Do they really mean ANYTHING?

The current challenge at Simon Says Stamp is "Anything Goes" featuring Hero Arts stamps. Well, I decided that this is a great opportunity to toss "clean and simple" out the window and have some great and crafty fun!

I made a collage card with one of my all-time favorite Hero Arts stamps (love the vintage graphic and the hip sentiment!) and some found/saved treasures. The retro-star embossing folder sets it all off. Don't even want to think about postage for this baby! There are always hundreds of entries for this challenge, but I am determined!

Have a great day!

Focal Point with Fins

The other day I spoke about mermaid cards and I realized that it had been too long since I made one. So I took advantage of Cath's "Focal Point Challenge" over at Moxie Fab World (if you don't have that "Card Design Handbook", get your hands on it!) and got busy.

I decided to use a "center step card" format to really highlight the main focal point, my adorable mermaid from Stampendous.

Isn't she glorious? No clean and simple girl here! Lots of color, glitter and embellishments! The sentiment is Hero Arts CL 490. The great patterned paper is from Authentique. Love it!

This card went out to a very special pal.

Thanks for looking and have a swimmingly  delightful day!

A Banner Day

Happy Monday, everyone!

What a great (long) weekend I had! A wonderful day in San Francisco, lots of fun in Calistoga (California's Napa valley) and we found some great vintage treasures. Just check out the amazing vintage typewriter I got - and it matches my craft studio! I was inspired by the amazing Lisa Spangler to look for one. I can't wait to start typing. Fun ahead!

I am posting the quick card for the current challenge at CAS-ual Fridays for banners and flags. I am never sure about how much I can embellish and still be considered "clean and simple", but this is my shot at it.

The stamps are Hero Arts and I don't know the source of the paper. Just a happy little card.

Take good care and have a wonderful week. We are enjoying perfect weather, so I am heading out to enjoy it.

As always, thanks for checking in.

Minty Pears

I decided to jump on board Cath's Minty Fresh Challenge over at Moxie Fab World. I haven't done a challenge over there for some time and I've missed it! Cath is such a source of sweet inspiration.

As you know I am a huge fan of Lockhart Stamp Company stamps. Several months ago I took an amazing class from Karen Lockhart where she taught us great techniques for coloring with Prisma colored pencils. I hope to take another class from her in October.

I thought pears would look just peachy on a mint background. Have you ever had a minty poached pear? Yum!

For this card I used Lockhart's #2068 pears stamp, Paper Smooches Sentiment Sampler and some Lawn Fawn paper. I wanted to keep it pretty simple to focus on the image.

Green is probably my least favorite color, but I do like mint green. My hubby's favorite flavor of ice cream is mint chocolate chip, but I think it tastes like mouthwash! We are still the perfect "pear"!

Thanks for being here and have a minty-cool day! Have a glorious weekend - see yu next week.

Water Words

Okay, so I know I said no blues for the CAS-ual Fridays challenge. But it just kept tickling my little brain. I wasn't too happy with yesterday's card, so I tackled another. Clean and Simple - I am determined! I selected a blue-grey color, which is often what we see here along the coast in the SF Bay Area with our famous fog.

I love the sentiments on this wonderful set from Ali Edwards by Technique Tuesday called "Bring on the Sun". The thoughts and the fonts all rock. I also unearthed an old (2001) Stampin' Up set called Wonderful Woodcuts and used Nestibilities Lables 21 (I trimmed off the bottom). No bling, no distressing, no embellishments, no coloring.........all good!

I hope the sunshine breaks through any fog you may be in.....thanks for your interest and support!

Splashing!

The current challenge at CAS-ual Fridays is all about splash.

One would think that this would be the perfect opportunity for me to make one of my very favorite specialties, a mermaid card. But, you see, my mermaids just cannot be "Clean and Simple". They gotta have layers, colors, glitters, embellishments............over the top!

So, in response to the challenge I made a very clean and simple card (now that I have posted it, I just may slip in some bling - ha!). My first impulse was to go ocean blue, but I decided to challenge myself even further with a monochromatic kraft theme. I rounded up several small water-themed stamps from various companies and used a cute Paper Smooches sentiment.

Have a swimmingly beautiful day! Thanks for the look.

Rivit a Little Bit

It is so nice to be home and crafting again! I have been so antsy to catch up on blog visits, too - I hate missing anything new.

I have a couple of frog-lovers in my life, so I unearthed an old Stampin' Up set and my Copics to make this card. It is perfect for the current Simon Says Stamp challenge, which is Animal Antics! That is the Hero Arts Circle Doily (CG168) at the bottom.

In real life the colors aren't so electric - not sure what is going on with the light and my camera.

I sure hope you have a fantastic week! We are blessed with some wonderful summer weather (but have you noticed how the days are ALREADY getting shorter?!!) so I plan to get outside as much as possible.

Take good care and thanks for the visit!

Hangin' Round the Square Corners

Hello, my friends! I have sure missed being here, making cards, blogging and visiting your wonderful blogs. I hope to get caught up soon.

In the meantime I'd like to share what I made with a Distress Markers technique I learned from my marvelous friend Julie Kelly.

I just colored the flower with three different markers and "huffed" on it before I stamped. This technique works so great with the fab Hero Arts Engraved Daisy stamp (CG142).

This image lends itself to a square format which is right in line with the current CAS-ual Friday challenge for square cards! I love square formats, but hate the additional postage they require. And, I'm still struggling with Clean and Simple!

This design is finished off with some patterned paper punched with a brand-new We R Memory Keepers Lucky 8 Punch (very cool!) and a sentiment from HA CL342.

Thanks for not forgetting me and for your kind visit. Thanks, too, Julie! Have a great day!

 

One More Quick Smooch!

Before we head out of town I have one more card for the current Paper Smooches Sparks "Picture Perfect Challenge". Although I originally didn't like it at all, this inspiration picture has somehow grown on me. Maybe it reflects my current dreary spirit.


This second card uses Sentiment Sampler and My Peeps stamp sets.

Not crazy about it - it is so drab! I am anxious to return to my

happy colors!

I will miss you all - we will be out of town for awhile for my Dad's funeral. I hope to be back and crafting again very soon.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks to all my FB friends for the kind & loving thoughts.

Take care!

Another Paper Smooches Spark

I finally decided to play along with this week's Paper Smooches Sparks "Picture Perfect" challenge.

I have been looking at this photo for days. At first I didn't like it at all, but it sort of grew on me. I was compelled to give it a go. That's the meaning of "challenge", right?

For this card I used Dippy Dots, Whirligigs and Sentiment Sampler stamp sets. I added Distress Embossing Powder and some Candi dots.

Certainly not my style! What did I get myself into?

Thanks for dropping in and have a wonderful weekend!

A Bird in the Hand

A quick post this evening - we have so much going on. I've been wanting to make a monochromatic card for some time and decided that the current challenge at CASology was the perfect chance. The cue card this week is "bird".

I reached for my Paper Smooches stamps (My Peeps and Helping Hands) and my Distress Markers and I employed a "Stretch Your Stamps" technique. Keeping it clean and simple is always a challenge, and I may have crossed the line but I decided that my card isn't any less CAS than Rosemary's amazing example - she is one of the great DT members at CASology. Love her card!

The inside of my card says "Means a big ole mess!". Little humor  - very little!

I'm sorry that I have to dash and may not be visiting your sweet blogs for a few days, but take care and I'll see you soon.