Bee-utiful Day - CYCI #131

While I was at my local scrapbook store recently, they put out some new Elizabeth Craft Designs products.  I saw the bee themed items and snatched them right up!  Then when I saw the Color Challenge for this week at Can You Case It, I had to use them immediately.  I used the Beehive and the Bee dies, along with the Bee Sentiments stamp set from Elizabeth Craft Designs.  To tie in the gray color from the challenge and to give the background a little interest, I used the Taylored Expressions Honeycomb embossing folder.  I finished the card off with some enamel dots made with the Nuvo Silver Lining Crystal Drops.

I hope to see you come play along with us this week at Can You Case It!  You can use bees or whatever else your creativity comes up with!

Have a good day.

Kayla

Hogs and Kisses Birthday - CYCI #130

Of all the kinds of cards that I make, birthday cards are what I need most.  So when I saw that the Can You Case It challenge for this week was to make a birthday card, I was all over that.  I had just bought a DCWV patterned paper pack from Joann's that was birthday themed.  As I was looking through the pack, I couldn't decide which paper to use, to I just used one of each color, and created my own background.  I cut half inch strips of each sheet, and then glued them down to a card front, cutting off the overhang.  I really wanted that paper piecing piece to take center stage, so I decided to make a small focal point in the bottom right of the card.  I used a few banner die cuts, and a really cute pig from the SSS Birthday Farm Animals stamp set.  The pig got a little lost on the background, so I added a vellum circle underneath, and a sentiment from the Taylored Expressions Green Acres stamp set to complete the focal point.  To finish off the card, I used my clear Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pen and Glossy Accents on the balloon, along with a few Doodlebug Glitter Sprinkles.

I'm sure you could use another birthday card in your stash, so I hope you will come play along with us on the CYCI challenge this week!

Have a good day.

Kayla

Anchor Birthday - CYCI #129

As I said last Sunday, sometimes creating a card takes a few days.  But I have found that other times cards are destined to work out.  You just find that perfect color combo, or the best layout ever, and the card is easy, breezy, beautiful (Cover Girl!).  Luckily, this card was one of those. The Can You Case It challenge for this week is a wonderful color combination that uses pinks, dark blues, and neutrals. And no matter what the layout or color combo this week, the card had to have anchors.  You see, my little sister, Beth, is obsessed with anchors, and she turned 27 on Thursday.  Between the anchors and color challenge, it was kismet.  A pink and navy anchor card!  Yes, please!

I started by stamping the pink and navy patterned paper for the background, using anchors from the Float My Boat by Lawn Fawn and Sail Away by Technique Tuesday stamp sets, with SSS Doll Pink and Lawn Fawn Deep Sea inks.  The Fishtail Banner focal point is from Gina Marie Designs, and I used the new Happy Summer Banner die from Taylored Expressions to cut out the happy banner.  I white heat embossed the birthday stamp, and it's an old standby.  I have found that I use this birthday stamp a lot, and it is a sentiment that I cut apart from the Big Birthday Wishes stamp set in the April 2015 SSS card kit.  I finished the card off with some navy and white baker's twine and glossy accents on the anchor.

I hope to see you play along with the CYCI challenge this week!

Have a good day.

Kayla

Be You - CYCI #128

The challenge this week at Can You Case It is a Sketch Challenge.  I studied this sketch for a few days, and then inspiration hit.  First, I flipped the sketch upside down so I could make the top portion into the Town Scene die from Impression Obsession.  Then I decided to make the star into our closest star - the sun!  As I was laying the card out, I just really preferred the dimensions of putting the town along the longer end of the card.  I then used Tim Holtz Distress Ink minis to create the night sky, and then added a ton of stars using the Tim Holtz Distress Splatter Brush (a must have) with some watered down white craft paint.  I finished off the card with a sentiment from the Avery Elle So Happy stamp set, and some white Doodlebug Star Sprinkles.

I hope you will play along with this great sketch challenge!

Have a good day.

Kayla

Perfect Color Combo - CYCI #127

It's Sunday, so time for another Can You Case It challenge. When I saw the color combination for this week's challenge, I literally shrieked with excitement, and then had this card done within 24 hours. With these colors, all I had to add was a Memory Box die, a birthday stamp, and a bunch of sequins. The idea came together easily, but the execution of the card took a little more work, since it is a shaker card. When I use dry adhesive to make a shaker card, the layers usually end up crooked, but when I use a liquid adhesive (Multi Medium Matte or Tombo Mono), I have a really hard time getting the acetate window to stick to the paper or the foam. I was at a crop with my friend AJ from RutabagaPie Designs when I made this card, and she uses a different kind of glue for most all of her crafting. The Beacon 3-IN-1 glue is a lifesaver!  So when my acetate separated from the paper AFTER I filled the window with sequins, I dabbed a little of her glue on...and AMAZING!!!! It gave me a little wiggle room, but once dry, held like Fort Knox.  I was not getting back into that shaker, but more importantly, nothing was getting out of that shaker!  I went and bought some of that glue the next day, and can't wait to play with it on other things.  Thanks so much for that tip, AJ!

I hope this perfect color combo inspires you as much as it did me, and I hope you play along with us this week.

Have a good day.

Kayla