Saturday 29 November 2014

Muse 95 - Merry


Oh my, what a week! It's been busy around here and I'm sure you're busy too - we're almost to December!

Here's my take on this week's Muse challenge where we have been giving this beautiful seasonal inspiration by Guest Muse Caroline:




I went very clean and graphic, with a bit of bling for festivity! I focused on the colours and the placement of the black element on the card. I die cut the "Merry" from Ellen Hutson in black and then embossed it in clear for some shine.

There's still a bit of time to play along - the deadline is Monday morning at 8 am. Voting starts at that time and continues until Tuesday morning at 8. Results will be posted at noon on Tuesday. Hope to see you there!


Friday 28 November 2014

FFC45 - Mid-challenge Inspiration


This is a reminder that there are only 5 more days to play along with Festive Friday for 2014! That's right, the final challenge will close at midnight, Wednesday, December 3. Then we'll have a break until the new year.

Here's the inspiration:


I focused on the colours - using Mellow Moss and Raspberry Fizz ink, along with White and Stone cardstock. I used 3 Creatiate stamps to form a tree shape. The gold stars are actually off-cuts from the centres of some snowflakes I used on another project.

I hope you'll get a chance to play along with us!

Tuesday 25 November 2014

CASology 123 - Eat!


This week's CASology Cue Card is Eat.



What a perfect word for this time of year! Lots of feasting going on. I chose a simple Christmas treat - a Lil' Inkers Designs gingerbread man cut 4 times in Baked Brown Sugar and layered for some dimension. I used enamel dots as 'icing' and a Neat&Tangled sentiment. The frame is created simply with some old SU! dotted DP - I cut my square panel so that it would fit right inside the square of white dots.

This is a classic layout - small centred image over centred sentiment and lots of white space - pretty hard to go wrong with it!

Now it's your turn - I can't wait to see the gallery this week - it's going to be a real pot-luck party!

Before you go, check out the blogs of the other DT Members for some more inspiration!



Saturday 22 November 2014

Muse 94 - Thank you!


Here's my card for this week's Muse challenge, where our inspiration comes from this 'uplifting' card from DT Member Marion:



I tried to use similar colours and overlapped the stamped dot before using an MFT 'thank' die. I finished it off with a Technique Tuesday 'handwritten' 'you' and some black enamel dots (placement was decided mostly by where they fell - you can't lift them up once they're down, or you'll rip the panel!) I used a lot more black than Marion did, but I think it's fun and dramatic!

There's still a couple of days to play along with this challenge before the deadline on Monday at 8. Voting starts at that time and will continue until Tuesday at 8. Results will be posted on Tuesday at noon. Hope to see you there!


Friday 21 November 2014

FFC45 - Merry, Merry, Merry


Time to start the final Festive Friday Challenge of 2014! Here's the inspiration:


I focused on the colour scheme of dark green bright pink, gold and white, using a WPlus9 "Merry" die and a Waffleflower "Christmas" stamped in Mossy Meadow.

I hope you'll get a chance to play along with us - this challenge ends at midnight, Wednesday, December 3.


Wednesday 19 November 2014

Thanks for the support!


A friend asked me to make 25 cards for her mom who has just finished her treatment for breast cancer. She wants to thank all the people who have helped her out in various ways over the past months.

My friend told me that her mom is glitzy and glamorous and wanted a 'boob' card. So, I ordered this stamp set and die set from Simon Says stamp - I think they're perfect and so does she!

On another note, I'm heading to Richmond, Virginia for the first time on Friday night to visit my sister (the horse vet). Do any of you know of any stamping/crafting stores within about an hour of Richmond? Any advice would be appreciated!


Tuesday 18 November 2014

CASology 122 - Flag


This week's CASology Cue Card is Flag!



Since it's Christmas time, I chose the red, green and white of the Italian flag to make this simple but festive card.



Sometimes the best way to make a CAS card is to let your sentiment be your focal image. I chose a large-ish sentiment from Papertrey and stamped it in black before embossing it in clear. This gives a little shine and dimension. I then took a border stamp (also Papertrey, but from way, way back!) that has a line of dots spaced out. I only inked up 5 of the dots and stamped in green above and below the sentiment. Then I went back and inked up 4 in red and stamped them between the green dots.

For some extra little details, I cut the panel out with a pierced rectangle die (MFT) - I love these tiny dots - a little more subtle than the stitched edges, but still special. I layered my panel on silver foil cardstock and popped it up on the centre of the white card base. Finally,  I winked-then-glossed (a technique I learned from Anita while at the Lake House) each dot for sparkle, shine and dimension. So really, there's a lot here, but the overall look is still very clean, thanks to all that white space!

Now it's your turn!

Monday 17 November 2014

Twin Birthdays



Two 'matching' cards today, for our 'matching' twin nephews, Luke and Oliver. I admit that I was running late to make these, so I went back through my old cards to see what I could CASE quickly. I came across my card for Tracey from last year here:



Fun, quick and easy to recreate two times, 'same but different'. I used the same Stampin Up sentiment and sponged 4 colours on each panel - one cool and one warm. I cut Lawnfawn 8s (6 times - 3 stacked on each).

Kate also made 'same but different' cards for the boys (her cousins) - go check them out here!

CASing yourself is a great way to find inspiration quickly. And it's always fun to look back at previous work and take the opportunity to see how you would do it differently this time!

Sunday 16 November 2014

Happy Birthday, Ellie!


Today's my niece's birthday. Her 14th birthday. Teenagers are notoriously difficult to buy for (and make cards for), so I went fairly simple. I used Stampin' Up's Contempo Alphabet  and 14 different-coloured Doodlebug sequins. I like how it turned out - clean and modern. And I'm hoping that the sequins didn't fall off in the mail!

Kate also made a card for Ellie and you should definitely check it out. We brainstormed together, but she made the card herself, including picking supplies.

Happy Birthday, Ellie! We wish you a fun day and a wonderful year!

Saturday 15 November 2014

Muse 93 - Merry Christmas


Here's my card for this week's Muse challenge, where Therese has provided us with this inspiration:




I focused on the shape of the tree, but reversed the colour scheme and used different techniques. I cut a nestability triangle out of gumball green (love the embossed edge!) and popped it up on a white card. I then used some enamel dots that we made by melting Perler beads (it really works!) as decorations. The sentiment is from Savvy.

Friday 14 November 2014

FFC44 - Mid-challenge Inspiration


Time for some mid-challenge inspiration for Festive Friday Challenge #44. Here's the inspiration:


This time, I focused on that huge red ribbon. I used a 'ribbony' sentiment from Simon Says Stamp. And I know you're saying "What, again?!" about that wreath from Stampin' Up! I really got my money's worth with this set didn't I? I stamped it in Mossy Meadow (another excellent Stampin' Up purchase) and the sentiment in MFT Electric Red. I layered it with craft to incorporate all the wood and wicker in the photo.

Thursday 13 November 2014

CTS100 - Peace


Today is CAS(E) This Sketch's 100th Anniversary! Remember way, way back? I was on the CTS DT from Challenge 8 to 28.

Chrissy has invited all of us who've been on the DT over the years to help celebrate and participate in this very special challenge this week. Pop over for all the details and for loads of inspiration! Here's the sketch:


I chose a neutral colour scheme to create a peaceful feeling. I cut a square of Doodlebug DP and adhered it directly onto my white cardbase. I cut another square and then cut a curve out of one side to create the shape of the sketch. I stamped a Verve sentiment in Smoky Slate and popped the white panel up for some dimension.

I hope you'll get a chance to join in the fun!

Tuesday 11 November 2014

CASology 121 - Festive



This week's CASology Cue Card is Festive!




And this week we have a twist! You all know DT member Tracey McNeely. She's been running a '25 Days of Christmas Tags' showcase for the last few years and every year, it gets bigger and better! This year, CASology is teaming up with her for our 'festive' cue card!


Oh, did I mention the prizes?  There are prizes - make sure you check out Tracey's blog for all the details! And make sure you leave a comment here on MASKerade and on the blogs of the rest of the DT before November 27 - each one of us will be drawing a random comment and that person will also win a prize!

CAS, one-layer tags are a fantastic way to use up your card and ribbon scraps. As you know, I love to make square cards. I get two square cards out of an 8.5x11 piece of cardstock, and that leaves me with a 2.5x8.5 strip as a scrap. I keep these strips and often use them when I make bookmarks if I'm running a craft for a bunch of kids. But they're also perfect for tags. Simply stamp an image (making sure to leave lots of space for writing). I used a Unity snowflake, Stamplorations 'to' and 'from' some pretty scrap ribbon. A few dabs of stickles for sparkle and you're done. Let's face it, most tags go out with the gift wrap once they've served their purpose, so CAS is a great option!

Now, make sure you leave a comment on everyone's blog today, so that you're in the draws for a prize! And then show us your Festive spirit. You can make a card or a tag - as long as it's Clean and Simple!


Sunday 9 November 2014

Fusion, CASology 120 (Sea), Happy Birthday Michele!


I'm a day late posting my birthday card for Michele, but trust me, it's worth the wait. I was lucky enough to be able to put this in her hand yesterday when I met Michele at Tracey's house!

I couldn't stay long due to other commitments, but what an amazing (short!) time we had!


Here's a selfie we took with my phone. Michele then used her proper camera to take much better photos of me with Michele and me with Tracey (no tripod, so no photo of all 3 of us!). Once she gets home, I'm sure she'll email them to me.


I was inspired by this photo from the current Fusion challenge



and also by the colours of the Sea (CASology - deadline is Monday!). I used a Penny Black flower die and a Clearly Besotted sentiment. I added the centre of the flower by cutting a circle in pale yellow, sponging it and then coating it in glossy accents.

Saturday 8 November 2014

MUSE 92 - Joy to the World


Here's my simple card for this week's Muse Challenge, where our inspiration comes from DT member Vicki Dutcher:



I actually made two cards for this. My first one uses two stamps both from Simon Says Stamp - the sentiment and dot. The fun thing about this is how I created my 'world'. It's a modified-Jennifer McGuire technique that Vicki used on her dots to give some 'dimension'.

I stamped the largest dot from "Lots of Dots" in turquoise and then inked it again in green. Before stamping, I used a tissue to remove some of the green ink from the dot. I tried it a couple of times and found that if I took it off in 3 places near the edge, I ended up with some land-looking forms. I carefully stamped it over the turquoise and voila!

Here's my second card, where I used the un-modified Jennifer McGuire technique for the dots and added vellum as well as snowflakes. (see my new Pierced Circles from MFT that I just HAD to get after seeing them in action at the Lake House?)


I hope you'll get a chance to play along with us at Muse this week! The deadline is Monday morning at 8 am. At that time, you can vote for your 3 favourites (you can choose only 1 or 2 if you want!) until Tuesday morning. Results will be posted on Tuesday at noon.

Friday 7 November 2014

FFC44, CTS99, Merry Christmas


It's November folks, and if you haven't joined us at Festive Friday this year, now is definitely the time!

Here's our inspiration for our new challenge:


I made a one-layer card (easy to mail!) and focused on the wreath (Stampin' Up Wondrouse Wreath stamped in Lucky Limeade, Mossy Meadow and Red Royal) and the bench, by incorporating sponged stripes on one side. The sentiment is from Verve and drops down like the ribbon in the inspiration.

I used Michelle's sketch from this week's CAS(E) This Sketch challenge:



This Festive Friday challenge will run until midnight on Wednesday, November 19. Hope to see you there!



Tuesday 4 November 2014

CASology 120 - Sea


This week's CASology Cue Card is Sea!



And that there, my friends is a scallop! I know, sometimes I'm so funny!! I just wanted to show that it's fun to think outside the cue card sometimes!

I reinforced my 'sea' message by choosing Hawaiian Shores as my main colour. And the opposite side of the scallop is a wave. Big blocks of solid colour always look clean and a little white doesn't hurt either. I added a bit of sparkle by cutting some tiny sparkly dots with a Memory Box background/border die. The sentiment is from Clearly Besotted Stamps - delicate and feminine!

Now it's your turn - but before you go, make sure to check out the inspiration from the rest of the DT members:



Sunday 2 November 2014

OLS11 - Home, Sweet Home!


Here's a quick little card that can work for anybody - boy, girl, old, young, whatever! And it works perfectly for this month's One-Layer Simplicity challenge, hosted by Susan!

I used the little house that I adore from Avery Elle's Hello Friend set, in an 'Up'-inspired scene, with the little balloons lifting the birthday house away from the everyday. I finished it off with a Simon Says Stamp sentiment. I was using my new Ranger Adirondack black ink and you can see from the sentiment that it's pretty juicy and I need to get used to it, but it's really lovely and black!

This challenge runs until the 24th and you can choose any theme you like! I think home can work for Christmas, Thanksgiving, Miss you, Get well, Thinking of you, Birthday, and on and on! Can't wait to see what you come up with!


Saturday 1 November 2014

Muse 91 - Set of Three


Are you wondering if you're in the right place? Yes, it's me. Ardyth at MASKerade. Using DP on three cards! And that's for two reasons.

One - Our Guest Muse, Michele, has challenged us to make a set of 3 cards using one sheet of DP for our Muse challenge this week.


Two - You know that I was away with the "BABES" last week. Darnell left each of us with a little present. My present contained a 6x6 pad of Bobunny Enchanted Garden paper, some twine, bling, buttons, die cuts, a stamp set with matching dies, etc., etc,

What a perfect opportunity to think outside my own box and use these supplies! (Disclaimer: since my DP sheets were only 6x6, I used 3 of them, which is still less than 1 12x12 sheet).

Here's a closer look at the 3 individual cards:


I love this little house stamp (along with the balloons) from Avery Elle's Hello Friend set. The curved sentiments work perfectly! A frame of matching dp still feels very clean on this one. 


This one uses the same house cut out with its matching die, a panel that Darnell embossed, and DP used as a mat and as a strip (the front of the card is narrower than the back, so when the card's closed you can see the strip of DP)


Finally, a simple thank you, using a die cut that Darnell included, a big piece of the dp as background and some matching twine.

I hope you'll get a chance to join us at Muse this week. The deadline is Monday at 8 am. Voting starts then and continues until Tuesday at 8.  Voting results will be posted at noon on Tuesday. (and don't forget, you get an extra hour for this week's challenge if you're in most of North America - clocks turn back tonight!)