TAWS BE Inspired 13

Today's the day for a new BE Inspired challenge over at The Alley Way Stamps (TAWS).

I think that I started Halloween cards a little early because I was definitely not feeling like pumpkins or bats, but I did fall for those strange little guys in the upper left.  So I took a big flying leap out of my comfort zone and am hoping we don't hear a big "thud"...


The Fine Print:

Don't forget....

1) You MUST use an image from The Alley Way Stamps (you can find freebies here!) Projects with non-TAWS images will be deleted.

2) You must mention this challenge and link to it in your blog post. If you link from a gallery, please paste the challenge addy into the description of your pic.

3) - The challenge linky closes on 11 October 2012 at Noon, TAWS time (Mtn)!!!

PRIZES:

 We have to have prizes for all the effort put into it right?

The Top Pick will be hand picked by me (Alison, TAWS creator).. will receive 1 free stamp sets of their choice, and a badge to proudly display on their blog. 

One Random winner will receive 1 free stamp set of their choice, and a winners badge to proudly display on their blog..

We'd love you to upload your projects to our Creation BLVD. Flicker group for your chance to be spotlighted on the TAWS blog or our Facebook page where each month someone is randomly drawn for a stamp set of their choice! We can't wait to see how you are inspired.. :)

• Stamps: The Alley Way Stamps Cover-Ups (the chevron and the "hi"), Admit One (the stars) and a very early sneak peek of a new set for November (the checkboard)
• Paper: black and white
• Ink: Stampin' Up Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, Gumball Green, black
• Accessories: Stampin' Up button, misc twine

CAS(E) this sketch...the First Challenge!

This is my second post today.  It's just a short

scroll down for the blog hop!

The day is finally here for the first CAS(E) this sketch! challenge.  Here's the first sketch...

Can you see the Clean And Simple (CAS) possibilities?  Remember that the sketch is a guideline.  You can flip it, rotate it, change the shapes...it's just inspiration!  But keep it CAS!

Here's how I was inspired...

The fun on this card is the patterns.  There's so much wonderful white space but the fun patterns keep it interesting! Be sure to click over to the CAS(E) this sketch! blog to see how the other design team members were inspired.  Then try it yourself.  Just create a new card (don't use more than 3 other challenges), be sure your blog post has a link to the CAS(E) this sketch blog, then link it up.  We would love to see your work!

• Stamps: Papertrey Ink Happy Harlequin, Tiny Tags
• Paper: Papertrey Ink Classic Kraft, Raspberry Fizz
• Ink: Papertrey Ink Classic Kraft, Raspberry Fizz, Terracotta Tile, Orange Zest
• Accessories: Papertrey Ink Raspberry Fizz button, Stampin' Up Jewelry Tag Punch and Linen Thread

It's Release Day at Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps

Today's the day for a NEW RELEASE at Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps!!!

The Sweet 'n Sassy design team is holding a blog hop to give you peeks at all of our new Christmas sets.  If you started with my blog, you might head over to the Sweet 'n Sassy Blog to start at the beginning.

Also...in celebration of this release, there's a Virtual Stamp Day going on in the Sweet 'n Sassy Forum at splitcoaststampers with a variety of challenges every two hours starting at 8 a.m. EST.

I am previewing two very different sets today.  They are both Christmas - but very different looks.  The first is Old-Fashioned Christmas.  There is nothing more classic than a horse-drawn sleigh through a pine forest...

Then I went in an entirely different direction - bright, cheerful and sparkly!  One of the new sets is a fabulous border length set of lights and ornaments and stockings.  I used small sections of them on this card.


DEFINITELY check out the entire blog hop -don't miss a single stop along the way because Sweet 'n Sassy will be drawing on lucky commenter from a random design team blog to win a $25 credit to the store!!

Next on the hop is Bridget Finlay.

Here's the list of all the stops along the hop today:

Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Blog
Makiko Jones

Monika Davis

Jessica Fick

Cathy McCauley

Mary Faus

Kim Singdahlsen <--You Are Here

Bridget Finlay

Dina Kowal

Gloria Stengel

Kim Schofield

Ceal Pritchett

Giovana Smith

Jennie Harper

Korin Sutherland

When you are done hopping, don't forget to join in the fun day of challenges at the Virtual Stamp Day at the Sweet 'n Sassy Forum at splitcoaststampers - there are prizes!

Peace & Joy

• Stamps: Sweet 'n Sassy Old-Fashioned Christmas
• Paper: Stampin' Up Very Vanilla, Old Olive and Silver Glimmer, Echo Park This&That Christmas
• Ink: Stampin' Up Old Olive
• Accessories: misc star punch, misc silver cord, Spellbinders Labels die

Holiday Cheer

• Stamps: Sweet 'n Sassy Holiday Baubles
• Paper: Stampin' Up Gumball Green CS and dsp, So Saffron CS and dsp, Melon Mambo CS
• Ink: Stampin' Up Gumball Green, So Saffron, Melon Mambo, Crumb Cake
• Accessories: Martha Stewart Fine Crystal Glitter (across the entire image panel), Papertrey Ink banner die, Queen & Co Twinkle Goosebumps
• Challenges: Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge   

CASology: A Bargello Leaf

This week's cue word at CASology is "leaf".  I absolutely love leaves and no matter how many leaf stamps I own, I always manage to buy more!

But...did I use a leaf stamp on my card...NO!

Because I also was enthralled by a technique challenge on the Technique Tuesday blog - bargello.  Mynette gives easy instructions for creating a wonderful pattern.  I created the pattern as she described and then die cut my leaf.  Love it!!


One word of advice if you try this.  Do not ignore her instructions about using a strong adhesive and getting every little part of the paper - especially if you are going to die cut.  I thought I did well, but I did spent way too much time with a tweezer re-adhering those tiny pieces at the tips of the leaves.  If you adhere well at the beginning this truly is a simple card!

• Stamps: Verve Amazing Wishes
• Paper: Simple Stories Harvest Lane 6x6 pad, Papertrey Ink Terracotta Tile
• Ink: Papertrey Ink Dark Chocoalte
• Accessories: Papertrey Ink Terracotta Tile button, Cane Print Impression Plate, Spellbinders Leaf die, misc twine

An Autumn Scene with Cloud9

I am thrilled to be a guest designer for this month's Cloud9 Blog Hop.  Cloud9 is a monthly challenge to showcase WPlus9 stamps and I do have a thing for WPlus9!!  (They just had a new release with, among other fun things, fabulous Christmas silhouettes and Christmas tree like the pumpkin in my card today....my order is in transit!)

This month's Cloud9 features this inspiration photo:

I liked so many things in the photo - I liked the white/tan house and the direction of the boards, I love the tree decal and the birds on the decorated pumpkin are so fun.  I managed to get ALL of my favorite things in this card!

You do have to have a few sets to create this card - three stamp sets and two die-cut sets on one card!  It should say something about my stamp obsession that I have all of that for one card!
If you have WPlus9 stamps, be sure to check out the Cloud9 Blog Hop.  The challenge is issued on the 6th of month, the hop starts on the 9th giving you plenty of time to create, then ends on the 12th.
If you don't have WPlus9 stamps, they are here!  Have fun!
I was also inspired by the colors at Pals Paper Arts as I've already done a lot of black/orange cards and wanted to be slightly different.

• Stamps: WPlus9 Love Birds (the branch and the bird), Pretty Patches: Pumpkin, Country Charm (the bottom border stripes)
• Paper: Stampin' Up Early Espresso, Papertrey Ink Fine Linen CS and dsp
• Ink: Stampin' Up Early Espresso, More Mustard, Cajun Craze, Papertrey Ink Fine Linen
• Accessories: WPlus9 Love Birds and Pumpkin dies, Stampin' Up White Raffeta, Spellbinders long ovals

A Sunburst for the Lightning Bug!!

Can you believe that I had never seen a lightning bug until I was 45 years old? My children and I spent many, many hours chasing lightning bugs on a visit to my mother-in-law in Virginia.  It was magical!!

This new little lightning bug from The Alley Way Stamps (TAWS) is not particularly "magical" but he is pretty darn cute.  What IS magical is the tutorial video on the TAWS blog last Tuesday that made creating this sunburst very easy!

I followed Danielle's video with only one exception.  She cut her strips with the wide end being 4 cm (about 1 1/2").  Since I was doing a smaller card, I cut the big end at 1 1/4". 
And guess what???  Danielle's tutorials are going to be a regular feature on the TAWS blog!  If you pop over today, you'll see this lightning bug card - but be sure to check it out tomorrow....

• Stamps: The Alley Way Stamps Kid 'n Caboodle
• Paper: Papertrey Ink Classic Kraft, Summer Sunrise CS and dsp
• Ink: Memento black and Copics
• Accessories: Yellow Stickles (on nose), Gloss Accents (on eyes), Martha Stewart Fine Crystal Glitter (on wings), Spellbinders dies, misc gems

Happy Birthday Blimp

I hadn't played along yet with this week's Fab Friday challenge, plus I have been stalking another new-to-me challenge and decided it was time to play with the Simply Stampin' Challenge.  I pawed through my pile of new-stamps-that-will-not-be-put-away-until-they-see-ink  and came up with this fun blimp!!


Do you remember years and years ago when stapling things was the in embellishment?  I had purchased a fun stapler from Close To My Heart that rotated and did all kinds of funky things - then promptly misplaced it.  I had a bit of a disaster yesterday (actually a fairly major disaster) with a very large glass of spilled water across my entire craft desk - BUT when I got to crawling around under the desk to find everything damaged by the dripping - guess what I found?  The stapler!!!  So...anything that I made today had to include staples!

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Moving Forward
• Paper: Stampin' Up Night of Navy CS and dsp (the older, retired patterns), Wild Wasabi CS and dsp, Very Vanilla CS and Rich Razzleberry dsp
• Ink: Stampin' Up Night of Navy, Rich Razzleberry and Wild Wasabi
• Accessories: Stampin' Up Bitty Banners Framelit, Nestabilities dies, misc brads