CSC#145 - Call Me!

Hi everybody!  I hope your summer is off to a great start!  There are lots of festivals going on here - you know the sort held in your local park or at your church.  Rides that don't take up lots of space like the Ferris Wheel, Tilt a Whirl and Himalaya.  Fast food prepared in trailers - a corn roast from the Lyons club,  lots of  games for the kids, and of course the beer tent and bingo for the adults.  And well...  if you are lucky, maybe some fireworks or a place you can set out your blanket and listen to a band play.

Today I'm showing you a card I made for the CASE Study Challenge this week.  Our muse this month  is Lisa Spangler from Sideoats and Scribbles Blog and here is the inspiration photo.  Now I see lots of good things here - love the shapes, the little twine around the sentiment flag, the colors and circles. Lots of ways you can take this one - its pure clean and simple goodness and I was so tempted to take it in that direction but my crafty side just wasn't having it.   Lets see if you can find some of Lisa in here..... hexagon check, teal and red?  check, buttons and circles YES!  Oh and some twine too!

Lots of folks traveling for their summer holiday - maybe you are too?  Well here's wishing you a great adventure filled with lots of memories - oh and don't forget to call home once in a while!  Need a little more inspiration?  Hop on over to the rest of the CASE Study Design Team and see what they've been up to!!

Chupa - Iwona Palamountain

Amy Wanford

Andrea Ewen

Clare Buswell

Debbie Hughes

Jean Martin

Maureen Plut

Teneale Williams

Tasnim Ahmed 

Maureen Merritt

Silke Ledlow

Our guest designer this month is   Our guest designer this month is Lynn Mangan from The Mango Boys and Me Blog!  If you'd like to be a guest designer be sure to put a GD behind your name when you link up your project at CASE Study Challenge Blog.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great day!

Jeanne

Supplies Used:  Finished Size:  6.25 x 4.5"
Stamps:  Cats Life Press
Pattern Paper:  October Afternoon 9 to 5 Collection 8x8" Pad
Card Stock:  Papertrey Ink Vintage Cream, Harvest Gold, Pure Poppy
Border Punch: EK Success Zig Zag Stitch
Twine:  Ivory Button Twine May Arts, Airmail from Divine Twine
Dies:  Spellbinder Standard Circles, Pinking Circles, Nested Lacey Pennants
Buttons:  Papertrey Ink:
Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black
Button Brad Basic Grey Fact & Fiction Collection
Pin:  Tim Holtz
Gem:  Recollections

RCC #73 Halloween Spirit

Happy Wednesday!  Wow!  You would not believe the warm weather here in the Midwest - it feels like spring!  So glad I didn't break down and turn the furnace on last week.  Today I was tempted to turn on the air!  Ahhhh... life in the Midwest - you just never know what to expect! 

Today I'm playing along with the Ribbon Carousel Blog Challenge - Halloween Spirit!  Only a few requirements - follow the theme and use ribbon or twine.  And get this... one random winner will receive a ribbon carousel!  How cool is that?  Well you have to play to win so you better get to it!

I decided to make some fun rosettes to decorate with.  I don't use a die - just cut a strip of paper 12" x 2" - run one edge through a border punch and then score every 1/4".  Zig zag fold and assemble by adhering the ends together and hot gluing a punched circle to the center of both sides of your rosette for stability.  The decorating after that is all up to you.  I used wooden kitchen skewers for my "wands".  I wrapped them in satin ribbon, and then ran twine over them.  Its easy to wrap the skewers - just hot glue the end of  the ribbon on the edge of the skewer.  Turn the skewer to wrap it up!  Hot glue the opposite end when you have the entire length of the skewer covered.  Here's some close ups of each. 

These are fun to pop into a vase, a planter, or maybe a cupcake or a big bowl of candy?  YUM!  Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!

Jeanne

Supplies Used:

Stamps:  Cats Life Press

Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black, Ranger Antique Linen

Paper:  My Mind's Eye Lost & Found Two Collection Sunshine Damask "Two of Us", K&Co. Ghostly Greetings Specialty Paper, Glitter Paper DCWV, Grafix Foil Board

Kitchen Skewers

Border Punch Fiskars

Die Cuts:  Spellbinders Inverted scalloped Circles, Classic Circles, Parisian Accents

1.5" Wired Ribbon, 1/4" Satin Ribbon, Twine, Silver Thread

Silver Beads

CASE Study #107 Queen Bee

Lately I am feeling caught up - and have had some time to play some of the challenges I've been missing out on.  Maybe it is the back to school routine or the shorter days bringing me back indoors earlier.  Either way I won't complain.  I feel like I'm being productive and it is a pleasure to work on the crafting that I enjoy so much. 

I have been missing my weekly dose of CASE Study.  This has always been one of my favorite places to play.  Not just because of the fabulous inspiration from their muse and design team, but because I feel like I am always trying something when I play here.   The guest designer/ muse this month at CASE is  Yoshie Nakagaki aka. Torico and this is her card for inspiration.  Here's the part I love..... you can pick up on any element of the card from the sweet little bee, the color combination, the sketch outline, the doilies on the paper, the flower in the bee's hands.... you get it.  Just work with what grabs you and GO!!  And hey.... did you see they have a special guest DT member this month??  You might know her from I Spy or from playing at Waltzingmouse... it's Vickie Zimmer from For The Love of All Things Stampin!! 

I was immediately struck by that sweet little bee - which got me thinking about one of my all time favorite stamps in the world... this Queen Bee Stamp from Cats Life Press  She's got so much sass and attitude.. I just love her. 

 

Torico's card looks so clean - which of course made me nervous so I had to add some extras like the layered flower, red ric rac and some gems and pearls.   I added a little Ranger Rock Candy to her wings for some translucent sparkle.   I just had to dress up my little bee..... she is royalty after all.  Since the sewing machine and I are still not on speaking terms I thought I'd pierce the edges  for a little added interest.

 

Thanks for having a look.  I hope you find some time to play this week.  CASE is still celebrating their anniversary and if you are interested in becoming the next guest DT member you HAVE TO PLAY!!

 

Hugs!

Jeanne

 

Supplies Used:  Finished Size:  5" x 7"

Stamps:  Catslifepress.com

Paper:  October Afternoon Thrift Shop

Die Cuts:  Spellbinder Blossom, Standard Circles
Markers:  Copic

Red Ric Rac from RIbbon Trends (Hobby Lobby)

Ink:  Momento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Onyx Black

Cupcake Inspirations - Awesome Chickies!

Today I'm playing along with Cupcake Inspirations challenge 150.  Check out the inspiration photo of these sweet chickie cupcakes.  Who thinks of these things?  They are so sweet I had to play along.   If you'd like to play along you can get all the details here:  http://cupcakeinspirations.blogspot.com/2012/03/challenge-150.html

My chickie stamps are from Catslife Press.  First I stamped the little guy with the top hat - made a mask for him, and stamped his backup posse behind him.  I colored them all with Copics.  Instead of shading them with a grey marker I used a very subtle yellow to give them a little fuzzy effect.  I stamped my sentiment in VersaFine to get a darker impression.

I hope these little guys made you smile!  Have a great day!

Jeanne

Supplies Used:
Stamps Catslifepress.com
Markers:  Copic
Ink:  Momento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Onyx Black
Paper PTI Stampers Select, Poppy Red, Kraft

CR84FN46 - Pink Yellow Neutral - What a Doll!

Today it's cold and snowy here.  We are expected to get from 6 to 8 inches and I think we are well on our way - it's been snowing for a straight 5 hours now.  Should make for some fun picking up my son from school!  YUCK!  I thought I'd stay home today (no kidding!) and get something done (other than housework - another YUCK).

I made this one for a princess I know who is having a birthday.  Like all little people she loves to hear the story of the day she was born.   We always begin with "Once upon a time..."  My mom still tells me about the day I was born, and I still love to hear her tell it.

My card today is my attempt at randomness.  I have pieces taped at angles, and my strip of ribbon is short and unfinished - not neatly wrapped around the side of the card.  I know it still looks organized doesn't it.  Oh well - I'm still learning!  The two color bow is made from  both pink and yellow seam binding wrapped together.  The Spellbinder dress die I found at a local scrap shop - and had to have it.  I hope you like it!

If you'd like to play along you can get all the details here:   http://cr84fncolorchallenge.blogspot.com/2012/01/cr84fn46.html Thanks for taking a peek!  Have a great day!

Jeanne

Supplies Used:  Finished size:  6"x 6"

Stamps:  Cat's Life Press @catslifepress.com

Paper:  K& Co Cut 'n Paste Collection

Dies:  Spellbinders Decorative Dress Forms, Ribbon Tag Trio 2

Seam Binding:  Hug Snug, Baby Pink, Antique Gold

Twine:  Twinery Blossom, My Minds Eye Lime Twist Life of the Party "Happy Day"

Border Punch:  EK Success Binding Edge

Play Date Cafe Challenge #102 - October 6, 2011 - Happy Halloween

Hi!  I am posting twice today - I don't know if I will have time tomorrow - since I have lots of running around to do.  I saw the inspiration for the Case Study and I started tearing apart my scrappy room - pulling out papers, and Spellbinders, and ribbons.  It looks like a tornado hit!  It will probably take me longer to clean up than it took to make the card : ) !! 

 I hate when I pull out a Spellbinder die and it gets lost under all the pop dots, paper remnants and scraps of ribbons!  I think I've bought the set of standard circles 3 times now!!  I'm thinking about putting a magnet strip somewhere and sticking them to it once I've cut out the shape.  I hate of how many times I've looked through the garbage or my paper recycle bag to see if I threw one out by mistake.  Maybe you've conquered this problem - if so I'd be happy to hear your solution!

See the thing is that sometimes I cut several shapes with the same size die.  For example the card I made today - I knew I wanted a circular image in the center but I wasn't sure which one.  So I wound up inking / coloring, and cutting probably 4 or 5 images before I settled with this one (which by the way was the first one I started with).  So it is easy to loose those little flat dies in the wake of my creativity. 

I hope you like this fun Halloween card.  I had a hard time photographing it because of all the black.  The ribbon is organza so it is shimmery, and I embossed the stamp.   If you'd like to play along this week at teh Play Date Cafe the details are here:   http://theplaydatecafe.blogspot.com/2011/10/play-date-cafe-challenge-pdcc102.html

Supplies Used:  Finished size 5" x 7"

Stamp:  Catslifepress.com

Dies:  Spellbinders - Standard Circles, Classic Inverted Scalloped Circles, Picod Edge Circles, Parisian Motifs

Paper:  K&Co.

Border Punch:  Martha Stewart - Iron Gate

Twine:  Martha Stewart

Button:  Bazill Bling!

Embossing Powder :   Zing!Black

Ink:  Ranger/Tim Holtz Antique Linen Distress

Case Challenge #59 - September 29, 2011 - Tweet!

Happy Friday!  I don't know about you but I am ready for the weekend!   My son has a cross country meet and my daughter is going to Turkey Run with a group from Purdue University.  Maybe me and my hubby can sneak out to lunch alone.

I'm playing along today with the Case Study Challenge #59.  This is is the inspiration card by our muse Julie Lacey.  I like the clean lines , the circle focal point and that big fat bow.

I made my tweet! card with an adorable sparrow stamp from Catslife Press.  My kids are always using the expression sweet! so as a little play on words I made this tweet! a congratulations card. 

I stamped the bird image twice with Momento Black Tuxedo.  I fussy cut one of the birds to use as a mask.  I positioned it over the other bird with removable adhesive and then inked up the background flourish stamp in Marmalade distress ink and stamped it over the bird image.  I added the little touch of twine because I'm used to seeing sparrows with twigs and other items they collect to build their nests. 

I used alot of the same elements as in Julie's card but put my own spin on them.  I kept the bow, the embossing, color/neutral color pattern, and gems - just in a different style.    I'm looking forward to checking out what you've made!  Have a great weekend!

Products Used:

Stamps:  Sparrow:  Catslifepress.com, Ornate Textured Background:  Stampabilities

Dies:  Spellbinders Standard Circles, Eyelet Circles, Tiny Tag: Spellbinders for Just Rite

Eyelet Border Punch:  Fiskars

Embossing Folder:  Cuttlebug Moroccan Screen

Pattern Paper:  Basic Grey Ambrosia/Marmalade

Seam Binding:  Hug Snug Bright Red

Ink:  Momento Tuxedo Black, Tim Holtz/Ranger Distress Antique Linen, Marmalade

My Mind's Eye Blog Challenge 27 Card - Friendship

I just found the My Mind's Eye Blog Challenge - I have been a big fan of their paper for a LONG time so I am thrilled to see they have a blog challenge! I have been hoarding pieces from older collections - my favorite is Ooh La La for Her. If you are interested in playing along, here's the  link : http://mymindseye.typepad.com/blog/2011/09/blog-challenge-27-card.html  

For this challenge I went to my next fave set - Lost and Found and mixed a bit of the old with the new - Lost and Found Two (can you say remix?).  This is Challenge 27 and instructions are:   Design a card based on this fabulous sketch and use “Friend” as your theme (sketch by Anam Stubbington). 

I decided to take a risk here and instead of using just a "Friend" stamp I went with this great bird stamp from Cat's Life Press.  I thought the sentiment "Birds of a Feather" perfect for a friendship theme because as you know..... Birds of a Feather ...... that's right.......  STICK TOGETHER!!!   Just like good friends do. 

I'm a  sucker for a little bling so I added little gems on the birds crown, pearls for their eyes, and for the little dots I used some plain red buttons with gems glued in the centers.  I hope you are having a great day and that you are able to set aside some time to play along for a chance to win a set of Mind's Eye Paper!

Products Used:    Finished Size 5" x 7"

Patterned Paper:  My Mind's Eye Lost and Found Madison Avenue "Cherish" Pintuck Paper, Lost & Found Union Square "Perfect" Damask Print Paper, Lost & Found Uion Square "Home Sweet Home" Collage Paper, Lost & Found Two  Rosy "Love", Lost & Found Two Sunshine "Forever"

Spellbinders Labels 20, Tags Trio

Rubber Stamps:  Cats Life Press @ catslifepress.com

Border Punch:  Ek Success Double Embossed Dotted Lace

Twine: Martha Stewart

Ink:  Ranger/Tim Holtz Distress Antique Linen  Momento Tuxedo Black

Moxie Fab World Shaped Sketch 66 - Fall Queen Bee

This is the first card I am doing for Moxie Fab World.  I have looked at their site many times but never had the time to play along.  This week I am feeling more creative and am looking for some new challenges so I thought I would try a few of their challenges.  I was surprised to learn they have 5 challenges all going at the same time.  I should be starting with the Tuesday Trigger since that one has the nearest deadline, but I saw this Shaped Sketch Challenge and it got me thinking of flowers.....

And where there are flowers - there are bees!  Seems like lately since fall is near all you have to do is think of opening a can of pop and the bees appear!   They are trying to collect every last bit of sugar to store up for the coming winter.  That is how I came up with my fall color scheme and my sweet Queen Bee.  This has been my favorite stamp since I first set eyes on her last fall.  You have to admit the girl's got attitude!  Just what I would expect from a Queen Bee.  I hope you like her too!

Products Used:
Stamps:  Catslifepress.com  Queen Bee and Sentiment
Patterned Paper:  K&Co. Tim Coffey TC Blossomwood Collection
Cricut Elegant Edges (Scalloped Circle), Accent Essentials (Plain Circles)
Die Cuts:  Spellbinders:  Nested Circles and Grommet Tags
Embossing Folder:  Sizzix
Gold Embossing Powder: Zing

OWH Sketch #80 - Week of 8-1-11 - Canine King

   

This is OWH Sketch #80 for the week of (can you believe it?) August 1, 2011.  Summer is going fast - time to do something really fun before it is the back to school routine.

Today I am featuring a card with a great stamp from Catslifepress.com.  If you do alot of scrapbooking you need to check them out - they have some of the best journaling stamps on the market! 

I'm still trying to focus on more personal cards for OWH - like sports, hobbies, etc.  I know one of the biggest things I miss when I am away from home is my dog - she's like one of the kids to me!  I couldn't resist this stamp!

Products Used:

Stamps:  Dog and Sentiment:  Catslifepress.com    Border:  Waltzingmouse Stamps

Ink:  Momento Ladybug Red and Tuxedo Black



CR84FN Challenge 32

I'm playing along this week in the CR84FN Color Challenge of Teal, Green and Yellow.  I have to admit Mona Pendleton, the owner/administrator of CR84FN and the http://cupcakescreations.blogspot.com website has had me "California Dreamin'" lately.  She posted some photos from her recent vacation and fabulous honeymoon and I couldn't help but get lost!!!  Talk about eye candy!

I got to thinking about an beach get away and before you know it this is what I had......

I tried to add a little shimmer by using glitter paper, and foil paper on the sea accents.  The rhine stones reminded me of pieces of polished sea glass, and the organza ribbon accent a nod to sea foam from the waves.

I hope you like it!

Products Used:
"Wish You Were Here" Stamp - Catslifepress.com
Martha Stewart Deco Fans Border Punch

Patterened Paper:  K& Company Abriannna  & Blue Glass Collection

Die Cuts:  SPellbinders Floral Doily Motifs, Circles,  Seashells Cuttlebug, Coral Cricut "Life's A Beach"

Ink:  Momento: Rich Cocoa,  Tim Holtz/Ranger Distress Ink:  Broken China, Mustard Seed, Antique Linen, Crushed Olive

Cat's Life Press - Queen Bee

First I want to thank everyone for their kind words and encouragement over the past week!!   I have heard that a great journey begins with the first step.....    I  had been toying around with the idea of starting a blog to feature my paper crafts and this week was my "first step". 

THIS ONE IS FOR THE GIRLS!!!

I wanted to share with you one of my favorite stamps.  I found Cat's Life Press last fall when I saw this "Queen Bee" stamp.  I knew I had to have her and add it to my collection IMMEDIATELY!  (OK - I guess I'm a little demanding.)  I created this card in blue (my favorite color),  and then again in pink - to make it more feminine - she is a "Queen" bee after all!!!!

I can't decide which one I like best so here is both - you decide!!

   I embossed the stamp in GOLD and added gems and pearls to confirm her regal status. 

I added a little touch of blush on her rosy cheeks with a pom pom lightly swirled in glittery pink chalk.  I hope you like them!

Supplies Used:

Queen Bee and Sentiment:  Cat's Life Press catslifepress.com

Accent Stamp:  Waltzingmouse

Die Cut:  Spellbinders

Pink pattern paper: K & Company

Blue Pattern Paper: Basic Grey

Embossing Folder:  Provocraft