Oceans of Love

I have hoarded this card stock long enough...the colors, texture, and glittery details are so pretty in person. I used it for the blue(s), and light and dark greens for the Color Throwdown Challenge #829. I wish you could see all the sparkle on the shells!

I used Papertrey Ink's Summer Shells dies as well as Spellbinder's Seahorse and Sand Dollar die set. I used Distress Oxide ink in Tumbled Glass to shade the shells and "weather" the frame. The card stock is Sea Glass Shell Squares Embossed Glitter Specialty Paper from maybe Joanne Fabrics? My dark green stamped sentiment is from the Flora and Fauna Mermaid Love stamp set. The dark green and blue droplets are Tim Holtz Idea-ology and the shadow box/curio frame is The Greetery.

I assembled the panel and adhered it to an A2 top folding card base. I may display this one in my craft room.

Thanks for stopping,

Carol

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

It took a while to figure out my card for Craft Roulette #260 this weekend but it finally evolved into a shaped card: an envelope full of postage stamps so Santa could respond to letters from kids. The CR parameters are:

Project: Envelope

Colors: Toys

Element: Children's Story

Random: List(s)

My take on them is obviously the envelope card base, the toy colors like wagons, fire trucks and matchbox cars in red and green, the children's story is Santa Claus is Comin' to Town by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie (click on the title to go to a reading of the book), and the list Santa is reading to see who was naughty or nice.

Products I used:

Spellbinders Envelope of Wonder die set

My Favorite Things Jingle All The Way stamp set

Waffle Flower Postage Collage Love stamp set, Postage Collage Coloring set

Honey Bee Stamps Country Christmas Wreath stamp and die sets

Pink and Main Large Sentiment Strip dies

Simon Says Stamp Peace Joy Hope Love stencil, Stitched circle die

Stamper's Anonymous Pines Layering stencil, Element Stencils Festive Art

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Droplets-Christmas

Copic markers

Wink of Stella pen

Altenew Obsidian black ink pad

Joanne Fabrics red card stock with foil dots

I die cut and assembled the envelope, then cut the envelope base on a 5" x 7" white card base. The envelope was adhered to the card base.

I die cut the postage, stencils it and stamped the postage on it.

Next, I die cut the pine branches and stamped and colored Santa with Copic markers. I added sparkle to his hat with Wink of Stella pen. I die cut Santa with a stitched circle die and added the droplets.

Last, I stamped the sentiment and die cut it with a banner die.

I was going to have Santa on the circle be on a lined sheet of "paper" as a way to pull up the list out of the envelope, but decided to CASE my card from last Christmas with. postage in the envelope peeking out.

Well, here's one 2025 Christmas card ready to go!

Check out Craft Roulette's gallery for this challenge...there are so many great ideas!

Thanks for stopping in,

Carol

Thinking of You

I have been admiring the cards lately that are stenciled on a perforated panel. My A2 Piercing Plate die from Ellen Hutson gives the same effect, so I got out my stencils and blending brushes to try out the technique. Color Throwdown #829 is using blue, lime and green which was just the color I have been wanting to stencil the berries!

Products I used:

Papertrey Ink Berry Branches stencil set

Ellen Hutson A2 Piercing Plate 2

Concord and 9th Thinking of You stamp set

Altenew Obsidian black ink pad

Avery Elle Wonky Scalloped Frames

Concord and 9th, Hero Arts and Stampin' Up! stamp pads

Pretty Pink Posh sequins (clear but photographed grey)

All I did was die cut, stencil and stamp. Simple! I fell in love with the challenge graphic and would love some wallpaper just like it.

Thanks for taking a look!

Carol

Happy Birthday

Our Just Us Girls Challenge #768 is Anything Goes with a Stencil. I needed a card for my daughter's upcoming birthday and she loves pink and gold. This is my first time playing with this stencil set and I love using it!

Products I used:

Papertrey Ink - Berry Branches stencil set

Simon Says Stamp - Circle Sayings stamp set

Pink Fresh Studio - Braided Circles dies

Lawn Fawn - Henry's ABCs dies

Distress Oxide ink pad

Concord and 9th - mini ink pads

I really love this berry stencil set...super easy to use and nice, sturdy stencils. I didn't want to cover up the stenciling too much, so I made my sentiment fit on one circle. I backed the circle with gold vellum and punched a few hearts from it as well. 

Check out the team's cards on their blogs as well as that of our guest Jeanne Jachna, who has been a fabulous guest all month.

See you in the gallery!

Carol

Let's Fly Away

Our latest Time Out Challenge #285 is an "Inspired By" theme: Your Favorite Movie. I thought this was going to be a hard challenge and I know I have said that many a movie was "my favorite ever" at some point. Recently I decided to watch one from a long time ago and realized that it is not only on my top favorites list, but I chose to make a card about it.

I may or may not have cried a few times during this one because of the sentimental points it makes. The scenery is amazing and you can't finish the movie and not want to travel to Tuscany on the next flight going there. 

We also have Ginger Williams of Andora's Stamping Studio for this challenge. Be sure to check out her card and blog as well as those of our design team who make a great effort to inspired you for our challenges.

Products I used:

Waffle Flower - Postal Collage die

La La Land - outryside Designer Paper Pack

Simon Says Stamp - Summer Sentiment Strips

Scrap of "sun" patterned paper

I die cut four white rectangle postage stamps, then used the same die to cut here and there from my paper pack. I trimmed the patterned ones so that the white postage edge would show around them. I adhered them together.

I chose some sun patterned paper as a mat for my white mini slimline card base. I adhered the mat and stamps to the card, then chose a sentiment. The theme of the movie was a fresh start in another part of the world, so I chose Let's Fly Away.

Our kind sponsor this month is Claire Brennan of Claire Brennan Design and Illustration (Former owner of Waltzinghouse Stamps). As a prize she is offering her Mid Mod City 4 X 8 Stamp set. Our winner will also be invited to be a future guest designer!

We hope to see your favorite movies via your creative cards in our gallery!! Thanks so much for stopping by.

Carol

Hoppy Easter - Your Paper Insider

I was the lucky recipient of a box of specialty papers from Your Paper Insider a while back...and this is my second card using these fabulous sheets of vellum, solid core cardstock, glitter paper, shimmery pink vellum-y paper, in addition to confetti and holographic papers. There are also handmade papers from Japan and a sheet of cold-pressed watercolor paper! My card today uses only their papers except for the blue sky cardstock from my stash.

The dies I used are an older club set from Spellbinders called Hello Peeps, the sentiment is from a stamp set from Simon Says Stamp called Hoppy Easter, and I used my Pink and Main banner die to cut out my sentiment. All the white cardstock you see on this card is a gorgeous glitter paper that does not shed. Can you see how smooth the papers are? They are sturdy too!

Check out their subscription boxes and watch a video on their website to see how some of the paper are made and sourced. They are great to work with, I promise!

Thanks for stopping by,

Carol

Thanks a Gazillion

Here is a different style card I made using new dies I got on sale a while back. For Craft Roulette #259 I CASEd this round easel card after keeping it in mind for a long time from The Stamp Market's shop samples. The "funn" parameters this week were:

Project: Card with two folds

Colors: Jelly Beans

Element: Math

Random: Use markers

My use of them was this easel card, with the round card base (one fold) and the fold on the top of the card base (second fold) which has a circle attached for embellishing/stamping. Then the Easter jelly bean colors, counting up to a gazillion, and I used a Wink of Stella pen/marker on the yellow pieces of my card for sparkle.

Products I used:

The Stamp Market - Succulents die set

Stampin' Up! - Really Retro stamp set

Simon Says Stamp - Circle dies

Pink and Main - Banner dies

Wink of Stella pen/marker

Card stock scraps

Foam squares

I made a square card base then used a circle die, overlapping/extending the die off the edge of the fold about 1/4 " to keep the folded edge intact. Then I cut another circle of the same size. Next, I scored the top of the card base in half. The single circle got glued to half of the scored card base front. (see the second photo).

I assembled my plants and adhered them on the card front, then stamped and die cut the sentiment, popping it up on foam squares so that it could hold the decorated circle in place like an easel.

The card folds flat and fits in an A2 envelope!

It was kind of a quick card and I'd like to make some more of these! I like a card that can be displayed on a desk or shelf.

It was a good set of parameters and I had time to enter it this week!! See you soon and thanks for stopping by!

Carol

From Me to You

Our moodboard week #767 is here at Just Us Girls and it is all about spring. Look closely and you will see a bunny, a lamb, different flowers, a pretty floral-decorated cake, eggs, a cabbage pitcher, a butterfly, a heart, and much more for your inspiration. I took the yellow-centered flowers from the cake and green leaves, then added a touch of spring pink to my square card. Some quick embroidery and added gems and this project was complete!

Products I used:

Altenew - Blooming Flower Bed Builder Stencil set

Spellbinders - Stitched U die

My Favorite Things - Well, Hello stamp set

Concord and 9th - Mini ink pads

Ranger - Distress Oxide ink pads

VersaMagic - Cloud White Archival chalk ink pad

Pretty Pink Posh - gems

DMC - Embroidery floss

First I stenciled on a square medium-green panel with white ink to see how it would show up on colored cardstock. When I saw that it did show up, I continued to use the stencil layers to create a background. 

Next, I die cut the "U" twice on white cardstock and its shadow once in pink. I glued the two white U die cuts together for sturdiness and embroidered using a green that matched the stenciling. I added pink gems when I was done stitching.

I stamped part of a sentiment so that my "U" completed the message.

After cutting a green mat for the stenciled piece, I adhered the sentiment and "U" to it. I cut a 5" square card base and adhered my completed panel onto it.

Like I said earlier, there are so many elements to our moodboard to inspire your card. Can't wait to see you in our gallery!

Carol

Luckytini

I am CASEing myself from a Valentini card I made. There are a lot of green drinks if you click here, suitable for St. Patrick's Day. There are mocktails too! Here is my Luckytini card that I made it for the Inspired By Challenge #IB327 where I was inspired by the shamrocks, pretty green colors and party vibes! (The recipe for this one has pineapple juice and Midori...my kinda flavors!) I'm also playing along at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Bit O' Green and Word Power March Challenge.

Products I used:

Sizzix with Stampin' Up! - Bigz Alphabet Simple Letters, Owl punch (hearts)

Spellbinders - Olive Martini dies

Gold card stock

White glitter card stock

The whole card was just die cutting. I made my own shamrock with tiny hearts and a fussy cut stem. The challenge photo insinuated a party and that's where I went. Hope you don't get pinched!

Carol

Summertime

I know it's early to be talking about summer, but spring break is coming up soon and I can't wait to get out my tropical stash. Our Just Us Girls Challenge #766 is Word Week: Green. This can be something that means green like money, luck, envy, new beginnings, or just use of the color itself. I was having a hard time deciding what to make but then I saw this monstera leaf in my big die drawer and got an idea.

Do be sure to check out the team's cards and blogs, and that of our talented guest designer this month, Jeanne Jachna!

Products I used:

Sizzix: Tropical Leaf Bigz die

Simon Says Stamp: Summertime die, Holographic sequins mix

Stampin' Up!: Embossing folder

The Crafter's Workshop: Sea Creatures 12" x 12" stencil

Ranger: Distress and. Distress Oxide ink pads

Concord and 9th: Mini ink pads

I got the idea for stenciling the monstera die cut with the scallop shell part of my big stencil. I used three green inks to stay with the JUGS challenge. I had to move the stencil around to cover the whole leaf, so I covered up the overlap with my sentiment.

To add some bling I grabbed some textured gold cardstock and die cut my sentiment. This die cuts the square and letters at the same time. Once I embossed my background, I knew I wanted to see what the letters would look like with the same embossing, so I embossed a second piece of white cardstock. I adhered the gold square, with letters in place, to my monstera leaf. Then I adhered the white letters on top of the gold ones.

Last, I added a few sequins for some bling. I'm pleased with the result. I can't wait to make more in other colors! 

Can't wait to see your creations in our gallery!

Carol

Leave a Little Sparkle

Well, the Academy Awards and other similar shows have come and gone, but we are having a special red carpet moment at Time Out Challenges. I always wanted to try to attend/work the Academy Awards when I still lived in California. You could be a seat filler...take the place of a star who left his/her seat temporarily. (They don't like the look of empty seats on camera.) Looking back, I really should have tried to do it. Time Out Challenge #284 can be as simple as a red rug in a room, to just using elegant colors such as red, black and gold here. 

Our generous sponsor Picket Fence is offering a $25.00 store credit to the winner of this challenge and that person will also be invited to be our guest designer for a future challenge!

Products I used: 

Julie Nutting Mixed Media Doll Stamp #1

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Small Talk Phrases

Red rhinestones

Gold wrapping paper

Stampin' Up! Chalks 

Altenew Obsidian Black ink pad

I looked online for a pattern for a folded paper dress and found one! I stamped the top of the dress and fussy cut it. I printed the skirt and traced it onto the back of my gold wrapping paper, then folded the pleats.

To dress her in her fancy gown I stamped the top half only of the girl on tan cardstock and fussy her, then colored her with chalks. I added red rhinestone "rubies" around her waist for bling.

Last, I cut a black background and a red carpet for her to stand on to be photographed by the paparazzi.

The dress folds flat to mail in an envelope. The wrapping paper that I used for her dress is thin and pliable for folding purposes.

The design team and our fabulous guest Carol Mayne have made some wonderful creatioins for your inspiration, so check out their posts for all the details. We hope you will join us for this fun, elegant occasion! See you in the galllery?

Carol

 

Be a Pineapple

I love this sentiment and I love postage dies, so it was a marriage made in heaven to put them together. I am playing along with Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Use your favorite technique. I love die cutting and make mostly die cut cards these days. Here's a peek...

All I did was die cut patterned papers with my postage collage die, then cut the rectangles with my paper cutter just inside the stitched line on each of the postage "stamps." 

I die cut a postage collage out of white cardstock and adhered the patterned paper rectangles to the same-size stamps. I like the look of each stamp having a white border/frame like real postage stamps. 

I didn't have a postage stamp the size of my sentiment or it would have been stamped inside one as well. Then I cut apart the stamps from the one-piece collage and arranged them on my card front. I popped up the sentiment, which I matted with gold cardstock.

Products I used:

Waffle Flower - Postage Collage die

Bossy Joscie - Stamp

Patterned paper scraps (some with gold accents)

Simon Says Stamp - Intense black ink pad

I enjoy masking off postage dies and ink blending, stamping, adding die cuts or patterned paper in the postage "stamps." What a fun  and popular concept that was started not that long ago!

The post office should ask current cardmakers to design their stamps...there are so many great designs out there and I know Waffle Flower is planning more.

See you soon,

Carol

Tag/Bookmark Birthday Card

This week our sweet Carol Mayne is hostess and the challenge is Anything Goes with a Die - Birthday card at Just Us Girls #765. We have a new Guest Designer, Jeanne Jachna, for the month of March. Be sure to check out her amazing work on her blog as well as each of our team members!

I was given some dies by a friend and I had already been looking at the whole suite of books and shelves, stencils, dies and stamp sets. I decided to play with the dies today and ended up with this card with a detachable tag/bookmark on a birthday theme. I was excited to find teeny tiny sentiment stamps in my stash that fit perfectly on the spines of the books. The card comes with a little birthday gift for a reading fan.

Products I used:

Waffle Flower - Cat-a-log die (books)

My Favorite Things - Mini Messages stamp set

Hero Arts - Infinity dies: tags

Your Paper Insider - Blush cardstock (super smooth and nice sturdiness)

Altenew - Obsidian Black ink pad

Concord and 9th - mini ink pads

Lawn Fawn - woodgrain cardstock

Black fine point Sharpie

Scotch Post-it tape (for masking)

I die cut the tag, books and shelves. I ink blended all of it, masking off each book from the next. Using more Post-it tape, I masked off the strips on the edge of the books. I stamped the birthday greetings on the books and added some black lines to a few books with a Sharpie. Creating each book took the most time. In case you can't read what the books are titled:

Amazing

(heart)

birthday

My best friend

From me to you

Beautiful

Let's Celebrate

Smile

Gorgeous Girl

 Love

I adhered the shelves and books to the tag and added some iridescent sequin "cord " to the top of the tag.

I cut the blush mat for the A2 white card base with this great quality, smooth cardstock from Your Paper Insider, then cut mini strips in the same colors as the books. I adhered the strips to the center of the blush mat.

Not sure how I will attach the tag temporarily to the card so it can be removed to use as a bookmark. My temporary tape runner ran out so...I guess I need to get a refill.

For this challenge, we have two easy-peasy 'rules' for you to follow to put you in the running to be selected as a Winner of the Week or highlighted for a Shout out.

1. Your card must be a birthday card.

2. You must use at least one die that is birthday-themed: a sentiment, cake, candles, balloons, party hats, and so on.  

See you soon,

Carol