*CASE It Instagram Hop*

 Happy Saturday, Creative friends!  It's time for the CASE It Instagram Hop... each month, a group of us chooses any card we've seen on Instagram and we use it as an inspiration piece to make something of our own.  Sometimes we completely copy the idea, sometimes we use it as a jumping off point.

For today, I was inspired by a card I saw by Vicki Dutcher.

This is the card I was inspired by...

I loved the embossing on the blue, the shade of blue, the pop of white...  instead of using leaves, I used snowflakes... and instead of a die cut sentiment, I went with a simple stamped one instead.  I also changed up the shade of blue (although I really love the colour she used!)

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Spellbinders Windy

*Stamps:  Pink & Main Snowflake Sayings
*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Picket Fence Studio Winter Snowflakes; MFT Stitched Circles

*Embossing:  Simon Says Stamp Snowflake Visions

*Embellishments:  Nuvo Aqua Shimmer

*Addicted to CAS #282*

Welcome to the first day of the new challenge at Addicted to CAS!  We are looking forward to seeing your fiesta themed clean and simple creations!

I struggled with this a little... I don't have anything that screams "fiesta" or "Cinco de Mayo" in my stash... so I made some party fans with a die and some patterned paper and made a celebration card.

Card Info

*Paper:  Stampin' Up! Full of Life

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

*Dies:  Catherine Pooler Party Fans; MFT Mod Link 2

*Embellishments:  Pink & Main Rainbow Pearls

*Challenges:  ATCAS #282

*Birthday Bounce Instagram Hop - Masculine*

 I'm participating in the Birthday Bounce Instagram Hop.  Each month, we create a birthday card with a common theme.  This month, our theme is Masculine.

You've all been here before (well most of you have been) and you must know by now that I don't do a lot of masculine cards.  I almost passed on this hop, but then saw an idea on Pinterest and made it my own.  The card I saw used black and gold, so that's what I went with.

Card Info

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

*Dies:  Pink & Main Happy Birthday dies

*Embossing:  Stampin' Up! Brick & Mortar

*Etc:  foam adhesives

*Just Add Ink #698*

 I am back with a second post today... with a card I am IN LOVE with!  I made this card yesterday when two of my creative friends came over to play in my craft room for a few hours.  I bought this die set on Saturday and decided to play with it yesterday... and it goes perfectly with the current challenge at Just Add Ink!  I feel like the colours I chose lend themselves to something like a sympathy card... soft and muted.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Soft Succulent

*Images:  The Ton Easy Expressions

*Ink:  Catherine Pooler Stone Blue, Skylight

*Dies:  The Ton Easy Expressions; Spellbinders Be Bold Blooms

*Embellishments:  Pink & Main Rainbow Pearls

*Challenges:  Just Add Ink #698

*Addicted to CAS #221*

It's time for a new challenged with Addicted to CAS... for the next two weeks, we want to see you sharing your cards featuring stripes!  I am the host for this challenge, which means this theme was my idea!  Please share your clean and simple cards with strips with us HERE!

I had a bit of trouble deciding on what I wanted to do for my card for this challenge... I have a lot of options when it comes to stripes.  In the end, I am very happy with this card!

Card Info

*Paper:  MFT Birthday Brights

*Images:  Studio Katia Birthday Greetings

*Dies:  Scrapbook.com Nested Hexagons

*Embellishments:  Pink & Main Rainbow Pearls

*Etc  Foam Adhesive

*Challenge:  Addicted to CAS #221

We look forward to seeing your creations!!!

*CASology #403*

Happy Tuesday creative friends... I saw my surgeon yesterday and as expected, the plaster splint was removed and I now have a removable brace.  I can wear the brace when I'm up and about or if the arm/wrist is fatigued.  I have some stretches thatI've started doing that are really tough but I am told it will all get easier... I am to use my arm and wrist as tolerated for anything non-weight bearing.  I will start some physical therapy in a few weeks to help me regain motion and strength.  It will be about another 4 weeks before I start looking at a gradual return to work.

Anyway... it's time for a new challenge with CASology... our cue word for this month is "botanical"

If you've been around a while, you know I love creating with florals, so this was not a difficult challenge for me!

I love the look of a white on white layer... but I do like to step it up a bit by adding foam adhesive for some dimension.

I hope you will play along with us by sharing your creation HERE.

*Butterfly Celebrate*

Some more love to Pink Fresh Studio and their products... but lucky for you, I've switched to butterflies from flowers LOL!  This is a great stamp that stamps up about a dozen butterflies all at once and the die cuts them all out at once as well.  I stamped up a sheet of them with black ink and then blended some Tim Holtz inks over the top before cutting them all out.  I saw a great mini slimline card with a rainbow of images up the centre and I decided to do one with my butterflies.  I added some diagonal embossed lines on the front panel and put it all together with a simple sentiment and a few gems.

Card Info

*Images:  Pink Fresh Studio Small Butterflies; Studio Katia Birthday Greetings

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

*Dies:  Pink Fresh Studio Small Butterflies;  Lawn Fawn Everyday Sentiment Banners

*Tools:  Fricken Square Corners; ScorPal

*Embellishments:  Pink & Main Rainbow Pearls

*Etc:  foam adhesive

*Less is More #462*

It's time for a new challenge with the team at Less is More.  As you can see from the graphic below, the prompt is "occupations".  As always, we hope you'll play along with our challenge and share your creations with us HERE!

I struggled a bit with the challenge as I don't really have any stamps that scream "occupations" to me... so I had to think outside the box a little.  We all know I love to create with floral stamps so I decided to be an artist as my occupation....  I stamped the daisies image and then used some ink blot stamps to "colour" in the image... an artistic take.

And you know what? I like how it turned out!

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Pineapple Punch

*Images:  Paper Rose Daisy Bouquet; Altenew Splash of Color

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne; Catherine Pooler Limoncello, Lime Rickey, It's a Girl, Sixteen Candles

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Embellishments:  Pink & Main Rainbow Gems

*Challenges:  Less Is More #462

I really look forward to seeing what you create!

*A Lot More Fabulous*

Good morning crafty friends... just a quick post from me today to share another card with this gorgeous floral stamp set by Pink Fresh Studio.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Seaside Spray

*Images:  Pink Fresh Studio Beautiful Blooms, Happy Birthday Sentiments

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

*Dies:  Pink Fresh Studio Beautiful Blooms

*Tools:  Perfect Layers; Fricken Square Corners

*Embellishments:  Nuvo Aqua Shimmer; Pink & Main Rainbow Pearls

*CAS#371*

It's time for another challenge with the clean and simple crew at CASology!  For the next month, we want to see your cards that use the cue word "pool".... you can interpret this any way you want.  All we ask is that your card is clean and simple!  Please be sure to link your creation on the CASology Blog for your chance to win a prize from STAMPlorations and to be featured on the blog as well!

I created a little "pool" for my mermaid on the floatie to play in....

Items Used
*Cardstock:  Neenah Solar White 110lb
*Images:  Pink & Main Starfish Wishes
*Ink:  Gina K Amalgam, Blue Lagoon; Copics
*Dies:  Pink & Main Starfish Wishes; Spellbinder circle
*Embellishments:  Nuvo Liquid Shimmer pen
*Etc:  Foam Adhesive

*A Touch of Green*

I saw a card very similar to this while browsing Pinterest the other day... but I didn't take down the information to be able to share who inspired my card (but thank you to the other creator for sharing your ideas!).  I will admit, the original card I saw looks better than this, but I am still pleased with the outcome of my card.  My only issued was the stamped "Happy"as I had to fill in some spots by the striped paper with a black pen.  It would have been better with a word that didn't have letters that hang down or with a die cut instead of a stamp.

Items Used:
*Cardstock:  Neenah Solar White 110lb; scrap of cardstock from bin
*Paper:  MFT Black & White Stripes
*Images:  Pink & Main Birthday Script; Lawn Fawn Simply Sentiments
*Ink:  VersaFine Clair Nocturne
*Tools:  Misti
*Embellishments:  green pebbles
*Etc:  Micron Pen