Cutting Edge Challenge #2–Seattle Hello!

Happy Saturday, friends!
Hoping that all of my American friends enjoyed an amazing Fourth of July holiday!!  We had a lovely day at our house.  Low key and relaxing – that’s my idea of a pretty great day!

It’s time to reveal the next Cutting Edge Challenge!!  This week’s inspiration project is one of mine (that was originally inspired by a project that Julie Ebersole created.)  Your challenge is to take inspiration from this project and create a new project based on that inspiration.  Here’s what I created:

If you’re a regular visitor here at my blog, you know that I am OBSESSED with cityscapes.  I picked up this Seattle Skyline die from Impress Rubber Stamps last summer when I was home, and I love it just as much today as I did back then!  Had to use it for today’s project – it was calling my name!!  LOL  I created a little hillside and some scalloped waves with two of the new Pretty Pink Posh stitched border dies.  The stitched image panel was created using my fave Stitched Rectangle Mats from Lil Inker Designs.  The cloud word bubble and sentiment are from Simon Says Stamp.  I’ve listed the products I used below.

We’d love to see your take on this week’s inspiration.  AND we are thrilled to little bits to announce that Ellen Hutson has graciously and very generously offered to sponsor the first challenge of each month!!  The winner of this week’s Challenge will win a $25 gift certificate to Ellen’s amazing online store!!  How cool is that?!  If you click on through to the Cutting Edge Challenge Blog you’ll find:

• The winners of last week’s Challenge, as well as the Top 3;
• A gorgeous project created by our second Guest Designer, Gayatri Murali;
• More amazing projects that the rest of my sweet teamies created for your inspiration;
• The rules and regulations of the Challenge; and
• The InLinkz linkup where you can upload YOUR answer to this week’s Challenge – which closes on Thursday, July 10, 2014 at 9:00 AM EDT.

That’s it for me today, friends!!  I’m hanging out in my craft room all day today, and headed to a wedding this evening!  Another great day, I’d say!!  Hoping you have some awesome plans ahead for your weekend!!  Thanks so much for stopping by!

*Simon Says Clear Stamps HELLO YOU SSS101389 *Simon Says Stamp *TALK BUBBLES 2 Craft Die S144 Seattle Skyline Die Impress Pretty Pink Posh Dies, Stitched Borders 1 Stitched Mats: Rectangles VersaFine, Onyx Black A Cardstock, Essentials by Ellen: White Linen #100 Cardstock, 25 Pack Smoke Gray Cardstock Simon Says Stamp Bazzill Card Shoppe Cardstock, Juicy Pear, 25 pk Blu Raspberry Card Stock *Simon Says Stamp Card Stock 100# BLUE VIOLET BV13 Fiskars ProCision 12 Inch Bypass Trimmer Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Powder Blue & Teal Sizzix, Cutting Pad, Standard Sizzix Accessory, Magnetic Platform for Wafer-Thin Dies Teflon Bone Folder Martha Stewart Scoring Board, Mini

InLinkz.com

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!