Let's Craft & Create Challenge #206 - Optional Theme: Beautiful Butterflies

 Back with a new Anything Goes with an optional theme challenge for you on the Let's Craft and Create Blog.  This month's optional theme is Beautiful Butterflies.  My cards feature some new products from Pinkfresh Studios.  They came in their recent online Create and Connect event and were released in March.  The top card features their Fluttering Butterflies Washi Tape.  The bottom card uses the Fluttering Butterflies STAMP and STENCIL sets and all were cut using the Fluttering Butterflies Dies. Everything came in the class kit!  

I hope you have a chance to play with us this month!  Thanks for stopping by my blog.  

In kindness, Cathy

Let's Craft & Create Challenge #205 - Optional Theme: Thank You Card

 Back with this month's Let's Craft & Create Blog card. Challenge - #205 has an optional theme of "Thank You".  Thank you cards are so nice to have in my stash, so I love this theme.  

My card features a layering stencil and die set from Taylored Expressions, called Autumn Array.  This card was made specifically for my neighbor who delivered a bouquet of flowers to me in these colors last week.  It was a lovely surprise!!  Hope you have time to play along with us this month and post your card in the LC&C Gallery.  Thanks for stopping by my blog.

In kindness, Cathy

Let's Craft & Create - Challenge #204 Polka Dots & or Stripes

 Back with a card for the Let's Craft & Create Blog.  This month's optional challenge is to use polka dots and /or stripes.  I went to my stash and found some Deco Foil polka dot toner card front panels and combined them with Wild Cherry foil.  My image is a cutie from the talented imagination of Sandra Caldwell.  I had the privilege of being part of her design team several years ago. Sadly, cancer took her all too early.  This card is going to a friend who just received some bad news.  I think the "Ugh" die from Whimsy Stamps is perfect for this occasion!  I hope you have time to play along with us this month.

Let's Craft & Create November - Challenge #201 Stitched Up (Real or Faux)

 Back after a hiatus on the Let's Craft & Create Blog with November's optional Challenge - Stitched Up (Real or Faux).

Let's Craft & Create Challenge #198 - Polka Dots &/or Stripes

 I have been working on building up my stash of Christmas cards AND stretching my stamps this summer, which you will see reflected in this month's Let's Craft & Create Polka Dot and/or Stripes Challenge #198.  The stripes and polka dots are actually candles and their dotted accents from The Greetery's Make A Wish stamp set. I used the set for an IG birthday hop in June and then the creative wheels started turning about using the stamps! That's how this card came about.

I hope I have inspired you to try thinking creatively about your stamps and that you have a chance to play along with the LC&C Blog's challenge this month. Thanks for stopping by my blog.                                               In kindness, Cathy

Let's Craft & Create Challenge #197 - Add Flowers

 It's the fifth day of the month and that means time for a new challenge on the Let's Craft & Create Blog.  This month's optional challenge theme is "Add Flowers" so I thoroughly embraced it!

I started with Takes the Cake Stamp & Stencil from The Greetery.  When I saw it during their May release, I knew it would become part of my collection!  I love the layered stencil flowers that are part of this set!  I did limit my purchase, thinking I could fussy cut the cake rather than buy the die!  It hasn't been too bad!  (Of course - that decision gave me permission to buy another stamp from the release!!). The floral background is a 3D embossing folder from Spellbinders called Four Petal Flower.  In addition to the flowers that are part of the cake, I finished the card off with variety of die cut flowers - some are from a Spellbinders die and others are from Taylored Expressions.  

The "happy birthday" banner is a die from The Greetery.  You may notice a little heart between the words happy and birthday.  It says "half" because I forgot my SIL's real birthday and decided I would make it up by sending her a "half-ty" birthday card!! I am crazy about how this card came out.  I hope you can play along with our challenge.  Thanks for stopping by my blog.

  In kindness, Cathy

Challenges Entered:

Happy Little Stampers July Birthday - AG

Addicted to Stamps & More #449/ Any Occassion (7/9)

Can You Handle the Pressure? /EB folder/optional twist butterflies 

Let's Craft & Create - June Challenge

 Remember the 80's song, "Hip to Be Square"?!?  We are bringing it back as the theme of this month's Let's Craft & Create Challenge #196. I went to my stash of papers and found a square card back and envelope and started from there.

The background is created by inking a 3D embossing folder with gray Distress Oxide ink before running it through my Spellbinders machine.  After it dried, I blended some light aqua on top.  The dragonflies are Jumbo Curiosity: Dragonflies stencil and die set from The Greetery.  I finished off with a Pinkfresh foiled sentiment and some embellishments.  

I hope you have time to play along with our challenge this month! Thanks for stopping by my blog.                          In kindness, Cathy

Let's Craft & Create Challenge #195 - Ribbon, Lace, Twine

It's time for Challenge #195 on the Let's Craft & Create Blog.  This month's optional theme is to use ribbon, lace, twine or all three on your card.  I headed for my sadly-neglected ribbon stash and pulled out a beautiful magenta color that went well with the inked flowers. on my mini-slimline card. 

The card background is a Taylored Expressions layering stencil that was a "free with purchase" gift a few months ago.  When I received the stencil, I played around with it using colored cardstock.  It's a 6" stencil, so cutting it in half makes it perfect for two mini-slimline cards!  I inlaid the flower and stitched circle die and inked the flower and leaves.  It's splattered with a variety of inks and then layered on white and a pink card base. The sentiment is from TE's Foil It- Sentiment Staples  and then die cut with Sentiment Staples Dies.  I love this combination because I can foil sentiments with my Deco Foil and Mini-Minc and then die cut them.  I added some embellishments to finish off the card.  This layering stencil is super-versatile.  Take a peek at a sympathy card I made with a different color combination I made for an IG Hop. 

I hope you have a chance to play along with the Let's Craft & Create Challenge this month.  Thanks for stopping by my blog.

In kindness, Cathy

Let's Craft & Create Challenge #194 - Pink & Gray

 Welcome to the newest Let's Craft &Create AG Challenge!! April's optional theme is to use pink and gray.

I pulled out my new Pinkfresh Studio's Inky Bouquet stamp and die for the focal image of my card along with silver embossing powder and some Distress inks so I could watercolor.  Since I am not a watercolorist, embossing the image helps limit where the water can go!  I knew I wanted to represent a range of pinks in the floral bouquet, so I pulled out my cubes of Distress Ink Kitch Flamingo, Worn Lipstick, and Spun Sugar.  I used a light layer of Shabby Shutters with Pumice Stone for shading on the leaves. The stripes on the vase are colored with Pumice Stone Distress Oxide ink and the same color is used on the background - Simon Hurley's Moroccan Tile background stamp.  It's splattered with watered white and pink inks.  A scrap of pink in the worn lipstick tone anchors the vase.  I popped on a sentiment and three Pinkfresh Iridescent Clear drops.  This was such a fun card to make!  I know this vase will come out again.  I loved embracing the colors of the challenge - pink and gray are a gorgeous combination.  

I am looking forward to seeing the creations this month.  Please share your makes in the LC&C Gallery!  Thanks for stopping by my blog.

In kindness, Cathy

Challenges Entered:

NBUS/ April/Challenge #49 

The Flower Challenge #79/ Focus on background stamp

Stamping Sensations April/ Anything stamped with a CAS Option

Addicted to Stamps & More #443 - Birthday

Pinkfresh Studio April Challenge/ Flowers

Little Red Wagon Challenge #699/ Spring or Fall 

Happy Little Stampers April Watercolor Challenge- optional die cuts (May 12 announce)

Let's Craft & Create Challenge #193 - Add Buttons!

 As usual, the Let's Craft & Create Challenge #193 is AG, but the optional twist this month is to add buttons!  I used to have a great collection of buttons, but got rid of them when I downsized from a house to a condo.  My current pool of buttons is pretty scarce, so I elected to use them for a few of the flowers and use a visual triangle.

The variety of products I used are from Taylored Expressions.  Most are stand-alone dies. The bucket is Rustic Pail and cut from gold foil paper; the flowers are a die set called Garden Variety and blended with TE inks.  The frame is one I use a lot, called Frame in Frame 3 Cutting Plate. The frame and three center flowers are mounted on foam to give dimension to the card.  To create the background, I foiled a Flower Patch Foil It card front with Mystic Rainbow Deco Foil.  Both of the foiling items came as part of a foiling package I bought during TE's holiday sales.  I finished the card off with one of their Simple Strips in Reverse Everyday Occasions sentiments. I hope you will make time to play along with the LC&C challenge this month!  Thanks for stopping by my blog!

In kindness, Cathy

Challenges Entered:

The Flower Challenge March #78/ Die Cuts or Stencils

Die Cut Divas March/ Anything is Possible

NBUS March Challenge #48/

Papercraft Crew #507/ Hello Spring

Let's Craft & Create Challenge #192 - Say What?!? Use A Sentiment

 February's Challenge #192 on the Let's Craft & Create Blog is AG with the optional twist to use a sentiment.  

I leaned into this one and made a Galentine card with lots of sentiments on the candy heart background. This is a very old die from my stash from Sugar Pea Designs and every February, I am grateful I have kept in my collection!  For this card, I die cut it twice - once from the striped patterned paper.  The second time from white, inked each row in a different color, placed them randomly, and then stamped a word on each heart.  

The die cut sentiment is called "Sweet Senti-Mini" from Trinity Stamps.  I recently found it in the clearance area of my local stamp store.  I love the font! The white background is a cover plate that has been in my stash a while too (probably from Pinkfresh or Papertrey Ink).

I am part of a Galentine exchange in a group I belong to, so I masked a Valentine sentiment for this card.  It's been fun to make other cards and send them to female friends!  Gives me a whole new reason to think about beefing up my stock of Valentine stamps!!

Hope you will join us this month and link your creation on the Let's Craft & Create Blog. Thanks for stopping by my blog. 

In kindness, Cathy 

Let's Craft & Create - January 2023 Challenge/Black & White

 

When I read the "Black & White" optional theme for the Let's Craft & Create Blog challenge this month, I immediately thought of a stack of black and white patterned papers I've had in my stash for years! Additionally, I am trying to beef up my stash of "everyday" cards just so I can drop folks a line when the occasion arises. 

I started with a bold "hello" sentiment from Joy Clair Designs' Such A Blessing Digital Stamp set.  The thing I love about digital stamps is my ability to adjust the size of the image.  I sized the word and angled it to fit with the MFT Stitched Scallop Basic Edges Die-namics die.

CAS cards are not my usual style, so my eye looks to add some visual interest, which I did using an embossing folder for the white portion of the card.  A little buffer over the sentiment before I ran it through my machine helped soften the embossing detail. 

My next step was to put the card together and add two clusters of embellishments to finish it off.  This design is simple and quick to put together.  Different patterned papers would give it a wide variety of looks!  Hope you are inspired to give it a try.  

I used the same "hello" sentiment in this fall card and sunflower card.  I love the font and the versatility of using a digital image.  Plus, the rest of the images in the set are gorgeous as well!

Thanks for stopping by my blog.

In kindness, Cathy

Challenges Entered:

Colorful Options Challenge January 2023 / black (and white)

Let's Craft and Create - November Challenge

 This month's Let's Craft and Create Challenge is to be inspired by a sketch.  I LOVE sketch challenges because they often spark the creative process for me.  One of my favorite sketch challenge blogs from a few years ago was Sweet Sunday Sketches.  I loved the designers and fun sketches.  My card captured some of the simplicity of one of their last sketches before the blog closed in 2015 with sketch #300.  

I moved things around and changed the focal point from a rectangle to a fussy cut image.

 

This card was a Tim Holtz extravaganza!! I tried to capture a multimedia look using some of his stencils, ink blending, and stamps for the background. It's finished off with lots of white splatter using diluted acrylic paint.  The image is Tim's Stamper's Anonymous Snarky Cats with extras from his Things/Talk clear stamp set.  Lots of fussy cutting went into this card, but I love how it turned out.

I hope you will join us this month.  Take a peek at the inspiration from the rest of the DT on the blog and then link your card in the gallery. Thanks for stopping by my blog. 

In kindness, Cathy

Let's Craft & Create - Challenge # 188 The Colors of Fall

 Back with October's Let's Craft & Create Challenge #188.  The optional theme is "The Colors of Fall".  I went back to a wonderful autumn image from Joy Clair Designs, called Hey Pumpkin for my card.  This card features golds and oranges as the main colors. I used the same image with neutrals and some blues for another card at the end of September.  

My scrap drawer came in handy for all of the colored and patterned papers!  I love when I can use those cut pieces.  The background is run through Taylored Expressions Pierced Lattice Cover Plate and the image panel is backed with one of the Pleated Lace Rectangle Dies from Gina Marie Designs.  I masked off the image and then stamped my trusty SU! French Script background stamp using Crumb Cake ink and mounted the card on a white base.

I hope you have a chance to play along with the Let's Craft & Create DT this month. Thanks for stopping by my blog to take a closer look!

In kindness, Cathy

Let's Craft & Create Challenge #186 - Frame It!

 "Frame It!" is the theme of this month's Let's Craft and Create Blog Challenge. 

I knew my Taylored Expressions Frame in Frame Cutting Plate would come in handy for my card.  I ended up choosing the largest of the four possible frames in the set for the pink frame at the edge of the image. The background is Altenew's Gradient Stripes Cover Die.  I think it's actually the first time I have used it on a card, but it's been in my stash for a few years!  One of those "must have" purchases - and then it sits unloved in my stash!!  I love how the Altenew die and paper color work together to highlight the star of the show - Pinkfresh Studio's Handpicked Flowers.  It's a suite of products that was part of their May Stamp & Create event and includes stamps, layering stencils, and a die. It hasn't been released but if my card inspires you, there are many other Pinkfresh sets like this you could use to achieve the same effect. 

For my card, stamped the image and then heat embossed it.  To get the foiled look, I used gold Deco Foil and a Minc on setting #2.  I have been playing around with foiling over heat embossed sentiments and stamped images both with a laminator and Minc.  I am still experimenting to try and have consistent results.  Ideally, I would have liked the lines of this image to be a little crisper, but it was still useable.  I then brought out the stencil from the set and added layers of Taylored Expressions inks, die cut the image, and popped it out with foam strips.  Finally, I added two colors of pink enamel dots and a Pinkfresh foiled ephemera sentiment.    

I hope you will have time to play with our challenge this month. I am looking forward to seeing the way folks interpret the theme in the LC&C Challenge #186 gallery!  Thanks for stopping by my blog.  

In kindness, Cathy

Challenges Entered:

The Flower Challenge #72 - September - Add Sparkle

NBUS #42 / September

Tic Tac Toe #177 /Diagonal top left & down - fall floral, leaves, metallic

 

Let's Craft & Create Challenge #185 - Distressed

 I am excited to say I have been invited to join another DT - the Let's Craft & Create Blog.  The monthly anything goes challenge  (with an optional theme) run from the 5th to the last day of the month.  This month's theme is "Distressed".  I was a little loose on the interpretation - and went back to my roots when I first started making cards in 2007 . . . remember when inking the edges was called "distressing"?!?!  That's way before Tim Holtz changed how the term was defined!!

I do love how this card turned out.  The background and sentiment are from a stamp and stencil from Taylored Expressions.  I foiled the leaves with Deco's Emerald Watercolor foil.  After stenciling the lemons, I heat embossed them with TE's White Pearl Embossing Powder, which gives a sheen and a dimpled look! 

The image is called Lemon Girl and I bought in from Andrea LaGafotas' Etsy Shop. She is an artist in Spain and has darling images - most of them wearing glasses!! I was just looking for something to go with my background and found her work!  

I hope you will join the LC&C Blog AG challenge this month.  Thanks for stopping by my blog.   

                   

In kindness, Cathy

Challenges Entered:

Paper Funday August Challenge #44 - AG with optional twist of friendship

Creative Fingers #236 / AG

Double Trouble Challenge #117 / Thing 1 Gimme S'More