CASEd Squares for the Featured Stamper Challenge

Yippee, it's Friday!  We are finally seeing some ground through the (slowly) melting snow here.  It's a bit cloudy and dreary, but I'm just grateful I'm not snowed in anymore!

This week's Featured Stamper challenge at Splitcoast Stampers asks us to CASE (Copy and Share Everything) a card from the gallery of Andrea Hayes.  Andrea has so many beautiful CAS (Clean and Simple) cards that it was hard to choose just one, and I have found several I hope to use for inspiration in the future.  

I finally decided to CASE this beauty: Celebrate

Oh, how I love Elegant Eggplant!  It is one of my favorite Stampin' Up! colors.  I have used it here on both cards for my solid card stock and my ink.  Instead of using two patterned papers, I used one patterned paper and one embossed card stock. 

I had so much fun with her design that I decided to make two different cards.  The first is a 5 x 5 square card, or maybe just a bit smaller, as I got a little overzealous with my paper trimmer!

(I have to apologize for the picture quality.  The lack of natural light on these wintry, dreary days is really challenging my minimal photography skills!)


I started by adhering the patterned paper to a heavy white card stock base.  I used my Big Shot to emboss a piece of Elegant Eggplant card stock, then cut it into a triangle and adhered it to the patterned paper.  I stamped my sentiment using Elegant Eggplant ink on Whisper White card stock, then die cut it.  I applied Lovely Lilac chalk to the circle and attached it to the card front using Stampin' Dimensionals.  Finally, I added some Lavender Lace liquid pearls...and they looked really nice until I dropped the card while the pearls were still wet!  I was able to repair the damage, but please don't look too closely at those pearls!!  This card also qualifies for the Ways to Use It Challenge at Splitcoast Stampers this week, where we are celebrating the eighth anniversary of the challenge.  How fun!

The second card is smaller at 4 x 4 inches:

For this one, I used the same patterned paper and embossed card stock, but I reversed them.  I used Elegant Eggplant card stock for my base and ran the front through my Big Shot with an embossing folder, then attached a triangle of patterned paper.  (Because the patterned paper on the top is so thin, I had to add a lightweight white card stock layer behind it so the embossed dots didn't show through.)  I stamped the image on Whisper White card stock using Elegant Eggplant ink.  I die cut the image, inked the edges with Lulu Lavender and attached it using Stampin' Dimensionals. Since I did not use a white card base, I added a white liner to the inside of the card. 

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Products Used: 

Stamps: "Feel Better Soon"/Verve (first card); "Happiest Birthday Wishes"/Stampin' Up! (second card)

Ink: Elegant Eggplant Classic Dye Ink (Stampin' Up!); Memento Lulu Lavender (Tsukineko)

Paper: Purple Friendship (Crafts, Etc!); Elegant Eggplant, Whisper White card stock (Stampin' Up!); 
Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 110 lb. card stock (base for first card) 

Tools and Accessories: Nestabilities Standard Circles Large (Spellbinders); Swiss Dots embossing folder (Cuttlebug); Lavender Lace Liquid Pearls (Ranger); Stampin' Pastels, Stampin' Dimensionals (Stampin' Up!) 

Embossed Snowflakes CASE

How can we be approaching the middle of November already?  What a month it has been!  My baby has gone from taking just a few steps at time to practically sprinting everywhere, keeping this mama running from one end of the house to the other all day.  While she's wearing me out, she's also wearing herself out, which means she's sleeping better and I can get a little more crafting time in at night.  So there is a silver lining!

Today's card is for the Featured Stamper challenge at Splitcoast Stampers.  For this challenge, we pick a card from that person's gallery to CASE (Copy and Share Everything).  We are asked to make at least two changes so the card is not an exact duplicate.  Here is a link to the card I chose to CASE:  Embossed Snowflakes

And here is my card:

While I kept the overall design and color scheme of the original card, I made a few changes.  I used a different snowflake embossing folder because I don't own the one she used.  Her embossing folder left a flat area for stamping in the bottom right-hand corner, but mine does not, so I stamped my sentiment on a label and attached it to the panel.  I sponged ink around my sentiment to add dimension to the label against the white background.  I didn't have the sentiment she used so I chose a different one, and instead of pearls in the centers of the snowflakes, I used White Enamel Accents. 

I started by dry embossing a piece of Whisper White card stock with an embossing folder in my Big Shot.  Next I stamped my sentiment on another piece of white card stock.  I didn't like the color I was getting with Night of Navy by itself, so I inked my stamp first with Cobalt and then with Night of Navy.  This achieved the deeper color I was looking for.  I cut out the sentiment with a labels die in my Big Shot, sponged around the edges with Night of Navy, then adhered the sentiment to the white panel.  I attached the white panel to the Night of Navy card base, then added White Enamel Accents on the snowflake centers, which I left to dry overnight.  This card was quick and easy to put together, and I love the colors for winter.  I could easily change the sentiment to something "not-Christmasy" for a winter card that could be used throughout the season.

Here's a tip for using an embossing folder in a die cut machine (such as the Big Shot): If my card stock isn't getting as deep of an impression as I'd like, I mist the card stock with a bit of water right before putting it in the embossing folder.  I will sometimes run the folder through my machine more than once, but I usually find the water mist does the trick with just one pass through the machine.

I have a few more cards in the works and hope to post another one tomorrow.  Thanks for stopping by!

Products Used:

 

Stamp: WordPlay - Joy (Stampin' Up!)

Paper: Whisper White and Night of Navy card stock (Stampin' Up!)

Ink: Ancient Page Dye Ink in Cobalt (Clearsnap); Night of Navy Classic Ink (Stampin' Up!)

Tools and Accessories: Big Shot (Sizzix); Snowflakes #9 embossing folder (Sizzix); Nestabilities Labels Eighteen (Spellbinders); White Enamel Accents (Inkssentials)

Hearts Full of Love

Today's card is a CASE (Copy and Share Everything) card for the Featured Stamper Challenge at Splitcoast Stampers.  Every week a stamper is chosen to be the Featured Stamper, and the challenge participants choose one of his/her cards to CASE.  It is always inspiring to look through a Featured Stamper's gallery! 

Here is a link to the Featured Stamper's original card: Wish Big

And here is my card:

When you CASE a card for this challenge, you are asked to change at least two elements.  I chose to make several changes while still following the design of the card.  I used her layout almost identically and I matted the card front to a white base card, just as the original card maker did.  The original card had pink and blue and a "wish big" sentiment.  I wanted to make a love-themed card for Operation Write Home, so I used heart papers and a "love" sentiment.  I used a slightly different border die and a Nestabilities label for my sentiment.  The original card maker used a flourish of rhinestones and I just used a small row of them, as that's what I had on hand. 

I dry embossed the sentiment panel after cutting it with my Nestabilities.  I just love how a little detail like dry embossing can take a basic shape up a notch.  But no matter how hard I tried, I could not get those rhinestones to sparkle in my pictures!  You'll just have to trust me that they are clear rhinestones and they add just a touch of sparkle and shine to this card.

I always find it very challenging to mix patterned papers, but these hearts were similar enough that I thought they would work together and complement each other. It's fun to stretch outside of the box of my usual style and borrow someone else's ideas for a card!   

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Products Used:

 

Stamp: Hope Is... (Stampin' Up!)

Ink: Memento Espresso Truffle (Tsukineko)

Paper: Unknown

Tools: Big Shot (Sizzix); Nestabilities Labels Eighteen (Spellbinders);

Die-Namics Dainty Lace Border (My Favorite Things); rhinestones

To the Moon and Back

Today's card just tugs a bit at my heartstrings, so I hope you don't mind if I share the story behind this one.  I bought the stamp I used on this card because the sentiment means so much to me.  If you ask my son how much his mommy loves him, he'll answer, "To the moon and back!"  (I must pause here to announce that I have amazing children.  Sure, I'm biased, but it's still true!) 

So when I found this stamp recently, I knew it would be well-loved at my house.  And when I saw this week's challenge at CAS(E) This Sketch (check them out HERE), I decided it was the perfect time to pull out this stamp and start creating.  I have a feeling you'll be seeing more cards with this stamp in the future.  It's just such a great sentiment!

Here's the sketch I was working with:

And here is my card:

It's really hard to see in this picture (darned overcast day!), but the sentiment panel and the moon are shaded with peach, yellow and blue tones to give them some dimension and keep them from being stark white.  I used die cuts in my Big Shot for most of this card.  The moon is a circle die cut, the sentiment is a Nestabilities die cut, and the stars are die-cut from shimmery silver paper.  I stamped my sentiment, then sponged dye ink and chalks on my sentiment panel and the moon.  I adhered everything to a dark blue card base (it's lightly textured, which also doesn't show up well in the picture).  This will be an easy card to recreate, so I plan to make a few more to donate to Operation Write Home.  I am sure there are some deployed mommies and daddies who would love to send cards home to their kids!

I am working on another challenge card today and will be posting that one tomorrow.  Thanks for stopping by today!

Products Used:

 

Stamp - Unity

Paper - Various sources

Ink - Night of Navy Classic Ink (Stampin' Up!)

Tools: Big Shot; Sizzix Circles #2; Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels Eighteen;

Provo Craft die for stars; Stampin' Up! chalks; various dye inks

Go Ahead, Copy Me!

You know how in school you're not allowed to copy someone else's work?  Well, in cardmaking circles, copying is form of flattery!  There's even an acronym for it: CASE, which stands for Copy and Share Everything.  This doesn't mean you duplicate the card exactly; instead, you use the existing card to springboard your own creativity.  You can replicate the colors, the sentiment, the design, etc., but put your own twist on them and change up a few elements.

Today's card is a CASE for a Splitcoast Stampers challenge.  Once a week, a Featured Stamper is chosen, and those who play in the challenge pick one of the Featured Stamper's cards to CASE.  The original card can be seen here.  This is my CASE of that card:

I kept the basic layout and design of the original card.  I chose a different sentiment from the same set used on the original card.  I also changed the colors, the image and the number of layers. 

I started by sponging several hues of purple and lavender chalks on a panel of white card stock.  I sponged the chalk by rubbing a piece of craft sponge (you could also use a sponge dauber) in my chalk, then rubbing it on the card stock in a circular motion.  I started with my palest lavender shade and gradually added more color, using progressively darker shades of purple.  I stamped my image in White Craft Ink, then covered the ink in white embossing powder and Stampin' Up! Glassy Glaze embossing powder.  (I added the Glassy Glaze because I don't like the way my white embossing powder sets on its own.  If you have a better-quality white EP, you would not need to add Glassy Glaze).  I heat embossed the image, then stamped "Happy Birthday" in Elegant Eggplant Classic Ink.  I adhered this panel to an Elegant Eggplant card base.  In the picture the card base almost looks black, but in reality it's a very deep and rich purple.  It's one of my favorite card stock colors!

This card offers endless possibilities for colors, images and sentiments.  And if you've never tried sponging chalk, I hope you'll give it a try!  Here's a tip: A white eraser can fix most chalk mistakes, which makes it a great medium for perfectionists! 

Here's a list of the Stampin' Up! products I used:

Stampin' Pastels (chalks)

Glassy Glaze

Elegant Eggplant card stock and dye ink

Sentiment - "Elegant Greetings"

Image - "Close as a Memory"

 

 

Thanks for stopping by!  Happy Stamping!