CASology Hot Part 2

Hello Everyone,
Here is entry number two into the "Hot" challenge over at CASology. Same technique as before - you can read a description in my previous post. Here is my card:

I sponged the base panel with distress inks and then popped the die cut panel up over it with foam tape. I couldn't let the die cut heart go to waste, so here is what I did with it:

Two very simple Valentine's Day cards! Thanks for stopping by - love to hear your feedback!

Happy Stamping,

Meg

CASology: Hot and Online Card Class - Fab with Five

Hello Everyone,

What a week! This past two weeks are crunch time at school. I have been madly racing to meet report card/marking deadlines and have had no time to craft. Finally, I was able to spend some time watching my OLCC videos and try a few techniques.

On Day 6 of the class the challenge was Fab Five - create something unique with only five "ingredients". I loved the technique that Tasnim Ahmed demo'd. Simply mask with post it tape (at any angle across your panel) and sponge distress inks - start at the tape edge and taper off. Very simple and you get this beautiful gradient look. Move the tape and do the same thing. She demo'd creating diagonal stripes and just one colour of distress ink. I couldn't stick to just one, so I chose my colours based on CASology's cue word: hot. I chose the colours of the sun and threw in hot pink for good measure. I love the way these cards turned out - I made a bunch. Here is the one I am entering in the challenge - you will have to excuse the photo it was quite hard to photograph.

First I sponged the horizontal stripes using Spiced Marmalade, Ripe Persimmon, and Picked Raspberry Distress Inks. Then I sponged on the diagonal. I die cut my heart and covered it with four layers of clear embossing powder. It is gorgeously glossy in real life. I topped everything off with a simple Technique Tuesday sentiment. I am thrilled with the way it turned  out.

Thanks for stopping by - I love to hear your feedback, so feel free to leave a comment!

Happy Stamping,

Meg

Clean and Simple 4: Faux Tile, CASology: Birthday

Hello Everyone,
This is the second post for the day. This is another Birthday Card for the CASology challenge this week. This is my second try at the Faux Tile technique from Clean and Simple 4 (Online Card Classes). If you want detailed steps, see my post below. Essentially, I created another faux tile, but this time at the end, after adding the layers of clear EP, you reheat certain sections and sprinkle on gold EP and heat again. It almost creates a splatter effect - it is quite beautiful in real life, but I found it hard to photograph. I created the background panel awhile ago and while I was pleased with the way it turned out, I just couldn't figure out what to use it for and as a result it has been sitting on my craft table for yonks. I used white embossing paste mixed with transparent glitter and then sponged it with distress inks when it had dried. It is lovely and sparkly. I thought the bold black and white birthday sentiment balanced everything out nicely.

It is hard to see the gold flecks, but here is a close-up to give you a better look:

They are quite shimmery in real life. All in all, I am pleased with my endeavours. Now it is time to get to work!

Thanks for stopping by. Love to hear your feedback, so feel free to leave a comment!

Happy Stamping,

Meg

CASology - Birthday and Online Card Class: Clean and Simple 4

Hello Everyone,
This week over at CASology cue card is Birthday - pretty straight forward! I am taking the latest of the Online Card Classes - Clean and Simple 4 - and one of the techniques that was demo'd by Julie Ebersole is the "faux tile" technique. So I have combined the two for this week's challenge.

I created the faux tile by covering my square with masking paper and embossing it with my daisy die (Tilth Flower, Memory Box). It cuts through the masking paper, but not the cardstock. I carefully peeled the mask away from around the edges of the flower and sponged on some Picked Raspberry Distress Ink. Then I peeled away the mask from inside the petals and sponged this with Mustard Seed and Ripe Persimmon DI's. Finally I peeled the mask from the flower itself. The last touch is to cover the whole panel in versamark ink and clear embossing posder: heat and repeat. I did three layers of EP. Here is a close-up:

I love that you can still see and feel the debossed flower. I added the simple sentiment (Avery Elle) and layered it on some Melon Mambo before putting the card together. I am really thrilled with the way this turned out - I can definitely see myself using this technique over and over again.

Thanks for stopping by. I love to hear your feedback, so feel free to leave me a comment.

Happy Stamping,

Meg

Muse: Julie B and Paper Smooches Sparks

Hello Everyone,
I love the sweet Muse card this week - especially the off-set little bear and the large heart background. This also fits nicely with the sketch over at Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge, so I am linking up to both. Here is what I came up with:

This card came together fairly quickly. I don't own a lot of "creature" stamps, but I couldn't resist this owl from Paper Smooches "Hooties" . I stamped her and coloured her with my pink Wink of Stella - she is quite shimmery in real life. Then I die cut her using the matching PS dies. Next, I cut a panel of white cardstock the same size as the front of my card base and die cut the heart from it. I ran it through the Vagabond in a wood grain EF and attached it to a red card base. I stamped the sentiment (from the same PS set) and white heat embossed. Finally I stamped the branch (extended it to make it longer) and cut it out - I used the same woodgrain EF on it. I mounted it with foam squares and lastly, attached her nibs. Super-cute, if I do say so myself! Although the instructions are longer than I thought, this was pretty quick and easy to put together.

Thanks for stopping by. I would love to hear your feedback, so feel free to comment!

Happy Stamping,

Meg

Muse for a Fabulous Friend

Hello Everyone,
Time to play along with Muse... This week's inspiration card is the wonderful Marion Vagg. You check out her fabulous creation here. I was inspired by the wonderfully vibrant juxtaposition of stark white on colour. I love the Quilled Elegance set from PTI and pulled it out to make a pretty straight forward case of Marion's card.

I decided to go with hot pink (SU's Melon Mambo) and an My Favourite Things sentiment set called Simply Fabulous Sayings. I felt the card needed a little something, so I coloured inside all the heartlike swirls with my silver Wink of Stella. On darker cardstock or over darker ink the silver looks more like clear. In real life it is just the right amount of shimmer for this CAS design.

Thanks for stopping by. I would love to hear your feedback, so feel free to leave a comment!

Happy Stamping,

Meg

Paper Smooches Sparks: Anything Goes, CASology: Friend

Hello Everyone,

I am playing along with CASology where the cue card is friend, and with Paper Smooches Sparks Anything Goes Challenges. I have had the Qwik Qwips set from Paper Smooches for a whilw now and have never inked it up - I am not sure why because I love it. I pulled it out this morning and this simple little card popped into my head. The I *heart* U part of the sentiment is from the PS Mini Monograms set. Super simple, but I think a great valentine for my bestie!

I am thrilled with the way it turned out. Thanks for stopping by - I would love to hear your feedback.

Happy Stamping,

Meg

CASology: Friend

Hello Everyone,

I was so excited for this week's CASology cue card: Friend. I have to admit that I consider myself the luckiest gal because I have the BEST bestie in the world. I have known Wendy for 28 years and she is just the best. Each week I send her a card, even though we get together once a week too. When I saw the "Good Times" stamp set at Mama Elephant, I knew I had to get it to make a card for her. I kept it super CAS.

This cracks me up - whoever came up with this sentiment deserves big cudos. I kept it super-simple. I stamped the sentiment and the people; I was going to leave it at that, but it looked too simple. So, I masked off a small section in between and sponged a fading line with Peacock Feathers distress inks. I like the way it grounds the image.

Anyway, thans for stopping by. Love to hear your feedback!

Happy Stamping,

Meg

Paper Smooches Sparks: Anything Goes

Hello Everyone,
Time to play along with Paper Smooches Sparks - it is an anything goes challenge this week. I have to say that I love Paper Smooches and am slowly building my collection, but always have more on my wishlist!

At the moment I am supposed to be marking paragraphs, but this idea has been tickling my brain, so I thought it best to craft first, so that I can fully focus on my marking later... that's my story and I am sticking to it. Here is my simple card:

I used the fabulous I Heart Art set. I die cut the large heart from a piece of printer paper and temporarily adhered it to my card panel. Then, I stamped the paint brushes inside the heart. I coloured them with a rainbow of Copics - just straight forward colouring and finally stamped the sentiment. I mounted the panel on a red mat as it needed a framed edge. I love the way it turned out. Head on over to Paper Smooches to check out all the fabulous cards.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by. Please leave a comment, as I love to hear your feedback!

Happy Stamping,

Meg

CASology NBUS and Muse!

Hello Everyone,
Back again with an entry for this week's CASology and Muse challenges. On Tuesday when I popped over to CASology, I was thrilled to see that the word NBUS had made it into the cue card lexicon... This is a term coined by the great Darnell of djkardkreations. I had also been mulling over ideas for the Muse challenge this week. Well, I finally came up with a combo that fit both challenges! Here is the Muse inspiration card.

Definitely CAS perfection. I was inspired by the little coloured heart and the idea of a heart inside a heart. So... here is my card:

First I cut the main panel and die cut the large heart from it with my heart shaped nestabilities. I cut a second panel the same size and traced the heart shape on it, then I sponged the area with Distress Inks. I used Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, and Picked Raspberry. I stamped the sentiment under the heart die cut - this is the NBUS part - it is a Technique Tuesday sentiment stamp that I have never inked up even though I have had it for about 2 years! I mounted the main panel over the sponged one and finally added the smaller heart - this I punched from white cardstock and then ran it through my Xyron before applying glitter and the same distress inks. It is the perfect touch of bling. Here is a close up:

I am thrilled with the way this card turned out. Thanks for stopping by and as always, I love to hear your feedback, so feel free to comment!

Happy Stamping,

Meg