HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY KIM

A late Happy Birthday wish to my dear, sweet friend & fellow BABE 

KIM.

Late - yes....but this time I have a valid reason as we were enjoying an amazing 3 week vacation in New Zealand.  I honestly, truly did start the card before we left but ran out of time to finish it! But hey...better late than never!!!

Kim - I'm sure you had tons of fun at your awesome birthday celebration hosted by party planner extraordinaire  Bev.  That girl sure knows how to throw one heck of a party!

Card deets: Clearly Besotted butterflies, PS sentiment, and some in-real-life shimmery purple paper from the Dollar Store.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANITA!

Guess who is celebrating a birthday today? 

It's our dear, sweet, kind, super-duper talented friend, Anita from France. 

Meeting Anita at our Lakehouse adventure two years ago was a blast! We are so fortunate to be able to do it again this October! 

Anita is one of the sweetest, kindest, talented ladies in blogland...and she has the coolest accent ever! I could listen to her talk for hours!  

My card is a bit of a 'general' CASE of Anita's delightful creations. Her clean and simple style always makes my heart sing! 

Wishing you a happy, happy day filled with sunny skies, uninterrupted crafting time and LOTS of cake and ice cream! 

I am truly blessed to call you friend.  MWAH !!!

Is it October yet?  

Card details - Clearly Besotted sentiment, Clearly Whimsey polka dot circles  

CASing Genius

                                                                                 

I'm so excited and honored to have been asked by the delightful, energetic, creative and amazingly talented  Kelly Latevola from You & Your Big Dreams to be 2016's first Genius (who me?).

Kelly's dedication to CASEing Genius is to be commended! Her posts give us an opportunity to meet, share and be inspired by other crafters in our warm and friendly card making world! 

Now feast your eyes on Kelly's amazing card that was inspired by my cards (which can be seen here on Kelly's blog).

                                           

Yep...gorgeous!!! 

I'm smitten with the non-traditional winter themed colors, the glorious white space, the beautiful 'movement' of the swooshes and the glitzy snowflakes!

Please click on this link to see more of Kelly's creations as well as other card makers that have been featured in the CASing Genius series. 

Thanks again for this fun opportunity Kelly! 

Stay tuned for my CASE of Kelly's amazing card!

Happy crafting!

MUSE #144

Thanks ladies!

And here is this week's  MUSE  card....

... perfectly crafted and colored by sweet Miss Kate from Platypus Krafts.  Yes....Ardyth's daughter! I'm sure we all agree that Kate is definitely gifted with some mad coloring skills!    

Wonder who she gets that from?

I happened upon this cute SU image and thought it would be perfect for the current MUSE challenge so I decked out the snow folks with some brightly colored hats, scarves and Winks of Stella.


Happy crafting :)

the challenge #53

My goodness...how time flies when you're having fun! It seems like mere days since my first guest designing post at 'the challenge' ...and here we are, five weeks later!  I had a blast! Thanks again for the invitation Kim.

This week we are encouraged to make a non-traditional Christmas card with this inspirational photo:

The trees are a Silhouette file, the "Happy" die...I honestly don't know!

I decided to use a bright (quite florescent IRL) color with a sentiment that would hint at a birthday wish until you open the card and find the word "Christmas"....which 'splains the Christmas trees on the front. 

Here's another version using the same images - this time with a bit of aqua glimmer paper and a wee snowbank. 

I hope you find time to get creative and share your projects with us this week at  'the challenge'. 

Happy crafting :)

the challenge #52

Challenge #52 photo is loaded with inspiration!  My mind went in a kazillion different directions (four other cards sitting on my craft desk are proof of that!). Quite obvious that I focused on the Ho-Ho-Ho and the red & green colors!

A clean, simple and quick card to make thanks to a Silhouette cut file! The letters are inlaid, matted with a softly vibrant green mat (looks amazing in real life), popped up with some foam tape and done like dinner!

I hope that you will find some time this week to join us at 'the challenge'! Check out the past challenges - they boast an incredible display of creativity and be prepared to have your holiday card making mojo roaring into gear!

Happy crafting!

the challenge #51, SSS Wednesday Challenge, Holiday Style

Hey there crafters! Today's card is doing double duty as my Guest Designer card for the challenge #51 and my homework project for the current Holiday Style Online Card Class - Cute Christmas cards.

Take a peek at this "sweet" inspiration photo. Hot Chocolate & marshmallows....yummy!

Look really, REALLY, REALLY close in the bottom right hand corner and you will see a 'corrugated' looking piece of something (table linen perhaps ?)....so  I dug out my nine million year old paper crimp-er (Darnell...I found it in the box with the brass stencils) and crimped the center panel. The mittens are a MFT die, the snowflakes from a MS punch (also nine million years old).

Tons of inspiration to be had over at the challenge. See you in the gallery!

I'm also linking up to SSS Wednesday Challenge. Christmas!

Happy crafting!

BTW...our old cat Kiwi is responsible  for the stray cat hair in the top right corner of the photo!

THE CHALLENGE #50 & Holiday Style Student Gallery

For your inspiration:

Welcome back for another round of fun and another awesome inspiration photo at The Challenge! It was a pleasure visiting your blogs and seeing all your crafty creations. I can hardly wait to see how you've been inspired by this week's color combo!

I must admit, the silver had me stumped. Hence, the single silver dot in the center of the snowflake! I used the new SU shimmer paper, which is gorgeous in real life but DOES NOT play nicely with the camera. I will try an outside photo tomorrow with the hope of capturing a nice, uniform color. "Joy" is a Silhouette cut file, SU Crumb Cake (Kraft) and a MFT (?) snowflake die.

I'm looking forward to seeing your creations in the gallery at The Challenge.

I'm also BEYOND thrilled to have won (thanks Laurie) a spot in the Holiday Style on line card classes hosted by the amazingly talented Julie Ebersole and Kristina Werner. Click on the link if you would like to join in the fun! From what I see, it's going to be amazing!

Happy crafting!

GUEST DESIGNING AT THE CHALLENGE

 

 

Happy Monday crafters! I'm thrilled to bits to have been asked to guest design at The Challenge for the month of October!  Kim  & Leslie - thank you so much for this fun opportunity! 

 

So now, let's get crafting with this week's delightful inspiration photo:

 

Yep...layers! This definitely has the 'challenge' part happening for me and my usual CAS style! I created the chevron background using a chevron die, a hand cut banner and a Silhouette sentiment. 

"YO!" seemed to fit with this bold design/color combo and will work for several occasions...birthday, hello, feel better soon....

 

I can hardly wait to see all the amazing creations that the DT and the players will be sharing during the next few weeks!

 

See you in the gallery :)

Happy crafting!

THE HOP TO STOP

 

                        

"Purple is the color of National Domestic Violence Awareness month. 

1 in 3 women will experience domestic violence over the course of their lifetimes. 

Let that sink in - 33% of all the women you meet. 

And women aren't the only people who are affected! Women, men, transgender - gender doesn't matter. Domestic violence is something that exists regardless of gender, socioeconomic status, religion, education level, etc.

 And yet, it's something that is rarely talked about in very public ways. It's something that's hidden and hushed. And since papercrafters are some of the most amazing people out there, some of you have agreed to make a card (or cards) to raise awareness for this issue."  - Becca Crugar

Please pay a visit to one of blogland`s most charismatic and talented ladies...the incredible Becca Crugar. You can find all the details about the hop at Becca's blog. 

Card details: A delightful diecut (colored with Copics & winked with Stella) and some luxurious textured cardstock from my dear sweet friend across the ocean, Miss Anita from  My Papercraft World. 

NBUS #5 and CAS(E) this Sketch #141

and

Darnell will be closing the door in a matter of minutes so I will be back shortly with all the info......

.....Okay, I'm back with the card details! My card was entry #499!   WHOOO HOOO - way to go Darnell!

NBUS (stamps just arrived today) from CTMH. I love the soft, graphic look of this stamp set (So Many Smiles).  Change up the colors and add some bling to create a softer feminine look. Truly a versatile set.  CTMH stamps and Versafine ink are THE perfect match!

I was instantly inspired by the whimsical sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch! Might be pushing the sketch a bit, but I sure did have fun with it! There is still plenty of time for you to play along (closes Sept. 24th).

Thanks for stopping by :)    Happy crafting!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEV

 Hip Hip Hooray! 

Guess who is celebrating a birthday today?

It's our sweet, kind, talented, delightful, dear friend Bev from Happy Dance !!!

There's a birthday today

A reason to smile

Happy wishes to send

Across many miles

Although we all live

Quite far apart

We know we all hold

A special place in her heart

For our dear friend Bev

And her Happy Dance site

A plethora of talent

Guaranteed to delight!

Click on over 

For a pleasant hello

And marvel at creations

That will make your heart glow!

So let's raise up our ink pads

And give a great cheer

A rousing happy birthday

I'm sure she will hear!

From miles away,

and also close by

Birthday wishes we'll send

to Bev our dear friend!

Don't you all just love this sweet lady to bits? She entertains us with her witty posts and fabulous blogland birthday parties, delights us with her sense of humor, dazzles us with her mad card making skills and warms our hearts with her kind and caring soul. 

AND...she navigates ca-razy busy freeways with the ease of a race car driver (ask me how I know!)

Wishing you a happy, happy day filled with lots of cake & ice cream and uninterrupted craft room time!

Card details: 

I colored the CB  butterfly with Copics, winked it up with Stella and popped it up with some dimensional squares. I love how the 'swirly' parts of the SU sentiment mimic the swirls of the butterfly's antennae! The photo below shows a bit of the real life glimmer and dimension:

My card is headed to Darnell's NBUS #5 Challenge as it debuts the Clearly Besotted Everything Changes stamps and dies...

... and to Simon Says Stamp - Wednesday Challenge - Die Crazy

Thanks and for stopping by. Happy crafting! 

CAS-ology - Week 163 - Moon & NBUS Challenge #5

Thanks for the HM shout-out lJudy :)

Down to the wire again before the door closes over at CAS-ology #163 where the challenge is Moon.  The perfect category with H'ween being only a few weeks away!

In case you haven't heard ...our dear, sweet, funny, talented, picture taking, and crafter extraordinaire Darnell is currently hosting NBUS Challenge #5. The Neon ink that I used to sponge the moon is NBUS, so this card is also headed to Darnell's current challenge.

This card took all of 15 minutes to make!  I punched a circle (SU yellow), sponged the edges with some neon ink, added two cute bat sequins and a Silhouette "Boo" cut file and popped it all up with some dimensionals.  Done!

There is tons of inspiration to be found at both challenges, so just click on the above links and check it out!

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Happy crafting!

Happy Belated Birthday Hannelie

... yes...I'm late to the party....again...sorry Hannelie! I hope you had an incredible day filled with yummy cake, gifts and the fellowship of family and friends! 

Thankfully, birthday celebrations last forever in blog land otherwise I would have missed the amazing party that Bev from Happy Dance hosted for our sweet, wee friend from the desert, who never ceases to amaze and inspire me with her fabulous creations!

I fell in love with this gorgeous card that Hannelie posted a while back and chose it as a CASE for the birthday card I made for her. Don't you just love the color of the cardstock and the absolute PERFECT placement of the enamel dots? Yep - she rocks!

... I had a little "helper" in my craft room this evening. Yep - she laid down right on top of the card and all the small pieces from the diecut sentiment!

Happy crafting! Thanks for stopping by :)

CAS(E) THIS SKETCH #138

Can you believe it?  Two posts in two days!!!

Another clean & delightfully simple sketch at CAS(E) This Sketch #138 this week. The ladies have posted some amazing cards that will have you scampering over to your craft space to create!

I didn't stray too far from the sketch elements...this time round! This quick & easy card would work for an anniversary, a wedding or an engagement card!

I created my own striped paper by cutting wee strips of SU Melon Mambo, die cut the heart opening (SU), added a SU sentiment and popped up the layers with foam tape. 

Thanks so much for stopping by! Happy crafting!

MUSE: Christmas Visions 17

Our dear, super talented friend Kristie Goulet , (Kreative Kristie) is this week's Guest Muse at MUSE Christmas Visions 17 MUSE Christmas Visions 17 and has created this stunning, clean and simple beauty for our viewing pleasure and inspiration! 

Do you know that Kristie created the pretty greenery with a single leaf stamp? Yep...totally clever and "Kreative"! And how about that perfectly stamped sentiment? Thanks for your continuing source of inspiration Kristie and your sweet, sweet comments!

The lovely red glimmer paper is new from SU and it is awesome! I paired it with SU Very Vanilla cs. I chose the wee tree die that I bought after seeing it put to paper on some of Kristie's amazing cards. 

It is REALLY hard to photograph shimmer paper! Can you tell that the trees have all been inlaid back into their stalls? I added a nice simple 'Christmas' diecut sentiment (layered) and a stitched border.

There is still a few more days to play along with Kristie's gorgeous inspiration card!

Happy crafting. Thanks so much for stopping by :)

CAS(E) this Sketch #137 and CAS-ology - Plaid

The gate is closing shortly over at CAS(E) This Sketch #137 so no time to chat tonight! And, a new challenge has just been posted at CAS-ology where "Plaid" is the flavor of the week!

........

I'm back...with a tweaked version of the last night's card. I white embossed "dad" (previously black) which definitely makes the "designer label" stand out more.

The plaid stamp is an old Hero Arts stamp called Flannel Shirt (or something flannel). What I like about this stamp is how the fines lines in the image are sharp and the thicker lines are somewhat 'fuzzy'....just like a real flannel shirt!

My apologies ladies if I have stretched the CAS-E sketch a bit too far.  I used the "dad" designer label as the little flourish and the angled shirt pocket as the tilted portion of the design.

BTW - the shirt pocket is designed to hold a gift card! 

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by! Happy crafting!

Welcome Little One

 

Just a card today...no challenges (at least that I've been able to locate).  I had planned on entering the SSS Wednesday challenge, which was all about citrus...which 'splains my lime green & white elephant but missed the deadline. 

I love the cuteness of a gingham print with this sweet Clearly Besotted image! I scanned a stamped image into my Silhouette and used the Offset and Trace & Cut features  to created the layered image. I finished it up with a wink of Stella on the hearts and a SU sentiment.

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by today :)

Happy crafting!

CAS(E) THIS SKETCH #136

Thanks ladies!

Wow...it's been sooooo long since I've done a post that I almost forgot how!!!

I saw this sketch and knew it was time to sneak away from yard work for a bit and play along with Sketch #136.  No surprise that I love all the white space beneath the sketch elements. 

My card is as clean and simple, easy peasy as it gets! I repeatedly stamped a PTI image from a set that seemed to make its way home with me after leaving the Lakehouse for our first BABES adventure. Thanks Bev from Happy Dance!

I used Versafine Black ink and my Stamp-a-ma-jig to line up the images. The sentiment is an old Studio G stamp. 

The DT creations are guaranteed to inspire you, as will the gallery. Love, love, love checking out all the clean & simple cards that are posted.

I hope you're all enjoying a lovely summer. We have been experiencing some crazy hot temps that soared to 35C (about 95F) this past week. Quite uncomfortable when you add in a Humidex factor of 45! But hey, it's better than -45C!

Thanks so much for stopping by! 

Happy crafting!