Blessed: Mojo Refound!

Woah - it's been 9 months since I have been in my craft room!  Almost a year ago, a new twist to my job started tapping into my time and mental energy.  I found myself making cards because of DT demands rather than because it brought me joy - one more "must do" which is a crappy mindset, so last October, I resigned from my DT spots, unsubscribed from card-related blogs and emails, and totally went off the grid.  I don't think I set foot in my craft room more than a handful of times.  I just couldn't muster the desire or energy.   And then as summer settled in, a need to be creative started calling to me - softly at first.  I found myself interested in cards again and began checking out a few of my old favorite people and companies.  Melissa Bickford's blog was one of my stops.  I found Hello Lovely from Concord and 9th in her Crafty Destash section and picked it up.  This beautiful stamp set and Pinterest were the perfect combination to get me going again.  I have been in my craftroom - playing 😃 with the Hello Lovely set.  This card is all stamping, but I am putting together a collection of cards and reacquainting myself with techniques and media.

A long-time admirer of Darnell Knauss, one of the challenge blogs I subscribe to is the Twofer Challenge.  The current challenge (#18) is called Garden, so I combined two cards I created during my play time to create my entry.  

The second card is so CAS!  The sentiment and flower are heat embossed in gold and I went into my embossing folders to use the background.  I love the simple elegance!  You can't see it in the photo, but I used a stylus behind the flower to give it dimension and look rounded. . . playing again! And it feels so good!  I'm off to mess around with my Copics and some watercolors with this same stamp set.  

CAS Colours & Sketches #292 - Colour Challenge

I've been on a hiatus of sorts from my CC&S DT responsibilities for the past several weeks, but am back with you for the remainder of the year. 

This week Samantha created the colour challenge and I knew what I was going to do surprisingly quickly! What a fun and simple card, yet I love how it looks.  The flower stamp is from MFT and the sentiment is PTI. 

Hope you will join our  CAS Colours and Sketches challenge this week.  Take a look at the DT inspiration here.

CAS Colours & Sketches #288 - Colour Challenge

This week's CAS colour challenge was an easy "make" for me.  I decided to use You've Been Framed die and mini stamp set from Papertrey Ink and the card came together pretty quickly.  The yellow polka dot paper was even a scrap in my drawer!  The oval of the sentiment panel hides a wonky cut across the top and the Night of Navy rectangle was a great anchor for the backdrop.

Hope you will stop by the CAS Colours and Sketches blog to see the DT use of our colours and then come and play along with us!

CAS Colours & Sketches #287 - Sketch Challenge

It's been a crazy few weeks for me.  I started a new job and have been busy transitioning from my previous position, while at the same time taking on responsibilities for a new one.  Hopefully life will settle down in the near future. 

I tried to bring some calm to my life by spending some time in my craft room.  Karen's sketch for this week's CAS Colours & Sketches challenge was just the ticket.  Thanks for the inspiration, Karen!  Take a peek at the DT's makes with the sketch and then come and play along!

CAS Colours & Sketches #284 - Colour Challenge

I couldn't resist creating a fall-inspired card with Patricia's colour choices this week on the CAS Colours and Sketches Blog.  The llama and basket are from Flora and Fauna's stamp, Llama Set and  white embossing powder on Cajun Craze paper helped keep it simple.  The "polaroid" die cut and sentiment are oldies from Papertrey Ink.  I  framed the image by scoring two lines on each side with the help of my Score Pal.

Pop in on the DT makes for this week HERE and then play along with this week's challenge.  Can't wait to see your creations in the gallery!

CAS Colours & Sketches #283 - Double!

Since July has a fifth Tuesday, it's a "Timeless Tuesday" which is a double challenge on the CAS Colours and Sketches Challenge Blog.  We are reaching back into the archives and pulling out an old sketch as well as retired SU colours, hence the "timeless" part of the name! 

I've used Flora and Fauna's Love Bug stamp set for my main image and Copics for coloring.  The headlights are two jewels I dug out of my stash.  Elizabeth Crafts Designs Ribbons and Jewels dies is glued on the front panel and popped out from the card back.  

Hope you will join our CC&S challenge this week.   

My Time to Craft - ATC Card

The latest challenge on the MTTC Blog is to create an ATC card.  Here's a link to a YouTube video for folks who aren't familiar with ATCs.  It's basically a multimedia 2"x3" trading-style card.

My card was made to celebrate artist, Sandra's Caldwell's 65th birthday.  The image is a digi she created called, Glamour Nana, which is available in her Etsy shop.  I started by stamping and masking the balloons with a sentiment stamp in the background.  The "birthday" sentiment panel and heart punched from patterned paper came as the next layer.  Sandra's image was colored and fussy cut and layered on top and the whole panel was adhered to the 2x3 piece of colored cardstock.

I love Sandra's unique style as an artist. You can see several examples of her work by finding her name on my sidebar, checking out her Etsy Shop, or joining her FB Group Sandra Caldwell Stamp Fans.

I'm looking forward to seeing the ATC cards you come up with in the MTTC gallery.

CAS Colours and Sketches #282 - Sketch Challenge

Love the angles on Jeanne's sketch for this week's CC&S sketch.  I opted for minimal stamping and used some of my hoarded SU DSP for the main panel on this card with a word die from Sugar Pea Designs.

Hope to see your makes in the CC&S gallery this week.  Check out inspiration from the DT here.

CAS Colours & Sketches #281 - Colour Challenge

Jeanne has chosen some fun colors for this week's CC&S challenge.  My card uses Stampin' Up's Balloon Celebration stamp and features Lemon Lime Twist and Coastal Cabana with pink sequins as accents.  The sequins are iridescent, so the colors are a little more varied in the photo than IRL.  The sentiment uses both colors to create an ombre look.  Such a simple, fun card to make!

I hope you will play along with us this week.  Take a look at the  CC&S DT makes here!  Hope to see yo in the gallery!

CAS Colours and Sketches #280 - Sketch Challenge

Jeanne's sketch for this week's CC&S challenge really tested my creativity.   A Spellbinders vine die I from my collection served as the outer shape and then a very old Pure Innocence stamp from MFT became the focal point.  The sentiment was from the stash of discards on my desk and is perfect for this card!

Take a look at the rest of the DT's makes and then try your hand at this week's sketch!  Hope to see you in the gallery!

CAS Colours & Sketches #279 - Colour Challenge

Jeanne is hosting the July challenges on the CAS Colours and Sketches Blog.  She has a different combination of colors for us this week - and a reminder to me to get the new SU In-Colors! I think I'll get good use of them!

The gingham background is from Right at Home Stamps.  I substituted PTI's Melon Berry for Grapefruit Grove and Wisteria Wonder for Highland Heather.  The sentiment is from MFT and uses black heat embossing powder.

I hope you will play along with this week's colours, but first take at peek at the DT inspiration.

Challenges Entered:
Pammie's Inky Pinkies #1826 - AG
Crafter's Cafe July 1 - Keep it Simple
Just Us Girls #447 - AG
Crafty Catz #423 - AG with twist of embossing

Addicted to Stamps & More #298 - Holiday

"Holiday" is the theme of this week's ATSM  Challenge.  I used Believe in Magic from Mama Elephant for my card.  The globe is die cut out of the white card back, stamped on panel of Sahara Sand and mounted behind the white card back. I used white embossing powder for the globe outline, stars, moon and bubbles at the top if the globe and then added extra dots with a white paint pen.  The base of the globe is stamped in Rich Razzleberry on the card back and the sentiment is stamped in Rich Razzleberry and white embossing powder, then mounted on Sweet Sugarplum.  A few sequins finished off the card, while maintaining lots of white space.

Hope you will play along with our Addicted to Stamps & More challenge!

CAS Colours & Sketches #277 - Colour Challenge

Wei's fun summer colors for this week's CC&S challenge took me in a different direction than I originally imagined.  After deciding on W Plus 9's Doodle Buds stamp set, this card started to take shape.  I pulled out black embossing powder, some watercolor paper, a water brush, and my Bermuda Bay and Calypso Coral inks.  The strips of paper are Bermuda Bay and Pool Party.  A sentiment from MFT's LJD Words of Inspiration is heat embossed and finished off the card.

I hope you will play along with our challenge this week on the CAS Colours & Sketches Blog.  Our DT has some inspiration to get you started.

Challenges Entered:
Back to Basics #5 - Heat Embossing
Through the Craftroom Door 6/19 - AG
Tuesday Throwdown #397 - On My Mind
Pammies Inky Pinkies #1824 - AG

My Time to Craft #373 - Stamp Your Own Background Paper

This fortnight, the My Time to Craft Blog challenges you to use stamps to make your own background! I used my collection of Right At Home Stamps for the challenge.  Starting with a gingham background stamp for the card base, the panel uses both the Thanks A Bunch stamp for the sentiment, with the circles and cup from Cup of Joy, and finally the coffee bean details on the cup sleeve from How Have You Bean?   The Memory Box panel die cut is called Wrapped Scallop Rectangles.  I love the wonky stitching!

Hope you will join us in making your own background stamps this fortnight!  See you in the My Time to Craft gallery!

Challenges Entered:
Watercooler Wednesday #174 - all occasions
A Bit More Time to Craft #70 - AG
Aud Sentiments #205 - AG + sentiment
Impression Obsession #152 - AG + real stamp

CAS Colours & Sketches #276

Wei has a sketch for us this week on the CAS Colours and Sketches Blog.  Peonies, from Hero Arts stamp was stamped and shaded lightly with colored pencils and then combined with an idea I saw on Jennifer McGuire's blog.  I loved how she stamped a background, die cut a section, and mounted the die cut section on colored card stock.  The rectangle in Wei's sketch is due cut and mounted on bright pink paper.

To keep the look I wanted, I stamped a second peony with gray ink and matched the die cut section to the original peony, stamped an MFT sentiment, and added three sequins to finish off the card.

CAS Colours & Sketches #275 - Colour Challenge

The first Tuesday in June is already upon us on and Wei is the hostess on the CAS Colours and Sketches Challenge Blog.  Wei has three fun colors for us to use this week.  I pulled out a couple of new Memory Box die cuts for this challenge.  The sweet circle is Poppy Stitched Circle Frame and the scalloped is Wrapped Scalloped Rectangles.  The wonky stitching made them too irresistible to pass up!  I pulled out my Copics to blend the Melon Mambo and Pumpkin Pie colors on the inside of the flower.

Hope you will play along with us for Challenge #275.  It's always fun to see how everyone interprets the challenge.  The DT's inspiration can be found here. 

Challenges Entered:
Creative Moments #144 - AG
Moo-Mania May 30 - Die Cuts
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge 6/4 - All Things Bright and Beautiful
Unstampabellas June- Flowers

CAS Colours & Sketches #274 - Double

The fifth Tuesday of the month means "Timeless Tuesday" which is a double challenge on the CAS Colours and Sketches Challenge Blog.  We are reaching back into the archives and pulling out an old sketch as well as retired SU colours, hence the "timeless" part of the name! Right At Home's Sweet Stitches Die Set is used for the sentiment and flowers.  Copics were used to create the ombre look for the sentiment, flower centers and the band behind the panel.  A scrap of patterned paper was scalloped across the bottom.

Hope you will join us this week for our double challenge.  The DT has some inspiration for you HERE!












Challenges Entered:
Cards in Envy 5/21 - Feeling Sketchy
CAS-ual Friday #200 - Birthday Celebration

CAS Colours & Sketches #273 - Sketch Challenge

I thought his would be an easy CC&S sketch, but I was down in my craft room for HOURS trying to come up with something!  Finally, using a very old Swinging Day Amuse Studio stamp from 2011 as a birthday card got me moving forward with an idea.  I had to flip the sketch to make it work on the card front.  Hope you will join us this week, but first take a look at the DT cards HERE for some inspiration.

My Time to Craft Challenge #371 - Circles

The latest challenge on the My Time to Craft Challenge Blog is all about circles!  I was kind of stumped and then starting out messing around with my circle dies.  My original idea was creating flowers with a circle within a circle - which morphed into offsetting the center circle to make  sunny side-up eggs!  The "yolks" are three layers glued together with some Nuvo Crystal Effects on top.  I didn't have the time or patience to try for a domed effect on the eggs, but you still see the shine.  The rim of the plate is layered for dimension and the surprise of the plate is my "doodled" strips of bacon! They are colored with Copics. (E11, 18, 25, 31, 33 - in case you ever find yourself needing  colors ideas for bacon!!)

 I'm indebted to my Misti for helping me "MacGyver" the sentiment from a variety of alphabets and sentiments in my collection.  I found the bacon and egg paper in my stash - which pulls everything together in a whimsical way.  (Who can pass up a 6x6 stack of paper for $2.25?!?)

Take a peek at the DT's take on the "circle" challenge HERE and then play along with us over the next two weeks.

Challenges Entered:
Crafty Catz #417/ - AG
Crafting with Friends #67 - AG
Aud Sentiments #203/ - Cute + sentiment
Star Stampz 5/10/ - 2 or more patterned papers
Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge #380/ - AG
Inspiration Destination #150/ - AG
Craft Rocket #48/ - Use Embellishments

ATSM Challenge #292

It's a "Make Your Mark" challenge week on the Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge Blog.  I pulled out my Copics and colored up this cute unicorn from MFT's Magical Unicorns stamp set.  The background is called Watercolor Background from Right AT Home Stamps and the sentiment is from Avery Elle.

Come and play along with us this week.  Hope to see you in the ATSM Gallery!

Challenges Entered:
Crafty Cardmakers #211/ - No Patterned Papers
Incy Wincy 5/7/ - Things that Fly
Sweet Stampin' 5/12/ - Myth/Magic/Fantasy