*Very Big Happy*

This "happy" die is the reason I prefer to shop in person for craft supplies.  Yes, the measurements were included in the description of the product, but it meant nothing to me at the time.  I received my parcel and in my world, that die is way too big.  I've had it for about 18 months and honestly, I hardly ever pull it out.  It's a great font, but it's just so freakin' big.

Items Used:

*Cardstock:  Neenah Classic Crest Cover Solar White 110lb; Stampin' Up! Granny Apple Green

*Patterned Paper:  Stampin' Up! Pattern Party

*Images:  Lawn Fawn Happy Happy Happy

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Hero Arts Birthday Script

*Coloured Base*

I know that this doesn't happen too often with me...  I used to make cards with a coloured base all of the time.  I don't know why, but I avoided white bases.  But as you all know, your style and preferences change over time and for the last few years I have been all about the white bases for my cards.

This card came about using up some scraps on my desk.  I had cut the word out of white for another project and didn't use it... and the flowers were leftovers as well.  I thought about inking up the word but felt it was a little too delicate since it was already cut out.  So I grabbed a light purple piece of cardstock and created my base...  added the flowers, some gems and the word celebrate and VOILA!

*AAACards #192*

Happy Sunday, crafty friends!  It's time for a new challenge with the clean and simple team at AAACards!  For the next two weeks we are looking for your creations using only one corner of your card front with the added optional twist of childhood memories.  Be sure to share your creations with us HERE for your chance to be a guest designer in an upcoming challenge.

I was going to skip the childhood memories portion of this challenge, but instead I got to thinking of some fun things I could remember from being a kid....  and one that stood out to me was neopolitan ice cream with my Grama.  Now, as a kid, I hate the "pink ice cream" (or at least I thought I did) so Grama would always give me just the chocolate and vanilla.  And it wasn't often in a cone, but usually in one of her yellow melamine shallow bowls.  She'd add sprinkles to it for me.... and we'd get to use her old fashioned ice cream spoons to eat it.  The bowls she used were perfect because they were shallow and you could easily lick the bowl clean before asking for more!

Items Used:
*Cardstock:  Neenah Classic Crest Cover Solar White 110lb; scraps from my stash

*Patterned Paper:  My Favorite Things Dots & Strips Bright

*Dies:  Poppystamps Whittle Ice Cream

*Images:  Simon Says Stamp So Cool

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Etc:  foam adhesive; Be Creative double sided tape

*Dogs*

Hi all...  I'm here with another card for the Scrap 'n Stamp Canada Random Acts of Cardness.... today's prompt is DOGS.  There are a lot of fun animal stamps and dies out there and I had a lot to choose from when creating my card for today.

I decided to go out of my comfort zone and create a non-clean and simple card today.  And when I showed it to my good friend and to my sister, both said that they wouldn't have picked this card out as something I had made.  I'm not honestly sure if that's a good thing or not LOL!

I wanted to create my own patterned paper using some of the smaller images in the MFT New Best Friend stamp set, so I grabbed some inks (Tim Holtz Distress Inks in Kitsch Flamingo, Hickory Smoke, Twisted Citron and Salty Ocean) and started randomly stamping images on the cardstock.  Once I was happy with the result, I cut out a smaller panel using the MFT Stitched Rectangles die.  I struggled a bit with what to do next....  so I stamped up the little girl holding the puppy and coloured it with Copic markers before cutting it out with the matching die set.  I used the Taylored Expressions Blending Brushes to create a Kitsch Flamingo strip of cardstock and flicked water on it to create some interest.  I then cut a circle out of a scrap of brown cardstock and used foam tape to pop that die cut and coloured image on to the front of the card.

Like I said, this card is completely out of my comfort zone... what do you think of it?

*Floral Celebrate*

I am simply in love with this designer series paper from Stampin' Up!  It's called Flower an Field and there are so many wonderful designs in this 12X12 pack.  I love how these white flowers stand out on the black background.

*Many Textures*

Creating this card was the reason I bought both this paper and the punch from Stampin' Up!  I had seen a card like this from someone else and loved how it looked so I decided to play around...  but sadly I think that the mixture of wood and stone was too much.  I think I should have stuck with one or the other instead.

Oh well... still a good masculine card to send out.

*CASology #392*

Welcome to challenge #392 with CASology!  We are a group of clean and simple loving card makers who not only love to share what we create but also see what others want to share with us!  With every challenge, we encourage you to play along and share your creations with us for your chance to be a guest designer in an upcoming challenge!

So get out your card making supplies and start creating your clean and simple card using the cue of STRENGTH!  Don't forget to share it with us HERE!

I came up with my main idea for the card and then went through several sentiments to make my card "strength"...  this wasn't the perfect shape and fit, but it was the perfect words...

Items Used

*Cardstock:  Neenah Classic Crest Cover Solar White 110lb

*Patterned Paper:  Stampin' Up! Pattern Party

*Images:  Altenew Bouquet of Love, Sincere Greetings

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Embellishments:  Studio Katia Arctic Breeze Pearls

*Tools:  Misti

*Addicted to CAS #199*

Happy Saturday crafty friends!  It's time for another clean and simple card challenge with the team at Addicted to CAS!  For challenge #199, we are playing with the code word BEACH.  Share your clean and simple beach themed cards with us HERE for your chance to be a guest designer in an upcoming challenge!

I had a lot thoughts in my head about where to go with this challenge, but my Poppystamps Whittle dies arrived and I decided to play with the cute little dolphin for my card!

I ripped layers of cardstock to create some ocean waves and a sandy beach for my little critter, added a little glitter to the ripped edges and tucked the dolphin in.  I gave it all a black border and placed it on a white card base and stamped a quick sentiment.

I look forward to seeing what you created!!

Items Used

• Cardstock:  Neenah Classic Crest Cover Solar White 110lb; Stampin' Up! Smoky Slate, Bashful Blue, Crumb Cake, Basic Black
• Dies:  Poppystamps Whittle Dolphin
• Stamps:  Poppystamps Whittle Sealife Sentiments
• Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne
• Etc:  Lawn Fawn Liquid Stardust

*Whittle Things Blog Hop*

 It's the first Friday of the month and that can only mean one thing... it's time for the Scrap 'n Stamp Canada Blog Hop!  The design team gets together on the first Friday of every month for a hop where you have a chance to win a $50 shopping spree at Scrap 'n Stamp Canada!  All you have to do is leave a comment on each of the blogs in the hop for your chance to be chosen as our random winner!

For June, we are playing with the Whittle dies by Poppy Stamps.  Have you see these yet?  Check out some of the ones that are in stock at Scrap 'n Stamp HERE.  They are tiny little dies and they are super adorable!  I have four and I have my eye on a few more!!  This weekend, June 4th to 7th, all Whittle dies are 20% off!

My card is super colourful and fun.... and perfect for a summer birthday!  I took the ice cream die and cut it a few different times.  It is one die but the ice cream scoop is separate from the cone by about a 1/4 inch so I was able to not waste cardstock when I cut it first out of Sandy Beach cardstock to get the cone and then out of Turquoise Sea, Lovely Lavender, Passionate Pink and Jelly Bean to get the scoops.  

I started putting the card together but realized it needed "something".... so I pulled out some Lemon Drop cardstock and my A2 Layers dies from Waffle Flower (any rectangle dies would do) and I chose two dies so I could create a frame.  I didn't choose two that are side by side in size but rather skipped the one size to go one bigger.  I taped them together on my cardstock so that they wouldn't move before running it through my Big Shot.

I added the frame to the front of my white card base with glue as I find glue has a bit more "play time" when trying to get something in the perfect place.  I then added the cone to the bottom of the framed area and then added my scoops of ice cream using foam tape.

I stamped the sentiment from Taylored Expressions Simple Strips in Versafine Clair Nocturne and then cut it out use the Simple Strips Die and then used a piece of Passionate Pink to cute out the Simple Strips Backer.  I adhered the sentiment just above centre, just in the middle.

To finish it all off, I used some Studio Katia Sparkling Crystals using their new Embellishment Wand the the triangle tray.... both of these tools are FABULOUS for using crystals and sequins!

And there you have it... a fun, colourful, summery card!

And now it's time for you to continue along with the hop....  here are all of the blogs for you...  be sure to comment on each stop for your chance to win $50 to spend at Scrap 'n Stamp!

Tara

Chala

Nancy -- you are here!

Kia

Lindsey

Susan

Deborah

Jessica

*Circles and Circles*

I don't know why I haven't done this before... or maybe I have and I just don't remember.  But for this card, I ran a fairly basic patterned paper through my Big Shot with an embossing folder!  It added a distressed look to the coloured areas and a great texture all over the front of the card.  Of course, it also took the card away from being clean and simple.

Items Used:

*Cardstock:  Neenah Classic Crest Cover Solar White 110lb; Stampin' Up! Night of Navy, Sage Shadow, Roccocco Rose

*Patterned Paper:  Stampin' Up! Paper Blooms

*Images:  Gina K Crazy Daisy

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Spellbinders circles; Stampin' Up! Stitched Blooms

*Embellishments:  Studio Katia

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Bloom With Joy*

Yes, another card using patterned paper... I told you I was on a kick to try to use it!  It's hard for me for a few reasons...  first, because it often puts me out of my comfort zone of clean and simple and second, because I don't want to run out of these pretty papers!  But seriously, what's the point of buying these things if we aren't going to use them and share them with others?  I will keep throwing some patterned paper in to my creations.

This card came together very quickly and easily... and if you were looking to mass produce some cards, this one would be great!  I love love love that my Perfect Layers Tool can cut a layer for anything that has straight sides... like this great punch!

Items Used:

*Cardstock:  Neenah Classic Crest Cover Solar White 110lb; Stampin' Up! Night of Navy

*Patterned Paper:  Stampin' Up! Paper Blooms

*Images:  Gina K Crazy Daisy

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Embellishments: silver cord

*tools:  Stampin' Up! punch; Perfect Layers

*Pattern Party*

I am absolutely in love with this fabulous Pattern Party designer series paper from Stampin' Up!  I love the semi muted tones of the rainbow, love the patterns... and love that, for a completely different look, the other sides of each of the pages is black and white patterns.  So many options!

But once again, I suffer from "it's too pretty to be used".... hmmmm, can I get more?

For this card, I followed the May 2021 Sheetload of Cards....  check them out on YouTube!

Items Used

*Cardstock:  Neenah Classic Crest Cover Solar White 110lb; Stampin' Up! Granny Apply Green

*Patterned Paper:  Stampin' Up! Pattern Party

*Images:  Avery Elle So Kind

*Ink:  Versafine Claire Nocturne

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*AAACards #191*

It's no surprise that I love clean and simple cards...  When I started card making I don't think I would have gravitated to a clean and simple card.  I've done a lot of different styles and techniques in almost 25 years of stamping and card making and right now, it's clean and simple that really catches my eye.  This is why I love playing along with the design teams for a few different clean and simple challenge blogs.  Each of the challenge blogs have their own definitions of the clean and simple terms, and I think the AAA Cards is possibly the *most* clean and simple of the design teams I'm on.

One issue we've been having lately is that people playing along with us aren't following the design team definition of a one layer card... so we have changed the name to a no layer card.  This means there is NOTHING extra layered on to your card.... no patterned papers, no die cuts, no embellishments.  Just the decorated card front.  You *can* stamp on a panel and layer it to your card if you're wanting to colour with a medium that will soak through your cardstock (Copics, for example) but it should completely cover your card front with no border or addition embellishment.

For challenge #191, we are also playing with a twist of Hexagons!  We'd love to see your creations!  Post them HERE and you could be a guest designer in an upcoming challenge!  Our Guest Designer for Game #191 is Sue... be sure to head over to her blog and leave her some love!

After I finished this card, I found a stamp set in my stash that had a hexagon border in it....  I seriously didn't think I had anything and I contemplated just doing the no layer card.  But then I had an idea and I challenged myself to use the Silhouette I bought years ago and have barely used....

Yup, I created myself a hexagon shaped card!  I taped off a 1.25" strip on the card front and stamped my images inside of it.  I removed the tape and used a ruler and  black pen to draw the black lines.  I added a small sentiment and called it done!

Items Used

• Cardstock:  Neenah Classic Crest Cover Solar White 110lb
• Images:  Altenew Celebrate Today
• Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne, Cheerful, Verdant
• Tools:  Silhouette
• Etc:  black Micron pen

*Swinking*

Happy Friday!  I can't believe it's the end of May!  It doesn't help that in Calgary we've had the heat on until just the last couple of days.  I sure hope the warm weather sticks around as we move in to June!

I chose a word that isn't a word for my last Scrap 'n Stamp Canada Random Acts of Cardness post for May.... the word is "swink".  And what on earth is "swink"?  Well, I think my friend Ardyth coined the term...  it's the fun way to say "direct to paper".  You simple swipe your ink directly to your cardstock....  swipe+ink= swink!  It's a great way to throw together a quick and easy background.

If you know me, I love a good rainbow in my cards, so of course I swinked my inks to create a rainbow!

I started out with my card on a piece of scrap paper in front of me, angled so that I had a comfortable way to swipe the ink pad towards me.   I simply took my first Tim Holtz Distress ink cube (I started with Mustard Seed after finding the middle of my card front) and I swiped it along the side of the card towards me a few times, letting up the pressure as I moved along to create a whispy edge.  I overlapped my colours just a little but to ensure I didn't have any white spaces between colours.  I used Picked Raspberry, Spiced Marmalade, Mustard Seed, Twisted Citron, and Peacock Feathers.

I set my card aside for a few minutes to let the inks dry completely.  I then used some Purple Tape to place a the Gina K Mandala Burst stencil over the left side of the card and I used a palette knife to spread Nuvo Glimmer Paste in Moonstone over the stencil.  I removed the stencil and set aside my card for about 20 minutes to let that Glimmer Paste really dry.  I stamped the Taylored Expressions Simple Strips stamp on white cardstock in Versafine Clair Nocturne ink and cut it out with the Taylored Expressions Simple Strips die.  I cut out the Simple Strips Backer die in white as well and "swinked" the Twisted Citron ink across it to create a backer for my sentiment.  I added it to the front of the card with some foam tape.