AAA Cards #276 Guest Designer

I am thrilled to be here today as Guest Designer at AAA Cards. This challenge was my very first Design Team gig back in 2015, and the start of a wonderful run of design teams for me over the course of time. It was here that I really developed an understanding of CAS which was not easy to grasp at the time because I started my "stamping career" with lots of layers. I grew to love the genre and to design for other CAS challenges including Less Is More.

For my card, I stamped this gorgeous leaf directly on the card base and added 3 sequins as a small embellishment in keeping with the sketch. I embossed the stamped image with clear embossing powder then colored it with DO Inks. I then used the mask that comes with the stamp and sprayed the aperture with clear shimmer spray to bring out the colors and shine. I love the way it turned out.

Thanks to the AAA team for having me as Guest Designer for this challenge. It was fun to be able to design for this challenge once again.

Please head over to the AAA Cards Challenge and see what the Design Team has created for your inspiration, then join us in the gallery. I can't wait to see how the sketch inspires you. Happy crafting!

Project Details
Stamps/Dies	Stampendous Cling Penpattern Leaves Spellbinders Fall Thoughtfulness
Cardstock	110lb. Neenah Solar Crest 80lb. Neenah Solar Crest
Ink	Memento Tuxedo Black Copic markers
Embellishments	Little Things by Lucy's Cards - Fallen Leaves
Other	Spellbinders Platinum Plus Scor-Pal Score Board Fiskars 12" SureCut Deluxe Craft Paper Trimmer MISTI Stamping Tool My Sweet Petunia Precision Glue Press Scor-Pal Score Tape-1" 3M foam tape

I'm also playing at:

Day of the Month Card Club #68 - National Tic Tac Day

Top left to bottom right diagonal - die, fall colors, leaf

Sandy Thanks

 

I needed a thank you card for guests staying at our Beach House. I wanted it to be very simple and fun, also easy to reproduce. This fit the bill exactly. CAS in summer colors - Perfect!

Project Details
Stamps/Dies	Essentials By Ellen Summer Doodles stamps & dies Essentials By Ellen Summer Sentiments Essentials By Ellen Tall & Skinny Numbers Dies Essentials By Ellen Tall & Skinny Alpha Dies
Cardstock	110lb. Neenah Solar Crest 80lb. Neenah Solar Crest
Ink	Versafine Onyx Black PTI Fine Linen Dried Marigold & Abandoned Coral Distress Oxide Inks Copic markers
Embellishments
Other	Spellbinders Platinum Plus Die Cutting & Embossing Machine Scor-Pal Score Board Fiskars 12" SureCut Deluxe Craft Paper Trimmer MISTI Stamping Tool My Sweet Petunia Precision Glue Press SU Dimensionals

I'm also playing at:

Tic Tac Toe #252

Vertical Column 2

AAA Cards Challenge

Anything Goes - Summer

Outlawz Festive Friday - Summer at the Beach

Depresso

 

I am absolutely thrilled to be here as Guest Designer for AAA Cards Game #175 - One Layer + optional twist of Coffee. I used Altenew's Coffee Love stamps to stamp and clear emboss. I colored the coffee pot with Copics and covered with clear Wink Of Stella to give it sparkle. I think the sentiment is hilarious, and I just love the way it turned out.

Please head on over to the AAA Card Challenges Blog and take a look at what the awesome Design Team has created for your inspiration, and come play. You have until October 10th to link your card to the gallery.

Washi Halloween

AAA Challenge #100

I just got some fun new washi tapes from WashiFul (Etsy), and when I saw the sketch at AAA Challenge #100, I knew just what I would do. The sentiment is from Paper Smooches Fall Sampler embossed with Ranger Orange EP.

I am also playing at:

The Heart Desires #17

Double D Challenge - Fright Night

Love You Always

Game #83 at AAA Cards CAS Challenge Blog has begun, and Love is in the air, The theme is LOVE, but there is an extra option for this challenge. In addition to the love theme you might like to shape up your card. It could be long and thin, a rounded square, circular, heart-shaped or any other shape you can imagine, just make sure to keep it LOVE themed and CAS.

Happy Little Stampers is sponsoring the challenge, and offers a $15.00 Gift Certificate to the Happy Little Stampers Store.

Guest Designer

Sharon - frommycraftdesk.blogspot.co.uk/

Treat yourself to a stroll through her blog. She has a unique and wonderful style that is sure to inspire you!

This is my take on the challenge:

I was on Pinterest looking for some ideas for shaping my card, I ran across THIS card by Michele Kovac and my wheels started turning. For my card, I went with the same shape as Michele's, but with a CAS design using SSS Love stamp set and dies. "Love" was cut from a water colored scrap in my bits box. I used Dreamweaver Metallic Gold Embossing Paste with SSS Falling hearts Stencil to embellish. The scalloped edging was done with MFT's Stitched Scalloped Basic Edges. 

Please head on over to the AAA Challenge Blog and see what the designers have created to inspire. Create a love-themed project of your own and share it in the AAA Challenge #83 gallery. I look forward to seeing what you come up with!

I'm also playing along with the following Challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - The Color Of Love

Creative With Stamps #11 - Valentine

Paper Players #330 - Valentine

Warm Winter Greetings

Game #82 is up at AAA Cards Challenge Blog with a theme of "Winter Chill". Our wonderful and generous sponsor is Stamplorations:

Challenge first place winner will receive Stamplorations Framed Cardinal Stamp and the Warm Winter Wishes CUTplorations die. All players will receive a 10% discount at the Stamplorations store. Get the details on the AAA Challenge Blog.

Our Guest Designer for this challenge is Katrina from Katrina's Craftworks. You will be delighted as you stroll through her blog and experience her wonderful work.

Here is my take:

This is really different than my usual. The white space is blue space. Eeeeek! It's hard to see that the die cut in the top right corner is cut from white glitter paper, as is the word "winter". The words "warm" and "greetings" are embossed in silver. As is so often the case, the picture doesn't do it justice. I'm still not sure about how I feel about this one, but I do feel good that I tried something different.

Please head on over to the AAA Challenge Blog and see what the DT has conjured up for your inspiration, Create a Winter Chill inspired card of your own, link up and play with us. Thanks for stopping by today!

Hello

It's time for the first Challenge of 2017 over at The AAA Cards Challenge Blog where the theme is HELLO.

The challenge is sponsored by Happy Little Stampers. Kylie Purtell, owner of Happy Little Stampers makes an appearance on the AAA Blog as Guest Designer for Game #81!

Valentyna of flourishtina.com is Guest Designer for this challenge. Treat yourself to a stroll through her blog for some wonderful inspiration.

Here is my take:

While my new purchases continue to roll in, I have promised myself to continue to dig into my stash and break out things I have never used. This wonderful little image from PTI is one of them. I love this little telephone stamp and die set (HEART-2-HEART #4) that has been sitting, waiting patiently to come out of its packaging for years. I used 3 shades of orange-hued ink on the phone and gave it a little ombre look. I embossed the wonky circle in the card base and popped up the phone and sentiment banner with foam tape.

Please head on over to the AAA Cards Challenge Blog and see what my awesome teammates have created for your inspiration. What's your take on HELLO as we begin a new year? I can't wait to see what you come up with.

I am also playing along at:

Less Is More #310 - Colour challenge. Use an OMBRE technique with your chosen colour

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Start Afresh. Use something fresh out of the packaging, i.e. something never used before.

CAS on Sunday Challenge #99 - Black and White, with one color of your choice.

Happy New Year!

Time for the last AAA CAS Cards Challenge of 2016 where the theme is SILVER! 

Please not that this is a THREE week challenge this time, running from December 18th to January 7th.

Our Challenge Sponsor is Stampendous

First place winner will receive a $20.00 Gift Certificate to the Stampendous Store.

Our Guest Designer for this challenge is the very talented Deborah Frings of Deborah's Gems. Take a stroll through her blog, and I am sure you will be very inspired!

Now, on to my card. I must tell a funny story about it.  During the time leading up to the challenge, I had it in my head that the theme was GOLD despite the fact that I had many reminders on calendars and on lists etc, that it was SILVER. I made my GOLD themed card, I was very, very happy with it. When I went to post it with the rest of the DT cards, I noticed that everyone's card was silver, as was the header for the challenge. Just a funny example of how crazy things are right now.  I had a big belly laugh over that one. Then I re-made my card in Silver. LOL!! 

Here it is:

I die cut the word "Cheers" using PTI's Luxe Silver Adhesive Sheets and Uncorked Word Die and adhered it to the inside of the card.

Supplies:
Stamps~Hero Arts Tiny Stars Background, SU Holidays & Wishes (2007),
Ink~Tsukineko Delicata Silvery Shimmer Ink, VersaMark.
Paper~Neenah Solar White
Accessories~PTI Uncorked and Uncorked Word Dies, Pretty Pink Posh Window Frames Dies, SU Silver EP, Little Things Sequins. SU Distressing Tool.

Please head on over to the AAA CAS Cards Challenge Blog and check out the wonderful silver themed cards created by the awesome DT. Get in spired to make a silver themed card of your own, and link up to play with us.

I am linking my card to:

Challenge #98 New Year

Double D Challenge - Dreaming of a White Christmas

Bottom right photo with lots of silver and stars.

Peace On Earth

AAA Cards CAS Challenge #79

Game #79 is up at AAA Cards CAS Challenge where the theme is CHRISTMAS.

Our wonderful sponsor is Happy Little Stampers. The winner will receive a $15.00 credit to use at the Happy Little Stampers Store.

Our Guest Designer is Marianne of Marianne's Cards.

Here is my take:

This image and sentiment just about sums it up for me right now in this crazy world we live in. The image is a wood mounted stamp from Hero Arts, colored with Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers. The inlaid die cut "peace" is sentiment is from Winnie & Walter's The Big, the Bold and the Merry Cutaways, and the rest of the sentiment is from Winnie & Walter's The Big, the Bold and the Merry Stamps. 

Please head on over to the AAA Cards CAS Challenge Blog, and check out the wonderful inspiration of the Design Team. Leave them some love, make a Christmas creation of your own, link up and play with us. 

I am linking to the following challenges:

Freshly Made Sketches #265

Anything Goes

Kylie Purtell and Friends 12 Days Of Christmas Cards Challenge.

Happy Birthday Circle Game

AAA Cards CAS Challenge #78

A new game is up at AAA Cards Challenge Blog. The theme is circles. 

Our generous sponsor is:

As well as the 1st place prize from our sponsor we also offer the winner the chance to be a Guest Designer for a future AAA Cards Challenge.

Our Guest Designer for this challenge is Jessica V. Lin of Jessie Handmade. Check out her fantastic card for this challenge HERE.

When I sat down to design a card for this challenge, and before I saw the inspiration photo above, I thought of this image from The Alley Way Stamps that I have had for a few years and never used. I pulled it out, inked it up and colored it with my Zigs. I added clear WOS to all of the water colored circles to make them sparkle and shine. I had to laugh when I looked at the inspiration photo after I had completed my circle themed card. See what I mean?? I am not sure how I feel about the polka dots in the "happy" die cut, but I went with it... more circles.

Please head over the the AAA Cards Challenge Blog, and see what my fabulous friends have created for your inspiration. Create a CAS (Clean & Simple) card using the circle theme, link up and play with us at AAA Cards! 

Just a note: All AAA Card Challenges are Clean & Simple.

I can't wait to see what you come up with! 

Thanksgiving Blessings

AAA Cards CAS Challenge #77 - Thanksgiving / Thank You

I love the fall where I live. The colors are vibrant, the air cool and clear, and the scents are warm and comfy. I love the Thanksgiving Holiday most of all. It doesn't get half the attention it deserves. I love that there is a time set aside to really contemplate life's blessings. 

That said, the current challenge is to create a Thanks/Thanksgiving themed card.

Our sponsor is Happy Little Stampers. Our challenge winner will receive a $20 Gift Certificate to the Happy Little Stampers Store. Watch for the new release - it's wonderful!

For this challenge, we have super talented 

Elisabeth from aufspapiergebracht.blogspot.de as our Guest Designer.

Check out her blog for some delightful inspiration, and then head on over to the AAA CAS Challenge Blog for more inspiration from the AAA DT. Think thankful thoughts, and create a thanks/Thanksgiving themed card, link up and play with us at AAA Cards.

Here is my take:

My main image is a stamp I've had in my stash for probably a good 20 years or more from All Night Media, colored with Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers. The sentiment is from Paper Smooches Fall Sampler.

The Mood Board at the Double D Challenge Blog provided some wonderful inspiration for my card, so I am linking up there as well.

Also linking up at Paper Players where the theme is "Thankful".

Thank YOU for stopping by today. Have a great day!