Fusion: Allow Faith to be Your Guide

This is my second post today.

I needed to quickly throw together a confirmation card this morning.  I had tucked some links to confirmation cards into my inspiration file and I planned to totally CASE something because I really didn't have a lot of time.  I just couldn't do it.  I used to totally CASE all the time (and I mean totally copy cards without any adjustment to make it my own.)  Don't get me wrong, I CASE ideas all the time - I'm great at putting a bunch of ideas together on a card - I'm not so great at coming up with my own creative ideas.  I was fairly proud of myself when I realized I don't copy anymore!

I like the FUSION challenge this week and it was perfect for my card.  Obviously I used the layout.  I was also inspired by the muted colors and twine in the inspiration photo.

• Stamps: Paper Smooches Spiritual Sampler
• Paper: Stampin' Up Crushed Curry, Island Indigo, Sahara Sand, Fancy Pants Park Bench 6x6 dsp, Simon Says woodgrain paper
• Ink: Versamark
• Accesories: Stampin' Up Butterfly punches, Papertrey letter dies, Zing white embossing powder

The Alley Way Stamps: Miss You Lots

I think this guy is utterly charming...


He looks a little bit lost and not scary at all, so I thought he would be perfect hiding behind those trees! 
I used the colors from Dynamic Duos plus the dessert option of a kid-themed card.

• Stamps: The Alley Way Stamps Deep in the Woods, Delicate Doilies (sentiment), Fa-la-la (bitty snowflake
• Paper: Stampin' Up Pacific Point, Basic Black
• Ink: Stampin' Up Pacific Point, Memento Black and Copics
• Accessories: Taylored Expressions birch tree dies, Divine wine Black Licorice

CASology: One Day I'll Be Queen

I was thrilled a few weeks ago when I was asked to be a guest designer at CASology.  But I learned a hard lesson - always ask the theme for your guest week before you say "yes".  CASology is full of wonderful challenges - recently the Cue Word has been "bloom", "hexagon" and "care".  This week, however, is out of my comfort zone.  The cue word is....

It really threw me for a loop.  I don't have a stash of princess or queen stamps.  I do have one frog prince but he looked a little dated.  I thought about going diva with a crown - I know I have seen dozens of funny diva stamps, but I searched all over online and couldn't find anything.   I'm sure there are "royal" flowers.  I even toyed with using royal blue or royal purple.  (So now I have made up for my whining by giving you lots of ideas!!!)

I ended up going for a "royal" butterfly.  There are "queen" butterflies and "monarch" butterflies and even "viceroy" butterflies - all very royal!  Ancient Greeks considered butterflies royal because they were the souls of those who passed away.  I didn't put my butterfly in a "royal" setting but beautiful butterflies can sit on a weed and be spectacular!!

I did start out thinking kings and queens, and my first attempt went in an entirely different direction than butterflies.  Even though I am not entirely satisfied with this card (it leaves me flat and I just can't figure out why), I thought I would show you anyway. I used pennants - thinking castle decorations.  I stumbled upon the top of my sentiment panel by accident.  I had a few scraps of the gold cardstock left that matches my diagonal stripe.  I measured, cut and border punched - but I used my border punch on the wrong side.  I didn't have any more CS left - so I just used it on the top.  It looks like castle turret - I think it works!!

I really am looking forward to seeing what other "royal" ideas you come up with!!

My heart and prayers are with all of us who have experienced

such loss and devastation in the last few days.  I pray especially for

those parents whose children are still missing this morning.
May our Lord provide miracles today, strength in the days to
come and healing for the future.

Royal Butterfly

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Papillon Potpourri, Verve Amazing Wishes
• Paper: white
• Ink: Memento black, Copics
• Accessories: Papertrey Ink cloud dies, Quickutz Goosebumpz (old 2x2 embossing folders - I don't think they are even sold anymore), Stampin' Up Butterfly Punch, misc sequins

Royal Princess

• Stamps: Lizzie Anne Once Upon A Time
• Paper: Stampin' Up Primrose Petals, American Crafts My Girl Paper Pad, Simple Stories Snap Color Vibe (the diagonal stripe)
• Ink: Memento Black
• Accessories: Cuttlebug Embossing, MFT Fishtail dies, My Mind's Eye Ginger Relax Twine, misc buton

WPlus9 Mood Board: Hey Sweetie

This week's WPlus9 Monday Mood Board is just full of bright colors and confetti and diagonal stripes and all kinds of festive things.  So I took out one of my what-was-I-thinking purchases - my neon inks.  I have to pull them out every so often because I did spend money on them and they deserve some use!!

I have a question for you.  Do you see those striped straws(?) in the bottom left of the inspiration photo?  How are people using them?  I got a few in a monthly Simon Says Stamp kit and then I saw that Hobby Lobby is also carrying bags of them in the stamping section.  But I've never actually seen them used.  Does anybody have any ideas or links?

• Stamps: WPlus9 Pile It On and "Celebrate" from Label Layers 4
• Paper: Astrobrights Glow Cardstock
• Ink: Hero Arts Neon Orange, Green and Pink, Papertrey Ink Classic Kraft
• Accessories: WPlus9 Pile It On dies, Lifestyle Crafts embossing folder, Timeless Twine Krazy for Kraft

Catered Crop: Fabric of Friendship

Just a month ago, I was honored to be asked to be on the design team at Catered Crop.  I've posted a number of times and it's gone well...until this week...when the recipe is fabric.  I don't do fabric, I don't have any, and I've never sewn.  So I wandered into the fabric department at Hobby Lobby and found a fun package of 1/8 yard pieces of coordinating yellow fabric - I knew that I could do a sun.

I thought that I had read that metal dies (besides Sizzix) could cut fabric.  I was clearly dreaming because they don't - but they do put a mark on the fabric which allowed me to cut out my pieces.  However...I am also handicapped in that I am incapable of cutting a straight line.  So I decided to embrace the raggedy nature of my cutting by distressing my edges and ripping the fabric for my bow.  I'm hoping it all looks intentional vs. an act of desperation!!


I also decided to try a slightly simpler card also - I wanted to put the sunshiny fabric behind a die cut.  I like this card, but it really doesn't scream "fabric" - it could just as well be patterned paper.

This card also uses the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches.

Be sure to check out the other designers - there are some fabulous ideas!!  And Catered Crop also has a wonderful Pinterest board full of fabric ideas.  I would love to see some of your work so that I can be inspired to work with fabric again.

Some Days Are Better

• Stamps: Papertrey Ink Hello Sunshine
• Paper: white
• Ink: black
• Accessories: fabric and sequins, Papertrey Ink Hello Sunshine dies (to mark the fabric for cutting

Wishing You Sunshine

• Stamps: Papertrey Ink Scattered Showers
• Paper: Stampin' Up Summer Sun
• Ink: Versamark
• Accessories: Memory Box Small Circle Burst, Trendy Twine Lemon Tart, white embossing powder

CASology and colourQ: Bloom with Colors

This is my second post today.

This week's challenge at CASology is "bloom".  Besides a flower, I definitely wanted to include one of my myriad of sentiments that include the word "bloom".  I also am in love with the colors at colourq as I have always loved Ruby Red - it's such a wonderfully warm and inviting color.  I thought it might help with my dislike of Calypso and...what do you know?...I like them together!!

The graphic for the colourq challenge is wonderfully bold - I love the different directions that these colors can take.

• Stamps: Verve Hope Blooms
• Paper: Stampin' Up Ruby Red CS and old dsp, Calypso Coral dsp, Certainly Celery CS, Basic Black CS
• Ink: Memento Black
• Accessories: My Favorite Things Flower Medley, Memory Box Butterfly Delights (it's a border die of tiny butterflies) and Tender Leaves, Divine Twine Black Licorice

BE Inspired and Fight Like a Girl

The current challenge at The Alley Way Stamps is a dainty and feminine bedroom.  I took the ruffles and colors and made a fight-like-a-girl card!


I so love this bedroom scene.  I have a house full of men so there is absolutely nothing feminine about my home.  But honestly, I fit much better into my current green and plaid bedroom than my husband would ever fit into this dainty room!!

• Stamps: The Alley Way Stamps Wings of Hope
• Paper: Stampin' Up Blushing Bride, Crumb Cake
• Ink: Memento Grey Flannel
• Accessories: Papertrey Ink Woodgrain Impression Plate, Tiny Tags die, Stampin' Up Scallop border, Timeless Twine Krazy for Kraft, Tim Holtz Frayed Burlap Distress Stickles, Martha Stewart Crystal Fine Glitter