Simply Blue Jay

I've been having lots of fun making CAS cards, so I decided to visit some of my favorite challenge blogs and get inspired ... and it worked so well, I made four cards!

Here's my favorite:

The CAS-ual Fridays challenge this week is to be Inspired by a Song (I'm pretty sure it's a song that I love, not just a love song ... anyway, this is my kind of love song!) I chose the song "Blue Jay Way" by The Beatles (read the lyrics and listen to song). This challenge paired really well with Less is More's Music challenge, and used the simple Blue & White color combo from Crafty Boots. 

One of the reasons I chose "Blue Jay Way" is that the other day I went open the back door to let out the dogs, and much to my surprise there was a giant Blue Jay poking around in our herb pots. The jay population in our neighborhood has really grown in the past few years, and I've witnessed some of their beautiful ferocity in the trees, but up close it was much bigger than I had expected!

The paper for this card and one in the middle in the photo below is China Blue Eyes Linen Finish Card Stock from Mark's Finest Papers. I used my very last piece for this project; really need to order more! I used a Prickley Pear Stamp/Die set for the bird image. I cut the shape from adhesive masking paper and filled in the bird directly onto the card with blue ink (all the inks used are from Memento). I heated-embossed the white overlay stamp. The sentiment is from the Rosy Wishes set by Crafty Secrets. 
 

Here are my other takes on the same design:

I sure had fun!

Challenges/Inspiration:

• CAS-ual Fridays #89: Inspired by a Song ("Blue Jay Way" by The Beatles)
• Crafty Boots: Blue & White
• Less is More #106: One-Layer CAS Card + Music

Thank you for visiting,

Peek-a-boo Valentine

I only made a few Valentines this year, but I was able to use some fun new goodies I got at my Mom's local craft shop, Scraps of Love in Arizona. It's difficult to see in this photo, but this is a true "window card" in that I cut through the front to reveal the little boy. (I'd take another photo, but I put it straight in the mail!)

I've been eying the Small Madison Window die from Poppy Stamps online for quite some time, so I was really excited to see it in the shop! The window is cut from a two-toned brown Core'dinations cardstock; the embossing really comes out when you sand it!

The picket fence is a Kraft piece from my stash; I originally cut it on my Cricut but I can't remember what cartridge I used. I edged it with Tea Dye distress ink and covered it with Creative Medium (which the folks at Scraps of Love introduced me too... I love it!)

I used the double-sided Lovely Greetings sheet from Authentique for the pink background and vintage images (the little boy inside the window/card as well as the little dog) are actually opposite sides of the same DP. It's textured & gorgeous! The flower strip is actually the 1/2 tab that came on a different sheet of 12x12 DP.

 I used the Brick Wall cardboard embossing plate that I had originally made for a Monty Python and the Holy Grail-inspired card. It then edged it with more Tea Dye distress ink and covered it with clear Crackle Paint. 
 

Inspiration/Challenges:
Crafty Cardmakers: Vintage Love
Cupcake Inspirations #197: Photo Inspiration (left) 
My Sheri Crafts: Valentines

One Stop Craft: Love is in the Air 

Simon Says Stamp and Show: Something Messy

Thank you for visiting,

Real Men have Inky Fingers!

Here's a Valentine's Day card I made in appreciation of all those male crafters out there! It features Kenny K's Huge Hero digi stamp, as well as paper and crackle paint from Tim Holtz:

I generated the sentiment and border in InDesign, using CrimeFighter BB. All the edges, as well as the strip of painter's tape behind the image, are distressed with Ranger inks, and the patterned paper, sentiment & image are coated with crackle paint. I machine-stitched the border, but on the opposite side so that the side you see is rough.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Kenny K's Krafty Krew: To the One I Love
Make It Monday with Kraft Outlet: Seeing Red

Thank you for visiting,

Celebrate Life ... and Shaped Cards

This week at the Pile It On Challenge, we're celebrating Shaped Cards. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to make a snow globe card! We're sponsored by Flonz Crafts, a stamp company specializing in Vintage, Retro & Modern designs, so I decided to go with a vintage theme.

Although I wish I could have used Flonz Stamps for this card, I did get to ink up this new-to-me set from Crafty Secrets for the first time. Each element of the Vintage Silhouettes set is a separate stamp, so it was easy to set up the design to fit the card. 

I wanted to keep the colors simple, so I used the "Blues, Browns & Beige" color combo from Flonz Craft's Vintage Stamping Challenge.
  

I cut the snowglobe shape myself, with help from IO Shake It's pouch, overlay & card, a Spellbinders circle die, and my trusty ruler & scallop scissors. The base is cut from a gold paper, but I sprayed the white frame with Iridescent Gold glimmer mist (Tattered Angels). I edged everything with Antique Linen distress ink, and painted the base & frame with Ranger's Crackle Paint. The stamping is all done with Vintage Photo distress ink. I added some detail to the image inside the globe with a gold pen (Sakura). The shaker is filled with "Champagne" microbeads. I used the Beautiful Wings Embosslit to cut the butterflies from a blue-and-cream DP from my stash.
 
Here's a close-up:

Challenges/Inspiration:
Challenges4Everybody: Anything Goes 
Craft Us Crazy: Die Cuts and/or Favorite Technique (I used two dies & making Shaker cards is absolutely on the top of my "Favorite Technique" list!)
Crafty Sentiments: Anything Goes
Divas by Design #71: Winged Things
Flutterby Wednesdays #226: Anything Goes with a Butterfly or fairy
Love to Create: Celebrate 
Vintage Stamping Challenges/Flonz Craft: Blues, Browns & Beige

Thank you for visiting,

New Home gift set

It's time for another Anything Goes challenge at One Stitch at a Time, the Challenge / Designer blog for the fabulous StitchyBear Digital Stamps. This week, my DT-mate Vicky chose the image for me & herself (wait until you see her lovely card!), and as soon as I saw New Home - On the Move by Hope Jacare Doodles I knew I want to make a "We've Moved" card set:

The box is a an altered Laughing Cow Cheese Wedges package.
Here's another view, with the box open:

Challenges:

1. Brown Sugar: Anything goes
2. Delicious Doodles: No designer papers
3. LEJ Designs #39: Anything Goes
4. Loves Rubber Stamps: Anything Goes
5. Papertake Weekly: Anything Goes
6. Paper Shelter Challenge #98: Altered item
7. Sweet Pea Stampers: Use a digital stamp
8. Twisted Tuesday: Anything Goes

Hope you'll join the Anything Goes challenge at One Stitch at a Time this week (and be sure to check out my teamies' fabulous projects). For entries using a StitchyBear Store product (be sure to add a # after your name when entering), you'll be eligible for our main prize. You're welcome to enter the challenge using different products, but instead you'll be entered into the draw to win a £3 coupon to StitchyBear Digital Stamps. Can't wait to see what you create! 


Update: This placed in the Top 3 for the Brown Sugar Anything Goes Challenge, and I was the random prize winner for Loves Rubber Stamps #38.

Thank you for visiting,