CAS-ual Fridays Challenge #208...

Welcome back to another challenge for CAS-ual Fridays Stamps!!  This is a sparkly, fun one as it's all about Using Those Sequins!!

I don't have any shortage of sequins in my craft room. Sequins of all shapes, sizes and colours! Although, I tend to use mostly clear on my projects, I must start giving love to all!!  For my card today, I blinged up some die cuts with sequins.

I stamped the large Happy B-Day from the Celebrate Stamp Set with two shades of pink ink to get an ombre look and added some clear shimmer pen to it.  These words are two different stamps which is nice because it gives a lot of options for sentiment placement.

I used the super cool Jumping Jacks Fri-Dies numerous times out of white cardstock and used the same inks to give them some colour.  I used Majestic Confetti from Studio Katia.  Most of my sequin collection has come from there.

I thought it would be cool to add different sizes to each of the jumping jacks. I think it turned out super cool!!

Before mounting my focal panel to the card base, I used my scoring board to add some embossed lines across the front, again, super cool and so easy to do!!

I hope you have a chance to play along with us and use up some of your sequin stash!! Here are all the details on how to enter:

Link up your creation on the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge Blog.  10 winning entries will be featured on the blog the Thursday before the new challenge goes live.  The overall winner will receive a $25 gift certificate to the CAS-ual Friday store. BUT, if the winning entry features CAS-Fridays stamps and dies, the amount will increase to $50!!! Wow!

I cannot wait to see what you create with sequins! Good luck!

Laurie

MFT's 2018 Card Design Superstar Entry: Clean & Simple Genius

Well, holy cow!! I'm entering a challenge, can you believe it?  I got so excited when I seen the 2018 My Favourite Things Card Design Superstar Challenge that I just had to enter!

There are 3 categories in this challenge: Clean & Simple Genius, Colouring Virtuoso and Innovation Master.  While I love colouring, my skills are what you'd call..lacking. I do love a good interactive card but honestly, I'm terrible at them!! Seriously. I struggle through a simple shaker card :).  So that, my friends, leaves the Clean & Simple Category!

I love "clean" cards. It has taken me quite some time to embrace the white space but now I'm pretty comfortable with it.  Although, my finished card turned out quite colourful. I hope this will still count as CAS!!

I used a ton of MFT product on this card starting with the Stitched Circles Stax.  I adhered them all together to cut as one piece. So instead of cutting full circles, they cut rings.

I went through my stash of scrap cardstock and picked out some rainbow-ish colours.  I discovered that I do not have any orange cardstock so a coral colour would have to do.

Look at all those beautiful rings of colour!! So many rainbow cards in my future!  To make one solid, rainbow circle, I die cut the largest circle out of scrap paper and glued each ring to it. Then I cut it (almost) down the middle.

This is the layout I had planned.  It's faint but I did use the Stencil Cloud with some Tumbled Glass Distress Ink to add a bit of interest and dimension to the background. Before I adhered the rainbows to the panel, I used the large stitched rectangle die from the Blueprints 15 die set (which is not available any longer).  This was the perfect size to frame my scene.

I changed my mind on the sentiment but thought I would show this anyway as the process was the same.  I white heat embossed, on black cardstock, a sentiment from the Beach Bunnies Stamp Set. I trimmed it out using the small banner die from the Blueprints 27 Die Set. 

Now it was time to put everything together!!  I adhered the rainbows directly onto the cloudy panel and foam mounted the sentiment strip. The entire panel was adhered to a pink card base.

It was looking a little "flat" to me so I die cut a few clouds from the Somebunny Co-ordinating Dies set and foam mounted those using craft foam (also cut with the dies).  

I added a good dose of clear sparkle to each cloud instead of adding any embellishments.

I know it's quite colourful but I think the design itself is quite simple!!  I actually LOVE the way this card turned out and I hope you do too!!

Thank you so much for stopping in today! I love it when you visit :)

Until next time...stay crafty!

Laurie

Tag It Tuesday with My Creative Time!

Hello friends and welcome to another "Tag It Tuesday" featuring My Creative Time.  I love making and decorating tags.  They're typically a smaller size so they are much easier to decorate.

I used the Chunky Stitched Tag Dies, which is one of my favourite sets and is back in stock!!  While I did make a tag, I used it as a focal point on a card.

I used Strathmore Mixed  Media paper for my project today.  I love this paper because it's bright white, smooth and can handle water.  I die cut a 4 X 4 inches panel and did a simple watercolour wash using Seedless Preserves Distress Oxide Ink.

I embossed the tag die with an embossing folder that has tiny flowers on it.  I thought it would be fun to add a bit of colour to each embossed portion.  I used the same purple ink and added some Peacock Feathers Distress Oxide Ink.  I am definitely going to try this with other embossing folders!!!

I added the tag onto the watercolored panel with foam tape. I used the Big Hello Die for the sentiment which is just a beautiful die!  The small "friend" comes from the Fun Notes Stamp and Die Set.  

It needed a bit more of the Peacock Feathers Ink so I die cut a small butterfly with a die from the Pretty Butterflies and Dragonfly Die Set and loosely watercolored it.

I added the focal panel to a 4.25 X 4.25 inch grey card base and also a bit of sparkle to the large "hello". 

There are many ways to use tags or tag die and this is just one of the way!!  I think this tag would be beautiful on its own.

Thank you so much for visiting, I really appreciate it!!

See you soon...

Laurie

Manly Monday with My Creative Time!

Hello crafty friends and welcome back!  It's all about creating masculine cards today. I don't know about you but this is no easy task for me.

I tend to use a lot more die cutting on a masculine card versus stamping and colouring images.  I'm not sure why but I like a more graphic design when it comes to "boy" cards.

I went through my stash of MCT dies and picked out three sets for this card. This first set is the 3 Star Stitched Dies.  Simple shape but the size of these dies is perfect!  I dug through my scrap cardstock bin and picked out a grey, an orange, a yellow and a blue.  I cut about 2 of each size die.

I took an A2 white card base and tried to randomly piece them together.

I used this photo to help me remember placement!  I decided to adhere the stars onto a layer that was cut at 5.25 X 4.  This helped to "squeeze" the stars closer together.  After they were all glued down, I trimmed the excess off.

I know I've said this before but I will say it again. Everyone needs a good set of alphabet dies (or two, or three) in their stash.  They come in super handy especially when creating a sentiment for a boy/man.  There are tons of feminine or girly sentiments out there but some of these just won't work here.  I used both the Lowercase Fun Dies as well as the Uppercase Fun Dies to make the word "Hey".  This is a fabulous font for both masculine as well as feminine cards!

I die cut the letters out of craft foam as well to give them quite a bit of dimension.  The "birthday boy" sentiment comes from the Sweet Wishes Stamp and Dies Set and fits perfectly under the die cut word!!

I added a bit of glitter pen to the "Hey" and added the star panel directly onto the card base.  The most time consuming part of this card was trying not to get two stars of the same colour close together!!

Thank you so much for dropping by today!!  

Until next time...stay crafty!!

Laurie

MCT 48 Hour Flash Sale and Blog Hop!!

Good morning and welcome to another 48 Hour Flash Sale!!  This sale is for 48 hours only and is going on RIGHT NOW and will end on Sunday, September 2nd at 7pm PST.  We are also showcasing an AMAZING new die for you today called the Ghost Lollipop Holder Die.  This die is available now for purchase!  You can find it HERE.  Don't forget to enter the code FLASH at checkout to receive 20% off your entire "in-stock" purchase!!

You should have arrived from the talented Miss Kendra!! If you get lost along the way, you can find the full list here!

Now let's take a look at what I've made with this super cute die!!

Of course, I had to turn this lollipop holder into a card!!!  Please forgive me!!  This ghost is just way too cute for words!  I added a purple, sparkly bow using the Fun Size Scalloped Stitched Bow Die,  added some blush to the cheeks and eyelashes using a marker!  Now, she's ready to go out haunting!!

The "boo" die is also included which is just totally perfect!

This card really didn't need any extra embellishments as I used a lot of glitter paper!

I hope this gave you another idea on how to stretch your dies!! 

Up next on the hop is the lovely Miss Ruthie!!

GIVEAWAY!!

Leave a comment on each stop of the hop for a chance to win a $25.00 gift card to the My Creative Time store!!  Don't forget to leave a way for us to contact you in the case YOU are the lucky winner!!

Good Luck and Happy Hopping!!

See you soon!

Laurie

CAS-ual Fridays Challenge #207

Welcome back!! It's time for another challenge on the CAS-Fridays Challenge Blog!!  The theme for the next two weeks is...

Mint and Neutral!!  Oh, what fun!  I love the colour mint, every shade of it, so this was an easy and fun challenge for me!

I went for a very clean and simple look and choose Ivory as my neutral colour.  I created a dimensional background by cutting the gorgeous Casual Trees Fri-Dies multiple times out of ivory cardstock and adhering them directly to a 4 bar ivory card base (3.5 X 5 inch). This gives a very elegant look.

I die cut the Friend Fri-Dies from white cardstock and used Catherine Pooler inks in the colours, Mint To Be and Seafoam.  These inks are awesome and I highly recommend trying them!! I added Versamark Ink over the die cut and heat embossed it in clear. I did this twice to give a nice, raised, shiny look!

I adhered the word die onto a scalloped oval die from MFT to make it pop a little from the background. The tiny hearts come from the Fun-fetti Fri-Dies and were treated the same as the friend die.

I usually leave the inside of my cards blank. Especially if it's a generic friendship card.  You can customize it later for any occasion!!

Link up your project on the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge Blog. Ten (10) winning entries will be featured on the blog the Thursday before a new challenge starts. The overall winner will receive a $25 gift certificate for the CAS-Fridays shop! But if that winner featured CAS-Fridays products, the prize amount will double!! Remember, you are not required to use CAS-Friday products :)

Thank you for stopping by today! I hope you'll join the challenge! Have fun creating and good luck!

Laurie

     

MCT--Whatever Wednesday

Hello friends and welcome to "Whatever Wednesday" for My Creative Time!!  My card today features three of my all time favourite (so far) products from MCT.  And also a bit of no line watercolouring (eeek!).  This is something that is a little stressful for me to do but practice makes confidence right?

My first favourite stamp and die set is Just Because.  This set has some beautiful, outline floral images. These are perfect for any colouring medium but like I said, I chose the no-line watercolour!  I stamped one of the flowers with Antique Linen Distress Ink.  I double stamped it but I think I could have gotten away with just once as it was maybe a bit too dark. I should mention that I used Strathmore Mixed Media paper!!

I decided to use my Tombow Dual Brush Markers for the colouring.  I feel like I have much more control using these than your traditional watercolour pans.  

I use a combination of marker direct to paper and picking up colour off a slick surface.  Although, there is definite room for improvement, I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out.  When the colouring was done and dry, I used my second favourite product which is the XOXO Border Dies Set to cut around the flower and make a pretty panel.

My original plan was to heat emboss a sentiment directly over the flower.  But to be safe, I decided to stamp and die cut it first!  I didn't want to regret anything after I spent time watercolouring!!  The sentiment comes from my third favourite product, the Fun Notes Stamp and Die Set. This set is so awesome. I stamped the word "note" in Versamark and used Pale Rich Gold Embossing powder from WOW.  I used the co-ordinating die to cut it out.

I really liked the look of the die cut word so I just went with it.  I used the die again to cut a piece of craft foam so some dimension could be added.

The panel was adhered directly to the card base with tape runner adhesive.  The size of this card is 

5 X 3.5 inches.

I added a tiny gold, heat embossed heart which comes from the Hey There Cute-Tea Stamp and Die Set.  Before adhering the die cut "note", I stamped "just a"  in an ink that closely matches the grey card base.

I added just a touch of shimmer to the outer edges of the petals to try give them a bit more of a highlight.  

Thank you so much for stopping by today!!  

Until next time...stay crafty!

Laurie