*Mini Slimline Instagram Hop*

 Another post from me this morning... this time for the Mini Slimline Instagram Hop.  I play with a group of friends on Instagram each month, sharing a mini slimline card.  We have no themes... just a love of the mini slimline size.  I, personally, like to play with a 6X6 piece of cardstock folded in half.  It's such a fun size to decorate!

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black

*Stamps:  Waffle Flower Sweet Birthday Sentiments

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Washi:  Pinkfresh Studio Vines & Roses

*Embossing:  Spellbinders Peppermint Strips

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

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Card Clubhouse Instagram Hop*

 Good morning...  I'm here with my first post of the day, sharing a card I created for the "Think Fall" theme I was faced with for the Card Clubhouse Instagram Hop.

I am not a fall-loving girl.  Sure, I like wearing hoodies, but fall to me represents the end of summer (which is my favourite season).  We don't get a long summer here in Calgary... and fall brings cooler weather, trees losing their leaves and the threat of snow.

I started my card with a simple leaf stencil and some fall colours (not that the trees in Calgary have these colours).  I added this adorable squirrel to finish it off.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black

*Stamps:  Trinity Stamps Nutty Squirrel

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne; Memento Tuxedo Black; Tim Holtz Distress Ink Scattered Straw, Fired Brick; Copics
*Stencil:  Lawn Fawn Autumn Breeze

*Dies:  MFT Stitched Rectangles

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Challenges:  Just Us Girls #838

*{BYSHC} Sketch #73*

 It's September and time for a new sketch at Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers.  I love seeing how everyone interprets these sketches every month...

I had just gotten this new stamp and die set in the mail and I couldn't wait to play with it!  I love how crisp this snowflake stamped up!  I LOVE how this card turned out... not quite as thrilled with my second card that you'll see in a few weeks.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black

*Paper:  American Crafts
*Stamps:  MFT Christmas Wishes; Simon Says Stamp Christmas Star Flakes
*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  MFT Christmas Wishes; Simon Says Stamp Christmas Star Flakes

*Embossing:  Simon Says Stamp Snowflake Visions

*Challenges:  BYSHCardmakers Sketch #73

*CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge #593*

How on earth is it September?!?!  Where did the summer months go?!  I am not ready to leave behind my capris and sandals... although I am looking forward to hoodies!

It's time for a new sketch challenge at CAS Colours & Sketches... 

I had an idea about what I wanted to do with the embossed panels and turned to Pinterest for some colour combination inspiration.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Marina Mist, Pear Pizzazz, Calypso Coral

*Stamps:  The Ton Easy Expressions
*Dies:  Pinfkresh Studio Slim Strips; The Ton Easy Expressions
*Embossing:  Altenew Deck Planks

*Challenges:  CAS Colours & Sketches #593

*One Layer Instagram Hop*

 The challenge for the One Layer Instagram Hop for this month is "Markers"...  Using Copics on a one layer card requires a little creativity on the one layer idea.  I stamped my floral on a card sized panel and coloured it with my Copics...   I wanted to overstamp the image but I was so afraid I wouldn't get a clean stamp!  I just felt like my cardstock wasn't quite in the right spot.  So I didn't do it.  I stamped my sentiment and then attached this panel to the front of a card.  It's the same size as my folded card so it works... without doing the panel, the ink would should through the inside of my card.

Card Info

*Stamps:  Concord & 9th Flower Field, Big Day Birthday

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

*Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #697*

Hello creative friends... it's Monday which means there's a new sketch at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenges.  This sketch is honestly something like what I often lean to when I'm creating...

And even though it is something similar to what I normally lean towards, I struggled with this card!  I knew I wanted to keep it pretty clean and simple by using a lot of white elements, but then I struggled with what I wanted to do with the corner decorations.  I LOVE this Pinkfresh Washi (and the matching dies) but honestly, I struggle to know which way to play the pieces so that they make sense.

Card Info

*Stamps:  unknown
*Washi:  Pinkfresh Studio Vines & Roses

*Dis:  Pinkfresh Studio Vinces & Roses; MFT Stitched Rectangles
*Challenges:  Atlantic Hearts #697

*Rediscover Your Supplies Instagram Hop*

 Each month, I participate in a hop on Instagram that encourages us to use what we have in our stash to create a card following a common theme.  I joined because I find myself grabbing the same things from my stash more often than not and this forces me to dig through a little more and find something that hasn't been used much.

This month, our theme is "birthday"... and I went looking for this fabulous background stamp from Uniko.  I stamped it on a white panel with Memento ink, did some simple colouring with my Copics and then overstamped the image with Versafine Clair to make the image more crisp.  

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black

*Stamps:  Uniko Block Party Birthday

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

*Happy Birthday Andrea*

 My friend, Andrea, is celebrating her birthday today with a hop on Instagram.  She mentioned that she loves the colours of the rainbow so that's what I played with...

I used black foil and hot foiled this gorgeous floral on to a white panel.  I cut the letters from a rainbow of colours and added two more layers of cardstock behind each to pop them up more on the card front.  I layered on a simple sentiment to finish it off.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black, Cherry Cobbler, Pumpkin Pie, Bumblebee, Shaded Spruce, Night of Navy

*Stamps:  The Ton Easy Expressions
*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Hot Foil Plate:  Alex Syberia Lush Peony Bouquet

*Foil:  Spellbinders Black

*Dies:  MFT Impact Alpha; The Ton Easy Expressions

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Rainbow Connection Instagram Hop*

 Good morning friends... I'm here today to share my card for the Rainbow Connection Instagram Hop.  Each month, a group of us play with the colours of the rainbow creating a somewhat clean and simple card.

I started with this beautiful butterfly, stamped on a white piece of cardstock.  I did a reverse mask and did some ink blending on it to create my rainbow  I then overstamped the butterfly to make sure that the outline was nice and crisp.

Card Info

*Stamps:  Paper Rose Studio Cleo Floral Butterfly; The Ton Easy Expressions

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne; Tim Holtz Picked Raspberry, Carved Pumpkin,Mustard Seed, Twisted Citron, Salty Ocean, Shaded Lilac

*Dies:  MFT Stitched Rectangles; The Ton Easy Expressions

*Addicted to CAS #315*

 I'm here today with my design team card for the current challenge at Addicted to CAS...

I went with a basic black and white card for my Anniversary card today...  I love this heart die because it cuts but the inside heart and the outline as well.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' UP! Basic Black

*Stamps:  MFT Something for Everything

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Concord & 9th Tall Type Alpha; Love From Lizi Sitched Circles; MFT Something for Everything

*Challenges:  Addicted to CAS #315

*CAS on Friday #341*

 The challenge at CAS on Friday this week is to make a round card.  I went searching for inspiration on Pinterestand found a card kind of like this one I made.  There was no name associated with the pin I found so I can't fully credit the creator, but click HERE to go see it...  It's gorgeous!

I started with cutting a stitched circle and cutting out the centre of it.  I folded the skinny circle in half.  I put the centre part back in to the whole I cut it out of and layered my elements on both the folded piece and the inset circle so that when you open the card, both pieces move...

Card Info

*Stamps:  Hunkydory Crafts

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Washi:  Pinkfresh Studio Fluttering Butterflies
*Dies:  Hunkydory Crafts; Pinkfresh Studio Fluttering Butterflies; Love From Lizi Stitched Circles

*Challenges:  CAS on Friday #341

*Pattern Paper Instagram Hop*

 We are playing with the theme of "black and white" for the Pattern Paper Instagram Hop this month.  I used some pattern paper as part of my focal point... and I love how it looks in all black and white!

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black

*Paper:  MFT Black & White Strips; Stampin' Up! Pattern Party

*Stamps:  The Ton Easy Expressions

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Stampin' Up! Fern & Flora; Spellbinders Floral Spray; The Ton Easy Expressions

*Time Out Challenges #320*

 We have a photo inspiration challenge for you this week at Time Out Challenges.  Here's the photo...

Just look at that beautiful stained glass window!  WOW!  I saw it and immediately thought of the gorgeous holographic paper in my stash.  I paired it with a simple silhouette die...

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black; Lawn Fawn Holographic

*Stamps:  The Ton Easy Expressions Birthday
*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Memory Box Dancing Dragonflies Collage; The Ton Easy Expressions Birthday

*Challenges:  Time Out #320

*Card Clubhouse Instagram Hop*

 This week for the Card Clubhouse Instagram Hop, the theme is "Leaf it to me".  I was recently in need of a few sympathy cards so I decided to use these pretty rainbow washi leaf prints to create a simple card for today...

Card Info

*Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic Black

*Stamps:  The Ton Easy Expressions
*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Washi:  Pinkfresh Studio Vines & Roses

*Dies:  Pinkfresh Studio Vines & Roses; The Ton Easy Expressions
*Tools:  Perfect Layers
*Challenges:  Paper Players 799; Simply Clean and Simple

*Happy Birthday Diane*

 Today we are celebrating my friend Diane with a birthday hop!  I hope you'll head over to see her Instagram profile to wish her a happy birthday.

I was inspired by Diane's two favourite colours... orange and teal! Not in my wheelhouse, but I like how it turned out!

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black

*Stamps:  Altenew Stamp a Splash of Colour; Concord & 9th Big Birthday Wishes

*Ink:  Catherine Pooler Tiki Torch, Aquatini; Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Embellishments:  Pinkfresh Studio Iridescent Clear Drops

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*CAS Colours & Sketches #592*

 It's time for a new colour challenge at CAS Colours & Sketches... some more rich, fall feeling colours to play with for this challenge...  How will you use them?

I like the colours, but I'm not sure I'm ready to break out the fall themed cards quite yet... Instead I used the colours on some pretty butterflies!

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black, Misty Moonlight, Pecan Pie, Berry Burst

*Stamps:  Pinkfresh Studio Happy Birthday Sentiments

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Love From Lizi Stitched Circles; Paper Rose Studio Little Etched Butterflies
*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Challenges:  CAS Colours & Sketches #592

*Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #695*

 Hello friends... there's a brand new sketch today at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenges...

This is such a versatile sketch... I can't wait to see what everyone creates using it!  I chose to keep my card clean and simple with a basic black and white theme.  My centre panel is embossed for a little interest.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black

*Stamps:  Gina K Wreath Builder

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Spellbinders Scallop Circles; Waffle Flower Nesting Circles

*Embossing:  Lisa Horton Peonies

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Challenges:  Atlantic Hearts #695

*Happy Birthday Julie*

 Today we are celebrating Julie with an Instagram Hop!  Be sure to head on over to her account to wish her a happy birthday!

Some of her favourite things are shaker cards, the colour pink, dogs and sunflowers... I focussed on the colour pink!

Card Info

*Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic Black, Bubble Bath

*Paper:  MFT Black & White Stripes

*Stamps:  The Ton Easy Expressions Birthday

*Dies:  Paper Rose Studio Alora Layered Butterfly; The Ton Easy Expressions Birthday; MFT Stitched Rectangles
*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Happy Birthday Kelly*

 This week is busy with birthdays on Instagram... today we are celebrating Kelly!  Some of the things she listed as "favourites" were the colour yellow, pattern paper and polkadots.  I created a fun frame using some bright yellow pattern paper and put it on top of a black and white polka dot background.

Card Info

*Paper:  Stampin' Up! Pattern Party

*Stamps:  MFT All Smiles

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Lawn Fawn Everyday Sentiment Banners; MFT Double the Smiles; Prism Studio Sew Many Rectangles

*Create It 3-Ways Instagram Hop*

 Hello my friends...  this month on the Create It 3-Ways Instagram Hop, we are playing with the theme of Thanks. We are each challenge to make 3 cards using the same theme... and each of us chooses something from our stash (or our stash of techniques) to highlight in all three of the cards we've made.

This month, I chose to use the same leaf die set on all three cards... each a little different.

For my first card, I layered some pattern paper behind my front panel and put the die cut leaves back in to the holes I cut them out of.  I used some foam adhesive to pop up the sentiment in the centre of the card.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black

*Paper:  Cocoa Vanilla Sunkissed

*Stamps:  Hunky Dory Crafts

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Pinkfresh Studio Foliage Shaker

*Etc:  foam adhesive

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

For my second card, I cut out two of the leaves and coloured the cut out bits with three colours of Copics.  I layered the one leave up with foam adhesive and finished it off with a die cut sentiment.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black

*Stamps:  MFT Something for Everything

*Ink:  Verafine Clair Nocturne; Copics

*Dies:  Pinkfresh Foliage Shaker; MFT Something for Everything

*Etc:  foam adhesive

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

My last card uses three different mirror metallic cardstocks... I popped all the pieces out of each of the leaves and moved the inside colour to a different outside.  Gotta love paper piecing!

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black; gold, silver and rose gold mirror

*Stamps:  MFT Something for Everything

*Ink:  Verasafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Pinkfresh Studio Foliage Shaker; MFT Something for Everything

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*AAA Colourful #31*

Hello friends... it's time for a new colourboard challenge at AAA Colourful.  I just love this inspiration piece... So many beautiful colours

I see a little hit of purple along the left hand side and some beautiful shades of blue and aqua. I took four colours of cardstock and cut them in to 3/4" wide strips.  I put them through an embossing folder and then put them on a panel with foam adhesive. 

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Gorgeous Grape, Brocade Blue, Blueberry Bushel, Coastal Cabana

*Stamps:  Hunkydory Crafts
*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Hunkydory Crafts

*Embossing:  Daisy Swirl

*Challenges:  AAA Colourful #31