Bittersweet Endings, Exciting Beginnings

Happy New Year!

Today we kick off the first Time Out Challenge of 2025 with a fitting Theme of Beginnings!

Speaking of new beginnings, we are so pleased to welcome a new Design Team Member to our Time Out crafty family: Carol McFadden of Saw it. Had to Make It. Carol is a wonderfully creative person and her cards are a joy and an inspiration. Please join us in welcoming her to the team.

We are generously sponsored by DoodlebugsWA with a $25.00 store credit as a prize for our challenge winner as chosen by the Design Team.

We welcome Ellen Coats of georgia_jayhawk on Instagram, Stamping Sans Souci blog and winner of Time Out #274 as Guest Designer.

In thinking about the card I would make for this challenge, I was trying to come up with something a bit off the beaten path. I decided to use this opportunity to make a card for a special young woman who is quite dear to me and just graduated from college in December from my own alma mater. She is sad to leave her college life, especially her roommates, but she is ready to hit the ground running. I am excited for her, and wish her every good thing as she begins her new chapter. We will celebrate her accomplishments right after New Years. The sentiment is perfect for her.

 Please head on over to the Time Out Challenge Blog where you can see what Ellen and the rest of the Design Team has created for your inspiration. Oh, and speaking of beginnings, with this first challenge of 2025, we are thrilled to welcome Carol McFarland to the Time Out Design Team Family! Come play with us!

Project Details
Stamps/Dies	Unity stamp Company Bittersweet Graduation Cling Stamp My Favorite Things Stitched Scallop Basic Edges Die-namics
Cardstock	110lb. Neenah Solar Crest Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor Cardstock Magnolia Dreams Patterned Paper
Ink	Altenew Obsidian Black
Embellishments
Other	Spellbinders Platinum Plus Die Cutting & Embossing Machine Scor-Pal Score Board Fiskars 12" SureCut Deluxe Craft Paper Trimmer MISTI Stamping Tool Scrapbook.com Craft Glue Altenew  Watercolor Essentials 12 pan set Ranger Artist Brushes

I am also playing at:

Just Us Girls #756 - Use a Die A/G

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Something New

Step Aside, Coffee

 

It's time for a new challenge at Time Out!!! Time Out Challenge #171 is an Inspired By Words challenge - "Move over coffee. Today is a day for Champagne." Our wonderful sponsor is STAMPlorations. The challenge winner will get a $25.00 credit to the STAMPlorations store.

To create my card, I used The Step Aside, Coffee stamp and sentiment from Unity Stamp Company and Hemstitch Squares dies from Spellbinders.

Please hop on over to the Time Out Challenge Blog to see the wonderful creations that the Design Team came up with to inspire you. Come play with us!

Step Aside, Coffee

It's time for a new challenge at Addicted To CAS. Our Code Word for ATCAS Challenge #187 is ONE LAYER. Barb is our wonderful hostess. 
Please note: After this challenge, Addicted To CAS, along with all of the challenge blogs run by Kylie Purtell, will be suspended for 6 months while Kylie takes a much needed break.

Now, on to my card. I love making one layer cards. They used to terrify me, but now I often opt to make them even if not required. The Step Aside, Coffee stamp and sentiment from Unity Stamp Company has been laying on my desk crying out to be used. When I saw it on a card a while ago, I just had to have it, but it came, and then it sat. I decided that the time had finally come to break it out and ink it up!

I stamped the image in Memento Rich Cocoa ink on a Neenah Solar White 110# card base and colored the mug with Copics. I then decided to complete my card by framing the image and sentiment by embossing with a Spellbinders Hemstitch Rectangles die. I just really love the look of it.   

Please head on over to the ATCAS Challenge Blog, take a look at the wonderful creations that the Design Team has created for your inspiration, and make something to share in the gallery. Happy crafting!

Please remember that this is a CAS challenge. Here is a definition to remind you:

I'm also paying at:

Krafty Chicks Challenge #512 - Clean and Simple

Watercooler Wednesday #276 - Anything Goes With a Masculine Twist

Crafty Cardmakers #259 - Masculine

Our Talks

I love this Our Talks tea cup image and sentiment from Unity Stamp Company. The CASology Cue is TEA, and I am screaming in at the last second with my card. The CASology Cue and the FMS Sketch were the perfect combination. I thought this image called for a vintage feel. I wanted to background to be lacy. I stenciled Picket Fence Studios Fancy Flourishes with  Antique Linen Distress Oxide Ink on a card base of Taylored Expressions Buttercream Choice Cardstock. I stamped the teacup with VersaFine Vintage Sepia ink on SU Confetti Cream cardstock and diecut the circle with an MFT Wonky Stitched Circle die. I heat embossed the sentiment on SU  Early Espresso cardstock and die cut the banner with an MFT Stitched Fishtail Flag die.

CASology Week #364 - Tea

Freshly Made Sketches #428

Love Ewe

Time for a new challenge at Addicted To CAS: ATCAS #154: Code Word FLUFFY.

Our Guest Designer is Michele Ferguson. Michele is an incredibly talented card artist who has a wit as keen as her crafting skills. Be sure to treat yourself to a stroll through her blog. Get ready to be inspired and to experience belly laughs.

As I searched my stash for fluffiness, this image from Unity Stamps was the one I loved best. I masked the lambs, and blended some Distress Oxide inks over the mask before removing it. I used Copics to add some color to the adorable creatures, stamped the tiny hearts, added the sentiment, and my card was done.

Please remember that this is a CAS challenge. Here is a definition to remind you:

Please head on over to the ATCAS Challenge Blog and take a look at the wonderful inspiration pieces the Design Team has created for your inspiration. I can't wait to see what you come up with to share in the gallery. Happy crafting!

I'm also playing at:

Little Red Wagon #486 - Love It!

SimonSaysStamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes (3rd entry)

Love Ewe Jon

I found this adorable image from Unity Stamp Company when I stumbled upon THIS project.  I fell in love with it immediately and I had to have it to use for my sons' valentines.  I ordered it and it arrived just in time for me to make the valentines.  I used Karen Giron's Sweet Sunday Sketch #103, which was posted on February 6th.  When I thought about how I wanted to use this stamp, Karen's sketch came to mind immediately.

I chose the DP first - BasicGrey's Sugar Rush.  There is a shade of blue in the red patterned DP that matched perfectly with SU's retired Brocade Blue cardstock. I used Brocade Blue for the base of my 5 1/4" card. The red circle is cut from Cherry Cobbler and run through EF from the Cuttlebug A2 combo die & EF: Love Language.  I then took the Cherry Cobbler ink pad and brushed it over the raised hearts to make them pop.  I am so pleased with this card.  It is filled with love.  Hope you had a happy Valentine's day!!

Love Ewe Greg

I recently learned about Linda McCain's Catered Crop Recipe Challenges.  Linda selects a project for inspriation, and the creator lists the ingredients used in the project.  The fun of this is that you can choose anything you like  from the designer's recipe to whip up your own creation. You choose from among the  ingredients, colors, theme, shapes, techniques, and then, add your own spice and make something completely different.

When I saw THIS post for FTR5 I instantly fell in love with the image in Denise's inspiration project, and I just had to have this adorable stamp from Unity Stamp Company.  It is the sweetest thing.  I ordered it right away, and it came on Friday, just in time for me to make valentines with it for my twin boys.  (You can view the second card that I made with this image in my post after this one.  My card  is a CASE of Denise's creation.  Thanks for the inspiration, Denise!  I love the way it came out, and it is perfect for my son.

Here are the things I chose to use from Denise's recipe:
Cardstock: red & white
Pattern Paper – repeating patterns (BasicGrey Sugar Rush)
Stamps – an image with a sheep/lamb, mother/child, and a sentiment about love (Unity Stamp Company-Love Ewe, Verve- One Hundred Hearts)
Color Mediums – Copic markers, black ink (Memento Tuxedo Black, VersaFine Onyx Black ink)
Tools – art sponges, scallop die cut
Embellishments – ribbon, tag
Techniques – sponging a sky
Theme – love, mother/child
Shapes – hearts and scallops
Other – a tag with a sentiment

This was fun! Looking forward to future Catered Crop Recipe Challenges.  Thanks Linda!