CAS(E) this Sketch: You're So Cool!

It's time for a new sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch!  It has some very fun angled panels.

I have recently been ruthlessly purging my stamps and stamp supplies, but I've been following the advice of Susan at Simplicity who says she puts things in a box for six months and if she hasn't needed them in those six months, it is time to get rid of them.  One of the things that I just stuck in a box was a tool that was popular some years ago, but I haven't seen much of lately - a paper crimper!!  I love how it turned out for my snow drifts.  So this tool - that I hadn't used in probably four or five years - went in the six-month box, but got pulled out less than a week later.  I think it's safe!

The stamps are Critters in the Snow by Lawn Fawn.  I would have said that I was only recently converted to Lawn Fawn - but in the midst of my purge this last week, I found this set hiding in my older Christmas stamps!  I guess I knew about them earlier than I thought!
I hope you play along - I am excited to see what everybody else creates with those angled panels!

• Stamps: Lawn Fawn Critters in the Snow
• Paper: Stampin' Up Coastal Cabana
• Ink: Stampin' Up Coast Cabana, Memento Black, Copics, Versamark (to apply heat/stick and glitter)
• Accessories: Fiskars Paper Crimper, Stampin' UP Heat and Stick Powder, Martha Stewart Fine Crystal Glitter

Dynamic Duos and Merry Monday: An Aqua and Red Christmas

This is my second post today!

I posted a card earlier today that I had made for Merry Monday and for Dynamic Duos, but after I finished the card, I realized it didn't qualify for either challenge - wrong color for one, no circles for the other.  I spent the afternoon at a friend's house, playing with her extensive collection of Stampin' Up stuff and, since it was still bothering me, I did another card!   I also added in the clean & simple sketch challenge.

Now I feel so much better!

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Mixed Medley (snowflake), More Merry Messages (sentiment)
• Paper: White
• Ink: Stampin' Up Real Red, Bermuda Bay
• Accessories: Stampin' Up Scallop Circle Punch, ribbon in Bermuda Bay and Real Red, rhinestones

Believe!

I made this card for two different challenges and then realized that I didn't qualify for either one!! Bummer!  But I do want to thank Dynamic Duos and Merry Monday for leading me to the red and aqua idea, even though I didn't get the right blue for Dynamic Duos and I didn't get the circles required by Merry Monday!

The snowflakes actually are aqua - I just couldn't get the glare off of the main photo.  Here's a different view.

That cute reindeer was another spontaneous punch purchase - after I swore not to bring any more bulky punches into my tiny crafting space.  Then to add insult to injury - I paid full price for it but my Archiver's coupons were waiting in my mailbox when I got home!  Luckily, he's very cute or I'm not sure I could forgive him!!

• Stamps: Paper Smooches Christmas Sampler
• Paper: Bo Bunny Elf Magic, Neenah Desert Storm (reindeer)
• Ink: Stampin' Up Coastal Cabana
• Accessories: Lawn Fawn Snowflake Sequins, Darice Bells, Lil' Inkers Stitched Rectangles

Sunday Stamps: Meowy Christmas

I admit to being owned by two cats.  They tolerate me mainly because I have the ability to open the cat food.  In my house of men and teenage boys - I also have to tell you that it wasn't me who brought these two cats into our house.  While my men and boys claim to be annoyed by the cats, they are also the first to come get me to see what cute things the cats are doing, or they refuse to move because the cats are curled on their laps (this last one may just be a convenient teen boy/lazy male excuse!).  With the cats in our life, the Holiday Mischief set by Newton's Nook was really a must-have for me!



Although I very much like this soft and sweet kitty - this was a card that took a left turn but my mind kept going straight ahead.  I started out with the idea of Christmas cards for my teens, from the cats. There are stamps in this set of cats getting themselves into trouble - PERFECT for my cats and teens.  I started with this tag, just one of the mischievous cats in the set.

When I decided that I liked the other cat better in my snowy scene, I briefly forgot why I was making the card.  My final card is just a little too soft and sweet for my teen boys and it most definitely does not represent the wild and crazy cats in our lives!

I used the current sketch from Sunday Stamps.

• Stamps: Newton's Nook Designs Holiday Mischief
• Paper: Papertrey Ink Soft Stone CS and dsp
• Ink: Papertrey Ink Soft Stone, Memento Black and Copics
• Accessories: WPlus9 Timeless Tags 2 (Hint: I find the WPlus9 website a little confusing.  They have a Die category with sub-categories.  The tag dies are not in any of the sub-categories - you have to click on the main "die" heading to see them.), MFT Fishtail dies, Cuttlebug embossing folder, Emagination snowflake punch (very old), Stampin' Up Island Indigo ribbon, Hemptique white twine, Stampin' Up heat and stick embossing powder, Martha Stewart Fine Crystal Glitter

Special Birthday Wishes and Big Annoucements

I'm sending big birthday wishes to two design teammates of mine at Curtain Call!!

Happy Birthday to both Jessica Kephart and to Tracey McNeeley.  Be sure to check them out and send your own birthday wishes!

My other big event today is that I get to tell you that I will be part of the Fresh Squeezed Stamps for the next four months!!  I am thrilled to be showing you what they have to offer.  With my busy family schedule and college course schedule, I really do limit the design teams on which I participate.  I have very much admired Fresh Squeezed because they have a different look than any other stamp on the market. If you are a reader of my blog, you know that I am equal opportunity stamp user - I like a lot of companies.  But have you noticed that they start to look alike?  I understand that there are trends - and it certainly doesn't stop me from adding any of them to my collection.  However, Fresh Squeezed is "fresh"!



One of the birthday girls today, Tracey McNeeley, just ended her term with Fresh Squeezed Stamps and she turned me on to so many of their fun stamps.  Obviously I had to use Fresh Squeezed today.  I decided not to go very fancy, but rather to show you two of the first sets that I got.


As silly as it sounds, I got an entire set for that four-sided sparkle stamp (although if you check it out, it's got SO much more in it).  It's called On Trend 2013 and has a birthday word bubble, a fun Polaroid frame, a city skyline and so much more.  It's a great fundamental set for your collection.  The stripes on the side are from Background Check which also has a woodgrain strip, a checkered strip and more. The sentiment is from Everyday Expressions - I love the mix of fonts!

I'm scheduled to show you a little Fresh Squeezed every Friday.  This coming Friday is a special day because of a special holiday blog hop!!  Wait until you see the fun holiday sentiments that I get to work with - and I'm thinking my favorite four-sided sparkle is going to make another appearance!

• Stamps: Fresh Squeezed Stamps On Trend 2013, Background Check, Everyday Expressions
• Paper: Stampin' Up Coastal Cabana
• Ink: Stampin' Up Pool Party, Daffodil Delight, Bermuda Bay, Barely Banana, Coast Cabana
• Accessories: October Afternoon button, pearlescent crochet thread, Ranger Glossy Accents (on the stamped sequins!), Wink of Stella clear pen

Catered Crop Washi's Up? Merry Christmas!

This week's recipe at Catered Crop is Washi's Up?  (Don't you just love the names of the challenges?!)

I most definitely jumped on the Washi Tape trend.  I have an entire shoebox size container of Washi to prove it.  What I don't have are many cards that actually use it?!  So I am definitely not the creative Washi person from which you will get a new idea. When I do use it, it's just a strip of color.  Sometimes that torn end is just the unique touch that a card needs.



My attempt at creativity is the button - it's covered with Washi!!  And the leaf is Washi adhered to white cardstock and then I used the die to cut a leaf.
I definitely chuckled at myself when I was putting this card together.  First, I swore up and down that I did not need every color of sequin and/or enamel dot out there.  Now it's been pointed out to me that they are on virtually every card that I make..and often in multiple colors like above.  Yes...I have every color made!!  I find them perfect in sets of threes to highlight a sentiment - it's like the sentiment is in a spotlight with sparkles of colored light around it!
Second, check out the big, loopy, Stacey Schafer-style bow - especially in black!  Mine isn't quite as dramatic as Stacey's, but it's a whole lot more dramatic than my usual twine or bow.  I had adhered the strips of Washi.  After some experimentation, I decided that I liked the poinsettia die. Then I got stumped with the sentiment.  I didn't like it in black because it seemed so stark, but it got lost in red or green.  Then I saw the roll of black twine from Hemptique.  Why not try a big loopy blow to ground the poinsettia and to bring a little black to the card so that a black sentiment wasn't so stark?  It makes me happy!
There's another week on the Catered Crop Washi challenge.  As always, Linda has curated a Pinterest board of ideas.  Tomorrow, you will get some extra inspiration from the design team (probably a little more unique than my strips!!)  I hope you play along!

• Stamps: Paper Smooches Christmas Sampler
• Paper: Stampin' Up Real Red
• Ink: Memento Black
• Accessories: Queen & Co. Trendy Tape, Paper Smooches Poinsettia Die, Doodlebug Sprinkles in Ladybug, Limeade and Beetle Black, Hemptique black twine

Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge: Welcome Home

It's time for a new challenge at Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge and it's a good one!!!

Welcome Home!!!

photo credit:  marthamoments.blogspot.com

How perfect is this for the season?!  I love the weathered wood and the twiggy wreath!

Our sponsor for this challenge is Paper Issues. A $20 gift certificate to the Paper Issues store will be awarded to the LEAD of the Welcome Home challenge!  Thanks so much, Paper Issues!

I'm sure you are inspired by that beautiful photo - and I know that not a single one of you would turn down a gift certificate to a store full of paper and other great supplies.  So I hope you play along!

Here's how I was inspired...

I really liked the background wood and was feeling justified that I just bought an entire 6x6 pad of weathered wood paper (KaiserCraft Base Coat)!!  I also wanted to capture the twiggy wreath with pops of color.  I used Papertrey Ink's A Wreath for All Seasons, but the dot layer of the wreath is quite dense.  So I used some small Memento Dew Drops to just splash a variety of colors on the stamp.

There is so much great inspiration at the Curtain Call blog. Be sure to check it out!  And then play along with Welcome Home!!

• Stamps: Papertrey Ink A Wreath for All Seasons, Birds and Blooms (sentiment)
• Paper: Papertrey Ink Ocean Tides, Kaisercraft Base Coat 6x6
• Ink: Papertrey Ink Ocean Tides, Stampin' Up Sahara Sand, Memento Dew Drops Desert Sand, Potter's Clay, Sweet Plum
• Accessories: Papertrey Ink Terracotta Button, Hemptique white twine