I'm Your Biggest Fan - CAS-ual Fridays #117

The CAS-ual Fridays challenge is one that I've been participating in pretty regularly and in addition to being fun and a good chance to focus on CAS designs I'm finding that a lot of the designs help fill the need where 'masculine' designs are concerned. The current challenge is to use real or faux stitching in your design. 

While I absolutely love the look of real stitching, fitting a sewing machine into my small storage space isn't going to happen so I rely on hand piercing and drawing and/or a 'stitching' stamp set I bought so many years ago I can't even tell you who makes it. When it comes to stitching I tend to gravitate towards using white but in this case I decided it needed to be more subtle and a tone-on-tone look would keep the focus on the image and sentiment where it should be. This image and sentiment are an Itty- Bitty set from Unity Stamps and I used two ink colors, Olympia Green (Versafine) for the fan and Hot Fudge (MFT) for the stitches and sentiment.

Happy Crafting!

Fall Colors & A Leaf at CAS-ual Fridays

My card share for today is my take on the current CAS-ual Fridays CFC115 Challenge. It's ironic how CAS card designs can take longer than a much more detailed and complicated design to get them 'just right'. 

I do like how simple it is to keep track of supplies on CAS cards though. This one uses the Honeycomb and Square Lattice Embossing Folders from Stampin Up, a leaf from an older CTMH set I think was called Autumn Splendor, stamped in Gumdrop Green ink by My Favorite Things. The clear sentiment stamp has been in my collection a long time but I have no idea who made it.

I'm a summer person and not quite ready to embrace fall. Maybe I'll make another card for this challenge to warm myself up to the idea that it's coming one way or another, and soon.

Happy Crafting!

CAS-ual Fridays Goes Back To School

I'm joining in on the current CAS-ual Friday 'Back to School' Challenge. Typically I think most Back to School cards are done with younger kids in mind but I decided I'd take a slightly different approach and aim for card that would be good for an older kid, maybe a Freshman in college who could use a note from home.

You can't tell it from the photo but the paper has some glossy finish on some of the apples. It didn't occur to me until after I'd made the card but considering the wild popularity of Apple products my guess is that this would be well received and what better message for someone just starting out in college than to 'Wish it. Dream it Do it!'

Happy Crafting!

SUPPLIES USED: 

STAMPS: This sentiment is a old one, maybe PSX but I'm not certain.

INKS: Onyx Black (Versafine)

PAPER: Grade School Stack (DCWV), Recollections & Bazzill Solids  (Michael's)

DIES/PUNCHES: Pierced Circles (MFT), Notebook Edge Punch (EK Success)\

BASICS: Click HERE to check out my crafting tool bag.

CAS-ual Fridays CFC113 - She's Krafty and She's Just My Type

I'm playing along with this week's challenge over at CAS-ual Fridays which is to use both kraft and type in your CAS design. Not surprisingly when it comes to CAS designs I find I spend a lot of time 'thinking' about a design concept and once I have that solidified the creation of the actual card is usually pretty quick.

The die cut dots were not part of my original concept but as I was going through my dies for the ones I needed I spotted the dots and thought it would add a nice, almost surprise like element to be able to peek through the front of the card. It was definitely a case of serendipity. I love when that happens!

Happy Crafting!


SUPPLIES USED: 

PAPER: Recollections Solids (Michael's), Accent Opaque 80# White

DIES: Peek-a-Boo Dots, Hearts-A-Plenty, Blueprints 1, Hi-Rise Alphabet Lower Case (My Favorite Things)

OTHER: Baker's Twine (Doodlebug)

BASICS: Click HERE to check out my crafting tool bag.

CAS-ual Fridays: CFC112 Color Challenge

The current CAS-ual Fridays Challenge is a card based on the colors of green, aqua and orange. Definitely not a color combination I'd probably choose on my own but when combined with the large white space that is invariably called for in CAS designs I really like it.

This chevron die-cut shape is a Lori Whitlock design available in the Silhouette store and the speech bubble is part of the same set. The sentiment is an old one in my large collection and I'm not quite sure who made it. This Steel Blue ink by My Favorite Things is  a great neutral when you want something slightly softer than a basic black.

Happy Crafting!

SUPPLIES USED: 

STAMPS: Sentiment (Unknown)

INKS: Steel Blue (MFT)

PAPER: Solids (Michael's & Bazzill), Accent Opaque 80# (International Paper)

DIES: Lori Whitlock for Silhouette (Silhouette Store)

BASICS: Click HERE to check out my crafting tool bag.

CAS-ual Fridays: CFC111 - Buttons

Though I use buttons often on my cards they're almost always paper buttons. For the CAS-usal Fridays Challenge this week I thought I dig out some of these cute, small buttons from Stampin Up that I've had in my stash for a while an never used. They're perfect for this cute Papertrey Ink set called Everyday Button Bits.

I've really been enjoying the CAS-ual Fridays challenges and the discipline it takes to keep it clean and simple is not easy but it's a great way to work on the ability to visualize exactly which elements are necessary to convey the essence of a design.

Happy Crafting!

SUPPLIES USED: 

STAMPS: Everyday Button Bits (Papertey Ink)

INKS: Jellybean Green, Kraft (MFT)

PAPER: Recollections Solids (Michael's), 80# Accent Opaque

OTHER: Buttons & Square Lattice Embossing Folder (Stampin Up)

BASICS: Click HERE to check out my crafting tool bag

I've Got Your Number

The current CAS-ual Friday Challenge is to use a number or numbers in your design. It seemed like a perfect opportunity to finally ink up the Paper Smooches Digits set that I got as the free TAM (Thanks A Million) set back when I bought some goodies during the OWH Memorial Day Blog Hop weekend.

I don't usually do well with one-layer cards. (Yes, I  know the addition of the black frame layer technically makes this two layers, but I could have drawn the frame in too :) I can actually say that I am truly pleased with this one and I think that's a 'first' for me where my attempts at one layer cards is concerned.

As it turns out this week's Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge is 'Anything Goes' so I'll be linking  this up there too!

Happy Crafting!

SUPPLIES USED: 

STAMPS: Digits (Paper Smooches)

INKS: Wild Cherry, Lemon Drop, Sour Apple, Orange Fizz (My Favorite Things), Majestic Blue, Onyx Black (Versafine)

PAPER: Recollections Solids (Michael's), White 80# Accent (Card Base)

OTHER: Sharpie Fine Marker (WalMart)

BASICS: Click HERE to check out my crafting tool bag.

Polka Dot Party at CAS-ual Fridays

The challenge over at CAS-ual Fridays this week is to use Polka Dots. Designing CAS (clean and simple) cards is something that many aspire to be able to do well. Rooted, no doubt, in the Minimalism movement in visual arts that developed post WWII and in America in the 1960s and early 70s. The theory is that you eliminate all non-essential items and the result being a design that contains the fewest and simplest elements necessary to achieve the maximum effect.

I often rely on my formal design training when I work on CAS cards using a basic approach that I was taught of removing elements. Essentially you create your design. Each time you decide to add an elements you pause and ask yourself if adding that particular element is necessary and adds to the design. Usually the last element is the breaking point and being able to identify it and know that in fact it's superfluous is the key to success.

Now, I'm not always successful and it takes a lot of practice but it's always a challenge and always fun to try.

Happy Crafting!

SUPPLIES USED (CARD #1): 

STAMPS: Cheerful Blessings (My Favorite Things)

PAPER: Dots - Follow Your Heart (My Minds Eye), Solids (My Favorite Things)

INKS: Onyx Black (Versafine)

DIES:Accents-n-Feathers (My Favorite Things)

OTHER: Enamel Accents- White (Ranger)

BASICS: Click HERE to check out my crafting tool bag.

SUPPLIES USED (CARD #2): 

STAMPS: Sentiment (my own custom stamp set)

PAPER: Accent Opaque 80# Ivory, Safari Chic Mat Stack (DCWV)

INKS: Onyx Black (Versafine)

DIES: Accents-n-Feathers, Peekaboo Dots & FIshtail Flag Stax (My Favorite Things)

OTHER: Antique Copper Brad

CAS-ual Fridays: CFC108 - Material Girl

This week's CAS-ual Friday Challenge is to create a CAS project that has some sort of a material, i.e. fabric, felt, canvas etc. I don't know if I've ever used fabric on a paper project before and I don't have a dedicated craft space so my supplies are kept to just what I really use so even finding a piece of fabric somewhere in my house would be tricky. I ultimately found a small drawstring bag from Brighton that was holding a pair of earrings that I got as a gift long ago and decided I'd cut it and use a piece on my card.

I frayed the edges of the fabric a little and in keeping with the CAS basis of the challenge, I added a simple square with a punched out heart, popped with just a bit of foam tape and a simple black ink sentiment. I did decide to add one more little touch to the card and added a pink liner to the inside. I've pretty much gone to using only white card bases for my cards and lately find myself wanting to add a pop of additional color to the inside... I think it adds a fun, finishing detail and even a bit of a surprise element to the whole design.

Happy Crafting!

SUPPLIES USED:
STAMPS: Signature Sentiments (Papertrey Ink)
PAPER: Accent Opaque Smooth 100# White, Recollections Solids (Michael's)
INKS: Onyx Black (Versafine)
OTHER: EK Success Heart Punch Medium
BASICS: Click HERE to check out my crafting tool bag.

You Are My World

I have a quick CAS card share today that fits the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge 107: Hunger Games, in which your design has to include one arrow and of course fit the CAS design style. I used the OWH Epic Love set from Hero Arts and kept it very simple by stamping the sentiment and arrow directly onto my card stock and then using just a bit of foam tape to pop the globe and add just a little dimension.

It also happens to fit in with this week's OWH Midweek Throwdown which is for CAS designs so I'm going to link it up there too.

Happy Crafting!

SUPPLIES USED: 

STAMPS: Epic Love (Hero Arts)

PAPER: Accent Opaque Smooth 80# White, Recollections Solids (Michaels)

INKS: Onyx Black (Versafine), Kraft & Gumdrop Green (My Favorite Things)

PUNCHES: 1.5" Circle (EK Success)

BASICS: BASICS: Click HERE to check out my crafting tool bag.

CAS-ual Fridays — CAS106: Over The Edge

The challenge this week over at CAS-ual Fridays is CFC106: Create a Clean And Simple card with an element that goes off the edge of the cardfront. Though this technique adds a lot on interest to a card, it's not one I do that often since almost all of my cards go to OWH and since these cards travel a long way to and back from our heroes, making sure a card is strong and sturdy is an important factor. If you are making cards for OWH and decide you want to give this a try just remember that the finished card has to fit in an A2 envelope so you'll need to make the necessary compensation in your card design.

In this design I've made my card base a bit smaller and the die cut is positioned so the overall design from the top of the die-cut to the base of the card measures 4.25".

Happy Crafting!

SUPPLIES USED: 
STAMPS:Pretty Phrases (Paper Smooches) 
INK: Onyx Black (Versafine)
PAPER: Out of Print (Fancy Pants), Solid Colors - Recollections (Michaels)
DIES: Labels Eight (Spellbinders)
OTHER: Ribbon - Pool Party (Stampin Up)

CAS-ual Fridays CFC105 - Mapquest

Happy Thursday! Thursdays mean it's deadline time for the current CAS-Fridays challenge. This week it's CFC105 - Mapquest: A travel related Clean and Simple project. I've always liked travel themes and all the related imagery like postcards, maps and postage stamps. I bought a bunch of this road map paper from the Paper Wishes catalog a long time ago and thought of it the minute I saw the challenge theme. I am also always on the lookout for outdated maps and atlases (along with dictionaries) whenever I find myself at a used bookstore or tag sale because they make such great backgrounds. Here's what I came up with for the challenge.

I have quite a few travel related stamp sets too but opted to go with this sentiment from the My Favorite Things stamp set called Well-Worn Greetings. The heart was an obvious choice to create my focal point. I should mention that I did some careful cutting and piecing to turn my rectangular postage die into a square. I think this makes a nice card for OWH so I'll be adding it to my next box.

Happy Crafting!

SUPPLIES USED: 

STAMPS: Well-Worn Greetings (My Favorite Things)

INK: Onyx Black (Versafine)

PAPER: Map (Hot Off the Presses/Paper Wishes)

DIES: Postage Stamp Stax & Hearts A Plenty (My Favorite Things)

CAS-ual Fridays 104 - Banners & Flags

Voting for the PaperCrafts Gallery Idol ends today at noon. Tomorrow the 10 winners whose cards got the most votes will be announced over at the PaperCrafts blog. Those designers will move on to Round 4.

While I wait to find out if I will playing in the next round I've decided I'd do a few of my favorite challenges so today I'm sharing the card I made for CAS-ual Fridays challenge104, to use banners and/or flags in a CAS design. 

Even as  professional graphic designer doing CAS designs can be a real challenge and each attempt almost always has me questioning my final results. In this design the blue chevron paper would be considered 'white space', there is a clear focal point and there is not a lot going on but I'm still not quite sure if it's minimalist enough for me. Working on CAS designs is definitely a great way to hone your skills at eliminating anything that's extraneous and challenging yourself is the best way to improve your work.

Happy Crafting!


PRODUCTS USED: 
STAMPS: Birthday Sentiment Circle (Stampendous -Retired)
INK: Red Hot (My Favorite Things)
PAPER: Hootenanny & Summer Fun (My Minds Eye)
DIE/DIE-CUTS: Spellbinders Large Pinking Circles
OTHER:  Scalloped Edge Punch (EK Success)

CAS-ual Fridays Goes Red, White & Blue

I don't know about you but each year after the huge OWH Memorial Day Weekend Hop I find myself so full of ideas to try and cards to CASE that I want to spend the next week or two just creating non-stop. 


The CAS-aul Friday Challenge this week is to use red, white & blue. I had quite a few small scraps left over from my 'one print card kit' so I used some for this card. (You can download the free kit  here.)

Sentiment by Stampers Best - OWH Fundraiser Set "My Hero Sentiments"
Other elements from my free 'One Print Card Kit' - Patriot

I hope you are enjoying a great Memorial Day weekend and that in between all the BBQs and fun, that you will take a few minutes to reflect on the enormous sacrifices made by so many on behalf of our nation throughout our history.

Happy Crafting!

Saying Hello at CAS-ual Fridays

The current challenge at CAS-ual Fridays is to create a card that includes stamping on DSP (Designer Series Paper). When I think of CAS (Clean and Simple) I tend to think of solid colors and lots of 'white space' so I am not totally sure how I feel about this card but since it really only consists of 3 pieces... the background, the sentiment strip and the button it probably meets CAS standards.

Sentiment by Hero Arts • Paper by Basic Grey - 'Out of Print' 6x6
Button Die - MFT Blueprints 1

I actually threaded this button with very thin slivers of kraft cardstock. I'd seen this numerous times in a bunch of the great cards created by the My Favorite Things DT and finally remembered to give it a try. It took me a few tries to get it right but it's a nice alternative to ribbon and twine.

Happy Crafting!

CAS-ual Fridays Challenge

The CAS-uasl Fridays Challenge Blog is another that I've had on my reading list and visit often. Clean and Simple designs can be hard to do well. The whole concept always brings to mind a professor I had in art school who would, during critiques, make you thoroughly justify every element of a design. It was intimidating at times but taught an important lesson in only including those things that contributed to completing the design and not one thing more. He use to have us remove the last element we added and then opened discussion as to whether it in fact was needed. To this day I often find myself doing this exercise whenever I design something and particularly when I'm aiming for a CAS design.

The CAS-ual Friday Challenge this week is a Tic-Tac-Toe and I decided do to the top row and include Polka Dots, Kraft and Dies in my design.

Sentiment - My Favorite Things - Birthday Sentiments • Dies - Spellbinders Labels 22

The last element I added to this card design was the red border framing the popped up panel. Without it the card looked and felt incomplete. 

Happy Crafting!