Emma Christmas--Tiddly Inks New Release!

***Tiddly Inks is also having a Baby Blog Hop! Click here for details!***

Tiddly Inks has a New Release for you today! OMGosh, you are going to be thrilled with these new images! Here's one of them--Emma Christmas:

I used the cute NEW Christmas Cutie-Emma image for my card, and decided to go with a CAS design. The image was printed onto X-Press It Blending Card, colored with Copics, and embossed with a Tiddly Inks Merry Christmas embossing folder that was a freebie in a Quick Cards magazine. :D I used a white Snow Marker on the white "fur" on Emma's hat, dress, and boots for a 3D look.

The sentiment on the inside is from an Our Daily Bread stamp set called Christmas Door.

This was such fun to color! But, wait...there's more! The Tiddly Inks Design Team has created an awesome lineup of cards featuring the new digi's! You are NOT going to want to miss this!

Thanks for stopping by, have a wonderful week, and be sure to check out the Tiddly Inks Baby Blog Hop, too!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Kit and Clowder October Challenge: Anything Goes
613 Avenue Create Challenge #92: Anything Goes
The Stamping Chef Challenge #49: Anything Goes

~Hugs,

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Truth is...

Here's that CAS card I mentioned earlier. I won a cute stamp set from CAS-ual Fridays a few weeks ago, and, as their name implies, it's perfect for a CAS card!

I stamped the image with Memento Ink, then colored it with Copics. I used a gold Wink of Stella pen on the stamens, and clear on the petals. After layering up my ovals, and putting pink pearl pen pearls in the scallops, I added 3 white sequins. Deciding where to put those suckers took longer than the rest of the card! ;) The front of the card base is embossed with two different embossing folders, and they meet on a diagonal. Afterward, I thought a nice straight scored line between the two designs would have been nice, but I kind of like that they fade into each other, too.

On the inside, all the stamps are from the same, "Truth Is," stamp set. I was pleased with the green scalloped border, but it's only there because I flubbed my first attempt to stamp the words that are on it. I originally wanted them directly on the card base, but when I was stamping the final word, my hand slipped and it smudged. This cover-up was my fix. ;)

Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful week!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

CAS-ual Fridays Challenge #130 (CFC130): Good Egg (use ovals)

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: The One With Lots of Rules (Anything Goes)

613 Avenue Create Challenge #65: Anything Goes

Art Impressions Challenge #132: Getting Girly

~Hugs,

Supplies Used:

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Light it Up!

I tried my hand at another CAS card, and used colors that lean toward the masculine side.

This was so easy...just stamp, color, dry emboss a couple of wavy lines, and add some glitter with Scor-Tape. I could get used to this! Oh, and it doesn't show in the picture, but I used a clear Wink of Stella pen to add a subtle shimmer to the lanterns.

I'm entering this card in the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Glitter It

~Hugs,

Supplies Used:

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You Go Girl!

Hello there! I hope you had a fantastic weekend! I am really enjoying the warmer weather. Yesterday I was even able to wear short sleeves outside without a jacket. It was great! Hard to believe we have a freeze warning for tonight, though. Weird weather lately, that's for sure. ;) I hope wherever you are, you are safe and warm--especially if you are in the path of Winter Storm Titan! But, you're not here for a discussion on the weather, are you? ;) So, on to my card...

I am an ardent admirer of a good CAS card. I love the flatness, the clean white space, and the simplicity. But, I think what really attracts me to them is the illusion that a CAS card is easy to design. I look at CAS cards and think, well, I can do that. And, yes, I could copy anyone's design, but coming up with my own CAS design is a whole 'nother ballgame! So, being one who can't pass up a good challenge, I have decided to make a conscious effort to make (or at least attempt to make) more CAS cards. 

For this CAS card, I used Taylored Expressions new stamp set, Doodle Alphabet. The letters are so fun and girly! Having a young DD, going through the ups and downs of growing up, I like to keep a stash of girly encouragement and congrats cards on hand, and this alphabet is perfect for that. I stamped the sentiment on the right side of the card and colored each letter in fun, funky colors, added subtle shading with a C1 Copic, then added a little sparkle with Stickles and my new Wink of Stella pen. The card looked ok with just the sentiment, but being new at the CAS game, I had to add a little something more, so I used 3 different flower-shaped Spellbinders dies and dry embossed them "randomly" in the white space, and added a big magenta rhinestone in the center of the largest one. I think I could have let it be at that point, but...naaahhh. It needed just one more thing. ;) So, I used two teeny tiny stamps out of Verve's Poppy Birthday stamp set to add "random" gray dots on the card. Then, I was able to call it done! I could easily make this card again in under 30 minutes, but this particular one took me about 5 hours, from conception to completion! I'm really pleased with the final result, though! Hope you are, too! :-)

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you have yourself a CAS week!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
CAS-ual Fridays  CFC129: Shades of Gray (2 shades of gray: C1 Copic & Pumice Stone Ink)
613 Avenue Create #61: Anything Goes
Challenges 4 Everybody #39: Anything Goes

~Hugs,

 

Supplies: 

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Sunbeam of the Soul

What's going on out your way this drizzly Saturday? My DD and I spent the morning out, eating waffles and talking about future college plans--Class of 2026--can't start planning too early! ;) It's exciting to hear a 9-year old so pumped up about college and career! But, now we're back, she's watching a Barbie movie and working on a latch hook rug, and I'm crafting. Perfect Day!

The layout for this card is from the August 2013 Week 2 Viva la Verve! Sketch Challenge, and the image is from the new Chrysanthemum stamp set from Flourishes. I colored the image with Copic markers, cut it out with an oval die, using the out of the box technique, masked the image, then airbrushed inside the die with Copic Y19. It is popped up with foam dots. I airbrushed inside the sentiment oval using Y13. To keep from covering up too much of the chrysanthemum, when I matted the sentiment, I tilted the black oval and placed it slightly off-center. I still can't decide if the sentiment is a little crooked of if it's just an optical illusion with the wonky matting, but even if it is, I like it. ;) To give the sentiment a lift, I used layers of crimped cs.

I used a Lattice embossing folder for the center panel, sponging Squeezed Lemonade Distress Ink across it, then punched two black strips with a Raindrop punch to frame the sides.

Thanks for stopping by!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Viva la Verve! Sketch Challenge, August 2013 Week 2
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Make the Cut (use die cuts)
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Monochromatic

~Hugs,

 

Supplies:

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Watercolor Daisy

If you've seen many of my cards, you know they tend to have a lot going on--layers, colors, embellies, texture. More is better, as far as I'm concerned. ;) But, a CAS card can stop me in my tracks! So, every now and then, I give CAS a try. This is about as CAS as I can get. :)

The card base and oval are kraft cs, the rest are from my scrap pile. I stamped the Watercolor Daisy image with Staz-On ink, then, using daubers and Distress Ink, I loosely colored it. The dragonfly and grassy images are stamped with Distress Ink. I used a white gel pen to draw a few highlights on the daisy and dragonfly wings. I wanted an oval that was bigger than any die I have, so I cut it by hand, which didn't look so hot, so I distressed it. That's one of the reasons I love distressing so much. Besides being beautiful to look at, it can also cover up all kinds of boo-boos. ;) A little sewing, a piece of twine, a couple of buttons, a punched border, and I was done. 

On the inside, I used linen paper and tore the edges with a deckle ruler, then stamped the sentiment with Distress Ink. Well, at least the inside is CAS, right?

Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy the rest of the week!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Color Throwdown #243
Simon Says Stamp & Show Challenge: Favorite Ink (Distress Ink, of course!)

~Hugs,

 

Stamps: Watercolor Daisy (Hampton Art); Delicate Leaf Clusters (Hero Arts); Little Things (Our Daily Bread)
Ink: Distress Ink; Staz-On, white gel pen
Accessories: Scallop Diamond Edge Punch (EK Success); twine (The Twinery); buttons; Stickles; sewing thread; deckle ruler
Size: A6 (4.5" x 6.25")

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You are a Blessing

Hi Friends! If you've visited my blog before, you have probably noticed that I tend to make cards with lots of layers, distressing, and embellishments. I love beautiful CAS cards, but I quickly meet my Waterloo any time I try to make one. So, normally, I just avoid making them, but I can't do that this time because the Week 5 Viva la Verve Sketch Challenge is a CAS sketch. I've already made all the other cards for the challenge this month, so I'm not not quitting now. And, besides, it IS a challenge, right? Well, I was definitely challenged!

This one didn't turn out too bad, but you should see my first attempt. On second thought, you shouldn't see it. It took me three hours to make and it turned out awful! The final version took all of 10 minutes to make, and it even looks presentable. I just stamped flowers all over the card, leaving an area blank for the sentiment. Then, using my scoreboard, I scored three lines across the top left edge of the card.

The inside is blank except for a few stamped flowers.

Gotta run...Thanks for stopping by!

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Viva la Verve Sketch Challenge: VLVJan2013 Week 5
ColourQ Color Challenge: CQC173
Delightful Sketches: Thinking of You

~Hugs,

 

Stamps: Signature Greetings (Papertrey Ink); Sunny Days, Sweet Treats (Verve)
Ink: Memento; Distress Ink
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

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Kaleidoscope Father's Day

Hi Friends! Hope you are having a wonderful weekend! I have a quick Father's Day card to share with you today. Flourishes is having a Gimme Ten (minute)! challenge, and even though I usually take hours to make a card, I thought I'd give it a try. And, I used this week's Play Date Cafe Color Challenge for my color palette:

I mentioned, in my last post, that I wanted to take a photo of my home library and try to come up with my own personal designer paper. I had already made almost a dozen versions of the photo, using different effects to make the photo more abstract. But, my library is mostly dark cherry wood, and most of the books in the photo I wanted to use are leather-bound in rich reds, browns, and blacks--no where near copasetic for the color challenge--so I used my photo program to make a few more changes.

I used the tiled and kaleidoscope version of the photo, and simply adjusted the colors until they fit the color challenge. Easy peasy! Now, thinking about the design of this card took a long time, but finally putting it together was a snap. I printed the kaleidoscope design to the size I needed, cut it out, punched the corners, inked the edges a little, then heat embossed the sentiment. Then, I glued everything together. Metal accents are glued to each corner.

Finally, I added Stickles to the design. Even close up, you can't tell that this design was originally a photo of a library. I love the kaleidoscope effect feature in my photo program!

On the inside, I thought about adding some kind of sentiment, but decided to just stamp a light motif as a background. I'll add a personal sentiment before I give it to my husband.

And, that's it--quick and easy! Well, quick, after I figured out what I wanted to do. ;)

I'll be entering this card in the following challenges:

Flourishes Gimme Ten Challenge (FLLCJun12)

The Play Date Cafe PDCC135: Aquamarine, Poolside, Clay

One Stop Craft Challenge #186: Father's Day

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge #189: Father's Day

Sugar Creek Hollow Challenge #15: Make Your Own Designer Paper

Thanks for stopping by today, and I hope the rest of your weekend is fabulous!

~Hugs!

 

Stamps: A Guiding Light (Flourishes); Motif (Inkadinkadoo)
Paper: My Library in Kaleidoscope Digi Paper (Personal)
Ink: Distress Ink; Clear embossing ink
Accessories: Morocco Lace Edger (EK Success); white embossing powder; metal accents (K&Co); Stickles; Distress Stickles; sewing thread
Size: A2 (5.5" x 4.25")

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Lighthouse CAS Card

Hello again! I've got another masculine birthday card to share with you. This one is for my DH, from me.

I used another Viva la Verve sketch (May 2012, Week 5) for this one, and it's supposed to be a CAS card, definitely NOT my forte, but I gave it my best shot! :)

Rather than use any layers, I used my scoreboard to score all the lines in the sketch, and masked the sections so I could stamp different designs in each one. The main image is colored with Distress Ink, using sponge daubers. I didn't try too hard to stay in the lines. Sometimes I like images to look a little messy. I added Stickles to the water and to the glass portion of the lighthouse. I also used white Enamel Accents over the embossed lines to give them more emphasis, and a slightly rougher look.

On the inside, I masked off a section for a sentiment and personal message, and used the same stamps that I used in the center strip on the front of the card to stamp a frame. I sponged blue, red, and brown Distress Ink along the edges of the panel, and lightly over the stamped frame to mimic the strips of color on the front of the card. The faux stitching was made with a Sharpie marker.

Well, that's it for my posts for this week. I'll be in Texas for a few days, visiting a friend. See you when I get back! Hope you have a fabulous week!!!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Viva la Verve May 2012 Week 5 sketch challenge
Simon Says Stamp Challenge: Father's Day/Special Male Challenge
Lexi's Creations Challenge 66: For the Man/Boy in Our Lives
Kaboodle Doodles Challenge: Anything Goes

~Hugs,

 

Stamps: A Guiding Light, Botanical Bookplates (Flourishes); Lg. Plaid Pattern (Hero Arts); Grape Floral, Fancy Floral, Burlap (Stamp Camp)
Ink: Distress Ink; Memento Ink; Sharpie marker, Copic Marker
Accessories: Scoreboard (Martha Stewart); rhinestones; Stickles; Enamel Accents
Size: A2 (5.5" x 4.25")

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Peas to meet you

I'm back with another card. This one is for Flourishes Bring Back Beautiful Challenge #13. The challenge is CAS--not my strong suit, but here goes.

I colored the pea stamp with Copics, cut it with a Spellbinders oval die, and backed it with a SB Parisian Accent die that I cut in half. Since the green accent blended in almost completely with the background paper, I cut another larger white oval to put behind that. I really like the background paper with this stamp because the leaves on it look just like the leaves in the stamp. Besides the Copics, the only ink I used was on the edge of the background paper and to accent the embossing on the Parisian motif. I considered just one strand of twine with a simple knot around the card, but I tried it, and it actually took away from the rest of the card, so I scrapped that idea.

We are going to Open House at my daughter's school tonight, and her new teacher is one whom she hasn't actually met yet, so I thought, with the right sentiment, this would be the perfect card. I typed one on the computer and printed it directly onto white cardstock:

Before adhering the sentiment panel to the inside of the card, I used my scoreboard and scored two sets of lines around the edge. It's faint in the photo, but it's visible if you look close enough.

I wasn't sure my daughter, who is only seven, would like this as a card for her new teacher, but she loves it. She even liked it before she read the sentiment, which she thinks is a cool joke.

So, there you have it--my version of CAS. I wasn't sure I was up to the challenge of a clean and simple card, but it was fun. (Is there anything about cardmaking that isn't fun?) After I colored the stamp for this card, I realized the color of the basket is the same as a fresh radish. Well, low and behold, there is a stamp of radishes (or is it beets?) in the same set as the peas, so my next card may end up being CAS, too.  :D

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you'll visit again soon! Have a nice evening.

Stamps: Garden Fresh (Flourishes)
Paper: Summer Song (My Mind's Eye); Recollections
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink; Memento; Copics
Accessories: Dies: Classic Ovals Lg, Parisian Accents (Spellbinders); Score Board (Martha Stewart); sentiment generated on computer and printed on cardstock
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

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