Twofer CAS Designs

I've got two cards today for two different challenges and both are CAS designs. Card #1 is for the Freshly Made Sketches challenge which is a redo of their 300th sketch. My starting point was an ink blended panel of 3 distress oxide inks: Fired Brick, Ripe Persimmon, Dried Marigold.  It had fallish vibes to it but I chose to go with this sunburst stamp/die set (My Sunshine by Reverse Confetti). The background was made with RC's Stitched Rays Cover Panel die.

 

Card #2 is for Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday Challenge which is to create a clean and simple design.  Since CAS-ual Fridays is their sponsor this week, I went with their fun birthday sentiment set called Whole Shebang. I lightly stenciled with Daffodil Delight using the Hero Arts Tweed Pattern stencil.

 

Here's what else I used...

STAMPS: Whole Shebang (CAS-ual Fridays); Polka Dot Parade #12 by Papertrey Ink.

INK: Memento Tuxedo Black; Summer Sunrise, Tropical Teal, Pure Poppy dye inks by PTI; Parakeet and Bumblebee Yellow dye inks by Reverse Confetti. 

DIES: Crimped Frame (The Greetery); Blueprint 27 (My Favorite Things); Polka Dot Parade #12 (Papertrey Ink).

It's an overcast day with rain showers predicted.  I'm ready for the lower temps they say are coming! Yay!

                                                                              ~Wanda

Alcohol Ink Birthday

 

Our family has a boat load of birthdays this month, so I'm needing to build up my stash! I'm using the sketch for Try Stampin' on Tuesday's current challenge!  I started with another alcohol ink background (yes, I have quite a few from a recent play session) using Copic refills and Pinata Brass metallic mixative (ordered from Amazon).  

STAMPS: Whole Shebang (CAS-ual Fridays Stamps), Your Beautiful Birthday (Papertrey Ink).
PAPER: Yupo by Ranger; White by PTI.
INK: Memento Tuxedo Black; Green Parakeet, Hawaiian Shores, Harvest Gold, Summer Sunrise by PTI.
DIES: Scalloped Squares by Reverse Confetti; Stitched Rectangle STAX by My Favorite Things.

The frame, sentiment and cake were all popped up with foam tape.

HB2U

You can never have enough birthday cards in your stash...especially for masculine recipients! I am playing along with Just Us Girls where it's photo week and I was inspired by the balloons and birthday theme!  I'm also using the sketch for the Sketch Saturday Challenge. 

I started with a base of Yupo paper with alcohol inks swiped

horizontally for a subtle striped effect.  Unfortunately, I nearly covered it all up so it's difficult to see the striped variations of color. I used scraps of cardstock that blended with the alcohol inks then hand doodled strings onto the balloons.  

STAMPS: Whole Shebang (CAS-ual Fridays).
INK: Versafine Onyx Black (stamped x 3 using MISTI).
DIES: Stitched Squares and Rectangle STAX (My Favorite Things); Balloons (Simon Says Stamp).

Are you enjoying the March Madness of all the basketball games throughout the US?  Our two top teams are playing later today (UVA and VA Tech), so I'll be getting into cheer mode then! Hopefully, they will make it into the Sweet Sixteen group of teams!

Seize the Birthday: Balloons

It's been awhile since I played along with the Seize the Birthday Challenge. This week's topping is to use balloons! I thought I'd create a balloon shaker card using sentiments from CAS-ual Fridays Whole Shebang stamp set. I really love the unique birthday sentiments in this set!  Patterned papers are from the Sugar Shoppe 6x6 pad by Doodlebug Design, Inc.  I added some fine black string for the balloon strings.

DIES: Stitched Fishtail Flags Die-Namics by My Favorite Things
           Balloons by Simon Says Stamp
           Stitched by Paper Smooches

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge

 

Hello and welcome to another Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge! Hopefully you played along with us last week for the Stamp It challenge, but if not, you can join us this week. Remember...every week there is a $50 voucher given away to spend at the Simon Says Stamp store and YOU just might be the lucky winner if you play along!

The party continues with the STAMPtember celebration on the Simon Says Stamp blog with DAILY surprises that may include special sets in collaboration with other stamp companies, sales, giveaways, special guests and more! 

This week we are to create a CAS (clean and simple) design and we are showcasing CAS-ual Fridays Stamps, so if you have stamps from their company, we'd love to see you use them.  A big thank you to Michele Gross, owner of CAS-ual Fridays for generously providing each team member with products to use for this challenge!  I had so much fun using their Whole Shebang stamp set (love those unique sentiments)!  I smooshed some distress inks on the background then die cut with a Tim Holtz (Sizzix) diamond die.  I added some watercolored balloons (Simon Says Stamp Balloons Craft dies) with fine silver wire attached for the strings. 

Using the same stamp set and same balloon dies, I created this second card.  Instead of wire, I hand drew the balloon strings using a black gel pen.

For more inspiration by the rest of the design team, you can stop by the Simon Says Stamp blog.  We hope you'll play along as we'd love to see your creation in the gallery!

HB2U

**Scroll on down for my Color Throwdown card** 

A quick post of another masculine birthday card (I need at least 6 this month)!  I combined the sentiment stamps (CAS-ual Fridays' Whole Shebang) with PTI's Polka Dot Parade #12 set that includes these fun candles.  I added Clear Wink of Stella brush marker to the flames and flicked some color to the base of the flames by using a yellow Zig Clean Color brush marker.

INK: Real Red, Daffodil Delight, Pacific Point - SU; Lime Green - Reverse Confetti; Versafine Onyx Black stamped x 3 using a MISTI. 

PAPER: BoBunny Surprise 6x6 pad; Pacific Point textured CS.

DIES: All Framed Up (Reverse Confetti); Stitched Rectangle (Lil' Inker Designs).

Shades of Gray

A quick CAS creation for the CAS(E) this Sketch Challenge and

the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge.  I found this American Crafts 12x12 paper in my stash with reversible colors - the light, silvery gray on one side and this bold floral pattern in 2 shades of gray on the opposite side.  The daisy was die cut on vellum and accented with a Rich Razzleberry button.  

This is a first in awhile and can't believe it...but...I'm not adding any sequins - lol!  It's past my bedtime, so have to call it a day!  More snow is coming tomorrow, they say, but I have the day off and will look forward to lots of stamping time if I'm stuck at home!

Color Throwdown

Hey, hey, hey...it's hump day and it's time for a new Color Throwdown Challenge! Check out the fun color combo that Barbara Anders has for us! I am SOOO ready to see some REAL forsythia blooming in my yard!  For now, I'll have to be content with this sweet home decor photo.

I started by sponging some Basic Gray ink over a  Dylusions dot stencil.  I then stamped two washi tape images from SU's Tape It set.  The crimped kraft frame is by Jillibean Soup and the sentiment was clear embossed to give it more definition.  I've started doing that almost routinely when I stamp sentiments in black ink.  Because Versafine Onyx Black is a pigment ink, it doesn't dry quite as fast and it's easier for the EP to adhere to it.  The little Paper Smooches chubby chum tabby was stamped on X-Press It Blending Card with Memento Tuxedo Black and colored with Copics.  I used the matching die - also by Paper Smooches.  It's hard to see, but I added some shimmer to the eyes with a clear Wink of Stella shimmer brush.  I'm also playing along with the current CAS-ual Fridays Challenge to use color blocking.

Remember...to play along, you don't have to use exact colors - just something that's close.  If you upload to a public gallery, please use the keyword CTD 276 and also link up your card on the Color Throwdown blog using the linky tool.

 For more inspiration, you'll want to check out the rest of the design team's creations below, along with our talented January guest designer - Linda McClain! 

            

Barbara Anders - Paper Pursuits

                                              Broni Holcombe - Splashes of Watercolor 
                                                   Joan Ervin - Stamping With Passion
                                                          Lori Tecler - Inking Aloud

Melody Rupple - A Paper Melody

Monika Davis - M.A.D. Stamper

Tammy Hershberger - Stamp Happy

Vickie Zimmer -  Smitten   
Wanda Cullen - Cullen-ary Creations (you are here)
 Linda McClain (January guest designer) - Catered Crop

Thanks for stopping by...sure hope to see you in our gallery this week!

CAS Christmas

It's an icy and cold Monday morning and I'm content to be in my jammies without having to go in to work today! Last evening was a stressful drive home from work and even more stressful was the walk getting to my car in the parking lot! Ice everywhere! I'm thankful for no falls and no loss of power!
I'm determined to get my Christmas cards addressed today and decided to play with two different challenges to add another masculine card to my stash. This is for the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge to feature a tree or trees and it's also using the layout for the Freshly Made Sketches Challenge.  I already had this tree die cut and sponged from a previous project, so it was a quick decision to add it as the focal point.  The rusty jingle bells and twine seemed fitting for the masculine papers.  Thanks for stopping by...as always, I appreciate your comments!

STAMPS: Peace on Earth (Verve)
PAPER: Norlard paper pack by Farm House Paper Co., Vintage Cream by PTI
INK: Always Artichoke, Crumb Cake
ACCESSORIES: Christmas Tree #2 by Sizzix, Rusty jingle bells, Jute twine, Postage border Die-Namics by MFT.

TGIF

A couple of my favorite challenges are merging for today: CAS-ual Fridays Challenge is asking us to use the photo for the Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge to create a card/project.  Finally, I took the plunge and tried my hand at using modeling paste with a stencil to add some texture to the background.  I thought it gave a snowdrift illusion.  I die cut the tree, sponged some Soft Sky ink and added coarse glitter with a glue pen.  The sentiment flag uses stamps from Reverse Confetti's "Bring on the Merry" set.  A little bling, some twine and frosted jingle bells and I was done.

Heading off to work in a few minutes...then I'm looking forward to a fun weekend off!  Enjoy your day and thanks for stopping by!

Gold & Silver Christmas

I have another quick Monday post...this time for 3 of my favorite challenges:
CAS-ual Fridays - embossing
Sketchbook Saturday Challenge - after posting, I realized I didn't make the main panel an offset area of the base! :-(  Will have to try this sketch again and do it right next time!
CAS challenge on SCS - use one of 3 inspiration photos (I chose the gold and silver wreath).

The wreath, from WPlus9's Woodland Wreaths set, has 4 different stamped layers with Pear Pizzazz, Baked Brown Sugar, embossed silver and lastly, embossed gold berries.  I created the embossed stripes using images from SU's Gorgeous Grunge set and the sentiment is from Verve's Joyous Noel set.

ACCESSORIES: Corner chomper, Gold and silver cording, SU silver EP, Queen's Gold EP by Ranger, Woodland Wreath die set.

Twofer Friday

TGIF and I'm off work today! Had some time to play with a new W Plus 9 holiday set, Merry and Bright, for two different challenges:

Try Stampin' On Tuesday - a CAS sketch with an optional twist to use a "give thanks" theme

CAS-ual Fridays - In Stitches (use real or faux stitching)

I used a stitched circle die by Lil' Inker Designs on textured white cardstock.  After stamping two faux washi tape images in Crushed Curry and black, I popped the circle with foam tape.  Then it was floral arranging time!  If you liked the Fresh Cut Florals set by W Plus 9, you will love this set!  Most of the images have two or three step stamping that allows you to layer colors for added dimension.  The matching dies make fussy cutting unnecessary (unless you don't get the hurricane globe centered and then you have to trim it down - lol).  I added some shimmer to the flame and to the flower centers using a clear Wink of Stella shimmer brush pen.  No surprise there as I seem to want to use it on every card I make! :-)  I opted to make a Christmas card instead of Thanksgiving since time is flying by so quickly!

STAMPS: Merry and Bright (W Plus 9), Tape It (SU)
PAPER: White (PTI), Textured white (?)
INK: Crushed Curry, Black, Real Red, Garden Green, Always Artichoke, Lucky Limeade, Baked Brown Sugar, Daffodil Delight, Tangerine Tango, Pumpkin Pie.

CAS-ual Retro Sketch

I'm celebrating the first day of fall that will officially be here tomorrow - September 22 - by creating this card for two different challenges...the Retrosketches Challenge and the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge - to use fall colors and at least one leaf.  The finished size is 5 1/4" square.

I had this leftover leaf from a previous project; it was sponged with Tangerine Tango, Cajun Craze and just a teeny touch of Chocolate Chip inks.  I then pressed the leaf on a Versamark pad and then added clear embossing powder.  This was repeated the second time to give a thicker, glossier look. 

Here's what I used...
STAMPS: Seasons of Change (leaf) by Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps, Gorgeous Grunge (background) by SU, Happy Fall (sentiment) by Verve.
PAPER: Bermuda Bay, Smoky Slate, White.
ACCESSORIES: Leaf die by Sweet 'n Sassy; Grosgrain ribbon by SU; Sequins by Avery Elle; Clear embossing powder; Foam dots.