CAS-ual Fridays Challenge #54–Man, It’s Casual Friday!

 

Happy, Happy Friday!!

 

Phew!!  We finally made it back to Washington in one piece, but 26 hours in the car has taken a toll on this old bag!!  LOL  But I’m starting to feel back to my old self again, and look forward to a full weekend of stamping and crafting now that we’re all settled.

I’m here to share this week’s new CAS-ual Fridays Challenge – it’s a super fun one!!  This week’s challenge:  Create a CLEAN & SIMPLE masculine project and include patterned paper in your design.

We have an amazing sponsor for this week’s challenge – Gina K Designs!  Gina K is one of the most generous and brilliant stamp companies in our industry, and she shared some utterly fabulous designer paper with the Girl Fridays - it fits this challenge to a tee!!  Gina K Stamps has also provided a terrific prize for this week’s TGIF Winner, but you’ll have to click on through to the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge Blog to find out what it is!  Oh and while you’re there, be sure to check out the deliciousness that the other Girl Fridays have cooked up for you all – I know you’ll be blown away!!  Thank you, Gina K Stamps, for your kind generosity!!  You ROCK!!

When I received the Casual Friday paper pack, I literally swooned over these amazing patterns.  I don’t use much designer paper in my projects anymore . . . but this stuff was an absolute pleasure to work with!  The images look 3-D – incredible detail, I tell ya!  I’ve listed the other products used below, if you’re interested.

STAMPS:  A Pocketful and Super Star (WPlus9 Designs), Brief Notes (A Muse Studio)
INK:  Navy (Fresh Ink), Pebble (A Muse Studio)
PAPER:  Casual Friday DP (Gina K Designs), Desert Storm CS (Neenah Classic Crest)
OTHER:  A Pocketful Die (WPlus9 Designs), Vintage Labels Dies (A Muse Studio), Linen Impression Plate (PTI), Baker’s Twine (Divine Twine)

 

That’s it for me today, kids!  I hope you have an amazing Memorial Day Weekend.  As mentioned above, I plan to spend the entire weekend stamping and crafting.  How about you?!  Thanks so much for stopping by today – you all are my heart!  XO

CAS-ual Fridays Challenge #53–Let’s Get Punchy!!

 

Happy Friday, my stampy sisters!!

It’s that time again – time for our next CAS-ual Fridays Challenge!!  This week’s challenge is to:  Create a CLEAN & SIMPLE project and use punches OR dies in your design!!  Now this one is right up my alley!!

This week’s lovely and uber generous sponsor is Lawn Fawn Stamps!!  I’m sure you are all familiar with the fun and cute images that are the signature of Lawn Fawn – they have some of the cutest stamps in all of stamp land!!  And they were kind enough to share some stamps with the Girl Fridays (and some yummolicious designer papers with the Girl Fridays Facebook Team).  I’m pretty sure they’ve offered up a terrific prize for this week’s TGIF Winner, but you’ll have to click on over to the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge Blog to find out what it is!  Thank you, Lawn Fawn Stamps!

I was thrilled to work with a new to me Lawn Fawn stamp set called Critters in the Sea.  I fell in love with that sweet whale – isn’t he adorable?!  I chose to use dies to create the waves, and I also used a corner rounder punch on the corners.

STAMPS:  Critters in the Sea (Lawn Fawn)
INK:  Unicorn and Black (Memories/Hero Arts), VersaMark (Tsukineko)
PAPER:  Blueberry Sky, Spring Rain, Enchanted Evening CS (PTI), Lily White and Gray CS (Bazzill Basics Paper)
OTHER:  Stone and Denim Baker’s Twine (The Twinery), Scallop Border Die (PTI), Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers)

 

Need more inspiration?!!  Then you need to head on over to the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge Blog to see what the other Girl Fridays have cooked up for your eyes to feast.  And if that’s not enough, you know we have a Girl Fridays Facebook Team, right?!!  A new sample will be shared on our Facebook page every day of the week, until the next challenge.  You seriously need to check these amazing designers out – you won’t be sorry!  You can click on the pic below to see for yourself.

Well, that’s it for me today, kids!  I’ve got a busy day of lunching, and nails, and then dinner out.  Not to mention a million other errands that I need to get done before we leave for Washington first thing Monday morning.  So if things are quiet around here for the next few days, you’ll know why.  But I promise I’ll be back very soon with some crafty goodness to share with you all!!  Hope you have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by!!

CAS-ual Fridays Challenge #52–Birds of a Feather!

 

Hello Stampy Friends!

It’s time, once again, for another CAS-ual Fridays Challenge.  Wasn’t last week’s birthday celebration super fun?!!  I loved checking out all of your beautiful creations – you all just blow me away!!  No doubt, you’ll be just as inspired by this week’s challenge, which is:  Create a CLEAN & SIMPLE project and include a bird in your design.  Inspiring, right?!

And with a new challenge, we have another fabulous sponsor.  Annabelle Stamps is this week’s brilliant sponsor, and they’ve provided a terrific prize for this week’s TGIF winner.  But, you’ll have to click on over to the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge Blog to find out what it is!  Thank you, Annabelle Stamps!!  Oh, and while you’re checking out this week’s prize, be sure and feast your eyes on all of the amazing eye candy that the other Girl Fridays have created for your inspiration – it’s delicious, I tell ya!

 

 

I actually created several samples for today’s challenge . . . just couldn’t get a groove going.  After several attempts, this is what I came up with.  If you look close (I think if you click on the pic, it’ll get bigger), you can see that I stamped my houndstooth background from Paper Smooches on the green panel behind the wood grain cardstock.  The die cut leaves and freakin’ adorable birdie are from W Plus 9 Designs.  I’ve listed the other products used below:

STAMPS:  Essential Sentiments (A Muse Studio), Houndstooth Background (Paper Smooches)
INK:  Chocolate and Basil (Fresh Ink)
PAPER:  Hot Fudge and Gum Drop (French Poptone), Berry Sorbet (PTI), Wood Grain CS (The Cat’s Pajamas)
OTHER:  Pearls (Kaiser Craft), Folk Art Floral Dies (W Plus 9 Designs)

 

Well, I hope you all will play along with us again this week – we so love it when you do!  Thanks so much for stopping my blog today.  I’ll be spending the weekend getting ready for the arrival of my daughters and my grandsons on Monday – be still my heart!!  Hope you have an amazing weekend, too!!

CAS-ual Fridays Challenge #51–And Some Fun Changes!!

 

Hola Peeps!

Happy almost Cinco de Mayo!!  Oh, and HAPPY BIRTHAY CASUAL FRIDAYS!!  So, fun, right?!!  Yes, my stamping friends, we are celebrating the first anniversary of the birth of the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge Blog, and man, oh, man do we have some amazing prizes and goodies for you all!!  Oh, and a challenge, too!!  LOL  So let’s get to it, shall we?!

 

• Today is the first challenge for our brand spankin’ new Girl Fridays – and oh my goodness, prepare to be BLOWN away!!  Our fearless leader, Michele Gross, has gathered together some of the premier designers in our fun little community, and I feel confident that you are going to be oh so inspired each and every week for the next six months!!
  
• We also have an ADDITIONAL team of uber talented ladies who will continue to inspire you every day of the week with new projects that they’ll be sharing on their blogs and on the CAS-ual Fridays Facebook Page.  Have you all “LIKED” CAS-ual Fridays on Facebook?  No?  Well, then what the heck are you waiting for?!!  You want to see the Girl Friday Facebook daily projects, right?!!  Of course you do!!  Do it!
  
• A “little birdie” told me that there are some additional prizes for this week’s challenge, in celebration of our birthday.  Who loves prizes?!!  I DO!!
  
• There are a few more details about some really great changes that are taking effect as of today’s challenge, that I know you’re going to want to know about.  But you’ll have to click on through to the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge Blog to find out what they are!!  Go on – I’ll wait!!

 

 

Okay, now that we have that out of the way, I need to remind you of our over the moon amazing sponsor for this week’s challenge!!  Simon Says Stamps – the PREMIER online crafty shopping experience – is once again sponsoring this week’s challenge (it’s the monthly Guest Designer Challenge!!), and not only have they provided a terrific prize for this week’s TGIF Winner, I “heard” that they’ve also thrown in some additional prizes that you can hear all about over at the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge Blog.  Thank you so much, Simon Says Stamps – YOU ROCK!!

Enough blah, blah, blah – right?!  Here’s my sample for this week’s challenge, which is BIRTHDAY – create a CLEAN & SIMPLE project with a birthday theme!!  Happy!  Happy!!  I won’t bore you too much with the details.  I actually created this for my future brother-in-law, who is a motorcycle maniac!!  Like over the top fanatic, I tell ya!  He’s been bugging me for two years to make him a birthday card, and thanks to today’s challenge, I finally got around to it.  His birthday was in February . . . yep, I pretty much SUCK!!  LOL  But I understand that he liked it, so I think I’m off the hook, at least until next year.  Hehehe

 

Thank you so much for sticking with me here, assuming of course that you did.  When I say that the time you spend visiting me here means the world to me, I mean that from the bottom of my heart.  No, really!!  So thank you for stopping by!  I hope you have a great weekend!!  XO

CAS-ual Fridays Challenge #50–April Showers Bring May Flowers!

Happy Friday, sweet friends!!

 

It’s time, once again, for another CAS-ual Fridays Challenge!!  Can you believe that we’re on our 50th Challenge?!!  Fifty, people!!  Isn’t that just crazy?!!  I’m having such a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that we’ve already done 50 challenges, and I can honestly say without hesitation that I’ve loved each and every challenge so far!!  No joke!!  Can you imagine the fun we’re going to have for the next 50 challenges?  Oh my goodness!!

 

Sadly, this also means that a few of the original Girl Fridays will be saying goodbye to us.  Today will be Karen Baker’s, Jaclyn Miller’s, and Laura Davis’s final project and I’m beside myself with sadness about that.  I will miss you girls, and your beautiful creations each week.  Each and every one of you has inspired me over and over again . . . but know that I’ll still be stalking your blogs and drooling all over the place every chance I get.  LOL  Don’t be strangers, y’all!!

Okay, so let’s get to the challenge, shall we?  This week, we’re celebrating the fruits of going from winter to spring.  Spring is my favorite time of the year.  Since this week’s challenge starts on Arbor Day (today) and ends just before May Day, your challenge is to create a project that features flowers or trees.  Easy peasy, right?

SRM Stickers is sponsoring the challenge again this week, and we are thrilled to little bits!  Of course, they so very generously shared some of their fabulous product with the Girl Fridays (like seriously, a BOATLOAD of product!!) to work with, so creating was a breeze!!  The kind peeps at SRM have also provided a terrific prize for this week’s TGIF winner, but you’ll have to click on over to the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge Blog to find out what it is.  Okay?  Thank you, SRM Stickers!!

Okay, I’m sure you’ve endured enough blah, blah, blah from me.  Let’s get to my sample, shall we?  I was inspired by an amazing card that I saw many moons ago, and because I made it a couple of months ago, I can’t remember who it was that inspired me.  If you know who this might be, will you please remind me so that I can give credit where credit is due?  I’m old, okay?!  LOL  I’ll list the products that I used below, if you’re interested.  Otherwise, I’ll suggest that you head on over to the CAS-ual Fridays blog to check out the terrific samples that the other Girl Fridays created for you.

STAMPS:  Through the Trees (PTI)
INK:  Provincial Gray (Fresh Ink), Cherry (A Muse Studio)
PAPER:  White CS (Neenah), Red Hot CS (French Poptone)
ACCESSORIES:  Thinking of You Stickers #55008 (SRM Stickers), Black Ribbon (from my stash)

 

Thanks so much for stopping by today – you all and your kind comments are what keep me going every single day.  Have a great weekend!!

Have A Fantastic Day . . . and a fond farewell!

 

Hi Peeps!

I’m back today to share my last project as the i {heart} papers April Guest Designer.  I want to thank Kate Baldwin (the owner of i  {heart} papers) and her amazingly talented design team for allowing me this fabulous opportunity to work with them this month.  I’ve so enjoyed my time with you all!!  You’ve been so kind with your sweet comments on my projects.  And the products that I had the pleasure of working with – Kate carries only the best!  So, I feel so blessed and honored to be your very first Guest Designer.  Thank you, from the bottom of my heart!

 

I used the Puffy Cloud dies from Memory Box to create the negative die cuts.  I adhered some of the patterned papers from the Teresa Collins’s 6 x 6 Every Day Moments paper pad.  The sentiment is from the Hero Arts Good Friends set – a clear stamp set with a fabulous selection of perfect sentiments.  No stamp collection should be without this set, I tell ya!

i {heart} papers PRODUCTS USED:

STAMPS:  Good Friends (Hero Arts)
PAPER:  Every Day Moments (Teresa Collins)
INK:  Paris Dusk (Memento)
ACCESSORIES:  Puffy Cloud dies (Memory Box)

 

Well, that’s it for me today, peeps.  I’ll be back tomorrow with the latest CAS-ual Fridays challenge – it’s another goody!!  Thanks so much for stopping by today – you all make my day!!

You Turn Me On!

 

Hello Stampin’ Buddies!

Poppin’ in today to share another project that I made for my i {heart} papers guest design gig!!  How fun is this?!  First, I stamped the chevrons from Geo-Graphic (it makes me absolutely GIDDY to see stores carrying the stamps that I designed – like my heart just skips a beat!!) in two different colors of ink.  Then I used some frame dies to cut a window and a coordinating frame for the window.  I stamped the uber cute television from Stay Tuned in VersaMark and heat embossed it with black embossing powder.  I then stamped the heart from Smoocheroos in the center of the TV screen.  I adhered it to the outside of the frame with a glue pen.  The sentiment is from Boob Tubes – isn’t it perfect?!

i {heart} papers PRODUCTS USED:

STAMPS:  Geo-Graphic (Paper Smooches), Stay Tuned (Lawn Fawn), Smoocheroos (Paper Smooches), and Boob Tubes (Paper Smooches)
INK:  Tuxedo Black (Memento)

While I’m thinking about it, I think I’ll add this to the class gallery for the online die cutting class that I’m taking – this would be for Day 2: Window Cards – yep, I’m a little behind in my homework!  Surprise, surprise!  LOL  I’m headed to hang out with my sister at the pool today.  It’s supposed to be another hot one, so I’m excited to get a little bit of a tan!  I hope you have a great day – thanks so much for stopping by!