CAS-ual Fridays Challenge #68–Top of the Class!

 

Hello Crafty Friends!

 

I’m back with another quick post.  Did I tell you that we bought a new house?!  Oh yeah – I think I failed to mention that!  So needless to say, my life is a bit chaotic at the moment.  Buying one house, decluttering, purging, and packing up 14 years of accumulation (OH EM GEE!), and selling our existing house – such a daunting task!  But one worth the effort if we ultimately downsize and simply our lives, which is what the goal is at this point.  But, that’s enough chit chat from me.  Let’s get to the challenge, shall we?

This time of year is such a magical one for me – there’s something about the crispness in the air, the change of colors in the trees, the smell of school supplies and books!  Fall is in the air, for sure!  So I was thrilled when Michele threw a “Back to School” themed challenge at us.  So fun, right?!  This week’s CAS-ual Fridays Challenge is to create a CLEAN & SIMPLE project and use “Back to School” as your theme.

 

Our sponsor is Pretty Paper Studio, and they’ve provided a wonderful prize for the this week’s TGIF Winner.  But you’ll have to click on through to the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge Blog to find out what it is – you’re going to like it, I promise!  Thank you Pretty Paper Studio!

I don’t have any little ones in school anymore, but I still love to create for the Back to School theme.  I recently visited one of my fave-a-lave brick and mortar stamp stores, Impress Rubber Stamps, and found the cutest alphabet stamp that was just perfect for my project!  I stamped it onto some black cardstock with some white pigment ink, to give the effect of a chalkboard.  I’ve listed the other products used on this project below:

STAMPS:  Pretty Patches: Apple (W Plus 9 Designs), I Love School (Technique Tuesday), and Alphabet (Catslife Press – 216G)
INK:  Unicorn Pigment and Black Dye (Memories/Hero Arts), Cherry and Grass Pigment (A Muse Studio)
PAPER:  Black Licorice and Sour Apple CS (French Poptone), Riding Hood Red (Stampin’ Up!), Solar White CS (Neenah)
OTHER:  Scallop Border Punch (Stampin’ Up!), Tag Sale #1 and #5 Dies (PTI), Linen Impression Plate (PTI), Green, Red and Black Baker’s Twine (Divine Twine)

 

That’s it for me, kids!  I need to get back to my packing and purging!  It’s amazing what you accumulate in 14 years and didn’t even realize you had!  Do yourself a favor and go through your stuff long before you decide to move – you can thank me later!  LOL  Thanks for stopping by today – I so appreciate it!

Going Out of Business Sale!!

Hello Peeps!

 

Phew!  I had an amazing whirlwind weekend, and I’m finally getting five minutes to catch up on my life!!  I hope you had a wonderful weekend, too!

I wanted to pop in really quickly to let you know about a HUGE going out of business sale that is going on effective immediately.  One of my first design team gigs was working for Julie at ABC Toys & Crafts, many moons ago.  Julie is a great friend, and she’s decided to seek out some really exciting opportunities beyond running a craft store!  She’s now selling the entire store contents for 60% off.  Yep, you read that right – 60% off!!  So, if you’re in the market for some great deals, please click on the picture above, which will take you directly to the ABC Toys & Crafts online store.  But you should probably hurry because once something is gone, it’s gone!  Happy shopping!!

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

The Cameo Spotlight Challenge #2–Numbers!

 

Wow!

Can you believe that it’s already time for the next Cameo Spotlight Challenge?!  You all did such a great job on the first one, so I hope you finally have the swing of using your Silhouette or Cameo in your card designs to play along with us again this week!  This week’s challenge is to create a card or tag and include numbers in your design – you’ll need to incorporate the use of your Silhouette or Cameo in some aspect of the card or tag, as well.  Fun, right?!

My brain exploded with ideas when I saw the theme, but it nearly spun right off my neck when I thought about creating a “text message” card!!  LOL  I’m not a super progressive girl, but I loves me some technology, especially my beloved iPhone!  So, I studied the appearance of my iPhone chat app and went to town duplicating that look into my card.  I downloaded a word bubble cutting file from the Silhouette Online Store.  I resized it, drew a rectangle around it, and cut it out of some yummy bright green cardstock.  I adhered the negative of the word bubble to a white card base with dimensional tape.  Then I created a text message using the font called Dotum (90 pt.) and cut it out of gray cardstock.  I adhered the letters and numbers to the white card base with dimensional tape.  That’s it!!  How fun would this be to throw into your son or daughter’s school lunch sack – no doubt they would love it!

SUPPLIES USED:

CUTTING FILES:  Three Thought Bubbles (Silhouette Online Store)
FONT:  Dotum 90 pt.
CARDSTOCK:  Cricket, White and Ash (American Crafts)

For all of the rules and details of this week’s Cameo Spotlight Challenge, as well as some amazing inspiration from the other TCS Cast Members and the InLinkz gadget to add YOUR project, please click through to the Cameo Spotlight Challenge Blog.  I so hope you’ll play along with us!

 

That’s it for me today, kids!  As you read this post, I’ll most likely be hanging out with my sweet friend, and perhaps playing with my new Cameo that she brought with her – ACCKKKKK!!  I’m so excited!!  Thanks so much for stopping by today – I hope you’re having a great weekend!

CAS-ual Fridays Challenge #67–Flags & Banners!

 

Hola Peeps!

 

No time for a lot of chatter today – I have a sweet friend visiting for the weekend, and we are busy, busy, busy!!  We’ll be stamping, eating, laughing, a little more stamping, a little more eating, and a LOT more laughing!!  So you can see, I’m kind of in a hurry – let’s get to it, shall we?

This week’s CAS-ual Fridays Challenge is to create a CLEAN & SIMPLE project and include banners or flags in your design.  There’s a fabulous prize up for grabs for this week’s TGIF winner, but you’ll have to head on over to the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge Blog to find out what it is!  Oh, and while you’re there, be sure and check out the inspirational work of the other Girl Fridays – you’ll be amazed at their creativity!

 

I created this little project with a vision in mind.  I totally remember driving my bicycle around our neighborhood as a child, and I distinctly remember having a cool flag flying on the back – I loved it!  I used some washi tape for the road and for the flying flag.  Easy peasy!

PRODUCTS USED:

STAMPS:  Enjoy the Ride (A Muse Studio), Up, Up & Away (PTI)
INK:  VersaMark (Tsukineko), Unicorn and Black (Memories/Hero Arts)
PAPER:  Bashful Blue CS (Stampin’ Up!), Bazzill Yellow (Bazzill)
OTHER:  Road and Red Washi Tape (Freckled Fawn), Rouge Embossing Powder (Zing/American Crafts), Daisy Border Punch (EK Success), Pearls (Stampin’ Up!)

Well, that’s it for me, kids!  I’ll be having some major league fun as of this post – wish you all could join us!!  Thanks so much for stopping by!  I so appreciate the time that you spend here and in leaving me some love.  I’ll be back tomorrow with the next Cameo Spotlight Challenge!!

CAS-ual Fridays Challenge #66 -

 

Happy Friday, friends!!

 

Where do the days go, for crying out loud?!!  I swear the weeks just disappear right before my eyes lately.  And as is always the case on Fridays, it’s time once again for the newest CAS-ual Fridays Challenge!  This challenge is so perfectly timed for this time of year – which is to create a CLEAN & SIMPLE project that incorporates something from the ocean!

This week’s sponsor is Stop and Scrap, the purveyor of everything scrapbooking – like everything you could possibly need or want!  Stop and Scrap has very kindly provided an amazing prize for this week’s TGIF Winner, but you’ll have to pop into the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge Blog to find out what it is.  While you’re there, be sure and check out the over the moon amazing inspiration that the other Girl Fridays have cooked up for you.  Thank you, Stop and Scrap!

My mind literally exploded with ideas for this challenge, but ultimately, this is what I settled on.  I adore this sweet little goldfish from the Paper Smooches’ set called Surf and Turf.  In fact, this set has soooo many fun images that I had a hard time choosing!  I stamped the waves on the aqua panel, and then stamped the bubbles from Surf and Turf.  I added a bit of gradient bling to really jazz up those bubbles.  Pretty stinkin’ cute, right?!

PRODUCTS USED:

STAMPS:  Surf and Turf (Paper Smooches Stamps), Hooked on You (W Plus 9 Designs)
INK:  Pool (Fresh Ink), Black (Hero Arts/Memories)
PAPER:  Baja Breeze (Stampin’ Up!), Solar White (Neenah), Dots & Stripes Homefront (Echo Park)
OTHER:  Linen Impression Plate and Orange Ribbon (PTI), Googlie Eye (from my stash), 1-3/4” Circle Punch (EK Success), Self-adhesive gems (Doodlebug Designs)

 

Well, friends, that’s it for me today.  I’m helping a friend put on a 50th birthday party tonight and hope to get some time in my craft room on Saturday.  Hopefully you have some great plans for the weekend!  Thanks so much for stopping by today – I sure appreciate it!

The Cameo Spotlight Challenge #1–Summer!

 

Well hello, again!!

I know, can you believe that first Cameo Spotlight Challenge is FINALLY here!!  It seems like it’s taken forever since the DT was announced!!  But today is the day that we get to share samples in the hopes that you all will be inspired to get your Silhouette or Cameo out and play with us!

So our first challenge is to create a card design that represents a summer time theme.  So when you think of summer, what do you think of?  Whatever it is, that’s what you should use as your inspiration for this week’s challenge!  My inspiration came from all those photos you see on Facebook of people who are on vacation and post a picture of their feet with some amazing tropical scene off in the distance.  And I’m really loving the Polaroid frame look these days, aren’t you?!  I saw that a stamp company recently came out with a photo frame die and the set was priced at $24 – what?!!  Believe me when I tell you I was thrilled to little bits to find a very similar frame in the Silhouette Studio Store for $.99!!  Woohoo again, right?!  But honestly, it wouldn’t take much to design your own instamatic frame in the Studio software – it’s just a rectangle with a square inside.  Easy peasy!!

PRODUCTS USED:

CUTTING FILES:  All from the Silhouette Studio Store - Polaroid Frame (Design #18096), Sun (Design #17283), Sand (Design #11275), Flip Flops (Design #20288)
STAMPS:  Wish You Were Here (Hero Arts)
INK:  Black Dye (Hero Arts/Memories)
PAPER:  Dots & Stripes Home Front Collection (Echo Park), Pool & Caramel CS (American Crafts), Sunshine, Lily White and Tropical CS (Bazzill Basics Paper)
OTHER:  Pearls (Stampin’ Up!), Heart to Heart #6 Cloud Die (PTI), Button (PTI), Baker’s Twine (Divine Twine)

 

I know you want to see what the other Cameo Spotlight chicas have created for your inspiration, right?!  Well, you so need to click on through to The Cameo Spotlight Challenge Blog to see for yourself.  That’s where you’ll also find the rules of the challenge as well as the InLinkz gadget to upload your challenge project – because I KNOW you want to play with us, right?!

 

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  As you read this, we’ll be whizzing across the Pacific Ocean on the Victoria Clipper to Victoria, B.C. and Butchart Gardens!  I hope you have a fabulous weekend in store for you, too!

CAS-ual Fridays Challenge #65–Hip to be Square!

 

Happy Friday, kids!!

 

Hope you’ve been having a great week so far!  I’ve been working like a busy little beaver in anticipation of friends arriving today for the weekend!  We plan to spend some time in Victoria, B.C., as well as show them all the sights of Seattle.  And it’s supposed to be sunny – BONUS!!

It’s that time again for another CAS-ual Fridays Challenge!  This week’s challenge is super easy – create a CLEAN & SIMPLE design, using a square card base.  Fun, right?!

Stampotique Originals is our awesome sponsor this week, and they very generously provided some amazing images to the Girl Fridays to play with!  If you’re looking for some super unique and fun images to stamp with, you so need to check Stampotique Originals out now!  Thank you, Stampotique Originals!!

So I had the pleasure of working with the image called Funky Dotted Leaves.  I adore the great lines and detail in this image.  It was super fun to work with.  I stamped it onto three different colors of cardstock in dark brown pigment ink.  I love a dramatic fall color scheme, don’t you?

PRODUCTS USED:

STAMPS:  Funky Dotted Leaves (Stampotique Originals), Remember (Hero Arts)
INK:  Chocolate (Fresh Ink), Toffee (A Muse Studio)
PAPER:  Hot Fudge (French Poptone), More Than Mustard and Really Rust (Stampin’ Up!), Summer Sunrise (PTI)
OTHER:  Take Three Die (PTI), Woodgrain Impression Plate (A Muse Studio), Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers)

 

Well, kids, that’s it for me today.  We’ll be driving around enjoying the sights of sunny Seattle today, and off to Victoria, B.C., tomorrow.  I hope you have a great weekend!  Be sure and stop by tomorrow, though, as I’ll have a sample to share for the very first Cameo Spotlight Challenge!!  Woohoo!!  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Under A Cherry Tree Guest Designer!!

 

Hola Peeps!!

 

Happy Wednesday!  I’m popping in today as the guest designer for Jin at Under A Cherry Tree – the most clever and innovative electronic die cutting expert on the face of the earth!!  No seriously . . . I don’t think you understand.  Jin is like the MacGyver of electronic die cutting, and I heart her like no other!!  So to say that I was honored and thrilled when she asked me to be her guest designer is a total understatement.  Jin asked me to share a few of my favorite Silhouette projects, so let’s get to it, shall we?

I’ve been using my Silhouette SD in my card designs for the last several months now, and I feel like it’s totally changed the way I create.  I love the way it satisfies that “straight line/symmetrical” side of my creative brain, and the dimension that it adds is so amazing!  For my first project, I downloaded the “Sun Bowl Sign” (Design # 21141) from the Silhouette Studio store, and created a print and cut project with it.  I added the word “You” in the upper banner, and printed “Me Over” on the card front.  I loves me a punny sentiment, and I thought it would be a perfect card for the guy in your life to show him how much you love him in his love language!  Right?!  LOL

 

 

We finally got a bit of summer here in Washington – it’s been HOT the last couple of days!  But that didn’t keep me from creating this fun little winter beanie.  I love taking an image (Snow Day, Design #24488), resizing it, mirroring the image, and welding it to create a shaped card.  I actually learned this little trick from Jin – she’s  a genius, I tell ya!

 

 

Finally, I don’t think I’ve ever shared this project with you, but this design was a fun little project that was published in the recent Card Creations, Volume 10, a special issue put out by Paper Crafts Magazine.  I would KILL for a cool looking pair of Chuck’s like this, wouldn’t you?!!  This shoe card was downloaded (Duh with Tennis Shoe, Design #23338), resized, mirrored and welded, similar to the hat above.  I added some fun stitching with my sewing machine, and stamped the sentiment.  Easy peasy!

 

Well, that’s it for me today, kids!  I’d like to thank Jin for allowing me to share on her blog today.  If you all are ever looking for die cutting tutorials, product comparisons, and fantabulous ideas for utilizing your electronic die cutting machine in your creative life, you so need to hang out for a bit at Jin’s blog, Under A Cherry Tree – you are going to be BLOWN AWAY!

 

Thanks so much for stopping by today – I so appreciate it!  Have a great day!

CAS-ual Fridays Challenge #64–On Cloud 9

 

Hello Stampy Friends!!

It’s time for the next CAS-ual Fridays Challenge, and since it’s the first Friday of the month, it’s also the time we’re looking for our next Guest Designer – BONUS!!  This week’s challenge is to:  create a CLEAN & SIMPLE design and include something that you can find in the sky.  The possibilities are ENDLESS, right?!

Of course, our fave-a-lave sponsor for this week’s challenge is the uber wonderful Simon Says Stamps.  If you’ve never ordered from Simon Says Stamps, you so need to.  Their customer service is outstanding, and they carry just about every kind of crafty goodie that anyone could ever dream of having – no joke!!  Simon Says Stamps has provided a wonderful prize for this week’s TGIF Winner, but you’ll have to click on through to the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge Blog to see what it is.  Thank you Simon Says Stamps!

I had a blast with this challenge (actually, I have a blast with ALL of the CAS-ual Fridays Challenges – lucky me!)  I just HAD to utilize my new Jumbo Cloud Stax Dienamics Dies and trimmed the largest one out a bit to fit it onto an A2 card.  I flipped the same die over and traced around the outside edge onto some Echo Park striped paper, trimmed it out, and adhered it behind the white cloud to give it a bit of a “glow.”  The airplane was stamped on some Echo Park polka dot paper, and then die cut.  The sentiment is stamped and die cut with a double ended banner die.

PRODUCTS USED:

STAMPS:  Fly Away and Little Hot Rod (PTI)
INK:  Black (Memories/Hero Arts)
PAPER:  Bashful Blue (Stampin’ Up!), Lily White (Bazzill Basics Paper), Dots & Stripes Homefront (Echo Park)
OTHER:  Shore Baker’s Twine (The Twinery), Double Ended Banner Die & Sunshine Impression Plate (PTI), Jumbo Cloud Stax Dienamics (MFT), Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers)

 

Well, kids, that was pretty fun, huh?!  You totally should click on through to the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge Blog to see what the other Gal Fridays have conjured up for your viewing pleasure and inspiration.  You are going to be blown away!  I’ve got a super busy weekend ahead of me, with a Charity Water event tonight, a wedding tomorrow, and another get together on Sunday.  I’m going to need a weekend after my weekend!  LOL  Hope you have a great weekend!  Thanks for stopping by today!

Big News!!

Oh my goodness!!

I’ve been keeping a big fat secret for a few days now, and I am thrilled to be able to finally spill the beans about it today!!  You all know how much I adore my Silhouette electronic die cutting machine, right?!  Like, I love it so much that I can’t imagine my crafting life without it now.  Many of the projects that I’ve had picked up for publication recently have been created using my Silhouette.


So, when I saw that the amazing Jackie Rockwell was starting The Cameo Spotlight Challenge Blog, specific to CARDS created with the Silhouette, I just about hyperventilated! I submitted an application for the design team, and to my utter thrill and surprise, Jackie invited me to join the team!!  Are you kidding me?!!  And wait until you see who my teammates are – oh my goodness – total crafting ROCK STARS!!  Be sure and click on through to The Cameo Spotlight Challenge Blog to find out who they are, and to get the specifics of our very first challenge that’s coming up on August 11th!  You’re going to LOVE it!!


In celebration of my good news, I have a fun little project to share with you!  I adore shaped cards and have found that creating shaped cards with my Silhouette is a BREEZE!!  This was a fun design that I found in the Silhouette store, and I just resized it, mirrored the image at the top, offset it, and then welded it together to create a card base.  I then cut and assembled the other parts to create this cute card that would be super fun to send to one of your friends that you haven’t heard from in a while!  The sentiment is computer generated – easy peasy!

Thank you so much for letting me share my great news with you today!  I can’t wait for you to join us in creating something for the first TCS challenge on August 11th!!  Thanks for stopping by today – you all make my day when you pop in to say hi!  Have a great day!