CAS-ual Fridays

Toady I am playing along with the CAS-usal Fridays challenge. This is not something I typically do, because my cards are typically NOT clean and simple (they are tacky and over the top! Ha!).

This week's challenge is for back to school and I wanted to make a card for our dear niece
who just started her first teaching job - third grade. We are so proud of her, especially since she went to college part-time while raising two little ones, did her student teaching and landed a job right after getting her credential. Yay, Stacy!

I used Hero Arts Engraved Fruits (CL 433) and This Is Big (CL 570), which was a gift from my Crafty Girl, Anita (thanks again!).I wish I knew the source for the glittery school-themed paper, but I don't. It has been hoarded for ages.

Hoping your week is sweet to the core.

Thanks for the visit.

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.

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.

Back in Black

Okay, you know how I struggle with CAS (clean and simple) cards. And I am not a big fan of black. But I have been inspired by several of my blogging buddies to rally to the current CAS-ual Fridays Challenge, Back in Black.

For this card I used one of my all-time favorite Hero Arts images ( G5416 ), some red metallic paper (it really does shine and shimmer in person), A Stampin' Up punch, a Pearl Pen by Viva and a Lifestyle Crafts embossing folder.

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Fishy Washi

I finally got some washi tape and I am struggling to get the hang of using it. Not easy for me to "hang loose" and use the torn edges.

I need an ocean-themed thank you card and had fun with a couple of challenges.

Paper Smooches Sparks has a cool shades challenge this week.  Great marine colors!


And, CAS-ual Fridays has a "Let's Strip" Challenge to use strips of color and/or pattern. All good!

This card uses paper Smooches "Surf and Turf" and "Pretty Phrases" sets, Glitter Ritz (loving that stuff!),a googley eye and some cute dew drops that I found in my stash.

Wishing (or fishing) you a wonderful day! Thanks for dropping by.

Circles and Balls

Some of you may remember that I recently took part in a 2-week+ long job doing product testing - testing chewing gum. I am not permitted to discuss it, but suffice it to say - all the chewing, describing and analyzing..... it took a big bite out me!

This morning I wanted to make a card for one of my co-chewers and I saw the current CAS-ual Fridays Challenge to use 2 circles (and twine - it is sponsored by the Twinery). One might say that this card has lots of circles, if you count the gum balls and the scallops, but I am counting only the two big buttons.

This is another great stamp from Lockhart Stamp Company. They have such fun designs and they are located right here in California! I colored it up with my Prisma colored pencils.

I am looking forward to a great weekend (it is a rare one because we are staying home) - I sure hope yours is wonderful. I plan to get the red, white and blue bunting on the front porch, get the strawberries picked and get my bicycle decorated for the 4th of July!

Summer Sunflower

I have been struggling with "Clean and Simple" designs, so when I saw that the challenge at CAS-ual Fridays was to use vellum, I had to give it a try. Vellum has always stymied me. I find it difficult due to its translucent (as opposed to transparent) property and because you can't attach it without adhesive showing through. And, you must watch out for smearing.

Other than that....ha! I love this old (2006) Hero Arts stamp (H4049). It reminds me of the great Marimekko fabric designs from the 1960's. I colored the back of the vellum to slightly highlight he sentiment (CG262). Very simple, eh?

I also will be entering this in the Hero Arts Blog monthly contest for "thinking of you" cards and the Simon Says Stamp Joy's Photo Inspiration challenge.

Keeping It Simple & Elegant

I am really trying - to keep it simple, that is. For this card I "kissed" the Hero Arts Classic Fabric Design background stamp (CG245) with the Hero Arts Friends Definition stamp (CG125). I have had difficulty with this technique in the past, but I have learned that sometimes you just need to try different inks and stamps. For those of you unfamiliar with this, here is a great video (except for the music).

This great tulip is from Hero Arts Antique Engravings set (CL427) and the perfect sentiment (love that font!) is from Stampendous - Paisley Spring (SSC1042). As for challenges, this is a "4 fer" ! There is a Simon Says Stamp "Kissing Technique" challenge at Lily Pad Cards for which this is perfect. Then, there is the CAS-ual Fridays challenge to make a card using a pattern, an image and a sentiment. My original inspiration was the Moxie Fab World Tuesday Trigger, "Casual Elegance". And, finally, this month's contest at the Hero Arts Blog is "Fabulous Flowers"! Check, check, check, check! All good! Come and play along.                     

CAS-ual Fridays Sentiment Focus

I have made this fun and simple card for the CAS-ual Fridays current challenge to use sentiments as the focus. The sponsor is SRM stickers, to which I was introduced awhile ago by one of my dear blogging buddies, Virginia Lu.


I pulled out my SRM Stickers and one of my favorite old Paula Best stamps for this card. The image is colored with Prisma Colored Pencils. I kept it flat for easy mailing (those 65 cent stamps are killing me - ha!).

These challenges are new to me, but they have really expanded my thinking about putting cards together - fun!

Thanks for coming by.