*Mini Slimline Instagram Hop*

 I gathered up some of my Instagram Friends and created a new Instagram Hop.  Each month, on the first Wednesday of the month, we will be sharing mini slimline cards!  You all know that I LOVE a mini slimline, so this hop idea was the perfect fit for me.

For my card today, I am using the left over part of a stencilled panel that I created for THIS card that I posted a few weeks ago.  It was so pretty that I couldn't let it go to waste...

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black

*Stamps:  MFT Something for Everything

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne; Catherine Pooler Twilight, Black Jack

*Stencil:  Uniko Picked Posies

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*CAS Colours & Sketches #568*

 I'm hosting the challenges this month at CAS Colours & Sketches.  We are starting off the month with a clean and simple sketch.

I decided to play with a small strip of black and white floral patterned paper to start my card.  My plan had been to use a big flower (like the sketch) but I changed my mind to use a butterfly instead.

Card Info

*Paper:  Stampin' Up! True Love

*Stamps:  Studio Katia Birthday Greetings
*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Washi:  Pinkfresh Studio Fluttering Butterflies
*Dies:  MFT Stitched Rectangles; Pinkfresh Studio Fluttering Butterflies
*Challenges:  CC&S #568

*Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #645*

 I love the sketch challenges at Atlantic Hearts... they are always so pretty!  Sometimes I struggle with them though as they push me out of my comfort zone.  I am SO happy that pushed through this one... I love how this card turned out.

But first, the sketch...

I decided to keep my card clean and simple, although you could totally use a base layer that is patterned or textured.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black, Wild Wasabi

*Stamps:  MFT Something for Everything

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Washi:  Pinkfresh Studio Vines and Roses

*Dies:  Pinkfresh Studio Vines and Roses; MFT Stitched Rectangles; Lawn Fawn Sentiment Banners

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Challenges:  Atlantic Hearts #645

*My Favourite Instagram Hop*

 I wasn't going to play in the My Favourite Instagram Hop this week... the theme is "my favourite vegetable" and honestly, I have very little food based stuff in my stash... but then I realized, I have vegetable COLOURED things in my stash!

So I was inspired by tomatoes, pumpkins and corn for my fall themed card today..

Card Info

*Stamps:  LF You Crow Girl; MFT Something for Everything

*Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black; Versafine Clair Nocturne; Copics; Gina K Jelly Bean

*Dies:  Lawn Fawn You Crow Girl; Studio Katia Meowy Halloween

*Tools:  ScorBuddy

*Rediscovery Instagram Hop*

 This month for the Rediscovery Instagram Hop, we are digging in to our stash to find things to play with using a geometric theme.  I had lots of ideas but decided to keep it super quick by using this fun patterned paper...

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black

*Paper: Stampin' Up! Full of Life

*Dies:  MFT Celebrate

*Wedding Card*

 A friend of mine asked me to make a card for her to give to a newly married couple.  I search Pinterest for some ideas to get my mojo going and I came across a card with this saying on it.  I decided to play with the Silhouette Design Studio software to try to get a fun layout for it... and then sent it off to my printer.  I had to print on printer paper as my printer doesn't print on cardstock so I adhered the printed paper to a scrap of cardstock before cutting it out.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black; gold foil

*Washi:  Pinkfresh Studio Vines & Roses

*Dies:  Pinkfresh Studio Vines & Roses; Waffle Flower Nesting Circles; Essential Circles by Ellen Hutson

*Tools:  Perfect Layer; Silhouette Studio software

*Time Out Challenges #296*

 Happy Last Thursday of August, creative friends!  How on earth is summer almost over?  Calgary has had such a wet and cool summer (although this week has been fabulous)... I'm so sad to see the sun setting earlier and earlier... and in a few weeks I'll be getting up before dawn again on work days.  So sad.

Today I am here with the team at Time Out Challenges with Challenge #296...

I had a scrap of patterned paper in my stash that didn't seem big enough to do much with...  So I cut it in half and used it to frame a wonderful friendship sentiment...  I added some butterflies to finish it all off.

Card Info

*Paper:  MFT Party Time

*Stamps:  Gina K You Give Me Butterflies

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Washi:  Pinkfresh Studio Fluttering Butterflies

*Dies:  Pinkfresh Studio Fluttering Butterflies

*Etc:  foam adhesive

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Challenges: Time Out #296

*Rainbow Connection Instagram Hop*

 Each month, a group of us gather on Instagram to share rainbow inspired clean and simple cards... we take the colours of the rainbow and make a clean and simple card that makes those colours shine.

This month, I chose to stencil my colours through a brick pattern stencil along the edge of my front panel.  I stamped a floral stamp over top of it and let it stamp off the edge of my panel.  Super quick and simple!

Card Info

*Stamps:  Altenew Flower Vine; Gina K Crazy Daisy

*Ink:  Versafine Claire Nocturne; Tim Holtz Picked Raspberry, Spiced Marmalade, Scattered Straw, Twisted Citron, Salty Ocean, Shaded Lilic

*Stencil:  Lawn Fawn Brick

*Birthday Bounce Instagram Hop*

 I almost didn't participate in the Birthday Bounce Instagram Hop this month because I couldn't think of anything in my stash that would work for the confetti or sprinkles theme.  But then I was digging through some new patterned paper and found these fabulous designs in it and whipped up a quick birthday card.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Lemon Lime Twist, Blueberry Bushel

*Paper:  Stampin' Up! Bright & Beautiful

*Stamps:  MFT Big Birthday Sentiments

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies: Waffle Flower Nesting Circles

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*My Favorite Instagram Hop*

 This week for the My Favorite Instagram Hop, we are using our favourite monochromatic look...  I saw some samples from Gina K where her hubby had suggested ink blending in shades of grey.  I LOVED how they looked so I thought I would play with the idea...  I did a full 6x6 panel and cut out a portion of it for my card today (you'll see the rest of it in about 10 days)

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black

*Stamps:  MFT Something for Everything

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne; Catherine Pooler Twilight, Black Jack

*Stencil:  Uniko Picked Posies

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Addicted to CAS #290*

 We have a wonderful new challenge for you at Addicted to CAS...

I was going to play with some of my rainbow themed stash, but I had these foil butterflies left over from a project a few weeks ago and decided to play with them instead...

Card Info

*Cardstock:  assorted mirror

*Stamps: Uniko Wonderful Day

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Paper Rose Studio Little Etched Butterflies; unknown stitched border

*Challenges:  Addicted to CAS #290

*{BYSHC} Sketch #60 Take 2*

I'm back with my second and final card using the August Sketch at Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers.  I thought that this sketch would be more difficult for me than it was... 

For my card today, I decided that a simple silver and white card would be fun to play with.  I but my strips and then put them in to the embossing folder to emboss them.  I found the brushed silver snowflake in my bin of extras.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic black; unknown brushed silver foil; unknown silver glitter

*Stamps:  MFT Christmas Wishes

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Picket Fence Studio Winter Snowflakes;  MFT Christmas Wishes
*Embossing:  Simon Says Stamp Snowflake Visions

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Challenges:  BYSHCardmakers Sketch #60

*CAS on Friday #316*

 The challenge at CAS on Friday is to use vellum in your clean and simple design.  I decided to try embossing a piece of vellum with an embossing folder.  I did a small strip and put it between my white panels and put a green panel behind it.  The colours were so subdued, I felt it would make a perfect sympathy card.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Wild Wasabi; unknown vellum

*Stamps:  The Ton Easy Expressions

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  The Ton Easy Expressions
*Embossing:  Spellbinders Leafy

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Challenges:  CAS on Friday #316

*White on White Christmas Card*

 My friend Claire hosts a monthly Christmas card challenge on Instagram... this month her theme is "white on white".  She and I were joking around a few days ago because she didn't know why she chose that theme as she struggles with white and white.  I figured that since I gave her a little advice, I should play along as well...

White on White isn't easy... you need layers, texture and dimension.

Card Info

*Stamps:  MFT Christmas Wishes

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Impression Obsession Snowflakes; MFT Christmas Wishes

*Embossing:  Simon Says Stamp Snowflake Visions

*Pattern Paper Instagram Hop*

 A group of us participate in an Instagram Hop each month where we play with some of the patterned paper in our stash.  The goal is to use up some of what we have instead of buying new... and so far, I've done just that!

This month, our optional theme is banners... so I used a banner die to cut up some patterned paper from the same collection... this way I know that all of the colours go together.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Granny Apple Green

*Paper:  Stampin' Up! Pattern Party

*Dies:  MFT Celebrate; Lawn Fawn Banners

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Crushing Christmas Instagram Hop*

 This month for the Crushing Christmas Instagram Hop, our theme is Ornament Overload!  I was digging through my stash of Christmas supplies and came across this die that my sister gave me a few years ago.  I had an idea to cut it out twice and then use my craft knife to cut out a portion of it to have two different colours in the die cut.

I would NEVER do this for more than one card LOL!  It took too much time (and a little swearing) to make multiples of this one...

Card Info

*Cardstock:  unknown red foil

*Stamps: The Ton Easy Expressions Holiday

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Tutti Designs Ornaments Panel; The Ton Easy Expressions Holiday