May Flowers

Happy Monday!  I took the weekend off after completing an order of 30 cards for a client, and just spent some time with the family.  It feels like I've been away for a long time, haha.  I was up before everyone this morning and found the There She Goes Stamps challenge, which was May Flowers.  I absolutely love my Sweet Pea set.  It's such an elegant and simple set with the perfect sentiments.

Stamps:  Sweet Pea

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black & Angel Pink

Paper:  CDS Cottonball White, CDS Pretty Porcelain

Accessories:  Copics, window punch & corner chomper, foam tape

Thanks for stopping by!  TSG just released some great new sets, and I'm trying to figure out what I 'need' to have, lol.  Go check it out!

TESC157 -- Fruity Friends

Guess what?!  It's Friday, oh beautiful Friday!  It's also time for another Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge!  Here are the challenge deets:

1. Create a card using the sketch as inspiration. Feel free to switch up the shape or size of your card. As long as your project follows the general sketch, you’re good to go! You may play as many times as you want. Each upload will be entered into our weekly drawing, so the more you create - the better chance you have of winning the PRIZE!

2. Upload your project to Taylor's blog, using In Linkz before 8pm PST on Thursday, May 10th. If you also choose to upload your creation to online galleries (like over on SCS), use the keyword TESC157. 

3. You’re not required to use TE Stamps on your project, but we love it when you do! And if you’re drawn as our weekly winner and you’ve used TE Stamps on your project you’ll get a little sumpin’ sumpin’ extra (see below)!

The PRIZE!!

1. We will randomly select one person from all of the challenge uploads to receive a $10 gift certificate to the TE Store!

2. If you used predominantly TE Stamps on your project you’ll receive an extra $10 bonus for a total $20 gift certificate to the TE Store.

Also, remember to use keyword tayloredexpressions whenever you upload your TE creations. This will include you in the TE customer gallery over on SCS!

Now here's my card!  I used the darling new set called Fruity Friends that was just released.  I just can't get out how cute their little faces are, and so appropriate for so many occasions too.  I also used the Layered Doily - Medium from the TE Die collection as well.  Her dies are so wonderful :)

Stamps:  Fruity Friends

Ink:  Memento Rich Cocoa & Vintage Photo Distress Ink

Paper:  TE Buttercream, brown, MME Stella & Rose

Copics:  YR12, YR27, E44, E49, YG03, YG23

Accessories:  TE Layered Doily - Medium, oval punch, sponge, foam tape, brown dimensional pearls

Here are links to the rest of the uber talented sketch crew for you to check out their creations:

Cassie Trask (me)

 Jami Sibley
Monika Davis
Rachel Sztonyk
Tracy Clemente
Taylor VanBruggen  <---- get all the details here
Colleen Begley,  Featured Top Chef


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

It's a Jungle Out There

I've been super excited to ink up my new set from There She Goes Stamps that arrived not to long ago called It's a Jungle Out There.  I got a chance yesterday when I saw the TSG Sketch Challenge.

I decided to use just a couple of Prismacolor Pencils on this little cutie, as he was already black & white :)  The papers are from one of my previous TE KI Kits.  I think this one is December 2011.

Stamps:  It's a Jungle Out There

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper:  Dec 11 TE KI Kit, CDS Night Eclipse

Accessories:  Prismacolor & gamsol, zebra twill ribbon, red button, TE hearts die, foam tape, Copic multiliner

Thanks for stopping in today.  I have some high hopes that maybe I'll get to craft some more later :)

Flowers

 Yay for Saturdays!  I should be making some chicken salad sandwiches right now, but I'd prefer to post this card I made for Mo's Challenge.  That challenge was flowers, so I used this Sprouts image along with a sentiment from a Paper Smooches set called Simply Said.  I've really been enjoying coloring lately, as it seems to be some great therapy.  Feeling upset. . .do some coloring, feeling sad. . .do some coloring, feeling happy. . .yup, break out those markers and do some coloring!

I'm pretty sure that I can't list all of the Copics I used to color this, because I just sat there and colored.  Sorry about that to those who really like to know the colors.  I had also used the MFT sketch for this card.  This would be the first time I ever used their sketch and not one of their images.

Image:  Sprout (Mo)

Sentiment:  Simply Said (Paper Smooches)

Paper:  CDS Cottonball White, MME Bright Side

Accessories:  Copics, Prima flower, corner chomper, MFT Large Scallop Dienamics

Thanks for stopping in.  I better get to making that chicken salad, or we'll have nothing to eat at the ballpark which is where we will be all day :)

CIC #50 -- Spring

It's time for another Clearly Inspired Challenge, and this time we are making Spring projects!  I used the new digital image Hoppers that the lovely Lisa Lara designed for my little tag.  My daughter has claimed it as her newest bookmark, which is fine with me :)

Images:  Hoppers digital image

Ink:  Vintage Photo distress ink

Paper:  November TE KI Kit

Accessories:  sponge, MFT grass die, MFT clouds die, corner chomper, foam tape, blue ribbon, hole punch, corner rounder

Be sure to head over to the Clearly iStamp blog to see more inspiration and to give the challenge a whirl!

SC381 -- Fruity Friends

I was super excited to get my Taylored Expressions package in the mail yesterday!  Not only did my Key Ingredients kit get here (which are always such a delight), but this fun new set called Fruity Friends came as well!  I bought it with a birthday gift certificate from my bff, Christi!  She knows me so well :)

I used the sketch from Splitcoaststampers from yesterday to come up with this card.

Stamps:  Fruity Friends

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Vintage Phot

Paper:  April 2012 TE KI Kit

Copics:  YG03, YG09, YG95, E35, E37

Accessories:  foam tape, tag from TE KI Kit, sponges

Thanks for stopping by!

Digital Release Day at CDS

Good morning, dear crafty friends!  It's a special day today for Clear Dollar Stamps, because it is Digital Release Day!  I get to show off a couple of Lisa's new digis, which are so uber cute!  Let's get to it!

This first one is called Pencil Talk.  I printed it out on my background in a lighter color, then printed it out again in the black, and colored it with my Copics.  

 Digital Images:  Pencil Talk

Paper:  EP This & That, CDS Cottonball White

Copics:  Y15, Y17,  E33, E41, E42, E43, E44, E47, E49, E81

Accessories:  ticket punch, notebook punch, foam tape, SU decorative brads

My next cards was made with the adorable set called Splash.  I just could not resist those darling fish, and as soon as I saw them I thought of the book The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister.  Naturally I had to color them like a rainbow and put some glitter on their scales.

 Digital Images:  Splash

Ink:  Black Soot, SU Island Indigo

Paper:  CDS Cottonball White, CDS Worn Parchment, MME Kraft Funday

Copics:  BG01, BG05, BG72, R27, RV14, Y02, YR12, YG05, V25

Accessories:  foam tape, sponges, glossy glaze, glitter pen, corner punch

Whatcha think?!  Cute little digis, huh?  You're definitely going to want to make sure and check out all of the digital images being released by heading to Lori's blog.  Be sure to check out the rest of the DT's blogs to see what they've created as well (links in my sidebar).  Super cute stuff, I tell ya!

CDS Monthly Blog Hop: We're not Horsin' Around

Welcome to the Clear Dollar Stamps Monthly Blog Hop!  Each month the CDS DT is challenged to come up with a project following a specific theme, and this month's theme is:

We're Not Horsin' Around

We were challenged to make a project featuring CDS's own Charlie or Charlene horse!  You should have made your way to my blog from Barb's blog, but if not why not got the beginning over at Lori's blog so you don't miss a thing.

I chose to use a Christmas Charlie image called Reindeer Charlie.  This digital image would be sooo easy to create multiple Christmas cards with.  Once you get your background all settled, you could just print it out a bunch of times, print out your Charlies and then color away.  Easy peasy, lemon squeezie!

 Digital Image:  Charlie Reindeer

Paper:  buttercream

Copics:  E41, E42, E43, E44, E47, R24, R27, G46, Y26, E81

Accessories:  corner rounder, Gold Spica pen, foam tape

I hope you're leaving comments along the hop, because by doing so you might win the CDS prize of a $25 gift code for digital images!  Now that you're done here, you'll want to hop over to Jerusha's lovely blog to see what she was horsin' around with ;)

Seeing Spots

As you can see, I'm still coloring away.  I've really been enjoying coloring Mo's Digital Images.  So many cute images, and so fun to try out different Copic techniques.  I made this one for Mo's Challenge blog, which was a 'Seeing Spots' challenge.

I used the Wonderful Day image from Mo's Store.

One of the things I love about this image is that it comes with some sentiments.

Image:  Wonderful Day

Paper:  March TE KI Kit, CDS Cottonball White

Copics:  I just colored and didn't write them down. . .sorry :(

Accessories:  black Copic multiliner, green gingham ribbon

Thanks for stopping by!

TESC 156 -- Simply Magical

Happy Friday, friends!  Here we are with the first Taylored Expressions Sketch of the month!  Pretty great, huh?!  Here are the deets:

We will select one featured stamper who will be awarded "Top Chef" honors. Your design and blog will be featured on Taylor's blog during the following week's sketch challenge.

Here's everything you need to know in order to participate:

1. Create a card using the sketch as inspiration. Feel free to switch up the shape or size of your card. As long as your project follows the general sketch, you’re good to go! You may play as many times as you want. Each upload will be entered into our weekly drawing, so the more you create - the better chance you have of winning the PRIZE!

2. Upload your project to Taylor's blog, using In Linkz before 8pm PST on Thursday, April 26th. If you also choose to upload your creation to online galleries (like over on SCS), use the keyword TESC156. 

3. You’re not required to use TE Stamps on your project, but we love it when you do! And if you’re drawn as our weekly winner and you’ve used TE Stamps on your project you’ll get a little sumpin’ sumpin’ extra (see below)!

The PRIZE!!

1. We will randomly select one person from all of the challenge uploads to receive a $10 gift certificate to the TE Store!

2. If you used predominantly TE Stamps on your project you’ll receive an extra $10 bonus for a total $20 gift certificate to the TE Store.

Now onto my card:

I was thinking of my nieces and my daughter when I started making this one.  I really wanted something that looked like it was coming out of the sky, so I chose the darling Simply Magical set from Taylored Expressions, since I always LOVED unicorns and all things sparkly when I was a kid.

  

I also pulled out a TE Key Ingredients Kit from a couple of February's ago (yes, I've been a subscriber for that long!).

Stamps:  Simply Magical

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, SU Melon Mambo, Pool Party, Crushed Curry

Paper:  Feb 11 TE KI Kit

Accessories:  Prismacolor pencils & Gamsol, glitter brads, circle nesties, sponges, gelly roll glitter pen, foam tape

Now be sure to stop by the rest of the Sketch Crew's blogs for some sketchy goodness:

Cassie Trask (me)

Jami Sibley

Lisa Hjulberg

Lori Craig

Monika Davis

Tracy Clemente

Taylor VanBruggen  <---- get all the details here

Lynnette Kauffman,  Featured Top Chef

I can't wait to see what you create with this great sketch :D

Go to your Happy Place

I usually don't participate this many times in a challenge, but I received some new Paper Smooches stamps for my birthday, so I had to play just one more time in the SPARKS inspiration challenge.

I used a new kit called the Travel Kit with a new set called Get Outta Town.  The background was sponged with the inspiration colors as my stepping stone.  

I hadn't done it in a while, but I embossed and watercolored my images with Tombows.

Stamps:  Get Outta Town

Ink:  Brilliance Black, SU Pool Party, Island Indigo, Cameo Coral, Calypso Coral, Crumb Cake 

Paper:  CDS Worn Parchment, watercolor paper, CDS Cottonball White

Accessories:  black embossing powder, foam tape, sponges, PS Travel Kit, ticket punch, aqua painter & Tombows

Thanks for stopping in!  I'll have a new Taylored Expressions Sketch to show you tomorrow, so be sure to come back :D

Bronte Kisses

I bought a few of Mo Manning's images a while back, and have been coloring them when I have some down time.  I've actually got a good amount of her images all colored up and ready to be made into a card :)  That is one of the good things about digital images. . .print them up and color when you can.  Since I spend a lot of time at the ball fields watching practices, I have some time to color.

I colored this one up called Bronte Kisses, which is just so darling.  The sentiment just makes me smile, because my little dog is always at my feet no matter who is in the house.  I guess I'm her person, which is fine with me.  She's a little sweetie.

Images:  Bronte Kisses

Paper:  CDS Worn Parchment & Cottonball White, SU Melon Mambo, MME Lime Twist

Copics:  YR20, YR21, YR23, E000, E11, E04, T1, E81, E84, E87, RV63, RV66, BG10, BG13, RV11

Accessories:  Heart Blocks embossing folder, foam tape

I made this card using the April Sketch over at SFYTT & the Mo's Challenge, Anything Goes.

And here is a picture of my little heartbeat, Lolli :)

Recycled Gift Card Holder

Go check out how to make this 'recycled' gift card holder over at Clearly iStamp!

Forever and for all Eternity

Happy Monday!  I'm sure you all had a wonderful Easter weekend!  I know that I did. . .it was my birthday/Easter weekend, and it was perfect.  I did a lot of coloring and a lot of hanging out with my little family.

I actually made this card last week for the Paper Smooches Sparks challenge.  I chose to be inspired by the colors and only use words as my focal point.  This was made for a friend's wedding coming up.  It's in Texas, and sadly we can't get the time to go.  My husband rarely gets time off, but I will not complain about his job, because he gets to come home every night and that is beyond a blessing.  I have so many military friends who don't have that luxury.

For this card I used one of Kim's first released sets called Pretty Phrases.  I personally believe all of Kim's sentiment sets are timeless, which may be why I own all of them, haha.  I also used the set called Potpourri.  

Stamps:  Pretty Phrases & Potpourri

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, SU Pool Party

Paper:  parchment, SU Pool Party, SU dps

Accessories:  corner chomper, orange prima flower, natural twine, prima paper flower

Thanks for stopping in!

CIC49 -- Go Green

Happy Good Friday everyone!  Today is my birthday, so I am going to make this quick so as to celebrate what my Savior did for me, and hang with my family!

It's the first Friday of the month, which means it's time for a new challenge over at Clearly iStamp.  If you played last month, go check to see if you won. . .there were 10 winners!  The new challenge was to Go Green, which could be interpreted two ways:  either make a project for Earth Day or use lots of green!  That's easy enough!

I used a new digi created by the talented Lisa, called Hoppers.  It's available for purchase over at Clear Dollar Stamps or you could win it if you play along with the challenges this month.  The little frogs are just too adorable to pass up!

Stamps:  Hoppers digital image

Ink:  SU Island Indigo, SU Pool Party, SU Lucky Limeade

Paper:  unknown green, MME Lime Twist, CDS Cottonball White

Accessories:  Copics, sponges, foam tape, green half-back pearls, corner chomper

Be sure to check out the challenge and play along!  I can't wait to see what you make!

Feel Better Soon

I had a bit of time in between school and a doctor's appointment, so I made a card!  I used the RetroSketches #5 for this fun Paper Smooches card.  I used a couple of sets from PS:  Healthy Vibes & Potpourri. 

Stamps:  Healthy Vibes & Potpourri

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, SU Pumpkin Pie & Pool Party

Paper:  SU Pool Party, SU dp, CDS Cottonball White

Accessories:  Copics, sponges, black buttons, Black Viva Pearl Pen, foam tape

I ended up making this for a couple of other challenges, one being the PS SPARKS Challenge.  I was inspired by the colors and the words.  I also make it for the Crazy for Coloring Ways to Use it Challenge over at Splitcoaststampers.  

Thanks for stopping by!

SC379 -- Make a Splash

Happy afternoon, everyone!  I just ate the yummiest cupcake from a local bakery that my physical therapist gave me for my birthday!  She's the best.  Naturally, after that I'm in an amazing mood, hehe.

I made this card with only one challenge in mind today. . .the Sketch challenge over at Splitcoaststampers.  I altered it just slightly, because I REALLY wanted to use that blue dotted paper, and I only had a 3 inch piece left :(  Regardless, I like how it turned out.  I used a couple of darling There She Goes Stamps called Make a Splash & Everyday Greetings.

Stamps:  Make a Splash & Everyday Greetings

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black & London Fog, SU Pool Party

Paper:  CDS Cottonball White, MME Lime Twist, unknown pink

Accessories:  Copics, sponges, purple button, foam tape, Scalloped Edge punch, paper piercer, Tiny Bubbles embossing folder

Thanks for stopping in!

Cheers!

I finally got a chance to play along with the SPARKS challenge which was this darling inspiration photo:

I used a couple of different PS stamps to make my card.  I used Party Posse & Word Up.  Kim's word sets are just so perfect.  I go to them constantly, because they always seem to work, and let's face it. . .they're super cute!  I also used my March TE KI Kit.

Stamps:  Party Posse & Word Up

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Vintage Photo

Paper:  March TE KI Kit, parchment

Accessories:  Copics, Tags Trio Nesties, sponges, foam tape, embellies from my March TE KI Kit

Thanks for stopping by!