Saturday, April 30, 2016

CAS(E) This Sketch! #170 + Seize the Birthday + Simon Says Anything Goes

Many dear friends have been nursing their husbands through illness and injury over the last year and I have to offer my humble apologies for not offering as much sympathy and support as you all deserved. My darling husband has been transformed into a caged bear as a result of surgery this week.  We are very thankful that it is nothing life threatening (torn tricep leaving him with a splinted left elbow) but he is not dealing well with restrictions and limited mobility. This morning I retreated to the office for a little creative therapy and have this card to share.




Following the sketch from CAS(E) This Sketch! #170, a white card stock panel is cut using the SSS Curved Edge die. After the first cut, washi tape held the two pieces together and a second cut was made, leaving me for four panels. 







The Tim Holtz Burlap stencil was laid diagonally on a white card base and Tumbled Glass Distress Ink blended over it. The color is more intense at the point where the curved panels intersect and tapers out toward the edges.

The Paper Smooches sentiment is stamped before two of the panels are popped up on the card base. The Poppystamps Massa Leaf die is adhered on the card base and then the Maya Road acrylic butterfly added where the popped up panels meet. A couple of punched butterflies finish the card off.




This angle gives you a better view of the popped up panels.

I am also linking this card to the Anything Goes challenges at Seize the Birthday and the Wednesday Challenge Blog at Simon Says Stamp.


   Simon Wednesday Challenge Blog


Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie


Tuesday, April 26, 2016

CASology Week 195: Sprinkle

Welcome to Week 195 of the CASology Challenge!




What comes to your mind when you hear the word SPRINKLE? April showers?  Sugar dusting a sweet treat? Watering the garden? We have a local cupcake store called Sprinkles, so I decided to create a shaker window for a birthday cupcake covered in sugar sprinkles.




Images from Lawn Fawn's Bake Me A Cake stamp set were layered on the card base and then colored with Copic markers. The circle opening was die cut before the sentiment stamped onto a white card stock panel. A square piece of transparency was adhered on the underside of this panel and then another, slightly smaller foam core rectangle with a slightly larger opening was adhered below this.




Once the glue was very dry, a small pile of microbeads and confetti was poured on the stamped image and then the top panel carefully placed on the card base.

For more ideas, check out the fabulous cards from the talented Design Team.




I am also linking this card to Seize the Birthday!, where Anything Goes is the current challenge.




I'm looking forward to seeing how SPRINKLE inspires you -  just remember to keep it Clean & Simple! You have until Monday at noon (CMT) to link your card to the CASology blog.

Jacquie

Monday, April 25, 2016

Papertrey Ink April 2016 Blog Hop

Why did I think I had a few more days before the Papertrey Ink April 2016 Blog Hop?  For details on the Blog Hop, head to Capture the Moment.

Blog-hop-logo

Blog hop inspiration


The inspiration photo Nichole provided this month had me a little frustrated until I moved from working in circles to playing with color, layering inks and lining up the waves created with a stencil.




The stencil is adhered over a Stamper's Select white card stock panel and inked with Wild Honey Distress Ink from the bottom and Barn Door Distress Ink from the top, overlapping the colors where they meet in the middle. The stencil is removed and more ink blended over the panel, covering all the white. A second panel is inked in the same way, but with the Wild Honey starting at the top of the panel and working the Barn Door from the bottom. The first panel is cut with a PTI die and temporarily adhered to the second panel, lining up the waves and then trimmed a bit.




The PTI Scripted die is cut from True Black paper and adhered to the tilted panel which is now popped up on the larger inked panel.

As always, I love to see how everyone else interpreted the inspiration photo and look forward to seeing some amazing cards!

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie


Friday, April 22, 2016

Muse Christmas Visions #41

My creative mojo and creative time haven't been playing together very well over the last couple of weeks, but I think Cornelia's card for the Muse: Christmas Visions #41 might have finally pushed them into sync again.



Cornelia's card is everything I love colorful, clean and clever!


Northern lights was the first thing I thought of when I saw this card. One of my sister's lived in the Yukon for many years and I dreamed of seeing the northern lights on my visits, but we hardly got a sunset before the sun was rising again for the next day. Even my long ago trip to the high Arctic for a job interview was in the summer. See if you can find Little Cornwallis Island on a map and try to imagine working there over a long, dark winter. I don't think my husband will ever really forgive me for turning down that opportunity.




The PTI Waves cover plate is cut in white and black and pieced back together to make the snowy hill and dark night sky, with some of the white panel inked in rainbow colors.

The Memory Box fawn die is adhered so that the feet are flush with the paper and the head popped up. I love the way it's head is slightly tilted, looking up at the bright & colorful night sky.




A sentiment from PTI Rustic Wreath stamp set finishes this card.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

CASology Week 194: Mom

Welcome to Week 194 at the CASology Challenge!




This week we are focussing on MOM and I'm thrilled to use one of the STAMPloration's Mom Subway Art Builders stamps on my card. The sentiment is stamped onto a watercolor panel with Versamark ink and clear embossed to resist the Twisted Citron and Peacock Feathers Distress Inks. Once the panel is dry, it is ironed to removed the glossy embossed finish.




The image is then cut with a scalloped stitched rectangle die, leaving room at the bottom for an embellishment cluster.




The panel is mounted on a card base made from the watercolor paper to match the sentiment.

How does MOM inspire you? For more ideas, check out the talented Design Team cards.




We are looking forward to seeing how MOM inspires you -  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.

Jacquie

ETA I'm linking an older tutorial Jennifer McGuire did for Hero Arts that demonstrates ironing off the embossed area for a matte finish.


Friday, April 15, 2016

Curtain Call April 15 - Simplicity Guest Designer

As exciting as it was to have this card selected as the winner of the Curtain Call: Rainbow challenge, I was even more thrilled that it gave me the opportunity to Guest Design for the Curtain Call April 15 - Simplicity challenge!




The first things that jumped out at me from the inspiration photo were the big, scripty font and a school vibe with the wood desk, clipboard and creative supplies. 




The idea of making a graduation card came after selecting this sentiment from the Avery Elle Brushed stamp set and the color palette shifted to my daughter's high school colors. She graduated last year, but has a few friends in the Class of 2016 and will be looking for cards in the next month or so. The MFT Blueprints easel used for the card base is a nod to both the clipboard and wood background in the photo.




A Tim Holtz hinge clip anchors the sentiment flag and banner on one side of the card, with a metal clip holding the twine on the other side.




Now for a little true confession, this is my first version of the card. It wasn't until my daughter asked me why I was making a Class of 2017 card that I realized I was working a year ahead! Thankfully, it was a quick fix to correct the mistake.




I can't wait to see how you interpret this fabulous inspiration photo and fill the gallery for this challenge!

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Muse #161 + Addicted to CAS #85

After a week away from my family, why does it take 3 or 4 days to catch up on chores? Aren't they supposed to take care of everything while I'm gone? Well, the laundry is finally done, food supplies are replenished and my son drove my car to school so I can't go anywhere and had no choice but to head into the office for some creative time today.

Up first is a card based on Anita's beautiful card for Muse #161 and the Addicted to CAS #85: Inlaid Dies.




I love the way Anita's inlaid die cut extends over the edge of her watercolored square, so used that same design for my card. The green row of trees is die cut first, trimmed to the length I wanted and all the little bits discarded. Once the watercolored panel was dry, it was cut with a stitched edge square die and then again with Boddington Tree Border.




The die cut square is backed with an adhesive square and the green row of trees inlaid first. Once this was in place, it was easy to lay the die still holding the cut from the watercolored panel over the trees and carefully push the little pieces through onto the adhesive backing.


   


Before I go, I have to share a photo of California citrus. I brought home a bag of grapefruit from my friend's tree in Indian Wells and couldn't help comparing them to the lemons I picked this afternoon.




Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie


Tuesday, April 12, 2016

CASology Week 193: Pink

Welcome to Week 193 at the CASology Challenge!






PINK is the word to inspire us this week! I chose to start with a Raspberry Fizz card base and used a white panel to balance the bright color. A PTI Thank You Kindly sentiment is stamped on the white panel and then it was embossed before the Concord & 9th watercolored butterfly was added. Working with all the thin lined elements help keep the design Clean & Simple.




I tried to capture the Wink of Stella that lightly coats the butterfly and adds a pretty shine in real life. I was worried it would activate the watercolor, but glad to find it didn't.

With so many shades of pink to choose from I'm anticipating a beautiful gallery this week! Check out the Design Team cards for some wonderful inspiration.



Jacquie Southas (you are here)

Guest Designer: Shanna!

We are looking forward to seeing how PINK inspires you -  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, Serendipity Stamps .

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie



Tuesday, April 5, 2016

CASology Week 192: Sprout


Welcome to Week 192 at the CASology Challenge!


  




The word to inspire you this week is SPROUT. I'm watching so many plants sprout in the garden right now and decided to use a MFT Flourish die to illustrate new growth on my card. The die cut was inked with a few shades of green Distress Inks before being adhered along the left side of the card base. An Altenew Label Love sentiment is popped up over a strip of patterned paper and a trio of sequins finish this card off.




For more ideas and inspiration, check out the fabulous Design Team card!



Jacquie Southas (you are here)

Guest Designer: TaeEun!

We are looking forward to seeing how SPROUT inspires you -  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, So Suzy Stamps.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie