Dies:  My Favorite Things Impact Alphabet

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Love*

I love the look of lots of white with a hint of black to make a more sophisticated card... maybe should have used a little more black though...

Items Used

*Images:  Tonic Studios Botantical Burst

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Hero Arts Infinity Hearts

*Etc:  Cuttlebug Divine Swirls embossing folder; ribbon from my stash, foam adhesive

*Happy 90th*

I had a request to make a 90th birthday card and I wanted to try to make it special... I hope I succeeded...

Items Used

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Blushing Bride; rose gold mirror

*Dies:  MFT Chain Circles, Impact Alphabet; Waffle Flower Nesting Circles

*Embossing Folder:  Stampin' Up!

*Etc:  foam adhesive

CASology#396*

Welcome to the October challenge with CASology.... this month we are looking for your take on the cue word of "view"... remember to keep the creations you submit clean and simple so that you have a chance to be chosen as a guest designer in an upcoming challenge!

Our guest designer this month is Asa... please be sure to visit her blog and leave her a comment!

Once again I had a few ideas in my head and it took a while for me to choose the one I wanted to play with.  But then it got hard!  Do you remember the Viewmaster toy from "back in the day"?  I loved that thing and could look at those reels for hours!  I found a cut file for my Silhouette and started to play...

I didn't have the sentiment I wanted.... so I typed in the words on my computer and played with fonts and sizes for a bit before printing it off and cutting it out.  My printer doesn't do too well with my favourite cardstock so I printed it on paper and then adhered it to a piece of cardstock for stability.

Items Used

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black, Real Red

*Dies:  Waffle Flower  Additional Circles; Lawn Fawn Everyday Sentiment Banners

*Tools:  Silhouette

*Etc:  foam adhesive

*Silver Foil Congrats*

I love to make Christmas and Birthday cards... but once in a while I have to stretch myself to do other things... like graduation cards.  I kinda like how this one turned out...

Items Used
*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black

*Patterned Paper:  Stampin' Up! (retired)

*Stamps:  Taylored Expressions The Tassel

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:   Pretty Pink Post Congrats Script

*Tools:  Perfect Layers; Brother Scan 'n Cut

*AAA#200!*

It's time to CELEBRATE challenge #200 with AAACards!  I hope you will playing along with our clean and simple challenge with a celebration themed card .... there are lots of prizes up for grabs!!

Just look at all of these sponsors for our 200th Clean and Simple Challenge....

Our guest designer for this challenge is Deborah... I hope you'll go leave a little love on her blog!

I was inspired by a card I saw a few weeks ago that had a bold pop of colour on a black background.... and of course I still had a bunch of these flowers in my bin of extras so I just started to lay them out...

I realized after the fact, that I forgot to add the word "celebrate" LOL!

Items Used

• Cardstock:  unknown scraps; Stampin' Up! Basic Black
• Images:  Taylored Expressions Simple Strips
• Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturn
• Dies:  MFT Stitched Blooms; Taylored Expressions Simple Strips
• Embellishments:  Kaiser Pearls
• Etc:  foam adhesive

Now it's your turn!  Please share your clean and simple creations with a "celebrate" theme for your chance to win one of the many prizes being offered by our generous sponsors!  Just click HERE to play along!

*Feminine Retirement*

 This retirement card was *easy*!  Throw down some flowers, add a sentiment and BOOM!  LOL!

Items Used

*Cardstock:  assorted scraps; Neenah Classic Crest Cover Solar White 110lb

*Images:  Altenew Bundle of Joy; Stampin' Up! Many Mates

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  MFT Stitched Blooms, Linked Chain Circle