Clean & Simple Cards Challenge - Week 30

#30

Challenge:  Clean and Simple Cards

July 30 - August 5, 2013

It's Tuesday, and time for another great challenge from Cuttin' and Stampin'!  This time, the theme is "Clean and Simple Cards".  I think that the Clean & Simple idea can be summed up this way:  Less Is More.  It features color and design, and does away with most layers and embellishments. 

For my card, I chose images and the sentiment from the adorable Surf and Turf set from Paper Smooches.  I stamped the images with the Copic-friendly Memento inks from Tsukineko and then colored in the fish with Copics.  Then I mounted the white cardstock panel onto a coordinating turquoise card.

Yes, the explanation of the card sounds simple.  Believe me, there was a lot of hemming and hawing over colors and placement.  Then some "should I add ______?" conundrums.  In the end, it didn't need glitter or buttons or patterned paper.  The fish and the sentiment can stand alone.

So let's see your Clean and Simple cards!   Don't be afraid to let the white space show!

Please make sure your creation post has a link back to Cuttin' and Stampin'.  You can link your project HERE.

Thanks for playing along!  We will be announcing the winners on August 9, 2013.

Happy Stamping!

Christmas In July Challenge - Week 28

#28

Challenge:  Christmas in July

July 16 - 22, 2013

Another week means another fun challenge with Cuttin' and Stampin'!  This week, it's "Christmas in July".  It's a perfect challenge for me, because it lets me leave these 100º+ days behind (at least in my mind) and focus on the crisp winter weather ahead.

My project features two sets from Paper Smooches:  Winter Groves (tree, gift, penguin) and Alphadots (letters & line of dots).  After stamping the foreground images with Memento Tuxedo Black ink, I drew a horizon line so the images weren't just floating in space.  The tree trunk and gift were colored with Copic markers and the patterned tree is paper pieced.  Cardstock is from Bazzill Basics.

I may go back and add some color to the penguin's feet and beak.  When I was stamping with my friends, we had the great penguin debate:  are the feet/beak colored, are they yellow, are they orange, are they black?   It turns out that it depends on the species!  The Macaroni penguin even has pink feet!

So are you ready to start feeling some Christmas spirit?  It's never too early to start making your Christmas cards, you know, because the holidays always seem to sneak up on us!  

Please make sure your creation post has a link back to Cuttin' and Stampin'.

Projects are due on July 22nd.  Thanks for playing along!  We will be announcing the winners on July 26, 2013.

You can link your project HERE. 

Happy Stamping!

Ice Cream Challenge - Week 27

#27

Challenge:   Ice Cream

July 9 - 15, 2013

It's Tuesday, and that means it's time for a brand new Cuttin and Stampin weekly challenge!

In 1984, President Ronald Reagan designated July as National Ice Cream Month.  We thought we'd celebrate these frosty treats with a challenge.  So go ahead and create something with ice cream, and share it with us!  We're looking for ice cream cones, banana splits, ice cream sandwiches, sundaes... show us your best!   (This post is making me crave something sweet!)
  

My card features the "Mac" line from Bazzill Basics patterned paper and matching border sticker.  The stamps are from the Paper Smooches Sugar Rush stamp set.  I absolutely love paper-pieced projects made with this ice cream cone.  I've seen so many cute ice cream "flavors" made with it!

What's your favorite ice cream flavor?  I ♥ ice cream, so it's a tough decision.  I tried a Red Velvet Cake ice cream recently and it was great.  For an absolute fave?  I have to go with Mint Oreo.  Yum!

When my sister and I were young (single-digits) growing up in Fort Lauderdale, we used to get ice cream at this little shop on the beach.   I remember her always getting the bubble gum ice cream.  No doubt, her tastes have gotten more sophisticated since then.  I'll have to call and ask her what she likes now.


Please make sure your creation post has a link back to Cuttin' and Stampin'. 

Thanks for playing along!  We will be announcing the winners on July 19, 2013.

You can link your project HERE.

Happy Stamping!  

CASE It Challenge - Week 24

Time to CASE a project for the Cuttin' & Stampin' Weekly Challenge!

Many people think of CASE as Copy And Share Everything or Copy And Steal Everything.  My take on it is a bit different.  I prefer "Copy And Selectively Edit".  You don't have to copy everything... just borrow the good stuff.  Add your very own flair, tweak it and make it suit your needs!

Here's the card I found on Pinterest that I'll CASE today:

It's adorable!  But I need a card for my nephew who's turning seven, so I'm going to need something a little more grown up.  I think that some bolder colors (less pastel blue) and less ribbon would help fit the bill.   Here's my take on it:

 

My card features the "Mac" line from Bazzill Basics patterned paper, journaling card, and border sticker along with Bazzill dotted green cardstock and white pre-cut number (colored grey with Memento ink, as shown below, to match the sentiment).  The balloon is cut out using an Accucut die, and the balloon string is drawn with a very thin Copic marker.  The sentiment is from the Paper Smooches "Sentiment Sampler" set.

 

Now it's your turn to create your own CASE It Project and enter in this week's Cuttin' & Stampin' Challenge HERE. 

Happy Stamping!

Father's Day Challenge - Week 23

Today I have a Father's Day project to share.  My dad & I are travel buddies.  We've been from coast to coast and everywhere in between, and also to Europe, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.  It seems like we're always planning a trip.  There are a few new places on our list:  Maine during some type of lobster festival, The Smithsonian, etc.
 

This card features stamps from Unity Stamp Company.  The ribbon is beautiful hand-dyed silk from The Thread Gatherer.  All the other embellishments (ticket, brad, vellum tape, & plastic tab) are from BasicGrey.

Do you have your Father's Day project(s) completed?  There's not much time left, so go to the Challenge blog HERE and enter this week's contest!

Happy Stamping!