*You Are Amazing*

I'm participating in a hop on Instagram today... I hope you'll head over to see the amazing cards my friends have created.

I wanted an uplifting card so I chose my sentiment first... I had this washi tape die cut wreath on my desk that just didn't feel right to me... so I cut it apart and used it.  

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black

*Stamps:  Pinkfresh Studio Circle Florals

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Washi:  Pinkfresh Studio Rainbow Daisies

*Dies:  Pinkfresh Studio Rainbow Daisies; MFT Stitched Rectangles

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Build Your Stash Everyday Occasions Instagram Hop*

 I'm playing along with the Build Your Stash Everyday Occasions Instagram Hop today... but I kinda forgot what I was doing and I only made one card following the "new home" theme.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Crumb Cake, Basic Black

*Stamps:  MFT Something for Everything

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  MFT My Neighbourhood
*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*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

*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

*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

*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

*{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

*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

*CAS Colours & Sketches #567*

 We have a new colour challenge for you at CAS Colours & Sketches... 

I knew I wanted to try something a little different than just some die cuts in these colours (which I tend to do most often) so I stamped up this cute little guy and coloured him up instead.

Card Info

*Stamps: Clearly Besotted Hot Stuff; Uniko Wonderful Day

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

*Dies:  Clearly Besotted Hot Stuff; MFT Stitched Rectangles

*Embellishments:  Studio Katia Arctic Breeze Pearls

*Etc:  foam adhesive

*Challenges:  CAS Colours & Sketches #567

*Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #643*

 There's a wonderful new sketch at Atlantic Hearts this week.... so many ideas ran through my head...

I decided to play with the waves embossing folder that I've used several times before... and by doing it on the blues, it truly looks like waves this time!

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Spellbinders Windy, Cascade, Celestial, Cosmic Sky, Indigo

*Stamps:  MFT Something for Everything

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  MFT Something for Everything

*Embossing:  Stampin' Up! Soft Waves
*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Challenges:  Atlantic Hearts #643

*My Favourite Instagram Hop*

 This week on the My Favourite Instagram Hop, we are playing with our favourite woodland creatures.  I decided to go monochormatic for my card for today to enhance the idea of my favourite animal from the woods... a raccoon!

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black, Basic Grey

*Stamps:  Trinity Stamps Autumn Forest Friends; The Ton Easy Expressions
*Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black; Versafine Clair Nocturne; Copics

*Dies:  Pinkfresh Studio Slimline Strips; MFT Stitched Circles; The Ton Easy Expressions
*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Create It Three Ways Instagram Hop*

 Hello crafty friends... it's a new month and a new theme with the Create it Three Ways Instagram Hop.  Each month, we each create three cards using at least one common element in all three cards.  This month, our theme is sympathy cards... not a reason anyone wants to make a card.  For me, a sympathy card needs to be simple and subdued.  So that's what I went with.

And for something a little different, I used the exact same products on all three cards...

Items Used
*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black; gold mirror

*Paper:  MFT Black & White Stripes

*Stamps:  MFT Something for Everything

*Washi:  Pinkfresh Studio Fluttering Butterlies
*Dies:  Pinkfresh Studio Fluttering Butterflies, Slimline Strips; MFT Something for Everything

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*AAA Colourful #19*

It's the middle of the month which means there is a new colourboard challenge at AAA Colourful!  I feel like it's too soon for such fall-looking colours, but they sure are pretty!

I had some fun with some colourblocking for my card today... I chose some of the colours from the colourboard photo and cut some small squares out.  I added a bright white pierced flower to the centre.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Cherry Cobbler, Dusty Durango, Peach Parfait, Rose Red

*Stamps:  Uniko Wonderful Day

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Stampin' Up! Pierced Blooms; Waffle Flower Nesting Squares; MFT Stitched Rectangles

*Challenges:  AAA Colourful #19

*White on White Instagram Hop*

This month, the White on White Instagram Hop theme is summer!  It's been a cloudy and wet summer here in Calgary, so I decided to do a cloudy sky for my card today.

White on white cards can be very difficult.  With this hope, we can use one colour in a small way, so I chose to use black for my sentiment.  I try to keep the rest of my design all white.  The key to white on white is texture and layers... foam adhesive, embossing, stitched elements... I dare you to try it!

Card Info

*Stamps:  MFT Puddle Jumper

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  MFT Rain or Shine, Treetop, Stitched Rectangles

*CASE It Instagram Hop*

 Each month I host the CASE It Instagram Hop with some creative friends joining in the fun.  We each chose a card that we seen on Instagram and use it to inspire us to make something of our own.  Sometimes we copy the card almost exactly, using the items we have in our stash.  Sometimes we use the original card as a jumping off point to create something different with similar elements.  And sometimes it is somewhere in between.

For this month, I was inspired by this card by @marisealark

I loved the colours that Mari used in her card... I loved the blue and white with the hint of metallic.  I also liked the stiched element of it and the sentiment overlapping the centre of her design.  I knew in an instant that hers was the card I was going to CASE...

I did change things up a bit though...  Instead of layered petals, I have a layer of white in the centre of my flowers.  I did three flowers instead of two.  And instead of a coloured metallic element, I chose silver (and I skipped the "greenery").  I kept the the blue and white, I used a stitched element in a frame layer and I kept the sentiment overlapping the centre of my design.

I hope you can see the original design in my card... but that I tried to put my own twist on it.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Spellbinders Windy; silver mirror

*Stamps:  The Ton Easy Expressions

*Dies:  Spellbinders Be Bold Blooms; A Jillian Vance Open Daisies; MFT Stitched Rectangles; The Ton Easy Expressions

*Addicted to CAS #289*

 I am hosting the current challenge at Addicted to CAS and I chose the code word "squares"..  you can make a square card, you can highlight squares in your design...  I just need to see squares!

As promised yesterday, today I have another card with black and white stripes.  I had a a strip of this pattern paper on my desk and decided to see what I could do with it...

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Bermuda Bay, Marina Mist, Wisteria Wonder, Basic Black

*Paper:  MFT Black & White Stripes

*Stamps: The Ton Easy Expressions

*Dies:  The Ton Easy Expressions; Waffle Flower Nesting Squares

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Challenges:  Addicted to CAS #289