*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

*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

*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

*CraftyEngineer's Birthday Bash Hop*

My Instagram friend, Geeta, is celebrating her birthday and hosting an Instagram Hop to share some bright and colourful birthday cards!  I love bright and happy cards, so of course I wanted to help her celebrate!  Happy Birthday Geeta!!!

I used a piece of patterned paper to create this bright birthday card...  I love the colours in this striped paper (and wish I had 20 more sheets of it!).

Card Info

*Cardstock;  Stampin' Up! Basic Black

*Paper:  MFT Party Time

*Stamps:  Uniko Birthday Wishes
*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Stampin' Up! Playful Alphabet; unknown stitched border

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*CAS Colours & Sketches #561*

 It's time for a colour challenge at CAS Colours & Sketches.  These are some deep and rich colours for this challenge!

Lately I've found myself using paper and dies more often than stamps and markers (or other colouring media) to create my cards, so I decided to play a little.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Gorgeous Grape

*Stamps:  Tonic Studios Summer Flowers; Uniko Birthday Wishes

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

*Tools:  Perfect Layers
*Challenges:  CAS Colours & Sketches #561

*CAS Colours & Sketches #559*

 We have another fun colour challenge for you at CAS Colours & Sketches...

To me, the colours look nautical and masculine... the day I was creating, I wasn't feeling super creative so I went simple with my card.  I cut some super skinny strips of these three colours and made a "barber pole" style element for my card.  It almost looks like a tie to me!

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Night of Navy, Balmy Blue, Shy Shamrock

*Paper:  silver sparkle

*Stamps:  Uniko Birthday Wishes

*Dies:  Pinkfresh Studio Slim Strips

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Challenges:  CAS Colours & Sketches #559

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Sending Sunshine Instagram Hop*

 Each month, a group of us gather together with an Instagram Hop, intended to share a little sunshine to those who might be struggling.  We make a card with an encouraging sentiment, a card that might bring a smile to someone's face.

For my card today, I used a stencil I don't think I've played with before.  I trimmed it down to a smaller panel and stamped my greeting directly on top of it.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Granny Apple Green

*Stamps:  Pinkfresh Studio Vines & Roses

*Ink:  Catherine Pooler Tiki Torch, Lime Rickey, Aquatini; Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Stencil:  Uniko Picked Posies Layering Stencils
*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*This or That Instagram Hop*

This week on the This or That Instagram Hop, we had to choose between dark and light.  I chose to feature the spotLIGHT technique (see what I did there??!!!)

I stamped this background image on white with black ink and I coloured the big letters of BIRTHDAY with bright and fun colours.  I cut that strip out of the panel, did a matted black layer behind it and then added it back on top of the panel.  To finish it all off, I added some white gel pen dots to the letters.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black
*Stamps:  Uniko Black Pary

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne; Copics; white gel pen

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*CASE It Instagram Hop*

 Another post from me today... this time for the CASE It Instagram Hop!  Each month, a group of us each finds a project on Instagram that inspires us... and then we make a card using that piece as the basis of our own design.  We don't copy it completely, but we try to make sure you can see how we used that first project as inspiration.

First, the card I was inspired by...  I LOVE almost everything that Hannelie makes... this card spoke to me for my CASE this month.  I love that the only colour is in the butterfly (and that she didn't feel the need to colour the flowers).  I love that the sentiment is tucked in there almost perfectly.  And I love the dimension in the butterfly.

I changed things up a little bit with my card... but you can certainly see where I started.  I used shades of yellow, orange and red instead of shades of blue, I flipped the design to the other side of the card, I used clear gems instead of coloured ones and I used a larger sentiment.  I kept the big floral (without colouring it), the butterfly (added some foam adhesive for dimension), and of course I did my signature 1/16" mat.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Bumblebee

*Paper:  Stampin' Up! Full of Life

*Stamps:  Gina K You Give Me Butterflies; Altenew Bouquet of Love; Uniko Wonderful Day

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Gina K You Give Me Butterflies
*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Embellishments:  Studio Katia Sparkling Crystals.

*CAS on Friday #303*

 We have a fun new sketch for you at CAS on Friday... this time we have a sketch for you to follow!  No rules other than to follow the sketch and keep your card clean and simple.

First... the sketch...

And here is my card...  I switched things up just a little and made a rectangular card instead of a square.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Pool Party, Granny Apple Green, Cherry Cobbler

*Paper:  Stampin' Up! Flower & Field

*Stamps:  Uniko Wonderful Day

*Ink:  Verafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Waffle Flower Nesting Circles, Additional Circles; Hero Arts Nesting Tags

*Challenges:  CAS on Friday #303

*Congratulations*

Another super simple but pretty wedding card for my friend... this time, just white, black and gold with a teeny tiny heart.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Spellbinders gold foil

*Stamps:  Altenew Bundle of Joy, Uniko Wonderful Day

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Waffle Flower A2 Layers; Hero Arts Infinity Hearts

*Combining Two Challenges*

 I decided to play along with the colour challenge at Color Hues as well as the stencilling challenge at Just Us Girls for my card to share today...  I even pulled out some vellum to use, something I haven't done in a long time!

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black

*Paper:  vellum

*Images:  Uniko Birthday Wishes

*Stencils:  Gina K

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne; Time Holtz Carved Pumpkin and Mustard Seed

*Etc:  clear embossing powder

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Challenges:  Just Us Girls #741; Color Hues #93

*Create It Three Ways February Birthday*

 I'm playing along with the Create it Three Ways Instagram Hop again this month... our theme for February is Birthday!  Come see what the rest of the players created by visiting my Instagram account.  You'll find the post (dated February 17 2024) and will be able to click to see all of the other creations.  We'd LOVE it if you gave us some love!

Here's how it works... each month we have a theme to work with (this month, as I mentioned, it's birthday)... we then make a total of three projects (I choose to do cards) using this theme AND we have to have at least one thing that is recurring in all three cards...  a colour combination, stamps, dies, technique...  at least one thing that is in all three cards.

I like to challenge myself to do a little more than one recurring thing in all three cards...  this month, all three of my cards are portrait orientation, all three use the same patterned paper, the same embossing folder and the same stamp!

Here are my creations....  

For this first one, I stamped my sentiment on a cut down piece of white cardstock.  Once it was dry, I put it through my Big Shot after lining up the big circle of the embossing folder.

This second one is pretty straight forward.... I had the embossed background and added a strip of the patterned paper down the centre of it.

For this third card, I had the embossed panel and cut it in to three pieces.  I put one piece on the green layer (before cutting it down with the Perfect Layers tool) then added in a strip of the patterned paper... then the centre piece, and a strip of the pattern paper, and then finally the last piece of the embossed cardstock.  I then used the Perfect Layers tool and my Xacto knife to create the green border.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Granny Apple Green

*Paper:  Stampin' Up! Pattern Party

*Images:  Uniko Wonderful Day

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Waffle Flower Nesting Circles, Additional Circles

*Embossing:  Lisa Horton Layered Bubbles

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Birthday Cupcake*

This is a card I made several weeks ago... I just keep forgetting to blog it!  Super quick to put together!

Card Info

*Paper:  MFT Black & White Stripes

*Images:  Picket Fence Studio Cupcake Love; Uniko Birthday Wishes

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne; Copics

*Dies:  Picket Fence Studio Cupcake Love

*Etc:  clear embossing powder; foam adhesive

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*CAS Colours & Sketches #522*

Lucy has chosen some bright and cheery colours for our colour challenge at CAS Colours and Sketches for October... none of those fall colours for this one!  Just as I was starting to get used to grabbing the more fall-like colours from my stash!

I love purple and blue, but yellow is not a favourite...  I'm not sure if you can tell from the photo, but all of my butterflies have both yellow and purple as I layered the die cuts.  I glued the one colour directly to the card base and then, for the one on top, I used glue down the body and foam adhesive near the body but under the wings to create dimension.  The other colour pops out at you depending on how you hold the card.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Daffodil Delight, Fresh Fresia

*Images:  Gina K Wreath Builder; Uniko Delightful Diamonds

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne; Catherine Pooler Suede Shoes

*Dies:  Waffle Flower Additional Circles; Paper Rose Studio Little Etched Butterflies

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Challenges:  CAS Colours & Sketches #522

*CAS Colours & Sketches #515*

There is a new colour challenge at CAS Colours & Sketches....  I can't wait to see what everyone creates using this colour combination!

As always, my team mates seem to choose colours that are not in my wheelhouse!  In fact, I had to borrow a few sheets of Soft Sea Foam from a friend as it is not a colour I actually like LOL!  I tried several different things with these colours and some die cuts before landing on this clean and simple creation.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Calypso Coral, Soft Sea Foam, Misty Moonlight

*Images:  Uniko Birthday Wishes

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Stampin' Up! Pierced Blooms, Layering Ovals

*Embellishments:  bling from my stash

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Challenges:  CAS Colours & Sketches #515

*Freshly Made Sketches #581*

 I was at a two day crop with my good friend Bonnie (and some new friends too!) this past weekend.  This was a fun event put on by Creative Scrapbooker magazine.  We spent a lot of time laughing, shopping, talking and creating.  If you've been around here for a while, you know that I struggle to create anywhere but in my own craft room, so I was surprised that I managed to make 10 cards with limited supplies.  The crop was close to home so I was able to switch out some colours and other products for day two as I was getting bored of using the same 5 colours that I took with me on day one.

The first card I created was following a fun sketch by Cecile at Freshly Made Sketches...  I really love having elements poking out from behind my focal point.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Melon Mambo, Granny Apple Green, Bermuda Bay

*Images:  Uniko Birthday Wishes

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Waffle Flower Circles, Additional Circles; Stampin' Up! Pierced Blooms

*Embellishments:   clear drops

*Challenges:  Freshly Made Sketches #581

*CAS Colours & Sketches #507*

 It's time for the monthly sketch challenge at CAS Colours and Sketches... and if you scroll to the bottom of this post, I have a little treat for you :-)

I had a lot of ideas in my head for this card (after I realized I made a card for another challenge with basically this sketch).  My first thought was little strips of patterned paper, but I wanted to do something that felt a little different.  I chose alphabet dies instead!

Card Info
*Images:  Uniko Birthday Wishes

*Ink;  Tim Holtz Distress Ink Picked Raspberry, Scattered Straw, Twisted Citron, Salty Ocean, Shaded Lilac; Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Concord & 9th Tall Type Alpha; MFT Stitched Rectangles

*Embellishments:  Nuvo Aqua Shimmer

*Challenges:  CAS Colours & Sketches #507

And here's a treat... I decided to take you along for the ride as I created this card.  I had the basic idea figured out before I started, but everything else was filmed as I went along...

*Paper Craft Crew #505*

I had the idea for this card in my head as soon as I saw the sketch at the Paper Craft Crew challenge blog... but then I thought I'd try to combine the sketch with the colour challenge at Color Hues.  And it was a disaster.  I just couldn't make the colours look right with the sketch.

So I took my card panel and threw it in the recycling bin and went with my first idea instead... and I am so happy that I did!  I love how the gold and black look with the sketch!

Card Info

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

*Images:  Uniko Wonderful Day

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  MFT Linked Chain Circles

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Challenges:  Paper Craft Crew #505