Happy Thursday!!

Hello everyone!! It has been crickets here on the blog for almost a month.

I had some computer problems and when my husband tried to "fix" it, (he is a software engineer with experience in mechanical and electrical engineering) I was not able to open up my profile at all!!! Then he bought some memory, thinking that was part of the problem but that wasn't it either. After much speculation I went out and bought a new 21" Mac. My old one was a 27" screen and though I didn't think I would miss it that much, I do. I just couldn't justify the expense right now as we are saving all our pennies for Charlotte's college.

On a different note, I have been creating somewhat. I made a card for CAS(E) this Sketch #241 but never was able to post it. I sent some packages out this week for two college freshman-my nephew and one of my neighbors. The sketch was perfect to make a card for one of them!!

I used Ranger Oxide Ink to make the rainbow stripes and then the CAS-ual Fridays Stamps "Smiling" Fri-dies to die cut the sentiment.

I then added an emoji that I die cut using Spellbinder's "Emojis" dies. I used a bit of "Christmas Red" Stickles on the smile of the emoji, as well as "Clear" Wink of Stella" and Glossy Accents over the sunglasses.

Here is the sketch I used:

I also created a second card for my nephew using the same products in a different way. Again, I used Ranger Oxide Ink and did some ink smooshing over some watercolor paper.

I die cut the sentiment out of black and blue paper, then layered them so that appeared there was a shadow in back of the word.

I used my MISTI tool to stamp the sentiment using CAS-ual Fridays Stamps "Sassy Smiles" stamp set and popped it up with some foam tape beneath the sentiment.

Again, I used a die cut emoji and popped it above the sentiment. I layered the whole panel over a black A2 card base.

That is it for me today. I thank you for stopping by and hope you will all stick with me even though I had a long absence. Now that I have a working computer, all is well in my world!!!

Have a FABULOUS night!!

Supplies

(Affiliate Links Used when possible at no extra cost to you.)

Card #1

Paper-Neenah Solar White, MFT "Red Hot," "Daffodil" and "Black Licorice" Card Stock

Dies-CAS-ual Fridays Stamps "Smiling" Fri-dies, Spellbinder's "Emojis"

Inks-Ranger Oxide Inks-“Candied Apple," "Wild Honey," "Fossilized Amber,""Twisted Citron,""Salty Ocean," and "Wilted Violet"
Other-Christmas Red Stickles, Sizzix Big Shot Machine, MISTI, Glossy Accents, "Clear" Wink of Stella

Card #2

Paper-Strathmore 9 x 12 Watercolor Paper Pad, MFT "Black Licorice" Card Stock, Doodlebug Bright 12x12 Textured Card Stock
Dies-CAS-ual Fridays Stamps "Smiling" Fri-dies, Spellbinder's "Emojis"
Ink-Ranger Oxide Ink-"Twisted Citron," "Salty Ocean," and “Peacock Feathers” Memento "Tuxedo Black”
Stamps-CAS-ual Fridays Stamps "Sassy Smiles"
Other-Christmas Red Stickles, Sizzix Big Shot Machine, MISTI, Glossy Accents, "Clear" Wink of Stella

It is a CardMaker Magazine Blog Hop Featuring Flower Cards!!

Happy Friday everyone!! I am here with a card for the CardMaker Magazine Blog Hop. You should have hopped here from Gaylynn's blog "Neat Nook Creations."

For this hop, we were to use flowers on our creations. I created a card combining CAS-ual Fridays Stamps "Full on Floral" stamp set with "Sassy Smiles" and a few Fri-dies.

 I started off my card by stamping the "Full on Floral" stamp in red onto a top folding, A2 aqua card base. I love these two colors together and decided to use them after seeing a dress I liked while I was on vacation. I made a mental note to come home and use this color scheme on a card.

I then die cut the "smile" sentiment using CAS-ual Fridays Stamps "Smiling Fri-Dies" out of a piece of red card stock. I adhered it to the card front saturating it with a clear sparkle pen and a coat of glossy accents.

While the die cut was drying, I masked a sentiment from the "Sassy Smiles" stamp set and stamped it in red onto a strip of aqua card stock. I adhered this sentiment strip under the "smile" die cut using foam adhesive.

I thought the card needed something more so I then die cut some flowers using CAS-ual Fridays Stamps "Friendly Flowers" and "Fun-Fetti Fri-Dies" out of the same red card stock as the sentiment. (Really difficult to tell this in my photos but the shiny was really hard to photograph!!)

Like the sentiment, I coated the flowers with clear sparkle pen and Glossy Accents. When the flowers were dry, I added an aqua pearl onto each flower.

This card was extremely simple to make and would be fun to mass produce for a card set. Who doesn't like getting a card that says smile? I tend to use these the most and send them out just to cheer somebody up.

Next up on the blog hop is Niki's blog, "Cardstoq: Tealkat's Blog." If you get lost along the way, be sure to head on over to the CardMaker Magazine Blog for the full list of designers participating in this hop.

Don't forget to comment on every one's blog for a chance to win some great prizes!

I thank you for stopping by and hope you all have a FABULOUS day.

Supplies:
CAS-ual Fridays Stamps Products:

  

  

Paper: red and aqua card stock
Ink: WPlus9 "Gala Red"
Other: Sizzix Big Shot, Spectrum Clear Sparkle Pen, Glossy Accents, 3M Foam Adhesive, Ranger Multi: Matte, Hero Arts Pearls

"Sassy Smiles" with CAS-ual Fridays Stamps

Today it is my turn for some inspiration for the CAS-ual Fridays Stamps Blog.

I combined the "Sassy Smiles" stamp set with one of my FAVORITE Fri-Dies-"Linked" (now on the retirement list!!) for a super easy card.

My first step for this card was to use the "Linked Fri-Dies" to die cut the border. I then blended "Wilted Violet" Distress Ink in different shades across the border.

I took the remaining part of the white card base and did the smooshing technique with the same color ink. I set the card front aside to dry.

While the card front was drying, I used the "Smiling Fri-Dies" to die cut the smile sentiment out of a scrap of purple paper three times. I then glued these three layers together.

Once the card front was dry, I adhered the card front together with the border, using a scrap of acetate as a base.

I did a bit of masking and stamped "it's the one thing that always fits" from "Sassy Smiles" with black dye ink above the purple border. I then adhered the the die cut "smile" above the stamping.

I added some clear sequins around the sentiment and topped them off with silver Stickles. The last step was to apply Glossy Accents to the die cut word and border. I wish you could see this in real life because it is a cool effect.

Have you seen the sale that is going on at CAS-ual Fridays Stamps?

Michele is cleaning out the old to get ready for the new sets and the prices on the retiring products are out of this world!! You can even use my code-nora2017-to get an EXTRA 15% off these fabulous prices!!

I am sad because some of the sets are my all time favorites. Get them while they last!!

I thank you for taking the time to stop by today!! Have a FABULOUS Monday!!

Supplies:

Stamps-“Sassy Smiles”

Dies-“Smiling Fri-Dies” and “Linked Fri-Dies” (retiring)

Paper-Neenah Solar White, acetate and purple patterned paper scrap

Other-Sizzix Big Shot, “Wilted Violet” Distress Ink, Memento “Tuxedo Black” ink, Clear Sequins and Silver Stickles

On the Blog With CAS-ual Fridays Stamps: Stretching Your Stamps

Happy Thursday everyone!! It is my turn on the CAS-ual Stamps Blog. I created a card that took a look at my stamps in a different way.

As a crafter, I am sure you have oodles of supplies. However, what if you didn't? Would you be able to look at the stamps sets you have and create something that you didn't have? I sometimes challenge myself to do this to see what I could come up with. I wanted a large butterfly so I looked through my CAS-ual Fridays Stamp sets and used "Sassy Smiles" and "Pretty Posies" to create one.

I started off this card by stamping four leaves from the "Pretty Posies" stamp set with white pigment ink onto vellum and heat embossing with white embossing powder. I then colored the leaves in with gold and green sparkle markers. I cut the leaves out and gave them a second layer of color. I set them aside to dry.

While the leaves were drying, I stamped the heart from "Sassy Smiles" in black, overlapping to create the butterfly body. I then used scissors to cut the body out.

On the card base, I used embossing paste and a stencil to get a lace overlay. I then flicked green and gold mist spray over it to get a "messy" look. I placed a blended panel that had a sentiment from CAS-ual Fridays "Be" stamped in black.

I took the leaves and arranged them to look like the top and bottom of butterfly wings and adhered them to the sentiment panel. I adhered the body over the wings and used floss to make some antennae. The body needed a bit of oomph so I added some clear sparkle marker on top and then covered it with Glossy Accents.

My last step was to adhere some sequins on the butterfly wings, as well as on the card front.

Do you like the stamps I used? Use my code nora2017 to get 15% off your next order at CAS-ual Fridays Stamps.

I thank you for stopping by and hope that this helps you look with a new eye at your stamp sets.

Supplies:

   

Stamps-                                       "Be"                                "Pretty Posies"                       "Sassy Smiles"


Ink-Tim Holtz Distress Ink "Squeezed Lemonade," "Scattered Straw," and "Spiced Marmalade," Hero Arts Unicorn "White" Pigment Ink, Hero Arts "Black"
Embossing Powder-Ranger Detail "White"
Paper-Neenah Solar White, PaperTrey Ink Vellum
Other-Tim Holtz "Ornate" Stencil, Wagner Heat Tool, Prima Mist Spray "Emerald" and "Gold Foil," Spectrum Noir Sparkle-"Gold" and "Blue Ocean," Ranger Small Blending Tool

You ROCK Card for CAS-ual Fridays Stamps

Hello everyone!! Happy Wednesday!! Today it is my turn over at the CAS-ual Fridays Stamps blog.

I created a card using three different stamp sets and masking to create the sentiment block I wanted. I made this encouragement card for a friend that is going through a difficult time right now.

I started by stamping the "rock" sentiment with CAS-ual Fridays "Flower Power" using gold ink and heat embossing with gold embossing powder. I then masked part of the sentiment from the "Calling all Sistahs" stamp set to stamp and heat emboss the "you."

Next I mounted the white card stock onto an A2 card front that I had adhered some gold card stock so that it would match the gold in the sentiment. I usually mount my card fronts while they are flat because it is easier to adhere to the card base without bulky embellishments.

I stamped and heat embossed the sentiment strip using the "Sassy Smiles" stamp set and used foam adhesive to adhere it to the card. To finish, I added some gold sequins and little embellishments that I die cut from scraps of the gold card stock with CAS-ual Fridays "Fun-Fetti Fri-Dies." I added a touch of gold glitter glue to the die cuts to mimic the flowers from the sentiment.

Masking sentiments to create a card is my "new" thing. You are only limited by your imagination on what you can come up with. CAS-ual Fridays Stamps has some AWESOME sets that can be combined and I think it is so fun to see what I can mix and "mask," as the case may be. (Sorry for the pun but I could not help it!!) I would love to see what you can come up with!!

If you feel treating yourself, hop on over to the CAS-ual Fridays Stamps Store and use my code nora2017 to get a 15% discount off your shopping spree.

I am also playing along with The Paper Players Challenge PP332.

Thank you for stopping by. Have a FABULOUS day!!

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