Addicted to Fresh Squeezed, CAS and Sketchbook!!

A few days ago, my must-make-ASAP list included an anniversary card.  The card was for a younger couple so I wanted it to be "fresh" and unique.  I was immediately drawn to the sketch at Sketchbook Saturday with the idea of a splash of hearts (see sketch below).  I was also thrilled to see that the challenge at Addicted to CAS was "Anniversary".

Then I was stuck.  I am embarrassed to admit how long it took me to realize that I had just praised Fresh Squeezed Stamps for being "fresh" yet I didn't immediately go to my collection to see if I had the stamps to do an anniversary card.  Guess what?  I do!!  So I made sure that I took pictures before I mailed it - then kept it for today because it's my day to post on the Fresh Squeezed blog!

I love the Polaroid frame with its three little stripes.  It's from On Trend 2013 which also has the little sparkles that I used here.  The little people are from Breath of Fresh Flair which includes a totally fun and unique variety of stamps!  I used the sentiment from You Said It, Sister but I cut it in half so that it would fit.

If you haven't tried cutting clear stamps - try it!  It really increases the usability of the sets!  But I would highly recommend that you cut a stamp with a curve or other unique shape so that you can easily fit the stamp back together.  If you cut straight through the stamp - it becomes very difficult to line up again when you want to put it back together.  Here's a straight cut.

Can you imagine trying to get it lined up again on an acrylic block?

So cut with a curve or a squiggle so it fits back together perfectly like a jigsaw puzzle!

Kim's Tip of the Day!!  Hope it helps!

Addicted to CAS: Music (with a shameless CASE)

It's been a week of highs and lows.  Maybe not "lows" so much as "irritations".

At the beginning of the week, I was thrilled to be named to Addicted to CAS Wall of Fame!!!  I love all of the other ladies named to the Wall also and felt truly honored to be in their company. Thank you to all of the good people at Addicted to CAS.

So I most definitely could not miss their current challenge (given the requirements for the Wall of Fame include participation week in and week out!).  Plus the current challenge is "Music" and my house is full of music.  My music room holds a piano, organ, hammered dulcimer, classical guitar, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet and baritone along with assorted recorders and penny whistles!!  My children play in the school band but seem to switch instruments regularly so we just keep collecting instruments.

Then the first irritation hit.  I knew right away what I would make for the music challenge - it was perfectly pictured in my mind.  My youngest is marching in his first competition and I decided to have a card ready.  Some bold diagonal stripes down the side - a fun trumpet - a "good luck" - PERFECT!  Sadly, with all of the music stamps that I have - no trumpet!  I will have to remedy that, won't I?

Then my creativity took a major slump - mostly due to the really, REALLY, REALLY big irritation in my life.  Roofers are very loud and very early and they never, ever stop pounding.  They started Tuesday and are still here this morning (at 6:30 am!)

But things took a turn for the better when I saw this truly stunning card by Donna Mikasa.  She works miracles with kraft and bold colors.  This is just one example but I decided that I would allow myself a shameless CASE.  I actually even started my musical butterfly in exactly the same colors that she had used but decided to force a few moments of creativity.


I absolutely love the music hidden within that butterfly.  I did hesitate to use it though as the company - Layers of Color - is no longer open, so if you have fallen in love with the stamp, I am really sorry.  But I had never used it and it deserved to see ink.

• Stamps: Layers of Color Joyful Noise, Avery Elle To The Point (sentiment)
• Paper: Papertrey Ink Kraft
• Ink: Memento Black, Tim Holtz Squeezed Lemonade and Festive Berries
• Accessories: Lil' Inkers Stitched Rectangles, My Mind's Eye Enamel Dots

Curtain Call: You Make My World Go Round

It's time for more inspiration from Curtain Call!!

The new challenge is called Carnival Craze.

The sponsor for this challenge is Lawn Fawn and The Lead gets their choice of a stamp set!!  The Curtain Call design team is playing with two Lawn Fawn sets that fit this challenge: Blue Skies (which includes hot air balloons, clouds and banners) and I get to play with Admit One (merry-go-rounds and ferris wheels and cotton candy!)


Isn't this just the sweetest ferris wheel?  You should see the cute little merry-go-round in the same set!
You have until August 25th to be inspired and to create something for Carnival Craze.  I would love to see you play along!  And if you want all of the design team cards, inspiration and the winners in one place - but sure to follow the Curtain Call boards on Pinterest!
This is also most definitely a summer card - I don't typically do summery cards simply because I really hate being hot, so summer is not my favorite time.  But as it is actually a summer card - I'm going to link it up over at Addicted to CAS also! 

• Stamps: Lawn Fawn Admit One
• Paper: Melon Mambo
• Ink: Memento Black, Copics, Versamark
• Accessories: Lawn Fawn Admit One dies, Lawn Fawn Pink Lemonade cord, Memory Box Carnival Tickets die, My Favorite Things Fishtail die, Papertrey Ink Sunshine Impression Plate

Addicted to CAS: Teenagers

The current challenge at Addicted to CAS is "teenagers".  I have two teenage boys so it's a perfect challenge.  Of course, my boys require minimal color, basic stamps and absolutely no bling - so not typically cards that I display on this blog.  I did sneak some sequins in on this one anyway!

I have to explain this card.  My husband and 13-year old son were in Utah from last Wednesday through Sunday (we're from Colorado) at a lacrosse tournament.  Actually, it wasn't technically a tournament, but since they played teams from Arizona, Texas, Idaho, Nevada and even Colorado - and won every game - I think they can claim to be "best in the west".  I had just gotten this stamp set and was thrilled when I saw this stamp (although I am disappointed that the sentiment doesn't fit in the banner - you'd think they would design it a little better).


This design came from their uniforms...

He only came home with minor damage.

But it wasn't even lacrosse-related!  He and his teammates were horsing around in a swimming pool.  A dozen 13-year olds, horsing around in a pool...hmmmm....what could go wrong?  In Erik's case, it was a knee to the eyeball!!

• Stamps: Hero Arts/Studio Calico Miss You So Much
• Paper: Papertrey Ink Poppy and Smokey Shadow
• Ink: Papertrey Ink Smokey Shadow
• Accessories: Darice embossing folder, sequins

Addicted to CAS: A Big Dahlia Bday

The current challenge at Addicted to CAS is the code word: Flower.  I added a personal challenge - that I absolutely could not use some of my much-loved flowers - I had to find one that hadn't seen ink!

Now I'm not sure why this stamp had never seen ink!  I love its open and airy look.  I can also imagine it stamped on plain paper and some subtle watercoloring for a elegant look.  However, it is big and I had a really difficult time getting it to look right on a standard card.  I decided to really showcase it by cutting the card down about an inch and then letting the flower hang over the edge.  The whole thing is still just 4 1/4" wide so it will fit into a standard envelope.

• Stamps: Papertrey Ink Delightful Dahlia, sentiment from Pretty Peonies
• Paper: Papertrey Ink Simply Chartreuse, Limeade Ice, Raspberry Fizz
• Ink: Papertrey Ink Simply Chartreuse, Versamark
• Accessories: Papertrey Ink Delightful Dahlia dies, Lemon Tart Button, The Twinery Honeydew twine, Cuttlebug embossing folder

Butterflies - Two Ways

I am in a butterfly mood today.  It could be that today begins a three day warm up toward record breaking temperatures!

I decided to break out my neon inks.  Every so often I look at them, have a little buyer's remorse (they really aren't my style) and decide that I have to get some use out of them!  For this card, I paired the bright colors with kraft to tone them down a little.

The sketch comes from Nacho Average Challenge.

I had this card all done and photographed and realized that I was being a little stupid.  I actually won the butterfly stamps that I am using from Addicted to CAS and their current challenge is "Wings".  Obviously, I should have used these butterflies on a CAS card!!

• Stamps: Uniko Bright Butterflies
• Ink: Hero Arts Neon Yellow, Pink, Orange, Green
• Paper: Astrobrights Glow, Stampin' Up Crumb Cake
• Accessories: black pearls, Sizzix embossing folder, ribbon from Hobby Lobby

For a Gumdrop Lover

I have been married for 23 1/2 years to a gumdrop, jelly bean, gummi bear lovin' man and I think I finally have the perfect Valentine's card!!


Now I just have to stop by Sprouts and buy a big bag of bulk gumdrops!!
The sentiment was actually created as a square-shaped two line sentiment.  (It's from The Alley Way Stamps adoraBOWL.)  Never be afraid of cutting your stamps so they fit.  I played a long time trying to create a card with the square sentiment and it just didn't work.  My only advice is to cut the stamp with some sort of curve so that it can easily be fit back together in perfect alignment.

The gumdrop is from a new set by The Alley Way Stamps called Tiny Treasures.  A few weeks ago for the new release blog hop, I used the mushroom, lighthouse, fish and pinwheel.  My plan for today was to use the bird and/or the snail.  You can see there is quite a variety of stamps in this set!!  But then I saw the new challenge from Addicted to CAS: Candy.  I can't believe that I hadn't put two and two together earlier to create this candy card for my hubby!!

• Stamps: The Alley Way Stamps Tiny Treasures, adoraBOWL
• Paper: Stampin' Up Crumb Cake
• Ink: Stampin' Up Real Red, Green Galore, Pumpkin Pie
• Accessories: Ranger Glossy Accents, Martha Stewart Crystal Fine glitter, Timeless Twine, Papertrey Ink Take Three die, Mark Richards silver metal hearts

Your Friendship Warms My Heart

I have a set from Flourishes that I loved when I bought it years ago and it has never seen ink.  (Of course, I could say that about the majority of my stamps!!)  But this one is particularly nice.  So when two challenges came up - "hearts" and "markers" - I knew what I had to ink up...


There is a little bit of sparkle on each flower.

I picked the colors because I had just gotten a package from Timeless Twine.  I had ordered when I saw seen this yellow/gray twine (Cape Code) on their design team's blog.  Just so that it didn't get put away and never used (as did the stamps!) I wanted to use it right away.
The sentiment is a fun set from Inky Antics that I just picked up when I treated myself to an Archiver's trip yesterday.  I had taken my son to take his home-school finals (finals have to be proctored at an official center).  I took my own homework and planned to spend a long two hours sitting in the car taking notes on Accounting 101.  But...it was cold...and I realized there was Archivers about 20 minutes away.  Hmmm....tough choice!!??  I'm not buying many stamps lately - mostly I like new papers, dies and embellishments.  However, this Inky Antics set - Simple Sentiments - is all innie/outies and they are just a little unique.  The innie for this stamp says "you add sunshine to my life".  I really like one that has an outie "sending a hug" and an innie "you can return it whenever you want".
I am playing along with Addicted to CAS.

And with CAS-ual Fridays.

• Stamps: Flourishes Hearts & Flowers, Inky Antics Simple Sentiments
• Paper: white
• Ink: Memento black and Copics
• Accessories: Timeless Twine Cape Cod, Crafts-Too embossing, Stickles

We Burn Bright Together!!

You are probably getting tired of seeing all of my black and white cards with a splash of color - but it just works so well on CAS cards!  I was cleaning out a box of embellies and found these arrows and realized that they were the perfect style for The Alley Way Stamps!  I am so in love with the light bulb from lighter than air.



I was inspired by the sketch at unscripted sketches.

I'm also going to add this to Addicted to CAS whose key word is "embossing".  When I saw the challenge, I had planned on doing an all embossed card - like the kind that Susie does over at Heart Prints (it's a great link, you should go there!)  But embossing really helped me on this card.  I had originally stamped the light bulbs directly on the white paper without embossing, but it was dull (I forgot to take a picture).  When I saw this zig zag embossing folder, I thought it was perfect for electricity - embossing to the rescue!!!

I'm also still playing along with the black/white/splash challenges - Simon Says Stamps!

• Stamps: The Alley Way Stamps Lighter Than Air
• Paper: Stampin' Up Tempting Turquoise
• Ink: Memento black
• Accessories: Ranger Glossy Accents, Martha Stewart Fine Crystal Glitter, Stampin' Up embossing folder, Heidi Swapp Disco Arrows Sequin Shapes

Sweet?? Not So Sweet!!

This is my second post today!

I almost missed the current Addicted to CAS challenge and then I got a perfect set of stamps in the mail.

The challenge is:

My card has some sweet chocolate and little not-so-sweet attitude!!

• Stamps: The Craft's Meow All You Need is Love
• Paper: Papertrey Ink Dark Chocolate CS and dsp
• Ink: Papertrey Ink Dark Chocolate, Stampin' Up Real Red
• Accessories: Stampin' Up ribbon, Dress It Up Red Hot Hearts button

Addicted to CAS: Baubles

This is my second post today!

The current challenge at Addicted to CAS is Baubles.  I actually looked up "Baubles" - yes, I know what it means - but for me, it has always had a negative connotation - like "gaudy".  The dictionaries do say "a small showy ornament of little value".  That gave me "permission" to do what I had imagined.  I have these big gems ornaments that I picked up in a $1 bin (there were 12 on the sheet!)  For my style, they are really gaudy, but I thought on a CAS card, they might work!

And what do you know - I like it!!!  (Sorry for the gray cast on the card.  I can usually get a card to look white, but when there is embossing, my techniques wash it out too much - so I leave it grayish.  Others seem to manage it - any advice??)
Being born and raised as Swedish/German, South Dakotan farm stock - I am extremely uncomfortable tooting my own horn.  But I have to tell you that I got a shout out for the first Addicted to Stamps challenge for this card.  I have to tell you this simply so I can show you the badge and give all of my family and friends a huge laugh over somebody finally officially pointing out my perfectionist tendencies...

My Baubles card uses the Fall to Layout from clean&simple but flipped (and I just realized that I didn't round a corner which would have been nice!)

• Stamps: Technique Tuesday Jingle All the Way
• Paper: Stampin' Up Red Glimmer paper
• Ink: Stampin' Up Concord Crush
• Accessories: Recollections (Michaels brand) baubles, Sizzix embossing folder, Stampin' Up Scallop Border Punch

Snow on the Lawn

This is my second post today.

There's a new challenge out there - Addicted to CAS and their first challenge is "snow".


Isn't this totally true???
But...this is the first and last time that I will be using this stamp.  Does anybody see the error?  I was raised by a 9th grade English/Grammar teacher so very little gets by me.
The words mean to say that my lawn looks as good as my neighbor's lawn (notice the apostrophe).  By not including the apostrophe, this stamp is actually saying that my lawn looks as good as the little old couple that live next door!!  NOT their lawn - but THEM!!
Funny story about my neighbors.  Over the years I have watched this elderly couple tend their lawn.  I have always kept a careful eye on them when I saw them outside as they always seemed so fragile.  (As a side note: we all live on 5 acre plots surrounded by fences and gates so none of us get to know our neighbors.  I think most of us move out here so we don't have to know our neighbors.)  Recently I saw a notice that the owner had died so I dropped by with sympathy card.  It turns out that I've been wrong all of these years - the fragile elderly couple who tend the lawn are the kids of the people who live there!!    Wow!  The gentlemen who just died was 102 years old!

I also used the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches.

• Stamps: The Stampin' Place
• Paper: Stampin' Up Sage Shadow (retired), Papertrey Pineforest, Cloud9 Stocking Stripe dsp (the snowflakes are on the paper)
• Ink: Stampin' Up Sage Shadow
• Accessories: Stampin' Up Calypso Twine, Memory Box die, Martha Stewart Crystal Fine Glitter (on tops of trees and houses)