Life's a Beach

I am soaking up summer as long as I can, even though it is hurricane season and we all wish there was not such a thing. I went with nautical colors for my stenciled beach tote card for our Just Us Girls #790 Stencil Week. Nautical/beachy things don't go away when summer ends, right?

I used:

Papertrey Ink - Beach Bag Stencils

Simon Says Stamp - Life's a Beach die

Pink Fresh Studio - Diagonal Stitched Rectangles

Lawn Fawn - Scalloped Treat Box Beach House Add-On dies (anchor)

I practiced with the stencils to find the colors I wanted to use, then made my final panel. (The card base and sentiment die cuts are navy, not black like they look in the photo.) Next I die cut it to add the rope-y texture to the edges. Then I die cut the sentiment and adhered it to a vellum strip. For an extra beachy detail I added a little red anchor next to the sentiment. 

We hope you will get out your stencils and make something this week for our challenge...they tend to be quicker cards and who doesn't like to pull the stencil off to reveal the results? It's a little like magic.

See you in the gallery?

Carol

Great times - Best Friends

I'm back again with a special "card" in book style. Our Time Out Challenge #296 is a Theme Challenge about Friendship, Encouragement, Support. These seem like common sentiments many of us have, so join us in the gallery! Stop by the team's blogs to learn about their cards, too.

Our wonderful sponsor, Claire Brennan Designs, has generously offered this fabulous stamp set as a prize for our Challenge Winner, who will also get an invitation to join us as Guest Designer for a future challenge.

Also, we are joined by LeAnne Pugliese of weeinklings, and winner of Time Out #291 as Guest Designer. Be sure to check her blog post for all of the details on her card!

About my card: I used The Stamp Market Book die, Sunny Studio Loopy Letter Lower dies, and a "vintage" sentiment stamp (inside) from either Michael's or Joann Fabrics and an Altenew Obisidan black ink pad. I used several pink and gold matte cardstocks for the card, letters and other details. There are gold letters behind the pink ones to give a shimmery shadow effect. The card is about 3.5" x 5" and I made mine open by adding a folded strip inside and covered it with the white "page."

We look forward to having you play along!

Carol

You're a Lifesaver

If you know me you are aware that I love beachy things, so the Inspired By #IB350 challenge photo grabbed my attention quickly. I have blue fish plates about the size of the ones in the photo, too. Amy's card was also too cute not to get mine out to play with the fish. I used the photo and the sketch for my  5" x 7" card. I made my own life preservers to get the right size for my water ballet trio to swim through...lol. The green in my card is from the lime slices on one of the plates.

Products I used:

The Stamp Market - Fintastic stamp and die set, You're a lifesaver stamp and die set

GinaK - Detailed white embossing powder

Concord  9th - Dew Drop Assortment

Simon Says Stamp - Circle dies

P.S. I am not giving up on summer things until the end of September when it is officially fall!

Carol

Hi

Our Just Us Girls MoodBoard #789 gave me lots of ideas using a black background, bright colors and some writing on it. I saw these cards on Pinterest, with no source naming the creator, and decided to CASE them.

I used: 

Stampin' Up! - Speech Bubbles dies

My Favorite Things - Love Speech Bubbles dies

Lawn Fawn - Henry's ABC's dies

This moodboard gives us lots of jumping off points for a card. I have made a few chalkboard cards in the past, as Ina has this week. If you are in back to school mode, this card is about the kids all getting reacquainted after summer break. Apples always make a fun card, like Lisa's pretty one.

I should make pastel and patterned versions of my card while I have these dies out. But for now, how will you take this moodboard and create something new? Check out the team's blogs, as well as our guest Julia's.

Thanks for stopping by,

Carol

A Tini Bit Older

This week at Just Us Girls it is Word Week and the word is Birthday! Isn't that the topic we all started making cards for, birthday? Stop by and see all of the ideas we have for you, then join us!

Products I used: 

Spellbinders - Ciao die set, Christmas Cocktails die set

Alex Syberia - Foxtrot Alphabet die set

Sunny Studio - Loopy Letters Lower die set

Get out your birthday products and make a fu birthday card for someone. We can't wait to see what you create!

Thanks for stopping in,

Carol

You Make Life Sweet

I love breakfast food (for any meal of the day) and the Time Out Challenges #295 Photo Inspiration was all I needed to get out some dies to make one of my favorite breakfast treats: a crisp waffle, and why not some tea with lemon. The only thing better than a waffle for me is an almond croissant!

Photo credit: Jenny Martin,  Queenscliff Harbour, Victoria, Australia - July 2024

Our wonderful sponsor, lawn fawn, is generously offering a $25 store credit as a prize to our Challenge Winner as chosen by the Design Team.  Our winner will also get invited to join us as Guest Designer for a future challenge.

We are joined by Kathy Schweinfurth of Stamps at Play, and winner of Time Out #290 as Guest Designer.  

What I used:

Erin Lee Creative - Waffle dies

My Favorite Things - Creature Comforts dies

Picket Fence - A2 Pierced Blanket Cover Plate die

Spellbinders - Dish it up dies

Paper Smooches - You Make Life Sweet stamp set

Altenew - Osidian black ink pad

Hero Arts - Hero Hues Core ink pads

Concord & 9th - mini ink pads

Vellum

Silver card stock

Twine

Take a minute to visit the blogs of our DT, as well as that of our guest Kathy, for some really creative inspiration. We hope you will join us using something you see in the photo...the concept, the colors, the elements, the surroundings. Can't wait to see your cards!

Carol Mc

Love You

I have CASEd a geometric circle card by Laura Bassen and another by Joan Bardee before, but the Inkspirational Challenge #347 Mood Board called out to me to make another version. 

I used:

Simon Says Stamp - Love You Like stamp set, Love You dies

Stampin' Up! - Circle punch

Altenew - Obsidian black ink pad

Sequins

I really just need to get the dies that Laura uses, but instead I punch circles and cut them in half and quarters. It's like putting together a puzzle. This design creates an optical illusion with the lighter "square" that appears. That's what always brings me back to this layout.

Hope your weekend is off to a great start! Thanks for looking!

Carol

Sending a Dash of Magic

For this month's CASE It Instagram Hop I CASEd Joan Bardee, @dearpaperlicious on Instagram. She has such a clean style that is a hit every time. For our hop each month, we find someone on Instagram to CASE and showcase their card with ours. I hardly deserve to have my card next to hers. I took her layout idea from her card on the left and raised the cutout ornament panel like she did. I also put the detail die cuts down into the recessed areas on foam tape. I changed the colors, layout and ornaments used, as well as the sentiment. I adore her colorways used on her cards.

Joan's beautiful cards

I used:

Spellbinders - Vintage Layered Ornament die set, Stay Snuggly stamp and die set

Altenew - Obsidian black ink pad

Sequins

Head on over to Instagram to my account: https://www.instagram.com/sawithadtomakeit/ to start hopping. The cards are lots of fun.

Thanks for looking!

Carol

You Make Me Smile

It is Die Week #787 at Just Us Girls and Elizabeth has chosen Florals as the specific kind of dies we need to use. I made a card and just wasn't happy with it, so I started over last minute with something completely different. I wanted my flowers to really pop, so I used black and white elements with the pinks and greens floral die cuts in a newsprint-wrapped bouquet. 

Be sure to check out all of the great ideas the team has for you, including our lovely guest this month, Julie Beech.

Also playing at Color Throwdown.

I used: 

Concord & 9th - Weekend Market dies

Pretty Pink Posh - Encouraging Greetings stamp set

Altenew - Obsidian black ink pad

Paper scraps

I die cut to my heart's content and put it all together into this simple scene. Believe it or not, arranging die cut little flowers and greenery is just like real florals. I had to keep moving the them around so they would look pretty and not cover up the others.

We can't wait to see your floral projects in our gallery this week. Join us!

Carol

Waving Hello

I am excited to be joining the Gorgeous Gift Tags Instagram Hop on the 5th of each month. We are a group of crafty friends who just love to create gift tags. This month the optional theme is Travel/Vacation. I went with a well-traveled Santa, relaxing at an undisclosed beach on December 26th each year. This is my 2025 Christmas in July project too. I wanted to make something Christmas-y after seeing/being inspired by others' December holiday projects this month. Here is the tag I made at the end of July.

Products I used:

Spellbinders - Dancin' St. Nick die set

My Favorite Things - All Occasion Icons die set, Snow Swirls Cover-up die

Reverse Confetti - Tag die (with the wave shape at the bottom)

Hero Arts - Seas the Day Seagulls stamp set

Altenew - Obsidian black ink pad

Concord & 9th - Mini ink pad

Ranger - Distress Oxide ink pads

Lawn Fawn - Palm Trees die set

Gold card stock

Twine

I had to create custom swim trunks (with his signature belt) from Santa's suit that comes in the die set by cutting them freehand and die cutting his body, legs and arms out of the same color of card stock as his face. 

I found a cocktail glass in another set but still used his list from the St. Nick set. He is making notes on his list for next Christmas. 

I also omitted his hat since it is too warm at the beach to wear it.  

The double meaning sentiment made me smile because he is by the ocean waves and is waving to the world from his happy place.

If you would like to hop along with us, you can jump over to Instagram on my account: https://www.instagram.com/sawithadtomakeit/ and proceed from there.

Carol