Friday, September 30, 2016

C.A.S.E A Card Friday #33-2016

Here is the card Sue was to C.A.S.E. - Copy And Share Everything


Sue remained true to the design while make some creative changes 
I’m being honest here. I haven’t yet attempted a shaker card. Didn’t think I wanted to make this my first attempt. Instead, I made a slight turn and went for shine instead of sequins and hearts instead of stars, because that’s what I have. I die cut a piece of a double-sided adhesive sheet with a heart shape. I removed one layer of the protective liner, revealing the adhesive. I sprinkled on some Egyptian Gold Gilding Flakes by Cosmic Shimmer and burnished in the flakes with a bone folder. In retrospect, it probably would have been easier to have started with a square piece of the adhesive sheet, add the gilding flakes and then die cut, as a few edges seems to have missed gilding flakes. It’s an experiment I will try later. I found the perfect embossing folder to complement my card – docrafts’ Xcut Small Polka Hearts. The sentiment is from Simon Says STAMP Lots of Thanks. I completed the card with a small strip of gold shimmer paper and a small die cut heart. The sentiment panel was popped up with dimensionals. - Sue
A closer look at the gilded heart

When you C.A.S.E. a card you make it your own just like Sue did by using a great gilded heart instead of a shaker type, so make your own version today.
Denise


Thursday, September 29, 2016

Technique Thursday #33-2016

All month long we have used double embossing for our Technique Thursdays.  Here Sue creates a beauty of a card -

.
I used Hero Arts Designblock Everything Flower background stamp with Versamark ink and WOW!’s Metalline Red embossing powder which I heat set with my heat tool. Then I placed the panel in Cricut Cuttlebug’s Chicken Wire embossing folder, to achieve the double embossed criteria. This was the first time I had attempted this. I’m quite surprised by the very cool effect that the double embossing creates. The sentiment was put on a banner and popped up with dimensionals. The sentiment is from Papertrey Ink’s Keep it Simple Thank You stamp set. - Sue

Here is a closeup of the detail

I love the unusual choice of chicken wire for the embossing folder Sue used. This technique really does look so great in person. 
Denise

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Card Sketch Wednesday #33-2016

How would you use this card sketch?


Sue chose to make an inspiration card using a theme that has probably touched the life of you or someone you know.

I used CAS-ual Friday’s Hope Ribbon stamp set from the Calling All Sistahs collection for my card. I used two shades of pink on the ribbon to add some interest. The sentiment is also from that stamp set and I used Stampin’ Up’s oval and scalloped oval punches for the sentiment. I used a background panel of blue cardstock and found a scrap of striped paper that complemented both the pinks on the ribbon and the blue background. I added three enamel dots to complete the card.- Sue

This card would brighten the day of anyone who received it, so take the challenge to make a card to cheer someone up.-
Denise

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Color Challenge Tuesday #33-2016


Here are the colors that challenged our designer today -
Sue did a great job with this neutral palette. 


I started with two pieces of dark gray cardstock, one 4.25” x 5.5” and one roughly 1.5” x 3.5”. I used Stampin’ Up’s Hardwood stamp and Stampin’ Up’s Early Espresso ink to add the hardwood image to both pieces of dark gray cardstock. The full size panel was used for the background. The smaller piece was used to create the “frame” for the sentiment panel. The sentiment is from Simon Says STAMP Flower Friend stamp set.- Sue

I love the look of wood in this card - Denise

Monday, September 26, 2016

Mistletoe Monday #33-2016


For Mistletoe Monday include an animal

Sue included this fun reindeer 

Looking through my stamps, I found this super cute reindeer from The Alley Way’s Fa-La-La stamp set. I added colour with copic markers. The sentiment is from Simon Says STAMP Ornaments stamp set. I found some scraps from Basic Grey’s Wassail paper line which I used to create the background. To make the reindeer panel pop, I matted it with a piece of black cardstock. -Sue

Sometimes it is fun to look through our stamps and create things we haven't done for a while, so look for an animal from your stash to use. - Denise

Sunday, September 25, 2016

Clean and Simple Sunday #33-2016

We start a new week with Clean & Simple Sunday
 Anything Goes 

Sue will be our designer all this week and she starts with a lovely Thank you card-


I started this card by masking 1.75” on the left side of the card front with post-it tape. I added colour using ink blending tools and distress inks (dusty concord, ripe persimmon, faded jeans).  I removed the post-it tape. Then, I used Stampin’ Up’s Just Believe stamp set for the flower/grass silhouette, intentionally stamping “outside” the coloured panel slightly. The sentiment is from Catherine Pooler’s Stamp of Approval Beautiful World Collection, Enchanted Garden by Sugar Pea Designs. I matted the card front with black to frame the card.- Sue

The designers have done a great job all month on Sundays with no other instructions other than Clean & Simple

Saturday, September 24, 2016

Inspiration Saturday #32-2016

Various barns have been our inspiration over the past Saturdays and so it is today.


I tried my new water coloring skills for this card - 


The inspiration picture immediately reminded me of a stamp I purchased while attending a scrapbook meet earlier this year.  The stamp is made by North Coast Creations and is called Barn.  I stamped it with Versafine on watercolor paper and then painted it with a water-coloring using Tim Holtz Distress Inks.  Some of the colors used were Barn Door, Hickory Smoke, Pine Needles, Stormy Sky, Mowed Lawn, Forest Moss and Scattered Straw.  The color choices alone paint the same picture, lol.  The sentiments are from a CTMH set called Country Born.  I have really branched out unto coloring stamped images and it is fun. - Denise


Friday, September 23, 2016

C.A.S.E A Card Friday #32-2016

Time to C.A.S.E, this card


Sometimes a card just doesn't strike me and I have a hard time getting a thought as to how I want to use what we have been given.  While it is not my favorite, here is what I came up with.



This is another card that had several failed attempts to come up with something like the original, but different.  I finally used an arrow stamp I had in place of the plain lines of the original card.  I stamped those in random lengths along with the sentiment in Versmark, then added gold embossing powder and heat embossed them.  I then used various shades of Tim Holtz Distress Inks to add layers of color. – Denise


Thursday, September 22, 2016

Technique Thursday #32-2016

Today's technique was also a month-long challenge for the designers called double embossing.  This means you use both dry and heat embossing together in one card.  A video describing one way to do this can be found here. http://stampartpapel.com/double-embossing-y-versamagic/

I went with a more gender neutral take -



This was the first time I tried double embossing and I really wanted to dry emboss something and then cover the high areas of the embossing with embossing powder to really highlight them.  After several unsuccessful tries, I gave up and went with this technique which I ended up loving.  I used a script stamp from Stampabilites to stamp a background in Versamark on brown paper and then covered with black ultrafine embossing powder  and heat embossed it.  I then ran that through my Cuttlebug using an woodgrain embossing folder by Darice.  I added a couple of feathers that I collect on my morning walks along with a favorite saying. – Denise

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Card Sketch Wednesday #32-2016

A card sketch is a great way to kick off a card when you are quite sure where to begin.
Here is the sketch for today -



Here is my version based on this sketch -


And the inside -


I used this sketch to come up with a card that was given to an engaged couple at a family reception.  I used papers from a stack by Me and My Big Ideas for Mambi called What’s Cookin’?.  It has a cool retro look and since we were supposed to bring a recipe, it fit the theme.  I printed the sentiment on some velum that matched in color and punched it out with a Fiskars circle punch.  A fussy cut of the apple completed the sketch.  On the inside, I used Fiskar’s punch to make a holder for the recipe card which was from a page of the same stack. – Denise

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Color Challenge Tuesday #32-2016

The colors for the challenge came from here



Here is my take which used both the colors and the flowers as inspiration.


The papers in this card came from a stack by DCWV called The Solstice Stack.  I was in a surplus store called Ollie’s early this year and they had all these 12 x 12 cardstock stacks by DCWV for $2.99 each.  Needless to say I fed my paper addiction and immediately purchased 10 different stacks.  I love these stacks for card making because of all the coordinating papers they have and at that price I can make tons of cards. This one matched the colors for this challenge pretty well so a few trims, a fussy cut of a flower from a page, a sentiment printed out on some shimmer paper and the card was done.  Inspired by another designer, I have also been trying to do more decorative inside of cards too, so here is the inside– Denise


Monday, September 19, 2016

Mistletoe Monday #32-2016



In the last Monday of the month, the challenge remains the same - use an animal in your card.  There have been a variety of animals and here is mine.


This card was super quick since the papers and the stickers used were all from a Carta Bella collection called Warm and Cozy.  I liked the rustic look of this kit.  You can get so many cards and layouts from these types of collections since all the papers and embellishments go together. – Denise


Sunday, September 18, 2016

Clean and Simple Sunday #32-2016

Clean & Simple Sunday

This will be a light week since there is only one designer - me- for this week, so we will begin with a Clean and Simple monochromatic card - 



I tried a new technique in which you cover the paper with ink (I used Ranger Archival Ink) by rubbing the pad all over the paper.  You then ink up a stamp with Versamark and stamp on the colored ink.  The Versamark will react with certain inks and lighten up the stamped image.  This can be sped up by using a heat gun on it after stamping. I used a Unity stamp set called Donna Poppies.  The main image was using the Versamark. When it was dry, I used the outline stamp using Close To My Heart, Daisy White and added a stem by drawing it with a white permanent chalk marker.  Only certain inks react with the Versamark this way, so experiment to see what happens. This was a quick and easy technique and I love the subtle look it gives. – Denise

Saturday, September 17, 2016

Inspiration Saturday #31-2016

If you are looking for the CASE a Card Blog Hop - Click here

Inspiration Saturday
Inspiration can come from anywhere and this picture provides some great ideas -

Gracie shows off her coloring skills here-


I love the colors in the photo.  Love the barn!  Have a new barn stamp and can't  find  it.  I know , I have to get my room reorganized!  I did find Penny Black "Daydream".  She is stamped on white cs with  Memento  Luxe Tuxedo  Black  ink and embossed  with clear embossing  powder.  She is colored with Spectrum  Noir markers then fussy cut and mounted on red, black and gold cs with  a white cs card base.  The  sentiment  was printed from the computer.  I love the rich colors. ~ Gracie

Tantalaya also choose the colors as her inspiration -


For this challenge I took the colors and made them into sunflowers. So we have flowers from the photo and tied in the colors as well and I popped them up using foam tape and then attached the wood veneer "today" and added you rock using gain the window punch and label punch from Stampin' Up! For the final step I added bling to the center of each flower and to the sentiment.

This has been a great week with Gracie & Tantalaya and I look 
forward to seeing their creations next month.  Join us tomorrow for as we start my week with both new and recurring challenges.- Denise



Friday, September 16, 2016

C.A.S.E.a Card Blog


Remember the old kids game, Telephone? You know the one where a secret is told to the first person in line and then they tell what they think they heard to the next person and they tell the next person and so on and so on.  At the end of the line, the person says what they heard and the first person tells what they originally said and laughter erupts because the two things are nothing alike.  Well today's hop plays that game, but with card making instead of secrets.

This hop is un-like any you've probably ever been too. 

We took one card created by Alicia  and sent it to the next blogger who then C.A.S.E.d the card (copy and steal everything) and sent her card on to the next blogger who C.A.S.E.d it and sent her card to the next blogger.  You get the idea. 

When you are done hopping you'll see how different or maybe how similar the last card is to the first.

You should have arrived here from Amanda Amanda- If you would like to start at the beginning visit Alicia's blog


We'd like to say a HUGE THANKS to our sponsor today.
http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/scrapsbygracie/

Theresa is giving away a $20 Stampin' Up Gift Certificate to one lucky winner AND
take 10% off any order placed through her (not available on website) by September 30th. 
Email her at scrapsbygracie@gmail.com with your order. 

All you have to do to win this fabulous prize is comment on each of the blogs.
That's it! It really is easy.  
Of course, we would love it if you became a follower too. 

Comment buttons can be found at the bottom of the post (on most of the blogs).
Now on with the hop!

We did a CASE train within the CADC team using a different start from the rest of the blog, but you can see the same evolution within the following cards - 
Join this train and see how we go from
 this          to         this
 

Kimberly took the challenge from the card to the left and created this beauty-

My card reflects the same color palate of blue, green and brown, the butterfly and a "torn edge" from the original card. The flower is a stamp from Penny Black's Blooming Garden.  The colors are Memento Ink Summer Sky and Pear Tart. I stamped the flower randomly on Neenah Solar White Cardstock trimmed to 4" wide. The bottom of the panel is die cut with a Stampendous border die. Next, I trimmed kraft cardstock to size A2 and stamped the sentiment (from Catherine Pooler's SOA Lovely Notes Collection) with Memento Rich Cocoa Ink. The floral image is repeated in the bottom right hand corner of the kraft panel. I popped up the white panel with fun foam and added a strip of kraft on the top.  The butterfly is a Kaisercraft wood embellishment decorated with Spectrum Noir Clear Sparkle and pearls. 

Gracie took Kimberly's card and things started changing with this  stunning card- 
- This card was made using elements from tags I received in tag swaps.  The tags were inked and embossed then distressed.  The small tag was completely embossed with clear embossing powder -looks so nice in person!  The background is faux suede material with adhesive backing I found in a bargain bin at a discount store for 99 cents!  Still had the tag on it for $9.99 -cha ching!.  The green ribbon border is from the tag with the trees.  I love how everything came together! ~ Gracie  

Some more changes and Sue continues with another great card -


 Here is a closeup of the tree detail.
This was tough – some design anxiety as well as time pressure. I decided to start with a kraft panel, where I added distress inks (pumice stone towards the top and peeled paint toward the bottom) with ink blending tools. I stamped the evergreen tree from Stampin’ Up’s Lovely as a Tree stamp set three times with Stampin’ Up’s Old Olive ink. Instead of shine, in the card I was CASE-ing, I went for sparkle, which I added with a Sakura clear glitter pen. I ripped the panel for a jagged edge on the bottom. For the background, I started with a dark brown piece of cardstock and added a bit of interest by adding pumice stone distress ink with an ink blending tool. I attached the tree panel to the background with two brads. The sentiment is from Paper Smooches Group Hugs stamp set. I used Memory Box’s Pastry Labels to cut the label and inked the edge with Prima’s chalk fluid edger pad in Dark Bark. I found a piece of random ribbon to complete the card.

Tantalaya is stop number four on this train 
and what a great stop it is.


- I used a stamp from Stampin' Up! Lovely As a Tree set. I stamped on heavy weight vellum with Versamark ink and then used Ranger super fine detail powder in silver. I then scored at 1/2" on the top of the vellum to have a way to attach the vellum to the white card stock and once they were together I then tore the white paper and then the vellum. I used a silver thin ribbon and attached the sentiment on top. I cased the idea of the trees and then I used brads and ribbon. I did however change the color of the card and the direction of how the card opens and I also created an extra layer by adding the gray matte that I attached the ribbon to. Also instead of using only 2 brads I added 2 more for a total of 4 brads on mine.

Robbie takes us closer to Halloween with this cute card -

To make my version of the card before me I used the same stamp set and layout.  All my supplies are from Stampin’ Up.  I began by stamping the Lovely As a Tree stamp on Whisper White using Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  I punched a 1” circle out of a post-it note and added it in the sky.  I then did some sponging using Daffodil Delight, Elegant Eggplant, So Saffron, and Memento Tuxedo Black inks.  I cut a 2 ½” x 5 ¼” piece of Halloween Night Specialty Designer Series Paper.  I mounted this onto a Pumpkin Pie card base that measured 5 ½” x 8 ½” that was scored in the middle at 4 ¼”.  I then added the tree panel on top making sure to line up the edges and to leave a small border at the top.  I cut the witch out of Basic Black card stock using the Halloween Scene Edglits dies.  I attached her using glue dots.  I cut a ¼” strip of Pumpkin Pie card stock and added it across the bottom polka dot panel.  Using Memento Tuxedo Black ink I stamped the sentiment and used the Modern Label punch to punch it out.  My sentiment was added using Stampin' Up Dimensionals.  Here is my C.A.S.E. of Tanatalaya’s card.

Finally my card is the last one - 

 Robbie’s card inspired me to use a new tree stamp I had.  I cut a piece of white cardstock and sponged on a circle of Tim Holtz Distress ink in Mustard Seed.  I then added layers across the width of the card in Scattered Straw, Dried Marigold, Stormy Sky and Chipped Sapphire.  I repeated the same layers on a piece of velum the same size as the white cardstock.  I stamped the trees from a set by Tim Holtz called Tree Line with Momento Ink in Tuxedo Black on both panels.  I tried doing it with Vesafine, but that is a pigment ink and it would not dry completely on the velum (even after 24 hours).  I then flipped the velum over to look like a reflection of the tree line and used that instead of the patterned paper on Robbie’s card.  I used twine instead of ribbon and ran it through 2 holes I punched in the card since I couldn’t run the twine under the velum without it showing.  I attached a sentiment from a set called With Sympathy, but I don’t know the manufacturer.  The background of the sentiment was sponged with the Dried Marigold used in the sunset and popped up on a couple of foam dots to fit over the twine.  I had a hard time mainly because I knew what the original card was and what each of the variations were as they came in.  It was very hard not to be influenced by them all.  - Denise

All in all this was a fun project to send around to the designers and see just how the card evolved over time.

Thanks so much for hopping with us! Here's the entire line up in case you get lost:

Connie - http://conniecancrop.blogspot.com/
Kim - http://katydidcards.com/
Jearise - http://lorbysworld.blogspot.com/
Lisa - http://lisaslittlerascals.blogspot.com/
Sue - http://suek86401.blogspot.com/
Theresa - http://scrapsbygracie.blogspot.com/
Amanda - http://salnclts76.blogspot.com/
Card A Day Challenge Blog - http://cardadaychallenge.blogspot.com/








C.A.S.E A Card Friday #31-2016

Time to C.A.S.E. this card
Tantalaya did a wonderful job with her card -

When casing this card I took the colors and the leaf idea and I used Thanks. So I took the Stampin' Up! Vintage Leaves and white embossed them on white paper, then used Ranger distress inks to color them in with my blending tool. Then cut them out using the Stampin' Up! Leaflets framelits dies. I then glued them together and tied the with bakers twine to look like a bundle of leaves. Then I attached the Thanks in white and white embossed the for being you.

This wonderful swing card came from Gracie -



My CASE  card is a little different .   I love the colors and wanted to stamp some leaves BUT couldn't  find leaf stamps in my creative  mess.  I settled for stenciled butterflies.  I cut my card base on my Silhouette  from black cs and the panels from white  cs.  I wanted some wow so I stenciled some butterflies  with Nuvo  glue and used Sunkissd Copper guiding flakes (word of warning - a little goes a very, very long way). I die cut the sentiment (from Simon Says) and the butterfly (Spellbinders). ~ Gracie 

We get some very different results when the designers C.A.S.E. the same card and I just love where their minds go.  Where will you go when you C.A.S.E. today's card? - Denise


Thursday, September 15, 2016

Technique Thursday #31-2016

Today's Technique calls for double embossing -

Gracie showers us with this adorable card -

A close up of the raindrops

This is fun but kind of hard to see (sorry about the poor pic quality). I stamped a polka dot stencil with SU  coastal  cabana  and let it dry.  I then stamped the polka dots again with Versamark  ink and embossed  with clear embossing  powder.  I then off set  the stencil  slightly  and stamped  again with Versamark ink and embossed with white embossing  powder.  I was attempting  to  make  it  look like rain.  I dry embossed the background with a clouds folder.  The sweet little girl is "Puddles Girl" from Pink and Main.She is stamped  with  Memento  Luxe  Tuxedo Black ink and embossed with clear embossing  powder.  She is colored with Spectrum  Nor markers.  The sentiment is from the stamp set. ~ Gracie  

This glowing version comes from Tantalaya

I used a stamp from the stamp of approval box created by Gina K., I applied the stamp  times around the card. I embossed it with Ranger Liquid Platinum embossing powder. After I heated it I embossed it using Darice embossing folder creating a fun and textured background. I embossed the work You with the maxing embossing powder and then stamped make a difference in Versafine ink. When I was done I realized it needed something so I used a white signo pen and put dashes around the circle.
.
Double embossing is a great technique to try and adds a lot of dimension to your cards.  Try it today - Denise

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Card Sketch Wednesday #31-2016

Looking for a great sketch to start a card?  Here is the one our designers used this week -
Tantalaya used the sketch for this elegant example -

On the sketch challenge I used Michael's recollection paper collection. I used Nicole washi tape to connect the two papers and then I used a die cut from the first stamp of approval box. I attached the tag with foam tape and tied a bow with some baker's twine. Making this card a sweet simple and yet stunning card.

Gracie shows us to use a sketch to use up those kits you have -

OK -I cheated on this one sort of...  I used some elements from a Annie's card maker's  kit (the flowers & the sentiment).  I turned the sketch sideways and mounted everything on red cs with gray polka dot paper and black ribbon  for accent.  I die cut and embossed the 3 butterflies (Spellbinders). I attached things with pop dots for dimension  and added 3 rhinestones.  It is on a white cs card base. ~ Gracie 

I love both of these cards and am sure they will inspire many of you - Denise

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Color Challenge Tuesday #31-2016

This muted palette is the inspiration today - 


Gracie utilized them here- 


Buff, tan, gold, toasty, and red - sounds like Fall to me!  I stenciled a piece of whisper white  cs with Tim Holtz  distress inks and spritz ed with water before I removed the stencil.  The flowers are a Sizzle die cut set and the Love you sentiment is also a die cut.  I added some black enamel  dots then mounted the panel on brown sugar cs then a brown card base. ~ Gracie 

Tantalaya has a cute way of utilizing the same colors -

On the color challenge I decided to use the Artful Impression the stacked cats, with sentiment a meow-TAIN of Fun on Your Purr-fect day! I used a combo of Spectrum Noir markers and some of the Zig Real Brush markers. used some more of the Nicol washi tape and to finish it off I used stickles on  of the cats just for some fun....I promise no cats were harm in the making of this card !

What great cards - Denise