CAS(E) this Sketch! Challenge

I'm trying to step outside my stamping "box" by participating in some online stamping challenges.  This week, I'm going to do a blog series on stamping challenge blogs.  I hope you'll play along with me!

My new friend Shana--who I met at the Stampin' Up convention this summer--is on a bunch of stamping challenge design teams and she plays in the online challenges.  I love Shana's stamping style and I'm glad that she links to all the challenges she participates in so that I could find some new and different challenges.

Today's challenge comes from the CAS(E) this Sketch! blog.  CASE stands for "copy and share everything", but you'll see that the "E" is in parentheses--CAS means clean and simple.  So this challenge blog is all about copying and sharing the clean and simple sketch.  Get it?!  

Here's the sketch for CTS challenge #48.



And here's my creation:

(Stamp Sets: Tags 4 You, Teeny Tiny Wishes; Ink: Basic Black: Markers: Cajun Craze, Tangerine Tango, Summer Starfruit; Card Stock: Cajun Craze, Basic Black, Very Vanilla; Accessories:  Bracket Label, Elegant Butterfly, and Word Window Punches, Stripes Embossing Folder)

I also CASEd a technique that Shana has been using lately on her creations.  To make the background of the top two medallions, I scribbled on my acrylic block with Cajun Craze, Tangerine Tango, and Summer Starfruit markers.  Then I spritzed the block with alcohol and stamped onto Very Vanilla card stock.  

I made the bats using the Elegant Butterfly punch.  No, really! I did!  First, I punched the butterfly.  Then I adhered the butterfly to a post-it note and put it back into the punch and chomped off the bottom party of the butterfly.  (If you search on You Tube, using "elegant butterfly Halloween bat" you'll find at least one how-to video.)

REMINDER:  I'll be selling new and used retired Stampin' Up stamps, inks, papers, tools--and other non-Stampin' Up items at the 3rd Annual Cropmania Fall Scrapbook Indoor Yard Sale on Sunday October 13.  Details below. Hope you'll come out and get some great deals!

HUGE MARKDOWNS AND GREAT DEALS AND BARGAINS!!!
Sunday October 13th
9am-2pm

Elks Lodge #622
2 Pythian Dr (off Rt 2)
Edgewater, MD 21037

51 Tables of Marked Down Scrapbooking/Stamping Supplies!
5 online stores (2-3 tables each), 8 Consultants,  30 ladies with way too much stuff!!!!

$5 at the door to get in

Bottled water and snacks available onsite for purchase.

For more info and directions, go to www.cropmania.com and click on Yardsale.

Happy Halloween Circle Thinlits Card

I've got a quick post for you today.

As I promised, here's the Halloween Card I made with my BFF's Circle Card Thinlits Die.  This one was so quick and easy with the Thinlits Die.  I embossed the right side of the card with my go-to Square Lattice Embossing Folder--I use that EF for just about every card that I want to add a bit of texture to (to which I want to add a bit of texture).  I embossed the "trick or treat" tag with black and "sprinkled" some Tangerine Tango over it using the Gorgeous Grunge set.  And for a little extra interest, I added a teeny tiny strip of Sweater Weather DSP.  I love, love, love that DSP!! Now that it's finally Fall, I'll be using it more often.

(Stamp Sets: Tags 4 You, Gorgeous Grunge; Inks: Basic Black, Tangerine Tango; DSP: Sweater Weather: Accessories: Thinlits Circle Card Die, Bracket Label Punch, Black Embossing Powder, Square Lattice Embossing Folder)

First Three Cards for My Upcoming Christmas Card Class

Following the lead of one of my fave stampers, Lyssa Zwolanek, whom I've mentioned several times in my blog, I'm running a Christmas card making club. I'm designing 3 different Christmas cards each moth and my club members will stamp 4 cards of each design. So, they'll be making 12 cards a month.  We're meeting in August, September, October, and November--and we'll have 48 hand-stamped Christmas cards completed before Thanksgiving!! That's unheard of in my life! I'm going to be stamping along with my club members. Thanks for the terrific idea, Lyssa.

Wanna see the cards? Here are the first three. Don't you wish you were making these, too?

(Stamp Sets: Tag It,Oh Goodie!; Card Stock:  Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler; Inks: Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler; Accessories: Stylish Stripes Embossing Folder, Chalk Talk Framelits; Season of Style Designer Washi Tape, Neutrals Buttons; 2-1/2" Circle Punch; Whisper White Twine)

(Stamp Sets: Lovely As A Tree, Petite Pairs, Wood Grain Background; Card Stock: Pool Party, Island Indigo, Very Vanilla; DSP:  Silver Glimmer Paper, Modern Medley and Winter Frost DSP Stack ; Ink: Pool Party, Island Indigo; Accessories: Northern Flurry Embossing Folder, Circles #2 Die, 1-3/8" Circle Punch, 1-1/2" Circle Punch, 1" Circle Punch, Ribbon Punch, Basic Rhinestones)

(Stamp Sets: Tags 4 You, Wishing You; Card Stock: Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, Whisper White: DSP: Season of Style DSP Stack; Accessories: Thinlits Label Card Die, Polka Dot Embossing Folder; Label Bracket Punch; White Stampin' Chalk Marker)