Muse: Christmas Visions #37

If you are looking for my CASology #191: Washi post click here or scroll down.

The only good thing that came from finding the UFO (Unexpected Foreign Object) in my tire this morning is I decided to stay home and had unplanned creative time to make a couple of cards. I didn't want to miss the deadline for the Muse: Christmas Visions #37 challenge, so have a second post for today.

It is easy to see how I was inspired by Emily Leiphart adorable Yeti card: color palette, funny multi-colored sentiment, mason jar snow globe.

A Paper Smooches Swanky Snowdude is stamped and colored with Copic markers on a PTI mason jar die cut before the shaker was assembled and filled with microbeads. An acrylic snowflake was trimmed to fit in the bottom left corner of the jar and is adhered in place.

It is serendipity that Emily is the Muse this week as I was questioned about the technique I used to make a Multi-Colored Sentiment this card for the CASology Weather challenge last week. I searched for a tutorial that could demonstrate the technique better than I could explain it with words and came across this video by Emily.

I have been using Washi tape to mask the part of the sentiment I don't want inked, but it can get messy and take a little time it I need to double stamp any section. I used Emily's technique on this card and there is no question it is faster, easier and cleaner!

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

CASology Week 191: Washi

Welcome to Week 191 at the CASology Challenge!

The word to inspire you this week is WASHI. I love how a simple strip of washi tape can add a bit of pattern or color to a card. I decided to play around with some of the unique properties of this tape and came up with a camouflaged die cut technique.

The Avery Elle Thank You is die cut from white card stock and adhered to the card base. Strips of washi tape were adhered on a diagonal line, starting in the center and working on either side until the whole die cut is covered.

An embossing stylus is gently run along the edges of the die cut to adhere the washi to the sides and centers of the word. It was fun to see how clearly the word is outlined.

For more inspiration, check out the fabulous Design Team cards.

Ardyth Percy-Robb

Deidre Payne

Hannelie Bester

Hazel Hodgkins

Jacquie Southas (you are here)

Jen Wills

Joyce Mehrberg

Judy Marino

Kymona Tracey

Melissa Chipperfield

Sherrie Mannion

Tracey McNeely

We are looking forward to seeing how you use washi tape on your cards this week. As always, remember to keep it Clean & Simple! You have until Monday at noon (CMT) to link your card to the CASology blog.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

Freshly Made Sketches #229 + Poppystamps Challenge #18: Spring Fling

Happy Easter for those celebrating today! We follow the Orthodox tradition so won't be having our Greek Easter feast until May 1st this year. When there is this much of a gap between Western & Eastern Easters, I have to remember to hit the stores for treats before they all disappear.

I did have some time to create today and have a card to share that was made for the Freshly Made Sketches #229 challenge. As you can see, I rotated the sketch when I saw how perfectly the butterfly fit on the rounded diamond shapes.

A trio of Avery Elle Rounded Diamonds and a Poppystamps Princess Butterfly are cut from  watercolor paper before being colored with Zig markers. The diamonds are adhered with foam squares first and just the middle of the butterfly is glued to the center diamond. A sentiment banner is heat embossed and adhered directly onto the card base, tucking under the diamonds.

I am also linking this to the Poppystamps Challenge #18: Spring Fling.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

Papertrey Ink March 2016 Blog Hop

Nichole Heady almost stumped me with the inspiration photos she choose for the Papertrey Ink March 2016 Blog Hop. The stitch work of Izziyana Suhaimi is really stunning and, in the end, it was the first photo with the white stitched flower that gave me the starting point for my design.

              

A sentiment from Graceful Greetings and the largest peony from Peonies On Parade were stamped with Versamark ink and clear embossed on a white cardstock panel. The panel was die cut with a stitched rectangle die before being inked with Pumice Stone and Weathered Wood Distress Inks.

After the panel was inked, three strands of embroidery floss were used to add five French knots in the center of the peony.

The finished panel is mounted on an Aqua Mist panel and then a Smoky Shadow card base.

I am really intrigued to see the cards in the gallery this month and am off to Hop.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

Seize the Birthday: Water

It is time for a new challenge at Seize the Birthday where I have been the Surprise Party Guest for February and March!

All the birthday cards in the gallery for the last challenge are fabulous, whether you participated in The Great Divide Toppings challenge or went for the Anything Goes category! The new Toppings is Water.

"Water"

I took the challenge a couple of different ways, creating a water scene and using watercolor techniques.

First a watercolor panel was colored with Wilted Violet Distress Ink and then cut with the Memory Box Octopus die. Another watercolor panel was smooshed with layers of Mermaid Lagoon and Peacock Feathers Distress Inks and then cut with the PTI Waves Coverplate.

About half the wave pieces were adhered to the card base before the octopus, sequins and raindrop eyes were added. A sentiment from MFT's Brushstroke Birthday stamp set finish this card off.

As always, you can play along with Seize the Birthday in the Anything Goes category, just as long as you stick to the birthday theme!

Thanks so much to Nancy and the Design Team for having me as the Surprise Party Guest for the last couple of months!

Jacquie

CASology Week 190: Weather

Welcome to Week 190 at the CASology Challenge!

The word to inspire you this week is WEATHER. I'm lucky enough to live in an area that gets plenty of sunshine year round, so I thought I'd send a little your way with this card.

An MFT stencil and Distress Inks create the sunshine background for this fun sentiment from PTI's Hello, Sunshine stamp set.

A stamp press made it easy to mask off part of the sentiment and stamp it in two colors - an easy way to keep the card clean and simple, yet add interest to the design.

How does WEATHER inspire you? A Get Well card for someone under the weather? Celebrating the changing weather with the changing seasons? For more ideas, check out the wonderful variety of cards from the Design Team.

Ardyth Percy-Robb

Deidre Payne

Hannelie Bester

Hazel Hodgkins

Jacquie Southas (you are here)

Jen Wills

Joyce Mehrberg

Judy Marino

Kymona Tracey

Melissa Chipperfield

Sherrie Mannion

Tracey McNeely

Guest Designer: Amelia!

We are looking forward to seeing your weather related cards in the gallery this week - just remember to keep it Clean & Simple! You have until Monday at noon (CMT) to link your card to the CASology blog and a chance to win a prize from this week's sponsor, Avery Elle.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

Fusion + Simon Says + Poppystamps #18 Spring Fling + ATCAS: Delicate

I don't usually make a lot of Easter cards, but a couple of new Poppystamps dies were crying to be used after I looked at a few challenges this weekend.

The Bunny Buddies fit perfectly on the second largest egg in the Egg Cetera die set. With my last Easter card (shared here) I had to use an ancient egg punch, so I was happy to discover these two die sets on a first time stop at a semi-local stamp store recently.

Inspired by the Fusion: Everything's Owl Right challenge, I cut a trio of felt eggs in pastel versions of the primary colors to anchor my bunnies. The diagonal lines come through in the form of embossed dotted chevrons, which also subsitute for the background text. The sentiment and delicate line of stamped grass are from PTI's Simply Spring stamp set. 

This card is being entered in Poppystamps Challenge #18: Spring Fling, Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog where this week Simon Says Cute & Cuddly and Addicted to CAS Challenge #84: Delicate.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

FMS #228 + Curtain Call: Rainbow + Poppystamps: Spring

I'm trying to re-enter real life after spending the last four days playing with crafting friends at an annual retreat. The hall outside my office is lined with stacks of supplies waiting to be put away and while I contemplate doing a little reorganization, I thought I would post this card.

Using the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches #228 and the inspiration photo from Curtain Call: Rainbow, a bouquet of brightly colored balloons is escaping off the top left corner of the card. The large pink balloon is cut with a PTI Balloon Shaker die and the other balloons from Poppystamps Celebration Balloons die set. I am also entering this in the Poppystamps Challenge #18 - Spring Fling.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

CASology week 189: Doodle

Welcome to Week 189 at the CASology Challenge!

Doodle is the word to inspire us this week at the CASology Challenge. I immediately started looking at stamp images and sentiments that had a sketchy, doodlie feel to them and quickly decided to focus on a sentiment from Simon Says Stamp.

For added interest the sentiment is stamped with Raspberry Fizz ink on an asymmetrical panel and layered with a Raspberry Fizz panel.

Before the sentiment panel was adhered, a small doodle line as stamped following the same line as the sentiment.

Are you already thinking about a doodle design? For more inspiration, check out the wonderful variety of cards from the Design Team.

Ardyth Percy-Robb

Deidre Payne

Hannelie Bester

Hazel Hodgkins

Jacquie Southas (you are here)

Jen Wills

Joyce Mehrberg

Judy Marino

Kymona Tracey

Melissa Chipperfield

Sherrie Mannion

Tracey McNeely

Guest Designer: Rachel!

We are looking forward to your doodles in the gallery this week - just remember to keep it Clean & Simple! You have until Monday at noon (CMT) to link your card to the CASology blog and a chance to win a prize from this week's sponsor, STAMPlorations.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

Muse #157

I was supposed to be organizing craft supplies for an upcoming retreat and made the mistake of looking at the stunning inspiration card from Anita for Muse #157.

I made a banner shaped mask for the sentiment, die cutting one end so that one of the flower stamps could nestle up to it, making it look like the banner was tucked under the flower. With the mask in place, Abandoned Coral Distress Ink was sponged on the card and then three sizes of flowers were stamped around the mask. Before removing the mask a little of the ink was splatted across the card with a paintbrush.

Muse #157

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

CAS(E) This Sketch! #163 + Simon Says a Bit O'Green

How are you adjusting to Daylight Saving Time? I always have a hard time losing an hour at this time of year but I seriously love having light later into the evening, so try to to whine too much. The extra light today meant I could get a couple of photos of this card made based on the CAS(E) This Sketch #163.

A rounded diamond die cut was place in the bottom left corner of the card base and then trimmed along the edges before the arrows were added pointing to the  PTI Wet Paint sentiment.

The lime arrow is popped up slightly at the front end. I am also linking this card to the Wednesday Challenge Blog at Simon Says Stamp where the current challenge is to add A Bit O'Green.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

Muse #156 + Simon Say A Bit O'Green

I've been thinking about Michele's fabulous camouflage die cut card for Muse #156 all week and finally used her inspiration to make a birthday card for my dad.

A diagonal line masked off part of the panel and then a leafy stencil design inked with Mowed Lawn Distress Ink. After the stencil was removed, more Mowed Lawn and a little Twisted Citron inks were blended over the leafy images. A birthday word die was placed along the diagonal line and the die cut set aside. A green die cut word was inset into the opening and the sentiment finished with stamps from PTI Birthday Cheer.

A couple of white die cuts were stacked on the inset word before the original stenciled die cut was added on the top. With this angle, you can see a tiny edge of the green die cut at the bottom of the stacked words.

A few enamel dots were scattered to finish the card off. With the Wednesday Challenge at Simon Says Stamp to add a "Bit O'Green",  I am also linking to their blog.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

Seize the Birthday: The Great Divide

It is time for a new challenge at Seize the Birthday, where I am thrilled to be the Surprise Party Guest for February and March!

The Toppings is The Great Divide, with a challenge to divide the focal point of your birthday card in half (or thirds, etc.).

I stamped, masked and heat embossed a floral design onto watercolor paper before coloring it in with an aqua pen and Distress Inks.

Once the panel was dry, it was die cut into two pieces and popped up on a white card base. The sentiment was heat embossed on a die cut scrap of watercolor paper and then colored to match the floral panels.

A couple of translucent, glittery enamel dots finish the card off.

As always at Seize the Birthday, you can choose to play along in the Anything Goes category.

I am also linking this card to the always delightful Darnell's NBUS #6 challenge as this is my first time inking up the PTI Bold Blossoms stamp set. Today is the last day to play with your "never-been-used-schtuff" and link to the challenge.

I'm looking forward to seeing your cards in the Seize the Birthday gallery!

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie