glamour and glitz CAS - ha! (LIM, CTS, PS)

Haven't played over at Less is More for awhile, and I find it ironic that the challenge this week is "Glamour and Glitz".  As in, keep it to a bare minimum but glam it up!

When I saw the sketch at CAS(E) This Sketch #7 it totally reminded me of a design I did on this card.  So I cased myself.  Used some metallic CS and gold and silver to glam it up for a wedding/anniversary card.

Also playing at Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge where this is the inspiration photo - chevron and glam:

Thanks for looking.  Happy weekend!

Supplies cheers:

Paper: card base Papermania

Stamps: Kim Hughes CHF, Hero Arts, sentiment Paper Smooches

Ink: Versamagic, Versamark

Tools: dies MFT

Other: dimensional adhesive

using up scraps (Color Q, Tuesday Alchemy)

Lotsa energy last week to get Turkey Day ready and play in challenges.  Not much left for this week...

Put together some tags using up scraps that I keep moving from left to right and back again.  I'm sure you know how that is.  Kept the nice fresh color combo from Color Q in mind too.

Used some tear-off calendar pages to cover the die cuts (was going to enter Passion for Papertrey's challenge to use  numbers... missed the deadline) to keep up a theme cuz the rest got pretty crazy!

Also parking these over at Tuesday Alchemy where the theme is #42. Anything Goes.

On a housekeeping note... if you'd like to win these wooden ornaments, check out this post.

And here is a photo of our set Turkey Day table as promised in this post.

Thanks for visiting.

Supplies for tags:

Paper: tons of scraps

Stamps: BG WMS, sentiment Inkystamp

Ink : Distress Ink

Tools: dies:  PTI, Spellbinders, Sizzix, MFT

Other: washi 

one-layer washi get well (PC, KIS)

Turquoise and yellow - that's what the new challenge blog "Keep it Simple" wants.  See why?

Had an idea to use some washi and do some die cutting. Lucky I have "several" yellow washi tapes...

 Channeling my inner Cristina K., I tried my darndest to keep this a single-layer card but give it lots of interest!

Adhered washi to scrap paper and die cut butterfly.  Die cut turquoise oval and oval out of white panel.  Die cut butterfly from the turquoise oval and stamped it with some chevrons - for interest.  Put the puzzle pieces back together, leaving the wing tips and antennae unglued - for a bit more interest.  Stamped sentiment with a shadow - even more interest? - and couldn't resist a few sequins.   Still one-layer, still mailable ;)

Also adding this to the November gallery at Paper Crafts Connection - all about decorative tape this month.

Thanks for coming by.

Supplies for gute besserung:

Paper: cardbase Buttinette, CS American Crafts and Coredinations

Stamps: BG Paper Smooches, sentiment Klartext

Ink : yellow Distress Ink, turquoise Inkadinkado

Tools: butterfly die Memory Box, oval die Sizzix

Other: washi Bella Blvd, Freckled Fawn and other

post Thanksgiving Thanksgiving post (CAS(E), PC)

You might have heard me say that since Germany doesn't recognize Thanksgiving, we have our own Turkey Day.  Usually on the Sunday after Thanksgiving.  Yes, that means today.   And usually inviting either Americans, or Germans who have lived in the US - figure they appreciate the whole celebration a bit more.

Note:  Not to mislead you.  Germans totally appreciate a yummy meal.  Even my godson, who now over 20, still loves to come for Turkey Day.  And especially the sweet potatoes.  This, a kid who when he was little, would not eat anything green  (as in, vegetable).  Once when we were babysitting him he projectiled his baby food spinach across our living room!

This year we are 14 people.  We have an open kitchen/dining area and although dinner is buffet style, I usually make placecards.  (Because I like to pre-arrange the seating but mostly cuz it's an excuse to make something creative!)

So I challenged myself - as if in addition to a turkey and ham and all the other sides given the small ovens we have over here I needed another challenge (breathe, Maria) -  to play some challenges with my placecards.  My XXS placecards, I should say.  Warning:  went a bit non-traditional with my colors this year.

 I did use Thanksgiving inchie stamps!  Just changed up the colors a bit.  Motivated by my choice of table decorations.

This was a "morning of" photo.  If I remember to take a shot of the set table I'll post it later...

Which challenges did I play?
CAS(E) This Sketch #6 although I flipped it and shrinky dinked it.

Paper Crafts Connection - November gallery challenge to use decorative tape.  I'd intended to stamp the strip behind the focal image, but then remembered my red/white striped washi.  And the whole time I was struggling with how I was going to hang them on the wine glasses... Duh!  Use washi tape and stick'em on the water glasses.  There are still a couple under-agers and they don't get wine glasses anyhow.  And it fits my non-traditional take on Turkey Day this year too!

Washi = Love.

Hope you enjoyed your (holiday) weekend.  As you read this I'm likely stuffing myself...

Supplies for placecards

Paper: CS American Crafts, glitter CS DCWV

Stamps: Inkadinkado

Ink : Hero Arts Shadow

Tools: square punch EKS, small circle punch for corners, alpha die PTI

Other: washi

jennifer m. technique (Hero Arts, Caring Hearts)

My last two cards for the Caring Hearts card drive.  I had bought some wooden ornaments and knew I wanted to incorporate them on a card for the nursing home.  But how?  Along comes Miss Card Technique herself, Jennifer McGuire posting an oh-so-cool technique over at Paper Crafts Connection.

Here are my takes:

Brief recap of the technique:  heat emboss panel, die cut panel, ink the positive (Festive Berries DI) and negative (Pumice Stone DI) and adhere, adhere two green CS strips, stamp sentiment (Iced Spruce DI), attach ornament after adding ribbon/twine.

Hope you're still reading cuz this is where I give a big virtual hug to my followers.  I missed out on the chance to greet you all by name (like Darnell does, have you seen that?)  Let me just say I am 1) amazed that you are here and 2) so appreciative of your lovely comments.  I have a few of the wooden ornaments left over and would like to share them with you, my followers.

If you'd like these, please leave me a comment.  I would love to know from you  if you've sold your handmade cards, where? (shop, fair, etsy) and  which type of card (CAS, fancy, mailable) sells best.  I've only sold a few to friends but my stash is growing.  Of cards and supplies that is.  Thus the idea to perhaps sell more...

Please comment before Dec 1.  DD will pick a number and I'll send these ornaments off to the winner!

As always, thanks for stopping by.  And hugs to ya.

Supplies for Celebrate the Season

Paper: cardbase Papermania, CS Neenah and Doodlebug

Stamps: CHF, sentiment Hero Arts

Ink : Versamark, Distress Ink

Tools: die PTI

Other: embossing powder Ranger, wooden ornament, ribbon, twine

midnight blue friday (ATCAS, CFC, Caring Hearts)

No Black Friday for me, but here are two cards using some midnight blue.  Heat embossed the snowflakes onto CS and then die cut it, making two panels for the two cards.  At times like these I wish I had more PTI dies, but I made do with a Spellbinders shape.

I love how this sentiment seems to tuck right into the curve of the die cut piece.  As for the "curtain" of sheer ribbon scrap ... not sure what possessed me to put it there but I couldn't leave it off once I had considered it! Just a little touch of color with the red gem.

Here I used part of the negative die cut, a strip of PP and a strip of washi over it.  A little bow to bring out the green from the PP and a sentiment in gold.  Actually followed the Freshly Made Sketch #61 for this.  Really like the sketch - but I'm too late to the party.

Joining the parties at:
CASual Fridays #79 - Winter blues
Addicted to CAS #1 - Snow
Young Crafter's Unite #16 - Happy Holidays
And these are going to Vera Y.'s card drive, too.

To share with you my torn tree that was missing something.  He got some sequins.  Better now.

Thanks for visiting.

Supplies for Winter Wonders:

Paper: cardbase Papermania, CS ?

Stamps:   snowflakes Inkadinkado and Prima, sentiment Autumn Leaves

Ink : Versamark, Jenny Bowlin

Tools: die Spellbinders

Other: embossing powder Knorr Prandell, bling, ribbon

Supplies for merry and bright:

Paper: cardbase Buttinette, PP Penny Black, CS ?

Stamps:   snowflakes Inkadinkado and Prima, sentiment  WMS

Ink : Versamark

Tools: die Spellbinders

Other: twine, washi tape, embossing powder Knorr Prandell

thankful (CAS(E), ATCAS, JayGees, Caring Hearts)

Although today I'm really missing my family in the US, I've got plenty to be thankful for.  My family here.  Our health.  Good eats to come our way when we celebrate on Sunday.  And on the cardmaking side... stamps sets won from generous online stores.  And that oh-so-teensy-Christmas-light-stamp-nestled-in-between-others on one of the zillion stamp sets in my stash.  Whuddathunkit?

What the heck am I talking about?  Meet this CAS-color-me-happy Christmas card.

Wanted to use this stamp from the set I won at JayGee's Nook to send Judith G. holiday wishes.  Wanted to stick to B/W and just color the string of lights on the house.  Also wanted to use this sketch from CAS(E) This Sketch #6:

Feared that using PP behind the focal image would be too much for the outline image.  Thought about a dry embossed panel.  Then something (who knows what) made me peruse my holiday stamps and sure enough, there on that tiny Hero Arts robot stamp there was this single light.  Problem solved!  Hand drew the strings, stamped the lights and colored them in.   Just a bit of glitter on the snowcovered roof and a touch of twine... I'm likin' the result.  Here's a second version.

Also playing at the new CAS challenge blog, Addicted to CAS #1:

Enjoy your holiday with your family.  Actually, let me use the past tense cuz you shouldn't be online on Thanksgiving!!!.  Hope your enjoyed your time with your family.

Hmm.  Just rethought that.  What better way to spend the three hours when the kitchen is cleaned up and the guys are doin' the football thing...  Go girl!

Supplies for Holiday Wishes:

Paper: cardbase Papermania, CS Neenah

Stamps: Hero Arts

Ink : Memento

Tools: 

Other: Sharpie markers, twine, glitter

winter blues (Caring Hearts, CFC)

I need to get my cards for Vera Y.'s card drive into the mail.  I want to send ten, so I'm seeking inspiration from others rather than inventing the wheel myself.

These two cards were inspired by the CASual Fridays "Winter Blues" challenge combined with Donna M.'s torn tree card.  Only doable because I have some older KI Memories Christmas PP in blue tones.

Number two here needs something.  Still thinkin'.

Happy Turkey prepping.

Supplies for both:

Paper: cardbase Buttinette, PP KI Memories, recycled cardboard

Stamps:   sentiment Penny Black

Ink : Versafine

Tools: 

Other: bling

crazy weekend part 2 (Caring Hearts, JayGees)

At least (except for the modern maruschkas) when I, procrastinator, was cardmaking like a maniac,  I had the sense to make two of each - one for my neighbor and one for Vera Y.'s card drive.

Here are three models using the same design... card front covered with a piece of Doodlebug PP, pierced around the edges with my Cutter Bee piercer and embellished lightly!

Love this PP with the foil holly berries.  Embellished with washi tape and die cuts.

And this embossed PP embellished with felt and buttons.

With felt and die cuts.

Want to give a shout out to Judith at Jay Gee's Nookhttp://jgsnook.blogspot.com.au/2012/11/jay-gees-nook-challenge-25.html.  Won a Hero Arts stamp set in her challenge and used it for the sentiment on card #2.  And I got some inspiration from the current challenge board:

 And the sentiment on card #1 was from a Penny Black prize pack I won from Simon Says Stamp.  Thanks for looking.

Supplies for peace and joy:

Paper: cardbase Buttinette, PP Doodlebug

Stamps:   sentiment Penny Black

Ink : Versafine

Tools: ornaments die MFT,  branch die Marianne Creatables, punch Martha Stewart

Other: washi Rayher

Supplies for merry Christmas:

Paper:   cardbase Buttinette, PP Doodlebug

Stamps: sentiment Hero Arts

Ink :  Distress Ink, Versafine

Tools: label Spellbinders, ric rac Cottage Cutz

Other:  buttons and felt Sew Sweet

Supplies for frohes fest:

Paper: cardbase Buttinette, PP Doodlebug, glitter CS DCWV

Stamps: sentiment Inkystamp

Ink :Versamark

Tools: branch die Marianne Creatables, ric rac Cottage Cutz

Other: embossing powder, felt Sew Sweet

sympathy (CUYL, ABNH)

Had to replenish my stash of sympathy cards.  Motivated by A Blog Named Hero's challenge to redo an old card of yours, I went to a design that I actually like a lot and just gave it a new color combo.

Viva's 3D rose stamp meets Shaded Lilac and Broken China Distress Inks.  And a fabulous Technique Tuesday sentiment.

Also joining in at Challenge up your Life - Condolence.

Supplies for so sorry:

Paper: Papermania

Stamps: Viva,  sentiment Technique Tuesday

Ink : Distress Inks, Versafine

Tools: 

Other: 

crazy weekend (Caring Hearts)

It was actually a wonderful, jam-packed weekend.  Without kids.  Nuff said!

So we had two birthday parties to go to and of course I decided that my neighbor was going to get a pack of handmade Christmas cards as a gift.  And of course I waited til the last minute to make them.  And of course it was too dark to photograph them when I finished (barely had time to jump in the shower before heading out the door.)  When will I learn?

I made two of my maruschka design card with different color combos.  Turquoise and  pink and orange for one.  And turquoise and purple and yellow for another.  But alas, no photos to share.

I will share these two with you.  Just changed the bling a bit from my original card.  These are going out to Vera Y.'s Caring Hearts Card Drive.  My grandma was in a nursing home for several years when I was little and  I saw how happy some residents were to receive any kind of attention.  So I'm joining in this year.

And who knows, maybe some residents will be of German descent!

Happy Thanksgiving week to you all.  We are celebrating on Sunday since Germany doesn't have the holiday like the US. Guests are invited.  Now it's time to start list making and shopping.

Supplies for frohes fest:

Paper: CS Neenah

Stamps: Hero Arts, sentiment Inkystamp

Ink :Versamagic, Versamark

Tools:

Other: white embossing powder, bling, markers

thankful hearts (CPT, CASology, Tim Holtz, SSS)

Ever since I saw this inspiration board at The Creative Paper Trade, I had a particular Hero Arts stamp in mind. Finally got around to playing with it.  Twice.

The stamp is a floral heart. The heart made of spools immediately reminded me of it.  I also decided to use the colors from the waterfall photo - ranging from orange on top to green leaves on the bottom with a touch of the light blue water.

I heat embossed the image first.  Then colored it using Distress Inks and a waterbrush.  Then I removed the heat embossing!  using an iron and thin kraft paper.  The result is an incredibly soft and smooth batik look.  It is really a cool technique.  Check out Tim's tutorial here.

To pick up the circles element of the inspiration board I heat embossed a few circles on my cardbase and used a sentiment featuring circles.  Also mounted the heart on vellum, though that's hard to see.

Then I thought maybe I would stamp the image with ink and color it with colored pencils.  But I got detoured along the way when I saw the black image on white and decided to go with it.  Adhered it with washi pieces to a black panel framed haphazardly with lines from a Cutter Bee piercing tool.  Three simple gems and voila.

Also playing at:
Simon Says Stamp Challenge "Thanksgiving/Thank You"
CASology Week #19  "Thanks"
Tim Holtz "Twelve Tags of November"

I'm so thankful for this wonderful hobby!  And your visits, friends.

Supplies for Thanks:

Paper: cardbase Papermania, recycled vellum

Stamps:Hero Arts, circles Stampendous

Ink : Distress Inks, Versamagic, Versamark

Tools: scissors, sewing machine, old iron

Other: embossing powder

Supplies for #2:

Paper: cardbase Buttinette, CS Ursus and Neenah

Stamps: Hero Arts

Ink : Memento

Tools: Cutter Bee piercing tool

Other: bling, washi Rayher

thinking of you tuesday (SSS, Moxie Fab)

I'm a sucker for wreaths.  I'm sure it's the graphic, circle thing.  And the circle of life thing.  Whatever.  Add berries to the equation and I'm a goner.

So, have you seen the Tuesday Trigger "Fantasy in Fall" at Moxie Fab?

Probably 99% of you see the rolled felt flowers.  And me?  I see the twiggy wreath and those wonderful berries.  Meet my card.

That wreath stamp from Papertrey was the first item ever to go into my shopping cart.  I gave it a triple dose of berries - in orange, green and then Versamark with red pepper embossing powder.  You can see the shine on the small photo uptop.  Used decorative edged scissors to cut it out and mounted it on a felt circle.

Also playing at Simon Says Stamp's Challenge "Thinking of You/Sympathy".

Thanks for stopping by.

Supplies for Thinking of you:

Paper: Ursus

Stamps: PTI,  sentiment Technique Tuesday

Ink : Adirondack, Versamagic, Versamark

Tools: circle die MFT, Spellbinders, punch Martha Stewart, sewing machine

Other: embossing powder, brads Basic Grey, twine, felt Sew Sweet

scandanavian goes russian (JayGee, CAS(E), Hero)

As in... start with the JayGee's Nook inspiration board #25 and pick the nordic photo in the lower right hand corner.

Knowing you are going to use the CAS(E) This Sketch #5, opt for the ornaments hanging from a bough look.

Get lost somewhere in translation... Can't really say what came first, the idea to use the maruschka dolls or the idea to check out this month's Hero Arts contest.

Bling. Well, that's Russian isn't it?  The result, nordic maruschkas with bling.

I heat embossed the dolls and then colored with water-based markers.  Not thrilled with the result.  I think the images are too small to use this technique.  But I wanted a little more texture than just stamped with ink.  Added a few extra dots of color with colored pencils - on the cheeks and bellies.

СПАСИБО (that's thank you in Russian if my source is right) for visiting.

Supplies for frohes fest:

Paper: CS Neenah

Stamps: Hero Arts, sentiment Inkystamp

Ink :Versamagic, Versamark

Tools:

Other: white embossing powder, bling, markers, colored pencils

so torn plum chaos (CFC, PDCC)

This one flowed.  Like Welch's grape juice.  Mixed with raspberry Kool-Aid.

Must admit I've been a bit stumped by the jeweled tone color choices over at The Play Date Cafe lately.  But put together with the CASual Fridays "so torn" challenge and this washi tape card by Christine, not to mention this PP pack which basically made my life easy (don't ya love it when that happens?), I was able to put my own twist on the jeweled tones.  Elegant, nay.  But me.

Thanks for looking.

Supplies for hb2u:

Paper: cardbase Papermania, PP Marianne Creatables

Stamps: BG CHF

Ink :Versamagic

Tools: die Memory Box

Other: sticker