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!) 

How Many Circles Do You See?

Happy Thursday!  Wow, the past week has just flown right by and I've had very little crafting time.  We've had two major snowstorms which have resulted in many, many snow days at my house.  I figured snow days would mean plenty of crafting time, but I've hardly had a moment to step foot in my craft room!  My kids have had a blast playing in the snow and it's been fun to have the whole family home together, but I'm glad the snow is starting to melt and we're getting back to our routine again.

I created this card for three challenges.  The Try a New Technique challenge at Splitcoast Stampers this week asks us to use circles on a card.  The Teapot Tuesday challenge (also at Splitcoast Stampers) asked us to use circles while drawing inspiration from this week's tea set.  And for the first time ever, I am entering the weekly challenge (Week 61) at Pixie's Crafty Workshop because I used snippets of scraps from my craft drawer for several pieces on this card.  Those girls with their snippets are such a hoot, and I'm so glad I get to join them this week!

Here's my card:

Another view, which hopefully shows the inlaid embossing better:

This card uses one of my favorite techniques, the inlaid embossing technique.  I saw a card using the technique with solid-colored circles on Pinterest, so I drew my inspiration for my background circles from that card, which can be seen HERE.  I love it when I can CASE (Copy and Share Everything) a card or idea and change it a bit to create something of my own!

I started by die cutting several circles out of snippets of paper from one of my favorite matstacks.  I adhered them to a piece of pale purple card stock, then ran the entire panel through my Big Shot and the Square Lattice embossing folder.  I embossed a piece of shimmery pale purple paper with the Spots and Dots embossing folder, then adhered that over the circles.  I attached the entire piece to an Elegant Eggplant card base.  I stamped the verse in Elegant Eggplant on Natural White card stock, then die cut it and attached it to a die cut piece of Elegant Eggplant.  I attached this panel using Stampin' Dimensionals.  I added several sizes of pearls to the circles on the shimmery pale purple panel for a final "circles" touch.

I've lost count of how many circles are on this card!  Too many?  I hope not!  

I have a couple of square cards that I'm finishing up today.  I'm planning to post them tomorrow, so I hope you'll visit again soon.  Thanks for stopping by!

Products Used:

Stamp: Scripture Series 3 (Our Daily Bread Designs)

Ink: Elegant Eggplant (Stampin' Up!)

Paper: Latte Matstack (DCWV); Elegant Eggplant card stock (Stampin' Up!); Classic Crest Natural White (Neenah); shimmery pale purple paper (from a scrap bag at cutcardstock.com); 

pale purple card stock (unknown)

Tools and Accessories: Nestabilities Standard Circles Large (Spellbinders); Square Lattice embossing folder (Stampin' Up!); Nestabilities Labels One (Spellbinders); Spots and Dots embossing folder (Provo Craft); 

pearls (KaiserCraft)