Let's Go Wild!

YAY!!  It's finally Friday!  Is everyone ready for a fun holiday weekend?   I thought I'd kick off the celebration by getting a little wild!  Today I'm using these great Let's Go Wild stamp set and the On Safari dies by Penny Black.   Super easy to make fun cards with this menagerie!

Check out this birthday card!  I added a little hat to the elephant and the guests have arrived!

For this card I used the following supplies:

Stamps: Let's Go Wild (Penny Black), Cheetah bg (My Favorite Things), Ring in The Celebration (SOA Young at Heart collection/Winnie & Walter).

Ink: pale tomato, wet cement (Hero Arts Shadow Ink), duckling, blue jay (Simon Says Stamp), onyx black (Versafine), Kuretake real brush markers (Zig).

Paper: lipstick red, soft navy (Simon Says Stamp), white 140 lb cardstock (Neenah).

Accessories: Blueprints #15, Pinking Edge Circle STAX (My Favorite Things), white embossing powder (WOW), bakers twine, staples, fun foam.

How about a shaker card using the fun On Safari dies!  This pink elephant looks thirsty.  ;)

For this card I used the following supplies:

Stamps: Unforgettable (WPlus9), Zigs & Zags (CAS-ual Fridays), Ring in The Celebration (SOA Young at Heart Collection/Winnie & Walter).

Ink: onyx black (Versafine)

Paper: black, doll pink (Simon Says Stamp), white 140 lb cardstock (Neenah).

Accessories: On Safari dies (Penny Black), Silly Stitched dies (Lil' Inker Designs), bakers twine, assorted beads and sequins, fun foam.

The giraffe dies are also a wonderful addition to a friendship card.

For this card I used the following supplies:

Stamps: Calling All Sistahs (CAS-ual Fridays), Cheetah bg (My Favorite Things).

Ink: scattered straw, old paper (Ranger Distress inks), wet cement (Hero Arts Shadow Ink), clear embossing (Versamark), tarnished brass (Ranger Distress Spray Stain).

Paper: black (Simon Says Stamp), white 140 lb cardstock (Neenah).

Accessories: On Safari die (Penny Black), Casual Tree die (CAS-ual Fridays), Stitched Mats Rectangles (Lil' Inker Designs), white embossing powder (WOW), natural twine, gold sequins, fun foam.

For all of my StampNation friends I have a new Stamp Clinic tutorial up today over at StampNation and we're Getting Creative With Big, Bold Sentiments!  Be sure to stop by and check out all the different ideas for using your bold sentiment stamps.  I've you're not a member of StampNation yet....heck, whatcha waiting for?  

Click ----->HERE<------ for more information on how to join us.  The more the merrier I always say!! 

Have an awesome Memorial Day weekend my friends.    

Bright Sunshiney Day!

It has been such a bright sunshiney day today, I thought I'd end it with this card.

I'm loving CAS-ual Fridays Sunbeams stamps!  This set has some of the sweetest sentiments and you already know what a fan I am of that smiley face.  ;)

A also mixed in a couple stamps from Penny Black for the little birds and clouds.  I love how well they all work together to make a fun scene on this card.

For this card I used the following supplies:

Stamps:  Zigs and Zags, Sunbeams (CAS-ual Fridays), Nature's Friends, April Showers (Penny Black).

Ink:  onyx black (Versafine), cloudy sky, duckling (Simon Says Stamp).

Paper:  white 140 lb cardstock (Neenah).

Accessories:  bakers twine, fun foam.

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a great weekend!

CAS-ual Fridays Challenge - Birthday Boy

Hello and welcome to another CAS-ual Fridays The Challenge.  This week it's all about those boys!

Get out your supplies and create an awesome Birthday Boy card!!

For my card today I used these awesome CAS-ual Fridays stamps:

Whole Shebang        Sassy Smiles        Sunbeams

  

I love it when I can intermix my stamp sets.  I feel like I get a lot more use out of them when the sentiments flow together nicely.  For this one I was able to use the large HB2U sentiment from Whole Shebang along with a cute little saying from Sassy Smiles.

I loved the smiley face so much in the last challenge I just had to add double smiles to my boys card.  A one inch circle punch works great with this smiley face from the Sunbeams stamp set.  I added some awesome shine by embossing the circle with clear embossing powder and then popped them up with dimensional adhesive.

I hope you'll play along with us for your chance to win!

All you have to do is make a birthday BOY card and link it up over on the CAS-ual Fridays The Challenge blog by May 31st.----------->HERE<--------------

I can't wait to see what you come up with!

Have a great Friday!

Calling All Sistahs - Blog Hop

 Hello and welcome to CAS-ual Friday's Calling All Sistahs blog hop!  We are supporting our sistahs everywhere and encouraging you all to "check yo self" every month as a preventative measure in the fight against breast cancer.

Today I'm using  these stamps and dies from the CAS-ual Fridays Calling All Sistahs line where 50% of the profits  will go to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. for research and medical help for our fellow sistahs affected by breast cancer.

Hope Ribbon       Calling All Sistahs      Ruffled Ribbon Fri-Die

    

   And this is just a little reminder to all of you wonderful ladies that YOU matter to me!

For the Hope Ribbon on my card I used Zig Kuretake Real Brush Watercolor Markers.   I colored a few different shades of pink directly onto the stamp and then I spritzed with water to get the colors to blend a little before stamping.

My sistahs, thank you so much for joining in this special hop today.  Please be sure to leave a message at each stop along the way because CAS-ual Fridays will be generously giving away a $15 gift certificate to three people who comment. You have until  May 19th to get your comments in for your chance to win!

Now it's time to head on over to Heather North's blog, your next and final stop on our
Calling All Sistahs Blog Hop.

CAS-ual Fridays Stamps

Archana Bhurke

Nora Noll 

Susan White

Shona Chambers

Bonnie Sharp 

Lori Kobular

Diane Jaquay 

Jeanne Jachna 

Theresa Knopf 
Alanna Moses

Jennifer Ingle 

Joanna Harty

Kristie Goulet 

Kelly Griglione

Kimberly Rendino

Ceal Pritchett

Lisa Lahiff

Lydia Evans 

Lori McAree

Claire Apostoloff  

Vicki Dutcher 

Channin Pelletier  

Lisa Harrolle <-----You are here

Heather North <------GO HERE NEXT!!!

Happy Hopping!

Hot Diggety Dawg!

Today I decided to break out my Copic markers and play a little.  Now, I am definitely not an expert colorist. I'm still learning how to color with my Copics, so I find small images like this are a little easier for me.  I thought this little dog was so cute and he really came to life fast once I started adding color. 

One thing I like about coloring the smaller images is that I only need to use two shades of each color for a good blend.  I have also learned that I don't have to have a perfect blend for cartoon images. I like the affect of leaving a little definition in the shaded areas.  Once I accepted that idea, coloring became a lot more fun for me.  And seriously....who wouldn't have fun coloring this little guy......?

Isn't he adorable?  For the background I did a little light ink smushing with distress ink.  Then after adding the clouds I mounted  the little pup onto the card front  with dimensional tape to give him the illusion of floating.  I thought this sentiment by CAS-ual Fridays was perfect!  I made up a few of these cards and left them blank inside.  This way I could go in as needed and add a "happy birthday" or "congratulations" or any number of different sentiments that would coordinate well with this "hot diggety dawg".

For this card I used the following supplies:

Stamps: Exclamations (CAS-ual Fridays), His & Hers Flying High (Art Impressions).
Ink: onyx black (Versafine), tumbled glass (Ranger Distress ink), Copic markers
Paper: white 140 lb cardstock (Neenah)
Accessories: In & Out Diagonal Stitched Rectangle dies (My Favorite Things), Scribble Clouds dies (Poppy Stamps), clear embossing powder (WOW), dimensional tape (3M)

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great day!!

Happy Mother's Day!

I'm just dropping by today to say Happy Mother's Day!  I hope you all are having a wonderful day.  

I thought I'd share some of my favorite cards that I made this year to celebrate.  Mother's Day had me playing with lots and lots of florals, starting with this Large Peony 2 from The Ton.  I made this one especially for my mom.

I did some embossing with white embossing powder and some water coloring with my Zig Kuretake real brush markers.  Super easy!  I also used the Lattice Frame Die from WPlus9.

This next card I made for another special lady, my mother-in-law.  I used the Watercolored Anemones stamps and dies by WPlus9.  

I also used the The Big, The Bold and The Happy stamp set by Winnie & Walter for the sentiment.

And finally a card I made for my BFF.  I always send her a Mother's day card because well.....she's a great mom!  I used a single flower from Winnie & Walter's Eva's Favorite Flowers stamp set to make this pretty background.

I also used the Striped Backgrounds stamp and Heart STAX by My Favorite Things, Big Scripty Greetings sentiment stamp from Simon Says Stamp, Casual Trees Fri-Dies by CAS-ual Fridays, The Big, The Bold and the Happy stamps from Winnie & Walter and the Bunnies and Bows Die set from Lil' Inker Designs.

Thanks so much for stopping by!  

CAS-ual Fridays Challenge - Birthday Girl

Happy Friday and Happy Birthday CAS-ual Fridays!  

It's time for our first inspiration challenge.....are you ready?  

Today, in honor of CAS-ual Fridays 5th birthday we are making  pretty birthday girl cards!

For my girly card I used a whole mix of awesome CAS-ual Fridays stamps:

Stamps: Tin Roof, Pretty Posies, Sun Beams, Whole Shebang
Fri-dies: Pretty Posies, Smiling

Check out that Tin Roof background that I embossed in white on that Doll Pink cardstock.  LOVE IT!

I am totally in love with this little smiley face in the Sun Beams stamp set.  A 1" circle punch fits it perfectly and makes me want to put smilies on everything!

I hope you'll play along with us for your chance to win!

All you have to do is make a girly birthday card and link it up over on the CAS-ual Fridays The Challenge blog by May 17th.----------->HERE<--------------

I can't wait to see what you come up with!

Oh.....and one last thing......check out this awesome sale going on right now over at CAS-ual Fridays!  What a great way celebrate Mother's Day!!  Click on the link below and shop 'til you drop ladies!!

Have a great Friday!

CAS-ual Fridays Inspiration Squad

Yay!  I can finally spill the beans!  I'm so excited to announce I'm now part of
CAS-ual Fridays Inspiration Squad!
Woohoo!  I have always wanted to be a Girl Friday!!

Every other Friday for the next six months I'll be over at the CAS-ual Fridays blog, offering up some inspiration for this bi-weekly challenge.  This means I get to break out my CAS-ual Fridays goodies to play alongside some other wonderful designers to create cards and projects that will hopefully inspire you to play along and join in the fun!  It's all starting this Friday, May 6th over at the CAS-ual Fridays The Challenge blog. Come on over, check it out and have some fun!

Now I just want to share a couple of pretty cards I made using some of CAS-ual Fridays wonderful stamps and dies.  This first one is using their fabulous new Pretty Posies!

I colored these Pretty Posies with my Zig watercolor markers and did a little cutting and layering.  I just love the design of these leaves and the sentiments in this set have such a beautiful handwritten look to them.

And using the Whole Shebang stamp set along with the Curtis Background I made this festive birthday card.

I used the Tag Buddies Fri-Dies as a focal point for the center of this card.  The HB2U from the Whole Shebang set fit perfectly on the front of this card.

For more information on CAS-ual Fridays The Challenge <------go here!!

See you all Friday!!  Have a great day!!