Affogato Your Birthday-CAS-ual Fridays Post

 Happy Saturday everyone!! I hope you all are enjoying your weekend. I have Monday off so I definatly am!! 

Today I have a card using CAS-ual Fridays Coffee Products. The coffee products are 20% off in the CAS-Fridays store today, September 19th and 20th, 2020!!! 

I started off this card by using the By the Beans Stencil on kraft cardstock using Walnut Stain Distress Ink. I then blended Vintage Photo along the edge of the entire card base. 

Next I die cut the to go cup using the To Go Cup Fri-dies out of a piece of orange pattern paper and white cardstock. I adhered this over the stenciled background.

I stamped an orange heart using the Peace, Love and Coffee set onto a white circle that I had lying on my desk. To soften the white, I used Vintage Photo Distress Ink over the top. I then used some foam to adhere it over the coffee cup. 

My last step was to stamp the sentiment from the Coffee'isms stamp set using Lawn Fawn Walnut dye ink. 

Though the coffee products are on sale, you can still use my code NORASENTME to get an extra 15% off your total order!!

That is all from me today. I want to thank you for taking the time to stop by. Be sure to hop over to the CAS-ual Fridays Blog to see some FABULOUS cards made by the other DT members.

Have a lovely day!!

A Fall Card for CAS-ual Fridays Stamps

Happy Monday everyone!! I hope you all had a FABULOUS weekend!!

Today I am over on the CAS-ual Fridays Blog with a step-by-step using Pretty Posies to make a fall card. Below is a sneak peek of the card I created. 

Hop on over the the BLOG to see how I created this card!!!

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

A Couple of Challenge Cards

 Happy Sunday!! 

I have not felt like doing anything this month so my blog has been slow. Stress has taken my mojo. Wish I stopped spending on craft supplies in the meantime!!

I started back to work last Monday and had a week of professional development. I learned some AWESOME skills in Google, some great ways to engage students via online and trying to take care of ourselves in order to be able to help our students. Tomorrow I go back with students. My schedule is VERY different from last year as our school has gone hybrid. I am actually looking forward to it after being stressed out over it. I decided I am concentrating on a positive mindset. I will do the best that I CAN do.

Letting it go has helped me to get a little mojo this weekend. I actually made a TON of cards-two for some challenges and the rest for an upcoming CAS-Friday release. 

The first card I created I had two challenges in mind. 

I used the Altenew Megabloom Stencil using four different inks and then used a sentiment from the Reverse Confetti Butterfly Blossoms stamp set.

The leaves are the Fine Cut Leaves from Memory Box.

I really love how this card came out. I blended two different pinks, a yellow and orange for the flower. It gave the flower so much dimension. 

I am entering this into CASE this Sketch Challenge #387 and this weeks Color Throwdown #608.

For my second card, I created a card using flowers from The Greetery.

The frame was on my desk and the butterfly is an old Martha Stewart Punch. 

I used Blueprint Sketch to stencil and blend ink for the background. The die used on the white background is from Mama Elephant.

I am entering this into the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge-Beautiful Botanicals and Simon Says Stamps Wednesday Challenge-Anything Goes.

Well that is all from me today. I hope you have a FABULOUS day!!!

Playing With Pattern using CAS-ual Fridays Stamps and a Hike

 Hi everyone!! Today I am on the CAS-ual Fridays Blog with a card that was inspired by a pattern I saw on Pinterest. Below is a sneak peek of the card.

Hope on over to the blog to see the full card and a step by step on how I created this.

In other news, I went hiking yesterday with my Ireland buddies. We have been hiking some CT state parks this summer. We have been trying to do things outside so we have less of a chance of catching Covid from each other and wear masks when appropriate. Seeing them has helped my sanity because I don't go anywhere!!! Below are a few photos I took at Southford State Park.

One thing this place had was a bunch of waterfalls. These are pretty lame right now as we have a drought this summer but they still were pretty!!!

The photo above and below are the same waterfall, taken at different spots on the trail. I was actually standing in the middle of the stream on a rock for the one below. A little boy was so mad because his father would not let him go in the water to do the same thing!!! I am always setting a bad example!!

Another feature of this hike is the "covered bridge." But come to find out, it really isn't that old. Kind of a disappointment.

This did used to be a mill site, though, as you could see the stones they used to grind whatever they were milling around the bridge.

There were downed trees galore in this forest, as well as some funky growing trees. For some reason, I have a fascination with trees. I love the textures of different tree barks and the stuff that grows around it.

We were joking that the tree above was a "pregnant" tree but it almost looks like some kind of face to me. 

This tree the trunk actually was growing in a curve. There was a live canopy at the top!!!

Downstream!!! I really would love to see this when it is at full force. It would also be a lovely hike for the fall.

We ended the day with some breakfast!! We got up early so we could beat the rush of the day at the park so this berry french toast hit the spot!!!

Well, that is all from me today. I thank you for taking the time to stop by. Have a FABULOUS day!!

Just a Quick Pop In With Cards for Some Challenges

 It is Sunday night here and I am exhausted. I stayed up all night last night because I got into such a GREAT book. 

I am a romance junky-I got that from my mother. I read other things but when things get too stressful-and they have been with the tropical storm last week and the terrible plans that the state DOES NOT have for our school systems to go back (which we are), I have been totally stressed out. Anyway, I made these cards yesterday but didn't have the energy to post them until tonight.

My first card was inspired by two challenges-CASE this Sketch #384 and The Color Throwdown #605.

I kind of "flipped" the sketch in that I used my butterflies as the main image, rather than a branch. I used the little flower images as the accents.

   

The butterfly stamp is my new favorite stamp, I think. It is Hero Arts Monarch Butterfly. I used Lawn Fawn's Peachy Keen, MFT's Cherry and Blueberry Ink for this card. 

The sentiment is from Altenew's Label Love stamp set. 

When I was finished with my stamping, I die cut the panel using The Greetery's Crimped Frame Dies and layered it on a dark blue card base.

I finished off the card with some sequins and Diamond Stickles in the middle.

For my second card, I used the Fusion Card Challenge as my inspiration for my card.

I chose to use the sketch but flipped it and using fruit on my card was the inspiration, just not the fruit from the photo.

I used The Greetery's Just Peachy stencils, dies and stamps for this card. I think this card may be a bit too busy for me BUT unfortunately I used some strong liquid glue that I cannot rip this apart without damaging the background. That stenciled background took me a long time to complete!!

I used a TON of different inks on this-too many to even name. The little strips of pattern paper and cardstock are just scraps from my stash.

I have to admit that this was a TON OF FUN to play with. I cannot wait to use this on some other cards but will not be using the stamps and the background's together again like this.

Well, that is all from me tonight. I thank you for taking the time to stop by. Have a great night!!

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