CAS(E)This Sketch #405 - The Final Edition

 

I'm here to play along with the final challenge over at the CAS(E) This Sketch blog. I'm sad to see it go but they've had a great run and it's been a lot of fun participating.  Their final sketch is actually a throwback to sketch #25.  

I am in need of some no frill cards I can use for guys so with that in mind, here's what I created.

I substituted the words Happy in place of the three tags in the sketch.  I used three different shades of pool/teal cardstock on which I heat embossed the words and then cut them out with coordinating dies.  I used a cover plate to add a bit of texture to a black card panel.  I added a strip of black/white checked patterened paper the the left edge, adhered the die cut words, heat embossed the birthday sentiment in white and finished it off with some black and white clay stars.  The card was complete after adhering the panel to a card base made with white 110 lb cardstock.  

I wish Chrissy all of the best.  Thanks to you and your team for all of the inspiration!

Supplies:

Lawn Fawn - Happy, Happy, Happy stamps and dies

PaperTrey Ink- background cover plate

Kat Scrappiness - clay stars

Pink and Main - b/w gingham paper

It's a New Year!  Continue to stay safe and healthy my friends.   _____________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for visiting my little crevice of the crafty blogosphere.  Your time, comments and friendship are much appreciated.  

Happy Crafting!

Jules 

CAS Colours and Sketches #404

 

It's time for our final sketch challenge for January over at the CAS Colours and Sketches blog.  The sketch itself is very simple but packed with so many fun possibilities.

As with all of our sketches, please feel free to rotate/flip to meet your design specifications.

I've had some requests for shark cards recently so you'll be seeing quite a few in the next few weeks.  I immediately saw the opportunity to create an ocean scene with this sketch and went with it. 

I began by creating the ocean wave from some blue cardstock.  I then stamped, Copic colored and die cut my images.  I used a background piercing die to create the clouds and then added just a bit of ink blending in light blue to create a sky.  I added the ocean wave to the bottom of the cloud panel, stamped the sentiment and a few waves, tucked in my images and adhered this panel to a slightly larger gray panel which I then adhered to a white card base.  I thought it needed just a bit more sumthin' sumthin' so I added in the stitched lines and highlights with a white gel pen.  I ended up with a design that might not be officially CAS but it still does have a clean look to it.

Supplies:

Avery Elle - Hello Chum stamp set

MFT - Sharky Sentiments stamp set

Simon Says Stamp - Stitched Slope die set

Kat Scrappiness - Cloud cover plate

So where does this simple sketch lead you?  I'd love to see your design in our gallery this week.

It's a New Year!  Continue to stay safe and healthy my friends.   _____________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for visiting my little crevice of the crafty blogosphere.  Your time, comments and friendship are much appreciated.  

Happy Crafting!

Jules 

Let's Squash It #4

 

Today's card was created for the current Let's Squash It challenge.  The prompt this time around is to use both an animal and an embossing folder on a card.  

After rifling through my embossing folders I decided on a 3D woodgrain which I then paired with a cute little beaver image.

I added white pigment ink to one side of my embossing folder prior to running it through my die cutting machine with kraft cardstock.  This simple technique adds just a bit more texture and dimension to the background.  I colored my critter with alcohol inks and fussy cut him out along the edges.  I used some ink blended scraps to die cut my trees and then cut a few clouds from vellum. I adhered the trees and clouds onto the background with liquid glue (I'm a bit peeved that my adhesive shows through the vellum but oh well. I'll call it rain and move on.)  I put the panel in my MISTI to stamp the sentiment knowing that I'd need multiple tries with the texture.  Finally I popped my critter up with some foam squares and adhered the panel to some rustic cream cardstock.  

I left the inside blank for now but I plan to use this as a belated birthday card.  Maybe I'll just forget a birthday on purpose so I can use him.  LOL!!!

Supplies:

Neat and Tangled - Beaver, Eh! stamp set

Sizzix - Lumber 3D embossing folder

Right at Home - Holidays are on the Way stamp set

It's a New Year!  Continue to stay safe and healthy my friends.   

_________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for visiting my little crevice of the crafty blogosphere.  Your time, comments and friendship are much appreciated.  

Happy Crafting!

Jules 

Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers #177

 

Good morning!  Edna, along with the Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers, have a fun (?) new challenge for you this fortnight.  This one could prove a bit controversial as you will either LOVE it or DESPISE it.  What's the prompt, you ask?  Well....Glitter.  :-)

Fan or Foe?  I love the look but will admit that I am not a fan of loose glitter.  With my feelings in mind, I created the following card.

I altered the intent of this old biddy stamp a bit but I think it's humorous.  And trust me, I have glitter everywhere right now.  The things I do for challenges....

This card design is very simple.  I stamped and colored the image, cutting it down to smaller than an A2 card.  I matted the panel with glitter cardstock, printed the sentiment on my computer and then added tiny drops of liquid glue to the front.  As you can see, I concentrated more drops to the left side and faded them out towards the right.  I then dumped my loose glitter over top and removed the excess.  (Much of "said excess" ended up on my chair so my backside is very sparkly right now.)  I slapped the whole thing to a white 110 lb card base and walked away.  

Supplies:

Art Impressions - Fire Out stamp set

Simon Says Stamp - glitter cardstock

I intend to use this as a birthday card for a very sparkly friend of mine....'cause in this group of friends, we all know Who Opened the Damned Glitter.  LOL!  

Come check out the blog for more glittery inspiration.  We'd love to see your card in our gallery!

It's a New Year!  Continue to stay safe and healthy my friends.   

_________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for visiting my little crevice of the crafty blogosphere.  Your time, comments and friendship are much appreciated.  

Happy Crafting!

Jules 

Seize the Birthday #206 - Guest Designer

 

Today marks my final guest design post over at the Seize the Birthday challenge blog.  I've had a wonderful time these past few months and am extremely appreciative of the opportunity.

A new challenge just went live and if you're a Toppings kind of person, this is a fun one.  

Challenges are such a great way to create outside our comfort zone as well as a wonderful motivator to use product we have but rarely use.  Today's challenge falls in the latter for me.  Seldom do I use transparencies or vellum on any of my cards so I took the opportunity to make an over the top shaker card.  (Go big or go home!)

  

I began by first ink blending an A2 panel of white cardstock with Distress Oxide in the color Picked Raspberry.  I then splattered it with some Perfect Pearls to create a shimmery bit of texture.  Once dry I used a twelve circle background die to cut the open circles from the inked panel.  I adhered a piece of computer transparency behind the panel (making sure to go around each circle fully with liquid adhesive) which serves as a clear backing to each of the holes.

My next step was to cut three additional circle panels from heavy white cardstock, stacking and adhering them together.  Using this stack as a guide I grabbed another white A2 sized panel and stamped the fun circles into the approximate center of each cut out using different patterns and colors of Distress Oxide inks.  I then adhered my white stacked panel over top of the stamped circles.  At this point I basically had twelve wells in which I could add some shaker bits.  I decided to use a chunky white glitter in each well.  Once I had the twelve wells filled I adhered the pink panel/transparency piece over top using liquid glue.  The entire shaker front was then adhered to a heavy white cardbase.

I then stamped and die cut the Happy sentiment in pinks/reds and covered the sentiment with a layer of Glossy Accents.  I chose Distress Oxide Peacock Feathers for the background of my heat embossed sub-sentiment and adheredboth to the front of the card using liquid glue.  

This is most definitely a girly/girl card.  I have a girlfriend down the street whose birthday is today and she just happens to have a seven year old girl who I know will really appreciate my choice for her mama this year.  *wink*

Supplies:

Lil Inker - Perfect Palette die

Lil Inker - Spiffy Spots stamp set

The Greetery - Written in Ribbons stamp/die set

Ranger - Distress Glitter

Distress Oxide inks

Perfect Pearls - Pearl color

 

I want to thank Nancy and her team for sharing my cards on their blog these past few months.  It's been an honor!  I hope you'll check out their designers for inspiration and join in on the action.

It's a New Year!  Continue to stay safe and healthy my friends.   

_________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for visiting my little crevice of the crafty blogosphere.  Your time, comments and friendship are much appreciated.  

Happy Crafting!

Jules 

CAS Colours and Sketches #403

 

Hello Tuesday!!!  You know what that means.  Time for another challenge over at the CAS Colours and Sketches blog.  This week we have a bright and cheery color trio for you to try.  

For our color challenges, you must use all of the stated challenge colors. You may also use neutral colors; however, the challenge colors should be the most noticeable ones featured on your card. We use Stampin' Up color names for reference, but you are welcome to use any other companies' products as long as you match the challenge colors as closely as possible.

Aren't these colors fun?  They just scream spring flowers to me so that's exactly where I went with my card.

I first stamped this large floral image onto a white cardstock panel and then colored it in with Copic markers.  I searched around for a sentiment that would fit and decided on this lovely hello.  I added a strip of sparkly gunmetal Washi tape to the left side of the white card base and then trimmed a bit off the side of my stamped panel before adhering it to the card base with fun foam.   I then sprinkled in some silver sequins as a finishing touch.  

Supplies:

MFT - Floral Focus stamp set

Right At Home - Script Greetings stamp set

I hope these colors inspire you to come join us at the blog. We'd love to see your card in our gallery this week!

It's a New Year!  Continue to stay safe and healthy my friends.   

_________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for visiting my little crevice of the crafty blogosphere.  Your time, comments and friendship are much appreciated.  

Happy Crafting!

Jules 

Color Hues #10 - Guest Designer

 

Good morning!  I'm delighted to have been asked to be a guest designer on the Color Hues challenge blog this fortnight.  It's been great to have a few new card challenges emerge in 2020 and this one has been a favorite.  As a bonus, their Guest Designer badge is super fun.  *wink*

I have really been loving their chosen color duos lately and this one lends itself to so many  wonderful opportunities for designs.

I am in need of masculine cards for all occasions so I took the opportunity with these colors to create a simple one with some geometric layers.

Using just the two colors (no hues this time around) I began with a navy card base and a smaller panel of cream cardstock.  Each of the plaid geometrics (there are two side by side) were cut from these same two colors.  There are three layers to each mini panel which I stacked by alternating the two colors.  I adhered the two layered mini panels side by side to span my panel and centered them top to bottom on the card front.  I added a die cut sentiment/shadow using the same two cardstocks and finished it off with a sub-sentiment, heat embossed in cream over the navy.  I really had to reign myself in and NOT add any drops, dots, jewels and/or bling to this card as that would have totally defeated my purpose.  (And hence is why I have so few masculine cards.  My desire to bling is too great.  LOL!)

Supplies:

Spellbinders - Kaleidoscope Plaid dies

Ellen Hutson - That Thing That You Do stamp set

Simon Says Stamp - Thanks plus outline die

Wow - Skinny Chai Latte embossing powder

Thank you so much to Nancy and her team for inviting me to play along with their very fun (and indeed challenging) challenge!  I hope you'll be inspired to create a navy/cream card and play along with their blog.

It's a New Year!  Continue to stay safe and healthy my friends.   

_________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for visiting my little crevice of the crafty blogosphere.  Your time, comments and friendship are much appreciated.  

Happy Crafting!

Jules 

Color Hues #9

 

The folks over at the new Color Hues challenge are starting out the new year with a fabulous color combination. 

These are two of my favorite colors to use but I rarely use them together.  It's still a bit difficult to get into the "use only two colors" mindset but it is getting easier.  Here's my card for this week's challenge.

I decided to go with a gray wreath, choosing cardstocks from both MFT and PaperTrey Ink.  I die cut the wreath once each in three different hues of grays, layering them together.  I wanted my wreath set against a brick background which I created using a stencil and Distress Oxides.  I cut the panel down and layered it on top of a piece of gray cardstock, leaving just a hint of a border.  The florals are poinsettias however I chose to cut them from white cardstock so they'd pop against the gray and red.  I added a drop of steel gray Nuvo drops to the centers.  The white heat embossed sentiment on the dark gray cardstock was my final addition.  (It appears black in this photo but it is indeed a dark steel gray.)

I'm happy to have another miscellaneous holiday card to add to my 2021 stash.  

Supplies:

MFT English Brick stencil

Simon Says Stamp - Etched Eucalyptus Wreath die

MFT - Snow Globe sentiment stamp set

Poppystamps - Small Bloom Poinsettia dies

It's a New Year!  Continue to stay safe and healthy my friends.   

_________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for visiting my little crevice of the crafty blogosphere.  Your time, comments and friendship are much appreciated.  

Happy Crafting!

Jules 

CAS Colours and Sketches #402

 

I hope 2021 is treating you all well so far.  We here at the CAS Colours and Sketches blog are back with our first sketch of the new year.  

Keep in mind that you can flip and/or rotate the sketch for your card. 

I've created another bird card for you this week, this time using a cardinal die.   

As you can see, I flipped the sketch so that my right facing bird was pointed toward the interior of my card and I used branches to represent the solid horizontal strip in the sketch.

I began by ink blending a subtle background onto a panel of white cardstock to serve as a bit of grounding for my cardinal.  After die cutting the bird elements I added a bit of shading with a dark red dye ink before assembly.  The branches are actually stems from a floral set of dies.  I cut several of them from brown cardstock and layered them for a fuller branch effect.  I stamped the sentiment in a brown pigment ink and then adhered the finished panel to a card base made from woodgrain cardstock.  I completed the card with a sprinkling of brown gems from my stash.

I wasn't quite ready to put this beautiful cardinal away so I created a coordinating tag using some leftovers from a previous card.  

I hope you'll check out the all of the wonderful cards created by the CAS Colours and Sketches design team.  We'd love for you to play along!

Supplies:

Sizzix/Tim Holtz - Feathered Cardinal die

MFT - Roses in Bloom die set 

Memory Box - Open Studio Birthday stamp set 

Penny Black - Gift Tag die set

Clearly Besotted - Tiny Type stamp set

Tim Holtz - embossing folder

It's a New Year!  Continue to stay safe and healthy my friends.   

_________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for visiting my little crevice of the crafty blogosphere.  Your time, comments and friendship are much appreciated.  

Happy Crafting!

Jules 

CAS(e) This Sketch #403

I'm here today to play along with one of the final challenges over at the CASE This Sketch challenge blog.  It's been a favorite of mine so I'm sad to hear it's coming to an end.  Here's this week's sketch...

I treated myself to some post holiday crafty sales and today's card uses several of those goodies.

Lest you think the lighting is poor, that's a soft grey cardstock for my background.  

I built the sketch around this sweet fox and rabbit image. I colored (Copics) and die cut the image.  I used a cover plate to pierce the soft grey background panel and then cut strips of cardstock to create the horizontal banner.  A stamped sentiment strip serves as the center.  I adhered the panel to a honey colored card base and added in three enamel hearts.  Until hugs are are a reality once again, this one will do.  

Supplies:

Erin Lee Creative - Crafty Friends stamp and die set

Simon Says Stamp - Detail Swirls Cover Plate

The Gray Muse - Social Distance stamp set

Studio Katia - Halftone Lines die

It's a New Year!  Continue to stay safe and healthy my friends. 

_________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for visiting my little crevice of the crafty blogosphere.  Your time, comments and friendship are much appreciated.  

Happy Crafting!

Jules 

Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers #176

 

It's time for the first challenge of 2021 over at the Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers.  After the year that was 2020, Edna decided to mix it up by challenging us to create something other than a card.  More specifically, the challenge is A is for ATC.

This fortnight we challenge you to create an Artist Trading Card in the size of 2.5" x 3.5" inches or a 2.5" circle.  These are typically technique centric however for those of us like myself, they needn't be too complicated.  Being much more a CAS crafter at heart, here is my attempt at a busy background technique.  

Her sentiment echos my current mood.  :-)

I pulled out a leftover swinked (ink swiped) background and then proceeded to add some texture using a chicken wire stamp and some white gouache splatter.  I stamped, Copic colored and then fussy cut my judgy retro image and adhered it directly to the background.  I used an alcohol marker to color a scrap of white cardstock, stamped the sentiment and then used a sentiment die to cut it out.  I doubled up on the thickness before adhering it to my card.  I don't know about you, but I wouldn't mess with her before she's had her morning coffee.  And does that "eh" mean she's Canadian?  hahahahaha!  (My northern Sistahs can let me know.)

Supplies:

Unity - Chicken Wire background stamp

Unity - Shit stamp set

Unity - Still a Mess stamp set

This challenge actually turned out to be quick and easy.  I hope you'll come check out our blog and be inspired to play along!

It's a New Year!  Continue to stay safe and healthy my friends. 

_________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for visiting my little crevice of the crafty blogosphere.  Your time, comments and friendship are much appreciated.  

Happy Crafting!

Jules 

Happy Little Stampers and an Announcement

 

I hope the new year is treating everyone right.  I have been sitting on a bit of news that I can finally share.  I am now part of the Happy Little Stampers Design Team! 

More specifically, I'm a member of their Anything Goes with Dies team.  You all know how I love to create cards that focus on dies so I'm really happy to be part of this wonderful group.    

The monthly challenge is an easy one....create a card with dies.  Yep.  Simple.  And because Valentines Day will soon be approaching I decided to go with a love themed card.

I began by adding some texture to some scraps of pink and red cardstocks using both embossing folders and heat embossing.  I then punched out a BUNCH of hearts using two old Martha Stewart hand punches.  I die cut the wheelbarrow in red, black and grey and determined my sentiment placement before adhering it to a stitched panel of white cardstock. I masked off the sentiment so I could stamp one line in red and the other in black.  I then set about filling my wheelbarrow to overflowing with layers and layers of the hearts.  I added this panel to a red scalloped panel which I then adhered to a black card base.  I'm really pleased with how this one turned out.  

If you're not a regular in the Happy Little Stampers challenges I do hope you'll check out their blog and come play along.  

Supplies:

Honeybee Stamps - Wheelbarrow die

Honeybee Stamps - Bitty Pattern stamp set

Avery Elle - Lots of Love stamp set

Mama Elephant - Femme Frames die set

Sunny Studio - Quilted Heart embossing folder

Altenew - Dotted Swirls cover plate

Martha Stewart - heart punches 

Stay safe and healthy my friends!  

_________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for visiting my little crevice of the crafty blogosphere.  Your time, comments and friendship are much appreciated.  

Happy Crafting!

Jules 

Seize the Birthday #205 - Guest Designer

 

I am very excited to be back guest designing for one of my favorite challenges, Seize the Birthday.  Who amongst us doesn't need a constant stash of birthday cards, right?  Any birthday card works for their biweekly challenges but I always enjoy creating cards with their toppings prompt which this time around is Snowy Background.

There is zero chance of snow here in South Florida so I welcome all opportunities to use my snowy stash items.  Here's my card for today...

I had a lot of fun with this one!  I began by applying texture paste to dark navy cardstock using a snowfall stencil.  I immediately added some diamond dust to the wet paste for some wintery sparkle and then set it aside to dry while I worked on critters.  

I stamped, colored (Copics) and die cut my polar bear, penguin and rabbit along with a trio of fir trees.  I created a ski slope using a border die and white cardstock.  I stamped the sentiment and then assembled my scene onto a white card base.  As a finishing touch, I added some white glitter glue under their snowboards and along the slope.  I think this came out really cute and it was fun to create something a bit different.

I invite you to check out all of the wonderful inspiration on the STB blog and hope you'll play along!  

Supplies:

MFT - Ready, Set, Snow stamp set

Simon Says Stamp - Falling Snow stencil

Ranger - Texture Paste

Twinklets Diamond Dust

It's a New Year!  Continue to stay safe and healthy my friends.   

_________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for visiting my little crevice of the crafty blogosphere.  Your time, comments and friendship are much appreciated.  

Happy Crafting!

Jules 

CAS Colours and Sketches #401

 

Happy 2021 everyone!!!  I hope the holidays treated you all well.  We here at the CAS Colours and Sketches blog are excited to be back with another year of challenges.  Jeanne is starting us off with this fun color trio....

For our color challenges, you must use all of the stated challenge colors. You may also use neutral colors; however, the challenge colors should be the most noticeable ones featured on your card. We use Stampin' Up color names for reference, but you are welcome to use any other companies' products as long as you match the challenge colors as closely as possible.

I decided to take this opportunity to create few Valentine's Day cards.  Here's my challenge card.

I don't have a cardstock exactly matching Bermuda Bay but I think the one I used for my coffee cup is fairly close.  

I began my die cutting my elements using cardstocks in the challenge colors.  I die cut the arch from a panel of white cardstock.  I assembled my dies and adhered them to the center of the card, stamping the Valentine sentiment below.  I stamped a sub-sentiment on a small white tag, layered it with a red tag, tied a bow from silver thread and adhered it all to the mug.  The panel was adhered to a pool card base.  I love how the color peeks out from the arch.

I created two additional bonus cards in exactly the same fashion, mixing up the colors a bit.  

I can't pick a favorite because I love all three color schemes.  What about you?

Come check out our blog and give our new DT members some loving.  Hopefully you'll be inspired and add your card to our gallery!

Supplies:

MFT - Cocoa Cups die set

MFT - Bird House kit

PinkFresh Studio - Braided Tag die

WPlus9 -Pocketful Valentine stamp set (an oldie but goodie from 2011)

It's a New Year!  Continue to stay safe and healthy my friends.   

_________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for visiting my little crevice of the crafty blogosphere.  Your time, comments and friendship are much appreciated.  

Happy Crafting!

Jules 

Happy New Year Christmas Mice :-)

 

Happy New Year friends!!  I had hoped to create a 2021 celebratory card but my back had other ideas.  I spent my final days of 2020 horizontal...and not in a fun way.  *wink*  While I was unable to craft, I was able to read and catch up on crafty YouTube videos so all was not lost.   

I also had hoped to finish out the year with a few more challenge cards but alas, that just wasn't going to happen.  Today's card is one that I started for the final Tic Tac Toe challenge of 2020.  The line trio I chose were Green, Wink of Stella and Stocking. I was able to finish it up yesterday (after the deadline) but no matter.  I am so in love with it and will tuck it away until December 2021.

I die cut the mitten stockings and mice from various colors of cardstocks, adding a bit of white heat embossing to the stockings for interest.  I assembled them and adhered them to my all time favorite stamped background.  (Look familiar?  I did a white on black this time instead of black on white.  Look at me branching out.  ROFL!)  I then adhered the panel to a white card base.  As a final touch I added some Wink of Stella to the mitten cuffs and some sparkly glitter glue to the stocking caps.  I think this card is adorable, if I may say so myself.  :-)

Supplies:

Spellbinders - Jolly Mitten Mouse 

MFT - All Lined Up Diagonally background stamp

I am mulling over the idea of jumping in to some year long Christmas card challenges.  I normally only create a single mass produced design for my personal use along with Christmas tags but I have so many holiday designs that see little to no use.  Sad and shameful.  What would be your recommendations?  

It's a New Year!  Continue to stay safe and healthy my friends.   

_________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for visiting my little crevice of the crafty blogosphere.  Your time, comments and friendship are much appreciated.  

Happy Crafting!

Jules