CASology - Friend

Sneaking in just before the door is ready to close at CASology - Week 130 - Friend.

Easy peasy and ultra clean & simple! A $1 stamp from Michaels, inked up with Memento Grape Jelly. The photo makes the ink look black on the butterfly...but it's the same Grape Jelly! 

The wings are simply winked with Stella as color seemed to compromise the simplicity of the design!  Lovely shimmer in real life.Three wee blings and done like dinner!

Tons of amazing designs by the DT and in the gallery. 

Happy crafting! Thanks for stopping by :)

TIME OUT Challenge #23 & SSS Have a Heart

A quick post to share a card that I made that was totally inspired by the design of this amazing card created by Ardyth and the fun colors in this amazing card created by Jean Manis. 

I'm entering my card in Time Out Challenge #23 where we have been given the option of adding hearts to our creations. So many "love"-ly cards, crafted by the talented DT gals that will have your heart going pitter-patter!

It's also headed over to SSS Wednesday have-a-heart challenge where you will find inspiration galore from the DT and the 260 and counting entries!

Square Nestabilities (with their bottoms cut off), AC textured cardstock, part of a SU sentiment and CTMH cardstock! 

Done! It took longer to get a good photo than it did to make the card! 

And...another card that had me smiling with just one try!  Must be something I'm drinking!

Happy crafting! Thanks for stopping by :)

NBUS #3

Where did I get this cute "Cozy Christmas by Julie" stamp set you ask?  Well, it was a gift from my dear friend Darnell. She spoiled all of us with fabulous crafting goodies during our BABES adventure! A sincerely kind and generous soul :)

So apropos to ink it up for the first time for NBUS #3!

BTW, did you know that apropos is a real word?  I had no idea! I thought it was a texting shortcut word for appropriate! 56 years old and still learning!

Stamped the little houses with Momento inks. Added a SU sentiment and popped up the panel with some foam dots. Quick & simple (if you don't count the 5 remakes that were trashed due to inking mishaps!).

NBUS #3 closes at noon tomorrow, so get crafting!

BTW, did you notice the new watermark?  Would you like one for your blog? Get started by contacting Kylie, who offers amazing, speed of light customer service and great technical help.

CARD CONCEPT CHALLENGE #27 and NBUS #3

Okay folks...how fabulously funky are these "LOVE" letters and weathered barn boards? You'll find tons of inspiration from the CCC  gals - check it out!

I think this may be a record - I made a card that I liked on the first try! It's graphic, but in a soft way. Perhaps it's the lovely movement in the sentiment font, a new SSS acquisition. I've popped up the hearts to add a bit of dimension. 

BTW, the colors are beautifully pink-ish and co-ordinate nicely in real life! 

My card is also heading over to Darnell's blog (yes....THE  Darnell, with 763 followers and counting) for her NBUS Challenge #3.

Darnell is a dear friend with a smile that lights up the world, a kind heart and a sense of humor that will make you smile all over your face. If you haven't already linked up to NBUS #3 you best get busy because the gate closes at noon on January 22nd!

Happy crafting!

BTW, did you notice the new watermark?  Would you like one for your blog? Get started by contacting Kylie, who offers amazing, speed of light customer service and great technical help.

the Card Concept Challenge - One Year Anniversary

...the lovely shimmer of the paper, so pretty IRL

Wow - how time flies when you're having fun! 

I've thoroughly enjoyed this past year...visiting your blogs, meeting new people, delighting my senses with your amazing creations and enjoying the comradery of our crafting world. Your endless creativity is so inspiring! You should see my 'Must CASE' folder....it's huge!!!

The moment I saw the challenge photo I had a 'ping' (quoting my BFF Bev). I love the pink & white striped paper...but it was the wee box in the top left hand corner of the photo and the angle of the partially removed lid that really caught my eye and influenced my design. 

I created a Silhouette cut file, pierced a border on the angled panel, popped it up with some foam tape and added the rhinestones to the bottom panel. Nice dimension in real life.

I'm sure that most of you are anxious to get your craft on now that the hustle & bustle of the holiday season has passed so why not play along with us at CCC ?

Happy crafting!

COFFEE LOVER'S BLOG HOP

 

Today's the Day!

 

I'm totally thrilled to have been invited  to join Amy and a whole crew of coffee lovin' crafters for this fun hop! Thanks for the invite Lyndal .

 

I created my 'coffee themed' project by slicing & dicing a few Silhouette files to create this multi-functional tag! Check it out:

As a tag....

As a gift card or money holder...

or as a bookmark!

Amy is once again hosting THE coffee break of the year! You do not want to miss this party! Grabba hot cup of whatever it is that you like to drink  and enjoy the company of  some coffee loving crafters!

PRIZES you ask?  OH YEAH!

If you think a coffee buzz is great, just wait until you see the 'treats' that Amy has lined up! The generosity of the sponsors is out of this world amazing!

Happy hopping!

CAS(E) This Sketch #101

Hey there...hope you're all enjoying your Wednesday! Temps have warmed up a bit here but the wind is still nasty cold!

I welded bits and pieces from various Silhouette cut files using Anita's lovely linen paper, added a layered Spellbinders Holiday Sentiment die, shimmer card stock base, a bit of bling and done like dinner!

This card is headed to CAS(E)- thiCs-sketch #101.  You really need to pay a visit to the challenge blog and check out the amazing cards posted by the DT! But hurry...because the door closes in less than 16 hours so you best get craftin' if you're planning on entering!

Happy crafting!

CAS-ology WEEK 123: EAT & PAPER SMOOCHES ANYTHING GOESng Goes

??????

Let me explain...it's a cow...which translates to meat and milk...which translates to "EAT"...

Thing is, how do you get past this sweet wee bovine ending up as dinner? Well, you add hearts and a 'tender' sentiment and right before your very eyes, the card morphs into a cute little love card!

"Bossy" is also headed to Paper Smooches "Anything Goes" Challenge

Paper Smooches Chubby Chums, Versamark Ink and CTMH white paper. The punched hearts were glossed up with Liquid Glass. 

The faux stitching was drawn with a fab new pen that Anita discovered at one of the craft stores we visited during our crating holiday. It is a PIGMA MICRON .005 (Archival Ink). No smearing, no blobbing, love it!

That's it...easy peasy!  Thanks for stopping by.

Happy crafting!

The Card Concept Challenge #24 AND 25 Days of Christmas Tags

2014-11-28 Edited to add:

"Ruby N" ... you're the lucky lady who wins an extra entry into Tracey's 25 Days of Christmas Tags! Tracey will be making her prize draws this Monday! Good luck Ruby!

This week's challenge is double the fun as our dear, sweet and super talented friend Tracey McNeely has invited the CCC design team to join in some Christmas tag fun! 

If you are in need of some inspiration & ideas, then search no further than "25 Days of Christmas Tags". Your Christmas Tag Idea Folder will be overflowing!

You're invited to create a snowman themed tag OR a snowman themed card with a tag on it.

And yes, there are prizes!!! I will randomly select one name from comments left here that will earn you an additional entry on the goodies over at Tracey's blog. Check out all the details & goodies up for grams by clicking on Tracey's link above!

I've created a sweet little snowman tag that was quick to whip up using a Silhouette cut file. This tag could easily be reproduced using circle & oval punches (the oval for the hat brim).

I must admit that I struggled with the 'clean & graphic' part of this challenge and have concluded that snowman just don't do CAG all that well!  I think they need snowflakes, twine & bits of bling to create the "holly and jolly".  

I'm also thinking that I may have stretched CAG a bit with this wee dude! 

Wishing you happy crafty days full of holiday card & tag making!

 Happy crafting :)

Time Out Challenge #19 and Tree-mendous Tree Challenge in the Moxie Fab World

It's feels great to be back in my craft room....especially when the daytime temps are plummeting to a balmy -26 to -28C! Ca-razy cold for this time of year! 

I'm so excited to finally find time to play along with another 'new to me challenge'...Time Out Challenges. This week's challenge is a theme with a twist:  Embossing with the optional twist of sparkle. The TOC design team have treated us to a visual feast of inspiration! 

2014-12-01 ETA: I've also just discovered the Tree-mendous Trees Challenge happening over at the Moxie Fab World, so this card will be headed in that direction as well.

My card features dry embossing (the stitched lines in the snow banks - thanks Bev) and is sporting a fair bit of bling as well! The die/stamp set is from Hampton Arts. 

The images were stamped using Versafine Onyx Black ink. Kim introduced me to this amazing ink at our recent BABES crafting holiday (and generously gave me the new ink pad that she brought with her). I don't know how I ever stamped without it! I've also used some of the lovely linen paper courtesy of Anita.

Happy crafting!

TAG YOU'RE IT! CHALLENGE #11

Hey there crafty friends! I'm popping in with a quick post to share two fun Christmas gift tags for the current and new-to-me Tag You're It! Challenge 11 that features a stunning tag created by Maureen Merritt for our inspiration:

The snowman is a Silhouette file cut from decadent textured white card stock (thanks Babe Anita) and spruced up with a bit of twine and some pretty red and green dots (thanks Babe Darnell). The close-up photo shows his cool "bewinkled" hat and scarf.

Thanks for stopping by :)

TAG YOU'RE IT! Challenge #11

My second tag that I am posting will also be entered in the the current and new-to-me Tag You're It! Challenge 11 that features this stunning tag created by Maureen Merritt:

My tag features a Penny Black stamp that I'm sure we're all familiar with. I created the mat and cutout area using the Silhouette trace feature. It is so cool - you can create a mat for any image! This wee fellow is colored with Copics and "bewinkled" with Wink of Stella. 

Happy crafting!

WE TURNED A DREAM INTO REALITY

It took over a year to plan.  

In total, we traveled 20,350 miles (32,558km) to make it happen! 

On October 18, 2014, six card hobby blogging BABES met in real life! BABES stands for Benevolent Association of Beloved Esteemed Stampers....and here we are:

Meeting for the first time!

From left to right (seated) is Anita from France, me (Geri) from Manitoba, Canada, & Ardyth from Ontario, Canada. Standing left to right are Kim and Darnell, both from California, USA, and Bev from Wisconsin, USA.  We're not sure where the muscle man in the background is from!

Here are just a few pics of our fun adventure! There will be more once my camera makes its way home! I forgot the dang thing on the counter at the lake house! THANKFULLY Bev and Anita noticed it and rescued it for me. 

             
      Crafting in pj's - great!                Snowflake" - the resident Albino squirrel with pink eyes!


              

Is she (or perhaps he) not the sweetest thing ever? 

                   

                  

'Some' of our supplies....nice & tidy on Day 1....Day 7 did NOT look like this!

Yes...2 pairs of reading glasses!

  
Ardyth, Kim & Anita enjoying a sunny, crafty afternoon.



Anita, Darnell, Ardyth & Kim




Anita, Bev, Kim and Ardyth checking out some on-line craft stores.



Darnell & Anita, relaxing and snapping some beautiful scenery pictures!



Early morning crafting!


I've edited my post to copy & paste this MAGNIFICENT picture from Kim's blog! Not only is she an incredibly talented card artist, but the girl takes a mean photo! Thanks Kim!


Another fabulous picture 'borrrowed' from Kim's blog!

The week flew by so fast!  We talked, we laughed, we sang, we drank copious amounts of coffee, we went out for dinner every night (hey....it`s a holiday), we snacked, we toured, and we crafted. My return trip totaled 2771 kilometers/1731 miles which translates to approximately 28 hours of highway driving...but I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat!

Six women - complete strangers in real life, best friends in blog land....and now friends forever!

We turned a dream into reality! 

The Card Concept Challenge #22

This week we have a theme for you to try! You must use the theme and create your card in one of the styles of the designers. 

Welcome back to another fun challenge! This inspiration photo is all about fall!  The colors, the barn board wagon, the bittersweet berries, dried leaves and twigs. I found inspiration in the fabulous stained glass window tucked behind the lovely pumpkin display.

This delightful pumpkin is a silhouette cut file that seems to mimic the pieces of glass in the stained glass window.   If you look closely you can see the 'shadow' that I created by cutting & off-set layering a darker colored pumpkin behind the top layer. A very nice effect in real life. 

My apologies for the quality of the photo! I am currently camera-less until such time as my 'forgotten but found' camera arrives back in Manitoba from my recent crafting adventure in Prior Lake, Minnesota with five amazing ladies. You can read all about our adventure in this post.

We have been enjoying fabulous responses to our challenges at CCC! Thanks so much for sharing your creations with us! We truly appreciate your enthusiasm and support :)

Happy crafting!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHIRLEY!

Our very kind, very sweet, and very, VERY talented friend Shirley is celebrating her birthday today! I'm thrilled to be a part of what will likely be one of the biggest b-day celebrations blog land has seen!  

Shirley is known far & wide for her amazing cards which often feature her paint splatting/splooching/smooshing techniques as well as 'hand doodled' images & lines that would leave Picasso drooling with envy!

But wait - it doesn't stop there! Shirley is also designing stamps! You can find her stamp sets here.

A "Shirley card" wouldn't be a "Shirley card" without a doodle or two! I've gotta say that I was stepping waaaaaay outside of my 'straight line' kind of world with the 'doodling'.....and found it fun and rather liberating! Thanks Shirley!

Our sweet, talented friend Maria is hosting the party, so head on over to join the birthday festivities!

Celebrating Shirley's birthday card making event with a few pals was double fun!

Do you think a few of us may have had a taste or two of the wine in honor of the birthday girl?  Maaaaaaybe......

A big thank you to Darnell for providing me with a picture of my card and to Anita & Bev who rescued my camera from the kitchen counter, whilst I drove home oblivious to the fact that I had forgotten said camera!

Fusion Card Challenge - October 9th

HOME  

... where your story begins. 

How appropriate for a young couple starting a life together in their new home!

Danny's niece/Godchild Samantha ("Sammy Jo Jean Jumping Bean" as she is affectionately called) is an amazing young woman.  She is kind, caring, considerate, smart, pretty as ever and an absolute delight to be around. Sammy has had one incredible year....graduated with a teaching degree, got engaged to an amazing young man, had a wedding social and a shower, bought a house and have a December 27th wedding planned!

This card was another quick & easy project thanks to my Silhouette using....are you ready for this....patterned paper! For those that don't know me - I really struggle with patterned paper, so seldom use it! The letters are cut from side one, the heart  from side two (3 layers popped up with dimensional tape).

I haven't played in a challenge for what seems like forever, so I did a quick tour of my favorite sights and found this awesome FUSION sketch. 

I've chosen to use just the sketch, however, I suspect that my card might be one of those "almost/sort of fits card" so....Fusion ladies...If I have strayed too far from the sketch, please disregard my entry.

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy crafting!

THE CARD CONCEPT CHALLENGE #20

Don't you just LOVE the colors and all the fun stuff in this latest CCC challenge? Honestly, my poor old brain was spinning so fast I darn near toppled off my chair!  

Needless to say, it took me a fair bit of time to decide which direction to go with my card. I finally chose to focus on a 'less busy' version of the black & white checkered table cloth (hence the simple hand drawn lines) as well as the vibrant orange from the color palette.

The bold sentiment and the sweet wee pumpkin are Silhouette files, each sporting three layers to create some nice depth & dimension.

That's it! Easy peasy and relatively quick to assemble, especially if you have striped paper on hand (which I did not!).

We would love to have you join us for this challenge and look forward to seeing what part of the photo will inspire you!

Happy crafting!