Dream Big with CAS-ual Fridays

What perfect timing!

I have a niece whose graduation party is this

weekend, so the inspiration was easy!

Have you played along in the Break Room over at

CAS-ual Fridays yet?  We have a 'Girl Friday Pool'

that specialize in some of the most

creative CAS card-making around.

This week's challenge to 'Graduation...Clean & Simple-Style'

I have always loved my 'Dot Spots' stamps from PTI.

It was the very first set of PTI I ever purchased, but they

don't get used enough, so I am glad to have used them here.

They are really beautiful with the inks that I used

from A Muse Studio.

These have become my 

absolute favorite inks on the planet!

They are silky smooth on paper and so vibrant.

One of my favorite sponsors is on board this week

I finally had a chance to meet the very sweet

Angelica Suarez, the owner of Market Street Stamps

at the Milwaukee Rubber Stamp Expo this past

weekend and what a sweetheart!

We are both on the design team for The Twinery

and live just a few hours from one another, but this

is the first time we have had a chance to meet.

So I hope you will pop over and check out all the fab

designs from our Girl Friday Designers and then

make plans to play this week...those stamps from

Market Street just might be yours!!!!

Today's Project Recipe:

Cardstock & Designer Paper: A Muse Studio
Stamps: Papertrey Ink, Scrappy Cat, Wordsworth
Ink: A Muse Studio in Cranberry, Slate & Ocean
Misc:  Embossing Powder by Stampendous, 
Rhinestones by Recollections

It's Time For a New Journey!

Been on a 'journey' lately?

I am happily beginning one with this post as I share

this week's challenge over at....

This week our 

brand, new design team debuts

and it's a very exciting time!

Our design team is creatively talented and

bigger than ever, so there's more inspiration

in a variety of styles.

The creative journey I took to make this card was

quite fun.  I had been searching high and low for

the Spellbinders Lacey Squares Die Cut set and

I FINALLY found them and I am pleased to say

that our local Michaels is now carrying them.

I also picked up the 'Summer in Paris' set

for my Cricut for only $20 and just loved

this hot air balloon.  Put them all together with a few

grand embellishments, and there you go!

My fabby teammates would LoVe for you

to stop by The Cafe to see all of the beautiful

inspiration all in one-stop.

Here's who you'll find along with yours truly....

Sarah Anderson  

Ruby McGuire

 Savannah O'Gwynn 

Andrea Ewen

Colleen Dietrich  

Fiona Shultz

Jaclyn Miller 

Jinny Newlin
Libby Hickson  

Michele Gross
Tracey Kuzniak

So glad you stopped by and I hope you'll 

leave a quick little note to let me know

you were here : )

Today's Project Recipe:

Cardstock: The Paper Company

Designer Paper: DCWV

Ink:  Versamark, Memento, Tim Holtz Distress Inks

Stamps:  Scrappy Cat

Die Cut/Embossing Templates:  Spellbinders 'Lacey Squares',

Cricut 'Spring Time in Paris', Cuttlebug 'Swiss Dot' EF

Embellishments:  Recollections Flowers, Pearls & Lace & Pearl Flourishes

Tools:  Fiskar's Corner Rounder

Jump Starting Creativity...A Couple of Challenges

As you know by now, I have been out of commission

for over a week, so I was delighted to find a few challenges

that peaked my interest and I thought it would be a
great way to jump start back into my art studio  : )

I thought I would enter this card in 2 different challenges.
First, Paige over at the CARDS blog issued a
challenge using 'woodgrain'.

I used DCWV's 'Green Stack' and with
Earth Day just around the corner, it's great to use
something made from 70% recycled material  : )

Then the girls over at OCC are getting into the

'Spring' of things with butterflies.

This fabulous butterfly stamp is from the UK company

Elusive Images (thank you, Sarah)

and was stamped in two parts.  

The sentiment is from Scrappy Cat.
I used Martha's Loop punch and
assorted pearl and rhinestone embellishments
to finish it off.

 See you soon!

Fond Memories of Peter Rabbit

What on earth does that title have to do with this post?

The color inspiration over at this week's Just Us Girls Challenge used

this fabulous print from Beatrix Potter's most beloved Peter Rabbit.

My wonderful friend Mona is on the JUGS team and I have been

promising that I would try and play soon.

THIS was the perfect inspiration to make that happen!

Before I share my fond memories of Peter and his friends, 

here are the details on this card.

The stamps fun mushrooms are by Hero Arts and the

sentiment is from Scrappy Cat.

(Just as a fun fact, the 'shrooms were stamped in

Adirondack Mushroom ink from Ranger)

The polka dot papers are from

DCWV 'Linen Closet (the brown) and

My Mind's Eye 'Quite Contrary' (the yellow).

The flower is a fab silk blossom out of Michael's $1 bin,
that I actually got for 25 cents.  Such a deal!

Nearly 26 years ago, I decorated my daughter's entire nursery in

Peter Rabbit...from head to toe or ceiling to floor.  Part of the memory

that is so precious to me is that while our family was away on a little

vacation, my dad was walking by this very upscale baby store

and there was this Jenny Lind crib all decked out and he asked

if I liked it...I LOVED it.

Over $350 later (a LOT of money 26 years ago)

I was on my way home with this beautiful set.

Yes, I do still have some bits and pieces tucked 

away in a cedar chest.

So tell me...do you or maybe your children

like Peter Rabbit and Friends?
I would LOVE to hear about it. 

One more thing...I say this a lot, but I can't tell you how

much I appreciate your comments when you stop by.

I want to be able to reciprocate, but I can't do that if

I don't know you were here, so please take a moment

to just say hi because I would LOVE to visit your

blog in return...after all, that's what it's all about!

Retro Fun at The Play Date Cafe!

I am very excited about the color inspiration for this week's

Play Date Cafe Challenge.

And how fun is this inspiration photo?

Julie Campbell is actually our challenge host this week, but as she is away at CHA in Anaheim, I offered to fill her shoes with an offering of inspiration.

The verse I used for this card was from Scrappy Cat and it's in tribute to my UK friends, Jennie and Hels.  I serve on the creative team with them at Artistic Stamper and have been in LOVE with the grungepaper roses that they are so proficient at making.

Because I STILL need to get myself some grungepaper to make the actual roses, I decided to put my own spin on them using the same

'retro' feel of the inspiration photo.

I created the flowers using my Sizzix Flower Layers die cuts.  The patterns were created with Artistic Stampers' Houndstooth and Polka Dot background stamps.  Although houndstooth never goes out of style, I think it has a very 'retro' vibe to it.  I outlined each flower with turquoise and silver Stickles and centered them with zebra-print brads.  Fun...fun...FUN!

So you have two places to visit.   

The Play Date Cafe of course, and then head on over to

Artistic Stamper.

Tell them hi from me!

Color Dare Challenge #35...Won't You Join Me?

As the season is changing to autumn colors, I have to say these were tough colors for me to work with, but as part of The Color Dare Design Team I am a 'team player' and I am glad to have worked it out because I actually love this piece.
I recently received a batch of new stamp sets as a gift from my mom, which included the 'Asian by Design' set from Inkadinkado, which I used in this extra-large tag. It's a bit hidden by the Prima flowers, but the Bamboo image on the left is HUGE and really great as is the Cherry Blossom image, which I embellished
with a few teeny-tiny pearls.

The sentiment stamps are from two different Scrappy Cat sets. Hey...when stamping on a surface like a vellum tag, use a solvent ink like Staz-On. It takes a little longer to dry, but it will give you a vivid image and will not streak once dry. Add a few brads and a nice, thick batch of fibers at the top and you are good to go.

So are you up for the challenge? I would love to see some of my friendly followers enter this challenge, so let me know if you do. I will be checking the list as well. Head on over to The Color Dare blog for all the details along with inspiration from
the rest of the design team.

I will be back a little later with yet another projects and a little bit about today's 'pre-birthday' celebration.

GCD Designs 'Provence'...Bold Pattern Series

I always look forward to Fridays, for many of the same reasons you do....the weekend is here, for many, it's a great 'date night'...but for me, it is also the night I have set aside to share with you a series of projects featuring specific colors, designs, themes and more. Tonight, I am happy to share a couple of projects that I made this week using a paper set that I showed you a couple of weeks ago and have been so excited to use! GCD Designs, which just finished a fabulous blog hop over at their site, is the name behind this series called 'Provence'. If you have come to know me, even a little, you know that my dream trip is to this region in the South of France. So let's go on a little tour of Provence right here at The Open Window.

If you have studied any French decorating, you know that the patterns and colors are bright and bold. Ochre, Cerulean Blue, Bordeaux...just to name a few. I think the colors and patterns on this first card are so classic. Stripes mixed with bold patterns. This card has a real feel of a wallpapered wall, don't you think? Because I have not seen these papers sold separately, I don't have names for the individual sheets, but what I do love, is that in each set, there are pattern choices on both sides. So coordinating is a cinch....especially when you are talking about 'busy' patterns. My philosophy is...if it's all in one set, you can mix any of it together!

I used the Martha Stewart Loop Around the Page punch just for something different as well as a vintage button and a soutache-style ribbon for focal points. Everything was aged using Ranger Archival ink in Coffee and the sentiment stamps
are from Scrappy Cat.

To quote Monty Python (and my friend Sarah!)...
and now for something completely different...

Yep....these patterned papers are from the very same set! What a change in theme though, huh?! I fell in love with the gold-striped paper, which I also used on the card above AND on the card from yesterday's post. It really set the 'gold tone' for this card. It also features one of the die-cut tags that was included in the set.

The 'extras' on this card include a very 'vintage' lace that I inherited from my seamstress grandmother, Martha Stewart rhinestones in my grandmother's birthstone Garnet, copper brads and these fabulous Holiday Brads from K&Co. The snowflake was cut using 'The Bug' and the Snowflake Nestibilities and then covered with fine gold glitter. Don't let glitter scare you! It's not nearly as messy as it used to be. There are so many great techniques for applying it as well as the quality...that can make all the difference in the world. The source for the rubber stamped sentiment is unknown, but I love the vintage 'feel' to it.

I'm curious....back to glitter for a moment....do you use glitter? How often and what's your favorite thing to make? Do you have a favorite brand? PLEASE LEAVE ME A COMMENT because I would love to know what you do with glitter. I specialize in making themed glass ornaments all year-around and every ornament is 'tricked' out with some glitter.
I would love to share some of my glittering 'secrets' with you!

Basic Grey 'Periphery'...Muted Color Series

I am very excited to share with you a new series that I am going to be doing which will feature a variety of paper sets. Now...I know that people/manufacturers/blogs/websites, etc. all have their own terminology when it comes to referring to items that we all use regularly, and 'paper' has it's own as well. Because this series is going to continually refer to paper, we need to be on the same 'page' (no pun...well, ok...you caught me).
I refer to it as 'patterned paper'. Easy-peasy.

These cards were created using Basic Grey's 'Periphery' set. It is not one of the newest sets, but I am just getting around to being inspired by it and I must say, I can't put it away. I have altered some of the colors by ink distressing the edges, but what you see is pretty much what you get with these fabulous papers.

This is all paper layering including the die cuts, which were a part of the set. The only 'extras' were the alpha die cuts (which are from Paper Studio), flowers (everybody's favorite Primas) and the fibers, brads and buttons. The stamps (Scrappy Cat) were a perfect fit with the giant letters. I also squeezed a little Artful INKables image in from the Steampunk Sarah Set.
It's the tiny, little gear on the tiny, little tag.
My philosophy is 'it's all in the details'.
Not a lot of stamping here, but hopefully these cards will inspire you to look at what YOU might have that can be layered and distressed.

If you are one who purchases your patterned papers by the sheet, the design sheets used on these projects are 'pinot noir', 'Sauvignon' and 'cork' all from the Basic Grey Periphery Set. That's it...just those three designs. The set has so many more to choose from and I will be sharing more of those with you soon.

Each week, I look forward to sharing a new series with you. In the meantime, do you already have a favorite set of 'patterned papers' or is there a set you have that you keep pulling out but then end up putting back because you just don't know what to do? I'd love for you to share....just leave a comment at the end of this post...
let's see what we can do together!

Better Late Than Never

For more great ideas using Martha's punches,
click here...here... 
and here...

 I am so excited about the new punches for the holidays by Martha Stewart that I am posting this after just finishing the project. My card uses the Punch Around the Page 'Loop' punches. I started with the corner loop, punched all four corners, then used the matching border and filled in the sides. Isn't it fun?! I am actually working on another square card that I hope to share with you tomorrow. I also used some Basic Grey papers, Martha Stewart Pink Topaz Rhinestones and the greeting is from Scrappy Cat (which by the way, all of the SC stamp sets are on clearance at Michael's right now for $2.49....half price!)

So guess who has jury duty tomorrow? I called ahead tonight to make sure that I still had to go....and I do. Believe me, I'm all about doing my civic duty, but when I could be at home playing with my stamps, well need I say more. The last time I was called up, my stamp store was in full operation and could not do without me, so I had to be excused. I have a completed project ready to share with you tomorrow night, just in case I have to spend the entire day at the court house.

I have been chatting back and forth with the new Design Team for Artful Inkables today and I can tell you that Kristen and the senior DT have some fabulous things for all of us to look forward to. Excitement is brewing over a new bi-weekly challenge that you will be able to participate in for 'free stuff' as well as our first blog hop that will feature the new releases from AI. The new sets should be in my mailbox any day and I am ready to go! So I hope you will stay tuned and I do look forward to you playing along with us!

One more thing....I had a terrific response to my hosting a color challenge here at The Open Window, so I am working on the details and hope to have that for you within the next couple of weeks.

Hope you had a great weekend....here's to a good first week of August! I will see you tomorrow.

Easy Layered Card - TUTORIAL

This is just a quick little note to remind you that it's ok to
create something quick 'n easy. Layered cards have so much dimension but take very little time.

The stamps used on this project:

Swirly Background ~ Scrappy Cat
'What's Up' ~ Impression Obsession

Here's is what else you will need for this project:

Cardstock in brown and clay orange
K&Company A-Z Mat Pad Papers
Colorbox Chalk Ink in Burnt Sienna & Yellow Citrus
K&Company Actopus to Zelephant Circus Train Border
Brads
Circle Punch
Double stick Flat and Foam Tapes

Cut, score & fold brown cardstock to desired size. Cut clay orange cardstock to fit as a top layer and stamp Swirly Background with Burnt Sienna and place on top of card.

Cut square from a coordinating paper and shade around edges using yellow citrus ink.

Cut center circle using punch from K&Co background paper and adhere to card

Cut one image from K&Co Train Border and adhere to square. Insert brads where the train wheels would be and layer on top of circle with foam tape.

Stamp 'What's Up' underneath circle in burnt sienna ink.....it's that easy!

AND DON'T FORGET ..... There's still time to enter to win my BLOG CANDY!
See the post below for all the details!