Tuesday, April 28, 2015

CASology #144


Welcome to Week 144 of CASology!  Take a look at the cue word for this week:


This week's cue word provides plenty of options for you to get creative with.  If nothing else it seems like every card maker has at least one butterfly stamp or die in their stash - it's like some unwritten rule!  The design team gals have provided their usual gallery of stunning creations to inspire you so check them out and then get crafting!




And this week's guest designer:

Link your creations to the CASology blog and remember that the deadline for entries is Monday at noon (CST).

Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill, (Basic Black) Stampin' Up
Stamps:  (Butterfly from Life Is Beautiful) Papertrey Ink, (Sentiment) Hero Arts
Inks:  (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko, (Melon Mambo, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight) Stampin' Up
Die:  (Hello) Mama Elephant

Monday, April 27, 2015

White Flower Thanks



Hi there!  Popping in quickly between work shifts to share a card for the ColourQ challenge which closes this evening.  The flower and the black panel have been sitting on my desk for ages so this way the perfect opportunity to put them to use.  The sentiment and the lines in the background are both NBUS and I just can't seem to stay away from those Altenew Doodle Flowers!  That's it for me.  Have a lovely day!






Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill, (Lucky Limeade, Bermuda Bay, Crumb Cake, Basic Black) Stampin' Up
Stamps:  (Flowers & leaves from Doodle Flowers, Sentiment from Many Thanks) Altenew, (Lines from Gorgeous Grunge) Stampin' Up
Inks:  (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko, (Fresh Snow) Papertrey Ink
Die:  (Stitched Rectangles) Lil' Inker Designs
Gems:  Recollections

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Hot Dogs & Cupcakes



As promised, I'm back with two more cards for you.  First up is an entry for the current RetroSketches challenge.  This Paper Smooches hot dog has been in the back of my mind for a while (no idea why!) and when I came across this CAS-ual Fridays sentiment a lightbulb went off.  Enter a Lawn Fawn party hat & speech bubble die and a Mama Elephant birthday sentiment and this goofy little card was born!  It's completely silly but it makes me giggle.  :)






Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill, (Real Red, Daffodil Delight, Crumb Cake, Soft Suede) Stampin' Up
Stamps:  (Hot dog from Al Fresco) Paper Smooches, (Party hat from Hats Off to You) Lawn Fawn, (Hot dignity from Exclamations) CAS-ual Fridays, (It's your birthday from Say What) Mama Elephant
Inks:  (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko
Die:  (Speech Bubble Border) Lawn Fawn






Mother's Day is fast approaching and I decided that the colour combo over at the Cupcake Inspirations challenge was perfect to get me motivated to start making some mom cards.  I used Altenew's Vintage Roses and a CAS-ual Fridays sentiment for this simple CAS card.  I love these flowers but I find that my Mother's Day cards always seem to have either flowers or butterflies on them.  How about you?  Any other ideas for moms?






Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  (White) Papertrey Ink
Stamps:  (Flowers & leaves from Vintage Roses) Altenew, (Sentiment from Mum's the Word) CAS-ual Fridays
Inks:  (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko, Lucky Limeade, Wisteria Wonder, Concord Crush) Stampin' Up
Gems:  Recollections

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Thanks & Hello


Hi there!  I've got two cards to share tonight.  First up is a card for three challenges. The Challenge provided us with photo inspiration this week and I was inspired by the black, white and sepia with the pop of red. This colour combo also works for the Just Us Girls colour challenge - white, brown and a third colour of our choice.  I'm also joining in with the Addicted to Stamps & More Anything Goes challenge.  All the stamps here are from Altenew.  Love those Hennah Elements flowers!!


Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  (Kraft) Papertrey Ink, (White) Bazzill, (Real Red) Stampin' Up
Stamps:  (Flowers, leaves & swirls from Hennah Elements, Sentiment from Super Script 2) Altenew
Inks:  (VersaMark, VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko
Embossing Powder: (Seafoam White, Clear) Ranger
Die:  (Stitched Rectangles) Lil' Inker Designs
Gems:  Doodlebug




My second card is for the CAS(E) This Sketch challenge.  I paper pieced the Avery Elle giraffe and then broke out Altenew's Invisible Alpha for the first time to stamp the "hello" part of the sentiment.  Those letters are so much fun!  I must keep them out so I remember to use them more often.  

That's it for me tonight.  I'll be back tomorrow with some more cards.  I've actually had a productive couple of days after a few weeks of struggling with my mojo and my schedule.  It feels to good to be back in the swing of things!





Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill, (More Mustard, Night of Navy, Soft Suede) Stampin' Up
Stamps:  (Giraffe & sentiment from What's Up) Avery Elle, (Hello from Invisible Alpha) Altenew
Inks:  (VersaMark) Tsukineko, (Night of Navy, Soft Suede) Stampin' Up
Embossing Powder:  (Seafoam White) Ranger

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

CASology #143


Welcome to Week 143 of CASology!  Take a look at the cue word for this week:


I love using an ombre colour palette because you don't really have to worry about colours not matching.  The definition I found of ombre says that it is colour "shaded or graduated in tone."  To get a smooth ombre look I die cut my balloons from a paint chip sample.  Another easy way to create an ombre look is by stamping an image repeatedly with out reinking the stamp like I did with the "happy" on this card.  The design team have even more brilliant examples of how to create an ombre design so be sure to check them out and then play along!




And this week's guest designer:

Link your creations to the CASology blog and remember that the deadline for entries is Monday at noon (CST).

Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill, (Real Red) Stampin' Up
Stamps:  (Sentiment from Everyday Greetings) Mama Elephant
Inks:  (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko
Die:  (Balloon from Party Kit) Mama Elephant
Gems:  Recollections
Paint Chips - Glidden

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

CASology #142


Welcome to Week 142 of CASology!  Take a look at the cue word for this week:



Please forgive the short post today but some unexpected chicken drama at work caused me to get home far later than expected and I am knackered now!

I broke out an old, retired Sweet Stamp Shop set and some even older Basic Grey papers for this week's card.  I did some quick and simple paper piecing and then cut together a sentiment using Lawn Fawn and Avery Elle stamps.  Super simple!  

Be sure to check out the amazing creations from the rest of the design team and then play along with us!




And this week's guest designer:

Link your creations to the CASology blog and remember that the deadline for entries is Monday at noon (CST).

Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill, (Crumb Cake) Stampin' Up
Patterned Paper:  (Obscure collection) Basic Grey
Stamps:  (Ice cream from Cool Scoop) Sweet Stamp Shop, ('Have a' from Critters of the Sea, 'birthday' from Critters Down Under) Lawn Fawn, (Sweet from Oh Yeah) Avery Elle
Inks:  (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko, (Regal Rose) Stampin' Up
Gems:  Recollections

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

CASology #141


Welcome to Week 141 of CASology!  Take a look at the cue word for this week:


Before you read any further be sure to pop over to the CASology blog for some super news about one of our fabulous design team members.  Go on… I'll wait!

Now that you're back, I thought I'd take you on a little journey through my creative process this week.  When I saw the cue word I immediately thought of some newsprint Thickers I had and figured I could incorporate "news" both in the sentiment and in the pattern on the stickers.  So here's how the first card looked:


Since the sentiment was going to be the only "image" on the card I went for a bright card base.  However, when it was done I thought, "Meh, it needs a little something else."  I pondered how to make the sentiment pop a bit more and came up with this second card:


Better, but the sentiment wasn't popping enough and it just didn't seem quite right.  I left it overnight and was pondering it today when suddenly the lightbulb went off - the red Bam Bubble on the yellow background is very comic book-esque and comic book heroes aren't great they're super!  "Super news!" would be a more fitting sentiment for the design and because I had the news in the sentiment I really didn't need the newsprint letter stickers.  I dug around in my sticker stash and came across these puffy foam letters which really had a comic book feel to them and Wham - the design was complete!  Third time's the charm!


Sometimes when an idea isn't working it's worth walking away for a while and letting it sit.  You never know when inspiration will strike.  And now it's time for you guys to inspire us once again with your brilliant creations.  Check out the gorgeous designs from the CASology team and then get to work!




And this week's guest designer:

Link your creations to the CASology blog and remember that the deadline for entries is Monday at noon (CST).

Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  (Real Red, Daffodil Delight) Stampin' Up
Die:  (Bam Bubbles) Paper Smooches
Stickers:  (Daydream Thickers) American Crafts