JENerally Speaking

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

CASology #60

Welcome to Week 60 of CASology! Here's the cue word for this week:

My card today was inspired by some gorgeous paper pieced apple cards (which you can see here and here) made by my teamie, Judy. She's been rocking the Sweet Stamp Shop stamps lately and I just learned today that she's one of the newest members of the Sweet Stamp Shop Design Team! Whoop whoop!! I used Paper Smooches apples for my card and some yummy Echo Park papers and decided to forgo the school cards and make a baby card instead. I love how the colours pop off the kraft base although now I'm thinking it could use a little bling...

Time for you to put on your thinking caps and roll out some apple inspired cards but first head over to the CASology page and check out the gorgeous inspiration from the rest of the team!

And this week's guest designer:

Sandie

Link your creations to the CASology blog and remember that submissions are due by 4pm CST on Sunday, 8 September.

Supplies Used:

Cardstock: (Crumb Cake) Stampin' Up

Patterned Paper: (This & That: Charming, This & That: Graceful) Echo Park

Stamps: (Apples from Falling For You) Paper Smooches, (Sentiment from CL352) Hero Arts

Inks: (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko, (Chocolate Chip) Stampin' Up

Monday, September 2, 2013

It's Official! I'm Moxie Fab!

I'm puttin' on my dancin' shoes to celebrate being the latest Moxie Fabber of the Week! I was so excited to receive an email from Cath inviting me to join this fabulous list of crafters. In fact, I was so excited that I answered all my questions and had them back to her within 24 hours. LOL! Reading it back now, I wish I'd spent a little more time pondering it all but c'est la vie. It is done. And I'm still excited.

The question that stumped me most was the one asking about a paper crafter that you admire. Just one? Not possible. I was only able to mention a few in my interview but I'm going to take a page out of Lynn Mangan's book and mention more people here.

In the (nearly) 3 years that I've been blogging I have "met" so many incredible paper crafters. This crafty blogging community never ceases to amaze me - people cheer each other on, share tips, tricks and even crafty stash and offer support during life's rougher moments. I love finding new crafters, learning from their style and watching their creative evolution.

I follow a ridiculous number of blogs. Sometimes I think I spend more time blog-surfing than crafting but there's just so much yumminess to see. There are some women though who not only continually amaze me with their creations but have also been sweet, supportive and made me laugh along the way. I am so grateful to each and every one of them for the little kindnesses they've bestowed on me with their comments, messages and the occasional surprise gift. Some of these names are well known in our blogging world but I encourage you to check out any that you don't recognise as each one of them is far too awesome to be missed! The only order to the list is that it's (roughly) chronological in terms of when I found them:

Lynn Mangan

Karen Baker

Kim Singdahlsen

Laurie Willison

Therese Calvird

Emily Leiphart

Kasia Curry

Amy Tsuruta

Brandi Hall

Tenia Nelson

Lisa Arana

Jay Gee

Chan Vuong

Jocelyn Olson

Stacy Rogers

Helen Fournier

Jenny Mullens

Jackie Rockwell

JJ Bolton

Jessi Fogan

Lindsey Martin-Penny

N@ Ali

Christy Q

Maureen Morton

Erin Thiem

Joyce

Michelle Williams

Darnell Knauss

Melissa Chipperfield

Ardyth Percy-Robb

Tracey McNeely

Rosemary Dennis

Maureen Merritt

Meghan McMillan

Judy Marino

Deepti

Chrissy Larson

Kelly Griglione

Kimberley Wiener

Gillian Ross

Saturday, August 31, 2013

'Tis The Season

Okay, I know I said the other day I wasn't quite ready to think about Christmas yet but this idea popped into my head while I was making yesterday's zombie card and I couldn't resist! It also gives me a chance to play along with the Holiday Card Challenge at the Moxie Fab World. I have a coworker who I know is going to snatch this up the minute she sees it although it's one of those I almost want to keep. Is it wrong to love one of your own cards so much that you don't want to let it go?

Supplies Used:

Cardstock: (Basic Black) Stampin' Up

Patterned Paper: (Santa Claus) My Mind's Eye

Stamps: (Zombie from Zombies, Letters from Sweet Alpha Doodles) Sweet Stamp Shop, (Hat from Hats Off To You) Lawn Fawn, (Sentiment from CL630) Hero Arts

Inks: (VersaMark, VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko, (Real Red) Stampin' Up

Embossing Powder: (Clear) Ranger

Markers: (R20, R27, R29, G94, YR00, C-1, C-2, C-3) Copic

Friday, August 30, 2013

Nom Nom Nom!

I'm continuing along with the Halloween theme here today. Sweet Stamp Shop has a hilarious stamp set called Zombies which I just had to get! Between The Walking Dead, World War Z (the book was awesome - haven't seen the movie) and that Sprint commercial, zombies are everywhere! I used Nance's sketch from The Paper Players for my layout and then had some fun colouring in my zombie dude. Hope you all have a lovely zombie-free day!

Supplies Used:

Cardstock: (White) Bazzill, (Basic Grey) Stampin' Up

Stamps: (Zombie, blood spatter & sentiment from Zombies, Distressed Chevron) Sweet Stamp Shop

Ink: (VersaMark, VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko, (Real Red) Stampin' Up

Embossing Powder: (Clear)

Markers: (R46, R20, E00, G21, C-1, C-3, C-5) Copic

Thursday, August 29, 2013

CAS(E) This Sketch #43

Welcome to Week 43 of CAS(E) This Sketch! Take a look at this week's sketch by Karolyn Loncon:

It's hard to believe that Halloween is fast approaching but it will be here before we know it! And then Christmas... but let's not go there quite yet. I played with some Fresh Squeezed Stamps and Purple Onion Designs for this card. Love that cute little ghost! And I love to see how you guys are inspired by these sketches so check out the awesome creations by the rest of the design team and then get inky!

Supplies Used:

Cardstock: (White) Gina K, (Crumb Cake) Stampin' Up

Patterned Paper: (Haunted Hallows) Teresa Collins

Stamps: (Ghost) Purple Onion Designs, (Sentiment from Subway Series: Holidays) Fresh Squeezed Stamps

Inks: (VersaMark, VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko

Embossing Powder: (Clear) Ranger

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Dynamic Birthday

Mornin' mornin'! I've got a card for two challenges today - Dynamic Duos and CAS on Sunday. I haven't gotten the new Stampin' Up In Colours yet so I had to substitute for the Crisp Cantaloupe. I played around with my Paper Smooches Reflections stamps and dies and added a Lawn Fawn banner and sentiment. I used VersaMark ink to stamp the flowers onto the die cuts - love that tone on tone look!

Supplies Used:

Cardstock: (White) Bazzill, (Calypso Coral) Stampin' Up, (Cantaloupe) Paperbilities

Stamps: (Flowers from Reflections) Paper Smooches, (Banner from Bannerific, Sentiment from Happy Everything) Lawn Fawn

Ink: (VersaMark, VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko, (Calypso Coral) Stampin' Up

Dies: (Reflections Flowers) Paper Smooches

Punches: (1/8" & 1/4" hole punches) McGill

Glossy Accents

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

CASology #59

Welcome to Week 59 of CASology! Here's the cue word for this week:

I. Love. Books. In fact, I'd say I'm a bit of a book junkie. I still have books that I bought as far back as 1996 that I haven't gotten around to reading yet. (Can't let them go until I've read them). I tend to buy books faster than I read them (much like crafting supplies but that's another story...). I can't get into the whole Kindle thing. I love the feel and smell of a real book. It might be a bit more bulk to carry around but I wouldn't have it any other way.

My card today kind of has two meanings. When I made it I was thinking of back to school and the reaction I used to have after that first trip of the year to the campus bookstore. Was I really going to get through all of that in one semester?? On the other hand, this is pretty much Luis's reaction when we get to the check out counter at a book store! LOL! :D He'll usually spend a bit of time trying to convince me that perhaps I don't need all of them but in the end he'll sigh and say, "If you want them then you have to carry them." :)

So what about you? Are you a book junkie? What does the cue make you think of? Check out the other gorgeous DT creations and then show us what you got!