CAS130 - Wild Rose

If you visit my blog much you know that I LOVE a card challenge!!  They jumpstart my creativity in so many different directions - this card is no exception.  It is based on this week's CAS130 Challenge from Splitcoaststampers to CASE this card.

I wanted to keep my card one layer as well and felt "flower-y" so I used stamps from the a muse|studio Wild Rose set.  If not for this challenge I don't think I would ever have put Grunged Sunrays with Wild Rose but WHOO HOO - it sure looks great!!  Koh-i-Noor pencils add some depth to the roses and the sentiment is from the Friend to Friend set.  BTW - If you don't have Koh-i-Noor pencils yet you are definitely missing out - they are so smooth and easy to work with - LOVE them so much!!

All supplies (including the pencils) are available in my a muse|studio online shop!!

FTL152 - Sunflower Hello

Had so much fun playing with the a muse|studio Graphic Sunflower stamp set that I used it to make more traditional sunflowers using the layout from Clean and Simple stamping.

I inked the entire flower stamp with Papaya ink and then took a sponge dauber and added some Slate ink to just the center - easy peasy!!  Labels 4 Nestabilities cut the background medallion.  I cheated with my sentiment placement - shhhhhhh!!

While this color of yellow is a bit bright for me the kraft paper helps to tone it down a hair!  Remember - the Graphic Sunflower stamp set is 10% off in my online a muse|studio shop until August 15th.

CFC14 - a muse|studio spotlight

These little lovelies (3.5" square) are made with featured products from the current a muse|studio Spotlight.  Until August 15th you can save 10% on featured stamp sets (I used Graphic Sunflower and Swanky Background).  I love the Sorbet Assortment Pack of paper (4 sheets @ of Watermelon, Buttercup, Apricot, Sage and Linen) - perfect summery colors!.

 Look closely at the flower centers - see the sparkle?  That look was achieved by using the CAS-ual Friday Challenge to add glitter to glue dots.  Putting the glue dot directly onto the pearl added dimension and the sparkle.

Time is running out on the current spotlight deals - Click here to read more - 

Art Journal - Relaxing Tangles

Here lately I've gotten the urge to tangle again - hadn't done it in quite a while.  In fact, this page started as a few separate "test run" tangles to try new patterns and the next thing you know I decided to fill the entire 8.5" x 11" page - just to see if I could -

it took all afternoon but I DID IT!!  My one ink pen is running dry now - how cool is it to use the ink completely out of a pen?!

This type of doodling is supposed to be relaxing - and it is - when you use common sense and don't spend an entire afternoon hunched over and squinting while you draw.  It is a good thing that I have SO much common sense that I can squander an afternoon's worth and still have plenty left (I hope) -

Look close on the right hand side and see my favorite part of this sketch - See the two little critters?  They represent our two boys!!  Connor had on his Domo t-shirt and I couldn't resist trying my hand at it - even made extra mouths as part of the design. . .

Learned yesterday how to draw the twisty, curvy tangle called "Paradox" that I've admired for a long time and how to make leaves - so they are all over the place - like Kudzu!  This form of artistic expression is really fun and forgiving - if you mess up you can just color that area black and continue on - all you need is paper, a marker or two and a grey pencil for shading - try it!!!

Art Journal - Julie Fei-Fan Balzer inspired

Time for more art journal fun!!  The leaves are inspired from a post by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer - love her stuff so much and I can't wait to get my hands on some of her new stencils!! 

The background is covered in sewing pattern tissue paper that my mom gave me.  I am not a seamstress - I do not sew.  In fact, way back in the day in Home Ec class I made a pair of shorts - I was so proud of myself that I made another pair but inadvertently sewed the two fronts and two backs together which gives you one BIG leg and one small leg.  I became friends with a seam ripper that year.

If you only do what you know you can do - you never do very much!

Try and fail but don't fail to try.

YUP - those two quotes just about sum up my entire sewing experience.  I've since made curtains, pillows and other items that involve straight (semi-straight in my case) stitching but nothing involving patterns.  However,  patterns mixed with Mod Podge are just about perfect these days - can't mess that up!!

FTL151, LIM26 - Feeling Fruity

Time for a new Less is More challenge - and for the first time I made a card on the day the challenge posted!    This particular challenge was to use fruit on a CAS card and my while my selection of fruit stamps is very limited I managed to find an apple in the a muse|studio School Days set that was up for the challenge.

Used a somewhat modified version of the current sketch from Clean and Simple Stamping.  The black gingham paper added the perfect background touch to ground the stack of apples.  The scallop was cut with the middle die from Scallop Border dies set.  School will be starting up in a couple of weeks - I'll be needing teacher cards again and this one is easy to reproduce in a hurry. . .

All supplies used in this card are available in my a muse|studio online shop!

psst - wanna know a secret?   a muse|studio is going to be releasing a supplemental catalog with new stuff including stamp sets, dies, cardstock/ink/ribbon, patterned paper, baker's twine and even felt!!  This 44 page supplemental catalog won't be going live until August 22nd but if you are nice to me and ask pretty please I can e-mail you a .pdf file of it!!  Just e-mail me at msmathey@gmail.com if you want to peek and start your wish list.

LIM25, FS233 - Featured Stamper: Jennie Moczan

Listen - Do you hear them?  Crickets chirping on my blog - I haven't had a chance to craft in about a week and that is too long!!  BTW - you can usually literally hear crickets in my house since we have to keep them to feed Clyde (the Bearded Dragon).  Anyway, this week's SCS Featured Stamper is Jennie Moczan - I am a big fan of her CAS style (she is on the SCS CAS Design team) and we were both A Muse Instructors.  This card is the one I chose to CASE and I was also able to incorporate the Less is More Challenge to use ribbon/button.

All supplies are from a muse|studio and are available in my online shop - Stamp sets (Hearts a Plenty, Hand Scripted) - Ink (Grass, Buttercup, Orange, Cherry, Blueberry) - Ribbon (1/4" Sugar Organdy Polka-dot Ribbon).
psst - wanna know a secret?   a muse|studio is going to be releasing a supplemental catalog with new stuff including stamp sets, dies, cardstock/ink/ribbon, patterned paper, baker's twine and even felt!!  This 44 page supplemental catalog won't be going live until August 22nd but if you are nice to me and ask pretty please I can e-mail you a .pdf file of it!!  Just e-mail me at msmathey@gmail.com if you want to peek and start your wish list.