White-on-White

Today's CAS Challenge from SCS is CAS174 - White-on-white.  I have made several cards using white-on-white and I love the look - so clean and fresh!  Today I made two cards for this challenge ... one is a spring card and the other, a Christmas card ... I know, I know ... it's a bit early for me to start my Christmas cards, but I had this idea in my head and had to try it out!  :)

The first card uses a fun layout that I CASED from mamamostamps at SCS ... just love this CAS layout and plan to use it again!  I paper pieced the daisies.

"Trio of Gingham Daisies"

Stamps:  Daisies for Her (Clear Dollar Stamps Digital Images by Lisa Lara)
Paper:  White Cardstock (C.C. Designs); Pumpkin Pie polka-dot DP (SU!); yellow gingham (Making Memories)
Accessories & Tools:  Pumpkin Pie button, Lemondrop Twine (The Twinery), glue, adhesives, and dimensionals

I printed off my image and sentiment from my computer.  I printed the image twice more - once on yellow gingham paper, once on Pumpkin Pie polka-dot DP.  I cut out the flowers, and layered the orange centers on top of the yellow daisies and then glued them onto my card front.

I mounted all the pieces as shown in the photo above, popping up the main panel and adding the banners, button and twine.

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No stamping on this card ... just dry embossing and die-cuts.

"Snow Scene"

Paper:  White cardstock (C.C. Designs); Night of Navy cardstock (SU!)

Accessories & Tools:  Big Shot, Oval die-cuts (Spellbinders), Modern Landscape die-cut (Memory Box), Snowflake embossing folder (Cuttlebug), adhesives, and dimensionals

Die-cut the modern landscape and mounted it onto Night of Navy cardstock; then onto my white card base.  Cut an oval from my card front and then ran it through with the embossing folder.  Cut an oval border, mounted it on top of the opening and then mounted my card front to the card base, popping it up with dimensionals to add depth.

Two Cards the Same ... but different

Today I made two cards that are the same layout and design, both have a tree as the focal point ... and they both use the same sentiment.  These two cards also fit two challenges - SCS "Free For All Challenge" (F4A120) - hands free cutting - use a machine or punches); and CAS-uals Friday's CFC56 - polka-dots.  Hope you like.

"Flowering Polka-dot Tree"

Stamp:  Pendant Park (SU!)
Paper:  Whisper White, Soft Suede, Certainly Celery polka-dot DP, Wild Wasabi polka-dot DP, Real Red; Brioche DP (Memory Box)
Ink:  Soft Suede (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:   Big Shot, Sheltering Tree die-cut (My Favorite Things), Hydrangea punch (Martha Stewart), sponge, white gel pen, mat, stylus, glue, and adhesives

I sponged the tree trunk with Soft Suede ink to highlight the embossing (hard to see in photo).  I mounted all the die-cut leaves, alternating colors, onto the tree trunk.  I used my mat and stylus to shape the punches flowers, added a white dot in the centers using my white gel pen, and then glued them to the tree.

Quick and easy card!

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The idea for the second card is from Poppy Stamps blog ... I wish I had thought of using clouds for the tree tops :)

"Cloudy Polka-dot Tree"

Stamp:  Pendant Park (SU!)
Paper:  Whisper White, Old Olive, Everyday Enchantment DP (SU!)
Ink:  Old Olive (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  Big Shot, Twiggy Tree die-cut and Puffy Clouds die-cuts (Memory Box), glue, adhesives, and dimensionals

I cut out several of each size of Puffy Clouds (there are three sizes) and glued some behind and some on top of the Twiggy Tree die-cut, popping up just a few clouds to add dimension.

Another quick and easy card!



Grad Card

Today I'm doing a quick post of a card I made a week or so ago.  I usually don't hold back on posting cards, but this was for a friend's son who is graduating from high school ... and I didn't want to post it until he got it in the mail.  I followed the owl as per instructions I saw on Mary Fish's blog ... thanks Mary.  And I called the school to find out the color of the grad gowns, just so I could make it special.  Hope you like.

"Happy Graduation, Alexander"

Stamps:  Woodgrain (SU!); sentiment - unknown
Paper:  Whisper White, Soft Suede, Sahara Sand, Pacific Point, Basic Black, More Mustard (SU!)
Ink:  Early Espresso, Soft Suede (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  2-step Owl Punch, mini Sahara Sand brad, Cappucino Twine (The Twinery),  Itty Bitty punch, scalloped oval punchsponge, glue, adhesives, and dimensionals

I stamped the woodgrain in Early Espresso ink onto Soft Suede cardstock.  I sponged more Soft Suede ink overtop to darken.

I punched out the owl, scalloped oval and itty bitty circles (for the glasses).  I hand cut the grad cap and the arms of the glasses.  The "diploma" is a scrap of computer paper rolled up and tied with more twine.

Here's a closeup of the owl:

I kept the card clean and simple, just adding the woodgrain at the bottom with some twine wrapped and tied in a knot. 

Coneflowers from Punches

Today I made another card using my new punches (giant daisy, small sun) from Punch Bunch.  I'm having a lot of fun with these two punches and can't wait for my other order to arrive!

This time I made them into Coneflowers (Echinacea).  I punched the flowers from Pink Pirouette cardstock (pale pink) and then sponged around the edges with a more intense pink to give them interest and depth.  I used the sun punch for the centers of the flowers (like the card I made yeserday), only this time I didn't cut the sun rays in half, instead I sponged the edges of the Soft Suede suns with Early Espresso.  This gave the centers a more realistic look by having the two tones of brown.  Hope you like.

"Coneflowers En Francais"

Stamp:  En Francais (SU!)
Ink:  Soft Suede, Early Espresso, Regal Rose (SU!)
Paper:  Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Pink Pirouette (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  Big Shot, Flourish die (Cheery Lynn), Nestabilities Labels Two (Spellbinders), Giant Daisy and Small Sun punches (Punch Bunch), sponges, mat, stylus, tweezers, glue, and adhesives

I made the flowers the same as yesterday's card (see instructions from yesterday's daisy card), changing the following:

• flowers are punched from Pink Pirouette cardstock; edges sponged with Regal Rose (two layers for large flower, one each for smaller flowers)
• petals were pinched "backwards" towards the back of the flower
• for the two smaller flowers, I cut out one petal from each and the pulled the petals together and folded in half before adding the centers
• nine suns for the large flower center; four for each of the small flowers, punched in Soft Suede cardstock, edges sponged with Early Espresso ink and then shaped.

I made a card base from Crumb Cake cardstock and then ran it through my Big Shot with the largest nestie from the Labels Two set, making sure the top of the card (fold) was above the cut line.  I cut out another large Labels Two to use as my card front.  I stamped the front with En Francais which has been inked with Soft Suede, and stamped off once to created a faded look.  I sponged all the edges with more Soft Suede ink to give it an aged look.

I cut out the flourish die from Soft Suede cardstock and sponged with more of the same color.  I glued the die to the front of the card, making sure the flourish went past the edge of the card for interest.  I glued the flowers on top.  I added one leaf branch from the flourish to the inside of the card.

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Yesterday, Nancy asked that I include a picture of my sun punch that I used for the center of the flowers.  I bought the small sun, which measures just over 1/2" wide (punches come in five sizes ---giant / mega, large, medium, small, mini).  The one on the left is how the sun is when it is first punched.  When making the center for the white daisy on yesterday's card, I cut each ray of the sun in half before shaping and making it into a cone shape - this made the center more "prickley" (middle sun).  For the centers on today's flowers, I punched the suns but did not cut the rays, instead I sponged a darker color around the outside edges before shaping.