Paper Funday with CAS-ual Friday Stamps!

 Hi all! Welcome to my monthly design team post for Paper Funday.  Since I am not skilled at using digi stamps I typically don't use the products that our sponsors give us to play with but this time we are sponsored by CAS-ual Fridays and I got to play with a set I've had for a while.  Remember, our challenge is always anything goes, with an optional twist and this month the option is Thanks/Grateful.  I am thankful and grateful for coffee, so my card fits both using the sponsors products and the optional theme!  

I used a white card base and cut out a brown border using a die from Lawn Fawn.  I stamped the sentiment using the CAS-ual Friday Coffee Talk stamp set using my favorite black ink and the word coffee using Hero Arts Cocoa Ink {I received the ink in a My Monthly Hero kit and it isn't available separately right now} right on the card.  I finished by cutting the coffee cup out of Your Next Stamp's paper pad Crazy for Coffee {if you look close you can see there is a tiny coffee bean with the word coffee circling it that makes the pattern - too cute!} and the coffee out of light brown card.  I popped the cup up with dimensional dots and added some iridescent pearls I had in my stash. 

You still have plenty of time to join in and play with Paper Funday this month - who knows, you just might win some goodies! Thanks so much for stopping by & see you soon! Christi  

I am entering my card in the following challenges:
CAS on Friday, #217 - Coffee
Ellibelle's Corner - Use Die Cuts and/or Punches
Allsorts Challenge, #648 - Add a Sentiment
Creative Fingers Challenge, #218 - Anything Goes
A Bit More Time to Craft Extra - Anything Goes
DL Art - Anything Goes

CAS on Friday's Inspiration Photo

 

Birthday Wishes for You

My very best friend is a little over a year older than I am and she is fighting aging like a spitfire!  She's trying all manner of treatments {not going to go into that, you can imagine!} to hold back the hands of time.  We are incredibly different in that aspect; I don't do anything special since I've begun to age.  I refuse to color my hair, although I'm sure it would make me look younger, no shots of chemicals in my face, no special wrinkle creams - none of that for me! This year I made a birthday card that would remind her of her {our} younger years when we both were figure skaters.  I actually had a blue skating outfit like the the girl on the card is wearing.  I also included some little trinkets that will hopefully brighten her day and remind her that getting older really isn't THAT bad.

What I Used to Make my Card:
White Card Base

Watercolor Paper {I use this}

Zig Clean Brush Markers
Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black
MFT/Die-Namics Pure Innocence stamp, Have an Ice Day
MFT/Die-Namics Pure Innocence die, Have an Ice Day
MFT/Die-Namics Stitched Oval STAX
Lawn Fawn Bayou Backdrop, #LF1624
Metallic Blue Card
Find it Trading, Jeanine's Art, Frosty Ornaments Paper Pack, #JPP10006
Your Next Stamp, What Not Sentiments Four, #CYNS-172
Hero Arts Ink in Amethyst 

My skater was stamped on watercolor paper and colored using my Zigs.  The blades of her skates are silver gel pen just to add some sparkle.  While she was drying, I cut a panel of the background paper and attached it to the white card base.  Then I used the Bayou Backdrop's water die to make my iced-over pond which I cut from a metallic, light blue, paper.  I stamped the sentiment onto some white card, cut it out with the oval die, and then proceeded to attach all my components to the card.  I think it's really cute!  Coloring the skater was an experience; I'm trying to get used to coloring people and, while I didn't use alcohol markers, I don't think any practice can hurt!

I hope you enjoyed my tutorial.  The Pure Innocence line of stamps and dies are just so cute and the uses for the characters are endless!  Plus, they are fairly inexpensive.  Now that you have heard all about my best friend's war against time, what do you do to try to stop the clock?  Are you an anything and everything person or like me, a nothing at all person?  I'd love to hear your comments!  Be sure to leave your info so I can stop by your blog and leave you some love!  In fact,  I'd love for you to follow me on any social media platform you choose, be it Blogger, Pinterest, or Instagram.  All the subscribing buttons can be found on the right side of my blog.  Have a wonderful day!  Christi

I am entering my Birthday Wishes for You card in the following challenges:
The Artistic Stamper - M, Anything Goes
Just for Fun - M, Use Blue & Silver
Sweet Stampers - #28, Winter/Snow
Creatalicious - #155, Anything Goes w/ Option of Winter Fun
Die Cuttin' Diva's - #403, Birthday
Stamping Sensations - Fabulously Feminine 
My Time to Craft - #388, Winter Birthday
Crafty Catz - #444, Anything Goes w/ Optional Twist of Birthdays
Cut it Up - #165, How's the Weather? {my skater is outside in the cold!}
Double D Challenges - Looking Back in Time
Bastel-Traum - #73, Stencil and/or Die

A Birthday Card for Lexie

I belong to a bunch of Facebook groups and in one of them there was a post looking for birthday cards for a girl named Lexie.  She was turning 21 and suffers from autism; the poster asked everyone who could to send her a card.  I had just gotten another bunch of unbranded dies in the mail {every day is a holiday when you order dies from China - you never know what you are going to get on any given day!} so I decided to use them to make Lexie's card.

What I Used to Make my Card:
White Card Base
Shimmer Pink Card
Pink, Blue, Light Green, Green, Coral and Yellow Cardstock
Unbranded Dies {all of the Frames}
Sue Wilson Dies, Blushing Rose, #CED1448
Your Next Stamp Whatnot Sentiments Four, #CYNS-172
Hero Arts Ink in Bubble Gum

I had so much fun making this card! It is completely out of my comfort zone to mix and match dies from different sets and manufacturers and I was honestly surprised at how well this card came out.

My favorite parts are the roses and leaves.  I used light green for the top of the leaves and a darker green on the bottom; the roses have a light pink shimmer card on the top and a darker pink on the bottom.  I am just thrilled at how cool they look!

The card is fairly self explanatory - I cut the dies, layered them and attached them to the card.  I stamped the sentiment and nestled that in the center.  Easy peasy!  Lexie should be getting this card in a few days and I hope she likes it! 

If you'd like specific information on the products I used, drop me an email using the "Contact Me' form on the right side of this blog.  I hope you and yours are enjoying the weather - it's been so hot out here in Colorado we are breaking records!  AND PLEASE remember to bring your animals inside after dark for the next few days; fireworks can traumatize an animal so badly that they'll run until they get lost, run into traffic or even pass away from fright.  Let's all have a wonderful 4th of July {and a belated Happy Canada day!} - Fondly, Christi

I am entering my Birthday Card for Lexie in the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
The Crafty Addicts - M, #49, Anything Goes Option: Say it with Flowers
Incy Wincy - Flowers
Scrapbook Stamp Society - M, #144, Anything Goes, Option Use Dies and/or Punches
Dies-R-Us - #100 Anything Goes using Dies Carried by DRU
Lost Coast Portal - #56, Something Beginning with B {Birthday}
a2z Scrapbooking - M, Birthday Bash
Always Happy Birthday - M, Happy Birthday

Keep Calm. . .

For years I couldn't drink coffee - my stomach just didn't approve of it, so I drank tea 'cause, you know, I need my caffeine.  I also have a huge addictive personality {just one look at my craft room will tell you that!} so if I made a pot of coffee, I drank the entire pot {this was before the single serve coffee pots came out}.  The good thing is, I can drink coffee again!  I've been a bit crazy buying coffee stamps and these are one of my new acquisitions - I LOVE them and I hope you do, too!

What I Used to Make my Card:
White Card Base
STAMPlorations Stamp Set, What's Brewing, #STMP1353
Tutti Designs Stitched Nesting Rectangles, #TUTTI-217
Your Next Stamp 6" x 6" Paper Pad, Crazy for Coffee, #YNSPP011
Versafine Ink in Onyx Black
Clean Color Marker, Beige
Distress Ink in Ground Espresso

This was a quick and easy card to make; doesn't take much time at all.  I stamped the coffee cups, using the 'to go' cups, facing each other, on white card using the onyx ink.  Then I colored the holders with a Clean Color marker in beige.  I stamped the sentiment under the cups using the Distress Ink and then

Another Look

cut out the rectangle using a die.

I trimmed a piece of plaid paper from the Crazy for Coffee paper pad, mounted the stamped card onto that, then mounted the entire thing onto a white card.  That's it!  I think this would make a great masculine card {you know how difficult it is to make those!} as well as the perfect card to give any coffee lover.

Thanks for visiting and leaving comments - I do read each and every one of them and I appreciate them SO much!  Don't forget to follow me and, if you do, leave me a note so I can follow you back - again, thank you for stopping by! Christi

I am entering my Keep Calm card in the following challenges:
STAMPlorations - M, April, Focus on the Sentiment
STAMPlorations Never Ending Anything Goes
Moving Along with the Times - #68, Food and/or Drink
Mod Squad Challenge - Simply Clean & Simple
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - M, April, Anything Goes
NEW CHALLENGE Crafts Dreamy - M, Mood Board {Coffee!!}