CAS Cards Share

Hello!

I've been a little absent from crafty land the past couple of days due to reorganizing and cleaning in my craft space. BD put some new shelves in my closet over Christmas break and I finally got around to pulling most everything out of there and finding it a new home. It looks SO much better and it's much easier to acesss some of my goodies. Especially my vinyl. Wow. It was a mess - to the point it was hard to know what colors I had. Now I've got it all together. I didn't get into my craft desk and clean out much. I did some purging and will try to unload some of those items pretty soon, but I still have one drawer in my desk that really badly needs a good organzing. Not sure when I will tackle that one. I need to be "in the mood" to get into that! Everytime I open it --- UGH. and then I shut it again, rather quickly!

I had a brief time in here last night and made a couple of quick, CAS cards.

 

For this card, I used the Mama Elephant Party Kit stamp set and four different pink inks, CTMH Cotton Candy and Baby Pink,  PTI's Rasberry Fizz and Hibiscs Burst. I stamped the bows in Avery Elle's Fog pigment ink. The birthday sentiment is PTI's Keep It Simple: Birthday stamp set. I loved how the font kind of matched with the balloons.

 

I am playing along with The Card Concept's One Year Anniversary inspiration challenge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My next card is more Candy Cane Christmas fun (SSS stamp set). I wanted to play along with the One Layer Christmas Card Challenge blog.

 

I went very CAS with the peppermint stamp, a sentiment from Hero Arts, and adhesive pearl bling. That's all!

 

 

I am also playing along with Virginia's View Challenge, Clean Slate. :)

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit!

 

God Bless,

Mandy

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Marathon Crafty Session Results

Hello!

I'm back today after finally having a little crafty mojo in my Fortress this morning. Yay! It had been waning and I'd been leaning on my novels and pleasure reading heavily. (I still am, but I, at least, took a break from it today.) =) After not getting a chance to "play" Monday or Tuesday, I was determined I would make it today. And, the fact that the kids were out of school for weather related road conditions, played right into my plans. Mwaaahaaaahaaaa!

I made 4 complete cards this morning! And spent some time on one that never came to fruition. I'm only sharing 3 because one of them didn't turn out quite right. (Used a new (to me) medium and I need a bit more practice!)

Here we go!

A shaker card! Whee! I've been wanting to make another one. My dear mother managed to come up with some clear acetate sheets for me somehow so I've tackled a few shaker cards now. I really like it - so fun! :)

I used some of my Lawn Fawn Snow Day 6x6 pad (I LOVE this paper).

 

 

I used the Freshly Made Sketch for my layout inspiration, Lawnscaping Challenge's Winter Mood Board, and Merry Monday's Critter challenge,  as well.

 

 

 

Next up!

 

I had a leftover "Happy" from my first card attempt of the morning, which was a fail. =) As I took a snack break, the idea for this card came to me based on the Runway Inspired Challenge inspiration.

 

 

 

 

I am also entering this in CASology's NBUS (Never Before Used Schtuff) challenge, as the Avery Elle die/stamp set was new for me as was the flourish stamp by Inkadinkado (Mom put in my Christmas stocking! LOL). I am also entering the NBUS challenge - Anything Goes.

 

 

 

 

Ok - and last ... I appreciate it if you have hung in for all of these!

My beloved Paper Smooches and coloring....inspiration based on the Picture Perfect Challenge over at SPARKS.

 

 

 

I used the current sketch over at MFT Card Challenge for my layout inspiration and the current Christmas Card Challenge Case a Design Team challenge :

 

 

 

I used my new PS Warm Hearts stamp set and was SO proud of my masking/stamping/coloring - it was going SO well, when at the end of coloring the little red berries, I DROPPED MY RED MARKER! It bounced off the panel, marked up my finger and "ruined" my happy mojo buzz! I couldn't believe it! I knew I would put something across the panel based on the sketch but that pretty much sealed the deal and removed any creative license. Haha! It turned out ok. You can't really tell now, but I had to share what happened. I know someone, if not everyone, can relate. =)

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit! I know that was a terribly long post. Peace and blessings!

 

Mandy

 

 



 



 

 

 



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Playing with Paper Smooches

As promised, (because I know you've all waited with bated breath), I'm sharing some cards I made while playing with my new Christmas gift PS stamps. They are so fun and I love to color them with markers.

First up I used the Sugar Rush set to create this little cutie:



(Please pardon the poor lighting - I failed to snap a pic during the daylight hours today. That nap wasn't going to take itself!)

Everything is from the same stamp set. I used the masking technique a few times and colored everything in with Spectrum Noir Markers. I also added a few accents with a white gel pen and a Wink of Stella glitter pen. I wish it showed up better in the photo.

My card design was inspired by this weeks challenge at Freshly Made Sketches:

 

I am also playing along with 4 Crafty Chicks "Anniversary" challenge.

 

My next card I played around with a couple of new Avery Elle inks and the PS Leafy Greens stamp set:

 

 

I used Avery Elle's Fog and Mint To Be, CTMH's Sunset, and PTI's Hibiscus Burst. The sentiment is from PS Spiritual Sampler.

 

My card design was inspired by the sketch over at CAS(E) This Sketch:

 

 

 

I got a little wild and crazy and tilted my panels; it wouldn't be the first time I've been called a "non-conformist". I try not to advertise that, but sometimes my true inner self slips out like that. I just wanted an excuse to stamp those leaves all around my card! Luckily, I had restocked some of my enamel dots (I've been hoarding what little I still had) and I had perfect matches to the inks I used on this panel. I love how the extra dimension they provide without the bulk.

 

I'm also playing along with Crazy 4 Challenges - use the first thing you think of on your card (the Wink of Stella pen for card #1 and the new Mint ink on card #2 -- I had to use that color on something). Additionally, I'm submitting to Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge -- use something new (most all of my goodies used on these two cards were from Christmas gifts.)

 

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit! I hope everyone is having a great new year so far! (I'm such a "winter wimp" I'm already counting down the days til springtime. Ugh.)

 

God Bless,

Mandy

 

 

 



 

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Ice Cream Fun using Challenge inspiration

Hello! I'm popping in on a Saturday while the kids play hide-and-seek in the house with the neighbor playmates (ha! -- it's still too cold to play outside. Yikes!). I've got kale chips going in the oven and some good music blasting on my little kitchen TV. A good productive afternoon. :)

I wanted to share a card I made earlier this week using the lovely Colour Q colors for the week. It's been so long since I've played along! Booo.

I used my new Paper Smooches Sugar Rush stamp set (thank you Christmas gift cards!) - I think all the "sweet" images are so fun. I need to get my patootie up there and ink up some more, but my mojo is waning and I've officially declared January my Hibernation/Recovery month! I've been reading my books like nobody's business. I've read two novels in the past 3 days. Giggle. 8-)  Thankfully, Big Daddy doesn't read my blog. He would be agog. He already thinks my nerd qualities are through the roof. (Plus I feel bad because he does have to get up really early and work really hard. Of course, he doesn't have to worry about mental instability from being on kid duty 24/7 - so I figure it balances out in the end. ;)  )  Shhhhh....our little secret!

On to my card! ----

 

I used patterned papers from various pads to find the colors from the inspiration photo and pieced my triple scoop cone together. It's all layered up on foam tape for extra dimension and has a little bit of handshading underneath to ground it. I  added some little banners from scraps to the top and stitched them down because my sewing machine was still out on my desk and I took advantage of it. After stamping the sentiment, I added a little silver bling from a CTMH embellie set.

 

I'm also playing along with a few more challenges:

 

 

Paper Smooches SPARKS Anything Goes:

 

 

Seize the Birthday

 

 

 

 

 



Crazy 4 Challenges  --    "use the first thing you think of on your card" -- sewing machine

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge  -- use Something new on your card -- new stamp set


Thanks so much for stopping by to visit!

God Bless and Happy New Year,
Mandy Pin It

Sweater Weather and a few challenges

Hello!

I'm back after a little absence yesterday. I was DOWN with a bad migraine. I didn't even get the poor Piglets to school. Yikes. That was a first for me. And the really sad part is, I kinda needed them. They took such good care of me! It was so sweet (and I was super appreciative). I was back up and functioning around lunch time, but still zapped - and frankly, pretty paranoid about a relapse, so I was quite careful what I did, ate, and drank all day. Phew. Anyway!

I resumed my crafting today and had fun. Caught up on a few DVR'd shows that made me laugh and played with a new stencil! I had great inspiration all the way around - (Nothing like a new goodie to spur on the crafting) and there were several fab challenges with which I wanted to play.

A sketch, theme, colors - I had it all going on here. Check this out:

The FIRST MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenge, Curtain Call, Just Us Girls, and Christmas Card Challenges ....





And, here is my card -- chalked full of inspiration! (LOVE when that happens!) 

 

I used my Tim Holtz Fair Isle stencil to create the pattern on the panel and the sentiment strip. I sponged in 3 different brown Distress Inks for the background, Rusty Hinge, Vintage Photo, and Gathered Twigs for the ombre pattern. I used CTMH's Bamboo ink on the sentiment strip to keep it muted and to allow the words to show up better. I used some string that I had in my stash that actually came with a sweater (for fixing snags and what-not, I guess) -- I thought it was fitting to use. 8-) Nerd smiley! I printed the sentiment using my Silhouette and the KG Skinny Latte font. That's all!

 

This one turned out to be one of my favorites of late - hope you like it!

 

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit!

 

God Bless and Happy New Year,

Mandy 

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Paper Smooches -- "Anything Goes" Fun

Hi!

First day back to the Real World today and we survived ok. So far anyway. T minus 2 hours until kids' bedtimes. And still much to be done before then. But I think we will make it. :) This morning went way better than I imagined, so great relief there!

I'm popping in to share one of the cards I made during this morning's brief crafty session. I can't wait to get back up there, I had an order come in today that was spending Christmas gift cards -- I've got new PS goodies to play with so I will share those soon!

I'm playing along with Paper Smooches SPARKS Anything Goes Challenge.



I used my Bee Mine stamp set -- these pies were already stamped, colored, and laying around on my desk where I had abandoned another project a week ago. Funny thing is -- I cut 1 and 1/2 out by hand THEN remembered I had the matching dies! Ha! So much easier. I LOVE having the dies. (And that's a rarity for me.)

 

I layered the pies on the accent panel (which is die-cut using the Lil Inker Designs Stitched Rounded Rectangles) then stamped the steam in AMuse's Latte pigment ink and the hearts using second generation SSS Lipstick Red ink. I stamped the sentiment, masking and layering it together before coloring the adorable little heart with Spectrum Noir markers.

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit!

 

God Bless and Happy New Year!!!

Mandy 

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Gifted Photo Tray Share

Hello!

I wanted to share one of my favorite Christmas gifts I made this year. I made several things and took photos, but during all the Holiday Madness I didn't have the time to share here. (See what I did there? - it's capitalized because I think it should be a thing. Real, true, pre-defined period of time that we all recognize.) So, alas, I am going to share them after Christmas. I'm still loving the Christmas crafty goodies as I'm known to do, so I'll just go with it.

This gift was for BD's Grannie. I love to make her gifts and buy her books. :) It works out well for me, hopefully she likes it! :)

I used the same photo that was from our Christmas cards to fill in this CUH--UTE 6x6 tray from 7Gypsies. It was so fast - I promise I made it in 30minutes! (And 5 of that was tying that bow on top, trying to get it to look like I wanted.)

 

 

 

I used my SSS Candy Cane Christmas card kit. The patterned papers/cardstocks were in the kit, I simply trimmed them to the proper size and adhered. I did stamp/white emboss the sentiment on the middle square, using the Candy Cane stamp set prior to adhering it. The candy canes were stamped from that set and fussy cut, as well as the holly leaves. I added the sweet TINY bow that came in the kit on top of it all (and it covers up the junction of it all). The red ribbon is some Offray I had left from prior projects that I wrapped (and adhered with my ATG tape gun) around the edges, then tied at the top. It just turned out really, really sweet and Grannie loved it! :)

 

 

I am submitting this to Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes and Crazy 4 Challenges "Clean and Simple" Challenge this week.

 

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit!

 

God Bless and Happy New Year,

Mandy

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