CAS Winter Design

I have a few more CAS cards for you that I made for the winter design challenge. Both take just 5 minutes and even though the lighting on my photos wasn't great, they look cute in hand. The first one is an engagement card based on the fantastic grid sketch from Susan, who has a very inspiring blog called Simplicity, dedicated to clean and simple cards. I had few ideas for this card, but finally settled on using Prima flowers instead of stamped images. To make the flowers stand out more against grey background, I set them on punched out 1" white circles. In the center of each flower is a small rhinestone. The sentiment is embossed with white diamonds EP. Corners are rounded for a softer look.

Supplies (All supplies are Stampin'Up! unless otherwise noted):

• Stamps: Wonderful words
  
• Paper: Basic grey, whisper white
  
• Ink: Versamark and white diamond EP
• Accessories: Prima flowers, rhinestones
  
• Tools: 1" circle punch

This one is my winter wonderland card. It's a no layers card unless you count a thin strip of wrapping paper on the inside of the card that shows through under the punched border. The snowflakes are glittery rub-ons I had from last year and my new favorite ribbon with shimmering white on one side and shimmering brown on the other.

Supplies:

• Stamps: None
  
• Paper: Light blue Bazzil, wrapping paper from SU!
  
• Accessories: Me & My Big Ideas snowflake glitter rub-ons, ribbonFX
  
• Tools: Martha Stewart border punch

~Olgy

FS145 Challenge

Today is Sunday, which means a featured stamper challenge on SCS. My first card is based on this pretty card from TreasureOiler.

Supplies (All supplies are Stampin'Up! unless otherwise noted):

• Stamps: Pocket Silhouettes
• Paper: Very vanilla, chocolate chip, certainly celery, Saffron from SEI Dill Blossom collection
  
• Ink: Really rust, certainly celery
• Accessories: Buttons, Offray ribbon
  
• Tools: Oval punches, Nestabilities, Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder

The second card is based on this one. I just lover her original so I played around with different colors and modifications to the sketch.

Supplies (All supplies are Stampin'Up! unless otherwise noted):

• Stamps: Cupcakeabella by Stampingbella
  
• Paper: Cameo coral, blush blossom, Tender Love and Care from EK Success wedding collection
  
• Ink: Basic black, so saffron, Copics (E00, E49, E57, R22, R20, R29)
• Accessories: Jumbo eyelets, Stickles, Glossy Accents, rhinestone, ribbon
  
• Tools: Punch, Crop-a-dile

~Olgy

Vampire Girl Color Challenge

As promised, here's a layout for Candy Shoppe Designs Team Edward vs Team Jacob Challenge. I chose to be the vampire girl so my layout had to be full red, black and BLING! Well, I can't pass up on an excuse to use glitter, rhinestones and anything else that sparkles...

The theme of my page is actually not related to Halloween, but is titled "Miss Personality" and is a page about me. This is a copy of an old photo of me as a baby and my mom. I really wanted to add some lace to soften the dramatic red and black background, but since I didn't have any I just used border punches to recreate the same effect. For the layered flower embellishment I colored one of the white flowers red and then stamped over it with black, once it dried I covered it with Stickles. I also added a decorative pin, sheer leaves that Laura sent me last month and swirl chipboard. The journaling is printed on vellum, distressed with red ink, stamped with silver swirl and topped with rhinestones. I also used a glittery letter for my title and shimmery ribbons. Maybe I went overboard with the bling, but I think the layout still has an elegant look and I had a lot of fun with this challenge.

Don't forget that you have until tomorrow to leave a comment on CAS card post, I'll choosing one comment at random to send a surprise.

Supplies:

• Stamps: Nightingale's Song Alphabet from Inkque Boutique, Heidi Grace swirl stamp
  
• Paper: Recognition from Basic Grey Scrlet's Letter collection, vellum, white
  
• Ink: Versamark and white diamonds EP, silver, real red from Stampin'Up! and black
• Accessories: Pretties Kit from Stampin'Up!, rhinestones, Primas, K&Company Twinkle Type Chipboard, Heidi Swapp Silhouette words, sheer leaves, ribbonFX, striped ribbon from Michael's, Stickles
  
• Tools:Martha Stewart border punch

~Olgy

Pencillines Sketch Layout

I'm so happy the weekend is finally here. I had a couple of more projects that I finished up during the week (it's amazing how much more I can get done when I stop watching TV), but just didn't have time to photograph and post earlier.

The first layout is based on the Pencillines sketch 160 and Kathie Link's fun and colorful page. This is actually the first layout about our new home since I was so preoccupied with the move the first few months that I didn't have time to scrap. The page is titled "Joys of Owning a House," but I have to admit that there's some sarcasm in that title too. Before we can start enjoying the place, there was and still is a LOT of work to be done. To symbolize that, I journaled on the leaves of the tree - the hanging leaves are the things we were looking forward to and the leaves on the ground are the irritating things we have to put up with in the process. The tree is drawn freehand and the leaves are stamped and cut out from various scraps. On this picture my husband is cutting tile for our kitchen and let me tell you, I'm so glad that project is long behind us.

Supplies:

• Stamps: Leaves from God's Beauty set by Stampin'Up!
  
• Paper: Bluebird light blue DP by My Mind's Eye, Repose from Basic Grey's Scarlet's Letter collection and Mellow collection, brown, SU scraps for leaves
  
• Ink:Brown
• Accessories: twine, K&Company Amy Butler chipboard alphabet, Maya Road chipboard flowers, buttons, dreams pin, SEI tag, sandpaper

~Olgy

Changing Leaves

Most of the trees in our neighborhood are live oaks which are green year round, but our neighbors across the street have a red oak in their front yard and it tuned a pretty golden red. As I was looking for an inspirational piece for a CAS design challenge, I wanted to do something with leaves. Here's my card based on this olive branch decoration. I was going to have 3 die cuts on the card, but when I saw the negative space, I thought it would look better if I used it instead to frame the design.

I had fun with the overlapping die cut leaves and made another card with the same theme, but with more layers.

Supplies (All supplies are Stampin'Up! unless otherwise noted):

• Stamps: Wonderful Words, Sincere Salutations, Stems and Silhouettes wheel
  
• Paper: Whisper white, crisp cranberry, old olive, really rust
  
• Ink: Cranberry crisp
• Accessories: RibbonFX
  
• Tools: Little leaves sizzlits

~Olgy

Pupmpkin Patch

Halloween came and went, but it still doesn't feel like fall in Texas. Not that I terribly mind because I like warm weather, but November really sneaked up on me and is half way over. While I'm working on other projects, it feels like an appropriate time to post a fall page or in a blink of an eye it will be Christmas.

Supplies:

• Paper: Cranberry crisp by Stampin'Up!, Candy Corn and Orchard DP by American Crafts
• Accessories: Art Accentsz beads by Provo Craft, punch, ribbon from Hobby Lobby

I actually made this page last year for SCS VSBN, but there's nothing that says fall more than a pumpkin patch and falling leaves. The leaves on the layout are cut out from DP and have beads are sawn on top for extra dimension and interest. Smiling neice and nephews complete the page.


~Olgy

The Big Ego Challenge Layout

My creativity goes out of the window when I'm sick, so all my grand plans for Candy Shoppe Design's challenge didn't translate on paper in the same way I imagined. The requirement was to make a paper creation about myself using icons. You can find more info HERE. When i started cutting out pictures from magazines and printing icons, it took me back to my HS years when I kept all kinds of collage journals with random picture cutouts just because I liked how they looked. So for the old time's sake I tried to use as few "scrapbooking" supplies as possible. Instead of journaling, I made up a crossword puzzle about me and things I like to complement the random icons. The pen is part of the layout to create "in progress" feel.

Supplies (All supplies are Stampin'Up! unless otherwise noted) :

• Stamps:Big Deal Alphabet
  
• Paper: Basic black and Frances Meyer DP
  
• Ink: Basic grey, Acrylic paint from Jo-ann's in Grasshopper color
• Accessories: printed icons and magazine cutouts, traced Sticky Cuts Letters, Heidi Swapp punctuation sign, acrylic bubble
  
• Tools: Punches

~Olgy

Blog Candy From Jacque

Check out this awesome blog candy on JACQUE'S JOIE DE VIVRE blog! Her creations are beautiful.

~Olgy

Playing Dressup - A Simple White Card Makeover and a Giveaway

I wasn't feeling well today and worked from home. Before getting some shut eye, I had to peek at today's SCS CAS challenge and couldn't resist playing. I love how quickly these cards come together! For today's challenge we could use white and only one other color (and yes, black counted as color).  I needed to brighten my mood so I reached for happy, sunny yo-yo yellow. After the first unsuccessful attempt with punches, I ended up with this clean and simple card.

I dont know if it was the yo yo yellow or being in my craft room, but it succeeded in lifting my spirits. I liked the look of the card as is, but I thought to myself that this may also look nice embossed... Fastforward half an hour and here are embossed, beaded, glittered and flocked cards. I know, I just couldn't resist...

The beads have an interesting look, but I think blue embossing and flocking are my favorite out of the bunch. Which one is yours? I'll mail the card of your choice to the first person to leave a comment (don't forget to email me your address) and by Nov 15 I'll choose another person at random to get another surprise.

If you're wondering which card is made with wich product and how to get that look - read on:

1. Classic Stampin'Up! ink pad in Yoyo yellow. To get this look: Just stamp!
2. Zing Embossing Powder in powder color. To get this look: Stamp image with Versamark, cover with EP, heat until it melts.
3. Martha Stewart brownstone glitter. To get this look:  apply heat & stick powder (I got mine from Stampin'Up! but other companies likely carry it too) and once it's melted quickly sprinkle with glitter. You can also buy EP with glitter in it (see #5) or trace the image with gluepen and then apply glitter.
4. Martha Stewart tourmaline glass microbeads. To get this look: apply adhesive to the image (I traced it with Glossy Accents) and apply beads. Let the adhesive dry.
   
5. CopperKate Rose Gold EP (it's already mixed with glitter). To get this look: See #2
6. Fun Flock by Stempendous in chili pepper red. To get this look: See Fun Flock Tutorial and Tips post.

I'm also working on a Big Ego layout for Candy Shoppe Designs challenge, so stay tuned for that in the next few days.

~Olgy

Featured Stamper and Sketch Challenges

Despite going to bed at 3am last night I woke up at 8:30 and couldn't fall asleep. I figured I might as well make use of the time and create a few cards for SCS challenges and get more inspiration for Christmas cards.

Supplies (All supplies are Stampin'Up! unless otherwise noted):

• Stamps: Snowbunnybella by Stamping Bella, The Snowflake Spot
• Paper: Cranberry crisp, Pointsetta by Basic Grey, white
• Ink: Ruby red, creamy caramel, Versamark
• Accessories: Pom-poms
• Tools: Scalloped and snowflake punches

I still had two Snowbunnybella images that I got from my first DSS sister. I've been trying to save them, but since winter is right around the corner, it felt it was an appropriate time to let go and use them. I did run into a little mishap when stitching the card; I accidentally started stitching through the back layer... that's what happens when I don't get enough sleep. At first I was thinking of staring from scratch, but I was able to re-stitch the first portion and put snowflake "tabs" around the inside and the back of the card (matching the front) to hide the holes. The cardstock is retired SU! in color Cranberry Crisp. Since there's no matching marker for this cardstock, I colored the coat with Ruby Red and went over it with creamy caramel, which produced a close match. It's a little hard to see from the photo, but the snowflakes and the fur on Bella's coat are embossed with white sparkling EP. I wasn't sure if glue alone would hold the pom-poms (snowballs), so I stitched them to the border of the card for a stronger hold.

Supplies (All supplies are Stampin'Up! unless otherwise noted) :

• Stamps: Oh So Lovely, Little Shapes
• Paper:Whispre white, vintage violet, acetate
• Ink: Stazon Black
• Accessories: Liquid applique, Hodgepodge Hardware, ribbon
• Tools: Cuttlebug embossing folder

I managed to stay on track with the holiday theme on the first card, but it didn't last long. For the featured stamper challenge I picked these cards from Chrisations.ink! (first and second) as base for the design. I bought the Little Shapes set a long time ago specifically for background effects, but haven't used the in ages until today. I love rediscovering supplies I forgot I had. The card is pretty simple except the flower image is stamped on acetate and held in place with the metal embelishments. The frost on the flowers is done with liquid applique.

Supplies (All supplies are Stampin'Up! unless otherwise noted) :

• Stamps: Spring Solitude, Lots of Thoughts
  
• Paper: Kraft, Basic Grey Lilykate collection, certainly celery, cool carribian
  
• Ink:Close to cocoa, certainly celery
  
• Tools: Punches, sewing machine

The last card is really quick and simple. The liked the earthy/green feel of the original but changed around some elements.
~Olgy

Lots and Lots of Cards

I'm supposed to be making Christmas cards right now, but I went through many 'prototypes' and can't find a perfect design. Some seem to be missing something, others would take too much time to mass produce. After card #12 I gave up and decided to take a break from Christmas cards and try something else. I got a few cards I was happy with, but I'm still searching for my Christmas card design.

Supplies (All supplies are Stampin'Up! unless otherwise noted):

• Stamps: Lady Bug Fluffles
• Paper: Basic black, certainly celary, read red DP
• Ink: Basic black, certainly celery, real red, creamy caramel (crayon)
• Accessories: Glossy accents, Stickles, metal tag by American Crafts, ribbonFX
• Tools: circle punch (to cut out corners)

This little Lady Bug Fluffles is for a SCS Featured Stamper challenge a few weeks ago. This card was inspired by Rachelhope13's card. I love polka dot paper! To me it's like the little black dress of designer papers - it coordinates well with any stamp. To make the lady bugs pop, I added Glossy Accents on the top and love how it tuned out! Ranger makes a few different kinds of this stuff. I used glossy, but they also have matte. It looks frosted coming out of the bottle, but it dries clear like acrylic and is great on stamped images as well as for making your own embalishments.

Supplies (All supplies are Stampin'Up! unless otherwise noted) :

• Stamps: A Gift For You Hedgehog by Penny Black
• Paper: True thyme, yoyo yellow, My Mind's Eye DP
• Ink: Basic black, summer sun, really rust, Copics (C-5, C-7, R20, R22)
• Accessories: RibbonFX, Making Memories eyelets, Glossy accents, glitter
• Tools: Crop-a-Dile, scallped edge punch

This card as well as Riley were both made with some WRAK images. I had scraps of patterned paper I wanted to use up and these came together pretty quickly. On the hedgehog card I once again used Glossy Accents and sprinkled it with glitter before it dried. For the pleated ribbon effect I sewed though the middle of the ribbon and pulled the string to create the ruffles and then adhered it to paper them with the snail adhesive.

Supplies (All supplies are Stampin'Up! unless otherwise noted) :

• Stamps: Sick Riley by Hannah Stamps
• Paper: Marigold morning, sage shadow, K&Company DP (Brown, Pink and Green Polk Dots Flat Paper)
• Ink:Chocolate chip, close to cocoa, creamy caramel, sage shadow, almost apricot
• Accessories: Chocolate chip and sage ribbons, almost apricot button, twine
• Tools: Nestabilities

Riley was a quick card all around except that I didn't have the right color Copics and shaded the image with Stampin'Up! markers. It turned out alright, but the outline on Riley is more prominent than I would have wanted.

Finally, here's another birthday card I got in the mail few days ago. This one is from my 9 year old niece, Hanka. I love that someone else in our family has the paper crafting bug too. And Hanka, if you're reading this, thank you so much for the card, it looks great!

~Olgy

Birthday Mail and More Cards

I love birthdays and my own in particular :) It's my favorite 'holiday' and it's right before Halloween so there's almost always something to do and an excuse to dress up and look goofy. This year I dressed up as Alice in Wonderland and even convinced my DH to go along with the theme so I'll have to scrap the pictures soon. Another fun part about birthdays is happy mail - I got 3 handmade birthday cards last week and two more today, which I still need to take pictures of. Thanks to everyone for thinking of me! As my friend, Anna, put it, I'm now in the world of closer to 30 than 20. I haven't made up my mind yet on whether it's a good thing or not, but I'm sure 30 will be here before I know it.

I made some cards too for the Featured Stamper challenges on SCS and although they were a lot of fun I should have started on the Christmas cards instead. I don't even have my design yet and it's already November! Instead, I'm still making summer cards, I guess it's wishful thinking. Here's one with the Bee wishrak image. I stitched the frame and added some Crystal Effects to the image for an added pop.

Supplies:(All supplies are Stampin'Up! unless otherwise noted) :

• Stamps: Bees by Stampendous, Best Yet by Stampin'Up!
• Paper: Basic black and whisper white by SU, American Crafts DP
• Ink: Basic black, soft sky, real red, summer sun by SU
• Accessories: Buttons, stitched ribbon from Hobby Lobby, Making Memories eyelet, Crystal Effects
• Tools: Punch, sewing machine

The next one is for my mom who's been requesting dog cards. It's another wish rak image. Since I had my sewing machine out I stitched border, ran the background through Cuttlebug and cut out the image with Sizzix Top Note die. Inside the card I stamped the adorable sentiment, "There is nothing better than to end a bad day covered in dog slobber." This is my new stamp from American Art Stamp company that I picked up in Hobby Lobby a few weeks ago and have been dying to use.

Supplies (All supplies are Stampin'Up! unless otherwise noted) :

• Stamps: Dogwalkabella by StampingBella, Dog Slobber by American Art Stamp
  
• Paper: Brown, ruby red, whisper white
  
• Ink: Ruby red, close to cocoa, really rust, creamy caramel
• Accessories:  Prima flowers, bling
  
• Tools: Sizzix Bigz Top Note, Cuttlebug,sewing machine

~Olgy