One Layer Wednesday 100

I've missed a lot of One Layer Wednesday challenges due to being gone this summer, but I didn't to miss this 100th challenge.  It's all about transportation and I used PTI fly away.   Since it's a square card, I'll also enter it into CAS-ual Fridays 65.

Thanks for visiting.

Ann

CAS-ual Fridays 45 & Less is More 60

It's so nice to be making cards again after a couple of busy weeks.  I made two cards for the CAS-ual Fridays challenge "The Bold and the Beautiful."  We were asked to combine a pastel color (or colors) with black.

I also made this first card for Less is More 60, which is to combine three past challenges on one card.   I used week 5 (pastels), week 38 (polka dots), and week 56 (scraps).  This 'dot flower' by Ditto/Studio G fit the bill for polka dots and the strips of paper along the bottom were pulled from my overflowing scrap bin.  The ink is VersaMagic chalk ink 'lulu lavender.'

For my second card I chose to use black ink on a pastel card base.  I rarely use a colored card base, and pastels only if making a baby card, so this was a change for me.  The stamps are from a Fiskars set I got on clearance that I quite like.   I had been wanting to use the little border stamp in the set to create a larger patterned block. I found this stamp quite easy to line up and I really like the way it looks stamped repeatedly. The panel is popped up on dimensionals.

 

Thanks for your visit today. 

Supplies:

Paper: PTI white, spring rain, scraps from scrap box

Ink: Memories black, VersaMagic lulu lavender, Memories black

Stamps: Ditto/Studio G, Fiskars floral flair

CAS-ual Fridays 39

The theme at CAS-ual Fridays is "Love Ya to Pieces," and they are asking for a CAS paper piecing project.  I used PTI lily of the valley and two pieces of patterned paper from my scrap box to paper piece the flowers, stems, and leaves.  A lot of fussy cutting, but worth it in the end, I think.

I am also linking up to the patterned paper challenge  at Lily Pad Cards.

Supplies:

Paper PTI plum pudding, lavender and pattererned paper from scrap box

Stamps: PTI

Ink: Memories

CFC35 and ric#3

The CAS-ual Fridays challenge to use scallops on a CAS card fit perfectly with what I was already planning to do - make some simple late Christmas thank you cards using scraps from my scrap box.  Two of the Girl Friday cards use a similar layout with a strip or strips of paper along the bottom of the card.  Love them!

For my first card I chose a gray argyle scrap and gray twine to finish it off.  I don't think the sentiment is perfect, but I felt it was the best of the choices I had. 

This one uses some leftover Christmas scraps.  I'm not loving this one as much.

As I was going through my scraps I came across this black and white paper.  Normally I would have passed it by, but the black and white geometric shapes reminded me of the Runway Inspired Challenge I've seen floating around in blogland.  So I tried it . . . and it's my favorite of the three!

CAS-ual Fridays 30

It's a tic-tac-toe board at CAS-ual Fridays this week, and participants get to choose their favorite rows to work with.  I chose the middle vertical row: polka dots, kraft, and orange. 

A local beekeeper generously gave me some beeswax recently, and my two Girl Scout troops melted it down and hand-dipped beautiful beeswax candles.  I wanted to make a special thank you card for him.  It was a bit tricky to make a masculine card using flowers and bees, and I wouldn't normally do such a thing.  However, seeing as Henri is a beekeeper and I was thanking him for beeswax, I felt the flowers and bees would be appropriate.

I used kraft card stock and a piece of fairly rustic polka dotted orange paper from my scrap bin to paper piece the flower.  The stem is also paper pieced using a scrap of dark green polka dotted paper.  Frankly, the bee is just too darn cute to be masculine, but how could I leave her off?  :)

Together with the notes my Girl Scouts made for Henri, I think this will be quite a nice thank you for a special gift.  Thanks for visiting today!

Supplies:

Paper: PTI kraft, scraps from scrap bin

Stamps: Hero Arts be happy, PTI mega mixed messages

Ink: Memories black

Christmas Cards with Bling

We've returned from a lovely family Thanksgiving having stuffed ourselves silly with turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and pumpkin pie!  I'm heading into a busy week and won't have a lot of time for card-making, so I worked into the wee hours last night to play along with Less is More and CAS-ual Fridays.  I went a little crazy with the Less is More challenge, a bit of bling, and made five very simple Christmas cards to complete my collection for the year.  Now I've just got to write them, stamp and address them, and pop them into the mail. 

The first two cards use a Martha Stewart snowflake stamp set and were inspired by this card I saw on Pinterest and this old sketch at Clean and Simple Stamping.  If the snowflakes were a little bit lower, I think it would be pretty with a sheer organza ribbon at the top, but I don't happen to have any at the moment.

The next two cards use the fabulous sketch at CAS-ual Fridays.  For the first card I used the same Martha Stewart snowflakes and the second card uses Hero Arts Merriest Christmas Wishes.  The little star gems are by Recollections.

Finally, I used these tiny Recollections flowers to make this super simple Christmas card.  I simply added a big pink gem to the center of each.  I do like red and pink together for Christmas.

Well, if you've made it this far, thanks for sticking with me. :)  I had fun playing with bling last night, and I'm thrilled to report that my Christmas cards are very nearly finished.  Most years, I would just be getting started.  What a refreshing change!

Sketch Inspiration:

Make It Monday 40 and CFC 28

I've been playing with the featured technique at PTI's Make It Monday, which is to use reverse applique on your card.

I found a small scrap of kraft cardstock, used a PTI apple die to cut three apples, and placed some very old scraps of plaid paper behind the openings.  Over the summer my 6-year old was chasing our dog through the house (big no-no!) when they knocked my sewing machine off the table and onto the floor.  It's not worth the cost of fixing it and I haven't replaced it yet, so no machine sewing for me today.  Instead I pierced holes around each apple using a straight pin.  I distressed the edges of both the kraft panel and the green mat and added brads to the corners.

 

My second card is for both Make It Monday and CAS-ual Fridays, which is to use a tag.  I cut the tag with a Sizzxx die.  The actual die is much longer, but by rolling it partway through my Cuttlebug and then back out, I was able to make it the size I wanted it. For this card, I pierced holes around the apple and hand-stitched with green embroidery floss.  I added a button and more green floss at the top of the tag to finish it.  

Both of these cards ended up having a 'country flavor' which is unusual for me.  I think it was the apples and the stitching that sent me in that direction! :)  At any rate, they will be handy to have when teacher appreciation week rolls around.

It was fun to experiment with new-to-me techniques (the reverse applique, paper piercing, and stitching), and I know I will use them again in the future.  Thanks for visiting!

Supplies:

Paper: PTI kraft, green and patterned scraps from scrap box

Stamps: PTI Communique Curves sentiment

Ink: Versamagic hint of pesto

Others: brads from stash, PTI apple die, button from stash, embroidery floss, Sizzix texture plate, Sizzix tag die

Less is More 40 and CFC27

I adore red and orange together, so I was tickled when I saw that the color challenge at Less is More is, in fact, red and orange!  The challenge is in honor of Firework Night, or Guy Fawkes Night, in the UK.

Red and orange can be so dramatic, so I thought they would work well for the PTI Mehndi Medallion images.  I have used this layout many times in the past, with a red card base and a thin orange mat.  I just love it.  The placement of my large medallion and sentiment is very similar to Susan Rahaila's card in this post. 

For the next card I pulled out my Hero Arts leaf prints set.  I love these leaves.  I simply stamped a panel of leaves, matted it in orange and placed it on a red card base.  I used PTI fillable frames for the sentiment and popped it up on dimensionals.

Finally, I thought I should have a card that had a little more white space (or in this case red space!) since this is for Less is More.  I also wanted to play along with the CAS-ual Fridays challenge this week, which is to make a CAS card with an element hanging over the edge.  I used a PTI tag-its set for my stamps, and stamped the circle in a Nestabilities die.  I initially used a traditional banner extending over the edge, but I didn't care for it.  I went back and cut the ends of my banner using the same Nestie, rolling it partway through the Cuttlebug just enough to cut the end.  I like how the shape of the end of the banner mirrors the shape of the sentiment panel.  I used a 4.25 inch square card so that it would fit in a standard envelope for easy mailing.  Just being practical. :)

Well, I could have kept on going with these fabulous colors, but the mess I've created must be cleaned up.  It was sure fun to indulge in a morning of card-making!  Thanks for stopping by to visit.

Supplies:

Paper: PTI

Ink: Brilliance pearlescent rust, pearlescent poppy

Stamps: PTI Mehndi medallion, fillable frames, Tag-its, communique sentiments

CAS-ual Fridays 22

The challenge at CAS-ual Fridays this week is to make a CAS card with a ribbon tab or loop. I was inspired by this beautiful ribbon in black, gold, and burgundy that I pulled out of the dollar bin at Michaels.

I stamped the Hero Arts branch and flourish tree in Brilliance pearlescent crimson. I just bought this stamp and I adore it. It is matted on PTI scarlet jewel and adhered to a PTI true black card base. I don't believe I've ever used black as the base for a Christmas card. Then I simply added my ribbon loop.

This card was difficult for me to photograph, probably because of the dark papers. You can't really see the ribbon or the beautiful shimmer of the pearlescent ink, but it is lovely IRL.

Thanks for visiting today. I hope you've all had a chance to make a card on this World Cardmaking Day! :)

Supplies:
Stamps: Hero Arts branch and flourish tree
Paper: PTI vintage cream, true black, scarlet jewel
Ink: Brilliance pearlescent crimson

CFC20 and Less is More 33

The theme at CAS-ual Fridays is to make a mini card (no larger than 4x4) and give the dimensions. At Less is More it is Anything Goes in an attempt to have 1,000 CAS submissions.

This card is 4x4 square. I paper pieced a Studio G cupcake, added pink glitter to the frosting, and clear sparkle to the candle flame. I stamped the sentiment across the card base multiple times to anchor the image.

There are multiple birthdays in my family in the month of October, so I'm busy making birthday cards these days. This card is for my niece, who will be turning 9 in just a couple of weeks.

Thanks for your visit today!

Supplies:
Stamps: Studio G
Ink: Stazon black, Memento Rosebud
Paper: PTI white, colored papers from scrap box
Other: Martha Stewart glitter, Marvy sparkle clear pen

CAS-ual Fridays 17

The theme for CAS-ual Fridays Challenge 17 is Stuck on You: use stickers on a clean and simple design. I have lots of stickers that I use on scrapbook layouts, but for some reason I rarely use them on cards. For this card I used some EK Success circle stickers, as well as an old sketch from Clean and Simple Stamping.




Supplies:
Paper: PTI vintage cream, blue from stash
Stickers: EK Success
Stamps: PTI Damask Designs
Ink: Brilliance

CAS-ual Fridays 16

The 16th challenge at CAS-ual Fridays is to create a clean and simple card using embossing, either dry embossing or heat set. We've just returned from another long weekend away visiting family, so I whipped up a quick card before the challenge closes this evening. I've used one of my favorite Cuttlebug embossing folders and some pretty flowers from Michaels that I like to use on scrapbook pages. I love the rosy pink against the kraft.


Supplies:
Paper: PTI kraft
Stamps/Ink: None!
Accessories: Cuttlebug embossing folder, ribbon and button from stash, Recollections flower, embroidery floss

Just Because

This card is a combination of three challenges, which must be a record for me! CAS-ual Fridays teamed up with Clean and Simple stamping this week to offer the sketch seen below. As soon as I saw it I knew I wanted to use sponging to create the panel, and lucky for me my favorite challenge blog, Less is More, asked us to use ink on a one-layer card this week.

I have used masking and sponging on a number of cards in the past, but I tend to sponge one color or a couple of really closely related colors. This time I decided to go for a sunset look and move from one color to the next across the masked area. I started with yellows, moved to oranges, then red, and finally a purple-red at the top.

I stamped a Stampendous flower image a couple of times on my panel, added a few rhinestones that I colored black with a Sharpie, and added a PTI sentiment. I hope to be back with another Less is More card in the next day or so, as I have been experimenting with the ink on acrylic block technique that Susan posted about last week. Thanks so much for visiting!

Supplies:
Paper: PTI
Stamps: Stampendous, PTI sentiment
Ink: Color Box, Brilliance Graphite Black

CAS-ual Fridays #13

Well, I've officially caught the bunting bug, and it's so much fun! I was playing with my new Hero Arts Kiss for the Sun set last night. I bought it because I thought I would like paper piecing the little outfits, and I'm sure I will, but I saw that there were two little banner stamps and decided to play with those instead.

The challenge at CAS-ual Fridays is to make a 4x9 inch card. I thought a banner would look good draping across a tall, skinny card, and I'm pleased with the results. I stamped a stem from another stamp set three times across the card and then stamped the flags hanging from the stem.

On the first card I colored randomly using miscellaneous prismacolor pencils. No plan at all, just bright, happy colors. On the second card I used a pattern of green, purple, and two blues. I will have fun playing around with this set some more. I have already stamped some flags on scraps of pastel colored paper to paper piece a bunting for a new baby card. And I'm sure I'll get to those cute little outfits in the set, too . . . . eventually.

Supplies:
Paper: PTI, scraps from stash
Stamps: Hero Arts Kiss for the Sun, Close to My Heart stem & sentiment
Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black
Others: Prismacolor pencils

CAS-ual Fridays # 12

The challenge at CAS-ual Fridays this week is to use stickers or rub-ons in a clean and simple design. I've never used rub-ons before and didn't think I had any. As I was looking through my scrapbooking stickers, I found one little pack of Imaginisce jungle animal rub-ons that I picked up on clearance once upon a time. I made two cards with them, and I hope they're 'casual' enough!


First up is a little baby card using a spotted giraffe. I cut the shape by hand, and I can say that I definitely need to go shopping for some new Nestabilities. They look so much neater when cut with dies.


Then I made a Miss You card using the lion. On the inside of the card I printed a computer-generated sentiment that says, " . . . and I'm not LION!"



My 9-year old will be going to a dude ranch for three nights next month with her closest friend's family. She's never been away from me for more than a night with her grandparents or best friend. I'll tuck this little lion card in her suitcase when she goes.

Supplies:
Stamps: PTI sentiments
Ink: Color Box chestnut roan
Rub-Ons: Imaginisce
Paper: miscellaneous from stash

CAS-ual Friday CFC11

The theme for CAS-ual Fridays challenge this week is Sweets & Treats, and I'm just squeaking in on the last day. We are to make a clean and simple card using something sweet.

My stamp collection is fairly limited in this category. I have a couple of cupcake stamps, but I wanted to do something I hadn't done before, so I decided to make an ice cream cone. I drew my cone and ice cream scoop by hand and cut them out. I scored lines on the cone with my scoring board and stitched some seed beads onto the scoop for sprinkles.



I didn't have an appropriate sentiment, so I ended up using two from from PTI Mega Mixed Messages to make my own. The Sweet is from Sweet Baby. I just masked off the baby before stamping.

I'm somewhat pleased with how this card turned out, but I'm not thrilled with the shape of my ice cream scoop. I'll probably fiddle some more with it. Or else I'll just go stamp shopping! :)



Supplies:
Paper: PTI white, pink from scrap box
Stamps: PTI Mega Mixed Messages
Ink: Color Box Chestnut Roan
Other: seed beads, Martha Stewart edge punch, scoring board

CAS-ual Fridays # 9

Krafts-men is the theme for CFC#9. Such clever titles! The challenge is to make a clean and simple, masculine card using kraft.

I love both kraft and natural colors. I used the beautiful Hero Arts Leaf Prints set, and stamped each image off on another sheet of paper before stamping on the panel to get a more textured look. I also used a fillable frame die from PTI to frame the sentiment.




I've tried it both with and without a button, and I can't decide which I like best. I'm leaning a little bit toward the card without the button.

Supplies:
Stamps: Hero Arts Leaf Prints, PTI Fillable Frames
Ink: Memento desert sand, Color Box chestnut roan
Paper: PTI kraft and rustic white, dark brown from scrap box
Others: button from stash, PTI die

CFC#7 and ColourQ #90

The CAS-usal Friday challenge this week is to use color blocking on a clean and simple card. I've used color blocking techniques a lot in scrapbooking, but never thought if it as a card technique! Trying to decide what colors to use, I stumbled across the colourQ challenge of using blues and red.


These colors, along with the fact that the Fourth of July is quickly approaching, had me feeling patriotic, so I set about making a card for The Fourth. This is what I ended up with. I made several attempts with stars stamped across the blocks in both blue and Versamark, but decided I liked it best as solid blocks of color. A few little star buttons and a sentiment from AMuse finished it off.


While I was making this card and feeling patriotic, I started thinking about how the American flag is basically blocks of color. I decided to see if I could use blocks of paper to make a flag card. I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. I tried stamping stars on the blue block and leaving it blank, but it needed something and again these star buttons worked perfectly.


Supplies:
Paper: PTI white and kraft, colored blocks from scrap bin
Stamps: AMuse sentiment
Ink: Brilliance rocket red
Others: star buttons from JoAnnes