One of my favorite techniques is to make "windows" into my card by using negative space of the die-cuts.  Here I used a skinny rectangle die for my 5 windows and popped up the white layer with foam tape.  I then added the Lawn Fawn thanks across the windows.  I debated about what color the thanks should be but then went with white with another black one in the back - slightly offset for a shadow effect.  

I really like this sketch - tucking it away for future use!

CAS(E) This Sketch

Another felt card today - clouds just call for felt!  I did a quick card for this week's CASology FAST challenge and combined it with CAS(E) the Sketch.  I did have to turn the sketch upside down so that my airplane was taking off and not landing.  The sentiment is from Mama Elephant's Up and Away.

Challenges I am playing in:

Simon Says Fun with Felt

Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes

CAS(E) this Sketch #173

CASology: FAST

I hope your Sunday is going well.  I'm taking a break between gardening and dinner prep to share this card I made inspired by several challenges.  I first embossed some flowers from Verve Poppy Birthday with clear embossing powder and used my new Akashiya watercolor pens to color them in.  I really loved how they turned out and it's hard to see under the vellum but the blending was the easiest way I've done coloring. 

 I die-cut a vellum tab out using MFT Blueprints 13 and embossed in purple a sentiment from Quietfire's Happy Family Day with Calligraphic Frame.  My final touch was adding a Poppystamps Elsa butterfly in Lovely Lavender metal craft sheet.

Poppystamps It's All About Her

CAS(E) this Sketch #121

We just got back from swim lessons for the boys.  Z has gone from crying the entire 6 weeks while holding onto Daddy for dear life to saying that this is the best day ever!  He loved swim lessons.  Yay!  And watching them during lessons certainly made me smile - the youngest especially was a hoot.  

Lessons were at 8:30 and since we are all up and about now, I am getting the urge to go to Home Depot and pick up some flowers for a splash of color in the front yard.  Though it might be too early still - pretty sure we have not seen the last frost yet.  

Speaking of colors... I had just watched this video by Laura Bassen and I immediately wanted to try it out.  I even had the same colors she used and since I loved her card so much, I kept with the same colors.  I added two layers of vellum Memory Box Darla butterfly and then added the matching Memory Box Vivienne butterfly using the same watercolor paper.  My sentiment from Verve Fabulous You set was embossed using black detail embossing powder.

Very quick but fun card!

Challenges I am playing in:

Virginia's View Challenge #14:  Layers and Dimensions

 Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes

CAS(E) this Sketch 118

Popping in to share a quick card I made today.  I used the stitched circle and large rectangle from MFT Blueprint 13 along with the Lawn Fawn Louie lower case alphabets.  

The six elements immediately made me think of the 6 letters for thanks.  It was also the perfect opportunity to use all those pretty colored metal craft sheets from Add A Little Dazzle.  At first I only had the letters and the circles popped up on the card but it was a little too CAS for me.  I went through my stash of sequins and found (almost) matching sequins to bling it up a bit. 

Hope you like it!  Thank you so much for looking and have a great weekend.  May your Easter be blessed. 

Challenges I am playing in:

CAS(E) This Sketch #117

   

Dazzling Diva Challenge #69

Virginia's View Challenge #14:  Layers and Dimensions

Challenges I am playing in:

CAS(E) This Sketch #115

CASology:  Blossom

Simon Says Spring Inspiration

Hi, again!  I had to chance to ink up some of my favorite butterflies earlier this week.  And with these, I never ink just one.  I actually fill up a whole sheet of cardstock, color them with Copics - really fast, right outside the lines, and sit and watch TV with my husband while I fussy cut all of them.  Then I have a whole selection of sizes and colors for later.  Here I put together some for a very quick card with lots of foam tape.

Challenges I am playing in:

CAS(E) this Sketch #114

Simon Says Things That Fly

A Blog Named Hero Bright and Bold

Second post of the day to show you some very quick and easy cards I made yesterday.  It took me only an hour to make these two sets of 4 cards each.  (Do I need to throw in there that it was another snow day?  This time it was due to ice.  Better safe than sorry.  Repeat repeat repeat!  )  

I cut my large watercolor sheet into 4 and sprayed the top half.  I must say, I did it so that it would be quicker than using my brush but I am loving the bleed effect it had.  Then I went through and added my watercolor to the sprayed area, keeping in mind that I wanted to die cut the Simon Says Stamps hello word die out later.  I then used my heat gun to dry all four sheets, ran it through my Big Shot with the die.  I also die-cut the word die out of white card stock so that I could do some in-laying later.

I then adhered my watercolor sheets to my card base along with the white card stock.  Since my paper was rather warped from the watercolors, after I had everything glued down, I ran it through my Big Shot again with just the acrylic plates to flatten everything down - it's also a great way to make sure those pieces all stick!

Finally, I added some water drops using Crystal Effects.  That probably took the longest as I left it to dry overnight.  It was more subtle than I would like but there you have it - 4 quick cards.  

Challenges I am playing in:

CAS(E) this Sketch #112

Simon Says Anything Goes

Virginia's View Challenge:  All Things Embossed

  

I had a friend come over the other night.  We had both ordered some new dies before Christmas and we were getting together to to share our new toys. I highly recommend this way of crafting - especially on a budget!  She had gotten a Penny Black Creative Die - Dainty as well as some Little B Designs Handwritten Cutting dies and I could not resist!  We were both commiserating that the only way we can enjoy tulips now is on cards since deers eat all our bulbs.  So here are my two cards based on this week's CAS(E) this Sketch.  The first one was cut out of pink and green card stock and then I did a little bit of sponging with Distress Inks Worn Lipstick.

For my second card, I used watercolor paper and my Koi watercolor set to make my panel.  The tulips were then popped up on the panel.

Thank you so much for looking!  

I used a couple of fun techniques on this card today.  To make my own background paper, I smooshed my distress ink pads and stains onto my craft paper and then laid my paper over it, moving it around until I had it covered pretty well.  Here are several tutorials on how to do that (Ink Spray Smash Technique,  HERE& HERE).  The feathers were made using paper made with watercolors while the hexagons were made with ink pads and stains instead of sprays... same method though.  I also did a  little bit of inlaid die-cutting.

Recipe:

Stamps: Quietfire Designs Friends

Dies: Spellbinders Shapeabilities Feathers, MFT Hexagon borders and Blueprints 15

Inks:  Seedless Preserves, Mowed Lawn, Antique Linen, Broken China, Picked Raspberries, Antique Bronze stain

       

Challenges I am playing in:

CAS(E) This Sketch 96

HYCCT1420 Get Smooshed

Friday Mashup 182

Hi!  I'm so excited to be a Guest Designer on CAS(E) this Sketch again.  And this week's sketch is just wonderful!  So many possibilities.  I actually made a couple of cards before this one but I like this one best.  :)  It also happens to go perfectly with this year's MOPs theme of Be You Bravely.  I've graduated from MOPs - my youngest has started Kindergarten - but MOPs was really great for me during those infant years.  It was good to know I was not alone in forgetting to brush my teeth until noon or walking past a mirror at night and sigh because that is what I looked like all day.

 I used the border embossing folder that came with the Modern Wallpaper set - never used it before so yay!  I always feel good when that happens.  The sentiment is from Quietfire Designs and it's exactly what I wanted.  Inside I will add the word "Bravely" and it will be perfect to send to the MOPs Coordinator this year.   Thank you so much for looking and hope you get a chance to play along!

Recipe:

Stamps:  Quietfire Designs

Dies:  Spellbinders Shapeabilities Feathers

Accessories:  Twine, Wink of Stella Glitter Pen, Modern wallpaper embossing folder

Other challenges I am Playing in:

Virginia's View Challenge #8:  CAS

And the boys are off to school... and I immediately went to my craft room... after loading the dishwasher, cleaning up the counters, getting a load of laundry started.  Still, it feels a little weird to see a challenge and go play immediately instead of rolling it around in my head for a while.  So you might be seeing another take on this card after some more thinking.  It did come together very quickly - one of the best things I love about CAS designs.  The image is an old free digital file from birdscards.com and the hearts are punched from those little Studio G punches you find in the dollar bin at Michaels.  But doesn't it just work perfectly here?

Hmm... I'm thinking sequins, liquid pearls, glossy accents...the possibilities are endless!

Recipe:

Stamps:  Umbrella digital stamp

Dies:  Spellbinders A2 Matting Basics A

Accessories:  Copics and heart punch

     

Challenges I am Playing in:

CASology:  Under

CAS(E) this Sketch #90

Simon Says Anything Goes

Yesterday, the boys and I did a little art/science experiment with food coloring and oil.  We dropped some oil on watercolor paper, swirled it around some, and then added some colored water.  The boys enjoyed it; I enjoyed it even more.  After it was dry, the boys had pretty much lost interest in it (typical) but I saw some lovely potential so I asked the boys if I could use it to make cards with.  They know their mom is a bit obsessive about card making and it was just a mere formality and good role modeling that the question was even asked.  :)  And then when I saw this morning the sketch from CAS(E) this Sketch...

So I cut one up to make this background, added a popped-up frame, some sequins, and a silver embossed banner.  Voila!  I LOVE IT!!! 

No abstract art from the kids will be safe again!  :)