CAS Christmas Joy

For a lot of people, CAS means even 'cleaner' than this - but here is my version of Clean & Simple.  No stamping today, just two lovely Memory Box dies, a bow & jingle bells.  I'm a few hours too late for the Dynamic Duos colour challenge this week, but I've used their colours as my inspiration:

Cardstock is Tulip, Cotton Candy, Pear & White Daisy, all CTMH; Joy Script die and Tupelo Circle die, Memory Box; Twine is American Crafts, Ribbon & jingle bells, Michaels.

 

Mojo Monday #300!

Mojo Monday is celebrating a huge milestone this week, with their 300th sketch!  I've been a Verve fan for years, so was very keen to play along, and pulled out a couple of favourite Verve sets.  I am also using this week's Dynamic Duos colour combo of grey +?

Patterned papers are Summer Stories, Teresa Collins; Cardstock is Black, Whisper & White Daisy, CTMH; Inks are Black and Whisper, CTMH; Stamp sets are All the Flowers Plain Jane & Bloom & Grow - Verve; Licorice Opaque Pearls, CTMH; Leaf die, Verve.

 

Dynamic Duos #51 & Seize the Birthday #16

Well, I just had to come back and link up a card to this week's Dynamic Duos challenge, as a player this time :o)  The colour combo is a very pretty yellow & blue duo, so I pulled out my October Afternoon Farmhouse papers and I used the current Seize the Birthday sketch.  It's not my favourite card ever, it's either over or under embellished - I can't decide which??  When I took away the flowers, it looked like it needed something... and when I tried to add a different ribbon or some twine, it just looked like too much!  I took that to mean that it was time to walk away :o)  Here it is:

 

Patterned papers are Farmhouse, October Afternoon; Cardstock is Slate & Colonial White, CTMH; Stamp set is Borderline, Verve; Mini Vintage Oval die, Verve; Tilda Swirl die, Memory Box; Inks are Honey, Slate & Black, CTMH; Slate polka dot ribbon, CTMH.

Dynamic Duos #50 - Happy Birthday Vicki!!

We're being kind of sneaky this week over at Dynamic Duos... it is birthday week for one of our fellow Dynamos, the fabulous Vicki Burdick!  So the rest of the team decided that we would all make birthday cards in her honour using this week's colour combination of Calypso Coral & Blushing Bride.  Our lovely founder, Lesley Croghan is hosting a linky party on her blog (here!) with a whole bunch of other Vicki fans who are helping to celebrate her big day.  Now when we were planning this a few weeks back, I knew exactly what image I'd use for Vicki's card, since we're both fans of L'il Inker Designs line of stamps called "Sugar Kissed Cottage", and this birthday image works perfectly with the girly/retro colour combo that we're working with this week:

Check out what all the other Dynamos have come up with this week over at the Dynamic Duos blog, or you can see them listed on my sidebar.  We ask that you use only the two colours shown, but neutrals (skin tones, etc.) are welcome.  If you don't have the exact colours, just use something similar like me!

This is a bittersweet post for me, as it is my last official design team project for Dynamic Duos (six months flies by when you're having fun!).  I have worked with a really wonderful and inspiring group of ladies, whose work I will continue to follow on their blogs and out there in the challenge world.  A big thanks to Lesley Croghan & Anne Marie Hile for giving me the opportunity, and for running such a well organized challenge blog.  I still plan to be a player, so you'll see me posting over there regularly!  There'll be a brand new design team being announced soon on the DD blog.

 

Patterned paper is The Sweetest Thing, Tangerine by My Mind's Eye; Cardstock is Sorbet, white & kraft, CTMH; Pink is Bazzil.  Stamp set is Sugar Kissed Cottage by L'il Inker Designs; Ink is Tuxedo Black, Memento; Copic Markers; Baker's Twine & buttons, CTMH.

Dynamic Duos #49

It's a Black Tie week at Dynamic Duos, and we are using the colours Basic Grey and Basic Black with a dessert option of a Masculine Theme!  I went pretty literal, doing a "black tie" card based on this card by Becky Oehlers that I saw on Pinterest.  I used my Cricut Artiste cartridge to cut the cute little bow tie, and hand drew the pieces to make the jacket.  I wanted the jacket to have a little bit of dimension, so I glued the lapel pieces under the edge of the jacket and bent them back before gluing them down.

I am entering this in the monthly challenge over at One Crazy Stamper (black, white + a colour) where I just happen to be their guest designer this month -  so I have done black/white/gray.  The patterned papers that I used today are from the fabulous One Crazy Stamper store!

Patterned papers are Capsule Collection by Jesse Edwards for Papermania; Cardstock is Black & White Daisy, CTMH; Stamp set is Say it in Style, CTMH; Ink is Grey Wool, CTMH; Spellbinder's die; Cricut Artiste Cartridge, CTMH

Dynamic Duos #48

We have an interesting colour combo for you this week at Dynamic Duos: Bashful Blue & Pumpkin Pie!  These colours aren't the norm for me - but I loved working with them, and had several other ideas that I was wanting to try...  Anyway, I stayed with a fairly bold, graphic style (typical me!) and used one of my new fave sets from Art Impressions:

My colours are a little bolder than our assigned choices, but that's okay - if you don't have the exact shades, just use something similar, like me!  We ask that you use just our two colours, but neutrals are welcome.  Check out all of the inspiration from the design team over at the Dynamic Duos blog, or you can see them listed on my sidebar.  Hope you'll play along!

Patterned paper is Dotty For You; Cardstock is White Daisy & Indian Corn Blue - all CTMH; Stamp set is Stayin' Afloat, Art Impressions; Ink is Tuxedo Black, Memento; Copic Markers; Twine is American Crafts.

Dynamic Duos #47 - Pun Intended!

We have the prettiest colour combo for you this week at Dynamic Duos: Pool Party & Cherry Cobbler!  I really love these two colours together... so I wanted to make a little set of cards using the fun Puns of Praise stamp set.  And it just so happens that it is Pun Fun week at Heart2Heart Challenges, so I'm entering this there, as well!  I have also used the In the Background stamps to create the stripes and chevrons across the bottom:

Scroll down to see individual close ups of each of the cards!

I also made a little file folder box to hold the cards, which I'll be decorating a bit more over the weekend:

Check out the Dynamic Duos blog to see the fabulous inspiration from the rest of the design team, or you can see them listed on my sidebar.  If you don't have the exact colours, just use something similar like I've done.  Neutrals are welcome!  There is also a design team call for Dynamic Duos, as the current team's term is coming to an end in the next few weeks - check it out!

 

Stamp sets are Puns of Praise and In the Background; Inks are Grey Flannel, Black and Heavenly Blue; Cardstock is Grey Wool, White Daisy, Cranberry & Heavenly Blue; Cricut Artiste Cartridge - all Close To My Heart; Pennant die, Verve; Baker's Twine, The Twinery; Copic Markers.

Dynamic Duos #46

It's Dynamic Duos challenge time!  And you get to have a little input into our colour scheme this week, as we are featuring projects made with Primrose Petals and a "colour of your choice!".  So I had fun with a new 6x6 paper pack from Carta Bella that I recently acquired.  I decided to go with a soft grass green colour, and went die-crazy using five different dies on my card today.  This little pinwheel die is so fun, and works especially well with double sided paper:

If you don't have the exact colour, just use something similar.  We ask that you only use the two colours on your card, but neutrals are welcome.  Check out the Dynamic Duos blog to see all the fabulous inspiration from my fellow Dynamos... or you can see them listed on my sidebar.  Wishing you all a wonderful Easter weekend!

 

Patterned papers are Carta Bella; Stamp set and Pinwheel die are L'il Inkers; Picket Fence die and Cloud Duo dies are Taylored Expressions; Icicle Border die is My Favourite Things; Cardstock is Slate, Cotton Candy & White Daisy, CTMH; Bigger brad, CTMH; Ink is Black and Cotton Candy, CTMH.

Dynamic Duos #45

This week's Dynamic Duos colour combo is gorgeous!  It's soft, girly, springy, and could even be Easter-y, depending on how you choose to go.  I tried really hard this week, to stick to just our two colours... and I almost made it.  But when it came down to it, my card just looked better with the sentiment and line of arrows stamped in soft grey.  And I'd rather make a card that looks 'better' than not.  I may just have to accept the fact that I'm not a two-colour cardmaker!?  Here's what I came up with:

 

The colours in my photo are a little stronger than they actually are... and you can't really tell that the chevron paper is two-toned pink... but it is!  Check out the artwork by the design team over at the Dynamic Duos blog for some great inspiration, and if you don't have the exact colours, just use something similar like I did.  Neutrals are welcome.  I've used the photo over at Inspired By as my inspiration this week:

Patterned paper is Kiss Me, Bella Blvd; Cardstock is White Daisy & Cotton Candy, CTMH; Stamp sets are Borderline, Verve and Say it in Style, CTMH; Ink is Grey Wool, CTMH; Baker's Twine, The Twinery. Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge, CTMH.

Dynamic Duos #44

It's black tie week at Dynamic Duos... so this week we are featuring So Saffron and Basic Black with a dessert option of using ribbon on your project!  I've been wanting to use this particular sentiment for a while, and thought it would be great on a black/white/colour card.  I'm not a huge bling person, but the silhouette image & the quote lent themselves nicely to me using CTMH's new black glitter paper.  I used plain black cardstock as well, and I really like how the matte paper looks with the glitter paper (it shows up a little better in person).  I'm even counting the strip of rhinestones as 'ribbon' for this challenge!

We would love to have you join us this week, we ask that you use just our two colours (and you can add neutrals if needed) - if you don't have the exact colours, just use something similar.  Check out all the fab ideas from the design team over at the Dynamic Duos blog, or you can see them listed on my sidebar.

Patterned paper is Bella; Cardstock is White Daisy, Black and Black glitter paper; Stamp sets are Be Yourself & Scrapbook Statements - Women; Ink is Black - all Close To My Heart; Spellbinders dies; Rhinestones, Fabricland.

Dynamic Duos #43

We're featuring Pool Pary & Lucky Limeade at Dynamic Duos this week!  This one took me a little while to pull together... I was a bit obsessed with using this week's Sweet Sunday sketch (designed by my fellow Dynamo, Vicki Burdick!) but I had a hard time coming up with paper that worked for "Pool Party"...  So I've taken a bit of creative license with colours this week, and just between you & me - we're counting brown as a neutral today, as well!

 

We would love to have you join us by creating a creation using our two colours, and if you don't have the exact ones, just use something similar.  Check out all the designer's fabulous inspiration this week over at the Dynamic Duos blog, or you can see them listed on my sidebar.

Patterned papers are Sidewalks, October Afternoon & Graceful, Echo Park; Dies are Spellbinders & Taylored Expressions; Stamp set is Remarkable Wreath, CTMH; Inks are Desert Sand, Juniper & Chocolate, CTMH; Ribbons and cardstock are Key Ingredients kit.

Dynamic Duos #42

Happy Saturday, everyone!  I have a fun Dynamic Duos card to share with you today - this week our colours are Garden Green & Daffodil Delight.  I made a card a few weeks ago that was similar (didn't realize how similar until I saw them side by side!)  But I love the new eye chart stamps, and of course the little spectacles are so fun... so you'll probably see these come out a few more times.  The chevrons are a new background stamp, too:

Inside sentiment: And loves you just the same.

I went fairly graphic this week, but there are all kinds of inspiring projects made by the rest of the design team over at the Dynamic Duos blog.  We would love to have you join us!  If you don't have the exact colours, just use something similar.  Neutrals like black, kraft and skin tones are okay, too.

 

Patterned paper is Life of the Party, Basic Grey; Cardstock is Black and White Daisy; CTMH; Inks are Black and Honey, CTMH; Stamp set is Card Chatter - Focus on a Friend by CTMH; Licorice Opaque Pearls, CTMH;  Spectacles dies, Taylored Expressions.

Dynamic Duos #41

It's time for another Dynamic Duos challenge, and we're creating with Island Indigo & Pool Party this week.  I was pretty sure I would do a masculine type of card (something I'm needing!) with these colours, and knew that I had these great papers from the now-retired "Cruisin'" paper pack.  I also pulled out a stamp set from a few years back that works well for guy cards - "Retro Tech".

And on the inside:

You can't really tell in the photo, but I overstamped the phone image with Versamark ink, and then embossed it with clear embossing powder, so the phone is quite "slick".  We would love to have you join us at Dynamic Duos this week, details are over on the DD blog.  You'll see some fun inspiration by the design team either on the blog, or their links are listed on my sidebar.  If you don't have the exact colours, just use something similar.  Neutrals are welcome, but otherwise you must use just our two colours!

 

Patterned papers are Cruisin'; Cardstock is Black, Twilight & White Daisy; Stamp sets are Retro Tech, Simple Stitches & Just a Number; Ink is Black; Clear buttons & twilight accents - all Close To My Heart.

Dynamic Duos #40

It's Black Tie week at Dynamic Duos!  We are featuring Tempting Turquiose & Basic Black, with a dessert option of clouds....  I bought several sweet Sugar Kissed Cottage images from L'il Inker Designs back in November, and knew that this was the perfect opportunity to use this cute little fella with an umbrella.  I coloured him in with Copics, die cut the clouds and popped up the white panel to give it a bit of dimension.  I went back and added in raindrops with a pale blue Copic marker, and then went over top of them with Liquid Glass to make them shiny.  I added Liquid Glass to his Wellies to make them shiny, too.

Deanna & I were thinking of Get Well cards this week, but there is other wonderful inspiration by the rest of the design team over on the Dynamic Duos blog, or you can find them linked on my sidebar.  We would love to have you join us - if you don't have the exact colours, just use something similar.

Cardstock is Ocean, Black & White Daisy, CTMH; Ink is Tuxedo Black, Memento; Copic Markers; Cloud die, Taylored Expressions; Stamp set is Sugar Kissed Cottage, L'il Inker Designs;  Liquid Glass, CTMH.

 

Dynamic Duos #39

It's time for some softer colours at Dynamic Duos, where we're featuring Pink Pirouette & Pool Party this week.  I needed a baby card for one of my son's favourite teachers, so this colour combo was perfectly timed!

We would love to have you join us over at the Dynamic Duos blog, where you can see all kinds of fabulous inspiration from the rest of the design team, or you'll find them linked on my sidebar.  If you don't have the exact colours, just use something similar. (You'll notice that my cardstock is a little more blue, as I just didn't have anything as minty as Pool Party).

Patterned paper is Chantilly; Cardstock is Baby Pink, Heavenly Blue & Colonial White; Stamp set is Gracious Greetings; Ink is Grey Wool; Bitty Pearls, Rosette ribbon & Grosgrain ribbon - all supplies are CTMH; Taylored Expressions Medium scallop die.

 

Dynamic Duos #38

It's a monochromatic week at Dynamic Duos, so we are featuring the seasonal colours of Pink Pirouette & Real Red.  I really struggled with this colour combo.  I mean I REALLY struggled with this combo!??  I had two or three false starts, then completed a card, scrapped it, tried again, scrapped it, and then went in a completely different direction and voila:

This afternoon, I had some happy mail arrive.  Last week I won some blog candy from the lovely & talented Teresa Kline who sent me the Verve valentine set called Wings of Love with the matching heart dies!  Yay me!  This little package in the mail rescued me amidst my crafty struggles today - so I started stamping, and pulled out my Copics (don't look too closely, my colouring is rusty, and I was in a hurry to get it done!). 
     We would love to have you join us at Dynamic Duos - check out the blog to see what the Dynamos have in store for you this week!

Cardstock is Cranberry, CTMH & Xpress it; Ink is Tuxedo Black, Memento; Copic Markers; Twine is American Crafts.

 

Dynamic Duos #37

We have a lovely neutral colour combo for you this week at Dynamic Duos: the colours are Soft Suede & Crumb Cake.  I decided to do a sympathy card with a bit of tone on tone sponging on a 5 1/2" square card:

The design team has (as always!) some fabulous inspiration for you over at the Dynamic Duos blog, or you can see them listed on my sidebar.  We would love to have you join us this week by linking up your creation.  If you don't have the exact colours, just use something similar (I've used Close To My Heart's Cashmere & Champagne).

Cardstock is Cashmere, Champagne & Black; Inks are Cashmere, Champagne & Black; Stamp sets are Treasure Life, CTMH and Blessings, Verve;

 

Dynamic Duos #36

This week our colours are Basic Black & Real Red at Dynamic Duos... with a dessert option of a Valentine theme!  I have a real thing for coffee themed cards (I have an entire Pinterest board called Coffee Cards - you can check it out here!)...  so I pulled out my Better With You set from Verve to make 3 little coffee themed valentines.  They're just 4" square, so they fit nicely into a standard envelope:

Be sure to check out the Dynamic Duos blog to see what the other designers have to show you!  You can see their blogs listed on my sidebar.  We would love to have you play along with us, you'll find all the details on the blog.

Patterned paper is A Very Merry Christmas, Echo Park & Dakota, CTMH; Inks are Black, Cranberry and Whisper, CTMH; Cardstock is Black, Slate and White Daisy, CTMH; Copic Markers; Stamp sets are Better With You & Notebook Plain Jane, Verve; Dies are Verve & Spellbinders.

Dynamic Duos #35

This week's Dynamic Duo colour combo just said "floral" to me... and I've had this new background die from Taylored Expressions for a few weeks that I thought would make a lovely trellis for a floral type card.  It didn't take long for it all to come together: the leaves and rolled flowers are all cut with my Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge, and the tag and background were done with my Cuttlebug.  To give the flowers a little extra dimension, I sponged tone on tone ink on all the petal edges, and faded Creme Brulee ink at the top of the tag, down to Sweet Leaf at the bottom.  It doesn't show up too well in the photo, but I sponged Creme Brulee ink around the edges of the Creme Brulee background panel to give it a little extra depth as well, then covered it with the white trellis.

Here is our amazing colour combo of Certainly Celery & So Saffron:

If you don't have the exact colours, feel free to use something similar, but we ask that you only use the two colours shown (the addition of neutrals like kraft, and skintones is fine).  All the details are shown on the Dynamic Duos blog, where you'll also see the amazing inspiration by our fabulous designers!  Their blogs are also listed on my sidebar.

Cardstock is Creme Brulee, Sweat Leaf, Kraft & White Daisy; Inks are Creme Brulee, Sweet Leaf & Desert Sand; Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge; Natural Hemp - all CTMH; Quatre foil die, Taylored Expressions; Sweet Scallop Tag die & stamp, Verve; Sentiment is Bloom & Grow, Verve.