CAS Kentucky Wedding.

I saw this link on Paperlicious blog and remembered that I had seen the challenge whilst looking for inspiration for this card.  It didn't occur to me that I had actually used bling until I was blogging this so I am delighted to be able to "enter" this in CAS-ual Fridays challenge!

I took inspiration for this card from the invitation.  Basically I reversed the colors and used stamps from my collection to create a similar effect as the card but with a difference.

The colors for the wedding apparently are purple and blue.  I decided not to use the purple and just keep it simple.  Apparently the blue was chosen by the groom for UK basketball.  It really is a religion here.

I know a lot of people struggle with Wedding Cards but I think if you know the invitation is designed by the couple then it gives you more information than who and the venue - it gives you a style and reference point.  That said when I got married I had plain and simple black and white invitations.

This is what I came up with using the invitation as inspiration.  The damask stamps are from Clear Dollar Stamps and I think they mimic the original pretty well.

You can't really tell but after I colored the rings with Copics and then went over the top with some Tsukineko galaxy gold for a slight sparkle and of course the ladies ring need a "diamond" to sparkle too.  And I think that qualifies as "bling" on a CAS card!

What I really like though is the embossed border to just take it one step further than the original.

Ingredients

Card size - 8.5 x 5.5 inches

Cardstock - Neenah, Recollections

Stamps - Clear Dollar Stamps, Just Rite Stampers, See D's

Ink - Memento, Galaxy Gold

Color - Copics

Accessories - Spellbinders Nestabilities, Rhinestone (I just couldn't afford the diamond for a card!) and NO airbrushing - I might have to have a moment of silence.

Mother's Day the card was on time.

I made this card as part of Challenge SC331 on SplitcoastStampers

I tried to upload it at the time and couldn't so I thought I would go ahead and post it now though it's been a couple of weeks.  I kept trying to hold off until I got my gallery updated.  Still trying to get that done.  Hopefully tonight if I'm lucky though it may not because it is VSN night there.  One of these days I'm going to have to participate in one however, I keep thinking I need to be a bit more organized before I start and at the moment if you could see my craft space - organized it is not!

I decided to use this High Hopes stamp I have had for a while for a Mother's Day this year especially as it was so close to Easter.  I colored, masked and airbrushed with my Copics.  I really do love the intensity of color I get with little effort.  I did alter the sketch a bit by adding some flowers to make it a little less masculine. 

I think I'm getting better with the airbrush!

Ingredients

Card size - 5.5 x 8.5 inches

Cardstock - Neenah, The Paper Source

Stamps -  High Hopes

Ink - Memento

Color - Copics

Accessories - Prima Flowers, Rhinestone brads, Airbrush

Technique - Stamping, Masking, Coloring with Copics, Airbrushing



There's something fishy about this...

So I had to make a quick card for a teenage girl who invited my kids to a pool party.  She loves tigers (used my only tiger for her last year) and Team Jacob but not Twilight (and I have no idea how to even approach that with the stamps I have!) so I decided to go with the water theme.  I like the card but don't think it particularly screams teenage girl and maybe that is a good thing because she isn't the most girlie girl - in fact I think she would have been offended by a pink card though if you look at this card you can see I did manage to get some glitter on the fish!

This card represents a lot to me.  I think after I decided the theme it was just about the quickest card I have ever made! From first inking to final glitter application all over the cod, I think it took me just under two hours which was the time frame I had to complete it.  I am so excited about that.  I think technically it is pretty good, though with a bit more time I might have added some friends for the cod to swim with on its birthday though I kinda like the watery open space.  Maybe next time I use these stamps I will add a present dangling from a fishing line and maybe a party hat for the cod... I always seem to come up with these ideas after the fact! LOL.

AND it is another airbrush card!  Lots of water and sand airbrushing. I'm loving my cheap Harbor Freight compressor - the most time consuming part is making the masks and I just keep them with the stamps so I have them for the next time!

Ingredients

Card size 8.5 x 5.5 inches

Cardstock Neenah, Recollections (blue)

Stamps High Hopes

Ink Memento

Color Copics - TBH the colors were three out of each 10 group and I don't know if the specifics are so important because it's personal choice to match what you want to match.

Accessories  Spellbinders Nestabilities, Glitter Glue (plain old kiddy glitter glue).

My 9 year old cousin loved it! But I have the feeling I missed the mark with regard to a teenage girl... oh well I will probably have next year to get it right! LOL!

A Big Cheesy Birthday to you!

So just what do you give to your quirky uncle who loves cheese?  A cheese card of course.  I bought these stamps from Clear Dollar Stamps a couple of years ago with specifically this card in mind.  To be honest I then bottled it and thought this card was beyond my capabilities.  I'm so happy I finally attempted it and if I do say so myself, I'm pretty happy with the cheesy outcome.

So what do you think?  More cheese?  More Mice?  Indigestion? Too cheesy?

I've been trawling CAS cards on SplitcoastStampers and Lateblossom on Simplicity to try to get it - I think think this might be as plain and simple as I can go.  All that white space seems pretty clean to me but I think I fail on the simple part.  There was a lot of masking and mock ups and one potential image was harmed in the making of this card - its cheese got ahead of itself when I forgot to mask it.

What I really enjoyed on this card is that it was my first time airbrushing!  OMG how fun is that to do - I keep finding excuses to do more of it!!! I can't believe how intimidated I was at the thought and then how easy it is.  I have easily had my Harbor Freight Compression and Copic adaptor for six months and just kept looking at the box.  Now I have to learn how to airbrush with real paint as I have two or three Radio Controlled Cars to paint for my boys! YIKES!  And one of them wants a Union Flag on roof!  Luckily thanks to SCS I have heard there is a masking material in the hobby section of Hobby Lobby that I need to check out!  Wish me luck and hopefully it won't take me another six months to get them painted!
Anyway that's my cheesy story and I'm sticking too it.

The making of involved the usual culprits

Ingredients
Card size - 8.5 x 5.5 inches
Stamps - Clear Dollar Stamps, Stampendous
Cardstock - Neenah, Recollections
Ink - Memento
Color - Copics

I know I don't have many followers, however I'm toying with the idea of playing with my layout a bit more to modernize it.  So any helpful comments in that direction will be much appreciated.  Many thanks and I bet you noticed that my blogging is like the weather in Ky - when it rains it storms! LOL!  Take care!

Hmm Happy Mother's Day?

Now if you are in North America you will probably not understand my question, but as I made this to send to my MIL in March for Mothering Sunday in England you will understand that my question is really me scratching my head that it took me so long to upload, edit and post it using my software (check out that snazzy watermark! WooHoo! I'm only years behind the times!). *catches breath after that run-on sentence*

Right now down to the nitty gritty I have had these 6x6 had to have them K&Co paper stacks for years! and I have USED THEM! is it party time or what?  Part of the issue is that they were in my notorious "safe place", you know that place where you put something to keep it safe and then promptly forget where it is.  I have decided that since my supplies take up an entire pie safe (double wardrobe size for those that measure that way) that I need to use what I have and yes I have donated some things but I'm a hoarder and I prefer to force myself to use it.  If I give it away I have no ownership of my purchasing.  Oh dear I have digressed a bit, anyway I decided to 3D decoupage three of the papers into a card for my mother in law and stamp the sentiment in the middle, it probably would have been quicker to just stamp a card from scratch with all those small cuts but I was pleased with the outcome even if I couldnt' find an envelope to fit it...in the end I had to throw it in the padded envelope with her present and pray for the best.

I assure you the usage of those three sheets of 6x6 for the layers have made a dent in my supplies! LOL!

Ingredients
Cardstock - Neenah
Paper - K&Company
Stamps - Kitchen Sink Stamps
Ink - Memento
Accessories - foam tape/dimensionals

Changes are on the way...

I know I have been silent for a while - luckily it is for good reasons but has meant a bit of a learning curve for me.  I got a new computer and photo editing software so I am trying to learn to use them both to get the most out of them.  Let alone migrating and re-arranging files!

I think we all know I'm not the most prolific cardmaker at the best of times, however, I have managed to make 3 cards in my off screen time that I need to share with you and I have also managed to get out and learn how to use my airbrush.  I'm now officially in love and want to airbrush everything!

I was really impressed with myself last week making one of my "masterpieces" in about 1 1/2 start to finish.  I think that was a record for me!  I have at least two cards to get done today and I just can't think so these cards are definitely taking longer than 1 1/2 start to finish! LOL.

Take care and if you have read this far show some love to my followers and the blogs that inspire me -

Following is another thing I am trying to work out, plus challenges and all sorts of other things on my to do list!  Take care and I hope to be here soon with my uploads!