*CAS Colours & Sketches #564*

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

I reached in to my bin of extras to create my card today.  These Pinkfresh Washi Tapes are fabulous since there are so many different images on the sheet that you then die cut out all together.  I tend to do several of them at once, so I don't know that they really qualify as "extras" LOL!

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black

*Stamps:  MFT Something for Everything

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Washi:  Pinkfresh Studio Fluttering Butterflies
*Dies:  Pinkfresh Studio Fluttering Butterflies
*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Challenges:  CC&S #564

*Atlantic Hearts Sketch #637*

 I'm back with my take for sketch #637 for Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenges...  I'm not honestly sure how I feel about that solid green layer...

First, the sketch.

And now my card...

Card Info
*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Pear Pizzazz, Marina Mist, Always Artichoke

*Stamps:  MFT Bitty Birthday Wishes

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Spellbinders Floral Spray

*Embossing:  Stampin' Up! Soft Waves

*Embellishments:  iridescent ribbon; Kaiser Pearls

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Challenges:  Atlantic Hearts #637

*My Favourite Instagram Hop*

 It's Sunday, so it's time for the My Favourite Instagram Hop....  this week it's our favourite summer pastime.

I love to sit outside in the sun in the summer... but as I've gotten older I don't tolerate the sun or the heat as well as I used to.  It sucks.  But I still like to sit outside... and I enjoy watching butterflies and dragonflies flit about our yard.

Card Info

*Stamps:  The Ton Easy Espressions

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

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

*Embossing:  Stampin' Up! Dotted Circles

*Build Your Stash Instagram Hop*

 This month for the Build Your Stash Instagram Hop, we are creating retirement cards.  I have NOTHING in my stash for retirement cards (like no sentiments) so I turned to my laptop and my laser printer to create a few things to work with.

I ended up with two retirement cards...

Card Info
*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Cherry Cobbler

*Paper:  Stampin' Up! Flowers & Field

*Dies:  Stampin' Up! Tasteful Labels

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black; vellum

*Stamps:  Altenew Gracious Peonies

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne; tampin' Up! Granny Apple Green, Melon Mambo

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*This or That Instagram Hop*

 I took last month off from the This or That Instagram Hop as none of the choices appealed to me.  I promised myself that I would play a little more again this month.  This week, the choices are fire or fireworks.  To be honest, I didn't have either of those things in my stash, but I thought that this fun turnabout stamp could look like fireworks...

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Melon Mambo

*Stamps:  Concord & 9th Bitty Burst Turnabout; MFT Bitty Birthday Wishes
*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne; Stampin' Up! Bermuda Bay, Mango Melody, Granny Apple Green, Poppy Parade

*Dies:  MFT Celebrate

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Time Out Challenges #292*

Happy Thursday creative friends!  It's time for a fun new challenge at Time Out Challenges!

A patient at work was talking about his birthday gift to his wife last week... for her 75th birthday she wanted to go on a hot air balloon ride.  He was telling me how amazing it was.  That was in my head when I got around to making this card... hot air balloons are a form of travel!

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basicd Grey

*Paper:  Stampin' Up Lighter Than Air

*Stamps:  MFT Bitty Birthday Wishes

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Stampin' Up! Hot Air Balloons

*Etc:  foam adhesive

*Challenges:  Time Out #292

*Whoops*

 This card has been sitting in my pile of things to share for a few months now.  I'm not sure how I missed sharing it with you all!  

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Gumball Green

*Paper:  Stampin' Up! Pattern Party

*Stamps:  Pinkfresh Studio Fluttering Butterflies

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Washi:  Pinkfresh Studio Fluttering Butterlies

*Dies:  MFT Stitched Rectangles; Pinkfresh Studio Fluttering Butterflies; Stampin' Up! Layering Ovals

*Addicted to CAS #286*

 It's time for a new clean and simple challenge at Addicted to CAS...

Since I still had a scrap of vellum on my desk from a card I shared earlier this week, I decided to play with it again for this card.  It's just a highlight circle behind the floral element.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  vellum
*Stamps:  The Ton Easy Expressions
*Ink:  Versfine Clair Nocturne

*Washi:  Pinkfresh Studio Vines & Roses

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

*challenges:  Addicted to CAS #286

*{BYSHC} Sketch #58 Take 2*

 I'm back with my second card using the June sketch at Build Your Stash Holiday Card Makers...

For my card today, I decided to use an embossed background instead of patterned paper.  I just absolutely LOVE snowflakes!  I used a small strip of holographic cardstock to cover up the spot where the two papers join up.

Card Info
*Cardstock:  Spellbinders Windy; Lawn Fawn Holographic; dark blue shimmer

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

*Dies:  unknown snowflakes from my bin of extras; The Ton Easy Expressions Holiday

*Embossing:  Simon Says Stamp Snowflake Visions

*CAS on Friday #312*

 We have a botanical themed challenge for you at CAS on Friday...  anything botanical will work, as long as you keep your creation clean and simple.

I had a few ideas in my head, but decided to play with some vellum (which then lead to at least two more cards being made using vellum). I haven't used vellum in forever!

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Pear Pizzazz; vellum

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

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

*Challenges:  CAS on Friday #312

*Rainbow Connection Instagram Hop*

 Every month, I participate in a rainbow themed hop on Instagram.  We are talking about the colours, not the shape.  To add to the challenge, we are all trying to create only clean and simple cards as well.

For my card this month, I used a circle stencil from my stash but I masked off all but one circle.  I then blended my rainbow colours to create a background for this fun celebrate stamp...

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black

*Stamps:  Visible Image Best Birthday Ever

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne; Gina K Red Hot, Sweet Mango, Wild Dandelion, Jelly Bean Green, Blue Raspberry, Wild Lilac

*tools:  Perfect Layers

*Birthday Bounce Instagram Hop*

 The theme for June for the Birthday Bounce Instagram Hop is rainbow...  I got this new rainbow die set last week and decided to play with some non-traditional looking rainbow colours.  I am so happy with how it turned out!

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Cajun Craze, Peach Parfait, Daffodil Delight, Kiwi Kiss, Secret Sea, Cloud Cover

*Stamps:  MFT Something for Everything

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Stampin' Up! Sunshine Vibes; MFT Something for Everything

*Embossing:  Stampin' Up! Soft Waves

*CAS Colours & Sketches #563*

What a wonderful colour combination for our first colour challenge of Summer at CAS Colours & Sketches!

Such pretty colours, and yet I struggled with them!  I love these open daisy flowers and the pops of colour in the centres were perfect!

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Bubble Bath, Azure Afternoon, Highland Heather

*Stamps:  Pinkfresh Studio Happy Birthday Sentiments

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  A Jillian Vance Design Open Daisies

*Challenges:  CC&S #563

*Atlantic Hearts #635*

 We have a beautiful new sketch at Atlantic Hearts today... and I chose to keep my creation really quite clean and simple...

First, the sketch.

And here's my card.  You can see that I switched up the shape and used a slightly larger sentiment, but I still think that the essence of the sketch is there.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin Up! Basic Black

*Stamps:  Pinkfresh Studio Happy Birthday Sentiments

*Washi Tape:  Pinkfresh Studio Fluttering Butterflies, Vines & Roses

*Dies:  Stampin' Up! Banners; Pinkfresh Studio Fluttering Butterflies, Vines & Roses

*Challenges:  Atlantic Hearts #635

*Create It 3 Ways Instagram Hop*

 Yes, a lot of posts from me today!  This one is for the Create It 3-Ways Instagram Hop.  Each month we create three cards using at least one common element following a theme.  We want to show others that you can use the same items from your stash to create different cards and looks.  

This month our theme was "thinking of you" and I chose to use the same floral stamp and the same colour combination on all three cards.

For my first card, I chose to do a mini slimline.  I stamped the floral image at the top and the bottom of the front panel and coloured it with Copics.  I added a small "thinking of you" sentiment in the middle of the card.

For my second card, I stamped the same floral image and coloured it the same, but I cut it out using the matching die.  I put it on top of an embossed panel and added a die cut sentiment.

For my final card, I  once again stamped and die cut the floral image.  I placed it on a smaller front panel and let it hang off the edge.  I trimmed off the pieces that hung over the edge.  I attached the smaller front panel to my card front with foam adhesive and then glued the small cut off pieces directly to the card front to create a little something extra.

Items Used
*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black
*Stamps:  Altenew Flower Vines; MFT Something for Everything

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

*Dies:  Altenew Flower Vines; MFT Something for Everything

*Embossing:  Stampin' Up! Brick & Mortar

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Etc:  foam adhesive

*Pattern Paper Instagram Hop*

 A brand new hop has hit Instagram today... one where we will be playing with our patterned paper each month!  We all have a stash of it that isn't getting used up... this is a great reason to play!

I was inspired by a card I saw by Bette Manning... a wonderful fun fold (you can see how it opens in the second photo...

I can tell you that this card sat on my desk, completed, waiting to be photographed for a few days... and I had used a different patterned paper for my background.  The more I looked at it, the less I liked it.  So I used a different pattern from the same pad of paper.  The front image is from that same pattern paper package!

Here's how the card looks open...

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black, Berry Burst

*Paper:  Cocoa Vanilla Sunkissed

*Stamps:  The Ton Easy Expressions

*Ink: Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  The Ton Easy Expressions
*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Crushing Christmas Instagram Hop*

 This month for the Crushing Christmas Instagram Hop, we are playing with wreaths.  I kept my card super clean and simple.  I created my wreath with two two circle dies and some white glitter paper.  I added some Christmas greenery to it as well...

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Cherry Cobbler; unknown glitter

*Stamps:  MFT Christmas Wishes
*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Waffle Flower Nesting Circles; Spellbinders Chritmas Blooms

*Embellishments:  Picket Fence Studio Candy Cane Mix

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Time Out Challenges #291*

It's time for a photo inspiration challenge at Time Out Challenges.  You can be inspired any way by our photo... just make sure we can see where your inspiration came frome.

I was inspired by the heart and all of the different textures in it.  I cut a heart shape from white cardstock and used an embossing folder to make the textures.  I then lightly brushed some ink over it, making some of the spots stand out a little more.  I had hoped to get a little closer to the coral colour in the photo but I failed LOL

Card Info

*Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Early Espresso

*Stamps:  Waffle Flower Sweet Lattice Sentiments

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne; Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Dried Marigold; Gina K Tomato Soup

*Dies:  Hero Arts Nesting Hearts; Waffle Flower Sweet Lattice Sentiments

*Embossing:  Sizzix Organic Petals

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Challenges:  Time Out #291